sara –

Creating a storybook rocking horse with my friend Sara

July 2, 2016 by Melodye Shore

Once upon a time–about a month ago–I spied this notice on my Facebook feed:

I fell hard and fast for that sweet little horse! It bore the markings of a child’s love–memories etched into the wood by its former owner. I suspected that my little friend Sara would love it, too.

Really quick, before Susie could change her mind, we hopped in my roadster and headed up to Once Upon A Storybook. We browsed the bookshelves, paid for our selections, and then ferried the horse toward greener pastures.

Now what?

We stopped for frozen yogurt and allowed our imaginations free rein. And that’s how we eventually decided we’d transform the humble little horse into a fanciful pony, beribboned and bedazzled and rarin’ to go.

I should probably mention here that Sara and I knew nothing about repurposing wooden toys, much less the finer points of rocking horses.

But we’re resourceful!

We asked questions at Michaels and called upon our craftier friends. I also collected tips from the Internet, all of which I pinned to a special Rocking Horse Pinterest board.

And then we got to work.

First we scuffed the yellowed varnish with sandpaper. Two shiny-white layers of spray paint later, I realized I’d made a mistake.

We wanted to suggest a textured history, infused with special memories. Glossy paint just wouldn’t do! So I roughed it up again, and then slicked on some random patches of acrylic, willy-nilly. When I sanded the horse one final time (using fine-grade sandpaper and a feathery light touch), the original wood stain came peeking through. It looks like it’s had a storied past, now…just as we’d imagined.

Sara chose a Palomino-colored yarn for the mane and tail. It’s soft and twisty, like loosened braids.

While those marble eyes were cute, they had definitely seen their heyday. So we searched high and low for something different–something that suggested a wide-eyed sense of wonderment. To the rescue: my friend Donna, who shipped us some google eyes and false lashes.

I bought rope-like trim for the bridle, and retrieved a pair of earrings from the dark recesses of my jewelry box. I affixed both with E6000 glue, held in place with gardening tape.

While the glue was drying, we clipped images from discarded picture books and decoupaged them to the seat.

Once upon a storybook…Come, take a magical ride!

Next we stapled the mane and tail into place, and beautified everything with ribbons and bows. (Many thanks to my friend Sheri, who showed me how to stitch the yarn into place. I pinned her diagram to my Pinterest page.)

Voilà, bigger, brighter eyes! And more bedazzling, just because.

Finis, once we’ve tame the mane and clip a few threads!

We buckled our pony into my roadster this morning…

ferried it up to Once Upon a Storybook, and put it through its paces. Pictured here: that happy reunion, the stuff of lasting memories.

This horse will enjoy a happily-ever-after life at Chez Shore, where kids of all ages can enjoy it. Perhaps it’ll also make an occasional appearance at Susie’s bookstore. So you know: We’re now scouring Craigslist and yard sales, in search of a rocking horse for Sara’s stable. She tells me she wants a dappled pony, purple and pink, and plans to decorate it with hearts and flowers. She also mentioned butterflies in passing, and fairies. But who knows, she’ll likely change her mind a million times, before all is said and done. That’s the cool thing about my adventures with Sara: The possibilities are endless, same as our friendship.

The sky’s the limit (Art Challenge of the Week)

May 15, 2016 by Melodye Shore

Spread your wings/ It’s time to fly/ Make the leap/ Own the sky. —Ms. Moem

I took Sara to the beach on Friday. We stopped at the market first, though, to grab a picnic dinner.

It’s kind of a big deal, at Sara’s age, to choose your own meal. I got a small container of basil pasta salad, with sundries tomatoes and olives. She grabbed a Lunchable, grapes, medjool dates…and a croissant.

Croissant: a hint of something delicious on the horizon. Sara’s taking an all-girls trip to France next week, with her grandmother and mommy. Oooh la la!

Sara’s growing so quickly now, in every single way. Take on the boys in a game of Nine Square in the Air? She’s on it!

Wade in the water? Look at that smile!

When the waves arch and froth at the water’s edge, she just roots herself in the sand.

A not-so-random thought eventually bubbles to the surface.

“Mommy says we’re going to eat snails in Paris,” Sara tells me. “Sorry, escargot.” She describes the dish as it’s been related to her: tiny snails, smothered in heavy sauce. “I don’t know yet if I’m really going to eat them,” she says.

I tell her that I chickened out when I had the chance.

“I wish I hadn’t,” I say.

“Sometimes,” I’m quick to add, because it’s always best to be honest.

“Give them a try,” I suggest. “Even if it’s just a teeny tiny bite, you’ll be proud of yourself for being brave. And who knows, you might decide you like them!”

Food for thought…

Hungry seagulls snatch the last of the grapes. Church groups are staking out the fire pits, and the lifeguard — zipped into a red jacket, now–is standing watch.

Who’s chasing whom? Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

Sara falls on purpose, soaks her dress in ocean water. She tries to pull me down, too, but I caution her against it.

Next time, I tell her. “I don’t want to get my camera wet.”

Thing is, I like wading in the tide pools. I love digging my toes into wet sand, and I don’t mind water swirling around my ankles. I took swimming lessons after my sons were born. Basic lifesaving techniques, for my sake and theirs. But –and — I always make sure I’m within very close range of the lifeguard station.

I nearly drowned when I was her age. I don’t tell her that.

I tell her instead, that she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to–the sky’s the limit.

And it occurs to me that maybe next time I could, maybe should, venture just a tiny bit further into the waves. I’ll be proud of myself for being brave enough to try, I tell myself, and who knows, I might decide I like it.

The prompt for this week is sky. You’ve invited to join the party here, and/or peek at my previous weeks’ entries here.

Christmas Baking with Sara and Joey

December 23, 2015 by Melodye Shore

Baking sugar cookies on a rainy day…

Wholly present in the here and now.

Flattened cookies can’t dampen our spirits…

We’ll smear them with frosting, add jimmies and sprinkles!

Elves in the kitchen, working their magic…

Licking their fingers when no one’s watching.

Sweet as nectar, this special day…

Behold! The stuff of Christmas memories.

Holiday Tea with my friend Sara

December 21, 2015 by Melodye Shore

The tea house is filled with the homey smells of fresh-baked scones, cut flowers, and holiday goodies. Ornaments hang like jewels from the ceiling, intertwined with plaid ribbons and twinkling lights. Sara’s wearing her Winter Princess gown, and why not? It’s our very first holiday tea, and we’re celebrating in style.

Sara chooses the TreeHouse luncheon, strawberry tea, and a heart-shaped scone. I opt for the quiche and vanilla tea.

Our server places two teapots and strainers on our table, suggests we might want to read our tea leaves when we’re done.

Sara spoons a generous amount of sugar into her teacup, adds liberal swirls of cream. She tells me she’s tasted sugar cubes, once or twice. So yummy! “At my grandma’s house,” she adds.

“My Nana used to plop them into her English Breakfast tea,” I say; and though I’m flooded with nostalgia, I’m smiling at the effervescence of this day.

Our server returns to the table, refreshes our water glasses. “Those flowers are 100% edible,” she reminds us. Sara takes a nibble, promptly ~~steals~~ repositions my camellia.

We eat our fill, and then visit the adobe houses and shops along Los Rios, the oldest neighborhood street in California. I follow Sara’s lead…

Turns out, Santa’s elves have an affinity for gardening. Seems they also love birds, same as us.

Such a coincidence, too, that this watering can looks very much like a teapot.

Ho! Ho! Ho! The Grinch nailed a wreath to his front gate–because, you know, Santa’s watching.

Sara’s transfixed by the “love dove” on this merchant’s porch, but I’m drawn to the rusted birdcage that stands empty. Save for its rusted patina, it looks identical to the one in which my Nana kept Curly, her pet canary.

We admire a local artisan’s wares: kitchen utensils, bracelets, and jewelry, exquisitely carved and then polished to a high sheen.

A caboose rumbles down the railroad tracks, chasing its engine, and Christmas tunes blare from hidden speakers. Sara’s humming to herself, and so am I. There’s an easy harmony between us.

We savor our special outing, capture its magic in a gazing ball….

And as quick as you can say “Cinderella,” Sara’s traded her princess gown for play clothes!

“Now,” says my little elf on the shelf, “it’s time to bake Christmas cookies!”

To be continued…

Art Challenge of the Week: Creating abundance

November 27, 2015 by Melodye Shore

“Abundance is not something we acquire,” Wayne Dyer once said, “It is something we tune into.” I wholeheartedly agree. It’s not about having, or doing, or aspirational thinking. The Secret (if there is one) is to be fully present in each moment, wholly appreciative of the gifts available to us in the here and now.

It’s the ability to see a hummingbird’s nest for the iridescent promises it holds…

And to greet unannounced guests as if they belonged, as if this were the plan all along.

Abundance reveals itself when you wade, unafraid, into frothy waters.

Sometimes it appears as if by magic–shimmery bouquets from a bubble wand, for instance.

It presents itself in expansive moments of peaceful awareness,

Expresses itself as joyful noise or a whispered “amen.”

Abundance is a splashy little thing,

With a graceful elegance.

It’s a timeless beauty, capable of endless transformations.

Abundance can be of our own making, of course–bread dough, for instance, set to rise in a warm kitchen.

Perfect in its imperfections, it fills us with a delicious sense of well-being.

Abundance is the secret gardens we tend…

Within each seed of awareness, an abundant harvest.

I snapped these photos over the course of this past year. They speak to grand adventures and simple delights, quiet beauty and occasions that shout, Behold! It’s a curated collection, brief glimpses of the whole story, but when I remember these wide-eyed, breathless moments, I’m filled anew with gratitude for the abundance they represent.

How apropos, that Thanksgiving week prompted the challenge word abundance. Want to see more? Visit Veronica Roth’s page and follow the links. My responses to previous challenge words are available here.

Sugar Cookies and Sweet Memories

August 27, 2015 by Melodye Shore

Ethel’s Sugar Cookies, from the Betty Crocker Cooky (sic) Book

Given the food-spattered page, coupled with the vintage cookie cutters, you’ve probably guessed that Ethel’s Sugar Cookies is a go-to favorite in my kitchen.

But when it comes to baking cookies, it’s really not about any one recipe or set of utensils, now is it? It’s the magic that comes of asking a small, aproned child to help you measure and mix the ingredients. It’s the random bits of dough, pinched from the stegosaurus’s tail by tiny fingers. Shhhhh, I saw you eat that, but I’ll never tell. It’s the conspiratorial winks you share when you snap a warm-from-the-oven cookie into pieces–one for you, and one for me, so yummy! It’s the satisfaction that comes of admiring your artistic genius, more Monet than Martha Stewart, and the joy that comes of spreading the sugary goodness among your friends and neighbors.

#AugustBreak2015, Day 27. The prompt is Favourite Recipe. I’m a bit behind on my daily photos, for having been on vacation, so I’ll catch up over this coming weekend.

Memorable Art, at the Orange County Fair

August 15, 2015 by Melodye Shore

There’s something uniquely artistic (see also: comfortingly familiar) about the food booths at the Orange County Fair. Stuffy galleries can’t contain their glory–these outsized masterpieces are intended for outdoor venues!

Here, the nomadic etchings of our favorite childhood memories–all electric blue and shocking pink, with stylized sculptures in every saturated color of the Sno-Cone rainbow. Exposed to temperature extremes and the rigors of constant travel, they probably travel with a touch-up crew. How else, to maintain this full-spectrum, high-gloss beauty?

My companions roll down the fairway like Templeton, seduced by the smorgasbord of possibilities.

Frozen treats and funnel cakes…corn dogs and roasted corn…barbecued turkey legs and deep-fried everything.

I find a slightly healthier option, tucked into the shadowy reaches of the fairway. Cashiers call out order numbers in monotone voices, as customers stare, in glassy-eyed confusion, at the menu boards.

It’s a familiar choreography, accompanied as always by a cacophonous blend of rock, country and heavy metal music. Barkers, too, that pull us into their auditory orbit. “Try your luck!” they say, as truck-mounted speakers pulse.

Pass on the whirly-twirly rides; browse the barnyard exhibits before cheering on the racing pigs. I grab my partners’ hands, and we gawk at one last menu board. Caramel apple, it is!

The trash bins are overflowing, now; sweat and perfume permeate the night air. Last stop: the ferris wheel!

We savor each moment, revel in the sensory overload. Same as it ever was, just as we remembered. Same as she’ll remember, someday.

#AugustBreak2015 Photography Challenge, continued. The word for Day 14 is art. I didn’t have a tripod handy, and I don’t yet know how to take nighttime shots. Still and all, I think these snaps reflect the essence of today’s prompt.

Signs of Spring

March 28, 2015 by Melodye Shore

Welcoming home the Monarch butterflies…

Baking (decorating, munching) Easter cookies….

Laughing at silly jokes, and mirroring each other’s smiles.

A sunshine-soaked afternoon with my little friend Sara.

Old Friends and New Traditions

December 11, 2014 by Melodye Shore

Martha Stewart, I’m not, but I can turn out a plate of gingerbread cookies that taste pretty decent. Way better than they look. It was a cherished family tradition, in fact…until, that is, two adorable little boys grew into fine young men that ventured out into the world to build exciting lives for themselves and forge their own traditions. As kids are wont to do.

Sniff

I don’t begrudge my boys this birthright. Of course not, don’t be silly! We’re transitioning, too—in fact, this is our first Christmas in our new home! As always, our tree is decorated with family heirlooms, old and newer–delicate ornaments on the highest boughs because Toby’s made himself a cave among its lower branches.

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I’ve also strung twinkling lights along the mantle. Hmmm, where to put my music boxes? I’m still pondering. Oh, and did I tell you? Earlier this week, I baked sugar cookies with my little friend Sara.

I’ve always used Betty Crocker’s recipe, but my sister Sheryll suggested I try this one, instead. Ho ho ho, I’m happy that she did! The cookies were tastier, and the dough was easier to work with. Anyway, let’s not bother ourselves with the how-to’s and what-fors, ingredient lists and steps involved in mixing…you can get all that from the link above, HGTV and the Food Network. We’ll just focus on the fun stuff, shall we? To wit: time spent with Sara.

We sandwiched the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and flattened it with a rolling pin until it formed a rectangle, 1/8” thick resembled the State of California—a topographical marvel that included high deserts and low plains, a rugged coastline, and fault lines that ran the length and breadth of the dough.

Next step: choosing the just-right cookie cutters from a motley collection of shapes. Yes, I got all misty-eyed when I retrieved from the cupboard these talismans of special holidays past. Dinosaurs, sharks, guitars, angels, teddy bears, unicorns, Santa Claus, hearts and stars and moons, oh my! And more! Sara untangled the giant heart from the rest and held it to her chest. (“This is for my Mommy.”) Sorry, saguaro cactus and Halloween cat. You didn’t make the cut.

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Again and again, we dipped cookie molds into flour and pressed them into dough, twisting them ever so slightly before separating the shape from the surrounding scraps. Roll, press, return the scraps to the refrigerator for chilling and re-rolling.

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Look! We’re getting the hang of it!

Before long, the hardwood floors were dusted with snowy-white flour, and the scent of fresh-baked cookies drifted from the cooling racks into the rest of the house.

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Sara spread a thin thick layer of frosting (canned, I confess–don’t hate!), and then let loose with all of her creativity.

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Sugar crystals, pearl candies, edible paint, sparkly red and green sprinkles…apply liberally, give the cookies a shake and then add more, pat everything into place, sprinkle an extra dash of glitter for good measure…no such thing as good enough!

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Hours later, we collapsed on the sofa stood back to admire our handiwork. The kitchen was a mess—sparkles, sprinkles, and crumbs everywhere, but behold, this wondrous plate of cookies! Edible art, a feast for all senses.

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There was a taste test, of course…

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And everyone agreed…

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Best cookies ever!

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Yes, there were imperfections. Some cookies were soft in the middle; others were brittle to the point of being fragile. Dark or pale, broken or flawless, didn’t matter. This plate of cookies, this baking day…love made visible, all of it. I can’t think of a better gift this in the whole wide world, can you?

Here’s hoping the sweet memories of this day will hold a place in our mental scrapbooks, long after the very last cookie crumb gets eaten.

Backyard Buddies

February 17, 2014 by Melodye Shore

Most of you have already met my little friend Sara. If not, please allow me the privilege of introducing her now.

She's a fairy princess…

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a pastry sous chef…

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A prima ballerina, book lover, nature girl…

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and Nancy Drew-in-training. We have so much fun together, my little neighbor friend and I!

Example: We wandered into my backyard yesterday afternoon, with plans to water the fairy garden we created a short while back. Sara got side-tracked by some roly-poly seed pods, scattered on the ground. One thing led to another, and…oh, look!* Look up, Sara! Do you see what I see, on the edge of that branch?

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A Mama Hummingbird, nesting in my backyard podocarpus tree, as pretty as you please!

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(*Look = a wondrous word. Can I get a witness?)

We stood quietly together, watched Mama play sentry. She turned her head to and fro, no doubt aware of our presence.

But hummingbirds don't scare easily, especially when they've come to know you as the one who refills the nectar in their feeder.

I snapped some pictures, and when she flew off to get some sustenance…

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…I zoomed the lens a little closer. Voilà, two tic-tac sized eggs, tucked inside her nest!

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Some of you might remember the backyard hummingbirds I documented a few years ago, from first discovery to fledge. It'll be SO FUN to do something similar with my little pal, Sara!

Now that you've met my backyard buddies, I'll let you in on another little secret. I decided just this morning to give Mama Hummingbird a name! Hope, the thing with feathers… It suits her, don't you think?