Pink Saturday 1/5/2011

This is one of the very, very few and rare times I compose a blog post and post it the same day. But as I've said before I'm being a slug lately and today is no different.

It's raining and foggy here in the desert. I tried to get something new to post but I just can't get into getting out and finding something. I'm still in the thinking process of how we can get the maximum amount of space out of our 1800 s.f. house. It's a challenge and I'm so hesitant to give/throwaway/sell a lot of stuff, but when it comes right down to it, that's exactly what will be happening.

We had a gathering at our house monday night and a man who has never been here before walked in and his first words after looking around were "busy house." Even though it's true, it took me aback and I'm still deciding if I was offended. Men rarely, if ever, comment on these kind of things. Oh, they've said things like "A pink house?" but nothing as jarring as that. Knowing neither he nor his wife will ever read this I feel safe in posting it here. More random thoughts later.

I do give you "eye candy" though. I went outside and photographed this little vignette with my flash on and way back in some and very up close in others. I ordered and received these lovely pink candles a couple of weeks ago and just love the pinkness of them.

In this one my nose was practically touching the rose! I was extremely close, set it for closeups and shot away. Just starting to distort the rose, but still lovely enough to share with you. I love photography!!! Oh, and I cropped it up close as you can see. It all works together to get perfection.

Random Thoughts:

I usually speak "meaningful eye contact" with Love Bunny. Sometimes it's the only way to let him know how serious I am about things. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.
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So many people have difficulty acknowledging the existence of evil; they hoped to wish it away through positive thinking, to counsel it into remorse through psychotherapy or to domesticate it with compassion. This is entirely fraudulent thinking and not possible. Trust me, I've been in the presence of evil and it has a different look. I knew that there was no way possible to save that person. It was truly frightening. I've also known a few people who have witnesses it and their thoughts are exactly the same as mine were.
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I wasn't particularly fond of high school. No, contrary to popular belief, those are NOT the best memories of your life. Those will all come later when you have more wisdom than you do from 14 to 18 years of age. I wasn't among the most popular girls in high school and I've truly glad because it's given me a different perspective than the so called "popular" ones. They were completely absorbed in themselves and some have lived tragic lives because of them. I lived a normal life and am happily married to my original husband after 50 years. Most of them are divorced. One girl I knew couldn't give up this guy who was several years older, a complete loser but she got pregnant and eventually divorced. She was gorgeous and could have had just about any guy, but....well, you know what I mean. It's such a waste. A few have ended their lives. But I have to think what my first heartthrob is doing now and what he missed out on. Nope, they didn't flock to me and I feel sorry for what they missed out on. My hubby thinks he's just about the luckiest guy in the world. But he's wrong; I am!
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Have you ever noticed how some lies wrap around us smugly? Uh oh.
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So with that and trying not to bore you too much, I'll end here for today, go walk the treadmill (ugh!) and then eat lunch and read a book. Happy day to you all!
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An Artist's Home

Call me lazy if you want; I truly don't care, but I just haven't had the motivation to go out and photograph things lately. I've been more or less a slug. No matter. We can be slugs if we want at times. I have something coming up soon that will motivate me I think. In the mean time, you'll have to settle for scans from very old books I have.

This home is in Malibu and a famous actor and his painter wife live here. I absolutely love this home and what she's done with it. She's also a gardener so they have lush gardens to fill the home with blooms pretty much year round with the southern California climate. I know. We lived there for many years before moving to northern California and then to Idaho and retirement.

This side faces the ocean and has her gorgeous garden.

Looking out at the beautiful Pacific. I love having hydrangeas in my yard also. It's pretty hard to kill them! And that's what I need.

They have a wind break for the garden to help with the sand and wind. Her hubby doesn't particularly like the garden but you see who won that battle!

She has roses all over her house. Wouldn't that be wonderful to have them pretty much year round?

Her house seems more like a Country Shabby Chic home with all the antiques she has around it.

Just one of her living areas.

My blogging friend, Claudia, would love this idea I think since she has an older cottage with stairs in upstate New York.

I have always loved roses covered sofas but never had the desire to purchase one for myself. I prefer a plain sofa and accent it with patterned chairs. After all, how often do we change a sofa? They usually have to last for a long time. But this one is just gorgeous!

She and her hubby have an indoor hot tub so don't have to worry about the cold. I think it's very quaint

Their dining area.

Notice the magnificent doors and windows.

An antique playhouse someone once made for their little girl out of scraps of lumber.

I can't even imagine a bedroom like this with windows facing the Pacific Ocean.

Again, her roses inhabiting the whole house.

This is their formal living room.

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Winner of Ribbon Tree

I am so sorry I forgot to publish this on friday. Duh! Life can be harried around this house sometimes. But the winner is Gerry of GerryArt. Contact me with your mailing address, sweetpea.

Pink Saturday 1/8/2011—Something I Couldn't Live Without

Welcome to Pink Saturday. To view all the participants visit Beverly of How Sweet The Sound.
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I spotted this darling little clock on Linda's blog site recently and decided it was something I couldn't live without. No, not really, we just needed another clock in this house with an alarm to remind me of pill taking. Noooo, nothing serious, just my usual pills I take at night. This happens when you age, ya know. ;-)

This sweet shopkeeper and blogger also included this for me. Squeeeeeal! A crown key chain. What a sweetheart!

And this also. All the way from Australia.

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Expectations for 2011

The blogs have been very quiet for the past few weeks so I'm giving a heads-up to some of you who haven't checked out the giveaway here. You probably won't want to miss it. ;-)
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I am not a goal setter in the formal sense of the word. It's too hard for me to figure out goals. I more or less have certain expectations for myself. Call it what you want but I call them expectations. I don't believe in resolutions set for a New Year because the average length of such resolutions is perhaps maybe 2 weeks. I'm no different from the rest of the world; I get distracted by things going on around me in life. So I never set lofty expectations because I'm realistic and also because I'm pretty simple in what makes me happy: a loving relationship with my hubby and the Lord. (I'm working on both, by the way!) But I'll tell you about some things I believe are important—at least for me in this coming year.

But first, I thought these vintage roosters/chickens were just adorable and wanted to share them with you. Like me, a lot of you are fans of majestic roosters/chickens and these are certainly majestic in my opinion.

I'll do my best to view things differently than I have before, like looking through this archway and seeing things I may not have caught on first glimpse. I must have looked at this picture and those chairs 5 times before I noticed they had straw seats. I only noticed the cushions. And then while composing this post I noticed light casting its rays on the back wall. Then the enfilade of this home.

To see things to use in a different way from their original purpose.

To write more letters to some people I admire. This is a very high priority for me to do this year as I've found some wonderful people I admire. Some new authors especially have brought me much pleasure from their books.

To look out the windows more often and take walks on the greenbelt near our home.

To be of more service to people who need me and help my community more. To be more patriotic and encourage others to be more patriotic also.

To eat on our back patio more this year and enjoy being outside. This is truly a great pleasure.

To spend more time on my front porch reading than sitting in my home reading. I think the fresh air is important!

To take even more pleasure in the simple things around me. I know, I know, we all say that, but I truly mean it. It isn't the grand stuff for which I lust, it's simple things. I don't need a lot of money or things to be happy. That's an illusion most people fall into I think. But also to get rid of even more clutter in my home. Last year was a good start but it's not over yet. I'm not going to turn into a minimalist but I sure am going to get rid of a lot of stuff around here. It just isn't necessary to make me happy anymore.

To be more proactive in our garden this year. I'm a horrid gardener. I'll try to improve on that.

To spend more time with hubby without nagging him. This is a huge challenge for me. I am by nature a nagger.

To bring more roses to the world. By this I mean being cheerier and glowing and being a good example to others. I am also judgmental by nature. I'll pray for help and guidance to see the hearts of people, not just their actions and outward appearance and to love them much more than I do now. This is the biggest challenge for me.

And if more roses just happen to fine their way into my home so much the better. ;-)

Happy New Year to all of you and may your year be as blessed as last year was for us. I am truly a blessed chick!
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