a Sunday blessing

Don't forget to be kind to strangers.

For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.

Hebrews 13:2

Isn't she gorgeous?

She is titled "Pieces" and came to live with us last month.

She was painted by a very talented artist

named Jane DesRosier.

Check out her sight here.

She's now doing lots of wonderful,

textured paintings with encaustic.

very inspiring...

the Dog Days of Summer

... or should I say the cat days of summer?

"What to do when you are hot"

by Matteo

• bask in the sun
• lay on my back
• pout a lot
• meow over and over again
• swat the dog as she walks by
• constantly bother my mom and dad
• and lay on my back and pout some more...

that's about it!

This is my pout...

Matteo has been living with us for over a year -

he was from the animal shelter and had been living

on the streets for quite awhile.

His fur was so thin and mangy and

his tail sorta looked like a possums with a little fur.

Now it is black velvet and he is very proud of his furry tail.

Can you tell?

a Sunday blessing

I have decided to give myself the challenge of creating

a Sunday blessing every other Sunday. I am trying to find everyday objects and events and link them with

Bible verses so they take on a whole new meaning.

Hopefully they will cause you to pause and ponder...

The idea for this week's photo and verse came to me as I was sitting

at a Jackson Browne concert Friday evening.

I was not happy that cameras were not allowed

as I really wanted to share the beauty of this place with you -

The St. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Washington is spectacular.

So try to picture a beautiful summer evening with rolling clouds,

a little blue sky, and large expanses of grass that slope down to a stage - a perfect spot to watch a concert.

And to top that off, as my husband and I arrived we were greeted by

friends who invited us to join them.

So we plunked down our beach chairs

and enjoyed a wonderful evening of food

which they graciously shared ( a Friday blessing), wine,

conversation and great music.

And we were close to the stage...pure bliss!

As my brain tends to wander, I found my thoughts straying

to the beautiful vineyards of Lake Chelan that we had visited a couple of weeks before

(and simultaneously the other side of my brain chastised me for not having my next blog ready)

and then I remembered these little glimpses of grapes that my camera found.

So my blessing had its birth...

Jackson Browne sung A Patriot's Song for the first encore and the chorus says:

and the river opens for the righteous,

and the river opens for the righteous,

and the river opens for the righteous,

someday.

So my brain kept pondering this - no idea what he meant,

but I thought about Moses leading his people out of Egypt

and Joshua crossing the Jordan -

in each event the river opened for the righteous.

For me this verse seems a vision of hope.

Life can be so hard, so sad, and seemingly unfair, and

someday,

yes someday

that river will finally open - if not on earth then in heaven.

Puppy Love!!!

I am a grandmother - well sort of...

His name is Samwise (Lord of the Rings)

Calvin (as in John...), or Sammie for short.

He lives with his proud parents

and he is having fun exploring shoes

and sofas and the shore!

Isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen?

I'm not bias or anything...

Happy Flowers

It's a beautiful spring day filled with Happy Flowers.

I can almost hear their little feet dancing in the vase...

this one cheers me up and makes me happy.

Mica flakes and German glass glitter add the finishing touch!

Bloom...

Bloom... isn't that the coolest word? It is just so fun to say

- makes me laugh.

Try it; you'll laugh too!

So here is my sweet painting for sale on Etsy.

I am going to prop it up next to some plants

that need cheering up until it sells...

I don't know where the turquoise boots came from, but they seem to fit!

Praise

Praise... something I don't stop and do enough...

I hope this piece is the first of many with that theme.

"I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands."

Psalm 63:4

I found the most wonderful shop in Fullerton, CA called Gilding the Lily.

Check out her site if you can't go in person.

I got the cross that I used in this piece from her shop.

I bought every cross I could find, mica flakes and also German glass glitter

which I have used in other paintings - makes them sparkle!

I will probably use the other crosses in paintings too

if they don't find their way into some jewelry soon...

My Etsy Shop is stocked!

Terra Cotta Flowers is quite at home in my house

- shown here in the dining room.

I am using it for my business cards

and don't quite know how I can part with it.

...but it is now for sale at Etsy - can't believe I have finally made the plunge! How excited am I!

So how do you fellow artists part with the pieces that you love and feel like you have birthed?

I would love to hear from you 'cause it is not so easy for me.

...and this cute little painting makes my heart sing.

Cherries is my portrait of summer - or at least what

I hope it is like in a perfect world

- our cherry tree is happily munched on each year by the fat crows

that inhabit our little bit of paradise.

We never get any. We tried to tent it one year and that was more work and the cherries still were eaten and it looked like our poor tree was in prison.

So we have learned to happily watch as crows and squirrels enjoy the meal...

a bucket of cherries...

My Art Desk

There has been so much activity at my art desk this summer. I have loved every minute of it. I have 5 completed paintings and 5 more almost done. I have learned to photograph and alter the images with Photo Shop (a work in progress), and set up a blog as well as an etsy shop. So now I just have to figure out how to get the art photos onto etsy and how to get set up with Paypal. My old brain is trying hard and it is exhilarating when it works and frustrating when it does not. So after I get this next step done I will let people know I have a blog.

Yay!

a Sunday blessing

You are the salt of the earth.

Matthew 5:13