love•n•pet

The inspiration for Elyse's handcrafted love•n•pet shop came from the Winx Club, a Saturday morning children's program. My granddaughter said that you can buy pets at the shop or have yours cared for if you are going away. They also care for sick and injured pets.

All of the fairies and the animals at the shop have special powers. Musa has the power of music, Bloom the power of the dragon (flame), Aisha the power of water, and Stella the power of sunshine. All of the animals were stuffed toys until they got wings and became fairies. Now they can fly.

According to Elyse the Winx Club show isn't very popular but she certainly offered a plethora of information about its characters. For instance, Stella, the blond with the cropped shirt is a fashion freak and hates to work; and Aisha throws balls of water with her hands. There are two additional characters but Elyse didn't have room for all of them.

I asked my granddaughter why she decided to make the love•n•pet shop and she said it was because she needed something to do. I learned that it took Elyse a whole morning, from approximately 7:00 to 11:00, and a night (actually about 15 minutes) to make it. Anyway, knowing exactly how much time was spent on the colorful creation isn't all that important. I am simply in awe of my 8 year old granddaughter's creativity. 

Sliver of a Moon

Last evening was an udder delight.

I spotted a sliver of a moon setting on the

branch of the crooked ash tree in the south yard.

And the barn lights shone especially bright as the farmer

 across the way went about the business of milking his herd.

The night was clear and calm  and I was fearful

that the it would all be lost as I made a

mad dash for the nearest camera.

S   I   G  H.

But my iPhone

served me

well.

Snap, Pop, Rattle, Rattle, Rattle

I reside in a century old farm house in the the Upper Midwest. It sets on a shallow knoll and is surrounded by open fields. Ash trees, a few large pines, and a row of haggard cedar trees add interest to the yard but none provide great protection from the cold winter winds; especially those that blow across the west field and barrel up our long driveway.

On a blustery winter day it is not unusual to hear a symphony that plays out something like this: snap, pop, rattle, rattle, rattle, crackle, THUMP! That would be my house's way of telling me that the time has come to grab a mug of hot cocoa and hunker down. Another sure sign is when the storm windows become a canvas for the ever-so-creative Mr. Jack Frost. I love to photograph the icy wind-driven sculptures that he leaves behind.

Little hunkering down encouragement is required when it comes to my cat, Lelu. When the clock strikes Fall she's on it. . . and under it, which is the case today. Although today's 50 degree temperature is mild by Wisconsin standards, I found Lelu curled up under layers of blankets in the upstairs bedroom, exactly where my husband's feet had been earlier. I guess she isn't all that picky about where she chooses to hunker down. 

"But I Wanted A Green Frog"

I've got a a bit of writer's block going on.

It has lasted for several weeks now.

When I don't write I tend to get grumpy

and since grumpiness gathers 

steam over time I thought

I should write:

As I walked past a checkout lane at a department store yesterday, I overheard the cashier speaking to a young child who was sitting in a stroller next to the counter. She was admiring him and the red fire engine that he held tightly in his hand. After the little boy's mother finished checking out, she began to gather her things. Her cheerful demeanor and the way she communicated with her son warmed my heart. As she lifted her angel from the stroller, she discovered a stuffed frog tucked beside him in the seat. "When did you get this?" his mother said with a smile. You could tell that she was genuinely surprised by the discovery. In the sweetest of sweet voices, her son simply said, "But I wanted a green frog."