September Already? (a repost from days gone by)

"The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full 

Of smells to feel- 

Ripe fruit, old footballs, 

Burning brush, 

New books, erasers, 

Chalk, and such. 

The bee, his hive, 

Well-honeyed hum, 

And Mother cuts 

Chrysanthemums. 

Like plates washed clean 

With suds, the days 

Are polished with 

A morning haze. " 

-  John Updike, September

Autumn always makes me a little nostalgic for years gone past where I spent my days on Agate Lake in Northern Minnesota . . .

You just can't beat the colors of the maples, oaks and hickory in that part of the world

the smell and warmth from the fire pit on a nippy Fall day

The lake always seemed to change in the waning days of summer . . . a bit choppier and grayer with the anticipation that before long it would be covered over with ice.

After a While

After a while, you learn the subtle difference

between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
and you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't mean security,
and you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises,
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes open,
with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
and learn to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans,
and futures have a way of falling down in midflight.

 

And after a while, you learn
that even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure . . . 

That you really are strong,
and you really do have worth
and you learn and learn . . .

With every goodbye you learn.

by Veronica A. Shofstall

Earth Day 2017

This Earth Day, more than ever, should be a warning to us all.  We absolutely need to protect our planet and convince those who wish to destroy her, and are the powers that be, to change their thinking.  How do we do that?  We feel so helpless in the effort.  For me, I can only honor the earth in the space that I live.

Hope my little abstracts speak to my love of our values and wishes for the years to come 

 the view from above

 the air we breath

The "Ode to Joy" melody by Beethoven, the official anthem of the European Union, also is performed on the Earth Day. Lyrics for the Earth Day Anthem set to "Ode to Joy" are as follows:

Joyful joyful we adore our Earth in all its wonderment

Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise 

          Now we must resolve to protect her

Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch

         We make our home a newborn world

Now we must resolve to protect her

          Show her our love throughout all time

With our gentle hand and touch

We make our home a newborn world

   

Success in Life (a repost from 2012)

“That man is successful who has lived well, laughed often, and

 loved much, who has gained the respect of the intelligent men

 and the love of children; who has filled his niche and 

accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found

 it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued

 soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to

 express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he

 had.” 

Robert Louis Stevenson

I find that the internet can be a fount of inspiration and pure joy

  

in times like this.  Came across the wonderful quote above and 

 

this happy photo by surfing around in just the last half hour. 

 

 Hope it expresses my "appreciation of earth's beauty" and helps 

me get through this day.

tOO much fun! (repost from 2010)

Another day crafting with Karen.  Lots of laughs, lots of creative juices flowing with tea and sandwiches, serious talk, girl talk and just talk, talk, talk.  Its my favorite way to spend the day.  And .... we actually accomplished what we set out to do!

Here is the November Mail Art for trade with my farmgirl partner on the Mary Jane's Farm site

and the backside along with my little go~along note.

Together we also made several Christmas tags for swapping with farmgirls.  Stay tuned

Four Pin Friday

The Victorian era Valentine designers put so much detail and artistic oomph into their cards but then they didn't have computer graphic programs to rely on! 

And the poetry had so much heart and feeling injected into it that you just know ♥LOVE♥ was definitely the message that was sent in those early days.

Just pure passion . . . no silly jokes or half~hearted messages.  These missives may sound mushy and overly poetic, but wouldn't you tend to fall in love with the person who sent you one of these?

Four Pin Friday

Haunted House By Jack Prelutsky

There's a house upon the hilltop We will not go inside For that is where the witches live, Where ghosts and goblins hide. Tonight they have their party, All the lights are burning bright, But oh we will not go inside The haunted house tonight. The demons there are whirling And the spirits swirl about. They sing their songs to Halloween. "Come join the fun," they shout. But we do not want to go there So we run with all our might And oh we will not go inside The haunted house tonight.

Would you spend the night in one of these houses?

 check out the third floor window

I dare you . . . bwahahahahahah

Have a Haunted Halloween Week

Harvest Time (revisited blog from the past)

I'm always bragging about the beautiful mountains that surround our valley, the lakes within driving distance and the four seasons here . . . mostly mild summer and winter.

But I rarely pontificate on the rolling fields of grain in Eastern Washington . . . some of those right in my neighborhood.  Hay baling seems to be finished for the year as rains and cooler weather have set in, but I have seen farmers and ranchers trying to eke out one more crop.  And it could happen if the weather turns warm once again.

I always seem to equate the change of seasons with the beauty of art.  The old masters are still my first choice.

"At Harvest Time"  ~Jules Bastien LePage

"Harvest Time" ~Julien Dupre

Artist ~D. T. Mudien



Harvest time

The sun has set within the sky,
And all the harvest fields are dry,
Where Autumn sun had shown,
The harvest mice have scurried through,
The empty fields of morning dew,
Where once the corn had grown.

The bails of hay lay proud and high,
Against an ever reddening sky,
The harvest work is over,
And fires within the hearth will glow,
And warmth within our hearts will grow,
As fields fill up with clover.

~Rachelle deBretagne

Four Pin Friday

The Swing 

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

Robert Louis Stevenson

 Swinging is something a child will never outgrow!

Thank you Pinterest for these vintage black & whites.  I didn't realize that Caroline and John John had this play set on the White House lawn.  Weren't they adorable?!

Women Friends

This morning a good friend of mine called.  We hadn't talked for quite awhile, and it was so good to hear her voice.  No real news was conveyed . . . just a few words to keep in touch.  It reminded me of this earlier blog post, so I thought I would update it.


One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men...

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in..

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they

think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss

can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colours.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what

makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their

family and friends.

Women have vital things to say

and everything to give..

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH. 

Made me think back on a trip to the winery with my daughter and some very good friends . . . 

me and Dawn

Kim and Tracy

Morning Dew

Bent down low with the heavy dew -
Wait the daily miracle
When the world is all made anew:
When the sun's rim lifts beyond
The horizon turned crystal-white,
And a sea of diamond
Is the plain to the dazzled sight.
At the dawning of the day,
To my happiness thus it fell:
That I went the common way,
And I witnessed a miracle.    

      ~Dorothea Mackellar

Starry Starry Night

My all time favorite song is "Starry Starry Night" written in honor of Vincent Van Gogh.  Any time I hear the opening notes of this melody, it stops me in my tracks and, whatever I'm doing at the moment, take time to listen.  Doesn't matter who the singer or musicians are, I stop and listen.  Of course, no one can sing it like Don McLean ... the original!

Hope you can take time to listen to the words which are so touching especially when you know the history of this artist.

If not for birds

nature would not sing

and my world would be a sadder place

Found these three postcards at an antique store. The chickadee is going to a good old friend as a Christmas card this year.

The Chickadee-Dee
author unknown

Little darling of the snow,
Careless how the winds may blow,
Happy as a bird can be,
Singing, oh, so cheerily,
Chickadee-dee! Chickadee-dee!


When the skies are cold and gray,
When he trills his happiest lay,
Through the clouds he seems to see
Hidden things to you and me.
Chickadee-dee! chickadee-dee!


Very likely little birds
Have their thoughts too deep for word,
But we know, and all agree,
That the world would dreary be
Without birds, dear chickadee!

This tiny tattered old book displays male birds in all their splendor with measurements being given from tip of bill to tip of tail. So much good information.

Birds are beautiful and graceful creatures. Not only do birds satisfy our esthetic sense through their handsome plumage and their sweet voices, but they are marvelously adapted to their respective fields of activity. They are a valuable asset because they depend largely for their food on insects which are injurious to plant life. No other creatures are so well fitted to capture flying insects as swallows swifts, and night hawks.

Reflections

New Year’s Reflections

Looking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
I contemplate what brought me joy,
And think of my loved ones and my friends.

Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched my life,
I reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.

 Thanks for being one of the reasons I'll have a Happy New Year!

Welcome to September

"September morn
Do you remember how we danced that night away
Two lovers playing scenes from some romantic play
September morning still can make me feel this way."
-  Neil Diamond and Gilbert Becaud

Welcome to September  . . . summer days are past and Autumn days get shorter and shorter.  Nights are cooler and my garden is getting ready for its long rest.

Chinese lanterns are changing colors quickly now and will be dried and ready for an indoor arrangement in my favorite vase soon.

 Grasses are drying and my solar lamps come on earlier each evening.

Since the little ones have left their nests, I miss the sounds of the chirping and their frequent visits to the baths.  They seem to have gone quiet in the last several days.

Watching the leaves change and the vegetables come to their maturity, I will enjoy the Fall and all the colorful joys and tastes it brings.
I hope you enjoy this change of season too my blogger friends!

Voice of Spring

"Come, I come! ye have called me long,

I come o'er the mountain with light and song:

Ye may trace my step o'er the wakening earth,

By the winds which tell of the violet's birth,

By the primrose-stars in the shadowy grass,

By the green leaves, opening as I pass."

-  Felicia D. Hemans

In my desperate longing for Spring, it leads me to borrow this poetry and this photo.

I'm sure it will come.  The rain and wind will subside, the sun will warm the earth, and we too will have flowers and green grass and days to be outdoors without bundling up.

It will happen.  I know it will.  I know it will.  I know it will.