After it Rains

The second half of our summer here in Maine has been dry. So when it rains...I celebrate!

My rain gauge has been missing in action all summer....so I've been using this votive candle holder as a stand in. It's working just fine and I was pleased with the beneficial amount of overnight rain. 

After it rains I always look for raindrops. And that often leads to noticing something special...like the pinky red new growth on my andromeda. Oh how I love the day after it rains! 

Napkin Scraps and a Hero Horse

The key to a wonderful life is to never stop wandering into wonder. Suzy Kassem

I cut out pieces and parts of the leftover napkin scraps for another tag. I quite like this one with the flowers framing the text. Which...by the way....is a piece of fused fabric. No glue needed....everything is fused.

I had one swatch left that just fit the back....all I needed were a few extra leaves for balance. Going to keep this back simple.

Cherie and Dale and The Wandering Flowers are making good progress....they've hit 5 states since leaving their cabin in Southern California. 

They stopped in Cedar City, Utah to check out the Old Sorrel, Hero Horse Monument on the Southern Utah University campus...then they spent the night in Riffle, Colorado.

Old Sorrel....was a horse that saved the day for Cedar City back in 1897. You can read the story with the link above.

Late Summer Garden.....

....and a fish!

Paul found this red plastic fish while he was out and about today....

and I tucked her in the garden. 

My texture garden is that it's just as pretty in the late summer/early fall as it was in the middle of the season....just a little bit of browning.

Joyful Abundance!

Another Journey

Subtitle: Ever Since

Ever since Cherie received her joy journal we've had a connection and stayed in touch. 

Ever since Chuck (her dad) gifted me one of his beautiful metal flower sculptures I have been smitten by his spirit and generosity. 

Ever since Cherie and Dale helped me track The Traveling Flowers across the country from Chuck's home in southern California to my home in Maine...I have admired their sense of adventure and commitment to spreading a little joy. 

So it's time for another journey....and cross country tour. 

Introducing The Wandering Flowers: more of Chucks sculptures making their way across the country with Cherie and Dale....with an interesting destination twist at the end.

Not all those who wander are lost. J.R.R. Tolkien

Cherie and Dale...along with their precious cargo made their way from Southern California to Seven Magic Mountains just outside of Las Vegas. These locally-sourced wildly painted boulder sculptures are 30 to 35 feet tall. Who knew there was such a thing! Cherie and Dale do love finding unusal roadside attractions....and we get to follow along.

From their they continued onto Vegas...visiting the iconic Las Vegas sign. The red flowers are the official Wandering Flowers and the other are traveling companions. Chuck helped friends of theirs make their own flowers in his shop. Since Ryan and Chase were flying....Dale and Cherie are delivering them.

Memento

The minute I saw the napkins at the reception at Hancock Church yesterday....I knew I would be bringing one or two home. Napkins work well for collage....and I knew I would make a tag.

I separated the ply and added fusible to the back so I could easily adhere it to the tag. 

I colored in the background with a paint pen and loosely outlined the flowers with a black pen.

I happened to keep the invitation to the dedication that came in the mail....so used part of that for the back. I added a leaf cutout from the Audubon catalog for flow.

 

I intended to use more of an aqua blue for the background to better match the feathers...but I still think the flow works well enough! You can't be too matchy matchy.

Another tag on the ring....and this one is a bit of a memento.

 

Celebration and Dedication

Paul and I headed south today for a very special event at Hancock Church in Lexington, MA.

While Paul was the minister at Hancock phase one of a major renovation was completed which included the installation of an elevator making spaces and places in the church accessible. Phase two was just completed with renovations and improvements in the sanctuary and today was Re-Dedication Sunday. 

It was wonderful seeing familiar faces...and celebrating with them....and oh what a celebration it was! 

I took a peak at the JOY banner hanging in the upper stairwell I made as a farewell gift. Seeing it still hanging in in this very special church makes my heart sing. 

Golden Oldie

I reinvented a golden oldie today. I got email through the blog from Avigayil. She saw my posts about my torn paper collage kits and wanted to know where she could buy them. I haven't done them since 2022...but that didn't mean I couldn't do them again. 

A project I did for Alyson several years ago.

I told her I would would make her a kit if she paid for shipping and possibly donate a little extra for Maine Needs. Turns out she wanted two kits...and they will make their way to Israel...via a shipper she uses in Florida. 

I spent a good chunk of the afternoon making two little piles of gelli print scraps and metallic accent papers. The pile also includes two blank cards and a few substrates and accent papers for mounting. I also printed a couple more copies of my zine with the directions/guidelines. I made a little tag as a sample...and am including a little calling card.  I'll bundle it all up and get it on its way on Monday.

My purpose is still hidden in my joy.

I'm not sure I'm done with these....they might need a few touches of gold.

"The Incident"

Subtitle: Today of All Days

It's been 25 years....and like most of us....I remember 9/11 so clearly. I was between jobs...so happened to be home. I was watching the morning news while I was working on a project when the first reports came in. Then the next and the next. The images were horrific....and it was hard to watch but also hard to look away. We lived on a dead end street at the time....so it was usually very quiet. But at the same time the reports were coming in a police car slowly came down the street....and I remember the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. Things felt very wrong and I desperately wanted Paul and the boys to just come home.

There was no incident in the street...it was just a coincidence. But I will never forget how I felt that day.

The Twig and Toad Folks published a Weekend Whimsy Hunt and one of the things on the list was something that could reasonably be called "the incident." I zeroed in on that today of all days.

When I first saw all the feathers in the yard....I thought...there appears to have been a struggle. 

Now I'm thinking this could reasonably be called "The Incident."

It left a bad feeling in my stomach....today of all days.

A friend posted this Mr. Rogers quote on Facebook today as her remembrance of 9/11. There were so many helpers that day....and beyond. Look for the helpers!

Two

And then there were two!  Paul's home!

Reset

Thanks to a nudge from the twig and toad folks....these acorns found their way into my pocket during my walk....and most of them are smaller than my thumbnail. And just for fun....I did take one of my regular morning routes in the opposite direction. (Three things from their lists!)

I was a little out of sorts today....and I couldn't get out of my own way. But pausing to focus on a couple simple things like picking up acorns on a walk...and finishing the back of my latest tag helped reset my rhythm a bit. 

Paul comes home late afternoon tomorrow....and that's just the reset I need. We have always said that we're better together. 

Back in July I took some shadow photos and printed them onto tissue to use in collage.

I can't remember if I printed some in green...or if the ink was running low and it came out green. Either way...it worked well for the back of the tag.    

The shadow photo is from moonbeam coreopsis.

Our Kind of People

Lily introduced me to an Instagram account called twigandtoadfolk saying it was "our kind of people!"
I couldn't love it more. Their page header says Made Well. Kept Wild. Quiet stories, handcrafted goods and small things worth noticing. Their backstory is sweet....and the posts are simple, humorous, and heartwarming. Their lists....prompts and assignments sometimes made me laugh out loud! Mostly because they are spot on with the way I think. Lily was right....they're our kind of people!     

I'm doing really well today with their rules for September! 

1. My windows are wide open with cool breezes coming in and it makes me want to sing. 

2. I actually picked up a leaf this morning and added to the Chinese lantern pods in my wooden bowl on my table. It has no responsibility other than to make me smil.

3. It is too early for a gourd to be sitting on my window sill. It has to last until Thanksgiving....and that still seems like a long way off. I'm still loving the one on my fence.

4. I had iced tea for happy hour today with Patty....and look forward to those September day when I choose hot tea.

5. Ha ha...I DID mention the fabulous cool morning to a neighbor I met in the street.

6. I didn't put an acorn in my pocket today...but I know I will sometime this month.

7. My sweater (actually a jean shirt) has been within reach and on and off all day long.

8. There are no apples in the house at the moment...but that could change any day now. I love apple slices on toast with peanut butter this time of year.

9. I baked homemade seed crackers this morning for happy hour with Patty....and paired with a little Trader Joes Unexpected Cheddar spread it pretty much a dessert for me.  

Can I post too many photos of my first gourd with the curiously long stem? I think not. It's a new rule for September! More gourds and pumpkins to come!

This is The Hollow Assignment post Lily originally sent me....I'm think I'm going to work on it a bit. 

Matchy Matchy

Last evening's sky matched my fence decor!

Inspired by the soft blue and orange in the sky...and an Audubon magazine cover...this happened today. 

Orange text and just a hint of soft blue for flow on tag #7. And I'm introducing green...and a tiny pop of red.

I'll do the back another day.

I'll be using more of this cover...so much goodness here!

Late Summer Sunday

Just a few Simple Noticings on a beautiful late summer Sunday!

Janice's hydrangea against the gray shingles....

...and pearly raindrops puddled here and there.

A perfectly imperfect coral bell leaf I noticed in my garden.

And finally.....a moment of awe.