Budding Artists, Part Two

Thanks for all the nice comments about the art in yesterday's post. Today's three paintings were done by my 11-year-old granddaughter. I was amazed at the details, and very proud of this one as well.

I love this one, and I'm sorry that they have been folded (they should have been rolled). The colors are wonderful, aren't they?

Such a wistful-looking sheep. I love the color selection here too - most unexpected! Perhaps in 25 years, people will be lauding the two sisters from North Carolina who paint so well, and going to museums to see their work!

Budding Artists, Part One

I went to visit my daughter and her family yesterday and I was blown away when my 14 year old granddaughter showed me some of her work from art class. If you look closely, you'll see "John, Paul, George and Ringo - and the yellow submarine!

This is her self portrait (she's much prettier). She is a swimmer and soccer player, and I'd add artist to those descriptions!! Please join me in urging her to keep up with her art. Her mom didn't, and she was almost as talented.

Tomorrow, I will show you what her 11 year old sister can do. They both make me say  WOW!

How Does that Happen?

I took five photos outside yesterday, to illustrate that spring is definitely on its way. I  uploaded them to Picasa as I always do, and clicked to blog them, and the photos disappeared! Completely disappeared - from Picasa AND from the photo files on the computer. I am baffled as to how that could happen. I know I could have clicked on something (unwittingly) to cause it - but I am 99.9% sure that didn't happen. DRAT! If I get time to take photos again later, you'll see them and if you see this - I didn't have time. Catch you later.

The Kitchen, Infamous Though It May Be

Here it is, in all its non-glory. What it needs?  New counter tops, a new backsplash, a new cook top, a new vent hood, a new floor, the cabinets need to be painted inside and cleaned well on the outside. I'd also like a new (non-mullioned) window with a deep sill, so I could keep herb plants there. The color green on the walls needs to be changed to something a bit sunnier and I could really use a new, stainless-steel microwave.

I got an email from the woman who first contacted me about showing my photo on TV and when they taped the show yesterday, they did use my photo. However, there is no assurance it will remain when they do the final edit of the show. She is going to let me know if it survived the cut and when the show will air - and I will let you know when I do. Meanwhile, if there is any show that would like to re-do my kitchen to show on TV - they are more than welcome!

A Small Misunderstanding

I got all excited yesterday when I thought that the TV program might air the photo of my kitchen today ... and I assumed that the show was taped in the morning and aired that afternoon. That was an incorrect assumption, and now I know that the show tapes with a live audience and then airs from one to two weeks later.

I emailed the woman who first contacted me and asked if they had used my photo and she informed me that the show had not taped yet and even if they do use it, it won't air for a while. She also said "we found a kitchen that's a whole lot uglier than yours, so we may not use your photo." Mr. kenju said that was sort of an insult....but I call it a "backhanded compliment."

No one knows better than I that we need new countertops and back splash, but we are always a day late and a dollar short as the old saying goes. The other problem we have is that we can seldom agree on how to correct a decor situation. He would vote for granite and I want to see what the latest favorite thing is before I make a decision. Discussing it with a friend recently, I found out that stainless steel is replacing granite as the countertop of choice, and butcher block is coming in at a close second. I really like both of those choices, as they may be more durable or easier to fix if there is a problem.

Imagine that you need to re-do your kitchen and are trying to decide what surface you'll use on your counters....what would you choose and why?

You Just Never Know...Do You?

EDIT BELOW:  When you put something on a blog, you realize, of course, that it is in the public domain and may be seen and read by anyone. Little do you know, however, how far and wide your little seeds might scatter and where they will ultimately land. 

Today I got an email that I very nearly chucked into the spam file....but something told me to check it out first. I opened that email, and it was from a woman who works for a nationally known TV program, on that peacock network. She had seen a photo of my kitchen on my blog and wondered if I would give permission for them to use it on the show. I couldn't believe it.

I am under no illusions here, and I know that my photo will be used as the "before" kitchen; or as my daughter says, the one they proclaim as the disaster.  Apparently the theme of the segment  will be "how to update old Formica counter tops" and since mine are over thirty years old, they certainly fit that category!

Doubtless it will do no good, but I did mention that if they would like to come and update my kitchen or den, they are most welcome!

They will let me know if my photo is used on the show sometime tomorrow after they tape. If it will be used, I'll post an update here so you can watch the show.

EDIT:   Apparently I misunderstood how it works. The show in which they might use my photo tapes later today and will not be on TV until sometime later. I also heard that they found "a much worse" kitchen than mine, so they may not use my photo.  Seems orange form*ca is worse than yellow.....LOL

Sometimes I could swear that the guy who draws this cartoon is a fly on the wall of our house! The cardinal in yesterday's post was back for more this morning. I was in too big of a hurry to take another photo.

Mr. kenju had an early appointment with a new doc (whom we both loved) and then the car had to be seen about. Unfortunately, it was yet another bundle of moolah, as well as two lost hours. I told the owner of the repair shop that we simply had to stop meeting like this - my credit card can't take much more. I'm trying to find the silver lining in this, but it is hard.

The Male of the Species

I saw this guy this morning. He was looking all around and trying to scratch some seed out of the cracks in the deck. I felt sorry for him, so I placed a plateful of seed on the deck bridge and.......

the little bugger wouldn't share with his mate. He made her wait until he had his fill before she  was allowed to approach. It's a darn good thing mr. kenju isn't like that!!

 *******

A dear friend took us out to dinner tonight, to The 42nd Street Oyster Bar. It is practically an institution here in Raleigh, and when the waiter asked if we had eaten there before, mr. kenju answered...."Yes, and probably before you were born." Naturally, I forgot to photograph my meal. Perhaps the excellent Bloody Mary had something to do with that....lol. I ate a crisp salad, mahi mahi, a cheese-topped mashed potato and my weight in the best hush puppies around. Then to add insult to injury (to my stomach) we shared a pecan pie/tart, which was brought to the table hot! What an experience!

On the way home, the "check engine" light came on in my car. Mr. kenju was afraid we would not make it home, but we did. I'll have to have that checked out tomorrow. Drat....it's always something. I sure hope this is nothing serious - since I just had a water pump installed this week.

More Oldies

I had to combine two photos to get the full height here; it was more than 6' tall from the table top. A "birdcage" constructed of bamboo and raffia.

My "stack-o-baskets"

The stack-o-baskets again. I asked the firm for some templates, etc. and used them in all their centerpieces. That was a big hit. I used it a third time for a party at a company that makes fire extinguishers, and it disappeared after the party. I can't imagine what they were going to do with it, since the baskets were all wired and glued together.

I wasn't going to do this, but the woman I was at the convention with grabbed my elbow and raised my arm up when they asked for volunteers. I was glad she did. They placed various props and fabrics in the floor of the lobby and we had to choose (grab) quickly what we wanted to use. For the theme "A Different Rhythm", I used brass trumpets with gold curly willow, to signify the sound waves coming out of the horns. The windows were about 5' tall and less than 3 ' wide, I think, and only deep enough to place a movie placard (about 4-5"), if I remember correctly. It was a fun exercise. Mine was more restrained than most, and I didn't win.

Toons for Elders

Through the Years

My sweet "sonny boy" turns 45 tomorrow morning at 4:50. Here he is at 7 months (my favorite photo of his babyhood. It was his "What are you going to do next?" look.

Here he is at 7 or 8, in Virginia Beach, showing off his muscles. He is still built like that, by the way. He plays basketball several times a week and outruns the younger guys.

With his beloved Cayce, who grew to be 95 pounds and had the worst breath of any animal I've ever known. She was a sweetie, though, and his children could climb all over her and she never complained.

With his wife and girls, who are now approaching 13 and 16, so this was taken a while back. Isn't he handsome? He is almost the spitting image of my birth father.  Happy Birthday, Son, we love you!

Golden Oldies

When I have nothing to write about, I fall back on showing you old photos; this time of some of the flower arrangements I did, admittedly many years (and over twenty pounds) ago. The top one was at  the North Carolina Museum of Art. Yours truly, beside a tropical arrangement with tropical food offerings. I have a hard time believing that was over 25 years ago. Check out those lace stockings!

This was for a safari themed party at the Capital City Club, for the Greensboro Convention and Visitor's Bureau. I used a wooden crate, painted it black, added the animals and made "bars" of black ribbon. Animal print overlays, mosses and tropical flowers completed the look. This was one of several large stations, all having similar arrangements.

This one was for a fall/harvest themed event at the Art Museum. I used my large copper milk can to hold the flowers and vegetables and a large basket holding an assemblage of vegetables and fruit. The arrangement was over five feet tall and it sat on a four foot tall pedestal. It made quite a show for people walking down the stairs to the lower level of the museum.

Another event at the museum; this one in the spring and I hope it evokes visions of what our world could look like come April and May. I painted four large, wooden wine boxes, in pastel colors and stacked them atop each other at odd angles, leaving open corners into which I placed small pots of spring flowers and put a large arrangement in the top box. Small terra cotta pots were tucked into the open corners at the base. This was one of my favorite "concoctions" over the 28 years I've been doing flowers. I still have those wine boxes and use them for storage.

What is it with.....

haircuts? We all feel terrific after a good haircut, don't we? Mr. kenju and I went to our salon today and I think we are both about a pound and a half lighter now. I'm not sure if my hair is growing faster than usual, or if I didn't let my stylist cut enough last time, but I've hated my hair all month. It always hangs limply in the winter anyway, and when it is too long - I look like a bag lady who wielded dull scissors on her own hair.

And what is it with warmer weather that makes me want to clean the garage? Our temps are in the low 60's today and I just spent the last three hours sweeping, scooping, re-arranging and tossing. The car is filled with another load for the landfill (and Goodwill) and I have had my fill of fresh air and a bit of sunshine to boot. Plus I remembered that February is the time to prune a crape myrtle, so my miniature one (which isn't so small anymore) got taken down by half. I'll have to ask my friend Biff to come over with his loppers;  there's a branch too large for me to cut with my ratchet clippers.

And what is it with Biff anyway? He used to blog nearly everyday and since he married Tiff, he hardly says anything on his blog. It's too bad because I used to really enjoy his early posts. Luckily, Tiff takes up the slack and does a fine job of it.

And what is it with cars? Why don't they last as long as you want them to without maintenance?  I've noticed a leak on the garage floor for the last 2-3 days and when I was checking it out today, I decided it was probably anti-freeze, since it had a pinkish/red tinge. I put some of  my old, non-clumping cat litter to good use - it soaked it right up! Then before I pulled the car into the garage, I laid down a lot of newspaper to soak up whatever spills  out tonight. That way I can take some of that paper with me to the repairman and he'll know what it is. (I feel so smart!) I also know to keep the cats out of the garage until the car is fixed, since anti-freeze tastes good to them and it is poison. Did you know that? If not, I've done my good deed for the day.

Odds and Ends

I saw some interesting things on my way to and from the flower shop last week:

1. It was 59* and teenagers were wearing tank tops, shorts and flip-flops. The next day it was 70* and they were dressed for winter. Now today, it is back in the 50's again. We are on the proverbial weather yo-yo again.

2. I saw someone jogging off in the distance and as she came closer, I saw that it was a "little person". I have never seen a little person jogging, before and I would have thought it was a painful process for them, seeing as how their legs are badly bowed. But she was persevering  (if at a snail's pace), and I was proud for her.

3. While stopped at a train crossing, I saw a series of five linked railroad cars with a tractor on top that had a large claw on the end of a long  "nose." They were moving slowly, about 20 feet each time and stopping, after which the claw reached into a cargo car and pulled out 8-10 massive railroad ties and dropped them on the side of the tracks like they were "pick-up-sticks."  I thought back to when men most likely had to do that by hand, or use horse-drawn carts to transport the heavy railroad ties and I decided this way was much better!

Working as a florist on Valentine's Day in a busy shop can be extremely  stressful, even when you only work four hours a day (as I did.) One of the ways in which I amuse myself is reading the cards that people specify for their orders. One I got a kick out of was..."I fooled you because these are not for Valentine's Day, they are because I forgot our seven-month anniversary."  I wondered if he had sent another arrangement for the 14th, because he is likely to be in trouble if he didn't....lol. Another one was ordered for her mom by a young girl...."I ordered these for Dad; he taught me how to use the credit card."

Again, I wondered if the mom would be happy at that - or mad because the dad didn't do it himself. We'll never know, will we?

The Raw Materials

These photos were taken last Thursday and Friday at the satellite location of the flower shop I worked for over the past five days. We worked in an un-rented  space in the shopping center; affording us lots of extra space, which is imperative on holidays such as this one.

This is stock. The aroma is magnificent and I love working with the many colors it comes in.

I know that some of you were hoping to see the finished product and not just the raw materials, but I simply didn't have time to stop and photograph anything. When you are sending out over 500 orders in 2-3 days - you can't stop for anything but lunch - and that is short. Our lunches were provided over the last four days, though, making a nice perk along with the job.  I had a fourth photo, but it must have been bashful because it disappeared.

Ssince I saw your sslender form,
My cold, cold blood became quite warm.
And with each and every sslither,
Caused my unkeeled sscales to wither.

Gentle hiss, that underbelly - Oh, my sspine just turned to jelly!
King or cobra go ssalamander,
by your anacondic philander.

Though your forked tongue you flicker,
Than the boa, you're out-chic-er.
But these fangs of mine went hyper,
Ssuch a sscintillating viper!

My sskin sshed while in your grasp,
Cause you made me love your asp!

I hope you and your significant other make fond memories for each other this Valentine's Day!

I'm working almost non-stop for Valentine's Day, so if I don't get there for a visit, you'll know why. P.S. I did not write this poem. I took it from a card I bought years ago.

A Repost from March 12, 2007

Something I read in a blog the other day made me remember the day that my daughter was sworn into the NC Bar. She had missed the special day that was set aside for the nearly 400 people who had recently passed the bar exam to be sworn in, and had to make a special trip to the courthouse for that purpose. She tried to downplay it, and didn't really want her parents there (especially one toting a camera), but we insisted that we accompany her on this momentous (to us) occasion.

The swearing in was supposed to happen before the court convened for the day, and we expected the room to be mostly empty. Imagine our surprise when we opened the door to see every row filled to capacity, with standing room only! A great number of the people present had on the familiar orange jumpsuits which are given to the residents of our jail, and some even sported ankle chains. They were surrounded by their various supporters and family members; attorneys, paralegals, bailiffs, etc.

We were told to go into the judges' chambers, and he met us there while he was donning his robe. He asked our daughter some questions, mostly small talk, and told us to come into the court room, where he would administer the oath.

Following them out into the courtroom, we took up position along the side wall, since there was no place to sit. It turned out to be the best place in the room to view what was happening. After the judge announced the new attorney, he asked the audience to welcome her. He began to clap while beckoning them to do likewise. It was the funniest sight to me - a courtroom full of criminals, with big, toothy smiles; clapping loudly and waving - all for the new attorney. I guess they didn't realize that she could be the next one to haul them into court.

Note: she is not that kind of attorney, though, so they needn't have worried anyway.....LOL

A repost from Tuesday, May 31, 2005:

How We Achieved Forty - six Years of Marriage

When people ask: "To what do you attribute your long marriage?" I usually answer "Inertia". There is more truth to that than might initially meet the eye, but it is only one of the reasons.

 

Firstly, when you agree to wed, you must believe that you are marrying a friend, with whom you can not only tolerate spending the rest of your life, but with whom you will be contented. Most of us 'think' that at the time, but a firm belief is required, in my opinion, which suggests that you have really thought about it before deciding to accept the proposal. It is desirable to have ideals in common, as well as similar thoughts on how to conduct your finances, religious preferences and raising your children. One should talk about these things beforehand. 

 

Secondly, you must be dedicated to staying married. If your idea of marriage is "Oh, well, if it doesn't work out - we'll just get a divorce", then your future will surely hold that as a prospect, if not a fact. A firm resolve to make it work is to be desired above all. 

 

Thirdly, compromise is the watchword for a successful relationship (marriage or otherwise). If one of you is so self-centered as to insist on always having things your way, the relationship is doomed to failure, or to a hellish existence if you stay together. (I can hear my husband laughing as he reads that - assuming I let him!). Remember that a marriage is seldom a 50-50 proposition. It is often 90-10, or 30-70, and the larger number will not always be on your side. Learn to live with that. 

 

Fourthly, a sense of humor is a necessity, as is a willingness to say "I am sorry" and show that you mean it. 

 

The caveat: All of the above flies out the window if you are being verbally or phyically abused. No one should stay in a relationship where there is not a true spirit of love, respect and compassion for the other person. Try counselling, or anger management if need be, but do not allow yourself to feel trapped in a marriage where you are not respected. If you have any idea that you have made a mistake in your choice of spouse, do not bring a child into the world expecting that to magically solve all your troubles, for it will only compound them. 

 

I am no expert (again, my husband is laughing!), but these are ideas that have worked for us. My husband and I were fortunate to be the children of parents who also stayed married a long time, and that certainly works in our favor. 

 

An additional note: Do not let this lead you to thinking it was all a bed of roses; I can assure you it was anything but! We had hard times, slammed doors, shouting matches (which happen nowadays too) and there were periods when due either to his work travel or a shared intractability, we hardly spoke to each other. But the initial vows we made were not forgotten, and we were still committed to each other and to the marriage. 

 

I neglected to tell you one of the more interesting aspects of it all: we met in  early January of 1964 and married in early July of 1964. We hardly knew each other, really. I don't recommend that you marry so swiftly, but since I did, I can hardly set up parameters for you, can I?

Shoulda - Woulda - Coulda

It didn't occur to me until I sat down at the computer after work today that I ought to have pre-made several posts to use this week. But it didn't - and I am tired! Today is the first day I have worked since January 1st, and my brain and body have gotten used to being lazy. Maybe I'll think of something later. Meantime, you have a good night!

Quote of Note

Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.

Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1819-1891)

*****

and speaking of the poor, I don't know how anyone can buy  enough decent food these days.  Every time I go to the grocery, or Sam's, I notice elevated prices since the last visit.  It is most disconcerting to me and so I really feel sorry for those who have little to no income, especially those who have a family to feed.

As you are well aware, gas prices continue to inch up. The news on TV last night said we are "marching toward" our all-time high of over $4 per gallon. Something has to give, folks, or we will all be housebound, not by snow and ice, but because we can't afford to buy gasoline.

What are you doing, if anything, to offset the high prices lately? 

Tuesday at the Flower Shuttle

It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen.

Jerome K. Jerome, humorist and playwright (1859-1927)

*******

I've been idling since January 1st, but that's about to stop. On Thursday I will start the first of five days straight with a flower shop for Valentine's Day. As always, I have a love/hate relationship with flower shops near Valentine's Day. I love being around fresh flowers and smelling the wonderful aromas, but I don't always appreciate the rush-rush-rush pace of those days and the impatience that customers sometimes exhibit during those important days. Each one always thinks that their order is the most important one in the country and no one else matters - no matter whose order was received first. Designers realize how important your order is to you and to the person who will receive it, but we can't materialize it out of thin air - particularly if the flowers you want haven't arrived from the wholesaler or grower yet. I hope that you will try to have patience with your florist and especially the delivery persons - who often go through all seven levels of Hell while attempting to find your special loved one.

As to the quote above...."there is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do...." is very true! You might enjoy doing nothing for a week or two if you are normally a very busy person, but when you have had no raison d'etre

for more than a month, it begins to wear on you. That's my experience and I've been stir-crazy since being sick for almost two weeks. Stressful or not, I am looking forward to getting back to work at long last.

"Do You Fit into the Blogosphere?", an article found in a local magazine ("Midtown"), I read recent statistics from "the State of the Blogosphere" by Technorati:

Believe it or not, 2/3 of bloggers are male and 60% are between the ages of 18-44.

75% have college degrees.

More than half are married.

70% say that personal satisfaction is the way they measure success.

71% blog in part to speak their mind.

72% blog to share their expertise.

42% have become friends with someone they have met in person through their blog.

82% post photos to their blog. 

So, how do you fit into that picture?  Or do you?

*******

I have been told that the way I will be able to comment on the blogs I cannot now leave a comment on, is if the blogger goes to "settings" and "comments" and clicks "full page" as the option (instead of "embedded below the post".) I would love for all of you to do that, of course, so I can speak my mind and let you know I've been there. 

And since I posted about not being able to comment, I've discovered a few more blogs that fit that category:

Poopie at Pecan Lane

Linda at A Slower Pace

quandlequeen at A Walk Through My Little World

Joared

"Be Here Now" was written by Ram Dass, formerly known as Dr. Richard Alpert, former teacher at Harvard University and known for both personal and professional associations with Dr. Timothy Leary, of LSD research fame. I know many of you will be turned off immediately by his past associations; yogic and psychedelic - however if you were to read this book, you would find much wisdom in it.

The reason I bring it up today is that much of the philosophy in yesterday's poetry post can also be found in this and other books by Ram Dass. Some who commented mentioned the "let it be" aspect and if you are interested, this book can shed some light on that.

Mr. Kenju and I were privileged to attend a lecture by Ram Dass in the 80's, in Virginia Beach. Considering all that it was in his past, he appeared to be a very gentle soul. Unfortunately, he suffered a stroke in 1997 and is unable to speak or write. All his previous writings, however, are worth a look.

Letting Go Takes Love

A friend sent this to me. I thought 

you might enjoy it:

To let go does not mean to stop caring,
   it means I can't do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off,
   it's the realization I can't control 

another.

To let go is not to enable,
   but allow learning from natural 

consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness, 

which means
   the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or 

blame another,
   it's to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for,
   but to care about.

To let go is not to fix,
   but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge,
   but to allow another to be a human 

being.

To let go is not to be in the middle 

arranging all the outcomes,
   but to allow others to affect their 

destinies.

To let go is not to be protective,
   it's to permit another to face 

reality.

To let go is not to deny,
   but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
   but instead to search out my own 

shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything 

to my desires,
   but to take each day as it comes and 

cherish myself in it.

To let go is not to criticize or 

regulate anybody,
   but to try to become what I dream 

I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past,
   but to grow and live for the future.

*To let go is to fear less and love more
       *and
To let go and to let God, is to find peace!

------ author unknown

Can I Blame It on Illness?

This cold virus is trying to get the best of me, but I am on top of it. I went out this afternoon to buy some Muc*nex, as well as run some other errands. After I got in the car, I realized I had drycleaning to pick up also, so I went there first. I handed over the ticket and the guy came back to the car carrying a shirt on a hangar. "It was supposed to be folded", I said. He turned, after rolling his eyes and shaking his head, and entered the shop. When he came back, he said, "We'll get it folded for you and it will be ready when you come back." 

While he was in the shop, I discovered, much to my dismay, my purse was not in the car with me; I had left it in the garage. So I drove back home to get the purse - also, once again, forgetting that I should get our joint checkbook, which I needed to buy our prescriptions. Off I went, back to the drycleaner. This time they sent out a girl to speak to me. She had some story about how the "shirt-folder" was supposed to come to work at 2pm, and maybe she'd be there by 3pm, and I could come back (yet again.) BY that time, I was getting a bit peeved. So I drove off to do my other errands. I went to the bank, got a late lunch, went to the pharmacy and the grocer and then back to the drycleaners. This time the shirt was ready and I was very pleased to discover they would not charge me for it. (I don't think I would have paid anyway.)

Here's what made me the maddest about the day:  the main reason for my going out today was to pay a bill at Kohl's. Being sick for a week  kept me from noticing the bill was coming due (or that's my story anyway) and I really need to get to the store and pay it. Because I spent so much time doing other things, I forgot to go to Kohl's today, and I'll have to go tomorrow. Add that to forgetting my purse and the other checkbook, I'm bewildered.

Good thing I'm sick and can blame it on that - I'd sure hate to think my memory is that bad!

Another Golden Oldie Repost

I wrote about my mom's sister here. In the body of that post is another one, leading to her artwork. Enjoy!

The cold I've had for a week is still with me, but I'm better, thanks in part to my wonderful and thoughtful house guest, who brought me a box of tea called "Throat Comfort" and some excellent chicken soup and good bread for lunch today. I recommend the tea; it would be good anytime.

When I first posted this one, the children were 11 and 12. Now they are almost 15 and 16. Of course the photo was taken when they were 2 and 3, I think. They are cuter than ever; cousins who love each other - but she doesn't follow him around anymore like she used to....lol