Branches on the Family Tree

Our son Travis took this photo for me of 4 of our grandchildren in our apple tree.  I'd taken one years ago of our 6 grandchildren in this same tree.  This time Michael wasn't home and Gabriel is still in California.  Isn't it amazing how fast time flies and children grow?

I took the girls to the airport yesterday morning and we quickly got this photo before they left.  They are home in Ohio now, they missed their dad and dog, Honey.  I'm so glad they got to come for a nice visit and to get re-acquainted with their cousins and aunts and uncles.

I thought I'd show you the 2 pieces of pottery I picked up when visiting Mossy Creek Pottery.  This is called an "Ikebana". The Japanese art of flower arranging, blossoms, branches, leaves, and stems find new life as materials for artmaking. In contrast to the western habits of casually placing flowers in a vase, ikebana aims to bring out the inner qualities of flowers and other live materials and express emotion.

This one drew me for the impressed lace and branches and the jellyfish and sea colors.

These are clever things, the potter rolls out clay like a pie crust and cuts a circle and then makes designs, fires, glazes and finish fires it then they use a silicone sealer to affix a small glass bowl underneath and seal a "frog" on the bottom.  

I'm going to have fun with this, I already plan to cut some of our corkscrew willow to put in my next bouquet.  I also think it will look pretty with a lily it.

My second choice was this cute little vase with Lily-of-the-Valley on the side.  It will look pretty special in a year when my lilies bloom once again.

We're resting up today for the 4th of July parade and BBQ here afterwards.  If you celebrate, have a GREAT 4th!!

((hugs)), Teresa :-)