Breakfast with Madeline

This is not a rare occasion, but on this particular day, I was able to capture in photo my feelings of delight. Madeline, turning 6 this March, has become too shy or too tired, perhaps, of picture-taking from the holidays. I am so thrilled (as every grandma is) to have her at home. Smart, artistically talented, very sporty, sweet, well-behaved-I can go on and on.

....yes, my children are my joy...my granddaughter...my delight!!!!

Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends - and hardly ever our own grown children.- Ruth Goode

Simple Things

With the coming of vintage-style clothes the past year or so, came along pretty vintage-looking tags or labels. I found myself tossing them in my drawer for something. Today, I delighted myself with what I have instinctively collected. Ideas start popping-up: bookmarks, decoupage materials, file labels...endless possibilities.

"My entire soul is a cry, and all my work is a commentary on that cry." - Nikos Kazantzakis

A Life Resolved

As our family gathered for the New Year, I found myself talking and laughing with David (Reu's brother-in-law) about this one new year's resolution we've been trying to keep but remains to be done. We could not come up with new ones....so I guess life will be the same this year.

Another day of picture-taking, eating, and chit-chatting came by and we were home at last. Working from my computer to the kitchen and back, trying to fill my mind with my to-do-list- (some, way overdue like updating my resume), I felt something very compelling-is it the new year still calling me to come up with a new resolution? Then as I looked out my kitchen window (does this happen to all artists or artistically-inclined people?) came a deep-longing to embrace the full life of creativity which I have put to a halt for a while.


I have traveled this road before...opened a space in one of Old Town's country shops, started an online business, and frequented trade shows. But life's trials stormed me down until I found myself losing everything. But our hearts don't change and nothing could take away our true desires- for there lies our joy.

As a child, I remember having loved the self-assigned grand chore of dusting, arranging, and re-arranging our furniture, and the damp-rag cleaning of my Mom's glass-blown bowls and jars. I would arrange her collection of pink-trimmed plates with roses at the center and vintage cups and saucers inside our china. Little did I know then that I was actually home-decorating.

My beautiful Mom, who always shopped for pretty things and was well-known among families as having fresh linens all the time. She spoiled us with pure cotton beddings.

I have kept the passion to myself for years (and I mean, many many years), until my morning prayers revealed to me who I really am. Yes, now at 51, I can finally embrace fully the creative child in me. I resolve to live an inspired and creative life in whatever circumstances and see where that will take me. I welcome myself back and I am here to stay.

This is me taken at my "First Communion" in the Catholic tradition at age 8

My life's resolution transformed my to-do-list into what-I-love-to-do list. Here are some of them:

1. Create my personal blog.

2. Start renovating my creative space.

2. Plant tomatoes and fertilize my orange tree so that it actually bears oranges.

3. Visit old town and antique malls locally which I haven't done for a while.

The Year 2008 Retold

As I embraced the coming year, I looked back to the places I've been the past year and realized how wonderful they were. No definite plans (how brave), just a daily leading, brought me all these lovely experiences with family and friends, now captured in memories and photos.

Winter Wonderland in Utah
Highschool mini-reunion

With sister, Jean, at the farmer's market

Nathan's 11th birthday party
Childhood friends
Primary- and highschool classmates
Sister, sister