~~~~~~At Easter~~~~~~

Easter Blessings to you and your families.

We're All Winners!

Because I have just been tagged for a Thinking Blogger Award (many thanks again Andrea of Southern Heart - and others who have written such kind comments), my anonymity is compromised! Someone wants to see a picture of the real me! So, here's one taken last Summer with my fabulous granddaughter Jasmin in front of the famous Opera National de Paris - yes, home of the Phantom! Hot, humid day, windblown, casual me. Let me tell you, once you hit sixty three, casual is the only way to go - and it's great!

My life has been blessed in so many ways through the years. Sometimes when trying to piece together all the fragments to see a picture of the whole, I fall short - forgetting bits of the history, the places, the happenings - but I definitely never forget my friends, all those wonderful people who have shaped my life to make it what it is. I still have close childhood friends whom I visit in England. I have local friends who stood by me, cared for me, and cried with me when I was fighting cancer. I have friends who enjoy a teatime cuppa with me in my garden gazebo, and friends who, although far away, still keep in touch even if it's only a Christmas card. But now, right now, I have another group of amazing friends - all of you who take the time to read my blog and write back to me. When I joined this new world I had no idea I would find so many creative and endearing women who were passionate about the same things I love. I'm honored to think you really enjoy my photos and writings about my passions - my little cottage style home, the way I decorate, the things I enjoy collecting, my art projects, my garden full of flowers, birds and other wildlife, and my travels to interesting places, especially across the pond to my home. In turn, I receive such joy visiting you and reading of your latest projects, your flea market bargains, your pets and farm animals new offspring, your fabulous handyman/chef husbands (I don't have one with those attributes however he's still fabulous!), your pride in your children, your overwhelming love for your grandchildren, your lively travels, and your personal life stories encompassing your hopes, dreams, fears and joys.

They say that in Egypt the very best thing you can say about another person is that they are generous. Your generosity sparkles in your blogs - each of you gives back from the heart and makes every day even more special for me.

I wish I could tag every one of you but I guess I'm limited to five wonderful blog friends. I suppose eventually everyone receives an award anyway - don't forget patience is a virtue! So today I'm tagging these five friends whom I've met just since February - lucky me!

Allison at My Cozy Home http://mycozyhome.typepad.com/
We started blogging at the same time and Allie's obvious passion for her lovely home and family, and the wonderful vintage accessories she collects, makes my heart sing. It's great knowing that there are still young women out there who care so much for the lovely things of the past, incorporate them into their personal style so beautifully, and all while raising a family and holding a job. When Allie comments she says the sweetest heartfelt things - thanks so much.

Dorothy at www.petit-pois.typepad.com/
Who can believe Dorothy lives just up a country road from me however we have yet to meet in person. She is an amazing fine art photographer (make sure you visit her web site and view her work) who relocated here from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. I love to hear about her historic home renovation, her love of gardening, how she and her artist husband work so well in tandem, and are thrilled to be starting a new life in North Carolina. Dorothy I'm so glad I found you!

Peg at http://peg-woolinmysoup.blogspot.com/
Dear friend on Vancouver Island - you are certainly a very special person and I just love hearing from you. Peg must hold the world record for the fastest knitter. Oh goodness, every time I read her blog there she is modelling another fantastic creation in wool, cotton or silk! Her home and garden are lovely and although she has lived in many Canadian provinces, she obviously has found her true home in a scenic island paradise. Peg 'o my heart - you are fabulous.

Crystal at http://fariebees.blogspot.com/
How marvelous to actually keep bees of one's own - and not to even cry when you get stung. Crystal - "a pink-bee"- has been so kind in sharing the secrets of bee keeping, a subject I embraced after reading a certain "Bee" book - most of you know and love the story too! Her flower paintings and photos are wonderful. Do you realize we are getting so much education on new subjects from friends like Crystal - thanks so much for your patience and teaching me more about life around the hives and the making of honey.

Dawn at http://acharmedlife22.blogspot.com/
Before Dawn gallops off into the sunset on her beautiful horse, you must visit with her in her new home. She and dh are working on many projects to get their lovely house just the way they want it. She's a gal after my own heart - romantic with a little Bohemian thrown in - I just know she must be fun. She's a new blogger too and seems to be good at it - interesting posts and generous with her comments. Dawn, thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts and dreams, glad you've become a member of our great sisterhood.

The best of weekends to all my great new friends - look forward to hearing from you soon.

I'm so excited and grateful.....

This evening I was ***dancing with the stars***........no, no no, I mean dancing with my dh, around the confines of our small living room, to celebrate my award. I have been tagged by sweet Andrea, Southern Heart, for a Thinking Blogger Award. Wow! me, who never wins anything, actually received kind and generous accolades after just a short time blogging - that's even nicer than getting presented with an ugly gold Oscar himself. Where on earth would one put an Oscar in a cottage? Thank you so much Andrea - you are, and always will remain, one of my very special blog friends.

The only part of this picture that resembles me is the hair - I do have a radiant red bob - well I'm quite tall too!

Watch this space - I will soon be tagging some of the special people whom I've met recently.

Simple Garden Treasures.....and Pleasures

During my bookshop visits yesterday - looking for the May Romantic Homes magazine (doesn't seem to be on our newstands yet) - I found this adorable tote bag at Barnes & Noble. It's regularly $9.95 but if you buy any two items it's only $4.95. I purchased another magazine I've been looking for, the April/May issue of Somerset Memories, to view art blog friend Linda Harre's magnificent altered books made for her twin grandsons, and a greeting card, and bought my pretty bag to use for toting Spring reading etc. It's made of heavy coated paper which can be wiped clean, printed on all sides with beautiful English cottage roses and calligraphy. Handles seem strong and it has a snap to close the top. It's so pretty I'm leaving it out to admire as an accessory!
Out in the garden today I drifted along with the pollen - whew! it's bad this year - to take some photos of my cherubs enjoying the Spring sunshine and blooms around them. This little sweetie, while talking to her bird friend, is excited because the climbing rose is actually climbing this year - hopefully it will get to the top of this arbor and bloom magnificently before the hot Summer sets in - last year we had just a couple of yellow roses on it. Remember the old saying........."First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap". This actually is the third year so I'm waiting, and hoping, to be pleasantly surprised.

If you can enlarge photo - sometimes they do, sometimes not - you will see the angel, frog, and kitty in the background marking my granddaughter's hamster cemetery. This was constructed over the past few years following teary-eyed "funerals". Snuggles and Ginger are now in a better place, "hamster heaven".
The Carolina Jasmine is doing well this year. It was huge a few years back but had to be cut down to the ground when replacing the rickety old fence - now it's blooming profusely again, and the flowers are as yellow as yellow gets - such a contrast to the "Carolina Blue" sky. Way to go!

And, while "fenced in" you have to admit these are cute little copper roofed bird houses from Tuesday Morning. They've held up well for over a year despite being left out all Winter. The tiny Chickadees love them - they don't seem to nest in them, just pop in and out and perhaps sleep in them at night. I love to look over and see the little heads sticking out, makes me giggle!Hope you are enjoying the treasures hiding in your garden.

A Simple Easter Time

I plan to enjoy Easter at home working in the garden if the weather is kind. We're expecting a cold spell with low overnight temps. and are praying it doesn't damage the shrubs and plants - they are so beautiful now. The dogwoods in their white and pink airy dresses, the cherries wearing flouncy double petal pink gowns, and azaleas of every shade in every garden. One of the good things about older neighborhoods is the big size of the flowering shrubs, as well as huge beautiful old trees.

The Easter Bunny (shhh! it's really Granddad with bunny ears) will make an appearance and the egg hunt will take place early afternoon when it's a bit warmer.

I then plan to open this pretty, very pink, box. It has been sitting here for a week under the watchful eyes of the resident rabbits. A genuine Italian Easter cake is hidden inside - no idea what it looks like, says it has chocolate cream filling - it just has to be yummy, everything from Italy always is. Join us in the gazebo for cake and tea - I'll even make you a raspberry hot chocolate if it's really chilly.

Blessings to each of you at Easter.

More thoughts on L'Italia Bella

You're invited to pull up a chair, a country hand painted chair, and we'll sit around the rustic pine table, under the arbor. Let's open a bottle of Vino nobile di Montepulciano, slice some fresh blushing pears, top with shavings of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, spread slices of particularly gorgeous melting Taleggio on to crusty farmhouse bread. Let's just sit back looking across the Tuscan landscape to the medieval hilltowns beyond the olive groves and vineyards...................... and we'll know life can't get better than this. Oh, but you say, I thought she was English and here she is spouting off about Italy. Those who have been to Italy know how the beauty of the country gets under your skin and it's impossible to forget each small detail, whether you've spent years, weeks, or just a few days soaking up everything Italian.

Next year I hope to return to Italy - dh and I are considering a trip which will encompass more of Tuscany, Venice, and the Golden Triangle area of Lake Como. These photos show the view from Varenna where English friends are currently completing the decoration of a hillside home they have purchased and will be renting out to visitors...................now that looks like a truly beautiful place. I'm seriously thinking of mailing off my deposit for next Summer!!!

Hope you can all visit Italy some day........you will not be disappointed I assure you.

Meandering through Europe

If I could be somewhere else for Easter I think I'd choose Italy this year. This magazine picture reminds me of the time I spent in Tuscany a few years ago - dining one mild Fall evening on risotto with truffles in a rustic country dining room. I was in heaven and vowed I would return in another life as a Tuscan country woman living in a hill town where time stands still. I'll have to dig out those photos, taken before I went digital, stored in shoe boxes of course because we never got the albums finished, did we?

I would love to share with you what I found so beautiful about Italy.

Have you ever tried this wall finish called Ancient Damask? It's so amazing and involves plaster and stencils, staining and burnishing. But would I ever finish if I started - it would be so time consuming everything else in my life would have to be put on hold. You wouldn't hear from me for weeks........I think I'll stick with good old plain paint. But this is so European and gorgeous!

When in France I thrill to sights such as this in the markets. French linens, jute twine and string; golden, ochre and honey-toned blocks of hard-milled soap, stamped with interesting words and seals. Why do these natural, country items always look so beautiful? Perhaps because they are just that.........natural from the countryside.

These are words at the bottom of my staircase just inside the front door. I read them every day, sometimes several times a day in passing which is quite easy to do in a small cottage style house! They always evoke memories of the places I've seen and loved~ today I thought I'd share just a few thoughts about Italy and France in preparation for the stories yet to tell about my family's beautiful home in Southwest France.

Teach your children to explore the world, to see how other people live, to gaze at their historic places, to eat their food, hear their songs, dance to their music...............to travel every chance they get. Traveling is education wrapped up in memories treasured forever.