Slippery Rock Creek, Western PA – November 27, 2015
“Don’t wait for
extraordinary
opportunities,
seize common
occasions,
and make them
great.”
-Orison Swett Marden
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS If you look closely, you will find my hubby in this photo. This was a beautiful spot we stopped at that he wanted to share with me on our way back from Thanksgiving in Conneaut Lake, PA.
Cherish the Moments!
So this is pretty out of character for this cookie-baking, haluski and halupki making – lover of all comfort foods – but it IS the new year –
and we ALL seem to go off on little kicks….
Well, my son, Nick has been making healthy breakfast smoothies lately, so we bought him a Super Food Smoothie cookbook to go with his new Ninja for Christmas, and we’ve been discussing super foods.
We decided to try some new things like Goji Berries and Chia Seeds, and Cacao Nibs and Maqui Berry Powder.
I’m not really big on drinking my breakfast.
I like something I can sink my teeth into.
So I found and tweaked a recipe for these healthy, tasty, energy bars that make a great breakfast or mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack.
I love all the ingredients in them – almonds and walnuts and sunflower seeds with a bit of sweetness from the cacao and goji berries and dates.
Who says healthy and good for you can’t be tasty and comforting!?
Give them a try. Throw them in a ziploc in the freezer and grab when on the go! Let me know what you think about them if you try. And keep in mind, this recipe can be tweaked and improvised in many ways. Change up the nuts or berries. Use local honey instead of agave, whole wheat or coconut flour, raisins instead of dates. The possibilities are endless. Just like the taste!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grind walnuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds in a food processor or Ninja or blender. Add the dates and pulse, making sure not to pulverize, but leaving some texture.
Pour into a mixing bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
Spread into an 8×8 baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares, and serve. Freeze in Ziploc bag to maintain freshness and have on hand for snacks on the go.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Break of Dawn 1/7/16 – Mars, PA Crescent Moon & North Star
Morning has broken,
like the first morning.
Blackbird has spoken,
like the first bird.
Praise for the singing,
Praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing
fresh from the world!
Happy Saturday Morning!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
It’s #DrawABirdDay with my blogging friends (officially April 8th, but we like to do it on the 8th of EVERY month), so I decided to give a go at a beautiful photo I saw of a song sparrow on Instagram taken by Lisa Snow in Vancouver, British Columbia.
I love the sparrows that come to our back deck feeders – especially in the winter when the snow is falling.
Thanks for your ongoing inspiration Laura @ CreateArtEveryday! This sparrow is in honor of you and your generosity and support. (She is the one who did the sweet painting of Charlie and surprised me for my birthday!)
Enjoy all that nature has to offer today and everyday, and maybe go ahead and create some art from it!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS This month’s #DrawABirdDay is hosted by our friends Kerfe and Nina @ MethodtwoMadness. A sweet, artistic blog of two friends. Thanks Ladies!
“Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like
if each of us offered,
as a matter of course,
just one kind word
to another person.”
-Mr. Rogers
Over the holidays, Hubby and I made a visit to our local Pittsburgh Smithsonian-affiliate museum – the Heinz History Center.
One of the highlights for me was the special exhibit of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – one of my favorite childhood television shows.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was filmed in Pittsburgh for three decades from 1968 – 2001. The compassion, patience, morality, and advocacy for important public causes Fred Rogers taught is embedded in my heart and soul.
As I viewed the exhibit,
reminisced about the home of X the Owl and Henrietta Pussycat,
gazed at the castle of King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, and Prince Tuesday,
and was transported by Trolley to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe,
I dreamed of a World neighborhood where kind words were spoken…..
and love was shared….
and this song stayed in my head…..
“It’s You I like.
It’s not the things you wear.
It’s not the way you do your hair.
But it’s You I like,
the way you are right now,
the way down deep inside you.
Not the things that hide you…
Its You
I like.”
Can’t we all get along?
Can’t we all accept each other?
Thank you Mr. Rogers.
Your wisdom transcends time, age, color, race, gender, identity, religion, ethnicity.
It’s You
I
Like.
Cheers & Hugs
Jodi
Dear 73-Year Old Jodi:
I’ve written a letter to us in the past before (Dear 13-Year Old Me), but I thought it might be fun to write a letter to future us this time.
It was one thing to look back and give wisdom to young Jodi, even though we couldn’t do anything about it “then,” but what would I like to say to the future Jodi 20 years from now at 73 years old?
53 is a good age. How is 73 treating us?
At 13, I thought 53 was ancient, but guess what? It really doesn’t feel that way.
Nick asked me just last week, when time turned the number up a notch to 53, how it felt to be 53 years old. I think he expected me to complain about getting “old,” but I surprised him (and hubby, who literally laughed out loud) when I told him it felt pretty darned great! “53! It’s the number to be,” I said smiling and raising my arms as if I’d won an Olympic gold medal.
Do we still feel that way about being 73? I hope so.
Right now, I know that on the inside, we are still the same person at 53 that we were at 43 or 33 or 23 or 13 or 3. Who cares if the skin is a bit saggier, we have more wrinkles, more gray hair, rounder bellies?! We’ve earned it! If we made it this far, we have had the privilege of experiencing and enjoying every other one of those numbers, so let’s not waste our life wanting to go back to them. Let’s embrace right now and what the present offers us. We only get one chance – 365 days – to be this age – so let’s make the best of it. Let’s use all the experience and wisdom we gained in the last 72 years to make this the best year yet.
When you read this, dear 73-yearold Jodi, lift your arms in victory, smile, and boldly declare, “73! It’s the number to be!”
Love,
53-year old Jodi
Have you heard of FutureMe.org? Apparently it has been around since 2004, but I’ve just learned about it. According to their site, over 4 million letters have been written to the future by people just like you and me. Wouldn’t it be fun to receive a surprise letter from the past you some day you choose in the future?
Usually it is the future that will reflect back on the present, but FutureMe.org decided to flip that around based on the principle that memories are less accurate than emails.
So why not give it a go? Send your future self “some words of inspiration, or maybe a swift kick in the pants!” “Share some thoughts on where you’ll be or what you’ll be up to in a year, three years.. more?” FutureMe.org will do the travel magic and deliver the letter (via email) to you – Future YOU!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I have just discovered
that I am in love
with Violet, Gold and Turquoise
combined together in every way.
It started when I randomly created this bird with some leftover paint when designing my pine tree Christmas thank you cards.
And my son, Nick, told me it would be more interesting if I had a set or a series of three paintings.
Well – that is all it took to get me splashing in puddles of violet, gold and turquoise last evening.
He and hubby like this butterfly best.
I love the color block abstract.
It was so fun splashing it on and turning it around and shaking it and watching the watercolor paint do it’s magic.
To me – it is pure artistic magic. The colors tell the story, and the story is unique to each individual viewing it.
After a couple of days of frustration trying to recreate some scenes I thought would be easier than they were, I just allowed myself to splash and see what happened.
And it felt good.
This is what is great about snowy, cold January evenings after the holidays.
Embrace them, and do what makes your heart sing!
I may not be a great artist, but I’m a girl with a paint brush and an easel and time at the end of the day to cherish,
and that is what I’m doing.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Charlie – by Laura @ createarteveryday
Hi Friends! Charlie here.
Have you missed me? It’s been a while since Mom has let me guest post.
What do you think of this beautiful watercolor painting of me a very dear and talented friend gifted us with for Mom’s birthday?!
Thank you so much Ms. Laura @ CreateArtEverday! We really surprised Mom when the card showed up addressed to “Mom” with no postmark or return address except for my paw print! Thanks for helping me make her birthday even more special! You are the best!
I must tell you, I am kind of glad the holidays are over. We had FUN – lots of parties, lots of food, lots of friends and family over, but I am POOPED!
I stayed up the latest I have ever stayed up in my life on New Year’s Eve! Company didn’t leave until after 1:30 am, and I didn’t want to miss a crumb moment of the festivities, so I stayed up way past my usual 8 pm bedtime.
Santa came to our house too! He must have received my letter and agreed that I WAS a good boy, because my stocking was overflowing with new toys. He even remembered the FIVE GOLDEN Bones I asked for! YIPPEE! Thank you Santa! Four are already gone.
Mom tells me this is a New Year and a time when many make resolutions to be better.
I have decided I am going to do my best to make my family feel loved and appreciated. I think that is one of the most important jobs of a family pet. Don’t you agree?
Unconditional love is so easy for me to give, and it sure makes my Mom and Dad happy.
Happy New Year to all of you (and your family pets!)
Woofs & Wags,
Charlie
Words are…
letters put together
in many combinations
allowing us to express ourselves.
Words can…
communicate
love or hate
good or bad
praise or condemnation
hope or fear
joy or grief.
Words can…
teach or destroy
be whispered or shouted
spoken or sung
written or read.
Each day
may the words we choose
be used wisely.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
January
a time to
nest and rest,
recharge and reinvent,
watch and listen,
contemplate and create.
January
a time to become.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Watercolor done on 300 lb cold press paper following a tutorial posted on ArtistNetwork (I truly have a long way to go with trees, but cherishing the time spent on the journey!)
the creative life in between 