Sometimes one needs to simply....

...Buckle down.

Sun today after days of rain. Actually and metaphorically.

Thanks for your comments and e-mails... I am still here.

Just busy & a bit under the weather.

Cheerier posts ahead!

Mothers...

Mother Teaching Child, Sir Alfred Gilbert 1881, marble

Family trees are unweildy beasts however I've been thinking about the common thread of motherhood throughout the centuries and this has led me to far off branches of the expansive tree.

In giving thanks to the mothers in our lives, let's take a moment to think of those, known or unkown, that have gone before... I do often wonder about the challenges they faced, the joys they appreciated and the common threads of birth, love and motherhood.

As such, a 'roll call' of the mothers who have blazed the trail for me...

Margaret Bates b1450, Mildred Ward b1521, Judith Ansel b1562, Elizatheth Bates b1601, Elizabeth Pratt b1638, Matchowitch b1593, Keshechoo b1520, Canonicus Narragansetts b1569, Mary No-Pee b1597, Anne Greenway b1515, Emma Revell b1536, Alice Aires b1574, Mary Sarah Newland b1604, Miss Hassell b1583, Katharine Sare b1556, Ellen Elliott b1583, Ruth b1620, Mary Harvey b1605, Ruth Rogers b1643, Ruth Goodwin b1622, Mary Fetch b1533, Agnes Mannock b1572, Margery Evered b1589, Rebecca b1623, Elizabeth Rose b1658, Mary Bennett b1692, Mary 'Little Dove' Hyanno b1624, Mary Lee Howland b1635, Experience Howland b1668, Rebecca Bearse b1713, Martha (Patty) Pratt b1740, Polly Beardsley b1729, Catherine Rosier b1764, Lucretia Welton, b1755, Fanny Chard b1786, Huldah Hubble b1815, Azubah Ann White b1846, Bertha Amelia Wescott b1880, Sophia b1847, Florence Brown b1881...

And those who have known, taught and loved me in my lifetime, Grace Millicent, Naomi Jane and Eva Linda Mae.

with love and appreciation, j

Wishing...

Each child arrived with a personalized instruction booklet.

Finally...

People, Birds and Sun, Karel Appel 1954

...A Sunny Day!

It's been so long, I feel a bit like the figure on the left.

Hope...

Sorry for the gap in posting. Life has simply been a bit crazy lately.
That said, troubles in the lives of others have reminded me how grateful I am for my own life's circumstances...
Health
Love
Food, Shelter & Clean Water, and
Democracy (even when the overall results are disappointing)

Yesterday, I accompanied over 100 young people as they trekked, buckets in hand, to our local river to gather water to bring back to their 'villages'. This very hands on experience was not only instructive but community building and inspirational.

Nearly one billion people lack access to safe water.
Each day, more than 200 million hours of women's time is consumed collecting water for domestic use.
Every 20 seconds a child dies from water-related disease.

For more information visit http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts/

There is much need in the world.
Educating our children, modelling good citizenship and empowering young people with opportunities to make a difference offers hope for a better future.