News Trend Bringing Gracie Along|Actual

Today, my two younger daughters and I made a return trip to Gordon Skagit Farm. We visited this upscale autumn market ten days ago, and loved it so much that we decided to make a return visit. My youngest was in pursuit of a dried flower arrangement, but I was just looking to soak up more gorgeous October ambiance. I dreamed of strolling around the artful displays laden with gorgeous gourds, fabulous foliage, and pretty pink blossoms amidst the pumpkins that I find so utterly irresistible.

This time, however, we brought Gracie along.

If you have ever taken a toddler to a nice restaurant, then you have a pretty good idea how my afternoon unfolded.

To be fair, Gracie was obedient, charming, and happy to visit with humans and canines alike. In many ways, she was a model visitor to the autumn market.

However, she also:

jumped up against the wire on the chicken coop and barked with wild enthusiasm at the two feathery occupants,

attempted to leap through the metal railings at the horse paddock, whose openings were less than ten inches apart, and almost twisted her body just the right way to slip through,

marched through all the deepest mud puddles, wild waves circling out from her muddy ankles, and came thisclose to lying down in the deepest one, and

drank vigorously from the watering trough that had been charmingly repurposed as a water garden, complete with lilies and bobbing kecil-pumpkins.

Thankfully, my darling dog drew the line at leaping into the water trough, though I could see the gears turning in her head. She seriously considered diving in.

Next year, I'll definitely be heading back to Gordon Skagit Farm to stock up on wonky pumpkins, invest in some orchard-fresh apples, and drink in some October goodness. And even though I bet that she'll once again create her own special merk of chaos and uproar, I'll bring Gracie along too.

News Trend The Great Junk Hunt|Actual

Today is the first of November and I am officially feeling Christmas.

I know.

This is wildly out of character for me.

With Halloween just over, my sights should be firmly set on Thanksgiving. Let's dust off the pumpkins for another few weeks, break out the Indian corn and some Pilgrim figures, and set the sajian for this year's feast. Nowhere in my standard November schedule of events does Christmas come into play.

But tonight, three of my four daughters and I wandered through the Great Junk Hunt, holiday edition, and that's where the festive mood hit me.

^Santas galore. With a few vintage bits and bobs woven in.

^  Did you know that one of Gracie's many nicknames is Polar Bear and its derivative, Poli? She looks a quite a bit like this one, especially its quirky little grin.

The Junk Hunt, per se, is a bit of a misnomer. More of a West Coast pop-up shopping experience, dozens of vintage decor dealers, crafts people, and trinket traders set up shop for the weekend in two of the big barns at the local state fairgrounds.

^ I'm a fool for vintage ornaments on a glittery dessert stand,

^ And also for more vintage ornaments on a white tree, surrounding by baking tins.

What really drew me in to the event was the Friday evening shopping. Normally, this type of event lands on a Saturday or Sunday morning, which is not a good time for an outing in my delayed sleep phase life. But these event planners built a Friday night option into the schedule, and I wanted to thank them for their thoughtfulness by stopping by to bump up their attendance numbers.

^ There were precious few of my ever-favorite nativity scenes but this one caught my eye. Digging that brawny shepherd with the lamb tossed ever so casually over his shoulders.

^ Also intrigued by these snowmen fashioned from salt shakers, with the lids as their caps. I don't think I need a trio of salt shaker snowmen in my life, but it's nice to know they're out there if I ever change my mind.

We paid twenty dollars each for admission. I'm not necessarily impressed with a cover charge to a shopping venue, but the fee did include parking as well as complimentary cookies, fruit and bottled water. And by purchasing the tickets online, we were allowed early admission at lima:30 p.M., so we did perhaps get a jump on the crowds. Is all that worth eighty bucks for the four of us? Probably not, but it doesn't kill me to pry open my wallet and splurge now and then.

^One shop focused on wreath-like flower arrangements made from old wheels of various sorts.

^Another Santa flash mob. It fascinates me to stand and really study such a grouping; each one alone is nothing special, but clustered together like this, they create quite a charming effect.

As soon as we walked in the first barn, I noticed a long line of ladies that had rushed to one booth in particular. Fascinated, I scanned their hands to see what they were so set to purchase.

And you know what I saw?

Big bells. Oversize metal jingle bells, from eight inches in diameter to well over a foot.

White, red, or unpainted metal jingle bells hung with twine.

I can't imagine what all these shoppers wanted to do with these giants cling-clangers.But man alive, they surely were well chuffed to buy them.

^ Glittery tinsel trees do not necessarily align with my Christmas aesthetic but I have one at home. Pondering this vignette, I seriously considered adding a second.

^Another rare vintage nativity set accompanied by a star going super nova, and a twentieth century truck loaded with Christmas trees. I mean, why not.

For myself, I bought a red tartan plaid wool blanket, which has decorating potential for autumn and winter as a whole, as well great practical purpose.

I also adopted a trio of tiny vintage brass elephants, the whole herd of which can stand on my open palm. They are darling.

My eldest daughter found a replica of a Fischer Price radio that she owned and loved in her toddler days, so come Christmas morning, that will be under the tree for her. And I saw a little metal bird to be fastened to a fence post that will suit my husband's stocking just right.

^Back in the day, my mom had a modest collection of holiday candle figures, much like these. Never meant to be actually burned but scattered here and there for maximum festive impact, these look-alike little wax dolls fill me with nostalgia but also kinda creep me out.

 ^ Two-dimensional rusted metal cut outs grounded in an open frame, while not necessarily Christmasy, stir up all the right rustic and cozy holiday vibes.

I'm glad I went to the Great Junk Hunt tonight. Undeniably, I feel a bit unsettled thinking about Christmas while fresh jack-o-lanterns still sit on my front porch. But I feel energized to jump into a few yuletide craft projects and add here and there to my secret stash of gifts.

^ No but that string of shiny brown pine cone-shaped ornaments tied onto twine was everything, and I plan to find a way to recreate it with my own two low-cost hands.

And just to remind me to live in the moment and take each holiday in its own turn, my favorite shop of the entire evening turned out to be the one focused on - you guessed it - Thanksgiving.

News Trend Fox Trilogy|Actual

"I often have deer on my property and there's a fox and owls. You're not going to see that in the city." -Billy Corgan

"Ha." - Columbus, Ohio

Somewhere around three thousand miles into our road trip, the happy day finally arrived that we rolled into Columbus, Ohio, burst into the door of my second-born's apartment, and settled in for a week-long visit.

Now there were a few days when she needed to work, and a brief jaunt over the weekend to Cleveland. More about that later.

But for three glorious mornings, we enjoyed marvelous mid-morning sleep-ins, and then headed out about town for breakfast and a bit of shopping. Early on, my daughter pointed out that her favorite coffee shop, Fox In the Snow, now has three locations. So why not visit a different location each day?

Why not, indeed. So here I present various and sundry scenes of our three mornings in Columbus.

^ The first Fox we visited was in New Albany, an idyllic planned community to the northeast of Columbus proper and just a hop, skip and a jump from my daughter's office. Colonial charm is the name of the game, with heaps of summer sunshine to spare.

^ The interior features more predictable urban industrial charm, peppered with plants and rustic finishes. Eye candy all around.

^ I do not drink coffee, which is a ruddy shame when it's served up like these lovelies. I settled on a ham and cheese baguette with a side of Mexican Coke, and considered that the perfect start to my day.

^ Our errands on Day One took us here and there to various nurseries, so my daughter could track down a couple houseplants she was hoping to add to her collection. We got a bit sidetracked by this gorgeous wave of pumpkins, which were not on the to-do list but otherwise irresistible.

^ Day Two saw us under drizzly skies in German Village, a Columbus neighborhood just south of downtown. Saturday morning saw the shop full of coffee daters and post-yoga snackers as well as our lot.

^ Isn't that as pretty a berry bowl as you've ever seen?

^ My family continued to experiment through the pastry menu but I stayed true to my savory roots and chowed down on the Fox's iconic egg sandwich. I devoured every crumb.

^ Just a door or two down the street from Fox is another favorite Columbus destination: Stump. A plant lover's nirvana, every nook and cranny of this tastefully renovated home-turned-business is filled with carefully curated stands of hand-thrown pottery and plants galore.

^ I struggled to capture the magic that is Stump. Each vignette blends into the next, which is more than the camera can take in, and the overall effect is straight intoxicating. We spent a ridiculous amount of time wandering back and forth, just soaking up the ambiance.

^ Even the staff''s work area is adorable. The clusters of thirsty specimens, the black matte faucet, even the grey under-sink curtain scream with charm and style.

^  Walking back to the car, we passed several blocks through a reinvigorated city neighborhood that sang with character and charisma. I would not be mad about living here.

^ But who's this friendly face racing toward me down the sidewalk? My husband took my dog round the park while my daughters and I shopped for plants, and Gracie was breathless to see me again.

^ For In The Snow, Day Three, got me grumpy from the get-go. Unquestionably my favorite of the three Foxes, I eagerly anticipated snapping a few choice shots of this exterior. Though the other two locations are new construction, albeit designed to look old, this third shop in Italian Village near the Short North is the real thing. Built, I believe, in an old mechanic's shop, the oversize windows and rattly old garage doors are to die for. But to my frustration, a young man was sitting on the bench out front, his laptop open, his Bluetooth device firmly planted in his ear as he paced back and forth, ranting in earnest to whoever was listening on the other end. There was no shooting around him, and apparently, there was no staring him down. Thank goodness I've visited this shop before and already took a round of gorgeous photos.

^ Though they are quite simply by patisserie standards, I love the colors and textures of the pastries on display.

^ Oh, here's a good look at that ham and cheese baguette I ate on Day One. Each of the three shops has the same hidangan, which makes decisions all that much easier.

^ Once again, my husband went for the blueberries and I got a pretty picture before he ate them.

^ And here's my egg sandwich redux sitting with someone else's latte. My Mexican coke is sitting just out of frame.

* * * * *

After breakfast, we drove on a few blocks to the second Stump shop, and saturated our souls with more gem-like houseplants in hand-thrown pottery and styled to perfection in a refurbished old house. And so, with complete and utter satisfaction, we concluded our lovely trio of Fox In The Snow adventures.

* * * * *

Road Trip 2019: read all about it.

Leaving

Resting

Glacier National Park

Dakota Sunshine

Mackinac Bridge

My Newfound Brother

Fox Trilogy

Cleveland Rocks

Vermilion Legacy

At The Conservatory

Riding To Rifle

Arches National Park: Balanced Rock

Arches National Park: Double Arch

Arches National Park: Devil's Garden Trail

Arches National Park: Park Avenue

Dead Horse Point

Waiting For Breakfast

Canyonlands National Park

Cheeseburgers

Car Keys

News Trend Flowers, Candles, Ribbon|Actual

I've told my children that when I die, to release balloons in the sky to celebrate that I graduated.

For me, death is a graduation.  - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Flowers gathered in armloads.

Candles lit along walkways.

Purple ribbons tied round trees

Since the shootings in my neighborhood, I've joined in the spontaneous efforts to gaji and celebrate the three young lives that were lost.

I painted my big red balls purple, and every evening, I place three lit candles - one for each lost soul - in front of them.

I've helped to wrap purple ribbons round the thirty-eight trees along the main road outside my neighborhood and keep a couple fresh hydrangea blooms tucked into each oversized bow.

So this week, as the one-month anniversary of the shooting came round, I began to wonder:

How long do I keep this up?

I peppered my family with questions and Googled proper mourning periods. No one gave me a concrete answer. And in the absence of any defining information, I began to tell myself that a month is long enough.

I mean, all this candle management and flower harvesting adds at least an extra half hour to my daily chores. And the cost of the candles definitely adds up over time.

So, I told myself, a month is long enough. I'll stop after that.

It was that last night, as I was setting the candles down on the sidewalk, that it hit me.

Three people are dead.

Their short lives are gone. Blown out in a snuff.

Their parents, siblings, families and friends will ache for the rest of their own lives with missing them.

And I'm complaining about lighting a few matches and snipping a few flowers?

How does the cost of a few dozen candles compare to a human life? Is it too great a sacrifice for me to cut out a few dollars from my budget in order to honor three human beings?

Well.

That snapped me out of my selfish little reverie. And while it's certainly true that I am not done grieving for Anna, Jake and Jordan, another idea hit me too:  I want more time to celebrate their lives too.

Flowers

Candles

Ribbons

These icons of shock and loss and death are also emblems of three shining lives.

So let the tears mingle with laughter, and let my daily remembering of Anna, Jake and Jordan continue for as long as it feels right.

* * * * *

I light a fourth candle each and every day,

but this one does not go on public display with the others.

Up on my porch, close to my front door,

this candle burns for the fourth life that is forever changed by the shooting.

This candle burns for Allen.

* * * * *

To read more about this tragedy and the healing in its aftermath, try:

Silver Threads

Dear Mrs. Ivanov

News Trend Full Circle|Actual

If you enter the home of the Ambassador to Malaysia in Havana, Cuba,

you will find this sweet portrait prominently displayed in the front hall.

And once you read my story, you will understand why.

This is a story about a dear little boy, his loving family, and my very special friend.

Pictured here is Amierul Wafiq Bin Khairi, third son and fourth child of my lovely Malaysian hosts in Cuba.

Wafiq was a precocious little boy from the start. Born in Washington D.C. Of his diplomatic parents, he learned English as his first language and considered himself an American. When his family finished the U.S. Posting and returned to Kuala Lumpur, two-year-old Wafiq expressed his displeasure with the move and wondered when they might go back to DC. Still, he contented himself by playing with Hot Wheels, memorizing the makes and models of cars, and otherwise being a normal toddler.

Until he woke up one morning complaining of aching feet.

And was soon diagnosed with leukemia.

Surprisingly - or maybe not - Wafiq handled his illness with maturity and calm. Though he didn't like staying overnight in the hospital, his treatments did not set him back for long. He handled the dreary procedures like a champ and usually came home in good spirits, ready to play with his beloved toy cars and carry on his happy little life.

But over the course of a year, he grew weaker. His appetite paled, and his family began to fear the worst. On a quiet Friday afternoon, he laid down on his bed, closed his eyes, and peacefully left this life for the next.

Bless his sweet soul.

Now, back to the photo. This is the last photograph ever taken of Wafiq.

It seems that one of Wafiq's relatives had come visiting, and the boy asked this favored uncle to take his picture. Posing himself on a formal chair, Wafiq - who typically presented a serious face to the camera - surprised everyone with a smile. His mother says this is the only photo she has of her son's beautiful smile.

I can certainly understand why she treasures this precious portrait.

And I appreciate why she feels especially grateful to this particular relative whose special bond with Wafiq made this photo possible.

And it brings a special smile to my own face to hear that this uncle is the one and only Mohd Yuzairie, my first and best Malaysian friend, without whom I never would have met this lovely family and shared in the beautiful story of Wafiq's life.

And now my story is all told out. But the circles of friendship and family, life and love, continue to spin and spiral around us all.

* * * * *

Check out more stories about my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cuba and my wonderful friends who lived there:

I Will Bake You A Pie

Cuban Makan

Cuban Economics

El Malecon Cloudburst

A La Playa

Creepy Cuban Kudzu

Plaza De La Revolucion

Old Havana

Poolside in Havana

A Cuban Sunset Story

Sunset Chasers, Cuban Edition

The Puppy At The Castle

Old Havana On The Eve Of Fidel's Birthday

An ASEAN Celebration

Nayli's Bedroom

Varadero, Cuba

Winding Down

Dear Cuba

Aqil's Chicken

The Gentle Art Of Reframing

My Cuban Home

Tickled Pink

Full Circle

Chicken Drumsticks

News Trend Cleveland Rocks|Actual

"Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment."

-Deepak Chopra

During the week we spent with my second-born in Ohio, we took a side trip up to Cleveland. That's where my husband grew up, and where his beloved Indians play baseball.

So we timed our trip to align with the team's home schedule, and bought tickets for a Saturday night game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Just one problem. Dogs are not normally invited to ball games. So someone in our party would be required to forfeit the game and stay home with Gracie.

Guess who volunteered.

Can't really complain though. Got some much-needed rest for my damaged shoulder, and enjoyed a lovely evening in.

^ Glorious sunlit skies over the parking lots outside my hotel room near Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted, Ohio. Not too shabby.

^ Spoilers: the Indians lost. The defeat was easier to bear from the comfort of my big fluffy bed.

^ Even if I was required to share said bed with my red-headed companion. Notice how she's taking up more than her half? Yep. That's my girl.

Wasn't long before my family came bursting back in, carrying a load of snacks and sharing stories about the game. I might have been a little bit jealous of their adventures, but as my mind lingered back over the quiet hours Gracie and I spent alone together, I reminded myself that there's more than one way to have fun on a Saturday night in Cleveland.

* * * * *

Road Trip 2019: read all about it.

Leaving

Resting

Glacier National Park

Dakota Sunshine

Mackinac Bridge

My Newfound Brother

Fox Trilogy

Cleveland Rocks

Vermilion Legacy

At The Conservatory

Riding To Rifle

Arches National Park: Balanced Rock

Arches National Park: Double Arch

Arches National Park: Devil's Garden Trail

Arches National Park: Park Avenue

Dead Horse Point

Waiting For Breakfast

Canyonlands National Park

Cheeseburgers

Car Keys

News Trend Hello, September|Actual

Clear blue, sunny skies with just a hint of snap in the air.

The first hints of red appearing in the leaves at the top of the tree.

A fresh crop of homegrown apples, juicy and crisp and sweet, are ripe and ready for eating.

Hello, September, and welcome to your special merk of late summer days.