When Grandma comes to town! We have flowers in profusion since my grandmother spent the night with us. She loves painting and was happy to give the children an art lesson the afternoon she arrived.
Watching her interact with my children brings back so many fond memories of the times I spent sewing and painting with Grandma during my childhood. She helped fuel my creative passions.
Our masterpieces (clockwise from top left corner): Carson's blue vase holds flowers for Mom; Mary Ashley picked up quickly on Grandma's instructions on painting petals, resulting in a pretty bouquet of blue flowers; Emma was quite decisive in choosing what to paint, resulting in a picture that looks like an impressionist landscape to me; and Christian's rose bush was a request from me, after he completed his first piece: a slightly less sentimental sign for his bedroom that reads "If your name is Mary Ashley KEEP OUT!" I will treasure the bouquet (center) that Grandma painted, as well as the memories of seeing my children gathered around the kitchen table to paint with her -- each stroke of the brush drawing them closer to one of the most precious people in my life.
"What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies." -- Rudolph Giuliani
