Artistic Endeavors

Good morning all! I know that many of your are "Wordless" on Wednesdays, but, those that know me well know that I am rarely without words ;-)  I wanted to share a couple of pieces of art that I did a few years ago. I love to paint, but have always done it strictly as a hobby and have been a bit shy about sharing my "masterpieces" with anyone other than my closest friends and family. My art tends to be on the whimsical side and a bit child-like in nature. I would love to develop my technique in painting more realistic scenery, but when I pick up my brushes my silly inner child comes out to play, and you just never know what that girl is going to do. These two paintings have been hanging in my office until recent changes called for their removal so that HUGE maps could be hung on the walls as part of the room's transformation to our new "learning room" for homeschool. I love the first one as it reminds me of those early spring days where you have sun one minute and rain the next. You know the days; slightly breezy and then the wind kicks up and things begin to swirl in the cross winds...March or early April weather. I called it "Whirly~gigs" and painted it about 8 years ago. I used sand and paper shreds and fibers to create texture on the canvas and then painted it using several favorite brushes and a spray bottle filled with diluted acrylic paint for the effect of gentle rain drops. It was messy, but so much FUN!

The second one is called, "My Favorite Blanket" and was inspired by my first sweet kitty, Patty Paws. She was my dear kitty-friend for 16 years. I got her when I was 7 and she was 6 weeks old. I wanted to pay her homage on canvas. It is abstract in nature and the colors in the background are intended to create a dream-like effect as that is where my dear Patty now exists~in my sweetest memories and dreams. She is poised on a leopard print "blanket". The print is suggestive of her "wild cat" personality while the fabric is soft flannel; just like Patty-Paws had her "soft-side", too. When I look at it, my mind floods with memories of sweet times with her.

Well, there you have it, a little sample of my artistic side. I know that I may never be another Rembrandt, but it makes me happy. I guess that is the purpose of art in the first place, it makes us smile!

Hugs to all, and Stay Cozy!!!
Charlotte

Sweet Summer Days

     Happy Summer dear blog friends!!! I looked at my little banner yesterday and noticed that it stated "Today is the Last Day of Spring". Today is the first official day of Summer! It has felt like summer here in beautiful Wild Wonderful WV for at least the last month and we have had some days where it felt like we were walking around in a big bowl of chicken broth~very HUMID!!! But, then, that is part of the 3 H's that make up our summer climate here in the Mountain State; Hazy, Hot and Humid. But I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world (well, unless that somewhere was Ireland ;-)

     I went out on my front porch for a bit yesterday after church and sat in our rockers for a bit. I spend a lot of time out there on nice days, and yesterday was not too humid or hot, so it was very enjoyable to just sit and rock a bit. We did our Father's Day celebrating the day before at mom and dad's so we just enjoyed a quiet day here at our home and had some barbequed chicken, savory oven potatoes and baked beans for our dinner. It is one of those dinners that requires very little prep time and then you get it all in the oven to bake for about an hour while you sit back and relax. That is my favorite kind of cookin'.

     While I was outside, I took a couple of pictures of my tiny little flower bed. The hostas are blooming and I also got a shot of the new little Dogwood seedling that my dad gave me from their yard a couple of months ago. It has already grown about five inches and has gained three new branches. I am thinking that if it keeps doing well through the summer and the fall that I will transplant it to the center of the yard next spring to give it more room. I will close for now, I have been busy writing this morning and my eyes are feeling a bit strained. Hope you are all having the start of a wonderful summer, wherever you are! 

Hugs for Now and Stay Cozy!
Charlotte

A Wonderful Find

Good morning, dear ones,

I am having one of those days where my mind just seems to be traveling to old and familiar places. You know the kind, quiet, reflective, focused on family life and home and the things that matter most in this life. I had started yesterday with many worries on my mind, real and perceived.  I was concerned with our finances(never enough no matter who we are, right) my parent's health, the problems of the grown children (no matter how old they are, they are still our babies) and other things that occasionally cross my poor, weary brain. I took a little break from work and worry and retreated to my favorite chair in our living room, the one beside the big round table where I keep some of my favorite poetry books. I was reading one of my favorite Helen Steiner Rice books when I happened to think about something I saw in the small cedar chest in our dining room the last time my daughter was snooping in there. I went and got it out and realized just what a TREASURE I had in my hands, the very thing I needed to help lift me from my self-indulgent worry. About 17 years ago my cousin, Kay, had typed up some of the wonderful family stories told by my mom and my oldest aunt. She did this for a family reunion and everyone there got a copy to take home. I was SPELLBOUND!!! I had forgotten some of these and had totally forgotten that my mom had her own section because, as the last little un-expected baby, she had memories that were much different than those of the older siblings. It was a wonderful, sentimental journey and today I am just feeling wistful and so very grateful that God saw fit to place me in such a wonderful earthly family. I am also so very glad that He has given me a wonderful inheritance into His family through my loving Savior, His son, Jesus. I am a very blessed girl, indeed...

Love to all and
Stay Cozy,
Charlotte

A Friend in High Places....

Look who I spotted WAY up high, first thing in the morning~where she is NOT supposed to be lying.....

She was so comfortable and curled up in a little ball until she spotted me coming in to make my coffee and she sat up and struck the pose as if to say, "Take my picture, mom"...she is such a priss-pot! It was easy enough to get her down from there, however. A little bit of left-over chicken breast always works wonders when I am trying to get her away from mischief ;-)

Hugs and Stay Cozy,

Charlotte