FAREWELL SWEET DIAVOLINO

Poor little Freddie Cat became so skinny.
Vet exam + ultra sound.
Lymphoma. Agressive Cancer.
Maybe 3-4mos...but as the Vet says...they can
fool you.
He tried hard to carry on.

But eating almost nothing.
Just wanted milk.
Wobbling now not scooting into
the corridor when I opened the door.
A kiss on that sweet little head
instead of our chase.



With every ounce of strength, hauling
himself up and onto his favorite folded
blanket bed on Bubbe Sarah's old chair
by the door.
Joining Tizzy for afternoon treats,
but not eating any.

My sweet little diavolino Freddie Cat's struggle ended
last Monday, June 12, 2017.

Deeply sad. 
Full of love, fun, pranks and life. Always purring.
Missing his dear little face every day.

Heartfelt deepest gratitude to Dr Christine Kirnos, The Cat Hospital of Media and Dr Brad Bates, Hospice Vet with THE LAP OF LOVE Veterinary Hospice services for their great care, devotion and compassion for Cats (and their Humans).... 🐱❤️🐱❤️

MOM, HER MOM, HER MOM & ME

                                                      

            

            🌺 HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY !!! 🌺

My Mom, her Mom (left), her Mom (middle) and Me. Four generations!!

Great Grandmother Sarah (middle) once told me that she had seen Queen Victoria
pass by in her carriage during her Diamond Jubilee in London, England. During the
present Queen's Jubilee I found a map on the internet showing Queen Victoria's route
through the East End of London. Likely, along which my Great Grandmother saw her.

                                  

   From Queen Victoria's Scrapbook http://www.queen-victorias-scrapbook.org/contents/8-3.html

MOM'S BIRTHDAY

Susan, Jock. Mom. Ted, Me c.
mid 1950's

Remembering, celebrating and missing our 

dearest, loving, beautiful, bright, funny, 

courageous, late Mom and Mom Mom on her

92nd birthday (33 Celsius - thanks, George Carlin) 

today.

GIVING THANKS

My cover art/ Ladybug mag.

Giving thanks for my loving caring funny 
family and friends.

A PIANO TALE

Because our Mom was the apple of her Daddy's eye,

Mom on her Daddy's shoulder, Atlantic City, NJ around 1926.

He wanted her to have the best of everything.
Mom loved music.

So when she was eight years old, her Dad bought her a

piano. 

And it was GRAND! Actually, a small grand piano,

made by one of the best piano makers in the world.

Krakauer. 

Mom, age about 5 or 6, a few years behore she got her pian

Mom learned to play her beautiful piano.

She had it all her life. 

When she married.

Mom about 20, just before marriage.

Had the 4 of us.

.

We all played UNDER the piano.

We plunked keys.

Some of us took lessons...but only sister Susan

was good at it.

We moved 8 times growing up and Mom's piano

always went with us. It was restored, keys replaced

and refinished. Originally black, then rich auburn.

After each move, Mom had it tuned.

Sadly, Mom left us at the end of May.

Couldn't take anything with her, not even her
precious piano.

We are looking for a new home for her piano.

MOM, HER MOM, HER MOM and ME

          H A P P Y   M O T H E R S   D A Y 
                
                 ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥       ♥      ♥

Mom, me, Great Grandmom and Grandmom, ©carolyncroll 2013

                 ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥       ♥      ♥

FYI

My illustration from my Maria Sibylla Merian project 2013

Want to thank steadfast followers. 
Haven't lost interest in keeping this blog. 
But continue to be occupied with the care
of our Mom, critically ill for the last 6 mos.
A profound experience for all involved.

Carolyn C.

❊ PEACE ON EARTH ❊

(illustration from my book THE LITTLE SNOWGIRL)

Difficult year ending.
Hoping for a better year 2013

BIRTHDAY GIRL AT 90

     Our Mom turns 90 today or as she likes to say (nodding to George Carlin) 32 celsius.
     
     Unconditional love, devotion, determination and great humor. 

     Lost her vision to the inherited disorder Retinitis Pigmentosa (ruined retinas due to the inability to metabolize vitamin A).  Completely blind for the last 30 years. 
    With equanimity and grace, accepting that which she could not change. Relinquishing the pleasures of the visual arts, live theater and shopping. Mom has never seen most of my books.
    Yet still taking great pleasure in music and conversation and family adventures. 
Interested in politics, the Franklin Institute Red Tail Hawks and the internet among other things.
     
     In fragile health these last few months.  
     Celebrating your milestone birthday with all our love, hugs, kisses, gourmet lunch and sweet potato pecan cupcakes with cream cheese icing!!


               ❤❤ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR MOM!! ❤❤

                                                   
   

Bunnies and Brisket / Matzoh and Jelly Beans

Some of my illustrations and little egg books from
The Great Easter Egg Hunt, by Mary Packard /Workman

                         

Arriving together this year.
Two holidays linked from antiquity, Passover and Easter.
Growing up with family Passover traditions.
Clearing kitchen cupboards of everything leavened.
Family seders, Hagaddahs read in Hebrew and exuberant singing. Gefilte fish with horseradish, charoses, brisket and matzah instead of leavened bread. 


My childhood best friend, Pommy, and her family celebrated Easter traditions. 
Baskets of chocolate rabbits, jelly beans, decorated eggs and marshmallow chicks.

These days my Lutheran sister in law makes the family seder complete with gefilte fish, charoses and Passover plate.

Always managed to enjoy the best of both traditions and still do!

My illustration for The Story of Passover / Moses and the Burning Bush
this book was never published, canceled by a corporate merger between 2
publishers (See March 10, 2010 post, The Story of Passover)

Another of my illustrations for The Story of Passover / The Seder

Brotherly Love

Blogging to you from high above the city of

brotherly love.

Celebrating dear Freddie's 9th birthday!!

Don't know for sure the exact date, but

somewhere within the last week of January

and first week of February.

Tizzy was 3 when Fred arrived and not at all

happy to share his comfortable life.

Fred did little to win him over.

Slept in his beds.

Played with his toys.

Chasing the big guy around and wanting

to play when Tizzy wanted to sleep.

Nothing irritated Tizzy more than the

baby cat licking his face.

It still does. 

Its about who's the boss. Freddie never learns. Nano seconds after

this shot, a feline re-enactment of an Ali/Fraser fight. =^..^=

Spork Maestro

Recently, searched the Net for a combination fork 
and spoon eating utensil. 
Thought it might help my blind Mom eat more
comfortably.
Discovered the spork.
Familiar to kids and campers.
I wanted one that fit in with regular silverware.
Discovered the ETSY shop bosen / handcrafted
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bosen

Mom's first Bosen made spork, photo ⓒ Bosen 2012, with permission

 Bosen, the shop proprietor and craftsperson, recycles

old worthy teaspoons of "good quality and with character",

painstakingly searched for in thrift stores and garage sales.

Then careful grinding, sanding and filing transforms them into

these useful and unique utensils. Often completing the

transformation by engraving a word like "NOURISH" or 

"Eat" on the stem. 

Bosen credits trying to eat penne pasta at lunch with 

a rounded spoon. Studying bronze casting at a foundry at

the time encouraged the thought of creating tines on the front

edge of the spoon. 

And it works magnificently! 

My Mom started raving immediately!

Amusingly, she was eating a penne pasta dish 

at the time.

I immediately sent for 2 more of Bosen's sporks for Mom.

Now I want some of my own.

These 2 Bosen sporks arrived yesterday, photos ⓒ Bosen 2012, with permission

When not "sporkifying" spoons, Bosen restores older steel 

bicycles and finds them new owners in the small town in

on the North shore of Monterey Bay in Central California

where Bosen lives. 

Bosen writes, "I am passionate about sustainable human 

powered transportation which means keeping every last 

bicycle out of landfills and scrap piles. I make a life of 

turning beat up, neglected old bicycles into smooth running, 

useful machines that will serve their owners for decades to come. 

I suggest you bring along your trusty unique Bosen spork 
for when you stop for lunch and/or dinner. Enjoy your meal.

Thanking its enigmatic, conscientious creator/ recycler.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bosen

Hooray For Fran Manushkin!

Thanks to author Fran Manushkin. 
A delightful introduction to Hanukkah customs 
and family celebration of the Jewish Festival 
of Lights for the very young.

Each night a new candle is added to
the Menorah.
The whole family prepares and dines on
golden latkes, plays dreidel, sings Hanukkah
songs and enjoys chocolate Hanukkah gelt (coins). 

Watched by their playful tabby kitten.                       
Sharing Hanukkah fun and joy for 8 days and nights.                   
In remembrance of a miracle from 2nd century BC.   
A small amount of holy oil in the Temple burned 
for 8 days enabling the ancient Jews time to prepare 
a new supply in order to rededicate their Temple. 
My Art Director at Random House asked me
to set the celebrations in an early 20th century
city brownstone.
At that time most Jews living in eastern cities,
including some of my family, were poor hard-
working immigrants living in cramped tenements.
But that is a different story.
Simple Stickley style furniture remembered
from my Great Grandmother as well as another
Grandmother's Menorah and old family photos
helped inspire my illustrations.

A Day That Lives In Family

December 7, 2011, a day that lives in our family.

Wishing Mom a very Happy Birthday!!

So let the celebrating begin!!

Huge hugs and many kisses and all my love,

Carolyn

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Brother Dear

From the get go, my brother Ted was a

caution. All energy, fearless and funny.

Always up to something.

Still is!! 
And as you can see, here with his
daughter...............
Its hereditary!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!, carissimo Fratello T.
Love you to pieces!
Huge hugs. many XXXXX and all my love.
Sorella C

The Bead Of A Different Drummer

(click on images to enlarge)


I can hear them now. 

My future heirs, in my apartment

sorting and clearing what I've left behind.

"Do you realize how much she would have

left us if it wasn't for all these beads and books

and dolls and stuff?"

I can almost sympathize. 

I will have taken my adventures, stories, characters and moments of

serendipity traveling abroad and/or more locally with me.
And the beat goes on..  
Uh, or make that the bead goes on

The name of my favorite booth at last weekend's BeadFest

Philadelphia 2011. (actually in Oaks, PA- west of Valley Forge).

My equally bead obsessed cousin Janet came from NYC with

a group from FIT and met me there. 

Beaded beads at the bead goes on

another view/ the bead goes on booth at BeadFest 2011, Philadelphia

So much to see, touch and talk about while choosing.

Got to tell Diane Hawkey how much I love her wimsical beads.

And the visual feast at the bead goes on's booth of tempting treasures.

Hand painted beauties from Asia, the bead goes on

2 head beads/ the bead goes on

Huge apple green jade beads from Asia/ the bead goes on

Old Afghan coins / the bead goes on

2 huge Venetian blown glass beads with millefiori decoration/
the bead goes on

Diane Hawkey's delightful handmade ceramic  houses and mermaid

     Strand of pretty Chinese lampwork beads, carved bone kitties,
        Venetion blown glass and Diane Hawkey ceramics together in grande finale  :~)

the bead goes on      www.beadgoeson.com
Diane Hawkey        http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com/

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

I share my Mom with my sister 
and two brothers. She's been my 
Mom longer because I got
here first. Not that it really matters. 
She always tells us she loves all 
her children equally.

Mom lost her sight completely a 
number of years ago. 
Listening to my war stories, she takes 
my side but can't see my art work or 
how gray her 4 children have become. 


Memorizing all her numbers, credit cards, 
phone numbers, anniversaries, birthdays, 
medical appointments. Mom carries on 
with few complaints and lots of laughter. 

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!