Morning Glory Studio

30 days of thankful | 02...

 

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

                                                                                                ~Robert Brault (born 1938); American Writer

 

Key to Mosaic, reading row by row, left to right:

Row 1 - Norman's birthday cake; new slippers for Honore; one of many glorious sunsets; weekly floral arrangement at my local Starbucks; sign outside polling place ~ always appreciate our right to vote...

Row 2 - Election results!; bedroom being repainted; Norman enjoying a DVD -birthday gift - showcasing one of his favorite jazz musicians; love this combo of mums and cactus, seen on an afternoon walk; very much enjoying stitching this for a friend's birthday...

Row 3 - Holly berries already!; demonstration at quilt guild meeting on crocheting a necklace ~ love that we share and expand our horizons; pumpkin pie at a guild member's home ~ a group of us were invited for lunch; love this record of my birth, in my mother's handwriting; Norman starting the day singing - everyday, a different tune...

Row 4 - This Iraqui veteran helped me find a parking space ~ he had my back ~ as I waited for one to open up; a tree in all its fall finery; morning reading and inspirtation; another glorious sunset; Norman raking our and neighbors' leaves for city pick up...

Row 5 - Cranberries! so glad they're back in season ~ we like them fresh; flowers for me from my friend Kathy - still fresh after nearly two weeks; my 2003 Ford Escape that I've had for 9 years turned over to 100,000 miles! my friend Antonette - she gives the best hug and we'd not seen each other for too long a time; Norman discovered a whole new world of jazz performances from way-back-when on YouTube...he's in heaven...

Row 6: Annual Macy's Thanksgiving parade - we get a first rate seat right here on the TV; everytime I walk in the house, I see this display - it reminds me of my mother and I think how good to be home, safe and sound; Challah bread ~ je t'adore; Norman soaking up sun rays Thanksgiving morning; December and all the festivites promised,  just hours away...

November 2012 has been a big month:  borthdays (my 70th; Norman's 79th); celebrations with friends and family and all those everyday things that make contribute to the good life!  For these and the many more, we always thankful...and looking forward to December 2012!

Cheers~

wordless wednesday | 12...

 

i am thankful for...

This week's Ten on Tuesday prompt is 10 things for which we are thankful. What follows is just a sampling of the things that are on my list of 30 for this month:

1. Norman's morning serenades; everyday I  wonder what song will capture his fancy. This morning: "San Francisco, open your golden gates..."
2. Monday morning quilt guild meetings - they are a chance to get a lot of ideas, be inspired by what others have done and learn a nifty technique. Yesterday, I learned how to crochet the chain stitch. That was a major accomplishment for me; for years I've had zero success whenever I tried to crochet. Watch out world, here I come! (HA!). And yes, we also crochet and knit at guild meetings.
3. Grocery shopping for the holiday and the next ten days or so, done! We're having a quiet day and trying one of those turkey breasts that is both white and dark meat combined, along with the usual menu items: veggies, salads, desserts.
4. Good health, despite an occasional "old" feeling, as my grandmother characterized morning  aches and creaks.
5. Order slowly but systematically coming to the upstairs. Painting is done. A new sink/vanity for the bath,  some type of shelving for the studio and deciding  about the floors: carpet, new flooring or refinishing the wooden floors ?- are all that's left to do.
6. Living in a  part of the country that enjoys the four seasons. Fall is my absolute most favorite season and this year has been quite nice - despite Sandy. We here in the Washington DC are extremely fortunate and thankful that we were not impacted by the storm. 
7. Residing in the Nation's capital. There are many wonderful museums and events that take place, many being free. So many choices for learning and expanding one's horizons, regardless of age.
8. A stack of new magazines and several books awaiting my attention. I'm looking forward to an extended MSQT Thanksgiving morning.
9. Famly and friends near and far. It is always great to connect and reconnect with those who have graced your life and this past week, has brought a cornucopia of such connections...with more scheduled for the weekend.
10. Sunsets (and sunrises, too). They never cease to wow!

                      (photo taken after a concert at University of Maryland, Sunday 18 November)

 Here's wishing you a very lovely Thanksgiving and ever many more sunsets!

Cheers~

 

 

 

 

 

 

simply a moment | 02...

On Wed, 14 November 2012, the day before her birthday, at approximately 7 pm, He asked:

Do you know what time you were born?

She answered:

Yes, I think it was 7:42 pm, on a Sunday...but maybe it was 7:46 pm. Umm, guess I could go upstairs and check my baby book...

And that was the end of that conversation.

The next day, Thursday, 15 November 2012 - her birthday- at approximately 7:25 am, she remembered the conversation and decided there was enough time to go upstairs, get her baby book - providing it was where she thought it'd be since everything had been sortof topsy turvy the week before - and verify the exact time. And so she did. Yep, the book was where she looked first  and yes, she was born at 7:42 pm.

 

Cool, she thought, we can open the champagne tonight at 7:42 pm and make a toast!...

The day ensued, with the birthday surprise: lunch at their favorite restaurant, eating their favorite menu item: BBQ ribs, so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone and topping the meal off with their favorite dessert: apple walnut brown betty sporting a candle ;-)). Stuffed and satisfied, they returned home about 4 pm and sortof crashed in front of the TV, catching up with the day's events.

About an hour later, he went downstairs to get on the computer and she watched the evening news. At 7:30 pm, she turned to the Jon Stewart Show and about 7:50 pm, he came back upstairs to join her. And they proceeded to watch more TV and doze, too, most likely.

About 10:45 pm, she remembered and said outloud:

Oh! we missed 7:42pm! We didn't open the champagne...

And so she jumped up, got the champagne, gave it to him to open and then poured each a glass and they toasted her 70th birthday! It tasted just as good!

 

Cheers~

Simply a Moment was launched by Alexa; you can read/learn more about it here  and join in. To read November's entries, go here.

three score and ten...

...is today! On the one hand, I can't believe it! I feel absolutely no different than I did 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years ago! Though, I of course know that there are differences, many!  

This morning when I came downstairs, this was waiting on the counter for me.

I love the card and am amused with the bottle of champagne - I don't generally have champagne with MSQT, so, I'll save it for later, tonight. 

Thus far this day I've received many well wishes from family and friends, both near and far. With some,  too long has lapsed so touching base today and this week makes our reconnecting extra special.

The day is still young and Norman has a surprise planned circa noon, EST. My curiosity is piqued. Tomorrow, if not this evening, I'll share.

Thanks for dropping by and I wish each of you the very best day, too. 

Cheers~

 

 

chaos...

Life in my house, especially the recently repainted Studio right now, looks like this:

Everything's all topsy turvey and mostly inaccessible as the bedroom and bath get a new do... nearing the end and I am so-o-o looking forward to restoring O-R-D-E-R. 

Cheers~

10 things on my mind...

It's Tuesday, 2:28 pm, and as I gaze out the window, pondering today's Ten on Tuesday prompt, I'm thinking:

1. I'm glad that we voted last Friday ... 
2. This is a gorgeous day: crisp, bright and cool...a perfect Fall day ... 
3. The shadows are getting longer, earlier...
4. I've so many choices for what's left of today - which and how shall I choose? :
5. Sewing. If selected, what...
6. Organizing my Circa planner - I have another idea for how I want to use it ...
7. Preparing the bedroom so it can be painted tomorrow. Makes sense to do it today rather than getting up earlier tomorrow - duh! ...
8. Clearing and putting away the stuff I've just kinda dropped in the entryway over the past couple days ...
9. Surveying the many baskets and other containers in my studio; which one would be best suited for holding note cards and pens on the reading table ...
10. Realizing that I'm hungry! I left home to run errands early this morning and  the pumpkin scone and banana I had is no longer doing the trick so guess I'll go grab a bite to eat. Yeah, I need refueling...

(every week, my local Starbuck's has a gorgeous floral arrangement on display...)

What's come to your mind as you read this?

 

Cheers~

30 days of thankful...

Here in the US, we  use November's 30 days  to focus on and acknowledge all the little things in our lives for which we are grateful/thankful.

This year, Cathy Zielske invited us to join her in sharing our many thanks for the abundant lives we live. In the wake of Sandy, as we view the devastation so many of our fellow Americans are experiencing and enduring, we are all probably more acutely aware of how much we have in our lives for which to be grateful. I know I am. We here in Washington DC were fortunate that the storm did very minor damage with very little dispruption to our normal lives. 

One blog I read fairly regularly is everyday, one good thing. Simple snippets from RR's life - she teaches college Latin - who always looks for the silver in the clouds. In the tradition of November and with these two bloggers as mentors,  I plan to document and share the simple snippets of my life for which I am thankful. 

Yesterday, November 1, we celebrated Norman's birthday pampering ourselves (pedicures  - for us both)  and afterwards, joined by his son,  a leisurely, very tasty lunch. We are both thankful for a very pleasant day: good food and good family time. 

(we all shared this delicious chocolate cake with whipped cream...yummy!)

This morning during MSQT I heard a thump! It sounded like a bird had flown into the window. I got up to look and tho' I didn't see a bird, I did manage to catch this shot of early morning sky pink...the promise of blue skies for the day.

Cheers~

@79...

Today is Norman's 79th birthday...which means he's been kickin' on this earth for 80 years! To look at him, one wouldn't guess. Oh, his hair is a nearly almost white, it's thinner and I note that he takes cat-naps more frequently while watching TV - he says: he's resting his eyes, yeah! But beyond that, he's in excellent health. He walks nearly 3-4 miles every day without puffing and complains of nary a muscle pain.  And since his cataract surgery last Feb, his eyesight's much improved. He is at peace with himself...and  that I think is the greatest gift anyone could have. So to you Norman, Happy Birthday and here's to many more.

Cheers~