Sometimes, I Forget Things

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It’s like Where’s Waldo. Except I’m on the page over and over and over…

Today in worship, we had an intergenerational service. So, my kids were up front at craft tables for the whole event. Their job today was to draw portraits. One self portrait and then pictures of other people in the church. Geo created a great poster with all their pieces that our congregation then used as part of our community prayer time.

They did an amazing job! I just snapped this photo in very poor light this afternoon. I should go back and grab better pictures: because they did such a lovely job creating their self portraits and drawing members of the congregation.

But, sometimes I forget things. And in the process of leading the service today ( a service that was going to run WAY OVER!), I  completely forgot to suggest that they not ALL draw portraits of me.

Um, yeah, so according to our poster there are at least 6 people named Wende in our church. Though, none of them look alike!

D’oh.

It’s was really sweet — and touching to see my reflection from so many different hands and my name spelled so many different ways!  This usually happens with the littles: all the little kids want to give something to the teacher. But I was shocked to see my teenagers had also made a big deal of putting up my picture. (tho, I’m not completely certain about their motivations: teenagers, you can never tell.)

There were also duplicates of several parents: and one “family portrait” drawn by a middle schooler who omitted her older sister and younger brother. After church when I said, “Um, you seem to be missing siblings,” she gleefully said, “I KNOW!”

I’m kicking myself for having us glue these things onto paper. So, I’m going to have to find a new way of doing this project again so we can make presents for our parents. Maybe next Christmas?

Let’s hope I don’t forget that too.

Where IZ Renders Me Speechless

Me: What’s that box?

IZ: Your birthday present. The question is, when should I let you open it.

Me: Now now now!

IZ: Really? I just don’t want you to be disappointed when your birthday comes and there’s nothing else.

Me: I won’t be, I promise. Besides, I know what’s in it.

IZ: How do you know?

Me: I just do.

Me: I’ll prove it. I’ll write what I think it is on a piece of paper. On this napkin, see. And you can look at it after I open the box.

IZ: You’re jumping around like a little kid. Ok. Open the box.

(more…)

If the Universe Didn’t Want Me to Buy It . . .

Back to our regularly scheduled content. . .

I’m glad y’all had a good laugh with me yesterday. My not real list of New Year’s Resolutions is providing blog fodder, at least. And the in the case of yesterday’s post, a Christmas Card photo? Heh, who am I kidding, I don’t send Christmas Cards. Aren’t you relieved.

I know I said I would stop buying unframed art until I framed the stack piling up in my studio. But. . . but. . .but surely original watercolors found at ridiculously low prices at the Goodwill shouldn’t count, right?  And how could I pass up this little thing, it had a green tag and green tags were 50% off. COME ON. . . Original Art + Deep Discount = Wende breaks her promise.

Sue me.

What tipped the scales (though, I was probably going to buy it anyhow) was that the back was inscribed with a title: Summerland Morning.  For those of you who don’t know it, Summerland is a little surfing town directly adjacent to Santa Barbara. Though we’ve not been home in 3 years, it’s never far from our thoughts. Palm trees and sunshine, these are the visions that keep us moving forward.

And Summerland is special. Like Gelson’s and Butterfly beach, it’s on our must do list whenever we make it home.  We have a favorite breakfast place there, a favorite burger joint, and we stop for coffee at the local art house cafe on our way out of town to take in the view, one last time before we journey north.

I miss home most in the winter. So, this was a little gift  from the Universe. Hey, even the Universe is a good shopper.

Original watercolor “Summerland Morning” by Sally Bailey.