New Years Eve, a time to LOOK FORWARD....

.....and that's exactly what I'm going to do. As I said in my last post, I won't post all the things I did or we did for the year because it would take me another year to do that. Tee Hee. All I can say is that I'm happy and very grateful to have accomplished the things I did accomplish, happy that my husband and I are one,  and also grateful that my blogging has taken me to new places and new peoples all over this wonderful world of ours, with high hopes for next year. Now throughout the day, after I get back from a few errands I will visit your blogs personally to wish you just that. A Happy New Year.

So with that I will say I wish you again a very....

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S and a safe and healthy, happy journey into the big...

2011

I WON THE DE STASH GIVEAWAY OVER AT LISA'S

I am lucky this time of year, I won the De Stash Giveaway.  Lisa had a bundle of good stuff after cleaning her studio that she couldn't use and is boxing it and giving away and I got LUCKY! She'd been cleaning her studio and moving the computer and other things and decided to have  a giveaway. Whoopee, I can hardly wait to see what's in the box and will share it with you. Thank you Lisa so much. I appreciate it very much. Here is her link announcing the winner.

Another lucky event is that I submitted photo's of  my bangles to the company where I buy the unpainted bangles and they very much liked them and there is a possibility, pictures of my bangles being published in their magazine. (notice how I said Possibility) I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much but it's very hard not to do that.:) I'm hoping though.

Please don't forget to join the bangle giveaway on my bangles blog, DEADLINE is January 1. The link is on the sidebar, just click and you can enter.

Since this is the end of the year, I will be posting a painting here on this blog that I have been working on. It's for all of us, so please feel free to download it if you want. I'll post it on January 1, 2011.

I've been busy and thought about posting about all that was done this year but decided against it. Let's just say, there were GOOD times, SAD times, VERY GOOD times and some NOT SO GOOD times. We all hope that 2011 brings us all health and happiness. Be back later bloggie friends.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Hello all! I hope everyone had a great Christmas, we sure did. It's always nice to relax and enjoy a ton of food, family, and just kick back time. What we do now is  just give each other gift cards and I already started spending mine today. tee hee. Of course we gave our thanks for everything the Lord has provided us with and prayed for those that have less. Tomorrow I'm taking lots of ORANGES and TANGERINES to some people that go to a senior center near where I live. Every year I take them what we have in our gardens and they call me the tomato lady, the orange/tangerine lady, you name it. It feels good walking in there and putting bags of goodies on the table for them to help themselves. I walk out of there feeling so good hearing them say, "Thank you very much!" Great feeling.

We went to breakfast, Office Depot, Walmart, and Beverly's and just had a great time window shopping and SHOPPING. Finished up a project in the studio and tonight I'm painting on canvas. I haven't painted anything on canvas for some time. Last 40 paintings were done on beautiful Amate paper.

I want to remind you all to not forget to join my giveaway on  my bangles blog by clicking the link on the sidebar or here I think there are only 13 signed up so far. Everyone likes FREE stuff!

I've also updated my bangle blog with a  new post and started adding NEW BANGLES AND PENDANTS at a very low price. They would make nice gifts for a friend, Valentines Day, or  just as a kind gesture to someone. Take a peek, I hope you like them.

Here's a little peek of what I have going on over at the Bangle Shoppe:

So hop on over to my Wooden Bangles Shoppe and have a looksy  around, you might enjoy  your visit there. I also posted a short video of the bangles/pendants and my messy studio.



Have a great day and evening!

Fran had this on her blog and I just had to share. It's a fun video.  Merry Christmas!

2010 End Of Year Giveaway at my Shoppe.

Stop by my Bangle Shoppe to enter my end of year giveaway as a way of showing you how much my life has changed since first we met. TA DA!!! tee hee. I'm poetic too.:)

Enter my giveaway to win a BANGLE and there are SIX I am giving away, so there will be SIX  winners, I kid you not. Don't hestiate, just go.

okay, for sure I'm going now.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND

A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just Me, Gloria.

I thought I wasn't going to be posting but....

....just wanted to share this great Vimeo with you. It's  from the LightLine of Gotham. Hope everyone is having joyous days, I am. Husband starts his vacation days tomorrow and is off until January 3, 2011 and we will be enjoying those days. How strange that busy as we all are, (I'm making tamales and other) we find the time to think of our:

BLOGGIE FRIENDS!

The LightLine of Gotham from seeper on Vimeo.

ShutDown till after New Year's

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all. This blog closed until after the holidays
Bangles blog will stay open. Enjoy your Holidays!

Earlier Today Stuff

Breakfast at our usual place, it's always fun.

Raleys to spend a $25 gift cert. Shopping for eggplant, 2 zukes, 1 fennel, cheeses,  for a veggie eggplant parmigiana

Cleaners to find out what it costs to sew a 4 ft zipper on hubs tool box cover. I can't do that, I'll probably break the zipper.

 Picking/Curing Olives, 50 percent Kosher/50 percent Olives

Making bread crumbs


Canning Marinara sauce-Frozen tomatoes from garden


Prepping bangles with a wood sealer(no pix)

Prepping wooden dome pendants (no pix)

Prepping wooden crosses (no pix)

Have a great Sunday

Orange/Jalapeno

I always like the orange videos. Have a great Sunday.

Re-opening my Bangle Shoppe

Just to say hello and say I hope all is going good for everyone. I've thought long and hard about next year and some plans I have. One of the plans I have is to re-open my Shoppe, not at Etsy, but here on another blog I had going before. You can click on the link to take a looksy or at the right sidebar is also a link.

I'm going to be lowering the prices on bangles, as well as being more creative in the process of painting them,  and also trying to do more with them like getting them published at a certain place. Tee Hee. Okay, I have to go because it is cold and my feet are freezing.

Like I said before, this house is  very old and doesn't have central and the wall heater we have just does not do the job.

Last night I started getting those bad cramps I was getting before if you recall on a previous post. Someone suggested putting a bar of Ivory soap under the sheets and I did and didn't have the excruciating leg/thigh cramps for about 3 months?, or so. Last night though it was killer excruciating pain and bend over not able to stand up type of pain. I'm hoping I don't get them tonight. But all is good.

I'm going now, I just got a package that I can't wait to open, oboy, oboy, oboy. It's so much fun opening boxes. Take care and have a great weekend.

Stand By Me

I've posted this video from YouTube before, but I just felt like posting it again. It is so invigorating, just makes you want to get up and go and do it! I'll be back later when I'm done with my "git up and go" type of thing. Take care, have a great day. Try to watch/listen to the video, it will only take a few minutes of your time and will be well worth it. Viva La Vida!

And again today the 17th of December 2010 I've decided to re-post it again because I just happened to think of this song and because I seen someone had listened to it and it's a fun video. Have a great day!

Thursday Music

Just to get in the Christmas mood.  I like Barbra. 

Talk to you later. I'm off to Walmart for goodies. Have a great day.

Miniature Chihuahua

So this is the short story about the little dog that just happened upon me at the post office. I'll try to make it as short as possible because I have to make tortillas. As I was coming out of the post office there she was, looking cold, sad and searching for her master. She kept sniffing the tires hoping to smell the dirt on the tires from her home, to no avail. No pictures of God's little critter were taken, but here is a picture of what "she" looked like.

Adorable, sweet and oh so innocent. I kept watching her for fear that she would run towards the oncoming cars that were coming into the driveways of the post office. She kept running from me and finally I crouched down a little hoping not to hurt my arthritic knees in hopes of getting to her level. Although I don't think anyone can get to that level. I mean look at that little pooch up there and that is exactly how "She" looked.

I was finally able to take her in my arms and wrap my sweater around her because she was shaking so much. Going back into the post office, everyone was oohing and ahhing over the little critter but "she" wasn't their dog either. The clerk stated that no one had reported a lost dog. No was the answer, all the way around. I went back outside in hopes that someone would come back to get the lovable baby. After nearly an hour sitting there with no one coming back to look for her, back home "we" went. 

"She" was with us for about 3 days when we decided that it was better to have her checked for a chip. This morning bright and early I packed "Her" up and off we headed to the shelter. I explained what happened and lo and behold, the person behind the desk held up a flier that had just been brought in the previous day, and she also pointed to the bulletin board where the flier was on a clipboard . There she was,  picture and all with her master. The flier stated that she was chipped, when she was missing,  and to please return her if found.

That's it! We knew that we would not be able to adopt her because we have our two family pet members and a little critter like this requires so much attention. I'm happy that she went back home. We would never keep someones family pet member, I know how much we would miss ours if they got lost. I called the shelter and was told that she had gone home and that the owner thanked me very much. So that's it for those who wanted to know about the "Chihuahua"

"She's" home safe and sound. God Bless Her!

Have a great evening and rest of the week. I'm going to try to paint something today, at least I'm hoping to do that. Life is Great or let's just say, Viva La Vida!

AN AFTERTHOUGHT...I CAME BACK BECAUSE AS I WAS LOADING THE DISHWASHER, A THOUGHT CROSSED MY MIND. WHAT IF IT WAS MY NOW DECEASED CHORIZO PET MEMBER THAT CAME BACK AS A CHIHUAHUA AND WANTED ME TO TAKE HER HOME???? OH GEEZ, THE WAY I THINK. BUT WHAT IF....

THE GARDEN STILL or MAYBE THE ORCHARD

One of my blogger friends Priti Lisa says she found out something about me that she didn't know.... and that was that I had an orchard. Well we do have a "we grew it ourselves" orchard. The lot is 1/2 acre and in the 21 years we've been here we have utilized every space it has to offer. Everything on this lot, we have planted and rejoiced in the fruits of our labor. Here's a small list of  the fruit bearing trees/vines, and also the ones that haven't given fruit. I'm sure I forgot some, but yes we do have fun in our yard/orchard. No pictures today because there would be too many to  post.

1 orange tree
2 tangerine trees
1 apple granny
1 grapefruit
10-15 grapevines
2 nectarine trees
2 cherry trees
1 fig tree
2 almond trees
1 walnut tree
1 pomegranate tree
3 lemon trees
1 bay leaf tree
6 banana trees that haven't given fruit
1 mulberry tree
3/4 various berry vines
2 peach trees
2 avocado trees planted, and about 15 in buckets that
have never given fruit, but we wait patiently. I always tell my husband that the avocado trees will not bear fruit until after I'm gone and I will have missed out on that beautiful melt in your mouth taste and how sad that will be.
If you want to know what we do with all the beautiful fruit, nuts and such...we give a lot of it away to senior centers, neighbors, and friends. We keep most of the nuts and almonds, they always come in handy and I dehydrate and jar a lot of it. I try to eat a palm full of almonds or nuts a day.
I could go on an on about other things in the garden, but it would sound like a braggadocio and that I'm not. We truly enjoy the fruits of our labor and we share wholeheartedly. I'm planning on looking for a  fruit that we don't have and that's persimmon. The the idea of drying the fruit really appeals to me.

We are not fanatics about growing necessities, but when we first moved here, I thought about the future and being able to have our own fruits and veggie gardens and guess what, it has all come to fruition in the 21 years we have been here. We are happy, maybe we are fanatics when it comes to growing things.
Tee Hee.

Time to go make dinner. I still have that story about that little dog, but I'm not sure what's going to happen with it yet. Have a great day tomorrow and the rest of the week. Thanks for being such great blog friends. You light up my life.

Olive Curing from Dad's re-born olive trees.

We have about 5 or 6 full grown olive trees that were very tiny trees when we took some from my dad's yard long ago. Now they've been giving olives for a few years, and we've never bothered to cure them. What a sad waste.

Yesterday when we got home from out of town, it was still early so we went out back to see the mess from the leaves on the ground. Well it is messy, but the oranges are almost ready as are the tangerines and we've got a couple of pomegranate trees from the further back orchard, and this is their second year and were ready to be picked. I guess they were, we'll know soon enough.

After looking up olive curing, there are ways to cure with salt instead of lye. I don't fancy lye, but that's what my dear dad used. Well an attempt will be made to cure the olives that are black in sea salt or Kosher. I waited too long and didn't pick them when they were green so now they are:

B L A C K  O L I V E S.

If these turn out okay, next year they will be cured when they are green. My dad always cured his green olives and there was always jars of them in his shed. He'd give away a few jars for Xmas and always had them at the kitchen table because that is where everyone went to when they came to Dad's house. My dad's b/day is coming up on January 22, born 1913. He will have been gone 4 years this coming August. I gotta say that every time I eat green olives or any olives I always think of him.

My sweet daddy's olive trees are bearing their fruit in our yard now. Viva La Olive!

Tangerine tree. I picked a few to see if they are ready. We'll probably pick this weekend.

Orange tree almost ready for picking. 

That's whats happening down this way. It's cold and due to rain. I have another little story to tell but just don't have the time right now. It has to do with a little dog, a chihuahua dog that was hanging out at the post office all shaking and cold and running between the cars.....more to come. I hope to try to be back later this evening if I don't get caught up in the studio. Have a great week and stay warm.

HABANERO HONEY

Rebecka and Heather who are two of my favorite foodie blogs recently made some

HABANERO HONEY and you know me, I've got to try it out. I have made Habanero jam/jelly and have dried it so that one can sprinkle it on eggs, and other. Anywhoooo, here are some of my frozen nero's and I was going to use the whole sandwich bag but decided against it. I didn't want to ruin the honey.

I used about 10 sliced nero's

I put them in the jar following instructions and started pouring the honey into the jar.

Almost full

How easy is that? Sealed it,  and since honey is a preservative per Rebecka and Heather, it will be fine on the kitchen counter for use with cheese, crackers, and other.

Going now, just hello and have a great Sunday!

ONE WORLD ONE HEART 2011

Hello All!

This short post to to let you know that Lisa is having her One World One Heart event. Here is the 2011 logo. I am sorry to say this will be the last year for OWOH. It was a lot of fun last year and we got to meet a lot of people from all over the world. I will be participating this year again and will post about my participation and what I will be giving away at a later time. Now Click on to the photo to get all the details for OWOH 2011.

IT WILL BEGIN ON SUNDAY JANUARY 3OTH WITH THE FINAL DAY BEING FEBRUARY 17TH.(the day winners are announced) 2011



A BAKER, I'M NOT...MAYBE BREAD BUT COOKIES NOPE...

I tried but I just can't bake good looking cookies. They taste good but they sure don't look anything like Rebecka's and I sure as heck won't put them next to Rebecka's. They definitely will never make it to a magazine but they made it to my blog because I'm not ashamed of my mistakes. I'll never really learn how to bake good because it's just not in me. Their edible though. Oh my did they come out flat and worn out. lol and tee hee for me. :)))) I do cook good though and just love to cook. Just don't call me a baker.:)

lookee here...

Mixing the indgredients

 Ready to go in the oven

Going into the oven

 The inside of my stainless steel bowl. Looks like something from outer space.

Sorry to disappoint but these are not cookies, they are flat and don't even look edible...but they are. They taste pretty good even though they look awful. lololol. I'm glad I can laugh at my mistakes, otherwise I'd be crying. Sorry Rebecka, I didn't do your beautiful cookies any justice.:) I tried. I'm going now, walking out slowly, shoulders hunched,  head held low, smiling...I going to cook dinner now.:)) Have a great day tomorrow.

The Dakota

1 West 72nd Street

Northwest corner at Central Park West

 

The Dakota 1880s full.jpg

 





The Dakota, December 8th ...




 John Lennon
(9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980)

Doing Christmas things and loafing

I've been very busy, so I thought of just uploading some pix and saying a few words, simply because I was thinking of you all. :)

Here's my Chorizo trying to decide if she should accept a snack or pose or do both. I think she did well and did both. We miss her much.

I'm not sure when I painted this but she hangs in my refurbished studio.

Again more pictures of me earlier part of this year at different times of the year.

My tree out in the back yard during summer. It is beautiful and smells like lemon
....and tomorrow as soon as the post office opens, I have to mail out these packages to various peoples.

no money spent just various things that I have in my studio and maybe someone can use them and hopefully like them. I'm going to make some molasses sugar cookies from Rebecka  over at her blog, because hers looked so darn good.

So dear bloggie friends, enjoy your week and take care. I'm having lots of fun just being me and doing nothing. Tee Hee. Well, I get things done but it is the time of year when we know that another year will soon be upon us and oh life is just too darn short.

Take care. Viva La Vida!!

(P.S. Please say and/or light a candle for the dear Elizabeth Edwards)

Xmas cases and other....

....Hello everyone, hope you are all doing great! I've been staying close to home other than a little shopping. I've attempted to sew the cases for the throw pillows, but I'm not a sewer. I did sew them and they look okay for the season. I've also been adding color to the dining area and thinking of changing the curtains. It's a little chilly so I'm staying indoors because tomorrow if it doesn't rain we are headed out of town for the day. I just went to get some coffee and looked out the kitchen window and it is windy, like rain to come.

So I had some colorful placemats and red candles and that's enough for the table. There will be a "real" tree, a small one, at the window where that small table is at. I right now have my laptop and a few other things on it.

and so here are the pillows, like I said I'm not a sewer but they'll serve the purpose. I still haven't added all my hanging things to the tree. I keep it lit all day.

So I only sewed 4 little cases, they work huh??:DD

As far as any news about anything, not much other than I'm still reading London's book. Right now I'm reading about Buck the dog who has been kidnapped, beaten almost to death, and forced into slavery. When I first started reading it, I almost closed the book. I just can't read inhumane things being done to anyone and to animals, but I'm still reading it, I need to see what happens to dear Buck. So just a little bit of what is going on here at home. Oh, I'm also making some bookmarks for a friend,  and getting ready to buy the ingredients to make tamales. Have a great weekend, see you soon. Viva La Vida!

Take care.

BIG THICK RED SOCKS.......

.....AS YOU CAN SEE. They are thick red socks that are really too big, but I like them, and...

....also with the soft comfy red slippers. I guess you know what I've been doing.

 Decorating the artificial tree. Same tree every year except this year husband is buying a "real" live tree too

 This material I bought today to make the cases for the pillows. I'm just attaching that velcro stuff to close the cases and when the season is over, off they come and then I'll make some different ones.

So thats what I've been doing, loafing around, reading, going to sew cases tomorrow, getting under the blankets because this old house just doesn't heat up right, drinking choco, coffee, tea and other homey stuff. Got to go because as is the norm, I've got dinner to make and tonight it's Spinach Linguine, salad, and french bread.



I hope all is well with every one. I will try to post something when I get a chance like now. We all  have our "things" to do. Take care. Viva La Vida!