It was a nice peaceful Christmas as I had hoped for.
Olivia my kitten is rambuncious and quite fun to watch. Sometime I will upload a short view of her jumping and hopping around like a bunny. Having her makes me smile as she pals around with me around the house. Today I have time to myself at a cafe prior to going in latter to work. I may pick up a movie on the way home by RedBox. Hopefully, there is something new to watch tonight.
Much to the delight of my plants outside, the rain started softly now it is now consistently falling in a light medium sprinkle. The puddles seem to reverberate the droplets. Somehow, though a soft gray blue cloudy sky still makes me feel the thought of "that's okay." I will go through my library of dvd's and find something I haven't seen in a while and curl up to a cup of warm milk. Olivia (kitty) is just satisfied that I am home on vakay (vacation) with her this week.
A beautiful crisp cool day here in Frederick Maryland. I've been running around and freely feeling like a butterfly. I've picked roses in my backyard this morning. A half dozen crimson beauties are sitting in my kitchen reminding me that each day catch a moment of beauty before it fades.
Today is the day!
Today's menu was 'keeping up' with clients and making everything work like clock work. It's true there isn't enough time in the day to fit everything in. I salute those individuals who make everything in their lives work and make their primary time to love and be with their family as well.
I was thinking how nice it was living in California with my wonderful garden there. I do miss the grapevines. Here is a picture of my home in California with the grapevine garden. My hopes is to have another nice garden in the new home. Settlement date is in a few weeks and there is some planning to do.
I am now sipping for health with coconut juice. I have found my blood pressure has lowered. I fell into the thought of coconut juice as a healthy alternative to soda and a refreshing taste other that plain water. At a price of $1 a can of 500 ml or 16.9 fluid oz I have stocked up on it. I am drinking young coconut juice with pulp. I am limiting myself to one can a day so not to increase my normal intake of sugars.
Early morning and I met at my inpending home for an inspection with the inspector and my realtor agent. Everything went well and I asked my agent in summary how he felt about it. He was pleased and the purchase of the home is a go ahead.
I am returning to my peaceful places and found wonderful open breath of fresh air has come back to me.
A great beauty and cool demeanor is my description of this american gold finch. He sat regally on top of the metal bird post. He scanned his surroundings with cool eyes. He was satisfied and plumb after his afternoon feedings. My offerings of thistle was to his delight. This beautiful male also has a song. Tsee-tsi-tsi-tsit is a common call to keep in contact with each other. These songbirds like open woodlands, weedy fields and shrubs, and also gardens. Song wording from Bird Songs 250 North American Birds in Song book.
I hugged my coworker girlfriend as we laughed about something funny and wonderful she said. I was happy for her.
We took a great drive 8 miles from home to the Brookside botanical gardens. Such a beautiful day when we went a couple of weeks ago. Stunning walk ways and everyone was out since it was a warm 83 º.
Now that Spring has arrived the tuning up for a drive is coming sooner after the rainy weather stops coming through the area. Though the daffodils and the tulips have not yet bloomed fully, I am looking forward to a spin on a favorite car we have. This car is a 911 model 1966 year porche, it is a shifting... and your head thrown back, zooming fun ride around the lake. It was recovered from a garage with 25 years of rest and not driven at all. We have enjoyed fixing it the last 3 years. Now spiffied up and shined... we regard it a beauty and some say rare at this condition.
Sometime ago, I was on a tour of 10 countries within a time of 3 months. I can say I enjoyed it immensely even on the days I was so... so... tired. I had met so many interesting people. Some professors in philosophy and some in culture, emerging artists, knowledgeable tour guides, a aerospace engineer, and the people who were on my tour were fascinating. I have vivid picturesque colors of south of France and sunflowers in Tuscany's low hills to emerald green blue waters around Greece and the island of Corfu. It's a once in a life time trip I took and gladly paid for... to me the memories and mostly the people that intrigued me along the way. Some day I will go again, I hope.
Our drive today took us to the south side of the lake. A solitary wood boat meandering in the waters as they enjoy a serene afternoon.
The daffodills are much taller and with the warm weather of 72º they should try to bud soon.
Queen's Ink has artful designs filling their displays and your eyes. A lot of inspiration everywhere you look.
Queen's Ink is my go to place to learn techniques and art supplies. I just finished a class in altered books instructed by mixed media artist Carol Owen. Carol Owen mixed media artist.
Took a weekend art class at savage mill complex. Here is a historic old millinery mill converted to a art, food and community retail center.
Around the bridge there are some beautiful trees. They are budding now but I can't identify the tree type just yet. I'll come back to this tree from time to time to watch it's progress.
Another picture of a neighborhood bridge I like to jog or take a beautiful walk around the area. The past day it has been drizzling rain. The trees are starting to bud as well as my bulbs have been growing even faster into tall soldiers.
I was traveling around and found the Moose Lodge women's chapter. It's a place where the community gets together... bingo, taco night, event gatherings. I am not a member but thought mmmm.. I didn't know they existed.
We have a lot of sparrows. Though, this shot did not come out so well. I found a chipping sparrow and a red headed sparrow looking back at me.
For the last 5 years we have planted more and more tulips and have a wide variety. This shot I took of is the Breck's perennial tulip mix super sak®. Here is the link to Breck's. The mix is a variety of long-lasting blooms and these bulbs are from Holland. Every bulb and plantings we have purchased have bloomed to our expectations. They make lovely arrangements, like candy to the eyes. I will follow-up with growth every so often to have a diary of the tulips.
This morning I woke up to birds singing and feeding. The drizzle of rain showers wet the birds feathers as they flew in to feed. They were in the lilac bushes grabbing on to the sticky branches that are not yet budding. They would occasionally give themselves a good shake to roll the rain off their backs. If they could smile, I'm sure they would be grinning from cheek to cheek.
The snow has melted and the yard is full of new growth. My daffodils are just about 5 inches tall. Now spring has arrived.
Colin Firth won last night best actor and as well as his movie won best movie, The King's Speech, at the 2011 Oscar's. He is my favorite actor and yesterday I predicted the movie would win. Yea. I will be adding it to my movie library. I have some of his movies, even bridget jones's diary and bridget jones's the edge of reason with renee zellweger and hugh grant. I enjoy any movie he's done. I understand the queen enjoyed his movie also. This picture is kindly attributed to source: flickr:filming colin and Helena and author: www.lancashire.gov.uk and licensed under: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Some days are good days but today Sunday was a grand day. Busy busy busy but I like to be busy... and there is nothing like having a bunch of roses to cheer up my quiet room. My sanctuary where I can pass the time in contemplation and meditation. So here's Cheers! to my cheery room.
Out the window I spied a white-breasted nuthatch. A frequent visitor to the hidden bird feeder under the dogwood tree. The tree with drummed holes in it. The birds peck the seeds open in these holes. I have watched this particular bird drum seeds open frequently. We have black oil sunflower seeds in the feeder. We get our seeds at the birder store. I took this quick shot thinking he would move on but he stayed for a few minutes at this pose in a contemplative state. I think he's happy... he looks full and happy.
This morning to my curiosity and wonder, a Cooper's Hawk appeared again sitting on the branch of my bird feeder. It was a female with beautiful white feathers with tipped dark brown rows on her breast and under wings with bright large yellow legs. This free image does not show her beauty. My camera flashed when it should not have. This medium large visitor had a deafening quiet to our surrounding area. The birds were dismayed by her stature and presence. I'm sure my happy small bird regulars will return tomorrow when she is done with her route today. She was lovely to see fly off with her wings full giving her height. I will try again sometime to get her picture sitting or opening up her wings for flight.
On my drive I by pass a local park a half mile from home. During the summer or any good day off, I would include it into my route as a bonus during my jogs. Then I would count the homes and see their cats in the window sills smiling back at me. Today it rained a few hours before my drive home. I took this picture so when spring comes in a few weeks I could take a beautiful budding picture of the trees to compare them. Then I would have bridges to spring.
I'm an admitted magazine junkie. My go to mag currently is Food & Wine, healthy recipes big flavors, march 2011, Week of Healthy Wines on newsstands now. I have it delivered, so no hunting for it.
Silent bird prints leading away from daffodils peaking through the snow.
I have a standard recipe I created for a strawberry smoothie. Here is my 2009 recipe:
Today I found an abundant supplies of berries, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry on sale. I purchased just enough for a week's supply. I like them for breakfast, snacks and after dinner treat. I just bought a bottle of Italian wine, Pinot Grigio by Fontana Candida inexpensive and will have a glass with my strawberries.
