Mother’s Day Post

It was difficult coming up with a post last week. It shouldn’t be so hard to write an amazing Mother’s Day post, like the ones I read from others. Beautiful, nostalgic posts letting you know how great it is to be a mother, have a mother, know a mother.  I have every reason to write such a post as I have wonderful daughters who are great mothers, an awesome mother who is still with us, lovely mother-in-law and a beautiful day with 12-year-old Chloe, which will not be forgotten.  “I’m making dinner and dessert.”  she insists.  Being together in the kitchen with Chloe and Mark is the best kind of Mother’s Day.  On the menu is stuffed pasta shells with meat sauce, Greek salad and a fruit-filled jelly roll with chocolate decorations for dessert.  A wonderful, delicious feast. I talk to my older children one by one as the day progresses.  They let me know they received the beautiful flowers I sent and that they love me too. It is a day full of love.

Later I think about all the things I could write about, sharing the beauty of the day with you, yet when I pull open the laptop to write I can’t help but think of the last Mother’s Day with Debbie.  Debbie, our daughter taken by cancer too young, in 2011. Every moment and feeling of that day crowds my thoughts and takes over the page. Page after page I write, working my way through. The gift, the message, the tears, the courage, the little boy so soon to be motherless. All of it overwhelms me, the laptop closes again without finishing.

As usual, I throw myself into my artwork, redesigning my ladybug patterns, unhappy with the way they look on the new fabric I have purchased.  Taking the new pattern design and placing it on different colored backgrounds added a unique angle to the project.  New napkins cut out of the hated fabric and I sewed what I call ‘practice’ napkins.   So far every fabric has qualified for practice napkins until I am again, swamped in ladybugs. Ladybug napkins.  It must be meant for therapy.

Going North, to an event, Saturday, with some ladies from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, I take a few ladybugs with me.  They have a warm reception and I receive a lot of encouragement both with ladybugs and Elsie’s Easter.  With so many things to do, so many ideas, I am forging ahead working on projects, adding a paper mache ladybug to my agenda. Library Day also added a couple of books about bugs to my reading list.

My store is up and running and I am adding new products weekly.  Prints and products from the art shown in the gallery is gradually being added to the store.   I hope it is a delightful place, full of beautiful things for you to look at or take home with you. I can only sell to Canada and USA right now but if you are in another Country and want something you can find it at Society6, they do sell worldwide.  If you want to contact me about a product, please leave me a comment and I will respond to you as soon as possible.

I hope you had a blessed Mother’s Day.

Choose something and the stick with it.

Be all in it or don’t be in it at all.

Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10

Don’t forget about the shoes. You only live once so go ahead and wear the red ones.

Love and Blessings,

Hanna McCown