What I'd like to be doing....

...is sitting here on my canoe, with a blanket, cup of tea, and a book.

Instead my girls are home from 1/2 day kindergarten, and we are in the middle of ripping apart the art room. I pulled everything out of the closet, removed the shelves, and am starting from square one. I'm putting all of my supplies in there, so I'm left with counterspace, a work table, and my chandelier. A blank slate, ready to create art.

My dad built this canoe in High School, and used it on many canoe trips with his buddies. The numbers are from a canoe race that he and my brother were in. After we bought the house, I decided the canoe hanging in the garage (that Mark bumped his head on repeatedly), would be the perfect window seat in our living room. Dad assured me he'd help me find another one more suitable and could take this one away. I was bummed.

Months later Dad called and said to load up the kids and hurry to see what he had found. It was a hideous aqua fiberglass canoe sitting curbside. He asked me to help haul it home, and told me I could chop his canoe in 1/2 and make it into the windowseat. I was ecstatic, and Mark and his friend did a terrific job. In the corner there is a "trap door" loaded with more blankets and pillows. On snowy days the kids love to take off the cushions and play on the canoe. On snowy days I prefer to sitting here with a really good book....