GOOD BOOK

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THE BOOK GROUP I BELONG TO DECIDED TO TACKLE LES MISERABLES. WHEN I FACTORED IN WORK AND FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES, I WONDERED IF I'D BE ABLE TO FINISH IT IN THE TIME ALLOTTED. I DOVE IN AND FOUND MYSELF DISAPPEARING INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY. WORK WAITED AND DINNERS SUFFERED BUT WHAT CAN COMPETE WITH A TRULY AMAZING BOOK. THE CHARACTERS STILL FLIT THROUGH MY MIND.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

A WONDERFUL THING TO SEE THE FUTURE IN THESE LOVELY FACES.

A RE-BLOOM FROM AUBS WEDDING

I'M SUCH A HOPEFUL AND YET TERRIBLE GARDENER. I PLOP THINGS IN THE GROUND EXPECTING SUCCESS AND DO ONLY WHAT I CAN, WHEN I REMEMBER, TO MAKE WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPEN. APPARENTLY THAT WAS ALL I HAD TO DO TO MAKE THIS LOVELY ROSE BLOOM. YAHOO TO THE FORGETFUL GARDENER!!

garden angel with mushrooms at her feet

I love this garden angel my brother gave me. I think part of the reason I like it so much is that she has a worn finish. One day I noticed a mushroom sprouting at her feet. I liked the persistent way the mushroom pushed the soil aside. My Mom warned me that the mushrooms would drop spores and I would have more. Sure enough she was right. As it turned out, it looked like the mushrooms were in a waterfall from the angels feet.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

I have to admit I am not the most positive person. Lately, I've been feeling like the deck is stacked against me. I know this is not a good place to be and yet those thoughts sneak in. In an effort to re-frame my thinking, I've committed to posting a thing of beauty everyday this year.







THE BLUE MOON ON JAN 1






I LOVE A WELL TENDED NEST AND THE VISION OF THE MOTHER BIRD GATHERING AND CAREFULLY ARRANGING ALL OF THE TWIGS. I FOUND THIS ONE IN MY YARD. I ADDED THE BLUE EGGS.

LOVE IS.........

A WELL MADE PIE




Apple Pie

6 to eight tart apples (granny smith) peeled, pared and cored
1 cup of sugar
2tbs all purpose flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
2tbs zest of orange

Combine sugar, flour, spices and dash salt mix with apples. Place rolled pie crust and lay over the top of tin. Fill tin with apple mixture and dot with butter and sprinkle with zest of orange. Cover with top crust. Pinch edges. Slit top and decorate as you like.


Pie crust
1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup better or shortening
1/3 cup of water

Mix flour, salt, and shortening with blending tool til mixture forms little balls the size of peas. Mix water with 1 tbs flour and add to flour mixture. Let stand 10 min. Flour board and roll out dough to desired size.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

The only black man I let in my bedroom

In 1971, I was 1o years old and I had the biggest crush on Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond. I didn't ever have much money but somehow I scraped together some cash and rode my banana seat bike to the seven eleven that was up the street from our house. I grabbed a copy of Tiger Beat magazine, slapped my cash on the counter and sped home. The next few hours were spent reading. What were their favorite foods? How did they spend their leisure time? What did they look for in a friend? Once the reading was done, it was time to cut up the magazine and decorate my room. Glossy 8x10s were posted around the room fixed with scotch tape. I thought I was so cool.

I watched with amazement in the years that followed at the transformation that occurred.



Last week Dan, Tara, and I went to see THIS IS IT. I was struck by a few things. First, that Michael Jackson was a musical genius. He seemed to feel the music on a physical level. Second, that he was really polite and gentle. Lastly, he had a childlike and inspired intuition about the artistic aspects of his show.

I'm going to put aside all of the weirdness. The fact that he named his child Blanket. The trials, the plastic surgery, the stories about his life at Neverland. Ill quote him from the movie, "It's all about L O V E. It's all about love." I believe that.