Come and Sit For Awhile in My Garden

Song - Zen Garden

Orange Rose

There is a small group show going up at the gallery in May that I am participating in.  So for the last week I have been painting some 8 x 8 canvas's of my garden flowers.  I have a few more to paint but I just love painting happy flowers when it's gray, cold and storming outside!

Grape Hyacinth

White Iceland Poppy

Paris Peony

Yellow Rose

Sweet Faced Pansy

 

Pink Peony 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life."

 ~ Jean Shinoda Bolen

I got some BLUES for my bud

Song- Lola by The Kinks

                                                                                    Source: google.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

My best friend, Jill is going through Chemo and she said that the color blue....well specifically "Royal Blue" would help her. I think it has to be royal because she is such a Princess!!

Source: tatteredrosecanada.blogspot.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

                                                             Source: crashinglybeautiful.tumblr.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

So for the next few months you may be seeing some Royal Blue photos from Pinterest that are positive energy that I am sending her way.....

 

                                                                                        Source: flickr.com via Jeanette on Pinterest



 

"Everybody needs a hug now and then. It changes your metabolism."  -  Leo Buscaglia

It just keeps getting better....

Went out to Roti 8 in the Blackhawk Plaza tonight for a special Barcelona dinner event with Mr. B.

Every course brought out was incredible...... especially the Paella!

Thank you Philip, Alice, the chefs and staff at Roti 8 for a magical event!






(are you drooling yet?)

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Location:Danville, CA

We Are The Descendants

Song - Hapuna Sunset from "The Descendants" by Charles Michael Brotman




An amazing thing happened on Tuesday afternoon. 

My brother, Tim and I went to my parents home to discuss their....wishes...will...trust...feelings....if anything happened to them.  Tough job but we all need to do it......

They happened to be watching "The Descendants" movie when we arrived. Which is pretty pertinent to what was happening.

(I really hope you clicked on the above "song" while looking at these beautiful spring flowers)

They magically popped up in our garden while we were in Arizona.  Lovely.....

Well.....after we discussed several ideas and going through stacks of legal paperwork, my dad brought out his "list".  Now my dad loves making lists and his handwriting is beautiful....kind of old school calligraphy. 

On one sheet of paper he had written.....

1. If anything happens to your mom or me.......
2. The paper work is located here.........
3. The keys are here.......
4. These are the bills to be paid........
5. These are the names of people on the accounts........
6. These are our wishes........

Now, why can't all of life be so beautifully simple?

Thanks Mom & Dad......

“Out beyond ideas of

wrongdoing and rightdoing

there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down

in that grass,

the world is too full

to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase

'each other' doesn’t make any sense.”

--Rumi

The Colors of Arizona

Glad to be home but missing those glorious colors in Arizona....

 "You know you live in Phoenix when the four seasons are:  tolerable, hot, really hot, and are you freakin' kidding me?!"  ~Author Unknown

Game 2

Watched Bumgarner pitch...








.....and Schierholtz hit.....








....and the hot dogs run!







Giants & Brewers tied 1 to 1......

And oh yeah, most important.....The Polish won!


However, before going to the game we had Brunch at AZ88 along the Scottsdale park. There was an art fair & concert going on so it was fun to people watch and there was some great music going on.

But...

Are you ready for this?

I ordered a Summer Solstice Martini......incredible, absolutely my new most favorite drink! Also, did you see the dinky little Diet Cokes served here? Although I have to say that they keep them coming!!!

































... On The Summer Solstice ...
"Whatever is dreamed on this night, will come to pass."

William Shakespeare - Acknowledging the Magic of This Time
A Mid-Summernight's Dream

Location:Phoenix

Game Day

Another beautiful & warm day in Arizona. Mr. B and I enjoyed a breakfast of Huveros Rancheros outside at our hotel patio.






Then we walked over to the game. We had a little extra time so Mr. B went shopping for a new blazer & pants in the new Giant's argyle style. I had to pull him out the door before......well...before he made a real fashion faux pas!



The ump's are getting ready.





Timmy is warming up on the mound.






Panda is all set blowing bubbles, jumping up and down, and getting in his "ready position"......







The new recruits are all anxiously awaiting a turn to play.








And the beer guy is trying to keep up with the warm day & high demand.






But we lost to the Diamondback's......Oh well, that's what Spring Training is all about. Having fun and working out the kinks!

Location:Scottsdale

Jon Miller

We went to a cocktail party at our hotel for Giant season ticket holders and some of the players were there as well as "The Voice of the San Francisco Giants" - Mr. Jon Miller.

Mr. B couldn't wait to talk with him!







"Three and two to Bonds. Everybody standing here at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. An armada of nautical craft gathered in McCovey Cove beyond the right field wall. Bonds one home run away from history. (crack of the bat) AND HE SWINGS, AND THERE'S A LONG ONE DEEP INTO RIGHT CENTER FIELD, WAY BACK THERE, IT'S GONE!!! A HOME RUN! Into the center field bleachers to the left of the 421 foot marker. An extraordinary shot to the deepest part of the yard! And Barry Bonds with 756 home runs, he has hit more home runs than anyone who has ever played the game!" - Jon Miller 2007

Location:Scottsdale

Jon Miller 2

Personally I like this one better. Mr. B has actually found someone who can give him a run for his money in the "speaking" department!!!

Location:Scottsdale

Matt Cain

Guess who is as sweet as can be?

Location:Scottsdale

The Breakfast of Champions

OK. I'm not fond of flying but I do appreciate the marvelous places an airplane can bring to me. It has opened up my world!

I am....truly getting better each time but I am still terrorized. Every time I step over that threshold onto the plane, I am painfully aware that I am making a conscious decision to take a risk. I remind myself that the benefits will be worth a few hours of fear, a few extra gray hairs and I remind Mr. B that the fingernail marks in his thigh will heal in time. He is such a sport! He hardly even screams anymore.

So we got to the airport a little early and Mr. B wanted coffee and I wanted/needed/had to have a gin & tonic.....and....well it was only 10 am but after all we were on vacation. Right?

OK, I needed two gin & tonics at 10 am to get on that plane to Scottsdale. I also had my "Pema Chodron" calming tapes to listen to and a screaming baby two rows up. Maybe that was me or else I just empathized with him.

I landed safely in Phoenix and kissed the ground and the pilot.

Location:SF Airport

Color & Light

Sorry for the multiple posts but I really wanted to add several photos and I still don't know how to do that on my iPad. I have read a lot on the subject and it seems like Google & Apple are a little like oil & vinegar!

Anyway this is the best I can do for now so read on through!







PS - If you know of any tricks on how to do this differently, I sure would like to hear about it!

"This is our goal as writers (artists) I think; to help others have this sense of--please forgive me--wonder, of seeing things anew, things that can catch us off guard, that break in on our small, bordered worlds. When this happens, everything feels more spacious. Try walking around with a child who's going, "Wow, wow! Look at that dirty dog! Look at that burned-down house! Look at that red sky!" And the child points and you look, and you see, and you start going, "Wow! Look at that huge crazy hedge! Look at that teeny little baby! Look at the scary dark cloud!" I think this is how we are supposed to be in the world--present and in awe.”
― Anne Lamott

Location:Scottsdale

Yup....Sunny Arizona

Palm trees...check

Cacti....check

Porsche....check

Pool.....check

Spring Training....check

Giants.....yup...double check!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Colors of Arizona

Mr. B and I are ready for some warm sunshine, relaxation and some great baseball!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Scottsdale