A Visionary Tree ...In Memory of those souls that endured or lost their lives in New Orleans

In 1990 I took a trip to New Orleans to visit the parents of a boyfriend, "Kennedy" that had passed away. That trip proved to be quite physic for me in that while I was crusing the stores in the French Quarter a black knight on a horse and a "very real looking" plastic frog in a toy store window caught my eye.... strangely without thinking I purchased the toys having
a gut feeling that it had to be.

At Kennedy's Mother's house I promptly placed the toys in Kennedys's room; which was as it was when he left home at 18. His mother was a taken back with amazement that I had replaced the two things he loved the most as a child and had lost. One being a favorite toy and the other a real frog that he had built a pond for... unfortunately a neighbor did not like
hearing the crocking sounds from the frog and killed him..

I also found this very old frame at a flea market in the French Quarter and thought I would create what I call the "Visionary Christmas Tree" in memory of Kennedy's love for New Orleans and those that have had to endure the injustices of a culture of racism.

A tree that could make us see that we are "ALL GODS CHILDREN" and should be treated with dignity and given the opportunities to insure a good life making for a better culture for all to grow up in...

We must never allow babies and elderly to die in vain again as they did in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina.

Dollar Store Tibetan Rose

My sister Vonna has mega dollar stores in her area of Keller, Texas of which she loves to cruise and she sent me a necklace one Christmas that had a red plastic rose hanging from it she had purchased for a dollar.... I thought it looked like "Real Tibetan coral" and somehow got railroaded by mistake to a dollar store... so I added tibetan beads and real coral to set it off and give it the dignity it deserves and to this day everyone comments that they have never seen such a beautiful coral rose... !Such a Deal!

My most cherished Christmas Present

I received this charm for Christmas when I was 13 and I have keep it all these years... it's quite amazing even though
it is just costume jewelry it has charmed me through-out the years and especially at Christmas.. its the little charm that
could.

Sock Monkey Christmas

This sock monkey I call "MONKSTER" I created Christmas of 1992 ... I think he came out pretty swell looking ..... like I always
say "YOUR ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR SOCK MONKEY"

My Favorite Ornament

I found this ornament hidden inside of a shoe box at Mervyn's Christmas of 1995 and I thought, "Now little bird you just can
not pass yourself off as a shoe," you need a wreath or to be placed at the top of a Christmas tree because you are a "STAR".

My most treasured Christmas Ornament

One Christmas I bought this ornament for twenty-five cents from a street person setting outside of Flaxs Art Store in San Francisco where I worked in 1992....someone's grandmother crocheted this micro monkey and I am overjoyed to have the
mountain of love that it bestows.

I wonder what my kitty Aurabella is up to?

One Christmas my kitty Ms. Maxine was meowing for me to come to see the gift
she had put in the shower stall of my bathroom..It was a baby mouse that was frozen
with fear... I think Maxine wanted me to help the little mouse so I took a small box and
made a bed out of tissue paper and placed the little mouse inside of a bird cage along
with a little water and some cheese I mashed up. I covered the cage with a dish towel
hoping the little mouse would feel free to come out of its frozen state. Sure enough the
next day I lifted up the dish towel and was happy to see that he had shreded the tissue
making his own nest... This little mouse made his home at Maxine's and my house that
Christmas of 1994 ... I played my favorite Christmas song "I will be home for Christmas"
and Maxine and I watched his every move.... a few months later we set the little mouse
we named "Frosty" free.

Winter Wonderland Christmas Card 2007

LIFE IS NOT MEASURED BY THE BREATH YOU TAKE BUT BY THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY
Donna Mae Montgomery ©2007


Check out more of Donna Mae's computer generated/mixed media collages on her website at
http://www.dmmontgomery.com

Kitty Aurabella's First Christmas 1996

I took this photo of Aurabella she was 8 months old.... it was such a delight to have such a
precious kitty to behold that Christmas since my black and white kitty Maxine had died earlier that year. Craig and I
cherish this little cat.

My Festive Kitchen Table

I love to cook and invite my girlfriend Cheryl over for Easter and Christmas brunch..

Change is the only poem

The changing of the seasons is a poetic experience.... Christmas is especially special in that I feel in its "True Meaning" it is giving all mankind the opportunity to give the "GIFT OF LOVE" and not just to our family members but to all sentient beings... just taking a minute of our time to give ones presence with words of kindness and a loving hand is the mark of a true poet on this most poetic of holidays.

A Corner to contemplate my blessings at Christmas

Christmas Sea Shell Cherry Blossoms 1993

I found this sea shell cherry blossom arrangement thrown in with the Christmas ornaments at the
Salvation Army in Alameda ... how refreshing I thought sea shell cherry blossoms at Christmas time
how Fab-u-lo-so ... I added a red bow and set it on my kitchen table

A Virgin Rescued At Christmas

I found this plaster "Virgin Mary" in the street gutter one Christmas near my house in Alameda she was all chipped up and I took her in and made an altar for her.... she is now my "Savior" and most prized possession.

Cafe Sha Donna Mae

I have always wanted to experience Paris at Christmas.... sitting in a quaint French bistro partaking of hot onion
soup and red wine, but alas I have reproduced my very own French bistro in my Alameda kitchen.

A Nesters Livingroom

Those lucky folks that are "Nesters" always make their nests cozy and warm at Christmas time ... I feel my livingroom
is that throughout the year.

Gerta Garter Button

One Christmas a friend gave me a bag of colorful buttons and I designed this doll I named Gerta Garter Button

Now Don't let the garters on this girl fool you she's got all her buttons and every-time she finds
a wondrous new button the bell on the end of her tail rings and her wings flutter to the
music of Beethoven.