Home Sweet Home

Song - Home by Jack Johnson

 

A friend recently wrote to me saying that I left you all hanging back in Paris!  And that would be almost two months ago!  Yikes - sorry about that. But I have truly had my arms full......

 

 Our new grandson Charlie arrived on May 20th to the delight of all! And...

 

Just a few days later Mr. B flew to Colorado to pick up our new Westie puppy - Maggie!

 

 

 

 

So I am now painting in a "puppy safe" zone!!!

The deer recently discovered how to get into our backyard and destroyed my newly planted veggie garden as well as most of my rose bushes. We put in some extra fencing around our property and I moved some of my veggie garden into our old chicken coop area. That area has been a garden dumping place for years now and it's so nice to have it all cleaned out......

 

 

...well, I still have a few pots to clean before putting them back in place.

 

Hope to see you again soon!  I've missed you all.....J

 

 “Life takes you unexpected places, love brings you home.”

 

 

 

 

One Year of Giggles

Song - Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Guess who has had one whole year of discoveries?

My grandson Henry!

He discovered that mommy is pretty cozy....

....and that naps can be refreshing.....

He discovered his tongue....

...and that playing in the pool is great fun!

He discovered his daddy will always have his back.

And he discovered baseball and football.....

...and that Lake Tahoe can be quite cold!

He discovered that sometimes people go away.....

...and boy is it fun when they return!

He discovered that both of his grandpa's are loving and fun!

And that hair cuts don't really hurt....

...and that Pat the Bunny is the best book ever!

He discovered his love for Great-Grandma Betty...

..and how to be gentle with flowers thanks to Grandma J.

He discovered food sometimes has a funny texture.....

...and that he isn't quite ready for a girlfriend yet!!!

For right now mommy will be my girlfriend....forever!

He discovered he has a very cool and funny uncle....

...and that he has a very loving family!

But you know the most important thing he discovered this year?

He discovered what happens when you go to sleep with damp hair....it's a riot in the morning!

"Love you to the moon and back Henry"

--Grandma J

Love is In The Air

Song - When The Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin' Along by Bing Crosby


California is finally getting some rain and the creek in our backyard roared all night long.  It's a good sound to hear as we have had too many years of drought.  When I woke up on Valentines day and looked out at our empty vegetable garden, I spotted these two love birds trying to decide if they should go out on a date.........

......or not.

And just yesterday I spotted a Robin in our Privet berries.......but look who is beneath him......a Cedar Waxwing.

Before I knew it the trees were full of Waxwings and Robins.

They were very good about taking turns eating as some of them 

would wait in this Oak tree on the other side of our yard and then when it was their turn, 

they would dive right into that clump of berries. It kinda felt like I was in that Hitchcock movie with birds multiplying by the second!

Their break consisted in getting a drink of water to wash down all the berries 

and then wait in a nearby tree.

"No winter lasts forever; 

no spring skips its turn."

--Hal Borland

To My Guys

Song - My Father's Eyes by Eric Clapton

Here's to two amazing fathers.....my dad Cal Crawford who worked hard for his family and around our home, and taught me tenderness and love and to use every tool in his workshop.....

And Mr. B.......the father of our three boys who taught them to have an impact in this world and to care with all of their hearts.

Thank you both for being a part of my life.

"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, 

nor a sail to take us there, 

but a guiding light who's love shows us the way."  

-- Author Unknown

Learning to Fly - Part Quatre

Song -  Smile by Madeleine Peyroux

Paris is an amazing place to people watch.  I always travel with my camera that has a great zoom lens so that people usually don't realize they are being photographed.  I use these photo's for reference when I am painting.  I did ask the woman in the photo above if it was OK to take her photo making crepes.  She very happily said "oui" as do most people when I ask.

Waiters and people at cafes are always favorites of mine.

Hot chestnuts cooking on the back of this motorcycle.

 Sometimes it's not until I return home from my trip and check out my photos on my computer screen that I realize that I may have gotten more than I bargained for!!

ooh..la la....Paris is the city of love.......even the angels that are holding onto the fountain are giving these two a double take.

The men playing petanque in the Luxemboug gardens are fun to watch as they are very passionate about their game.

The open air markets are fun for several reasons - people, food and flowers!

Young love.....what can I say?

And a more mature kind of admiration....

Doggie love is everywhere in Paris.

They also love their cheese - don't forget to look in shop windows.  

This cheese monger is trying to find the perfect fromage for his customer.

Look at the expression of this little guy looking at statues in the Musee Rodin.

Remember there are colorful characters where ever you go!

And you might just be one yourself!
 

(And no it was not Halloween but Springtime)

"If everyone would look for that uniqueness 

then we would have a very colorful world."

--Michael Schenker