Life is Just a Bowl of Roses!

Life is Just a Bowl of Roses
"Rose Colored Glasses are never made in bifocals. Nobody wants to read the small print in dreams."
~Ann Landers~
Despite the harsh realities of life, of which I am well aware, I do believe we all need those rose colored glasses at times to see life in a softer light! Do you remember as a child being told to, stop day dreaming? Get with the program! Get your head out of the sand! Wake up and smell the coffee! You can't have your cake and eat it too! Life is not a bowl of cherries! You are such a Pollyanna! Blah, Blah, Blah!
Well folks I have to tell you as an adult, I want my cake and I want to eat it too! I love to wake up and smell the coffee! Sometimes my head needs to be in the sand by choice, there are some things I really don't want to know! I love to day dream, some of my best ideas have been born in this space! Whose program was I ever supposed to get with anyway??? 
As far as cherries go, just don't digest the pits! Pollyanna, has now been upgraded to 
Polly-Nanna, a title I wear with pride!
With all the negative rubbish that floats our way on a daily basis we need to wear rose colored glasses to keep visions of sugarplums, puppies, rainbows and dreams, coming our way! 
It is our right to be happy and it is our choice, whether to sleep on a bed of roses or a bed of nails! Rose colored glasses come in all sizes and strengths, I suggest you try a pair! 
"I have had dreams and I have had nightmares, but I have conquered my nightmares because of my dreams."~Jonas Salk~
Posted to the Creative Exchange: http://www.lgordonphotography.com/, http://mcdougallphotography.blogspot.com

Look Before You Cross!

Look Before You Cross
"Make Way for Ducklings"~Robert McCloskey~
Have you ever seen anything sweeter than a mother duck, followed by her ducklings? My husband called to me yesterday and said, "you have to see this, bring your camera!" I think mama duck was giving her offspring swimming lessons, along with warnings of the perils of sleeping alligators. 
Look before you cross, I am sure were her wise quacks! Sometimes I just quack myself up!!! Maybe I am just going quackers??? Maybe it's that ringtone of ducks quacking on my 
iPhone? OK, enough already!
Certain photos just scream a title and this one certainly did for me. I cropped the original and added several textures for this end result. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! 
Have yourself a ducky little day, filled with laughter and healing rays of sunshine!

A Sweet Little Bouquet for You!

Thank You
"How beautiful a day can be, When kindness touches it!"~George Elliston~
Well folks as far as birthday's and anniversary's go, I have to say I am a pretty lucky lady! Thanks to everyone who sent along well wishes, whether it be, kind comments on my blog, e-mails, facebook, calls, cards and sweet visits from my very sweet friends who live nearby! My darling husband surprised me last evening with balloons and a cake for all to share at our weekly karaoke gathering! Other than being with our children fifteen hundred miles north there is no other place, I would have rather been. 
I ravaged my neighbors yards and put this sweet little bouquet together for all of you as a sincere, Thank You. Sorry Peg and Gail, I knew you wouldn't mind! 
Thanks Again Everyone, you have truly touched my heart!

My Third Trimester!

Full Term 90
Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday Dear Rose, Happy Birthday to me! Yeah!!!
Three years ago, upon turning sixty, there were many changes in my life. My husband had recently retired and a new chapter in our lives had just begun. I called this new phase, My Third Trimester of Life, fully expecting ninety to be full term. Maybe with any luck, I'll be a little over due. I consider this final trimester to be the most exciting in many ways and with that, my Bucket List grows longer with every new event accomplished. With no grandiose expectations, I embrace each new experience with gratitude, for the gift of health and the means to achieve our goals. The dress rehearsal over!
Why the photo above? Well I just liked it. I had fully planned to take a photo of my new exercise gismo, which has been sitting in a box since, February. You think I would have learned by now, that unless they send me the little guy who demonstrates it on TV, it probably not going to happen!
Since I'm in a fun mood today, I would like to share with you some things I have learned over the years: 
(not in any chronological order, however!)
I can drive anywhere as long as there are no cars on the road; 
ice takes up to much room in a glass of wine; 
I can drink wine without a glass; 
never let life's collectibles keep me bondage; 
I have the rest of my life to mature; 
children are like pigeons, just throw them some popcorn and see what happens; 
not to attend my own pity party for to long;
 control top panty hose constricts my state of well being; 
I can't fix people, I can only set an example; 
to put my enemies on a karma bus and expect the universe to navigate; 
I have got to figure how to get a snickers bar into a feeding tube; 
without my glasses I look 10 years younger; 
never to take directions from someone who knows where they are going; 
to know it, is to google it; 
you have truly arrived when you can travel with only a carry on; 
the trick to getting older is not to die; 
prayer is not always a formal verse; 
find a saint that is not to popular, he can get your request to God, sooner; 
watch out for squirrels with great smiles, my friend threw her teeth up on the highway; 
if you really want to know how you look, ask your daughter; 
a true friend tells you if you have a rogue hair on your chin; 
men can drive cross country, but get lost in a mall parking lot; 
children are blessings, grand children are miracles; 
nothing is more important than family;
birthdays are just a number;
to experience beyond my comfort zone;
to let the small stuff go, it won't matter in 10 years;
love begets love; positive attracts positive and so it goes on...........
My Birthday Wish, a wonderful day for all of you! Got to take a nap now!

A Very Sweet Memory!

Foxglove
The common English foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, is a handsome perennial or biennial plant, whose leaves are used as a powerful medicine, both as a sedative and diuretic.
~google search~
I took this photo at Bayshore Garden Center, several days ago. I asked the owner permission to take a few photos and he kindly agreed. The entire center is a feast for the eyes.
The majestic foxglove will stop me in my tracks every time. They were actually my first introduction to perennial gardening many years ago, up north. My neighbor kindly shared a few, as they were taking over her garden. I was hooked! Year after year they did my garden proud. I loved their haphazard way of seeding themselves, wherever they saw fit. Some would grow as tall as five feet. Some years more bountiful than others. Summer breezes would capture their willowy stature, adding harmony to the garden. Perfect for eye level viewing.
A sweet memory! My then, seven year old son was helping me in the garden, or so I thought! As I was pruning, there was a peculiar silence, I turned to check on my little darling. With sheer horror, I screamed, most of my beloved foxglove were gone! Had I known the leaves were used as a sedative, I might of chewed on a few. There stood the culprit, forbidden garden shears in hand, looking at me with those big beautiful blue eyes, guilt written all over his sweet little face. "I was just helping you mommy!" Well if he wanted my attention he certainly got it! Later that evening he wrote me a note in a child like manner, apologizing for his misdemeanor. A note I still have to this day. My sweet son, I love you so! You have taught your mommy much!

65 Years!

Happy Anniversary
"In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced."~Robert Sexton~ 
It is my in-laws 65th wedding anniversary today! Wow Mom & Dad, you have set an example for all to witness. You absolutely never see one without the other. Dad still drives and they love to visit all who are dear to them. He calls her the love of his life and she the same. 
Coincidently it is our 43rd wedding anniversary today as well! Forty three years, wow! Where has all the time gone? We are catching up, Mom & Dad! I guess commitment is a family trait, a virtue that we are proud to wear! 

Love A Bargain!

Love A Bargain
"Finding a bargain on something you really love and also need is like a chorus of angels singing Alleluia, along with Jesus jingling loose pocket change, accompanied by Michael the Archangel, on the horn!"(not sure about taking credit for this one, but I will)~Rosemary Aubut~
Vowing to keep my new Florida lifestyle, simple and uncluttered, there would be no fabric on my windows. Just let the sunshine in, with every glowing opportunity.
Coming from a textile oriented family, this was a very tall order. My mom would visit and tell me that, I needed something soft, just above my windows. Well, turns out she was right! The starkness and noise levels needed some softening and so the hunt began!
I came across a linen fabric, I adored. It was $38.00 a yard, far more than I was willing to spend. I did the math and decided that maybe I could skimp and get away with less fabric. No, no, skimping is just not in my nature. I continued to look and nothing else seemed to measure up. Not even close, I would think about it. 
Visiting the same fabric store a couple of weeks later, I couldn't help notice
 the sale signs! The same fabric, $15.99 a yard and I had a coupon for fifty precent off. Suddenly the Alleluia Chorus began to bellow thru my being. Yes, just sweet music to my wallet! It was mine! 
Looking for lining, I came across the end of bolts and discontinued fabrics section and as usual I was sucked right in. There it was, in a slightly different color that would work for $4.00 a yard, yes $4.00, not coupon worthy, however. Sweet Jesus, I almost broke a leg getting to the cutting table. I'll take it all, I proclaimed. Any extra would become pillows and the like. Maybe I could even make myself a top??? I just love that linen rumpled kind of look. The entire project came to less than a hundred dollars including the lining, which was coupon worthy. I have enough left to make myself a string bikini, unfortunately it wouldn't be the fabric that was rumpled!!! 
You know, when it works it works, the planets align themselves and new creations come to fruition!!! They are just meant to be. Just love a bargain, you bet, just loooove a bargain!!! 

We Honor Them!

Memorial Day

"I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day.  I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it.  We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did."~Benjamin Harrison~

To all that given so that we may enjoy our precious Freedom!

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" ~Maya Angelou~

Posted in: 

http://twoscoopz.com/category/focus52/

A Bee's Work is Never Done!

A Bee's Work is Never Done
"The happiness of the bee is to exist. For man it is to know that and to wonder at it."         ~Jacques Yves Cousteau~
Wow, look at this little guy! He is doing what bees do best! Just spreading the pollen, for new life. If you look closely you will see a yellow clump of pollen stuck to his little foot. Yes, I am pretty sure that's what it is. For me an interesting capture. I never thought much about how they spread their pollen, I just knew that they did! Stinging, if one interferes with their busy work, so we must let the busy bee, be. To go about the important business of just being a bee. To do the divine work of Mother Nature, in a peaceful and uninterrupted sort of way! Contributing to the sweet nectar of life itself.
Yes, I think I will spread some positive pollen today, a very safe place to be. We all know that it is easier to step in dog poop, but be careful wise one, you could get stung along the way!

Thoughts To Ponder!

Prescription For Success
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
 ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
I love, love, love this quote! Let me say it one more time, "I love this quote"! Why do you love it so much, Rose? Let me Xplain, Lucy!!!
To laugh often and much: This is an easy one for me, I love to laugh, hang around people who make me laugh or at least try to! Forgiving myself for my mistakes can be amusing. Life is to darn short, worry takes up to much time and usually doesn't change a thing.
To win the respect of intelligent people: Try listening more, they have a lot to say and will respect the fact that you did! More importantly just be who you are, no pretense.
The affection of children: Easy one, just get on the floor and play a game with them, even if your knees hurt badly! All they need is time, not things.
To earn the appreciation of honest critics: It's all in how you say it! I feel that an honest critic will criticize, constructively. To demean a person's efforts holds no value!
To endure the betrayal of false friends: This can be very painful, we have all been there. This hurts more when there is no explanation, you have been written off their list and have no idea why! Consolation, lies in the fact that they own it!
To appreciate beauty: It is all around us, just take a mindful look and you will see! Mother Nature is a wonderful source!
To find the best in others: Not always easy, but try figuring out from whence they came and keep a dose of tolerance on hand! 
To leave the world a better place: I truly believe that anyone I ever knew personally, that has passed has left this world a better place and I have breathed easier because of them! My wish, to do the same! This be my recipe for success! Start mixing your own ingredients, add to Mr. Emerson's list, along with your own interpretation. I know you can! Quiz tomorrow!!!
Ironically my friend Judy and I came across this quote in a gift shop recently! I wish her a Happy Birthday today and just to let her know she makes me laugh all the time. She makes me a better person for knowing her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY,  Dear One! You will always be older than me!

Happy Accidents!

SOOC
So what exactly does SOOC mean? Well it means "straight out of the camera, not photoshopped (no editing)! Honestly, I did not make that up! I will admit to cropping about an inch off the right hand side, as I did not find it pleasing to the overall composition. Anal Retentive Attention Disorder, ARAD! Not to be confused with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, I display those symptoms when it comes to housework!
Going thru my vacation photos I came across this shot. Remembering that I had been trying to get a photo of the elusive magnolia for days, they had either passed or were just to darn high to photograph. There's one, or so I thought. I held the camera way over my head, pointed and clicked. Above was the end result! At first glance I was disappointed, the LCD screen did it no justice. I was just not tall enough and my husband's back just not strong enough to lift me. God, those days are over! 
I was going to delete it and decided not to. Well folks, sometimes with digital photography in these days of instant gratification, Happy Accidents Happen! H A H! That's my newest acronym, along with ARAD.
Viewing the photo on my computer screen, really captured my attention. Loved the crispness of the half captured magnolia with the bokeh (In photography, bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out- of-focus areas of an image, or "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points...~google~) effect of the fascinating cemetery behind. Kind of gives it that eerie feeling, don't you think?
Still mastering the automatic setting on my camera along with SOOC, I will be sure to bring you more HAH! HE HE, LOL! Have a wonderful day!

Commitment!

200/365
"When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible."~author unknown~
Yeah! Two hundred completed, one hundred sixty five to go! As many of you know my goal is to publish a book as a legacy for my children, grandchildren and generations forward! 
I would commit to one post a day for a solid year! In some ways not such a big deal when you have the time to do it, and in others a huge commitment and a great deal of work! Somedays I have no clue what to say or what photograph to use, but I trust in my soul that it will come. Somedays are clearly better than others, but all in all to write positive words and most importantly try to live them, have brought me such great pleasure in knowing that nothing is impossible. Guess it proves the theory that what you put out there comes back to you tenfold.
I wrote the following words on January 1st, 2011, as part of my New years Resolution:
"A simple smile, a kind word, to make another person feel good about themselves on a daily basis are some of my goals this coming year. To take photos that evoke memories of good times shared, or of something pleasant and beautiful to view, that makes one pause and take notice for a brief moment, is another. A commitment to achieve one small goal at a time and stick to it! Most of all to live by example, because when you think no one is watching they really are, especially children!  
Commitment, I really like that word and that's my new word for the year and by golly I'm sticking to it!"~Rosemary Aubut~Have I fallen off that dingy of virtue, at times? You bet! But I'm swimming hard in the cleansing waters of hope!

The Eye of The Needle!

Yes I Can
"It is easier for a blind man to thread a needle, than a man with vision and no passion to try."~Rosemary Aubut~
It is the serenade of chalk, greeting a blackboard, enveloping my ear drums, when I hear the phrase,"I can't." Yes you can, just give it a try, darn it! 
The phrase "I can't" is usually based upon the fear of, I don't know how, or I don't have to know how, someone else can do it for me! How often have we heard people say, I hate computers! Do they really hate them or is it that they don't understand them. There is no harm in trying, and maybe, just maybe, you will succeed. Turn that passion into perseverance, water it with a little patience, a savory recipe for triumph. All learned skills build upon each other, cementing a foundation, nurturing the confidence to try again, if need be!
The composition of this photo is nothing new and I have seen it several times before. I have always admired it's skillful, simplicity. I have learned a few techniques with my camera today and will definitely try this again, maybe in a different setting next time. Got to shed more light on that needle!
Entered in:

My Big Girl Button!

My New Button
I am so excited today, I can hardly stand it! I have a Big Girl Button!  Look over to the upper right hand column and you will see the above photo with a funny little code under it, in a box. 
I have made several attempts at achieving this goal with no success. I vowed I would not leave the computer until I achieved this monumental task, yesterday! Tenacity does pay off sometimes at the expense of unfolded laundry and a late dinner. I googled, "how to make a grab button" and as luck would have it, I finally came upon a site that explained it in away that I understood. 
The site is awesome and I encourage all my blogging friends to visit there. Most everything is free and there is a wealth of information: http://www.shabbyblogs.com.
What does this all mean? Other bloggers will be able to copy the html code under the button and display my button on their site. It will create a link back to my site. I have had several requests, but no button to share. Bloggers are great at sharing sites with others, that they really like. I have several buttons of sites that I love, you can see them by scrolling down a way on the right. Try clicking on one, you can come back and visit me later. You can also view their sites by clicking on, Blogs That I Follow.
The wealth of talent that is out there is overwhelming and it my honor to meet and be inspired everyday by these wonderful people. Grab A Button If You Please! Have a great day!

Details!

Details
"God is in the details."~Ludwig Mies van der Rohe~ 
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, was a renowned architect. I think he may have visited here before he wrote this famous quote? I took this photo in New Orleans recently and I was truly amazed at the variety of architecture that  seemed to blend together regardless of style. It all just worked in an eclectic sort of way. 
If God be in the details, He is omnipresent in New Orleans. 
Look at the detail work in the Victorian corbel above, can you only imagine the hours of labor that went into this one fine piece. The skilled hands of a craftsman at work, someone who took pride in the finished product. There are thousands of such details here, some restored and some in dire need of repair.
Walking and photographing had it's challenges, the sidewalks uneven and the subject matter abounding. Thank goodness for digital photography, good shoes and great friends to share the experience with. 
Have a wonderful day!

Observations!

Say Ahhh!

"Look! Nature is overflowing with the grandeur of God!"~John Muir~ 

I took this photo in St. Louis, on our vacation. It was pretty enough but somehow just not interesting enough! I played with the layers, filters, brushes and the end result was quite pleasing for me. Just a little artistic enhancement to satisfy my photoshop obsession! The lens of my camera has helped me to see and realize the true grandeur of nature. By cropping and zooming I am now looking down the throat of this magnificent, Iris. Almost an invasion of privacy, so to speak, a place I would ordinarily never go with anyone human, at least! At first glance, I would have missed the miraculous workings of this beautiful bulb that transforms itself into fine art by, Mother Nature!

To look and really see from every perspective is a gift I would like to develop! 
"Dismiss not the ordinary, there is something extraordinary in all that we observe!"
~Rosemary Aubut~

The Old Door Theory!

Just Love Old Doors!

Of all the photos I could have shared with you, I choose this one. I'm not quite sure why that is, except that I can tell you, I am wild about the color. I love that this old door is well worn, that the paint is chipping and most likely if it could talk, it would speak volumes. It tells a story, the house that surrounds it, a real fixer upper! 

Let us then relate this to life! Yes, yes, yes lets go there! Come on now, I will try to make this painless, short, sweet and in your face! 

Who at my age doesn't have a story to tell and if you don't, you haven't lived. I'm telling you, it's the honest to goodness truth! If you run around pretending that everything is great all the time, you are just setting yourself up! You just as well put on that suit of armor and let the arrows fly, being careful to cover your butt for sure! 

Stuff happens and it is not so much the incident but how we handle it that counts! I read that somewhere years ago and it always stuck with me. If you can look back, know that you have learned from your mistakes and more importantly, did not repeat the incident, count it as a victory. A huge victory indeed! It all adds up to that story I mentioned earlier.

Have I made mistakes? You bet! Have things happened to me that I have no control over? You bet! Is my life perfect? No way! Have I learned from all of it? Hopefully so! Am I going to beat myself up over any of it? Think not! The story still unfolding, a few paint chips at a time. That's what makes us human, we are fixer uppers in the making!

I am in a great place in my life right now, if I were any happier, I would have to be a twin!

Crap, wouldn't you know it, I hear that the world is ending at noontime today! Think I'll eat that piece of cheesecake for breakfast!