pertinent to the letter P

 picnic table near Pagosa Springs, Colorado

piggy noses

Chihuly in pink and chartreuse  (Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona)

Purple People Bridge between Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky

play:   one of Oliver's most favorite things--feathers!

 Asters are beginning to bloom, a sure sign of Fall.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "P." Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun! 



photos by me © 2007, 2009, and 2013  all rights reserved

under

Today was uncharacteristically warm--in the low 80s.  The bees were ravishing the cherry blossoms!

I am under Oliver snapping his portrait!  (He found a cozy spot on top of a pillow.)

I'm under this airplane taking a photo.  See me reflected? (Although for vanity's sake, I must say the reflection does make me look a little wider and rather square.)
(Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum in Phoenix, Arizona)

a city under the cliffs!  Mesa Verde was home to the ancestral Pueblo people from about AD 600-1300.

Chihuly glass is so beautiful!  I was privileged to see a major installation at the Desert Botanical Garden Museum in Phoenix Arizona in April 2009  

Carolina wrens made an igloo-like nest in a pot of parsley on my deck last May.

LINKS:
Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force 
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA (means green table)
Dale Chihuly website
a new upcoming Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Museum in Phoenix November 9, 2013 - May 11, 2014!!
Desert Botanical Garden 
ZOOM! my blog post on the Carolina wrens with photos and information
My past blog posts with Chihuly glass:
G is for....
Lakes 
Violets
purple 

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "U."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!
 


 


photos by me © 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2013  all rights reserved

purple

Raindrops like crystals, shine inside the purple cabbage.

flowers of basil 

gorgeous Chihuly glass at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona in 2009

 

lovely, sweet scented hyacinths, a recent gift from my son

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "P."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!
 


photos by me © 2009, 2012, and 2013  all rights reserved

G is for....

glass, Chihuly glass!

In the Spring of 2009, I was privileged to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.  What an amazingly gorgeous place!    During this time, there was a major Dale Chihuly glass installation, The Nature of Glass.

The above two photos are details of this ↓

The Sun by Dale Chihuly

This work consisted of 1200 pieces of glass mounted on a 550 pound armature.

Chihuly speaks about himself and his work ↑

LINKS:

Desert Botanical Garden  

Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden (November 22, 2008 ~ May 31, 2009) --includes more glass photos

Dale Chihuly website  

possible future exhibit in Seattle

interesting short biography of Chihuly

short video of installing The Sun
There are a bazillion videos of Chihuly and his works on youtube

This is a fun weekly meme, under the direction of Jenny Matlock.  This week, our letter is "G."  Come and join HERE. You will be amazed at all the bloggy goodness to be found!  Here is Ms. Matlock's submission.  You will notice that she is bending the rules just a bit this week.  er....well....maybe it's really just her gwanddaughter!  
Now go visit!  (please)




photos by me © 2009

Desert Delights

In which we explore several disparate but decidedly delightful desert displays.   Come!  Let the dreamy dance of the desert muse begin!

Sonoran desert

decorated by prickles

conserves its beauty

desert dwelling birds

fly high into prickles

create domiciles

ancient rock towers

above the verdant valley

to glorious sky

photo #1 & #2 Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona   LINK

photo #3  Zion National Park, Utah   LINK

This is a fun weekly meme, under the direction of Jenny Matlock.  This week, our letter is "D."  Come and join HERE.  Here is Ms. Matlock's submission.

If you click this link, you will discover so many creative takes on this letter.  There are about 85 as of this writing.  Now go visit! 

This post is also for SkyWatch Friday hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.  Come join us in this awesome meme, link up, and meet folks from all over the globe. 

photos by me © 2009 & 2010
haiku by me © 2010

an incomplete retrospective

2009 partially revisited...

The year was like a tsunami, very deeply personally difficult.  I had often thought to write something to explain my absences or lacks of response.  And here I am starting again, yet facing the same inability of expression.
HERE is where I alluded to my mother's illness which began in mid-January.  I was her POA and looked after her and her interests.  She died on June 4.  She was so loved by so many...
In March, we discovered my husband's brother (who lives 1700 miles away) was having mental difficulties~early dementia.  We flew out to visit him and assess the situation which resulted in my husband becoming his POA.  There are heaps of on-going issues here. 
And yet there are even more personally distressing situations and events that occurred in 2009, some of which are ongoing.  But I shall leave it at that...incomplete.
GOODBYE, tsunami!

There were also wonderful aspects of last year.  It is well said in this poem:

For each thorn, there's a rosebud...

for each twilight---a dawn...

for each trial---the strength to carry on,

for each storm cloud---a rainbow...

for each shadow---the sun...

for each parting---sweet memories

when sorrow is done.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

So, yes, it was a most difficult year, but there have been many rainbows as well. 

I started blogging!  Here's my very first post:  Wintertime Beauty in Ice and Snow!  I even had 3 comments!  I had no idea blogging would be so much fun.  I've "met" the most wonderful people--like you, dear reader!

I started selling in 2 etsy shops, Splendid Little Stars and Sparkly Park.          

I joined the etsy bloggers' street team

In April, my husband and I went to Phoenix, Arizona for a week.  It was mainly to help out my brother in law.  I did get to spend a day at the wonderful Desert Botanical Garden.  There was an amazing Chihuly (an incredible glass artist) installation throughout the park.

Fish Creek Canyon (above)                                                 Dale Chihuly "The Sun" (right)                                          

I spent uncountable hours at the hospital or rehab visiting my mother, where I met many kind, loving, amazing, wonderful caregivers.

view from a window at the hospital

I saw a lovely rainbow through the windows in the back of my house.

I dreamed by the fire....

 watched spring emerge...

visited our friends in Indianapolis, the same friends as in this POST.   I had fun taking photos of interesting houses and buildings.

taught tie dye classes in various places including a Girl Scout camp!

worked in my garden

snuggled with kitties

visited my daughter in Asheville, North Carolina

attended 4 weddings

made a few crafts

cooked wonderful food

watched the leaves turn colors

enjoyed sunsets

and photographed everything!

  

What do I want to accomplish in 2010?  What do I look forward to?  What are my hopes and dreams?  Although I may have many ambitions ( I had them last year, too), I know it is the simple things I will enjoy most, good health, and the love of family and friends. Although I will work toward my goals, both business (increasing online visibility, new designs, new projects, organization) and personal (organization, more bicycling, cherishing friendships), I realize that life offers numerous unforeseen events.  So here's to my wonderful and supportive friends, both on and off line!

This is for the etsy bloggers' street team carnival which will be published on Monday, January 18 by Beaded Tail.  Sharla asks us to answer one of these questions:
1) Now that 2009 has come to a close, what will you remember most about last year?
2) Now that 2010 is here, what do you have planned/look forward to/hope to accomplish this year?              
photos by me © 2009 and 2010