smiles......Friday.

My Uncle David attached this photo to one of his emails....

I love Sunflowers.

LOVE.

They always make me smile.

I hope your day is filled with 

love

smiles

and 

sunflowers......

Oh, my bloggy friends......Merry Christmas to you!

I wish I had that time and the energy to visit each and every 

blog that I cherish....

there are so many of you!

I am honored to have found many women 

who seem to see the world in ways 

that I admire and concur....

So many of you take wonderful images....

I have to admit,

by the time I get around to 

posting or reading blogs

I am weary of my camera.

I have found the iPhone to be the most wonderful of tools.....

This image quickly snapped with said iPhone....

as well as this one.....

When you go to a party and find the food is worth the 

trouble of taking a photo!

don't you love these cute little ornament place card holders?

you simply cannot allow me to sit this close to the cheese.....as you can plainly see....

Oh yes, 

I have friends.....

friends that cook!

and I mean COOK!

I am stuffed better than the turkey this year.

Gratitude.

much gratitude.....

I celebrated a 20 year anniversary this year that reminds me

I am fortunate beyond words....

Thank you all for your words...

I feel privileged to have shared your moments of joy

of fear....

of angst...

of creativity...

of concern...

of patriotism...

and 

most 

importantly,

Love.

of course the greatest of these is love....

thank you.

smiles.

Guilty pleasures......

Now

you

will

know

just

how

old

I

am......

still 

makes

me 

swoon...

smiles.

love.....

Source: life-love-laughter.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

For Japan with love....

Please go HERE

to help....

smiles.

I love you....

more than you can imagine....

more than I thought myself capable....

more than our years will allow us....

more than chocolate....

bread....

coffee.....

More today than yesterday.

I will love you no matter what.

 I will love you if you are stupid,

 if you slip and fall on your face,

 if you do the wrong thing, 

if you make mistakes,

 if you behave like a human being 

- I will love you no matter.
--Leo Buscaglia

smiles.....

Red warms the heart...

soothes the soul.....

calms the mind.....

feels like home.....

and at same time,

it can be 

the perfect 

color.

Like that 

mug, warming with 

freshly boiled water,

as the coffee steeps in the french press... 

or the cardinal that smiles at you from afar....

only to suprise you with his strange cross-beaked bite....

forgive the fuzziness....

this was taken with a long lenses,

but I just couldn't resist the 

beak....normal for him, but disconcerting for me...

And then 

there is this guy...

who appears to be giving me a rather rude 

gesture....but in reality, I caught him 

with 

"his pants down", so to speak...
but check out his
red cap!

We are thawing out around my town...

but there are still piles of snow and ice around in shady spots...

Red

catches my eye...

and reminds me that my favorite holiday is coming up!

Valentines Day is 

just around the corner.

Do you send Valentines?

Do you make them?

Do you receive them from the people you love?

Would you like to?

I absolutely adore making 

Valentines, and have stocked up this year on supplies.

I will document some crafty stuff this coming week,

and will post it.

If you make Valentines,

please share!

I would love to see what you do....

Perhaps you would be willing to post photos, too!

and then come back here and let me know where to find you.

I should warn you,

as much as I enjoy the process, 

my Valentines are, well....

sort of basic,

elementary,

uncomplicated,

but

they 

are filled

with 

LOVE!

smiles......

A visual expression of love.....

Please indulge me.....

this is a powerful video.

A friend sent it to me....

and I cried....no sobbed.

It is powerful.

Now,

I don't want to get into a 

discussion on faith, ethics, or politics.....

What I see here is 

LOVE.....pure and simple.

If you do not have a 

tissue, don't even think about 

watching this....

As the Beatles said...

All you need is love.

smiles.

Ordinary thoughts....

Several years ago...

my son suggested an writer/artist/singer

 that he listened to and thought that 

I would like....

He very nicely cam over,

loaded some songs 

and said that I would especially like 

the first one....

Honestly,

it slipped my mind.

Then,

a few months later,

I listened....

and liked.

And over the years 

I have listened a bit more....

and 

well, I have come to the conclusion

that I should listen more seriously to 

what my son suggests.

John Legend,

his song

"Ordinary People",

makes one believe that men

think....

have feelings....

mourn...

wound easily...

heal...

and 

love.

smiles.

More pearls

More pearls, originally uploaded by ellenmr.

I know...
this man must be crazy.
He didn't have to bring me a thing,
just come home to me in good shape.
But ....
he must have eaten the mushrooms
or
something like that....
as he brought me these too....
How lucky am I?

Easter pearls

Easter pearls, originally uploaded by ellenmr.

My life is so good that you would think I would feel guilty for receiving these....I don't (smiles). My sweetie was away in China for entirely too long....and now that I have him back....I am thrilled....and wearing gorgeous pearls!

Mom and kid bonding

Mom and kid bonding, originally uploaded by Michelle Fabio.

Michelle Fabio is known to many of you from her blog

Bleeding Espresso.

Well, she is also a wonderful photographer.

I just love the series of photos and video that she has 

posted lately featuring these goats.

Sweet baby with the waggly tail! 

smiles.

You know that feeling...

when you are so happy to have someone in your arms....

and you really don't want to let go?

Well,

that feeling is coming on strong...

In approximately 90 minutes

(not that I'm counting...)

I will get in the car,

drive to he airport,

sit in the "cell phone lot"

(where you wait for your someone to call and say they are ready)

and wait for my sweetie....

Yeah!

Don't get me wrong...

I have not been sitting around 

pining for some company...

or even wishing the days away...

nope,

I've been busy as a bee...

doing the things

 that you simply cannot do

 when there is someone else

in the house.

But now that the 12 days are

coming to a close....

I am ready to see my baby...

sweetie...

honey-pie...

(sweet enough for you?)

The Bradford pear trees out front 

are full of blooms...

The daffodils are past their peak,

the hydrangeas are budding out like crazy.

And

my sweetie is on a plane..

heading south.

smiles.

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

Betcha By Golly Wow!

There's a spark of magic in your eyes

Candyland appears each time you smile

Never thought that fairy tales came true

But they come true when I'm near you

You're a genie in disguise

Full of wonder and surprise

And betcha by golly, wow

You're the one that I've been waiting for forever

And ever will my love for you keep growin' strong

Keep growin' strong

If I could I'd catch a falling star

To shine on you so I'll know where you are

Order rainbows in your favorite shade

To show I love you, thinking of you

Write your name across the sky

Anything you ask I'll try, `cause

Betcha by golly, wow

You're the one that I've been waiting for forever

And ever will my love for you keep growin' strong

Keep growin' strong

Betcha by golly, wow

You're the one that I've been waiting for forever

And ever will my love for you keep growin' strong

Keep growin' strong

Betcha by golly, wow

You're the one that I've been waiting for forever

And ever will my love for you

(Thom Bell and Linda Creed)

 

Actually,

our anniversary is January 1st....

but I plan to be busy tomorrow,

so this is my opportunity to

let you know how

fortunate I find myself.

 

As some of you know...

my sweetie and I are

"re-treads"

meaning...

we have tried this marriage thing

a time or two...

and well....finally God intervened

and we found each other.

It has been five years.

Doesn't sound like a lot...

but in 50-something years, it is a lifetime.

 

I have never been happier,

and find myself

excited when ever he comes home from being away...

giddy even..

blessed (I know)...

smiles.

 

Listen here..

 

 

gratitude......

Today....

I am grateful.

Some of the angels in my life came over

and brought...

GIFTS!

in the way of dinner....

Oh my how I do love gifts,

but most especially the ones that you can eat.

Love went into every part of this.

Salad makings....including toppings and poppy seed dressing

(from Trader Joe's no less....)

Pasta...fresh, even...

sweet veggies to toss with the pasta and olive oil...

A beautiful bottle of wine.

ROSES, pink....my favorite!

Tea and sweets....

and the very best of all..

(I know, because I am eating some right now)

homemade Pumpkin bread!!!

What could be better than all of this

brought to us on a cool rainy fall day!

I told you there were angels..

smiles.

Unexpected pleasures....

Isn't it wonderful when someone makes

the effort....

a nice gesture....

a thoughtful moment...

simply saying "I love you"...

yes.

It is.

I love to receive flowers...

not fancy ones..

like a dozen long stem flowers wrapped up in a

white box, with a red ribbon tied all around...

that type of gift was "used" for years to

win my forgiveness....

it worked for so long,

I would hate to admit it.

No...

what I like now is a bouquet,

gathered by amateurs..

tied with string..

and presented in a clean Ball jar,

maybe a grosgrain ribbon, from an

old gift bag tied up around the top of the jar.

If it is inexpensive

I love them even more...

as time and thought went into

finding them.

I love flowers...

smiles.

Your childhood friend.....

That's Cheri and me at Myrtle Beach SC...

circa, 1974.

We have been best friend since we were pre schoolers..

we went to elementary, middle, and high school together...

12 years.

We played kick ball, played in the creek, swam at the local pool,

roamed the neighborhood, played tricks on our younger

siblings, watched soap operas, read her older sister's trashy

magazines, smoked our first cigarette, drank our first beer,

tried our first joint, skipped school, drove too fast,

kissed the boys, sometimes made them cry....

fought with each other, made up....

went our separate ways,

got married,

got back together,

had babies,

got busy,

had mid-life crisis's,

divorced,

remarried (me, twice)

came out (her),

cried,

laughed,

dreamed,

learned,

and now,

she has gone her own way,

again.

We talk,

I feel sick,

we laugh,

it doesn't help....

I am sometimes

sad.....

Father....

I am so grateful for my father....

His guidance....

his honesty...

his trust...

his love...

I now realize how lucky I truly am...

Today I am having him over for dinner...

along with assorted family from both sides,

but it is he that I am the most grateful for.

Happy Father's Day!

Young love........

Matt and Chelsea...

two sweet young adults.....

working hard on their future....

too shy to ask for help...

too smart to need much...

I am so fortunate to have them in my life.

They are smart, easy to be with.....

so in love.

Remember that?

How difficult it was to think of anything else?

So exciting to be together....

Young love......ahhhh.....

Irritating as Hell.....and worth every minute.

See the pollen?

Big, round, greenish yellow blobs of it?

Each particle of pollen must have spikes on it.

I have discovered sinuses where no human has them...

My head is practically useless....

No, I mean even more than usual.

I feel a little like Atlas, only I am carrying nothing but my head.

But aren't they BEAUTIFUL?

The dogwood is our state tree.

Some years it disappoints.

Not this year.

They are sprinkled like fluffy snow throughout the wooded areas.

They lift and fall with the breezes.....

They make you want to rip your sinuses out.

Love them.