Digital Photograph - Virginia Barn - For Ann in CA

Virginia Barn

On the way home from my Mother's house this past weekend I took an hour or so to get off the Interstate and take some pictures.  I long to get unpacked so I can get out and roam some more. The past year or so has taught me that I am a wanderer.

Virginia has some beautiful farms and farmland once you get away from the city. There is so much rich history there. I ran across this beauty near Lexington Virginia. I stopped to get a little gas and the sound of the cicada's was
absolutely deafening. The sound went on for miles. I decided it was a sign that I needed a break, rolled down the windows and got out my camera and smile. Here is one of the barns I found.I am wondering how that hole got in the barn. It is in such an odd place. Any thoughts? 
p.s. this barn is for Ann in CA. Hope you enjoy this one
dear friend.

Remember ... Memorial Day

Let us not forget, today of all days, all of those that have sacrificed so much so that we have this most precious thing - freedom.  Memorial Day has always been an important holiday to my family. A day to honor those who have given so much for us. I want to thank them and their families for all that they have sacrificed for me and my family.

Today is my family's first Memorial Day without Daddy. He was my hero in so many ways. He was a fighter pilot in World War II. Shot down on D Day. A prisoner of War. Came home and workded hard for his family always finding time to volunteer where he was needed, civic organizations, the church, etc. He worked tirelessly to get the World War II memorial in Washington D.C. built. A husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather, a much loved man. A good man. Thank you, and all of those like you who fought so valiantly so that I have all the freedoms I have today. You are all extraordinary.

Last week Mom and I were able to go to Arlington Cememtery to visit Dad. That is a place where you are able to get quite the visual effect of how many are laid to rest who have given everything for you and I. It is a humbling place. They bury 17 hero's a day there. I do not know what else to say except, Thank You.

Quote #17 - Hero

Four Letter Words - Hero

Digital Photoraph - A Red Barn



A red barn

Home again, Home again. I had a great time in D.C. with my Cousins and family. So nice to see my Mother, my nephew and Brother. I really enjoyed showing my Cousins Washington D.C. It is such a wonderful and beautiful city. Spending time with my Mother was a gift. Hope everyone had a great week!

Vegetable & Fruit Collage #4

Collage Sheet #4

Here is the last of the collage sheets I have made for you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed making them. We made it to D.C. late last night. It was a nice trip. We made several stops to eat and stretch out legs. My two young cousins - Kirsten and Connor- are turning into just nice people. They have a real love and respect for each other and their manners make me swoon. Yes Ma'am, Thank you are wonderful to hear. Their mom - Kelley - has done just a great job raising them. What a treat to spend time with them. I can not wait to see the wonder and magic of our nation's capital through their eyes. Hope every one is having a great weekend!



Spotted in the mountains...



Spotted this little lady with a few friends up in the mountains. Looks like it is almost time for a haircut.



Always time for a little antiquing. Found this bird house that will look perfect in  my backyard.

Found these three lovely rusty wheels at a neat antique place. I think I might have to stop on the way home and pick them up if they are still there. They might make nice additions to my flower beds.

I spot alot of these gates up in the mountains. I like the promise they hold of what is beyond the closed gate.

Cooking Hints 16-21

Vegetable Collage Sheet #3 - My Favorite

Collage Sheet #3

This is my favorite collage sheet so far. I like the top image on the left. The Blue Lake fruit out of Winter Haven Florida. Not far from my Grandmother's house and where my Mother and Father grew up. Many warm afternoon's my brother, my grandmother and I spent fishing there. Funny how something as simple as a fruit label can conjure up memories.

I am off to D.C. for a week of family fun. Today I heard from my yard guy's Steve and Steve, that there were three black bears spotted in the neighborhood. One loner and a mom with a cub. The loner was seen a few houses down from me and the mother and cub a few houses up from me. I am not quite sure how to react to that news.  I will not be filling my bird feeder before I leave. 

A few years ago we had a young male bear at the house at the beach. He had settled in after a swim along the Intercoastal Waterway into our neighborhood. He was an active bear who took up residence behind my house for a while. He was a musky smelling guy who had a thing for coffee. 

Any how, hopefully by the time I get back the three bears will be gone. I need to work in my yard, start my garden! 

Digital Photograph - The Broken Window

The Broken Window

I was lucky enough to be take a few pictures while wandering around the mountains of this mill I stumbled upon. It is on the grounds of a private school for girls. Girls who are learning to put their lives together.

Cooking Hints 11-15

Digital Photograph - Signs

I have not done a sign in quite a while. I was going through my Sign photograph folder tonight and ran across this one. It was taken in the mountains of North Carolina in a little town near where several of my boys live. It was pouring rain. I liked it so here you go.

This week...I have opinions

14 foot mustache

Every once in a while you have a week that is filled with so much weirdness that when you come up for air you just have to shake your head. It makes my life seem so normal and downright boring. Ahh happiness. I feel like I want to comment.

First of all who grows a mustache that is 14 feet long? Ewe,Ewe,Yuk. Some guy in India and he think that is attractive. For all you men out there  - It is not.

For a minute I thought this guy was Sasha Cohen doing one of his prank things. I can not believe those two women are actually going to touch it...

Then there is the poor wife of the Laker's player who gets death threats on twitter because her husband missed a shot. She has to block 500 people from twitter because of the mean threats and agressive comments. Wow. Scary. Death really? Somebody is definitely way too serious about a ball game. It is a game. Enough said.

Onward to Georgia where the poor girl who went Zip lining - lost her leg due to flesh eating bacteria, can still smile and say "Let's do it" when told about her latest need to lose her foot and  fingers. Can anyone say Courage? She is getting alot of prayer from me, along with her supportive family. God bless them.

I am still wondering what has happened to Gavin Smith the Universal Studio Executive and ex USC basketball player with the beautiful family. Where did he drive off to? in purple pajama pants? What is the rest of the story? Where are you?

I hope this story has a happy ending.

Now let's talk about Jenny McCarthy posing again 20 years later for Playboy. When your 19 you can explain it away to your kids that you were young and foolish, when your 39 you have a hard time explaining to your son - "I am old and desperate?" How embarrassing for her family.

Then the Kennedy's in the news - another death. A suicide. Leaving 4 children motherless. So sad, so troubled, a beautiful, smart, talented woman...I can only shake my head and wonder...so much tragedy for one family to bare.

In Japan, the little penguin who escaped the zoo a week or so ago shows up swimming around in Tokyo Bay. It seems very happy eating fish and coming ashore to sleep at night. Everyone is hoping the radiation will not kill him. He or she is free - sounds like the trade off is worth it here.

Moving on, in Kansas 200 Buffalo escape. Apparently, they were off like a shot, traveled 5 counties and into another state before you could say hamburger. The police said "they are really fast" - they can travel up to 35 to 64 miles and hour, can jump 6 feet in the air and 7 feet to the side. Run, buffalo, run. May be one or two will elude capture and spend their days in peace. One can only dream.

Then, there is the girl who works at Goodwill Industries who found $14,000.00 in a box of Christmas ornaments. She turned it in[honesty should be applauded]and they are trying to find the owner. Also, the guy who left the diamond engagement ring in an old jacket and donated the jacket forgetting the ring was in the pocket. Someone found quite a surprise in that old jacket. I don't know about you but, it makes me want to take a spin at our local Goodwill industries store.

Last but not least - Hey Rhode Island I have a game I need some money to develop. It is a game we use to play all the time when I was a kid. I just need a little help making a virtual reality digital game of it. Please give me about half of what you gave Mr. Curt Schilling. I know I can market it to somebody. I promise to pay you back - and for some reason if I can not - I know your tax payers will not mind paying for a sweet old southern girl [like me] debts. Pretty please?

Some days I just feel like the world has gone a little mad. How was your week?

Now I understand why the fence is so high if they can jump 6 feet into the air.

Vegetable and Fruit Collage Sheet #2

Collage Sheet #2

Here is number two of the collage sheets. Hope you are enjoying these. Eat something healthy today!

Cooking Hints 6-10

Digital Photograph - The Big Grey Barn

The Big Grey Barn

Thought I would share this big old barn with you. I am leaving for the weekend with my cousin, her daughter and her two kids to go visit my Mother. They are going to do the tourist thing in D.C. I am just going to see my Mother, my nephews, hang out, and take some pictures. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Vegetable and Fruit Collage Sheet #1

Vegetable Collage Sheet 1

I started looking for images tonight to go along with some kitchen hints I ran across in the middle of one of my journals. I often write down a recipe or a book someone recommends on a blank page, sometime later I will run across it and try the recipe or get the book. Tonight I ran across some cooking hints.
Looking the images I could not decide on one or two so I thought "Why not make some collage sheets?" I have not made any of those in a long time. I am not sure why,but anyway I made four of them tonight. I like them all. I think they are very Springy and would be nice in a garden journal. I will share them all this week along with a few household hints.
These collage sheets can be printed on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper. Also,left click on the image. Then hit open link in a new window. Then left click and you will get the large size image. Hit save image and then print it. Hope you like.

Cooking Hints 1-5

Digital Photograph - The Pink Flower

Another view of a pink Rhododendron.

This reminds me of a Georgia

O'Keeffe painting.

Quote #16 - Grow

Four Letter Words - Grow

Digital Photograph - Pink Rhododendron Flowers

Digital Photograph - A Working Barn



I found this barn one afternoon after a trip to Dairy Queen with my cousin. The barn just called out to me to take her picture. This is a working barn. Someone stores things here and animals use it for shelter.It is nice to run across a barn that someone actually is using and it is not falling completely down. 



Flash and Shine...

I have been polishing away. The wine glasses to the left were a gift for my 25th birthday. Note the birds.

These are my boys baby cups. The silver champagnes are from my weddings.

This is one of my grandmother's tea sets that I inherited. The blue vase is a Tiffany. My favorite vase is the green depression glass vase of my grandmother's. Note the birds.

The etched wines were my grandmother's. Here are lots of just things I love. Note the birds.

Here is the tea set my mother carried back on her lap from China for me. I love it. I am a big tea drinker so this meant so much to me. Note the birds.

I thought I would share one of the shiny part of my new home with you. This is my china cabinet in the dining room. I have been spending days polishing and cleaning. It feels so good to have these familiar objects out and about to see.

The birds I keep noting are from Victorian times. Once upon a time a bought an antique box of tea inside was one of these birds. From then on I was hooked. I have been collecting them for years. I guess the Chinese put them in the boxes of tea as give aways. Sort of like the prizes in Cracker Jacks or cereal boxes. Victorian women would collect them. The most rare are the animal ones. The birds were fairly common. I like birds so birds are good for me. However, I do have several animals. I love them all.

Thought I would share these with you! Hope you enjoy!

p.s. the original post of this and the comments were deleted. I do not know if I did this or blogger. This is my best reconstruction.

Mother's Day Freebies

Two sweet little ones with bows in their hair. I love Mom's glasses.

Love the babies dress. So much work. I am always amazed that these women are able to keep their hair in place. My would be falling everywhere. No amount of bobby pins ever keeps it in place.

Look in those Mother's eyes and see love. I love this picture of three generations of women.

This is a very proud and happy Momma. Beautiful child. I am thinking it is a little boy because of the way they have parted his hair. I love how they use to let little boys grow their hair and have curls.



This Mama definitely has her hands full. That older one with the bow looks like he is full of mischief.  Such a sweet smile.



Here is a styling Mom and her son. He has the cutes little shoes on and I love her pearls with the pendant on them. The big sleeves on her jacket. A lot of thought and love went into this picture.

This is wonderful. Mom certainly can say the apple does not fall far from the tree with these two. They are adorable. I love how the photographer did the halo effect around the mother. I can not even imagine how much wash this poor woman has to do. All by hand also. I do not think they had washing machines then. If they did they were not like the ones we are lucky enough to have.

I am late getting my freebies out. And I am late wishing all you Mom's, Mama's, Mother's,Nana's,Mimi's and Grandmother's a Happy Mother's Day. I spent the day relaxing and catching up with two of my boy's. A lovely dinner with them and we actually moved a few boxes and went through a few others. A nice phone call with two others of my boys and a beautiful text from my son across the ocean.We usually talk the day after the holiday or special day so he can work for whomever has family in town.]That makes five sons if anyone is counting. All and all it was a wonderful day. Oh yes I must mention that I love my cards.I hope you all had a wonderful day with your children, with your mother or grandmother, someone who is special in your life. Today was a day  for remembering all the good times and those special moments you share with those you love. I have been blessed with a wonderful grandmother who loved me to death, an incredible mother who still teaches me how to mother and to be a woman I can be proud of, and sweet boys who have taught me more about life, myself, and given me more joy than I ever thought possible. Sweet blessings! Hope your day was full of

possibilities.

Digital Photograph - a door knob

I found this little beauty in a little mountain town near my home. I love the color of the door with the rusty patina of the door knob. I have not posted a door or knob in awhile. Thought I would start this rainy day off with something I love.

Digital Journal Page...Listen to Your Heart

This is advice that actually has some relevance to me right now. If I do not listen to my heart at this stage of life, I am in for some real disappointment. Do you always listen to your heart or are you following someone elses? [Some credits in helping me make this page - deviant textures, Tim Holtz stamp, a French Graffiti artist.]

Happy Birthday!



Just wanted to send out a Happy Birthday to my youngest son today. It seems like just yesterday. You truly were the best Mother's Day present I have ever had. You have turned into a gentle, kind, talented and remarkable man. If I could give you just one thing it would be Happiness. Enjoy your special day!  p.s. Love from all of "the Brothers".

Goodbye Maurice Sendak



Goodbye Maurice Sendak. I was so sorry to read of your passing this morning. You gave me and my boys so much joy reading your stories and enjoying the books you illustrated. We love the "Bears" series you illustrated. I read Where the Wild Things Are to my son Max every night at least once for many years and I do mean years. It was so refreshing to read about children that were a little grouchy and afraid, with attitude - just like real children in your books. Thank you again for all the wonderful bedtimes you gave to my boys and I. Peace to you Mr. Sendak.

Digital Photograph - The Window

It has been awhile since I have posted a window. I went downtown tonight and ate a birthday dinner with my youngest son,one of his brothers, his girlfriend
and his girlfriend's mother.
It was a lovely evening. The weather was very nice, the restaurant gave us a nice table by the open window so we could enjoy the night, and the food was very good.
The thing I liked the most was the company. Seeing two of my boys together was a treat. I love my son's girlfriend, and her mom and I were completing each other's sentences in no time. As I walked to my car I thought about all the nice buildings here. How downtown is really a thriving downtown.
Most of all I am so lucky to be where I am with so many people I love. Happy Birthday dear son, you have given me such joy.
I wish you happiness.

 I love this window. The peeling paint, the grunge, the rust of the metal along the panes, and the delicate fabric used for a curtain is such a contrast to the roughness of the brick. Isn't that a lot like life? The rough and tumble
along with the smooth and easy.
The ying and yang of life.

Digital Photograph - Peony

Peony

I found this beautiful Peony in one of the small mountain towns near my home. Last weekend and part of last week my cousin from Charleston came up to help me unpack and hang out. We spent one afternoon exploring and walking around this small town taking pictures and talking. Boxes get quite tedious after a while. This flower reminded me of the colors of my house. I hope you enjoy it.

Quotes #15 - how you made them Feel

Four Letter Words - Feel

A little more white pottery...

Here is an oak cupboard that is in the eating area of my kitchen. It is full of white pottery and ironstone. These things make me happy and I actually use most of the pieces. I have not unpacked all of my ironstone so everything is subject to change. The handcarved crow on the spindle is from a little furniture store in North Carolina. The owners friend carves them.

A look in my kitchen...

Today one of my son's helped me put up these shelves in my kitchen. Thought I would share the new cooktop and countertops with you. I still need to touch up the wall where the backsplash is. I think I will do all the touch ups at one time.

Here is a closer look at the shelves. I decided to use my "white" pottery on them. Some of these pieces are from my grandmother, others I have picked up along the way. I love the way the pottery looks against the creamy walls. I used Benjamin Moore Antique Linen over the house with white trim. The bathrooms are all white as is all of my downstairs studio areas. I think it looks very clean.

This shelf was original to the house. It sits in the corner of my kitchen next to the huge floor length window. I put these lovely two inch white blinds on all the windows of my house. The one for the big window is immense, still lets in tons of light but the birds do not fly into it any more. I thought I had really weeded through all my stuff before I moved. Downsizing is hard. You never know what will fit or what you will like till you see it in place. I am amazed at how much I still want to get rid of. I am trying to keep only what has meaning to me and what I really love. The rest can go. Any advice on how to go about this is needed and will be heeded.