Peace and Homemade Applesauce

Posted on November 30, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
For the last six days, my home was filled with family and friends. My pantry, garage and fridge were packed with food. Twenty-six people shared Thanksgiving at my table(s). Including my immediate family, nineteen people slept under my roof until saturday. It was – as promised – our annual Thanksgivingpalooza. But, the past few days of insanity, loudness and laughter were wrapped up warmly in homemade applesauce, 3 turkeys and a ham.

I sit here now alone in my studio tapping keys to speak. The dishwasher is the only thing chattering. My mom and dad left about an hour ago. The giant husband and delicate daughter are both at work. The big son is at a friend’s house. I’m here with Rocky the Shepherd and Mojo the Dachshund wishing they’d kept up with their ESL lessons. Rocky is a bit sad like me. Mojo is happy because he’s no longer being carried like a strapless handbag.

Every year as much as I wish for peace and quiet by day four of Thanksgivingpalooza, I realize it’s only the quiet that returns. Peace can be loud, insane and crazy wrapped up warmly in homemade applesauce, 3 turkeys and a ham.
Thank you. May you dream of a life filled with friends, family and warm applesauce.
Sad Clown created a month ago, waiting for the right moment to share…

A Girl Named Galeen

Posted on November 9, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
I so enjoy creating irksome monsters with glowing eyes and bizarre creatures with gnashing teeth. Where this little girl comes from, I’m not quite sure. I think she dwells beneath the soft underbelly of my heart. You best be careful digging beneath your heart. Squishy stuff settles there and if to much oozes out, you’ll feel empty inside.

Besides changing hair length – like night and day alternating sides – Galeen loves surfacing now and again. Since she thinks she’s kind of cute, Galeen would like to present her ‘living’ scrapbook.

Dunce

Hair Hiding

Star Gazer

Statically

Autumn Leaves

Thank you. May you dream of wishing stars floating in the soft underbelly of your heart.

As you may have noticed, Galeen likes experimenting with how she appears – she may cover herself with paint, pencil, collage or marker! She’s never quite sure what scented soap to use and loves trying them all…

House Mermaids

Posted on September 10, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
Look ’round your home. If you have a daughter, you have a mermaid. A beautiful, lovely creature who’s sometimes unsure of where she fits in. She is playful like the seal, but can be stormy like the sea. She adores her sparkling fin but pines for shoes. She is bold as the barracuda, when she’s not ‘hermitting’ within a vacated shell. She cherishes her hair, but would trade it to save the world.
My little mermaid above, and my other little mermaid below.

Mermaid Girl

Thank you. May you dream of swimming with dolphins and whales upon a sparkling sea…
Delicate Daughter Mermaid taken in Vermont 2007,
Earth Mermaid created after getting mad at daughter for her messy room.

Tackle With Love, Son

Posted on August 19, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
The big son decided this year he’d like to give football a try. He’s a gentle soul by nature – a pacifist at heart – but, he’s discovered a love for mannish sports. I look at him, smiling with his gigantic football gear on and pray it keeps him safe from injury. Though, I know it’s impossible to ask for such a divine favor – so I’ll just ask that he has fun and that he’ll only require a bandaid from time to time.

We can’t protect our children anymore than we can make ourselves less vulnerable to life. What we can do is arm them with self-confidence. So when their young minds are conflicted or they find themselves in a precarious situation, they can remember the mantra, “I’m better than this…”

After I took this silly-faced picture of the big son, he said, “I’ll feel bad if I hurt anyone, mom.”

I responded quite motherly, “Then tackle them with love, my son.” Then I glanced up at the sky and thought, I hope you’re tackled with love too.

Love Tackle

On the way to the big son’s 5 and 1/2 hour practice today, we saw the sun’s rays peeking through. We both took this as a good sign…

Thank you. May you dream this evening of the world’s children being safe from harm.

Big Son with Goofy Face photo taken August 14, 2014
Blue Footballer drawn August 18, 2014 with Prism and fingers crossed (right hand only, needed left to draw)
Sun rays taken this AM, August 19, 2014