Tis the Season

Our Picture Window

The cabin feels festive and bright with its assortment of holiday decorations, a mix of old and new, some handmade, others cherished gifts and special keepsakes. Winter just doesn't seem so chilly and cold with the warmth the holidays brings.

Happy Birthday!

For so many years, I've set up this manger scene. It's grown a bit as I add a piece or two. Desirae made the mini-grapevine wreath that adorns the front top of the manger stall in a "Holiday Magic" craft class I taught about 15 years ago. Each year, her wreath brings back a special memory and it adds a special sparkle to the manger!

"All is calm...all is bright"

My favorite tree ornament is this "four seasons" ball I purchased the year Desirae was born. Each side features a mother and child in each season of the year. The little mouse asleep atop the moon is one I made the Christmas prior to Desirae's birth. Seems a lot of my Christmas memories are connected to my daughter ... hmmm :) Christmas time spent with children is very magical.

Cabin Christmas Tree

What would the holidays be without the tree!?! ... always my very favorite part of decorating for the holidays. This year, our star needed some repair. The star is the only one I have ever had for our annual tree. It's been with me for every Christmas for almost 30 years now. It's a wonder it's made it through every move and every year of celebration. It was originally purchased at a dime store for $1.99, but it's priceless to me.

Enjoy the special beauty of the season, no matter which holiday, if any, you may celebrate!

In Memory ...

This year marked the passing of my two uncles, two kind and gentle souls and courageous men, my mothers beloved brothers age 95 and 91. They died within a couple of months of each other after having spent a lifetime together.

The Victorian house that they grew up in was their home from birth until death. The house, pictured above, will go with them, too. The new owner plans to demolish it and build a new one on the property ~ very sad for those of us who carry memories of the family who called this house their home and such a loss of a beautiful, one-of-a-kind historic structure. It's fitting though that it go with them, as no one but my uncles and their family could ever quite belong here or make this house the home it was when it was filled with the love of those who cherished it and made their memories here.

My eldest cousin gave a moving eulogy at our uncle's memorial service that concluded with the following words by an anonymous author. These words fit our sentiments for both of our uncles so well ...

No farewell words were spoken,
No time to say good-bye.
You were gone before we knew it
And only God knows why.
You left us peaceful memories.
Your dedication is still our guide,
And though we cannot see you,
You are always at our side.
Your life was full of loving deeds,
Forever thoughtful of our special needs.
Death leaves a heartache
No one can heal.
Love leaves a memory
No one can steal.
Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed, and very dear.

Through the lives they led and all they shared our uncles taught us many wonderful qualities ~ kindness, concern for others, strength and fortitude, loyalty, faith, and love. We all felt esteemed in their presence, and, more then they could ever know, we valued their steady constancy in our lives. It's so hard to say goodbye to such selfless, good men, but, to know that at least in some small measure they carry on within us, is a wondrous gift. It's a reminder, too, that we all can choose what kind of legacy and memories we want to leave simply by how we choose to live our lives and how much we truly value one another.

Hopkins Revisited

Halloween Night at Hopkins

It's been a while since I've posted a blog about my transplant experience and related health issues, so I thought I'd share my latest news. My Johns Hopkins nephrologist admitted me to the hospital on Halloween. I'd been having inexplicable fevers about every three weeks for several months which had her very concerned. Random fevers are atypical for post kidney transplant patients to experience. My only other on-going symptoms were occasional headaches along with a stiff neck. I loathe being in the hospital, but agreed to be admitted for the rounds of testing that we both hoped would get to the bottom of what was causing the fevers.

It was an odd day to be admitted to the hospital. While my husband Kevin and I waited for my room assignment, we saw all sorts of people, mostly adults, go by in various flashy costumes. One woman who rushed past us was dressed up as a giant Crayola Crayon.

Kevin took the above photo of me in my "Halloween costume," my very unattractive hospital garb. There was concern I might have the flu (which I didn't) so my "costume" came complete with a face mask that had to be worn whenever I was wheeled off for various tests. Everyone entering my room was required to wear a full body protective gown (bright yellow), gloves (purple), face mask, and eye shield ... making them all look like clowns :)

On the second day, I was interviewed by the Johns Hopkins infectious disease team headed up by a very impressive physician with a "total recall" memory. After meeting with me in my hospital room, he stepped just outside the room to confer with his colleagues. I could hear him repeat almost word for word our discussion, which had been quite lengthy and detailed. There were giggles among the team when he repeated a time or two that Kevin and I lived in a cabin in the woods ... an amusing detail for them that actually was a useful clue.

Fortunately, I did not have to stay in the hospital long, in fact, was able to go home the next evening. Much of the testing could be continued at my local lab, so I was discharged. Kevin and I were ecstatic to be on our way back home to our cabin in the woods!

All of the early tests results for what were considered the most likely causes came back negative. It wasn't until the second tier of test results came in that it was discovered I had acute Lyme's disease ... thanks to the bite of a nasty, little deer tick. Even though I was not pleased to find out I had Lyme's disease, I was happy the root cause of my symptoms was no longer a mystery. I was also relieved to find, since it seems to have been caught early enough, that a three week course of antibiotics should do the trick to quell the disease ... a real treat :)

It was indeed a ghoulish Halloween for us this year ... but the spooky mystery of the random fevers was ultimately solved and no longer haunts us!

Bright & Beautiful

It's been a sparkly fall week with bright sunshine lighting up the leaves that still remain on the trees surrounding our cabin home in the woods. The squirrels, chipmunks, and deer are actively foraging and stocking up for the coming winter season.

Yesterday, our small herd of does came up to the goldfish pond for a sip, unaware that I was sitting quietly on the porch observing them. They look healthy and are so beautiful. No matter how common whitetail deer are or how pesky they can be to our gardens, they remain one of my very favorite forest animals. I love being in their graceful presence. The deer can be very comical, too. A couple of the summer fawns, now almost as large as their mother, were tussling the other day, head butting and prancing about while the older members of the herd simply ignored their antics and kept on feeding. They often get up on their hind legs to reach the tastier leaves from the lower branches of our young trees and are quite acrobatic in their efforts to stretch as high as there legs can lift them ... and they have a tendency to stick their tongues out, too! Often, when I walk down our long drive to retrieve the mail, several deer will be close by. They stand alert watching my every move. Once in a while, one of them will stomp it's front hoof as if annoyed. Rarely, do they run off, and they seem as curious to look at me as I am to look at them.



Love the photographs that capture light just the right way. Notice the sun star coming through the trees in the photo above. The colors in this segment of woods were simply awesome, too. This lovely weather we've recently been experiencing won't last long, nor will the remaining colorful leaves ... so I'm enjoying it all to the fullest until winter sets in and the snow creates its own special beauty.

First Snow

Here it is just the end of October and we already experienced our first snow day! Usually, we don't see any snowflakes until December around here. It was a messy, wet snow today. At times, it looked like the sky was throwing down snowballs. Big clumps of snow fell from the sky and thudded on the cabin roof. As you can see from the photo above, it was quite messy as Kevin retrieved our mail today!



Ordinarily, the leaves are long gone from most of the deciduous trees by the time we have snow, but a lot of the tree leaves are still green and others just turning yellow and red. The wind blew pretty fiercely at times today and it was not only snowing but raining leaves, too. It was a good day to stay indoors!

Fall Trip to Washington, DC

This past weekend was one of simply wondrous Indian Summer weather ~ perfect for our visit to our nation's capital. Kevin and I stayed downtown for a couple of days and toured as many of the museums and monuments as we could during our stay. During the daytime, we went to the museums, enjoyed the many exhibits and viewed several 3-D IMAX movies, my favorite one focusing on orphaned elephants and orangutangs and their extraordinary caretakers who nurtured their young charges and then returned them to the wild. In the evening, we visited the Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials which were especially impressive all lit up against the night sky. The magnificent and stately Smithsonian Castle building is pictured in the photogragh above.

My favorite showcase in the American History Museum displayed Jim Henson's original muppet puppets. What a special genius Mr. Henson was! His beloved characters continue to charm young and old alike.

The architecture of the older buildings in Washington, DC is stunning. As Kevin and I took a break inbetween touring and snacked on a bag of popcorn, fresh from the red wagon vendor in front of the Natural History Museum, I took the above photo of the museum's beautiful, finely detailed columns from our seat on the museum steps.

I've always loved the diorama taxidermy displays of wildlife within the Natural History Museum. Even though I enjoy seeing the live deer in our woods most of all, I thought this particular display was so pretty. We also especially enjoyed the Rock and Mineral Hall. The collections and individual specimens are amazing. Much has changed since I worked for the Smithsonian Museum Shops in the early 1980s. All of the shops and eateries within the museums have been updated and most of the exhibits modernized.

Our final evening was spent in Chinatown, where we ate a scrumptious dinner at Tony's Mongolian Restaurant. Kevin chose crispy beef and I chose shrimp lo mein. We were so hungry by the time we sat down to eat. We amazed our waiter, and ourselves!, by how much of the generous portions we were able to consume. Our waiter was literally beaming :) The gateway arch heralding the beginning of the the Chinatown district was a sight to behold ~ so ornate and richly colored ... the gold set aglow by the rays of the setting sun.

Our two day stay in DC went by so fast and left us yearning to return to see and do more ... the best way to feel, as you know your time was well spent and deeply enjoyed. We are so fortunate to live close enough to visit this city with so much to offer and of so much importance to our country. We look forward to coming back and taking in more of our nation's capital!

Early Signs of Autumn's Arrival

Officially, fall arrived on September 23, the autumnal equinox. In this part of the country, that time is more of a whisper than a major word of seasonal change. Generally, the temps are still nearly summertime warm and the leaves are still mostly vibrant green. Subtle changes begin to happen ever so slowly in the days to follow.



Today, I came across one of nature's harbingers of change, foreshadowing for us that colder weather is soon to come...this on-the-go woolly bear caterpillar.

The leaves on the dogwood tree in front of our cabin are also displaying signs indicating more change to come. Red blotches rim some of the leaves, and, as you can see also in the photograph above, one leaf on this branch morphed to yellow.

Fall is such an exciting season with it's changes and it's final expression of colors before the monotone shades of winter set in and take hold. This season of beauty provides a warmth to tide us over until the rebirth of greenery and new life returns to begin the seasonal cycle anew in springtime.

Enjoy the season!!!

County Fair Time

Kevin's ready for a good time :)

This little guy's ready to ship out!

A wall of prize artwork

Snuggling with the giant pink gorilla

Evening sets in at the fair grounds

Going to the county fair is always a fun activity to wrap up summertime and head into fall. Kevin and I had a fun-filled evening touring the fair grounds, visiting the farm animals, perusing the exhibit buildings filled with crafts, colorful vegetables and yummy baked goods, and sampling the enticing foods the vendors had to offer. We took our traditional sunset ferris wheel ride and then ended our evening munching tasty caramel covered apples as we sat on a bench and people watched. By the time we strolled back to the car to head home, the sun had set and the bright lights of the carnival midway lit up the night.

Mushrooms and More

A week of rainfall brought forth all sorts of mushrooms and fungus in our woods around the cabin. It was fun to discover the many varieties on my walk this afternoon. Above is just a small photographic sample of what I saw today.

Thoughts on 9/11

Anniversaries are days of reflection. September 11 is a day etched on the minds and in the hearts of Americans as a day of tragedy and remembrance of so many innocent lives lost. In 2001, our nation took a blow that seemingly came out of nowhere. The attack on the United States was, beyond words, horrific ... and our nation's initial response of shock, anguish and grief to the horror was justifiable, as was the following surge of patriotism that took hold and helped us deal with the unthinkable atrocities together with a united front.

The acts of the terrorists on 9/11 are not defensible. Yet, have we as a people done enough to think beyond our own hurt, our own pride, and all that divides us to come to any understanding of why such an attack was ever conceived, planned, and carried out? Even though we are currently facing difficult economic times and many of our citizens are unemployed and have lost their homes, we are still collectively one of the wealthiest, most privileged groups of people on the face of the earth. We consume more of the world's resources than any other nation. Our country is a power to reckon with, but the ways that we have accumulated our wealth and held this power have not always been with the best interests of all in mind. Our motives and deeds have not always been pure. Actions have consequences.

Violence should never be condoned. Yet have we, as the powerful nation we have become, done all that we can to promote and establish peace and well being for all? Have we always demonstrated respect for other nations striving for the best for their citizens as well?

Today is not only a day to mourn and remember those lost, but a day to reflect on what divides us. Do the beliefs we hold dear take all mankind into consideration? Peace, prosperity and goodwill should not just belong to the fortunate and the few. I believe we need to continually strive to strengthen our values, demonstrate greater compassion and equity, and take into consideration that we, as individuals, have the right to our own beliefs, but others, who have differing views, are not necessarily wrong or need conversion. To strengthen ourselves, we need to strengthen the world. As a nation that is still a world leader, we have a responsibility to promote peace, cooperation, and justice. The notion that peace and cooperation is possible and preferable must take hold in each individual in every nation. We must not only believe in working together for a more peaceful existence but collectively strive to live it.

Historically, our most beloved leaders, the world over, are those who stressed compassion and who strove for peaceful interaction and unity among all mankind. What better way to lift ourselves up, not wallow in fear and a sense of victimization than to broaden our hearts and minds and allow the seeds of caring for all to germinate, take hold, and, with a little luck and a lot of tending, begin to flourish. Hard work...yes. Possible...maybe. Necessary...definitely.

September 11 will always be a day of sorrow and remembrance in the United States.
Hopefully, it can also serve as an awakening to a new collective consciousness as well.

Sighting in the Sycamore

After a week of steady rain, we awoke to a beautiful, sunny September morning today. The constant rainfall this past week had left everything outdoors soggy and doing its best to regroup and dry out again.

A tall sycamore tree grows right next to the driveway in front of our cabin. It's a lovely tree, and it's rare to find this water loving species on our dry site landcape. Kevin noticed that the sycamore had a very grand visitor resting on a top branch today ~ what we think is an immature sharp shinned hawk. He or she has the identifying bright yellow legs of the Sharp-shinned or Coopers Hawk, but we think it's probably the first because this species has made its home in the woods here for quite some time.

Here's a closer look at the hawk. It's so amazing to get a close look these wondrous, elusive birds! Kevin and I felt so fortunate that our morning was graced by the hawk's presence ... and I was also so pleased that from a far off distance inside the cabin I was able to get clear enough photographs to share with you here!

What earthquake?

The big news of the day is that a 5.9 scale earthquake occurred with its epicenter in Mineral, Virginia (close to Richmond) that was felt all up and down the east coast. When the quake shot its tremors through the underbelly of the earth in our area, I was outdoors snapping photographs of a very lovely (and photogenic!) praying mantis that I'd found while doing some weeding around our goldfish pond. I heard a boom that I couldn't quite place, looked around and went on snapping photos!




When I came indoors to see how my digital photos came out, I received a call from my daughter asking me if I was okay. We'd just spoken last night and I thought it was sweet that she'd call me again so soon. Then came the news of the earthquake, to which I had been totally oblivious. My daughter had even felt the tremors at her workplace up in Massachusetts!

Next, I called my husband and found he was on his way home from work - that they'd felt it down in Rockville, Maryland, too, and he wanted to get back home before any possible after shock event. He arrived home safely, and, so far, all has remained quiet here at our little cabin in the mountains.

So, aside from hearing about it all vicariously, I missed the big earthquake event. A beautiful garden friend and I had a very pleasant photo session instead :)

Four Seasons Series

"To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens."

My zeal for painting art card miniatures continues ~ my latest effort being a four piece set of the seasons ... a particularly fun one for me to create. All the images were conjured up straight out of my own imagination which resulted in a folksy looking collection of little watercolor paintings.


I'm hoping someone scanning the ACEOs on eBay will find this set fun and attractive ... but if not, I will enjoy keeping it for myself ... a definite win-win situation :)

Woodland Visitors

High temps and drought are affecting all of us this summer ... especially our forest friends. Yesterday afternoon, a doe and her two fawns arrived to sip from the goldfish pond. It gave us a chance to admire the beautiful youngsters and watch their antics. Above, the bolder of the two peaks around the hummingbird feeder pole. The feeder was dry, but got filled up after the deer had time to replenish themselves and head back into the shade of the trees.




These photographs were taken from our upstairs bedroom window, quite a distance from the pair of fawns as they meandered around the pond, nibbling on greenery here and there.
If I had tried to get closer and take the photos outdoors, there wouldn't be pictures to share as Mom would undoubtedly call to her fawns and all three would take off on the run.

It's such a gift to witness such natural beauty right where we live and especially a treat to see these curious, spotted little fawns. So cute!

Painting...Painting...and More Painting!!!

I've become entirely infatuated with creating miniature paintings. It seems I can't go a day without sitting down at my table easel, sketching a design or two on tiny 2.5" by 3.5" cards, and brushing in the color with my watercolors. It's a fun challenge to come up with new ideas for my paintings, but most of my inspiration comes from the natural beauty surrounding us here in our mountain cabin in the woods. Over the weekend, Kevin found a gorgeous cecropia moth that had met it's match in the early morn with some sort of predator - most likely a bird that just couldn't quite keep a hold of it. The poor thing's wings were badly tattered and it was definitely on its last legs. Such a beautiful creature and how sad it met its demise, but it inspired me to paint it in all its glory of better days. Cecropia moths are the largest moths in North America with a wingspan that can reach up to almost 6 inches across.

Bronze Beauty

After dinner this evening, I went out to refill the hummingbird feeder that's situated by the goldfish pond. Sitting right next to me, sunning atop a rock at the water's edge, was a very lovely frog. Her skin was glistening like gold! I'd never seen such a metallic colored frog glittering in the sunshine like she was.

The camera was retrieved, and there she still sat all aglow. I took several shots without the flash so as not to disturb the glowing beauty. As I switched the camera settings for a final land shot, I forgot to turn the flash off and my photographic subject took a dive...sploching into the pond. But...she still was game for a longer photo shoot, coyly poking her head above the surface and gazing up with shining eyes.

Even though this last photograph is a little blurry, it's my favorite, as it is a full face smile :)

After consulting our reptile and amphibian field guide, I found our "golden frog" was really a bronze frog, a color variation of the common green frog. Ordinarily, this color morph in the species is not found so far north, instead ranging in more southern latitudes from North Carolina on down to Florida, but, as my wise husband commented, "Global warming is changing the map for everything!" Perhaps it is indeed the reason for the presence of this small wonder...but I guess it is may be one of the few perks of climate change to have such a gorgeous summertime visitor.

Summertime!

Veggie Garden

Well, here it is, almost officially summer! Tomorrow marks the summer solstice. My vegetable garden is doing well this year ~ the rows of green and yellow bush beans interspersed with nasturtium flowers ( good bug repellent!) look lush and healthy and the back row of pepper plants are coming along just fine, too. We're looking forward to the bounty of fresh vegetables later in the season.

View of the Patio with Herb Boxes

The lavender, oregano, and thyme planted last year, all perennials, came back very nicely and filled out the herb boxes. I added new rosemary and basil plants...two other herbs we use a lot in cooking. Kevin makes some delicious Asian dishes that call for basil. It's always a favorite night for me when he cooks up his specialties!

The pink coral bell flowers continue to attract hummingbirds, although they have just about finished blooming. The hungry little hummers have also been very busy feasting at the sugar water feeder. We love to lay out in the hammock and watch them as they whiz by and alight on the feeder to sip the sweet juice, their tiny, needle sharp bills rapidly dipping in and out. They don't seem to mind our presence, as long as we stay very still.

Kevin removed this patio visitor to a safer place in the woods. He was sitting directly under the air conditioning unit, which had been dripping and making a nice, cool spot for a toad to take a break from it all :)

Last, but not least, my daisies are starting to open ~ such a bright, happy flower with their cheery bright yellow centers. Always have been a favorite of mine...and always reminds me of summer. HAPPY SUMMERTIME!!!

ACEOs

Chipmunk

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions & Originals. These are tiny little paintings 2.5 by 3.5 inches in size, the same size as baseball cards. They used to be traded solely among the artist community, but now, thanks in large part to eBay, they are being made available to all interested collectors.

Swallowtail Butterfly on Coneflower

After discovering these collectible works of art online and purchasing a few very affordable, lovely watercolor originals, I decided to try my hand at painting a set of them. The paintings posted on this blog are a sample of those I've created. Nature provides the inspiration for each piece I complete. They are so much fun to do!

Darwin Tulip

I will soon be posting these on eBay under ACEO watercolor originals to see if I might have any beginners luck in the form of eager bidders.

Chickadee on Pussywillow

If you see anything you like here, why not pay a visit to eBay? I'm eager to share my artwork through offering these miniature paintings, so the price will be right :)

A Happy Easter To You

One of my favorite vintage Easter candles

An array of spring color to brighten the season

Simple pleasures~ Soften our lives and bring a sparkle to our eyes.

Happy Easter!!!

They Made It!

Planted last November, my tulips gradually sprouted and today they started to open! They made it through winds, torrential rains, and the countless nibbles from squirrels and chipmunks, curious to find a new delicacy growing up in their corner of the world.

The first flowers to bloom are a lovely shade of peach with bright orange centers. There are more on the way in yellows and reds.

It's so nice to have such graceful flowers adding a splash of color!