Sotomayor, Awards and more

Some news....

A month ago, Sergio and I were honored to be the recipients of "Best Artists in the Washington DC metro area" in the category of visual arts! Thank you Washington DC! More thrilling: the third visual artist to receive the reward is our dear friend Gloria Valdes Tarasca; she is our Godmother of sorts, as she is responsible for our meeting in Queretaro, Mexico- ten years ago!

I was commissioned to paint a watercolor for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and I was thrilled to receive this note:

"Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor received your wonderful painting. 

She was very appreciative and grateful and said it will go in her office.

I too thank you for providing your wonderful art congratulating the Justice on her distinction to serve 

on our nation's highest court."

                                                      ~ Franklin Garcia -US Representative (shadow) Elect, DC.

As you all know, we are now printing some of our work on canvases here in the studio. All our reproductions are made to order by us *in house* to ensure archival quality and color matching like none other than the artist can attain! Please contact us if you are interested in any of our work!

This coming weekend, we will be hosting our 9th Annual Open Studio!

YOU are invited and we will be making a video as usual for those who are far away...

Watch this video for a little peek of our 2015 Open Studio.

our ARTventure in NYCity

A busy month for us with two trips to New York for our art~!

Claudia & Annie,
another of the artists represented by Parcai Designs

The first time we went, was to visit Surtex- the annual *trade show* for art licensing.

Since I only signed on with my agents 
Parcai Design in February, we thought it would be important to attend the show and get a first hand glimpse of what "art licensing" is all about.

The show began on a Sunday, so when I happened upon a "call for artists and crafts people" for the Saturday, I thought it would be a great time to do a "practice" set up with our tent and art in New York as we were scheduled to participate in the Washington Square Art Market two weeks later.

On the right, you can see some of my whimsical drawings for Halloween themed art licensing!

Our trial run was interesting. 

Sales were basically the same as we have on a Saturday at our local Farmers/Indie Market here in the Washington DC area.... still, we had to subtract expenses from that (travel, tolls etc.)- but again, more than anything, we wanted to get a "feel" for showing in NY.
Both of us have exhibited in NY in the past, but they have been gallery shows.... selling on the street is so different, and we have found that everything changes from one place to  another-even within the same city.

During our first weekend in the streets of NY, we overheard many comments such as:

"Oh look, Mexican art!"
(never have heard people saying that before.. and it was said many times and both weekends... funny, I guess here in Washington DC everything is a bit more politically correct and we may hear: "Latino Art" or "Colorful art")
we also heard:
"Religious stuff... keep walking" 
 and reactions to my "Dia de los Muertos"/Day of the Dead: "how macabre!" "how weird" 
(both of which we have not heard here in the DC area- which is admittedly more "religious" than NY, although we are not certain why the reaction to Day of the Dead art, as NY has many Mexican immigrants too).

We came back home

~unloaded our car.... and a week later re-loaded with different art. 

Deciding *what art* to take with us
the second time to NYCity

No retablos (reproductions we make on small pieces of wood), only three angels, and only a couple of "Dia de los Muertos" pieces in the "bins" not the walls.

The second weekend led us into some misadventures involving our lodging and transit to and fro the event ....
(we left our car in NYC and commuted to an affordable rental in NJ--the adage: "you get what you pay for" came true!).

The Washington Square Art Market was started by Jackson Pollock.....

"one balmy spring day in 1931, in the midst of the Depression Era. Jackson Pollock, desperately in need of funds to pay the rent on his Greenwich Village studio that also served as his home, took a few of his iconoclastic paintings down several flights of stairs and set them up on the sidewalk near Washington Square Park. His friend and fellow Village artist, Willem DeKooning, in equally desperate financial straits, soon joined him.."

As far as sales, the first day was horrible for all the artists, but the second day was profitable (though again, we need to subtract the travel & lodging expenses from it all);  nonetheless we did make a profit and we were able to take our art to a wider audience, in short, we are very pleased overall!

It was again underlined to me how different the public in NY is to DC metro area...
This time around, with only three paintings of angels, we still heard comments that the art was "too religious" ....
One woman was *very tempted to buy an angel* she came back three times- but said she felt "like a hypocrite because I am not religious" .... (she did not buy it)

You can see our booth set up in NYCity here.

One of the BEST parts of the show

~the other artists we met who were exhibiting nearby: a Portuguese potter, a Chinese photographer, Jamaican painter and a native New Jersey couple who paint Americana folk art.  

The interactions we had with them were fluid and natural and just truly amazing... it felt like "home" to us...  not only wonderful people, they are all full time artists, which is what we aspire to....*hoping* that soon Sergio can let go of his day job as an assistant teacher...

One of the artists, a Jamaican artist, I am quite sure must have known my father as he was exhibiting in the UN in the late 70's and 80's which is when my dad was at the UN and as a side assignment, he would help with curating the UN exhibitions where this artist exhibited often at that time and also they both knew the Ivory Coast ruler/later: president Boigny who I remember having dinner with at my Papa's place in NYC.
It is always touching for me to meet someone who may have known my father... 

We have exchanged phone numbers with the group and have already made dinner plans for when we return in September! 

We came home absolutely exhausted... part of it was the "not sleeping" the couple of nights before the trip as we had so much to get ready for... part of it was not sleeping when we arrived because other guests at the place we stayed at were making sooooo much noise all night... 

On our way home, Sunday, when we were only about 20 minutes from home, we came upon a HUGE traffic accident. It was after 2:00am... and we arrived upon the accident only minutes after it happened- ambulances and police began to arrive after we did.

Then, a second accident (a van that slipped in the oil spill of the first)- it was all very chaotic... and cars were playing *bumper cars* all around... we watched as the car in front of us hit the one right in front of them as that driver was standing outside his car looking at the chaos... it was awful... but we could not help but be thankful that we had not arrived there minutes earlier ... and pray for the victims.

We arrived home at 4 a.m.   

It is now Wednesday, and I am only now recovering from all the travel and sleepless nights *whew*

BUT, it was all well worth it and we both look forward to doing it again for Labor day weekend in September!

Our space was in front of a Mexican Restaurant.... the owner not only bought a piece the last day of the show... he gifted us frozen Margaritas! 

My lost paintings have been found!

This is a rambling post because I am *so* excited!

The paintings (all oil on canvas) that were stolen from me by the Mexican government and 5 years later auctioned off.....................have been found!! 

was contacted by the collector a few years ago, he was at first concerned because he knew they had been stolen, I am grateful he had the moral compass to contact me. We chatted via FaceBook and he assured me he would have the paintings exhibited throughout Mexico.

Sadly, he passed away soon after contacting me... may you rest in peace Omar....Thank you!

All I knew of him was his kindness and that he was a young man. It was very sad. I waited before posting on his *In Memoriam FB wall*....
I didn't want to be disrespectful to all those grieving. I posted again a year later, and so it has gone until TODAY, when I finally received a response from his sister about these pieces that I LOVE so much; she now owns the paintings.

These two were part of the seven and are part of a series I painted entitled "The Soul Keeper."

The one above measures about 20" x 20"
and the one below measures about 3 x 4 feet. Each painting has poetry by one of my two favorite poets (Khalil Gibran and Pablo Neruda) that goes with it.

The US Embassy, the Mexican Embassy..not even the State Department could help me.... I prayed so much for them to come back to me, I imagined them in the same HUGE wooden box I built for them to be shipped there, just leaning outside our little home-I imagined it all with great Faith and prayer and *Quantum physics* imaginings too!

But they never arrived at my doorstep.

The box I shipped them in was so big, I had to enlist the help of 2 friends to carry it on top of a van, I remember driving through snowy streets to ship them down to Mexico...
The last time I saw them....

 *wow* It is very, very AWEsome to know where they are. 

I am not like this with all my work....I have collectors all over the world, many whom I have never met... but this group... (not the first to be stolen either, I had 3 paintings stolen from GALA theater in Washington DC many years ago-I have no documentation of those as I made them especially for the exhibit)- these were my favorite pieces at the time; sent down there for my first Museum show, in my *adopted country* -where my father lived for 8 years as a UN diplomat, where I spent many, many happy vacations....  where now I have not only the connection with my art there, but my Mexican partner in love & life -whom I met during that trip, who has never seen those pieces in person....

The heart's affections are divided like the branches of the cedar tree; if the tree loses one strong branch; it will suffer but it does not die; it will pour all its vitality into the next branch so that it will grow and fill the empty place.

Kahlil Gibran 

This is a small canvas,  I sent three of these they measure 9" x 12" and were part of my "Visual Poetry" series.

This one to the right is super meaningful as I painted it the first time that my son went on a full week's vacation with the ex husband.... I was so worried and concerned, it was my prayer for Sacred care while he was away.
This is a piece that was bathed in tears as I painted it during that week,
lots of rum and cokes and m&m's ..... a time where everything was so new to me. I married so young, that being a divorcee opened up a world of so many things.... dating and dancing and paying bills and worries as a student/working single mom.... but my son was my *all* (still is!).... I pray he is always protected and cared for my *All that Is*.

Love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that the laws of humanity and the phenomena of nature do not alter its course.

Kahlil Gibran

I also sent them some of my favorite "Abstracted figurative" pieces 
This piece measurees 2 x 3 feet (or larger)

These were pieces about love and desire. About broken pieces of humanity coming together to form an "us"

When I painted them, I was going through relationships in the style of the Surrealists: "serial dating"....
I was very interested in the concept of 'soulmates' and unions... sex was for the first time "in mind" and enjoyable (my first marriage is one I was forced into by my mother, it was love-less and sex was a chore).
I discovered so much about myself... a time of shedding and great personal growth.

See the wings? :

God has given you a spirit with wings on which to soar into the spacious firmament of Love and Freedom. Is it not pitiful than that you cut your wings with your own hands and suffer your soul to crawl like an insect upon the earth?

Kahlil Gibran

This piece measures about 2 x 3 feet.

I could go on and on... and in the past I have... before Sergio accidentally crashed my website two years ago, I had documented all my contacts with Mexican and USA authorities to try to get my work back. There, I had letters from Mexico lying about the fact that they had my work... a letter from the Mexican cultural attache, washing his hands off of the whole "affair" (as he put it)- admitting, yet back pedaling re: his knowledge of the theft....  etc. etc.
BUT, I don't want to focus on all the negativity... I am excited to know where these pieces are, and will hopefully someday be able to better document them via good photos or scans.

Spiritual awakening is the most essential thing in man's life, and it is the sole purpose of being. Is not civilization, in all its tragic forms, a supreme motive for spiritual awakening?

Kahlil Gibran

Butterfly Maiden

Butterfly Maiden

Finished my latest Goddess... The Native American Butterfly Maiden.

Her themes are: rebirth, beauty, fertility, balance, freedom, and nature. Her symbols are butterflies, seedlings, rainwater, and spring flowers. 

Butterfly Maiden flutters into our lives today to reconnect us with nature and ourselves, to help us rediscover that graceful butterfly within each of us – the one that effortlessly rises above all troubles/problems and disappointments....making the world its flower....


It is quite interesting that she is my last Goddess for this year (I will begin again in January).... 2013 has been a difficult year for me in so many ways- and quite unexpectedly as 13 is my favorite number and I had high expectations for this year... nevertheless.. I am sure that *much* has stirred at a spiritual level within me...

Butterfly Maiden reminds me that this is the year where I have had to face my own darkness without fear. 

I have had very difficult years in the past... 6 straight awful years with "the ex" suing me at every turn, false accusations-though he never won in court- he always continued to sue me-- his way of punishing me for having left him.Unfortunately, he punished my son in the process using him as a pawn.. this was excruciating for me to see.. and so I was in battle-protecting my 'young' as a fierce Lioness for all these years. Now, it is over.He moved away in May... and without even realizing it (until writing this)... this is when I was able to *breathe*.

And so, unconsciously, I entered the cocoon of darkness--Damp, dark and sometimes frightening.

A cocoon to 're-group', face truths, let go of lies and false dreams...everything I overlooked when I had to focus on protecting my son.

A journey back to the essence of being....

Dark and lonely though not alone. 

Yet, I trust the process, knowing that when the time is exactly perfect, I will emerge from the mystery, bringing back a little bit of *mirmagic* from a dark place- transformed and "come through" the necessary molding of my heart and spirit.
I trust fully that when I am finally ready to spread my wings again, I will ascend higher and faster than ever did I imagine my dreams would lift me... higher and higher!

I feel the movement already of these wings.... I already see the light... yet I continue to wait patiently for the process to gently coax me forth...

And so I wish the same for you.... may you cocoon when needed, to reshape and be again and again, be renewed to higher realms...!

I also wanted to share with you a beautiful poem written by my Facebook friend Patricia (thank you for sharing this with my readers Patricia!)

One Dream 

by Patricia DeMarco

A night mist rose from the shallow waters of an inland lake


Following a path formed by the breezes gently blowing towards me.


My breath shared its pulsing rhythms.

The myst enveloped me with a shimmering vagueness.


Inviting me to journey above the earth, we flew upwards into the heavens


Above the town lights glimmering softly through the clouds below.

A feminine essence intersected our path, slowing our upwards journey.


Lying amidst a shimmering mist reflecting crystalline glaciers and flowing rivers,


Her heart beat rhythms of peace and forgiveness.

We eased in alongside, waking her with gentle speech and soft touch.
Breathing musical tones of singing birds and showering raindrops,


She opened eyes revealing gentleness of soul and depth of beauty.

The mysts dispersed, slipping beyond form, function and time
Leaving us to continue the journey of exploration and understanding,


That we are one dream seeking a divine union with light.

Prints available in different sizes:

16x12 in. $75.00 USD 12x9 in. $55.00 USD 7x5.25 in. $30.00 USD

the Spirituality of trees

Last January we decided this year we would have a "theme" for our 2013 works: Goddesses and flowers.... of course, it takes me weeks and even months to create a piece so I have been working on my Goddesses since January, but Sergio's process is quick with encaustics and he works beginning in late September .... he has decided to focus on Cherry Blossoms and Dogwoods.... his love of Japanese ancient culture led him to it when he created a piece for our son (who also loves Japanese ancient culture).... 

Sergio's latest pieces are these fantastic Cherry Blossoms in encaustics:

We both believe that Trees hold a special significance as both practical providers and powerful spiritual presences and have witnessed life on earth over large expanses of time. Spirit breathes aliveness into their mystical individuality.  In many cultures a tree symbolizes the world center, where heaven and earth touch, where all times and places converge. For this reason trees are considered sacred and provide a focal point for meditation, enlightenment, guidance and prayer and if we are open to their energy, will converse with us. 

We have behind our studio, a large Sycamore that stands above all other trees in the area, it is in fact, protected by our local government as a historic "monument" and we are not allowed to cut it down (not that we ever would!). In southern Mexico, the Sycamore is paid homage to as it was revered and used in rituals by the Olmecs.

Trees are super special to us... my last name "Olivos" means Olive trees... one of the things that Sergio and I loved about one another when met is how much we both are into Semiotics..and thus he took my last name when we married.

The Olive tree is considered a Tree of Life
and is symbolic of Harmony, Tranquility and Serenity <3 font="">
The Olive tree has been celebrated and referenced in the cultural works of every society. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The olive tree is surely the richest gift of Heaven".
The foliage of the Olive tree has been used for centuries to honor victory, wisdom and peace. In Genesis, an olive branch was returned to Noah on the ark by a dove, signaling the end of the great flood.

"The purest essence comes from the oldest trees who have peaked developmentally in their 

being-ness. Older trees communicate to younger trees a vibrancy that supports and encourages their growth. There is an intelligence on the other side from which life springs. The force of gravity helps us to live. Through gravity we receive light from the sky. Gravity is the bridge to the other world where earth connects to the sky. Trees act like magnetic funnels." ~ Goelitz

 Pine trees also have much ritual as their history... and whether we think of it or not- we pay homage to it annually as a Christmas tree.

 The Cherry blossom holds much symbolism in Japan; according to the Buddhist tradition, the breathtaking but brief beauty of the blossoms symbolizes the transient nature of life.  
The flowers last for at most a few weeks, but during that time, both the mountains and the cities are full of the delicate pink flowers, be the trees wild or cultivated. 

 “The traditional Japanese values of purity and simplicity are thought to be reflected in the form and color of the blossoms.” ~Osamu

Honor the ancient wisdom of the trees that surround you in the everyday, notice their beauty and hear their whispers....

Huichol Shaman blessings and another Kickstarter project soon

This afternoon we were blessed to have been visited by a Shaman from Mexico.

We knew he was here in Washington DC on a two week visit from Nayarit, Mexico and had been invited to hear him speak in Baltimore, but yesterday I received a phone call from a friend telling me he was coming to the area to visit a DC gallery and did we want a "house cleaning and blessing".... of course the answer was *Si!!!*  

He came here to bless our studio and our home!

The Huichol are a Native American ethnic group of western central Mexico; Huichol Art dates back millenia. During spiritual rituals Shaman have visions which are then transcribed into carvings, yarn and beading.

In the past, the beads were made from clay, shells, corals, seeds and more and using them to make jewelry and to decorate bowls and other items. 

The “modern” beadwork usually consists of masks and wood sculptures covered in small, brightly colored commercial beads fastened with wax and resin.

He told us about their creation story and about the fact that for the Huichol people:

 art is a means of encoding and channeling sacred knowledge. It is considered a form of prayer, providing direct communion with the sacred realm.

Every artwork they create carries heavily symbolic, esoteric  symbols.....mmmh... sounds exactly like what Sergio and I are drawn to: spirituality, symbolism and everything Native American....

We have been trying to decide where to go for our next

Kickstarter project.

.. we were thinking either Peru, here in the USA...... or Mexico.... 

Oracle cards a gift of guidance from the Divine/God/ALL that IS

*Mirmagical* messages come through in many ways......

Goddess: Green Tara

Some of you may know that I have been working on a Goddess series since January.
My aim was to create 35 small paintings for our Annual Open Studio on December 7 and later create an oracle deck with them.

However, in June-after we returned from our health trip to Mexico... I began to "lose steam"... instead of taking 7 to 10 days, my Goddesses were taking 20 to 30 days to get finished and I knew I would not meet my goal.

I struggled through my summer Goddesses ... but the fact was undeniable that every time I "pulled" a card from my deck to figure out which Goddess to draw next... there seemed to be a message tailored made for me. Sergio was amazed at how accurate the cards were, how appropriate for each life situation/moment we were in....

Sergio asked me if he could pull cards out of the deck and so began the messages for both of us.

Now, I have spent the last two weeks working on a Goddess that just did not seem to "work". So I finally decided that with the end of summer.... I was going to take a "break" from the Goddesses. I gave myself permission to just draw anything...

I envisioned something like this one pictured here, done in pen and ink or abstracted figures .... instead, I found myself drawing a fairy.


We have been watching a TV show on Netflix about Fairy tales called: "Once Upon a Time"...we are both loving it-and I thought *that* was where my fairy was coming from. At the same time, I have not been as keen on painting as I have been on watching the show...most times it is the other way around and Sergio has to spend time catching me up on all that I miss from having my nose stuck in my painting.... but, not lately.

You see, lately, I have been feeling restless....
Sergio is beginning another school year as a teacher's assistant. This year he did not even bother to apply for teaching jobs- our artistic lives are busy enough and we are doing "ok" financially with his assistant's salary plus all our art income...BUT of course...we DREAM about him not having to do

exhibit booth in Paris, 2007.

the assistant bit.

We DREAM about traveling all over the world exhibiting our ART, selling our artwork, and teaching workshops too.
We dream... but we have responsibilities: our son, health insurance, our home, our kitties... so we go on with the day to day...and we dream....

For four days, I kept coming back to that same piece of paper and working on that fairy; I really had no idea why she was appearing.
Each day I thought "I will pick up some ink and work into that... there will be birds and weird images and .... " 
Well, every evening when it is my time to paint-- I look at her and add a bit here and there.
Not much really. Just playing. But still, she remains on the paper. Layers of pencil and paint. And she is still there. No background, just her. I have not known why... but nothing else has come to mind.. so I keep playing.... until

Last night (while I am in the kitchen grabbing a midnight snack) this was our exchange:

Sergio: "Claudia, what Goddess is this that you are working on?"
me: "She is not a Goddess. I am taking a break from them. I have no idea what that is; I am going to take ink and work into her... adding figures playfully as I have done in the past  (like this one on the right).
Sergio: What? Have you forgotten about your goal? Have you forgotten about your plans for a 35 card oracle deck?"
me: : *sigh* "awlrigth.... go ahead and pull a card from the deck...."
moments later Sergio calls out excitedly... look what I pulled!

Sergio: excitedly yelled from the next room:
"Claudia!! She is Aine, Queen of the Fairies!..and he continued (reading from  Doreen Virtue's Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards)

 

Take a risk, and put your heart's true desire into action!

Procrastinating about your dreams won't make them go away, Neither will it make them happen. Indecision is the death of the soul's burning passion to improve, grow, and learn. Don't worry about making a wrong decision. Instead, worry about making no decision at all!

Then take time to pray, meditate, investigate, research, go on nature walks and make your decision.

Once made, the universal energies will immediately support your decision, and doors will successively open as if by magic. The magic, you see, is that you've set your mind to accomplish something. And this intention is what sets you on your magical journey. Trust that the universe will support you in all ways. Trust that your intention is clear and right for you. And then take a leap of faith and jump fully and squarely into the midst of putting your dreams into action. Don't hesitate or delay a moment longer.

About Aine: Aine is a powerful Celtic goddess and fairy queen who gave birth to incarnated fairies from her romances with mortal men. Aine is revered in Ireland for helping to grow crops and oversee animals. You can call upon Aine when you need additional guidance and the courage to take risks.

Aine, Queen of the Fairies, in progress....

 

Amazing, isn't it?.... with one card I am reminded of the importance and value of "oracle cards" which are utilized in many spiritual paths... for example, I see it often in the Christian path as many people will pull daily scripture verses that speak to them for a particular day or situation.

 

I feel honored to have been called to create a set of *oracle cards.* These helpful sacred gifts that are tools for YOU to reach within and up and above to ALL that IS/God/the Divine...   a path/a key a tool for communication from Spirit to us.

 

What a wonderful gift has been given to us...to YOU! It is available to each and everyone of us for guidance, encouragement and affirmation!

 

We are blessed and now must begin to plan for action.

Active intention for manifestation of what is meant to be.....

 

We pray for clear direction in YOUr journey as well! Please share your own experiences in the comments or on our FB page... we would love to support you in manifesting your intentions too!

 

Love & light always,

Claudia

 

I am the poet of the body

    "...I am the poet of the body,

And I am the poet of the soul.

oil on canvas "Motherhood" by Claudia Olivos.

The pleasures of heaven are with me, and the pains of hell

are with me,

I am the poet of the woman the same as the man,

And I say it is as great to be a woman as to be a man,

And I say there is nothing greater than the mother of men"....

~Walt Whitman

Art Museum etiquette and children

Today we visited the National Gallery of Art with some of our young students.

When visiting a museum I like to teach our students respect for art and the experience of admiring and learning from artwork, so I teach them to have an attitude of attunement and sobriety similarly to when one may visit a religious site or library.

I teach them that the museums belong to them-our Nation's heritage and treasures....they are to be well regarded and cared for so that we may all share it with our children, grandchildren and generations to come.

I teach them not to touch or lean on the art or even the walls and glass; not to run or talk loudly, to hold their hands behind their back to lean in to a work of art to admire and understand the details and nuances utilized by the artist to produce whatever effect is drawing them in....etc.

And they listen.
Far better than my college students.
Far better than many of the adults I often see sitting on the pedestals of art or even leaning on sculptures to have their photos taken (are they there for the art or merely using it as another photo op for Facebook??--I digress......)

Today as we quietly walked into one of the galleries a guard told me to "keep your children quiet" because there was a 'delegation' admiring the work, I became instantly irritated at the elitism of the moment....I had noticed the group when we had come in and recognized them...VIPs of the museum's Board of Directors coming to get a private tour.
So...our group is looked as "lesser than.." these "VIPs" simply because they are children!?

I looked at the guard and glancing back at the group that was following me I said: "they are rather quiet don't you think? They will do just fine" .... and with what was probably a look of disdain on my part.... I walked into the gallery followed by all of the children.

There they stood quietly while I spoke to them about each of the works, the materials and technique etc... and do you know what? I could hardly hear myself TALK above the "VIP group".... the children...quiet as mice, raising their hands for tiny questions with big significance... Oh these wonderFULL children who will grow up to admire, understand and support the arts! ... and the VIP group cackling at whatever jokes they were sharing whilst looking at the art.

As we left the gallery I approached the guard and said to him "..your special group was SO loud I could not hear myself talk over them...I hope you noticed our group was well behaved and quiet"...

The guard looked at me and exclaimed "I am so sorry, please accept my apology..
I am SO sorry he repeated, adding I did not intend to..." -

I accepted his apology and then as we stepped into the sunny day....
and I thought it is too bad that adults in suits are given more respect than children just because they are well...:adults. in suits.

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, 

yet we forget that he is someone today. 

 ~Stacia Tauscher

Ah...the now famous DC earthquake? Well, apparently we missed it by TWO minutes. Yep, that is all. We went underground and were riding the metro when it struck.

I think next week, when we go back to the museum, 

I will take the guard a nice handmade card drawn by the children and yours truly.