May the road that leads you home
be lit when it is dark,
be clear when things get slushy,
have love to draw you in,
and warmth to melt the chill.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
winter
There’s a New Bird in Town
There’s a new bird in town visiting our backyard feeders these days.
The wintry colors and spots and the delicacy of the bird’s wings remind me that
and art imitates life….
that life is art…
and art is life.
What do you think these two were chatting about over breakfast?
They are the new bird in town. Looks to me like it could be the European Starling?
Any experts out there know?
They sure are bringing joy and beauty and artistic inspiration.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Morning Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove – Mars, PA 1/12/16
In the silence of early morning
just before the break of dawn,
You are puffed up soft and fluffy,
perched and clinging high atop the tree.
What a bright, warm sight you are
amidst the dark and snowy shadows.
But your haunting lament belies
your soft, yet vibrant allure.
Oh morning Mourning Dove
what conflicting emotions you evoke…
darkness and light,
joy and grief,
morning and mourning.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Patient enough to wait
Even in the shadows
of cold, gray winter days
the Rose of Sharon seed pod
glows with vibrant light
and hope
and promise
of pink and purple petals
and green leaves
and summer sunshine
if only
we are
patient enough
to wait.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Hi Friends! Charlie here.
I was really anxious to introduce you to one of my new BFFs, so Mom let me guest post again today. Yippee!!!
“Kitty” is one of my friends I look forward to seeing on my walks with Mom.
We met about two weeks ago, and now we look forward to seeing each other almost every day.
We live about a mile or so apart, but I know when I am getting close to Kitty’s house. I start pulling Mom looking to the other side of the street where Kitty lives, and Kitty comes running out from the porch to the edge of the yard to see me.
Oh how fun it is to sniff and cuddle and visit my friend!
I’ve heard some people say silly things like “fighting like cats and dogs,” and I just don’t get it….
Who wants to fight when we can be friends?!
Cat/Dog… Black/White… Male/Female…Republican/Democrat… Christian/Jew… Rich/Poor… Young/Old… Tall/Short… Thick/Thin…
Why can’t we all just be friends?!
Woofs & Wags,
Charlie
(For more blog posts from Charlie, go to https://lifeinbetween.me/ and enter “Charlie” into the SEARCH bar.)
Conneaut Lake Snowy Sunrise
My sweet buddy, Oh Rob, recently posted a beautiful photo of his morning view waking up at Conneaut Lake, PA on his Facebook page. It really drew me in, as it is one of my favorite places to be, mostly because it is with him and his sweet wife Joyce who are very dear to us.
I tried painting it in watercolor. Need to loosen up more. But I had fun thinking of them and this beautiful place on earth. There have been so many beautiful pink skies this winter. Am I just noticing it more, or is there more than usual?
Wishing you beautiful sunrises.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Sing Anyway
Some days there won’t be a song in your heart….
Sing anyway!
-emory austin
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Charlie’s Snow Day
I finally got Mom out of the house yesterday at lunch time to take a walk and play in the snow!
It has been so cold here, she doesn’t even want to take walks!
And when she does – oh brother – what a production! All the layers she puts on!
I just pace around her waiting impatiently as she layers on thermal long johns, socks, hooded sweatshirt, coat, gloves, shoes. Let’s get this show on the road!
Then she makes me wear this hand-me-down Sherpa coat from Mikey. It fits quite well, but I try to shake it off about every 20 steps. I usually get distracted however. There are so many good things outside to see, smell, hear, eat…. friends to visit – people, dogs, cats – along the way.
And now there is this new stuff…. SNOW!
Oh how fun is snow?!
It is white and bright and cold and fluffy and I can make tracks in it and run and make it spray, and there are smells buried under it, and sometimes it is even fun to slide when there is ice under it.
What a blast!
Do you have snow? We just have about two inches as of yesterday. Just the right amount to frolic in! (and sticks taste extra delicious cold and icy and are really fun to fetch!)
Wishing you a Happy Snow Day or whatever kind of day you are having! As Mom would say…. “Cherish the Moments!” I sure am!
Woofs and Wags,
Charlie
Wooden Log Snowmen
I love making and giving handmade DIY Christmas and holiday gifts, so when I saw a similar snowman project created from logs, I fell in love with the idea and convinced hubby we should make these.
He was a real trooper and really did the hard work. He gathered, cut, and sanded the logs, drilled holes and assembled them with dowel rods and glue.
I broke out the sewing machine and created little fleece hats and scarves.
And Voila!
Stinking cute primitive wooden log snowmen!
We were thrilled with how they turned out, made about 15 of them, and had so much fun giving them away.
Handmade with love from both of us and sharing a little piece of our woods.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Rolo Hot Chocolate
Rolo Hot Chocolate
I may have discovered the most amazing, best ever homemade hot chocolate in the entire universe.
And it is EASY!
I discovered it on The Country Chic Cottage, but (believe it or not) found I could reduce the sugar content a bit over what Angie recommended in her blog.
This is the perfect warmer-upper comfort drink to enjoy by a crackling fire with your holiday lights on reading a book or watching a holiday movie.
I am sure the little ones that live in or come to your home would love this as a special treat too!
Ready for this cinchy pinchy, two-ingredient, ultra yummy, rich and creamy hot chocolate recipe? (enough adjectives?)
Here it is! ENJOY!
Rolo Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- 5 Hershey’s Rolo Chocolate Caramel Candies (Angie recommends 7, but I felt 5 was plenty. Feel free to adjust to your liking.)
- 1 Cup (or as much as fills your mug) Skim Milk (I used Skim, but you can use 2% or Whole Milk if you want it even richer. I would rather eat another Rolo and go with the Skim Milk myself!)
Directions:
- Unwrap Rolo Candies and put in your mug.
- Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir.
- Add Skim Milk and stir.
- Microwave for an additional 1 1/2 minutes.
- Stir until completely melted.
- Garnish with mini marshmallows if desired.
Thanks for the inspiration, Angie!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 