Calendars and Long-Ago Children

The Spirit of Shells Calendar for 2006 is now available (shown here), along with the Celtic County, Celtic Animals (both individually and as a collection), and Crosses and Knots. Keeping track of important dates is easy when you have 12 months of your favorite interest to look at. Our high-quality calendar has oversized date boxes providing plenty of room to write in important events. Each features full bleed dynamic color on 100 lb text weight high gloss paper. We're pleased, and are sure you will be as well.

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While I was searching for ideas on the designs for the calendar, I happened to stumble across a collection of clip art I had purchased many years ago. Somehow it had gotten shoved to one side and fallen down between the back of two shelves, where it seems to have hibernated for about a dozen years. I blew off a few years' worth of dust and thumbed through the pages, rekindling old memories as bookmarks fell loose during my travel.

One page in particular caught my eye and brought back a racing tidal wave of memories. The bookmark which I'd pushed in place had St 94 scribbled on its top. I can't remember what that stood for, but I do remember what why I gravitated toward one particular design.

The artwork is that of a small child, looking down with a soft expression on her face. There is just enough of a quirk to the smile to hint of mischief or merriment, but not enough to mistake the look for joy. Her long hair curls over thin shoulders, and she has the most amazing eyelashes. And now I recall why I did not use the design at the time. Cherubic as this tiny creature seemed to be, she bears the most uncanny resemblance to my youngest stepdaughter at about the age of 12.

I could not bring myself to use the spittin' image of my stepdaughter's face in an environment geared toward bringing attention to the plight of missing children. (The project itself went on to gain wide national attention.)

I chose instead a pair of reaching hands, sketched and anonymous, but poignant in their meaning and presentation. But I recall that, at the time, I kept returning to that particular tiny bit of artwork and staring, wondering where my stepdaughter has gone, so many years ago.