Book reviews by Debra Kay When I first took over the volunteer librarian position at Truth Tabernacle Christian School, one of my first goals was to get the books organized by genre. I left what I now refer to as the "vintage hardcovers" for last, not wanting to get rid of them but not wanting …
I've always loved yard art made of cinder blocks. These are two of my first four mosaic planters, which as close as I can figure, I made sometime in 2021 (see below). I wanted to experiment with broken pottery and other "found" tesserae, and I was happy with how they turned out. This was April …
"Foster, have we ever been to New York?" Panda's question, as usual, woke me out of a sound sleep. "I don't think so," I mumbled, barely opening my eyes. "Why?" "Well," Panda began. "Mom was listening to this Audible book about how they built the Brooklyn Bridge, and I thought it would be fun to …
Ahh, yes . . . I've always liked baby pictures, so why should baby cactus be an exception? This is from when the nopales were babies, in 2017. They had just been planted from cuttings out of Carlos and Kate's back yard. When they first started growing, I was so excited. But then again, not …
"Hey, Fos," Panda said, waking me up from a comfortable nap. "Do you ever wonder about your mom?" "Dude," I replied, covering my eyes, "I'm trying to sleep. You know I always wonder about Mom. In fact, I think most people do." I stifled a laugh. Panda wasn't satisfied. "I don't mean Mom, I mean …
I've never been much of a hat person, but. . . I've been saving photos from the Swedish Roots website, and I've categorized a lot of them so I can use them for blog posts. If you've read "The Higher the Hair", "Pull Up a Chair", "These Boots", or even "Mad About Plaid", you'll know …
Remembering an unforgettable character. We had been married for two years when Mark gave me this Bible for my birthday. He signed it "Love Mark", but most of the time when he gave me a card, he would sign it "Your (or in the case below, "youre") husband, Mark Tracy". Once in a while, lest …
A new device telling me what to do. So they were having a sale on Apple watches . . . If you remember reading "Having a Fit(bit)" in 2017, you might recognize this little exercise trampoline. Yes, it's the same one that got towed away from the airport when Foster and Panda flew it to …
. . .the closer to God? This lady was identified on the Swedish Roots website as Louise Eklundh, 1854-1879. "The higher the hair, the closer to God" is a quote that has been attributed to Dolly Parton, though I couldn't find anything online to confirm that she was actually the first to coin the phrase. …
Vintage Children's Photography In "Mad About Plaid", I asked the question: What was the deal with standing toddlers on chairs by themselves for photos in Victorian and Edwardian times? I never did find the answer, but I found plenty of photos to illustrate what I meant. These kids from the Swedish Roots website are adorable, …
Nana's Whimsical World 