For Visionaries and Dreamers....

For the Artist at the start of Day

May morning be astir with the harvest of night;

Your mind quickening to the eros of a new question,

Your eyes seduced by some unintended glimpse

That cut right through the surface to a source.

 May this be a morning of innocent beginning,

When the gift within you slips clear 

Of the sticky web of the personal

With its hurt and its hauntings,

And fixed fortress corners,

 A morning when you become a pure vessel

For what wants to ascend from silence,

 May your imagination know

The grace of perfect danger,

 To reach beyond imitation,

And the wheel of repetition,

Deep into the call of all

The unfinished and unsolved

 Until the veil of the unknown yields

And something original begins

To stir toward your senses

And grow stronger in your heart.

 ---John O'Donohue

Pears in a Pan c. 1978

Pears in a Pan

c. 1978

Back in the late '70s, my then husband and I had dinner at a friend's house and I don't really remember what the main course was that was served, but I do remember having this absolutely delicious pear dessert.  And, as one often does, I asked for the recipe.  That recipe is on a piece of yellowed copy paper in a book where I save recipes (I retyped for this page).  And, I have no idea why....I have never made that dessert.  How could that be?  I loved it! So many good intentions of making it and yet, the years go by.   So, I wanted to do something in my Red Journal and decided to feature the Pears in a Pan recipe.  I just might have to make it this Christmas.  Thank you, Sally.

( the pages are rubber stamped, inked, gessoed, tissue paper from The French General ...)

Salute to Veterans

The Marine Corp Ball

Tom & Maggi

 What a difference a year makes....this time last year, Tom was serving his country in a very dangerous place and I was saying the Lord's Prayer a zillion times a day.  I am so proud of him and so many others like him.  I wish that more Americans understood the sacrifice and dedication young men (and young women) make when they sign on to serve their country.  God bless all of them, past and present. 

What A Week....

Trees fell into my yard

after Super Storm Sandy

And then we had a nor'easter

that dropped several inches of snow

Branch from fallen trees

Bird in a tree

This has been the most incredible couple of weeks I've had since moving to New England in the early '70's. We've weathered many storms, but nothing like we've had here recently.  Never thought we'd have a repeat of what we had at the exact same time last year.  Days without power.  Huge trees toppled like bowling pins...the sights are shocking and unnerving.  CT is full of large old trees. Did I tell you I hate wind!!  I can't listen to it.    I can't even imagine what it's like for people that live in NJ and Long Island.  Yes, big trees fell in my backyard....but they didn't come crashing down on my house.

So the first picture in this series shows you some of the toppled trees and then the snow.  I took a large branch from one of my toppled trees and decided to stick it in an umbrella stand, plant it in my kitchen and put white lights on it.  I stuck lots of American flags in the base.  It's not about Christmas....it's more a "celebration" of having lights again.  The things we take for granted.  And I put a fabric bird in it that I bought at the Pottery Barn last year.  Who knows how long I'll keep this tree lit....could be for a very long time.