Storms

"

There's a lot of chatter today
about hurricane Irene.
I don't live near the ocean,
but days like this I wish I did!
I've always loved experiencing the rough surf.
The strength and power of the ocean amazes me,
as there is no stopping it.
I love a windy, desolate beach.
in a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses.
And bare feet.
Loud, thunderous waves.
Riptides.
Like a bad temper.
Splashes of saltwater on sunburned legs.
Dogs running free and chasing their dreams.
Shells and shark eggs washing ashore.
Seaweed and tangled fishing lines.
And horseshoe crabs.

And then, the calm.

Happy Friday!
With love and hugs.
xo

Time and Love

I don't know about you,
but I am feeling the whoosh of days flying by; it seems like yesterday was Memorial Day and with the fervent winds of time we have Labor Day just minutes away. Then it's Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and before you know it, year's end. Another 12 months about to be over.
The next twelve months ahead are going to present a whole new experience for me, and my family. Because...We're planning a wedding!
I wake up excited and happy. Then; I'm scared.
My little 'rolling stone'....(I need to give her a new name today)...something more feminine and lovely and appropriate, I think I'll call her "Diamond Girl"...is dreaming and planning and dreaming some more of her and Matthew's special day.
Together they are as busy as little beavers scouting locations, meeting with planners, creating budgets, imagining menus, and flowers and people, and colors and the oh so many logisitics.
So, today I am dedicating my Petals and Boots to Tiffany and Matthew. Your countdown officially begins!
Your love for each other has proved itself, your commitment to each other is documented, and your dream of sharing your love with the world is just 365 days away!
May your days be exciting, your manners be cool, your fears be few, your respect for each other paramount, and, I hope your love for each other continues to grow as the days roll into nights, the weeks into months and the dreams into reality.
Congratulations once more!

With love and hugs and dreams come true...
xo

People amaze me.
Sweet dreams!

Bethel Woods

Yesterday I was clever,
that is why I wanted
to change the world.
Today, I am wise,
that is why I am changing myself.
~Sri Chinmoy

Have a beautiful day!
With love and hugs.xo

How Lucky We Are

Photo courtesy of "The Big Picture".
Take a peek,
It will take your breath away.

Blessings.
And love and hugs.
xo

Beauty

"Beauty is not caused;
it is."
~Emily Dickinson

Have a beautiful day!
With love and hugs.
xo

Will. I. Am.

Shakespeare, that is.

"And this, our life,
exempt
from public haunt,
finds
tongues in trees, books
in running brooks,
sermons in stones,
and
good in everything."

Have a beautiful day!
With love and hugs.
xo

Buckets of Rain

The little birds are singing their hearts out today.
They are enjoying a cool, gentle rain and little tidbits from the gardens.
The best part of a summer rain is a porch on which to enjoy it!

Happy Sunday!
With love and hugs
xo

On Tap Tonight

It's the Blue Tip Band
at Sylvio's Restaurant in Warwick, NY
and they're in sync
with the Green Corn Moon!

Happy Weekend!
Get Your Rock On!

With love and hugs.
xo

Mid-August

There's a beautiful, crisp air this morning.
All of the humidity has blown away.
A new, quiet energy takes hold.
And, it reminds me
that Summer won't last forever.

Have a beautiful day!
And take good care.
With love and hugs.
xo

What Does One Need?

"Just living
is not enough...
one must have sunshine, freedom,
and a little flower."
~Robert Louis Stevenson

Here's to all the little flowers.
With love and hugs.
xo

HELP!

I entered this photo in a contest today!
I need your vote!
I don't think I'll win, but I need more than one vote!
Help!
Nikon Live.com
Cool Shots!

Thanks...it's also on my Facebook Page!


With Love and hugs!
xo

Saturday

Hope yours is cool and colorful!
With love and hugs.
xo

I'm late.
xo

Weekend Wrap Up

We had an exciting weekend with family and new friends.
We all celebrated together!
An engagement! She said YES! Yay Tiff and Matt!
A Birthday! Yay Henry!
Another Birthday! Yay Lisa!
A belated Birthday! Yay Bea!
Clear skies and Summer breezes! Yay summer!
Shrimp and Salmon on the barbie! Yay barbie!
Not one, not two, but three cakes! Yay Trifle!
Hula hoops on the deck! Yay hula hoops!
Crowns and balloons! Yay color!
Champagne and croquet! And I took 2nd place! Yay Lin!
Swimming and volleyball! Yay beautiful weather!
Cecil learns to swim! Yay Cecil!
Mark getting sunburned! Yay Mark!
Bailey chasing bears! Yay Bailey!
Buddy and Chase...not, Yay Buddy and Chase!
A sweet, adorable helper! Yay Paulie!
And a great time was had by all! Yay Tim!

Happy August!
With love and hugs.
xo

Love

"You know you're in love
when you can't fall asleep
because reality
is finally better
than your dreams."

~Dr. Seuss~
Happy Friday!
Love and hugs to Tiff and Matt!
xo

Zen And The Art Of Your Daughter Taking The Bar Exam

Ya' know, it's funny.
From a Mother's perspective,
little girls grow up so fast.
At the blink of an eye, they go from tiny and cuddly
to independent and productive.
On their own.
As I think back on the early days and education
there were so many milestones. Pre-school. Sweet little Merry Mushroom.
Then grade school. Cute lunch boxes and pencil cases.
And a teacher we'll never forget.
And a graduation speech.
Then it was Middle School..and her first real dance.
Before I knew it..High School. Work hard. Play harder.
College...Work really hard, play even harder.
Then ...came Law School.
Excitement and challenge. Wrapped into one.
Before I knew it, it was Graduation Day.
A stellar moment in my life.
I'm so lucky to have my daughter.
I often wonder: "How'd I get her?"
And so today, it's yet another milestone.
It's the infamous Bar Exam.
A new journey. In a new city. A new beat.
To all of the takers, everywhere...Best Luck. Fear not.
And to my little 'rolling stone'...
"This too shall pass, and so will you"!

With love and hugs.
And a tear!
xo

Atrium of Love

"I stopped believing in birds for a while.
A nun said my heart was broken,
before I even started dating. A parrot in an
unlocked cage waits to start singing.
To mimic off-key is song, but not
song of yourself. Before the cross of Romans,
men followed the flight of the swallows
to build temples, as nests for their gods.
But I can't live in city gardens, more poppys
along train tracks in Poland. I've learned to field myself
in countries, to rejoice the potato is to see the
pigeon as dove.
Divorce yourself from the body as burden.
You're an atrium of Love."
~Carl Sagan
1934-1996
American Scientist

Hope you enjoy the Mid-Summer Dahlias!
Keep cool.
With love and hugs.
xo

Rubrum Lily

A garden surprise!

Keep cool and carry on.
With love and hugs.
xo

This and That on a Saturday

What a summer!
Seems like every day just flies by at lightning speed.
There are so many little things I'd like to get caught up with.
My cookbooks are a little dusty.
My craft counter, while full of ideas, well it sits waiting for me.
Books I'd like to read....not started.
Rides I'd like to take....not yet.
Flowers I'd like to paint...a blank canvas.
Flowers I'd like to plant...sold out!
Windows to wash..never gonna happen!
When I stop and think of ..well, why not?
I think it's that ipad.

Then there's the Thunder Moon.
And Jersey corn and tomatoes.
The story of the picket line in Peapack.
The night job in Jersey City.
The farmer's market downtown. The debrt crisis.
The card shop. Yes, Etsy's on my list too.
I think it's that ipad.

And juicy, jumbo delicious Bing cherries.
So, I snuck in a Cherry Clafoutis!
And a few new photos.
And a couple of poems.
And laundry. And words. And email.
And new to me...Stumbleupon.
And that was this morning.
Yup, it's definitely the ipad.

So, I hope you too have an ipad!
And one fabulous weekend!
Thanks for stopping by!
With love and hugs.
xo

NJ Champagne Region

Cheers! Coming to you
from the Millbrook Village Grapevines!


With Love and Hugs.
xo

The Turtle

breaks from the blue-black
skin of the water, dragging her shell
with its mossy scutes
across the shallows and through the rushes
and over the mudflats, to the up rise,
to the yellow sand,
to dig with her ungainly feet
a nest, and hunker there spewing
her white eggs down
into the darkness, and you think

of her patience, her fortitude,
her determination to complete
what she was born to do-
and then you realize a greater thing-
she doesn't consider what she was born to do.
She's only filled
with an old blind wish.
It isn't even hers
but came to her
in the rain or the soft wind,
which is a gate through which her life keeps walking.

She can't see
herself apart from the rest of the world
or the world from which she must do
every spring.
Crawling up the high hill,
luminous under the sand that has packed against her skin,
she doesn't dream,
she knows

she is a part of the pond she lives in,
the tall trees are her children,
the birds that swim above her
are tied to her by an unbreakable string.

~Mary Oliver~
...and she digs mushrooms in the morning.

With love and hugs.
xo

Another Holiday, So To Speak

On my kitchen wall
is a calendar.
I love my calendar.
It's a Susan Branch design.
She's artistic, whimsical,
thoughtful, most clever,
and considerate of all living things.
She posts cute artwork,
recipes, random thoughts, and poems.
She introduced me to the Moon Months.
She has a cute little home site on Martha's Vineyard,
where she writes, dreams, and explores.
And a home in California.
On the calendar today, she declares July 11th
as "National Cheer-Up the Lonely day"!
How sweet is that?
So, if you're lonely...cheer up!
And if you get a chance, check out Susan Branch!

She knows nothing about me, I just want to share her with you!
http://www.susanbranch.com/
Her website has singing birds!
Here's to the Lonely Hearts Club!
With love and hugs.
xo

Still

In the midst
of movement and chaos,
keep stillness
inside of you.

~Deepak Chopra

Happy Day!
With love and hugs.
xo

A Walk In The Park

Does your soul good.
Especially if it's with dear friends.
That you haven't seen for 12 years.
And then once more it's time
to say good bye.
My heart was sad yesterday.
It felt as if I'm always saying
good bye
to the people that I love the most.
But I'm OK now.
Until, we meet again.


To all of those I love the most.
With love and hugs.
xo