Memorial

Each year I try to be mindful of what this weekend means. Time with family, yes. But more, yes?

Some years I do better honoring it...some years I have wished I had done more.

Every year we watch soldiers march in a local parade and tears come to my eyes thinking of their sacrifice. Of what they have seen and felt and lived through. After, many paraders and onlookers walk to the cemetery, listen to taps played on horns and are silent...

While I am not a fan of our nation going to war, I do supprt the folks who choose military life and humbly thank them for their sacrifice. Yet, it wasn't always like this. When I was younger, I was more black and white on the subject....

At 18, I marched in San Luis Obispo with folks protesting the first Gulf War ~ weeks later I joined thousands of others in San Francisco for the same reason. Then, five months later in Tucson AZ , while waiting on the tarmac with a dear friend at the local army base for her brother in law to return home from that very same war,  something changed in my thinking about soldiers -

They were humanized.

Watching them greeting their families after months of separation, the love, the devotion - the sacrifice... It changed everything.

Now I walk the line of supporting those who choose to go to the front lines for our country while, at the same time, I also work with organizations who are trying to create a future where that kind of  sacrifice will (hopefully) not be an option on the table. Its one small way I feel I can give back to those families and individuals who have sacrificed so much...on both sides...everywhere.

Found

The girls were riding their bikes on the dirt road in front of our house this morning when they stumbled upon this little guy (thankfully, not literally).

There he was, just hanging out on the side of the road...waiting.

Seeing he was a pretty small critter and unable to fly, we scooped him into a box with some nesting material (some cloth) and made plans to take him to this really cool place. Having just finished Owls in the Family, our nine year old really wanted to keep him and raise him for a pet. We chatted on how the bird would have a more full life being rehabilitated and set free than remaining our pet...even if we did just love his cute little birdy self.

So, we were off - and  boy, were they hopping this morning. They even had a baby owl that someone had found on the side of the road and was too young to be on it's own. Such a wonderful little outfit they have there.

Oh! And did you guess what kind of a bird it is?....Our nine year old said woodpecker (that beak!) - Avian Haven said - a nuthatch! Or, as they put it - an honorary woodpecker.

As a sidenote...

On the trip there, I stopped a walker to ask if they knew where Avian Haven was (not that I was lost or anything ;) and they had never heard of it (it was about 5 miles away at that point). This got me to wondering, how many cool little organizations are in our local communities that we may not even know about? I think I know how we will be spending part of our summer...

anything "new" in your neck of the woods?

Critter Surprise

We met this little fellow on one of our daily trips around our favorite hiking spot a while ago. The girls saw him first, right in the middle of the path ahead of us. As excited as we were to see him, I can't say he felt the same way about us. Quickly as his four feet could move him through the brush, he headed to a crevice between rocks and promptly stayed put.  After a few pics he was settled into his safe spot and we were on our way again full of excitement and wonder.

Studio::1

Coming along...slowly.....

When we bought this little house (10 years ago this fall, can that be?!) we added on a "garage" ~ this houses books not currently in rotation, holiday items (formerly even housed a drum set!), bio bricks and any manner of do dads that we can't squeeze in the 800 square feet.

I've spent the past few months gathering crafting supplies from every corner they were stashed in and, in small snippets of time, have been carving out a little creative space right around a lovely window that looks out on our backyard.  I had a feeling that once I cleared our living space of the fabrics, thread and needles (remember those ambushing little devils?)  we would have ...*space*. And we do!
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 Slowly...ever so slowly... fingers crossed that in a month or so, it will be ready to work in.  And you know what? I can hardly wait.....

How about you? Have you carved out a little creative space anywhere?

Happenings

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