Summer 2014 begins...

Garett and I arrived last Friday for our much needed summer hiatus. Weather has been good and lots of cleaning has been done. We look forward to more family arriving for Memorial Day weekend...

I'm back.....I think

WOW! It's been a very long time since I've posted anything on this blog...I think Facebook has gotten the best of me! With a new year well underway now, I hope to get back to doing some regular updates.
During 2012 I challenged myself to create an inchie every day...and using them to create a calendar in my art journal. It was an easy and fun activity, so I am continuing into 2013. Other artistic goals for this year are a monthly ATC swap with my friend Judy, finishing the scrapbooks I've started for my sons, finishing my Legacy Book and working continuously in my art journal. As appropriate, I will include photos along the way.
So....Happy New Year and Happy Groundhogs Day!


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The calendar has turned to a new month and here we are at the end of 2011...hard to believe that the year has passed so quickly. The Christmas spirit is alive and well with us...the Canton house is decorated and my feather tree adorns the dining table at the Nest. These days leading up to Christmas are filling up with family and church activities; and tasks at work are a pleasant reminder of this season of Advent - what better place to work during this time of year!


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Another week gone...

It's been a very busy week.
With the beautiful weather we've been having, Garett and I have been walking every day and enjoying this last bit of November warmth. The gardens have been cleaned up, the window boxes are decorated for Thanksgiving, the house is tidy and numerous computer related tasks are finally done....such a good feeling to have all this behind me. Most importantly though, a family issue, which has been weighing heavy on my mind, is resolving in a very good way, for which I am grateful and thankful to God.
We look forward this weekend to the wedding of a very special couple...we wish them all of life's best as they finally "tie the knot" and venture into the future as Mr. & Mrs!


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Snowtober...

As I sit here at home, with no power inside and seeing snow outside, it's hard to believe that only a week ago I was enjoying the warmth and Red Rocks of Sedona. How can winter come on us when we are only 5 weeks into autumn? Oh well, this is New England after all, and things will change soon enough. Speaking of New England, the Patriots are doing miserably today...another dark cloud...hopefully that will turn around, too.
We have great memories of the trip...everything went well and we left the Southwest wanting more. As a matter of fact, just for fun, we were looking up property for sale in Sedona...that's what snow and cold will do!!!



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More pics from Sedona...

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Enjoying Sedona...

The last days of our trip have been spent enjoying much of what Sedona has to offer...Beautiful landscape, learning the names of the red rock formations, exploring ancient ruins, visiting special sites, experiencing a local winery, dining, shopping, meeting the residents and chatting...oh, and ballooning!!! So much to do in so little time...






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Sedona...a "sweet spot"...

"You are in your sweet spot when you are energized, not depleted...."
With its red rocks, vortexes, hot air balloons and welcoming people, Sedona is surely a sweet spot for me. A close-up tour of the rocks by jeep and a bird's eye view from the balloon have given me a never-to-be-forgotten experience...this is such beautiful country!






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The grandest of them all...

Words cannot describe and photos cannot do justice for the beauty, depth and grandeur of this canyon. President Roosevelt once said that this is one place all Americans should visit...make your plans!









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Glen Canyon and Lake Powell...

While driving to our next destination, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, we were pleasantly surprised to pass by the newly built Glen Canyon dam on Lake Powell... magnificent!









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Me and Red...

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More from Bryce Canyon...

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Enjoying Bryce Canyon...

We arrived at our destination late in the evening on Friday, so after a good night's rest, we had a full day of enjoyment in Bryce Canyon. The views at the National Park were just incredible...beauty beyond description. The rock formations and hoodoos are a site to see!
Horseback riding in the afternoon was fun...my horse, Red, was well behaved and a joy to ride.
More Bruce Canyon photos in next post.







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Driving through Zion...

En route to Bryce Canyon, we spent several hours enjoying the beauty of Zion National Park. The drive out of the park along route 9 was quite an experience...a winding road climbing through the mountains...even tunnels through the mountains...a little scarey at times, but nonetheless exciting!



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Leaving Las Vegas...

We left the MGM Grand Hotel on Friday morning after a quick sweep through the casino and a stop for the breakfast buffet...oh, does my husband love those buffets!



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A very excellent adventure...

In honor of our 35th wedding anniversay, Arthur and I, with another couple, are traveling to the southwestern part of the country. Our first stop was Las Vegas. We visited the Hoover Dam...amazing...and then spent the night in Vegas...fun! An unexpected treat was to see an Indy car parade along the strip...exciting!



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It is not uncommon to see structures like this on the beach, started in a rather impromptu fashion by someone and then further built upon by passers-by.
I encountered this beach sculpture at the southern end of Coast Guard Beach, very near Nauset Inlet. My additions to the work-in-progress include a feather, a clam shell and another piece of "lacey" shell which I tucked into a piece of netting.
Seeing things like this on the beach are, for me, pleasant reminders of our innate desire to create and use found objects, for one never knows what will wash up on the beach.


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Hot and dry...

This class painting is of a place very familiar to the many who travel over sand to enjoy the benefits of a less congested Nauset Beach - it is the check-in shack for the ORV trails south of the public beach.




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Turkey time already?

When Garett and I returned home from an outing this afternoon, we were greeted by these 7 turkeys strolling down our driveway. Before leaving the yard, they pecked the heck out of my once beautiful petunia planter, which WAS still in full bloom...they also left a few reminders of their presence!

Watercolor...

I once again took watercolor classes this summer...this is my class painting of Nauset Light in Eastham.