Monday with direct painting with procion dyes....

I took Saturday and Sunday off the computer to take care of three of my granddaughters...no matter what I think I might get done the game plan has changed. Even though they do live in the same city they seem to have very busy schedules with school and their girl friend obligations. Tina and Ryan were working to make a room for Grandpa Pops and shift the household belongings around to make room for their house guest. Their house is somewhat small but my concern is that they only have one bathroom ....with six people living under one roof. Maya, Sabrina and Hannah helped me make a thin crust pizza with fresh mushrooms, red and green peppers, onions and five cheese toppings. Ken had bought home a decadent caramel, chocolate cream pie plus made his famous homemade fudge for popcorn. While the pizzas were in the oven we made special Easter cards with funny assemblages of foam cutouts with bunnies, yellow chicks, baskets and pastel baskets. After the dinner feast we all worked on stain glass vellum images that had a 1960's flair to them ...after they were colored you can mount them onto a window pane and enjoy Spring colors. We all sat together to watch OSU lose to Kansas by just two points...the agony of defeat. There goes my bracket for the 2012 NCAA championships.

On Sunday we enjoyed a late sleep in and had homemade banana and blueberry pancakes with homemade Maple syrup from this year's Dawes Arboretum 2012 harvest. This amber syrup is beyond my words to describe the delicate sweet taste ...pure honey gold! Bacon and eggs and OJ and milk....nothing could be finer than our Sunday breakfast with three beautiful grand daughters. They decided to walk around our circle loop ... not once but twice and came home hungry again and thirsty. They weaseled a lunch out of Ken at Ruby Tuesdays for their treats and specific orders for their lunch menu. We all went back to their house and they were immediately outside and playing with Penelope ...their bestest new friend! When we came home Ken and I were totally worn out...that is why God makes little ones so darn cute and gives them to young parents. LOL!!!!

At Dawes Arboretum studio I dove into direct dye application into a midnight scene of trees and a bright reds and brown seed pods ....tomorrow I plan to print with a lotus seed pod for a second application of color. I have done this before and I am pleased with the outcome...if I can just remember how exactly I made the print before....it will be interesting. Tonight I am adding a few embellishments to my felted work "gestation" with some beads and ongoing stitching. I am getting ready to watch the final two in the NCAA championship. I hope to catch up on my blogs while the game is in progress... I was not on the computer this weekend...we were busy making Crayola Story Studio coloring books and copies of vellum designs for the girls. Have a wonderful week in your studios....Embrace your inner monkeys and enjoy the Spring inspirations! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart