My Grama's Soul

Oh my......remember these.....yes.....the WALL PHONE......How things have changed. Have a wonderful holiday dear readers.....and looking forward to connecting in the coming year and meeting even more wonderful bloggers.

meet Monique see her jaunty "little hat with the feather" Well....the tree is finally up and lit.  Usually we have the tree up right after Thanksgiving, but this year we wanted a MUCH SMALLER tree so we had to find one.  We visited our usual spots and could not fine a "small" one to save our soul...so we went online.   Found this little gem at Treetopia.   She was so inexpensive....(OOPS what is that 2 doing in my pic)  LOL.  Easy to put together and only five feet tall.  Our old trees weighed a ton and we had such a time just getting them up and standing. We have tons of decorations....everything from birds to balls that look like glowing moons. And...I love it so when tree is just dripping with ornaments...don't you? Have some Santa's and some angels....a little bit of everything that that has blessed our trees over the years. In fact....the truth is.....we actually love a smaller tree.  So much more mana

Anyone who know me realizes that I use unusual things in my decorating and design.  I went to my local Trader Joe's yesterday and was looking at the wonderful pine boughs that were shaped into Christmas sprays.  They were really inexpensive and I almost brought one home...but I resisted. So this morning when I woke up I decided to make my own from whatever was growing and blooming in my garden at the moment. We don't really have any pine trees when I live...but I do have lots and lots of lavender and rosemary growing in my yard and gardens.   Went out and cut a bunch and tied it together with some very old Christmas pinecones I had on hand.  Put a pretty bow on the thing and attached it to my garden gate.   Today the wind is blowing here in AZ so you really cannot get the full effect of all the "sparkle" but it is sort of sparkly.  (O:   The aroma is really heavenly as you open and close the gate and I read somewhere that you should have lavender

Each of us has our own way to seeing things.  How can one see the "sacred" in something without venturing into the "sweet sentimentality" that comes along with memories. Some see miracles while others see something that is ordinary. Some see beauty while others just see more work to be done.  Many see compassion while others see meddling.  The list could go on forever. This business of the Holidays, the shopping, the stress, the running here and there often means we have little time for sincere reflection of our lives. This holiday I'm challenging myself to see more of the sacred in everyday.  This view is not necessarily strictly from a Christian perspective but from a perspective that engages one's soul.   I'm going to really put some thought to the things I put around my home that reflect my sense of the Holiday season. This Christmas glass is part of a set that has been in my home for over forty years.

SENDING BEAUTY AND HOPE OUT INTO THE WORLD. xo Jo

I have been gone for almost a month.  Needed a well deserved break to deal with some health issues.   But now....I'm back to blogging and looking forward to connecting with all of you again. Just want to share with you something I have been working on.   I am a firm believer in having elements of a "spiritual" nature in my home.  It really does not matter what religious significance it imparts....although I do have my own set of beliefs. This holiday season I have embarked on  a project of making my own personal statement with these little pieces.   Each one is made with things that have meaning to me...and things I have picked up during my life's travels. This little altar piece is made of a Mexican Milagro heart, the top of an old snuff can found in Wyoming, part of a pair of earrings and a Grecian coin that has an OWL in the center.  The coin was gifted to me over 20 years ago by a wonderful woman on a trip to  Greece.  She wanted to

Arrived home at 9:00 p.m. last night.....and went right to sleep... Just a little post today with a little trivia... There are over 800,000 people living in the city of Amsterdam with 1.5 million bikes.  Everywhere you turn...bikes, bikes and more bikes. I believe they are some of the healthiest people on the planet.  Sometimes I wish we in America would follow suit and rid ourselves of these gas guzzling cars and jump on our bikes! Have a beautiful day....will post again as soon as I am recovered from my travels. much love, Jo

Just a quick little note before we leave this Thursday.  It is a 20 hour or so traveling adventure to Budapest....of course, I have come down with a cold. Drinking lots of tea, orange juice and chicken soup to try and get this thing out of my system before we take off this Thursday. Leaving you with this beautiful seasonal bouquet. Please change the water while I'm gone. O O > \~~~/ Hugs, Jo

I turn 67 today.....and actually I feel better as the years accumulate.  Since I've gotten older I actually have decided that I will celebrate each day during the month of October...just being grateful for being healthy and alive.   I hope each one of you who follow this little blog of mine celebrate each day along with me.... Here are some of the things I have planned for my birthday month: 1.  Listing our current home the end of the first week in November.  We are pretty excited to be moving into a little smaller spot as it means less work and maintenance.  We just want to be able to live more and work less.  Although we still have not found our new spot.....we know it is out there.   2.  Taking a 15 day cruise on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Budapest.  We will visit 5 countries along the way.  One of the stops will be in the place I was born....Nuremberg, Germany.  My  family  left Germany right after the war...when I was quite young.  Memories are almos

Do you know anyone who is absolutely UNABLE TO LIVE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE?  Unfortunately, I do. It is one of the saddest things I have ever seen.  I have often wondered why some people are able to see beauty everywhere and make something out of nothing and others can't see past the end of their nose.  This certainly is not a criticism it is just an observation. I don't think it is matter of your childhood environment or a case of having money or not.  I know plenty of people who had less than stellar childhoods and  who barely have two pennies to rub together and they still THRIVE on beauty.   I know I had a extremely difficult childhood and I was never TAUGHT to make MY LIFE BEAUTIFUL.  Somehow along the way I picked it up...and I have lived in some pretty dismal places during my lifetime.  Yet...I have always made them beautiful in their own way with whatever I had on hand. Using something in a new way to spruce up my little spot.