How Does This Happen?

Things have gone from very quiet and slow

to crazy busy in just a matter of a week.

Must be the time of the year?

All I know is 

that today and tomorrow will 

find me doing many different things.

Mailing orders.

Making hot chocolate candles...

and more

Helping a friend move.

Kicking off a large fund raiser.

Prepping for Sunday.

Accepting delivery on a new freezer.

Moving contents from old freezer to new freezer.

Listing new items at Etsy shop.

Work with college student on a class project.

Addressing post cards to attendees of a recent 

Ladies Night event.

Making appointments for Chelsea.

Laundry.

Preparing for mini vacation.

Getting Foster Dog to Vet.

Getting plane ticket for this dog.

Taking this dog to the airport.

Just a few things to handle over the next few days

to a week.  I am very, very excited about the 

new freezer!  Ours is very likely on its 

last legs, as it is ancient....and we have it 

so full that it is working hard.

Warren has done all kinds of calculations and 

it is very interesting to see how much electric

we will save even on this larger freezer.

And...The electric company will pay us 

to take the old one away.

O.K. then!

They are welcome to it.

All of this to say

please forgive me if I 

continue to be a bit

scarce here and at your blogs

until the weekend or even

early next week.

I do not take your visits for granted

and LOVE hearing from you.

The Things I do For You.....

I am NOT a model....

don't want to be a model.....

Should never even try to be a model!

However, 

I happened to mention on my Facebook page

last evening that I got my hair cut.

This unleashed a flurry of comments by friends

who insisted on seeing it.

So....

I dug out some fresh camera batteries,

the old ones had died as we initially tried to take

photos last evening...in good light....

I took it as a sign.

Probably should stick with that.

But because I have posted less than

flattering photos of friends and family here

I'll play fair and show you the cute hair

along with the decidedly non photogenic face 

it sits atop.

I think that was an earthquake!!!!!

Deer in the headlights?

Chelsea said to add a cheesy grin....then she sighed..."not that cheesy!"

Maybe I could do better in the living room?  Nope!

A little bit to the side?  Nope!

Sneak up from below....definitely not!!

Sadly, I can't take my own picture.

Chelsea has mastered the process and the 

poses......but I am not she.

However.

You now have an idea of the haircut

my friend Jenny gave me.

That, and the highlights.

She says it is a Princess Diana cut.

I believe her...

because I want to!

Underappreciated

A very ignored little candle.

 

 It sits in my Etsy shop all alone and 

with only three views.

So, I thought I would bring it here and let you

see its cuteness.

After all, even a tiny little Amazing Grace

candle deserves some love.

((smile))

Jonathan and Chelsea Paint

   

A Blue Monday Post 

to celebrate Sally's homecoming from her 

very long journey of illness in the hospital and

rehab.  What mercy God has shown in 

allowing her body to heal.

There is continued need for prayer as 

Sally gets her strength back.

 

We were in the craft store when my friend, Shelley, visited

and I saw canvases on sale. Chelsea and I had been talking

about letting the teenagers do some art for an area in the 

kitchen at church so I got the canvases and acrylics to 

see what they came up with.

On Saturday, Chelsea and Jonathan spent a 

couple of hours together out on the deck 

painting away.  

They would occasionally run into the house for 

this brush or something or other but they 

were very industrious.

I'm thinking that if they each do one more

in similar themes we'll be onto something.

They just need to tie the trees and the 

fruit together in some way so that we

can hang a series of four canvasses on the wall 

over the desserts.....

Perhaps a fruity dessert?

How about a man picking fruit 

from the trees.....

then the pear and finally 

a fruity dessert?

Or maybe we scrap the trees 

entirely (not literally, just with this project in mind)

and do a series of 

still life fruit in the style of 

the pear?

What would you suggest?

This is the beauty of art....

one step at a time.

Makes me happy that the siblings are

enjoying the process so much!

Traveling Candle Meets Unfortunate End

I received word that this candle....

which had made multiple trips to be refilled

and sent back and forth between friends has

met its end.  Sadly it was a cleaning accident.

I don't believe any humans were harmed.

There will be another traveling candle.

Word has come from one of the participants.

I look forward to seeing the next one.

In the meantime.....

it is a sad moment indeed for one jar

that brought so many smiles.

Another one just now to my 

silly face.

Perhaps I should get a life....

or get to life.

There is laundry waiting.

Have an awesome day!!!

Prayer and a Flower Arrangement

Last evening was so special.

We had a nice group come out to pray for 

some needs which I have already told you about.

The very urgent need for prayer on Susanna

and Katerina's behalf.

And the health of a precious man in our church.

It was a very real blessing to all who participated.

Before the prayer time we had dinner with Pastor 

Mike and a few others.

I had hoped to have time to make a flower arrangement
for the table

from the waning Summer flowers and during one

of the afternoon dog outings I saw my chance.

I can't decide if this looks modern or old fashioned.

The shape says modern 

but the sweet faded pink of the hydrangea says

vintage....to me anyway.

I had added black-eyed susan to the mix

but they were a distraction from the 

sweet pinks and purples.

I thank those of you who have joined in prayer

for Susanna and Katerina.  

Their names are a link to another blog post,

if you care to read more.

Have a wonderful day!

You'll want to check out my candle

blog later today for info on a give away of 

four juice glass candles in apple cinnamon fragrance.

I'll put that up as soon as the hosting site 

posts the details.......

Brandywine River Museum

Tucked onto the bank of the leisurely

Brandywine River is a gem of an art museum.

The Brandywine River Museum features the

works and collections of the Wyeth family.

Andrew Wyeth,(July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009),
was a local artist from the
Chadd's Ford area.
He painted what he knew...
.the things around him.

It is likely because of his popularity
that this museum exists in this

location today.

As we approached the museum
the enormity of the building

struck us.
It is a beautiful brick structure with all windows

closed tightly with gorgeous wooden shutters.

Inside you discover three floors of galleries.

They are spaciously laid out and the
environment is one of

quiet respect and appreciation.

Unfortunately for this post
there was a no photography

rule in the galleries.
I would have wanted to show you

some very interesting pieces.
Well, I thought they were

interesting. As is the case with art,
it is subjective.

What I loved may have caused you
to shake your head.

Andrew Wyeth was introduced
to the world of art by his very talented

father, N.C. Wyeth.
I was not familiar with his work
until seeing it here.

 N.C. was an illustrator.
This museum holds his original paintings

of illustrations for the book,
Treasure Island, which was published in the

early 1900's.
He also did many other
illustrations and magazine covers.

Seeing the original works was interesting
in part because of the immense

size of them.
It was hard to get an idea
of scale in the galleries, the

rooms are so big,
but these paintings were huge.
They were framed in a

rough pine frame to protect
them in shipping and then sent to the publishers.

In a world of computers and scanners
this would be considered primitive

today but has a certain charm about it,
don't you think?

Andrew had a son named Jamie,
born in 1946,
who also enjoys the gift

 of putting paint to canvas.

He is not really a "people person" though, 

by his own admission. 

He loves farm animals, though.

Pigs are particularly of interest to him.

On one occasion he was painting a huge pig

when he stepped away for a moment.

Upon his return his paint tubes were quite missing.

He figures there were 22 or so...of quite 

toxic paint.  Later the farmer wondered about 

colorful excrement from the pig...but Jamie never 

said a word.  He was just happy, beyond words 

that the pig lived since the paints were so deadly.

Now, not to shock the Wyeth Folks I must 

admit that Warren and I found one particular gallery

to be the most fascinating.

It was the still life gallery....

It is hard to describe what captured our attention here

but various artists shared their gifts of

illusion painting.

One in particular took our breath away and 

sadly I cannot remember the artist's name at the moment.

It was a painting that looked exactly like a photo

taped to a paper.

You would never have guessed that it was an 

oil painting....I've never seen oil used in such a fine

and detailed way.  We stood and stared at this 

piece for the longest time.

Finally after exhausting our visual senses we headed out of doors

to the path which ran along the river.

It was a humid day....ripe for a downpour

but the walk was nice in any case.

The stonework fascinated me...

Pieces of brick poking through.....

Paying homage to Jamie Wyeth's love of the pig.

Somebody has to love them, right?

When I was a girl I would visit my best friend's farmette.

They had pigs.  My favorite time to visit was just after the 

birth of piglets.  They were such friendly and fun critters 

to visit.  So I can almost understand the attraction for this artist.

Almost.

Warren and I found this museum fascinating for different reasons.

He enjoyed checking out the strategically placed sprinkler system, 

designed to preserve the art if it should go off.

I greatly enjoyed the art.

I think in time I can win him over to the wonder of art.

However, if not, I think he will indulge me a few more

times if I want to wander a gallery here or there.

I highly recommend this museum if you are in 

the Brandywine Valley.

It is relatively inexpensive at $10 per person.

Given that you'll likely spend a couple of hours here

it is a great value.

Thanks for visiting today.

I am going to get back to real life now and begin a deep 

cleaning of my kitchen and dining room.

Reviewing the memories of beautiful 

and fascinating art

in my head as I work.