Daisy Mai

This is Daisy Mai all grown up but still a momma's girl. She's been such a loyal companion and good friend as has her sister Willow Beans. I'm so lucky to have them in my life❤️

Virgin Territory in a Used Garment

The majority of my wardrobe comes from discount stores, consignment stores and other second hand places. Digging through rack upon rack of used clothing, I feel the need to wash my hands as soon as I can. Some garments are so saturated in fabric softeners that it takes several washings to get them clean. It's all worth it though when you walk out with your latest bargain. When I discover a sweater, jacket, vest or pair of pants with the pockets still stitched up, I know I've discovered virgin territory in a used garment! My fingers will be the first to explore and caress the inner world of a new pocket. There are fresh corners to explore and depth potential to measure. It makes me smile knowing my fingers will be the first and I imagine the things I'll be able to carry in them besides my fingers. I love a brand new pocket.

Bee's Behind

This is a bee's behind! A happy bee's behind covered in pollen. I grin every time I see this so I decided to share. I hope it makes you grin as well!

Now for some other flowers from my garden...

Angel's Trumpet unfurling at night...

Purple Coneflower and visitors...

Morning Glory waiting to show...

Zinnia...

Coneflower just beginning to bloom...

A collection of insect friends...

Sunflowers

Took a few minutes to enjoy the local sunflowers. For just a few moments, life was about bees buzzing, the sun shining and the flowers dazzling...

When packages arrive from artists...

Last night I opened up this awesome package! Look at how beautiful the artist drew on the name! I immediately recognized the return label and was thrilled to discover a beautiful pair of hand made earrings inside (green to go with my eyes) as well as a copy of a gorgeous watercolor that I have admired! 

I love my boyfriend❤️ and I love the work by the artist as well! Thank you Steven and thank you Gwen!

Just a little close up❤️

By the Fire....

Me, and my fellow fire sign buddies, Kristen and Jen hanging fireside last weekend! I am a campfire kind of gal. I love being near a fire and not only for warmth reasons. I reckon it has something to do with the fact that I am a double fire sign. My sun sign is a fire sign as is my moon sign. Of course, a lot of folks don't put much stock into the planets and stars and that's okay....

Miss Mint

   Mrs. Mint Sandlin was 91 years young when she left her body behind. She was married according to the laminated bookmark filled with her funeral service information that I found in a yard sale bible. She was affectionately known by those who loved her as "Miss Mint". Born in the state of Kentucky in 1912, she worked as a cook for a local school and was a member in good standing of the Baptist church. She raised four sons, four daughters and 3 stepchildren.Thats a lot of mouths to feed not to mention all the school children she cooked for. This is all I know of Miss Mint but I wonder, almost daily, what her life was like with a name like Miss Mint. It just tickles the lips saying it!  I can just imagine the children filing through the cafeteria line exclaiming "Miss Mint! Miss Mint!" It makes me smile. RIP Miss Mint.

Merry Christmas from my house...

It can be a challenge getting four pups to sit still...

Steven and I...

Ev and I ...

Marissa and Marks...

How the evening ended...

Coffee and Kahlua with family and friends by the fire...❤️

Sweet Birthday

It can be hard having a holiday birthday as mine is from time to time. I was born around Thanksgiving. I always loved it though.

This year my son got married on that weekend so I didn't do a lot of celebrating. My sweet beau helped me celebrate in style last night just a few weeks later. He fixed a fabulous meal. Homemade veggie burgers and a blueberry crisp for dessert! 

Now, doesn't that look tasty? It was!!!

He also got me some good reads, flax seed meal and best of all, potting soil, a pot and two snippets of George, his Night blooming Cereus whom I've dubbed George Jr. 

I feel spoiled and loved❤️ 

Fireside at the pit...

It's that time of year again and you can usually find me at Jen's warming my buns by the fire pit! Happy Autumn to you all!

The Girls...

Ten weeks ago Daisy, Kozmo and Willow

Six weeks ago I caught all three sleeping 

Three weeks ago... The pups have grown

Two weeks ago everyone's chilling

They keep me smiling and laughing with their goofy antics. This is what occupies a lot of my days :) 

A couple of country Mutts

Daisy Mai and Willow Beans have come to live with me thanks to the sweetest boyfriend, who took me to meet them and their seven other siblings this past Friday evening! It didn't take long to decide on one and then when I came back the next day to pick her up I took another one too! Call me crazy! Two puppy infants in the house and my world just got turned upside down in the most delightful way!

Ziggy

Ziggy came into my life a tired and sick little Bahamian rescue puppy. He was sick for a few weeks before finally getting his tummy right. I worked hard at fattening him up but he was always skinny. Beautifully skinny. 

When he was about 8 months old, he was diagnosed with a heart defect and a short lifespan left to live. Medication helped at first but his huge heart just couldn't keep up and just before Christmas, I said goodbye to the sweetest dog I've ever had. He was a bundle of unconditional love! He was my pogo stick dog, jumping straight up in the air whenever I returned home! I loved seeing him at the sliding glass door waiting for me and dancing for me.

Sheeple's and Misfits

I am a misfit but I have learned to disguise myself as one of the masses….

Most of us are sheeple because we assimilate ourselves into working society as one of them.  My closest friends know the real me and the uniqueness I bring to this world. We go about our days looking and acting “normal” for all intents and purposes. However, we cannot be unique if we wish to fit in for uniqueness is a sign of something amiss in their world. Sheepleness is the standard and is expected. We must all look alike, sound alike, dress alike think alike and behave under a certain set of guidelines set forth by the sheeple who ran this society before us… 

I am a sheeple only when I must be in order to have gainful employment and to move about our world in a manner where society is accepting of me because they think I am like them.  I only wish I could be me all the time as there is no one else I’d rather be than myself. Unfortunately, society’s sheeples demand that I tow their line and be like them.  The sheeple have been fooled into believing I am one of them but I am not!

I am a misfit and I love being me.

In the words of Pink Floyd, “Tounge tied and twisted just an earth bound misfit, I.”

Life imitates Art...

Everywhere I look, I see color and I am fascinated by the brilliance of life! I am grateful to have eyes to see and ears to hear. My senses are alive with the joys of the day in color and sound! These are but a few pics from my recent days....

The Three Amigo's

Meet the there Amigo's! They cuddle and snuggle with me nightly and guard me protectively! Kozmo on the right would be willing to lick a burglar to death after she barked a noisy announcement that someone is in the house. Ziggy, in the middle, would become growly and scared and Tina on the left would get all big eyed and freaky. All three do let me know when they hear something out of the ordinary late at night...usually one of the housemates coming in and trying to soften their steps as they quietly close the outside door...

On art and education....

I work for an assisted living facility where seniors live. I plan their daily activities and try to enthuse as much laughter and joy into their days as I possibly can. I am a their cheerleader and I am tired of the same old routines... bingo, uno, and paper hopscotch are just a few of the monotinous games we play over and over again. So, I have decided to undertake a program where we have partnered with an elementary summer school program. These students are between the ages of 5 and 10. They have visited with us twice now and we have encouraged their reading and writing and now we are on to art! We are hosting our first annual art show for these students and my residents are judging the show. It has been such a treat for me and the residents to see these fabulous works of art. Pics do not do the work justice. We have watercolors, collages, pottery, drawings and masks! The ribbon awards ceremony is tomorrow and I can't wait. The teacher has said the children are excited... my seniors are excited... it is a win, win situation! I love ART and what it brings out in others.

Here is a sneak peek at one of the winners and some of the other work!

Best of Show!

Pre -K and Kindergarten

Fifth Grade

Sharing my Photo's

Zinnia and Cardinal Vine

Cannas and small flying butterfly

Zinnias with butterfly

Zinnia

Butterfly Bush

I love taking pictures and using the sun to back light my plant photos. I just used natural sunlight taken at odd angles in order to create the "effects" I did border a few pics but did not use filters.. 

Who I Am

So after a few days of Mercury retrograde and communications being all haywire and such, I decided that everyone who reads my little blogspot needs to know that this blog represents only the tiniest fraction of who I am.

I blog when I have time (rarely) or feel moved to share. I journal much more with paper and pen than I share here. If you take this tiny part of me and try to psychoanalyze the whole of me, you'll be lacking the most of me and will only come up with a fraction of me.... gee, can I set that to music?

I am so much more than the few words I've shared here. People can only accurately describe what they perceive and experience. Perceptions differ in the light of the eyes that view them...

Just so you know, Mercury rules communications and when he retrogrades, these things do run amuk. He also rules moving parts and electronics so if things are fritzing, blame Mercury. It is not a good time to sign contracts or buy electronics. He will go direct on July 20 and the change will be a welcome relief as it always is when he's finished disrupting the universe!  

So, just in case any of you are wondering who I am, these are my personal perceptions of me and who I strive to be: I am laughter and light. I am joy. I am a big kid at heart. I am a lover of animals, nature, and art of all kinds. I am peace and understanding (unless I'm taking something too literal which does happen as has been brought to my attention again recently). I am stubborn, strong willed and independent (but learning to lean on others). Life is too short to be filled with worry, anxiety and fears. Of course I am human and I experience all of these emotions but then I let them slip through my fingers like tiny grains of sand as they serve no good purpose in my life that I can ascertain. 

Can we ever really know anyone from the few words they write and share openly? Only perhaps if we've been reading them for years.....

My shoes probably tell a lot more about who I am than my blog does so I thought I'd share my most favorite pair! My red, white and blue, flowery Dansko's! I have happy feet! Peace and Love to you all and I hope you survive Mercury retrograde with your communications intact!

Vacations....

It's that time of year when the notion of a vacation is looming in my mind. Where to go and what to do this year? I've been considering a variety of activities and places to go. Of course, the beach always looms large in my list of vacation destinations but I'm thinking maybe I need to do something a bit different this year and perhaps fly solo to another state or even country and just soak in a different culture completely. Hmmmm...... the possibilities are endless....thoughts anyone?