Name Bugs and Pear Leaves

  Growing up, art of any sort fascinated me.  I spent countless hours drawing on the little cardboard inserts from shredded wheat boxes.  With money being short on the farm, there was little to be spent on frivolous items such as art supplies so I made do with what I could.  Several little, old ladies on Pop's egg delivery route saved the cardboard pieces for me and, occasionally, added a short stub of a pencil in my bounty!  I was a happy camper!  Then, when I started school, I was taught to create a "name bug" and I was totally hooked!  The fanciful scribbles took over my life!  Not only would I spell out my name but any word that came to mind became art!  Later, I taught my own children how to make name bugs and they had the same reaction.  These things were fun!  For any not familiar with name bugs, it is a simple process.  Fold a sheet of plain (unlined) paper in half lengthwise, unfold the paper and using a crayon, write your name in cursive along the crease. Now, fold the paper with your name on the inside and rub to transfer the crayon writing to the other side of the crease. Unfold and you should have a mirror image of your name.  Color in the inside of the "bug"on both sides of the crease.  Add any adornments desired and there you have your name bug!  Make the bug as fanciful as you wish!  After all, it IS your name bug!

  This afternoon, I went out to sweep off the back porch when something brought back a flood of memories of name bugs!  A single pear leaf was sitting precariously on the railing and that dark brown leaf had a bright golden "name bug" of its own!  Well, it did not spell out pear tree nor was it an actual mirror image but somehow the leaf did bring back happy memories of not only my childhood but of me passing along the idea of a name bug to my kids.  It is funny how memories work.  Name bugs!  Pear leaves!  Happy memories!