Christmas Favorites

MY CHRISTMAS FAVORITES

Thanks for allowing me to share with you

 a few of my favorite things.

More Art

I've always loved

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

I'm so totally serious when I said "ART",

in all of it's forms, is one of my

favorite things,

I get turned on to a lot of new things by

reading other blogs and hearing about

their discoveries.

I'm too new at this to be much help 

to anyone else, but they are certainly

helping me and broadening my horizons every day.

My friend Sarah ,over at "La Maison Boheme"

and "Smaller-Sarah" - both at blogspot.com,

has opened my eyes to so many beautiful

'art forms', and I am so completely endlessly

grateful to her.  She is a source of both 

knowledge and inspiration.

Read her blogs - you'll see what I mean.

She brought to my attention the lovely

One Mans Trash -handmade jewelry by 

Rachel Miller Anderson - you can find this treasure 

on facebook AND Rachel has a terrific blog

beauty in bits@blogspot.com.

She is so informative and her ART!!!!! 

Oh, her artistic side is incredible -

her jewelry will leave you drooling.

She has made me totally fall in love with

"vintage" all over again.

Is that the beauty of retirement -

another little treasure I've discovered ??

I can browse blogs and learn so much

any time I want.

What a total unexpected pleasure !!

Art

Just wanted to mention one of my truly favorite things

~ ART ~

I love looking at art.

I love creating art.

I love learning about artists and art museums

and I love finding new sites to peruse art

or the ingredients needed to create.

iCanvasART.com is one of my new favorite

 face book pages and websites.

Take a look and you'll see what I mean.

Are you in to art?

Have you ever attempted your own art project??

Do you have a favorite artist??

I do.........

Picasso.

"The Old Guitarist" 1903

from the Blue Period.

I also like Jackson Pollock

"Number 8", 1949

I find all this inspiring -

and maybe you'll think I'm crazy but I really,

really love and respect artists.

And gazing at art work brings a bit of beauty and 

culture to my day.

Try it.

One of my favorite things!!

Sounds of Summer

Growing up in Western Pennsylvania

entitled me to a summer different from

any I have experienced elsewhere.

There is something magical in the air

and maybe only my "sweet dear 

closest neighbor and friend

from age three on"

can truly understand it.

Dorothy - this is for you -

this is for us.

Remember when........

The stars and the fireflies just came together in

the dark night sky

and we would valiantly try to catch

fireflies and make a jar full of magic ??

Remember lying on your back in the cool green grass

and looking up at the clouds

trying so hard to see images and then

trying even harder to make your companion see it too

Do you remember the sound of the lawnmower

And the wonderful smell of the newly cut lawn

The sound of the radio on a summer evening

All over the neighborhood we could hear everyone

tuned in to the baseball game.

Sometimes we were hearing the TV

and our Dads yelling at the team

Those were comforting sounds.

"Go , Pirates" !!!

And, very late at night, as we slept,

we could hear that soothing, humming

sound of the cars as they drove down

Route 51, about a mile away.

We would play hide and seek

till long past dusk

and try to keep away from mosquitoes,

We rode our bikes everywhere

long before helmets.

The sounds of cicadas and frogs and 

katy-dids

The sound of thunderstorms and

the flash of lightening

And, the best sound of all,

our Moms -

calling us to come home.

The sights and sounds of summer.

Do you remember ???

I know Dorothy will.

FOUR !!

Today Jim and I are sharing FOUR of our

most favorite people ever.

Our daughters !!!!

Here they are on their annual

"Sisters Week"

get together.

We got the following picture from them......

with instructions to figure out which foot belonged

to which daughter.

Well, the tattoo on the ankle helped

but it still took us a couple of guesses to get it right.

Soooooo........

we sent them this picture

and asked them to figure out which foot

belonged to Mom or Dad.

They did pretty well with that little quiz.

Can't imagine why !!!

We love them.

And it's such a joy and a pleasure to

think of them daily and appreciate what we have.

And they are so much FUN !!!

We are the luckiest of parents.

Here's to more Favorite Things -

and may you all be as fortunate as we.

************************

Favorites??

DAILY FAVORITES

My handsome dog, Bailey,

and his shadow - Peter Pan like.

The lamp post in the park -

very " The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".

Hope you're following all this.

Fence with grass - 

I'm in the old west.

Is that a hitching post I see ???

"Gunsmoke", "Bonanza" ???

The point is - ordinary things can evoke

such imaginative, extraordinary thoughts.

What ordinary things do you see on your daily routine

And do they take you on great imaginary journeys ??

If not, I'm sorry for you.

Try harder.

There are so many ordinary things just waiting

to be your new 'favorites'.

There's a new favorite waiting out there

every single day.

Dragonflies

I love pretty things..........................

And beautiful words....................

So meet David Copperfield.

He and his family live in our backyard.  

Today only he was feeling photogenic.

Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, and Mr Green

all reside near our pool also.

OK - YES - I name all the dragonflies.

Can't help myself.

I love pretty things. 

One of My Favorite Things.

ENJOY