1,000th Post!

Yes it is hard for me to imagine that just two years ago I set out on this blogging voyage. Not knowing where I would go, what kind of responses I would get, or really what I was doing. 1,000 posts later, many new and beautiful artful friends, I have found a wonderful community. I can not tell you how much pleasure, friendship, and happiness all of you have given me. It is like one big hug across the miles. Thank you.

I decided I wanted this to be a post that was a little personal. I wanted it to be meaningful, and maybe just a tad of inspiration. Here in the Coastal South we have seen tremendous temperatures. In the high 90's with heat indexes in the 100's. Heat warnings and late thunderstorms. So much of this reminds me of the summers in Florida with my grandmother.


My grandmother was a very creative and artistic woman. She eloped at 15 with an older man who had a car. Never finishing her education she was pretty much self taught. A proud woman. When my grandfather died. She turned her home into a boarding house for the men of the Southern Railroad. Up at 5, cooking breakfast, washing and ironing the sheets, cleaning the rooms, tending her garden of both flowers and vegetables. She did the flowers and cakes for all the weddings, christenings, and the church flowers for many of the churches in town. She cooked the churches Wednesday night dinner, etc....

Her grandchildren were the next big love of her life, after my mother. She adored us and we adored her. Every summer it was off to her house. She taught me to make candles, sew, paint, fix a washing machine, and cook. She made the best fried chicken and biscuits known to man. My love of gardening and flowers I acquired through her. She knew every plant, every given name, and her yard people would drive by and gape at.

In the summer in Florida it is so hot. You are up early and do everything you can outside. We would wake up early and work in the gardens while she finished the wash. Eat a big, hot breakfast while it was cool. She would get all her baking done so she could ice the cakes later. A couple times a week after lunch it was a trip to the library. I read the whole biography section one summer. The mystery section another. I found I loved books. It was like opening a door to the world. All of these incredible places, people doing these fantastic things. I could go anywhere.

The ice man would deliver a big block or two of ice every afternoon. My grandmother would put one in a big metal bucket on a stool and then turn on the fan on the inside porch. There we would spend the afternoons, me reading, my grandmother sewing, and my brother reading or making models. As the day cooled off we would go fishing coming home to a late dinner, and front porch time.

Sitting on the front porch as all the neighbors walked by enjoying the cool evening. Aunts and uncles would stop by with my cousins. Stopping for lemon squares or pie with some sun sweet tea. Talking on in to the night. We kids would catch fireflies and run in the yard playing tag. Those are my summer memories.

The past few days I have been remembering a lot about those days and the sacrifices my grandmother made for us. I also remember the joy she had for us. We were her "darlings." How blessed we were. So with this post I have included a lot of images of children and books. Hot weather just makes me think about that time and place. I hope you will enjoy them and use them in your wonderful art. Thank you all for stopping by my blog and letting me get to know you. I also hope that you have warm wonderful summer memories...

A collage sheet for you. I love the girl sitting in the hammock and the other one writing at the table. I can remember practicing my handwriting for hours.

This collage sheet is so full of sweetness. It is amazing how much children love books. Read one to someone today!

Here is a bookplate for you to personalize for someone special in your life.

And last but not least, I still love a good afternoon of reading on a hot day.
p.s I am having a blog anniversary give away, my first, details coming soon! I am trying to amass a bunch of stuff to give away.