Succulent MUGS with my Sweet Sis-in-Law :)

I'm attempting to decorate and design a few flower mugs for Cheney's own Mason Jar Coffee Shop each week. My sis-in-law Jennifer and I had a blast making them tonight. Thanks Jen for your expert advice and plants! Come on down to Mason Jar and walk away a Cheney Blooms Mug for only $5. All profits go to Feed Cheney's monthly dinner :)

Pink Baby Shoe in the Blue Butterfly Skywalk

Once a week, I pop between 3rd and 9th floors at the Sacred Heart NICU between the very needy babies and not-so-needy babies. To get to the 9th floor, I have to walk through a Bright Blue Hallway with butterflies hanging from the ceiling. Many butterflies are inscribed with special memorial messages and I read them each time I walk through. Today, there was a tiny little pink shoe on the window sill. I try not to read too much sorrow into that little shoe, but it's always a reminder that very few people WANT to be in a hospital...

Delightful Pacific Northwest Blackberries!

Oh how awesome to fill a bucket in a few minutes with these shiny gorgeous delights - and the season here in Spokane is just beginning! On the west side of our state, the ditches are LINED with these invasive bushes so many locals stop picking them. Well, I grew up LOVING to stain my fingers picking fruit, any kind of fruit, so it's still amazing to me :)

An Onion almost Like My Dad's!

I've ALWAYS had a garden...even when it was one row of green beans beside the sidewalk when we were in grad school at Washington State University!?! Over the years, I've been a great planter...but not such a good harvester - getting ready for my classes took a toll on the time spent in the fall. The garden is nowhere near perfect, but I am having so much more fun experimenting with different veggies. Onions generally don't do well in my garden, but for some reason, this year is a great one. Dad used to have onions that weighed 1.5 pounds and though this one was only 1 pound, I am THRILLED.

Empty Nest? Not for Long!

Well, our kids graduated and left home, the baby chicks hatched, the pets are gone, and the four sweet little robins left their comfortable nest on the front porch and flew away. BUT last night, a new resident took over that nest and made it clear that he/she is here to stay!  There are sooooo many nice moths and bugs that come to the porch light on the front step at night  - thus making that Fuchsia plant extra attractive to an enterprising tree frog. Go figure! :)

NICU Babies AND Piano Wednesdays!

Was just a tiny bit terrified when I sat down to the grand piano in the Sacred Heart Hospital lobby today...with STRANGERS everywhere...knowing I would probably screw up a few times...and interrupt their somber thoughts.  So much emotion in that place, sensitive moments, heart breaking times. At the end of one song, an elderly woman gave me a smile and I played that song again :)  And y'know, it ended up feeling pretty good and always fun to play some of my favorite pieces. I didn't make too many mistakes and lots of nice people came over to chat a little. I guess I'll be back every Wednesday for an hour right before I rock babies in the NICU. Not a bad gig at all :)

A Remarkable Man, Ken Jernberg

Ken was a champion for the homeless teens in Spokane, Washington, for nearly 40 years and a celebration "walk" was held for him today. Ken was known for saying "I just always wanted to make the person who felt small, big."  During graduation ceremonies for the Crosswalk kids, Ken had them walk across a pedestrian bridge over the turbulent Spokane River to symbolize their rite of passage from tough times into the sunshine. RIP Ken...I let this flower float off the bridge and rush on downstream today.