afternoon delight

"Keep your true love of nature, for that is the way to understand art more and more."

Vincent van Gogh, painter of many sunflowers

No matter where a person lives, there is beauty.

I live in a rather urban neighborhood that, despite the gorgeous historic brick homes, has a lot of distractions. Sometimes I get a little down when I see the rental houses with the trash-strewn across the front lawn, or the paint faded and bricks crumbling on an old gem in need of major love [and cash.] Sometimes it takes me a while to find a shot worth taking.

Then all of a sudden it is there. A cluster of sunflowers in the afternoon sunlight.

So I guess it doesn't need to be an idyllic setting. You just have to open your heart to see the details of the canvas. Let your mind block out the dogs barking, the unsightly power lines, the car horns, the police sirens, the trash...and just see what God is waiting patiently for you to take the time to notice. :o)

ten reasons I don't need a cell phone...

{flickr}

Day 7 without a cell phone. (sigh)

Nope, I am not on a technofast. I have once again misplaced my cell phone. I do this on a regular basis, although usually I find it within couple days. I find, however, that I do not particularly miss my cell phone. I have gone a week and my world is still turning! Maybe I could go forever???

So...without further ado....

ten reasons I don't need a phone

10. I don't call that many people. I can count on one hand the people I regularly call.

9. Txting makes me feel dmbr. lol.

8. It takes up valuable purse space. (And yet, I can never find it in there. Huh.)

7. I prefer emails to phone calls.

6. Phones just aren't pretty like they used to be!

5. It makes my ear hurt.

4. I forget to shut it off in movies -- embarrassing!

3. I feel guilty cursing the people I see driving while on their cell. Hullo people! Of course, I do it too...

2. I'd rather spend $60/month on lattes.

1. I'll just lose it again! :D

There you have it, folks! I'll probably break down and get another cell, but for today you will only hear from me by blog - Happy Monday! :o)

simple, succulent saturday

It was a morning of succulence.

(Or succulents, depending on how you look at it.)

I spent the morning with my fantastic friend M. M is a beautiful, strong, and intelligent woman. We are kindred spirits!

Anyway, this was my first outing with M since becoming a blogger...and hopefully I didn't scare her with my erratic impulses to take photographs of everything we encountered on our morning adventure. Here are some glimpses of our stops along the way:

1. We rescued the neighborhood planters that some punks had knocked over into the street. We literally parked, got out and heaved the toppled urns back upright. Hopefully the local garden society nurses them back to their former beauty.

2. Ate breakfast at my favorite local coffee shop. I ordered my usual "senior citizen" meal of oatmeal with cranberries and walnuts. Oh, and brown sugar. Pure heaven.

3. Strolled down the street to weekend farmer's market. You must realize by now that I adore farmer's markets.

The highlight of this one was Bob. Bob was there selling his plants, which are grown locally in the city. Bob was delightfully eager to give me all the details. (Bob may possibly be 90-years-old.)

This is Bob's helpful hand:

Bob told me all about the "hen and chicks" plant (below) I thought it looked like a succulent.

Bob assured me it is actually a cactus.

(That'll teach me for trying to appear knowledgeable! At least I was in the correct family.)

Then I asked Bob, "How often do you have to water this?"

Bob replied matter-of-factly: "Never."

Nice! Sounds like my kind of plant. Low-maintenance, yet so very pretty.

4. The final stop M and I made was at a garage sale/flea market type place. M was first attracted to the Vietnamese delivery bike on the sidewalk out front. M, by the way, is incredibly knowledgeable. She know all kinds of random things about old stuff, which I found fascinating. I know nothing about antiquing. Zip. We did find some treasures to take home. M found some lovely and dainty hand-stitched handkerchiefs for $1.50. I went for some blue glass Mason jars (three for $27 - may have been ripped off, but don't really care.) I love the ocean blue color and the functionality - I have a million ideas for what to do with them!

{my blue lovelies}

So that was my morning -- indulging in some of my favorite things: coffee, food, flowers, shopping, and conversation with a good friend.

Hope you are having a simple, succulent Saturday as well! :o)

i need coffee

{recent cup of joe}

After five nights of working 3rd shift I realized something:

I am not a night person.

The truth hit home was when a guy (who usually sees me during the day when I am ms. upbeat and perky!) popped his head into my office at 8am, burst out laughing, and exclaimed: "You look like death warmed over!" What?!?! A rotting corpse? Me? Nawww...can't be. Then I looked in the bathroom mirror: hair sticking up, face pale, eyeliner smudged.

Yup. Death warmed over.

Oh well. It is not a beauty contest. It's a job. That I really like.

Besides..

...it gives me an excuse to drink obscene amounts of coffee.

vintage memories: the farm

{view from the farm I grew up on in Minnesota}

Life was simple

There was always a breeze,

One you could actually hear.

Mom was there when you needed her,

Not thousands of miles a way

But present with a hug and

A glass of lemonade.

There was a chance to get bored

Go outside and explore

Fireflies buzzed and were

Kept in jars like fancy lamps.

No buildings or smog, just

Wide open skies that

Seemed to never end.

poor black-eyed susan, poor tired me!

I am working third shifts now. Well not right now.

Though I am tired. Right now.

Not too tired to share this photo of beautiful Susan, though. Black-Eyed Susan. Not a huge fan of this particular flower moniker, at least the "black-eyed" part. I guess that they can't all have sweet names like Jane Magnolia or exotic like Azalea. Anyway, Susan seems like she is everywhere lately, always planted en masse creating all kinds of gorgeous garden drama.

Susan, though battered, is beautiful.

And I, though exhausted, am awake.

It seems unnatural to be sleeping when the sun is shining, and there is so much I could be doing! Hanging picture ledges in my office, painting an accent wall in my bedroom...

Shopping...

Laundry...or not.

Guess I'll go drink some warm vanilla soy milk, snuggle in bed with my book, and hope my mind will slow enough to find some zzzz's.

Happy Monday to you -- good "night"! :o)

front steps of my 'hood

I tend to get up obnoxiously early.

Even on the weekends.

So this morning at 6am I took Colbie for a stroll and I couldn't help notice the lovely things people place on their front steps. Like these little guys...not sure what they are. Not roses...more like maybe a cactus? Either way, it lured me in for a shot.

Then I saw these pots and was inspired by the colorful simplicity of the look. Even the mismatched pots seems to flow together to create a cute, homey look. I am terrible at container gardening, so I am always in awe of those who make it seem effortless.

Nothing says "Welcome!" like a red front door. Unless you put pots of plants in front of it. Then it says, "Do not come in!" But in a nice way. Or at least a pretty way.

Yes. Those are Crocs. Used as planters. Not my favorite look, but these folks get points for thinking outside the box. About Crocs.

Nothing incredibly extraordinary about this one, but I do like the flow and the differentiation of leaf color and pot size. Sort of guides your eye along the ascent to the porch. Or something like that.

Pretty sure I was Asian in another life. I LOVE asian-inspired decor, and these Buddha statues guarding the front door make my heart pitter-patter. Or want to drink tea and meditate. Either way, a good feeling.

That's it for that 'journey through my 'hood.' There will be many more of these to come, as I have a pretty darn inspiring 'hood.

And I walk a lot.

Hope your Sunday is peaceful and inspiring as well!