My Grama's Soul

I have never professed to being a whiz on the computer side of things.   I do like to mess around a bit to see if I can mix things up as I do get a little tired of looking at the same thing all the time.  Since we are now in THE PAUSE as it is called by the younger crowd...you know....staying in, social distancing, etc., and I can only rearrange my living room so many times; I have decided to work on changing my blog.

I chose the above picture today because that little structure looks so alone and forlorn in that beautiful field of lavender. Same with the hollyhocks...all alone in the above garden.  I feel that there was once a thriving blogging community that blogged for the mere sake of posting something uplifting or beautiful or sharing a bit of useful information.   In my opinion, that seems to have been put by the wayside and replaced by Facebook or Twitter or some other social media platform. I truly miss all the blogs that seem to have disappeared from the net.   Do any of you agree with me on this? I have always been of the opinion that old things are the best things.  I guess that includes people too!! haha Just me spouting off...as usual. (o: Jo

O.K......shuffle on over here on your pretty little feet and hear about my most recent blogging dilemma.  I have only the most rudimentary technological knowledge.  I often refer to myself as a Ticonderoga #2 in a word perfect world.  For those of you who are too young to know what a Ticonderoga #2 is.....it is a simple pencil. Anyway, the other day I attempted to log into my blog and alas, I could not get into it in my usual manner.  Brad, my husband, was out golfing so I could not ask the computer wiz for help.  Anyway, after feeling totally helpless....I started clicking on things and somehow ended up at Google having to sign in with a password.  Of course, couldn't remember my password so I entered a very old one from years ago.  Alas....that event made even more of a mess of things.  I created a whole new blog....WHICH OF CORSE I DID NOT WANT.. Frustration set in as I had to leave for an appointment an...

Let a new year of blogging begin for all of us.  I feel this year will be as  spectacular as this bunch of tulips. Remember......it is ALWAYS beautiful in BLOGLAND~! xo Jo

Just had to put this out into the universe today! XO JO From Style Carrot

I have been away from blogging and my creativity for quite some time.  Like many of you.....I love to mess around my house doing unusual things here and there.  I keep many beautiful things including calendars with beautiful art.   I came across these the other day and decided I would use them in a way so  I could see them daily.   Many of you probably recognize many of these masterpiece works of art. This is the entrance to our den/TV room I'm in here most nights with the dogs watching my favorite net flicks. I plan on putting a frame around the whole thing with trim board and painting it the color of the wall.  Then it will be like one huge masterpiece painting. I hope this will be the start of me getting back into some sort of creative mode.....I do miss it so.   Hugs from here. Jo

Picking...Packing.....Purging..the three P's  (: I seem to still find time to check my garden during this packing and moving and remodeling business.   I use almost anything that strikes my fancy for a little vase.  The cow cream pitcher seemed the perfect fit for one of these wild roses that still seem to bloom during this blast of heat during an Arizona summer. My roses go wild if I'm not tending to them properly and I've been so busy that my gardening and blogging have fallen by the wayside.   This morning Brad is over at the new house overseeing the laying of new flooring and putting some paint samples on the walls.  Oh my...paint....what a difficult item to tackle.  It is always the case that paint looks great in one room and horrible in the room immediately next to it. We will get this figured out with enough paint samples on the wall.  LOL LOL LOL Just taking a little break during packing to check in on blog land. ...

Have not been here for quite sometime.  We have so much going on that blogging seems to have fallen to the bottom of the pile.  Just a quick update: We have sold our current home. We have purchased another home that is considerably smaller. Currently we are going through things and selling or giving away what we know will not be necessary in our new wonderful little spot. Although Brad and I are certainly not what I consider "old" I really wanted to do this while we were both still healthy and able to manage this huge task. Which brings me to the purpose of this post.......   As I spend my days packing and sorting  I am able to reflect on many things in life....and one of them is the concept of "hard work".   I have always believed that ALL WORK is dignified...whether one is the Janitor or the boss...each has its place and is necessary in order for the Universe to stay as it should be.  I will admit that "physical" lab...

Today is our 35th wedding anniversary.  My beautiful husband ALWAYS gets me flowers.....one red rose for each year we have been married. I can honestly say that the years spent with Brad have made me a better and stronger person.  His commitment has never faltered and he has always been there with a helping hand when I needed it the most. Our love has only grown stronger over the years regardless of what life has given us. Thanks honey for a wonderful 35 years and I only hope we can have 35 more. xoxo 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  G...

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...

I want to thank all of you who have made such wonderful comments and sent such encouraging emails as a result of my last post. I guess I really did not realize how many wonderful friends I have made through the years...... Anyway.....we will be home in AZ soon...and it will be so much easier for me to answer emails.  Emailing while traveling is so very complicated....and you all know what a TECHNOSLUG ......I am.  LOL LOL LOL After reading all of your responses,  I have come to realize that I have let a few negative people drive my decision....sometimes that is easy to do in this complicated world of ours. Therefore, I plan on continuing my blog and refuse to let a few negative people affect me to such an extent....but probably will be "pulling the shade down for a while"....as one of you beautiful ladies suggested.  I still will be visiting blogs but probably will be putting my posting on the back burner for a bit. Once again, ALL OF YOU ...

The Elizabethans called moving from a winter house to a summer house....their summer progress.  Well we are finally beginning ours. Will be leaving in the next few days for the summer....we have left late this year for some personal reasons...but departure time is finally here. Will be blogging from the road and taking lots of pretty pics along the way....I hope you will join us on this journey......This year could be Banff and Lake Louise in Canada if it all works out!!!  We are excited!~~!!!! BTW........I'm loving the colors of this little wagon above.....could you imaging having one of these of your very own. Hugs from here.....I'm ready to blog!! xo Jo   

Taking a short blogging break~~~don't know if it will be for a month or six months. Thanks to each and everyone of you who have become followers or who have stopped by to comment and say hi...you all are terrific. See you when I see you. Hugs from here. Jo

Have any of you ever wondered if you were leading the life you were meant to live? As I have grown both in age and wisdom (I hope)....I have found myself pondering the above question. My life has taken a somewhat ordinary path during my early years...Some college...get married...have kids....work in the corporate world. Get divorced...continue working in the corporate world to help support my family.  Remarried........finally finished college. Kids raised....kids left home.....now I'm retired... Thus the reason for this post.....many many years ago an astrologer told me I should be in some kind of artistic endeavor.......I put that aside realizing that I needed to make a living for my family. Now......many, many years later....I realize that I really wish I would have changed direction at her bidding. I don't know that I will ever attempt to make a  few dollars from my creativity....but I do know one thing......It brings me SO MUCH JOY......It lets m...

Like many of you, I have visited many, many blogs over the years....and I am always amazed and a little sad when a wonderful blog goes from being just pure beauty to look at to a business making proposition.   I know, in these difficult times, everyone must make a living...but it seems as though when a blog changes into a money making venture....something changes entirely with the feel of the blog.  It might be just me and how I view things...but I have always loved visiting the diverse nature of blogs out here and seeing what information or beauty they have to offer....I rarely would visit a blog to buy something. Once again...just me thinking out loud. Just sharing a few shots of things I have stored in I-photo today....thought you might enjoy them. My pretend "chandi" in my studio Montmartre Our beautiful "Miss Sophie" Have a wonderful week dear friends.....where ever you are. Hugs, Jo