'Twas a Month Before Christmas

'Twas a month before Christmas and all through the house,

Kittens break stuff belonging to me and my spouse.

They look like such angels, this shouldn't be the case,

Observe the innocence of each little face.

So instead of adorning with greenery and glass,

I've decided to refrain and not be an ass.

This season's ornaments will be meagerly sparse,

To do otherwise would be a big farce.

A reminder that material possessions are not the important part,

What really matters most is what comes from the heart.

Wishing You Many Blessings, 

X♥O

Whooo Doesn't Love Halloween?

Night Hawk

Northern Spotted Owl

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted - $85.

acid free, white core mat with a foam core backing in an acetate sleeve

ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame.

SO, Whooo  doesn't love Halloween?

Because of Hurricane Sandy, today is "officially" Halloween here in NJ, according to our governor.

My car is still decorated.

I took all this stuff, plus costumes, down to Virginia with me for our Sandy Family Reunion.

(More about that to come.)

We put up the many decorations in our condo right away, but because of Superstorm Sandy, my sister, Denise, and I had to leave a day early, without having our full blown Halloween Pirate Party.

ARRRRRRRRRRR!!

To me, (and the whole Sandy family), Halloween just isn't a whole lot of fun without costumes! Our family has had some really GREAT Halloween masquerade parties over the years! They continue to be topics of conversation at many of our gatherings.

So, all ya landlubbin, scallywag scoundrels got 'til next year an' ye better be ready! 

Talkin' the talk be dandy, but ye better be walkin' the walk too!! Or ye'll all be visitin' me plank, beggin' fer me mercy. Listen up wenches; don't be actin' phony, like scurvy bilge rat dogs, ya hear?!

ERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

The Yuletide Season Continues

In preparation for my Open Studio last weekend, my friend, Bobbie Zurbach came everyday and helped me. No, I should say, directed all the preparations and decorating. Living out in the middle of the pines, I normally don't get this involved with it.  I do have a lot of Christmas stuff though. Bobbie was full of great ideas of what we could do with this and that, so I listened, collaborated and mostly just let her do her thing.

The front porch, lights, tree, packages and garland was practically an all day project. It's funny how decorating always turns into a bigger job than you anticipated, especially when working with lights.

After some heavy rain last week, the temperatures have dropped and it's expected to stay colder now. I don't mind the chilly weather and know I should be careful what I wish for, but I'd still like to see a little snow for Christmas.

The back studio porch took almost as much time to decorate as the front one did. Thanks again to Bobbie for making the outside feel as welcoming, cheerful and festive as the inside. 

This natural balsam snowman wreath was given to us by my good friend and collector, Dorrie Heil last Saturday. The snowmen decorations by the studio are all from previous years' wreaths. 

This one hangs inside my back screened porch, our main doorway, off of my kitchen entrance.  It stays cool and protected there, so I can keep it up and enjoy the vibrant color and refreshing fragrance until spring! Thank you again, Dorrie, for such a beautiful and heartfelt gift.

I hope you are all making headway with your holiday preparations, taking some time for yourself and most of all, enjoying this Yuletide season!

October First ~ Let The Fall Fun Begin!

Most of my flowers and hummingbirds of summer have come and gone.

There are a few hearty souls in my yard that are thriving.

Bubba bird has departed, yet there are several others still lingering.

Cooler weather has seemingly given some plants revived strength.

And the flowers and decorations of the new season are starting to appear.

October is the time for me to go into soup making mode.

We love soup, salad and a good crusty bread for delicious hearty meal and so do my friends and family. I just made a big pot of this Ham and Broccoli Soup yesterday and served it to my hubby and sister-in-law, Patty, who is visiting us from California. They both loved it. She asked for the recipe, so here it is. I always follow soup recipes VERY loosely and rarely measure the ingredients. Instead of a recipe, it is more like a suggestive guide. This is a very tasty and easy one to start with. I always make a huge amount and and freeze some in plastic quart containers. (I use the ones that take-out Chinese soup comes in.) You can write the date and description on the lid with a sharpie marker. That way, I always have a nice variety of quick meals in the freezer. Just put a little water in a pot with the soup block and simmer slowly until it's hot.YUMMM! I do not add the noodles to the soup as suggested in this recipe, but cook them separately and add them to individual bowls before serving. This way, the soup doesn't get all starchy and mushy. Also, if you freeze the soup, do it without the starch! You can add potatoes, noodles or rice for more variety when you defrost it.

And aye, ahoy me hearties, blow me down, me ol' pal Cap'n Hook has come to spend October with meself and me whole scurvy scallywaggin' crew!

So, Yo Ho-Ho, and a bottle of rum, hope yer plannin' to be joinin' this sea wench here and all the fun-lovin' sea fairin' and landlubbin' witches, goblins and buccaneers who'll be celebratin' the Countdown to Halloween 2011. Have yerself a fun filled fall day matey! ARRRRR!!