Meeerrrrry Christmas!

As someone who enjoys being creative, each year I paint at least one Santa. This years' jolly old man is featured at right and I am very pleased indeed. I'm not sure yet if I'll keep him or gift him. He was done using Jansen Art Traditions acrylic resin paints and mediums. Ahhhhhhhhh ~ life is good as I grow in my artwork. One of the secret treasures in this paint line is the Extender & Blending Medium. What a joy to work with.

Christmas blessings to all who stop by.

The Shortest Day ~ First Day of Winter

Happy winter. Tomorrow the days begin to lengthen little by little. I always look forward to this day in the year, just as much as I look forward to that time when we move our clocks ahead in spring.

No ... I am not in any way, hurrying my life by but in my bones I am a mild season person I 'spose. I love the long days of light so much more than the bleak and cold days of fall and winter. Peace to the seasons though. I long ago found an acceptance of it all. Balance and compromise. Hmmm, a lesson for living eh? I am ever hopeful in that ebb and flow ~ the life dance I call it.

Despite some mild wintry blahs that seemed to influence my mood the last month or so, it's also the time to look forward and begin thinking of garden season; time to muse on the veggies I want to plant, the ways I'll do things different this year (not quite as many tomato plants for instance) and relocating Den's artichokes. They get so huge! I'll add more herbs this year and be fearless in cutting back all that chocolate mint. It smells lovely though when brushed against. More frequent sowing of greens too for fresh leafy salads and lots more beets too! What a great way to contemplate the first day of winter. :>)

Tis the Season

What a wonder the desert of southern CA is this AM. Mother Nature granted my Christmas wish ~ it's snowing, hard and huge and it's sticking to everything. We've got maybe two inches so far. Yay from this transplant from Maine!

I remember the winters of my childhood on eventful, surprising days like this. No school announcements! Skating, snowman building, flying saucers and toboggans too, with all of us dressed up like the Michelin man in our snowsuits and layers, triple socks, two pairs of mittens (attached with clips or a hand crocheted chain that went through our sleeves and dangled from the openings), scarfs wrapped as many times as they could be and heavy woolen caps all askew.

Everyone it seems took a day off for winter activities when the sledding or skating was good, even the adults ... well not the moms but usually the dads and Uncle Mitch if he was around. Chapped faces, snotty noses, and the cold though I don't really remember being bothered by the cold. None of us were until the day was done and we headed home; noses, fingers and toes frozen.

But ahhhhhhhhh ... hot cocoa, the good kind made with milk and topped with marshmallow Fluff enjoyed in the warmth of home, usually complemented by some sort of chewy, stewy something or other cooking on the old oil stove. Life seemed a lot simpler then.

The Date!

As I mentioned the other day, The Nutcracker Ballet was on for Saturday night. Den was a very good sport despite some ribbing from neighbor Bill. Our theater LPAC (that would be Lancaster Performing Arts Center) is a small and intimate but also very, very nice. It was the first time we've had balcony seats so we were a bit stage right but for a ballet, I think that's a good thing 'cause you can see it all vs watching at eye level. I had a wonderful time, the ballet company was complemented by now professional dancers who started here in the AV.



So back to the date aspect of 'our' evening. In the hustle and bustle of daily life and the dance it weaves, we probably all take advantage of those whom we love. This is a public thank you to Dennis who puts up with so much, living with me! I love you for taking me to the ballet (no matter what Bill said about it!) You are just the best my love and I won't tell Bill you clapped at least as loudly and often as the rest of us did. :>)

New Day ~ New Venture

My buddy Suzie Wymola was talking 'bout blogging so here goes. I'm a good sport though I am also admittedly working blindly here, never having 'blogged' before. Ah well, it's said we stay young if we keep challenging our brains.

I have been thinking lately about living on purpose or perhaps to clarify let me paraphrase and simply call it living with purpose. I do try to do that but being human, of course I falter ~ often too. The key though (I think) is to re-correct as needed and get going again.

Along that line of thought and since I am nearing 55 years (my God! how can it be so many decades already?), tonight I am doing something I have wanted to do since I was a little girl ! That is ... to see The Nutcracker. Granted it's only a local production but that doesn't matter one bit. I am going and that's that. Each year it comes and I always find sensible (meaning $) reasons to not buy tickets. This evening (and as I think of it, this blog too) marks a purposeful day.