Other Families and a Special Birthday

Who were they? The people in these vintage family photos from long ago. Family outings and reunions in front of country houses; chubby faced babies; pretty girls in white dresses; little boys in Sunday suits........

............mamas and papas with serious faces; grandparents staid and starched; sweet young things in Summer dresses and straw hats.

Don't you wonder how our family photos will be viewed in years to come? Sad to think that technology has changed everything. We will not be be sepia toned on sturdy card stock with deckle edges and hand inked borders. Instead someone will type in a password to pull us up in full color on a bright screen. They will not hold us in their hand wondering which family member we were.

Don't you love how Susie, Jenny and the creative gals at SuzAnna's Antiques have displayed this great array of old family photos?

Yesterday was Susie's birthday. Vanessa was back from Brazil, Anna, armed with her own chainsaw (brave woman!) to help a friend chop down a tree, and yours truly, just had to accept Jenny's invitation to stop by the shop to celebrate with cupcakes and great company.......and we were gifted too. $5.00 off anything in the shop coupons so you know we had to buy something - show you later!

Tinsel Trading ~ NYC

While in New York city Christmas week, another specialty shop on my list of places to visit, was Tinsel Trading Company. The shop moved several months back and is now located at One West 37th Street. A frequent customer, and her design team, is Martha Stewart ~ she calls Tinsel Trading, quote, "My favorite store in all of the world".

Vintage, new, reproduction.............trims, silk flowers, ribbons, threads, all colors imaginable, bridal, holiday decor, German glass glitter ~ including the fabulous Wendy Addison creations.

Wendy Addison Christmas decor.

Drawers in antique cupboards and chests open to display silk threads and ribbons.

Wall displays of silk flowers ~ these are just some of the white ones ~ they come in every color of the rainbow!

My purchase, again small items for the corner of that expanding suitcase, were these beautiful vintage wooden spools of fine metallic threads in silver and gold tones.

Displayed in the dining room.

This is definitely a beautiful shop where I'll head back for another (much longer!) visit when in Manhattan again.

Tinsel Trading Company ~ a treasure chest.

A beautiful mistake!

Headland in center of photo is the cliff walk above Meadfoot Beach.

My good friend Anna at Chickens In The Basement invited me to join the Favorite Photo meme started by Tara at Sticky Fingers in England................and can you believe I messed up!

After seeing ALL Anna's photos leading up to her one FAVORITE, I didn't realize until after I worked hard on this pretty post for y'all..................I was supposed to show you just one! So here you go dear blog friends, you get a Spring walk in England loaded with some favorite photos of my favorite place. Sorry Tara for overstepping the bounds perhaps...................but as we share being Brits I just know you'll be kind to me........won't you?

So read on if you care to......and hopefully you'll enjoy the scenery.

My favorite photo? Well by now you know I don't have just one!!! I have taken so many I probably have hundreds of favorites to choose from. What I'm doing here is picking a day where I caught memorable (to me) images of my favorite place, and took favorite photos of my home town, Torquay in England. You may remember details of this walk from this post I published last year.

Last Spring, on a day in late April, I took a leisurely walk along a cliff path overlooking Tor Bay. Sun was shining, air was comfortably warm, bluebells blooming, seagulls crying, bees buzzing, just perfect.

Climbing up from the beach road, you enter through this stone arch leading to the cliff walk. One is transported into a quiet world..........................

..................above the bay. Beyond is the English Channel and the north coast of France - not visible from here though.

To the west, the coast curves around Tor Bay. You can see the seaside towns of Preston and Paignton and, at the very end, the fishing village of Brixham, my father's birthplace.

Each step along the narrow path brings something interesting to stop and look at..........old painted gates.............

.................hand built stone walls which hide some really beautiful homes. Needless to say this area, which was once a large private estate owned by one family, is prime real estate with views like this!

Reaching the daisy-covered park at the top of the cliff, one is ready for a rest on one of the many benches looking out across the bay.

I hope you enjoyed this little walk and understand why these are some of my favorite photos. Certainly you can understand why I still get homesick after 47 years, can't you?

I'm not tagging anyone for this meme, however you are welcome to do a post showcasing your favorite photo, or if you want to be crazy like me, you can even show more than one...........I could use some partners in crime!!!!

When life gives you......................

................oranges, squeeze 'em!!!!

My neighbor kindly shared her box of citrus fruits from Florida. Thinking they were all oranges......after all they were on the outside.......I was quite surprised to find 'pink grapefruit' inside some! Yep, they taste like grapefruit and are not 'blood oranges'. So, can you tell me ~ you Florida gals perhaps ~ do grapefruits come disguised as oranges sometimes?

Whatever, they are gorgeous and I had to share the colors before sipping all that beautiful, healthy, fresh squeezed juice this morning.

American Robins

The North Wind doth blow and we shall have snow,

And what will poor robin do then poor thing?

He'll sit in the barn and keep himself warm

and hide his head under his wing, poor thing.

~16th Century British nursery rhyme using

the old English word 'doth'~

The American Robin is a member of the thrush family. "Thrush" means wanderer. Robins are the largest thrushes. This female (grey colored head, wings and tail feathers - male has black) was drinking at my fountain yesterday morning after I melted the ice covering. Robins migrate in large flocks in Autumn and can winter anywhere from Southern Canada to Guatemala. They return to their Summer homes in late Winter and begin to sing in April when they begin to pair. I've seen several robins in the garden and at the park this week. The good news, for those of you in the icy grip of Winter, is that it's already late Winter for Robins so Spring can't be far away!

Male Robin scratching through leaves at the curb.

Also at my fountain yesterday.......several Chickadees

...........and House Finches, this one above is a female. Later, a beautiful Eastern Bluebird arrived and I didn't have the camera handy.......I've been kicking myself ever since!

Edited: Today - Wednesday. Just caught Mr. House Finch visiting for a drink - looks like the slightly warmer day means the fountain needs topping up!

All images at the fountain were taken through the dining room window.

Please remember to feed your backyard birds during this cold weather, and supply fresh water if possible. Birds cannot keep up their body weight to fly and will die if they do not have food and water available.

Dressing for Winter

OOh baby it's cold outside! I love this image from Talbots Winter catalog.......this is exactly the type of sweater and scarf required for the weather we're experiencing since January arrived.......even here down South.

I shared the generous Anthropologie gift card I won last Fall (from artist Erin's beautiful The Painted Garden blog) with my granddaughter during our December New York City trip. At the Anthropologie shop she picked this lovely midnight blue heavy cotton knit jacket ~ here you see her trying it on in the fitting room. It was a keeper, long, warm, not too trendy, and hooded.....................................

.................but she still required that other jacket with the even warmer furry hood for walking about snowy Manhattan! Now it's perfect for here too but we're hoping for a warming trend soon. Jasmin's school bus comes at 6:30 AM and it's way below freezing at that hour.

Seems almost everyone, everywhere is having unusually cold weather with snow in places usually much milder in January. I'm lighting a fire, pulling on my warmest clothes, snuggling up with a throw, a hot drink.....and just enjoying Winter.

I like Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate ~ Inspired by European Tradition. Real rich chocolate taste and not too sweet. The bonus - NO artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, inexpensive, and a cute little tin for storing something or other later!

*************

Thank you, each and every one of you, who left a kind comment on my last post regarding the loss of my dear friend Sterling in California. At times like this, the true meaning of friendship - even with those of you I have yet to meet in person - comes through to warm a sorrowful heart. I've passed along your kind condolences to Paula. I'm truly grateful for all the lovely, comforting words you wrote.

Saying goodbye..................

Shedding tears of sorrow.

Yesterday I took a walk in below freezing temperatures. The sky was cloudless and brilliant blue in the midday sunshine. I went to a little park nearby. At one time several homes stood there. Families with children must have enjoyed the nearby creek. Vestiges of the occupants remain, a plant hanger rusting on a large oak, a little shed way back in the wooded area. The houses were taken by the city due to constant flooding from the creek, and the park was created. I only see a dog walker now and then, it's not a popular place as there's a much larger city park within half a mile complete with duck pond, swings, slide, tennis courts and community center. I like to stop here at this somewhat lonely spot when I want to think, be alone, take some pictures, and perhaps shed a tear.

I lost the dearest friend on Friday.........the husband of my best friend from my hometown in England. She and I met in Washington, D.C. when we emigrated, amazed to find we grew up just miles apart. For almost 47 years we have kept in touch even though she moved to the west coast 45 years ago. We were last together in July when we visited their vacation home at Lake Almanor in Northern California, and last Spring we all met up in our hometown in Devon, England for an amazing time.

This wonderful couple were like this mighty oak. Two special loving people, always together, traveling the world to places most of us never see. Brave until the very end, a kind and loving man to his family, friends and strangers. His battle with cancer for so many years made us admire him so much

I will not be posting for a little while. Life feels sad, empty, brittle. I need some time to remember a wonderful man whom I know is now at peace...........................but will be missed so much.