On Thanksgiving

I always hate to ask Leonard to take my picture.  For some reason it just seems vain or silly.  But I did on Thanksgiving because he took me out to a lovely buffet meal and I got dressed up out of my jeans and t shirt uniform
.  Hi  from me.                 Diane

Another Difference of Opinion

After working as a florist for many years I love the other colors of poinsettias - pinks, peppermints, especially the whites.  These short ones, just the right size for a coffee table, were so cute I picked this one out.  After I got it home I felt bad because Leonard likes red ones - poinsettias should be red.  They were $5.97 so I went back and got a red one for him for the center of the table.  Now we're both happy and it didn't cost a lot.  Our house is slowly, very slowly, getting some Christmas touches.   Diane

Home

Lovey and Dovey (my names)
two Collared Eurasian Doves who call
our yard home.  We just live here and provide
aggravation. When we walk out the door or 
Rascal goes out they fly up into the tree
above the garage and then fly down into
the yard again when the coast is clear.
I love having creatures who feel that this is their
own home.      Diane

On the Chalkboard

Found today - this shred of a paper wasp's
nest.  I taped it to the chalkboard
in the kitchen in order to get a picture. 



Left on the chalkboard after Bean's
visit last year.
And there's always - I love you Gramma - Linz
or I love you Gramma - Hannah
after one of my granddaughter's leave
or
Don't forget to go to pharmacy
or
went to a call on Highland
or
hamburger buns
Messages of love or remembrance.....
or as an easel.         Diane
 



Christmas Control Room

My little art studio is a spare bedroom 9 x 12 square feet.  One corner is where I pay bills (we won't look at it - not very interesting)  Otherwise it contains my computer, sewing machine, printer, fabric, hodgepodges of collections of things to work with as well as my collection of boxes (???) and all kinds of favorite things. 

This time of year it becomes Christmas central.  Basically everything Christmas goes on here except possibly cooking.  I have fabric mixed up with my journals and packages stacked on my printer and sewing machine.  It gets worse, too.  But what a fun time of the year and it's so great to be creating things for those I love. 

Where do your Christmas preparations take place?               Diane

Pansies or Hearts Ease

For my dear friends who are going through a dark valley
I send up my prayers and I send you flowers to ease your heart
just a little.               Diane

For Margaret at The French Bear
For Laurie at Buttons and Lace 

Thankfulness

 I'm thankful for the power of prayer and that we can help each other in hard and difficult times across the miles, around the world.  I'm thankful for your prayers and I'm thankful that you ask me to pray for you or a loved one.        Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.    Diane



                                  
                                                                                                    

Difference of Opinion

One thing you can say about our marriage is that we both do our own thing - sometimes.  Case in point - paint!  In the foreground is the darker teal/payne's gray/dark shadow blue of the color I painted our old chicken house which we use as a potting shed/storage area.  Eventually my husband bought another storage shed and it was placed next to the first one.  This would be the blue and white painted one.  When he asked me what color he should paint it I suggested the same color as the chicken house.  Why? he asked.  Because, I said, I had lovingly selected that color in a photo and the paint man had executed it perfectly.  And besides, they would look better the same color.  But no.  He chose the color that he wanted and so this is what we have.  A difference of opinion.

 

Rude Awakening

Almost overnight the creek is practically frozen all the way across.  It was just a couple weeks ago that it was entertaining ducks in leisurely laziness and fall colors.  Then Boom!  We're all trying to adjust to the sudden change of temperature.................

Even the creatures.              Diane

Talking Turkey

This was a picture I was thrilled to get in June of last year.  Of all the turkeys we have
in our neighborhood these are the first babies I ever saw.  There were
nine of them and they all survived.

Here they are a few months later with their mother nervously watching for predators.  She continued until they got as big as her and I couldn't tell which was her.  Maybe she still does. 

I love these wild turkeys that freely roam our neighborhood.  They're very funny characters as well as quite peaceful souls. 

We will not be having turkey for Thanksgiving.  We will be having something else and I will go for a walk with Rascal and laugh at the turkeys and it will be a good day.                  Diane

Warm Coats

I'm still working on the old pictures.  Here's one of Bean and I and she was about 9 or 10.  We both had on our heavy winter coats.  It must have been a day like today - brrr!  7 degrees above this afternoon.  Diane

Marshmallow World

The first real snowfall of the year is always enchanting and beautiful.  Last night it started snowing and it still is as I write this at 3:30 p.m.

The south forty is particularly beautiful, causing secret, quiet places in the hushed whiteness.

A snow ball dog.  After he's been out in the snow for a while he has snowballs hanging all over his tummy, it's very humiliating to him.

My cottage.


St. Francis of Assisi wears a snow shawl.

Soon winter will get old and tiresome but today every thing's white and clean and looking like a fairy tale.
                                                                      Diane 

A Gift

 I looked outside at about 4:45 p.m. the sky was pink.  "C'mon Rascal, let's take a walk."  He willingly obliged, he's always up for a walk.  We just did a short little jaunt down the street and up the alley but
it was enough time to enjoy a wonderful gift............

...................this gorgeous sunset.  Such beauty.  It's just beyond my comprehension.
Another gift - I'm glad I have such a great little dog to share these things with.                   Diane

Department Store Windows

Have you ever watched the special that they've had in previous years on HGTV of the Holiday Windows productions of some of the biggest department stores in the country?   I couldn't find it last year.  If you find it, and you like watching how these are born, carried out and finally the grand opening for the Christmas shoppers, you will like it.  Coverage is usually for several stores simultaneously and but the end when the windows are unveiled I'm chewing my fingernails along with the designers.  If you see that it's coming up please let me know.

November

November always seemed to me the Norway of the year. - Emily Dickinson

We woke up to snow this morning.  Now it's colder and you need your winter coat, now it's too late to do those things that I wanted to do outside.  Now I'm off the hook.          Diane

Long Ago and Far Away

Working with my pictures this evening I ran across this one.  It's my Grandma, Mother, and in front is Jennie, my sister, Lady, and me.  Everybody looks so young, Grandma is gone, Jennie is gone, Lady is gone and Mother and I remain.  Looking back into the past always brings out the nostalgia.       Diane

Phantoms

This is from last summer.  As you can see it's a long way off.  We were in the car moving and I had it blown up quite a bit but I still thought it was worth it. 

When my girls were little and we were going somewhere they would lick their thumb, stamp it on their palm and pound it with the other fist whenever they saw a white horse.               Diane

Old Things

June at Laughing with Angels had a lovely post today and it made me think of my old treasures.  It also made me think about the difference between people who love other peoples old things and people who don't.

My husband just shakes his head when I bring some new/old treasure into the house.  He'd much rather have something new, clean, nobody else's.  Of course we're exact opposites but he usually! goes along with it.  Such was the case of these light fixtures I found at a garage sale.   They replace the ones which we hastily bought and put up and I knew in my heart I'd find the right ones someday.  These were the right ones. 

Same thing with the chandelier over the dining table.  I brought it home from our store when we closed and finally convinced him to put it up.  He totally rewired it (all old fixtures should be gone through, the wiring is not safe) and put it up.  We both love it. 

Our little house is over 100 years old.  It likes old things.  Thank you, June, for reminding me of how dear these things are.                                Diane

11-11-11

7-7-77  - "We have to do something to celebrate this day". 
My friend, Mary Beth, worked with me and she couldn't ever pass up a chance to celebrate something - new tires on her car, the weekend, her new earrings, whatever. "Why don't we take our girls and go on a picnic tonight." she said.  So after work my three and I and her and her one grabbed some food and headed out of town for a picnic.
Fast forward to today 11-11-11. 
Me - "We have to do something to celebrate this day."
Leonard - "Why?"
Me - "Well, we just do!"
So we headed for the Commons and took pictures of each other with Rascal. 

Leonard - "Are you happy now?"
Me - "Yes"                               
Rascal - "No, I thought I was going to go for a walk."

What did you do?                          Diane

Thank You

All wars, for all time, thank you for your service, sometimes giving the ultimate sacrifice, to keep us free. 
                                                                                   Diane

Holding On

Golden coins dangling in the sunlight.  The last of the fall leaves clinging to the dark branches of the trees along the creek.  Winter is bearing down on us and the sight of the leaves holding on for dear life seems to be the same as us holding on to the last of the pleasant days in the final moments before the weather gets seriously cold.  Each day without cold is a gift. 

I remember one year - probably around 1984 - when it turned -30 degrees on Thanksgiving and stayed that way until Christmas Eve when it finally warmed up to -10 degrees. I don't want to see another month like that. 

Hope you had a good day where you live. 

Update:  Cathy will begin radiation treatment next week, she doesn't have to have chemo.  The doctor told her that she had the best diagnosis that it could have been.  She thinks it will all be behind her by Christmas.  Thank you, dear friends,  for your prayers.  Prayer works.           Diane

Nervous Wreck

My thanks to the artist for the use of this picture

Twenty-four hours!  That's how long I've not been able to get my hotmail to come up.  I'm telling you - I'm just too dependent on this computer world.  The thoughts that kept going through my head were -
       Did somebody write to me about something really important?  
       Do my friends think I'm dead? 
       What did you write that I'm not getting to read?
Finally it's now back up and running and I'm happy. 
So after it came back on I ran through my mail, read it all, posted .......now what?????      Diane

Really???

"Man was put on this earth to eat meat....The Bible says so, dumbbell....I mean, look it up will ya?  All them old Bible peoples, they was always eating meat; soon as they found out eating apples was wrong....It's true, on special occasions; goats and lambs.  Who the .....ever heard of sacrificing a head of lettuce? You?"
                                                                              Archie Bunker

It's Coming

Pretty soon the creek will be frozen solid.  This is where it begins,  little growths of frost and ice along the weeds and rocks, clinging to the edges, lurking in the shadowy spots.  Then it will slowly build up until there's no water left, only ice.  It's supposed to be 10 degrees tonight, winter is on its way.

Joy

This picture was in our local paper yesterday and when I saw it I just couldn't take my eyes off of it.  I think it's the most beautiful picture I've ever seen.  The writing is quite small but it says it was taken in the 1930s and it's father and daughter.                Blessings, Diane

Some November Shots

Just a few shots as I walked today.  There was a bitter cold wind and about 30 degrees.  Still it was
beautiful.

A pigeon looking a little surprised at the change in weather and our neighbor's oak tree.  Have a great weekend.       Blessings,  Diane

"You Should Have to Live.......

.......in a big city for 5 years and then you folks would appreciate what you have here."

These words came back to me today as I drove along the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. 

It was several years ago, I was working at the Episcopal Church and the words came from a doctor who was considering moving here and had stopped at the church to be properly welcomed.  I was the one who invited him and his wife to have a cup of coffee while I located the priest and I'm the one he said it to.  My face immediately flamed and all I could say was "We already do appreciate what we have".

Later when I was talking to the priest about his remark he said "Why did that bother you?"

"Because many of us have lived here all our lives and put up with low wages, inferior jobs, no chances to climb up the corporate ladder much less hit the glass ceiling, and our closest place to shop is 120 miles away which means that if you really want to buy anything you have to spend two nights and three days there.  And the reason we live here is because we love those beautiful mountains and desolate country.  That's why we're here."

He answered as any other 40 year old would at that time "Cool!"             Diane

Our Princess Mother

  A visit with Mother today and she seems to be doing well.  I even got a smile out of her. 

Every once in a while she likes to do something nice for herself and this is one of those times.  She saw this Princess Diana ring and thought about it for a long time and when it became apparent that she wasn't going to be able to think about anything else she ordered it.  She loves it and feels like a princess whenever she wears it.                                              Diane
                

November

When you think of months do you think of colors?  I do.  Maybe it's commercialism creeping through my brain, I hope not.  Whenever I think of November I think of sepia or black and creams.  It's kind of like a break between the brilliant autumn colors and Christmas colors, a rest for your senses.  It even seems like the landscape has settled down into more subdued, somber tones. 

Update - Cathy saw the doctor today and now they feel that they got it all and that it didn't get into the lymph nodes.  She still doesn't know the treatments but she's still healing.  Thank you all for your prayers and caring, it's appreciated more than you know.                         Diane

Last Night

 We had the grand total of two trick or treaters.  This is our neighbor and his little boy.  Gradin was dressed as a little skunk.  What a cute little stinker he was.  He had an awful time trying to hold his sucker in his "paws". 

......and Kiddo.  She's a Yorkie and I think Rascal likes her.  She's littler than he is and he was so excited to have another real dog in his house.  He would run over and grab his toy and look at her and then bark. 
Oh, I forgot.  Leonard looked out the front door once to see if there were any other kids in the neighborhood and there sat Luna, our other neighbor's cat so I guess that makes 3. 

Halloween has changed and probably for the better.  There are so many community events planned for the kids that they would rather be there than in an old neighborhood like ours.  But next year I'm NOT going to stock up on so much candy!!                             Diane

Gratitude - the occasional feeling of peace and well being that sometimes settles upon me