day late, yada yada

The SAG awards were a week or so ago.  

My favorites (actors and actresses and shows) have not been winning...except Brad Pitt...and Jen Aniston.  

They both won and they had a moment.....

the universe swooned.

I enjoyed many of the dresses that evening.

Zoe Kravitz once again looking very 50's and elegant and lovely.

I saw many comments about the voluminous dresses that evening.

Most ridiculed.

I love them.

Jen Aniston channeling Jean Harlo in this slinky dress.

She has been winning awards for her performance in The Morning Show on Apple TV and she deserves every trophy she gets!!!  

The Pink Dress. 

Hey!  The book, The Pink Dress, is now available in paper back.

It's not as great as Seventeenth Summer but I'm enjoying reading it again.

I last read it in the 8th grade.  All I remembered about the book was that I liked it.

Oh!  Isn't she pretty!?!

Stevie from Schitt's Creek looking just stunning.

One of my favorite silhouettes :o)

I love the colors too....

but something about the fabric looks thick....

Another pretty pink dress.

I like her lipstick and her hair too!

I love this unique plaid, chiffon dress!

What can I say, I've been living in Wisconsin for a long time.

And her hair makes me feel better about mine.  hehe

And just for fun....

Everyone should aspire to wear a gorgeous Oscar de la Renta gown like Meghan wore last year.

love

love

love

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Two weeks until the Oscars!

Donna

light. light is everything

   

After days of being inside with a camera without a flash...and an inadequate cell phone....

I was able to take some portraits of Dottie....

at Dunkin Donuts!

Big windows with lots of light!

She's darling, isn't she?

I have scads of photos of Zeke and Asher and Malachi.

For some reason, I was better at grabbing them and standing them in front of windows!

But I had a hard time photographing Emma's family and baby River in November and then the whole family in January.

Seriously....

I'm having a hard time finding the light and dragging folks into it with me.

I've decided I need a camera with a flash.

A point and shoot that will take group shots when we are in all of the dark places....

(My old D80 had a nice flash...but it is broken.)

Alas.

If you have a great point and shoot with a flash and a lens with a large aperture....

Let me know.

I have one in mind but it's expensive....so I'm hesitating.

anyway.....

Thanks for reading...

keeping me company and for being my friends.

Love

Donna

Eleven days when everything changed....

The last ten days have been the most extraordinary days I have been thru in a long time.

On January third we (Patrick, Katie and I) went to Omaha to spend time with all of our children and grandchildren.  Since Patrick and Shelby and Dottie live so far away we head to Omaha whenever they come to visit Shelby's parents.
So Emma and James and River made the trek to Missouri and Matthew and Melinda live right there in town.

We watched the boys wrestle and watched Dottie go up and down the stairs.
We shared a few meals and Patrick and Katie got to meet River.

It was wonderful to see everyone.

I loved seeing Patrick hold River.  

Dottie will be a big sister in the spring.

She is a girl on the go :o)

Welcome to the red head club.

Matthew and Melinda hosting the family chaos :o)

It's so hard to travel with a newborn...we were so happy Emma and James could make it.

River was sleeping when we opened presents.

The old one and the young one.

(I am desperate for a new camera.  I need a flash.)

And then just a few hours after our return to Madison....

On Monday Jan. 6 my brother in law Paulie fell and broke his neck at his group home.

It was a very serious break.  He would not survive it.

We all gathered at the hospital and loved Paulie and played Johnny Cash non stop.

We were all so shocked and sad.

He passed away on Thursday Jan. 9th.

Paulie was the most special guy.  He loved his family and loved Johnny Cash and Casey Jones.

He had a beautiful voice and the most exuberant personality.

He visited the Marinette fire dept nearly every day for 50 years.  

They too, loved him so.

At the funeral dozens of firemen came to pay their respects.

Wearing their dress uniforms they arrived in four firetrucks and walked in a line to see Paulie.

The slide show played a video of Paulie singing Ring of Fire and the firemen stood as a group and quietly watched.  

The bell choir Paulie was a part of played and sang a sweet song to the tune of Edelweiss and we all sobbed.

Life will not be the same without Paulie. 

I miss him so much already.

He was the richest man in town.

Paulie singing Jesus Loves Me.

Paulie's obituary beautifully written by my sister in law Susan

Til we meet again sweet, funny, wonderful Paulie.

Love Always,

Donna

How much a heart can hold.

"Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold."

–Zelda Fitzgerald

Red Carpet Golden Globes 2020

Variety was the fashion story of the night.

Sadly it has become passe to ask what are you wearing...and that's too bad, because I'd much rather hear about their clothes than their politics.  hahaha

Leslie Zibb wearing a lovely layered dress.  I have decided, I like layers and scallops.  

You all have probably got me pegged for this!  

Isn't this pretty on Thomisin McKenzie?

And I think my favorite part of a dress is....the bodice.

Very nice for the little girl in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I would have chosen an olive bow not that black.  Perhaps the designer thought that was too bridesmaid to match like that.

I do not care for the Jonas brothers.  Too much press.  

But there is no denying this perfect dress and woman at the globes last night.

I thought I loved this but now, this morning, not as much.

Kathy Bates in a velvet tux and amazing sunglasses looked wonderful to me!!!

I absolutely love this heavy fabric and gorgeous tailoring.  The color is neat, but I would LOVE to be able to see it in many different colors.  Orange? Royal Blue?  

She needs to stand next to Jody Comer....

Go Pack Go!!!

I love this actress and think she looks cool.

Her shoe is pink.

What is going on here?

Lauren Graham looked stunning.

Just perfect.

The bodice and perfect sleeve on her!!!

Oh my gosh!  I just love this!  I'm going to have to see if i can find the designer.

It's Saint Laurent!

And guess what, this gal, Zoe Kravitz is Lisa Bonet's daughter.

(from the Cosby show)

This pretty lady, "hello pretty lady", is Karen Pittman.

Oh how I love this dress.  It is by Khoon Hooi.

It's my winner!

Gotta run!  Hope you enjoyed this little red carpet special :o)

Donna

Unstuck

It was a weird year.

I was stuck.

In my chair.

Unless I was visiting family.

In 2020, I will try to get unstuck.

And for your New Year,

I wish you love and purpose

laughter and dance.

and maybe, just maybe this following clip will fulfill two of those wishes!

Love you 

Mean it!

Donna Elsie

Dear Baby Jesus

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.

~Dale Evans Rogers



Merry Christmas!

Love Donna

twenty kisses when you wake

Not even a cupcake this year.  

Katie is 20 years old today...

and she is sick.  So we've laid low and watched movies and decided to save the chocolate pie for a different day. 

Paulie is with us this year!  I made him meatloaf, mashed potatoes and pork and beans for dinner and he was delighted.  He is also thrilled that we have ME tv and he can watch all of his favorites;  McHale's Navy, Perry Mason and Green Acres.

My little Degas.

Happy Birthday dear Katie.

Our beloved caboose.

Love Always,

Mom

beams of love

Who does she look like?
Isn't that the question we always ask as we look at new babies?

This big cheeked baby is me.

I sure had a lot of hair!
Not really a surprise! he he

I was once told by a friend's mother, "Esther loved her babies."

Babies are hard work.  How we worry.  How we want to puke from exhaustion.

But somehow, Esther Jean was known for loving her babies. 
Even when she had two in one year and two in one day!

Love is a powerful things.
It is the most important thing.
It is eternal.

How far that little candle throws her beams,
Donna

Fresh from God

“I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, 

who are so fresh from God, love us.”

~Dickens

The One Where Emma Has A Baby

On Nov. 19th about 9:00am Emma called.  

'I think I am having contractions, I think my water might have broken last night, I think this is it.'

I called Patrick.

I scrambled around the house to finish packing my bag and the car.

I was out the door and on my way to Missouri.

Melinda, in Omaha was doing the same.

I had a four hundred mile drive to make.

As early as 10:00 am  Emma was at already to four.

Melinda was worried we would miss the birth.

When Melinda arrived she texted me;

"Emma is at 8 cm and cool as a cucumber."

I was in the middle of Missouri waiting for crossing guards and children and tractors to....

GET OUT OF MY WAY!

I arrived at the hospital at 4:00 pm

I did not know where to park.

I was in a panic.

I had to basically walk around the whole hospital.

I got to Emma's room about 4:20.

It was quiet and dark and Emma was on her side.  She was handling her contractions with yoga breathing.  James was helping her along.

Melinda and I were astonished to see her doing so well.

I held back and prayed.

Melinda sweetly encouraged Emma when she started to transition.

In a matter of ten minutes, Emma was ready to push.

My strong tough girl pushed hard and well and by 5:02

River Jean screamed her way into this world.

Melinda and I stood back and watched the beauty and marvel of it all.

Emma and James took turns doing skin on skin.

Emma was able to follow her birth plan.  No drugs. No epidural.

Incredible, just incredible.

"And so began our longest journey together."

Lorelei has been such a sweet, happy big sister!!!  

James is taking the night shift so that Emma can sleep.

He is a helpful, fantastic daddy and husband.

Emma is happy to hold River all day and misses her at night as she sleeps.

River is content and a good eater.

She loves when we sing to her and hates cold wipes.

She is beautiful, of course.

I will miss this pretty little face as I have come home now.

River is loved beyond measure.

The happiest days are when babies come.

Donna Elsie