Proud aunt, graduation poem and amazing

 

 Photo from Rising Song Preschool website

Several years ago, my niece and her business partner opened their own preschool in Portland, Oregon, and now have two locations.  It's just the most lovely thing to me that it has been such a success.  And they are amazing teachers.  My niece posted this on facebook over the weekend:

"We graduated five sweet friends from our preschool yesterday. They collaborated on this amazing poem. It's pretty much the best teacher gift I could ever receive: a window into a child's experience."

At Rising Song

When I’m at Rising Song, I’m playful
I like running in the garden by the maple tree
I make inventions
I play pirates
I solve problems
I run to the swing
I make a family

In Fall I hear the fire trucks outside
We make a pile of leaves
I lie down on the ground and you cover me
and I am a pile of leaves

I taste fava bean leaves, tomatoes

In winter I like the maple tree
Drawing at the table
I like it when the trees are brown and bare
When the rain makes a river
so we can watch it and build it
into a zigzag line

I taste the goodbye of fall

In Spring I like to be in the sandbox
The sun is coming and the rains are slowly
going away
When spring comes I turn into a fairy—guess who I am?
I taste a bright red strawberry
I’m the tulip fairy and I fly away

In summer
one road of bamboo, one big road of strawberries
honeysuckle blooms
I like the cool areas by the sliding door
when the ferns popped up
through the porch as curly as the curliest hair

Already I miss the garden wizard

I taste sorrel, raspberries,
crispy apple slices, wood

I dance around—what am I thinking?

I like it when I think about Rising Song
it smells sweet as Asian pear

It smells like coconut and strawberries
like the sunflowers in the sunflower circle

sweet

This song – when Seth is building, when Seth
is working on the bus, he listens to music—
that is my best song!

This song –
Engine engine number 9 – that is my favorite song!

Song? Let me tell you a joke
That is my best sound!

For the golden corn and the apples on the tree –
That is my best song!

Laughing reminds me of my friends –
that is my favorite song!

This makes me want to go to school there!  How wonderful and amazing it must be.  Have a wonderful weekend, my friends - if I can ever get my photos downloaded from my phone, I'll post about my trip to Pensacola.  :)  Cheers!

Summer fruit, the gulf coast and looking forward

- I felt a little pang at the grocery store last night, when the only blueberries were outrageously expensive, which means summer fruit is on the wane.  I should have stockpiled more in the freezer!  A Whole Foods employee told me once to stick them in the freezer in the plastic container they usually come in (unwashed) - and wash them after they are thawed.  They are slightly softer after being frozen, but still good.  I have loved the Georgia peaches and the blueberries from anywhere! 

- The birds were loving that grass (if you click to enlarge, you can see more birds in the lower left corner.)  Photo taken of the wharf area of Pensacola Bay, Florida, in August 2014.  That's where I'll be for a long weekend, starting tomorrow.  Two little boys (my great nephews) are having birthday parties - one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  I'm so looking forward to being with my family.

 

- I'm sure my sister and I will go to Joe Patti's World Famous Seafood Market on Monday, during our ramble.  This is one of their fishing boats, docked next to the market - which is amazing.  There seem to be endless cases of fresh seafood.  I like this photo and made it extra large because it shows off that nice big boat and that beautiful blue sky.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Lucky birds, tuning fork and down to earth

- Another beautiful spot from the garden in Cashiers, NC that I visited several days ago with my sisters.  Lucky birds to find this spectacular condo in the mountains.  Click to enlarge.

- I had not been to the Hamilton Gardens in Hiawassee, Georgia, for a couple of years.  I love to walk there, but my family kept insisting that it didn't seem safe for me to take solitary walks in a heavily wooded place alone.  I see their point, so when I had my sister with me on the way out of town, I suggested we stop there.  I loved these metal sculptures and wish I had taken note of the artist's name and the name of the piece.  I named the photo "tuning fork" - that's what it reminds me of.

- And as I was taking the very scenic bypass highway (bypassing Helen, Georgia) on the way to Cleveland, Georgia, this place - "downda earth" - was open.  It's never been open when I passed it before.  We popped our heads in the door to look at the menu, which is vegetarian and vegan.  We were between meals, so just had a look at the menu for another time.  The people inside were lovely and serene.  A truly peaceful place, where the employees are all very down to earth. 

Perfect spot, wondrously wonderful and happy visit

- When my sisters and I finally made our way up to the top of the mountain where our aunt lives in Franklin, North Carolina, she was leaning on this railing, waving to us.  Our late uncle designed this beautiful home and this year she decided to leave Florida and stay here through the hot weather months.  Her dog Cotton favors that spot, too, and likes to lie on that mat.

- She wanted to take us to visit her brother and sister-in-law's garden in nearby Cashiers, NC.  This is just a small section of this wondrously wonderful spot. 

- Can you see the butterflies?  Click to enlarge if you can.  They were swirling around in droves, as if they couldn't decide which spot to settle on next, since it's all so wonderful.

- This playhouse is named after Pippi Longstocking's house "Villa Villekulla" and features framed artwork from each of the grandchildren.  Grandchildren from Florida arrived to visit before we left and I mentioned to the little girl that I liked her playhouse.  Her eyes widened, "I forgot about that!"  Her grandparents are so delightful and welcoming - it was clear that she and her brother were in for a happy visit. 

Gourds or squash, beauty at the dump, and Oh my!

- From the organic garden near the park where I walk on the weekends - these are either gourds or spaghetti squash in a pile, ready for purchase.  Such a lovely and serene place.

- Back at the condos, on Sunday morning, there is beauty, even at the trash compactor area.  Click to enlarge. 

- From Mr. C's sign - well, you get it.  And it made me laugh, while sitting in my car, almost to work in the morning.  

I'm back from vacation and will be by your blogs - I missed you!  Vacation photos later.  :)