Getting back to things

I haven't been able to post a picture on this blog. It is just over three weeks since Mom died and we are still struggling to just get through the days. Trying to figure out how to move forward without being able to just pick up the phone and talk to her is beyond me sometimes. The rest of the time I am so busy with my daily life and the additional issues of Dad living with me, his estate planning,etc... that I truly have to block it all out so I can get things done. By 7pm I am done.

I know that a day will arrive when I can begin to post regualrly here again, not now but soon. I am taking pictures and have been taking them everday so the blog/book will be complete at some point. I never imagined the year would be marked this way.

I am going to post a picture of the day today...it will be out of order so just forgive me. Mia had drawn this while I was still in Florida. Thank God I took a picture because it somehow has vanished. It is Grammy Pat as an angel.

Goodbye

I am so sad to have to write that my mother, Patricia, passed away yesterday. She had fallen a week ago and needed pretty major elbow surgery. I flew out to Florida to be with her and my brother for the surgery on Thursday. Thank God I came because when we brought her home yesterday she sufferd a blod clot within 5 minutes of getting into the house and passes away monutes later. I am shattered. She was the most important person in my life without a doubt. Over the past 20 years since my moving to Seattle I didn't get to see her very much. As a matter of fact the last time I saw her was in September of 2007, Mia was just 4 and we went the the house on St. Simon's. We had a great visit, too short, but wonderful. Since that time my father has been out to stay with me for about half the year, my mom's brother fought throat cancer with her living with him for 6 months and all the other assorted life issues prevented our getting together for a visit sooner. My plan was to come out with Mia in October for a couple weeks. That will never happen.

I know she is in a better place, our upset is worldly and I know as the days go by the shock will wear off and my reaction to her loss will not be so acute. Right now nothing at all makes any sense.

I am not sure if I can access a picture of her to post today. I will if I can.

Don't put off spending the time with your loved ones...today. I am not sure when I will be posting again regularly.

Day 40 - June 6, 2009

Mia and I were fooling around on the patio with my cell phone...I snapped this pic to update the one I had on there and liked it so much that it is showing up here :)

Update

My computer crashed on Saturday so it may be awhile before I can get back into updating on a regular basis.

Day 39 - June 5, 2009

I know, I know...one photo a day. Whatever, it was too big a day for just one ;) My baby girl graduated preschool and is on to Kindergarten in September!

Day 38 - June 4, 2009

Day 37 - June 3, 2009

Mia has some pretty elaborate games she plays after "lightsout" at night. This is what greated me when I woke her this morning. She said that dragon needed some soothing music to get to sleep.

Day 36 - June 2, 2009

Day 35 - June 1, 2009

It has been so hot here so I let MIa go outside in the backyard while the sprinklers were going that night. She was drenched and lovin' it!

Day 34 - May 31, 2009

We went out to dinner and to see UP! with the Schneiders. Mia and Marley love hanging out together!

Day 33 - May 30, 2009

Day 32 - May 29, 2009

I will try to keep this brief. Mom, this one's for you. Safeway used to make the most delish lemon danish and then suddenly about 2 years ago they just stopped. Why? No one seems to know. On my stock up after vacation trip to the market what did I happen across as I wandered through the bakery at Safeway? Lemon danish. I've not seen another since.

Yes... I did buy it, photograph it and then eat it. It was yummy!

Day 31 - May 28, 2009

Mia left her Mahalo (thank you) to the owners for the house we rented before we left for the airport. What a great trip!

Day 30 - May 27, 2009

Gorgeous day, gorgeous spot, gorgeous girl!

Day 29 - May 26, 2009

During the last two days in Molokai Mia began to teach herself to snorkle. It was so cool watching her get the hang of it (took about 10 minutes), she forgot about not being able to swim all that well and was just gliding around the pool, face in the water, having a blast. The one drawback was that the mask was way too big for her and she kept getting water up her nose.

Day 28 - May 25, 2009

I spent about an hour chasing plumeria flowers around the pool. What a delicious waste of time!

Day 27 - May 24, 2009

and for the record I have quite the little photographer on my hands now. She took about 50 pictures while we were away and I think she has a real eye for composition. I adore this picture of her little flip flopped feet!

sorry

it's taken me a bit to get back into the swing of things. Tryin to hold on to my laid back island attitude this week but I can feel it slipping away. The only positive to that is I am getting caught up on my posting tonight!

Day 26 - May 23, 2009

Day 25 - May 22, 2009

Why are bananas worthy of a picture of the day???? Well these small sweet delicious apple bananas are like no other I have ever eaten. I fell in love with them on my first visit to Hawaii in 1990, relished them in 2003 on Kauai at Banana Joes Smoothie stand and plucked them from the trees in Molokai. Amazing!

Day 24 - May 21, 2009

On the East end of Molokai the ocean washes up tons of beach glass.

Day 23 - May 20, 2009

This is my favorite photo from the trip. Mia was looking out the window, naked except for a lei I made that morning from the beautiful plumeria flowers around the house.

Day 22 - May 19, 2009

Day 21 - May 18, 2009

After a very long day of fyling and waitign in airports we arrived in Molokai and this lizard was one of the very first things we saw.

Day 20 - May 17, 2009

"I tried to make the Prince so he was kneeling Mom, but it didn't come out right..."

UPDATE

Just back from Molokai and will be posting some amazing pictures over the weekend to get caught up again! :)

Day 19 - May 16, 2009

Day 18 - May 15, 2009

With a little girl in the house I have been lucky enough to go back to my childhood days and play a lot of Barbies with her. She loves them and pretends they are all her sisters. She is equally enamoured with pets. There are days when we have about 100 dogs of various make, size and shape all laid out around the family room. She says she wants to be a vet when she grows up.

Day 17 - May 14, 2009

We went to the open house for Kindergarten at Cascade View Elementary. Mia was a bit overwhelmed and didn't want to stay in the new classroom without mom. This transition will surely be a process. How is she starting Kindergarten already!?!?!

Day 16 - May 13, 2009

Have some dessert catering work coming my way and it feels great to get back into it! Never made baklava before but if you've worked with phyllo dough before it's no big deal.

Day 15 - May 12, 2009

Mia says they are "simply the best scones in the whole wide world". She's good for my ego~

Day 14 - May 11, 2009

Mia loves puzzles...always has. I remember loving to do mazes when I was a kid and I love seeing her do them now. I found this coloring/activity book under her pillow with a ton of markers (she likes to sneak in some coloring time after lights out apparently).

She went through her book with me page by page and explained what she had done in great detail.

Day 13 - May 10, 2009 Mother's Day

Day 12 - May 9, 2009

Day 11 - May 8, 2009

Sometimes the only time I have to do the things I want to do is after 11 at night. Here's last nights creation using an unfinished wooden tray and some beautifl papers from Websters Pages. I did a crackle finish over the paper...

Day 10 - May 7, 2009

 

Mia is getting pretty good with my camera. I think she is anxious to be the one behind the lens for a change. She is starting to get a bit tired of me with the camera in her face all the time...

Day 9 - May 6, 2009

Day 8 - May 5, 2009

When I left work tonight Mia was in the parking lot taking tentative jumps around the rain puddles. We had stops to make, my mother voice was going off in my head..."Mia don't get wet..." and then I thought "COME ON, LES! She's 5! Who cares if she is wet when we go to pick up Chinese food?"

I put my purse down on the half flooded driveway and Mia turned and looked at me with the camera in my hands. Her eyebrows raised and the start of a small smile played on her lips.

and the child in me said three words.

Go - For - It!

Day 7 - May 4, 2009

Do I really need to say anything else???

Day 6 - May 3, 2009

My girl...what more do I need to say?

Day 5 - May 2, 2009

We had the Mother's Day Tea this Saturday. I look forward to this so much and am sad that this is Mia's last year in Miss Sally's class!

Look at the beautiful project they did as gifts for the moms...adorable! They've been studying the artist Eric Carle (of the Very Hungry Caterpillar) and used his style for this piece of art.

Sally and Lori decorated the room and the children served the moms lemon cookies (Mia had about 10 I think!) and lemonade. It was a great time!

Day 4 - May 1, 2009

This precious drawing was on the sidewalk when I got home from a very long day of work yesterday. I just had to run out and get a picture of it this morning! I love that she gave me a heart...her favorite thing to draw right now!

Day 3 - April 30, 2009

.99 at Michael's for these wacky things. Mia is enthralled by them, just add water and in about 5 days they have hair. Here they are after their very first haircut...looking pretty spiffy!

Day 2 - April 29, 2009

Temps are warming and Spring has sprung here in the Pacific Northwest...finally! I always forget about these lovely flowers that I planted 5 years ago. What a great surprise I had today (and every year) to see that they had made their brief apperance in my backyard. Their gorgeous checkerboard pattern intrigues me and I love the way they sway in the breeze.

Day 1 - April 28, 2009

I am so excited to be starting this year long project...documenting my life one picture at a time. All the bits and pieces will eventually make their way here I imagine and I hope you join me for the adventure!

Thanks to my new friend Carol for the inspiration and to Becky Higgins for the brilliant idea!