Goodbye Chloe!

Clearly the hardest part of leaving May Avenue
for Annie was leaving Chloe.

I took these pictures on moving day while they were jumping on the mattress before it was loaded. When I asked if I could take a picture they both said "Yes!" then Chloe hugged Annie close and Annie was delighted! So delighted that she just had to look in the mirror at herself being hugged by someone so precious to her. When I showed Annie these photo's she said "Chloe loves me!"

You Can't Take Them With You

I knew when I painted these murals that if we ever moved, we would miss them. And now we are. And we will. Especially the mural in Annie's room. I painted the whole mural the weekend of June 10th 2000 and Annie was born February 28 2001. That's 40 weeks exactly! I probably painted it the weekend she was conceived! I painted the moon and sun at her request when she was almost two. They are up above her dresser and bookshelf shining down on her while she slept and played.

The trees and birds painting above is supposed to be Billy and I as birds on a swing calling out to the universe for a baby to adopt. I painted Annie as the little hummingbird waiting in the tree. Can you see her?




Goodbye little house!

Life & Music

Here's a terrific little animation that embraces many of my thoughts and wishes for Annie's life of living and learning.

Click HERE.

Help With Packing

Annie is joining in periodically with the huge task of packing up the house for the move. (That is when she's not undoing everything I've done, or starting outrageous projects that require a huge clean-up effort on my part, urrrgh!) For some reason she feels that her stuffed animals need to be dressed properly before they go into boxes. Here are Penguie, Pup-Pup, Big Uni, and Figero lined up and ready for packing.
Thanks Annie!

Furniture Update!

Our furniture went to a new home with an adorable gal starting up a place of her own. Her whole family came (Mom, Dad, and little Brother) and helped her load it up and cart it off. A perfect ending for me! Plus I got the full asking price! Ahh! I love it when it all works out.
Thank you Craigslist!

Above pic is shows the furniture on Annie's 5th BDay.

Keep it Simple

You'd think as we near the four-day-before-we-move mark that food would become incredibly simple around here. Nope. For some reason as the stress builds my dear Bill cooks more complicated and wonderful meals than normal. Not to say that he doesn't always exceed my expectations (and need) everyday with his cooking, but tonight he made the most delicate and wonderful lamb dish, with an incredible reduction poured over the top, luscious mashed potatoes, and steamed asperagras on the side. So amazing! The photo above is of a dish from a few days ago that was so pretty in the preparation that I had to run in with my camera! These beauties became a sherry-mushroom concoction that was pure heaven. If you're reading this darling, thank you!

It's Hard Saying Goodbye...

Out of all of the people I know I'm going to miss terribly when I leave Santa Cruz, the thing I'm feeling most emotional about right now is the fact that I can't take my couch and chaise with me. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that! But I feel really sad that we can't make them work in our new house. I'm sad partly because I have a high need for efficiency and economy and I know these pieces could serve us well for a good ten years more! Urrgh! And, will someone love them and enjoy them and get use out of them...who knows? So, I've listed them on Craigslist, and now I wait. I don't blame anyone for wanting new furniture (it's kind of a personal item) but what do I do with them if no one buys them? Goodwill seems a bit harsh.

(Notice how much I've packed? No more pictures on the walls or "accessories." Just the basics.)

Hello There!

I really enjoy it when bloggers post pictures of themselves, so I'm posting one of my own. This is a self portrait of me at the lakeside in Calistoga, feeling deeply content. I was amongst trees, grasses, still waters, dragonflies and children that I love. It was so quiet and still, and we (Annie, my darling-6, Casey-11, Cameron-9 & Molly-6) were taking some precious time to be together with paint, brushes and thick watercolor paper. Ahhh!

Dragonfly Lake

I'm thick in the middle of moving mania. Really, I shouldn't say mania because it's going remarkable well. The packing planning, and preparations to close up this household and to begin a fresh new home are happening smoothly, without any major upsets. I've logged a lot of phone time, spent a lot of money, and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. I'm guessing I will not be doing much posting from here on out unless I get inspired. I'm pretty tired, and have so much more to do with only two weeks left!

These photos are from a day we spent in Calistoga at a lake. There were so many dragonflies buzzing about as we enjoyed a watercolor outing. Wonderful bits of flying color were speeding through the air and they kept catching our eyes and amazing us! I was able to capture a few on camera despite their quick landings and take-offs.

Taking the Waters

We "took" the waters when we were in Calistoga last week. We hiked through the dry grass hills, down to, and across a creek and into an old grove of redwoods to this old, very rustic, abandoned mineral bath. It wasn't hot, and it wasn't cold, and after our hike, it felt absolutely wonderful. I do think dipping into these ancient waters was meaningful for Annie! First of all it was murky, mossy and quite different from anything she'd ever submerged in, plus the added "ancient" idea seemed really special to her. We both noticed how our skin felt ultra moist afterwards, and we even thought our hair felt different too. I really enjoyed being in the water too, and I loved watching her and taking pictures while she was enjoying herself.

Poor Jasper or I Hate Fireworks Too

The fireworks have been plaguing Jasper for weeks now, and as we get closer to the big day, he's coming undone. He can't settle, he's panting, he's driving us crazy. A trainer said not to try and comfort him or give him attention when he's in this state, as it can reinforce it. Just be a firm leader, and give instructions like "down" and "stay." Do-able requests so that he's got to come out of the state of panic, and into one of "follow the leader."


It isn't working.


I gave him a whole Valium today and he seemed quite contented and smiley. Until it wore off. I'm going to dose him as I leave tomorrow and ask our house sitter to dose him again five or six hours later to keep him comfortable.

Take Me to the River

We're back from camp! It was such a full week that I'm still sifting through all of it's beauties, it's ups and downs and in betweens. Now I've fully landed back in my world of "WE'RE MOVING!!!" and I'm back into organizing, phone calling, and reality. It's also really hot here, so packing and heavy work feels really unappealing. My goal is to take baby steps and try to plan some fun in the weeks ahead. I've made some plans already to take Annie swimming, a fishing trip, and at least a few playdates. Annie will also be going to Grandma's house during the thick of it, so she'll be spared our upheaval.

Shown above-Annie, Casey, and Cameron listening to birds in Calistoga.