Road Trip

We took a short trip to Cedar Creek Gallery on Wednesday January 16, 2019.

They are having a Cupful Exhibit (no worries there were many photos taken and will be shared)

Along the way I also snapped 71 photos and lots inside the gallery.

Here are 3 I enhanced 

Just because they needed it.

As you can see it was a beautiful day...but My Mind's Eye saw this home

 like this...enhancement with 

Such a beautiful field and old barn....

 it needed a horse....

During our December 2018 blizzard...this area received lots of snow and we 

heard limbs were all over Highway 50.

.  

Along this stretch of road a tree company was busy trimming limbs

that hung over the left side of the road.
 Close up below.
I'm by no stretch of the imagination tree expert but it appears to me
this tree is more likely to fall completely in a storm or high wind.  Too top heavy

This lonely giant pine was all alone on the mound  

 I thought it could use some majestic company

Pictures tomorrow from the exhibit

Nature Friday and Final Friction Friday Reminder

Hosted by my Niece Rosy, and her 2 brudders Arty and Jakey HERE

I took a few quite interesting photos last Saturday.

WE had a winter weather advisory so it was not at all pretty or at 

least that is what I thought until I downloaded the photos

The top two are very dramatic black and white w/o changing setting

Bottom Left: taken with back light setting..there is a green tint to the trees
Pansies are gorgeous on their own no enhancements.  All photos taken
January 12, 2019

SOMETIMES NATURE IS MESSY!!!!
We were not at all amused by the p-mail left on our
skylight by what appears to be an alien bird. This is the
first thing we see as we walk up the stairs!!
We cannot get to this with a hose.  The skylight is at the top portion of
the slant on our roof.  The good news is we are supposed
to get rain and it has not been so hot as to bake this yet.

REMINDER

January 25,one week from today!! ....if you wanna have fun and work on your crea8tive writing join us! Give it a try we all have a story in us and no one
JUDGES!!!

Click here for details and rules

Thoroughly Pictorial Poetic Thursday

Today we join Two  SPOILED CATS 

Angel Sammy and Teddy for their poetic pictorial poem.

Here is today's pictorial inspiration


When I saw this photo, I knew exactly what I'd
write about in my Poem.

Sissy by Angel Madi

She was fascinated by the dryer

But I know not why

Mommy may I give it a try?

Note from Mom of Big M:

I could write volumes of poetry and stories about Big M today;
however, today I will just say from the moment she was born
until this very day she brought love, joy, smiles, laughter, wisdom
and fun into our lives.  She is a fierce protector and defender of those she holds near and dear to her heart. She gets her 'smarts' from her Dad and
her gift of gab from her Mom.
I have shared some stories and will probably share more down the road.

Winter Warmth On Wordless Wednesday

Happy Tuesday: Letter and Tales

November Reader's Digest and I happened upon this article, 

"The Secret Lives of Letters", by Brooke Nelson.  Mr. Nelson says letters may be small characters, but there are amazing stories behind all 26 alphabet all-stars.

K and L can be found by clicking here

While typing about M and N, this story popped into My Mind's Eye  

I love names and learning the story behind the name: 

people, streets, cities, animals, etc.

My daughter's name, Marlu, the origin is from her two grandmother's first names,

Margie and Lou. We dropped the o in Lou.  We thought folks would 'see', MaryLou".

Of course it is made up and folks expect to hear 'regular' names.

Seeing wasn't the problem for people, it was hearing.

No one understood/listened when she told them her name. 

They always asked again. 

Especially 'older' people, were not listening. 

 (I should add here, Marlu started putting sentences together at 18 months old.  By the time she was two, she could converse with just about any one. Yep she gets her gift of gab from me)  

Many people had the nerve to ask her several times. After the 2nd time, she would put her hands on her hips and spelling

M A R L U,  Marlu that is my name. 

 Countless times she would say, when I get older I'm going to change may name.  We would ask, to what, her reply was I don't know.

At the time I was teaching crocheting lessons

 to a small group of ladies. While having dinner one night, I told her Daddy and 

M A R L U, that a lady in my class had an unusual name.  It was 

Cindy Musselwhite.  M A R L U got a sparkle in her eye,  loudly stating, that is it,

I'm changing my name to Cindy Musselwhite.

She named everything as a child.  

She still has her Panda bear, Biggey and her

Koala bear, Poppy.

We had a Swedish ivy plant hanging at the patio door, she named it Cindy Musselwhite.

Marlu inherited my interests in names.  She gives her pets the best names.

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

Now fast forward after a few days of first grade she declared...she was

keeping her name.  Why I asked, she told me there were five Michelles

in her class and several Cindys.  In order to keep the class orderly the teacher

added the first letter of all their last names to the end of their first names.

Marlu said I would not like that.

To this day she still get compliments on her name and is asked the origin.

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

Monday Sparks

Sparks

are all about spreading cheer and positive vibes via quotes.

I'm not sure who wrote this quote.  I will give credit to where I read it:\
Last Monday January 7, we went to Milton's Pizza for my birthday.
I saw this quote hanging on the wall across from our table.

One sentence but so very powerful!!

Do small things, with great love.

The picture on the left was snapped by my friend, Janice.

She was waiting in the car while her husband ran an errand.

She looked up to see this amazing sunset and a jet stream, above the sunset, that made a

Cross. 

 Janice recently lost her sister, Frances, who fought like a warrior against Cancer.

Janice and I talked about signs...she has had several since Frances passed.

A sign from above...that things will be ok.

Historic Oakwood Part IV of IV

Happy Sunday House Selfies...

if you missed Part I of Historic Oakwood Click here

Part II of Historic Oakwood Click here
Part III of Historic Oakwood Click here

Today is my last post of Historic Oakwood. We only took photos on

one street (it was very cold).  To read more about the area click here

The header of the site turns into a slide show of many more homes.  Just wait a few seconds for it to start.  They really 'shine' on a sunny day.

Oakwood also has its own cemetery which is quite pretty

and Park