Artist to watch… Joe Fidler… and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

On December 20, 2011December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

This is a two part post… the first part is a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dad. He’s the best… then, the Artist to Watch… !

Hey dad, I’m wondering how you are old enough to have a daughter my age, ha ha! We wish you the happiest birthday ever… You’re the absolute best! Miss you so much!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday, deeeaaaaar Daaaa-aaaad!

Happy Birthday to you… and many more!

My dad can do ANYTHING… some of the hobbies he’s had that quickly come to mind are… photography/developing photos in our basement, wine making (long time ago, wonder how that turned out?), rock polishing/jewelry making, canoe building, watercolor, oil, pen and ink, woodworking (beautiful jewelry boxes, lamps, wooden bowls, ornaments, you name it…), stained glass making… the list goes on and on… the man doesn’t get bored I can tell you that! A few years ago I gave him a sketchbook for Christmas, and told him one day when he filled it up with doodles, thoughts, etc he could pass it back (nice gift, eh?)… Perhaps this may have been the most stressful gift he’s ever received, ha ha… He gave it back to me less than two years later FILLED with gorgeous sketches, pen and ink and watercolor… I am sharing a few with you. He’s too talented. He needs a website ;)

I will share more with you in the coming months… this sketchbook is precious to me… I LOVE it!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Woohoo! To the love of my life… it’s your day!

On October 28, 2011October 18, 2011 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Don’t you just love this photo?? It was taken several years ago, our first trip to Maine, Monhegan Island to be exact. If I were to give this photo a title it would be INNER PEACE. Good one, eh? This is one of our favorite places in the world. I think we are destined to become island people… all of our favorite places are islands. On our first trip back from Monhegan, sitting on the wharf waiting for the Laura B. all I could say is that I didn’t want to leave. Not in a “I don’t want to leave because I’m having too much fun” kind of way, but more of a “this is where I belong and it’s difficult to leave” kind of way… We both felt that from the first year our feet hit the ground. While in Maine you just feel so content. So happy. So relaxed… It’s life… The way it should be…

Back to the reason I started this post…

WOOHOO FRED!!!! Happy Birthday!! If I could give Fred one thing for his birthday it would be a trip to Monhegan, although the season is over, the inn is closed and let me just say… WHERE WOULD WE EAT? Ha ha… So Fred… I wish you the happiest birthday ever. A year full of happiness and no worries, I am blessed beyond belief to be your wife. I love you so much!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

What a cutie!! Happy day!

On August 19, 2011August 18, 2011 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

SCAN0002 — Mom (Sheila) and me (Barbara)... 1963

Happy day! Let me just say, it’s my birthday… it is what it is… i’m not sad that i’m another year older, good grief… rather thankful would be more like it! I think every day that you wake up should be a good day, right?! Thank you to all of you who have sent me happy birthday wishes, you’re all too kind!

I wish you all a very happy day. We plan to sit back and chill and have a fabulous day, I wish the same for you!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Many happy wishes!

On August 9, 2011July 29, 2011 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Lots of wishes for the next two days… let me start with my sister… It’s Bridget’s birthday today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! You’re a great sister, we have a blast and I miss you TONS… Hope this is a wonderful birthday for you!! You certainly deserve it! You’re a great mom, wife, daughter AND sister. You certainly keep busy making everyone’s world a nicer and more happy place. God is smiling down upon you… let your pleasures be many and your worries be few, that is my birthday wish for you… (i’m a poet and don’t know it?)!

Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad! I guess it’s 53 years now?? Whoa! Congratulations to you both for doing something that is almost unheard of in this day and age! You are an inspiration! Fred and I are so fortunate that our parents are still married. You guys are the best!

My wish for you is continued happiness together! I pray for your health, and cannot wait until I see you guys again. Darn this living far away from each other is torture! Come to your senses and move to SC, hee hee… that will be about the time we can’t take the heat anymore and move to Maine, ha ha… but wherever we all end up it doesn’t matter as long as we’re together or at least within reasonable driving distance… Have PTSD from the last car ride… 17.5 hours in a day is about 13.5 more than I can handle. Strap me in the backseat with a DVD player, some movies, treats and if all else fails some chewable Benadryl next time… Charlie can have the front seat! Hee hee… (nothing against your driving Fred, really! Awesome job, I just have the attention span of a gnat and 17.5 hours rattled my brain beyond what is comprehensible!)… ok, I’m a drama queen…

: Happy Birthday William!

And finally… tomorrow is Bill’s birthday… HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL! Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing birthday maybe with something tossed on the grill, some cake (real cake, please ask Bridget to make you a REAL cake) and a float down the river! ENJOY YOURSELF!!!

Ok y’all, I appreciate you sticking around for all my wishes this week! I wish all of YOU the happiest week ever! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Birthday gift idea: a gold chain for his furry chest…

On July 26, 2011 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

: Happy 2 year birthday Charlie!! You’ve turned out to be an angel… thank you God!

I can’t seem to come up with a good excuse, other than the fact that time got away from me… I have good intentions but I get stuck in my everyday routine and completely forget the important things sometimes. Argh! It’s our little beast’s two year birthday today. I really wanted to find him a nice gold chain, maybe with a peace sign or something, to hang on his furry little chest. Hee hee… Can you imagine. Kind of like something for a furry man maybe in the 70’s with the shirt unbuttoned low (mid-life-crisis look), ok, maybe a little too disco… humph! I think we’ll order him a box of bully springs that he loves to chew on and call it a day! I need to find his birthday hat, it’s here somewhere. Last year I was in Michigan, so it was a challenge for me to get it on AND snap a picture in the nano second that he left it on… We love this little guy. Things started out a little rough. He’s never been bad, just so afraid of everything. Of me, of Fred, of the outside, the fire hydrant, the grass and on and on… slowly (and with the encouragement of cooked chicken pieces) he’s learned not to be afraid of things… he’s definitely NOT afraid of other dogs. He’s the official Walmart greeter, he greets every dog no matter where we go, it’s the sweetest thing to watch. Now people, hmmm, it’s a slow process and they definitely have to EARN his affection. This can take time, but it’s worth the wait. He’s a special little beast. And WOOHOO CHARLIE, it’s raining today… NO WALK IN THE HEAT TODAY! (Don’t feel too sorry for him, he gets walked practically before the sun comes up and then he flies into the backyard where he jumps up on the teak table waiting to be hosed off to cool down. This dog has so much personality… He is accepting cards and gifts, hee hee… HAPPY 2 YEAR BIRTHDAY CHARLIE!

Here’s one of the pictures from the breeder… it was love at first site…

100_3361 — When I told him he was being neutered...

Charlie with TP — Ahhh, went through LOTS of TP!

charlie 1 yr bday hat — Last year's birthday pic!

Ahhh, yes, I am thankful that he’s grown up some. We can now have toilet paper on the roll instead of up high out of his reach. It’s the little things in life, ha ha… Truly, Charlie is a joy to be around, and I can’t imagine how quiet things would be here without him! Happy birthday Beast!

If you are one of the few that hasn’t heard about Charlie’s blog (from his first year), if you want a laugh, click HERE… I wish I could publish that into a book!

Catch you back here tomorrow!