A Rainy Holiday...

If you live near me, this Labor Day did not turn out to be the glorious end of the season day so many people look forward to to finish off their summer in style, unless you like drenching rain most of the day.Many areas around here have not recovered from Hurricane Irene. These areas certainly did not need more rain.

I settled in with a good Martha Grimes mystery, Jerusalem Inn. I love to read, especially British mysteries that make me work for the killer. I haven't prematurely solved Grimes' cases yet. And, I love to read straight through if possible. This was the right day for it, nothing pressing, just did the occasional wash load between chapters. I used to read so much more, now reading is preempted by my crafting and my day job.

Speaking of job, some bad things at work got in the way recently and I never started the album I showed you in my last conversation. Work sapped all the creative joy out of me for several weeks, but, hopefully I will be back to myself soon.

I did get to finish my grandson's Kindergarten book. It started as a kraft papermachie accordian  8" x 8" book that I painted with acrylics. I then used matching primary colored patterned paper, stamps and stickers to complement photos of his first day, last day and good times in between. I was a volunteer in his class so the book is a remembrance for me, too. I hope he will like to look at it as he goes through first grade.

Magazine editors often ask their readers what starts the creative process for them, photos, a certain paper, colors or designs in a magaizine ad. For me, it was seeing a photo of him that I took the last day of school. There is a certain look about him that I knew would never be there again and I so wanted to keep it and this first year of him struggling with being away from Mom and Dad; going on the bus; being with new friends; teachers giving him orders; and on top of all that, learning all that work they teach in kindergarten. It was overwhelming for him in some places, he was under five and without preschool when he started.

I'll take photos of the album before I give it to him and I'll get around to posting it here sometime. It is not one of my best works creatively, but definitely one from my heart.

Enjoy the rest of your Holiday and I hope this is one you'll remember with fondness.