jihad afterwards legend

Everything passes, everything perishes, everything palls.   (French Proverb)

My pal, the junk store queen, called me early this morning to remind me that there was a church rummage sale today we had talked about going to up in Tequesta.  I rushed in to dress and brush my teeth and fly out the door to be there early.  And I found a set of Japanese pierced lanterns that had been made into lamps.  PERFECT for the new guest room, all they need is shades.  Piece o' cake!  Of course one of the bottoms fell off as I carried it to the car, but hey, one thing I got is a drawer full of glues.  I am quite excited about this because they are white and will go perfectly with the small hunk of wallpaper I bought-  just hope I can find gray lampshades that fit.  The woman who had donated them came up to me to tell me they came with her house when she bought it 8 years ago, and it was bought from the estate of a French Duke and Duchess who had built in in the 70's.  She told me about finding a notebook of chores for each of the 'staff' to regularly complete.  So, I bought not only the lamps but an interesting story.  We delivered them to the studio where they are in triage along with all the other crap I find that needs attention.  These are things I haven't exactly shared because TY has a bit of a problem envisioning so best I get these fixed up and in place before unveiling.  Next thing I need is a (cheap) giant design gray and white rug, and then um...a yellow chair!

And Happy Mother's Day to me!

Geneva Mitchell Townsend

A bit of a tribute to my own mom.  I truly miss her and cannot count the times I feel I have to tell her something and reach for the phone!  I wasn't the best daughter, I was contrary and willful, and not the 'lady' she expected to raise.  But what she did a great job of teaching me was to be my own person and to not rely on anybody for support.  She had a 64 year marriage with my dad and I sure learned a lot from that as I now more understand what getting through all those years meant.  She was supremely practical and thrifty and to this day there are things and services I would never spend money on that I can do myself.  Mom, your example showed me the way, but thanks for not preaching at me about the way you saw things and let me figure it out myself.  I miss her.

Most people balk at leaving a dog alone in a parked car for many a good reason; dangers of overheating or freezing, dog-napping, and yes, loneliness. London-based fine art photographer and animal lover /activist Martin Usborne, captures the forlorn and melancholy beauty of these poignant animals in his 96 page hardcover photo book The Silence of Dogs in Cars

 The magic of the family photograph lies in its flaws, and the curatorial team at website Awkward Family Photos has reminded us of this fact by collecting and cataloguing all of our charming photographic failings and reminding us that for every perfect chiclet smile, there’s a disgruntled side-eye or a bad haircut. The online collection is a testament to the bonds of family, and each accident betrays the touching vulnerability of each relationship.

I get by with a little help from my friends...