Kindred Spirits

I am in the middle of watching Anne of Green Gables with Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, and Richard Farnsworth for the umpteenth time. I just can never get enough of it. Lucy M. Montgomery must have been quite a personality to have imagined such a wonderful character as Anne.



And I can't fathom how the movies could be any better. Megan Follows truly embodied the character of Anne so well that I can't imagine anyone else ever playing her.



She was able to transition from 12 year-old Anne with pigtails flaring about in the wind, to a lovely young adult teacher with a very Gibson girl look, with ease.



I also marvel at the gorgeous scenery in the movie... whether Green Gables itself, the beautiful "Avenue", the farms across P.E.I, the scenes at college, or the beautiful beachside scenes. It is all a delight for the senses.



If you have never taken the time to see these movies, don't wait. They will delight your heart and entertain you to the core.



If you want to find out more information about the movies, watch video clips, or see the beautiful photos shot during filming, click on any of the above images to go to Sullivan Entertainment's "Anne of Green Gables" website.

Blessings,

From my little plot of earth...

Here are some late summer beauties that I wanted to share. I hope everyone is enjoying these last few days of summer.







Happy weekend!

Edible Artwork?

Here are two fun acrylic paintings I did a while back. I am a huge fan of both of these recipes... guacamole and omelettes. And, I have a few more of these "foodie" still life paintings planned.

"Guacamole"
9" x 12" acrylic on finished canvas


My Guacamole Recipe:

2 medium, ripe Haas avocados -- peeled, pitted, and sliced
3 T chopped cilantro
1/4 onion finely grated
1/4 tomato finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and smash lightly by hand with a fork or potato masher. Serve with fresh tortilla chips.





"Omelette"
9" x 12" acrylic on finished canvas


My Omelette Recipe (for 2):

5 large eggs
2 T chopped parsley
1 T finely grated onion
2 T bell pepper finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato finely chopped
1 oz. shredded havarti cheese (more or less to taste)
1 T milk
salt and pepper to taste

Beat eggs. Add remaining ingredients and beat together. Add 1 T butter or Pam spray coating to non-stick skillet and cook over medium-high heat. The havarti gives the omelette a wonderful rich and creamy texture.

Hope all my blogging friends are having a blessed and fruitful week!

Giveaway - The French Elements

What do a nutcracker, a chicken, a Christmas tree, the Eiffel Tower, Santa Claus, and a giftwrapped package all have in common? They are all part of a giveaway by my friend Barb at The French Elements. You must see these items and sign up for her giveaway. She has a beautiful blog and a beautiful spirit, and her creations are so lovely. (I would say good luck to you, but I am hoping I will win.)

;) Christi

Back to School... with Wisdom and Understanding

There are so many people sending their "little ones" off to school around here this week. It makes me thankful mine are here with me. My oldest is still working and will start his college classes very soon, so we are gearing up for that. While there are many changes happening in our life, we are so thankful for this thing we call "family." We encourage each other, care for one another, pray for and with one another, and really want the best for one another. I can't imagine any blessing on earth that would mean more than these.

We had a wonderful family time last night sitting around our den and discussing "wisdom" and "understanding." The writer of Proverbs makes the case that these are the two really necessary things with which we need to be equipped for the journey we call life. Wisdom, we found, is seeing life from God's perspective, while understanding is more about interpreting life through the eyes of God and through the lens of scripture.

Proverbs 2:6 "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."

In these days, it is crucial that we have wisdom and understanding. With so many out there who seek to do us evil, it is important to really have good discernment. And I really want my children to GET this. Just this past week this really came home to roost for me, as I was caught up (for a few hours) in what turned out to be an art scam. Apparently, there are people out there who want to take you for everything they can get from you. Suffice it to say, I realized what was happening before I was "taken." But apparently there are those out there who have fallen for this scam and really lost money. Otherwise the scammers wouldn't try it over and over again (which I found out from a quick Google search that they have.) Without going into all the details, I will just say that it was very disheartening for me to believe that someone really wanted to buy some artwork, only to find out they really only wanted my money. So, I am a little wiser and more on my guard about internet sales. And I know that God is using this to make me wiser about how this business works.

My exhortation to all of you is to be wise... trust God to lead you... and let Him give you "wisdom" and "understanding" for the journey of life.

"Flowers In Blue"
16" x 20" acrylic on canvas

Friday Blessings...

I am thanking God for this day
because it is a day He has made
I am rejoicing in the beauty of His creation
and in the blessings He gives...


Swans on the Round Pond - photo courtesy of R & P Granberry



the pink glow of the morning sky

the sounds of the birds as they awaken

the brilliantly intense greens of the summer landscape

the scent of freshly brewed vanilla nut cream flavored coffee

the sounds of my children's feet as they begin their day

the time to wait silently before the Lord

the encouraging words of my friends

the warmth of my family's love



Wishing you a blessed and thankful day!

Happy Monday Morning...

11" x 14" watercolor on Arches cold press

More artwork, as promised, and this is one of my happy pieces... a balcony o'er brimmed with flowers and the windows open so that the fresh, crisp breezes can waft inside.

Why "Happy Monday" you may ask... on this Monday I am happy because I am getting a new art space. We have decided to convert our living room, which is hardly ever used, into an art studio for me. Now you would have to understand the space I have been occupying to know how very exciting this is for me. I have had all my paper, pencils, paints, brushes, and art table in a tiny corner of my dining room. Each time we have people over (and we do frequently) I have had to pick up whatever I was working on and stack things up. This is hard on the creativity, as things need to have drying time, and I sometimes need space spread out or to arrange the items I am working on.

So, I have been making all kinds of plans for my new room. I am trying to consider how best to use the new space I will have. At the same time, we will also be rearranging my daughter's room hoping to make her space feel larger... moving furniture, paring down, throwing out, decluttering, etc. So with both of these projects looming ahead, along with the onset of schooling in the next couple of weeks, I am going to be busy "nesting." I am looking forward to it, as it has been a long time since I have done any rearranging around here. We have had our house on the market for several months and have decided to take it off, for now, and remain here. We are making plans for how best to use the space we have here to accomodate our day to day needs. Converting the living room to an art space just seems so practical. I am thankful that my family is so supportive of my artwork that they really see the need for me to have a larger space.

Today I am basking in God's goodness to me and in the blessing of my family. And I am wishing all my blog friends a very blessed week.

Grace for the Journey