Flowers for Friday

With its soft yellow and pink face, this orchid reminds me of the singing flowers in Alice in Wonderland.  When I pass by the lovely blooms in our entryway, I secretly hope I'll catch them humming along.

A Taste for Nature

Today has been cool and overcast and lovely.  We spent our morning at the second pumpkin patch of the season.  Each pumpkin patch we've visited this year has a little collection of farm animals to expose these cloistered Southern California kiddos to some creatures they don't ordinarily see.  I adore watching my daughter and the other children giggle in delight as goats say "maaaaa" and ducks waddle throughout their little temporary Halloween homes.  

Pretty Monday: Natural Wonders

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long 
to play with your hair."  

-Khalil Gibran

Another weekend has come and gone (Madame Obvious at your service).  Sigh.  I spent my Saturday and Sunday with my sweet little family.  We had an exceptionally perfect time together, frolicking in the park and swimming in the sun, grilling veggies from the farmer's market and sitting on our porch.  I always find the best weekends are the most ordinary ones. 

Pretty Monday: House in the Trees

"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do."  ~Willa Cather, 1913


One of the many things I have in common with octogenarians is my love of 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning.  Both programs always enlighten me, cause me to ponder and offer some form of visual delight.  

On a recent Sunday Morning dedicated to summer pleasures, a segment pondered the childhood fantasy of a treehouse.  What kid doesn't dream of creating a hideaway, up in the trees?  

The Weather Report

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life." John Updike

It never rains here.  And for once, I am not being dramatic or hyperbolic in this assertion.  It never rains here. I honestly do not remember a drop of precipitation from May until September.  

A Summery Weekend Wish

Design Inspiration from Nature

Thanks to a faithful reader for reminding me about the loveliness of blooming Jacaranda trees. In Southern California, these purpley flowering trees are a botanic harbinger of summer. They line so many streets in our neighborhood that the skies appear to have produced lavender snow. Will someone please build me a Jacaranda flower snowman with a tulip nose and poppy eyes and a celosia mouth?

Words to Live by

Let's be real, people. If I unleashed my true inner 13-year-old, this blog would be called "Puppies and Other Cute Stuff." Be thankful that I exercise a bit of self-control have not yet reverted to a puppy a day post.

Images borrowed from LifeIsMiraculous & LiveJournal.

How to End the Weekend Right

1. Pour vino into your favorite glass. Rosé, while given a bad reputation, is a lovely chilled libation. Blackjack Ranch's Rubies is what we poured on this particular evening. Yum.
2. Find a comfy chair outside, preferably of the Adirondack variety.
3. Light candles. Candles=ambiance.
4. Soak in the last bit of Sunday sun.
5. Do not think nor utter a word about Monday. Monday is like Voldemort. It shall not be mentioned.
6. Recline in said chair with said glass of vino. Chill. Out.

Photo by moi, on our gnome-sized porch. Spring 2010.

Singing in the Rain

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby." -Langston Hughes

It is easy to forget the simple joy of a rainy afternoon.

Seashells by the Seashore

"The cure for anything is salt water-
sweat, tears, or the sea."
-Isak Dinesen

When was the last time you put your ear to a seashell?

Take a few quiet minutes today to recall the peace that being in the ocean can bring you. Pop open some Coppertone, put some Bob Marley on the Pod, and close your eyes. See, your pulse is slowing already.

Images borrowed from TheMaldivesHoliday DreamsTime ScubaDivers OurKidsNews

Words to Live by

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." -Nathaniel HawthorneImages borrowed from 7Art and Flickr

Cumulus Cloudscapes

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." Rabindranath Tagore
When was the last time you stopped mid-activity to take a moment and look up at the clouds? You might be surprised what you'll see.

On a recent flight, I looked out my murky airplane window to see this glorious view. High above the clouds, the sunset produced such an array of pinks and oranges across the sky. Up in the air, the clouds became a billowy ocean---a reminder of the unparalleled beauty of nature.