It's a Start

The pond is starting to freeze....

and the icy patterns looked like lace in the morning light.

  

The most important thing I did today was start getting Margie set up for Christmas. We packed away all her fall things....and pulled out the Christmas boxes.

This is the first Christmas in her new place....so we've having to reimagine where things will go. I've got some homework to do for a few of the spaces...but it's a good start.  

And she's getting a jump start on the first window for her new Advent puzzle. 

There are 50 tiny little pieces in each puzzle...so it it's going to be a challenge...and it's going to be fun watching it evolve.

At my house....the tree is in the stand and the Christmas boxes are stacked up in the living room.  I'm not in any hurry....so I'll enjoy slow decorating over the next week or so.  But I did get a little start and set up one of my favorite little vignettes.

I adore this sweet little caroler along with this fabulous candle holder with a battery operated candle from my friend Jane.  

I love the quiet simplicity of it....and it's perfect on my upright desk.

I started with the morning light on the pond.....

and I'm ending with the evening light in the woods.  Light....and lights are my favorite things this time of year.

It's A Wrap!

Paul and I moved the birdbath to the corner of the patio...and we're heating it for the winter. This is the first day I've actually seen birds using it.  I have a great view from my chair where I enjoyed dozens of birds this morning...including 4 or 5 bluebirds.  Such a delight!

You know that feeling at the end of a Thanksgiving birthday celebration?  That's how we feel.  Tired and full.....but quite content.  Paul and I had a wonderful feast and a delightful day celebrating his 65th birthday.  It's a wrap! 

Once again I'm sharing this 1978 photo from the first time Paul met my parents. We were on Thanksgiving break from college...and we celebrated his birthday.  My mom put candles all over the table.....just like I did today. (Yes...I pulled out our smaller tree today...I'm getting ready to slide into the next holiday!)

It's also a wrap on the Penguin books puzzle. One of the things I loved about this puzzle was the matt finish.  Most puzzle are glossy...and I really enjoyed handling these pieces.  

It's time to pull out my Christmas puzzles! 

Ironic Birthday Meal

Margie recently shared a story with Paul that he hadn't heard before....and I couldn't help but share it here.

Thanksgiving in 1958 was on the 27th....almost the latest day in the month it could possibly be...and Margie was 9 months pregnant and due anytime. 

The day before Thanksgiving that year Margie got a call from May, a 90 year old woman from her church who needed to get a few more things from the grocery store for her Thanksgiving meal.  Margie being Margie....couldn't say no. Here's the rest of the story in her own words:

"So on a brutally cold, windy day, I loaded up Liz, who was 2 years and 2 months old, picked up 90 year old May with her cane and headed for Ideal Market, yes, the day before Thanksgiving.  Quite a parade, May struggling along, Liz, too independent to ride in the grocery cart, and me hugely pregnant with a 9 pound 13 ounce boy."  

Paul was born 3 days later. You're amazing Margaret Shupe! 

I made a big deal a few days ago about how nice it was that Paul's birthday wasn't getting overshadowed by the Thanksgiving celebration this year.  And the irony is not lost on me that the birthday meal of his choice is a traditional Thanksgiving feast.  We had our actual Thanksgiving meal last week at Margie's....so there were no leftovers. We both enjoy having leftovers in the freezer and Paul always made a big pot of broth that we freeze for winter soups.

So tomorrow is Paul's Thanksgiving inspired birthday meal....we're roasting a turkey and making all the fixings that go with it.  

So....it was time for me to make sauce from my hand picked cranberries from Gouldsboro.  

They've been in the freezer since I got back...

...and now they all cooked and ready to go...and 1/2 of the sauce is back in the freezer.

And speaking of red berries.....upon further dialogue with Dotty about my red berry garland on my wreath....I did a little google search.  I learned that the terms "weatherproof" and made of vinyl are the key ingredients for indestructible outdoor berries.  I didn't see anything on Amazon that didn't have a styrofoam center....but I found  company had several styles of garland, sprigs, and stems in weatherproof vinyl.

https://factorydirectcraft.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=weatherproof+artificial+red+berry

Blobs and Doodles

I'm not sure where I saw this...but it made me chuckle.

How to stay on top of housework when you have a craft room: 
1.  You can't.
2. Find a new dream.

I made another little tag....this time I used a few of the watercolor blob flowers I did while I was away with an injured thumb. There is improvement...btw...but one wrong move sets me back a bit so I'm still wearing two braces almost all the time. 

The back of the tag is a little watercolor doodle from the same painting session.

A couple evenings ago while I watched TV....I painted some larger watercolor blob flowers then did some doodling....it's a little wild. 

It's about 8x10...and I'll probably cut up because smaller parts are much better than the whole. 

Then I can knock down the  neon color a bit with some translucent white paint and possibly make other improvements.

Pieces and parts can be used for a variety of things: something in my art journal...tags...or cards. We'll see....but these blobs and doodles were fun.

I like when people ask me questions....and Dotty asked about my Christmas wreath....so I thought I'd share how I put it together.  

I bought a 20 inch plain green wreath at a local garden center along with the gold bow.  I generally go for a red bow...but this one spoke to me this year. I do reuse my bows....so this was a bit of a splurge.

I love real winterberry....and have used it several times in my outside decorating.  But it doesn't last...and ends up being a bit of a mess.  So I'm always in search of outdoor sprigs and stems that can withstand the weather.  Most red berries are covered foam that just fade and fall apart.  I'm constantly carefully squeezing fake berries when I seem them to see what they're made of.

What works for me is hard plastic berries...which are indestructible.  I found this garland several years ago and this is two pieces tied together that I simply wrapped around the wreath.  Easy peasy!

All the berries in my urn are also hard plastic that I've used over and over.   

Straight and Clear

I was looking forward to getting the top half of my puzzle done so I could move it up on the table and connect the border. 

I met my goal after breakfast this morning and I was tickled to see that it was a win win!

Not only did I get to move up and connect.....but by finishing ALL the reds...I also had a straight and clear path from the top to the bottom.  And if you've been paying attention....you know how I love that!

My path on anything is hardly ever straight and clear.  So these small and silly wins are fun....mostly because I choose them to be.

Attainable goals and silly celebrations = Joy!

And before I left the table....I pulled out all the blues and greens for the next set of books.  And that = joy too!

Extra Time

Thanksgiving is always on the the 4th Thursday in November.....the earliest it can be is 22nd....and the latest it can be is the 28th. So it was on the early end this year and it's nice having extra time afterwards before we slide into the next holiday.  And by the next holiday I mean Christmas Paul's birthday...which is coming up soon. Usually it gets lost in the bustle of Thanksgiving festivities...but this year it has a week all to itself.  We actually don't make a big deal about birthdays anymore....but we'll honor it in our own quiet way.

I did make the transition from oranges to (Christmas) reds in the front of the condo. I'll put away my fall stuff...do some cleaning....and slowly start dabbling with Christmas decorating. And of course blow up a few birthday balloons too. 

And the timing is right to share the new puzzle I'm working on....

...because I'm working on the reds. Tis the season!

It's a new one from Philippa Stanton...and it features vintage Penguin books and she calls it "Words and Music."

This one is all about the colors and patterns of Philippa's collection of poetry books and music scores. It's both fun and challenging and I'm loving it!

Paul walked to Presumpscot Falls early this morning....it was a little too cold for me. I spent some extra time in my warm bed. 

Here are a few of his fantastic photos.

Well done Paul!

Punctuated by Blue

On our walk this morning I was drawn to the bits of blue in this little patch of ground....then realized they were paint drips from arrows and lines sprayed for some road work.  

But it was still kind of beautiful in its own way.  There's a lot going on in this small space....and the colors...textures...and bits of frost are somehow punctuated by the blue. 

Then there was this beautiful scene with the tall grass punctuated by the blue sky.

And as Paul and I turned the corner down our street....I was blown away by the bright blue sky.

But I do I think Paul is the punctuation mark in this scene.

A few people asked me about the "Stitch Meditation" Facebook group I referred to yesterday.  Meditative stitching is not new...but Liz Kettle started a movement and gave it a name back in 1994. 

Here Liz's website....and if you scroll down a bit you will see the link to the free Facebook group where people share their work.
https://www.textileevolution.com/

Here is Liz's Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/lizkettle/

Stitch meditation....sometimes called slow stitching...is taking the time to mindfully create something by hand with just a needle and thread. 

I enjoy the meditative slow stitching of these paper pieced little quilts I've written about so many times. And I'm looking forward to my thumbs getting back to normal so I can stitch again. 

Thanksgiving Gift

We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with Margie at her assisted living facility....it's always a treat when someone else cooks for you. And there's nothing quite like a Thanksgiving afternoon nap!  

I laughed out loud when I saw this post in a Facebook group I belong to called Stitch Meditations.  

Janet Sarnow saves her fabulous stems and uses them in her art.  This pin cushion is adorable!  

I never thought about saving my stems.  hmmm

Paul has been teasing me that I hadn't found Betty the Bear in a while....and I think he thought I'd never find her.

So during happy hour I did a thorough search of the living/dining room area and there she was hiding in the gumball machine.  Well done Mr. Shupe!

And literally while I was looking for Betty....

I saw that my Christmas Cactus was blooming....only on the side that was facing the wall. And there are several buds coming. How did I miss this!  

What a wonderful Thanksgiving gift.

"Joy Chose You"

Pay attention to the joy that will slither through the cracks and choose YOU during this Holiday Season!  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I'm giving "kanths" AND "thanks" today for the simple joys in my life.

Brenda send me a link to a reading of this poem...and it captured my heart.  It was written by Donna Ashworth, but the link was to poet Harry Baker reading it. You  can hear it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzvgBV0obDP/  Thanks Brenda!

Joy Chose You 

written by Donna Ashworth 

Joy does not arrive with a fanfare 

on a red carpet strewn 

with the flowers of a perfect life

joy sneaks in 

as you pour a cup of coffee

watching the sun 

hit your favorite tree 

just right

and you usher joy away 

because you're not ready for her

your house is not as it should be

for such a distinguished guest

but joy, you see

cares nothing for your messy home

or your bank balance 

or your waistline

joy is supposed to slither through 

the cracks of your imperfect life

that's how joy works

you cannot truly invite her

you can only be ready 

when she appears

and hug her with meaning

because in this very moment 

joy chose you.

Edits and Filters

"Life was so much more fun when she wore her rose colored glasses." Art Head Studio

This morning's walk was a challenge. I don't love the frigid cold.....and I love it less and less as I get older.  The wind chill was 14 degrees....but I was up and out there with Paul.  He actually loves the cold.

I was hesitant to pull my hands out of my purple mittens...but I was quite taken with the frost on a car window along our route.

It was hard to photograph with the glare...

but I quickly did the best I could given the conditions. When I got home I did some photo editing and enhanced the patterns with a filter.

I'm guessing there are people who think editing a photo is cheating.  But Philippa Stanton taught me that it's as much of an art as drawing or painting.  Photos are only as good as the camera you are using....and of course things like light and print or technology quality.

Philippa taught me that my photos should look like how I felt when I was actually seeing the subject with my own eyes and experiencing it with all my senses.  No camera can really capture that....but the tools and filters can help.

The patterns on the windshield were beautiful in the morning light.....and these edited frosty blue images capture more how they made me feel.  

I edit pretty much all the photos I put on the blog....that's the fun part of photography for me.  I don't use filters very often...but I crop, straighten, brighten or darken, and play with many of the other tools just a bit.  It only takes a few seconds....but worth it to me every time.  

These leaves were laying on the ground after a frost a week or so ago. There seemed to be so many shades of green...and I thought the random crisscross pattern was interesting.

When I got home and looked at the photograph I was disappointed. But with just a bit of editing....the photo came to life.

Chunky Snowflakes

It was a lovely morning for a walk....brisk but enjoyable if you were dressed right.

It was the first day I wore my purple fleece mittens...so my hands were toasty warm.  

 

We almost always start our walks with a lap around the pond....the light was beautiful this morning.

The sun was peeking over our neighbor's condo casting a glow on pond. The pond was so smooth that the reflection was as bright and clear as the real thing.  

We had a tiny bit of snow overnight so there were chunky snowflakes scattered here and there. Paul is always patient while I take photos on our walk. He's pretty patient with me in all aspects of my life....I'm a lucky gal.

Just one more....I said....and there it was. Do you see it? Look closely on the right side of the leaf...a perfect snowflake....and not chunky at all.  I tried to zoom it....but it was too blurry to share.