Quiet Thoughts

There are two means of refuge

from the miseries of life:

music and cats.

- Albert Schweitzer

Finds and Treasures (4)

Early this morning as I sat in my living room I looked into the dining room and enjoyed how the early morning sunlight reflected on a new addition to my yellow glass collection.I realized that you have not seen this new piece. It's been awhile since I've shared Friday Finds and Treasures with you. Recently my dear little mother and I were in the Goodwill in a nearby town when she spied this yellow compote. I put it in my shopping basket as soon as I saw it!The bright morning sun made it hard to get great photos but I hoped to capture how lovely it was in the sunlight and shadows.Isn't it wonderful?I haven't decided what to put in this new treasure. I don't want to take away from the beauty it brings but you may see it again, in another part of my home. Serving another purpose. Until then I'll just enjoy the way it adds a touch of color to the room. In the sunlight. Sunshine on a sun-colored addition to my yellow glass collection.

Pansy Panic

This week Katherine at Yellow Rose Arbor shared some of her beautiful past painting projects. I left a comment to tell her how much I enjoyed seeing her work and encouraged her to pick up her brush and pursue her talent once again. I told her that I had done tole painting when my now-grown children were very young and that, perhaps, someday I would share the story of my pansy painting. The one my daughter decided to 'taste'! Katherine responded by asking me to share the story. So, Katherine, here's what happened.

One day when my daughter was around two years old - give or take a few months - I put her down for her afternoon nap. My nearly five-year-old son played and entertained himself nearby. All was quiet. Just a few days before I had returned home from my tole painting class with a new treasure-in-progress. A small canvas on which I had painted a bunch of pansies. Several colors. Blue, yellow, red and purple. A new venture for me to paint on canvas. In oil. I planned to frame and display my work when the oil paint was completely dry. I needed to put it in a safe place until it had dried - a place where it would be protected from dust, things that might fall on it and curious little people! The top of the refrigerator seemed to work. All was fine until the day in question. I chose nap and quiet time that day to take the painting down from the refrigerator top to add a few touches of this and that. To finish my precious painting. I was very happy with my work so far. I could visualize the finished project. Framed. Hanging in a special place in my home.

Final touches were added. I was pleased. But, somehow, I was distracted. I left the kitchen. With the painting on the little table where I had been working on it. A short time later I entered the kitchen to find my little daughter, awake from her nap, dressed in just her T-shirt and underwear, standing on a kitchen chair at the table. I couldn't believe what I saw. I was horrified! Her little mouth and face were covered with paint. Oil paint. Blue, yellow, red and purple! When I looked at my what-had-been-beautiful pansy painting I could hardly believe my eyes. All the colors were smeared. Running together with hardly a sign of form or design left. There she stood, so proud of herself. She had decided to taste it!

After getting her cleaned up, followed by a quick call to the pediatrician's office, it appeared that she had not been affected by the paint. I knew what to watch for and how to handle any adverse affects of her tasting party. But that's not the end of the story! The painting? What did I do with the painting? I remembered how my teacher had helped another student correct a major problem during a recent class. I washed the entire canvas with turpentine, removing anything that was not dry. The main form of the pansies was in tact. The next day I sat at the kitchen table again during nap time. Carefully, so carefully, I redid what had been lost. The pansies looked beautiful again. Soon they would be dry, be framed and on display in my home. This time the background was more colorful than before. This time it included slight smudges of all of the colors of the pansies, stems and leaves. Perfect. As if done on purpose. No one would know it wasn't part of the original plan. I put it up on the refrigerator immediately. No chance for a repeat performace. You can be sure it wasn't going to happen again.

What happened to my daughter? Nothing. She was fine. No sign of any problem. I doubt she has ever tried to taste paint again. What happened to my painting? It dried, was framed in a lovely frame and hung with pride in that home and two others where we lived as she grew up. I always loved the way it turned out - the second time. More than the first. Every time I looked at the painting I not only saw the lovely pansies, I saw my sweet little girl from long ago. Never to be quite the same as the day she tasted the pansies. Unfortunately the painting didn't survive the move to this house. It disappeared. But it will always live in our memories. Memories of a lesson learned. The hard way!

Artwork: 'Pansies'

Painted by Pamela Gladding

Compliments of art.com

Through My Window

The holiday weekend is over. The new week has begun. Our skies are a bit cloudy and our neighborhood is quiet once again. Cleaning and puttering and fluffing continues in preparation for the arrival of out-of-state family. It's good to tackle some of the jobs that needed to be done no matter what the reason.

I'm enjoying the Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia) just outside my kitchen window. For the past few summers I've planted one in a big yellow pot beside my front door where it climbed on a wonderful pyramid of black wrought iron. I'm enjoying the change this year. 'Susan' seems to be happier than ever in this spot. I think she likes the morning sun and the afternoon shade. She requires very little maintenance but gives a lot of pleasure. From inside. Or outside. She will be here until the fall frost begins. Until then she will add a touch of sunshine to each day. Especially on days like today. To rephrase an old John Denver song,

Sunshine through my window makes me happy,

Sunshine through my window makes me cry,

Sunshine through my window looks so lovely,

Sunshine through my window makes me high.

Song: 'Sunshine On My Shoulder'

Written by John Denver

Statue of Liberty

In New York Harbor stands a lady,

With a torch raised to the sky;

And all who see her know she stands for

Liberty for you and me.

I'm so proud to be called an American,
To be named with the brave and the free;

I will honor our flag and our trust in God,

And the Statue of Liberty.

On lonely Golgotha stood a cross,

With my Lord raised to the sky;

And all who kneel there live forever

As all the saved can testify.

I'm so glad to be called a Christian,
To be named with the ransomed and whole;

As the statue liberates the citizen,

So the cross liberates the soul.

Oh the cross is my Statue of Liberty,

It was there that my soul was set free;

Unashamed I'll proclaim that a rugged cross

Is my Statue of Liberty!

Song: 'Statue of Liberty'

Words & Music by Neil Enloe

Art and photos: art.com

Fourth of July

The stars and stripes are flying.

Today's the Fourth of July!

I have a flag to celebrate,

And I'll wave it really high.

I am so proud to be here,

Wearing red, white and blue,

I'll stand up tall and show you all,

I am American through and through.

Thank you for my country.

Thank you for freedom too.

I am so proud to be here,

Standing next to you!

Fourth of July Poem

Written for preschoolers

Night Light

We are working hard to get our home and yard ready for out-of-state family to arrive next week. Lots of cleaning, sorting, tossing, donating, fluffing going on. My sweetheart has been working very hard on a project that needed to be done now at my dear little mother's home. Last evening was the first time he was able to do much here at home. He had big plans for this past weekend but with our exceptionally high temperatures then it was wise that he didn't work outside. After dinner last night we worked together to set up our patio and have it ready for this weekend, our guests next week and the summer ahead. After we had accomplished what we could last night we sat and enjoyed the results. You just get a sneak peek. The rest of the back yard is not ready to show yet. There is more to be done. Much more.

We added new cushions and umbrella to the patio set this year and a wonderful outdoor fireplace that delights my heart. I had been looking for just the perfect one. Something that captured my imagination and said, 'That's it!' I found it several weeks ago. Last night my sweetheart set it up and put it in place. Then he lit a fire (on a fairly warm night). We sat back to enjoy. And we did.
The new umbrella came with little lights installed on it. The display model in the store didn't have the lights on but I knew it would be a fun feature.I thought the lights were white. Imagine my surprise when I flipped the little switch and discovered. . . they are blue! Perfect. My color.We added a sweet little candle. . .And sat back to enjoy the night-time quiet just outside the door of our sweet little home. There will be many more evenings spent outside with our lights and candles and fireglow. Some will be shared with family and friends. At times it will be just the two of us. No matter who joins us we know we will relax here often. And enjoy it together. In the glow of light. Night light.