A parting lunch

Elena was picking up Uta today so we readied a nice gathering and lunch.  A bitter-sweet day, preparing to say "so long".  We will miss her.  She's back to Elena's and soon off to Seattle and Portland.

Lots of fun conversation and ideas exchanged.  Julie, Mary, Elena, Uta and me.  Oh...and Mark, on the phone, saying "Is she still there?"  "Can I talk to her?"  "Will she still be there when I get home from work?"

Yes, we will miss you, Uta.  I'm looking for you to come down the stairs.  I look for you in my chair at the computer.  And Henri wonders where you went.

A quickie in between things.  Yesterday, Uta got a tour of The Center.  She took a lot of pictures and so did I.  When we both start posting, it will take forever.  A very fun-filled week!  Monday, downtown Chicago.  Tuesday, papermaking at Laura's.  Wednesday, The Center and dinner and swimming at Julie's.  Today, Thursday, summer art.....and it was 100 degrees!  Again.....more later.

happy days

Okay!  Uta is helping me with Google Chrome and posting my photographs again!  I am having a wonderful visit with her and I have so much to show you!  It'll have to be a little at a time because we're still "doing".  We had an also wonderful time at Laura's yesterday; our get-together of our Artist Way friends.  I know these will be friends forever.  Laura gave us a great day of making paper outside in her papermaking tent and then we hung them out to dry.  I think they look like prayer flags.  Very appropriate, isn't it?  I hope they're sending warm thoughts to the others in our group who live further away and are not here for this day. We didn't want the afternoon to end.  We had a yummy pot luck lunch with all healthy fresh salads and dishes, shared wonderful conversation and just enjoyed "being".  Thanks Laura.....it was a most special day in the list of Uta's, and all of ours, memories of this special summer.

Oh Henri'

Henri and i went out to play ball, but Henri was interested in something else.  Barked and barked and barked!  "What is it Henri?"

Oh, it's Baby Bunny!  Look how he has grown.  It's because he's eaten all my baby green bean plants and the zinnia and cosmos seedlings.  But they were good for him; what a beautiful bunny!  He was napping in the shade until Henri disturbed him and so he hopped off into my neighbor's garden.

"Where's that Wabbit?"

One little nasturtium bloom.  Bunny didn't get this one though; I planted it in a pot on my deck.

Fathers' Day

Dinner here yesterday and Angel made the cake.  A "Twinkie" Cake!  Very pretty and very good.  Tasted just like a Twinkie!  The good old-times Twinkie.

yum

My friend, Uta, has inspired me...here is my yummy breakfast yesterday and again today.  Yogurt, orange, raspberries and homemade granola.  This is one of my favorite breakfasts,  but sometimes I slip off track. 

She's here!

Uta's here!  Our dear friend from Australia!  Here is Elena and Uta and we can't believe we are looking at her in person!

Robin and I met Elena, Jake and Uta out at Starved Rock today for a delicious lunch; that is if we even tasted it with the excitement of seeing Uta.  We are friends for nearly five years now and finally meet.

Doing a little shopping and posing, here is Elena, Uta and me...

and Robin, Uta and Elena.

Wow!  Some vehicles of transportation!

I even got a chance!  Robin too.....but the picture is on her camera.

The end of a lovely fun-filled afternoon.  "So-long", Uta. 

See you all again soon.

High from the earth, I heard a bird.

He trod upon the trees

As he esteemed them trifles,

And then he spied a breeze,

And situated softly

Upon a pile of wind

Which in a perturbation

Nature had left behind.

A joyous-going fellow

I gathered from his talk,

Which both of benediction

And badinage partook.

Without apparent burden,

I learned, in leafy wood

He was the faithful father

Of a dependent brood;

And this untoward transport

His remedy for care -

A contrast to our respites.

How different we are!

Emily Dickinson

Collage with Jonathan Talbot

Monday evening, I was lucky enough to go to a presentation by Jonathan Talbot. It was held at Creative Cuts and Crafts in Elmhurst.  Jonathan is the artist who developed the technique that I was taught in classses with Laura, when I first began collage.  "Thank you, thank you, Laura!"  I am so grateful and now use that technique in the class that I teach.  Here are some pictures from that evening.

Here's Laura, having a little chat and having her book signed. 

It certainly was a very enjoyable evening and so beneficial to hear the information that I have been taught coming right from the man who began our interest.

                                                                And here's me. 

Thursday was "summer art" and we went to a beautiful garden to draw/paint.  The owner's father had built this darling playhouse for her children when they were small.

He wrote the words on the door.  Don't you just love the door handle?  I could just imagine the fairies dancing out the door at any time.

So that is what I chose to draw.

Here's the jivey little picture that I was going to put on with my previous post.  My son's computer allows me to put it on.  A little "hip hop" action!

sunday

Sunday was Danielle's dance recital; her first dance recital.  In fact, it was the dance shop's first dance recital.  She is learning "hip hop".  I am not familiar with hip hop, but boy did they have fun!  And what great exercise!  I think she will have to teach grandma these moves this summer.  I had one picture that I wanted to post, but blogger is being stubborn and won't let me. 

But what I was getting at is, a question was asked of our AW group abut "daily friendly encounters" and it made me think of that day at the dance recital.  After the show, the little dancers were all receiving bouquets of flowers, etc.  One little girl, who had come to see the recital but was not a dancer, stood staring longingly at the flowers that they had for sale on the table (just in case someone had not thought of it or forgotten).  A woman, who was a complete stranger, noticed the little girl's look and immediately went and bought the a bouquet and handed it to her.  I think it made both their days...and mine, to see this little act of kindness.

Another baby in the garden

Did you ever see such a little baby bunny?  My neighbor saw him out in the back yesterday afternoon and called me to see.  Oh my gosh!  And  "where's your Mommy? "

So sweet.  I hope he found his way home.

And here are my dove's eggs.  I'm sure some didn't catch this on my post, but threre was a coyote out in the back of our yard one morning and after that we did not see Mommy Dove again.  So the eggs just stayed there in my hanging basket.  I finally brought them in.  I knew she would have come back if she could.

I can not believe how tiny they are.  I can't imagine how dove babies come out of those small eggs. This is a tiny basket that I made out of a tiny pumpkin gourd.  The perfect little nest for these little eggs since neither parent came back to the nest.  This was the second time they nested there, so I am hopeful for a family again.

Baby Robin update

Excuse please.  He's not a very tidy housekeeper.  But he is still here today and he's made a nice little "nest" in the grass.

He lets me come right over to talk to him, but he doesn't want to listen when I tell him he's a big boy and needs to flap his wings.

You can't just stay here on the ground forever.  It's not safe!

But Mommy Robin keeps coming to feed him and he's very comfortable, I think.

And I remember the grass-cutters are coming today!  Oh goodness!  And we need to go out for a while...

So..... I built a little brick wall around him.  Then I remembered it was a holiday, so the grass cutters would be a day late.  Oh well, we are ready for tomorrow.  Now, we went out and when we came back I went out to check and I talked to him again and to Mommy who was close by and when I turned around.....

out he hopped!  Big birdie!  "Here I go out into the big wide world!"