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The Morris Family was going to an Amusement park but they forgot the map,so they were lost when they found Horrorland and all three of the kids wanted to go Lizzie, Luke ,and Clay,Luke's best friend. Lizzie and Luke really wanted to go I mean REALLY so they went and they got to go on any ride they wanted.They went to lots of rides and on every one of them they got really scared because the sines said the weirdest things like on a slide ride the sine said:Doom Slide.Will You Be The One To Slide Forever?and then:Warning!-You May Be The One To Slide To Your Doom!That's creepy.But will they live??

What I like about the story is I always ALWAYS want to just want to jump in the book and go with them and enjoy my frights with them (even though it's supposed to be a scary book.), like the part where Lizzie,Luke,and Clay go down the slide and find Clay missing,and the part where they go in the hall of mirrors.

Well Folks, it's only May 7th, but it feels like a fiery red day in August. I woke up feeling uplifted by the warmth in the air, but throughout the course of the morning, a sense of melancholy has set in.

Warm mornings and the oncoming of summer always remind me of my dad. Just simple little memories that have a permanent headquarters in my heart and mind. Remembrances of his laugh and his love of coffee. I can close my eyes and hear him call me..."Babe". My dad never called me Kim. Literally, never ever, not once did he call me by my name. The only time I ever heard him say the word "Kim" was when he was referring to me in conversation with someone else. When he talked about me to my mom he called me "The Baby". Up until the last days of his life, I was always "Babe".

My dad passed away in January of 2003 at 83 years of age. He died here in my home on hospice. It was a long process and difficult to watch. Even now, I have a hard time remembering him as he was when I was young. The first couple of years after he died, all I could remember of him was the last month of his life. Little by little, I am able to remember him for the man and the dad that he was throughout my life

I can remember now, the particular gait that he had when he would slowly and meticulously mow the lawn. I can smell the grape kool-aid that my mom would often keep in the refrigerator for him. I can close my eyes and smell the coffee perking on the old O'Keefe & Merritt in our tiny little kitchen. My dad would pour a cup of coffee and sit at the kitchen table and read the paper. The front door and back door opened to the summer sounds of the outside world.

So, little by little I am reclaiming the memories of my dad as he was when he was vibrant and strong and funny. So much can be stolen with death. For quite a while, I thought that death had stolen my dad from me completely. It seemed to have left a big canvas, completely empty except for one black corner. Now, I am starting to see layers of color and light on the canvas. Someday, the painting will be finished....

Newest ACEO print in My Etsy Shop.
Summer Camp


Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls
Kim's Kandid Kamera

Alright...here it is, May again. Which, generally speaking, is a good thing. Spring is in the air, colors are bouncing out of control in the garden and the sun shines well into the evening. Along with all of these lovely May happenings comes one dreadful and hideous task.... SHOPPING FOR A BATHING SUIT ~~ Yup, it's that time of year again. Today is the day. I'm feeling brave and hopeful (plus, I have a 10% off coupon for Old Navy). So, off we go. Just Ava and me. Mother and daughter sharing the classic yet depressing spring time ritual.

We'll make it fun as we are planning on shopping for other little goodies also. Goodies that will soothe our souls. Trinkets that will take away the sting from the scant suits that cover such small amounts of our bodies.

Never Fear. A few trips to the beach and a good tan can do wonders for a new summer bikini.



So today, we will brave the bulge and ignore the white of our winter skin. All the while knowing that, in a few weeks, we will be indulging in our favorite summer "activity". Long, luxurious days, lying on our colorful striped beach chairs. Listening to the crash of the waves. A soft salt in the air and a cold Diet Coke in hand.

In honor of today's ritual, I have listed a print of my ACEO "Arizona Sunbathers" in My Etsy Shop.

Arizona Sunbathers



Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls