This is a slightly belated entry for Blooming Friday at 'Roses and stuff' which is kindly hosted each week by Katarina. The theme for this week is 'Feeling Blue'.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
'Brief Encounter'
I had a voucher for 15% discount from a DIY store which was valid for this weekend only, so this afternoon I hotfooted it there for a good mooch round. The gardening section is quite small but I was pleased to come away with a couple of always useful pots and a little African violet. The assistant tucked the African violet in the pot for me to take away and I was taken with the combination. It was but a short lived acquaintance as the violet is much to little to reside in the pot just now but maybe one day in the future......
This is a slightly belated entry for Blooming Friday at 'Roses and stuff' which is kindly hosted each week by Katarina. The theme for this week is 'Feeling Blue'.
This is a slightly belated entry for Blooming Friday at 'Roses and stuff' which is kindly hosted each week by Katarina. The theme for this week is 'Feeling Blue'.
Scary House…
So…I have a cousin…
who lives in Canada
who happens to be a very talented photographer
He calls himself James. I call him Jimmy.
Cousin Jimmy
He took a shot of our house a couple of weeks ago…guesthouse and courtyard to be exact…
Cue scary music.
I’m afraid to even enter the gate…
...and I live here.
Images: James Amundson
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Spring Break?
After getting home from work late last night and heading back to work this morning at 7:15, I've decided - SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. My musician daughter is on a multi-state tour, currently performing in Colorado and will soon be headed to Beirut for a music festival. She called over the weekend, totally happy with life, just trying to take in the beauty of the countryside. My sons are having the time of their lives visiting the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Italy for spring break. My youngest son posted on Facebook that he's going to need a vacation to recover from his vacation. We've enjoyed laughing at some of their crazy escapades - especially the one where they lost their car!
Update - DIL just posted on Facebook:
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Hands of A Gardener
H IS FOR?
HORROR SHOW!
Yes it's that time of year when my hands begin to take a hammering and my battle with eczema starts its yearly cycle. They are already the victim of years of neglect. My mother's advice to protect and moisturise has gone unheeded and now I look down at them and don't recognise them as my own. They are more horribly wrinkly ~ crinkly than any other part of me. I hate wearing gloves to garden - I think that they can be a hindrance. I dislike the feeling of barrier creams. There is also the additional complication of the eczema which with age seems to be hitting my hands. As a child it was the back of my knees and the inside of my elbows that caused me endless grief. The condition hindered me from swimming once I got into my teens and became more self - conscious.
I am sure that I have worked my way through every possible cream, lotion, potion and ointment known to the medical profession and the pharmacy counters. With the passage of the years the condition has cleared up somewhat and since finishing work my legs are symptom free. I put this down firstly to less stress but more down to the fact that I no longer wear tights everyday. However the hands still hurt so any tips, recommendations for relief from fellow sufferers would be more than welcome ~ please let me know what works for you.
To ease the horror I photographed my hand near a hellebore. These beauties are just coming into their own and had H been a week or two later they would have had the upper hand.
P.S. Contact with hellebores can cause allergic reactions but I assure you that my hands were not harmed in the course of taking this photo.
Hop over here to ABC Wednesday now for more on the letter H.
HORROR SHOW!
Yes it's that time of year when my hands begin to take a hammering and my battle with eczema starts its yearly cycle. They are already the victim of years of neglect. My mother's advice to protect and moisturise has gone unheeded and now I look down at them and don't recognise them as my own. They are more horribly wrinkly ~ crinkly than any other part of me. I hate wearing gloves to garden - I think that they can be a hindrance. I dislike the feeling of barrier creams. There is also the additional complication of the eczema which with age seems to be hitting my hands. As a child it was the back of my knees and the inside of my elbows that caused me endless grief. The condition hindered me from swimming once I got into my teens and became more self - conscious.
I am sure that I have worked my way through every possible cream, lotion, potion and ointment known to the medical profession and the pharmacy counters. With the passage of the years the condition has cleared up somewhat and since finishing work my legs are symptom free. I put this down firstly to less stress but more down to the fact that I no longer wear tights everyday. However the hands still hurt so any tips, recommendations for relief from fellow sufferers would be more than welcome ~ please let me know what works for you.
To ease the horror I photographed my hand near a hellebore. These beauties are just coming into their own and had H been a week or two later they would have had the upper hand.
P.S. Contact with hellebores can cause allergic reactions but I assure you that my hands were not harmed in the course of taking this photo.
Hop over here to ABC Wednesday now for more on the letter H.
I know which one I like...
...but which one do you prefer and why?
Maybe you could also share what you might have done differently.
Maybe you could also share what you might have done differently.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
How to Live in Your Bedroom
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| One of the grands bedroom |
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| Photo courtesy of Hooked On Houses |
My first real job was a teaching position and I made $7,000 a year. It's not much money now and it wasn't very much then either. When I started looking for a place to live I had to find something that was within my budget so you can imagine how excited I was to find an efficiency apartment for just $155 a month! Even better was that the apartment was just 8 miles from the high school where I taught - not too close, but not too far. My efficiency was great too, minus the harvest gold shag carpet. It was a one bedroom efficiency with a half wall divider that separated the living room/kitchen from the bedroom. Being able to move into that tiny little apartment was my Mary Tyler Moore moment and though I had no sofa, my table, chairs and shelving were perfect.
Thirty-three years later, my bedroom is my favorite room in our house. Not because of the decor (though I do love my bed), but more because it's my quiet corner of the world where I can cocoon in my little haven. I guess I should also mention that a feng shui expert took one look at my bedroom and told me to start over because it looked like a granny room.
A few weeks after we moved in this house my dad died. It was a very sad time for me. We were in a new house with neighbors we didn't know and it was Thanksgiving weekend. I felt so alone but somehow my bedroom was a comforting space and I learned then that having this very safe place can help restore me. I also learned to treasure having a quiet and private space.
A few weeks after we moved in this house my dad died. It was a very sad time for me. We were in a new house with neighbors we didn't know and it was Thanksgiving weekend. I felt so alone but somehow my bedroom was a comforting space and I learned then that having this very safe place can help restore me. I also learned to treasure having a quiet and private space.
I've always been amazed at Louis XIV's bedchamber and how the room was used for ceremonies and royal business. Can you imagine hosting public events in such a private place?
As the weekend comes to an end I'm so happy to have had some quiet time in my treasured space. Hope you had some of the same.
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