That time of year ...

It's that time of year once more!

When I prepare a family favorite ...

And gaze upon two, 

new,

Jesus-Children!

Angels of the New Millenium

Dad's first Heavenly Birthday!!

We're celebrating you today, Dad ... Grandpa, Uncle, Cousin, E.H., Harold ... on your first Heavenly Birthday! There are Facebook posts, Mass intentions, cemetery visits, vases of flowers, hot toddy sippers, pizza eaters, and so many fans loving you A WHOLE, GREAT, BIG BUNCH today and everyday since you left us one year ago. Feel free to join us at any time and make your warm presence known. We miss you!

one year later ...

it is difficult to believe it's been a year since last i wrote

and yet much has happened in the moments in between ...

what i am doing in this moment ...

making one of my family's FAVORITE holiday foods! we call it canasta mix and it would put Chex Mix out of commission.

putting something together for our family gift-swap on

Christmas eve ...

LOVING this little Jesus-Child ...

MISSING greatly the earthly presence of this dear angel ...

(8/1/1927 - 6/15/2009)

Three Friends

Kim made these darling little friends for me to give to my friend, Mary, who was struggling through the final days of her earthly life.* The first lil' pixie is Sarah. She is needle felted of hand painted roving. She carries a little nature journal in one hand and a tiny quill. In the other hand she carries a tiny piece of fabric to quilt, in Mary's blue, with tiny stars and pine cones, and has a needle felted little bird nest for a hat. Mary's fairy is in a beautiful forget-me-not blue roving with her slippers strapped to her side, a tiny yellow glass seed bead on each ~ she has taken them off now that she has begun to sprout wings. She carries a journal with three friends on the cover, along with her flute. She has a Swarovski crystal butterfly in her hair. Karen's lil' pixie has tiny green glasses to match her dress and shoes. The bottom of her dress is decorated with hand painted mohair locks and a needle felted heart is on the skirt. A little acorn cap adorns her head. She carries a wooden heart button and a miniature Harry Potter, The Goblet of Fire. Karen and Sarah have no wings and their shoes are still firmly in place. As such they can walk with Mary along her journey, but only until her wings take flight. Mary's wings did indeed take flight early this morning. The earth-angel of the little group has transitioned into the next life and is being deeply missed by Karen and Sarah.

*Unfortunately, the three friends did not arrive in time to meet Mary on this plane, so I will gift them to Karen in hopes that they might help to bring a smile to her face once more.