Memorial Day, 2010

In Memorium
Have you ever looked, really looked, at a soldier's face?

Sometimes it's young, barely an adult the
hopes of youth still painted in its features.

Sometimes it's old older than faith,

older than wisdom, older than time.

And sometimes...sometimes it's a bit of both all at once.

Sometimes it's gritty and pained, remembering the face of another who has fallen.
Sometimes it's laughing, pleased to have a moment of peace.

Most of the time it's proud because it knows,

oh yes it knows, the world is a different place a better place because of it.

Next time you look at a soldier's face, see if you can find that glint of pride.
Sometimes it’s hidden, and you have to search it out. You'll find it in the eyes always
in the eyes. For the eyes are indeed the windows to the soul, even a soldier's soul.

And when you've carefully examined every feature of that soldier's face, stand up
straight and tall and smile your best smile. Thank that soldier, because it does what
some cannot or will not. It defends what it believes to be right with it's very life.

But more important, it defends a perfect stranger, you.
And when you see a flag covered casket, stand in memorium of all the soldier's faces
you've examined. For when one of them falls, they all fall.

And when one of them stands,

they all stand.
Shouldn't we stand with them?

Lilian Leader
June 2, 2006

Weighing In!

I love painting on "delicious surfaces"! I spend hours searching through antique shops looking for appealing and unusual pieces that will become perfectly prim folk art works. Some of my favorites are old scales. Here are a few that I have painted lately.

The first features a laying hen on her nest of colorful primitive eggs. She is a Terrye French design. She now resides in Ohio with my friend, Linda, who is a collector extraordinaire.
Another chicken is featured on this vintage scale (also a TF design). She is painted to look like old muslin. Terrye is a folk artist who lives in Oklahoma and creates the most delightful patterns ever!

Here is one of her latest designs painted on a scale for my collector friend, Shirlee. This scale was in fabulous condition considering its age. Shirlee reports that it is living happily with her vast array of prim collectibles.

Finally, I found this rusty old scale at a recent tag sale. It require a lot of preparation before transforming it into a piece of Americana folk art. It is going to live with my artist friend MommaB (Vickie) in her home that is filled with all sorts of treasures.

For more of Terrye's exciting work, please visit her site... http://www.thepaintedpearbasket.com/

Welcome Summer!

We have just returned from a fabulous mini-vacation to beautiful Seaside, Florida. The water was crystal clear and the weather was picture perfect. We walked to Modica's Market ( http://tinyurl.com/2enuvwk) every morning to get our first cup of coffee. I don't think there could be a better way to start each day than to walk along the beach just after sunrise and see the early morning fishermen and the little crabs scurrying along the sand. If you have never been to Seaside, I urge you to put it on your "list of places to go"!

We read about the Saltwater Grill (http://www.saltwatergrillpcb.com/) in the latest copy of Southern Living Magazine and decided to give it a try. I high recommend the crab cake Napoleon if you get a chance to go there. It was an unbelievable combination of tasty ingredients and just delightful!!! There is a huge aquarium inside with a beautiful array of saltwater fish. We also ate at Boondocks ( http://tinyurl.com/2egjnew) where we had some of the best scallops and shrimp that we have ever eaten.

We have returned to Alabama tanned and completely rested from our short stay in Paradise! There is nothing more relaxing to us than being on the sugar sands of the Gulf Coast!