FIVE ON FRIDAY {2.5.16}

L.O.V.E. this publication!

 First issue - Christmas gift from Allie & Brian.

C.O.O.L... I'll be my brother-in-law could build something like this!

A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.

who wouldn't want a TIN MAN?? he captured my HEART!!

Q.U.O.T.A.B.L.E

adding another quote to my collection!

C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E.

aren't you amazed at the creativity of people?

posting at Five on Friday

off to Cambria Pines to preview a workshop

...thinking I may have a hard time concentrating in such a beautiful location!

BRICKS GALORE!!!

Fredericksburg, VA

"Architecture starts when you carefully put two BRICKS together. There it begins."

~ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Fredericksburg, VA

black iron fence, old BRICK & new BRICK 

Williamsburg, VA

BRICK path on the town center greenbelt

Williamsburg, VA

a canon-ball holds open the gate to an

original historic BRICK building

Jamestown, VA

the BRICK church that served the early settlers

Richmond, VA
Tredegar Ironworks, housed in a
historic BRICK building, was the munitions & canon supplier
during the Civil War

Richmond, VA
 BRICK furnace at Tredegar Ironworks

Arlington, VA
view from our AirBnB location - overlooking the BRICK condos & walkway to Virginia Square Metro

Washington DC
BRICK row houses along the street
leading to the White House
{if you walk straight ahead,
you'd be looking at the front lawn of the White House}

:: BRICKS ::
have played an important part in my life!

my dad was a skilled BRICK mason...

WEDNESDAY WANDERINGS 9.17.14

(observed at Gopher Glen Apple Farm)

need a hand?

did you lose something?

THURSDAYS "R" FOR SEWING!

THURSDAYS, mom goes to her quilt group!

SO... my sewing machine is up & our bedroom is littered with bits of thread!
feels good!

completed projects!

An "engagement gift" for ACE & Brian!

{these turned out cuter than I thought}
if these weren't a "gift" I'd be tempted to
to keep these pillowcases! 
Don't they look CUTE in my guest room?

STAYING HOME...

resting, reading, relaxing, reclining... recuperating

from a 'little surgery"

my male nurse (JPE) is amazing!

BEAUTIFUL... HARMONY...

Harmony, CA ~ population 18

"The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty

are the only hours when we really live..."

~ Richard Jefferies

YES, the tiny little town of HARMONY, CA has a population of 18!

I've posted pictures taken in Harmony before,

but while taking a break from my "paid work"

(YES, I'm working today, a Saturday!!),

I decided to browse through my photo archives.

this tiny window was the Harmony Post Office...

the flowers were a brilliant, ripe-tomato-red

and it reminded me the month of RED is coming...

F.E.B.R.U.A.R.Y. 

Do you associate COLORS with WORDS?

 

BLISS...

quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne...

AHHHH!

It's FALL-ISH...

~ crisp, chilly mornings ~

scarves

long sleeves

sweaters & lightweight coats

52 shades of red, orange & yellow

{an exaggeration}

~ fluttering, rustling leaves ~

the smell of burning candles

& the sweetness of pumpkin bread

the heater comes on ~

it's time for flannel sheets!

What do you LOVE about this time of the year?

RIGHT AT YOUR HEELS...

H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S  is...

...hearing the heater come on this morning, FALL is coming.

...catching a ride to work with JPE, one less car on the road.

...seeing the trees in our condo complex, change color.

...cleaning & de-cluttering, ah! such a weight off our shoulders.

...walking up the stairway, no more dirty carpet.

...stripping the bed, clean sheets tonight!

What brings you H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S?

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 9.1.13 + SONG-OGRAPHY

9.1.13

You know the drill... check in with

ASHLEY @ RAMBLING & PHOTOS

here are the words for SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY

DOWN, SHADOW, FLOW, TIP & BEYOND

Lydia - Looking DOWN to re-button her shirt...

afternoon SHADOW casting some shade on these cheerful fellows...

FLOW(ing) water is relaxing...

tis the season for leaves of a poisonous nature!

Here's a handy TIP...

"take a ride"

just BEYOND the building are U-pick berry orchards... ummm... berry-stained fingers, tshirts & full tummies!

and noooooowwww... Song-ography. This week's song is "If I had a Million Dollars" by the Bare Naked Ladies. The lyrics talk about buying a home, furniture, a car, a fur coat (fake ~ because real fur would be cruel), and building a fort in the backyard tree with a tiny fridge filled with tiny sausages... the lyrics are catchy, the tune is easy to sing (even for someone like me, who can't sing on key)...

BUT ~ If I had a Million Dollars, it would be spent T-R-A-V-E-L-I-N-G.

I'd want to add to my "bank" of traveling memories. I've visited... the Netherlands (Amsterdam), Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia & Peru... and rented a flat for 3 weeks in London (with JPE)... In the 70's, traveling on a "shoestring budget" (does anyone remember the book, Europe on $5 a Day, by Arthur Frommer?) I also explored Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Spain & Portugal... (in addition to many of the countries already mentioned).

One of my favorite traveling quotes comes from the Dalai Lama,

"Once a year, GO SOMEPLACE you've never been before."

and while I've not been able to identify the author of this quote,
it's T-R-U-E for me!

"TRAVEL is the only thing you BUY that makes you RICHER."

FRUIT OF THE EARTH...

BLUE & WHITE (ARLINGTON, VA)

The last Friday of April is National Arbor Day...

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES FEEDING ON
EUCALYPTUS LEAVES (PISMO BEACH, CA)

find your state adopted Arbor Day HERE!
(California's observation was March 7-14, 2013)

TREE IN THE RAINFOREST (AMAZON RIVER, PERU)

The trees in the Amazon Rainforest have brilliant colors on their bark.

MAN-MADE COLORS - ALONG CHORRO ST (SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA)

Don't you LOVE the sweaters adorning this tree?

ATTACK FROM A VISITOR (ALLIE'S - SUNNYVALE, CA)

Swirling, twirling BIRD feeder being attacked by the squirrel(s)...

"PERFECTION" (SHELL BEACH, CA)

my favorite tree... it's located on the Chapman Estate
(a beach home that sits on a rocky bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean)

A TREE OUTSIDE A FAMOUS HOME (MT VERNON, VIRGINIA)

...home of George Washington!

JPE ZIP-LINING - (BIG BEAR, CA)

Trees CAN BE for play!

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy
 is in the eyes of others
only a green thing which stands in their way." 
~ William Blake

EVERYDAY MIRACLES...

the trees are "defuzzing"
 "Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men."
  ~ Chinese Proverb

"balancing act"

"Lilies remind me of Easter"

"Mother Nature's perfectly spaced jewels"

"contrasting colors"

Puttering around on the patio this morning before leaving for WORK!

RESOLVED!!!

ocean view on way home from work

When LIFE starts giving me

POKE in the SIDE

~ I go outside!

It's difficult to be

angry,

sad,

frustrated,

mad

(insert emotion here)

when you take a walk...

or sit & listen to the sounds of the birds...

or wind blowing leaves...

or feel the fresh air on your face...

TODAY'S CHANCE...

pic taken @ 9:15am

The BOYS have left!!!

{no, I haven't taken a second husband!

our charming friend, Marcus arrived Wednesday...

but will be leaving tomorrow for his home

in No California - BOO!!! not happy!}

Spending a love-ly, quiet morning

looking at blogs... PINTEREST... 

& looked up to see

the sun pouring through the kitchen window

into the living room...

{double BOO!! this view has already disappeared

as the sun moves up into the sky}

I can hear the frogs croaking their message...

{does this mean our weather will be changing?}

The BOYS will be back at NOON...

{headed to the Bob Jones Trail for a walk,

some photography, talking, a bite to eat

& may venture into SLO for a peek}

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 

tomorrow!!

{JPE & Marcus will be helping me

spot some photo ops!}

Wanna join us? 

{Look for: pattern(s), machine, signs or logos,

rocks or stones & sparkle}.

(1) Post the pictures on your blog

(2) Copy the link to that post

(3) Hop over Ashley's @ Rambling & Photos

(4) Paste your link at the bottom of the most current SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY post

(5) Then, visit the other participants

EASY!! PEASY!!!

GOSH... it's time... 

to CREATE TODAY...

Best get some laundry started... pack my camera... grab some snacks & be ready for the guys & our afternoon adventure! 

INTERRUPTING...

trees along James Way

Today is the Autumnal Equinox... 

or the official start of autumn

{although JPE doesn't like losing those daylight hours}

AH... COFFEE...

STOP!!!

WHAT'S THAT??
Glancing out of the corner of my eye...
I thought I saw my neighbor's cat, Peanut!!!

I almost dropped my coffee cup!
A tiny possum was walking near my feet...

Snapped a few pictures while he hid from view!

What a surprise??!!
Do you think his/her appearance is a
S-I-G-N?

DISCOVERING NEW LANDS!

Pismo Beach staircase

Mom arrived on Amtrak, Thursday evening. 

We took off for Sunnyvale to visit with the "girls"

yesterday after work!

SLE flew out to San Francisco (last week) to work

on a fundraising project. 

Staying at Allie's (ACE) place in Sunnyvale.

Haven't all been together since last December!!!

GIRL-TIME!!!