Fairs, Museums, Birthdays, and More

Hello!  Welcome to Willow's Week in Friday's Fave Five hosted by Susanne.

1.  Reagan Library and the Vatican Splendors.  We spent a lovely day with friends at the Presidential Library and the special exhibit from the Vatican.  So many highlights!  So many moving moments and displays.  But everyone's favorite is always Air Force One and Marine One.

2.  Much of my week has been focused on preparing for and working at our county fair.  Our guild has a booth and I worked there demonstrating spinning the first two days.

(Did you notice the blue ribbon?  Our exhibit earned first place in our division, and we also received an award for education.)

3.  One of the days, (probably because we won the awards), we were featured in our local newspaper.  Every year, every day of the fair, one of the reporters does a story on some part of the fair.  His stories are always fun to read.  Who knew that he would come interview US?  Here's the link to videos and article.  I think everyone enjoys Tom's columns because they're funny and not about negative stuff in the news.

4.  Best news ever:  Son #2 sent a message saying, "Just got my seat.  Almost there!"  and then, "Shutting down over here."  And finally, "On the ground."  Back in the USA!  He has been away all summer researching but is back now.  That makes my mama's heart happy.

5.  In other children news, two had birthdays this week.  Although we can't celebrate in person, we always make sure we all communicate our love and felicitations in calls, emails and texts (and cards or packages delivered by USPS).

How was your week?  I hope you found many blessings!

Mothers, Sons and Sunsets

Happy Friday!  Here is Willow's Week in Friday Fave Fives.  This edition is mostly about Mother's Day.

1.  None of my children live within the same state where we are, so holidays aren't often celebrated together.  Chaplain Dan's military assignment brought him to within 100 miles of us last weekend, so we happily hopped on a couple of Los Angeles freeways to drive to where he had a couple of hours free before he returned to Arizona.  So I got to spend a bit of Mother's Day weekend with my first born.

2.  I posted the above photo on facebook on Mother's Day and was delighted to see that it received more than 100 likes/loves from friends.  Yeah, I know it's facebook, and it's not like it's hard to 'like' a photo, but it still made me happy.

3.  Although they are spread out across the US (and sometimes the world), my four adventurers always check in with me on special days.  I wonder if they know how much those phone calls mean to me.

4.  I always love a sunset.  May and June are great months to photograph sunsets here because the seasonal fog which creeps in most evenings creates interesting shapes in the sky as the sun sets.  This photo was snapped from the car as The Professor was driving home from our meet up with Chaplain Dan in Orange County (#1).

5.  I hope you like bug and caterpillar pictures!  Here is a monarch butterfly caterpillar (larva).  In spring they are usually crawling all over our milkweed plants and devouring all the leaves until nothing is left of the poor milkweed.  Evidently this one was either scouting for more leaves or searching for a spot to build its cocoon as it was meandering aimlessly around my patio which is completely devoid of milkweed.  Which end is his head and which his tail?  Why would I choose caterpillars as a fave?  Well, I like them.  They're cute.  And they're fun to photograph.