Morning Glory Studio

Cheers to you, Kayla ...

        (Kayla a couple months ago at 14)

    Before bébé Chris was born (June 10, 2014), the last newborn I'd seen was Kayla - 15 years ago.  Today, 29 January is her birthday and she is  blossoming into quite the young woman. She has presence, depth and untold talents: she performs - sings and dances - with utter poise and calmness, so it seems. She had a great first report card in high school! 

When she decides she wants to do or learn something, she digs deep: researches and presents a case (if needing to convince/persuade). She amuses me with some of the things she does, e.g., years ago, perhaps she was 6-7, I bought her a flashlight as part of her school supplies (not on the list, just something we saw and it was cool: both the handle and the upper part lit up). On the way home - it was evening -  she pulled out her journal and flashlight and started writing in the back seat. I was so tickled. That is Kayla, enterprising.

This year she's having a weekend-long sleepover with 4 girlfriends to celebrate her birthday. No doubt this will go down in her storybook as one of her all-time fave birthdays.

Cheers to you, Kayla. .. and may you have many more birthdays!

 

 

recent reads...

For my birthday, my friend AJ gave me two pair of these Out Of Print library socks.* Seems that my friends  - Margaret, Doris and Kay also had these socks, - not surprisingly for we are all former librarians...  Recently, we gathered at IKEA for breakfast and to share what we're currently or  have recently read. This was our first session (we have a second planned for March) and we had fun, We had agreed to wear our socks to commemorate the occasion - naturally, I forgot...I have since donned the socks: they are very warm and would've come in handy, especially since it was bitter cold that day. 

 The rules for our gathering are very simple: there are no rules. We enjoyed sharing what we're currently reading, have recently read and/or listened  to or watched (e.g., on Jan 1, Margaret's birthday, we gathered at my house and  watched He Named me Malala, just recently released as a CD). Our reads  ran the gamut from a children's book Popo and Fifina by Langston Hughes and Arna Bontemps to Mary Beard's SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome to a book of daily poems to the story behind MLK's I Have a Dream extemporaneous speech.

I have previously shared that one of my 2016's intention is to step up my reading of fiction: Spool of Blue Thread is almost done and as  you can see in the stack above: I've also added Popo and Fifina and A Man Called Ove.  Now, I just  need to manufacture a few more hours in each day... or have myself cloned.

What's on your recent read list? I'd love to know and thanks!

Cheers~

 

*For each pair of socks purchased, a book is donated to a community in need.

 

 

 

watercolor wednesday | after the storm ...

(Sunday scene at sunset, after the blizzard...)

Slowly and surely life in these parts is returning to normal:

• District of Columbia schools opened today; most students walk . Not all sidewalks are shoveled and some folk are unhappy that the kiddles had to return...it's always a toss up...
• Metro - the regional rail and bus transportation system resumed full service today...
• Temperatures hit over 50 degrees yesterday and substantial melting took place - tho' we still can't open the screen door to the deck...
• Snow has melted on the skylights over the kitchen...brighter inside and out...and one can see patches of blue in between clouds...
• Smoke, our neighborhood cat, has been spotted several times this AM, taking  her daily constitutional...

And like Smoke, I think I'll take a walk through the neighborhood later this afternoon...5 days inside is long enough! Though I must admit, I've not felt too cooped up... but perhaps a bit of cabin fever is beginning to seep in.

Enjoy the day...

Cheers~

ten on tuesday | community...

(US Capitol - currently, the dome is under construction and covered in scaffolding) 

        I live in Washington DC and it is always interesting if not fun. There are so-o-o so many events and activities going on, from:

1) the famed Marine Corps Marathon that runs through all the City's 8 wards to

2) demonstrations on the Smithsonian Mall to

3) Presidential Inaugurations to

4) the annual cherry-blossoms to  

5) Presidential motorcades tying up local traffic to

6) blizzards - over which there is controversy re:#blizzard2016 -this past weekend's historic blizzard and the amount of subsequent inches accumulated - seems that the measuring board/stick got lost and so there is no accurate inch count - how'bout that?! to  

7) BaoBao , our new baby panda to

8) the Library of Congress' annual Book/Author fare, held in September to

9) any number of wonderful museums and the Smithsonian Institution to ...

And I could go on for days...but I won't...Rather, I'll close with this thought for my numero ten:

10) the Ten on Tuesday Community! Each week, tho' I don't always join in, I do enjoy looking forward to reading everyone's take on Carole's imaginative and fun prompts. This is a great community and I thank each of you whose presence and words make it so, especially Carole, who faithfully brings us together every week! Go here to read the Community's take on this week's prompt...Enjoy!

Cheers~

 

currently | blizzard2016 ~ blame it on the full moon...

 

 

(surveying last night's shoveling fiasco)

Currently, I am

enjoying and managing the 3rd day of being snow-bound...slowly, public transportation resumes...

giving thanks that electrical power was not disrupted...

sleeping a little later these days - probably because I've been staying up later...

reading Big Magic and Gratitude Diaries (and other books) in bits/starts...

wanting to take a walk to Zeke's for a cuppa coffee... totally a fantasy... and 

We are

laughing about this story: Yesterday - Sunday - Norman decided to start shoveling the snow: he would shovel a bit, come in, rest and then go back out. A good plan; one that got the job accomplished without undue stress (after all, though he's fit as a fiddle, he is also 82!) As we were going to bed, I looked out the front door to check out the full moon and realized Norman had NOT shoveled the walkway to the front steps but had managed to pile the snow higher on the sidewalk! Somehow, he got sidetracked - it was about 9 pm last night -  and made a new path on the lawn! 

This morning, he was all set to start over again when fortunately a couple guys - much younger - came along and took over! Now, the front walkway is clear...but we (and the region) are still snowbound. Which is quite alright 'cause we've no where to be...

 thankful for the two shovelers and Providence.

 

Cheers~

 

 

 

 

currently | blizzard 2016 ...

 

(Waterlogue from this morning's MSQT)

             5 PM        22 january 2016

Well, it's arrived!  The blizzard, the potentially historic, paralyzing blizzard - that has been the topic du jour this past week - is a reality. Looks like we're really in for a doozy: up to 30 inches possible coupled with 50 mph winds! We've been encouraged to stay in place, to hunker down, stay off the roads! Not everyone is following that last piece of advice, sadly. 

When I first started this blog, just about 6 years ago, we had another snow event: two back-to-back blizzards since dubbed Snowmageddon (by President Obama). Of the top ten snowstorm's in the city's/area's history, I've been here for 6...a fact I just tallied up as I write this post. I guess there's a story somewhere in there.

We're snug in our humble abode: the refrigerator's full; plenty of reading material on hand; both cell phones are charged/charging and we have a landline, too...keeping our fingers crossed that we don't lose power - that will be really bad [for us ] as we're a totally electric kitchen! Fortunately, I realized that yesterday so added more cheese slices and deli ham for sandwiches, just in case...Norman also fixed  a roast so we're thinking that we'll be OK, especially if we [have to] throw in some nutty-butter and jelly sandwiches.

Barring any power outages, I plan to resume posting more reliably...my plans and ideas for my  2016 year-long  creative project/s are taking shape...finally.

Stay tuned and I trust the weather wherever you are is treating you kindly.

Cheers~

 

 

 

 

 

watercolor wednesday | in the window...

Look closely at the photo. Can you make out my silhouette ?

 

                    I had jury duty Tuesday and had to go into town. After a day primarily spent sitting, I walked about 13 or so blocks to Fahrney's, seller of fine quality fountain pens and other fine-writing instruments. On my way, I spied this Anthropologie window and just had to take a photo. I just love the colors of the Waterlogued version. I think this photo's going to set the stage of a year-long project I am creating. 

TBC...

Cheers~

watercolor wednesday | winter's sky...

 

        This was Monday's sky on a cold - mid 30s - day. I suspect Mother Nature's way of letting us not forget that this is the winter season - especially since the temperature - both today and yesterday - has been a robust 16 degrees! We are currently having a warming trend, ahem, 34 degrees. It's all relative!

Hope it's warmer in your neck of the woods.

Cheers~

ten on tuesday | "if wishes were horses...

 

(Laurel Burch fabric)

…beggars would ride"

    In one of my bins of PiPs (projects in progress…or not) I have a piece of fabric designed by the late Laurel Burch…for years, I've had this idea in the back of my mind to create some type of art quilt using this snippet of fabric as the springboard/touchstone for my inspiration. I only remember that when I accidentally run across the fabric while looking for something else, of course.

And I'm suspect that many of you have similar ideas and inspirations. Since this is the beginning of the new year 2016, most of us, in some form or other, have been looking at our previous year's record and assessing what and/or how we want to make a difference this time around. Not a resolution per se but a different, new/better than before approach to living a life of fulfillment and meaning. I have and am venturing on a year-long project designed to strengthen my creative habit (more on this in a future post).

Today's Ten on Tuesday prompt is the perfect entrée for launching how I plan to accomplish my different habit/s and achieve FLOW - one of my 2016 words (Yes, I said word with an “S”…but more on that in another post). Carole invited us to share what we wanted More or Less of, so here's my take:

1. Less wishing, planning, daydreaming/ More doing. I have a tendency to over plan and over schedule my days.
2. Less sitting/More walking and standing. My daily goal is to log 5K steps or at least average that over the week and eventually work up to 10K by year's end.
3. Less Yes/More No! I am easily wooed by bright shiny objects (aka as ideas and inspiration) which results in over-programmed agendas and sometimes unnecessary spending and overcommitment. If I say NO more, than I'm in a better position to chalk up
4. Less UFOs, over-scheduling/someday-maybe/More Getting It Done Today !

All of which I expect to result in
5. Less going down rabbit holes/More FLOW! ... and even an art quilt featuring the Laurel Burch horses.

Ride anyone?

What's on your Less/More list for 2016?

Cheers~

1 january 2016 | spectacular sunset...it's just the beginning...

 

 

        There is nothing that I find more inspirational  than a spectacular sunrise but a spectacular sunset! My day has been full, starting very early this morning - no sunrise because of clouds - and winding down with this display of Mother Nature's magic: sunset, captured over a matter of minutes as I ended a late PM walk.

(5:03 pm)

(5:06 pm)

(5:10 pm)

I am looking forward to this year: 2016. There are all sorts of exciting and interesting things on the horizon and today was just the beginning. As the old saying goes, hurry sundown, see what the 'morrow may bring. 

Here's to y/our best year ever! 

Cheers~