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

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

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

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…!

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

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.

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!

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

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