winging it

Twyla's Twig Necklace

A family of birds has decided that the top of our chimney is the perfect place to live. They sing all day long and their sweet little warbles echo down the aluminum pipe and spill out into our family room. It makes me happy.

Did you know that baby birds babble like humans before singing?

lost

Hokusai Wave Earrings

Nothing can drive me to insanity faster than losing something. It's one of those things that enrages me mostly because I have no one else to blame. When I was little, I simply accused other family members of stealing to save myself some discomfort. I still occasionally try this tactic, with little success.

A while back, my brother bought me a couple Japanese prints. One was by Katsushika Hokusai, one of my all time favorite artists. I am especially taken with his piece called "The Great Wave".

I have hunted and hunted and hunted. I can't remember where I "safely stored" those prints. It has kept me awake at night. At 2:32 am last Tuesday night, my eyes popped open. I laid there with a sweaty back and listened to the chorus of deep breathing from Sugar Daddy and Fin. I mentally searched the house for the prints. I strained to think of new places I might not have checked. I got nothing.

The next morning I sat at my work bench still thinking of my missing prints. The Hokusai Wave earrings were born.

34

Today is my birthday. I really don't feel 34, more like 27 or 26. Thirty years ago and thousands of miles away I posed for this photo in my backyard. My father had just started to dabble in photography and his two daughters, Irish twins at only eleven months apart, were one of his favorite subjects. I'm the one on the right with lighter hair and an impish grin.

I had a magical childhood that I can only hope to recreate for my own children. It's a work in progress.

I have glimpses of magic in the quiet moments with Thomas. Today, as I sat working on a pair of earrings, we had a long discussion/debate on how pill bugs sleep. These are the things that are important to a four-year-old.

I wonder as I look at this photo what was important to me then? Thirty years later, I'm sure the things I value have changed, but it is still the small minutiae of life.

These are a few of my favorite things:

The sound of Thomas laughing

The sun on my bare shoulders and a cold drink in my hand

Getting under fresh clean sheets

M&M's first thing in the morning

Rocking a baby to sleep

Eating Sushi with my husband

Long runs on sunny days

Shopping with my sisters

A streak free kitchen sink

Laying under a Christmas tree

A really good flee market

A secret stash of gummy bears

Picking out plants for our yard

Watching Finn yawn and stretch in the morning

Guffawing with my girlfriends

Fireworks on the beach

Redbull

Except for a small episode this morning that involved laying on the bed to get my jeans buttoned with the peanut gallery (namely one small boy and his dog) cheering me on, this has been a good birthday. I finished these earrings, which I am rather proud of. I think they are romantic.

My Blue Heaven Earrings