Winter

Four Seasons  

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again." - Lewis Carroll

It is getting cold. Winter is putting footsteps on the garden.

 Snowy blanket covers all. 

Moon eerily peers through scrawny, blackened maple branches.

Lit reindeers cavort on snowy ledge. Photo: V.E.V., Columbus, Ohio: December 12, 2020 

Snow, like kisses from heaven, is sparkling like a million little suns.

Downtown Snow. Photo: I.T.V., Columbus, Ohio: December 13, 2016

But to tell you the truth, I like snow... when it comes in a paper cone and is covered in chocolate syrup.

             Can anyone tell me where the Delete Winter button is?

Fall

Four Seasons  

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. - F. Scott Fitzgerald

The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves. 

Red and gold leaves from maple trees abound.

Rising Sun Redbud bush shows off spectacular profusion of pea-like pale pink, bright peach, orange, and yellow-speckled lime green heart-shaped leaves. Photo: V.E.V., Columbus, Ohio: September 18, 2023

Neighbor's spooky skull arbor. Photo: V.E.V., Columbus, Ohio: September 29, 2023

Fall... the year's last, loveliest smile - showing us how beautiful it is to let things go.

Summer

Four Seasons 

 I love how summer just wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket. - Kellie Elmore

I'm glad it's finally hot to complain about how hot it is.

Furry backyard denizens Chip and Sniffy share a bowl of bird seed.

Winged regulars (from left): blue jay, robin, and cardinal. Photos: V.E.V., Columbus, Ohio

Summer glow

Summer night is like a perfection of thought. You can stretch right up and touch the sky.

Rare sighting of a brilliant yellow American goldfinch perched on the drinking bowl. Photo: V.E.V., Columbus, Ohio

Night Visitors. Family of raccoons raid Chip's food stash.

Dear spring, I love my summer critters.

I'm breaking up with you.

Summer is hotter

than you. 

Spring

Four Seasons 

The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect moments in harmony with each other. - Arthur Rubinstein

Indeed. 

Each moment of the year has its own beauty. Thus, this series.

Let the imagery speak for itself and be a celebration of earth's seasonal transformations. 

***

Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know. - M.M. Montgomery

No matter how long the winter, snow gives way to the will of spring.

Left: Crabapple tree in full bloom. Right: Yellow daffodils spring forth. Photo: I.T.V., Columbus, Ohio

Ahhh... spring. It unlocks flowers to paint the laughing soil. 

Lilac blossoms lend their perfume to the air.

Azul's tree blooms with pink blossoms. Photo: I.T.V., Columbus, Ohio: April 18, 2020

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest. - Percy Bysshe Shelley

Spring has sprung.

Here's to lots of warm and sunny days to come!

Y'ALL!

Gratitude 

I smile because you're my family. I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it. - Anonymous

To me, family is not just an important thing. It is everything. That's why I'm grateful for you all.

Left: Family Dinner at Uncle Julio's. Right: First Grandson Takes The Gold. 51st AAU Boys Junior National Volleyball Championships. Orlando, Florida: July 2024

For being your amazing self.

For having been faithful readers of my blogs for eight years now. The very first one, In The Beginning, was posted on November 25, 2016.

For participating in and tolerating my piddly contests. BTW, here are responses received on "recurring November theme/imagery": 

AVH - The recurring theme is ELASTIC WAISTBANDS!!

ITV - Reference to elastic waistbands! I win! I bluffed when replying all that I may not have time!

Yup, you're both so right!

A long time ago, when I tried on a pair of skinny-fit jeans and it didn't look good, I just threw it on the floor. Like, No, you don't deserve to be hung up. Sit there and think about what you've done.

When it tried to reason out and told me to walk and exercise, I was like, Nah. I'm good.

Today, my pants have absolutely no desire to fit in (LOL... pun totally intended).

As winners:

* ITV, you'll be treated to brunch or Happy Hour at The Goat

* AVH, you'll get a Vietnamese specialty banh mi + dessert (to make up for "lost" pie slice that was supposed to have been shipped to you by ITV); both to be delivered to Queen's (you'll be texted of date and time)

For YOU ALL, I give thanks for being the compass that guides me. My inspiration to reach great heights. My comfort when I falter.

And when we dine out together, as is our wont, I'd definitely remember to put on my awesome ELASTIC-WAISTBAND PANTS and look fabulous!

Tons More Things

Gratitude 

Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude. - A. A. Milne

Like Piglet, I do have tons more things that I am thankful for.

* For nights that turn into mornings and dreams that turn into reality

* For all the troubles I didn't have

* For my phone alarm - without it, I would never know what time I accidentally wake up at

* For caller ID to avoid likely-scam calls and people I don't want to talk to

* For silent farts

* Grandma jeans with elastic waistbands

* Forever stamps

* The five-second rule when food is dropped

* Internet recipes I'll never actually make

I'm grateful for small things, big things, and everything in between. Best of all, even though I can't have all I want, I'm thankful I don't get what I deserve.

And as Dr. Seuss says:

You ought to be thankful a whole heaping lot, 

for the people you're lucky you're not!

TV!

Gratitude 

TV is the proper binge.

Thanks to primetime television, I can scan through numerous choices all day and night to get my daily dose of timely news, information, knowledge, and amusement.

How is it bad? Chicago PD, FBI, Jeopardy, and John Stewart's Daily Show, among others, provide first-class entertainment, as far as I'm concerned. My all-time fav contest show right now? Password. It's a game of words where you have to guess your partner's secret word.

Notably, I can exercise one of my greatest talents via streaming media - watching five years worth of a TV show in one week. A lie that I tell myself every time: Just one more episode.

Luv Netflix and T'UBI.

Where else can you enjoy Oscar and Emmy-winning shows for free and in the comfort of home? Perhaps, it should change its message from, Are you still watching? to You should shower and come back.

YouTube is awesome.

I have found amigurumi patterns, DIYs for making notepads and journals out of paper bags, soothing music, and myriad topics that I've been curious about.

The couch is calling. I must go. 

But first, gotta loosen these tight pants' elastic waistband.

Aaaah....

 

Shopping!

Gratitude 

I have enough clothes and shoes, I don't need to go shopping, said no woman ever. - Anonymous

I'm grateful for thrift stores like VOA (Veterans of America) and Five Below (discount $5 or below). They are my go-to shopping destination for affordable and fun fashion. Thanks to their rock-bottom pricing, I could put my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet.

These places are jammed with good buys. Tees with Yoda and Betty Boop design, among others.

Even a prized Boyz n the Hood sweatshirt. I like to dress to entertain myself. Life is too short to wear boring clothes.

Other buys that I treasure?

Warm socks. They may not match, but my feet are always warm.

Dollar General $1.25 flip flops.

Deodorant.

Cotton panties. 

Pants with elastic waistbands. (Is there anything better?)

Glorious Food

Gratitude 

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.

Thus, this series: my gratitude for some of the best things in my life.

*****

Live. Love. Eat. - Anonymous

I'm in a relationship with food. 

I think it's the foundation of genuine happiness. The ingredient that binds people and family together.

What specific consumables am I most grateful for?

Taco Bell's Nachos Belgrande and the thought that no matter how bad my day may seem, I only have to remember someone out there has to clean the bathroom at Taco Bell.

Chocolate-covered marshmallows. Thank goodness for chocolate because it's the answer, no matter what the question is. Note to self: Eat lots of chocolate when times get rough, and eat more when times are great.

Mixed plate of BBQ beef, boneless chicken, and mahi-mahi with double order of mac salad at the Rainbow Drive-In.

Happy Hour at Roy's. 

Sunday "worship" at Legend Seafood for dim sum.

Piada's carbonara.

And at the end of the day, grateful for elastic waistbands.

Oldest Antique

 Antiques

Here are responses received from my faithful readers:

ITV: The dryer!

VEV: No doubt about it - moi!

AVH: Does your avocado green dryer count? ;) If not, how about the black lacquered Chinese screen? To VEV's answer (which was SENT TO ALL), AVH says: Haha I thought about that same answer!

'Oldest antique' is featured in the blog that follows.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOLDEN AGER

If things get better with age, then we must be getting close to freakin' magnificent. -  Unknown

What do you call an old folk? 

'Old' sounds a little rude. 'Senior?' Tolerable, but so high school. 'Older adult' sounds politically correct, but it doesn't say very much. 'Older' than what?

Well, how about 'super adult'?

I suppose that's what VEV is.

He is the oldest antique in the house.

Still Feeling Spry at Almost Eighty. Canada: 2024

When he was younger, everyone over the age of thirty looked middle-aged. Everyone over fifty, antique.

Time, as it went by, confirmed that he wasn't wrong. Those little age differentials, so crucial and so gross when he was young, eroded. He had been swept into the silver tsunami of the non-young. 

He might have wondered.

What happened?!! 

But heck, forget that.

Long live 

being vintage

and

fabulous!

Geri-Active And Unstoppable. Photo: ITV, Miller's Country Gardens, Delaware, OH: October 2024

****************

DECISION ON CONTEST WINNER

A comment on proceedings has been raised. ITV said that the two other respondents were both automatically disqualified for not following directions.

Also, this just in.

Received from ITV: Do you accept bribes? Like a margarita from The Goat on Harvest Night?

Comment from AVH: ITV is automatically disqualified for offering bribes. How will I get my slice of gourmet pie?

After careful consideration by a panel of distinguished judges, here is the final decision. 

Resident Judges: Shane the Possum, Beau Bean the Gerbil, and Chip the Chipmunk

VEV, you got the correct answer, but your prize is voided because you violated the contest rule of respond to sender only. As a consolation prize, you'll get carrot shavings, two pumpkin seeds, and an acorn.

Because of the foregoing invalidation, the category has been re-set to Next-In-Line Oldest House Antique (after LAMP and DRESSER). 

The correct answer is DRYER.

Maytag Dryer, circa 1976

For giving the correct answer and following the rule of reply-to-sender only, but influencing contest outcome with a probable felony (hic!), ITV loses... wait...er.. hmm.. Yay! I just love everyone! (hic!). Zhe gehts one big slizze av' pie. (Hic!)

For agreeing with VEV's correct answer though not responding to sender only, making a partially-correct guess (DRYER is not avocado green, it is poopy yellow), and positive attitude that she would win, AVH gets the grand prize of one slice of gourmet pie/cake.

It will be shipped to you by ITV. Trust her!

COONGRADULATIONZZS! 

P.S. No morre contests. (Hic!) YOU'rre ALL a probblematic concern!

Hickory Dickory Dock

 Antiques

Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. - Anonymous

What a timely advice (pun totally intended).

A wall clock that graced the topmost reachable wall in our southwest home for five years, and which has continued to be a wall feature in our current mid-west home has inspired me to live by this motto.

I remember being obsessed with it.

It plays Westminster chimes on the quarter, half, and hour counts with each swing of a brass-finished pendulum. An off-white dial, surrounded by a brushed brass bezel, features gold Roman numerals and ornate, black hands.

Its architectural good looks have survived through the years, though twice-repaired for its chimes. I have relished looking up at it, positioned high on the loft wall, a perfect mix of traditional elegance and contemporary lines and texture.

Westminster Chime Wall Clock, Service Merchandise (now defunct), Phoenix, Arizona: Circa 1978

It has been a summons to not count every hour in the day, but to make every hour count.

That the clock is ticking. Hickory dickory dock!

That time is about making moments.

Live.       

Perhaps I should have bought

this clock instead?

Hickety, dickety, dock!

Red Chest of Memories

 Antiques

The passage of time is surely divine and is filled with rhythm and reason whatever the season. - Anonymous

I look at this chest of drawers and wish I could go back in time and watch the girls grow up all over again.

They were only toddlers when they were gifted a used dresser by a friendly grandmother who lived in the Windy City apartment across from us.

It is short and sturdy and, at that time, aged brown since it had been in our neighbor's storage for I didn't know how long. I couldn't even identify its wood nor its age by its legs. 

Did I know to inspect if its dovetail joints had thin adhesives or sealants in between? Perhaps as an indication of vintage.

Nope. I didn't know enough to care.

Drawer Chest, Chicago, Illinois: Circa 1964

All I knew was that it was a much-needed furniture in what we had fondly called Little Room, which was the girls', as opposed to Big Room, the parents' room.

Painted a cheerful red, it soon got crammed with tiny little clothes.

I remember.

Itty bitty pants and flowered jammies, socks and wee dresses, undershirts and bibs. In pinks and baby blue and yellow.

From Chicago, it has traveled with us to various homes.

Now residing in the Grandkids' Room in our current home, it holds scant beddings for the bunk bed, stuffed animal pillows, a dragon-hooded towel, a box of Lite-Brite Classic, puzzles, and painting supplies for when the grandkids visited or slept over.

It sometimes fills me with an overwhelming rush of sadness when I gaze at it, for in the blink of an eye, even the grandkids have grown up so fast. Time is passing swiftly, rushing forward, everything seemingly gone as quickly as a dream.

Yet the thought that nothing can ever actually be lost consoles me.

For the most treasured heirlooms are memories.

And with those, even when I can't go back, I can always move forward.

Nighttime Beacon

  Antiques

Looking around the house, I can see how it has become the repository of what could now be high-value collectibles. 

I never tire looking at them, as each tells a story. Purchased from stores that are now mostly defunct, their allure has not faded. They let me experience memories that sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheeks. 

So, in this series, I invite you to travel through time and enjoy the history and patina of home vintage finds with me.

*****

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. - Aaron Rose 

A lamp does not speak. It introduces itself through its light.

I concur.

A brass torchiere floor lamp was one of our purchases when we moved to a high-rise apartment in the Windy City way back in the mid-70's.

Full of old-world character, it provided a handsome lighting solution with its slender, clean-lined silhouette. The lamp features an ornamental, vintage-style lantern paired with a single-light glass shade (unfortunately broken and seemingly irreplaceable).

I've always thought it is classic.

Brass Torchiere Floor Lamp, Wickes Furniture (now defunct), Chicago, Illinois: Circa 1974

Set between the leather sofa bed and the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, it emitted just enough ambient light that highlighted a view of the clawing waves of Michigan Lake on Lakeshore Drive.

It stayed with us when we moved southwest. Against a window on the bare living room of our ranch-style home in Casa Grande, it silhouetted a sleepy little street outside and a landscape, flat and sparse.

A year after that, in a home in Arizona's capital city, the stairwell could be darkened and shadows would play on the oak walls of the tri-level living room, but there it was - lighting the nights that turned into a night, a day, and another impossibly long night.

Lamp with glass shade still intact,

Christmas in Chicago: 1976

It almost always has been relegated at the corner of the main living  room. 

That's where it is currently, by the piano, against a picture window in our mid-west home.  Old. Worn and faded. 

But it continues to be a beacon.

As it highlights fat robins hidden in the shadows or a lone hummingbird scampering for a last sip of nectar on a teetering feeder.

As it quietly throws random memories like confetti.

As it continues to teach that life could be converted into a festive promenade, even as the heavy overcast sky steals the sun's light. 

My Ivy

 Simple Gifts

If I am thinking correctly, a new baby is probably undoubtedly the grandest gift that could be. - Winnie the Pooh

Suddenly, she became my everything. 

Beautiful, playful, smart, and loving all at the same time. My grandest gift.

I watched her sleep when she was just a baby, thinking that when she woke, she would move mountains.

Inniswood Metro Gardens, OH:
 May 12, 2024

It has often been said, You gotta dance like there's nobody watching.

However, growing up and through her adult years, Second Daughter has been dancing as though EVERYBODY is watching.

Always, she has marched to the beat of her own drummer. And stubbornly refuses to fit in.

Why not?

Why push through life when you can dance through it?

Every day should be a chance to draw in a breath. Especially today!

Because

it's

your

birthday!

So, kick off your shoes.

And dance.

Happy 50th birthday, sweetheart!

 

Axo

 Simple Gifts

My moods don't just swing - they bounce, pivot, recoil, rebound, oscillate, fluctuate and occasionally pirouette. - Anonymous

I had recently gifted myself a mood ring.

It contains a so-called thermochromic element or mood stone with liquid crystals that change color depending on the temperature of the wearer's finger.

Interesting premise, huh?

The design I chose was that of an axolotyl.

I'll call you Axo, I beamed, as I looked at his lizard-like limbs, branching gills protruding from both sides of the head, and a nature-made smile that was unusually cute.

He's magical.

He constantly changes colors, just like the weather which has been capricious. Golden sunlight one minute, black skies and windblown rain the next.

Once, when I checked my ring, Axo was joyfully wearing a smile and showing off a bright reddish color. He looked like he was anticipating the sense of promise brought by the fresh smell that filled the air.

I'm happy, he seemed to say, unprompted.

For most of the day, though, Axo started to  turn green. Normal, average - according to the mood chart. 

When I checked later, he had turned purple. Seemingly smirking. Huh?! My situation had gone from normal to sensual. 

What did Axo know that I didn't?

I couldn't contain my amusement at the thought. If I had believed in wishes, I'd wish.

But the possibility certainly cheered me considerably.

Papi

 Simple Gifts

We are kids. The only difference is the toy we have. - Pablo Larraine

I love toys.

Kids' toys.

The smaller they are, the cuter, I think.

I got one such toy last year. A birthday gift from Second Daughter and Granddaughter. 

They had connived and deemed it appropriate that turning-79-year-old me needed this cute, multicolor kawaii anime night light.

A spark of mischief  illuminates his face. 

A slight smile lifts the corners of his mouth.

Amazon describes the item as a nursery USB rechargeable night light and room decor with seven-LED colors suitable for baby, children, toddlers, and teen girls. Made of washable silicon without any hard angles or edges so he would be safe enough for children and newborns to hold and play with.

At first sight, I must confess that I had smiled in delight, but quickly suppressed it to add a fake eyeroll. 

I have decided to call him Papi. 

Papi winks at me from my night stand.

Sometimes, he joins in the company of squishmallows Chanel and Matt on the bed.

In the storms of life when a darkening sky doesn't bode well, Papi glows.

Shining with warmth and brightness.

Beignet and Cappuccino

 Simple Gifts

In the early morning, as I watched the deck come to life with an assortment of our adopted critters, lyrics from a song the girls used to sing in Cherub Choir came to mind. 

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be.

- Simple Gifts, Shaker song written and composed in 1848

A great choice for my September series. 

Simple Gifts.

So it shall be.

And as I find myself in the place just right, twill be in the valley of love and delight.

*****

The most important decision you make is to take in a good mood. - Voltaire

I don't have to overextend myself to take in a good mood.

A French Quarter classic beignet and cappuccino will do.

It has been said that the true meaning of life is not to be discovered only after death in some hidden, mysterious realm. On the contrary, it can be found by eating the succulent fruit of the Tree of Life and by living in the here and now as fully and creatively as we can.

I agree.

At a downtown cafe that morning with Second Daughter for a pre-Mother's Day treat, my here and now was defined in a plate of deep-fried, soft, donut-like original beignet and a cup of cappuccino. 

Dusted with powdered sugar and served warm, what was not to love about this square-shaped pastry? I was almost smacking my lips with anticipation.

Every bite of the beignet and every sip of my espresso-based coffee drink topped with a thick layer of foam was heaven.

Délicieux! C’est fantastique! I spoke through stuffed lips.

Some days, you just have to create your own sunshine.