February 1, 2009~ No. 24

As many of you look forward to watching the Super Bowl, I will be very content to spend some time sketching. You see, I don't understand football, never have. There is something about it that I just don't get. I do love the idea of friends gathering and preparing dishes and cocktails for a little party, and I appreciate all of the excitement. I just don't watch the game. I may excuse myself, go into another room to read, I may sit in front of the fire with the dogs... or I may go to the drawing board.

One of these days I will be patient enough to learn what the game is all about~ but until then I am happy to watch those around me view the pre-game and wait for the kick-off. I'll be the one on the sidelines reading or sketching.

January 31, 2009~ No. 23

While out running errands last week, I noticed this wall that surrounds a local church. I like the old stone and the way nature has left its mark from the steel cross. When I take my camera along, I see things differently- through a more sensitive eye. It's nice to slow down and see what is to be enjoyed and appreciated.


What are some of the things you see throughout your day that are pleasing to your eyes?

January 29, 2009

Looking out my window this morning~ fresh fallen snow.

My little carved bird happily perched on the sill.

What do you see looking out of your window?

Stay with me~ January 27, 2009

To say that I am a little frustrated... is an understatement. My friend was here to help iron out the wrinkles in my new camera- and after so much work- it has been decided that I may need to contact my Internet provider for an upgrade of sorts.

So let's try this- if you'd like a clearer resolution for this little 'home study'- try going here, I think the quality is much better. So, it's a work in progress~ please stay with me.

A "Time Out"~ January 26, 2009

For those of you that are visual folks, this may be a bit of a boring entry. I'll use a colorful font~ that may help! You see, camera-man is due tomorrow, and until then there will be no photos.

How might I keep your attention or share anything worthy of the time spent perusing blog land- which we all know can turn into a significant amount of time...

I am alone for a few days- which is perfectly lovely. Hubs had to go out of town until Thursday and although I do miss him when he's not here, I do love my alone time. I'm on no schedule, I give no thought to meal prep and I can be incredible lazy if I so choose.

It's a beautiful, clear, sunny day here in Maine...did I mention that it is minus 8 degrees?

So I think today will be one of sheer laziness- a little reading, a little painting, early to bed for more reading. I do love time to myself. It's a special time of reflection for me. A time that I can put things in order and re-energize.





When you find yourself alone for a day or two {or an hour or two}- what are your favorite things to do? I'd love to hear what you enjoy doing when you have a 'time out'.

Please... Take Your Seat~ January 23, 2009

In a sea of onlookers, we were fortunate to be seated fairly close to the podium...

But that darn teleprompter kept getting in our way~ along with the gentleman that stood through most of Obama's speech!

So... we watched much of the ceremony on the jumbo tron.

I promised another avid Obama supporter a special gift from the weekend.

I choose a poster that, close-up looks like hundreds of front page newspapers from around the world showing Barack Obama the day after he was elected. From a distance, it reveals an image of our new President. The artist was there on the street as we were walking to lunch. He signed the poster for me and I think my friend will be happy with his gift.

You can check it out here~

All Is Quiet~ January 21, 2009

All is quiet, and we are back home. It was a historic, exciting and powerful few days in Washington.

I have stories and photos to share- when I gather my thoughts. But a huge reminder to self... learn all you can about a new camera before heading out to watch history in the making...

Some have said to us- that they would not have wanted to be among all of the crowd. I can't imagine not being there among the crowd. It was such controlled, light-hearted chaos. There were people laughing, crying, singing and dancing in the streets. People sharing hand and toe warmers, cookies, assisting the elderly, letting impatient participants cut lines and all of this with a high and generous spirit.

I think the latest estimate was somewhere around two million people. There was not one reported inaugural-related arrest made. I think that says something about the atmosphere of this celebration.

So, as I settle in to unpack, go through collected memorabilia, and catch up on things, I will be posting snippets of our trip, where we went, people we saw and how we celebrated.

With only a few hours of sleep each night~ we are glad to be back home- but so happy we were there.



"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning."
~Inscribed on the leather journal Michelle Obama gave to Mrs. Bush~ January 20, 2009~

January 17, 2009

We will be leaving tomorrow for Washington to celebrate~ Please stop by later next week when my HOPE is to share some photos and some of the excitement!

One Week From Today~

President Elect Barack Obama and family

Posting will be light this week as we prepare to join the Obama family, along with two million of their other close friends...

I am full of HOPE for our country.

Are you excited and hopeful for CHANGE?

Would love to know your thoughts.

January 11, 2009~ Snowy Sunday

We had about four more inches of snow during the night and into this morning.

Which makes this the perfect day to wrap this up and send it off to someone very dear.

How are you spending your Sunday?

January 10, 2009

Last year at this time my front windows were completely covered with snow.
So... this isn't so bad.
Happy weekend!

D~

The Snow Goose

For several years PBS would put this movie into the holiday schedule. I looked forward to it each Christmas. I purchased copies of the small book and gave them to friends and family. This past Christmas I tried to find more copies and it was difficult. I found a few copies of the original which is my favorite . There are no illustrations as in the publication shown here. I would encourage you to check your local library or you can find used copies at Amazon.com.
This is such a moving story of friendship, love and healing. Philip and Frith are characters in this heartwarming tale.

"Theirs is a curious story, wild and simple and strangely moving in its simplicity; and Paul Gallico tells it with all his superb narrative skill and with a remarkable tenderness of vision".

Looking Out My Window~

Sometimes you read a story that touches you so, you can barely think of anything else.

Wednesday morning, PVE shared this~ the story of Emilie.



As I looked out my window early this morning and saw all of the snow, I wondered how it would impact my busy day of errands. Then I read Emilie's story.



Another cold, snowy day had us in its grip and I wondered- What is God's plan for this young mother, wife, daughter, friend...?

How brave Emilie must have been, and how frightened.



We can look at our own lives and feel so many blessings.

Blessed that we have time with our loved ones.

Time to love and to be loved.

Time to do for others.

Time to create.

I will give more thought before I become irritated with the person that pulls out in front of me on a snow-covered road.

I'll try not to feel anxious when the next big snow fall is expected~



Because I bet Emilie would love to be making snow angels with her boys on a day like this.

Live Your Best Life~

Oprah inspires again~ On this afternoon's show Oprah talks openly about her weight gain and how she lost the balance in her life. If you didn't tune in, you can see highlights here.

As we age, I think we all understand that we need to exercise more and eat less. Easier said then done, right?

I find that journaling my daily life and what I consume help to keep me focused.

When I "fall-off-the-wagon", I try to pick myself up and get back on~ but it can be a difficult task.

So, this is a woman that is loved by many, has no financial concerns, and leads a full and generous life. Perhaps some of us will take a lesson from Oprah- "it's not about things, it's not about food, it's not about money". It's more about surrounding yourself with those that have a positive attitude, finding balance, and looking back on your life's experiences, and learning from them. For me, it's also about giving myself permission to fall-off-the-wagon and to feel o.k. with failure every now and then.

What do you do to help create balance in your life? And how do you get back on track - when you fall-off-the-wagon?

Grateful~

I am so grateful to those of you that have taken the time to post comments and send emails.

I have chosen this post to answer a couple of the questions brought up to me.

First of all, I apologize if sending a comment has presented any problems. My support team has been looking into this and so far we aren't finding any bugs~ any suggestions are appreciated.

To those that have asked to see more of my work... it's coming. The work on my Lifescapes is very small. The camera I am using is just not picking up the detail~ this means I get to treat myself to a new camera... again- any suggestions, most helpful. Patricia at PVE and A Day That Is Dessert both take the most wonderful photos to post- and they have shared some possibilities with me. And... if by chance you haven't been by to visit these ladies- go now! They do not disappoint.

So please, keep checking in~ I hope to be able to post at least portions of my Lifescapes on a regular basis. I big "Thank-You" for welcoming me into this arena.

Back to the gym...

Have you, like me, over-indulged during the holiday season? On Friday I decided I wouldn't wait until Monday to get back on track. I took things into my own hands... literally and found homes for the left-over sweeties. So, needless to say I'm feeling a little sugar and carb deprived.

Upon opening the New York Times this morning~ going directly to the Dining & Wine section- there it was!!! Salt caramels, Pizzoccheri and a place in the east village for cupcakes, appropriately named... Butter Lane.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html

"Go to the Arts section Debra"... or better yet- GO FOR A WALK!!!

A Good Day For...

Finishing up on all of the holiday de-cluttering. I always feel a little bittersweet when packing away the ornaments~ wondering what the new year will bring.

I'll also be making a pot of soup for a cold weekend. I'd love to hear what you'll be doing this post-holiday weekend. And- if you're a soup person as I am~ what's your favorite soup to make?

Today I really must pack up all of the candies, cookies and other goodies left from the holiday- and pass them on to someone that will take them... That, along with taking down the holiday decorations. Getting organized for a New Year- when what I really want to do is draw and work on this sweet little painting for a special someone.

Getting Organized

Happy New Year~ 2009

A bright, new day and a whole New Year. One of great HOPE.

I'm very excited to finally get my blog up and running. A whole new learning curve for me... It will take some time.

My wonderful brother-in-law and sister-in-law own a technical support firm, TSI support, in the greater Boston area and they came to celebrate and are helping me set this all in motion.

They arrived baring gifts~ one to feed my soul, one for light reading, one to help with this process, and a few for celebrating the holiday...

Felica anno nuovo~