Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

This is not one of my photographs.

It is the cover of Dharma Crafts Holiday 2013 catalog.

I thought it was lovely.

More importantly it says what I want to say to you.

Wishing you joy and peace during this Christmas season and the happiest New Year.

I'll see you next year. 

Be well.

Potpourri

It is warming up around here -- high 70's.

I did learn something during our last cold snap:

When your car tells you it is cold (low outside temperature),

it really is cold.

**

Speaking of frosty air, here is
another reproduction vintage postcard.
The artist was Margaret Evans Price and it was published around 1922.

"I part my casement curtains

And place my candle there

To flash a Christmas Message

Across the frosty air."

Thank you to the lovely Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

***

One of my photos was featured at Focusing On Life.

I've been smiling all week.

How cool is that?!!!

****

On my last visit to the Farmer's Market I came home with

beets, turnips and strawberries.

I can't bring anything home without the kitties checking it out.

In addition, I brought home this lovely bowl.

(No, Mina -- it isn't your new food bowl.)

I got an early Christmas present for myself and made a donation to a good cause.

The bowl was created by a local artist and donated to Empty Bowls Houston,

benefitting the Houston Food Bank. They raised $2,365 at the Farmer's Market.

 This will provide 7,095 meals to the hungry!

*

I've watched White Christmas three times so far.
Scrooge was on last night as was The Christmas Carol.
Looking for The Bishops Wife and then my holiday movie watching will be complete.

*

Last, but not least -- Random Five Friday is back!
YeeHaw!
Thank you, Nancy!

Wishing all of YOU well and much joy!

In The Spirit of The Season

It's time for Vee's Notecard Party.
Let's celebrate Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of YOU well and much joy!

My World: Zoo Lights

The Holiday season is off to a good start at the Houston Zoo.

I thought the lights were lovely last year,
but this year, they knocked my socks off.
This is just a sampling.

Thank you to the hosts of Mosaic Monday and My World.

Wishing you all well and much joy!

Ho Ho Ho

Merry Merry

A Cup of Joy!

I'm a little late with a tea post.

Photo taking is a bit on the iffy side when it is so dark and dreary outside.

So, I decided to light up the Christmas tree and have tea under the tree.

This is Royal Albert's Christmas Tree cup and saucer.

The little red teapot is by Kensington.

The tea is a lovely tisane by Stash called Christmas Eve.

It is especially nice in the evening before bedtime.

I'm joining some tea parties today:

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing all of you well, much joy and a wonderful cup of tea!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Bodhi Day

Where ever Buddhism has traveled, 

it has picked up customs and bits of culture from each country.

Bodhi Day - the day Gautama achieved enlightenment is celebrated on December 8.

I've done a little incorporating of holidays -- compassion bringing them together.

The Christmas tree is all set up to celebrate Yule, Christmas and other Holy Days.

On December 8 the lights will represent enlightenment.

Multicolored lights representing the many paths that may be taken to enlightenment.
Under the tree, a Buddha as he sat under the Bodhi tree.

I plan on spending the day quietly.
Some meditation.
Curling up with the kitties to stay warm.
A cup of tea -- or two.
A candle glowing.
A wish for peace for all.

Potpourri

I like oatmeal and I save it for cold mornings.

It is an oatmeal day!

*

Christmas is just around the corner. 

Time to share a reproduction vintage postcard.
The artist on the original card was Margaret Evans Price
 and it was published around 1922.

"I'd like to share with you the joys of Christmas day,

so I send this little card on its

Merry Christmas way."

Thank you to the lovely Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

**

We girls (Cassie and Mina and moi) got an early Christmas present

and you might say that Teddy got one too.

It was time for Teddy's six month ultrasound on his heart.

He has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and is on medication.

He passed with flying colors yesterday.

His wonderful vet said there was very little if any change.

The medication is working.

Yippee! 

***

I haven't decided if I'm finished decorating. 

While I'm deciding, 

Cassie burrows under the tree skirt and moves the non-breakable ornaments

on the bottom of the tree onto the floor.

"Just helping, Mummy!"

****

The Rice University Owl football team is playing for the conference championship

tomorrow. I'm going. I'll probably freeze my fanny and other parts of my anatomy off,

but this doesn't happen often and I want to be there to see these scholar-athletes

get the job done. The football program here has the third highest graduation rate

for college football programs in the country.

Go OWLS.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Potpourri

It's Friday and time for some this and that.

I was up early this morning and the washer, dryer and clothes folder (me) have been busy.
Yesterday I thought I'd get up early and hit Half-Price Books at 7am. That idea didn't last long. I decided it was too cold to walk and I wanted to walk up to my village. Although a chance at a $100 gift card in one of the bags they were giving away was very tempting.

How was your day yesterday? Did you celebrate Thanksgiving? Cook a lot of food? 
The kitties and I shared a quiet day. We put up another Christmas tree. There are two downstairs (think too many Christmas ornaments????). They aren't decorated, but they are up. Mina and I shared some smoked turkey -- she begged so prettily (underfoot) all day -- the little imp. I had *stuffing* (yep, southern ya'll) for breakfast this morning. 

In and around Houston it's been freezing the past few mornings. The birds have been getting a little bit extra at the morning buffet. The squirrels have been getting in on the buffet action too.




Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

(This is a Charles Wysocki card that I embellished with a little fall bling!)

Wishing YOU and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sweet Memories

When I was growing up

we always went to Granny's for Christmas.

She had a bright, shiny tree with bubble lights.

Around the base of the tree was a little village -- all plastic.

Bottle brush trees.

I thought it was a wonderland.

The candy canes.

Hot chocolate in a Santa mug.

I still love candy canes, hot chocolate and Santa mugs.

Every year I go looking for new mugs -- the cheaper the better to get the look!

The mugs can't be microwaved, but they can be filled with candy canes and placed around the house.
Hot chocolate tastes really good in a holiday mug, too.
I've already tried Stash's Christmas Eve herbal tea -- especially nice as a bedtime treat. 

The owl mug is new this year.

I'm thinking of making postcards.

You can help.

Which one do you like best?

I'm joining some lovely tea parties today:

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing all of you well, much joy and a lovely cup of tea!

It's Monday!

It's Monday.

What are you reading?

I just finished OLD TIN SORROWS by Glen Cook.

Old Tin Sorrows by Glen Cook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I noticed Glen Cook had published a new Garrett, P. I. novel. I went to my bookcase and looked to see if I had kept any of the Garrett novels of the past and could I figure out where I left off. OLD TIN SORROWS was the oldest that I found, published in 1995 when paperback books were $3.95 a copy. Remember those days?! I started to read OLD TIN SORROWS and didn't remember the story, so I continued reading. What a fun ride. It was everything I remembered about the Garrett novels. Great one liners. Fun characters (elves and all sorts of critters). Garrett is hired by his old marine sarge, Blake Peters. Peters has retired from the marines and is now working for the "old man", General Stratnor. Peters believes someone is poisoning the General and he hires Garrett to found out the truth. What's the saying -- the truth will set you free -- nothing stranger than the truth ... you get the drift. Garrett moves into the Stratnor mansion where he finds one surprise after another and Garrett thought he had seen it all. Morley comes to help (Garrett's elf friend who owns a bar and who is always after Garrett to eat better). I found a few more Garrett novels that I'll be reading in order to catch up to the new one. I'll be laughing all the way. Fun fantasy, mystery.

View all my reviews

Wishing you well and much joy!

Happy Monday!

Camera Critters: Cougar

On one of my recent visits to the zoo,

cougars Shasta and Haley were having a discussion about the best place to take a nap.

Both of the cougars are young cats and their stories are similar.

It is legal to kill cougars under certain circumstances.

It is illegal to kill female cougars with kits.

Both Haley and Shasta's mothers were killed. 

Shasta had two siblings that were found quickly and rescued, but Shasta went hiding.

He was finally found and made his way to the Houston Zoo where he is now the official

mascot of the University of Houston cougars. 

Just look at those feet! 

They share a lovely habitat -- plenty of room to climb, run and jump and no one to shoot them.

Thanks to Misty for hosting Camera Critters each week.

Wishing all of you well and much joy.

Potpourri

It's been quiet on Twisty Lane.

I've been busy and trying to cut down my online time.

But, today is Friday and it's time for a little catch up -- some this and that.

*

I went on a rainy adventure with a good friend down to Alvin, Tx and Joe's Bar-B-Q.
I can't tell you how many times I've driven by Joe's and thought the food must be good
because the parking lot was always full.
I've done my own personal research now and can report that I had the best
Bar-B-Q sandwich I've ever had at Joe's.
Then we were off to Froberg's Farm for some veggies and blackberry fried pie.
I didn't get many veggies, but I did get a fried pie (or two), some honey and blackberry jam.

**

The Rice Baseball Insiders dinner was held at Reckling Park (home of the Owls)on the field. 

Boy was that fun. Some folks had never been on the field.

Lots of room to walk and talk and meet the fine young men who make up the 

Rice Owl Baseball team.

This is coach Graham and the next shot is one of the 18 conference title trophies.

Each table had a trophy as centerpiece.

I'm not sure how much fun the players had, but us *old* folks enjoyed ourselves.

***

A true cold front arrives today.

We start at 75 at 5 AM and will drop to 50 --probably by noon.

It's supposed to stay in the 40s and 50s the next week.

****

Santa has arrived on the front porch with his tree.

I've plugged them in to make sure they are working, but won't officially turn them on

until Thanksgiving.

The snowman is on the balcony. 

Getting ready to jingle on!

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

A Little Babying Never Hurts

There are three Satsuma trees in Musashi's Garden.

They've had a hard time.

I've talked to them and babied them through the continuing drought.

Telling them they didn't have to *perform* -- just stay alive.

This year, two of the little trees provided me with orange globes of sweetness.

YUM!

Before I ate all the evidence,

I decided that I needed to document the fact that

a little babying never hurts.

Wishing all of you well and much joy!

Good Morning, Glory!

Musashi's Garden is my postage stamp size backyard.

It is named for one of our favorite kitties, Musashi-San.

He was quite the guy.

This is what Fall looks like in Musashi's Garden.

Golden Ixora

Morning Glory

This is my volunteer Morning Glory.

If you look closely you can see the visitor that I captured.

Good Morning, Glory!

I do not know the name of this rose.

But I can tell you, she is a beauty and she smells just like a rose should!

I'm joining Mary at Mosaic Monday.

Wishing all of you well and much joy!

Simple is Best

Take a Roma Tomato

Slice it up

Take an Avocado

Slice it up

Add it to the tomato

Eat

Delicious

The best lunch around.

Sometimes, simple is best.

I'm joining Art Every Day Month and Tuesday Muse.

(Nancy is taking a holiday break.  I hope she'll be back.  I'll continue to Muse on Tuesday!)

Wishing All of YOU well and much joy!

Art Every Day

For Day 3 and 4 in Art Every Day Month

Background made on 4 x 6 canvas board.
I'm trying to use up supplies I have around the house.
I have no idea why I bought the 4 x 6 canvas boards.
They come in a pack of three and so far, I've found two packs.

I applied a *sort of* thick layer of gesso and then stamped into the gesso leaving an imprint.
Fluid acrylics added and rubbed with a baby wipe.

Day 4

I did some more stamping.

More Golden Fluid Acrylics including gold.

More rubbing.

Added lady (she is from a woodblock print by Hokusai).

I love her glasses.

Added the bird.

Lady #2

(I feel a series coming on!)

More information about AEDM can be found here.

Wishing all of YOU well and much joy!

AEDM (Art Every Day Month)

For Day One and Two of Art Every Day Month

Background made on  4 x 6 canvas board.

Acrylics and rubber stamps, lifting of color.

Lady # 1: for Day 2 of AEDM

Collage

You can learn about AEDM here.