08/26/2026
I don’t know how to write this one.
Yesterday at about noon, Eddie Phillips was getting ready to head up to Mansfield Tattoo. He had just finished mounting this cabinet on a sturdy pedestal and I (Mary Elizabeth speaking here) gave him some rocks that my girls’ art group had painted.
It is our little “temple of insects” that we made to be a bug-themed “take one leave one” spot in the courtyard behind the shop: the first wee effort in our Wildlife Wednesday project to bring some nature and whimsy to the neighborhood. I was going to follow it with some flash.
I asked Eddie to take a few photos and text them to me so I could post it.
And when I got on my phone to do the actual post, I saw the messages flooding in. The first from Sally Swanson, one from my sister, a few friends, closely followed by one from Ben Hyde. I literally couldn’t breathe. I went to news sources to confirm what I was hearing about Dolly and Eddie popped back in to grab some supplies he had forgotten (we’re a block away). He called out to me and I couldn’t even speak the words. I opened my mouth and no sound would come out.
I didn’t post the picture. It seemed so small and insignificant. It felt disrespectful. And to be honest I’m having trouble sharing it today (Wednesday 8/26). But I asked Dolly up there in heaven if it was ok, and she said yes - go ahead and share something designed to bring happiness and fun to the neighborhood. She told me that it’s ok to cry, but to pick up my paint-brush and keep fighting for the tender little things. So I’m posting it.
Paint a bug (or make one from cardboard, or a bottle cap, or whatever you have on hand) and come trade with us.
Dolly once said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that the problems of the world are vast, and we can’t fix everything, but we can do something in our own neighborhood. This is our first step. ❤️🌎🐦⬛🐝🌱