Hoppy Easter to All!

Peter Cottontail and I both wanted to wish you a happy day!

 

Bring joy,

Welcome, Springtime

Ring tingaling, ring tingaling, hurray, hurray for the first day of spring!

changeable weather

forsythia bloom

open window

bird song

garden chores

cloud pictures

short sleeves

pastel eggs

baby animals

swelling buds

tiny green leaves

daffodils dancing

easter baskets

warm soil

peter cottontail and robin redbreast

Henry James said "summer afternoon...the two most beautiful words in the English language";
 "Spring morning" would be my own personal second pick.

 Bring joy,
 

Magnolia Pearl Forever

Remember when I said in a perfect world I'd be wearing this romantically frilly, bohemian outfit?

Well, the world is now officially perfect.

I let out a most unladylike yelp of joy Friday afternoon when I received an email telling me I'd won this Magnolia Pearl ensemble.  I'm pretty sure they heard me all the way to Texas!  After emailing my address to Fiona and Twig (aka photographer extraordinaire Anne Lorys) who hosted the giveaway, I began day-dreaming about wearing my newly-acquired bohemian outfit when it arrives in the mail.

Daydream number one:  I'm lounging in my newly-recovered hammock, sipping an icy limeade, watching the resident goldfish swimming in Lilypad Pond and keeping an eye on the Bombshells (egg-laying machines named after Rita Hayworth and Sophia Loren) so they don't dig up my newly-planted flowers or steal lunch from my veggie patch.  Naturally I'm feeling fabulous in Magnolia Pearl.  I loves me some natural fibers--I'm a cotton/linen/silk girl.

Daydream number two:  I'm sitting on a huge boulder with my sweetie, watching a fire-dance troup perform during Artown.  The Truckee River is reflecting a full moon, the July night is warm with just the merest hint of a breeze.  And I'm the best-dressed girl there.  People ask what I'm wearing.  "Magnolia Pearl, of course," I reply.

Daydream number three:  I've magically grown curly hair, my grandma's high-top boots finally shrunk to fit me, I've lost twenty pounds and I'm enjoying a margarita at one of the neighbor barbecues with some friends who haven't seen me for a while.  (I really like this daydream.)

Not only will I soon have something amazingly, incredibly fun to wear, I also found the perfect name for the newest little member of our cottage family.

Meet my sweet little Barred Plymouth Rock chick: 
M a g n o l i a    P e a r l. 

She'll remind me that I'm lucky every time I see her.  

The world is full of wonder.  Your wildest dreams do come true sometimes. Happiness comes unexpectedly if you just open your heart without expectation.

I'm well aware that this treasure is also the Universe sending me one of its messages.  I'm listening and acting on it.  But that's another story...

Bring joy,


p.s.  The Magnolia Pearl ranch is still for sale, waiting to bless another owner.  But after seeing the place that will become their new home, I can almost understand how Robin and John could bear to part with their old digs.  A new canvas, a new adventure! 

Dreaming of Magnoia Pearl

In a perfect world I'd be wearing this outfit from Magnolia Pearl instead of jeans and a t-shirt. This is the real me:  an artistic, romantic dreamer. 

Ignore that girl behind the screen who gathers eggs in mid-winter wearing a nightgown and wellies.

Oh well, I can dream. And I can dream about buying the Magnolia Pearl ranch--it would be a bit of a commute for me since it's in Texas and I'm not.  Rats!

I'd love using this screen door every day after I gathered eggs.

Can't you just hear that classic wooden thud as it closes behind you?

I know I'd have sweet dreams in a bedroom this delectable bedroom. I suspect that the subtly floral walls are painted.  Yes?

If I practice my painting skills really hard for a decade or so, I might be able to replicate this for our master. 

I'm no fan of pedestal sinks.  Please excuse me for not swooning over exposed pipes.  Plus I love the storage my vanity provides a girl.  But this china rose encrusted version could make me change my mind. 

That's some serious creativity.  See that floor?  Painted rug!

These summer roses make me want to grab my paintbrush. 

I've actually been working on my rose technique lately instead of just daydreaming about incorporating more art into my life.  I don't know that mine will ever turn out this beautifully but I'm happy trying.

I can't decide whether I love the rusted galvanized roof or the size of that veggie garden more. 

Now that I think about it, I know I can replicate that roof for my chicken coop, but my yard will never magically expand in size.
IwillnotbejealousIwillnotbejealousIwillnotbejealous. 

Maybe somewhere, someday, there'll be a ranch for me.  The Gray's ranch is a bargain at $695,000 though. Not that I have that much cash stashed in my mattress or buried in the yard.  If I put as much love and dreams into a place for twelve years, I know I'd want to sell for more than that!

Want more photos to drool dream over?  I found these at Fiona and Twig.
Anne Lorys' lens has a way of capturing the poetry around us.

Bring joy,
 

Dr. Suess-isms

March second--today it's National Reading Day AND somebody's birthday.

Here's a hint:

I love the Cat in the Hat although he caused me severe anxiety as a child; I remember cringing when that pink bathtub ring and Mom's dress were on a collision course.

My very favorite is One Fish, Two Fish--I even have a t-shirt.  As though I couldn't quote the entire book from memory without help.  Followed closely by Green Eggs and Ham.

I laugh at Max wagging his tail, mistakenly waiting for a sleigh ride down Mt. Crumpet.  Every.  Single.  Year.  Because it wouldn't be Christmas without him or Boris Carloff's narration.  (My children do not share my fondness but I suspect that it's one thing they'll always remember about me.)

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, here's a bit of wisdom from world-famous philosopher Theodor Geisel himself:


You'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut. 

I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells.

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

 Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

A person's a person no matter how small.

You'll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond Z and start poking around.

I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of fun that is funny.

I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.

You can find magic wherever you look.

What's your favorite Seuss book?

Bring joy,

(how appropriate!)