"RAINDROPS ON .... "

... on FLOWERING JASMINE... 2.24.11 @ 4:55pm

JPE & I had an "unexpected" gift today!
 

We got home from WORK before 3:15pm!! 

What a treat!!!

Belinda from UPSIDE DOWN BEE hosted & selected the WEEKWORD! Yes, I'm still playing - wish you were too!

I get a kick out of learning NEW words; visiting different blogs; and trying to "stretch my imagination" to take a picture that suggests my interpretation of the WEEKWORD.  Belinda's selection was "L-A-G-N-I-A-P-P-E" which I had never heard of AND is a word native to Louisiana... 

you can read the definition at my original post HERE or AT THIS SPOT!

I stretched the definition to be "an unexpected gift"...
 

JPE "gifted" us with homemade SCONES for our tea-time!

BENEFIT of coming home early from work!!

DRIED CRANBERRY SCONES

(makes 12 scones)

• 2 c flour
• 3 TBSP firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3 TBSP cold butter, cut in 3 pieces
• 1/2 c dried cranberries
• 1 c heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 TBSP granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet (we use a SILPAT LINER to prevent burning on the bottom).

2. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt & cinnamon in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in dried cranberries.

3. Whisk together heavy cream, eggs & vanilla in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in egg mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.

4. Drop by heaping spoonfuls into 12 mounds onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Although we've not used other dried fruit - you can substitute dried apricots or cherries. AND, you can also use COARSE SPARKLING SUGAR to add that gourmet touch!

JPE topped his scones with HIS homemade peach jam... aren't I a "lucky gal" to have such a WIZ in the kitchen!?? 

WISH you could smell the kitchen! 

this recipe is "melt-in-your-mouth" goodness...

My "gift" to you... his favorite scone recipe...
have a cozy weekend...
(ours will be wet, drizzly & chilly)

BLOOMING... LOOMING... SWOONING...

brick + delicate, spindly flowers = LOVE-ly (London)

What, I sometimes wonder, 

would it be like if I lived in a country 

where winter is a matter of a few chilly days and a few weeks' rain; 

where the sun is never far away, 

and the flowers bloom all year long?

~ Anna Neagle, British star during WWII

a "splash" of color for a university professor (Radcliffe University, Oxford)

fences + flower boxes = unique combination (Bath, London)

basement dwellings "spread" beauty (Chelsea area, London)

"DUG"...

(a VERB used when playing with flowers) 

...into my London archives for some 

SPRING-like inspiration...

 

 What project(s) will you eagerly 

"plunge your hands" into at the "first breath" of SPRING?

DROP BY...

lovely, lovely sis-in-law's home ~ 2.20.11

visiting family in So California...

spent the night at SIL's "lovely" home 

(as magnificent as a "5 star" hotel)

& "chatted-up-a-storm" with cousins

visiting from OH!!  

 

:: FYI ::

WEEKWORD = 

"L-A-G-N-I-A-P-P-E"

"Lagniappe"

(lan~yap)

 

Thank you, Belinda @ UPSIDE DOWN BEE 

for introducing a new word! 

Also, I copied the following info from her BLOG

to get the creative juices flowing!

(lan‘yəp, lăn-yăp‘)

Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi (origin circa 1844)

1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer 

with the customer’s purchase.

2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. 

Regionally, also referred to as "boot."

Etymology: Creole < Fr la, the + Sp ñapa, lagniappe < Quechuan yapa

Interesting fact ~ Napa comes from yapa, which means “additional gift” in the South American Indian language, Quechua, from the verb yapay “to give more.”

 

DROP by BELINDA'S to let her know 

if you are participating in WEEKWORD!!

WHEEE!!

bike lane ~ London ~ Summer 2010

"The bicycle is a curious vehicle. 

Its passenger is its engine." 

~ John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia

LONDON Bike Taxi ~ Picadilly Circus

LOVE this basket! (London)

another basket!! (San Luis Obispo)

TODAY!!!

It's RAINING!

It's POURING!

"great" day to tidy my photo files...

Was your FIRST bike this cute?

MINE was RED!  I shared it with my brother!!

Did you have a BASKET? 
...this one is AWESOME!!

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/carrie-bicycle-baskets-pr-25410.html

purple bike + lime green basket
 makes me think of SPRING!

A WOMAN'S BEST FRIEND!

Lounging LOLA ~ 11.27.10

"The greatest love is a mother's; 

then a dog's; then a sweetheart's."

~ Polish Proverb

ACE took this picture at 
the INTERNATIONAL QUILT SHOW 
in Long Beach, several years ago...

same little face??

Do you think she knew a DOG was in her future?

OH, so cute!! 

"O-H" was the WEEKWORD selected by
Elena @ MY QUEST

OH, my... need a definition? 

• used to express a strong emotional reaction such as surprise, shock, pain, or extreme pleasure

• used to introduce strong reaction: used to introduce short phrases that express a strong emotion, such as anger, shock, delight, or triumph

• used to introduce response: used to introduce a response to what somebody has just said or asked

OH... so are you curious about who's playing

WEEKWORD? 

check in with

ELENA!

WONDERING???

V-Day decorations from Alicia's ~ 2/11/11

http://aliciasinc.com/alicias/index.asp

"LOVE absolutely everything in your life."

~ Paul Cantalupo

I usually put some identifying information about the author of the quotes I use on this blog. Today, I googled the author of this quote & in an effort not to misidentify a person, I've chosen not to put anything about Paul. 

BUT, it really got me wondering... how do "quotes" come to the attention of book publishers, authors & others (like me who collect quotes)??

Initially, I found this quote in this book (BTW - if you don't have a copy, you might want to get one! lots of quotes, art, stories... I pick it up whenever I need some inspiration).

So - if anyone out in blogland, reading my simple little blog knows the answer to this question, please let me know.

OH - about the cute little lantern picture at the top of the blog - I caught up with my high school friend, Alicia, last Friday... She has an cute restaurant & gift shop in an industrial park in Brea, CA. She also caters... her gift shop has such adorable, reasonably priced "goodies" - I look forward to my lunch dates (with my mom & sister), but also visiting the gift shop. I did get a few gifts for upcoming birthdays... Alicia always has some fabulously funny stories - thanks for always making me laugh, my friend!!

AND - we ordered the "HIPPIE CHICK" sandwich - check out her menu HERE- portions are generous! & her cookies are scrumptious!

YOU SAY IT'S YOUR B-DAY!!!

a favorite pic

ACE turned 31 last week... 

her "pretend" names = Rosie, Sunnie, also called MoMo by her big sis

loved Barbies - there are 4 tubs of Barbies & their assorted clothes & accessories in storage

could write her name in "balloon font" upside-down 

at the age of 6

has a minature Cabbage Patch named "Timmy" sitting on her bookcase

swam the 50 yd freestyle (high school) taking only three breaths - she WON the race!

released a "homing pigeon" at the conclusion of her high school graduation speech

:: LOVES ::

tent camping, knitting, taking photos, cooking, reading

  

kindergarten teacher "extraordinaire"

my beautiful, sparkly, sweet daughter...

HaPpY BIrThDay 2 YOU!!! 

I'm so lucky to have you in my life!!

I SPY... DO YOU?

 Precious ANGEL ~ 2.8.11

"An ANGEL can illuminate the thought and mind of man by strengthening the power of vision."

~St Thomas Aquinas, Catholic philosopher & theologian

I've been feeling a little sorry for myself... not being able to get out to take some pictures... 

As I was "hobbling? hopping? crutch-ing?" (whatever you want to call "using crutches" to move your body) out the door to work, I noticed my ANGEL - in particular her "wings"... I look at my ANGEL all the time; move her from place to place in our home; and I adore her shape, color, sweet face, beautiful wings... BUT, I never noticed the "HEART" design in her wings. See if you can find it??

I'm flying over to tell CHRISSY @ CUL*TI*VATE  about my NEW-FOUND "HEARTS" - they were right under my nose! I didn't even need to leave the house to find them!

Since CHRISSY is sharing some of her favorite "HEARTS" from the beach - I'll share this "HEART"...

"Seaweed HEART" (San Simeon) ~ 10.1.10

If you didn't find the "HEART" in the ANGEL wings, here's what I saw...

I need to use my "power of vision" --- as evidenced by today's discovery! right.within.my.own.home!!
 

Have you spotted any "HEARTS" in your daily journeys?

WHO-WHO- ???

Christmas OWLS - thanks, Kathryn!!

"A wise old OWL sat on an oak; 

The more he saw the less he spoke; 

The less he spoke the more he heard; 

Why aren't we like that wise old bird?"

This OWL couple is not sitting in an oak... but they are adorable & are skilled at balancing on their curved perch.

Watching over the Mother's Tongue!

It was warm on the Central Coast, so the bathroom window is open... 
I hear an owl hooting... and, frogs are croaking in response. I guess the frogs are getting ready for mating season - there's sure a lot of croaking going on tonight!

Hopefully, the sounds of nature will put me to sleep... JPE's away on business.

THERAPEUTIC (WEEKWORD)

the girls left their mark (Nipomo house ~ 1991)

 WEEKWORD = T-H-E-R-A-P-E-U-T-I-C

After reading some of the other WEEKWORD posts, 

I must say we have similar rituals that are

THERAPEUTIC for our souls!

My rituals include:

PHONE CALLS: SLE & ACE (my daughter's) have flown the nest, but can always be reached by phone, Skype or email... when I need some "OmO time" (OmO is the name they call me) they are quick to accommodate me!! Of course, I would prefer getting a "personal" visit... BUT, ACE lives 4 hours away by car (Sunnyvale, CA) & SLE is cross the country (Washington DC)... {{hugs}} are difficult from afar!

KEW GARDEN flowers (July 2010)

FLOWERS: FLOWERS are sure to change my mood!!! & Trader Joe's always has something affordable when my garden is "off-season."

Tea or Coffee? + a tasty treat

JPE & I LOVE our afternoon TEA / COFFEE time! 

Scheduling time to re-group, reflect, and revisit our day!! Of course, this doesn't really happen on workdays... but our weekends are such a lovely time to catchup... sitting in the Adirondack chairs - sipping a warm drink - nibbling on a tasty, piece of Cinnamon Bundt Cake (should I share the recipe??) - and listening to the birds chirp, watching the hummingbirds dive-bomb the feeder... what could be better???

And - although I didn't have a picture of a massage table, we do get regular massages! JPE insists!! saying it's the perfect anecdote to good health & very THERAPEUTIC for our bodies, mind, and spirits....

CHECK in with DOMESTIC SCRIBBLES for other "THERAPEUTIC" rituals.... 

So - should I post the recipe for the 

Cinnamon Sour Cream Bundt cake??

QUESTION & FACT??

YUMMY!!!

What's your go-to "comfort" dessert?

uh!!

Did you KNOW??

Germans believed that says if a hibernating animal (in this case, a groundhog) casts a shadow on February 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, WINTER will last another six weeks. 

If no shadow was seen, legend said SPRING would come early. 

huh?

 Did you HEAR?

Today, the report is: 

PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL 

(the official groundhog) predicted:

SPRING IS COMING!!!

get out those SEED catalogs!!!!

A FOUND HEART!!

garden rose ~ Buellton, CA

A FOUND HEART!!

"Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, 
whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, love more, and all good things will be yours."
~ Swedish proverb 


I'm sharing my "found HEART"
with 
CHRISSY @ CUL*TI*VATE

I took this picture the first week of November & just noticed the HEART in the center of the flower! 

It's a HEART-HAPPY DAY!