10~ Set Progress

Max came to help Maria cover the panels on stage for the Sleeping Beauty school play. The Musical Theater Club made these trees for the forest and cottage scenes. We also used this time to take more measurements... there's very little backstage space, and the dragon has to be able to fit behind the scenes, and come onto the stage, easily. It's a big dragon!

With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.

9~ Farmer Washburn Foo

Yes, six photographs of Mister Washburn Foo being a fabulous farmer, surveying his homestead, basking in the glow of love and sunlight.








With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.

8~ We Make Dragons

It's official, now... we make dragons! We have our carved dragons, for tents, and now we have the front end of a puppet dragon for the school play, Sleeping Beauty. Maria conceptualized and designed it, and with assistance from Natalie, Max, Alex and Geoff, William built it! I guess that makes us a team, or a club... yeah, a Benevolent Order of Makers!

With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.

7~ The Old Man and the Old Moon...

At the Old Globe. Thank you, Lisa, for this mid-week gem of an outing!

With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.

6~ Winding Down and Picking Up

Maria and Shayla, like busy garden gnomes, painting signs for their school garden.

This happens near the end of every school year... oddly, it gets simultaneously calmer yet more chaotic, some things close and finish, and some things become more hectic, more demanding, busier. We are there. Big projects, performances, exhibitions, field trips and sixth grade traditions fill our calendar.. And even as we are reeling a bit from all that, there are classes that have already met for the last time, and Maria has noted, sadly, "This really is the very last time, Mom. No more school kitchen, or garden. No more yoga. The last concert is Thursday." These very last times are hitting home for us, as we prepare to close the door on grade school, on days at a place we loved from the start, and have come to love and appreciate more and more with each year. Each of us, in our own way, is experiencing the realization that as the days go by, we are entering a new era, with new plans, in new spaces... which is exciting, but what we leave behind will be sorely missed.

Speaking of new... there is one interesting aspect to this transition that I need to figure out and familiarize myself with. We've never lived in one place for as long as we have lived here, in the Bird House, in this town. We aren't going anywhere, and neither are our friends, or the school garden, or the community we have become a part of, and there may very well be connections we can retain and opportunities to experience, and enjoy, even if Maria moves on from her grade school. What a comforting, intriguing notion, and what hopeful possibilities.

With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.

5~ Busy As A...

This busy bee, visiting our passionfruit vine, walked around each flower, across the corona filaments, and beneath the anthers. It was like a dance, with particular steps.

Later, at the University of California Irvine, I stopped to admire this magnolia blossom, and there I got to observe another busy bee.


With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.

4~ Impromptu

A few peaches from our small tree, two apricots... barely ripe. If the trees do better next year, share more delicious fruit, this dessert will be doubled, or tripled, or more! It's a Trader Joe's frozen puff pastry, defrosted and unrolled onto parchment paper. I sliced the peaches, and apricots and sprinkled them with a generous tablespoon of sugar, and of pancake mix (also TJ's), then added a dash of the Penzeys Pumpkin Pie spice (Thank you, Jennifer!) Into a 400 degree oven, until it looked golden and smelled yummy. I half-heartedly threw a little powered sugar at it, because I thought it would look pretty, but then we couldn't control ourselves and ravaged the little thing, in no time, so the effect was only a silly delay! I love our sweet orchard, and impromptu peach creations.

With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.