Saturday, September 29, 2012

Goodness

FAMILY, FRIENDS, FUN...

Last couple of days have been with Hubby's family. Last evening with friends - some of those Sunnyvale ones - more New York cousin time today. Off to the beach for some exercise first.




Walks, fall beauty, far too much food!!





MAJESTIC!!




field trip with Goat Hill people










and, various assorted family events that nearly every image has a smiling face of our great nephew... so I still cannot share them. His parents are being very cautious..  {oh, I wish you could see him!}


Time to leave for beach, with bird in his backpack - along for the walk!!

See ya soon with more fun photos!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A Friend's Offer

Offering a two bedroom home at the beach for a weekend sojourn is more than kind. This offer was heaven sent. Our friend would be visiting other parts of the state and left a hidden jar of keys for us.

The autumnal equinox celebration in picnic form!!  ahhhh just what I love!








An anniversary fell on this weekend. Hubby & I started seeing one another 31 years earlier...































A little family time while we were celebrating autumn ~

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Is This A Job?

What seems many moons ago - near the beginning of this Abundant Picnic - I wrote about decisions and opportunities {here}. Much contemplation over the offer to take part in the first Goat Hill Fair. Here I am over a year and a half later, and very much ingrained in all that is Goat Hill!

I love what I do! The help I provide and hours that I work doing Goat Hill projects is pleasurable and much more than a job. The place, the people, the connections have become my community. Who would have thought that I'd be making such good friends at this age and in an entirely different world than the one I had sat comfortably in previous?



me at the first Goat Hill Fair - my selling space



The third show has just passed. We had our year Anniversary. We have improved, we have changed, we have worked hard. Some additions are popular, others not as much. Goat Hill Fair is being talked about. There has been print work written on us. Blogs have made mention and photos taken. I'm helping to get the word out. Laughingly we say that I am part of the "social media" crew {there's only me}. hhhaaa I am completely NOT a tech geek. With diligence and good luck and hope & want too - I continue to do my best to have Goat Hill seen and heard.

Want to see a couple of pictures of the fair???...       here goes ~






my boss Cyndi & I






one of the changes/improvements... I was able to get Cathe Holden to say yes to speaking for us












Oh... SO TRUE!!

Working for Goat Hill still goes on....


CHEERS to that!! 

When those unsure thoughts and jobs I feel unqualified to accomplish arise...

I should take note of this sign from Goat Hill ~




I'm sure giving it my best shot!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Wonky Wonderland

Where've I been?? A week has passed. Boy, have my hours been filled! Much good, and well....

Life in wonky world is still alive and well wreaking havoc in our cottage. Hubby and I are rollin' with it. We try anyway. Hope and sunshine are just sort of our way. Not that we don't have moments of the rabbit hole (dark world). If only I could make a Tim Burton-ish video, or draw a crazy Tim Burton-type character {of myself} to insert in my post.... here   ->

Okay odd kins.. show your stuff

Tim Burton sketches found on Internet



This one is scary-dark-world...




So, maybe posting Wonky Wonderland drawings isn't my style.. and they really do NOT represent the feelings I thought they would. Nope, I'm just too sunshiny for them...
Life just has teeter-tottery high-lows. That's just how it is. Don't know why I've been feeling it so much more in the past year {well, maybe I do know why}. Everyone has their dramas, their family stories, their health and aging setbacks, and we in this cottage are no different.


This seems as much a rant as I've ever written. Maybe that dark place is looming 'round the edges of my heart. Quite possibly it's inky-ness seeps in now and again, but I cannot allow it space. I'm choosing to stay white and yellow... dreamy and sunshine.

Gossamer draperies opening to sparkles upon the water... that's what I want to be...




Color that makes my heart smile.. that's what I want to focus on...









Polka dots, cool Fall air, flowers, crunchy baguettes... any tiny item that means to me  -

HAPPINESS!!

It is a choice to find these things each and every day

Going to search the sand, waves and azure skies for happiness this weekend. Luckily we can hop in the car and go on a mini-trip... that simple sentence nearly had a different sound 24 hours ago. Luckily the most recent family stories have a good ending.   Waiting for ~

HAPPILY EVER AFTER!





Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Where Alice is Likened to a Poker Hand

No topic for this post... 

No energy to think one up ...

Maybe I'm able to connect the dots from Hubby's card night to me with no hand to play..

Nope... I've got nothin'...


Cards.. boys??



At our house in the crazy Alice-like world I've been living in.. {everything all wonky}.. well, it makes sense that poker would be played in our front yard. Oh yeah! So very ghetto, and yet, funny!
CURIOUSER & CURIOUSER!!

Hey.. now I do have a topic!!

A correlation to poker and life ... I've been feeling like the chips were down. Not every day and not in a way that has me feeling down. In fact the chips being down also made me feel like I'd been dealt a new hand. Empowered.





There have been men on my roof. Hacksaws and ladders in my trees. I've been Motrin popping at night in order to move my fingers. Sprayers and cleaners and all sorts of deterrents placed in the yard and garage. I've found strength I didn't know I had. Trees have been dug up and overgrown brush reduced. Cannot wait any longer. The aging house got this way from neglect. Someone had to do something. Again, oh so very Alice... "I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think, was I the same when I got up this morning?"


 

Just like Alice - I too love a tea party and friends.. but, eventually sense needs to be made of our life ..
In Alice Through The Looking Glass there is a potion sitting upon the table, with a tag that reads:
Drink Me. When she consumed the drink she was able to change herself to do what the task was at hand. Oh, if it were only so easy!




Hubby's poker scotch tasting




There ya have it. Found a topic. Me & Alice. Just girls. Makin' things happen. Change feels good.






A toast to you & me, Alice!!   Drink me, INDEED!!  :-)

Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Makings of Waldorf Salad

Waldorf salad ingredients strewn all about the floor...
The grassy areas, down gravel paths, on terracotta brick patios, embedded in oyster shells, wedged in cracked concrete crevices....
Apples and walnuts in every square inch of backyard garden.. love the fruits - not the mess
It's our seasonal bane - squirrels and their Waldorf buffet..







We rarely get a taste of one of the walnuts from our beautiful tree..





Found a drying screen at a yard sale, and when we're able we pick some of the fruit early and place the screen over the nuts out in the sun to dry them. {I've posted this pic before}






You've seen this unsightly shot once.. well, you wouldn't want to relive what these downed Golden Delicious beauties smell like once they've sat on the ground in the sun for a few days...

                                          APPLE CIDER -{ ish } is putting it nicely...













As much as we like watching the antics of the furry little creatures using our tree as a jungle gym..  sure wish they'd bring along their cleaning lady once in awhile..





This lil' guy is happy with any droppings...



It's been said many a time, and here I go again, I'm contemplating a treatment for the tree next spring that will cause the fruits not to produce.
It may just send the squirrels packing....




No more Waldorf salad buffet....

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Ending Summer In A Big Way

Thoughts of sitting feet up and scanning ocean waves didn't materialize over Labor Day..


What I did NOT do...



One of the most impromtu surprise events I have ever been asked to join WAS at the beach, but it was not a tennies on a log-ottoman sort of function. Our friends re-committed their vows on a sunny, beachy riverbank amongst rows of begonia clad parade floats. {wheww... one long, run-on sentence!}












Love my girls boots!!  ^



The guests on the riverbank  ^



Accordian serenades...
 
 
 
 
 



Boxes and boxes of begonias...  ^



The next day filled us with more friendship, food and frolic. I spent most of the day in a pool, unwilling to let go of that summery sensation of warmth on  my shoulders and cool water all about my body. I surely do have a thing for pools. Chlorinated Nirvana!! hhaaaa