A Moment with Eric Carle

May 28, 2021June 12, 20217 Comments

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar story is about hope. You, like the little caterpillar, will grow up, unfold your wings and fly off into the future. –Eric Carle

Beloved children’s book author and illustrator, Eric Carle, passed away May 23 at 91 years of age, but I learned of his passing just this morning. I spent today’s joy break revisiting Carle’s books and illustrations and thinking about moments I spent with my little one reading and rereading his books. I even listened to the recording of my son “reading” Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967) that I mentioned in a 2018 post (linked below).

It’s sad that we lost Carle, but it heartens me to know that he will live on and on through his works and in the memories of generations who were mesmerized by his colorful books.

If you’d like just a little more of Eric Carle, here are two more posts which feature Carle’s work:

Take a moment to (re)visit Carle’s work this weekend and have joy!

Bunny Love!

April 10, 2021April 10, 20218 Comments

Bunny Mama

More bunny mail!

This adorable bunny postcard from Bianca, my bunny-loving literary twin, reminds me of precious early moments with my son.

When he was an infant, I held my child and allowed him to sit on my lap and cuddle as much as he wanted. There were those who cautioned, “Don’t hold him too much. He will be spoiled.” But there were also many women who encouraged me to cherish those early moments because they go by so quickly. The “wisdom” was in conflict with the warning, so I chose what felt right for me and I have zero regrets.

Time did fly, and with a blink of the eye my chubby, cuddly little bundle of joy became an energetic ball of lightning zipping and zooming and lighting up our home. And now, he’s a handsome, unspoiled young man towering over both his parents with only a few years standing between himself and adulthood.

Love Notes: Bianca is one of my Love Notes friends. If you love sending snail mail and want to make a new friend, consider joining the Love Notes community. Today is the last day to sign up for Love Notes 35, so jump in!

#ThursdayTreeLove | A Sweet Remembrance

March 12, 2020March 13, 202025 Comments

Sweet memories are timeless treasures of the heart.

It’s late and I am overwhelmed [not panicked] by “all the things” and all the COVID-19 precautions and contingencies. I find it necessary to pause the madness of planning and class preparations to share a little #treelove this evening.

This is not the post I planned, but it is the one I needed.

In the photo above, my then two-year-old [thought he] was hiding in the banana trees at my parents’ home. I ran across the photo on my hard drive moments ago, and at the sight of this sweet remembrance, a wave of calm washed over me.

All is not right in the world, but all is well in my heart.

I am joining Parul Thakur for #ThursdayTreeLove every second and fourth Thursday of the month. If you would like to play along, post a picture of a tree on your blog and link it back to her latest #treelove post.

13 Life Lessons from My [Now] 13-Year-Old

May 22, 2019May 22, 201917 Comments

Image by Hebi B. from Pixabay

Today is my son’s birthday, and “just like that,” there’s a teenager in our home!

If I weren’t living it, I would not believe how swiftly time flew to get us to this moment. Wasn’t it only yesterday that I was rushed to the hospital for a child who could not wait to enter the world? Wasn’t it only yesterday that I left the hospital longing for the day to bring my preemie home? Only yesterday for so many milestones, minor setbacks, and victories?

I can fill a book with all the things I learned through motherhood and my son. With his quick wit and acumen as I journey through, my son has been by far my most persistent life coach. So…in honor of my-not-so little one’s induction into “teendom,” I’m sharing 13 “random” lessons from my now-teen. I’m not prioritizing because there are many, many valuable lessons and what follows are the first 13 “off the top of my head.”

1. There is an unbelievable storehouse of strength inside to get through some of the toughest challenges life tosses my way.
2. Paper, paint, and markers are the absolute best tools to chase the blues away. Humming while creating chases them even faster.
3. Real intelligence is being able to explain the most abstract or complex concepts in the simplest terms.
4. I set the standard for myself. Other people’s opinions [of me] really don’t matter.
5. There are way more important things than work. Taking time to play is a right and a responsibility.
6. Sometimes a good cry and a nap make the world a whole lot better.
7. The sweetest /most valuable things in life cost nothing.
8. If I don’t like the story, I can rewrite it, recast it, and make myself the hero!
9. Sometimes, I am the only sane one in the bunch.
10. Reading the Holy Writ for hours at a time is never a waste of time.
11. It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask.
12. There’s a theory for everything.
13. Look up. There’s still so much wonder in the clouds.

I cherish every moment of my son’s growth from one phase in life to the next. I’m glad I held him in my arms as much as I could and adjusted my life and schedule to spend more time with him. I’m “in my feelings” a bit over how quickly time flies, but I’ll just rest in these moments and not worry that in the next “blink of my eyes” he’ll be off to college.

#ThursdayTreeLove | Earth and Sky Mingle

December 13, 2018December 13, 201832 Comments

“Foggy Morning,” Photograph by Vaughan M.

I like the muted sounds, the shroud of grey, and the silence that comes with fog –Om Malik

This trio of trees sits near the entrance of the University campus where I work and where my son goes to school. Many things grab our attention during our commute, and when we see something worth a shot, the not-so-little one takes control of the camera and photographs while I drive.

In fact, he shot the photo above a couple of days ago as we drove onto campus. The clouds were hanging low for much of the ride, but when we entered the campus area, earth and sky met.

It seemed the fog–or condensation–rose from the ground simply to mingle with the clouds.

It was eery. Interesting. Beautiful.

Unfortunately, since I’d planned to head straight home after dropping my son off at school, I did not have my camera. But…fortunately, he grabbed my phone and started snapping away. He managed a number of strong shots, but the trees, obviously, are my favorite.

Adventure Time: Tag! I’m It!

August 8, 20186 Comments

I’ve been tagged in A Guy Called Bloke and K9 Doodlepip!‘s “3.2.1. Quote Me!” challenge. It involves quotations, so I can’t resist. Here are the rules:

Thank the person who tagged you (Thank you, Darren of The Arty Plant Man!)
Post two (2) quotes for the dedicated “Topic of the Day”
Select three (3) bloggers to take part in ‘3.2.1 Quote Me!’

Today’s Topic (from a week ago): ADVENTURE

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. –Jawaharlal Nehru

When my son was much younger, he loved going on “adventures.” Everything was an adventure–walks in the neighborhood, playing in the park, road trips, a trip to the grocery store, nap time. When we were headed “nowhere,” he created adventures for us, complete with a filled backpack, a map he’d drawn, binoculars for spying, a compass, and of course, canteens filled with water.

His approach to life illustrated so clearly that every moment offers adventure and that we don’t have to go out and find adventure. Sometimes we have to create our own wherever we are and with the means available to us.

I’m not always as adventurous as he is, but perhaps that’s because parenting is about as much adventure as I can handle most days.

Parenting is by far my boldest and most daring adventure. –Brene Brown

My nominees are:

Note: Although adventure is the topic for today, there is no specific deadline for it. You can address it whenever you wish. In fact, feel free to use the topic “adventure” or the latest topic, “chic.”

Have fun!