SUSIE'S SANCTUARY

AUNTIE'S BIRTHDAY

2010-04-24T08:13:00.001-04:00

A week has gone by already since I went to Connecticut to celebrate my aunt's 70th birthday! My Dad and Mom, Deb and I ( and of course Mikey) drove down to wish her a "Happy Birthday". The ride was great. My Dad took some back roads. The countryside is beautiful. Old houses and farmland, horses and streams, my kind of place. Mikey is such a good little traveler, he slept the whole way down and back. It was really good to see my aunt and cousins and their wives and children. The boys have grown so much since I saw them last. We had food and 2 cakes as you can see. Mikey ran around trying to get scraps from anyone who was eating.lol He was great with the boys. He can be a little nippy but he had a great time and was fine with everyone. My aunt looked great and I know she was very happy to have all her family with her.( I love and miss you, Auntie.) She is such a wonderful person, a great cook, as I have mentioned in earlier posts.She has made sets of napkins for every day of the year! I find that incredible, and she made them all by hand! She also makes cards, beautiful cards. I always enjoy getting one from her. We have all had some wonderful times visiting her in the past and hopefully we will continue to.
After the party Mom, Dad, Deb and I ( Mikey too.) went back to Elizabeth's( my cousin) house to spend the night. Elizabeth, Steven( her son, and my 2nd cousin) stayed up with us for a little while and talked. We were all so tired so we didn't stay up long. In the morning Elizabeth had gone off to work and Steven to school. We packed up and headed home. Too little time. I miss them all and would have really liked to visit longer.
Calvin and Sophie( the cats) were so cute with Mikey. Calvin seemed interested and just followed Mikey around and stared at him. Sophie on the other hand kept her distance but made sure he was always in her sight. Her eyes were as big as Owls eyes. Anyway they kept the peace and all was well.
Back on the road. We stopped to get some coffee and breakfast and we saw this adorable little baby bunny.

Finally got home that afternoon. We had a great time. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTIE!!!! Here is your rainbow!

MORNINGS

2010-04-15T09:01:00.004-04:00

I just saw a very beautiful thing, a male Cardinal feeding his female. Just didn't have my camera this time. So sweet. Brought tears to my eyes. Scenes like this are almost too sacred to capture on camera. A gift only for your eyes.

I love getting up early in the morning. I usually get up at 6. The sun is just coming up and everything has a magical quality to it. The birds start coming one by one. I can count on certain birds to arrive first. I can hear someones rooster crowing in the distance. The squirrels start meandering in, stretching and yawning as they make it down the tree to the bird feeder, where they hang upside down and feed on the sunflower seeds. Some mornings the leaves of the Iris and Daylilies are tipped with little round droplets of dew that shimmer in the suns light. The birds are singing; there are no other sounds, the quiet from human life and the solitude is mesmerizing. I sit and watch the interaction of the birds and squirrels. Its amazing what you'll see. They have all gotten used to me and my camera and come close to feed without fear. A little English Sparrow has taken up residence in a hole in the tree where the feeders hang. He has been working on this new home for a few days now. He is so busy and proud, singing as he cleans out the hole. I haven't seen a female yet unless shes in the hole sitting on eggs.
The air is so fresh in the morning. Everything has a newness about it. The night has erased all the mistakes of yesterday and the day is a new slate to put your mark upon. I cherish the morning muses, new beginnings, new thoughts and ideas. Each morning is a new experience, filled with wonder and anticipation of whats to come. I'm grateful to be able to get up in the morning and rise with the Sun.

TARTAN DAY

2010-04-12T09:31:00.009-04:00

Justin spent the weekend with me. He came over later Friday afternoon. We were both pretty excited because Saturday we were going to see the Scottish Highland Light Pipe Band! I absolutely LOVE the bagpipes! I think that the feeling I get when I hear them is in my DNA somewhere. The sound brings tears to my eyes. My Mom and son went too.
I learned a lot about Scottish history ( part of my heritage besides English and Irish) and the bagpipes. 2 yrs ago on an archeology expedition in Egypt they found a tomb of an Egyptian princess over 3000 yrs old. Inside they found that she was entombed with a set of bagpipes. Bagpipes are such an ancient instrument that they really don't know how old or how far back they go. Ohhh, that sound, that sound resonates through my whole being! There was some dancing and fiddling, which was really beautiful. And the food, yes, real Scottish food. Bridies ( which are flaky pastry filled with a meat mixture. The BEST!), meat pies, sausage rolls, and real homemade shortbread that melted in your mouth. All of it was homemade.

I also learned that you never call plaid, plaid. Its called tartan. It is the outcome of what is available in dyes and weaving material. Each clan has its own tartan. The plaid ( which is pronounced plaaad, long A) is a long, wide piece of tartan material that they wrapped around themselves and threw over the shoulder.
Tartan day is now a national holiday celebrated on April 6th.
We all had a great time. We stayed quite awhile, about 4 hours. After I got home I felt like watching " Braveheart"again.lol. I loved the end of the movie when William Wallace yelled out FREEEDOOOMMM!!!!

EASTER

2010-04-08T11:29:00.006-04:00

Its been awhile since I've posted. Medical issues and back problems. Thats over and I'm feeling great! April Fools day..gone...Sarah's birthday went by. Easter was fun. My grandson came over the day before and helped me get ready. We had fun out in the back yard. He set up stunts to preform while I used my sport mode on my camera.We had so much fun. Then later Michelle(my daughter-in-law) came over and we dyed some eggs.Later, after Michelle went home Justin and I went out back and had a fire in my little fire pit. It got so smokey that we had to put it out and go back in.lol.
Easter Sunday was nice. We(my family) had a great dinner and sat around afterward and relaxed and talked. Now its all over and I'm back to getting the yard in shape and taking photos of course. Today my Mom and I are going to get our lettuce plants............

MORE SPRING RAIN

2010-03-29T11:55:00.002-04:00

Rain, rain, rain. I guess we are in for it for a few days. I really don't mind, gives me a chance to clean the house. And I love to take photos of the rain drops left on the flowers, trees, and leaves after its over.What would Spring be anyway, without the showers? The Snowdrops, Mini Iiris are past blooming, and thanks to my pesky little squirrels, the crocus have had their blooms bit off! Arrrrrggg. But they can really be soooo cute, as you can see.!
Debbie is finally making it to Boston to have the screws removed form the last surgery she had to repair her knee, or should I say, whats left of it. I was going to go but the car was to filled to fit me. I just wish her well and hope things go the way they are supposed to, and she returns home safely.

Sunday I will be having Easter (Ostara) dinner here with all my family. Ham, yams and Asparagus casserole(YUM! you can thank my Aunt Alice for that one.) I'll probably decorate now that I have the house to myself. A rainy day is a puttering day. Its fun..............

Asparagus Casserole

1c.buttered crumbs
3 tall cans choice asparagus
1 sm. jar pimentos
6 hard boiled eggs
White Sauce:
4 T. buter
4 T. flour
1 t. salt
dash of pepper
2 c. milk
2 c. grated sharp cheddar
grease casserole dish. Put 1/2crumbs in bottom, 1/2 of the asparagus, 1/2 jar pimentos, 3 of the eggs(sliced)
1/2 of the white sauce, repeat, ending with crumbs. 350 degrees for 30 min. Best chilled overnight before cooking.

FEATHERS IN THE WIND

2010-03-28T18:56:00.007-04:00

Our lives are as feathers buffeted here and there by the winds of fate; never really knowing where we are going or where we will land. We think that we seem to have total control over our lives, but be assured , we don't. We may have some control over some things but when fate comes in to hand there is no control. Only the Universe can control that. When the winds blow hard and gusty and we are snagged by the obstacles that crop up in the way of our journey, we are stopped in our tracks. These obstacles may be grief over a loved ones death, a sudden illness, or the loss of a long time friendship. Whatever it may be, you may find yourself with your hands tied behind your back. No control. Then suddenly another gust of wind will free you from the situation, weather physically, mentally, and ,or spiritually and off you go ,on yet another journey and...... yes...... another snag. The point I'm trying to make is that we will always have obstacles to overcome in our lives. We have no control over that. It is knowing that they will appear and knowing that eventually , in the Universe's time and the Universe's way we will be freed from them.

WHAT IS TRUE FRIENDSHIP?

2010-03-25T13:27:00.004-04:00

Friendship is about unconditional love.....
It is about sharing the joy and pain, the hopes and desires for each other
The understanding between each other as they go through life making their own mistakes and still standing by them. Forgetting the foolish past and looking to a new day to share together
Respecting the decisions that are made by each other,weather they be right or wrong , liked or disliked
And accepting that these choices are their own and that there are reasons behind them that are their own.
Friendship is NOT bringing up how much each has done for one another as that can be very painful, as one might be able to give more monetarily and the other may only be able to give heart and soul and a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen.
Friendship is about helping each other and not backing down. Keeping your word. Overcoming the pettiness.
Friendship is NOT about retorting, screaming and yelling, its about listening and not being judgmental.and condesending. Listening and not talking over each other
Friendship is realizing what the other is going through and trying to be there for them
Friendship is NOT about getting the last hurtful word in, again its about listening through to the end and then trying to understand what the other is really trying to say.
When a friend is in pain with her feelings it should not be labeled dramatic. She may be grieving over a great loss. or a hurt she doesn't understand. Let her cry. Crying is not a bad thing. Its a great release
Be kind and gentle with each other, this world is a very frightening place and what better place to be than in the heart and the arms of your friend.?

MY WILD CHILD

2010-03-23T08:23:00.003-04:00

On a golden September day, my Wild Child was born. Rays of sunshine touched her hair and our eyes met. Then suddenly she was gone. Days grew into years and the hole in my heart grew larger. 25 yrs later, my Son answered a phone call. Instantly he knew he was talking with his Sister. So many years of wondering, searching, crying, had come to an end and my heart was mended. She had found us! Emotions ran high as my wild haired beauty and I embraced for the first time.
Tracy and I are so much alike, its uncanny. For two people who never knew each other, we both love and cherish the same things. I just couldn't get enough of her.
She lives out in Washington state, all the way across the country from me. We have visited each other at times and we talk on the phone. There's not a day that goes by that thoughts of her don't run through my mind.
Her adventures have been incredible( I will go into some in another post). There are so many things about her that I'd like to put into words....but for now, this is her introduction......... I miss and love you, Baby.

Photos taken by my Son on his visit to see her.

HAPPY SPRING!!!

2010-03-20T19:04:00.001-04:00

Yes, the Vernal Equinox arrived today at 1:32, I believe. I am so glad. The weather is so appropriate. Warm days, chilly evenings. The air sparkles. The Sun is turning on his course. Daylight savings time has been put into affect... and life is full of magick and wonder. Bees are out and about on their errands to gather pollen and their back legs are bright orange. Every where you go the Crocus are out, spreading across lawns and hiding in nooks and crannies around houses and buildings. I've been working in the yard and Mikey comes out and sits in his tent and watches. I heard its going to rain tomorrow but who cares? There a plenty more of these days to come.

DODGING RAINDROPS

2010-03-14T21:11:00.001-04:00

Female Bluebird Still not in the right place. Will figure it out!

WET+WILD

2010-03-14T21:06:00.000-04:00

A Nor'easter has been raging for two days now. It will continue into tomorrow, also. Gusts have reached 60mph. The howling winds outside my windows calm my spirit. I was able to do a walk-about Friday, before the storm started. While I was walking I could see the dark gray clouds looming up in the distance. I love these storms,but, I had a taste of the warmer weather and it has kinda stuck with me. I haven't done too much for the last 2 days and I need to GET OUT! Taking pictures of the birds through rain spotted windows is not exactly gratifying. lol. I can't believe the assortment of species that came during this weather. Flickas, chickadees, wrens, bluebirds( yes, they are sticking around), Red Bellied Woodpeckers, House Finch, Gold Finch, Downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, English sparrows, Song sparrows, and Grackles, its been wild.(literally).
Justin, my Grandson spent Sat. and Sun with me. I always enjoy his company. We watched movies. He decided to make a card for his parents anniversary. He is very creative. And the great part is when hes done he puts all the stuff away. Without me asking! WOW! what a teenager!

PICASA3...GREAT FOR POSTING PICTURES

2010-03-14T21:03:00.002-04:00

used my picasa3 to post this pic. Now I know how to use it ...This is GREAT! Next time it will appear in the correct place! LOL

MORE BIRDS......

2010-03-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, I hope you don't get bored with the birds, but I've been a little obsessed with them. I have a pair of Red Bellied woodpeckers ( I don't get this as they have very red HEADS, lol) nesting in an old tree out back and they are adorable. I try not to bother them but I need that perfect photo!!! The female sits in the hole and the male brings her food and nesting material.

Sarah and I went out back yesterday afternoon to see what there was out there to take photos of and I couldn't believe what I saw.....BLUEBIRDS....yes, they are living out back( where the road is being put in!!!), I will have to get some houses to try and keep them around.

I have a little sanctuary out behind our shed, where I sit and contemplate or meditate or just plain get away from everything. I have a thistle feeder out there. I was sitting there yesterday and this beautiful song sparrow came and started feeding......
Soon the hummingbirds will start to come. I need to start getting my feeders ready. They will always come back to a feeder that they are used to every year......I can't wait.

CATCHING UP!

2010-03-10T08:05:00.001-05:00

I've got some catching up to do! Last Sat., my Mom and my grandson and I went to the Multicultural Fair at the Cape Cod Community Collage. It was a lot of fun. All kinds of ethnic dancing and food. The food was really good. I had a meatball and rice dish from Morocco, so did Justin and he liked it too. The dancing was beautiful and the costumes too. Took lots of photos, BUT....I can't get them off my camera! I used a different setting and I don't know how to get them on to picasa3!!! Bummer, some were really good. I will eventually get them on and post them.

Sun., my son and grandson, and I went to take my niece, Sarah to her softball practice. While she was practicing, we went to Hochum Rock and took some photos.....we had fun and Justin and Justin practiced Akido, a marshall art that they like to do. I have some awesome photos of them both, but my son doesn't want me to post them...another bummer. I can post some of Justin on the rock. It was an Indian camp at one time. They say its haunted. It certainly does have a different energy about it. We had fun though and it was a great weekend!

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

2010-03-04T23:21:00.000-05:00

At last, I've heard some good news about the weather! This weekend is going to get to the 50's!!! YAY! Now its choices I have to make to either work in the yard or go on a walk-about with my camera. Both sound good to me. I really want our yard to look incredible this year. There are so many different kinds of flowers here and I need to fertilize and the list goes on and on and on. I'm excited! But going for a long walk sounds really inviting too. What to do?! Well I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the weekend will bring me.I just finished reloading all my pictures from disks I had that were copied off of Picasa, copied to back into Picasa3 and now I have 8,000 photos on it. Wow!!!
It was fun going back in time, seeing the changes in people and all that I did. I lost some of them during the copying and I don't know if I can ever get them back or if they are lost for good. I'll just have to get over that. Some were of my Mom and Dad, though. :-( I'm posting some photos of some of my flowers so you can get an idea what my yard will look like..........

MARCH

2010-03-03T23:46:00.000-05:00

March came in like a LION!!!...and its still roaring. Yes, I'm going to say it....I am tired of the rain and cold. I need some sun at least. I know it won't start to warm up until May. I started raking the leaves yesterday. It didn't rain!!!...so I tried to take advantage of that. Didn't get too far, it started to get very cold and today it snowed all day. It didn't stick though, so no shoveling.
We have a new baby Red Squirrel in the neighborhood now and it loves to sit in the squirrel proof bird feeder and eat. I named him or her "Pumpkin". It sure is cute.I've been watching the birds coming to the feeders. So many different kinds. I've been trying to get photos of them all.

Things are starting to come up under the leaves, it will be nice to see the spring flowers. A little color would do me some good right about now. lol Well, its getting late and I'm running out of words so goodnight to all.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2010-02-27T21:56:00.003-05:00

Moon lit nights.
Peepers in the Spring
Shooting stars
Misty mornings
Baby squirrels
Rainbows
Dogs
Wild windy storms
Icicles
Dew drops
Fog
Twilight
My mothers face
Silence
The smell of wood smoke
My sons humor
Rainy days
Warm summer evenings
Sunsets
My grandsons grin
Freesian horses

Magick

TODAY WAS FOR THE BIRDS!

2010-02-26T20:50:00.012-05:00

Today I spent most of the day glued to my front steps with my camera around my neck. I had thrown some bread out for the birds and they came in droves. Robins, Cardinals, Goldfinch, Wrens, Nuthatches, I was having such a good time. Later on I discovered my ISO was up way too high. Reason pics are a little grainy, and light. The squirrels came too, gray and now we have a newcomer, a baby red squirrel. I named him "Pumpkin", isn't he the sweetest thing? I think its so cute how he fits into the squirrel proof feeder.We have two adults that have been here for years. We always see the little babes in the spring. I'm surprised he is already out. The weather today has been so weird, first it was sunny when I got up, then it rained, snowed, then the sun was back out. It kept doing this all day. The clouds were beautiful, some white billowing then dark and ominous. Later in the afternoon Justin( son), Debbie and I took a ride to Falmouth, a town down near the Cape Cod Canal. We don't get there very often, so it feels like another state or foreign country!LOL ...anyway....I really don't get out much! lol........While we were driving along RT.28 I was looking for good photo material (as always,lol), out of the corner of my eye I saw this huge bird. It was a turkey in full bloom (you know what I mean, lol) I was amazed! I told Debbie to turn around QUICK!, she did. We pulled into someones driveway. The place looked like a mini farm and this is what we saw!!! Isn't he magnificent!(damn ISO) I think the picture came out good despite that. He was running around strutting his stuff, gobbleing the whole time, trying to impress the female. We sure were impressed! LOL

RAIN RAIN .....

2010-02-25T14:03:00.003-05:00

Its been raining for a couple of days now. Its Thursday and the good ole weather guy says it could last till Monday. One storm just went over and another is coming up the coast and will turn back on us. Love that rain but I do want to see the sun.
Debs birthday was Sunday the 21st but we celebrated it on Tuesday night so that Sarah could be here. She had a night off. My Mom and Dad came over as did Justin, and my grandson. Michele dropped in, but my daughter-in-law Michelle had to work. Noni stopped over earlier and gave Deb a nice gift. We had cake and ice cream and sat around and talked. It was nice. Look at Debs little cheeks, she is so funny. She said she had a nice birthday. I LOVE YOU SISSY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! again. I've been saying that to her all week lol

I did get out between the raindrops and took pictures of raindrops.lol

THEY'RE BACK!!!

2010-02-22T18:42:00.024-05:00

Yes, these little darlings are back. Last year at this same time we had a flock of Bluebirds that stayed around for a couple of weeks. Today they came. I absolutely love these little birds. With my new camera I was able to take these photos out my kitchen window.
Last Thurs. I spent helping Noni watch her 2 grandchildren and 3 of their cousins.at Noni's daughters house. I thought It would be crazy! All the kids were great. We had a lot of fun. Took them for a walk around the block. I took a lot of photos(of course lol) and learned a few things about my camera.Late that afternoon after babysitting, Sarah and I went out back and spent 2 hours taking photos of unusual things. We had a blast.

Fri, Noni and I decided to take our cameras and go for a ride down 6A towards P-town. We stopped at quite a few places. The barn has a thatched roof and lightening rods on the top. Noni and I walk here alot. There is alot of beautiful scenery. Its near the ocean too. Down a ways is Bray farm. Its an old farm that's being preserved. Lots of animals and old buildings. The first place we stopped was the goat pen. This goat took a liking to Noni. He was so funny. He wanted her to keep petting him and he would jump up to kiss her. We loved him. Wanted to take him home! lol Then off to the chickens. I don't know why but I sure do have a lot of chicken photos in my picasa3. It must be the colors. They are so beautiful AND some are VERY unusual. Hhhmmmmmmm... On to the donkeys. They are miniture and sooooo cute. I was walking by just as they began to play with a blue ball. I wish I had remembered I have video on this camera! We finally decided to head on home.
Sat. Debbie, Sarah ( my niece), Justin ( my son) and I went to get spring water in Sandwich. All of us armed with our cameras,except Deb was the designated driver. lol, I always love to go get this special water. I think its medicinal. It is so sparkling clear. I have never tasted water like this.After we filled all our bottles with water we went over to the Sandwich Tea Shop and bought these unbelievable pastries. This has become a little ritual now and I'm glad of it! lol On our way home we stopped and took pictures of railroad trains and Justin showed me how to use my F-stop. This will make a big difference in how I take my pictures.

Justin( my grandson) spent the night Sat. Sunday we took off on a walk. I gave him my Minolta now that I have my new camera. I gave Debbie my Sony. That little Sony had a lot of mojo. I will miss it. But I'm sure I'll get over it. lol Justin is really learning to take great photos. These are mine. Its time to go now....so goodnight!

2010-02-17T01:09:00.001-05:00

SEASONS

2010-02-17T00:58:00.032-05:00

Ho Hum, when will spring get here? I think I have a touch of Spring Fever. Its snowing outside right now, will pass after midnight. I'm longing for another long walk(with my new camera lol). I just took Mikey out and the snow is still coming down softly. I love how quiet it gets when it snows. I love the weather. Rain, snow, sleet or shine....isn't that the mail-mans' old adage? Each day the sun is getting a little higher in the sky and the light is starting to change. The equinox is just about a month away. All the seasons excite me. They each have their own essence. Winter to me is old and withdrawn, secret, meditative and quiet.and solemn. Cold and icy with howling winds, winter can sometimes become a bitter foe then turn and blanket the earth with snow, inviting us into her winter wonderland. Winter has a raw beauty about it. The trees are bare and showing their intricate designs. Bare trees are poetry, art, they inspire. Mysterious winter, a time for soul-searching. Spring is youthful,vibrant, full of excitement, joy, and recklessness. All is new and bright. Busy sounds of awakening life.. Spring is creative and full of energy.The air echos with laughter.The sun is higher and the light is sparkling. Rainy days quench the thirst of new growth.The smells of spring are clean and sweet.Spring is the season that brings wonder and awe. Summer, hot, hazy summer. Full to the brim. Nurturing. Overflowing with lust. The days last forever and the memories are sweet.The air hums,sultry and sensuous. She smiles at our carelessness.The smells of summer are heady, dripping with perfume. The breeze is soft and silky,lazy and luxurious. Fantasy and daydreams engage our minds. Magical, mystical Autumn. Hauntingly beautiful. Longer shadows as the light begins to wane. Changing, with vivid displays of color. Musky and thrilling. Deep and fecund.. Full of pungent smells. Ripe and ready for an artists canvas. Filled with muses and wisdom. Days become shorter. Life begins to age as it readies itself for a long winters slumber.The sun casts golden rays that enchant the heart and move the soul. I always say that I have a favorite season, but when each of them come in turn, each one becomes my favorite.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

2010-02-14T22:31:00.009-05:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I had a wonderful day. Mom gave us chocolates. Debbie and I bought ourselves are own valentines present, a HUGE box of chocolates. Yep, we ate them all, thank you very much!lol But the highlight of my day was going out to Bone Hill Rd. with my two Justins(my son and grandson). We all took our cameras of course. Walked all the back trails, this time covered with snow. Everytime I go there its different. We spent about 3 hours out there. My camera is a jewel. It really takes great pics. But my little SonyCyber Shot had alot of mojo. That little camera took some awesome pics like the one above(The heart and ice). I gave it to Debbie, I know she will take good care of it and she will enjoy it. I sure did. Heres some photos from today...Justin, my grandson spent the whole weekend with me. We walked over to Pet Smart( he likes to see all the animals) then......we had a blast in the parking lot behind pet smart with a shopping cart......We had sooo much fun. I took alot more photos of him with that cart. We laughed so hard. He went home this afternoon after Bone Hill Rd. A little tired now.......goodnight.

ps. Auntie, I hope you're home soon and feeling well. We love you!

TA DAAA!!!

2010-02-14T18:47:00.004-05:00

Introducing my new camera!!! No its not a Sony, but it is GREAT!!! 12mgp ,18zoom, panorama, the list goes on and on. I took it over to Noni's last Thursday while she was babysitting her grandson Matthew. Noni brought hers too, Yes she got one too!!! We are going to have so much fun with these. It takes great photos! I took the photo of Noni's daughters dog, a Rat Terrier named Princess. Shes a wonderful dog and look at that photo. YES I LOVE my camera!!! Its a Fujifilm S1800. They just came out Feb. 6th.

FRIDAY NIGHT IN BOSTON

2010-02-07T10:40:00.012-05:00

On the first Friday of every month SOWA Artists Guild (South of Washington Street) in Boston opens their studios to the public. Noni and I decided to go. It was so much fun. The building is an old mill. It has been converted into artists studios. There are about 45 artists in all. Painters, sculptors, jewelry makers, ceramics, its all here. It has 3 floors AND its FREE! Some of the artists have wine and cheese or other goodies. It takes awhile to go through each studio, especially one you really like. While we were there I kept seeing this distinguished looking man with a large staff. He was dressed to the hilt in black and gray. He wore a leather vest. He had his gray hair tied back in a ponytail. He was just awesome looking! I really wanted to take his picture,( I like capturing unusual people ) but I didn't dare. Well, Noni stepped up just as he was hitting the elevator button! He agreed, only if Noni took it with him. Here he is with Noni. After he let me take one of him by himself. He gave me his address in Cambridge in order for me to send him a photo. It was great!( I think hes' a wizard) Like I said we had alot of fun. After going through all the studios we went across the street to the bead store. This store is packed with all different kinds of beads, glass, stone ,enameled ,you name it. Noni has alot of fun in this store.This was the 2nd time we have gone to this event. Its' such a thrill for me to be in the city!. I would never want to live there but I really enjoy visiting. The different smells, the people, and the lights, all of it is sooo exciting! I don't get to the city very often. There are so many places in the city that I haven't been to that I would really like to see. After spending a few hours we were on our way home... BUT we were not finished YET! We planned to eat at Pappa-Razzis' first. OK!!! I have only had one dish at this restaurant and it is called Scallopini De Pollo. It is a chicken breast, pounded thin., breaded, with lemon-white wine sauce with capers. It is unbelievable! I'd love to try other dishes but I can't. I don't see how anything could compare to this. We had parmesan rissoto and tomatoes and basil. We got so full we had to take 1/2 of our dishes home!

PLEASE! NOT AGAIN

2010-02-04T19:08:00.001-05:00

I know, I know....Molly and Mikey are getting so tired of me and my camera. Its gotten to the point that I have to go to another room to turn it on. The little noise it makes when turned on gets them on hyper-alert! LOL I practice on them when I can't get out. Don't get me wrong I don't stand over them all day clicking, they just all of a sudden got camera shy. lol Molly gets into it sometimes and poses for me, not kidding.lol She really seems to get into it. Mikey, on the other hand really doesn't like it much. He is very active and when I think I'm going to get a good pic...He MOVES......yes, very frustrating! BUT I give him his space and respect his feelings. Once in a while I get that picture perfect photo! lol Right now I don't have the photos of him online. I have 4 discs I need to upload back into Picasa.

Thats a whole other story.... I'm really in to photography. I have sooo much fun with it. I'm only using an older model Sony Cybershot DSC-S700. and sometimes(not often at all, really) a older model Minolta Dimage A2, which has quite a few quirks. I'm dreaming of the camera of my dreams....It has to be a Sony! This little inexpensive Sony Cybershot has taken unbelievable shots. I will be showing them when I get them back on my computer. I am an artist, so I think I have that extra advantage of seeing beyond whats there. Practice, practice, practice! Delete, delete, delete! My poor Sony is getting very tired. I want another camera that I can put different lenses on. I love Bokeh, the word means blurred in Japanese The foreground of the photo is crisp while the background is blurred.....I have a few web albums online but want to use them blogging. I would like to take this a step farther and maybe enroll in a class and see what happens from there.

GROUNDHOG DAY

2010-02-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

Groundhog Day has come and gone. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and we will have 6 more weeks of Winter. This is an old Pennsylvania Dutch weather divination.The practice started in Europe, they substituted the Groundhog for the Hedgehog,( native to Europe). I heard they were going to make a robot Groundhog!. That's technology for ya! Poor P.Phil. I guess he'll live out his days in the zoo(his home, anyway)lol

We on the Cape certainly know that its still Winter! We are expecting more snow on Friday. Noni and I are
planning to go to Boston Friday night. Harvey the meteorologist says it will be late at night, when it starts snowing on the Cape. So hopefully we will go.

IMBOLC/CANDLEMASS

2010-02-01T15:05:00.014-05:00

Imbolc is a Solar Festival or a Fire Festival that both pagans( country dwellers) and christians celebrate on Feb 1st eve and Feb 2nd(Groundhogs Day). This is the midpoint of the dark time of the year(Winter). The Winter Solstice was Dec 21st and the Spring Equinox is March 20th. Imbolc is a time to celebrate the coming of Spring and the Suns increasing warmth, new growth and letting go of the old. The pagans honor the goddess Bride or Brigid and the christians honor St. Brighid. This is the time most farm animals give birth. Back in the ancient days, this was a time of great rejoicing as life continued for the" country dweller" and his family.
This is a great time to start your spring cleaning. Open those windows and let in some fresh air!( IF its not too cold.) It is also a good time to take a walk(any time is a good time. lol) out with Mother Nature to see if you can find any emerging new life. Pussywillows start to bud, now, and the Snowdrops have been out in bud and, now, they will begin to flower. Days are getting longer and there is a thrill of expectation amid the chill in the air.
I love symbology, it is the language of the subconscious.Its also universal. For example if you put a broom outside your front door you are symbolizing sweeping out the old and bringing in the new. On Imbolc/Candlemass candles are lit to symbolize the return of the Sun. There are many rituals and symbols for Imbolc/Candlemass. There is lots of history about Brighid and her role in these holidays. Do a search if you want to find out more.There are so many sites that I couldn't think about creating a link. Each one I looked at had different ideas. There are also tons of recipes appropriate for this holiday... I will leave one with you.....
   Bubble & Squeak:
      Boil and mash 2 cups of potatoes and 2 cups of turnip
      Chop and blanch 2 cups of cabbage and add to the above
                               Add 1 large onion, chopped
                                1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
                                1 cup of cooked, diced ham
                                4 sliced bacon, cooked ( reserve drippings)
      Salt, pepper, sage, thyme and tarragon to taste. In a large frying pan with heated bacon drippings. Add the above, pressing into the pan to form a large, flat cake. Cook over medium heat until hot. Serve with beer, stout,or ale.
This is a very old recipe from the British Isles..

Have fun with this holiday! It is not a somber occasion. Its light and airy, just like Spring!

"Silence is the need-fire that sparks my imagination"
                                                         Susie M.

I ATE IT ALL!!!

2010-01-30T21:11:00.001-05:00

Yes I did!!! I ate a whole,(small)(makes me feel a little better when I say that , LOL) White Shadow Pizza. Its a pizza with no sauce, lots of cheese, Italian sausage, thin sliced tomato and bacon. It is sooo good!. Its the only thing I order from this pizza place.(wish you were here Auntie, you'd love this).Deb and I usually order out once a month (we try but sometimes its more than that, lol) so we did it a little early. Its not Feb. yet! But...we both didn't want to cook.
Noni came over today to show me some tricks for my blog, for instance if you click on Noni, it will take you to her blog. Great blog called Nonie's Niche. She started it 2 years ago, didn't keep up with it, now shes back and you don't want to miss this! Shes very creative and interesting...AND as you probably already know shes my Best Friend. I think its been for 41 years now.
The weather here has been bitter, cold and gray. I don't mind the overcast skies but the cold is biting. I haven't been walking because of my back, and its really too cold to go out right now. So I'll have to wait. I miss it.
Our friend Denise ( Deb calls her Chicken Little Lovey, its too funny how the two go back and forth,LOL) Denise is from S Boston. Quincy. She has the accent and all. She is sooo Irish... not that that's bad so am I and so is Noni. Shes alot of fun to be around. She only comes down once in a while, now. She used to spend weeks at a time here. She and her sister, Sheila, own the house next door. They started renting it.for the summers. Its empty now and shes here till Tues. I'll probably have some really funny stories to tell. She has 3 dogs of her own but she adores Mikey. She calls him her nephew. When she calls me she'll change her voice and ask for Mikey, I put the phone up to his ear and his tail starts going. lol Mikey loves her, jumps in her arms when she comes over. Its too cute.
Well I'll say goodnight, now and go finish watching Extreme Makeover......I love that show! People are so remarkable when they put themselves out so much for people who don't have much when they don't have much either.. Its so nice to see what these people do to help them.

IT'S COLD!

2010-01-29T17:21:00.002-05:00

It has been very cold today. Last night it was windy AND cold. We had what they call a snow squall. Just saw the weather on channel 5 and Harvey(meteoroligist) says it will only get to 20 degrees tomorrow. Deb built a fire this morning and its been going all day. Nice and toasty. It is still windy but that's supposed to calm down later on. The full Wolf Moon is rising and it is beautiful. You can see Mars very easily following right behind.
My daughter, Tracy called today. It was really nice to hear from her. She is working at a pet store now and is very busy. She is an incredible person just like her brother. I only have incredible children! lol....well they are. Tracy rode her horse, Dawn, from NH all the way to WA. That's a whole other story.
Well tonight I'm sorta lost for words so I think I'll go watch SuperManny. lol

I'M BACK!

2010-01-28T12:02:00.002-05:00

No pun intended... I spent part of the day in the ER yesterday. I think I jinxed myself.lol My back really did go out. I've been resting it and taking medication for the pain and swelling. It's already feeling a little better.
This morning I was sitting on the front steps and a hawk flew by and landed in a tree quite close to me. Hawks are such mysterious birds. I always get a thrill when I see one especially up close. The Goldfinch males are starting to get their color. I can see the yellow starting to show very slightly.
I've noticed the little Snowdrops are budded and they will open up probably in the beginning of February. I plan to do alot of gardening this year. Beds need to be weeded and fertilized. Leaves need to be raked. Deb and I did alot of raking this fall but we left the beds covered. We had alot of snow this winter and that is always great for the soil. They call snow "poor mans fertilizer."
Last night we had the best speagetti sauce I have ever had!. My son made it! He puts lots of sauteed onions and peppers and a little red wine. It was really good!. He should can it.and give it away for gifts.
Day before yesterday I walked to Hathaways Pond. I went around the pond and back home. Took pictures, of course. Probably didn't do my back any good, but I love being out with Mother Nature. I go around hugging trees and talking to the flora and fauna. I must look like a nut if anyone is watching but I don't care! LOL. Hathaways pond is a strange place. There are no birds or squirrels running around. I find that odd in such a wild place. I see ducks once in a while in the water but thats about it. Justin( my grandson) and I really have alot of fun out there. One time we went there and it started to rain so we took shelter under the roots of a fallen tree and had our lunch. It was pretty funny because a family was out walking too and they came by and saw us. They thought it was great that we had found a place to keep dry. Like I said we always have fun out there.Justin has such a sweet spirit and he really appreciates nature.
I didn't sleep well last night, so I stayed up with the Moon, watching the moonbeams streaming through my window. I noticed that She was setting over in the northwest. Its rare that I see this because I'm usually asleep. I love the Moon. I study her phases and what constellation shes in at any certain time. Its true that this affects us, we are 85% water and I can feel the difference when shes waxing and waning. There are books about gardening with the phases of the Moon. I think I'll try it this year and see if it makes a difference.
Deb just came in the house with a bundle of firewood in her arms announcing that its spitting snow!!! Yea... I'm still into the Winter. Its supposed to be very cold this weekend. The January thaw is over.....more winter weather.as it should be.....

WILD+WINDY NIGHT

2010-01-25T18:36:00.000-05:00

Gray and overcast this morning. Rains coming!. Went over to mom and dads' this morning to do some housecleaning for them. Deb and I try to get over there once a week. Both are in their 80's but doing great.
I was so happy this morning when I called my friend Noni, we call each other every morning. She sounded alot better than she has been. For a week now she has had all symptoms of the H1N1 virius. She has really been very sick and I have been very worried about her.I miss her. But she says shes up and feeling better. My other friend Michele is home from a surgery she had done on her knee. Shes feeling better too. I'm feeling for them both... I think my back is starting to hurt a little...lol It really is but I layed down earlier and if feels better.....
We sure are having some weather tonight. Lots of rain... wind howling at the windows. But its nice and cozy and I'm feeling a little drowsy..........

WONDERFUL WEEKEND

2010-01-24T19:24:00.023-05:00

My grandson, Justin came over Saturday at 10:AM. We decided to take Mikey for a walk. So we get him ready in his sweater and off we went around our circle. Instead of going the regular way we decided to go out to the old Indian Trail. Just walking along enjoying the sun, all of a sudden Justin lets out a little yelp of delight. He picked up an ordinary looking rock, lying there in the mud, only the top showing. I don't think I would have picked up this rock it wasn't striking enough for me. Well I asked him If I could see it. I wanted to see what he thought was so special about it. I held it in my hand and it had that old feeling( I have found a few suede scrapers in the past) and then I turned it upside down and then I started jumping up and down. Not only was it a double sided suede scraper it was also a knife sharpener. I tried everything from baubles he likes that I have to a jar full of cookies to get that artifact! lol No...I was very happy that he had found it and I would never want it from him. Its so great that he recognized that it was something special before he even picked it up....and really anybody else would have just stepped over it!

After we took Mikey for a walk. My mother came over and drove us to guess where?.....BONE HILL RD. I told Justin about my walk and he wanted to go on it with me so I did the whole trip over with him. We had soooo much fun! I let him take my Minolta and I had my Sony and we took off down the trail. Encountered all the animals again and Justin got great pics.These two are ones he took.( The rooster and the horse) We laughed and walked never stopping except to take pictures.We walked for 41/2 hours...with no trouble, neither of us were really tired or winded. I was proud of him because he doesn't go on these really long walks with me. We go on shorter ones. We got all the way to Hathaways Pond and there was this big stone. I sat down and called Michelle, Justins mother and asked her to pick us up. Here is a pic that Justin took of me at that moment LOL Did I really say I wasn't tired!!!? According to the picture I think I lied....lolol.Here are some pics I took of Justin along the way.......We came home and we both took a nice long rest. Then we played with the computer for a while. The time came for him to go home. I will miss him. But he'll come back next weekend and we will see what adventures will be in store for us.then..........

MOLLY IS HOME

2010-01-22T21:31:00.003-05:00

Today Molly came home from the Vet.(a good one this time!) Debbie had taken her to one close by and the women misdiagnosed her, said she was having a reaction to fleas. She(Molly) had a big lump on her chin. The women never looked in her mouth! duh... And I had told Deb that she DIDN'T have fleas(just had to put that in because she DIDN'T LOL) Well anyway....... Debbie took her to the vet she used to go to, a little farther away,but hes very good. They found out that Molly had a very bad tooth infection!!! She had to go in and have them cleaned and taken care of under anesthesia. That worried Deb and I. We both knew she would be alright though. She had to spend the night because she wasn't coming to fast enough. Today we brought her home. She was so happy! I could even pet her down her back and scratch her ears! She NEVER lets ANYBODY do that.
Later this evening my son Justin came over and installed a program called Stellariam. If you are into the stars and planets , their positions at any time, and real time this is the program for you. I CAN'T believe this.! He showed me how to use it. Its fairly simple. And so much fun! You know how I love those gray, rainy days?...well... I wish we had a CLEAR night tonight. lol......but.....we don't :-(
http://www.stellarium.org/

WALK-ABOUT #1 continued. Read post below 1st

2010-01-21T19:23:00.007-05:00

At the end of the path I was on is another pasture and the road that leads to 6a( a quaint road going east on the north side of the cape(another story)) I walked through the pasture and headed down to 6A. It was still snowing off and on and as you can see in the picture on the left the sky was so gray. I felt so good. I kept my eye out for anything interesting to take a photo of as I went along. Reached 6A and just kept going. I still had quite a way to go. I love the ancient houses that line both sides of this road. They are so quaint and I can feel the history coming from each one .I know that a few of them are haunted.This road used to be called the Kings Highway. NO! It's not a monster its a old log I found in my travels. I couldn't believe it! Looks just like two eyes staring out at you. I think its a wood spirit! LOL Anyway ...I continued taking time to take more photos. I came across a flock of big beautiful turkeys. I tried following them but they wouldn't have any of that. I managed to get one photo before they dissapeared into the woods.Finally I had made it to the road home. I was pretty tired by then because I hadn't taken one of these walks in quite a while. So I called Debbie when I was half way down the road and she came and got me. The entire walk took me almost 4 hours. So many magical and wonderful things happened that I can't write them all down. I just gave you some highlights. I hope you enjoyed my walk..........

WALK-ABOUT #1

2010-01-20T19:58:00.018-05:00

I woke up this morning knowing that I would be on my way today on my first walkabout of the year. A walkabout to me is a walk that goes for miles and takes hours. I bring both my cameras, a Minolta and my Sony point and shoot. I left at noon. Debbie dropped me off at the end of Bone Hill Rd.Took a deep breath as I neared the ocean. I was on my way! I walked along the beach for a while and took some photos. This beach is very special to me I call it Heart Rock beach. I have found so many heart shaped rocks here. I collect them. And I also found an Indian arrowhead. Last spring I did a walkabout here on my birthday and met up with a Harbor Seal pup. I have great photos of him.

Walking back off the beach I noticed the sky was a dark grey and I was thinking of rain but it didn't come at that point in time. Back up the road I turned onto the road that leads to the Audobon Society. I started taking macro photos, something I love to do.As I was concentrating on the black berries I felt raindrops. I started to get a little worried but I had Debbies cell phone with me and I knew she would come and pick me up if it started raining hard. So I continued on my way. I heard crowing in the distance and soon I came upon a pen of roosters and hens. They were beautiful. All different colors and sizes.THEN I walked a little farther on and ran into all these beautiful little pigs! LOL Their little faces were so dirty and they kept coming up to me and begging for food. I took sooo many photos of them! At that point in time I felt like I was in heaven! All alone with these wonderful animals with the gray skies over my head and in the distance I could still hear the waves slapping on the shore. Walking along my next encounter was with the goats and sheep. I couldn't believe that the black and white goat was in the hay crib and all the sheep were surrounding it. lol to be continued....Good morning I will continue on width my walk. After the goats and sheep I started down the trail. A chill of excitement ran through my whole body. I KNEW I was going into the woods, alone, all by myself with Mother Nature! Suddenly I saw little white whisps coming down all around me. It was SNOWING!!! How much better can this get!?. I threw back my head, closed my eyes and breathed in the clean scent of the woods. The trees around me were huge! I was in awe. Tears filled my eyes. My heart beat a little faster and I knew I was where I was supossed to be....at that moment . Walking along with all this beauty I came to a natural archway made out of branches. Looking through it was breathtaking, An Enchanted Forest! I was in yet ANOTHER world. I drank in the scent of the pines.Hiding under their low spreading branches., I stayed here awhile.soaking it all in. Reluctantly I moved on. As I went I kept noticing a pasture just beyond the edge of the woods. I saw a small path leading up to it, so I followed it and came up this open pasture with different sheep in it. One was large,and he looked like a male. He came ambling over to me. I scratched his nose and talked to him telling him how special he was, and he truly was beautiful. I went to scratch his nose and he grunted and pawed the ground. Good thing the fence was between us! I laughed at him and told him I'd leave him and his herd alone. Back down the path I went, looking behind me he was still there making sure I was leaving! LOL Walking over little streamlets and stairs made out of the roots of the trees, I was nearing the end of the path. No I havn't finished my walk yet. I have a long way to go so I am going to start a new blog and take you on the other half of my magical journey............

STILL RAINING+I FEEL BLOATED!

2010-01-19T18:16:00.002-05:00

Yes its still raining! I do love it though...but I'm feeling pretty unfit right now. Pizza and cookies for dinner..OK?!!!! I NEED to walk! I know, I know, rain shouldn't be an excuse. As a matter of fact I saw two girls walking around my block with umbrellas! Tomorrow, like it or not, I AM going to walk. I have one of those exercise balls, used it once this year. IF and thats a big IF, I am serious about my weight gain I WILL do something about it. It doesn't help that my sister keeps bringing home cakes and cookies. I'm serious BIG cakes and BAGS, yes that's with an S,of cookies.lol I have terrible willpower!!! BUT like I said It is up to me. JUST SAY NOOOOO!!! I need to get back into meditation again too. I feel really good when I meditate. It helps with all kinds of things, physical, mental and spiritual. I just recorded two meditations that I found online. I recorded on a mini recorder then I play them back while I meditate. I think I'll start tonight..... Mikey doesn't like the rain much! LOL

JANUARY THAW

2010-01-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

It has been raining, now, for two days. The snow has all melted. The wind has been howling at the window panes. Last night the pitter-patter of raindrops lulled me to sleep. I love rainy days! The fire in the woodstove has been burning since this morning when Debbie lit it. We did have a couple of days where the temp was in the low 40s, thats considered a January thaw.
Havn't posted in a few days. Stayed over Noni's house Sat. night. Her husband went up to NH to snowmobile. We had fun with the Cricut again and Noni made the best lemon chicken and alfredo!
I also went for a walk down Bone Hill Rd. with Michele again. Never get tired of that walk. The sun was setting and everything was quiet and peaceful...

I ATE OXTAIL STEW!!!

2010-01-14T21:49:00.000-05:00

Today was a great day. Did laundry and a few errands then I got online and found a great site. Its called Artmagik. I love art and this shows paintings, artists, what kind of painting style it is and it also has poetry.. I'm going to learn so much from this. I'm pretty excited! I have 2 artists already that I really like, Honorable John Collier and John William Waterhouse
Tonight Michele came over with her boyfriend Patrick. Michele made this stew. She said it was oxtail stew but I didn't believe her. I quess I made a face because she changed it from oxtail to some kind of Jamacian beef dish.LOL. It was served over white rice. It looked really good and, yes, it was quite flavorful. BUT I found round bones that looked like nothing I'd ever seen before and then I KNEW! It WAS oxtail stew!!!. I don't know, it just didn't sit right with me. I ate it politely, BUT,I will never eat it again!lol! We made popcorn afterwards and watched Cold Mountian( around the 10th time for me) but I cried again anyway.LOL.

MICHELLS' BIRTHDAY

2010-01-13T18:05:00.003-05:00

Today is Michelle's birthday. Notice her name is spelled with 2 L's. She is my daughter-in-law. The Michele spelled with 1 L is my friend in an older post. Anyway.....today is Michelle's birthday..... we celebrated it last night over here at our house. She turned 33. Time has certainly gone by....lots of time! I met Michelle when she was 17! She is a sweet person and works very hard. I don't get to see her as much as I'd like to. My son,Justin, in the picture above, made her cake. I love this picture!!! We gave her her presents and of course Mikey tried so hard to open them for her, thinking they were his. You can't come in the house with a bag without him thinking you have something for him. He LOVES to open presents! lol AND he thinks they are ALL for him!
Today is a very sad and terrible day for Haiti. My heart goes out to the country and all its people................

HELLO CRICUT!

2010-01-11T19:06:00.003-05:00

Went over to Noni's today to play with the Cricut again! This machine is any paper lovers dream. There is nothing that it cannot cut out (as long as you have the cartridge.) They have Christmas and Halloween. Gardening, Valentines Day, birthdays, summer, etc. The list goes on and on. I am really happy that MY friend has one! LOL. I used to stamp and make cards so I have plenty of paper and other materials. We made our Feb. page for our calenders...

Noni made us meatloaf sandwiches for lunch...Ok...I have NEVER had meatloaf like hers before! She makes the BEST! Warmed meatloaf on Arnolds white bread with mayo on each side of the bread....2 BIG slices of meatloaf....ummmmm. I can't stop thinking about it.lol

ENCHANTED WALK

2010-01-10T21:16:00.004-05:00

My first walk of the year! My friend Michele and I decided to take a walk late this afternoon. We went to one of our favorite places, Bone Hill Road. I don't know why they call it that and I don't know why I don't know. I will have to find out!. It's such a pretty road in any time of year. It's very quiet, you feel like you're way out in the country. Old orchard trees and old stone walls go along both sides. Usually there is a herd of sheep and goats grazing in one of the pastures but we did'nt see them this time. Down the road towards the end is an Audobon Society. They have yellow berried Hollys there. I walked down to get a photo of them but they have all been eaten by the birds and squirrels. I'll go back later in the year.

This is my friend Michele: She and I have been walking this road for years. I always see or hear something.different every time I walk here.There are marked trails that go off the main road, like I said it IS enchanting. This evening the sunset was gorgeous, I didn't post a pic, they just didn't do it justice. There are a few old houses that we walk by, this one is my very favorite. It seems empty. And haunted? Wish it was MINE!!!

The walk isn't very long and at the end of the road this is what you see!!!
This little village sits on the end of a long spit of land (dunes actually). No electricity, no way to get there except by boat or 4wheel drive. The lighthouse is'nt a working lighthouse but last year they put a light in it. This scene is famous. Lots and lots of photographers have taken this picture. The spit of land is called Sandy Neck. When we come to this end we turn around and go back to the car, filled with fresh air and a renewed spirit. I never tire of such a place........

2010-01-10T20:48:00.001-05:00

UGLY WALLPAPER

2010-01-09T22:32:00.002-05:00

I love winter mornings. Pale blue sky. The way the mellowed sun hangs low in the sky. The quiet....I love getting up early before anyone else. It allows me to be alone, something I don't often get to do. I hear the clocks ticking, I love that sound. I can think about anything I want to without interuptions. I can meditate if I want to. I can daydream.....I can think deeply....I can EVEN ponder the mysteries OF THE UNIVERSE!!! YEAH!....ok,ok,ok, I REALLY need to be alone more often....ya think?

I took pics of my swags yesterday. Usually I take them down on the 6th but they have been so pretty with the icicles hanging from them. Maybe I'll keep them up until Feb. I make them every year. I make one for my Mom and Dad too. The Holly tree at my Son's house was unbelievable this year. It was covered, totally, with berries. I have never seen it so beautiful! I pruned some for the swags. I also used White Pine, and Blueberry Juniper.
At 10 am I looked at the wallpaper in the living room, I have been trying to take it down for years, yes,years. I 'm talking about some UGLY, UGLY wallpaper!!! I think that came with the house too.
But today someting very magickal happened. I looked at the wall and said "I'm going to do this TODAY and I'm going to finish it TODAY! And ya know what? It's finished!!! Boy, what a difference! I started at 10 and finished at 3.with only one sitdown. Then I had my parents over for turkey soup and bisquits. They stayed till around 7. A little later on Michele came over, she is another of our friends. We don't see her much lately because shes in LOVE!..NEW LOVE! She came for tea. We sat around and talked for a while. Then she had to go to see her new love....awww... Its so nice when it happens isn't it? Goodnight............

TURKEY SOUP...yummmm

2010-01-08T19:32:00.004-05:00

Finally fixed picasa 3! Noni, a computer geek(she is amazing) helped me figure what was going on with it. It's running fine now. While I sat on the computer ALL DAY!!! I did manage to put together some Turkey Soup. I don't have a recipe for it, I just use left over turkey put in water and add everything herb and spicy to it. Throw in the noodles and let it go. I do add cut up carrots and onions to it. Smells so good while its cooking and really comes out very good and tasty if I do say so myself. lol There is nothing like a cup of hot turkey soup on a cold winter evening watching the snow fall gently to the ground..Took some pics of my sister Debbies cat. She can be a mean one! lol Just look at her face! lol It has been flurrying all day long. Snow coming down slow and steady. We didn't get much but it sure was pretty. It has been pretty interesting how the whole country, Asia, and Europe are getting this same type of weather pattern. I heard that the snow in England hasn't been this way in many years. Global warming?............In the paper this morning was an article about a little Hummingbird(a rare Allen's hummingbird) that didn't make it south. This great woman in Harwich, a few towns down, is keeping her feeders out and putting Christmas lights around the feeders to give the little thing some warmth. It comes to the feeder every 5 to 10 minutes. I hope he makes it. We have Humming birds all summer,they are so much fun to watch. Well I guess that's all I have to blog about tonight so.....Good Night from me to you...........

"DON'T look at Me!!!

LAUNDRY DAY.......ho-hum.......

2010-01-07T19:34:00.002-05:00

Today was laundry day. Our so old dryer finally quit about a month ago. It's avacado!!!! They really made em good in those days! I think my sister bought this house and it was here then, about 30 some years ago. SO... I wash the clothes here, then take them down the road to the laundra-mat. Out come the quarters and it seems that no matter how many you put in they still come out slightly damp....OH THIS is AGGRAVATING ,lol. We put in 45 minutes worth and went down the road to visit my Dad, Mom had gone to the hair salon. We(my sister, Deb+ I) had a political debate,( well maybe it wasn't a debate because we all agreed lol,) with my Dad. He was in the Army and worked in some Top Secret areas. VERY INTERESTING!!!.....No, he didn't tell us anything....we were waiting....but they really do keep their secrets secret!
Finished errands and came home. I got out my camera and started taking pics. Got some really good ones of Mikey but picasa3 is not running right. Hasn't been for a while now.....that's another aggravation...oh well....
Mercury IS still in its retrograde, maybe that's it,lol

The photo is Mikey, its titled "I'm not getting up today"

WHO...whoooooooo

2010-01-05T19:37:00.001-05:00

I live in the great metropolis of Hyannis on Cape Cod. Well...to me its' a city. I've lived here for over 40 years. Actually I was born here but Dad was in the army and we traveled alot before he retired back here. I have seen major changes!. Hyannis started out as a quaint little town. It had its' Elm tree lined, two way main street, cute shops along each side. Story land was out along the main highway, 132, just a quaint road running up to the Big Highway, route 6. Now a huge mall is there and it looks like a Vegas strip (well maybe not THAT bad lol)..anyway... What I'm trying to get at without going into the Capes deep history ( which I will do sooner or later), is that I have been hearing an owl out in the backyard for about a week. I heard him(or her?) last night when I was trying to get to sleep. It is such a haunting sound. I just heard it again tonight while taking Mikey out. It was in the front yard this time. I am delighted to have it living so close. Most all of this area has been developed. We have about 2 or 3 acres out behind us where they are putting the water and gas pipes in. It breaks my heart, but yes, a builder is going to put 40 to 50 houses out there!!! I have seen deer, coyotes, Red tailed hawks and so much more... Its like a wildlife sanctuary. In acient times an Indian trail led through those, now, mostly depleated woods. My neice found an arrowhead walking back there!. Ohhh, I did'nt mean to get into this, I wanted to talk about the owl! lol Enough of that depressing.stuff.
I find alot of enjoyment living here. I love photography. I have taken lots of photos of my beautiful gardens that I have made since I've lived here with my sister. My son and his family live in a house (a little cottage, really) about a mile away. My parents live about a mile the other way. And my daughter Tracy lives way over on the other side of the country in Garfield,Washington!. Soooo far away. I miss her but we talk alot.
My Aunt Alice lives in CT. which isn't tooo far away. She is THE best cook I have ever encountered, in fact, she is the person responsible for that Breakfast casserole recipe. My cousin Elizabeth and her son Steven live there too, along with their cats...oops... I forget the names... sorry Auntie, lol? Anyway I miss them. We don't get to see them much.
So... I've written a little about myself, my family and the Cape. Had an uneventful day, really, but a quiet, restful one and for that I am grateful...............

The photo is bare tree shadows on the snow at night.

CRICKET?

2010-01-04T23:27:00.019-05:00

Woke up very early this morning,5:30 A.M. Glanced out my bedroom window and there was Venus rising in the still black, winter morning sky. It was so bright!. I did go back to sleep after gazing at it for awhile until I smelled my sisters Breakfast Casserole wafting through the air. Debbie(my sister) served me coffee in bed. WOW! I usually do this for her but since she was up earlier than I she beat me to it.lol. I enjoyed that! The casserole was sooo good! You need to try this!
BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
8 slices cubed bread
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 lbs. breakfast sausage, cooked
combine the following:
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon-opt.
1 tsp. nutmeg-opt.
Grease 13" by 9" casserole dish. Lay bread on bottom, Then sausage, then cheese. Add egg mixture to top
Refridgerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.About 8 servings. You'll want to make this often
Puttered around the house until 4:00. My friend Noni and I had planned to spend the evening playing with her CriCut. She picked me up. We went to Marshalls first because I had seen those semi-precious stone globes of the world there. I have always wanted one so I got it for myself as a late Christmas preasent. I love it!
We picked up Mikey (my little dog)on the way to Noni's. He loves to go to over to play with Baby and Pepie, his toy Poodle friends. He was very excited. Got to Noni's, she made us tea. She makes the best cup of tea! We got the CriCut out and started. If you don't know what a Cricut is you are really missing out. Its a computer type machine that cuts out just about everything you can think of from shapes to letters,etc.. It is unbelievable! We decieded to make calendars for 2010. We spent 4 hours creating our January page. We had SO much fun!!!. Noni's is on the left and mine is on the right.
Noni has been my best friend for over 40 years! Now that you can see her, you will know who I'm talking about when I talk about Noni. We are looking foward to making our February page together, soon.

WHEW!

2010-01-03T19:31:00.007-05:00

WOW! I've been looking for my blog for two days now, couldn't figure out why I couldn't get to it. I felt terrible because I just started it and I really want to commit to this. Well, it took my best friend, Noni ,to figure it out for me. I was putting in the wrong user name. DUH! I'm back now and ready to write.
My grandson Justin came and stayed for the weekend. Didn't do much. Watched T.V. and the movie Joan of Arc, which was great. Snowed most of the day, happy about that!
Our little bird friends were out of food and suet so I went out this morning and refilled the feeders. They were grateful, alright, with all this snow we've been having! We get Goldfinch, at this time of year they look pretty drab compared to their bright yellow plumage in the summer. Lots of them, they love the thistle seed. We get Downy woodpeckers and Red bellied woodpeckers also Flickers and Nuthatches. They like the suet. The little snowbirds(Juncos) come and groundfeed. Chickadees and Cardinals. Sometimes Mourning Doves. They all like the sunflower seed. They are so fun and interesting to watch. THEN there are the SQUIRRELS, they can empty a birdfeeder in record time!. We have Grey and little Red ones. And there is no birdfeeder I have come across, yet, that they cannot get into! But we love them and put up with their voracious appetites.
My horoscope said that I could find myself in a bad mood today if I didn't get some exercise, so I thought I"d BETTER walk around our block with Justin.lol. Took my camera with me. Took some photos. When we got back it really started snowing.
Kept my camera out and took lots of pics of Justin. He really started getting silly as you can see in the photo.lol.. I have so much fun with him. Got to be around 4:00 and he had to go home. School tomorrow.... maybe.

2010-01-03T18:29:00.001-05:00

MORE SNOW!!!

2010-01-01T19:29:00.000-05:00

Yep, more snow! Starting at midnight. It will snow all day Saturday. Wasnt the Moon last night so special.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2010

2010-01-01T17:14:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to All,
Watched the ball drop last night. Amazing crowd. Jennifer Lopez looked pretty naked and cold.lol I also watched 1st Night in Boston, it looked like they were having so much fun. I'll have to go someday.
Today I spent pretty much the whole day laying on the couch with my little chuihuaha on my lap sleeping, he was sleeping I was watching the Rose Parade with my sister. Some, well really all of them(the floats) were pretty amazing. Everything made out of organic materials. I can't believe they even use onion seeds for some of the black coloring. W0w! My favorite part was the Freesian horses. They are, to me, the most beautiful animal in the world.
This year I'm looking forward to a more peaceful year, alot more creativity, soul searching, studying, and everything else I feel I want to do. I feel like this will be a wonderful year. It is what you make it and sometimes I am my own worst enemy. I will be gentle with myself this year, love myself more. I'd like to do some volunteer work and help others. Be a better friend and sister. And defiantly be a better MOM and cut some of those apron strings.LOL
My biggest wish for this year is for mankind to be able to become one and at peace with each other and our precious Mother Earth to be taken care of better. Very high hopes but it is what I wish for. I would like more peace and prosperity for my family. And I REALLY need to do some home repairs!LOL. I think some of that will be doable. Signing off for now. Good night and Happy New Year...

QUIET...

2009-12-28T14:30:00.001-05:00

Christmas is over, whew! Had my precious grandson, Justin, over for 2 days. He went home today. I'm sitting here alone, listening to Mary Black and others. Breathing deep. Sage smudged the house earlier. The sky is starting to get gray and overcast. I love it. A storms a brewing. All is well. Starting to put some of the christmas stuff away. Time to contemplate, turn inward and soul search. I love the winter with the bare trees, and the quiet.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T18:14:00.001-05:00

Well it is Christmas Eve! I am alone in the house that I share with my sister and niece. It has snowed here on Cape Cod quite a bit in past week. Snow is magical! So it looks like we will have a white Christmas. I baked Rosemary cookies today. Put a whole stick of butter in instead of 3/4 so they are a little too chrunchy but taste good all the same. The lights are all glowing and its so quiet. I am surely enjoying myself. Merry Christmas to all.

Recipe for Rosemary Cookies:

3/4 cup of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp. ground dried rosemary
13/4 sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Preheat oven to 325 Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix well. Drop by scant teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.