HOPE

"Hope" is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words –And never stops at all.

- Emily Dickinson

Quilted Art

Sometimes it's fun to be out after a long day at school or work, so I drove us to the Chandler Center for the Arts. The current show features contemporary art quilts.

Flowers by the lake.

Grasshopper was intrigued by the stitches in this one.

One of Snowden's favorites.

I love this one.

She cuts the kite line.

What's in us

The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life flow no longer in our souls.

- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

speech to the National American Woman Suffrage Association, 1890.

VOTE!

On Sunday, The Arizona Biltmore was gearing up for McCain's party today.

It was interesting being a witness to history in the making.

Power

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.

- Alice Walker

The Jewel of the Desert

The Arizona Biltmore. Wonder inside this beautiful hotel and discover local history.

Art by Frank Lloyd Wright

Courtyard.

The Sprites. They were resurrected from their demise and given to the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa as gifts. Now called the Biltmore Sprites, the Sprites of Midway Gardens were in a sense the lost children of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptor Alfonso Iannelli. These geometric architectural statues were conceived in 1914 for the specific purpose of adorning and watching over Midway Gardens, once a center for premier entertainment, fine food and music on Chicago's lakefront. Most of the Sprites met a premature and unfortunate demise during Prohibition.

A door to the one of the villas.

Entrance

We were exploring our city. As fans of the Samantha Brown shows, we knew this jewel was right in our backyard and we decided to make its acquaintance. You can see it here too.

The candy hunt

On October 31st the little children and Gilligan go out hunting for candy.

Some friendly ghosts.

Gilligan leads the way.

The organist's spooky music rang through the air.

A carved pumpkin.

Venus and the crescent moon in the sky.

Halloween Wings

Fall Festival

At a local church.

The ducks had a number underneath that determined your prize.

The inflatables were ready for picture taking. You know, the spot where kids gather for picture taking.

The petting zoo was exceptional this time. These chickens were very curious. All the animals were smallish.

If you do the cake walk you may walk away with one of these.

The other picture spot location.

Happy Fall!

Quando o coracao doi

Pensando nos velhos amigos partidos, e nos novos que vao partir.

Rounding up the troops

The Cleanup Brigade - How to motivate the troops...?

click to enlarge

Clean up is so much more fun when it is a group activity...

Spookables

The finished product.

A happy Boo!

Beginning the work...

It was music to my ears

To see a group of girls playing their part of a song on this piano. Friends at play.

They usually play their part on other instruments.

Can you hear it?

Life

When I look at plants I see LIFE.

I read this book once and it left me a little freaked out.

My pepper is turning color. :-)

The Fall feeling

On a free afternoon ...

we visit some water.

Must touch water. It is good for the soul.

Colors of the desert

Ephesians 4:29 and more

29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:15

Weymouth New Testament

But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ.

Local history

Breaks from school are for sleeping late, free playing, TV watching, and a local enriching field trip. As last minute decisions go - quick Google of local possibilities at 10 am, go at 12:30 pm - this was a pretty good choice for a Friday.

I like discovering the history of a place. Phoenix's is so different from the Northeast where I have visited many sites from the Revolutionary War.

We visited the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park.

We were entrusted with a key that opened all the gates.

The Parks lady was a history buff who, as a youngster, used to visit cemeteries with her grandfather in pursuit of history.

Local elementary school teach all about Arizona history to 4th graders. Snowden was very intrigued and enjoyed matching the plots with the names on the map.

Domestic Bliss

The store. In Mesa.

Lots of Halloween stuff.

Black and orange.

And much more. It's all a bit pricey. I went as something to do with the youngens on Fall break.