by Alison

cold winds

and the Super Bowl -

we stay home and bake

by Alison

Her sculptures

populate our house -

Soon, spring!.

This is a sculpture that Penny did a year ago. You can see that it includes: one package of paper towels, an assortment of blocks + one ring box. That is the ring box that once contained my engagement ring.

This is one of my favorites of Penny’s sculptures. She calls it “A Book Bridge” which she built by pulling Ben’s books off of his bookshelf. There is a certain amount of flexibility that is required with the creative spirit.

And this is a favorite “art actigity”, as Penny likes to call it. This project was created last year, after we explored our garden while taking clippings of new spring blossoms. So Penny is awaiting spring again!

I wanted to share these pictures to somehow document Penny’s creative spirit as well as the “look” of our house, which we try and make sure is conducive to art! All children love to make things and it’s wonderful to see Penny explore. And with two creative parents, we both understand what it means to her. The other day my husband threw a pile of laundry into our closet, unknowingly  knocking over one of Penny’s sculptures which was made of: a pole used for opening and closing the skylight, christmas stockings, ribbon and beautiful fabrics. Penny cried with the most heartbreaking tears at seeing the destruction of her sculpture. So Ben spent the next hour with her recreating her masterpiece. Because it meant so much to her and he remembered what it meant to him when he was a child!

.

by Alison

At night, in bed

we whisper of our daughter:

“She’s an artist…”

by Alison

bright moon

makes the woods seem

so familiar

Okay, so Kelly has convinced me. I am taking on the NaHaiWriMo challenge, too! And I’ve decided to add my own resolution along with it. For some time I’ve been interested in experimenting with the short form of haiku, also called “Modern Haiku” by some. I did some experimentation this past year but often return to 5-7-5 without truly getting comfortable with the shorter form. So that is my goal for this month - to experiment with short haiku, in various ways. Perhaps some of my short haiku will not have a break, such as the one that I wrote above. Or perhaps some of my short haiku will not even have three lines or a nature reference. But I’m hoping to get back into the spirit of haiku, which to me is an incredible connection with and awareness of a moment. So here we go! Kelly and I, back to haiku with NaHaiWriMo!

by Alison

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Penny’s Wisdom:

“Everyone’s good at

different things - I’m the best at

riding unicorns!”

by Alison

winter’s first snow falls

lace weaves into the landscape -

I want to paint

by Alison

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Suddenly my state

is filled with Republicans -

Oh, the primaries!

.

I wonder which one

will win the nomination?

I am “Undeclared”.

.

An Undeclared is

our version of an Indy.

We wait, watch and wait.

.

We also wait for

snow, teasing us by falling

and melting away.

..

Instead we feel spring

in January, oh joy!

The debate heats up.

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The night brings the cold

but when we wake I hope

we vote… moderate.

by Alison

December moon -

a lone mosquito flutters

by the porch light

by Alison

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I’m f***ing pissed off.

Can’t he stop networking for

5 minutes to help?

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Really. Bills pile up.

The house grows messy. Xmas

flights still not arranged.

.

How can one be great

if one can’t handle the job

of the everyday?

.

I realize this is

NOT haiku in SPIRIT but….

still 5.7.5

by Alison

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Wear the sun screen folks!

Along with a wide brimmed hat

and Oil of Olay.

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Check out Audrey Hepburn and Kate Moss rocking the wide brimmed hats! Wearing a wide brimmed hat does not need to make one look like they just popped out of an Army Navy shop. Wide brimmed hats can be very chic. And you can bet that this is going to be my new obsession. I want the most fabulous, awe inspiring (as well as a few sporty and practical) wide brimmed hats that are out there. And yes, along with sunscreen and Oil of Olay… they offer sun protection!

So I just had my surgery yesterday and I want to tell you that although it was not a huge deal, it was not a small deal either. After the surgery I was given a mirror to look at the wound on my forehead and It looked like I was shot in the head. Thankfully, they stitched it up and covered it with a bandage and I don’t have to look at it for two days, when I have to remove the bandage and clean the stitching. My forehead is now swollen and it looks like there is a goose egg sitting underneath the bandage. It may take up to three weeks for the swelling to go down. My left eyebrow is raised due to the pulling of the stitching and it may take up to 6 months for my eyebrow to relax into it’s normal position. The scar will heal into it’s permanent state in 1 - 2 years. As far as activity is concerned, I am supposed to do close to nothing for the next week, a little more than nothing for the second week and I’m not to exercise for the next month. Whoa!!! It will be interesting to see how 4 year old Penny handles a more sedentary mom and I’m also curious as to see what my house will turn into.

So all of this is certainly endurable but it still sucks. So ladies and gentlemen and the kiddos especially, wear your sunscreen and not just at the beach! Because it’s good for you and your skin will thank you.