What Life is All About!

Each summer since I was 16 my grandparents have held Grandkids Retreat - a family reunion of sorts except it is only for my grandparents and cousins who are between the ages of 8 and 18. Well at least that was the original rule. Now there are so many of us (42 in total) that they need the older grandkids to come to help watch over the rest of the clan. Last year was the first time I had been in almost 10 years (yes! to all you smartie pants out there that means I have only been twice). I had so much fun last year I really wanted to go again this year. So, I volunteered to help my grandparents plan thinking that would make it so I would have to go for sure.

Well, a little thing called a job got in the way of that plan! I did help plan (sort of) and I had a lot of brilliant ideas (few of which actually came to fruition because of the fact that I am on the east coast and they are on the west....and I am much busier than I was this time last year) but without the help of my amazing sister none of it would have happened. {thank you claire!}

And eventhough I wasn't able to be there physically it still makes me so happy to see these pictures. THIS is what life is all about!

Claire's adorable invitations

Everyone in the bus to go river rafting (see Grammy & Grandad in the back?)

Katie, Jonah (no, not David Archuleta) Shea, Claire

katie & the boys!

Ryan & Seth

Cousins! (Curt & Anna)

Goodbye Photo

My Symphony

About a year ago I discovered this poem. It is the motto of my life

My Symphony

To live content with small means

To seek elegance rather than luxury

and refinement rather than fashion

To be worthy, not respectable and wealthy, not rich

To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly

To listen to the stars and birds

to babes and sages with open heart.

To bear all cheerfully,

do all bravely,

await occasions, hurry never.

To let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious

grow up through the common

This is my Symphony.

~William Henry Channing

The Wall Street Journal

About a year ago I started another blog so I could include more of my random thoughts and experiences with out detracting from the original purpose of this blog, but I never really publisized the fact that I had this blog because it was never "ready". Well the time will shortly come that this blog will be obsolete so I thought I might as well get on it. Over the next 3 months I will be posting to both blogs...yes you heard me right. I will be POSTING!!!! and I will be posting on TWO blogs.

A special thanks to my sister who came up with the brilliant name!

The Wall Street Journal

Here! Here!

As I was searching Jordan Ferney's blog for ideas for some events I'm working on, I came across this, one of her earliest posts. All I have to say is, here! here!

Domestic Bliss

This picture from the Martha Stewart website brings out every domestic urge I've ever had. The neatly organized cleaning supplies. The colors of the rag and gloves.

Oh Heaven! The feminist movement (or at least the one that tricks you into not wanting to stay at home) was an invention of some sort of evil man (or woman)! I sit here at my fancy cherry wood desk (or not so fancy plastic and metal cube) in my fancy offices doing my fancy job (again not so fancy in my case) and all I can do is crave cleaning baseboards with pleasant geranium smelling cleaners. (okay maybe I don't fancy cleaning baseboards, but I'll organize anything you want!) Or making topiaries out of lemon trees. Or making fantastic meals with fresh cut spices that are growing in my (imaginary) kitchen windowbox. When I grow up I want to iron expensive linen sheets and have a pretty greenhouse and spend time shining my copper pans.

The feast after the famine

For all of you frequent readers of this infrequently updated blog, get ready for a deluge!

An Upcoming Artist

These are some of my favorite paintings by Paul Ferney. I want to own at least two of them (the first and the last). I know absolutely nothing about Paul as an artist and everything I know about him personally I know because I blogstock his wife Jordan.




What I love about Paul's work, and what I generally love in art, is his ability to capture a mood, an emotion, and to tell a story - even when it seems as though there is no story there to tell. Each of these paintings take me away to a different place and time and, for a moment, allow me to trascend my reality and be a part of a beautiful evening drive after a long day at the beach or a serene summer afternoon .... Or Maybe it is my overactive imagination :)