Wednesday, January 29, 2014

staying warm




It's 4f/-15c this morning but the sky is bright blue.
Put the first coat of blue on the latest flying horse painting
and then did a little work on another pair of mittens.

Quick photo of Miss Sophie taken with my phone last night.
Hope are all having a warm week!
xo, j

Sunday, January 26, 2014

hibernating





It seems to snow every other day
and the cold has been unrelenting.

I should be writing thank you notes
but instead grab a book and a cup of tea
then pull a blanket over my head and nap with the cat.
winter

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

milestone



beautiful handmade from Suzanne (a big jar of local honey too!)
Paula, Lisa and Jenny were so generous
Ron always remembers (lucky Paula!)

On Sunday, January 19, I celebrated my 50th Birthday!
It was back to NYC to buy myself a special gift from Tiffany's
(with the generous help of my family)
then downtown to Purl Soho for the precious little scissors.

I've heard well wishes from so many dear friends 
and packages of beautiful gifts flooded my doorstep.
Thank you Dave for the watch I wear every day!

Thank you to all, not just for the gifts but for remembering
and being so patient with me when I 'disappear' now and then…
my life is full of love and I am so grateful.
all my love
xo, j

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

before work



Foggy, foggy morning...the slow patter 
of rain drops on the already soaked leaves.

With my coffee a couple of knitting books; 
The Yarn Whisperer, a gift from my Mom, 
and the pretty yarn a gift from my sister-in-law 
brought back from Ireland.

Clementines for breakfast.

Another adventure ahead this weekend…!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

stay inside weekend




It rained all day Saturday then by early Sunday 
evening the clouds began to clear.

I stayed in, drank copious amounts of green tea with ginger
and inspired by V's beautiful mittens, started a new knitting project.

Narcissus bulbs are now nearly a week grown, the photo is from last Wednesday.
I read somewhere to start bulbs out of direct sunlight to prevent them from growing too tall.
Mine always seem to topple over when they bloom!

The painting was also part of the visiting collection from the Hague
and gathered almost as many admirers as the Vermeer.
The Goldfinch, by Carel Fabritius

Hope everyone had a great weekend.
xo, j

Friday, January 10, 2014

Girl with a Pearl Earring









I took the day off to visit this lovely painting at the Frick Museum in NYC,
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.

Advanced tickets were sold out so I stood in the cold drizzle
for an hour and three quarters to get inside and I'm so glad I persevered.

She was behind glass but the precise brushwork and luminous colors,
especially the delicate blush across her cheeks, were beyond words.

I may have caught a little cold and will now have some 
green tea with ginger and lots of honey before climbing into bed.

It was a very special adventure.

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

things that fly





It's been bitterly cold here with a wind chill bringing the
real feel temperature down to -35f.  Brrrrr!

A recent snow storm brought a flock of Robins to the treeline,
a bird I am not accustomed to seeing until mid March.

My flying fish paintings are now done and I've moved on to horses
suspended with balloons!
I may not possess the technical skill of Patrice
but I am thoroughly enjoying the process of painting again.

Friday is fast approaching!

Sunday, January 05, 2014

florida


wetland along trail
lake alice
anhinga
big snapping turtle looking for handouts
pied-billed grebe
american egret
spanish moss
morning thunderstorm

Last weekend I was able to fly down to Florida to celebrate 
a belated Christmas with my family.

The sky was grey but the temperature mild.
Saturday morning Farmer's Market (imagine fresh produce!)
and a hike through the woods with my brothers and nephew.

Although we didn't see a gator there was a splash 
and then a bubble trail in the marsh that suggested one was close.
Many birds including Ibis, Sandhill Cranes and Snowy Egrets
as well as the species shown above.

It was good to get away and be around all those I love.
I must admit to sleeping most of this weekend away…
but an adventure awaits on Friday!

xo, j


Thursday, January 02, 2014

Happy New Year




A belated Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!
I apologize for not posting in a while, it's been a very hectic few weeks.
I promise to get back on track and post more often.

On Christmas day I opened an envelope from the beautiful Xenia
and found these two little birds, aren't they amazing!
I wasn't able to be with family (although I flew to Florida the following weekend)
so this little surprise warmed my heart more than you can know.
Thank you, dear friend.

And thank you to all who have visited this sight 
and left the gift of lovely comments throughout the year.
I wish you all great health and happiness for 2014.

xo, j