A holiday video

Right before Christmas we got snow. I think all snow is pretty, but especially this kind. It was heavy snow that stayed where it fell, like a blanket rather than the blowing, drifting and sugary kind. By the time the storm moved over, it dropped at least 6 to 8 inches. But then ... as what usually happens here on the Cape it was soon all gone. Christmas Eve brought hard rain and strong warm winds. By the time we woke up on Christmas morning about the only snow left was the mound at the end of the driveway left by the plow trucks. But ...hey....I'm not complaining!

A Christmas Card

For unto us a son is born,

to us a child is given...

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

hi, I haven't been documenting all the wonderful things happening lately.
But, this lovely Christmas card arrived today from the pastor of our church.
I feel like sharing it to the world.
Thank-you Father Mark.
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The unique face of this card comes from an original oil painting from Zaki Baboun. A native of Beit Jala in Bethlehem. Zaki uses Biblical themes and local landscapes, his own faith and love for the Lord, as inspiration for much of his art.

All proceeds from the sale of this card, benefit the works of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, in the Holy Land.

This card is designed and printed in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Artwork by Zaki Baboun
Designed and printed by:Nour design & print Co.,www.nourdp.ps

Thanksgiving Day

xox~Elaine

Tom is 21

Tom loves little stuffed mushroom caps, crunchy chicken wings, marbled fudge cake (if there's no carrot cake available) and a girl named Theresa. Look at how he dreams up a good wish. I hope it comes true Love. Happy Birthday. It was yesterday but the glow still lingers.

For The Record

Halloween come and go without at least a mention? Nooooooo.... for let the record show that this lone little Power Ranger dragged in more Halloween treats than I have ever seen walk through these doors! Tom and Theresa guided the little super hero through our generous neighboorhood and taught him the most efficient way to zip from lit house to lit house without any needless dilly dallying in between. To a kid, trickatreating is like a job, if you're gonna do it then you might as well do it well.

The weather was mild. The moon was large and it wasn't windy. Xavier wore his long johns under his costume and was comfortable. When he got home and took off the costume he was all ready for bed.

Take a good look at that mountain of sugar because except for a couple of jaw breakers and dum dums it's just about all gone now. I don't police the candy. Well...ok I take that back. I do put restraints just a little. I put the pumpkin out of reach close to meals, at bedtime and before school. When it's candy time I want him to eat so much candy that he turns green and that's pretty much what happens. After a few hours of playing with the pumpkin Xavier doesn't want to see candy for a long time. Besides he throws most of it away after the taste test. He thinks Butterfingers are too crunchy, 3 Musketeers are too soft, Whoppers are gross. etc. etc. waste waste.... I happen to love them all and UGH I'm green myself thinking of all the ones I ate trying to save him. An interesting point of information: Although Power Rangers may possess super human strengths, they falter under the weight of chocolate bars and milk duds.

God Bless America

Fricken Fracken!!!

Go ahead and look all cute

A Meme

The word meme is foreign to me but a meme this is.
The idea is that "you" finish the first part of the sentence.
Thank-you Kitty for passing on this bloggy bit.

I am: what I yam. (Popeye the sailor man)
I think: therefore I am (Descartes)
I know: that so far...all I have written are quotes.
I have: a mind of my own and I'll answer best as I can.
I wish: that I would never feel NEED.
I hate: --- I hate thinking of things I might hate.
I miss: my family as they die off
I fear: not having enough time
I hear: a quiet inner voice safely guiding me
I smell: the lotion Nora gave me (Neroli Chamomile)
I crave: playing fast games of Scrabble almost everyday online
I search: for matching socks
I wonder: who cares that I'm writing this
I regret: not finding a way to get down to Florida to see Marjie when she was alive.
I love: LOVE
I ache: in my heart for the ones I miss
I am not: a go getter
I believe: in God
I dance: even when I'm sitting down
I sing: the songs my mother sang to me to my kids
I cry: easily
I fight: cavities
I win: if my children argue with me
I lose: money when I buy lottery tickets
I never: spend more than $2 on a ticket
I always: have to rush to the bathroom when I get in my house from working.
I confuse: my needle felting needles up all the time. I guess I should color code them.
I listen: to talk radio even if I can't stand the guy talking.
I can usually be found: at home during the day and at work at night
I am scared: to sell anything more on ebay because they have gotten so power happy.
I need: to have more faith that all my needs will be met.
I am happy about: being able to help
I imagine: what things will be like in the future.

Thanks for reading my blog. That's really nice of you ~xo~Elaine

Dolls

Sarah and Shirley

Faces from my childhood rest from years of play.

Reminding me to keep young at heart,

in the coming years of gray.

Drawers

Drawers in my home

I have an affinity for drawers.

Large or small....

I surround myself with them.

They are everywhere you look in my house.


There are even more than I have pictured...

While most of my drawers are used often.
There are some that are seldom ever used.

Some drawers hold fun things.

Some drawers hold important things .
Some drawers hold junk.

This drawer holds my poptart crumbs!

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Drawers not in my home but that I like

I've seen stair treads made into drawers but I prefer this style.

The Shakers really knew how to utilize drawers.



There can never be too many drawers available.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step

"Archie"
Confucius say: "A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step" ....
and so did my Dad always find an opportunity to tell me this.

The last post was in memory of my Mother so I feel it only fitting to give my Father's memory a place on my blog as well.

I miss them both everyday of my life.

Happy Birthday Dad.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention...

"Kitty"

Mama was so clever and creative. Her motto chimes in my head like a mantra everytime I need a better way of doing things. Mama would say---

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention." I remember this little phrase when I need it and before long I'm brainstorming solutions to problems and inventing ways to make living on here on earth a little better. It works try it.
Problem - Everytime I put the seed into this coconut shell bird feeder, the larger birds knock it out in one fell swoop.

Solution- Take a knee -high nylon stocking and slip it over the half shell. Then with the extra stocking left hanging....reverse and double up. Poke a hole in the stocking and stretch it wide open. I filled mine with sunflower hearts.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention...

Make the hanging string long enough to deter the squirrels from hanging by their toes to reach it. My feeder has been out there 3 days so far and the squirrels haven't been able to get it yet. Although it's comical watching them try.

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This is an edit to the above post.

It is now May 15th

I think I should tell you that not too long after this post, the squirrels had their way with the coconut bird feeder. They ripped the stocking to shreds, chewed up the edges of the coconut and and yanked it completely down from the tree.

They must lay in their little beds at night scheming in their dreams.

*******

White Weeds

"A weed is just a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spider-Man is Back in Black

Shooting webs

Displaying muscular strength

Charming my heart.

Little Things That Mean A Lot...to me

We use this little lamp when the power goes out.

This is what I was looking at while doing the dishes last night.

While I got my camera, this caught my eye too.

Now it's daylight.... I love such simple things.

It's been a long time....

Planted a Smoke tree.

Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'

Pronounced: koe-TY-nus koe-GIG-ree-ah

That's it to the right side in the bird bath picture. I suppose I need a better picture to document that properly. Oh well....another time.

Instead of that ...you can see my monsterously huge pansy!

It's a sole survivor from last year. I had half a dozen encircling the bath but the other ones were so weak they gave up to my rake in early spring. This one held fast and really thrived after I scattered hunks of rabbit poop around. I don't compost it first. I mix it directly into the soil with my cultivator.

Poison Ivy...I know what it looks like. But it got me twice this year before it showed up.

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Dear Blank Blog----
How can I fill you up?
This Springtime entry started above, was the last attempt I made at writing to you.
I just can't keep up with being clever and creative and all that it entails.
So--- I will continue to post at my own lack of speed.
I don't know who will see this but I've decided to write just to see for myself the changes in my life.
Everyday slips by and a new one steps up without me really remembering half of what happened.
I was crushed when somebody thought I put the elephant clip in here as a hoax.
That's not at all me to try and fool anyone... and I did a fair amount of research since.
The elephant's name is Hong and as a matter of fact she most surely can paint an elephant. It is not a HOAX!!!

This Is Great

Please --- pretty please --- pretty please with a cherry on top!
Scroll down to the bottom of this page and see the video clip. I didn't want it to get lost in the archives as a posting would, so I added it as a page element. The video shows an elephant painting a picture. If you have the time and would like to see an elephant using their God given talent -- please look. I hope you've been well. I won't make excuses for not posting here often. I'm just happy that you still come here to look at least once in a while. I hope this video not only amuses but inspires. Thank-you for stopping in. I appreciate each visit.

Just another post

I visit blogs like a doctor makes rounds. I follow links blindly until I wonder how did I get here? Then when it comes to posting on my own blog I'm in a funk. Sometimes I just don't know where I fit in. I'm happy to be me yet at the same time I'm boggled by our diversity. I'm bloggled!

This is a part of my world - what I saw looking out my kitchen window. I ran to get the camera and shot through the window pane. Didn't dare go outside because I might scare "it". Out of 3 quick clicks this shot was the best I could come up with. Upon close study I suspect it's a female Cardinal molting her feathers in a drastic way. But at the time all I could think of was I've discovered a tiny vulture species.

All the other birds were keeping they're distance.

I watched for her but haven't seen her since. Now most people would go on about their day and not give another thought about it. But...not me. I think about her. I blog about her. I wonder how she is and I somehow can relate to her. I imagine she sees her own reflection in the shiny plastic window of the bird feeder and is thinking --that's me?--Gee, I feel much prettier than I actually look.

Well......it's not much is it? But its all I got today. Thank-you for the visit. xox ~Elaine

Happy Easter

Good Friday

First Day of Spring

These little snowdrops welcomed me to spring over at Green Briar Nature Center, Sandwich MA.
If you get to know me well then you'll discover I love wildflowers, birds, being outside and basically anything to do with nature. Today being the first day of Spring seemed a good time to pay my tribute to the heralding snowdrop. Green Briar has hundreds of them marching through the landscape as if on parade.
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This is one of the few clumps I have growing in my own backyard.
Now with all these flowers you would hope to see them open and smiling but noooooooooooooooooooo. So I had to google one open to show you.

Or .....you can bring them inside where it's cozy and warm to coax them open as my sister did here.