Plans to make. Presents to wrap. Trees to water. Goodies to bake. It won’t be long now and Santa will be dropping off his gifts!
In the midst of the hustle and bustle try to take a moment to remember the reason for the season… Catch you back here tomorrow!
(Image: biblelockscreen.com)
“In the Wilds of the North” by Ivan Shishkin, 1891
An amazing painting, isn’t it? This is “In the Wilds of the North” by artist Ivan Shiskin. Cold and eerie but also a little magical as well. A fitting painting for the first day of Winter! I ran across this painting on Facebook Jonathan McPhillips had posted this and when I saw it I knew it was perfect for this day! (Check out his work if you get a chance… AH-MAZING to say the least!).
What’s the big deal about the first day of Winter you may wonder… here’s a little blip from the Farmer’s Almanac:
The start of winter—the winter solstice—is the shortest day of the year, when the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting longer. See our First Day of Winter page!
Pretty cool, eh? Catch you back here tomorrow!
Image: Wikipedia.com
From TIMESSQUARENYC.ORG – they are doing this again this year… the New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall. You can submit your wishes (write them on paper) if you’re in NYC, or you can submit them using the link below and your wishes will be dropped at midnight in Times Square on New Year’s Eve! It only takes a second… and it certainly can’t hurt! Good luck with those wishes!
From TIMESSQUARENYC.ORG
Each year people from around the globe write their wishes for the New Year on pieces of official Times Square New Year’s Eve confetti. Whether it’s a personal goal, a dream for the future or doing something for the very first time, these wishes will be posted on the New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall located in the Times Square Museum & Visitor Center(7th Ave between 46th & 47th Streets, open 7 Days a Week, 8AM – 8PM).
The wishes are collected at the end of the year, and added to the one ton of confetti that flutters down at midnight onto the crowd gathered in Times Square in celebration of the New Year.
BUT WAIT… still good news if you’re not going to be in NYC! I did this last year… and mentioned it on my blog… how cool is this??
Virtual Wishing Wall
Can’t make it to Times Square? No worries, your wishes can still fall from the sky this New Year’s. Just submit your wish, your dream, your first, online. We will print it onto a piece of confetti for you, so that no matter where you are on New Year’s Eve, your wish will be part of the Times Square celebration. Happy New Year
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Here is a photo from my past trip to Michigan. The weather was fair for the most part, a tad bit rainy, but no snow… the sunrises/sunsets are AMAZING. It’s probably best that I don’t live on the water because I would never get anything done! As soon as I get in the front door from taking photos… BAM the sky moves, more sun/bright colors peek through, and back I go! This is the coolest little tree my dad made. More people stopped to look at it! It’s not much to look at during the day, but come dark… WHOA! Absolute magic! It’s an umbrella/table. On the top he put a round thingy… he attached the light to it at the top and secured them to the deck at the bottom. If I remember right he used smaller green lights to be the “tree” and bigger colored lights to be the “bulbs”. He scrunched and secured in areas as well so it wasn’t a straight shot from top to bottom… very cool indeed! The combination of the tree, the awesome sky and the “old fisherman crossing” sign just made this such an interesting subject. Those features coupled with the telephone pole and electric lines screamed to me… COLIN PAINTING. Funny how certain scenes remind me of a specific artist… This one was Colin Page!
Hope you’re out and about decorating and making things special for whichever holiday you’re celebrating! For us, it’s Christmas… we have the tree (check!), it’s decorated (check!) and it looks so beautiful! Next few days we’ll get some lights in a tree outside, then we can kick back and relax!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Well, I’ve been in Michigan visiting “my people”… trying to catch up after not seeing them for SEVEN MONTHS, ahhhh, it’s hard living far away from everyone! I’m writing this post ahead of time, and I am assuming that I’m way up high in the sky on my way home now… hope y’all missed me ;)
I’ve got lots of good stuff planned, so stay tuned…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Well, it’s that time of year… time to put up the Christmas tree! Have you ever had a tree fall over after you’ve decorated it? In the 20 years that we’ve been married we’ve had two trees topple over… devastating consequences… the first tree had lots of glass (beautiful) bulbs… only a few of the glass bulbs survived… it happened as soon as we finished decorating it. It was beautiful. We went to bed and CRASH! Ugh… hours of cleanup and then cement blocks to keep it from falling over. Over the years we finally gave up the cement blocks. Do we REALLY need those big heavy things? Nah… We decorated the tree and a few days later CRASH. Tree toppled… water was everywhere. We had one of those big heavy duty stands that seemed (at the time) to hold about 90 gallons of water! We UNdecorated the tree (sigh)… and moved it to the sunroom… if it floods in there all is well… then we put a little cup hook in the moulding and have tied the top of the tree to it. You can’t see it, but it’s keeping the tree from taking a dive! That (and the cleanup) is the downside of a fresh tree. But the smell, ahhhh… I guess it’s what you grow up with. We always had a fresh tree, so I can’t think of anything but.
Whether fresh or fake, Christmas trees and their beautiful lights can give off such a nice warm glow. I love that! The bonus is that we can see the Christmas tree that’s in our sunroom, but it’s in a cooler room away from the fireplace!
Enjoy your tree! Catch you back here tomorrow!
This photo was taken three years ago, shortly after we got the little beast affectionately referred to as Charlie! This was before he got fuzzy… pretty soon the hair grew in front of his eyes and his coat got longer. He’s soft but much like a Swiffer… you know, those cloths that dust clings to? Yep, that’s Charlie… when he goes outside he comes in like a little Swiffer… have to de-swifferize him before he comes in the house, ha ha…
This is Charlie three years later…
Hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Are you getting your shopping done for Christmas…? Can you believe how quickly it got here this year… each year it seems to arrive a little earlier!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Some people like pretty stamps, and others just get the basic “Forever” stamp. I’m in the pretty stamp group. Especially if I’m sending a card to someone, I like to choose a pretty stamp instead of the basic “Forever” stamp, (good for bills, or mailings that aren’t personal). We went to the Post Office on a weekend, Fred ran in to purchase a book of stamps from the machine. He came out with the flag stamps you see above. I thought something had gone screwy with their machine. There are numbers all over the stamps and they’re… well… ugly. So I ran inside and tried it… basically the same result. Flowers instead of flags.
If you’re old enough, you’ll remember when there was no such thing as “generic”. Then the grocery stores started carrying a few “generic” items, packaged in bright white. I think these stamps look GENERIC!
I created the “pretty” flower stamps. Humph! They come in sheets of 10 ($4.50). So beware, if you like pretty stamps, stand in line and go to the Post Office on a weekday! These look like something someone printed in their basement… but they work, I hope!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Thanksgiving. The perfect day to think about all the things that you’re thankful for. I try to do this on a regular basis, because I have many things on my list!
Here is a tiny fraction of some of the things I’m grateful for…
Health. Family. Husband and Best Friend. Charlie beast. Color in the trees. A roof over my head. Electricity. Water. Freedom. Chocolate. Waking up in the morning. And…
YOU! Thank YOU for taking the time out of your busy day to stop by and read my daily post!
Like I said… a tiny fraction!
I wish you a very Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving! We’re going to eat good food today, visit with family and hopefully fit in several walks…!
Hey, just in case you need this today… from the Butterball Turkey Talk website, you can call the Butterball people if you have ANY questions about what to do with your turkey today:
Phone Number: 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372). The Butterball®Turkey Talk-Line is open annually in November and December.
Open to residents of the United States and Canada. Bilingual assistance is available (English and Spanish).
Over the years, the Butterball® Turkey Talk-Line experts have solved some puzzling turkey situations, like which pan to use, what to do when the turkey is on fire, and when to start roasting the turkey so it’s ready by halftime. Read the answers to their most frequently asked questions.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Image: CybelePascal.com/
I would like to congratulate the City of Charleston on a job well done! The job hasn’t been completed yet, but the results are amazing. The greenway used to be a great path if you had the type of bike that could handle the ruts and rocks. However, if you have a beach cruiser, it’s not a good time… I tried once… got about 5 miles out and back… parts fell off my bike and my guts were shaken. BUT… it was one beautiful ride! Especially towards the end, absolutely amazing! We’re so fortunate to have it so close! A quick two block walk and we’re there! This section has been paved, the barrier remains until they’ve completed it. So pretty at sunset with the big old oak trees.
I love seeing so many people with grocery bags, or bags from other stores. Which means they’re utilizing the Greenway by walking/biking to the store instead of hopping in a car… great for you, great for the world. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s mighty nice. You can park at South Windermere Shopping Center, go for a walk, and when you come back, you can grab a hot drink, some delicious food at one of the many places, pop in the antique store, the dog store, the library, Half Moon Outfitters, etc. etc…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
“Veteran In A New Field” by Winslow Homer / Image: MetMuseum.org
A fitting painting for Veteran’s Day, don’t you think? This was painted by Winslow Homer in 1865, and has quite the story behind it.
Info is from the Met Museum:
Painted through the summer and fall of 1865, not long after the nation came to grips with Robert E. Lee’s surrender and mourned President Lincoln’s assassination—both of which occurred during the second week of April—Homer’s canvas shows an emblematic farmer who is a Union veteran, as is signified by his discarded jacket and canteen at the lower right. The painting seems to blend several related narratives. Most soldiers had been farmers before the Civil War. This man, who has returned to his field, holds an old-fashioned scythe that evokes the Grim Reaper, recalls the war’s harvest of death, and expresses grief upon Lincoln’s murder. The redemptive feature is the bountiful wheat—a Northern crop—which could connote the Union’s victory. With its dual references to death and life, Homer’s iconic composition offers a powerful meditation on America’s sacrifices and its potential for recovery.
A big, sincere THANK YOU to all the veterans out there who have fought hard for our freedom, thank you for your unending dedication! Our hearts will always thank you!
Well, jeez, it looks like maybe I should get busy and scrape and paint this fence before the cold weather appears! Hey, a good job for a nice sunny day!… Years ago when we had a pool installed we had pavers put down. Lots and lots of them (which is why my neighbors always see me out sweeping. All those leaves drive me crazy, sweep, sweep, sweep… and YEP, we have a blower. It seems as if one is constantly going and I don’t want to add to it. Plus, I like to sweep… We had also planted a big live oak tree several years prior to that… as you may have guessed the roots from the tree are now lifting some of the pavers. What to do? Who knows if it’s ok to dig up the pavers (cannot imagine doing this) and cutting the root, then putting the pavers back down? I’m no expert and just wondered if (hopefully) someone out there might be?
I always have liked this view into our backyard… years ago we painted the wooden (natural) fence a dark green, same with the garage and they quietly blended into the landscape. No longer does the fence or garage stand out, yippee! The weather is great in Charleston this time of year. For that I am so thankful! Whew, we lived through another summer, woohoo!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Image: CharlestonCup.net
Have you ever been to the Charleston Cup event? If not, now is the time to get your tickets! It’s a fun, festive time! Many of the women wear hats, the tents are festive and fancy, it’s a good time! Here’s a blip from Charleston Cup Steeplechase (check out their website for more info!):
The 19th running of the Charleston Cup is scheduled to take place at The Plantation at Stono Ferry on Sunday, November 11, 2012.
Sanctioned by The National Steeplechase Association, the Cup has become one of the premier sporting events in the Carolina Lowcountry, offering spectators the opportunity to experience live horse racing at its finest.
Started by the South Carolina Jockey Club, the Charleston Cup is much more than just a horse race. The Cup is the social event of the season – and definitely not to be missed! You don’t have to be a “horse person” to enjoy all the Charleston Cup has to offer. The race weekend kicks off with the elegant black-tie Race Ball on Friday. Live music, fabulous food and a special race preview combine to make this gala party an essential element in the total Cup experience.
Sunday morning, the real excitement begins as the nation’s top riders, trainers, and owners prepare to compete for purses totaling $50,000. Over 16,000 spectators will enjoy a full day at the races with exciting steeplechase and flat races. The gates open at 9:00 a.m., and attendees arrive early with their picnic baskets packed with everything from champagne and caviar to fried chicken and cold beer. A vendor village and tailgating are in full swing by the time the paddock call rolls around at 12:00 noon.
A steeplechase race differs from a flat race in many ways. Flat racing is exciting in that it has a great deal of speed while a steeplechase takes that speed and combines it with the danger of jumping. The thoroughbreds that run in steeplechase races are three years of age or older and have been trained specifically for ‘chasing.’ Additionally, the jockeys are typically larger than ones that would participate in a flat race. The extra height is necessary in order to have a better hold on the horse while soaring over the jumps.
Whether you are entertaining clients in a private corporate tent, relaxing with friends in a reserved parking space, or just spreading a blanket out for a picnic with a view, the Charleston Cup will provide one and all with the ingredients for a fun-filled weekend.
Click HERE to get tickets!
On another note… Charlie has been with us THREE YEARS as of today! Woohoo Charlie! Love this little beast!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Well this image pretty much sums it up… Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday at 2 AM, so turn your clocks back one hour… and while you’re at it… change the battery in your smoke detector!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Image: arstechnica.com
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