There is a saying in Spanish that talks about how no more culprits or fools are left ever since excuses were invented:  
          “Desde que se inventaron las excusas se acabaron los culpables.”

The truth is that this family is constantly making things.  We have a lot of work-in-progress paintings, drawings, repurposed furniture, and a bunch of other stuff. 

We just start building things on a moment of inspiration and forget to take pictures of the process or any at all, then things change completely or those projects are gone.  That is why I admire bloggers who spend the proper time on their site not only writing and editing but curating the perfect graphics and format.  I am always saying that this is a great time to have young children and record all those wonderful moments and share their incredible imagination on a blog.  My intention is to attempt to recollect, recreate, and record ideas from my childhood all the way to the childhood of my now 3 teens, regardless of the availability of visuals.  No more excuses, except please excuse the old images.  

I do not have a big house, but it sure feels like it when it comes to maintaining it.  It keeps me so busy that I miss my deadlines, ergo this post at the end of the month.


When I was about 10 years old I wondered if my future grown-up home would be nice and tidy.  I was young but I had even younger sisters who were really messy.  I remember I would admire a corner of the bedroom where I had just finished rearranging some knick-knacks and I would feel so accomplished and proud that I could gaze at it forever.  Then I discovered a comic strip where this real cute mom character had just finished cleaning the linen closet, then walked around the house and everything was so overwhelmingly messy that she headed back to the closet.  For the final image she is shown seating down and contemplating, basically appreciating all the neatly arranged towels, and the family is in the background commenting on how she has been doing that for a very long time.  

I cannot believe how clearly I remember this particular newspaper print after all these years. What I could not remember was the name of the comic strip, but I am so happy to report that I found their website and Facebook page where they make comparisons of the decade changes, fun times, and their real family.  What a find.  A treasure of time, family, and art.  Just like my own funny family.   And just like for any work of art to be appreciated, it is important to take a few steps back and stare at it for as long as possible.

The busy days and rainy afternoons have created this interruption, but they have also  provided the inspiration.  When I look outside and notice all the soaked garden ornaments I admire the changes but also their surprising weather resilience. 

Some are more incredible than others.  There is a simple cardboard sign placed by the bicycle parking.   We made it from a cardboard box and a re-purposed cabinet frame.  It only has a thin coat of varnish, but it has survived extreme heat, humidity, and heavy showers for the past three years.  

I wish I had pictures of how we made this project out of found objects, but here is a review on the elephant.  I wish you become inspired to revisit the weathered bits and pieces around your surroundings.  Since I am stuck in wishing mode, and if you followed the link about my son, then you know, I have to get back to the gathering and continue to wish him a Happy Birthday, or Happy End of the Beginning.