Decoration Day

A House Divided 10x8"

Decoration Day received its name from the laying of flowers on the graves of the fallen soldiers during the Civil War.

In 1868 General John A.Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed nationwide It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle.

The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890 every northern state followed suit.

The earliest Confederate Memorial Day celebrations were simple, somber occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. At its Decoration Day on April 25, 1866, Columbus, Mississippi commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.

Following WWI, Decoration Day became Memorial Day and has been ever since a day to honour all those who have served in the military.

Life on the Coast

Seagull keeping watch on Cayucos Pier.

Park Art in Paso Robles

Fun up in Paso Robles today -
the annual Festival of the Arts, held at City Park.

Our good friend Debra Jurey will have a booth
featuring her exquisite jewelry designs.

Margot has volunteered to help her watch the tables
and rake in the dough!

I, unfortunately, will be at work,
but will eagerly await to hear all about it.

From the Bookshelf

What a delightful combination - Maira Kalman and Lemony Snicket. The master of juvenile macabre and the world's most delightful illustrator. The 13 Words ends up making a story as non sequitur and charming as Kalman's drawings. Any new volume by either of these luminaries is a cause for celebration, but in partnership -let the party begin!

Hands On!

Hands up!

Hands down!

All hands on deck!

A few more of the hands that have had to find a new resting place, since Mouse took over the top of the library cabinet

Cigar Box Wednesday

Hands - praying, Mickey Mousing, metal, ceramic, wood

Until recently these were on display on top of my library cabinet, but our year old kitten Mouse had different ideas. Until he finds something else to mess with, they're in a cigar box!

Baskets of Books

One of the things I love to do, especially when traveling, is to haunt old used bookstores and discover treasures like this.


I've done this in Venice, Paris, London and Edinburgh, among several other locations and I'm never disappointed.


There's always something wonderful to bring home. Now you know why I always take along an empty suitcase!

Sometimes, I just bring home parts!

Visible Pens

After several years of keeping my pens in drawers I decided to get them out in the open so I can not only see what I have, but - gasp! - maybe even remember to use them more!


So I grabbed a few containers and now my Sharpie Paint Pens are in a metal flower can, and my Faber Castil Pitt Artists Pens w/ brush tips in a white flower pot.

My sepia, black and sanguine (I love saying that word - it's fun!) FC Pitts are in a ceramic coffee mug - sans handle.
And my Sakura Moonbeam Gels in this vintage pink lovely. If out of sight is out of mind - I now have no excuse not to be putting all of these to good and immediate use.

Life on the Coast

Just a few sea lions enjoying themselves
on a dock in Morro Bay Harbour.

Cemetery Saturday

Poet's Corner in the south transept of Westminster Abbey. The resting place of writers, actors, poets, composers, dancers and several canons and deacons of the church. (And interestingly enough, also the grave of Thomas Parr who, it is said, died at the age of 152 in 1635 after having seen 10 sovereigns on the throne.


Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to be interred here in 1400, followed by Edmund Spenser in 1599.
The memorial to 16 WWI poets was unveiled on Remembrance Day in 1985. It is a stone slab of slate with the names inscribed on it. Wilfred Owen's statement "My subject is War and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity" is engraved across the top of the stone.

A magnificent stained glass window was installed in 1994, when floor and wall space began to run out. The window has twenty diamond panes which are inscribed with names and dates. Ted Hughes was the latest to be honoured in this fashion earlier this year. Twelve spots remain.