I See It...Spring Is Here

Oh how slow spring has been this year...or at least that is how it felt after such a horrible winter...but no looking  back, it has arrived in all it's glory of color and song. It awakens my heart to new growth and new life...everything is easier to deal with when the sun is shinning and the birds are singing.  The miracle of spring happens quickly when it decides to show it's face and I never want to miss a moment of it.

Yesterday Liam and I were in the driveway and we heard this beautiful song...Liam asked me what it was and I told him it was a bird.  So we looked and wait and then in his excited, little boy voice, he saw it..."look Nana, over there, it's a red bird.  A cardinal had landed and was singing a love song to his mate.  That's what we decided anyways...and it's our story. Next, Liam was yelling again, "Nana the red bird is in the tree with the pink flowers."..that's when I went to my car to get my camera...fortunately the cardinal waited for me to return. I had to return my little love bug to his own home, five minutes driving time from mine, and after kisses and hugs and high fives, I told him I would be back today to take him and Jaxson to tea..and off I went with those birds on my mind.

 

Back in my driveway I saw some motion by this tree...amazing how many holes are in it.  It seems that I have missed many woodpecker photo ops...this tree was full of holes and some a very good size...I moved my car out of the driveway, positioned it to be able to shoot out the window, directly at the hole..then I turned the engine off and waited..

I didn't have to wait long...in the quiet, except the singing of the cardinals, along came this chickadee.  He took a quick look around, I think he could hear the shutter button on my camera, then quickly moved into this hole...now at first I thought he was building a nest in there but not so....

There were two little chickadee's and they were tag teaming a clean up and taking the saw dust to a different nest...using it for their family that will soon come...I kept seeing them flying off with this stuff instead of just dropping it and making a nest right in this old tree...but they have their reasons I'm sure...now, I'll have to watch the back of the house to see where they are residing...let me tell you, these two were busy for quite some time...and then all of a sudden...everything went deadly quiet.  Coffee break and siesta for the birds...

Put the car back in the drive-way but now I have the bug. I have been in the house so long with only my still life to work on.  It was so good to be out again...even if it was only in my front yard...but my house is a happening place you know...so I just walked across the way...and found me all kinds of nature to shoot and I forgot all about the time and the bathrooms that were waiting for cleaning...

Blossoms, buds and wonderful bokeh at the edge of the road...I love this bush in my neighbors yard.  The color is gorgeous and it seems not only the cardinals enjoy it...it's an early bloomer and so we stayed together for awhile...

This is the truth about spring...these tiny yellow flowers, so fragile yet so strong...they arrive first.  They stay for awhile without requiring much attention but from me they get a lot of attention...I appreciate the good news that they bring..whether they are standing tall or laying on the ground.  Their appearance each year tells the story of Spring...and reminds me once again...that life is good, hope springs eternal and that even the longest winter is short when spring arrives...

The air was soft, the ground still cold.
In the dull pasture where I strolled
Was something I could not believe.
Dead grass appeared to slide and heave,
Though still too frozen-flat to stir,
And rocks to twitch and all to blur.
What was this rippling of the land?
Was matter getting out of hand
And making free with natural law,
I stopped and blinked, and then I saw
A fact as eerie as a dream.
There was a subtle flood of steam
Moving upon the face of things.
It came from standing pools and springs
And what of snow was still around;
It came of winter's giving ground
So that the freeze was coming out,
As when a set mind, blessed by doubt,
Relaxes into mother-wit.
Flowers, I said, will come of it.

Richard Wilbur

Paris in Spring...A Year Later

There are some places that just get in your soul and stay there and you think of them often. Those places change you, giving you a better understanding of a life lived and enjoyed by so many others, both resident and visitor...Paris is that kind of place. It haunts you to come back..especially if you have been there in the spring.  One year ago...NOW, we were there and yes, it has taken me a year to get these photo's in order and start my editing.  As I move through these wonderful memories..I have renewed joy in my time there, not only in Paris, but also in the South of France, where we spent two weeks after leaving Paris. I have been to Paris twice now, but this was our first time to the South of France and so soon, I hope to also share a few of those adventures and magical landscape with you...but for today, just memories of Paris for those of you who have been there and perhaps, for those of you who have not...you'll dust off your passport.

Walking along the Avenues with the smell of fresh bread entering your brain...you hear it calling to you, and you cave.  

Trees starting to bud..no mud under your feet, just beautiful deep shadows criss-crossing the buildings...unique street lights and amazing architecture.  The sun is warm and inviting and bouncing off the buildings. Wrapping you in a warm hug.

 Always in my view, the beauty of the Eiffel Tower, as it reaches into the deep blue spring sky..

I really think one of the things I love most and think is so civilized is outdoor dining..truly, there is nothing more pleasant on a warm spring or summer day than to sit, at leisure, over a beautifully prepared meal, toss in a glass of wine and you know that life is to be savored.  At home, for me, this is not a common sight and when you do find it, the season is short lived.  Also the French, take their time and enjoy all that a meal outside implies...slow down, rest, chat and breathe in life.

Simple beauty and color everywhere..these being one of my favorites...

What would Spring be without an abundance of tulips...truly, so many flowers blooming there in early April...I wonder if one could have a bad day in Paris...

Lunch break for the school children..where else, of course outside at the Park...Like London parks are a big part of the make-up of Paris..and all enjoy them.  I loved this shot not only of the kids lunching, but of this majestic tree, both in it's color and shape. A place for the kids to sit and gather around. The other thing about the parks, everyone sits on the grass, like we did growing up..now it's "stay away, don't sit, might have ticks"...geez, I'm going to sit in the grass again this summer, maybe even lay down and gaze at a few stars...if it's good enough for the French, it's good enough for me..and besides, I'm half French.

Yes, Paris gets in your head and never leaves...It turns you upside down and you really get a natural high and head rush, just by being there...It makes you stop and look.  Smell and smile.  Slow down and enjoy. Breathing is easier here..the pace allows for daydreaming and planning...Tasting not only a macaron here and there but trusting in the goodness of life...Merci Paris...je te aime..

Hopping Into Spring

How do I know it's spring...certainly not by the weather or the green grass that should be growing. Not by the little crocus's that are suppose to pushing their way up out of the snow, along with the pussywillows and forsthya. I know that it is spring because the Easter bunny is coming.  Just like Santa Claus, nothing stops the Easter bunny. He might have to work a bit harder this year hiding those egss. Perhaps he'll have to wear a hat and some bunny boots but trust me, when I tell you he will hop his way into your house and into the hearts of all who believe...

We are ready at Nana and Papa's..and if he makes a mess with his bunny boots while dropping of a few Easter Baskets, it will be o.k.  Papa Bunny is real good at cleaning floors...

So, spring has arrived and for Easter I wish you all..

A sunny day

A warm heart

Sweet colors of jelly beans

Lots of chocolate bunnies

Maybe a bright new Fuzzie

a Cadbury egg or two

and most especially

a hug for each of you.

Easter Joy

Jesus came to earth,
To show us how to live,
How to put others first,
How to love and how to give.

Linking up to Kim Klassen Be Still week 42..Crated..preset Shadow used on all photo's.. 

Pete's Plunge

On a very sunny but very cold day in January of this year, my husband Jim, along with over 500 local people, took the plunge into the ocean in Gloucester. I watched from the sidelines. I don't think a day like that one has impacted me quite as much for a very long time.  I was torn between great joy and tremendous sadness. Two colliding, deep emotions. Great joy to see so many people, of all ages, pull together for one absolutely fantastic family and then great sadness for the reason we were all here in the freezing cold. ALS,commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, has hit that fantastic family very hard. Does the name Pete Frates mean anything to you. Well it should...Think Ice Bucket Challenge. What I think now, after that day in January, is that I have never meet a young man with a brighter smile, a more giving heart and a passion for helping to end a devastating and debilitating disease.  He has done it all with grace, knowing that for himself the cure might not be found but going forward, through the efforts he puts out, and with the help of his amazing family, he will save countless others from the pain and suffering an entire family endures when one of their own is diagnosed with ALS.  That day we not only were part of the plunge, we also helped Pete celebrate his 30th birthday.

Some came dressed in crazy costumes and yes, they plunged in them...

And some came dressed barely at all...the atmosphere at the beach was lively and so much anticipation was in the air as they waited to line up for the run. It warmed my heart to see the people cheering each other on, and emptying out there pockets for this great cause...families supporting families...to help a family that so needed support of all kinds..and everyone that was there was happy to be doing what they were doing for the Frates...and when Pete arrived it was game on..

There were off and running and I'm sure that the water was warmer than the air...I had a lump the size of a bolder in my throat watching them go in that water and knowing why they were doing it.  I sank in the mud as I moved around and through people to try and capture a moment in time that is like a small miracle...It is hard to get a sharp focused photo when your eyes are trying to hold back tears..but like those runners who gave of themselves...the only thing I could do was keep hitting the shutter button..

I had heard of Pete Frates many times but I must say I did not really understand his plight, the plight of his family and friends until that day..until I stood in the sand and had the wind whipping at my back...not until I saw a young man and his wife cross over a little wooden bridge..him in a big powered wheelchair, her right beside him, both with smiles...and as I watched all of this...my heart swelled both with the joy of it and with the sadness and with the full knowledge, finally, of what it took to get Pete there and to know it was exactly where he wanted to be..

The plunge didn't last very long...amongst the hooting and shooting and running...the beach emptied out quickly...but they got the job done. As a thank you to all who participated we were invited to an after plunge lunch and birthday party for Pete. That is where the magic really happened for me.

 

Meet Pete and his wife Julie...they are a team, actually they are THE TEAM.  Young, in love and carrying on this cause together..I can't even begin to understand the challenges that they go through each day but I can feel that they are connected on a very deep level and both are very committed to the project of stamping out ALS.

Now enter my wonderful and loving friends, Pattie and Scott Burnham...It would be so difficult for me to tell you just how wonderful and devoted both of them are to helping others in this short space but they also dedicate their lives to helping anyone in need...I work with Pattie at church and well, Scott humors us and comes along sometimes...and it's always good to be in their company. For the purposes here though, I would publicly like to thank them, especially Pattie, when three years ago..on another very cold day in Janurary, she said to Scott, how would like to go for a swim in Good Harbor  beach to help out Pete and Julie...and the rest my friends, as they say, is history.  Three years later...they had over a 500 people join them in the swim...they organize and recruit and although we have always supported the Burnhams financially in this endeavor, we now would support them in any way we can...because we now know and understand the importance of this quest that Pete and his family are working so hard for.  To see them and experience first hand the warmth and love that was there on that very cold January day, to feel it deep in your heart and soul you now have to be part of it...You can't walk away and say..it's not my problem because it's all of our problems...And that day, we met another very young man and his wife and two small children...he to, was just recently diagnosed with ALS...and he went to Pete and touched his hand and a look passed between them and a few tears...and I knew that this was worth fighting for...

So next year, Jim will leave the Burnham team and start his own team...my family and friends will be there to Plunge and i'll be there in whatever capacity Pattie finds for me. I'm in for as long as I'm needed...It was a day that changed us, Jim and I.  It was a day that my daughter and Liam hopefully found a deeper meaning in life and it was a day of coming together in both beauty and and light...We are now part of the Frate Train..and it feels so right.

Just recently Pete was awarded the honor of Communicator of the Year 2015. A video is also included about his time under the ice bucket...just and amazing man.. 

Click on the link below to view the video.

Pete Frates named Communicator 2014

Friday's Finds

I love Friday's.  I have for so many years. It's my favorite day of the week.  If you remember, a few weeks back, I told you the story of spending Friday's with my Mom, Tops and then shopping.  On some of those trips my long standing girlfriend of over 50 years would come with us.  Now, it just her and I and we continue the Friday morning adventures. They really are adventures because most Friday's we don't have a plan and so we never know where we are going to end up.  It's always breakfast and then most times a thrift store or consignment shop.  Today it was TJ Maxx but that's for another day.

Last Friday, during breakfast, we decided to try a different thrift shop.  It was only a town away from where we were.  Upon entering, I was a bit put off.  I love consignment shops but I haven't really been to a thrift store in a long time.  Messy, chaotic, and old. Both the items and the people.  Since I'm always looking for a great bargain I figured what the hell, let's give it go.  I was really looking for some pewter for my photography props.  I've seen some nice things in some of my Be Still class photo's, so imagine my delight, when almost immediately, I found a vase and a candlestick, both lovely and old and a bit wabi sabi.  Maybe this was going to be o.k.  I wandered a bit more and then.......I FOUND IT.  The French painting.  I stopped in my tracks, took a good look at it and what struck me right away was the girl...I love French woman.  They dress as they please and have an air about them of being comfortable in their own skin.  They dress up, a lot.  Paris, flea markets, I love them both, and I swooned when I saw the black and cream, and my love of polka dots just threw me over the edge.  Aw, but where would I put it.  The cost, even here, it must be expensive.

Enter Dina, my friend.  She comes up to me and softly says, "that would look so good in your living room". Really I say.  Her response "of course, your living room already has a French feel to it".  Well I didn't know that.  But where would I put it I asked, "anywhere you want she says"...Now the wheels are clicking..and I'm still looking.  I bit the bullet and turned the painting around, it was sitting on the floor. I cautiously lifted the ticket, now afraid after falling in love with it and getting validation that I should have it, I was afraid it was going to be out of my range.   Well, pick me up off the floor will you, my knees are bad.  The price tag said, drum roll please, $20.00.  Dina and I looked at each other and I said, take it to the car. And so, I brought it home...and I'll show you what I did.

When I got it home, I gently vacuumed it to get the dust off and damp wiped it ever so carefully. One look and I knew right where it would go.  In one of my reading corners...Hung it.  Now I'm off, what can I add.  I had a little shelf on the opposite wall and started walking around the house when I remember a tea cup and saucer that I bought a month ago at Home Goods...be still my heart.  The tea set is black and white.It has the same lines as is in the painting and the saucer is black polka dots.. are you kidding me.  Big smile.  Then I ran up to my office to find the print of Van Gogh that I took while in France in May.  Found the perfect black and gold frame, on the shelf it went.  A can of tea, from Paris, that my sister-in -law gave me for my birthday. Wonderful.  A Van Gogh can from my trip to Belgium and finally an olive oil bottle that I found years ago at another thrift store, from Provence.  I was amazed and so delighted.

I had a doll in my rocking chair that sits under this painting.  I almost gave her away a few weeks ago but I am so glad I didn't...Madeline, the doll full of adventures at the Eiffel Tower now sits there, leaning against a pill from my guest bedroom...that is says La Belle Vie, "a beautiful life", and on most days, like this one, that is what I have...a beautiful life.

So this is what my little reading corner looks like now..I just love it.  The painting brightened up that corner and now when I sit and have tea, I turn the fire on, gather my book and red comfy polar fleece fuzzy, and I can sometimes take myself back to one of my favorite places. Paris. When I come down the stairs from the second floor, I just love seeing this when I turn the corner.  Such a small change, for such a great price, wabi sabi for sure but with lots of character and charm. It just brings a smile to my face each time I see it.  I hope that, in the event I'm wrong about heaven, and we really do come back in another life, I would love to come back like the woman in that photo..ah to be a bit sassy...and enjoy it.  au revoir.