Samantha & Tyler are getting married in June!
Canvas, Cameras & Chianti
forays into art, culture, and the kitchen
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A Quiet Morning
Spring mornings are the best. I love going outside in the early morning, when the sun is rising and much of the neighborhood is still asleep. The birds are making a ruckus, the flowers are opening, dew glistens on each blade of grass, and the sky is filled with a range of soft colors. There are merely a few moments before I tune into the horns, the rush of cars, the ringing office phones, and yelling children, but for right now, I enjoy a quiet morning.
Dew drops clinging to Mama’s lilies.
Pure Honey
There is a family in Michigan with an apple orchard. Within this orchard, they also keep bees. These bees produce this beautifully pure, golden honey that tastes unlike any other honey. Because I work with a member of this family of apple-growers and bee keepers, I am fortunate enough to receive jars of this liquid gold. And I put it on everything I can.
In Review
2011 was quite a busy years. Babies were born!!! Interestingly, all the babies born into my life this year were boys.
I played with friends.
Enjoyed our last family vacation as five in St. Joe, Michigan.
Spent some quality time in The District with my college roomie & bestie:
A couple of my favorite, dearest friends finally got married, and Kaye & Chad’s wedding was gorgeous:
Enjoyed my hometown, rediscovering our amazing zoo, having my artwork hung (and sold!) at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and becoming a devoted patron of such fabulous places as Firefly, Yum-Mees Bakery, the Acme Bar & Grill, Club Soda and Cocktails:
Displayed & SOLD at FWMoA:
Oh yeah, and my little sister got married, giving me another brother!!! Here are Andrew & Maria, and my little brother, Zach, and I:
Lastly, I spent a few days in Manhattan, enjoying the Christmas sights and sounds of New York City with my aunts. Here’s a teaser, but more on all that, later:
The year ahead is bringing a job promotion, a few exciting weddings, and some special graduations. I’m going into the new year with the hope that it is far better than this past one. Blessings to you all, and thanks for your continued faithfulness in following my sporadic posts! 
Giving Thanks.
I don’t have a perfect life, or even my ideal life for that matter, but I am so grateful for all the ways in which I’ve been blessed. I have a job while many of my fellow citizens still do not. It’s a steady job with fantastic co-workers, and though it doesn’t pay much, I’m thankful to be working with people who genuinely care about their co-workers and their clients. My parents are graciously allowing me to live with them rent-free; I recently realized, when going over my finances, that if my parents weren’t letting me live with them, I’d probably be homeless or living in a shelter. I’m so thankful for a family that loves me and supports me and enjoys having me around. I’m grateful for relatively good health, for the generous, funny, and compassionate people of Triple Pointe Church, and for my dear friends, near and far, who continue to maintain relationships with me despite the distance. I’m blessed by a God who continues to love me despite my fickleness.
Now, on to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and Papa’s slow-roasted turkey, and real mashed potatoes and Nana’s pies and naps and hauling up the Christmas decorations. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. You may not have everything you want, but you probably have everything you need.
New Chapter = New Bedroom
I shared a room with my sister for about 20 years. We haven’t redecorated since Maria & I were little, and I’m not really a huge fan of pink. Maria got married over the summer and moved out. It made me quite sad to have her suddenly gone from our little room. I didn’t think to take “before” pics until we moved out her furniture, but oh well…
…aaaaaaand after:
My walls received a coat of light sage paint and thick white curtains nicely diffuse the natural light from my awesomely large window. Since these photos were taken, I have found a chocolate brown bed skirt to replace the bed skirt from two bedding sets ago, and taken Mom & Dad’s old armchair and put it to the left of my bookcase. Which brings me to my bookcase: I love it.
My room is now my little oasis. I can’t afford to have my own place, but I at least have a little retreat that feels like I belong there. I smile when I walk in, and I’m smiling when I leave. Remarkable what a coat of paint and some re-designing will do. It’s also nice to have my easel next to my bed for those middle-of-the-night wake-ups when I can’t fall back to sleep.
A Visit to the Pen of the Declaration
It’s the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, in case you’ve never heard him referred to as “The Pen of the Declaration”.
