I Call Her

 

Only about 6 months LATE! I can now tell you about a special Halfland guest artist from last June.... Mariah! At the time she was just 14 (3 YEARS YOUNGER THAN HALFLAND ITSELF!!! please never speak of this again.) Now who can say how old she is. She probably has 2 kids in college. Nevertheless, it was very special having her here because every time her uncle Peter and aunt-in-law Pauli (in yellow below) would visit her family on the East Coast they would regale Mariah with tales of Halfland and it's magicalness.

As she grew, she become fevered to come and visit this place she could only see on the blog. One day last summer, she and her mom made their way out to the coast to visit. Being a great host, Pauli gave Mariah a long list of fantastically fun tourist destinations for her to choose from to do during her week-long visit. She requested to only come to Halfland... to work.... TWICE! (sigh, I could not have been more delighted!) She's the kind of young person I admire! Why sit on a beach sipping tea or go shopping for cute things when you can build a mushroom village?! Exactly.

Pauli (dear long time friend of my husband and myself), Mariah, and her lovely and funny mom, Margi, spent two days here cutting all manner of vegetation and telling funny stories. They are a total blast to hang with and the girls in blue above live far too far away.

 

Mariah was happy to really get involved in the set building. She helped me add tiny doors on mushroom houses and landscape their porches with small geraniums and stones. She darn near built the waterwheel that powers the bug's party lights in the stream by herself too. (see her concentrating on it like a maiden in a classical painting at the top) Margi and Pauli wailed away on the crepe paper grass planting on the meadow.

 

More than anything else it was so encouraging to have someone like Mariah interested in spending her vacation time on the project. I found her to be at once knowing, innocent, honest, and charming.

I'm tardy in saying so here, but I want her and her cohorts to know that their coming here, appreciating and helping build the set meant the world. Thank you, Dears, thank you.

Next time you're out this way I hope you'll stop by and see what we're up to.