Take me Home............or traveling

Today I ventured out early to "Tuesday Morning" for their current sale - these are a few of the items that called out "choose me, choose me". The concrete planter is already "mossy" and the shade of green I love. The two decorating books are great - especially love Country Living's "Country Color Combinations", some beautiful photos and use of paired colors. The sweet little green silk gift bag with tassels will be perfect to hold a gift for my Northwest art friend - she loves embroidery as well as tassels!! The balls of textured yarn in Spring colors will be useful in my art projects. I also found plain cards and envelopes at bargain prices, and a box of cards - Van Gogh's famous Starry Night, Cafe de Nuit, Irises etc., this for my granddaughter as he's her favorite artist.

At the Cafe de Nuit, Arles

A hot June day in Provence - how lucky to be visiting such fabulous places when one is nine years old - hooray for Grandparents who travel!! Arles - loving the history of the place where Vincent Van Gogh spent time painting, drinking and fighting! Such a sad life but such beautiful art encompassing all the brilliant, saturated colors of Provence and the South of France.

Vincent's room in his yellow house, Arles.

More stories from France another time.

The waiting game

This time of year is much about waiting. Waiting to start digging in the garden; waiting for the trees to burst out in a thousand shades of green; waiting for blossoms, pink, white, red; waiting for warmer days.......and nights; waiting to get out and walk off the Winter cobwebs (if you're not one of those amazing "walk in any weather" people); waiting to sit on the front porch with a steaming mug of morning coffee and see the sun come up; then back in the afternoon with a cup of fragrant Earl Grey tea...........................................and then, before you know it, the evenings are warm enough to actually enjoy a sunset aperitif outdoors before dinner!!

I love my front porch and will share pictures soon - meanwhile this is a Spring morning at my childhood home in Devon, complete with rainbow over distant Dartmoor.

I'm missing home - always do in Springtime - it arrives early, the hedgerows smothered in pale yellow primroses - followed by hidden bluebell woods, home of fairies I'm sure!

"Oh to be in England now that Spring is here".

Not that I don't like Winter, I really do, especially since moving to North Carolina! I must live where there are four distinct seasons - and I really enjoy each one for the beauty it brings. Today I made my "art pal" in the snowy Northwest a Spring surprise box. She loves tassels and music so I'm hoping she'll enjoy this one. Made use of fabrics I had - decorated an empty chocolate box - added some tags (I love making tags). Will send it on its merry way tomorrow!

More Tulips Around the House

As I said, I really do love tulips and am waiting for my Pink Impressions to bloom in the garden.

....................................and then, this afternoon, around a garden corner I found my sweet sleeping cherub guarding the first Alyssum blooms peeking out from the oak leaves...................can Spring be far away?

The Potting Shed - where all my garden goodies are stored for the Winter......time for a clean out so I'll be ready to break new ground as it warms.

MARCH
As the month advances so does the tide of green that sweeps over the garden. Every day there are new buds, shoots and delicate blooms to admire.......weeds too! For gardeners the urge to get outside and do things becomes irresistible.

How I love Dutch tulips

Seems we all have Spring Fever and just can't wait for the clocks to change and enjoy those longer evenings - three weeks earlier this year here in the USA. Garden chores are are making themselves highly visible now - will have to get the old joints loosened up before all that raking, bending, kneeling etc. Meanwhile the indoor versions of my favorite flower, the tulip, are scattered about the house on pots I've decoupaged and prints I've framed. I enjoy these while the true ones are struggling to poke through the earth - hopefully I'll share pictures of them later. I now plant tulips mostly in pots to thwart the dastardly squirrels and voles - daffodils are not on their menu, thank goodness, so they're out there waving in the Saturday morning sunshine. Enjoy your weekend whether under sunny skies or falling snow flakes - every day is wonderful so make the most of it!

My thanks for the warm welcome

My North Carolina cottage in the Fall

First and foremost I must thank the great women who have already visited my new blog and sent such lovely comments. I'm sure, like all of you at the beginning, I kept wondering if anyone would find me and send a comment - now I'm so happy to think I'm already becoming a part of what seems to be a fabulous group of creative women! We all seem to have similar interests in so many different fields - but the bottom line seems to be enjoying and sharing beauty gleaned from Nature, our homes and families, and our diverse artistic talents.

I'm enjoying your blogs immensely. My only problem is difficulty with my Google account where I don't seem to be able to post comments on your blogs. Hope to get this sorted soon and then you will hear from me as I view your awesome pictures and read your wonderful words.

Snow on the Victorian gazebo this January.

Early Spring in North Carolina

The bodacious Valentine's Day roses have become dried flowers - still beautiful as they fade - cannot toss them away so they will languish in a precious tiny English cut glass vase given to me years ago by my Mother.

Meanwhile, Spring seems to have arrived with several warm, sunny days. My pair of Carolina wrens are busy building a nest in the kitchen window box for the fourth year running. It's tucked under a clump of purple pansies and a small conifer - I hope to get a new family to watch as I wash dishes!

Still playing with my new toy.................

Looking across "the pond" from England on a Winter's Day

This could become addictive! Anyone else out there, please tell me how you stay away from your blog. Do you check it constantly or have a specific time of day set aside to check, post, or read other peoples' blogs? Guess it depends on how often you can access your computer, whether you work, or like me, are retired and have a bit more freedom - luverly!!!