Daydream Believer

Tuesday May 11, 2010

2010-05-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

I am wholly unaware of time's passing. Just now I scrolled though the photos we've taken this year and find myself surprised at all we have done in and around the life, death and aftermath decisions. We've celebrated 3 birthdays and just this past weekend, Mother's Day. We went to a Braves game in Atlanta, painted our house, made several trips to Melbourne, went to see two Broadway plays, put our house up for sale, did incredible work in our gorgeous yard .... It just doesn't seem possible as the months tick away that EK is no longer here to see all the changes.

A few weeks ago, Mom visited me while I was sleeping or dreaming, I'm not sure. She appeared as only her head and her hair was once again red and oddly curly. Her blue eyes twinkled at me and she said in her typical scolding tone, very loudly, "Don't WORRY about me!" Then she laughed and flew away. Since then I have felt so much more peace and lightness in her absence. So, I wanted to post a couple of pictures taken at her house in March. She would have liked that.

Monday April 12, 2010 - the inexorable march of time

2010-04-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Friday was the two month mark of mother’s death. There. I said it. She died. Before I told people she “passed away” which somehow sounded a bit less offensive, less final. Like she had gone on vacation somewhere and we weren't quite sure of her return date. February 9, 2010 is just another date, another time stamp in our history, the day when Mom took her last breath with her two children holding her hands, dazed that any of this could really be happening.

I feel like I’ve been trapped on a cheap carnival ride of emotions from which there is no escape – guilt, grief, sadness, guilt, excruciating heartache, hysterical crying, regret, laughter, brief moments of peace and knowing it was “time” followed by another round of guilt, grief, sadness and laughter. Rare laughter. The kind that comes when my daughter, for no reason at all, will say a word exactly three times, just like Mom used to, for emphasis. She’ll catch herself and remind us: “I sound like Emma.” And then she, my husband and I will nervously laugh while standing around the kitchen island and wonder out loud if Mom’s bad quirks could be passed on genetically. I am living proof of the dreaded answer.

For weeks I’ve been living day to day in a strange agitated state: at once aware of huge internal transformation coexisting with overwhelming paralysis. I would look at my “to do” list, knowing clearly, and thinking consciously, that phone calls are easy to make, and not be able to make a single one.

A few days before April 9, I got a burst of energy and finally started the process to organize her belongings, which consist mostly of her writings … notes to herself and reactions to things seen on CSPAN, China TV, or CNN. A product of the Depression, she was loath to waste anything, including paper, so her notes are copiously written on the back of junk mail letters, envelopes, or even old, used paper from my printer, the sheets where only one unnecessary line printed. Down in Melbourne, I knew I would not be able to sift though the bulk of notes and correspondence, so I stacked it all up and threw it in my car, believing that one day at home I would find the strength and energy to read it all. That night, we all (my brother, Eric, and my daughter, Isabella) sat around in her smoke infused family room and read through a small collection of items she had stowed in her strong box. She had clearly sorted and placed these items with intent. Photographs we had never before seen. We noted she had Sanpaku eyes. We examined her elementary school report cards, especially the notes from teachers: “Emma writes good” and "Emma is easy-taught," howling with laughter. We read them in our best southern accents. Mind you, she grew up in Alabama. That accent was perhaps the first thing she shed from her past when she moved to D.C. This brought to mind one of Mom’s often repeated opinions: “Teachers are some of the dumbest people you’ll ever meet.” She interacted with them constantly in her 12 years of service with the Nation Education Association. Ironic, since she had a degree from a teachers college. There was other stuff in the report cards, like how she wasn’t doing so well in P.E. or Math, and what appeared to be her forgeries of her mother’s signatures. At this my brother says “Wow, THAT’S where I get it from!” I tell him at least he comes by it honestly. We delight in peeking at the young version of our mother who would so strongly shape us, and not always in such good ways.

Back at home, the piles sit on the floor in my bedroom for what seems like a month, maybe longer. Paralysis has its grip on me and I manage to ignore the mounds of paper, walk around them, integrate them into my bedroom décor - chaos. It’s astonishing what one can overlook. I prefer to do other things, write emails to friends and grocery shop, plan projects for the yard and think about what’s next in my life. My life filled with irony. Still I have not contacted NEA to stop her pension or canceled her email account. Sigh. These are steps I’m not ready to take, but I will, I tell myself that.

But then I got that burst of energy and cleaned out her room. The way had been paved by getting rid of the queen bed a few weeks earlier. With Trevor's help I moved in some tables, hauled the paper and folders in and then started to launder some of the vintage clothing I brought home along with the papers. One of the closets I cleaned out in Melbourne contained a huge box of my grandmother’s clothing, some of which I kept. As I wash the aprons, it occurs to me that perhaps I should ask my aunt and uncle if their children want any of these aprons or dresses … they are all made by my grandmother … who taught me to sew on her pedal Singer machine, the same one that sits in my house. Should I ask if they want some of Mom’s ashes, too? We were not close with either of them, so I let the thought pass, fold and tuck it away for later. Maybe later.

By Friday I have sorted the major categories of stuff into piles, knowing full well when I really dig in, there will be crossover everywhere. After the accident, her thinking never operated the same and her memory shined only sporadically. And now it’s all mixed again because the very old stuff and the most recent occupy the same space. Two things I have always thought about: death and time. Over and over. When I was a child, I assumed it was because my father died when I was 3 and that started me down the path, led me to consider death more, I knew better than other kids that life is uncertain. And I also thought that awareness would protect me, since death seemed to happen to people when they least expected it, when they weren’t paying attention. If you thought (as I later learned Picasso did) ‘this could be my last day’ then somehow you might live to see your next last day. It’s like putting a frame around your existence, daily. You can plan for tomorrow, but in the back of your mind, you know, deep down, it could be a pointless ruse. Yes, plan for tomorrow or next year, just KNOW, don’t be surprised if .... Thought obsessions with death were rivaled by thought awareness of time. As a kid, when I would draw or write things, Mom would always say “you need to date it, where is the DATE?” and ironically, I say the same things to my kids. She was obsessed with history, world and political history and personal histories. The dating of things is how she passed on her nitpickiness about chronology, time stamping and context. Photos, notes and small historical artifacts - she was obsessed with getting all the randomness of her life recorded. And now I sit in the ruins of her scattered thoughts and notations … her impressions of life that were important enough to write down and date.

On Friday I am sorting the papers with a furious efficiency, the medical pile being the tallest … and then I happen on a clean white piece of paper, folded in half. It’s not junk mail, not old printer paper. Her handwritten note simply says: “It’s clear to me that I am helpless and useless and when it’s time to die, one knows. I cry when I write checks for bills due on my home residence because there is NO WAY for me to use energy to work on usual home activities and provide for myself as I once did. I can see that all others are active and especially my 2 children, Keti and Eric, who do all they can for me. It is therefore up to me to make arrangements to move out of the way one the calendar of TIME. At my age the use of time is totally different from ....”

Undated. Odd. But not really looking at what she thought. Time no longer mattered, it had lost all meaning. I speculate she wrote this sometime in November, before she lost the use of her hands and couldn’t write, a particularly devastating turn of events. Writing WAS her memory, her only mechanism for keeping the time and space of her life intact. Losing her ability to write was symbolic of her readiness to leave the material world. And yet, I could not see it. I was in denial. Looking back, all the signs and messages were crystal clear and yet I could not SEE.

There it is. We are all alone. In denial, in grief, in death. We walk alone. Others can console us, wipe away our tears and tell us to remember the happy moments, but truly we are alone in the experience. Time travelers through memory. And I wonder about the remnants of what we are leaving behind. I’m thinking hardest now about that. Every day. The words. The thoughts. The feelings of our loved ones.

Ella: November 10, 2009

2009-11-10T08:48:00.001-08:00

Ella: November 7, 2009

2009-11-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thurs Oct 1, 2009 Trip to Deland & Stetson

2009-10-22T05:27:00.002-07:00

Ket: Jill and Ella at the fountain @ Stetson University.

Tues Sep 29, 2009

2009-10-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

Ket: daily life at the dining room table ...

What are passions?

Simulated evil death glare (the tiny smirk kinda gives it away ...):

Mon Sep 28, 2009

2009-10-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

Ket: Ella @ Starbucks working on some ... problems ....

Sun Sep 27, 2009

2009-10-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

Ket: Jack & Curly takin'a dip!

Ella: vegan live cheesecake Shannon helped up make. Delicious!

Fri Sep 25, 2009 Rob Thomas concert @ Universal

2009-10-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Ket: likes her new Canon point and shoot!

One Republic ...

Rob Thomas ...

Thurs Sep 24, 2009

2009-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ket: this is just a random photo of my friend Gail's square foot garden box. I was trying to decide on specs of my own. Nice parsley!

Tues Sep 22, 2009

2009-10-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ket: we've been having a lot of tree frogs interloping lately. This one jumped out of the kitchen sink. We let it go outside, safely away from Echo.

Mon Sep 21, 2009

2009-10-17T12:40:00.001-07:00

Ella: Melissa's shoes ...

Fri Sep 18, 2009

2009-10-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

Ella: painting ...

Thurs Sep 17, 2009

2009-09-18T11:17:00.001-07:00

Ket:

Isabella:

Wed Sep 16, 2009

2009-09-18T09:44:00.001-07:00

Ket: pavilion post at Mandarin Park.

Some type of air plant living on a palm tree downtown.

Isabella: various shots from our day ... Mandarin Park and photo club, T-U Center downtown and Whole Foods.

Tues Sep 15, 2009

2009-09-18T09:41:00.001-07:00

Anyone want to buy a car? Photo for the Craig's List ad. That's all I took today!

Mon Sep 14, 2009

2009-09-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

Whew, what a day ... we traded in our Tahoe since the a/c was acting up and she was teetering on 100K miles and got this Santa Fe. Still smarting from my brother calling it 'gay'. WHATever. Haven't named her, but she's got tan interior and is a very nice ride. :)

In the evening, we headed to Panera for an RCU Parents' Night out, which has really become Family Night Out as all the kids want to tag along.

Brenna, Trevor, Garrett

Josh and Isabella

Gail and me

The 'kids' - most notably Logan, who doesn't like to have his photo taken. What's up with that?

Shiny kids

Chatty adults: Juzer, David, Broc, Liz, Bonnie, Shannon and Gail.

Same folks, other direction.

Sun Sep 13, 2009

2009-09-18T09:23:00.001-07:00

I took this with the Digital Rebel with the big zoom lens from inside my kitchen. Echo dominates the chaise ...

Sat Sep 12, 2009

2009-09-18T09:21:00.001-07:00

I signed this guy up on Facebook ... his first profile pic.

Fri Sep 11, 2009 school/work

2009-09-18T09:18:00.001-07:00

"School"

"work"

Thur Sep 10, 2009

2009-09-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Heliconia in a vase made by Brenna. I thought the oranges and pinks would contrast nicely with the greens and blues of the glaze, but I didn't quite capture it.

Wed Sep 9, 2001

2009-09-18T09:13:00.001-07:00

A note I found from my Mother on the kitchen island ... Reads "Thank you beautiful child."
I think it was in response to me bringing her tea while she was sleeping. Anyway, I couldn't resist capturing her kind words. She is a generous soul.

Tues Sep 8, 2009

2009-09-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Grrl power!
Morning doves in the driveway.

Mon Sep 7, 2009

2009-09-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Trevor decided to take a FULL-TIME job!!! OMG! How can this be? Here he is on his first day ... making his lunch (a practice that would quickly fall by the wayside in favor of, you guessed it, sleep).

With his very techy/geeky looking backpack and lunch ... ready to go ...

Ooops, forgot the socks, one second please ...

And he's off ... growing up happens so fast. I sit at home and wonder about fleeting time. Enjoy every microsecond with your kids as they will be out into the world and creating lives of their own in very short order.

Sun Sep 6, 2009

2009-09-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Seems to be working great on indoor as well as outdoor shots.

Sat Sept 5, 2009

2009-09-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Took back the Nikon P&S and purchased instead a Canon P&S ... here I'm just messin' around on the first day. So far, so good.

Mon Aug 31, 2009

2009-09-18T08:43:00.001-07:00

Goodbye New England ... until the next time!

We packed up all our stuff after an 11-day trip, said our goodbyes and headed back to Hartford to catch our flight home. The trip was a success, but I was so ready to sleep in my own bed. The point and shoot camera was a failure and I decided to return it and try another one. Hence there were no photos taken until this transaction occurred.

Sun Aug 30, 2009

2009-09-18T08:40:00.001-07:00

David and I had to do more laundry, so we went down to the local coin operated place and then took a walk while we waited. Blue spruce, I think.

Sat Aug 29, 2009

2009-09-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we were entertained by a band of unschooled siblings from Rhode Island, "Fishing with Finnegan."

Fri Aug 28, 2009

2009-09-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the talent show. Didn't get any good photos, so this one will have to do. Very disappointed ... bunches or blur and red-eye. Grrr.

Thurs Aug 27, 2009

2009-09-18T08:24:00.001-07:00

Now at the NEUC in Boston ... yesterday must have been a whirlwind of fun and connecting with old acquaintances since the camera remained decidedly unused ... this is a passion basket I found so cute.

Tues Aug 25, 2009

2009-09-18T08:18:00.001-07:00

Stopping in Mystic on our way to Foxwoods.

Upon arriving at the MGM Foxwoods and checking into our room, we found this ladybug on our window, and we were up high, lemme tell you. It was a good luck charm. I had to take about 10 shots to get ONE to come out clear!

Mon Aug 24, 2009 - Hartford, CT

2009-09-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

We trucked downtown to visit the new Science Center ... it was really for younger kids, but we enjoyed it. Camera still failing most of the time ...

Sun Aug 23, 2009

2009-09-18T07:57:00.001-07:00

Again, me: very frustrated with the point and shoot camera and sorely regretting that I didn't bring the Canon Digital Rebel.

Sat Aug 22, 2009 David's 50th Party in CT

2009-09-18T07:51:00.001-07:00

And here's where I seriously fell down on the job ... and started to think my new camera might be a dud! The camera took terrible photos indoors and wouldn't focus correctly, so I'm only posting a couple from the party which was good fun. Just sad I don't have many good shots.

Amanda, who came and helped cook and set up!

The cake, shaped like a poker table. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Fri Aug 21, 2009

2009-09-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ket: at my SIL's house in CT, doing party prep, but also made time to take a walk around the neighborhood on a lovely New England summer day.

Getting her house all set up ... it looks very nice.

My MIL LOVED these lighthouse label holders!

Decorations for the party ...

Much later that night, my SIL decided to pull out the popcorn maker and whip up a batch.

Thurs Aug 20, 2009

2009-09-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ket: We're heading to New England ... at the airport ... amazingly uneventful departure from the house. Finally getting the hang of air travel and the deadlines.

Sun Aug 16, 2009

2009-09-15T18:44:00.001-07:00

Ket: playing with the new point and shoot camera.

Isabella:

Sat Aug 15, 2009

2009-09-06T20:48:00.001-07:00

Fashion statement: new scarf.

Fri Aug 14, 2009

2009-09-06T19:55:00.001-07:00

St. Augustine Amphitheater. Counting Crows, Michael Franti and Augustana.

St. Augustine dusky skyline.

A father in the audience with his infant child. Very. Sweet.

Augustana lead singer.

Wed Aug 12, 2009

2009-09-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, doin' a little time travel dance here again. I know you know it's not really Wed Aug 12, but roll with me ... a girl only has so much time. So, let me take you back to this day, which I now recall quite clearly from this photo I took while getting my hair prettified at Hair Peace. This was sitting at Bruce's station and he wasn't around so I didn't bother to ask, just took the picture. The Avenging Unicorn Playset. With three magical horns and three figures to impale. Questions? I thought so. Please think twice about bringing your children under 10 to this salon.

Ella: tea with Ella.

Ella: capturing a rare moment: EK seems to be laughing. Recently she told us "I hate comedians."

Tues Aug 11, 2009

2009-08-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ket: Trevor connected the keyboard to the Macbook! Yay, now Isabella can play/record directly into Garage Band.

Mon Aug 10, 2009 ... in which Trevor sells his iPod on Craig's List

2009-08-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ket: after a chaotic day of shuttling kids around to various places (the doctor, again, and drama), all four of us managed to rendezvous back at the house and drive in one car to Tinseltown where Trevor had to meet the person buying his old iPod. We met in back of the Wendy's parking lot and laughed that it felt like a shady transaction. Five minutes and $150 cash later, we were off to dinner at the Town Center. We were laughing about something seen on Conan, er, I mean The Tonight Show. Yes, we all agree Conan is much funnier than Jay!

Isabella: the view from Mimi's up high - streetlamps and umbrellas.

Sun Aug 9, 2009

2009-08-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Ket: More Kanji.

Sat Aug 8, 2009 uh oh ...

2009-08-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ket: last night Isabella, David and I drove to Port Orange to see Cindi and Jill. We arrived home very late and upon seeing Trevor, noticed the left side of his face seemed swollen. We decided to wait and see how it looked in the morning ... it didn't look any better, so we called the on-call doc and he met us at the hospital. Dr. English was wonderful and has the best handwriting of any doctor I have seen. Trevor has an abscess ... can you tell how excited he is that he's getting an IV put in for a dose of antibiotics?

Late evening ... swelling is going down.

Isabella has picked up her Kanji books and is learning to write in Japanese.

Fri Aug 7, 2009

2009-08-11T19:04:00.001-07:00

Ket: Mom's red peppers.

Heliconia blooms in late July and these are just getting started.

Thurs Aug 6, 2009

2009-08-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ket: Some mornings I wake up and my daughter is already awake and busy with her day. This morning, I find her laptop on the kitchen island along with "An Illustrated Life."

This is the omelet (I don't think I've ever written that word and it looks odd) she made with the cherry tomatoes and rosemary from our garden.

Wed Aug 5, 2009

2009-08-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ket: love this color scheme ... it's fabric from my quilt.

Tues Aug 4, 2009

2009-08-11T18:36:00.001-07:00

Ket: yesterday marked two weeks since Trevor's surgery and I never got the chance to take photos of him, so here they are now. He's a handsome boy!

Mon Aug 3, 2009

2009-08-09T15:10:00.001-07:00

Ket: Back at home and back to reality. Laundry, bills, doctor appointments .... It was a nice break from routine. Here I'm just playing with my camera ... a glass vase.

Sun Aug 2, 2009

2009-08-09T15:02:00.001-07:00

Last day at Ichetukneee ... but we'll be glad to see Trevor and David and the puppies. Before we left, I had to capture this moth resting on our car and we said our goodbyes and prepared to drive home.

Sat Aug 1, 2009

2009-08-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Ket: several of us drove about 10 minutes to a place where there is a rope strung on a tree so people can swing out over the Suwanee River and drop or dive in. It was definitely not something I was about to try. Others are more fearless ...

Gillen and Broc driving the Green Dragon. He informed us he's been driving on his farm since he was 5, but only learned a stick shift when he was 10. I think he's about 12 now.

Yep, this is what they do.

Isabella didn't venture the platform and attmpted to swing and jump from the shore.

Later on we all played a cool new game of frisbee/freeze tag/soccer. That was fun!

Later, we hung out, talked and relaxed. Brenna, Isabella and Gail.

Fri Jul 31, 2009 Tubing Itchetuknee Springs

2009-08-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ket: This is the first time we have joined this event (FUNRR) which was organized by our friend, Gail. Seven unschooling families met in White Springs, FL for a weekend of tubing, gaming, talking, eating, laughing, growing and learning. I'm so glad we got the chance to join in all the fun.

A very early morning! Arrived at the springs by 10:00 and here some of the rafts and tubes as we waited to get going. Duncan, Logan and Cameron.

Frisbee toss while we wait for the men to take the cars to the midway point where we plan to exit the spring - it's just shy of a 2-hour float.

The mouth of the spring. It's 72 degrees year round. The temp outside was about 92.

On the way down ...

Maria looking pretty comfortable ... she, her daughter and I had a raft and two tubes which were all tethered together for most of the trip. It made steering humorous. Unfortunately, we missed the midpoint exit at Damper's Landing and wound up completing the entire 3 hour float! Whew. We were so exhausted and hungry. Isabella joined us just before we missed our exit point.

Later on in the evening after dinner. Typical unschooling moment.

Thurs Jul 30, 2009

2009-08-03T14:32:00.001-07:00

Isabella: Suwanee River shoreline. First day in White Springs at FUNRR, an unschooling gathering organized by our friend Gail. I don't know exactly what the acronym stands for. It involves a lot of food, wine, freedom and laughter. And tubing in Ichetucknee Springs. And mosquitos. And spiders. And cool cabins with porch swings.

Wed Jul 29, 2009

2009-08-03T14:29:00.001-07:00

Isabella: the floods produced by the prolific rain. This is how the deck drain no longer works due to the paver sealer idiots. The tree shadows are also nice.

Tues Jul 28, 2009

2009-08-03T14:27:00.001-07:00

Isabella: April showers in July?

Mon Jul 27, 2009

2009-08-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

Isabella: pears and biscotti. This on is from a couple of months ago.

Sun Jul 26, 2009

2009-08-03T13:42:00.001-07:00

Ket: Oct 2007 - Red Rock Canyon, NV. I love this shot of Trevor who scaled this enormous boulder in about 5 minutes. Isabella runs around the base, mystified. There are so many great photos I've taken over the years, it's hard to pick and choose.

Sat Jul 25, 2009

2009-08-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ket: I know I'm scraping the bottom here and truth be told the camera isn't getting much of a workout lately because we've been BUSY ... so, I'm posting some of what I have on hand ... it's how I like to cook sometimes and it works. This dog knows no limits.

Fri Jul 24, 2009

2009-08-02T21:06:00.001-07:00

Ket: we sing, we dance, we smirk. What a weird word.

Thurs Jul 23, 2009

2009-08-02T20:56:00.001-07:00

Ket: Unable to speak, we're communicating through dry erase. This message is priceless: "I hate TV" ... apparently there are a lot of food commercials! ;)

Finally, turning the corner and starting to eat. Still a lot of swelling, but the lip swelling is beginning to diminish. Whew.

Wed Jul 22, 2009

2009-08-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ket: Day 3. Still rough and can't eat or move around much. Lots of the Science Channel.

Tues Jul 21, 2009

2009-08-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ket: Ah, home at last. Feeling lousy and pretty doped up on a lot of drugs. But, on the road to recovery. The recliner is the new bed.

Randi and Echo were fast friends.

Randi, Echo and Amanda ... everyone is drained from the waiting and getting through the first night.

Mon Jul 20, 2009

2009-08-02T20:35:00.001-07:00

Ket: Trevor spent the weekend with his Mother and sister. They came down from CT to be with him through his operation. We're leaving for the hospital and here are the final "before" photos.

Sun Jul 19, 2009

2009-08-02T20:29:00.001-07:00

Ket: Christmas 2003. Trevor was so small, so adorable ...

Trevor put the train set together under the tree for several years.

Sat Jul 18, 2009

2009-08-02T20:25:00.001-07:00

Ket: Summer 2003 trip to the Jacksonville Zoo. It rained. Hard. Jeffrey, Amanda, Shirley, Trevor and Isabella (a.k.a. "Ellie" back int he day).

Fri Jul 17, 2009

2009-08-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Ket: Well, I didn't take any photos this Friday. Maybe the anticipation of Trevor's impending orthoglathic surgery on Monday was exhausting me. So, I've decided to post some very old photos. This is from 2003. Some shiny, joyful little people here.

Thurs Jul 16, 2009

2009-08-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ket: this girl is amazing.

Wed Jul 15, 2009

2009-08-02T20:04:00.001-07:00

Ella:

Thurs Jul 9, 2009

2009-08-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ket: birthday buds.

Tue Jul 14, 2009

2009-08-02T19:52:00.001-07:00

Ket: Our friend Brianna came over to jam on Guitar Hero with Isabella. They also played some profane FPS game that Trevor downloaded from who knows where. Uh, yeah, girls loved it, but I hope I don't have to answer any questions. :D

Mon Jul 13, 2009

2009-08-02T19:46:00.001-07:00

Ket: These are the "switchflops" Mom gave me for my birthday. The decorative straps are velcroed on so you can just buy and change the style without buying new shoes. Clever. A total indulgence. I love things that are thoughtfully designed and cute, but also practical, 'cause that's my middle name.

Sun Jul 12, 2009

2009-08-02T19:43:00.001-07:00

Ket: Here is the other gratitude pendant.

Sat Jul 11, 2009

2009-08-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ket: Echo has grown so BIG! Still can't guess at what she might be thinking ... this is a typical expression, even after she's eaten a pencil.

Fri Jul 10, 2009

2009-08-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ket: sketch pad and pencils. I have drawn a few things, but nothing to my satisfaction.

Wed Jul 8, 2009

2009-08-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Ket: A gift from my MIL, Shirley, and my SIL, Kara ... it's called a gratitude pendant. Thank you both. The pendants are cool.

Tues Jul 7, 2009

2009-07-07T20:50:00.001-07:00

Ket: Today, I'm catching up on things I've not had the time or energy to do for weeks. Taking pictures daily always helps me live more intentionally. Paying attention is an art. Last night, I saw my grandmother in my mother's eyes - just a fleeting expression - and then I fast forwarded to how I'll look at 77. Time travel. We are all the same. The cycle of life is mundane and mysterious at the same time. Aging and dying are at once expected and shocking. Awareness of how fragile we are reminds me to be present. Today I gave attention. The answer is always Yes.

Mon Jul 6, 2009

2009-07-07T19:30:00.001-07:00

Today (my actual birthday) I didn't cook and I didn't take pictures. What I did do: had a cup of tea with a good friend, drove my daughter to an activity and I laughed A LOT at dinner with people I absolutely love. Every day is day ONE. Next stop is camera shopping ...

Sun Jul 5, 2009

2009-07-07T19:13:00.001-07:00

David: celebrating me turning another year older and wiser. Ella gave me the really cool necklace.

Ket: loving the environmentally correct wrapping on my new art set. So chic and minimalist.

Ket: on our shopping expedition, Ella was charged with getting something my Mom could buy and gift me for my birthday. I chose these switch flops.

Sat Jul 4, 2009

2009-07-07T19:06:00.001-07:00

Ella: Fireworks.

Ket: Ella flashing peace on Independence Day.

Ella: Neighborhood night sky.

Fri July 3, 2009

2009-07-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Ella: catching fading light.

Thurs Jul 2, 2009

2009-07-07T19:01:00.001-07:00

Ella: reflection of the trees and clouds in water.

Wed July 1, 2009

2009-07-07T18:59:00.001-07:00

Ella: la luna.

Tues Jun 30, 2009

2009-07-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Ella: backyard sunset.

Ella: late afternoon clouds.

Mon Jun 29, 2009

2009-07-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ket: Japanese candies.

Ket: sunset through my bedroom window.

Sun Jun 28, 2009

2009-07-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Ella: in the kitchen, cooking up something again ...

Sat Jun 27, 2009

2009-07-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ella: this is what blooms on the queen palms: a huge spray bundle of tiny yellowish white blooms.

Fri Jun 26, 2009

2009-07-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Ella: large puppy naps on tiny laptop.

Mon Jun 22, 2009

2009-07-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ella: makin' biscuits

Ella: our juicer, which we have been using a lot lately.

Sun Jun 21, 2009

2009-07-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ket: Ella decorating the cherry chip cupcakes.

Ella: sugar and cupcakes.

Ella:

Sat Jun 20, 2009

2009-07-07T14:45:00.001-07:00

Ella: Echo not so small anymore...

Tues Jun 16, 2009

2009-07-07T14:43:00.001-07:00

Ella: pink blooming

Mon Jun 15, 2009

2009-07-07T14:40:00.001-07:00

Ket: Start of Camp Broadway. Ready. Set. Go!

Sun Jun 14, 2009

2009-07-07T14:36:00.001-07:00

Ella:

Ket: Happy Birthday to us!

Sat Jun 13, 2009

2009-07-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ket: home improvement project. Rain barrels?? Nope, not yet!

Fri Jun 12, 2009

2009-07-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

Ella: playing games ...

Thurs Jun 11, 2009

2009-06-11T08:08:00.001-07:00

Isabella: morning moon shine.

Wed Jun 10, 2009

2009-06-11T08:03:00.001-07:00

Isabella: Can you hear what Haru is thinking? 'Gawd, when are they going to get rid of this beast?' The 10 pound puppy who came home with us at the end of April is now 16 pounds of pure rambunctious trouble. Echo is now larger than Haru and tends to run around the house with mouthfuls of Haru's hair. Luckily, Haru can jump on the bed, while Echo cannot ... yet.

Tues Jun 9, 2009

2009-06-11T07:58:00.001-07:00

Ket: look at how he's got it all laid out nice and neat. I think his bed *might* even be made. I hear Broc has better tools than we do - harrumph. I just learned all about the airflow design he's come up with.

Mon Jun 8, 2009 - Shiny Boy in his new digs

2009-06-11T07:54:00.001-07:00

Ket: Trevor is showing me her new project: retrofitting his Dell components into an old Mac case. He's got grand ideas and has the whole thing mapped out in his superiorly scientific mind. Here he just poses looking happy and shiningwith enthusiasm and anticipation of buying all the new parts!