Surrounded by Color

Song - At Last by Etta James


So much has happened in the last few weeks......

It was Mr. B's birthday on Valentines Day and we had several friends over for Paella and laughter! Mr. B cooked the yummy Paella since I had carried this lovely copper pan from Paris as a gift for him 5 years ago and it's never been used!  Until NOW........

My nephew and his wife have been on a trip and my son volunteered to watch their dog for them while they are gone.  But my son and his fiancee both work full time so I volunteered to take Canonball for a few days.  What a sweet, loving doggie!  I remember her as a youngster and she was a bit on the wild side but not any more.  Very mellow.....and just the right height to pet when you pass her in the house!

Did you notice that "special" word that I casually inserted in the above paragraph?

YES!!!  Andy asked Ashley to marry him last weekend and she said YES!!!  I cried for 3 days with tears of joy! Mr. B and I both adore her and we couldn't be happier!  Heck, I'm crying right now just telling you about it............

I think my son has good taste in a wife and a ring......bling!

And on a final note, my momma Mourning Dove is back.  She and her partner built a nest in a day and that evening she was sitting on it.  So sweet.

So you can see how much color has been in my life recently and I'm loving it!!!
 


"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." --Douglas Adams

Fields of Gold

Song - Heart of Gold by Neil Young

Monday I took a leisurely drive up to Napa Valley to see the mustard in the vineyard and to walk with a dear friend.  I passed some Belted Galloway cows or better known as Oreo Cows!!!

Since I was early in meeting my friend, I decided to head on up to Yountville as a "Krwa-son" had my name on it!

While I was at Bouchon, I decided to get a couple of croissants to share with family and friends.  After thoroughly enjoying the buttery, moist, light, flakey roll, I placed the bag with the remainder of them in the far back of the car so I wouldn't be tempted to nibble as I drove.

My friend, Helen told me that the mustard had just opened up last week and it is beautiful. Actually it was a lovely warm winter's day. We had a delicious lunch and then walked around downtown Napa and past the Victorian homes called painted ladies and through the park.

We stopped by the Gallery where Helen shows her jewelry and hand dyed silk scarfs.  She is incredibly talented, brilliant, creative and has a heart of gold...... 

This morning, I woke up early and ran into the kitchen and grabbed a perfect croissant and ran back to have breakfast in bed while Mika gave me the stank-eye. 

Two lovely days after a tough month! Thank you Helen...... 

Scratch & sniff HERE........(jk)

"It's your road, and yours alone.  

Others may walk it with you, 

but no one can walk it for you."

 --Rumi

Grace

Song - Amazing Grace by Jeff Campbell

Each year I choose One Little Word on which to focus for the upcoming new year.  It is more relevant for me to have a word to focus on than to have a New Year's resolution which I usually blow within the first month and then I feel bad about myself.

In December my word came to me for 2016 and it was Grace.

Not the kind of Grace where I have to walk and act "graceful"......nope, that wouldn't be me!  But the kind of grace that you don't see but you feel.

Looking back on the month of January, my dad was the perfect example of Grace.  He was a quite man who loved his family and home.  Dad worked hard and loved the simple things in life - his garden, going for a ride with mom, fishing, and good friends.

Calvin Kenneth Crawford

1927 - 2016

"I do not understand the mystery of grace - 
only that it meets us where we are
 and does not leave us where it found us." 
-- Anne Lamott

A Winter Walk

Song - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by B.J. Thomas

After a good rain storm and spending way too much time indoors, 

I took a little walk around my garden today.

The creek in our backyard was roaring.

The lettuce in the vegatable garden was happy.

The Alyssum growing on the rock walls surrounding the vegetable garden smelled wonderful 

and is bright and cheerful. 

 

The Narcissus are ready to open!

My wild Violets are a little bug eaten but blooming. 

  My Mother Ferns are unfurling and......

...growning baby ferns!!! 

The Camellia's are outdoing themselves this year! 

Even our woodpile is growing!  Maybe some Rainbow Bracket Fungus?

Buds on the Flowering Quince

 And the biggest shock is that my brown lawn (ugg!) has turned green (sigh!)

The Spring Snowflakes are budding

And I have several blooms on my Sea Foam Rose!

After my garden walk, Mika and I came indoors and lit the fire and curled up with a cup of tea.


"We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming.  We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are.  They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse.  But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives."
 --Gary Zukav

Whistle While You Work

Song - Geert Chatrou: World Champion Whistler

I woke up this morning and found out that I could whistle!

Now that may not be a surprise to you but it sure shocked me.  I have never been able to whistle - well except backwards. Meaning I could kind of whistle by sucking air in. But that doesn't work too well because it rapidly fills your lungs with air so your songs need to be super short.

For the last two hours I have been practicing to the tune of the Micky Mouse song.  It takes an amazing amount of concentration so I still can't walk and whistle at the same time but I am working on it! 

"When I paint, I definitely live in the present, 

like someone in a shower whistling or singing." 

 -- Orhan Pamuk

December 2015

Song - Auld Lang Syne by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards


 My December.....

Discovered an illegal squatters shelter  10' from our property line and overlooking our backyard.  Ugg...... Worse yet my neighbor told them they could build it there because they told her it was really a Mountain Lion Lookout.  Mmmmm......

Mr. B and my brother Tim trying to move my dad's workshop

A friend went to Tahoe and sent me this photo 

because she knows I just love snow on trees! 

Pure beauty!

Mr. B and I went to The Dickens Fair to see our friend Sandey Grinn transform himself into Fagin! So amazing!

Mr. B played Santa this Christmas Eve and said it was the best E-V-E-R! 

Dawn on Christmas Day

 My dear dad spent a week in the hospital and came home on Christmas Day.  This car was parked next to mine as I was leaving the hospital on that day. Brought a smile to my face!

We all received great gifts again this year but the two that really stand out were Mr. B's reflective gear for his early morning walks and.......

....and Tyler's Bumper Dumper that is a camo toilet seat that fits into his trailer hitch to be used when he is out in the wilderness - not in my driveway!

Dad is happy to be at home with mom 

and Mika is happy to have someone to snuggle with all day long!

The best way to take care of the future 

is to take care of the present moment.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Crazy in California

Song - Crazy by Patsy Cline

Twelve of One Hundred Faces

So in November, I came up with this brilliant plan to get me into my studio and painting every day.  I decided that I would paint 100 faces on 6 x 6" panels. There is no time limit on this, I just pull out a reference photo whenever I don't have a larger canvas to paint. I got photo's from several sources.  One was my personal photos and those of my family.  The other two are online sources - MorgueFiles.com and pmp-art.com (Paint-My-Photo).  They are both free services for artists to use as reference and I highly recommend you check them out!

So without thinking that Thanksgiving and Christmas would soon be here, I began my new project. I fell in love with these faces with character.  Then I got 6 Christmas commissions so I have had to put a few things (like blogging) on hold to get them done in time.

If you would like to watch the progress of my "Faces with Character" please go to...

www.jeanettebaird.com

"Life isn't just the front page---it's the comics, too."-  Jim Althoff

Whoa Nelly

Song - Blue Jay Imitating Red Shouldered Hawk

Can you see that reddish-orangy thing on top of our pergola?  Not the reddish-orangy Maple leaves but look up near the sky?  It's a Red Shouldered Hawk and he has been showing up near my bird feeders the last few days.  Sorry it's not a very good view but this was taken from my office window.  By the time I ran out the door, he had flown to a nearby tree.

From there he screeched at me for awhile and then flew to a tree near the creek.

Several times today I saw him fly right towards my feeder, startling the songbirds.  I saw a few feathers float down from the sky so I think he may have snagged one.....Anyone know how to keep them away from the feeders?

The End.

"If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes." --Charles Lindbergh

Embrace It All

Song - Stop In The Name of Love by the Supremes

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Paris and it is difficult for me to cope with the tragedy and violence from last weekend.

I had an art reception on Sunday that I was going to post about today but in seems so irrelevant in view of what's happening in our world right now.  I will save it for another day.

I hope you find time to light a candle, say a prayer or make yourself & a friend a warm cup of tea.

One of my favorite sculptures of Joan of Arc at Chateau Rivau

"We could learn to stop when the sun goes down and when the sun comes up.  We could learn to listen to the wind; we could learn to notice that it's raining or snowing or hailing or calm.  We could reconnect with the weather that is ourselves, and we could realize that it's sad.  The sadder it is, and the vaster it is, the more our heart opens.  We can stop thinking that good practice is when it's smooth and calm, and bad practice is when it's rough and dark.  If we can hold it all in our hearts, then we can make a proper cup of tea."  --Pema Chodron