Weather forecast..........be prepared

Oh gosh! Those weather people were right this time. They said prepare........run to the store for bread and milk, large containers of warming liquid refreshment...........................

......................soup ingredients, flashlights, batteries, or good old fashioned candles. Head to the wood pile, stack some logs near the back door.

Pyracantha and Rose Hips.

Funny how preparing for snow has one out in the garden checking about for flowers to pick before they are covered. I discovered the first snowdrop (can Spring be far behind?)......peeking out yesterday afternoon.

Snip pretty Pansies for the kitchen window sill.

The feeders had to be topped up as birds leave their houses and come early morning.............staying all day when snow arrives.

Squirrels seem to know when snow is just around the corner.......running recklessly up and down tree trunks, jumping from branch to branch, checking out the squirrel - make that bird feeders - and flapping those Winter bushy tails that will keep them warm.

Do come visit again later.............I'll show you the beautiful birds in my garden. They're always there but show up so much better in the snow. For those of you up North, probably tired of snow by now, please bear with us here in the South where we're having our first real Winter Wonderland. Being 'snowed in today' is a really big occasion!

All images from yesterday - Jan. 29, 2010

Old Friends - Best Friends

Paula & Mary

I thought about showing we two old broads in our youthful days. Those 1960's days when we first met in Washington, D.C. Young, fresh-faced, bee-hived hairdos and all!!! But why spend a lot of time in the past, wishing for what we were, when the here and now is so very special.

Jenny & Paula

We enjoyed every moment for three full days. We visited SuzAnna's Antiques and were welcomed with the best coffee cake ever - a sweet gift from Susie and Jenny. We dug in to foods from around the world , French, Italian, Thai. We shopped a little, looked at real estate, hugged family who stopped by, played with cameras, stayed up late by the crackling fire.................and talked and talked nonstop.

Much was bittersweet. How could it not be when a special man is gone from our foursome of so many years. Paula is a strong, wonderful woman. She was touched that so many of you left such kind words following her great loss. Much of our chatter revolved around travel. Paula has traveled the world, and plans to continue.......something her late husband Sterling would want. I'll let you in on a little secret, actually it's a huge secret, about a trip being planned. I'm so excited and will share details soon.

Pink Saturday and a Birthday

A week ago on Saturday, the lovely Susie of SuzAnna's Antiques in Raleigh, celebrated her Birthday. Plenty of pink around that sunny day. I was happy to be able to stop by and add my greetings for a wonderful day and a great year ahead.

Mini cupcakes and hazelnut coffee ~ tons of new treasure for sale ~ and guests were given $5.00 gift certificates. Imagine, Susie's birthday and she gave us gifts!!

Pink Saturdays are double fun when a dear one's Birthday is celebrated. Thanks to Beverly you can stop by How Sweet The Sound and find a lot of blog friends sharing their celebrations.

Best Friends

My best friend arrives tomorrow.
Leaving rainy, windy California.

Bringing sadness.

Her dear husband gone just a short time.
A few showers and some cloudy days here.
Inclement weather can't stop the warmth between dearest friends.

I will offer comfort.
Tears will be shed.

Cancer will be cursed.
Memories of wonderful times shared over forty plus years.
And then..............brighter moments as we plan ahead.

The future offers hope.

We will celebrate a special man in a very special place.

~ Best friends forever ~

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!!!!