Judy's Garden

My dad's wife, Judy has a knack for whimsy in the garden. You could look for an hour and not see every little nook. I like this type of gardening because I love little surprises. Judy has metal frogs poking out from under terracotta pots & lots of sun catchers hanging from trees.
Molly is one of the garden keepers. Molly and brother, Teddy keep a good eye on the squirrels and butterflies that zip in and out of this special garden.

Flowers are bountiful in San Antonio. How pretty these petunias look in this Mexican birdbath. The airplane plants seem to love the hot, steamy air of Texas.

My favorite little garden watcher is this sweet girl. She curtsies near the corner of the house between aloe and bleeding hearts.

I have been inspired to whimsy up my own garden when I get home!

Ditties @ Dad's

I've always said, "I don't have one of anything". Now I know where I get from. My dad has amazing little collections of items, some necessary to his crafts and other just because. Here are some of my favorites.Dad has been a watch smith on & off ever since I can remember dating back to the 1960's. He is a master of so many mechanical crafts. I find out more and more of his abilities every time I visit.

My dad has many little cases of these watch parts in his workshop. Because watch parts are so tiny he sorts them in these compartment cases and then he can find the part he wants quickly. Once he gets parts for a single watch he moves those pieces to their own case and works on them with the tiniest tools under a large swing-arm lit magnifying glass.

Out in the garage my dad has a metal & wood workshop. I love how all the tools are lined up and in their own holder. There is just something about multiples displayed together that appears as art to me.

These tiny tins are used for small parts. I love how my dad has them all stacked up together.

Who doesn't like a box of funky metal thingies?? There are little containers and boxes of interesting twisted metal here and there to spur the curiosity.

I could sit in one are of my dad's many work stations and look for hours. There are stacks & piles of interesting pieces of who knows what and lots of books & magazines with dimensions and numbers to tell you what to do with each piece.

All I know is that I love being around it all and I love being around my Pop.

My Pop

My Pop. An amazing man. Born June 29, 1930 he has witnessed and experienced many things. I knew him as my dad my whole life, began knowing him as a man when I was 18 and then as a friend, mentor and teacher I could not get enough of when I became a mother some 26 years ago.

I've cried on my dad's shoulder, have been held and nursed by him during sickness, advised through all business decision, taught and inspired through his art and loved by his being.

I am typing this from my dad's computer in his museum of an office in the center of his home in San Antonio, TX. I hitched a ride with friends and after four years of geographic distance was able to put my arms around him. I shed tears and held on.

As long as I am allowed to live I will never know all there is about this incredible man and the many lives he has touched. Once things for certain, he has filled my heart with love.

(I love you, Pop!)