Show & Tell Friday, Proud Grandma and Circle Journal

It's time for Show and Tell Friday. If you would like to participate, drop over to Kelli's at There's No Place Like Home. Seems like it was just here and can you believe it's the middle of March already. Time is flying by.

This week I'd like to show you my latest addition to my postcard collection. It is a beautiful card that is signed by the artist, Philip Boileau. It is as clean as the day it was made and has been taken really good care of. It is titled "Sweetheart" and I got it for a very good price. I love this card. Sorry that my scanner isn't working, so all I could do was take a photo of the postcard on the desk.

Let me tell you a little about Philip Boileau, pronounced Bwa-low. He was born in Quebec on June 7, 1863. Yes, he was Canadian, something that I found out recently. No wonder I love his art.

Boileau's father was a diplomat and when young Philip lived in Canada, America and France. He attended school in England and studied art in Italy when he was in his early twenties. Over the next decade he lived in various location throughout Europe. He moved to America in 1897 and it was here that his artistic talents were recognized.

Over the next few years Boileau painted the portraits of beautiful socialites. He opened a studio in New York City in 1902 and it was there that his work began to get the recognition it deserved. Before long, Boileau's portraits were highly sought after.

In New York, Boileau met Emily Gilbert, a young socialite about half his age. The couple were married in 1907. Boileau continued to produce images of beautiful women, as well as children for the next decade. He died in 1917 at the height of his success.

Postcards featuring Boileau's art were overlooked for many years. Today they are highly collectible. The Postcard Price Guide, Third Edition by J.L. Mashburn lists hundreds of postcards that were produced using the art of this talented man. They range in value from approximately $3.00 to over $200. A silk card titled "Fancy Free" produced by Wolf & Co. is very rare and is listed for $500 if in excellent condition.

One of Boileau's original 20" x 30" pastel on canvas titled "With Care for None," was sold by Illustration House Auction for $16,000. It was thought that it would bring around $8,000, but it far surpassed the expectations of the auctioneers.

In other news, I am a very proud Grandma. Today I took the boys out to do some shopping for their mother. She gave Brandon her bank card and told him to go and pick up a few things from the grocery store and the bakery. When we got to the bakery, he knew he wanted cinnamon buns. He had $15.00 to spend for baked goods, some of which will be frozen for next week's lunches. He got the buns, a wild blueberry pie, a dozen cookies and date squares. He bought all the things that he knew others in the family enjoyed. His favorite is cinnamon buns.

When he had gathered all his goodies, he saw an elderly man at the checkout. The man was on crutches and was fumbling for his wallet. He was having a difficult time. The clerk told the man he owed 60 cents for two hamburger buns. Right away Brandon piped up and said, "I'll pay for them." At first the man was going to protest. Then he thought better of it and accepted Brandon's act of kindness with a smile and a "Thank You, young man." Brandon was very proud and told his mother about it as soon as he got home. "Mom," he said, "I went 33 cents over my budget but I helped an elderly man who was on crutches by buying his hamburger buns. Mom was quite proud and so was Grandma. This is quite a feat for Brandon, who has Asperger's Syndrome. It's said that those who suffer from this disorder do not recognize others feelings nor feel empathy. Some may not, but we are glad that Brandon has overcome this part of his disorder and is able to recognize the difficulties of others.







Mama Bear at Bears in Exile is starting a Circle Journal and is looking for people who would like to participate. This would entail journaling in the journal for two weeks, adding recipes, newspaper clippings, stickers, photos or anything else that you would like to the journal and then mailing it to the next person on the list. They would do the same. After the journal has completed the circle of participants, it will be mailed around again so everyone can read what the others wrote. This is going to be a lot of fun. Please drop by Mama Bears and join in.

Please continue to pray for Cynthia at Walking On. Her daughter, Lady Bug is still missing. Let us encircle her with God's love to keep her safe.

Prayers are still needed for Talk to Grams daughter, Nancy, who has an urgent medical condition.

Deena at Can I Be Pretty in Pink? is improving a little, thanks to all those who are praying for her. Deena is fighting her way through breast cancer and caught a virus from her husband. Her fever is down but she is still weak.

Please stop by and give these wonderful ladies a word of encouragement. A kind word is always appreciated and sometimes that's all it takes to lift someone up. ~Blessings, Mary~