Through Gitzi's Eyes

When my mom Gitzi visited last month, her dream was to once again visit the tulip fields of Skagit Valley during the Tulip Festival, which she had done on a previous visit years ago, and to be honest, it was a dream of mine as well.

Well being that visiting the tulip fields is truly an all day event, and being that we never actually had an 'all day' situation that allowed for it, we instead opted for visiting the myriad of amazingly beautiful local flower markets and nurseries that were all within half an hour's drive of my house...and we loved it!

All of these images are from our flower jaunts...and all are seen through the very talented and gifted shutter happy lens of Gitzi's eye.

When I was a baby, my mom was in photography school...and she has been taking gorgeous and interesting pictures ever since. I'm so thankful for the awareness and appreciation of surrounding beauty that she's instilled in me over the years, whether in nature or indoors. I can't imagine life without that awareness, it's been such a gift.

Our most very special, and final flower jaunt, was to Pike Place Market...and look what they had bushels of...Field Tulips! from the very fields we had wanted to visit!!!

Need I say, we were in tulip heaven...

Tulips - Tulips everywhere...

Rows and rows...

Bucketfuls of tulips...

Striped tulips...

Pointy tipped tulips...

 

Voluminously stunning double tulips...

And even some lovely double daffodils thrown in for some sweet variety.

 My mom was absolutely thrilled with it all, and so was I...we couldn't have asked for a more special day, and to me, it was our Mother's Day, since we won't be able to spend the official one together.

Here's wishing everyone of you a very special and Happy Mother's Day, filled with lovely times of memories being made, or lovely memories of special times past...may the warmth and love of this day shine in those memories and bless your hearts...as ours have been. ♥

 

Spring Has Sprung

We have been having one of the most beautiful springs ever...warm & gorgeous! The timing couldn't have been more perfect since over the past two weeks we had a very special guest here at 24C...my mom, Gitzi. She's from California and hates cold weather with a passion...

Luckily, for those few, slightly chilly days...she had her faux leopard to keep her warm.

The Northwest couldn't have been more amazingly beautiful while my mom was here...she put on her finest and it was spectacular...I'm forever grateful!

Goin Back To Cali

Once again I must leave my sweet little friend and shadow, Miss. Ginger. She's been a bit 'wobbly' of late and I really hate leaving her, but my mom's been a bit wobbly too, and I'm very much so looking forward to being with her during this whole surgery business.

If only we could explain things of this type to our pets...if only they could understand why we're going away, or taking them to the vet, or not giving them chicken anymore because they're allergic to it...the list goes on. It would be so much easier for them...as well as for us, if they could talk!

The four art camps were a great success and an absolute blast...I can't believe that they're already over and done! It's truly shocking how fast time flies when they're happening...so much prep, so much activity, so much fun, and then...

Whoosh, they're gone...until next year that is.

Of course, I can always visit and relive these special times, along with the wonderfully talented kids that partook in them...in the glorious 'land of images', where I know happy memories and a continuous smile will be guaranteed each time I do.

The Seagull pictures particularly make me smile...the one above seemed to be looking at his creator saying "Are we done yet...can we go home now?"

Little Miss. M's bird seemed to be completely up to no good...personally, I think he was planning to do a little target practice over the ferry!

The sweet seagull above was just saying "Isn't that one of the prettiest sunset you've ever seen?"...and I have to say...yes it is.

The Northwest Indian Salmon 'carvings' just amazed me. The details that the students added to their fish were so creative...I wish I'd taken more pictures of them!

Next year I think we'll definitely be trying the Totem Poles!

Even though I loved the Seagull's and the Salmon...I think visiting the Tulip Fields was my most favorite project...and because the majority of students had been to the Skagit Valley during tulip season and had seen the farms for themselves...they were very excited to visit them in oil pastel.

Maybe it was my favorite because I've been in such an obsessive gardening (and conservatory) mood lately...it's actually going to be difficult to leave garden (as well as Miss.Ginger). It's been coming along so nicely and I don't want to miss one single second of all the lushness.

I will be able to get a garden fix though while in LA...at the Getty Museum, one of my all time favorite places to visit. The Huntington Library is also one of my favorite gardens & museums, but I don't think I'll be able to go this trip...so the Getty it will be!

I'm just sure I'll be coming home with thoughts of building iron umbrellas for roses to climb upon (if it wasn't for our climate, it would definitely be bougainvillea!)...and azalea mazes for the local water fowl to play in...Mr. 24 best prepare himself for some serious garden working!

Other than visiting The Getty though...I'll mostly be playing nurse and hanging out with Poppy, my mom's main coon cat, who acts like a dog and is bigger than Ginger...he's just a big sweety at heart though, and quite the gentleman! So he and I are planning to have an enormous amount of time to visit you...and time is what I've been lacking lately, it'll be such a luxury to do so...and I'm actually going to try to post something from there, we'll see how that goes, I don't have a laptop so it might be tricky...I'm very game to try though!

Poppy and I will be seeing you all soon...♥

(BTW- Blogger *really* kicked my caboose on this post...it was one of the most difficult posts to get images and words to behave and stay put...hope it's a temporary issue. Simplicity please Blogger...simplicity.)

(All images: personal)



A Very Happy Bench

The New Year Fairy *does* exist...and her name is Gitzi!!!

After seeing the recent Abundant Christmas post (no need to link, just a small scroll down away)...Gitzi thought it would be nice as well, for our little garden bench to be graced with the PB pillow I'd been coveting over the holidays.

Of course, I was extremely thrilled with the idea and thanked her profusely in advanced. She then went on to PB's website to order the lovely item...and it was GONE, completely GONE!!!

It seems that I wasn't the only one coveting this fluffy and pretty, early dose of spring.

But with quick thinking, a few prayers...and a wee bit of fairy dust, a prompt call was made to the local PB where I'd first seen the pillow, and it proved successful (whew) - they had one left...
The first blessing of the New Year had arrived!

So now our little bench is very happy...and so is a particular New Year Fairy's daughter! ♥

A Comforting Return

I've finally returned home, full of relief and thanks for how well my mom is doing...and so glad that I was able to be with her and care for her during this time. Thank you again for all of your well wishes and kind words...she was blessed by them, and so was I.

I had to teach a class soon after arriving home yesterday (as well as today), and with all that's happened, my mind is a bit 'cloudy' at the moment...so I'm just going to just post some images that I took right before leaving on my trip...as they pretty much express how my spirit feels at the moment...peaceful, quiet...and at rest.

Much of the peace I feel now is not only due to the fact that my mom is doing so well, but it's because I know she is being taken care of so beautifully by her amazing friends who also took great care of me while I was there...I was spoiled rotten with comfort, thoughtfulness, love, and extraordinary home cooked meals (one dear friend made the best chicken soup I've ever had!)...and leaving my mom in the encouraging & capable hands of these gracious people is an enormous relief...we are so fortunate.

And then there is Poppy...who I know for sure will be watching over her night and day...I just wish he could talk on the phone...I would love updates from him...I miss him!

I miss you all as well...I thought I'd be able to 'visit' each of you while my mom was resting but I was busier than I ever imagined...so I hope to 'see' you all very soon, I'm looking forward to catching up. ♥