It's always good to return from vacation. The memories linger on...but home is best! Especially when you return to the glorious colors of fall! The photo on the left is what our street looked like when we arrived.
We had a wonderful time with our boys, Jackie, and the kids. Playing with Ella and Jackson always warms my heart. Stepping into their world and seeing the universe through their little eyes is something I find I carry with me even when they're not around.
Ella toddled into the ocean in spite of its cool temperatures. She tried her best to convince us that it was warm! I wish you could have seen her goosebumps. Nothing stops that little one! Jackson was content to sit and play in the sand. 
Uncle Tom taught Ella to use chopsticks. She learned quickly that they were great utensils for ‘stabbing’ just about anything but soup and rice!
Her mom and dad enjoyed an evening out by themselves while grandma and grandpa and Uncle Tom babysat. 
They returned with beautiful earrings for her. As you can see, she loved them, refusing to take them off the rest of the week!
I finished another show before we left: The Nutcracker Sweets in Aurora. It was fabulous, and I’ll surely apply there again next year. The ladies of the church were wonderful, bringing me bags of ice for my ankles every 'hour-on-the-hour', because I fell in a hole on the way to my car on Friday nite. It was a dark, moonless nite, and I didn’t see the sewer hole in the grass as my friend Pat and I ran to make the light, crossing to the parking lot. Fortunately, I only sprained my ankles. The EMT’s and dr. in the ER were certain I’d broken them! So, it’s a gimpy lady here who limped down to the beach and now….to the studio! They say that time heals all things. I hope that goes for ankles, cause they REALLY hurt! I have a whole new compassion for the elderly with their canes, walkers and wheelchairs. We take so much for granted.
Fawn’s doing well, although he’s still walking on three legs. He and I are ‘gimpy’ together. He really looked at me strangely when he saw me on crutches that first nite!
So....I am hobbling back to the studio today....crutches and all. I have two more shows, and am still filling orders from the first one! I'm working on Santas this week. I know they don't mind that their 'creator' is a hobbling lady on way too much coffee, leftover Halloween candy and lots of Motrin!
Have a glorious November Week...wherever you are in the world~
I had a chance to play with all the kids at the ocean. We dug holes that filled up with sea water, and we made sandcastles. Uncle Tom and I found an island he called a sand bar, and we found a sand dollar. We threw it back in the ocean so it wouldn't die. That would be sad. Then we saw a rainbow over the ocean. Gramma said it was my "Magical Day".
We watched the sun set one last time the nite before we left. I will miss the island, the sea, and the big boats.
