Dear Friends,
My lovely mother-in-law is visiting from New Mexico. Today I took her to Barnes & Noble – one of my most favorite places. As Karole went off to browse Wally Lamb books, I perused the children’s section. Perhaps it was the time of year. Perhaps it was imagining the big son entering high school in September. Maybe it was the delicate daughter’s recently acquired driving permit and employment. Whatever it was, my eyes transfixed on two small, green chairs. These made me blue-
The delicate daughter, big son and I used to frequent Barnes & Noble. Every year when they were much smaller, they participated in the B&N summer reading program. Gosh, was it so long ago she swam with Emily Windsnap–
And he travelled to far off places and distant lands in a Magic Treehouse–
Have ten years slipped by since I painted these faces-
Weren’t they little, only minutes ago?
Thank you and goodnight. If you have children, hold them tightly…
anntogether 
Oh….tears. The years go way too fast. While each age holds a special joy, it is hard to see the time go so fast. Wonderful post, and beautiful paintings. (Hugs)
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Thank you, Skye.
For some reason, I just felt really sad today when I walked into the children’s section and began looking at the books – so many happy memories came flooding back. I did purchase, The Little Engine that Could, for my son and I got my daughter a beautiful book on dreams, and I treated myself to The 100 – a terrific collection of famous speeches (so that cheered me up along with a latte 😉 ).
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Oh, that would have cheered me up, too. 🙂
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🙂
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So lovely. You take an event and wrap it with words and images and create a gift. xo
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Thank you ever so much. I do appreciate your valued comments. Most days I have no idea what I’m going to post about. I’ve been very lucky that things happen in the smallest of moments and I have a moment or more to blog about them 🙂
AnnMarie 🙂
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What gorgeous portraits!
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Ah, thank you very much. I was thinking I need to do new ones of the kiddies before they’re too big to fit on canvas 😉
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So resonant – on every level.. That which we would love to savor a moment longer, is gone before we know it; that which we would like to hurry along takes forever to leave. Childhood? I kept asking the boys to slow down – and they laughed with delight as they raced into their futures…
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Beautiful – perfect, perfect last line “and they laughed…”
I can hear Tom Hanks uttering your profound words to his sons – in a cinematic masterpiece…
AnnMarie 🙂
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You are WAAY too kind and generous with your praise…but thank you so, so much!
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I only speak the truth, except when my family asks me if I ate the last piece of chocolate, then I fib a little 🙂
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Laughing…I do that too!!
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😉 !!!
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As a book lover, I’ve been taking my children to libraries and the bookstore their whole lives. My oldest three are 17, 16, and 14 and this post made me think of them and feeling what you feel. I hear your heart, my dear.
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Thank you, such supportive words from a kind intelligent mom. You know, it’s funny, I’ve been to B&N many times but yesterday I was hit hard with sentiment and sadness…
Thanks again,
AnnMarie 🙂
I leave in a short while to substitute teach for a class of second graders. I wonder if I’ll lose the big smile I regained this morning 😉
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Excellent thoughts, as per your usual AnnMarie. So true, so true. And I know that if we lived in the same area we could be good friends because I love to go to Barnes & Noble (one of my very favorite things to do!). Have a great day!
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Yes we would be good friends, Barnes and Noble and animals – that’s me too!
AnnMarie 🙂
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HI momma,
He wouldn’t be him if he wasn’t yelling 🙂
I still don’t know how you ever managed 6 kids, all so close in age – we must have been perfectly behaved all the time 😉 I’ll call you later.
Love, AM
ps Please promise me you won’t take the kayak out by yourself!
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Oh, the years do go by! I can’t believe that my own children are in their 40s already….
I just found your blog, by way of the blog cdogco.com, and I’m so glad I did. You’re certainly very talented!
Because you clearly do like dogs when it’s not 5 a.m., I’d like to tell you about my new blog, http://maijaharrington.com, where I’m blogging my book-in-progress, “Funny Tails: Adventures and Misadventures in Living with Pugs.” It’s a humorous look at 10 years of life with 3 pugs plus various foster dogs. So far readers tell me it’s pretty funny, and it was just nominated by 2 different bloggers for a Liebster Award (one of the nominators was cdogco.com). I’m blogging a chapter each week to try to develop my “platform” for wooing publishing agents. My publications in my former academic field don’t count in trying to sell a dog book.
Best wishes with YOUR publishing efforts!
Maija (pronounced My-uh)
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Sometimes, I wake up and think I have to walk my kids then take the dogs to school – it gets very confusing this time of year! I’ll most certainly check out your blog – I’d be honored. My niece is an enormous pug fan and my brother’s Shepherd, Tyson has a pug sidekick named Fasbee. Pugs are pretty cool! Congrats on the Liebster – it’s a lovely award to be given.
AnnMarie
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