This is a random rambling to be sure. Today I ordered stamps from the post office online for the studio. They charge $1 for shipping which I understand and I appreciate that it’s a bargain price — but here’s the curious thing. It takes 10 days to get the stamps. The same thing is true if you order supplies – about 2 weeks. Wouldn’t you think it should be almost instant? I mean what could the hold up be? Don’t they make the stamps and deliver things every day? I’m sure there’s a reason and I’m not even complaining because I can plan ahead to accomodate this delay but I do think it’s a little curious.

Until tomorrow – A

I hope all my friends, family and of course fans had a wonderful father’s day.  We had a wonderful day at the Stone house. We started with a picnic outing to Fairchild that my daughter planned because it’s one of her father’s favorite local attractions. It was a very sweet thought and so we went ahead with it even though it’s not really the season for lolligagging in a tropical park unless your a lizard. Let’s just say it was really hot. We made it into the park selected a location and we sweated it out for about 20 minutes before we all agreed to pack it in and head to the next location on our agenda which definitely needed to be airconditioned. At one point, the lunacy of the scene gave me the giggles. There we were, sweaty, red-faced, and bug-bitten all in the attempt to have a father’s day picnic. We did fly a kite and saw a really big snapping turtle.

Next we went to the Children’s Museum which was fun and then home for a swim and a bar-b-que. A great time was had by all.

Of course, I always think of my dad on father’s day. He passed away a few years ago just before father’s day. My husband the poet wrote this inspired by the event of my dad’s passing.

Jim’s Foot

Jim’s foot stood sideways in the air, he was dead
and no more alone, thought his daughter, than before.
She stayed with the foot, avoided the balance of him.

She I.D.’d Jim by his foot, for the cop, eyes trapped.
In side view Jim’s balance unevenly draped
the bed, the sheets, which blushed, uneasy holding him.

Corner to corner, he laid, catawampus,
foot jutted, opened door, daughter framed,
spackling light cross his creases and hair.

Jim’s foot, with toe-tag ascot, pointed
at absence, said his stopped heart
used to stoke wet anger

in those nearest willing
little more than a murmur
to pump reds.

Jim was not grandly asleep, upright
in gentle chair, tableau vivant,
pillows against face, lips just apart.

Jim’s foot, cocked upward, stayed tense.
He was dead, saying to those not there
this is as high as I go, so look or not.

Until tomorrow – A

As we all know little brothers and sisters are used to sharing the spotlight with their big brothers or sisters. But this little man got to come in all by himself for some one on one time with Mommy and some portraits – of course.

Mommy wasn’t sure he was ready to stand up and cruise but he certainly showed he was more than ready.

Look Ma!

Soon he’ll be walking all over. Watch out.

- A

This wonderful family was in the studio yesterday. This is actually only part of the family – this is the girlie part. Dad and the little guy were off to the side. These girls were awesome in the studio. They had lots of ideas for fun things to do and were helful with their little brother and sister (mostly )

Angels

They all had on awesome white outfits and with the white background when I first saw them I thought everybody looked pretty angelic.

Enjoy – until tomorrow – A

I’ve missed you guys (that comment is directed generally in the direction of all blog readers). It has been much too long since my last post. Of course, I haven’t been sitting around twiddling my thumbs.

I’ve been dragging my kiddos to swimming lessons which they love — once they get there. It’s only an hour a day but sheesh it does a number on my schedule. Also, all of my extremeties are covered with mosquito bites from sitting outdoors while they have their lessons. My munchkins go to Ann’s Swimming School and we’ve had good luck there in case anybody is curious. But we’re finished for the summer – today was graduation – quite exciting.

I’ve been battling the mosquitos all around. All this rain has filled up my bromeliads in the front yard and so it’s walk through at your own risk of being swarmed by mosquitos. Did I mention I *paid* a landscaper to plant these mosquito growing monstrocities in my front yard. Yikes. Once again my non-green thumb is out to get me. Earlier this week I went out for a morning run only to be swarmed by the hungry beasts and go fleeing back inside to spray with fully loaded cancer causing bug spray. As an unrelated rant how can we fly people to a space station wizzing around the planet and we can’t invent a spray that keeps those bugs away? When I went back out I then ran right into an enormous spider web — YUCK! Isn’t that one of the grossest feelings walking into a spiderweb? But I plodded onward and completed my run sneezing from the blooming or rotting mangos along the way. What fun we have in Miami in the summertime.

I did do something amazingly cool this week which was that I reconnected with a group of people I hadn’t seen in 10 years. Here’s the story. 10 years ago I was working for a firm and I was tapped by my bosses wife to help with a project. She had volunteered to put together a fundraising walk-a-thon for what was then called the National Alliance for Autism Reasearch (I think …) now its called Autism Speaks. So over the course of a month we put together this walk-a-thon something none of us knew anything about. We met in her living room and put together an event. We found a dj, got permits, made signs, painted feet on the park route and other random things. At the time it was the 2nd one ever and it set a fund raising record. That was my one and only time making it to the walk. But she’s coordinating the 10 year anniversary walk so she wanted to get the original team together. We met at their annual awards banquet and what was most amazing to me is how this event has exploded. This year they had 12,000 walkers and they are really doing amazing work. It was a nice feeling to know that I was a part of getting something like that started. Of course, now I’ve volunteered to help this year so you’ll hear more about it I’m sure.

Is that enough randomness for this post?

Did you know Father’s Day is around the corner? Do not buy another tie for the father in your life. Well, okay if it’s a nice tie — go ahead.

Here’s a sample of a father’s day session we did the other day here in the studio. Give us a call if you’d like to set one up for your kiddos and the father in your life. Notice the cool new blue paper — I’m reaching into new areas of color now that I have my incredibly awesome paper rack.

have iphone will do business

big brother helps lil sis put on daddy’s shirt

This might be a bit big for me

We did some others with more kiddos and I’ll preview those in a while. But that’s it for today.

Have a nice weekend. Avoid the Mosquitos. – A