THE ART OF FORGIVENESS, LOVINGKINDNESS, AND PEACE

THERE ARE THOSE WHO DISCOVER THEY CAN LEAVE BEHIND DESTRUCTIVE REACTIONS AND BECOME PATIENT AS THE EARTH, UNMOVED BY FIRES OF ANGER OR FEAR, UNSHAKEN AS A PILLAR, UNPERTURBED AS A CLEAR AND QUIET POOL.

WE CAN DIRECT OUR ACTIONS BUT NOT THEIR FRUITS.

"THE SECRET OF HUMAN FREEDOM IS TO ACT WELL, WITHOUT ATTACHMENT TO THE RESULTS."

Bhagavad Gita

SO, TOO, WE ARE TAUGHT BY THE TAO: THERE IS A TIME FOR BEING AHEAD, A TIME FOR BEING BEHIND; A TIME FOR BEING IN MOTION, A TIME FOR BEING AT REST; A TIME FOR BEING VIGOROUS, A TIME FOR BEING EXHAUSTED; A TIME FOR BEING SAFE, A TIME FOR BEING IN DANGER. THE MASTER SEES THINGS AS THEY ARE, WITHOUT TRYING TO CONTROL THEM. SHE LETS THEM GO THEIR OWN WAY, AND RESIDES AT THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE.

WHEN LOVE MOVES THROUGH US IT INSPIRES ALL WE DO.

"THE OUTER WORK WILL NEVER BE PUNY IF THE INNER WORK IS GREAT."

Meister Eckhart

WE KNOW THAT LIFE CHANGES UNEXPECTEDLY. THOUGH OUTER EVENTS MAY BE DIFFICULT, THE KEY TO OUR HAPPINESS IS HOW OUR MIND RESPONDS TO THEM.

"MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THE MIND TO BE A MIRROR, MORE OR LESS ACCURATELY REFLECTING THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF THEM, NOT REALIZING ON THE CONTRARY THAT THE MIND IS ITSELF THE PRINCIPAL ELEMENT OF CREATION."

Rabindranath Tagore

WITH EQUANIMITY WE CAN SEE CLEARLY.

"WE CAN MAKE OUR MINDS SO LIKE STILL WATER THAT BEINGS GATHER AROUND US, THAT THEY MAY SEE THEIR OWN IMAGES, AND SO LIVE A MOMENT WITH A CLEARER PERHAPS EVEN A FIERCER LIFE BECAUSE OF OUR QUIET."

William Butler Yeats

All of the following words are from a book by Jack Kornfield with the above title. "This simple book was written in the summer of 2001, shortly before the tragic events of terrorism and war swept another wave of violence over the world."

From page 80:

OUR TIME IS TOO PRECIOUS NOT TO LOVE.

~KNOWING LIFE IS SHORT,

HOW CAN WE QUARREL?

Buddha

CAN WE FOLLOW THE WORDS OF BUDDHA, YOU AND I?

HANGING BY A THREAD

"THE ART OF LIVING...IS NEITHER CARELESS DRIFTING ON THE ONE HAND NOR FEARFUL CLINGING TO THE PAST ON THE OTHER. IT CONSISTS IN BEING SENSITIVE TO EACH MOMENT, IN REGARDING IT AS UTTERLY NEW AND UNIQUE, IN HAVING THE MIND OPEN AND WHOLLY RECEPTIVE."

Alan Watts

OPPORTUNITY

RELEASE OTHERS TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IS MEANINGFUL TO THEM AND FREE YOURSELF TO CREATE WHAT IS MEANINGFUL TO YOU.

Don't these words, forwarded to me yesterday by my daughter April from a friend's Facebook page, say it all? I have recently just started to understand the true impact of these words. "Meaningful to them"----"Release"-----"Free yourself"-----"Meaningful to you". These words ring so true to me at this time in my life. So powerful.

This past weekend was such a busy, busy weekend. There was a huge BBQ at my sister's on Saturday, filled with family, friends, and fire department personnel, some that I have never met. We got to meet and talk with the couple who purchased our home, since they live right next door to my sister and were invited to be part of the party. There is just something so warm and inviting about the two of them. Kindred spirits to be sure.

We were asked to walk around "our" house and explain the names of plants to them and then also to take a tour of the house. They say that you can't go back but for me, it was all of the above quotes. It was a time to realize that I had to release my old house, free myself and realize what is meaningful to them and what is meaningful to me. It was a good opportunity to put these words into practice. I know that I have made two new friends in them in the process and appreciate so very much how much they love our house and the spirit that it was built by and lived.

The above photos are of two necklaces. The first one, the most important one, was hand-made by my friend Arlene for my birthday in April. It came complete with a list of gemstones and their meanings. A lot of thought went into making that necklace for me. There are stones that represent "what is meaningful to me" as well as a cluster of hearts for the obvious reasons.

I have posted about Arlene before on my blog. Saturday night she celebrated her 60th birthday (her birthday was on June 26th) at P.F. Chang's with about 12 other people, mostly family but a few of her friends were invited too. B and I felt very honored to be included in that group on Saturday night and we wouldn't have missed it for the world. Her daughter, Christie, put the entire evening together with the help of her dad, as a surprise. And Arlene was surprised to be sure. She did very well blowing out candles and opening up presents in a crowded restaurant. I'm not sure I could have done that without feeling like I was the center of attention.

The second photograph is a picture of the necklace that I purchased for Arlene for her birthday. I didn't make it but I bought it at a store, newly opened in Auburn, that focuses on purchasing items that have soul. The name of the store is aptly called "Karma". I felt good about purchasing this piece for her because of that. It was "meaningful to me" and hopefully "meaningful to her".

Summertime brings with it lots of opportunities to spend time doing things with people. In the winter we tend to cluster inside and draw inward. Summer seems to be just the opposite allowing each of us the opportunity to "spread our wings". I love that phrase. It speaks to the part of the above quote to me; the part that says: "free yourself to create". Yes indeed. And fly to the stars and beyond!!!

GET RAD 2 unofficial trailer

This is my cousin's new surfing video that will be released this summer sometime. He lives in Santa Cruz, California and is becoming quite the avid surfer/producer. Congratulations Kyle!

BABY LOVE

THERE ARE NO WORDS NEEDED.

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED.

DADDY'S TIE

THIS PIECE, LOCATED ON MY SIDEBAR, WAS A COLLAGE I MADE YEARS AGO FOR A FATHER'S DAY SHOW IN SACRAMENTO. IT WAS PURCHASED AT THE GALLERY SO I DON'T HAVE IT IN MY POSSESSION ANY LONGER BUT I CAN DESCRIBE IT FOR YOU AND WHAT I INTENDED TO SHOW IN THIS PIECE.

MY FATHER COMMITTED SUICIDE WHEN I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD. TODAY, BEING FATHER'S DAY, MAKES ME THINK OF ALL THE YEARS THAT I HAVE LIVED WITHOUT HIM IN MY LIFE; ALL THE THINGS THAT I HAVE MISSED ABOUT NOT HAVING A FATHER.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IT WAS HIS LOSS, NOT MINE. HE HAS MISSED MORE THAN I HAVE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT I HAVE ENJOYED ALL MY LIFE, INCLUDING MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.

THIS PIECE, IF YOU CLICK ON IT, SHOWS A PHOTO OF MY FATHER AND IN FRONT OF HIM YOU WILL NOTICE A NOOSE. IT IS OBVIOUS WHAT THAT IS ABOUT. THERE ARE ALSO IMAGES OF CEMETERIES, BONES, AND THE ENTIRE PIECE IS MOUNTED ON A PIECE OF PAPER THAT I CUT TO RESEMBLE A TAKE-OUT BOX. THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS ALL THE "LEFTOVERS" IN MY LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH HIS CHOICE TO NO LONGER BE A PART OF IT. THINGS THAT I HAD TO SORT OUT AND DEAL WITH MY ENTIRE LIFE. SOME OF THEM I AM STILL DEALING WITH BUT SOME OF THEM HAVE GONE BY THE WAYSIDE, WORKED OUT AND DISCARDED. AFTER ALL, THEY WERE JUST "LEFTOVERS". LEFTOVERS EVENTUALLY GO BAD AND YOU HAVE TO THROW THEM AWAY.

I SEWED MANY STRIPS OF FABRIC TOGETHER WHICH TO ME REPRESENT THE OBVIOUS PART OF THE TITLE: DADDY'S TIE. BUT IF YOU LOOK FURTHER, SPECIFICALLY AT THE NOOSE, THAT IS THE REAL DEFINITION OF THE TITLE.

IN THE VERY CENTER OF THE COLLAGE IS AN AREA OF BLUE. THIS IS FROM THE BLUE PRINTS OF OUR HOUSE...THE HOUSE THAT MY DAD BUILT FOR US AND WHERE HE TOOK HIS LIFE. IT WAS NECESSARY TO PUT IT IN THE CENTER. IN SO MANY WAYS HE WAS THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES. THEN, IN AN INSTANT, IT WAS OVER. BUT REMAINED AT THE CENTER OF OUR THOUGHTS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

TODAY I THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR FATHERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT. FATHERS ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF A CHILD'S LIFE. ALL THOSE SECURE FEELINGS THAT A FATHER PROVIDES, THAT SAFETY, THOSE STRONG ARMS AND ADVICE, ARE NECESSARY TO THE HEALTHY ATTITUDE THAT A CHILD TAKES INTO THE FUTURE IN MY OPINION. IF A FATHER DOESN'T EXIST, THEN A ROLE MODEL NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I HAD A WONDERFUL GRANDFATHER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. HE WAS MY ROCK.

I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE A HAPPY FATHER'S DAY AND EXPRESS TO YOUR FATHERS HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM. LIFE IS SO SHORT AND WE NEED TO BE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT AND APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS MOMENT. HAVE NO REGRETS FOR WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SAID AND DIDN'T AND WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE AND DIDN'T.

AMERICAN RIVER CONFLUENCE FESTIVAL

THE FESTIVAL INCLUDED MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH WHAT THE RIVER MEANS TO SO MANY, INCLUDING THE FISH THAT SWIM IN THE RIVER,

THE BIRDS OF THE SKY, AND THE ANIMALS OF THE CANYONS.

"BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP OF OUR AMERICAN RIVER RESOURCES"

THIS WAS THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN RIVER CONFLUENCE FESTIVAL. THE FESTIVAL IS SPONSORED BY P.A.R.C.----PROTECT AMERICAN RIVER CANYONS. IT IS ALWAYS A FUN DAY AND IT IS ALWAYS A WAY TO CONNECT WITH WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT. YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY HERE.

CROSS(ED)-------WIRES--DIFFERENT PATHS

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM "THE FORCE OF KINDNESS" BY SHARON SALZBERG

(READ AND DISCUSSED THIS AT MY BOOK CLUB YESTERDAY)

"The Buddha often spoke with a tremendous pragmatism, which is reflective of the force of his compassion. His teaching isn't lofty, abstract, or removed from people; it is very present, very available. To describe the qualities of an ethical life, the Buddha often emphasized the characteristics of a good friend. He spoke about a good friend---a true friend---as being someone who is a helper, who will protect us when we are taken unawares, when we are surprised by life in some way. This person will be a refuge to us when we're afraid. He spoke about a good friend as someone who is constant in our times of happiness and in our times of adversity or sorrow, someone who will not forsake us when we're in trouble. A true friend is someone who will tell us their secrets and will not betray our secrets to others, while also being completely honest with us and warning us if he or she thinks we are heading toward danger."

"The Buddha talked about this kind of friend as being someone who is sympathetic, declaring that this is not a person who will rejoice over our misfortune. A true friend actually takes delight when things are going well for us and when we're happy, rather than being envious or jealous. She or he will try to stop someone when that person is speaking ill of us and will praise those who speak well of us. A good friend exemplifies qualities like generosity and morality and balance. When we have such a friend, we have a gift beyond measure. And not only can we appreciate the true friends we have, we can determine to be a good friend to others---and not just to a precious few we owe a favor to, or only to those whom we lover personally and uniquely.We can determine to approach life as a whole in that way."

"In this light, the Buddha exhorted his students to make their lives count, both for themselves and for the protection of all beings. No matter how one is living---whether alone or in partnership, whether raising children or not, whether mostly in solitude or in a large public forum---it is important to have our lives be an expression of all that we know and all that we care about, In fact, this unity of wisdom and compassion empowers our commitment to an awakened life, one where we can see things clearly and respond skillfully."

AS I READ THIS, IT MADE ME REFLECT ON IF I HAVE BEEN (AND AM) A GOOD FRIEND. HAVE I BEEN THERE IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY OR SORROW? NOT BETRAYED SECRETS TO OTHERS? HAVE I BEEN COMPLETELY HONEST? HAVE I BEEN SYMPATHETIC AND NOT JEALOUS OR ENVIOUS? HAVE I BEEN GENEROUS AND MORAL?

READING THIS REALLY MADE ME TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT MYSELF (AND OTHERS) AND THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THE BUDDHA'S EXHORTING HIS STUDENTS TO MAKE THEIR LIVES COUNT. NOT JUST FOR OURSELVES BUT TOWARD LIVING BEINGS.

TODAY, I AM THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE MYSELF, TO SEE MYSELF (INCLUDING MY FLAWS) AND TO BECOME AWARE. SHARON GOES ON TO SAY:

"The commitment to not harming allows us to be worthy of trust from others---they know they have nothing to fear from us. They know we'll be straight-forward and forthright---they won't have to look for veiled messages and disguised insults. " Amen!

EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE A BOOK COMES ALONG THAT HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD FOR ME. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS. IT IS NOT A LONG BOOK (97 PAGES COMPLETE WITH A CD OF MEDITATIONS) BUT IT IS A BOOK THAT IS FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE. THE MESSAGES BEG TO BE UNDERLINED BUT THAT WOULD MEAN UNDERLINING THE ENTIRE BOOK BECAUSE IT IS FILLED WITH STUFF TO MULL AROUND.

THE FORCE OF KINDNESS. THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL, DOESN'T IT! IF I HAD NOT LEARNED ENOUGH LIFE LESSONS IN THE PAST, THIS BOOK HAS BEEN THE IMPETUS TO MOVE ME FORWARD JUST A BIT MORE. SURE, I WILL NEVER BE PERFECT. BUT I AM SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT SHE SPEAKS ABOUT. I AM HONEST, SYMPATHETIC, HELPFUL, GENEROUS AND MORAL AND MUCH MORE. I VOW TO CONSTANTLY CHECK IN WITH MYSELF TO SEE THAT I CONTINUE TO GROW AND LEARN. MY COMMITMENT TO AN AWAKENED LIFE.

YESTERDAY'S WALK

GARDEN SHED

LION HIDING

ROSES ALONG THE WAY

THE NEARBY CREEK

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

WALKS ARE INCREDIBLE THINGS. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I WALKED WITH MY EYES CLOSED? NOW, WITH EYES OPEN, I FIND BEAUTY AROUND EVERY BEND. THE MIRACLES OF LIFE ARE THERE, WAITING TO BE NOTICED. HOW MANY MORE THINGS HAVE I NOT NOTICED BECAUSE I WAS NOT TRULY "LOOKING"?

"TO FIND THE UNIVERSAL ELEMENTS ENOUGH; TO FIND THE AIR AND THE WATER EXHILARATING; TO BE REFRESHED BY A MORNING WALK OR AN EVENING SAUNTER; TO BE THRILLED BY THE STARS AT NIGHT; TO BE ELATED OVER A BIRD'S NEST OR A WILDFLOWER IN SPRING----THESE ARE SOME OF THE REWARDS OF THE SIMPLE LIFE." John Burroughs

SUMMERTIME...

AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY!!

THE FAMILY MET FOR CRUISE NIGHT IN AUBURN

THE CROWD

WHAT'S CALIFORNIA WITHOUT A COUPLE OF WOODIES?

EVERY CHILD KNOWS MATER, RIGHT?

PROOF THAT WE NEVER REALLY GROW UP

STATUES MADE MY DOCTOR FOX. YOU CAN SEE THESE LOCATED IN MANY PLACES IN AUBURN.

AND A FEW OF THE CARS ALONG THE WAY.

1940

MOTHER, DAUGHTER AND SISTER

From left to right: mother, daughter, sister.

This is my dear friend Arlene on the far left. I worked with Arlene when I was in my twenties. We went through a lot together, her and I. And now, we have reached common ground again: she is going to be a new grandmother in less than a month. We will share our grandchildren with each other this year.

I am reading a book in my book club now titled: The Force of Kindness" by Sharon Salzberg. This book is filled with many gems but some of them really speak to me in terms of my life, the lives that have gone before me, and what this new life (the life of my new grandchild) means to me.

Sharon writes: "When we see how quickly life just disappears, how even the longest life span is over in a flash, we realize how important it is for us to create the conditions that help us most quickly, most directly, and most strongly move toward true happiness."

She is right. I look back over my life and it feels as though it was just yesterday that I was newly married, that I was building a new house, that I was having twins. Yet, it is over sixty years since I was born. And I still have so much more life inside of me and so much more I want to experience and learn. We are just never sure what our lives have in store for us.

Sharon goes on to say that "...The bravest things we can do, and the beginning of an awakened life---a life suffused with kindness---is to question our assumptions about what we are capable of, what brings us happiness, and what life can be about."

Besides the categories of mother, daughter, and sister (of which I belong to all three) I sometimes forget that there is also ME. "When we forget the complexity of a life, we also forget to look at what is whole in a person---what is intact and vital and generative."

"With the force of kindness, we can look at someone else and see those things as well as his or her pain. This helps us look at ourselves and see those same things within, alongside seeing our own pain."

A new baby puts things into perspective. It certainly awakens one to the possibilities and reminders of what lives we have had and what remains. It's nice to be in the company of all these categories. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and I am also ME. It is nice to be able to share it with everyone of you.

COLD WEATHER FOOD

Here is northern California, we have been having lots of rain, wind and some pretty cold temperatures. This kind of weather calls for home-made soup and I had just the one in mind today. It is a recipe that my sister gave to me and it is so easy but oh so good. The perfect combination!

Tomato Basil Soup

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

I can tomato sauce (14.5 oz.)

I can tomato juice (11.5 oz.)

Chicken stock (1 can)

clove garlic

1 sprig of fresh basil

1/3 cup heavy cream (thicken with cornstarch---I don't do this)

Mix all the ingredients in a soup pot, except the heavy cream. I let the soup simmer for awhile and then right before serving, I add the heavy cream. Delish!

I served it with homemade (by B!) rye bread. Yummy!

ANNOUNCEMENT

HOME TOUR

On this grey, raining Saturday morning, I can think of nothing I'd rather do than take a home tour. I love looking around at model homes and getting ideas. Perhaps that is why I like magazines so much: they give me a chance to live vicariously through the images I see. So, today, I will share some of the photos I took with (sorry about the quality) my old camera since my newest one is in the shop being repaired (again). Is there a "Lemon Law" for cameras?

This is the living room. It's small but really, there are hardly ever any other people in here except B and myself. And, small can be good too. It was fun hanging my art in "new" places here.

This is the kitchen, which is open-concept to the living room and dining room. They are all connected to each other so you can be a part of what is going on in the living room while you are doing something in the kitchen. I love the skylights that let in so much light. Both the kitchen and the living room have skylights. We never have to turn on lights during the day...ever.

This is the plant window that you can see in the above picture. I showed this before but it has many more plants and things in it now. Like I said before, the more things change, the more they stay the same. There are just some things I cannot live without!

This is the dining room. It's small but cozy. I love how my art shows off the white walls. I did this wood-block print years ago and have always loved the red screen door. And since red is very prevalent in my house, the water-coloring that I painted of the hollyhocks looks really good there too. Below is a piece of art that I bought last year on my 60th birthday from an artist named Yarrow Summers titled "The Secret". I purchased it at Mendocino Art Center.

Here's another angle of the dining room. Remember when I painted that hutch? It was inspired by Tess Kincaid of Willow Manor when she painted her hutch. I love the play of the black against the white wall.

This is my office/sewing/library. It holds many, many things that I hold dear: books, art, my grandmother's old typewriters, etc. I have art in here by Jen Worden (assemblage), Seth Apter (paintings and sculpture) my granddaughter Natalie, and myself, among others. I love collecting art from all the talented people I see on-line.

Here's another view of the same room.

And yet another. This is the view I see when I sit at my table and work on my computer. It is like being in a tree house, high up in the air with a fantastic view of the meadows below.

This is the entrance to the bathroom off of the master bedroom. If you look close enough you can see the rose arbor that is covered with blossoms right now. Beyond the arbor is the vegetable garden which is having a hard time growing right now because of all the rain. Those tomatoes need some HEAT!

From the doorway, if you look straight ahead, you will see this display of art. You might remember Gilberto from a previous post that I purchased from Lynne Hoppe. I love Gilberto and I think he is really happy on this new blue wall. Above Gilberto is a piece that my friend Victoria gave to me from an artist she found while visiting New York. I love the colors, despite the fact that she is holding a cigarette in her hand! It is reminiscent of The Fauve's and the colors they used, of whom I have always been a fan. And to the right, an original piece (assemblage/mixed media) by yours truly. It's titled "About Face".

A far-away shot. On the right wall you can catch a glimpse of Natalie's masterpiece in water colors.

Here is a better shot of that piece. She does the most incredible things with those brushes and paints. They are worthy of hanging on any wall! You also can see a ceramic plate made the the artist Judy Miller. I purchased this plate years ago at a street fair in Mill Valley, California but I have seen her art displayed in galleries as far east as Asheville, North Carolina. Perfect for my bathroom with the claw foot tub and toilet depicted. And below that, a cross-stitch that my sister made for me years ago. It has lots of sentimental memories for me. And...she mounted it in a heart frame! What could be better?

These three pieces I purchased on-line from Gina who lives in Tasmania. If I remember correctly her Etsy place is FynArt. I love the whole story that I see in them. The one on the far left has the letters "A" and "K" in it. Both my twin daughters have those initials so these I had to have them. Gina is a very talented artist. Do you see the small watercolor below them? My sister painted a birthday card for me and I framed it. It is (from her memory) me sitting on the beach at Turlock Lake with my sand shovel and bucket and our ski boat in the water. The boat was known as "The Mighty Bee". Our maiden name started with the letter "B". And, she has written "Happy "B" Day" at the top but the letter "B" is actually a Bee! How clever is that!

Here is a little vignette of some of my favorite Mexican tin, one sent to me by Melanie of "Secret Notebooks--Wild Pages" blog. It couldn't have fit in better if it was planned.

Here is a little area next to the door of the bedroom where I have some very special art pieces. The piece that is most predominant was purchased by me from Katherine Treffinger. I love that piece! It is titled "Two Crows" and do you know that every morning there are two crows in my backyard cawing like crazy, trying to wake me up? The mannequin holds many family photos that are special to me.

Here's a close-up of "Two Crows".

Again...love this piece AND the colors!

The "spare" bedroom.

And a view toward the closet (hate those mirrored doors from the 90's. They will be changed some day) and a few of my pieces can be seen. The red "blocked" one has sewn stones, water color, and stitching and is titled "Crescent City". The other piece is a water color and is titled "Hanging the Quilt".

My closet (don't look at the mess) with the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. My friend Arlene gave me the inspiration for this idea. Thanks Arlene! I didn't know where I was going to use this but could not leave it either. It came from my cousin's house in Beverly Hills years ago and has been with me since then.

And finally, the master bed. It still needs more on the wall but it is fine for now. A friend made me the willow headboard years ago per a special request and I have never been able to get rid of it. I love the heart shape and the rusticity of it. Gail did the most incredible willow furniture at that time.

I hope that all of you are having a really great weekend. It is a full day and weekend filled with new babies, baby showers, and rain showers. Isn't that great how all three words "connected" this weekend? There are no accidents in life!

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful".

William Morris

AND:

"Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you".

Lao Tse