Missa's & Sean's Wedding BBQ

We enjoyed Missa's and Sean's causal pre-wedding BBQ last night. Ellie was in charge of decorations. I helped her by making a tidy sum of paper flowers. I knew they were planning for an outdoor event and I worried about them when a huge, heavy rain storm moved through earlier in the afternoon. Thankfully, Mother Nature took care of the need to rain here at that time and only sent down a few spitting sprinkle later that evening.

Missa is Christy's big sister. We have known her since she was about 12 or 13. It is great to see her so happy. She is a graduate of our school.

Ellie did a lovely job decorating and using the flowers I made. Missa, Connie and Christy love the flowers, so I think they will find good homes instead of being thrown away. It is always nice when it goes that way.

Today is the last day of my summer break. I want to make it count. Ellie and I will meet up with Martine to get our nails done and have lunch, something I do not usually do. I also want to do art, sew, take Remmie to the dog park. My, I am not sure how to pick what to do first; I don't think I can do it all.

I am also inspired to carve some images and print them on fabric. This is because I saw what Lisa Congdon did at a workshop by Jen Hewitt. (I also appreciate what Jen has to say about making bad art. I struggle with that, too. I am not at such a peaceful place with it as she is.)And then there is the stuff that Geninne is making. I love how she does so much art. I am inspired by her painting, her claywork, her carving. I also have a little studio envy and wish that I was as tidy as her family appears to be. I'd like to meet her and work with her in her studio some day. I also want to buy one of her bird prints from her Etsy site.

Now that I have time to do more art, I both feel freed up and overwhelmed with all of the things I want to do. It is better than being bored.

We recently learned that Ethan will come home for about a week in September. I am excited. We will have a 21st birthday party and do lots of fun things. It has been since March that I was able to hug him and tell him how much I love him in person. I imagine that I will cry when I see him again.