Listen to Your Mother

Listen to Your Mother

I’m supposed to be on vacation right now. Actually, I AM on vacation right now, hidden away on a cabin on an island with a few close friends, but I just had to share something.

I recently did something brave and scary: I worked up the nerve to audition for Listen To Your Mother.

What is Listen to Your Mother?

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER features live readings by local writers on the beauty, the beast, and the barely-rested of motherhood, in celebration of Mother’s Day. Born of the creative work of mothers who publish on-line, each production is directed, produced, and performed by local communities, for local communities.

listen to your mother

Today, the cast of the inaugural production of Listen to Your Mother, Seattle was announced, and I’m in! I did it!

I’m so glad I took a chance and did the scary thing.

Stay tuned, you’ll be hearing more about this soon. I will be sure to let you know when tickets go on sale, but save the date for May 9, 2015. I’d love to see my friends in the audience.

Update: Bios are posted. Check out these amazing writers with whom I will be sharing the stage on May 9.

Update: Tickets are now on sale! http://listentoyourmotherseattle.bpt.me/

Bird nest with a guardian angel

Bird nest with a guardian angel

This bird found the perfect place to build her nest – complete with guardian angel.

bird nest with a guardian angel

I took this picture a few years ago. The piece I referred to as a guardian angel is one of the terracotta figures that adorn the front of the Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington. It is a stunning work of architecture.

Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington - guardian angel

The Reading Room inside the library is also worth a look. It’s one of my favorite places to take a quiet moment and goes by the nickname, the Harry Potter Room.

Shrine

Shrine

Every day we take a long walk around our new neighborhood, and every day I find a new reason to fall in love with our new home.

Today, we stumbled across this little shrine

shrine | CoffeeJitters | Judy Schwartz Haley

A plaque inside the shrine had the following invitation:

Leave your thoughts, prayers and wishes.
Twice a year they will be burned and your intentions will join the universe.

shrine | CoffeeJitters | Judy Schwartz Haley
shrine | CoffeeJitters | Judy Schwartz Haley
shrine | CoffeeJitters | Judy Schwartz Haley
shrine | CoffeeJitters | Judy Schwartz Haley

I also enjoyed the inscriptions on the benches:

trust in God but tie your camel first
shrine | CoffeeJitters | Judy Schwartz Haley
he is a good story teller who can turn men's ears into eyes
shrine | CoffeeJitters | Judy Schwartz Haley
A beautiful day in the neighborhood

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

The day started out with a plan, and it was all Gem’s idea. We were going to go on a walking tour of all the beautiful flowers in our new neighborhood. And, I would bring my camera, so we could take pictures and use them for a blog post.

My little unpaid intern is really starting to pay off.

We got off to a good start.

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But, after a while we came across this:

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And inside, they had this:

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They also had books.

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The walls were lined with old classics

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and my little girl was entranced

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We spent hours in the doughnut shop, and I got to share with her some of my childhood favorites.

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The garden tour / photo walk can wait for another day.

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what captured your attention this week?