Cherished Ceramic

 

Decorating for holidays has always been a passion with me, as it is now with my daughter, Heather.

When she was about 12, she hand painted this ceramic, and it has always been one of my favorite decorations.  The attention to detail is perfect.  I was happy to once again bring it out this year for Halloween.  Thanks Heather!

 

 

Cousins

Like most people, I have dozens of cousins.   Some you grow up with, some you can't stand, and some are always there for you.

These three ladies are sisters.  On the left is my Aunt Tillie, in the middle is my Aunt Jo, and then my Mom.

They were always very close and they all had daughters that were also close.  When they all lived in Chicago, they visited each other as much as possible, and I remember always feeling very happy and secure around them.

MaryAnn is Aunt Tillie's daughter.  She spent a lot of time with us, and was also my babysitter when I was little.  We always had so much fun together, and now we are like sisters.

Here's a photo of my Grandmother, Augusta (in the middle) with my Uncle Rick on the left, my Aunt Tillie next to Rick, my Mom next to Grandma, then Aunt Jo.  The little girl in front who looks a lot like Shirley Temple is Aunt Jo's daughter, Barbara.  We were also very close as we were growing up, and still are.  She's like another sister.

MaryAnn had two daughters, Carol and Chris on the left. I am in the middle and next to me is MaryAnn, then my daughter, Heather.  The little ones in front are Carol's daughters,Alicia and Lizzy, on either end, and Amanda in the middle who is Chris' daughter.

We can't forget my son, Adam, shown here with Amanda once again, and her parents Chris and Jim in the background.  If you look closely you will also see my husband, Duane, and my sister and brother-in-law behind Chris and Jim.

My sister has a daughter, Chantelle and here she is with Heather when we were visiting my Mom one summer.

No one was happier than I was to have gained two granddaughters Valerie and Amanda, and here they are with their cousin, Maddie.

Autumn Leaves

I grew up in Chicago, and huge oak, maple, hickory nut and other deciduous trees were plentiful there.
We had an oak tree in our backyard that must have been at least three feet in diameter.  We lived in what was called a 2-flat house with a full basement and attic, and the tree was easily taller than the house.  I don't remember exactly how old I was when they cut the tree down, but I do remember that it was a major undertaking.  I think one of the reasons for removing the tree may have been the amount of leaves that it shed each Fall.

Here I am at age two in the backyard after the leaves had started falling that year.  Kids would have a ball jumping up and down in the leaves.

Sometimes we would go to a Forest Preserve where we would find even more leaves that I could play in.  It almost felt like you were swimming in them.

The Forest Preserve was a great family outing and here I am with my parents enjoying the sunny Indian Summer weather.

Starting at a very young age I watched all of the Cowboy programs on TV like Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger and Gene Autry.  At every opportunity I would jump onto a fence, or other structure pretending that it was a horse.

Once again at the Forest Preserve when I was a little older with my favorite dog, Lady.

Autumn has always been a special time for me, and I'll always remember romping in the leaves.

SIGNS OF FALL

You can always tell it's Fall around our house, by the zillions of pomegranates hanging from our tree.

Although they look red, none are ripe as yet.

Our jalapeno peppers are really producing as well.

A little reminder that Halloween is right around the corner.

Dana Point

Dana Point is a beach community that I have loved for many years.

With its breathtaking vistas, and gorgeous harbor, you couldn't find a prettier place.

This year, when Duane decided to go dove hunting in Arizona, I asked his son Scott and family to take a mini trip with me to Dana Point over Labor Day weekend.  They just loved the scenery.

Valerie and Amanda are such sweet and loving granddaughters.  They even seem to enjoy a photo op with "G-Ma", as they call me.

Can you tell that the wind is blowing 90 MPH?

I didn't know which way to turn my head.  In the background is the "point", and a beautiful tidepool.

After a tour of the many shops in the harbor, the full moon even cooperated, showing itself in gleaming splendor.