Gonevember

November!  That month of feasting has come and gone.  Here's a taste of ours...

Surfing

Giddy-upping



Voting



Cheering



Riding



Growing



Singing



Walking



Gobbling

 Now wobbling into December.  I'm sure it won't go nearly as fast, right?

Put Your Feet Up and Stay Awhile

It's been a busy month or two around here with football season in full swing.  In between home games, I have been meeting delivery people at the new house on the island, and just having a good time hanging pictures, and pulling projects together that I started even before the ink was dry on the deal. 

Let me show you a few of the projects, and I promise to get back into books very soon.  (We HAVE been reading!)

Thanks to Country Boys, I have a very pretty basket arrangement on the door.  I love how the designer incorporated some low country feel into the flowers by adding cotton.  It was her suggestion to go with something other than a wreath given the oval window in the door.  I would have never thought of that. 

I went crazy with spray paint on some my projects.  Yay for spray paint!  Here is a sneak peek of the guest room.  The bed, the side table, and even the lamp got sprayed! I wish I had a more recent picture because I have added a lampshade and FINALLY gotten the best possible knobs for the old computer hutch.  Remember that project from last summer?  It's found a great space in the new home.

One of the 'funnest' rooms to plan has been the bunkroom for the grandchildren and other young at heart guests.  It has a nautical theme, and there is no end to the possiblities there.  I have an old oar, ship's wheel mirror, and lobster buoys still to be hung...see what I mean?  Happily, all three grands have already tested this room out and given it their stamp of approval!

 

And then there is the blank slate on the porch that Mama Cat is working on as a Christmas gift for us.  How many days til' Christmas?  Can't wait to see her 'vision' of what this area should be. 

That's just a small glimpse into some of the projects that have been occupying this Grammy's time instead of keeping up the blog.

I hope everyone has a spooktacular Halloween!

 

 

A Grammy By Any Other Name...

will answer.  Yes, there are many names for a grandmother.  Nana, Mimi, Grandma, G-Ma, Lovely, Honey, MayMay...and of course, Grammy.  Before PDub was born, I was asked many times what I would be called.  "Whatever he chooses will be fine with me," was my basic opinion.  Still I was pressed to choose something.  At the time, Candice Bergen was in a popular TV show, Boston Legal.  I enjoyed the show and thought Candice was a pretty attractive woman of my 'age', so when her TV granddaughter appeared in an episode and called her Grammy, I decided that I liked that.  It sounded like someone who would be fun to hang out with and that's what I hope to be to my grandchildren. 

The name has worked out well.  Gammy, as PDub, now pronounces it, has been used with great success.  Just let me hear that around 6:00a.m., and I am by the crib in a heartbeat.  When I hear it on the phone, I can't help but smile.  Yes, the name certainly seems to fit.

But a Grammy by another name works, too.  Baby Bird has dubbed me GaGa.  I love that name, too!  He picked up the Papa name for Papallama very quickly and follows him around like a little duckling, but he seemed confused as to who I was...namewise.  Then on our last visit, the magical moment when I officially got my title occurred.  When asked to point to Grammy, he smiled, looked at me, and said GaGa.  (Cue the sappy music)  Now he is quite satisfied as to who I am and what to call me.  And so am I.  I have asked Mama Cat not to correct him and tell him I am Grammy.  No, I am GaGa for as long as he wants to call me that. 

Just call me~

The Lonely Shadow

As promised, I checked out the books on my recent visit to the Low Country.  I found a great one at Wonder Works, the mother of all toy stores in Charleston and beyond. 

The Lonely Shadow is written and illustrated by silhouettist and song writer, Clay Rice.  I have always been a fan of his grandfather, Carew Rice, and Clay, as they use their talent and unique artform to illustrate landscapes and people of the South and in particular, the Low Country.  Clay Rice, who learned the art from his grandfather, has cut hundreds of thousands of silhouettes of children.  It was a wish I had to have sillouettes of my own daughters, but sadly, never fulfilled.  Still, I admire the sceneries and still lifes captured over the long careers of both artists.

The Lonely Shadow is a beautiful story about a shadow who doesn't belong.  On his search for his owner, he passes many lovely scenes (silhouettes, of course) until he finds the perfect match.  The text is sing song and perfect for a young audience and sweet enough for a bedtime story. 

There are many lessons that may emerge from reading this book.  Shadows, reflection, mood,sequence, cause and effect, and of course, art, are just a few that come to mind. 

And if you are really lucky, you may just find Clay on tour and not only have him sign a book, but complete a silhouette of your little one. 



The shadow often gets a bad rap. It's dark. It can not be grasped.  It is a reflection of us, good and bad.  But this quote and The Lonely Shadow's theme sum up my feelings about the dear ole shadow.

"Shadows sometimes people don't see shadows. The Chinese of course never paint them in pictures, oriental art never deals with shadow. But I noticed these shadows and I knew it meant it was sunny. "
-David Hockney

May your shadow be long today~

I'm on Island Time

There is an oak lined moss draped road that lulls me in and takes me to another dimension.  Let's just call it Island Time.  For years, Papallama and I would leave our hectic, stressful life and splurge on a week at the end of this road.  By the time we arrived with the girls in tow, we had already forgotten our cares and were ready to play and relax.  There must be something in that moss. 

I might have dared to dream about actually living there one day, but I never gave it serious consideration.  I felt really lucky if I made it back each summer.

So now I feel like someone needs to pinch me, because I am going to own my own island retreat in just a few days from now!  How?  Thank the housing bust, low interest rates, and well, Providence. 

Because buying a house and moving 'stuff' into it are monopolizing my time, this blog will have to wait for a few more weeks.  There is a great book store on the Island, so I will be doing my homework.  But until then

I'm on Island Time~

Happy Birthdays, Boys!

Wow! It's been a while since my last post, but I suppose after all these years, a little vacation is deserved!  It's been an incredibly busy month chock full of fun and exciting events. 

Starting in June, Baby Bird turned the big O-N-E!  I may need a new name for him now as he has turned into a full fledged toddler walking and talking all the way!  Mama Cat planned his birthday around a color scheme and made it a day to remember for all of us lucky enough to be in attendance. 

Following that birthday weekend, came Papallama's birthday ~a BIG one~ and he celebrated it alone with Grammy with a dinner and date.  His gifts included dry fit shirts to help him as he trains for his first 5K!!  He is running almost 30 minutes now!  If you are a runner, and especially if you aren't, you can appreciate that accomplishment!  Run, Papallama, run!

Tucked in there, too, was Jaybird, who ate Baby Bird's leftover cake and flew under the radar on his birthday.  Enjoy it while you can, Jaybird!

Yesterday, P Buddy was baptized, so he had a celebration, too, as he joined the family of Christ.  He was a trooper and other than trying to stay awake, it was a breeze for him.  Mama at Law, on the other hand, played double duty as she entertained family in attendance and threw a birthday party for PDub who is 4 today! 

Ah, yes, PDub has turned four. For the first time, he understood that he had his own special day though he wasn't completely sure why.  He proudly showed off his Avengers birthday cake and matching table setting and flew through the opening of his presents with super hero power speed!

That then, is where I have been and what I have been up to. Living the life and loving every moment.  Love that expression...

Life is not measured in minutes but moments.  Hope your moments are many, boys~

Here She Is...

The cabinet redo is slowing to a crawl and I am left with all the junk that I don't want to keep, but probably shouldn't throw out...or maybe I should...why is it so hard to just let it go?!!  Surely if I haven't used it, looked at it, or been asked for it in all these years, I don't need to keep it!

Like my sewing, please don't look too closely at my painting.  One of the knobs broke during installation and the screw is stuck.  Still trying to figure out how to remove the darn thing. In hindsight, I wish I had removed the doors completely.  In the future, I won't paint anything very large again.  Also, painted furniture chips.  Even with the best of care.  So primer, three coats, and three topcoats later, here is where she stands for now.