Category: Family

Wednesday, January 14, 2026 The Workshop: Sketchy Stuff

~ Foodiness ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been watching a show called “Portrait Artist of the Year,” in which 21 artists compete during each episode to win and go on to the next level. They get four hours to paint the subject (various people of note). It’s fascinating to watch how differently these artists tackle their paintings. There are three judges and two other people whose only purpose seems to be to chat up these poor artists who are working so hard to get done on time. I’ve quite enjoyed it. It takes place in the UK, which means you also get to listen to a wide variety of charming accents in the mix.

But as I’ve said before, doing a portrait of any kind is difficult. Watching so many extremely talented people start with a blank canvas and end up with recognizable people on it after four hours is a marvel, even with all the variety in styles.

On that note, here’s a sketch I attempted of my brother.

If I were really brave, I’d show you the photo that’s based on. But I’m not. Also, I can’t imagine spending four hours (or more) on a single painting, so you can tell I’m not very disciplined.

I reverted back to animals after that. Specifically some owls.

When they do a show based on bad sketches done in very little time, I might have a shot.

The sooner this gets deleted, the better.

Thursday, January 8, 2026 Poem for David B

~ Foodiness ~ 2 Comments

My brother achieved 70 years recently, so naturally a poem had to be written in honor of this grand event.

That’s him on the left and me on the right
when we were young and splashy

Seventy years hath David B.
“I don’t feel very old,” said he.
“Speak for yourself,” opined one knee,
While his back groaned, saying “Golly gee!”

David objected, “I feel quite spry.”
His neck interjected, “That’s a lie!”
His bones just creaked with a little sigh,
And his brain took a break, saying “no reply.”

But David persisted, “I’m fit as a fiddle!”
His ears said, “What? Did he said ‘riddle?’”
“No rich food,” said his tummy in the middle,
(“But chocolate’s okay, if it’s just a little.”)

“I guess I’m getting on in years,”
Old David said, now switching gears.
“But full speed ahead! No time for tears.”
And the crowd around him gave three cheers.

So three cheers for David B!
(In three years, that will be me!)

Did you know that this post is getting on in years? Time to delete!

Wednesday, January 7, 2026 The Workshop: Painting People Vs. Animals

~ Foodiness ~ 6 Comments

Aside from minor differences, one animal is pretty much like another of its kind. If you paint one robin, you’ve painted them all. There’s not a lot that distinguishes them from each other, although I’ll grant that treasured pets might have a spark of uniqueness that would give their owners an ability to pick theirs out among others with the same features if they were looking at photos. Maybe. This is why I like painting animals.

Humans have faces that are each completely unique (yes even twins – and I should know!). Each person has been specially crafted by their Maker and they bear His stamp. Unlike beavers or golden retrievers or chickadees, there is no “one-description-fits-all” for human beings. We have, each of us, broken the mold, so to speak. What you recognize in the people you know and love is almost intangible, but it is unmistakable. It is much harder to capture that essence in a painting.

My dear friend Martha sent me a painting for my birthday a couple months ago. Tears came to my eyes when I opened the envelope and took it out. It’s our little granddaughter – it’s HER! (Martha and I share a grandchild, having had the good providence of my son marrying her daughter.) I was just blown away by this beautiful, skillful and extravagant gift.

Of course, Martha is not responsible for the ugly black blot on the bottom. There’s a name underneath it and you don’t get to know it. Not on this blog, anyway.

Thank you again and again, Martha!

Will I delete this? Probably? Maybe? It’s a mystery and you don’t get to know it.

Monday, November 17, 2025 The Flower Letters

~ Foodiness ~ 4 Comments

It started with a surprise apple pie with three candles in it. The traditional birthday song was sung, the candles were blown out and a gift was given.

I’ll be getting two letters a month for a year, the so-called “Flower Letters.” I’d seen this advertised on Instagram before. It’s an intriguing idea, somewhat on the order of a subscription to a story that you receive in installments. My family chose a storyline for me that takes place in England during the Jane Austen era, which will include elements of romance and mystery, all within the context of what was happening in history at that time.

The first letter has already arrived, coming in an attractive tin which will hold all of the letters.

The portrait in the photo above represents the young man who wrote the letter, a fellow named Phineas. There will also be 12 attractive postcards that I can use to send to others. I’m looking forward to seeing the story unfold.

What a unique and delightful gift!

I’ll probably put this in a blog post tin in the morning.

Thursday, October 16, 2025 Pink

~ Foodiness ~ 2 Comments

Pink.

The color of a newly-coiled rose bud,

Cloud glimmers at even,

Miss Hollyhock waving her petals,

A rabbit’s quivering nose,

But best of all –

Best of all!

The color of the perfect lips

Of a newborn child.

Pink.

(Did I mention that our latest granddaughter was born today?)

I’ll probably delete this very pink post in the morning.

Monday, August 25, 2025 Meanderin’ without a Plan

~ Foodiness ~ 3 Comments

Sometimes I start a blog post without much of a plan. Those of you who read this regularly are not surprised. I like the challenge of starting with nothing and hoping that something emerges. So here’s what I’ve got today: two photos that have been lurking in my smallified photos file for a few months.

The “little fisherman” is my dad, with his dad behind him. It’s a lovely photo, isn’t it? Toddler Dad looks adorable with his hat and his pudgy little face. Instead of a life jacket, he appears to have some sort of safety cord attached to his clothing, doesn’t he? What I’m really struck by though is the strength and focus of the man behind him. That’s the look of a father who knows how to keep his son safe out there in the boat. We should all remember this, that we have a Father who knows how to keep us afloat and safe.

And that little cutie is me, another little fisherman (fishergirl?) out in the boat. You can’t see him, but I am no doubt under the protection of my father, no longer a toddler, but now the one who kept me safe in the boat. Times have changed (I’m at least wearing a life jacket!), but the job of a father has not.

I’ll probably fish or cut bait on this in the morning.

Monday, August 11, 2025 Reboot the Blog

~ Foodiness ~ 6 Comments

My last post was a month ago. We have been hither and yon and living lives of such abounding activity that the blog was abandoned. Some of you have probably been relieved not to get the regular emails with my posts attached. If that describes you, I have no rancor toward you whatsoever. And if you decide that it was such a relief that you might as well unsubscribe, I will cheer you on. However, for those of you who actually missed my little musings, bless you. It is for you that I write.

Now as to the abounding activities, here’s a sampling of them:

We got reacquainted with 5-month old “Darling,” and met brand-new granddaughter, “Sweetheart.” Sweetheart was still fresh from the womb, only 3 days old when we met her.

Later in the week we had a family reunion, which included the other two grands, “Lovey” and “Dovey.” Being grandparents is such a joy. And we’ve got another little dear coming in October!

We went to our favorite used book store. Twice. And bought books both times. We currently own 2,131 books, but that number not only doesn’t discourage us from accumulating more, it’s almost an incentive to keep going.

Bowling! Our bowling crew included the 5-year-old and 3-year-old, who used the bowling ball ramps to send their balls toward the pins. Their dad was chagrined to find that they scored better than him for both games.

Swimming! Well…swimming is a bit of a misnomer. Let’s just say that we were in swimming suits and were, in fact, in the water at the local water park.

Farmer’s Market! (I feel like I’ve gone a bit to the dark side with all of these exclamation points). I’m more of a window shopper at the FM usually, but this time I bought tiny doughnuts to share with our crowd, as well as a tiny book for putting tiny drawings into.

Add to that many meals eaten together, two birthdays celebrated, a family photo taken, a few movie nights, visits to thrift stores, conversations with old friends, church services (and the baptism of Sweetheart) and you’ll see why we slid under our sheets tired but happy every night.

O taste and see that the Lord is good!

I’ll probably reboot the reboot of this rebooted blog in the morning.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 Summers of Yore

~ Foodiness ~ 8 Comments

I look at this photo of me and my brother way back when, and although I don’t remember that particular moment in time, I am brought back to summers of yore. What a delight on those hot days to jump into our little plastic backyard pool.

My memories of the summers of childhood are shot through with warmth, color, happy sounds, and the unique eating pleasures of the season. Back then our watermelons had seeds in them – is that a hardship story now?

We didn’t have air conditioning, another hardship story that wasn’t really too much of a hardship. Sleeping at night involved catching regular breezes from the oscillating fan and turning our pillows over to get to the cooler side once in a while. Uncomfortable, but not unbearable.

I’m certain that there must have been plenty of mosquitos in my life back then, but my brain has mercifully chosen to excise them from the nostalgia program that I’m currently enjoying.

I went barefoot all summer long in my childhood. The soles of my feet were tough as nails, unlike the weak and easily penetrated soles of today.

Dad took us swimming fairly frequently at the lake nearest to us, one of the advantages of living in the state of 10,000 lakes. And when we came back, Mom often had supper ready for us to eat in the cool of the back porch.

Life wasn’t always perfect, but strained through the passing of time my mind has selected only some of the best parts of those days to remember. Thank you, Lord!

I’ll probably delete this in the mornings of yore.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Kissing Grandma’s Cheek

~ Foodiness ~ 4 Comments

This is yours truly kissing my Grandma Lois on the cheek. Now that I have grandchildren old enough to do that, I know what pleasure it must have given her.

Having a good laugh with my own granddaughter when she was about the age that I was in the above photo. I wonder if she thinks I’m as ancient as I thought my own grandmother was…

Musings…

I’ll probably delete this ancient blog in the morning.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Provenance and Providence

~ Foodiness ~ 2 Comments

This bunny cup was given to me when I was born. At some point in my adult life, my mother gave it to me, and it has stayed in the shadows for all these years. Not in literal shadows, but the fact of its existence has never prompted any thought in my brain whatsoever. Clearly I’ve been packing it and moving it with us when we’ve moved, right? It’s been on a shelf collecting dust which I have not even bothered to clean.

Our daughter is expecting a baby, their first, and when I realized I’d be able to go to the baby shower, I was looking around for something old of mine to give her, in addition to other things. The bunny cup waved a metaphorical hand to get my attention and just like that, I saw it. How charming! I looked on the bottom of it and saw that it was signed “B ‘58.” No longer a random kitschy item, this had true provenance. I could tell by the signature that the bunny cup had been lovingly painted for me by one of my two aunts, both of whom had names beginning with the letter B. Which one? I couldn’t tell, but decided it had to have been the older “B,” since I knew she was the artsy type.

I cleaned it off and gift-wrapped it, preparing it for its new home out West. On the way out there, I got an unexpected email from one of my cousins, a son of the younger “B.” He attached several photos of his mother’s pottery, a topic we’d apparently touched on at some point and which I had forgotten. Lo and behold, there it was, her signature on the bottom of several pieces, the very same signature that was on the bunny cup. A small thing, but this was True Providence. Here was an item I hadn’t thought about or cared about for decades and almost the very minute I began wondering who made it for me, the answer came in an unprompted email. Some would see this as an unremarkable coincidence, but I see it as a kindness of the Lord’s, an attention to little details. What I put in the shadows, He brings to light.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning, if I can find it among the shadows.