Advent

This lovely little "memory" comes to you courtesy of our
very wonderful and beloved daughter-in-law Rebecca
 and our son Brandon.
How creative are they ??
This tissue paper Christmas tree is something they
re-create each year.

Instead of the traditional Advent calender,
Rebecca created this lovely chain of fabric fortune cookies
filled with fun family activities. 

Including this one, where Oscar creates gingerbread men
with hearts, spines, and lungs !!!

Just wanted to share with all of you,
one of our most precious memories,
our special 'message in a bottle'.
Merry Christmas to All.

Turtles

the turtle clan

YES

we are members of the 'turtle clan'

or so we declared ourselves

on a family trip to Kauai.

Swimming with the turtles off Tunnels Beach

in Kauai.

Precious memories.

You really can 'reach out and touch them'.

So we all had to get matching turtle

ankle bracelets.

And mine is totally wearing out.

Guess I better go back and get another one

SOON !!!

And that's the kind of memory that I love

to have wash up on the shore of my mind.....

anytime.

Tides

The Voice of the Ocean is one

of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard.

The following is always true

 for me and my beloved Jim.

This wonderful world still

amazes me.

I'm a lucky girl.

Life is good.

Illusive

Oh, that illusive message in a bottle!!!

I've always wanted to find one.

That treasure continues to elude me

but I've found plenty of others.

A lot of the "treasures"

that I value most, are snippets of thoughts that

I've scribbled on the back of a restaurant napkin,

or along side items on my grocery list.

I have candy wrappers with nearly

indecipherable doodles of thought

inked around the edges.

Theatre tickets and theatre programs all

bear my mark.

I have notebooks filled with little

scraps of paper, taped together,

glued to the pages.

I save them all.

When I go back and look through these

"treasures",

I remember exactly where I was and

what was happening.

I'll share an example.

After sitting on the beach, watching the waves -

"there is a delicate dance going on in my mind".

After watching a particular touching and emotional play -

"I have had an epiphany".

When I go back and read these thoughts,

these truly personal observations,

it helps me to want to write more, 

to be a better person, 

to be more creative,

to be the best ME possible.

And that's worth remembering.

STARS

This is a particularly beautiful memory for me but it is not without tears.

night sky, photo by raceytay

I wrote this late one night after a long drive back from Sacramento

I was desperately missing my youngest daughter.

I still do.

*************

Far away from where you are

I see your smile in every star

Looking up at the twinkling sky

I wish you near......Can you hear me sigh???

Starlight lets my dreams run wild

I dream of you, my lovely child

Now grown and gone so far away

What I'd give to see you now - today

Far away from where you are

I close my eyes and wish on every star

'Cause I love you - I miss you

Night skies twinkle - Night skies dark blue

I miss you, I miss you

Memories

          Allow special memories to wash up on the shore of your mind - one bottle at a time......................

My brother and I grew-up LOVING theatre and music.......something nurtured and encouraged by our wonderful Mom.  All of my children and my niece feel the same.  This pic just reminds me of so very many wonderful days we've spent back stage or on stage or in the audience.  My brother inspires me everyday to keep loving and enjoying the Arts.........to me he is a theatre legend. Love you, Jerry.
And to all the places we've been and instructors we've met,  thank you - June at OHS, PCPA, Solvang, Oregon Cabaret, Broadway, Sacramento Broadway Series and Music Circus, every high school play and musical, Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, PA., Seattle music scene,, Southern Oregon State, the Orpheum in San Francisco........THANK YOU.  THANK YOU.  What message/memory might wash up on the shore for you today???