Silent Sermon Sunday

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

All Treats- No Tricks!

"Perhaps on Thursday," suggested Melissa, "We should put on our pointy hats and finest gear and go to lunch!"  A Samhain lunch with my girl?  I'm in!  So that's what we did.  And, can I tell you?  We brought so many smiles out of people and the conversations?!  Oh, yeah, we had tons of people talking to us. Starting with our waiter who got a real kick out of us and then started asking questions about the pagan community in the Pittsburgh area and all things Hallo'een.  And he concluded with, "I'm just a hippie! But you two are cool; have a great day and Happy Halloween!"

All through our leisurely stroll through Home Goods and then Target, we got so many compliments about our hats and we felt that we had done a very good deed by bringing some momentary joy to others as well as really tickling ourselves!

Meanwhile on the other side of the state, Sebastian the Crab, aka Ava, and the Butterfly Princess, aka Livy, were all ready for their evening of dancing and running with all the goblins and creatures who infiltrated their neighborhood and ran door to door yelling and squealing with delight! Laura says, "Yeah, this is a pretty cool neighborhood to go trick or treating!" Sadly, we had rain and wind which put a damper on the evening here in the Laurel Highlands, but still, I was ready with the candy and some conversation. People, please tell your little monsters that they're supposed to cry, "Trick or Treat!!!," when the door is opened to them. I thought it was just me, but lately I hear a lot of people saying, "These kids don't even know to say it anymore!" I mean seriously, if they don't say it, it's just basically begging for candy! C'mon, work to keep the traditions alive!!!

So, despite the weather, this Crone had the most wonderful and blessed start to the New Year and a great start to November which is the month when we all try to count our blessings and give thanks.  So I'll start today on this Feast of All Souls and Saints by saying how thankful I am for all the wonderful Mothers, Maidens and Crones in my life.  Thank you for making me rich with all the gifts your bring to my life!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka The Good Witch of The Laurel Highlands

Silent Sermon Sunday

Ava & Olivia

My fashion forward girls want to remind you

This week,

Stay on the sunny side of the street!

Namaste' Till Next Time,

Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

Girl Power!

It's been awhile since I've posted about my sweet girls.  And this recent pic sent by Laura is a great time to stop and take a moment to ponder how things are going.

Olivia is no longer a baby...and at four she's well on her way to being a young lady.  The colorful character standing in front is our Ava! 

What strikes me about this snap, isn't the cuteness of the girls so much as it seems you can see a relationship has developed between these two individuals.  It's the magic of the bonding that I find so interesting.  These two have become sisters in spirit as well as by genetics.

How does that magic happen?  Through daily interaction.  Through guidance by the individuals around them.  But mostly by the threads of connection we all share when we agree to come to this earth and share a lifetime with each other.

What I also like about this pic is the sense of fun and attachment to each other the girls exhibit.  But mostly what I like is the chance to share them with you and hope they bring a smile to your face as they did to mine.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Livy & Ava's Great Aunt Hol

If You Just Smile

It's been a long while since I've shared an image of my beloved Livy...so here she is looking all grown up.  She'll be four in a couple of months.  FOUR!  How does the time seep by and go so fast?!

One small toy at a time.  One Barbie outfit missing shoes.  One stuffed animal loved until the fur is off.  One princess costume worn until the sequins are all gone. 

One accomplishment at a time.  Going to 'school' for the first time.  Learning to say the Pledge of "Alleebance" all on your own with just the smallest bit of coaching.  One hug of your baby sister, Ava.  One more stern warning to your boxer, Georgie, "NO, Georgie!"

And, a visit to the hair salon with Mommy.  Where you get treated like the rock star that you are!  As Laura said in her message to me, "...she just looks so grown up and pretty in this picture that I had to share."  You're right Lar, she does.  And I am so tickled that you thought of me and sent it! 

It's hard not being close by to see these small changes and accomplishments.  I'll always wish we lived closer.  One day, if I keep smiling....I'm sure it will happen.

Didn't she just make your day a wee bit brighter when you saw her?  I'm smiling now while I write this.  I hope your smile carries you through your day.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

It's Those Eyes

Here's our Livy.  I haven't posted about her in awhile.  Laura took this pic on the fly.  Like a lot of great images, the ones you catch without thinking turn out to be the ones that reveal the most.

Michael commented, "Those are some deep eyes; old soul eyes."  I had been thinking the very same thing when he said it.  I sometimes think Livy is a very complex spirit and then there are other times when she is making Ava squee with delight or dancing around in her princess dress with her plastic shoes that I realize she's no different than any other three year old.  No different than any other Human Being.

I think all of us are more complex or more simple one minute to the next.  But one thing we remain always, is a unique thread of Spirit.

On a whim, Laura submitted this photo to a contest at an area children's boutique and Livy is one of the 12 children selected to be part of their upcoming catalog and advertising campaign.  They took part in a photo shoot at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.  It sounds like it was a very interesting adventure for Mom and Daughter.

I can't wait to see Livy in prime time.  But one thing I know....no matter how famous, or not, our Olivia is in her life she, just as Ava is also, a family star.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly  aka Great Aunt Holly

90 Whole Days And Counting

Well, here is Ava and her three month picture. Laura wrote, "Ava is now three months and I asked Livy to help me by holding the sign. Needless to say she was quite excited by that and wouldn't stop waving it around!"

I couldn't help but laugh when I look at Ava's expression. Is it just me or do you, also, hear her pleading, "Someone please, please help me!"

When I look back on Livy's series of monthly birthday pictures that I've shared on the blog, I get an immediate feeling of serenity and calm. Love in quiet motion captured in a quick click of a camera.

Somehow, now, when looking at photos of Livy & Ava together, I get the distinct impression that things at the Gonzalez house have changed and life as we knew it, will never be the same. Let the wild rumpus begin!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly x2

Commence The Giggling!

There are few things that I will miss about summer when it's gone. One of them is fresh corn. Livy would agree. Don't fret about the fact that the ear of corn is as big as her head. She can tackle it!

Each season, just like each person, has virtues and delicious parts. Hope you have the opportunity to experience that today. Yum!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

Silent Sermon Sunday

On days when life is hard, I stop and recall the days
when love was so easy to feel.
And, that makes all things possible once again.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Aunt Hol, Great Aunt Holly

A Quiz To Start Your Week

Remember this game from Sesame Street, "One of these things is not like the other things,"? Sure...so look very closely and find it in this picture.

Okay... it's a trick question... all of these in the picture are Baby Dolls. It's just that one of them means the world to me and I love her very much! Thought you all would like to see how our Livy is growing and flowing.

Hope your week gives you lots of things to smile about!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

Halloween Treats

Livy, Laura and Eric were here with us last weekend. And, it was then that I learned that within a few short months since I saw her last, our baby, has turned into a real girly-girl! She loves bracelets and ribbons, and things that are sparkly. Colors are the best ever! Clothes with frills and flounces attract her eye.

Proof yet again, that we come to this Earth with our personalities already engaged. Because if it was a case of learning to like what we see, we'd all be different. Laura, for example, is quite the fashionesta...but she's never been a cute girly-girl. Certainly she's always been very fashionable and stylish, but not all girl.

So, it was a natural that for Halloween this year, Livy is a pink ballerina. Please note her sparkling pink shoes...they make the ensemble for sure!

I love those two girls. So here's to another All Hallows Eve with...

...my Baby Girl and my Littlest Girl.

Hope your Halloween brought you moments of pure delight!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Aunt/Great Aunt Holly

Silent Sermon Sunday

God is great. God is good. Thank you for our daily food. By His hand we all are fed. Give us now our daily bread. (Or Primanti Brothers sandwich...)
~ Amen

Livy experiences her first Pittsburgh sandwich at the original Primanti Brothers.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

Then And Now

You may remember this photo. I captured it last Thanksgiving. When I posted it, I said it was now one of my new favorite images. I still love looking at it.

It's been awhile since I've posted anything about Livy. I suppose the days race by and I live so far removed from her day to day adventures. And, as she becomes more and more mobile, Laura has her hands full keeping on top of her and working and trying to do all the multi-tasks that crash into each day.

But, late last night, Laura had a free moment and sent me one of her new favorite images of Livy, and when I saw it...I knew I had to share it with you. So, here she is:

In less than a year...oh my goodness, look at the difference! Look how she's changed from infant to toddler. It takes my breath away.

It leaves me with the feeling, whispered deep inside, "Holly, don't sleep; don't blink; don't waste a moment. Life races by and treasures mature and the world changes. Don't waste even a scant 60 seconds. Like Livy, each moment is too precious to miss."

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Hol

Many Happy Returns of This Day

Today is the feast of the Epiphany in the Christian calender; the day that marks the ultimate destination of three wise men who journeyed for months, perhaps years, following a new star in the heavens. Following it only on a hunch...not facts.

They followed through days not really knowing what they would find; who would be there at the end of the journey; how it would look. They simply set their eyes on the heavens and progressed step by step toward it.

I have always loved this story for the courage of conviction that it suggests. I love it more for knowing that we must often travel guided only by faith and hope. Most of all, I love the story because it teaches that many times, blind faith and willingness to follow a dream can pay off in huge ways you could not predict.

Happy Little Christmas to all of us! Let's walk through 2010 with hope and trust in the road ahead.

But, as much as I've always loved January 6, since I am Italian and growing up we celebrated it with a special meal and cookies after...now the day means so very, very, very much more.

For today is the birthday of our beloved Olivia who turns one whole year! And, I look at this picture to see her standing under her own power and holding onto little treasures so securely. But, mostly I look at that smile and know what it means when a child abides in an atmosphere of joy, love, and affection.

I look at that picture and think back on the long, often difficult journey, Laura and Eric traveled to become pregnant and how they had to hold tight to their hopes and dreams when faced with set-backs and disappointments.

They held onto their hopes, fixed their eyes on the heavens and kept walking forward. To find Olivia at the end of their hard journey. To find that their Epiphany, their Little Christmas, is wrapped in a smile on a divine angel's face.

Happy Birthday dearest Olivia Grace! My Littlest Girl, I wish you many, many happy returns of your day.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

Sometimes An Image...

...for reasons you can't explain in words, simply captivates your attention, perhaps your heart.

Maybe it's the quality of the light, or the contrast in shadows. Most certainly it's generally the subject matter. But, that's not always a given as I've been attracted to some images where I didn't like the subject...

The image may not be taken by someone with mad skills in photography. Composition may be woefully off. Clarity may not be its best, even. Still, you love it.

So, I can't really explain to you the whys...

I can only tell you, that this picture I took on Thanksgiving Day, is my new favorite.


And, although I know there will be thousands of more new favorites to come based on this subject matter of Olivia...I think this one will always make my eyes go soft, and my breathing slow, and my emotions run to gentle things.

I hope just such an image comes to your eyes today.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

It's A Jungle In Here Now

"Aunt Hol, I was wondering if you could paint a palm tree and some grass on Livy's nursery walls. I'd like to add some color in there and since we have the whole jungle theme, I thought it would be cute."

"Sure, I think I could do that for you! Let's do it the day after Thanksgiving while I'm down there. It shouldn't take me that long."

So, that's what I did for my Baby Girl and her Littlest Girl. When I looked the space over, I asked, "Do you really only want one palm tree? I'm thinking it would be more fun if there were more, but it's your call." Laura answered, "Well sure, I'd like them but I was afraid I'd be asking you to spend too much of your time if it was more."

One or several, it's about the same time I explained. So, she sat on the floor and chatted with me while Michael and Eric kept Livy occupied downstairs. Of course refusing to be left out, you can see Georgie, my assistant, in this picture. She was quite the good Boxer girl through the whole process.

This is the artist's publicity shot. I will autograph it for you if you wish! You can see my absolute delight in being a daily part of Livy's world. Even when I am not there, now I will be.

Monkeys and critters now have a place to rest instead of being mid-air without anything to catch them while they swing about.

And, now when Princess Olivia gets her bottom changed, she'll have more than just a blue monkey to capture her attention. Laura says that every morning after she's changed Livy, she stands up on the changing table and with deliberation, waves at the animals marching along the wall. How fun is that?

When it was complete, the client was invited in to examine the work and determine what she thinks of it. No sense buying it if you don't like it. She was quite a critical eye and looked very closely at it all.

She stopped to carefully ponder it before giving her vote of approval, "Hmm...let me consider it all first."

And, then, very suddenly, I got the biggest reward ever for some paint and a wee bit of time. I'll remember that smile forever, I think!

So, the day after Thanksgiving, three girls got together and made another great memory. My Baby Girl and my Littlest Girl were as pleased as they could be.

Here's the best surprise of all, and Michael was there to witness it so you can ask him if you don't believe me. I know that everyone thinks their baby is the most miraculous thing, the most talented, the most adorable, the brightest, the fill-in-the-blank. And, I often remark how fast babies seem to develop in our fast paced world.

But, Livy is only 10 months old. And, this is what she did when she came in the room to see the mural for the very first time. She sat in Eric's arms starring at the walls. She stopped for a bit and then, she clapped her tiny hands! Olivia clapped!

Can you imagine being so small yet so aware of your surroundings and so tickled with the changes?

Amazing I tell you! Simply Amazing.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly the Painter

Silent Sermon Sunday

Love is all you need.
~The Beatles

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka The Painter aka Great Aunt Holly

Autumn Never Looked So Sweet

Is it the same at your home this year? Has this fall been one of the most lush and beautiful? Full of bright moments of sunlight that glints off of pumpkins, gourds, mums? Making them glow...

Early mornings that drip with dew or snap with frost in fields that have been mown and now lay brown and sleepy? On walks through your town, have you noticed the bright carpets of leaves of every color? Resting on green lawns where they wait to be piled up and jumped in?

Have you been graced by a visit of an angel or two, stopping by to remind you with a whisper that the season is fleeting but its beauty last forever?

So long as it is held in reverence by you...in your heart...in your spirit.

I was lucky enough to catch one of those angels in the act of making it real and memorable for me. I thought I'd share it with you. Livy, ten months and counting.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Adores Autumn & Livy

Fall Sun Flowers

It's cooing time again! I am so in love with the holidays through the experiences of this Livy of ours...so please indulge me while I share her first Halloween with you all.

Laura loves sunflowers; I plant them every spring just so I can think of her and send love when I see them. And, her nature is exactly as you would think a sunflower's to be. Happy, sunny, generous, laughing, and supportive. Not sure if that's what attracts her to them, but they do share the same qualities. She's always liked them. So, when she dreams up a costume for her baby girl's first Halloween, what could be more appropriate?

Livy meets some of the neighbors for her first Fall fun, and shows off in style. That goose is just too much to resist.

Grammy LAMmy looks as if she's found her all time favorite sunflower just ripe for the hugging and the squeezing!

And, what sunflower wouldn't pick up all sorts of treats with a smile that big and wheels that stylin'? So going to have candy for a year, I can just feel it!

On the cloudy gray days that are sure to be part of my world as the season shifts again, this is the sunny flower I'll keep close to remember that even when the sky is gray, far above the clouds, waits the sun to smile and shine.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly

Livy Inside & Out

Oh, it's that time again! Time for some Livy Love!! Here's the picture I received yesterday:

Imagine this sweetie is nine months old already! Look at her standing there all by herself and very proud. If you click the picture to enlarge it, you'll note how white the ends of her wee digits are as she uses all her might to keep herself upright and steady! I want to just eat her all up with a spoon!!

And, as much as these posts really are about the little girl, this time it's more about Laura' sign. It strikes me that Livy has been out here in the world for the same amount of time she spent 'becoming' inside Laura's body. What a miracle...what a miracle.

I can't put it into words exactly how this makes me feel. I guess I'm just a little awed by it. For, if I've come to love her so much in nine short months, how much more can her mother love her having known her twice that long? Sharing a secret that just the two of them can have. The sense of emotional and mental connection that perked over the long nine months when Livy lived unseen, unformed as the Human Being that we know now. But, Laura knew; I'm sure a mother does. Not that there aren't unimagined surprises now that she's out here with us.

When she was inside Laura, she may have been less of a known entity for us, but I'm thinking that's not the case for my adored niece who communed with her baby every moment of every day over nine months; 270 days more or less.

Don't misunderstand what I'm going to say next. Because I absolutely support a woman's right to choose. ABSOLUTELY. But, seeing that nine month sign-the same amount of time a child spends inside becoming... When I can be so in love with someone who's only been outside with us for nine months, it makes me wonder why we even have an option to consider.

When I see that pink sign that I now associate with a baby I've come to adore, I'm not sure how I feel about the whole issue of choice. Now I'm not so sure in light of how much I'm thrilled that she is here. Knowing how desperately Eric & Laura wanted a baby and how much time, energy, and money they invested to bring a spirit into being, I wonder about those who take the other route. I think about how our lives are richer for this nine month miracle being part of our world, and I wonder about why we are blessed while others find they must say, "No."

Where does that leave me? A little shaken; up until now I've been absolutely certain in this one issue. I suppose I'm absolutely certain that I wish every child was as welcomed and wanted as our Olivia is. However, I'm no longer absolutely sure about the issue of the right to choose being an absolutely good thing. I guess we have to examine our absolutes in light of new information when it's presented.

You know?

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Great Aunt Holly