Joe is retiring next week. Wednesday to be exact. My life will never be the same.
I used to look at people my age when I was in my twenties and think, "Well, their heading for the dirt nap." Now I'm there. I don't feel like I thought I would. I feel like I'm stuck at around 33. Then I walk by a shop window, see my reflection and shock myself.
" Who the HELL is THAT!?" Or when I head back UP the hill I just came down and I'm gently reminded by my heart and lungs. Sigh.
Joe will have a lot of time on his hands. Like he has never had before. He has lived an amazing life and I can't imagine what this transition must feel like to him. He asked me today as we were looking around the yard, "What will I tell people I do when they ask?" Good question. He'll be working on that. Perhaps he'll spend more time collecting rocks. Joe is called the Rock Man around here. He loves rocks! He'll see a rock on the side of the road and we'll have to stop to collect it. See these? In the picture above? Yep, you guessed it. He seems connected to them like he used to be a rock. Except the pebbles. He got these at Home Depot and scattered them amongst his rock relatives.
It was a glorious morning. Look at the way the sun's light shines through the leaves of this wild violet. It spang from amongst Joe's rocks. It's quite at home here. I can't wait for it to bloom.
Have a great week.
Love,
Ronnie

A Good Memorial Day

Monday is Memorial Day in America. It's a time for family gatherings and backyard cookouts. A time to visit a military cemetery and perhaps leave a token of thanks and gratitude to a fallen soldier, sailor or airman. Joe and I will travel to St. Marys where on Monday a wreath will be placed on the St. Marys river.

I grew up the daughter of a US Army aviator. My dad was a member of the Army Air Corp, a veteran of the Korean War and Vietnam War.
I cut my teeth while watching young soldiers, paratroopers in training, jump from the mammoth jump towers at Fort Benning. I adored military parades and the music of John Philip Sousa.
I also loved planes, helicopters, anything that flew. And my father was a pilot. I mean PILOT! When he smiled, I swear little stars flashed from his snowy white smile. He was my personal hero.

When I was nine years old my father took me flying over farmer's fields. Dad was attending flight school at Fort Dix, NJ at the time. Illegal as hell, he had my mother bring my older sister and me to a grassy field where he landed an Army L-19 Birddog. Picture a light weight, army- brown, highwing, two-seater aircraft, it's wings painted with the star and stripes.

It was a beautiful day. As the three of us stood in the tall grass of the field, Mom pointed toward the sky. We watched as a tiny plane grew larger, then landed. My hair whipped against my face from the rush of the propeller, then with all the trust in the world for our handsome young father, my sister and I climbed aboard.

I had flown once before on a long trip across the breadth of America and up to the Aleutian Islands and then across the endless Pacific to the island of Japan. It was 1952, the airliner was not a jet, but a propeller driven plane! But today was different. It was filled with spontaneous spirit and that touch of danger that my dad embodied.

As Dad motioned to us, and with Mom's help, we jumped into the single seat behind our dad, sharing the harness intended for a backseat observer. Within minutes, Dad opened the throttle and we spun around to take off. The plane felt as light as a balloon under us. With each bounce across the grass it seemed to want to leap into the air!

I think Dad took that little plane through every maneuver he'd learned and knowing my dad, probably more. We dove and climbed and rolled and did gigantic loops in the air that made our stomachs float into our chests and I heard myself yelling a squeeky little girl Whoaaaaaaaa! in unison with my sister. We looked at each other in wide grinned joy and we both knew we were the luckiest girls in the whole wide world.

Have a good Memorial Day folks.
Here's to my dad and all the other veterans who have passed on. Thanks. Thanks an awful lot.
Love,
Ronnie

A Parallel Universe!

We had a great time at Hatch Market!

The Scoop Magazine/Hatch Market team worked hard tying up loose ends after months of planning this first time event. I imagine this would be a tough thing to do the first year.
Things were a bit hectic as we set up. I didn't get the spot I imagined, which was a 10x10 spot covered by a tent they would provide. Once we got there I realized that the space I was given was not going to work. A six foot table connected to a long line of other tables covered by a HUGE tent. Sadly, no place to hang my art.

It looked like this.

So, Joe and I found a spot under a tree and next to a stretch of fence and were given the okay to set up there. We hoped it didn't rain (no tent) which lucky for us it didn't. Staff did offer to go buy a tent, but it could be an hour or so til they did.
A few things seemed to fall through the cracks, such as SIGNAGE! None on the surrounding streets to attract impulsive, looking for something to do, weekenders or for people intentionally looking for us. I believe that oversight kept the crowd a bit thinner than we'd expected. You live and learn.
BUT, I was very much humbled by all the creative people and true Indie stuff!

Click the pic and you might see something.

One of these days I'll remember to take great close ups for you!

The best part was meeting people like this. Jessica of ButterBeanBabies and Jodi of JodieMO
First craft show for them. What a dynamite job they did!

Here's Joe, my dear husband/pack mule, chatting with a customer.
This is not his thing but he hung in there to the end!

This is Anne Elser. Hey, did you notice! They put her in front of the Air Conditioner!

She makes THE most beautiful handmade journals, one of which I bought for Joe.
His birthday was Sunday.

These two talented ladies are best friends. Joyajewelry and Linwood Avenue. They too were rerouted, but lucked out with this great space in the garden under a vine covered arbor.

So She Sews and her very sweet significant other. I love her recycled creations. Check her out at SoSheSews.etsy.com

I met so many other great artists and crafters,
but no time to run around with the camera.

Bede Sisters Kay and Lori Shumpert make beautiful market bags and I had to have one!
E! La La! makes luscious soaps which Joe and I bought for Mother's Day gifts.
And I met Lolly of Lolly felt like it! Enjoyed talking to her lovely mom too.
It was great seeing all of you!
Great first try Melanie and Jessica! A good learning experience for all.
Love and hugs,
Ronnie