You’re “it” (question #5)

WHAT ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE DO YOU GO TO WHEN YOU WANT TO RELAX?  DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE NOOK FOR READING OR DAYDREAMING? Ah, that changes from season to season, day to day, but my favorite spots for reading and relaxing are on our red leather coach, a cup of tea and honey nearby, [...]

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Girls just wanna have fun

  What do Slinkys, water snakes, sunglasses and sponges have in common? A fun and quirky tablescape, of course. I attend several luncheon events each year that involve a program of some sort where gardening folks are introduced to new floral introductions, tools of the florist trade, and different techniques in flower arranging. There is [...]

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Toppers

A crow is perched quite handsomely atop one of our Christmas trees. A red satin ribbon he found somewhere, quite regal, wraps around his neck and trails down the tree, which is decorated with all sorts of nature inspired ornaments; birds, fox, a racoon gnawing a branch, nests that were found after heavy winds. A [...]

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The Nutcracker

When I was teaching first grade, a lifetime ago it now seems, a friend and colleague took me to see The Nutcracker. It was a birthday present and my first time of seeing this ballet live. Gemma knew it was something I longed to see and she surprised me with tickets. We went to an [...]

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The Thorne Rooms and Russian Tea Time

One of the really delightful things I got to do last week was to have lunch at Russian Tea Time in downtown Chicago, followed by a visit to the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. My good friend Bev invited me to spend the day and celebrate my birthday. To say the time [...]

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Sunshine

What a welcome sight our faithful sun was this morning. There it was, sending angel rays streaming through the windows, bringing  in early morning sunshine after a week of bitter wind. I felt as if a rainbow had come and touched down upon me. Our kitchen and dining room face the east, with walls and [...]

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It’s happening

It’s happening. The golden colors of Autumn are starting to drift down, bringing the last of summer with them. The reds and rusts aren’t far behind. It starts slow, if we are lucky, and then picks up the pace with each and every day. The asters are starting to show and the mums, ah, the [...]

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My own Monet

Cori brought this amazing bouquet from her sizable cutting garden. When I tried to take a close-up picture, it went out of focus, but, I rather liked the effect, so, post it here. Cori has a keen eye for color and placement and isn’t afraid to use flowers for decoration, not only in vases, but [...]

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We hold these truths . . .

. . . that all men are created equal. The 4th of July is upon us and we are busy, scurrying, cleaning the house, tackling the outside, getting ready for the 4th! I love the 4th of July. Independence Day. Parades, fireworks, food, family, and friends. Independence. Anyone who knows me knows my love of [...]

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Looking through the glass

I was sitting at my desk, streams of sunlight pouring through the window, warming me and sending prisms of color out on a mission to tempt me to stop what I was working on and peer outward.   The picture is a close up of a piece of beveled glass that belonged to Tom’s sister, [...]

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