Monday Haiku

Monday Haiku

THE ARTIST WITHIN
CONTEMPLATING HER CANVAS
CREATES PURPLE BALL.

Monday Haiku

LONG THE SUMMER DAY
PATTERNS ON THE OCEAN SAND
OUR IDLE FOOTPRINTS
Shiki

Party At The Carousel

Granddaughter's Birthday Party at the Carousel in Bushnell Park in Hartford.

A 24-sided pavilion houses a vintage 1914 Carousel with 48 hand-carved wooden horses and two lovers' chariots that swirl around a booming Wurlitzer band organ.

It was fun afternoon for everyone!

Monday Haiku

SWALLOW IN THE DUSK...
SPARE MY LITTLER BUZZING FRIENDS
AMONG THE FLOWERS
Basho

Grampi's Birthday

A Great Birthday Card From A 5 Girl

Two Ducks and a Fish

From right to left - Grammy, Grampi with a cane and beard,
an easel with a painting of the sky, a rainbow and a dog,
balls, Bailey, Cami kicking the balls, and Chase.

Fat Belly Babe

I had another opportunity to take a class with Ankie Daanen and I couldn't pass it up.
This time we made Fat Belly Babe to go with our Fat Belly Boy. This is Ankie's sample without her skirt.

A close up of Ankie's doll.

Some of the finished dolls.

Painted Heads - Unpainted Bodies

Hands in the process.

High heel shoes.

Sculpting the face.

Bodies with jackets.

My doll parts ready for assembly.

Diane's almost finished doll.

Barbi's Doll

My Doll - Spikey

A Thought For Today

A thought for today and everyday from a favorite actress.
"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn

Mangler Retreat

Fabric Manglers Retreat
Camp Hazen
April 29-May 1, 2011

"A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles"
Tim Cahill

"Expectations"
Expectations with a
talented group found a groove
after a slow start.
(A newspaper poem)

It had been 8 years since the last Mangler retreat at beautiful Camp Hazen on Cedar Lake in Cheshire, Connecticut. It was time to re institute the retreat. It was our weekend to relax, rejuvenate, reconnect, and create. We planned some group activities and some time to work on our own projects. The resident chef prepared gourmet meals for us and accommodated our individual needs. The staff was always there for us whether is was to take our picture or show us the walking trail.

Friday evening, after arriving and settling in we gathered in the lakeside room, which would become our studio for the week end, to create crowns and scepters compliments of Colleen.

We shared information and techniques.

We started Saturday morning working on our Standing Guardian dolls compliments of Patty.

It wouldn't be a Mangler Retreat without the company of dolls.

We seemed to have brought everything except the one thing we needed most, but someone would always come to the rescue. You would think there wasn't much left at home. But if you know a doll artist, there is always more where this came from.

We used paint sticks to paint on fabric complements of Angie.

Gail shared her Zentangles with us.

A work in progress.

Sunday morning came and after cleaning up we had time to relax and work a little before lunch
and saying our good byes until next year.

Today
Water rushes past
Youth meets time and pays no heed
Shrubs grow and wither
Memories flash and are savored
Maturity takes its price
(A Tanka poem)

8th MS Walk

Team Chase For The Cure

This is the eighth year that we have participated in annual MS Walk.

Early into the walk Chase says, "Come on Princess, you can do it!",
as the actress pretends to be tired.

The Princess gets to ride on her Daddy's back.
The rest of the team still had to walk.

I think I see the finish line.

We were greeted at the finish line with bagpipe music.

PHS Student Art Show

Student Art Show
Portland Library

I took my granddaughter to the student art show at the
Portland Library. There was an activity scheduled for
the room so we only a few minutes to view the artwork.
Upon entering the room my granddaughter exclaimed,
"Grammy look at the octopus!!". After walking around the
room, she asked, "Grammy when is the show going to start?"