It's Coming!!!

Song - GhostBusters Theme by Ray Parker Jr.

Andy - - as in our son that just got married - and just when did he grow up???? - - 

and a witch at the Nut Tree in Vacaville just a few years ago!

The pumpkins are waiting to be carved and the only decoration I have out is a rat skeleton! Boo!!

This time of year makes me feel nostalgic.  The days are cooler and the nights are refreshing.  

The sun is rising from a more southerly place through my bedroom glass door.

It's dark so much earlier!!

My garden is looking a little tired.

In the Spring I planted the above Limelight Hydrangea's for Andy & Ashley's wedding.

 Yesterday I decided to cut some of them to see if I can dry them.

Today I was looking at soup recipes to eat and good books to read by the fire. 

Time to turn inward....

After I have a good laugh at my brother Tim's mustache from 1987!

"Laughter is an instant vacation" --Milton Berle

Our Family Has Grown

Song - Family Tradition by Hank Williams Jr.

Some chapeau huh?  

I have been working on my family tree since I was a teenager and would record my Italian grandparents stories and share family photos.  It is something I have always been fascinated by.  It is kind of like putting together a puzzle and making sure everything fits.

Since September 17th, I have an even larger family thanks to Andy & Ashley's wedding!

The woman in the photo above is named Amy Wilson Ross 

and she is Ashley's second Great-Grandmother. 

Isn't she a beauty?

This is her husband, George Clark Matson -

Ashley's second Great-Grandfather.

Above is a "selfie" taken in the 1870's. Such a handsome couple.

Then they had children.....

and her sister moved in....

Mama is looking pretty good still but dad is losing his spark.

They had 3 more children after this was taken.

Just imagine that photo!

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/roots.html

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, 

origin and culture is like a tree without roots." 

--Marcus Garvey

Confusion in My Garden

Song - Harvest Moon by Neil Young

Fall has arrived in Northern California.  The squirrels have busily gathered the acorns and the trees are just beginning to change color.....although some are undecided if it truly is Fall or still warm Summer days or maybe it's already Spring!

I have Azaleas and Iris and Narcissus blooming which usually bloom in the Winter & Spring.

And the wall of Limelight Hydrangea that I planted for the wedding are beautiful!

Some plants are slowing down and going inward for this time of season.

Within two days, I could see the change of color in a new Maple we planted last year.

However my Dahlias are still hopeful.........

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Artwork

Meet Homer, Stanley and Elmer......

I just posted them today on my painting website - you can view it here -

jeanettebaird.com

Peace

Song - Going To The Chapel Of Love by The Dixie Cups

I have to tell you first and most importantly - we just had a wedding!!! 

Do you remember the children's rhyme about the old lady who swallowed a fly? That keeps going through my mind lately as I have been unusually busy for the last few months. So like the old lady who continues to swallow larger & larger animals to catch the fly, I have been embracing one event after another, after another!

In July we had a family trip to Montana....where I proceeded to get a bronchial/sinus infection for several months! Never went to the doctors as I have this little stubborn side of me that Mr. B knows ahhh so well....

 I also had a solo art show at Chow restaurant in Danville.

And a large solo show in Benicia during the month of August that took me months to prepare for. I then needed to plan for a reception and the show needed to come down after Labor Day and be stored somewhere.

"My Little Helper"

Also during the month of August we cleaned out our garage and remodeled/redecorated our downstairs bedroom & family room! 

 This meant picking out paint, molding, carpeting, light fixtures & furniture. And we also  helped to move our middle son from LA to Monterey!

 

Concrete color choices that don't match - let's see - do I really want a PINK patio....NO?

Garland making on the new patio

We had a new patio poured around our pool and a lot of yard work was done all in preparation for our eldest sons wedding in our backyard! (Insert a big smile here!) 

Lighting was strung up all over the yard.....above is the father of the bride working with two of our sons on the hanging of lights.

...and it turned our yard into lovely magic in the evenings.

I took endless trips to the nursery to purchase more and more plants - just because I did know what else to do with all of my excitement!

Boutonnieres were done with backyard flowers & succulents.

Two of the brides best friends came over the day before the wedding and we all worked on making the flowers for the wedding.  I just loved, loved, loved having women in my house!!!  (Just to remind you - I came from a family of 2 brothers and had 3 sons - that's a lot a guy energy!) 

The wedding took place on the evening of September 17th and it was simply beautiful. The lighting, food, ceremony, dancing, friends & family were all wonderful.....as were the bride & groom!

  

Several days after the wedding, Mr. B and I headed up to Tahoe for a much needed time to relax.

However..... 

We have had bears, Yellow-jackets and loggers around our cabin.

Not as peaceful as we were hoping for....but we are grateful for it all.

Peace

Tis not in seeking 

Tis not in endless searching

They quest is found

Be still and listen

Be still and drink the quiet all around

--Engraved on the back of Edward Rowland Sill's chair at The Greek Theater in Berkeley

Artist Reception August 7th

August 2 - September 6

2016

Opening Reception

Sunday, August 7th from 3-5

Open to all

Marilyn Citron O'Rourke Art Gallery

Benicia Public Library

150 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510

Mon - Thurs 10am-9pm and Fri - Sun  noon-6pm

 I look forward to seeing you at the reception!

Number Seventy-four

Song - Bits and Pieces by The Dave Clark Five

Little by little, a piece here and a piece there, I have painted 74 faces so far for my upcoming show in Benicia in August! Above is a sampling of my "faces with character".

I'll keep you posted on the Benicia event.

"Thay"

Today I painted Thich Nhat Hanh or "Thay" who is an amazing Vietnamese Buddhist Monk. And Thay comes in at number 74, so I only have 26 more paintings to do in the next few weeks.  Yipes!

"Enlightenment is not separate from 

washing the dishes or growing lettuce."

 -- Thich Nhat Hanh

TBT - Way Back

Song - The Martha Stewart Song by Bob Noone

Yep....that's me and Martha Stewart back in the early 1990's.  We were both so much younger then but hopefully wiser now!!!


"I catnap now and then, but I think while I nap, so it's not a waste of time." - Martha Stewart

Berkeley Winning Streak

Song - The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel

My friend Kathy and I arrived in Berkeley on Friday late afternoon to the lovely temperature of 78 degrees (it was 100+ in Walnut Creek)!  We were there to see and hear Paul Simon's concert at the Greek Theater. 

We passed the band's buses on the way in from our parking spaces and waved to Paul as we passed by.

No, we didn't sit in the throne's but directly behind them with plenty of leg room - those are Kathy's knees on the far right.  All of the throne's have amazing quotes carved into the backs of them dating from the late 1800 - early 1900.

We got out back stage passes to the after concert party.....Not sure if you remember but we were able to go back stage several years ago and meet Paul Simon and I was ill prepared to met a celebrity and ended up shaking his hand and saying something like "Great concert...."

This time I was prepared.

I had done some reading on Paul's home life and career.  Although I didn't have a prepared speech, I was ready........

WE were ready!  Beautiful evening, great seats and the music was simply outstanding!  And after about three songs, this happened......

See how everyone is looking up in the stands, away from the stage and even toasting someone.  And that someone is the guy in the light blue shirt walking up the stairs.  Not sure who he was, I just snapped some photos.

Now the guy and his "entourage" were heading back down the stairs to much applause and Paul Simon pausing the concert.

By this time word had gotten around that this guy was Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors coach. Now truthfully, I am not a basketball fan but apparently a lot of people are and this was a big deal.

After conferring with some of the Greek Theater staff, they turned toward us to find their seats.....three rows behind ours!  I did get to "high-five" him as he walked past!

Seriously, it has got to be a tough life never having any privacy!  As they took their seats, Paul Simon said (in jest) that the next time Stephan Curry is attempting a three pointer, the singer was going to walk through HIS stadium!  

And the concert went on......

During the concert Paul was singing "The Boxer" and told us that Mohammad Ali had just passed.


After the concert we were escorted back stage and guess who else had back stage passes? 

Steve Kerr et all.....!

The back-back-stage where the band's equipment is stored and there is ping-pong etc. to enjoy.

Paul decided not to party that evening but invite Steve to join him privately.

So even though we didn't get to use our "unprepared" speeches on that evening we still got to enjoy wonderful food under the stars with Paul's amazing band in a beautiful little area of Berkeley.


And to top off our late evening we had to stop for a male jogger crossing the street at 11 pm au natural!  Now it just wouldn't be Bezerkeley without that to ice the cake!  Lucky for you, I didn't have my camera ready!!!  HA!

Simply Brilliant

Song - Graduation Day by The Beach Boys

Our family enjoyed a MBA graduation over the weekend.....

it was our daughter-in-law-to-be....Ashley!!!!

She is the one in the black mortarboard and red & blue sash........see her?.....she's right there!!!

There she is waiting patiently to go up the ramp to receive her diploma........

She is looking very serious and a little nervous.........

....perhaps they made a mistake?

There she is......smiling now that she spotted Andy who was standing right next to me!  Isn't she a doll?  (I promise that I'm not partial in anyway!)

She's got it!!!  

Time to celebrate and party!

Here Ashley is with her dad and mom in front of  St. Mary's College.

Ashley with friends and family-to-be!

With Mr. B and myself........

And walking toward the future with our son Andy.......couldn't be more proud of both of them!

Congratulations Ashley - well earned!

"It's not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

 --William Shakespeare