Longwood Gardens

We went to Philadelphia this weekend to visit my niece Amanda. It was refreshing to go visit a place that has less snow, and to see grass uncovered in spots. The Orchid show at Longwood Gardens was spectacular!!! We saw so many beautiful flowers and it was just what we needed. It reminded us that spring will soon be here.


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Sign of the times

I drove past this sign today. There it was, stuck in a snowbank. I have to agree with it, up to a point. Even though I love the summer, I need the winter because it's a time of renewal. With all the snow and ice everything is different. I can't go out for a walk with Zelda - there's nowhere to go. I just want to hibernate. Today I went to New Milford for a haircut. (that's when I passed the sign) There's a gazebo in the center of town and in the middle of the night someone festooned it with plastic flowers!


They also put flowers on the bridge. I was energized by the sign, the flowers and the whimsy of their creators. It made my day!

Going to the Beach

I'm starting a new class today with Laure Ferlita. It's A Visit to the Beach. I really need this class for 2 reasons:

I need to draw and paint and I need to escape the unbearable weather conditions. The first assignment was to paint a starfish and I just happen to have this awesome specimen. This is a lovely way to spend the time waiting for spring.

The Visit

Yesterday we went to visit my Aunt at her very posh retirement home. For the past 15 years she and my uncle went to Florida for the winter. This year there is a huge icicle hanging outside her window and everything is covered in snow. She has her apartment decorated for the season with snowmen, Santa and an assortment of paintings. Lunch was at the "Country Store" because it has always been a favorite of ours. We took a ride past the "old" house. Everywhere we went there were memories. As we were leaving, my Aunt stood at the door and waved goodbye. I was filled with a feeling of sadness because I know how life can change in an instant. There are so many memories swirling around in my mind and it's difficult to make sense of it. I am grateful that we can still visit my aunt and share our precious memories together.

Night Vision

It's snowing again. I am mesmerized by the gently falling flakes. It is time for me to go to bed, but I can't seem to pull myself away from the window. There's a soft glow from the street light outside and an occasional car passes by. I am addicted to the beauty that's outside my window. It's time to go to sleep now but I am content sitting in the dark and watching the snow.

How Having a 7' Pink Christmas Tree Can Change Your Life

The Pink tree is up in our living room. I had to take it out of the box and look at it. It really stands on its own and is so bright it seems to have its own light source. When you have a 7' tall pink thing it can throw things off color wise. Pete brought me 2 beautiful shocking pink pillows for the sofa. Wow! They look great! I had to rearrange my art to balance the 7' Pink tree. Fortunately, my furniture is off white and everything really works. I probably should have a warning sign: Not For the Faint-hearted! We are going to decorate the tree with Valentines. Remember the movie "Funny Face" with the Think Pink scene? I'm in that kind of mood. There is a pink glow coming from the room. With all the snow outside the pink tree is a bright spot in our house. It makes us happy!

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The Art House Journal

This picture is of my empty journal. The deadline has been extended to January 17th. My topic is "Down the Road". When I signed up for it I thought it would be easy. Every day (except recently with the snow) I walk Zelda down the road. I have a whole album full of pictures of our walks. For some unknown reason, I just couldn't get started. I decided that maybe I was being too literal. Maybe Down the Road could mean the road ahead or the road not taken. I couldn't decide and consequently didn't do a thing. I feel a sense of failure about it.


Now I'm thinking about going ahead with it. Since the pressure is off, maybe I can figure out exactly what "Down the Road" means to me.


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