Peach Coglo

Gratitude

The summer has been flying along.  For some reason, I thought it would go slowly and that there would be many an afternoon spent lazing around the house, the yard and the beach.  Who am I kidding?  None of my children ever really laze around no matter how hard I try to teach them.  Even though we are as busy as ever, I really am trying to take the time to notice the really small but beautiful moments before they fade away.  I am trying to notice and be grateful for these moments amongst all of the hustle that seems to happen so naturally around here.  In that spirit, here are some things I am especially grateful for this summer.

 

I cannot get enough of hydrangeas.  I have a lot of 'favorite' flowers, but these hold such mystery and pleasure for me.  I have loved hydrangeas ever since I was five years old. 

Storm clouds backlit by the sun are also full of mystery and beauty to me.  I think I have always loved these too.  Being able to experience the drama and color of such clouds is one of the best things about being alive on this Earth.

But more than this summer's luxurious flowers and dramatic clouds, I am grateful for this:

I am catching this smile often lately.  Even though there are many moments of stress and worry, Doran is growing and expressing himself in incredible ways.  He is 'with' us a lot more now and we are 'with' him more too.   It's simply wonderful. 

What are you feeling especially grateful for lately?

Nutty Tomatoes and Hair Accessories

Our tomatoes have gone a bit nutty.  The tomato garden looks like a jungle.  This is what happens when a) you don't snip off the tomato suckers, and b) you don't stake, cage or otherwise support your tomato plants while they are young.  Some years we have it together, other years not so much.   This is an especially not so much year.  Greg and I would plan to get the cages out and then we would forget.  One time we got some cages out around some plants, and then became distracted by some appointment or other or a squabble or someone hurting a toe.  I can't remember what happened.  You can see the results.  When looking at the plants this way, I am reminded that tomatoes really are a vine and they will creep and crawl wherever they can unless one takes measures.

This plant in the middle is one tomato plant.  It's a Red Siberian that we grew from Landreth seeds.  This type of tomato is supposed to withstand cooler temperatures which we have had in the past.  It's been warm very hot lately so I don't know how they will fare. 

Finally, we took measures.  We managed to purchase some more cages and get them around the plants that had gone without.  We have found that the mighty 'tomato tower' works well for us because we usually don't get around to trimming the suckers and consequently the plants grow tall and wide.  Also, instead of having to lower the cage over the plants, this design allows us to 'wrap' the support around the tomato plant.  The only thing about the towers is that they get all kinds of tangled together during the winter season.  The hooks that attach the sides to each other seem to move by themselves somehow.  It is worth the five minutes or so it takes to untangle them as the tomato plants are supported very well as the fruit gets heavier and heavier.

Of course the kiddos got into the action.  Well, mostly Elijah did.  Doran played; Eden tried to pick tomatoes and Helena ran circles around us.  The towers were as tall as Elijah, but he was determined to get them around the tomatoes and into the ground.  He did not want any assistance.  None.  I finally stepped in when I thought he would lose an eye on one of those hooks.  After we got the tomatoes safely caged, it was time for some relaxation.  What better way to relax than to adorn oneself with flowers.  I truly get a kick watching these children execute their ideas.

Those towers are huge and unwieldy!  Elijah was doing his best to maneuver them.  On a side note, the silly band is courtesy of their doctor.  Despite their requests for them, we had escaped the bands until now.  Maybe the fad will be over by the time they have their next appointment. ;-) 

 

 

Eden is not really loving the flower accessory, no matter how lovingly given.

 

Having been rejected by Eden, the flower moves on to Elijah.

I have actually been planning our fall garden.  In the midst of planning though, my thoughts have actually jumped ahead to next Spring.  Next year, I have pledged to pull off at least a few tomato suckers, plant even more tomatoes, and cage those babies early!  Is anyone else already making plans for next year's spring and summer gardens?  Have you committed a gardening sin this season?

 

And the flower makes its final stop here.

Rocking Chair, rocking chair

 

First things first ~ thank you all so very much for your wonderful comments yesterday!  It is a privilege to share this blog, my life really, with such kind, supportive, inspiring, and fun people!  You all (I almost said "y'all") made my day.  Your thoughtful compliments, words of advice and encouragement were so needed and I appreciate every one of you!  I am delighted and quite honored that you take time out of your day to stop by to visit for a bit.  Thank you!

School will be starting soon, so the task for me lately is to find desks for Elijah and Helena.  We live in a small house, but every family member still needs her space.  If I organize well, everyone can have her own space, but that's the trick isn't it.  I have these fantasies about the children doing their homework peacefully at the dinner table while I tend a simmering stew over the stove.  Hmm, on second thought, they really need some desks.

I grew up using an awesome rolltop desk that my mother had used when she was a child.  It was child-sized but it looked so fancy to me.  Boy do I wish I still had it.  I felt very official and grownup when I used it.  I loved that desk even if I did attempt to paint a tiny Bugs Bunny portrait on it with red nail polish.  Yeah, I know.

Anyway, I have been hitting the thrift stores in search of the perfect desks.  Several months ago, I saw two neat school desks that I should have snapped up.  But alas I didn't, so I am searching now.  Needless to say, I haven't found my desks.  However, I did find a rocking chair- a nice solid one too!  I have been in search of one for a couple of years now.  It's not especially old or really special in any way except I that I like it.  We needed some more comfortable seating in our house.  I think it would work either on the back porch or in the basement where I sew and the kids play and do a lot of crafting.  Rocking chairs are incredibly comforting and this one will fit in our home nicely.  The kids love it. 

 
One afternoon Elijah was peacefully enjoying the chair until Eden decided she wanted to rock too.  I was trying to make sure she didn't fall.  She was trying to make sure I left her alone.  Elijah was trying to rock in peace.  Then Elijah suggested we bring out the baby rocking chair.  Genius!  Why didn't I think of that?  

This chair was a lovely gift from Mema to Doran when he was a baby.  She painted it especially for him.  Doran used it, then Helena and Elijah used it.  Now it's Eden's turn.  She adores "her chair".  She is quite protective of it.  If anyone goes near the chair, they can be sure to be scolded  with a "non, non, non!"  (Inexplicably, Eden has a French accent when she says 'no').  So at the sound of her scolding, chattering and finger-pointing, everyone scatters and her chair is left in peace.  Ironically, having her own chair doesn't stop her from trying to use the big people's rocking chair too.  ;-)

She is convinced she can use both chairs simultaneously.

So the search for desks continues, but at least I have my rocking chair (when I can shoo the kids off and get time to sit in it myself).  I am looking forward to many cozy evenings embroidering and knitting in this chair.  Bliss!

Art Submissions

Can I just tell you that submitting pictures of my paintings makes me nuts?  They look so different in photographs than they do in person.  The vibrancy isn't the same, neither is the context.   I feel like I can see every mistake, everything I would like to change; every section that I find disagreeable is magnified for all the world to see.  Yeah, I have a complex, or maybe I don't.  ;-)

The other day I submitted my artist statement and pictures of some of my past artwork for the Hartford Open Studio show.  I felt like I was at the dentist getting an especially aggressive cleaning.  I feel completely obnoxious writing about myself, and it's not always easy to share my paintings.   It's something to be grateful for, though, being able to share with other human beings, but boy do I feel a little dorky doing it - oh the conflict.

Even as I was getting my artist statement ready, I realized I wouldn't be able to meet the poetry contest deadline.  I need to be able to sit with my paintings for a while.  I am disappointed, but maybe next year.  It was actually an easy decision to make.  I couldn't possibly submit something that was not ready.  During this process Greg was especially adept at helping me get more time to work.  Also, I was trying my new "work amongst the family" technique which was somewhat helpful.  It may sound corny but I did learn a lot and came upon some new ideas I hope to have ready in time for the show.  In the meantime here are pictures of some of my paintings. 

I painted these oranges on a thank you note.

 

  I painted this for my parents' wedding anniversary.  You can see I based it on the Book of Kells which I absolutely love.  I couldn't find watercolor paper in the exact antiqued color I wanted, so I 'aged' the bright white paper myself.  It had the best time making this. 

As I struggle with my own art and creative challenges, I want to ask how do you handle challenges in your work? Does self-critique get in your way?  Which affects you more, the critique of others or of your own voice in your head?  How do you feel when a project doesn't work out the way you planned?  How do you feel about presenting and sharing your work? 

I had a great time painting this one too!  This is an old Farmall tractor that sits on Greg's parents' farm.

First Eggplant

Elijah is a farmer.  Everyday he amazes me with his interest in plants, nature and gardening.  He notices all of the teeny details.  He gives us his theories about why this plant will or won't grow.  He walks his "fields" several times a day.  Yesterday, he announced that he wants to grow a maple tree in his room.  Hmm, we'll have to figure out something doable.

Besides tending his crops, Elijah enjoys cooking.  He is intensely interested in seeing how meals are made and making them himself.  The other day he got the chance to harvest and cook.  We made eggplant parmesan.  We covered the eggplant slices in egg and dipped them in breadcrumbs that we seasoned with parmesan, thyme, oregano, and basil.  After baking them until they were crispy, we layered tomato sauce and cheese over them.  We managed to get two complete layers of eggplant, sauce and cheese with the two eggplants Elijah harvested.

Elijah is surveying his crops while Eden helps by placing dirt on the leaves.

The finished product . . . .

 

They wiped out the eggplant parmesan completely and quickly.  Doran must have had about six helpings.  Helena, who can barely be bothered to sit down to a meal, had at least two helpings.  Eden loved it too.  Elijah chose to grow the Dancer Eggplant this year.  I like it much better than the bigger varieties that seem to get a bit tough.  As you can see it worked wonderfully for us.

Look at that proud face enjoying what he grew and cooked. 

Well, we lucked out on this variety of eggplant and the recipe.  It's something we will make again.  Do you and your family have vegetables you like to grow and eat?  Is there a special something you dream of growing one day?  Happy Monday everyone!

Of Broken Pears and Flexibility

Luckily I got a picture of 'the buffet' before the pear incident.  I like recording the scenes my children create as they play.

The other day, Helena came rushing down the stairs 'in a state'.  She was very upset because her pear was broken.  A school friend had given her some toy horses as a birthday present.  Apparently this toy pear, along with some other toy fruit, came with it.  I suppose the fruit was meant to feed the horses.  Over the past week, Helena had been laying out a buffet quite regularly.  Now she was upset.  "Daddy broke my pear!  He stepped on it and broke it!"  I asked Helena to show me the pear.  She handed me two pieces that had absolutely no chance of being rejoined as one ever again.  I told her I could understand why she was so disappointed and upset.  Then, on a dime, she said, "You know what?  I am thankful Dad broke my toy!"  I was disbelieving. "Really?!", I asked.  "Yes, because now I have two.  It looks like someone took a bite out of the pear.  Now I can just have a pear with a bit out of it."

I did not expect this reaction from Helena.  She is a very passionate and empathetic child.  She feels happiness and sadness intensely.  She can get stuck (like her mother) when things don't go the way she expected or if something unpleasant happens.  Also, like her mother, she gets pretty upset when someone messes up her stuff. 

I was simply amazed at her calm and flexibility.  Ironically, I started to worry that Helena was too happy too soon.  I wanted her to feel better, but I also wanted her to know it was okay to be sad about her broken toy, or as she would say, "It's irreversibly changed!"  I didn't want her to stuff her feelings down or feel that she couldn't express them.  So maybe working harder than I should have, I told her that it was okay to be sad or even angry, and that she didn't have to pretend to be happy if she really wasn't.  "I know.", she replied.  Well okay then.  She seemed truly fine with the situation.  I was happy that Helena handled the situation so well, that she felt so content and calm.  So I let her be.

This incident and her reaction to it sparked some questions.  What happens to us when we get stuck, unable to see the other side?  What opportunities are missed?  How does being stuck affect our health, well-being and others?  I think I will follow Helena's lead and redouble my efforts to be flexible, to see the other side when things don't quite go my way.  I have a feeling I will need it, as my contest deadline looms and I am still working out my paintings.  Yikes.  Here's to flexibility, contentment and calm.  Have a great weekend everyone!  Until Monday . . .

Inside the Vent

As many of you know, we are a family living with autism.  With that reality, we experience frustration, but also fun - often simultaneously.  Such was the situation with the vent in Doran's room.  Many children with autism have obsessions or perseverate on one thing or another.  Doran has been rather occupied with vents for about eight years now.  He can spot them a mile away no matter the design or placement in a room or building for that matter.  Lately, he has been fiddling around with his vent in his room.  Practically every time the air or heat comes on, Doran scrambles to lie down in from of the vent so he can feel the air rush out onto his face. 

Because Doran is nine years old and we would like for him to have some independence, Greg and I allow him some time in his room alone.  He often needs time away from his siblings and the noise and chaos they can create.  I can relate.  Sometimes I need to hide too!  We check on him to make sure he is not into too much mischief or to engage him so he doesn't get too far into himself.  Mostly, he comes out when he is ready to be around the bustle of the house.  This little system usually works well.  There are times, though, when he gets too quiet, and we aren't quick enough to catch everything. 

One night, I heard "clink, pause, clink, pause" for about five minutes.  I couldn't quite figure out from where the noise originated.  Since no one was screaming in pain, the baby was asleep, and I was exhausted, I let it go.  A few seconds later  "clink, pause, clink, pause", and it hit me.  Doran!  Well Mr. Man was in his room pushing money from his owl bank into his vent.  Boy was I annoyed.  I told him to stop and took the bank he was working with out of his room.  "Clink, pause, clink, pause", another bank!  I took that one out.  "Clink, pause", okay fine!  I took every bank (for some reason he has a lot of coin banks) and every bit of spare change I saw floating around Doran's room out.  I was so irritated.  I thought to myself, "This child is nine.  I am tired.  Why won't he just stop?!"  Well, he can't.  So I moved on. 

Greg and I aren't able to watch Doran every minute of the day.  We have tried, believe me.  It isn't good for him, us, or the other children.  So we begrudgingly let this one go hoping that if we ignored this behavior it would stop.  No such luck.  He even put his Barnes and Noble gift card in the vent.  That wasn't so funny.  However, I calmed myself down by remembering that Greg could probably fish it out and if not, we had a receipt.  If by chance, the receipt didn't work, then that's life; it's only a gift card.  So there Vent Maestro, I reframed my perspective! 

The vent situation started to become funny.  Sometimes we succeeded in ignoring Doran's behavior, sometimes not.  I would tell Doran to stop pushing things in his vent.  He would stop, but usually in a day or two he would go back to it and the next time he was sure to be quieter about it.  It was the old cat and mouse game.  I would hear him tripping over himself in his room when he heard my footsteps approaching.  He cracked me up with his attempt to look innocent.  Ironically, I was happy because he was trying to sneak around.  Supposedly he is not supposed to be able to be sneaky or plan his sneakiness due to his autism.   :-)  Finally, I decided his room was getting too warm and the amount of energy that I worried was being wasted was driving me to distraction.   Wednesday Greg went in.

Holy Toledo!  We hit the motherlode!
 

You can see some of Doran's artwork on the walls.  He seems to enjoy interior design.

So that's where those puzzle pieces went.  There are his therapist's sight word cards too.  Luckily he can already read them. ;-)

Greg dug and dug.  He came up with money, candy wrappers, more card games, his Barnes and Noble gift card, and all sorts of things.  It was kind of like one of those clown bags, where the clown pulls out keys, books, flowers vases full of water and flowers, a live animal and then the kitchen sink.  As we looked over all of this stuff,  the situation became more and more ridiculous and funny.  Boy does Doran persevere.  He had to work hard to get some of those things through those tiny slots.  No wonder he was so quiet.  I figure it was good for his concentration and fine motor skills.  So the vent is cleaned out and cooled air flows freely into his room - until next time.

Creative Adjustments

My Round Stone Barn study is almost complete.

Oh the need to create is a strong one.  Everyone needs time to let their minds wander, to let their hands make real what only existed in a dream.  Daily I find myself struggling to find time to create.  Almost daily I am frustrated as the hours rush away and I haven't picked up my paintbrush or a needle or even a pen to record anything besides that day's to-do list.  I know I am not the only one.  I am always curious to find out from other artists how they make time to create, how their studios are arranged, when they feel most creative, and what difficulties they experience.  I have learned that I must be innovative in making time.  I need to reframe how I view my situation and not see my life as a mother as an obstacle to my creativity.  Basically, I need to live creatively.  That puts a whole new spin on things doesn't it.

Yesterday could have been a prime opportunity for frustration.  Greg does his best to keep the children occupied while I am working, but we have four.  Eden can't go everywhere with them, and our budget doesn't allow for a lot of babysitting time.  So what to do?  I am trying to meet a deadline for submitting a painting to the Open Studio poetry contest.  The deadline is this Sunday.  (I work in watercolor and that means surprises and not always good ones.)  Eden was also needing a lot of attention and cuddling too.  At one point, feeling defeated and quite sorry for myself, I thought I should just give it up.  After taking a moment to think about all of the things that weren't working, I realized that soon Eden would be older and wouldn't ask for me in the same way.   I realized that I should embrace her current need to have a little more contact than usual.  But I didn't want to give up on the study I was working on either.  So I took a deep breath, adjusted my expectations and included Eden in my work.

It worked like a charm.

It was not what I expected.  It was not what I am used to doing, but it worked.

 
Yes.  Eden is sitting on the dining room table which doubles as my studio.  I finally stopped fighting it and realized that for now the table is where I work best.  As for the table-sitting, I found it was safer than the chair she kept teetering on as she reached for whatever caught her eye.   She sat happily for twenty minutes.  That is twenty minutes more than I would have had if I had excluded her from my work.  In twenty minutes, I was able to complete a large part of my Round Stone Barn study.

This is a quick watercolor sketch.  Here I am at the underpainting stage.  I couldn't believe I got it done.  It looks a hot mess, but really it's okay. ;-)  Quick sketches help me see problems, potential and actual, as well as work out how I want the painting to feel.

I never would have tried this before.  I have heard of artists who work with their children in their studios.  I have also heard some artists say they do their work in snatches of time.  I never thought such a set-up would work for me.  Including Eden or my other children will not always work perfectly, but it will work sometimes, even if only for two minutes.  Two minutes is enough time to get in a bold wash.  This I can do.  I can integrate my creativity throughout the day.  I am forever encouraging my children to create, play and think.  Shouldn't I be doing the same in front of them sometimes, not alone late at night half-blind from exhaustion?

Of course, some paintings or sections of them will require more concentration, quiet and time, but it is no longer all or nothing.  I may not complete this painting by the deadline, but I am still content.  At some point, a painting will work mostly to my satisfaction and I can call it 'done', and it will be ready for submission to the Open Studio art show itself.  I will accomplish and learn more this way than the old way.  I will be able to create everyday.  My children will be able to see me express myself.  It is not an overstatement to say by adjusting my expectations and the 'rules', my life became more full.  It just took twenty minutes. 

Friendship and Art

 
This past Saturday I had the good fortune to spend an entire day out with some friends.  We planned to get together to do something, anything, way back in May.  Don't get me wrong; I enjoy the company of my husband and children.  I miss them when we are apart (even during the school day sometimes), but every mother needs to recharge by doing something that is just for her sometimes.  I think I come back to my family refreshed and well, rebooted in a way.  As my mom says, "The children need to be missed."  Being a mother is a big and important part of my identity, but by no means is it all of my identity.

After recovering from the shock that we all actually made it to our ladies' day out, we were on our way.  My friends and I had loosely planned to attend an art fair in Guilford.  First we visited a library book sale that happened to pop up along our route.  After each of us found several treasures, we headed to Guilford.  It was a lovely day even though it was a hot one.  We strolled through the artisan's booths looking at all of the unique, handmade wares.  After a delicious lunch and what seemed like buckets of water at a crowded bistro, we ambled back to the art fair.  The day was incredible and we vowed to not let a year go by before we met up again.   Maybe a crafty afternoon spent working on our holiday gifts is in our near future.

As I promised yesterday, I want to introduce two very talented, and gracious artists that I met at the fair.  I enjoy talking to artists about their work and their lives, and I wanted to share in my excitement about these visionary women. 

Sonya Mackintosh's rainbow collection of scarves caught my eye from five tents away.  Even though it was blazingly hot, I had to go check out her designs.  She is very gracious, friendly, and speaks with a lovely English accent.  I wish I could design and knit scarves as beautiful as hers.  They had a luxurious feel and were beautifully designed and constructed.  Sonya designs and produces her beautiful scarves in the Berkshires.  There is much more about Sonya here, and you can see more of her wearable fiber at  smARTWORKS, Inc..  Thank you Sonya for allowing me to photograph your work and for visiting with me even though you were very busy.  So if you are in the New England area or even online, you can check out her knitted designs. 

I seriously cannot pick a favorite scarf.  The colors Sonya chose are all so beautiful and expressive.

I also met Caitlin Burch at the expo.  Her work is divine and it was a joy to talk with her about her art.  She is actually a second generation glassblower working in Vermont.  Caitlin was so positive and kind.  She said I could work with glass too.  She meant it and I actually believe her.  It is wonderful to meet artists who are so encouraging and open.  I could see Caitlin's spirit in her work.  The curve and grace of her pieces are mesmerizing.   Everybody knows I love shiny, colorful things (I sound like a bird don't I), and I was in heaven in her booth.  Caitlin will be at the Putney Craft Tour in November, and she has artwork and jewelry in many galleries and boutiques. 

Do you see all of that light and color? 

See.  Mesmerizing.

That was a perfect day.  I came home inspired and renewed from spending time with my friends, surrounding myself with art, and meeting two inspirational artists.  So now it is time for me to work on my own art.  What kinds of people and activities inspire you?

Handmade Holiday

Some of my favorite craft books . . . .

We are at the beginning of a heat wave.  Call me crazy, but in the middle of this heat, I am making plans for my holiday gift-giving.  I love giving and receiving gifts, but for the past few years I have become concerned about how things are made and by whom.  We live in such a transient, disposable society.  Many things are bought, barely used (or they break within two hours of being bought), tossed into the garbage and buried in a landfill.  Luckily this hasn't happened to us too often.  Although I have had made some senseless toy purchases in the past due to my haste, poor planning and mixed-up desire to have a "perfect" Christmas.

Many times with all of the bustle and rush of buying this thing and that, I start feeling depleted and empty during what should be a time of celebration.  I have doubts about whether the gift I am buying is worth its cost or whether it was made in a such a way that it should cost more than it actually does.  In our efforts to not overwhelm ourselves and our children with too much stuff, we have also started reducing the number of gifts we Santa gives at Christmas.  A keen eye on our budget has also led us to give homemade to the children's teachers and aides every year. Doran has two teachers, and two aides, as well as four to six other specialist that we enjoy acknowledging during the holidays.  Some years he has more specialist than others depending on the issues he is dealing with that year.  As you can imagine, that really adds up quickly.  I also have this fear of buying something that they will find completely useless.  We found that we can't go wrong with delicious holiday treats and a handwritten note letting them know how much we appreciate their dedication to our children.

This year I will make many of our gifts.  As for the gifts I can't  make (and there will be some), I will purchase them from local small businesses, or artisans.  I am so excited.  For the first time in ages I am actually organized thanks to Tonya over at Plain and Joyful Living.  She is encouraging giving handmade gifts this season and will be sharing links to people who are giving handmade this year.  I will also share projects with you from time to time as I prepare for the holidays. 

 

With Tonya's guidance, I actually made a list of all of the people I would like to give gifts to this season.  Then I went through my collection of various craft books, my sketch book, and internet resources.  I researched what gifts I would like to make, gifts that I actually could make, and which gifts would make the best and prettiest use of the materials I have in my stash.  I then thought about which items I might need to purchase to complete certain projects.  I even picked which gift to begin making first.  I do confess that I didn't start it last week as scheduled, but I will start today.   I very much enjoyed thinking of which things people might enjoy.  It was even better than usual because I have given myself a lot of lead time this year.  Thanks for organizing all of us Tonya!

I am planning to sew some things as well as bake some gifts (well Greg is the baker around here).

 

This is some cool-looking Christmas fabric that I will use a for a home decorating project.  Maybe I will make something for the table.  Look at those crazy Christmas cats!

We can't forget the yarn.  I am working with Alpaca as well as yarn made from sustainable bamboo plants.  It is incredibly soft.

I feel quite optimistic about this year's holiday season.  I hope to have the children make up some holiday cards, and make some things of their own to give.  Even though this may seem like a lot, the goal is to slow down and be mindful about how much my family and I consume.  I am sure there will be a bit of rush as deadlines near.  If things get too hectic or stressful, I promised myself I would let go.  However, I am hoping that by being thoughtful now, I can avoid stress and bad purchases later, as well as enjoy the process of making something for the people I love.

Not everyone can or wants to make their own gifts, but they do want a change from their usual shopping haunts.  With that in mind, I will also share cool products that encourage sustainability and small businesses I happen find along the way.  Tomorrow I will introduce you to two talented ladies I met over the weekend at the Guilford Art Expo. 

While I am in the holiday spirit on this hot day, I was wondering: what are some of your favorite gifts to give or receive?  Do you have plans for this holiday season?  Happy Monday everyone!