"Memories of Summer"

When beginning my collage for today's workshop, I decided to use a black & white copy of the zoo map. We had visited the zoo a few times this summer and they were fun times to remember.

Wasn't sure if I was going to incorporate some green, but decided to include the identification bands from the beer stand. Also, one day, Danielle had made me a little handwritten note and told me that I could use it in a collage, so I wanted to add that. Then began adding color.

Admission tickets and tickets to the special attractions made me steer toward the golds, tans and oranges. Then I found some painted squares that I had done that fit the color scheme.

The angel represents our summer art sessions. The moon for all the full moons I remember seeing in the early mornings. And, of course, couldn't leave out my mourning dove story and our visitor, Mrs. Field Mouse! Yes, it was certainly a summer surrounded with animals.

Bunnies here and at Julie's, and the wonderful trees and dragonflies in Minnesota at St. John's University.

Thousands of dragonflies! I also slipped in my school song in memory of my reunion last weekend, and a very special visit from the coyote.

Ended it with putting a wooden black frame in place. Now, I hope everyone coming today has lots of wonderful summer memories to put into their collages!

Dot, dot...almost done

A little more to go and I will be done.

Today, have to think about my collage workshop tomorrow. "Memories of Summer".
at The Center
1-4 p.m.

A thunderstormy morning. The trees in the back of my yard are getting a nice shower while they're fluffing their branches. Today, all day, I need to be finishing my drawings for the new annual calendar for The Center. Enjoying pointallism, with my lots of dots in this one, it's getting there. Then one more to finish. And I don't stay up late, so I won't be burning the midnight oil. And have all you other "summer artists" turned in your drawings to Sonya?

" Oh, the world is wide and the world is grand,
And there's little or nothing new,
But its sweetest thing is the grip of the hand
Of the friend that's tried and true." Anon

Here we are!

The reunion was a huge success! 160 graduates arrived and it was so great to see so many old friends. We all wore our name tags, which was extremely important. Looking at all the faces, you excitedly knew you knew them and then quickly searching for their name tag, it was exciting again to see who it was! With hopes of seeing them, here I am with two of my favorite friends, Pat and Susan, whom I went through grammar school and high school with!

Here are twins, Lucille and Louella, with my good buddy, JoAnn (one of my "club girls" of 54 years). She is actually a "party-crasher" who went to Maria High School, but she loved all the social things that went on with us Harperites, so she was always with us and knew everyone.

Here again someone I went all through school with, Marilyn, chatting with Carol and Susan.

Catherine is the one who first called me when this was in the planning stages. Her and her twin brother, Cliff, are also grammar school/high school classmates of mine. I think of them so often, wished I knew where they were, and when I had heard her voice on the telephone, "a voice from the past", I could not believe my ears! Where's Judy! Cliff's wife, Judy, also was a high school chum and I wish she was in this picture. We need to do this again!

Me again, with my dear friend, Carmella (also one of my "club girls" of 54 years) and Virginia.

Together again; Eleanor, JoAnn, Arlene, Carmella and me. We had many many pajama parties when we were teenagers. What memories!

Soon it was time to say "so long". Here are Susan, Viola, Eleanor and Gail, promising we will not let another 50 years go by and we will plan to get together!

We had a big group photograph taken. A wide panoramic one, and it reminds me of the photo that they took on our class trip to Washington D.C. except that one was in black & white. The committee also made up a very special CD of memories for each of us. Thank you, Committee!

Harper Victory March

We're true to you our own dear Harper High,

We'll ever stand for you and fight,

Your white and crimson bright we'll proudly fly,

So dear to every Harperite,

You stand for everything we hold most dear,

Faith, honor, love, and loyality,

With vim and pep,

Watch Harper step,

To fame and glorious victory.

It's here!

This is it! Today's the day. The class reunion. Here's me in 1959. Who will I see tonight? Will I know them? Will they know me? Where did those years go? I don't feel that old.

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. From the television show The Wonder Years.

a dilemma of a day

Dilemma, according to Webster's, says it's "any situation in which one must choose between unpleasant alternatives". That description fits my day today. Shopping! Clothes shopping! I am not a shopper. I put it off long enough and had to go. My high school class reunion is this coming Saturday. My 50th class reunion! Yikes! Well, I spent about four hours in Carson's circling the clothing department, trying things on, and finally decided on this, my first choice. A new pair of Alfred Dunner's black slacks. They are a forever staple in my closet and I just wanted a new pair. They are like "the little black dress" to me. The shell and top are Anne Klein and I love them. I hope that I wasn't seeing myself through "high school rose-colored glasses" and that it will look alright on me when the hour arrives. Suck it in, April!