Saturday, August 31, 2024

4th Birthday Party (8/11/2024) and 1st Birthday Party (8/31/2024)

Saturday, August 10, 2024
The Hummingbird Palace, Providence (2014,
by Esther Sonlondz) is meant to evolve as the plants grow;
it is located in Lippitt Memorial Park

Sunday, August 11, 2024
Adaline is four years old today, and wears the
custom-made crown created by her mom (KSS)
Levon is standing at the water table,
and Adaline is standing by her dad (KSS)
Kids in the kiddie pool and Tamiko is in charge of bubbles
Sally taps the flamingo piƱata (KSS)
Marlo takes a whack (KSS)
Adaline has a turn (KSS)
Otto gives it a try (KSS)
Adaline collects treats (KSS)
What a great birthday cake made by Katrina
(she also made a vanilla funfetti cake) (KSS)
Katrina lights the candle (KSS)
Waiting for everyone to finish singing "Happy Birthday" (KSS)
Blowing out the candle (KSS)
Happy Fourth Birthday, Adaline!

Saturday, August 31, 2024
Katrina adjusts Levon's birthday crown
as he is held by Ama/Marianne (KSS)
Adaline helps Levon sit in his new lawn chair (KSS)
A picnic dinner in the backyard with
Adaline, Kyle, Elia, and Grumpa/Barney
Alicia and Elia, Grumpa and Nana/Mary Jane
Grumpa, Katrina, Grandpa S/Kent,
Ama/Marianne, Adaline, and Alicia
Levon is not usually this serious
Presenting Levon's own birthday cake (KSS)
Hmm, icing is pretty good! (KSS)
Levon proceeded to enjoy nearly half of his cake! (KSS)
Happy First Birthday, Levon!

Friday, August 30, 2024

Blithewold Mansion & Gardens (8/30/2024)

Friday, August 30, 2024
Visited Blithewold Gardens for the special exhibits.
Becorns (by David M Bird, a RI photographer and toy
designer) are placed in nature and caught on film with wildlife
Midnight Snack
The Greeter/Eastern Bluebird (2024, by
Myth Makers Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein)
Blithewold Mansion (1895, rebuilt 1906 after a fire)
Bessie's Peahen/Peacock (2024, by Myth Makers
Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein) with Adaline,
Katrina, Levon's legs, Kent & Kyle
Adaline's Castle is a Fagus sylvatica
'Pendula'/Weeping European Beech
Dahlia 'Happy Single Wink' with a bumblebee
Dahlia 'Island Sunset'
Nelumbo nucifera/Lotus with a bee (KSS)
Nymphaea nouchali/Blue Water Lily
Surprise!/American Bittern (2024, by Myth
Makers Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein)
Fencepost Dragon (2024, by Ellen Blomgren)
Fencepost Peacock (2024, by Ellen Blomgren)
Adaline points out Fox with Butterflies #2
(2024, by Ellen Blomgren)
Water Garden with stone bridge
The Queenfisher/Belted Kingfisher
(2024, by Myth Makers Donna Dodson
and Andy Moerlein)
Adaline with Girl with Birds
(2024, by Ellen Blomgren)
Oops, Girl with Bird x 2
Sandhill Crane (2024, by Myth Makers
Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein)
The Giant Owl (2024, by Myth Makers
Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein)
Adaline and her mom ran across the 10-acre Great Lawn!

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Susan B Anthony Birthplace (8/29/2024)

Thursday, August 29, 2024
A stop at the Susan B Anthony Birthplace in North Adams, MA.
Susan B Anthony Birthplace, where the suffragist was
born in 1820 and lived in the house until the age of seven;
she was raised as a Quaker
Kitchen
Birthing room with a copy of
a quilt made by Anthony
Anthony's parents, Daniel and Lucy,
at first had a cotton mill and boarded
the female factory hands, and also had a
store to supply the needs of the workers
A replica of the black dress that
became the "uniform" worn by Anthony
to represent dignity and leadership
Hand in Hand is one of four castings (1895, by
 Mel Culbertson) of a handshake between 
Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Black Suffragette caricature was used as
propaganda to keep African-American women's
right to vote separate from white women
Typical suffragist outfit; women's-right-
to-vote was only one of many causes
championed by Susan B Anthony, from
anti-slavery, temperance, women's rights
(equal pay and property ownership),
and dress reform (i.e., bloomers)
Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy'/Vanilla Strawberry
These were in full bloom across
New York and Massachusetts