New Years highlight!

Here it is caucus day in iowa.  We got a call last night to take part in a straw poll.  Ron Paul was the answer!  We have never done the caucus thing since we are new here.  The only signs we have seen in town have been for Ron Paul.  It is just the main stream media who black out the truth.

I'm just downloading some podcasts for work and having a cup of coffee.  

This week (hopefully tonight) I have some really awesome antique illustrations from and antique book-set of works by Charles Dickens that I will be listing in my online etsy shop!

One of the illustrations

 They are some sort of etching.  Like a wood cut but carved onto a copper or metal plate of some sort, and then inked and pressed onto paper.  The book is from 1870.  The only reason I would even desecrate a book is because it is in such bad condition that it is unreadable.  By this I mean it is stained, ragged edges, brittle to the touch and just plain falling apart!  haha  There are dozens of the illustrations.  They can be used to frame or use in crafts.  I will be listing them in my shop soon.

This year looks to be an improvement over last year!  Let's hope so anyway!

Cheers

cold morning...

During the night I have ideas of poems. I don't know much about poetry. Don't know the rules or even what a stanza (is that for music or poems...haha) means.  But ideas for poems keep coming to me.  Can any group of words that make an image be called a poem?  Are there guidelines that must be followed when writing a poem?  I think I will just write a couple and see what happens...I believe poems and artworks can go together.

The garden needs to be cleaned out. And the carrots thinned.  The leaves are almost all off the trees.  Winter is getting impatient.

Grant Woods painting of his mother in the Figge Art Museum

Lazy Sunday...

Yesterday's walk...

 Richie took these photos.  He had the camera, I had the dog.

Tonight we will be going to one of the scariest haunted houses in the Midwest!  It is were our sweet daughter is working for the season, called Torment Twelve. She plays a crazy old lady with a fascination for dolls, who is also a hoarder.  I used to be horrified of haunted houses until into my 20's!

It is been a very weird stage of life, this newly married/post-menopausal life in a new town.  So many new things all at once...this can, for lots of women my age be a new beginning.  Why do I mostly have this flailing sensation?  haha

Getting back into the swing...

Good Morning!  The view from here is nothing like this sunrise.  We came home to full fledged autumn.  The trees are at their most colorful ripeness.  The garden is pretty much spent.  However, all looks pretty in it's own way...

Front porch love...


“No front porches. My uncle says there used to be front porches. And people sat there sometimes at night, talking when they wanted to talk, rocking, and not talking when they didn't want to talk. Sometimes they just sat there and thought about things, turned things over. My uncle says the architects got rid of the front porches because they didn't look well. But my uncle says that was merely rationalizing it; the real reason, hidden underneath, might be they didn't want people sitting like that, doing nothing, rocking, talking; that was the wrong KIND of social life. People talked too much. And they had time to think. So they ran off with the porches.”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451


Peach, joy and love ❁

A day off work with Lots to do...

Found out yesterday that I would be having this day off!!  So much to do today...we are going on a real vacation!!!  It has been about 4-5 years since we went to the ocean.  So Tybee Island, GA is the destination.  And we will get to see all my family on the way.  I just can't believe it until we are there kind of thing.

So, Rich found us a house/pet sitter. She is a grad student who lives just down the street.  A Literature major and cook!  I met her last night and was impressed. It is just exciting to meet such a smart, energetic young lady. And she is even willing to keep up with what is left in the garden.  She said she loves our house with all the plants around it now.  Makes us feel good that lots of neighbors have commented on the change of the yard.  What a difference just planting seeds and small plants can do.

We are going to watch my young'n play soccer Saturday morning (on our way out of state).  His daddy is the coach so I am interested in watching him too!

This is my view at the moment.  Have to make out a list and stick to it!!!  Mattie will even be getting a bath today.

I'll be taking the camera and computer with on vaca so I can still post here. I know taking the computer on vaca is frowned upon...but it is My vacation!!  Can you tell just how excited I am?!

Ok, better finish my cup of tea and get dressed. (yes, still in p.j.s).

Back from Mattie's walk...OH those fall colors!!!

Peace, joy and love ❁

For Rissie Woods-Forrester

Here are some photos I took this afternoon on my walk with Mattie...yes, I did edit them a little. The theme for the day is Beauty and Love...in Memory of Meme. Rest in Heaven with all your loved ones my dear Grandma ♥