JuLy MeMoRiEs

Important Father/Son Experience: Lighting Punks.

Practicing the

Perfect Cast

in Shallow Waters

The month of July started out with a trip South to pick up the youngest grandboy to include him in the family reunion. Gavin lives in Texas. His dad lives in Iowa. They can't stand being apart. See the love.

























































































Important Father/Son Experience: Lighting Punks.

ThE BeSt GiFt

When we gather for our yearly retreats or every fifth year family reunions, my four sisters and I share gifts, mostly tiny, sometimes handmade, usually clever and hopefully easy to travel with. I thought this one took the cake! Behind it lies the precious memory of our Dad's beloved Ford tractor and the times most of us rode it in our effort to help him plow, plant, cultivate and harvest sweet corn and tomatoes.

My tractor seat represents a lot of pride.

Creative Clothespins

As the younger grandson's basket project reached completion, the older one joined in with his new use for the common clothespin. Chaos ensued. The basket is beautiful.

Time with my treasured grandsons includes exploring, telling stories, making art, swimming, fishing (or watching) and just hours of joy. They live in the city. I have lived in the country for about ten years now. The new/old has not worn off. Found railroad spikes are still considered to be treasures. The older one creates tall tales about them. The younger one paints them.

OnE CoLoR TrEaSuRe BoXeS

Elliott chose purple for his one-color treasure box because of the blue salvia he plucked from the morning garden. But he had a hard time not choosing blue items too. Sometimes it's a hard call. After gesso-ing our cigar boxes, he water color sprayed his blue on the inside, purple outside. I chose that hard-to-name mustard color that calls to me all the time. Of course my craft room held an abundance of that color of treasures to be included in my box. Elliott decided not to glue his items and so they are free to roam about in his box. Mine have been secured in a variety of ways. I'm pleased that the bell on the top jingles when you open it.

On

Soul Collage Basket beginnings

Used a packet of dye purchased sometime during a "thrifting" adventure. Lighter than I had expected, it became the inspiration of hues plastered onto the fabric paper project which was 45" long - long enough to weave into a basket.