FOURTH of July Enthusiasm

What an incredible day to consider the blessings of our country. A great day to spend with family..... appreciating all the opportunities that lie around the next corner.

Remember the shock and horror of Sept. 11th? In the few days that followed I was at a loss for how to move forward, until the Friday of that week arrived. It was the national day of mourning. I was to make my regular appearance at our Jewish Preschool and lead both music and Shabbot services. While still overwhelmed by the enormity of the events unfolding, I thought that the parents and grandparents about to gather for worship would appreciate seeing the little ones that they loved, waving a flag.

So very quickly I crafted a little dittie: "Red, White and Blue..... I Love You."

We lit the candles that morning and the children waved flags on the steps of the synagogue. There were very few dry eyes in the room.

I am now devoted to the effort of turning my song into a picture book. I am making the illustrations from fabric again..... only these will be much more 'representational' in nature. The quilted image above will be the first two pages of the book.

In the truest of serendipity stories, this past spring I met the woman who has been responsible for the "White House Easter Egg Roll" for the past 28 years at an early childhood conference in Virginia!! She is hopeful that the new administration, as yet to be determined, will continue the long standing tradition that began in 1878 and that I will get to participate in entertaining the children attending the 2009 event!

Wouldn't it be amazing to PREMIERE my newest book, "Red, White and Blue" at an event on the White House lawn? At this point I have 9 of the 16 quilts complete. I'll need you to prompt me to stay focused and complete this project in time. Then we'll keep our fingers crossed that I'm invited to participate. How's that for a goal?