Fairies Up A Tree

Grandma on the farm hung newly butchered chickens in a tree. I was a wimpy city kid and  didn’t have words for the dripping specter. The idea stuck strong in my head.

A few years ago John and I knew several children in a family whose means were modest so as John and I found fun things to wear, costumes for play, toys, and odd objects we’d sneak over to their apartment and hang them in the large tree in their front yard with cryptic notes from the fairies. Hanging things in trees turned into fun.  I recommend it.  If you don’t have kids at home or grandkids close at hand find some to borrow.  nancymauerman.com

 

Chickens In A Tree

Chickens In A Tree

Scribbled Portrait of Red Hat and Anna

My daughter was dedicated to this hat.  She wore it to church, to bed, everywhere. Luckily I snapped a picture I could keep and draw from later.  When my children were growing up we celebrated two holidays a month. We filled up the calender with Rock Day, Frog Day Bad Manner Day Girl’s Day, Boy’s Day, and others. I snapped three pictures at each of the several events on each of those days.  Of course I photographed daily living too.  One photo went into my book and the other two went into each of their books.

Year by year they dug into those books and remembered.  In their teens my kids remembered their way through those books with their favorite people. Things they said and did were jotted down on 3×5 cards which I just stapled in the book beside the photos as our lives got busier.

My friends with kids tell me they don’t need to have photos on paper because they store images in their cameras or computers. But do their kids reach over in quiet moments and garb the computer, put it on their laps, simply open a cover and remember?  Older kids could but they don’t.  Then a good friend of mine lost her computer so years and years are gone.

Print your pictures out in some way to be touched. Maybe print your family doing things on cheep paper and stack them on a table in a family area.  Your kids will know they’re loved and valued. We need to touch the photos, they touch back, they touch our souls.

 

Red Hat

Red Hat

Litter Box Smell?

I I found the plastic box itself has an odor. I don’t want to buy a new box every other week.
Solution: Move litter to one side, was down the side and bottom of box with soap and wet paper towel and while the box is still damp coat with baking soda. Move litter onto soda and repeat process in the other side and bottom of box.