GIFTS AND GRATITUDE

A couple of nights ago a friend came to dinner and brought me this beautiful bouquet of flowers. I added a few more from my garden, including some snips of oregano that had gone to flower. Now the aroma that permeates the kitchen and family room is just devine. Thank you so much M. I smile every time I enter the room.

A recent page from my journal.

A soft and gentle rain fell last night, and this morning as the sun was just peeking over the trees, I went into the garden to see this.


Another journal page.

This page was made from a stencil on a paper towel that happend when I painted an antique lace doilie from the antique mall. I thought the design was so pretty that I ran with it, adding bits and scraps of my own and discovering images in the doodles. I recently got an unexpected surprise gift from a friend and dedicated this page to him. Thanks a million, N.

Morning's Beauty

A new page in the works. I wonder where this one will go?

Be sure to stop and notice all the beauty around you this week and say thanks for all the kind and generous people in your life.

"Happiness is just under your left foot."

(old Chinese proverb)

A few days ago we had a day full of on and off showers. The temperatures were mild, so when I got home from work I sat out on the back porch to read the mail. The rain was still softly coming down, but suddenly the sun came out. I don't know if you can see it here, but there are patches of sunlight shining through the rain. It occurred to me that if this was happening looking West, wonder what I might see if I looked East?

I walked out the front door and sure enough, a faint rainbow arcing over the trees in my side yard. I didn't make a wish. What more could I possibly wish for? Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

AUSTRALIAN SKETCHBOOKS

This is a page I made for another book in the Australian Sketchbook Exchange that I'm participating in.

This page went into Carol Cantrell's book and I regret to say that I neglected to photograph her page in her book. She had done a wonderful black and white ink print of one of her exotic fishes. (See her entry in Anita Murphy's book below.)

This page was done with tissue paper, fabric, handmade paper, rubber stamp, torn pieces of dryer sheets, frayed thread, and embellished with metallic paint.
The book is now winging its way to Australia to be completed by the remaining artists there.

I KNOW I'M LATE, BUT.....

Today was my hubby's 57th birthday and I had meant to get this post up earlier today but our power was out AGAIN when I got home from work, so I had to wait for it to be restored. It came back on just as we were walking out the door to celebrate at Outback Steakhouse, so here I am, posting this at 9:30PM!

Anyway, just wanted to share with you these gifts I made for him. I had forgotten to buy birthday giftwrap so I went to the garage, cut up a paper grocery sack and started in with my trusty spray paint. Add a few tissue paper hearts, a few curlycues with a magic marker, and POOF! instant gift wrap.

DH is a huge fan of The Duke and also loves dogs, so I went on the JW website and downloaded a poster onto transfer paper and made him a T-shirt. Everyone can use another knock-around-the-house custom T-shirt, right?

And a matching greeting card.

This handmade mug I bought at Summerfair Art Show when I went back around Memorial Day. It was made by Dan Ishler of Ishler Art Pottery from Oak Harbor, Washington. I knew the moment I saw it I had to buy it. Now maybe I can get him to throw out the ugly 20-year-old plastic thermal mug he uses at breakfast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHIEF!

BOOKS

I love books and lately I have been hitting the jackpot everytime I walk into a bookstore. I find this a strange phenomenon; either I am out of books to read and can't find a single new one that suits me, or I am reading something I like and stumble across several more that I want to pick up for future reading. I wonder why that is? Is it my attitude when I am looking or are books of a certain category more plentiful at given times? I'm not usually much for reading mushy, gushy romance novels. Mim posted recently on her blog that she likes this kind of book; the kind that sweeps you off your feet and carries you away to an historic, romantic, or magical place in time.

I like contemporary fiction, usually books about women facing a new begining or finding new footing in life, such as "The Last Beach Bungalow" or "Between the Tides" and "Mourning Ruby". I like books that reveal women that are strong willed and determined to overcome obstacles.

I like to read about people dealing with real life. In "The Windless Summer" the story is about a father struggling to hold on to his failing motel while trying to deal with his autistic pre-teen daughter. "Without a Backward Glance" is a story about a family struggling to make sense out of their mother's sudden disappearance on Christmas Eve in 1967.

And I also like to read books just for fun. "The Queen of Broken Hearts" is set in Savannah, Georgia and is a story of friendship, love, betrayal and romance. I loved being sucked into Southern Society charm with these warm and wonderful women. "Thea's Parrot" is similar but takes place in Devon, England; another of my favorite settings.

And, of course, I love beach books. Anything about women gathering at a beach house for the summer has me throwing everything else down, plopping into a cozy corner and vicariously becoming one of the characters until the book is finished. Don't expect dinner, don't expect laundry getting done. The only thing that drags me away is my job.

So what's on your summer reading list? Do you have that same "connection" when entering a bookstore that I spoke of earlier? Why not lie down in the garden with me and we can have a picnic and we'll waste the afternoon?

SKYWATCH FRIDAY

This is my sky this morning. Looks like a rainy weekend ahead. May be a good time to work on some art projects. I don't really have anything going on at the moment. I've been tossing around some ideas for the sketchbooks but nothing really solid yet.

I hope you all have a great weekend, whatever you may be doing.

LITTLE GARDENS EVERYWHERE

I had to stop today and photograph another little pocket garden. I have passed by this garden every day for many years, never realizing it was there until I noticed this sculpture a few days ago. It is cultivated off an alley that goes between a parking lot and this building. The sculpture was done by a local Cincinnati artist by the name of Daryl Johns and he calls this the "Keeper of the Garden".
For more information about this and many other bronze and stone sculptures that I have posted recently click HERE.

This is the first of many such sculptures that he plans on making. I love how this city has turned so many otherwise vacant areas into little pocket gardens.


While visiting a local garden center last weekend I discovered this inviting pathway displaying cute and whimsical stone statues and benches. I love visiting garden centers that display their merchandise in a creative way. It just makes you want to buy everything. I only came home with plants that day, but I will go back again soon. I'm really considering the cats in the lower right corner.


At least someone is working hard in my garden.

I love the delicate Nigella.

I suppose this is my "Keeper of the Garden". He's been with me for a good fifteen years now and I couldn't part with him for any amount of money.

An interesting stone nestled in the Hen and Chicks and Lamb's Ears.

Happy Gardening, Everyone. Remember to stop and enjoy the world around you. Sometimes you can stumble across the best things that you've overlooked a million times before.