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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Good Bye 2013

Seems like the year just started.

A brief look back at 2013


It was a cold new year



everybody tried to keep warm


spring brought  new babies


and first haircuts!




 Mia was the new "tiny" one


 while Aurora grew up,  became a star




and met her prince charming!

  
Lazzie Pi Zazzy became our new definition of being so ugly you're cute



 Baxter wants to be a house dog and Minnie wants for nothing...


 

and so it goes...

another year gone and one coming on strong!




Good bye 2013 ~





Saturday, December 21, 2013

The First Day of Winter

and shortest daylight of the year is here.

So....

Carpe diem 

 saisir le jour

Nutze den Tag

 gripe dagen 


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Monday, December 16, 2013

Baby Its Cold Outside!

Living in Florida, we tend to think anything below 70 is exciting. So when it goes down in to the 40s or even the high 30s at night we get hysterical.

A frosty window becomes a work of art.

  

Isnt that amazing? Put down your snow shovels, take off your boots and come look people! You dont want to miss this. Frost on a window. Ah, the wonder of it all...

it transforms things...makes the banana tree peeking safely out from its warm earthen pot indoors, look as though its been spray painted in silver.
 

Sadly there is a blue sky full of sunlight waiting to melt my sugar cookie glazed windows...

even the little drawings on the bottom right pane made by hungry chickens little faces peeking in, wondering what is holding up breakfast.

Silly chickies...why just the other day they were complaining about me following them around taking pictures. They ESPECIALLY dont like me taking their picture before they have combed their hair and put on their make-up! 

"NO early morning pictures pleeease" is what they always say.

So sorry chickaroos, I can only take so many pictures of icy glass before I start looking around 
and....

 THERE. YOU. ARE.

aha! Let me take a few more chicken pictures to go with my seven million other chicken pictures!

One can never have too many photos of fabulous fowl, thats what I always say!

As for the chickens? 

Well THEY say............

"oh no, here she comes with that camera again!

run for it!"


Sunday, December 8, 2013

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” 
― C.S. Lewis

We have been not only reading one but living one for the last few very rich and special years. But fairy tales are not limited to one time and place.

Some special people are now discovering new fairy tales in strange new lands

a piece of my heart is going along for the ride

a look back...























May you grow up to be righteous/May you grow up to be true/ May you always know the truth/And see the lights surrounding you/ May you always be courageous/stand upright and be strong/and may you stay/forever young
-bob dylan

Friday, November 15, 2013

Turning Back Time

Three of my favorite people are moving soon.

While I love the new opportunities and great experiences this will bring them I am sad for me.

Having them here has been 3 of the best years ever.

Live and you will experience change. Not all change is easy but all change is good. It shows we are living and not just existing.

In the short time left, me? I am just trying to stretch each and every moment. Maximize the time. Savor being together.



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Friday, November 1, 2013

FACETIOUS FRIDAY

Isnt facetious a great word? Implies a tongue in cheek "tude"...and all the vowels are in alphabetical order....that word really delivers!

Its a cloudy windy mysterious kind of day here.

My favorite kind.

I also got a good nights sleep so I am full of energy. I have washed a few window screens and made the noon meal and its only 10:30. Sure beats yesterday where I was dragging myself through the hours just waiting for bedtime. I seem to be in a phase lately where I have a day (or two) of huge energy followed by a day of extremely low energy. It is a pattern.

I have candles lit....I love to watch them flicker when they catch a breeze from the open windows. Just last week it was tooth chattering cold here. Me standing in the yard clutching my arms and shifting from foot to foot for relief from the chilled ground when I had "chicken watching duty". We still have our "fox" intruder so for now, the chickens are as heavily guarded as royalty around here.

Most days, the grand kids stand guard. They are all home schooled so we let the chickens out during their reading time. It is cute to watch them reading, BB guns at the ready, while the chickens peck peacefully nearby.


Handsome Son & Dilly have an anniversary party coming up soon. Dillys mom is fantastic with parties....gives GREAT ones! So there will be a wonderful party. I dont care much for parties but I like hers. The food is always incredible, the wine flows and only the best people are around. Yep, she gives a gooooood party.

I always do the decorations, maybe a dish of something (cooking isnt my thing) and some wine. I also usually wait till the last minute to come up with inspiration. It is always something cheap that I can work with to create beauty. I dont spend money on things that are "props" its way more fun to use a can of spray paint and a little imagination.

Last year I did a fruit theme. Seemed kind of apropos since they had a baby (fruitage....get it? )

I went to the produce dept at the local grocery and asked if I could loot their trash bin for damaged fruit and veggies. I found a treasure trove of artichokes, pomegranates, asparagus and my fav pears. I spray painted them and added a bit of twine.




They looked really nice on the food tables in the dark




On the outside tables - we served ourselves and ate outside since their house is smallish- I did mason jars that sat on huge leaves that had been glittered and spray painted.





Since I did all of this a few hours before the actual party my deck was awash in fruit and spray cans and glitter! I enlisted willing help from the kids (what kid doesn't love glitter and spray paint?) But since the party was not at MY house who cared? Bottom line is everything looks good in the dark.

This year I am thinking about going with a vine idea. Just a bunch of free floating ideas at this point.

Fortunately (another "F" word!) the time of year is perfect for this!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Where The Wild Things Are...

Today I will be focusing on the wild areas of the farm....


The enchanted places tucked in here and there where nature rules and life unfolds without the "help of mankind.

Little streams that run off on their own, high (well as high as one can get in Florida) and dry spots where the blackberry bushes live amongst their lesser known plant friends.

Sometimes you pick a topic and other times it chooses you. "Wild things" is on my mind lately. I have been losing chickens to a certain "wild thing" that I have only seen at night and from afar with the aid of a high bean flashlight. Whatever it is, it is not "big". It is probably a fox. A young fox is rather small and it doesn't run like a possum or coon. They tend to "scuttle" along comically and call it running. A fox will dart off and being very intelligent, it will also pause and look behind to gauge the enemy. That is what my midnight marauder did.

So, the chicken house has been moved to a location where I can light it up. The remaining chickens are being put away and locked  up at night while free ranging only during the day. We will see if this takes care of our nocturnal visitor.

In the meantime, since it is highly unlikely I will get a picture of a fox during the day, I am going to take pictures of other wild things. The kind that grow and stand still!~

Some I know the name of and most I do not, but I will preserve their images here for future examination.

To begin, I will focus on one beautiful plant many people think of as a pest...

  
This is a thistle. It is in the same family as the artichoke only not nearly as sought out for food. Around here, people pull them out of grazing pastures as a "weed" or pest. Fortunately, they are hearty and they survive attempts to remove them quite well!  

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Happy Fall Y'all

The first day of autumn is upon us!



Monday, September 16, 2013

The Three Amigos


Turkey Lurkey (in the middle) and her two cohorts, Martha Stewart (right) and of course, the big star (he thinks and they let him...) Mr. Gregory Peck, the rooster have a problem....

at least I think it is a problem....

is being afraid of your house a problem? Is there a self help book for that?

At dusk, Gregory Peck heads for the deck rail to roost. Even in the driving rain and wind he hunkers down, miserable but determined.


night after night this goes on...




"Get outta my bedroom!"

"Turn off the lights and QUIT taking pictures" he seems to say with one bleary eye aimed my way...


I hate to be the one to point it out but sleeping on a deck rail is making yourself a sitting duck (so to speak) sorry for mixing the poultry metaphors but it seems to bear pointing out.


The chicken coop sits abandoned and the mystery is why?



Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Remembering the Fundamentals



Some things never change.



They are basic and intrinsic to our well being.




 What we need to thrive, to be our most content...




rest when you need to, no matter what everyone else is doing...









eat plenty of good food....







take a nice walk in the sun with a good friend...







if a loving friend gives you a gentle nudge, pay attention...









stay curious...










and always keep in mind the big picture...