Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Jorden + Barbies + Imagination = Fun Times!.



Jorden has decided to rename all her Barbies... She had already chosen a name for her Ken doll many months ago ... since he has blonde hair like her Daddy, she calls him "Daddy Kaine".




But today she told me that the Barbie behind her Daddy Kaine doll on the horse was Barbie Jorden, and the one behind her is now Auntie Kasey! *lol*






I love to listen in on her play time with her Barbies... uhh, I mean with Daddy Kaine, Barbie Jorden and Auntie Kasey ... *G* Such a fun time she has!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Play is the Work of Childhood....




...and did we ever WORK today then!





This afternoon Kaine and I took Jorden to the park... having fun is hard work! *S*







There's no better view than the view from a swing!

Congrats to The CHAMPS!! - Grandson Jake and the MN/WI Elites Hockey Team!




Our son, John and grandson, Jake, were gone upnorth over Father's Day Weekend at the MN/WI Elites USA International Cup Hockey Tournament.

They played great!! And came away as the CHAMPS!! YAY!! Jake even scored a goal too!

Congrats to them all...great series, way to go!! xoxox

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Father's Day at My Dad and Mom's


Happy Father's Day to my Dad (me and Dad in the photo), my father in law Paul, to my husband John, and to my sons who are wonderful Dads too...Kaine and John-John.

Kaine and Jorden came home for a few days, but John and his older son Jake were upnorth in MN at a Hockey Tournament, but Janel and the other two grandsons came over to my parents house along with many of my sisters and brother and families. Some were out of state, in Florida, on a vacation, but we still had a fun and large group there to celebrate Father's Day.




Here are some photos from this afternoon's cookout and fun...




The "skyflier" has always been a big hit for kids and adults alike. But Dad has shortened it up considerably since we were kids... it was twice as long and twice as high, but the one main tree died off, and so Dad shortened it. But the grandkids still LOVE playing on it.







My Dad has made several picnic and gathering areas around the back yard... here is the "beer tent", complete with electricity, a fan, lights, and Kasey was even able to bring her laptop to edit some wedding photos from yesterday's photo shoot. *L*


















My brother claims he was just resting his eyes for a second in this photo.. *L*




And, do you think my Dad has gathered enough firewood for a year or two yet?? *L*


Great afternoon!! Love you Dad!!! xoxox

Father's Day Brunch at Christ Church

Each Father's Day, the women of the parish host a pot-luck Brunch honoring the men. This year there was also a pie and cake raffle to go along with the delicious brunch.
The women also offer centerpiece decorations on the tables, usually in some theme that honors the men.

Here are a few photos from the morning brunch...



Kasey and John ....



Jorden and Kaine...

And the buffet line.... yummm!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Jorden Making Daddy a Father's Day Treat...

Our son Kaine and granddaughter Jorden are home for a few days... YaY!!

Tonight I was getting some things ready for the Father's Day Brunch at Church tomorrow morning, and the Father's Day family celebration at my parents house later tomorrow. Fixed two hams, sliced and ready to reheat for the Brunch and then Jorden wanted to help make jello.



The raspberry/banana jello is her Daddy's favorite as well as my Dad's favorite too ...so we made a super large batch, one for Jorden to give to Daddy, and one to take to the family get together.




Here's Jorden, helping, snitching some raspberries and having fun... *S* Such a sweetheart!! xoxoxo


Peer Challenge and Homage to Joseph Cornell

I've been blessed to be able to be part of a group of Assemblage Artists on Facebook, and there was a recent peer challenge put out ... to make an assemblage in the style of Joseph Cornell.

Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) lived a fairly reclusive life. His father died of a blood disease in Joseph’s early teens, and his younger brother developed a severe form of cerebral palsy at age one. Joseph devoted himself to taking care of Robert, his younger brother, until Robert died at age 54. The two siblings lived with their mother in a single-family home in Queens, New York.




It has been written, that it was for the amusement of his brother, that Cornell began making little assemblages in boxes, in the early 1930s. Inspired by the collages of Max Ernst and other early surrealist works, he began a voyage of discovery that would consume him for the next four decades. He was an avid collector of the ready-mades of the time: souvenirs, toys, and cast-offs such as corks and empty tins. These objects he would assemble within box frames, to create three-dimensional tableaux. His artistic sensitivity and vision were such that what took form were not mere "memory boxes" but a kind of museum of his unconscious mind. His boxes have also been described as "toys for grown-ups".

An article on Cornell, from The New Yorker:
Though Cornell was isolated neither in his work (more people came out to Flushing than visited Max Beerbohm in Rapallo) nor in his art (he had galleries and collectors from early on), he was isolated in another sense, by choice. He had discovered the joys of solitary wandering. Beginning in the early nineteen-forties, his life was structured by a simple rhythm: from Queens via the subway to Manhattan, where he walked and ate and watched and collected, and then back home to the basement and back yard in Queens, where he built his boxes, talked to his mother, and cared for his brother. The flaneur and the recluse were equally intense. Cornell chose to be that classic New York thing: a walker in the city.





Cornell's three dimensional boxes under glass are something we peer into rather than simply observe. His boxes contain things, collage elements, found objects, depths and surfaces, multiple textures. His assemblage art has the viewer enter into the work as we look at the many aspects of it.

I LOVE his assemblages and have been inspired by them, so I was hoping to have some inspiration to do this challenge too.

My Cornell inspired assemblage took a few elements from Cornell's boxes, the wine glass with an item in it, a bird, drawings in the background, and more.

Here is my homage to Cornell (my offering for the peer group challenge) ... "Take Me Out To The Ball Game".. it was a fun piece to do, and I am already thinking of more cool Cornell-ish assemblages to try to make... now if I could just find a long thin box, and a pool stick..*G*




God in the Garden





This morning our Church sponsored a morning workshop and lunch, there were 22 women who participated. A beautiful morning held at Pat Leverick's home, who is a member of our Church and has lovely gardens. My Mom is pictured here with Pat, helping with registration.





Pat did a wonderful teaching and sharing on "God in the Garden". She shared some of her gardening experience and helpful tips, gave a tour of her garden areas, and we even were able to take home some plants from her garden if we wanted to.






She also shared about plants mentioned in the bible, and their uses today.



And as part of the presentation, we shared about a few gardens mentioned in scripture too... Garden of Gethsemane, and I shared one of my assemblage pieces (Lapsarian - The Fall), and about the Garden of Eden.



We all joined in singing the old hymn, "I Come To The Garden Alone...", accompanied by some beautiful birds singing along with us too! *lol*






Great morning, fun time, interesting garden tips, and sharing, followed by a delicious lunch in the garden!











A special thanks to Pat who opened her home to us all, and thank you Lord for the BEAUTIFUL weather too!... and to all who helped with food (thank you Susanne & Carol who headed up the breakfast and luncheon!), to those who helped with supplies, setup, and more!

It was a nice morning to relax and enjoy God's creations in the garden.