“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts

Saturday, February 13, 2021

This Really Is The Age of Aquarius

 

No this is not an eyeball, it is the Helix Nebula located in the constellation Aquarius. It's been referred to as the "Eye of God" nebula. Read more at the very bottom of this post.


Hello Friends! I'm still around, sorry I haven't visited your blogs lately. One insistent blogger friend has left me messages and I finally decided I better respond and post something! Thanks Stacy for prodding me out of my winter stupor hiding under a pile of blankets with my cat Guy and watching YouTube most of the day! It has been so freaking cold, of course I don't have to tell you Canadians about that. LOL!

I went to Stacy's blog MagicLoveCrow and saw her new fantastic painting and she spoke about Aquarius. I remembered reading about the new cycle we are entering a while back and so I thought I would post a bit about it.

Here's info from one website that explains the theory. "With Aquarius at the helm, we might begin steering toward a new way of working together to achieve our goals, prioritizing the good of community as a whole. In other words, we've only begun to see just how useful social activism can be to achieve progressive aims."  Source, click here.

Now I'm old enough to remember the song, "The Age of Aquarius" performed by the 5th Dimension.  I thought I'd revisit the lyrics below. Let's hope Aquarius brings peace, love and enlightenment to us all!

 The 5th Dimension Lyrics  "Age Of Aquarius"

When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius! Aquarius!

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions

Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius! Aquarius!

When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius! Aquarius!

Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in ...

Now here's some more about that weird photo at the top of the post....
"The Helix Nebula, also known as The Helix, NGC 7293, is a large planetary nebula (PN) located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824, this object is one of the closest to the Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae. The estimated distance is about 215 parsecs (700 light-years). It is similar in appearance to the Cat's Eye Nebula and the Ring Nebula, whose size, age, and physical characteristics are similar to the Dumbbell Nebula, varying only in its relative proximity and the appearance from the equatorial viewing angle. The Helix Nebula has sometimes been referred to as the "Eye of God" in pop culture, as well as the "Eye of Sauron"."  Source

Share your thoughts! 

Stay safe, well and happy! ~~ Diane

 

Friday, February 19, 2016

Love Your Pets Day

February 20th is officially Love Your Pet Day!  At our house, we love our pets every day, but what the heck! They deserve another post showing off just how cute and cuddly they are.  So here are my two favorite pets... Dot and Guy!








Dot basks in the sun on a cool fall day...  One of her nick-names is "Double Stuffed", you know, for the double stuffed cookies....






Here she complains that I'm not getting her good side and is asking that common question... "Does this basket make me look fat?"

I don't have pictures of Dot outside in the winter... she isn't out long enough to get one... a quick run down the walk and then zoom, she's back in the house!








Guy Noir on the other hand, loves the snow! The snow storm we had a few weeks ago was even a bit overwhelming for him though as you see in the photo above, he's thinking maybe he should go in until I've shoveled off the walk for him! Uhhh... no buddy, you are keeping me company!!

At this point, I don't even have him tethered because he's in no hurry to go anywhere, except maybe back in the house!







This was our prettiest snow of the year!  There's nothing prettier in the winter than fresh fallen snow and some sparkling sunshine!






Here is Guy again looking a bit perplexed by the whole situation, note the ear position!





This photo was taken more on Guys perspective, I guess that does look like a lot of snow if you're only 9 inches tall....











Here he is hunkered by the door and watching the birds at the feeder.  It really wasn't too cold that day, 20 degrees or so, but the wind was starting to pick up and it was still snowing.





This looks like at least 10 inches of snow to me!!  Thank goodness it was light and fluffy!












This cardinal checked out the feeder after the squirrels and crows had their fill...




As I write this today, we are getting rain and the snow is quickly melting away.  Guy is upset that we can't go out today because of the rain and as I finish, he has draped himself over my arms again.  He is my constant companion and I do adore him.  Dot is a sweet and friendly cat but she is in love with my husband and cries pitifully when he leaves on a business trip! She tolerates me, but I know who her true love is!

I've had quite a few pets over the years (cats,dogs,birds). It amazes me that they all have such unusual and distinct personalities, just like people!

Have a lovely day my friends, and if you have a favorite pet, share a bit about it with us!

~~ Diane ~~
Sending hugs and cat kisses your way



Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Hello March


Time goes on. The days are growing longer again and March has arrived with the promise of spring. We still are bound by the cold winds and snow, but soon we will welcome the first blooms of a native flower called bloodroot.

Such an awful name for such a pretty flower. Named for the red sap that leaks from the roots when cut, it should have a better name....  March Miracle, or Miracle In Snow perhaps, because it will bloom even at the coldest temperatures and with snow upon its leaves. The Latin name is Sanguinaria, which isn't much better.  So by the end of the month or at least by early April, we will see the flowers starting to bloom.

The Poem below is from one of my favorite vintage children's books, Poems for Boys and Girls illustrated by Marjorie Barrows.  I hope you enjoy this somewhat melancholy, yet hopeful poem. Thanks to Debra's observation, I have provided a link for more about the author of the poem, click on her name to find out more.








The Night Will Never Stay
by

The night will never stay,
The night will still go by.
Though with a million stars
You pin it to the sky,
Though you bind it with the blowing wind
And buckle it with the moon,
The night will slip away
Like sorrow or a tune



I hope your week is full of peace and love.
~~Diane~~



What are the signs of spring in your area?


*click for more about Eleanor Farjeon

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Pitter Patter

Pitter-patter-pitter-patter.... is it rain, or something else?

Summer is here! I'm so excited that we're having some sunny days!
We've been getting lots and lots of rain! I'm not sure if you are aware that much of Minnesota has been getting flooded.  Last week we received about 4 inches of rain over night.  Our little lake was the highest I've ever seen and was up over it's high water mark and into our mowed grass.  I'm glad the rain stopped when it did!

After a flooding incident in the 1960's they put a pumping station in and now control the level of the lake by pumping the water down stream into other lakes and then into the creek. We were glad to see the lake go back down after a couple of days.

Other than that the rain has been great for my garden. The flowers and  weeds are growing taller than ever! Even as I write this, a storm is moving in and we should get more rain. Let's hope not too much.


More Peonies....








Blue Delphiniums and Yellow Sundrops



We also had a Strawberry Moon last week and I went out to snap a photo.  It doesn't show near the detail in the moon as I had hoped, but that's the best I could get with my point and shoot camera.



Last week after all the rain, I was backing out of my garage and wondering what some walkers were gawking and pointing at in my driveway.  As I slowly backed out, I saw to the left of my driveway a huge snapping turtle digging a nest for her eggs!  I didn't take a picture because she raised her head and was giving me the evil eye! I did not want to disturb her anymore than I already had by opening the garage door and driving a huge metal beast out just when she was doing something that should really be private!!

I have marked my calendar though and in about three months we should be hearing the pitter-patter of little baby Snappers!!


via

The common adult Snapping Turtle weighs from 9 to 35 pounds and may live around 30 years. They can be aggressive on land, so I chose not to mess with the big mama! I've heard that in the water they are not interested in people and will swim away and hide on the bottom. They are prehistoric looking creatures and quite interesting.  We have observed the two snappers romantically involved in the lake!

Below is a baby snapper.  I've found them in the yard, or I should say, Guy has found snappers and other turtles in the yard before. They are usually about two inches in diameter. I carry them down to the lake and they jump right in and swim off.


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BplvXKaEb5U/Tdk4Am2JSgI/AAAAAAAABCE/vJMkDv73X80/s1600/turtlesnapbabe3.jpg
source: Baby Snapping Turtle

Independence Day is  soon approaching as are my house-guests! I probably won't be back here to my blog until after the 4th of July, but I will try and get around and visit some of your long neglected blogs! It appears my blog list is working again and your blogs will be much easier for me to keep track of.

Have a wonderful weekend! 
~~ Diane ~~


Friday, January 24, 2014

All Cats Go to Heaven


I want to thank all of you that left such kind words of sympathy and comfort for me.  It has been a rough couple of weeks for the kitties and me.  Guy has especially been missing Ginny and I have given him more attention and cuddles than usual.  He seems to be his fun-loving self today.  I am taking my cue from him and am trying to move on and get into a new routine without our darling Ginny.

Next week sometime I will get back to regular blogging about cute stuff, but I wanted to share one more post about my thoughts on this event.  Some of you may think me crazy, but I dearly love my kitties and would do almost anything for them. 

Ginny had been in advancing hospice care in our household for some time, in the past two weeks her condition worsened and her care needs accelerated to the point where she needed almost constant attention.  We knew her passing was near and spent time with her in our basement, placing her in her favorite chair. She spent most of the time sleeping, but some just resting,  occasionally she would seem to have some distress, trouble breathing or some pain and I wanted to be there to comfort her.  So for her last few days, I spent most of the time with her. 

Part of the time I spent reading to her, it seemed to calm her to hear my voice and it calmed me to be taken to another place for a few minutes to escape some of my grief.  The excerpt below is from a vintage book I own called All Cats Go to Heaven, written by Beth Brown and illustrated by Peggy Bacon. It was published in 1960 and is an anthology of stories about cats complied by Beth Brown. This is one of the books I read stories from.  After reading this story I love imagining my little Ginny flying off to a new world to meet up with her best friend Cocoa.  I hope you enjoy the photo and the passage from the book further below.

Thank you again dear friends. ~~ Diane











"It happened so suddenly.

One moment ago, she was there.  And now she was here.
She had felt no pain, no fear, just the slightest twinge as her shoulders sprouted into wings and the wings lifted her up from the city street, carried her like an autumn leaf high into the sky, sent her whirling through a long, strange tunnel -- and now settled her down in this unfamiliar place, her four paws planted in fog.

There was fog all around her like a sea of surging gray, fearful yet wonderful to her aching senses, particularly to the broken bones in her body.

She drew a deep breath.  Was, this death, she wondered, a matter the cats often discussed as they gathered in the gutters of an evening?  Was she finished with life forever?

Where was she?  She had never felt so lonely.  She had never heard silence so loud.

Then, off in the distance, the mist began lifting, cleaving the blue sky from the green earth.  An eerie glow filled the firmament,  And, suddenly, the blaze of morning lighted the universe and Tatters found herself standing before two immense bronze gates leading to another world, mysterious beyond measure.

She caught a glimpse of blooming tree tops.  The heavenly odor of new-cut grass perfumed the air.  Perhaps these were the green pastures of promise beside the still waters for those who passed on.

No sound came to her ears.  Not a sign of life stirred anywhere.  Yet reality was everywhere.  The gates were real.  The sky was sky.  And the earth had become brown and solid underfoot......."
 from All Cats Go to Heaven by Beth Brown


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Song for Sunday - Falling Slowly


Around this time of year, hearts and cupids are hovering all around and roses and chocolate are being purchased in the name of true love.  But don't we just really need a good love song to put us in the mood?

I have to admit that I have been in love with this guys voice since the moment I heard him over ten years ago.  He was singing with Charlotte Church on her special and I thought, who is this scrawny teenager with the enormous voice? I told my husband that this guy was going to be a huge star.  Well Du-aah! Obviously I was not alone in thinking this and now he is adored by millions around the world.  His music is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is mine and even though I have not seen him in concert in person, I have followed his career and purchased most of his albums. 



I remember talking to a friend a few years ago about his music, she mused that she wanted her daughter to marry him! Well her daughter may have a chance, she lives in NY now and I guess he's still available.  It's kind of sad that a guy that constantly sings love songs is still single. I feel bad for him!  Poor Josh, I hope he finds true love some day.



Here is how someone described Josh Groban's voice. I dare say, I can not disagree!

"He’s got a voice like an angel making love to 
another angel while eating an angel food cake!”*








A very humorous article titled Reasons Women Love Josh Groban



Don't mind me, I'm going to wander off and listen to my early Valentine's present from my husband, Josh Groban's new CD "All That Echos".  Have a lovely day!



Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Robots Need Love Too

This kind of weird song has always been a favorite of mine. Have a fun robot day!






Robots
I don’t know what you’ve been told, but i don’t get out much these days. Waking young and feeling old, the days are no longer my own to piss away the waking hours. But don’t don’t don’t, don’t let them go, don’t don’t don’t don’t, don’t let them go to waste.

The fire in my eye is fleeting now your robot heart is bleeding. Tried to be the robot king, and settled for a robot boy.

Ring the bells that still can ring and sing your stupid head off to the ones who are not listening.

But don’t don’t don’t, don’t let them go, don’t don’t don’t don’t, don’t let them go to waste. The fire in my eye is fleeting now your robot heart is bleeding out.

And I spent half of my life in the customer service line. Flaws in the design, a sign of the times. And that little voice in the back of your mind, just wants you to know, just hopes that you know – robots need love too, they want to be loved by you, they want to be loved by you.

by Dan Mangan




Some cute robots on Etsy.




Rosie --
from the Jetsons cartoon.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sweet Autumn Clematis . . . Light and Shadow

The Sweet Autumn Clematis is one of my favorite blooming vines.  Just as the leaves on the trees and shrubs start to show their glowing colors, this gorgeous bloomer steals the show.  Its profuse cloud of heavenly white blossoms and intense perfume attracts the bees for one last meal of nectar before the cold temperatures set in.  I started thinking about how different this clematis is from many of my other large flowering clematis vines.


Well, then one thing led to another --- and if you read this, you will probably find a completely different subject, than what you thought this would be about.



A close up view reveals that this clematis has only four petals and some lovely long stamens in the center of the flower. When you group hundreds of them together they put on a very united and significant display. In the photo above, I noticed how well the dark background set off the white flowers. 

For various reasons, some unknown to us, plants devise different ways to attract pollinators to ensure that their species continue.  To make sure the flowers got proper attention, the plant also came up with a tantalizing fragrance that no one can ignore. This beautiful plant has determined that it is in its best interests to have many small flowers instead of a few large ones. Some might say it has compromised for the benefit of the whole plant and its success.

Plants in their DNA somehow understand the benefits of cooperation, compromise and diversity.  If only more humans understood the same---- (sigh) ---- what a perfect world it would be.





I think it is sometimes the same with individuals. If we are one person standing alone, we may seem weak and inconsequential, but together through cooperation and yes, even compromise, we can be strong and have immense power.

Cooperation and compromise seem to be dirty words in our country these days. This is something I just find hard to understand.

I looked up the word compromise and here is what it says:
1. agreement: a settlement of a dispute in which two or more sides agree to accept less than they originally wanted
2. something accepted rather than wanted: something that somebody accepts because what was wanted is unattainable
3. potential danger or disgrace: exposure to danger or disgrace 

Why does it seem that most of us jump to the third definition before considering the other two? Always looking for the worst scenario or the darkest meaning does not seem to be very productive. However, we always must have the dark with the light.  That is simply how things are. There are lessons to be learned from this and they are not that complicated.  If a plant can somehow comprehend these things, why can't we?



In art, as in life, there are shadows and light.  As in the photo above, if we did not have the contrast of the dark, the flowers would not stand out, but would fade into the background. With life I think the same holds true, if we never had dark moments, all the light moments might seem to fade into the background.



I guess what I am trying to say, is do not despair when life seems dark and gloomy, but rejoice and bask in the light and joyful moments we also receive. The dark makes the light seem brighter.  The reverse also holds true, sometimes until the glaring light of day is shown on something, we don't realize how really dark and disturbing it is.




So what am I saying and are you completely confused?  I am simply setting out some ideas for you to think about.  Things in life are not just black and white or dark and light, they are filled with shadows and variations that make up the whole.  Without the light and the shadow, there is no way to see the whole picture clearly.


We must consider the whole of the people, as the Sweet Autumn Clematis has considered the whole of itself.  What is best for one of us, should also be the best for all of us. We need to try and accept the shadows with the light.



Tuesday, September 25, 2012

A Fairy Went A-Marketing

That is the name of the poem and illustration I am sharing with you today. Have you heard this poem before? Well I had not and now I am in love with it. I love the gentle, caring ways of this beautiful little fairy.  As an adult I read this poem and I wonder what I would have thought of it as a child, because reading it now it has a very deep and profound message for me and for all of us.
I think if I had to choose one word to express my thoughts about this poem, 
I would choose the word Compassion.

The name of the book is Poems for Boys and Girls compiled by Marjorie Barrows and illustrated by Lois Maloy.  I am sure you will be seeing many more excerpts from this book in the future, but for now here is the poem. I am including the text in case some of you have trouble reading the print on the image.



A Fairy Went A-Marketing
by 
Rose Fyleman

A Fairy went a-marketing--
She bought a little fish;
She put it in a crystal bowl
Upon a golden dish.
An hour she sat in wonderment
And watched its silver gleam,
And then she gently took it up
And slipped it in a stream.




A fairy went a-marketing--
She bought a colored bird;
It sang the sweetest, shrillest song
That ever she had heard.
She sat beside its painted cage 
And listened half the day,
And then she opened wide the door
And let it fly away.


A fairy went a-marketing--
She bought a winter gown
All stitched about with gossamer
And lined with thistledown.
She wore it all the afternoon
With prancing and delight,
Then gave it to a little frog
To keep him warm at night.




A fairy went a-marketing
She bought a gentle mouse
To take her tiny messages,
To keep her tiny house.
All day she kept its busy feet
Pit-patting to and fro,
And then she kissed its silken ears,
Thanked it, and let it go.




Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Marcella - A Raggedy Ann Story








This is a charming book titled Marcella - A Raggedy Ann Story by Johnny Gruelle. It was published by the P.F. Volland Company in 1929. This book is a First Edition hardcover. Illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. The book is in very good condition despite its age. The Volland Co. is the original publisher of this book, later books were printed by the Donohue Company.

Eleven stories are included: "The Train Ride," "The Picnic," "Moving Day," "Squeakie," "Hairy Puppydog," Shipwrecked," "Fishing," "Through The Door," "Little Rags, " "The Lovely New Doll," and "The Cheepy Birds".








 Someone felt the book needed an index and wrote the story titles in ink.

This is a first edition book and printed by the original publisher P.F. Volland. Later printings were done by the Donohue Company.





Johnny Gruelle was born December 24, 1880 in Arcola, Illinois. He won a cartooning contest sponsored by the New York Herald in 1911.  His cartoon Mr. Twee Deedle  ran in print from 1911 to 1914. He moved on from cartoons to children's books and is the known creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. He often created his final works in ink without first preparing a sketch in pencil! He lived most of his life in Connecticut where the Raggedy Ann dolls were mass produced.  He died in 1938. Raggedy Ann dolls are still in production today.









Johnny had a daughter named Marcella.  While visiting her Grandma she found a faceless rag doll in the attic, Johnny drew a simple face on the doll and called her Raggedy Ann.  Marcella played with the doll so much that  Gruelle thought other children would also enjoy the doll.  So confident was he, that he took out a patent on the doll in 1915.  The PF Volland Company published his first Raggedy Ann book in 1918. He went on to produce a series of books and dolls.




This book was created several years after a tragic event occurred that would forever change Johnny's life. After a smallpox vaccination at her school, his daughter Marcella became ill and to keep her entertained he made up stories about the rag doll to lift her spirits. Sadly she died at the age of 13 in 1915. Friends said that the only reminder of Marcella that he could bear to have around was her Raggedy Ann doll.

Perhaps to mend his broken heart, Johnny began immersing himself in his work and started putting in written form the many stories he had told Marcella. Thus began the process of bringing Raggedy Ann to life in the marketplace. Years after her death, Gruelle wrote this book to honor his beloved daughter.



Before I found this book, I had never seen any original Raggedy Ann material. When I saw the book, I knew that it was special. Gruelle's romantic, dreamlike artistic style drew me in to his fantasy world that includes fairies, dolls, dwarfs and mortals. His ability to communicate with children is obvious and it is no wonder that his stories and art have fascinated millions for over 85 years.

For more information on Marcella, visit my shop CraveCute at Etsy.
Update: Marcella has been sold and was carefully packed and sent to her new home.