13.2.09

Our First Valentines: Love that Lasts


The generosity of spirit of this elegant couple is legendary.
They are our heroes.


A little tribute to first Valentines: our wonderful parents were married 50 years last June. What they have taught us about love and service and caring for others could fill many books. Here, we simply fill a few lines with these words: Love You, Mom and Dad. Valentine Blessings, every day.


aloha nui loa from your
daughters and their families
(Lindi and I were both born in Hawaii, so we
are allowed to get all Hawaiian sometimes:
isn't my little sister adorable? Still is.)

12.2.09

St. Valentinus Construction Paper Reminder

just a little public service reminder:
valentine's day is on saturday...
don't forget to stock up, now, on little
candy hearts and red construction paper


st. valentinus from fry my bacon. of course.

Chalk Bikes


sharon montrose has a cool husband who loves bikes 
and had drawn these on the chalkboard the other day 
when she came home...how nifty are they? via swissmiss

sharon's got some more good stuff of her own, here

J. Crew: Books Frankly Delicious, Via ACL

acl visits j. crew
go see:


Happy Birthday, Darwin! Celebrating with a Well-Evolved Lego Man


darwinian selection? lego man lives!
love this, via excellent bioepherma
by brilliant Jason Freeny

11.2.09

Love at First Sight

Looking for sundials. Came upon this. What's not to love?
Antique limestone.
It's from a wonderful resource across pond.
(Hmmm...looks like this is the place to be on 26 June.)
Salvoweb. Good.

Two Dear Lincolns: Abraham and Robert

12.02.09
Happy Hundredth Birthday to Our
Amazing Grandfather:
Robert Lincoln Lee.
We miss you.
What a great influence you have had on all of us;
what a gift it is to be part of your family.


Happy 200th to Abraham Lincoln. What a gift, thanks to you, it is to live in this free land, these United States.

Happy Birthday!


The cute little guy in this picture is celebrating his fifteenth birthday today. His mom is scratching her head (without the sunglasses on...I've long since lost the ones above) and trying to figure out how time doth fly so quickly. Well, in any case, she is taking solace in the immortal words of T. Bone Burnett (see posts, below) and finds extreme happiness in the reality that the passing time, current time, and time to come are all times filled with the love of this little (now 5'7") guy, his wonderful siblings, and the rest of our utterly awesome spread-around-the-world family. Happy Birthday, E! Sending love and best wishes...to all.


10.2.09

More from T. Bone: Wisdom of 50


"When I was young, I used to write all the time. My father asked me if I was going to be a writer, and I said I thought I probably was, and he said, 'Don't publish anything until you're fifty, because before then, you won't know what you're talking about.' I was never able to forget those words - even if I didn't know what he was talking about at the time - so there was always a part of me that was standing back from what I was doing. But I have to admit, he was right. Somewhere along the way I heard that everything we remember Sophocles for, he wrote between the ages of 50 and 70. That was an inspiring thought, to say the least. I couldn't have written these songs or made this record until now, without having seen the things I've seen and without having gone through the things I've gone through."

photo copyright t. bone burnett

9.2.09

8.2.09

Good Things Happen Out Of Nowhere




T. Bone Burnett,



photo copyright t. bone burnett

How to: Brick Patio




Fell in love with a bunch of bricks last fall.

While scouting materials for a friend's landscape project, a pallet of completely magnificent antique bricks appeared at the building yard and begged to be taken home.

Found space in the backyard: simply had to. Two brilliant students of architecture set them out in unique pattern, and we created a sweet little launch pad for small summer soirees.

It's the perfect place for a single cup of tea, accompanied by a good book, on a spring afternoon. A cozy cup of coffee, while wrapped in a warm coat, on a winter morn.

We are smitten with our new old bricks. Isn't it marvelous to bring into one's life treasures from the past, rescued by someone who carefully saved them?

I thank goodness these were salvaged from their first home. They have found a new one.






(please note the comment section for great how-to info)