Painted Faces and Relaxing Afternoons

I grab my bag of face paints, don a costume and head for the nearest park. After I gain the confidence of the moms, I usually have a long line of adorable little faces to paint. Besides loving the children, the time outdoors and the painting, I get to hear some hilarious requests. One time, when I was dressed as a fairy godmother complete with wings, a little girl asked if I would fly her around the block. Another time a little boy asked to be painted to look like toxic waste.

--BARBARA JORDAN SCHOONOVER

Hermosa Beach