for lola

i still amazes me that with the internet we can now reach across the world and touch people we would have never met. what a wonderful way to meet new friends and connect with kindred souls. lola recently left a comment on my blog about her own loss of a loved one. when i read this today, lola, i thought of you:



this being human is a guest house.

every morning a new arrival.

a joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes as an

unexpected visitor.

welcome and entertain them all!

even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who sweep

your house empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

he may be clearing you out for some new delight.



rumi

happy thanksgiving

i have many things to be thankful for this thanksgiving...........i'm thankful i have a warm house to live in........i'm thankful i have a job.........i'm thankful for my health..........i'm thankful for the food that graces my table........i'm thankful for good friends and family...........i never thought i'd be thankful for alzheimers but i'm thankful my mother has alzheimers so she isn't aware that she's dying of lung cancer.........thank you lord.....for all my many blessings.



i hope you and yours have a safe and happy thanksgiving.

bent objects

i love terry border's sense of humor!

wishingfish

it seems like everything we do anymore needs a password. i've got most of mine on a sheet of paper in my eyeglass case.......i simply can't remember which one is for what and need a little prompting! i know we shouldn't carry them around but i'm always needing them and i don't write down the ones that involve use of my megabucks (yeah, right!). i stumbled across this password organizer on wishingfish.com. what a great idea. they've got some fun gifts if you're looking for something a little quirky.

a sad anniversary

this was always my favorite picture. i can't believe you've been gone twenty three years now...... so many memories......i miss you my space cowboy.

jeanie tomanek

i find jeanie tomanek's work hauntingly beautiful. this one is called "weight of wings". when i look at this i see how always trying to do the right thing weighs the figure down.

nicoletta ceccoli

i enjoyed perusing the works of illustrator nicoletta ceccoli.

after uploading the pictures that caught my attention i realized they're about "the birds and the bees"...................hmmmmmmmmm...........where has my subconscious been?

the civilized butler

it's not likely i'll ever see the day that i have a butler.......not a real one anyway. so.....when i saw this in the new signals catalog i decided i HAD to have it. i'm a great fan of british comedy and love jeeves and wooster. i have to tell ya.....i'm actually looking forward to being awakened in the mornings! it starts out with gentle bird sounds then the butler coughs....discreetly....and proceeds to inform me of some important event that i need to attend to for the day. it's got six months worth of different messages before it begins again. he will also give me a relaxation countdown at bedtime. my own butler.......imagine that!

check out the signals online catalog for your own butler.

stress buster

love these!

'nother bucolic saturday

what a wonderful fall day! finally....there's a crispness in the air. the wind's been gusting all day..... showering leaves across the yard.....whispering.....whispering........"enjoy the remains of the season for bleakness.....and cold......and darkness soon follow"." he who must be obeyed" and myself took a stroll around the grounds checking out the sights.

the guys out in the pasture beat feet up to the fence in hopes of getting a few apples.

they're not the only ones with a taste for apples. i'm veeeery respectful of these visitors when sharing with the sheep.

we had an especially bountiful crop this year so there's enough for everyone.

what 's wrong with the clock on saturdays that she feels the need to make haste thru the hours....burning the day with abandon? slow down...speeding timepiece.....slow down....for i wish to savor this day..... and all her gifts.

ketzelphotography's crows

i love the crow photos at ketzelphotograpy's etsy shop!

vote!

happy halloween

have a safe and happy halloween!

trees

this tree is behind the log home that i slip off to when i need to unwind a little. it's magnificent. i love this shot of the tree because she actually frames herself.

i'm a touchy..... feely..... kind of person.........no..........not with other people.......like you would think.....but things. i HAVE to feel textures.....shapes. you know.... everywhere you go now you're being filmed by security cameras. i must give security either a cause to sit up and take notice or a good laugh because i can't go ANYWHERE without running my hands over things that catch my eye. i suppose it's the artist in me......but it's also more. when i touch this tree it's like i can feel it's life force. immediately my mind sees....creates.....little stories of things that have happened in it's presence. i know i'm not the only one.....walt whitman wrote: "why are there trees i never walk under but large and melodious thoughts descend upon me?" i'll bet walt would have liked this one.

dethroned

i don't know about you but i'm sure enjoying the last vestiges of summer. with everything rapidly turning to shades of brown these little pops of color lure me around the yard every time i arrive home.

i feel the need to burn these images into my mind....store them for the coming cold days......before they curl in on themselves and lay down for their winters' nap.

it appears i'm not the only one gathering the last of summer.

enjoy while you can....little friend........summer has relinquished her throne.

waiting

what a wonderful sentiment...........................................rob ryan blog and etsy shop.

the farm

today was such a nice day that i decided to go to the farm and share my lunch with walker. more important than feeding my body......i come here to feed my soul.

this is the view from the deck off the back of the house. i used to sit out here with a cup of joe watching the sun rise and late at night..... under the most amazing display of stars you ever saw.

this was the landing strip where we made the first pass in the plane to get the cows out of the way and then landed....up hill....coming to a stop just feet before the large tree you see at the end.

there's still plenty of wildlife around.....deer, turkeys, fox, rabbits....no more cows.....no more horses........

these leaves reminded me of my space cowboy and myself.......one dead and gone......the other in the fall of her life.

the creek that runs across the lower pasture is mostly rock at this point. it's called......yep......rocky creek. folks around here like to park below the pasture and play on the rock in the summer.

yes........you have to drive thru the creek to get up and down the road. it really freaks some folks out......i always loved it.

if you'll look closely at this picture you'll see a vine shaped like a heart at the base of this tree. very fitting........my heart lies here too.

charleston, sc

i took me a little jaunt down to charleston these past few days. if you're not familiar......charlestown is a VERY southern town full to the brim with the past.....old rice plantations and homes. we went down for the fall tour of homes and took in a couple of the plantations while there. here's the brochure from middleton place....one of the plantations. the grounds and gardens are spectacular.....the buildings and artifacts full of history. if any of you are computer challenged.....clicking on the picture will open it larger so you can read the small print.

we ended our tour of middleton place with a wonderful meal at their restaurant. they had quail, duck, catfish, chicken, and carolina pulled pork with corn souffle, squash casserole, hoppin' john (black eyed peas and rice), and collards with peach casserole, pecan pie, or key lime pie for dessert. sooooooooooo good!

the tour of homes was by candle light.....the night a perfect.....crisp...fall night to be traipsing all thru the historical district..... drooling over the homes and gardens that most of us will just be able to dream about. for those of you who have not been to charleston......go!

and ....of course.....we ate seafood at hyman's restaurant. i had a deep fried grits patty covered with salmon and a garlic sauce.....yum! don't even think about going to charleston and not partaking of the famous pralines.........ohhhhh sookie sookie! be sure to eat at least two......one for each hip!

and now.... here i am....back in the real world.....back to the daily grind.....crap! i need a cup of joe!

inconspicuously absent

just jody will be inconspicuously absent for a while. traveling? beamed up? hmmmmmmmmmmm..........maybe this guy knows.

ya gotta treat yourself to this one

have you ever been trolling for new sites and happened across one that is sooooo delicious that you don't even want to share it with others? usually.... i'm all about...hey ya'll.....looky here...... but this is a site i've been hoarding for some time now. this blog appeals to me on soooo many levels. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING artist......and a traveler! i won't even tease with a picture or two. you MUST see for yourself. get a good cup of joe, settle down in a comfortable chair, and lose yourself for a while here. let me know what ya think. meanwhile.....must sell art to purchase clock....must sell art to purchase clock........must sell art to purchase clock.........