Fireflies, Greta and Sasha

Last night I heard Ernie give a bellow as he walked through the living room.  He'd spotted our first fireflies of the season.  I called the boys and they thundered down the stairs and we all went outside....  We wandered the field and the boys tried to catch a firefly or two.  Then Ernie and I sat down at the table and watched as the two of them raced each other.....coming up with different courses each time....."over to the sign, then the tree, then back to the table and you have to be the first one to touch something on the table to win....."  Victory was pretty evenly divided between them.  We watched the bats for awhile but the mosquitos started chomping on us all so we ended up going back.  It left a nice little glow however.  Leo said he was going up to bed but he came back down a little while later and asked what we were watching.  We told him Top Chef and he agreed to watch it with us.  He curled up on the couch next to me.  Owen couldn't stand it they we were all on the couch without him so he crowded in as well.  A lovely evening.

In other news.....my beloved friend Sasha is the  highlighted artist in the News-Gazette's At Home in Central Illinois May/June issue.  You can get it at the front desk of the News-Gazette.  Seems to me I've seen it elsewhere but I can't recall.  She talks about her iconic character Greta---whom you may have seen in a painting in my dining room as well as in a print in my living room.  And if you've ever seen Sasha zoom up in a tiny red car you know that there is more than a bit of Greta in her.  It's funny how life brings people in and out of your life.  I've known Sasha since she was mmmm.....in high school I guess.  I must have been the elder as I was all of 18.  We went in and out of touch for many years but have fortunately ended up in the same town and she has been a wonderful friend to me.  We're both busy with our lives so we don't see as much of each other as we might like but emotionally she has been like a rock for me in the past few years.  Always there with the kindest understanding and the funniest of quips.  AND of course her husband has quiet quick charm and makes a mean piecrust.  What could be better?  I love her with all my heart.

So now you must, if you have an iPhone, an iPod Touch or an iPad, download her This is the Life from iTunes.  A mere $5.99 and you can have Greta in your life! It's a wonderful little picture book with great narration as well.

You can also go to GottaGettaGreta.com and spend a ridiculous amount of time dressing Greta in different ways on the 'Get Dressed' tab.  You also can find out more about Greta and view images of her many adventures.....

Look....here's a tiny bit of my painting in this picture of four of my favorite people in the world at our last Christmas party....five if you count Greta I guess....

Here is Greta in all her glory....you may, of course, go with a different outfit.....