White Bird Of Paradise

The White Bird of Paradise plants, out around the pool are putting on quite a show these cool winter days. I've noticed a few blooms recently, so today I took my camera out, to have a closer look and just maybe take a few photos. Wow! Blooms were everywhere. I squeezed through the small palms and the Nandinas, being careful to look for monstrous tropical spiders .....and managed to get in behind these massive White Bird plants. Well worth the effort, I found the view from behind to be quite spectacular. Is nature fascinating? I think so....Notice how they tower over the fence.... Click on photos...

Thinking That Opens The Windows Of The Soul

I purchased two new books today both by Jan Karon. One is titled A Continual Feast.....Words of comfort and celebration, collected by Father Tim. The other one is titled Patches of Godlight...Father Tim's Favorite Quotes. I have selected this for reading this evening. In Jan Karon's bestselling Mitford Years series, Father Tim Kavanaugh is more than the local rector. He's a friend and counselor to nearly everyone in the village. For his comfort he turns to favorite books. When a particular passage strikes him, he jots it down in this "quote book." It is filled with the wisdom of poets, humorists, clerics, and philosophers such as St Paul and C. S. Lewis. These are words that speak to the heart, and thinking that opens the windows of the soul. It's a small book and handwritten.

A favorite quote of Father Tim's by Winston Churchill....

If you cannot read all your books, at any rate..peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them be your acquaintances.

I continue to read....

A Sweet Day

My Valentine was quite generous with his romantic intentions today. We dined by candlelight at Casa Tina's in the village. The restaurant was recommended by our children and it was everything they had promised. Casa Tina's had awesome atmosphere (love that music), friendly staff, healthy fresh Mexican and vegetarian foods on the menu. It all sounded devine and we selected delicious Fluentes served with freshly made guacamole, wonderful salsa, Mexican rice and beans. His gift to me came in a little Macy's box...a Fossil bracelet with a variety of small hearts. We have candles burning and chocolates this evening...a nice finishing touch to a "sweet day."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Enjoying Lisa Hannigan....

I'm having a leisure afternoon. The sky has been overcast and sort of gloomy all day. Kind of a listening to good music day ......Irish singer Lisa Hannigan's "Lille"....enjoy....

Tatting

I'm wrapping things up for Valentine gifts and hopefully everyone will be pleased with my efforts. Tonight I finished the last little heart pillow. While looking through my bag of lace(found at an estate sale), I was very happy to find a bit of antique tatting lace. Tatting dates to the early l9th century. The term for tatting in most European languages is derived from French frivolite' , which refers to the purely decorative nature of the textiles produced by this technique. It is a technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace constructed by a series of knots and loops. I love it when something old and something new come together for a pretty decorative effect. It's a nice thought that long ago efforts to create lovely lace tatting, along with my meager efforts today, came together in this time to make something quite beautiful.........

"The Morning Walk"

I have a small book titled People In Art. It combines masterpieces from the Natinal Gallery, London, with literature from around the world in a unique portrayal of humanity through the eyes of the artist. The painting here, titled "The Morning Walk" is by Thomas Gainsborough, an English painter. Words selected for this painting are taken from The Ring, by Isak Dinesen, 1958.

On a summer morning a hundred and fifty years ago a young Danish squire and his wife went for a walk on their land. They had been married a week. It had not been easy for them to get married, for the wife's family was high in rank and wealthier than the husband's..They were wonderfully happy. The stolen meetings and secret, tearful love letters were now things of the past. To God and man they were one; they could walk arm in arm in broad daylight and drive in the same carriage, and they would walk and drive so till the end of their days. Their distant paradise had descended to earth and had proved surprisingly, to be filled with the things of everyday life; with jesting and railleries, with breakfasts and suppers, with dogs, haymaking and sheep. Sigismund, the young husband, had promised himself that from now there should be no stone in his bride's path, nor should any shadow fall across it.....(the story comes to an end)......It was a lovely July morning. Little woolly clouds drifted high up in the sky, the air was full of sweet scents. Lise had on a white muslin frock and a large Italian straw hat. She and her husband took a path through the park; it wound on across the meadows, between small groves and groups of trees, to the sheep field. Sigismund was going to show his wife his sheep.......

I'm happy we have Valentine's Day to celebrate romance and love.....the conflicts of young lovers to finally the companionship of old age.

Congratulations Stump!

A 10 year old comes out of retirement only last week to take the biggest prize. The Westminster Kennel Club 2009 Best In Show is a Sussex Spaniel named Stump. "Good Boy!"

Having Fun With Vintage Paper

Sandra Evertson's Fanciful Paper Projects..... Vintage papers are the focus of the eclectic projects.

From early childhood, I have enjoyed working with paper. Sitting for hours, cutting paper dolls were a favorite form of entertainment. I've never outgrown the enjoyment of cutting paper things, and it may sound odd to some, but one of the attractions for me in Home Companion's magazine, has always been the paper dolls. When the new magazine arrives I can hardly wait to tear out the treasured page and begin cutting. All this is leading up to the "Ah Hah" moment I had a few days ago at the craft store. While looking at craft books, I was completely surprised to find one titled Fanciful Paper Projects...Making Your Own Posh Little Follies. A bandbox on the cover, caught my attention. I opened the book and began turning the pages. Let's just say I was at a loss for words. Beautiful vintage style follies, with instructions, patterns and list of materials needed. Things from a theatrical shadowbox to an elegant ballerina. I am gratiously pleased that Sandra Evertson and I have lots in common. Well, it's almost heavenly planning a project and I'm quite enjoying once again being surrounded by paper dolls....

Sweet sweet pink roses.....I brought them home days ago, as budding roses and placed them in a crystal vase. A few days later they opened completely and were the most beautiful presentation ever...gorgeous full blooms. Bright pink color eventually faded somewhat, but even then they were so pretty.....even when they drooped and fell over they were even yet, lovely dried roses. My intentions were to throw them away. When I picked up the vase, I could not do this deed, for they still had life left in them. A piece of antique lace held the stems together as they lay on the old settee. The morning sun found them and I planned that they should live on, for they had been created for admiration and so they were .....by me.