The Gypsy Wagon:

Hats

It was a day of hats at the United States Naval Academy graduation ceremony today.

There were hats with ribbons and hats with bows.

There were hats for high fashion

And hats for utilitarian function

Wide-brimmed hats

And hats with a narrower brim

There were high-tea hats

And court-side hats

There were official insignia'd hats

There were hats at a rakish angle

And there were hats anticipating their big moment

And then there were hats aloft

And when it was all over, some of those hats found new homes - perhaps on the heads of future midshipmen.

Posted at 08:27 PM in Life as I see it | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Mothers Day

This is one of my favorite pictures of Mom and me. It was taken when I was about 5 months old in the backyard of my grandparents house. I think Mom looks very Jackie-O in this picture, and so happy.

I remember the slatted fence in that back yard and peering through it when I was small, and climbing to look over it as I got bigger. And I remember that tree with the caladiums around it. Can you see the caladiums behind Mom? They were enormous. I see the jalousie windows in the background, and I don't remember those being in the den - but I guess they were. I spent hours in that yard, days in the house and wonderful overnights in this house that Mom grew up in. I wish I had a picture of her mom (my Muller), Mom, Carey and me, but Muller was gone before I ever had children.

I 've been so lucky --that all of the moms in my life - the grandmothers, the great aunts, the aunts, and the girlfriends have all contributed to my vision of motherhood and to what I hope to be as a mother. They've all given me so much - experience, stories, advice, wisdom and strategies. None have given me as much as my Mom.

Thanks, Mom. I love you.

Posted at 05:14 PM in Life as I see it | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Magical May Day

Until we moved to Annapolis for the first time in 1999, I didn't know what a big deal May day was.

Businesses and downtown homeowners go to great lengths to create beautiful and creative baskets to display on May 1.

This is one of a pair that graced the gates at the Naval Academy. The Garden Club takes care of these.

Here's another:

The basket with the long blue and gold ribbons showed up on my door for May Day. I suspect I know who the May Day basket fairy was, but she hasn't 'fessed up yet. I'll wear her down. . .

I think it was she-who-helped-with-my-guest room. I'm still in the throes of moving in and getting settled and just generally being overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of ~~junk~~ interesting stuff and dust in my house. My parents came in from Texas last Wednesday, and she helped me get the guest room prepared for them. All I want to say about that is Thank God for generous friends who have enormous reserves of talent and creativity! Here are a few photos of the transformation. (Keep in mind that this is the room you last saw here: Fortunately, hel p arrived and now this room looks like this: