The Winnah and Still Champeen Irish Dancer

Pellie done did it! She won first place in the Willoughby scarecrow contest for family scarecrow. If you check out the picture below, you can tell why! Nothing like having a family to make your crafting skills come to the fore! Congratulations, Sistah!

The Irish Dancer

After coming up with the idea in 2009, I finally acted upon it in 2010. I was determined to have a scarecrow in the Willoughby Scarecrow Contest. As luck would have it, my artistic sister was in town for 4 long weeks in the spring and she needed a creative outlet. So...I made the dress and Judith decorated it with the Celtic design. Then it all sat in a closet until the beginning of October when our Irish dancer began to come to life. I needed to reach back to my other-craftly ways to embroider the face and then, I needed to learn a new craft to create the hair. A pair of tights from Target and Maria's first pair of ghillies and we were ready to go! Our girl is strategically placed rather close to Burgers 'n Beer (wonder what that means). I do not know who won the contest (there are 3 divisions-family, business, & organization), but I shall claim victory just for getting it done!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happiest of birthdays to the man who really, truly, honestly didn't care a bit if they were remembered or not. I've been thinking about you all day. I love you!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Every time I turn on the radio or attend a concert or flip in a CD of the world's greatest music, I think of you, Papa! Your enduring legacy pops up to the surface when I take my grandkids to a concert and know that I am planting the same seed. Or I meet someone in the classical music world and can talk about my father being the physician for the Cleveland Orchestra in the Szell years; they are always impressed. We did not know what a gift this was when we first enjoyed it, but we certainly know now. You and Mom gave us so much: a work ethic, a thriftiness (ouch, that dollar is screaming for mercy), a hunger for learning and a passion for sharing what we have learned. Thanks, Pops, and have a heavenly 87th birthday up there with your best pal. We love you and miss you always!

The Hills are Alive with the Sight of Aspens!

Golden colors, blue skies, green chile and a redhead! That's Santa Fe!

Hi, Mom!

I did not want to get out of bed this morning, since Mom came to visit me in my dreams for the first time! We were having some kind of party, and Sheila and I were helping her to get dressed. Strangely, it was the closet on Berkshire that I went into to get clothes, and there wasn't much there to choose from; it was definitely Berkshire. Mom was just as smiley and chipper as we all remember her (I have taped to my laptop the picture of her sitting in her car with the red wig on at her 85th birthday party; she was always so game to try anything on her head!). The dream ended with her walking out, by herself, no cane or walker, on to a vast stage of some kind with an abstract autumn gold backdrop as big as the Metropolitan Opera stage, with some kind of lighting coming from the front, just like a stage would have. If there's a heaven, I know she is there...and she must have heard my prayers, because I have asked her SO many times to visit me....guess that is what dreams are for! Thanks, Mom, for coming to see me!