Twenty three and still full of glee...corny?

Today as you have been hearing the Ohio trees are bursting with glorious colors and the cool crisp air seems to invigorate our beings. Ken and I are celebrating quietly our twenty third wedding anniversary...today was much like a the day we were married in our small apartment living room. In many ways we are just a blink away from that moment as we united in a marriage that had many obstacles to overcome and grow through. Three daughters coming from one very different backgrounds and diverse experiences. Sherry Lynn will be thirty on October 24th and she is the mother of a beautiful small son Antonio. I do not see her very often as she has grown into a different direction but she always has a place in my heart. Erin Elizabeth will be thirty on December 9 and is the wife of Mr. Chance Spalding and the mother of Marshall Cole and Morgan Elizabeth...always a woman on the move and ever so organized and prepared to keep her focus on her young family. Tina Marie is 27 and married to Ryan with three daughters ranging in ages from 10 to 5 years old...Maya Rose, Sabrina Leigh and Hannah Marie. Blending a family is very hard work and take dedication to your husband even when the times can get rocky. I am proud of the three girls for just being themselves but more proud of my strong husband's steady hand and determination to hold us in the palm of his hand with God's guidance. We are so blessed and I am grateful for each and every day with my cherished family.

Tomorrow a dear friend will arrive from Naples, Florida to spend the week with us before she attends the AQN Fall retreat. We met back in 1990 at the surface design symposium and have been in each others lives as our children have grown and moved into their lives and families. The days will fly by and before we know it she will be on her journey. We talked today and all she really wants is to swing on my front porch swing and watch the colors float by. I have made comfort foods...homemade soups and pumpkin breads and fresh apple crisp. We will have the quiet time to catch up but I would like to visit with the girls and the kids, go to Dawes Arboretum and see the new Chihuly Glass at the Columbus Museum of Art. I want to share my cabin in the coolness of Ohio's Fall season and give her a moment tin time to relax and enjoy the view.

I worked in my studio this afternoon and attempted to organize my inspirations and favorite books, artists and personal experiences for another collaboration with a group of Internet family. I have never been part of a digital zine but the whole process is built on trust and good faith so I want to do my very best. My painting will go on hold for a couple of days but my journaling will continue and the soul will peel off layers like the yellow onion skins as I prepare to complete my questionnaire for this collaboration. HOPE, COURAGE and FAITH will guide my heart. :Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest but who came and never left your side." I better get my work done and get some sleep for energy to do everything!!!

Oh, by the way did I mention they are beginning our new roof tomorrow also? I am not too sure how peaceful life will really be around here but who cares we will all be together. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart