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!

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by Alison

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Penny’s Wisdom:

“Everyone’s good at

different things - I’m the best at

riding unicorns!”

by Alison

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“Where was I when

you was a little girl?” daughter asks

and I wonder too.

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When I tell her she

wasn’t born yet she cries -

“I was missing you!”

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Four years ago in

the hospital, her tiny

feet peeling moist skin.

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It was a journey

her to me and me to her,

both our destiny.

by Alison

party supplies stock

up in the kitchen pantry -

“farklempt”, I tear up

by Alison

“Tell me a secret!”

daughter whispers after stories

and before sleeptime.

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And I do. I tell

her about my young, young life

35 years ago.

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Looking for shiny

coins in the street, feeling shy

in kindergarten…

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“Tell me one more!” she

begs but no… no more talking….

now it’s time to dream.

by Alison

daughter on the porch

humming Mozart to

a pumpkin flower

by Alison

two women -

the dishes are cleared and washed

in minutes

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by Alison

“How come your eyeballs

are cracked like that?” she asks me

after a long day.

“It’s raining spring!”

Penelope declares,

blossoms flurrying

by Alison

“It’s SOOO cool…” she says

while poking the poor slug with

a dandelion