En plein air has always been my favorite way to sketch.

This one was done about ten days ago
using French watercolour on cold pressed paper
and Bic magic markers.

The Spring Bear was an added bonus.
He was big and slow
and I was safely locked in my car.

He seemed to be enjoying the last moments
of  early evening sun
and didn't seem to care about me at all.

If you look at the "TABS" on the top of this web page,
you'll notice one that says

SKETCHBOOK

Click on that to view more recent sketches.
I'll be adding to the collection continually.

OR

SIMPLY  CLICK  HERE
AND  YOU  WILL BE  TAKEN  TO  IT

Your  comments  are  always  welcome !

Thank  you !

Peaches  were  my  husband's  favorite  fruit.
We planted this one in the front yard
together
a year before he passed.

I certainly had my Dominic in mind this morning
as I snapped a few shots of the freshly opened blossoms.
He would have delighted in seeing the tree so healthy.

He would've eaten himself peaceful with peaches last season.
It yielded a whopping

SIXTY  POUNDS

of  succulent  sweet  freestones
at the age of three.

I don't know what the two yellow orbs in this picture are.
Someone told me they are a classic example of
Spirit Orbs.

Hmmm...
I do like that idea.
It's far more interesting and romantic than
simple floating dust balls.

While I am joyed by the blooms,
and the magical appearance of the orbs,
I am also conscious of  the very late bloom time.

My Gardening Diary has usual bloom time as  mid  April.

In addition,
last weeks entry regarding 
the usual arrival time for Hummingbirds 
in this area of Upstate New York,
has also changed.

It is May 6 th. and I have seen
NOT  ONE  HUMMER  YET !!!

???  WORRY  ???

"Ain't  no  need  to  worry
about  the  things  to  come.

Forget  about  your  problems
and  face  them  one  by  one.

Ain't  no  need  to  worry
about  what  might  have  been.

Just  trust  the  Heavenly  Father
and  let  that  be  the  end.

Ain't   no  need  to  worry
about  things  unknown  to  you.

Have  faith  in  God
and  rest  assured
that  He  will  see  you   through."

Poem  by
Earline Ross Cole

Springtime in New York always
comes with a sense of new beginnings.  The air has a fresh sweet smell.
People walk with renewed vigor.
There's a sense of something good
and important about to occur. 

I pull out my hummingbird feeders with anticipation of their arrival
...on the tail of Canada Geese, it's said. 

Of course, it's not literal.
The hummers move on their own
wing beats and have never been known
to hitch a ride on a goose tail. 

The sound of Canada Geese overhead, usually means that  hummers have completed their migratory journey
as well...back to their place of birth
...a homecoming...perhaps with a new spouse...to create the next generation.

For the past dozen years, the hummers have  been  on time. 
Males arrive on May first and my feeders will be ready with
homemade sugar syrup and hung in their usual location.

It's probably my thousandth time making their food. 
I pour a cup of white sugar and one cup water into a small saucepan.
As I stir over a high heat to dissolve,
my mind begins to wander. 

No longer in my kitchen, 
memory has me in NYC,
strolling  uptown on Columbus Avenue with two friends. 

A red light stops us  and we're being looked over
by a handsome Italian enjoying his drink at a corner cafe. 
He gives us a quick little smile of approval. 

Paige asks me, "Do you know that guy ?" 
I answer, "No...I have no idea who that is.  Do you, Callie ?" 
She shook her head  and we crossed the street as he watched.   
It was an uncomfortable  compliment. 

A block away Paige declared, " I know who that is ! 
That was Robert DeNiro ! 
That's why he looked so familiar. 
We have to go back. 
I have to see if it's really  him or just a look alike."

And so we did. 

A small crowd had now gathered around the window, chatting eagerly and finger pointing . 

Yes,
it was Robert DeNiro,
wearing a corduroy jacket with suede elbow patches,
Touki Smith at his side with an incredibly tight fitting short dress. 

Just then, Richard Belzer, who's very very tall, emerged from the place, 
hailed a cab, popped in and was gone as folks shouted,
"It's the BELZ !  It's the BELZ !  It's the BELZ !"

Back in the kitchen,
my sugar syrup has begun to boil. 
I take it off the heat and put it in the fridge to cool.

Again, I'm taken by memory. 
This time to Junction Pool in Roscoe, NY, { The best Trout Fishing Town in the USA }. 
I'm walking my Chowmation dog, Miss Abbey at the river edge where two men are fishing. 

The short older man turns and calls to me with excitement,
"Ooh-ooh...miss...would you come here ? 
See this dawg ?  Look at this dawg ! 
This is exactly the kinda dawg I was telling you about ! 
This is the kinda dawg  you should get !" 

I could hear the other fellah say,
"What are ya doin, man ? 
I told you, I don't wanna be bothered by anyone today."  

"But we talked about this in the car and this is the kinda dawg I was talkin' about.
You gotta see it !" 

The man turned. 
It was Robert DeNiro...or his twin. 
He seemed very annoyed.

The syrup has cooled off. 
I add two and a half cups cold water,
stir and pour into feeders.

The hummingbirds will be happy. 
I hang one at my kitchen window and the second near the porch swing.

Spring is here and anything can happen.

Maybe I'll go see one of DeNiro's new movies:
THE  BIG  WEDDING
GRUDGE  MATCH 
FIRST  MAN

Whaddya  think  ?

Last  week’s  unnecessary tragedy
 will have lifelong effect on countless people 
all over the world.

Sadly, the disgusting event has created 
even more anger, hatred and resentment among people.

We each have a choice.

 We can decide our anger, hatred and resentment are qualified…

after all,

 just  LOOK  at the reprehensible damages to life and limb !



There are many problems associated with that mindset.

 Perhaps we now hit them harder than they hit us.

 The result ? 

More anger, hatred and resentment. 

Where does it end ?  How can it end ? 

Do two evils negate the situation or 

continue to fester until a 


massive
 
insane 
 
war 


explodes  


? ! ?



According to wise King Solomon 

who lived and reigned about 950 years before Christ, 

there is a time for hate and a time for war.

There also is  a time for healing and a time for peace. 

CLICK  ON  THIS  LINK 
TO  READ  THIS  BEAUTIFUL  QUOTE
 IN  ITS  ENTIRETY.

How can we expedite healing and consequent peace ?


Surely you'll agree, it's a far better feeling.

 
It’s certain that if we cling to anger, resentment and hate, 
we lose the battle to those who want individuals to be fearful and intimidated.

If we decide to continue to be positively constructive in the face of dangers, 
then we must first heal ourselves and 
disallow horrific occurrences from
 holding us in a negative mindset.

 

How do we go about letting go of our anger, hate and resentment so we can heal ?


Perhaps we need to see ourselves clearly
 to cleanse and release self defensive arguments from around ourselves.

A very wise Theologian,  E.Stanley Jones,
 shared several techniques for dealing with resentment and named it 


CLIMBING  THE  LADDER  OUT  OF  THE  RESENTMENT  PIT. 


 Here’s some of it:


- A -   


Remember that the basis of most resentment is a touchy, un-surrendered self. 
 The fact that we have been able to hold onto the resentment
 shows there is a self that is over sensitive.  


When  surrendered to the will of God, 
we throw off resentment as a healthy skin throws off germs. 
 
Unless there is inner disease or an abrasion of the skin, germs can get no foothold. 
 
We should be suspicious of a self that can grow resentment.


 It is probably diseased with self-centeredness.



- B -  


 Raise the question as to whether the resentment
 isn’t rooted in imaginary slights, insults and wrongs.  


A self centered person can imagine a group is talking about him when,
 in fact they are talking about everything else.  


An overly sensitive person can, by his very mental attitude,
 throw other people into unnatural, closed-in attitudes, 
which he interprets as intentional hurts and slights.  


All the time, he is oblivious to the fact 
that his own attitudes of self centered sensitivity
 have created the very things in others against which he reacts.

 Remember the old saying,
 “When you go around with a chip on your shoulder,
 it probably fell from the block above.”

 
- C -


Remember that focusing upon other people’s faults
 is usually a defense mechanism.
 By doing so, one is probably attempting to lift oneself up 
by pushing someone else down. 


 It won’t work.


 By mentally picking flaws in others, 
one creates a worse flaw within themselves.


They become a critical person.





- D -


Be too glad and too great to be the enemy of anyone. 


Be so preoccupied with good will that 
you have no room for ill will.

Dr. George Washington Carver, the great scientist, 
rose to fame through his chemical discoveries and service to Southern farmers.  
Someone asked him for the name of the University
 that had accepted him as a student, but then, 
discovering that he was black, refused him admittance.  


Dr. Carver refused to say, passing off the incident as nothing.  


He possessed
 “the peace that passes all understanding – and all misunderstanding.”



Let us leave vengeance to God;


 use only redemptive good will.



In conclusion:

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  
Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  
Give and it will be given to you.”  
Luke 6:37-38

This wonderful little poem 
by the late  Robert E.  Farley
has many great tips for
keeping ourselves happy and productive:  



Think  of  the  things  that  make  you  happy,
Not the things that make you sad;


Think of the fine and true in mankind,
Not its sordid side and bad;


Think of the blessings that surround you,
Not the ones that are denied;


Think of the virtues of your friendships,
Not the weak and faulty side;

Think of the gains you've made in business,
Not the losses you've incurred;


Think of the good of you that's spoken,
Not some cruel, hostile word;


Think of the days of health and pleasure,
Not the days of woe and pain;


Think of the days alive with sunshine,
Not the dismal days of rain;

Think of the hopes that lie before you,
Not the waste that lies behind;


Think of the treasures you have gathered,
Not the ones you failed to find;


Think of the service you may render,
Not of serving self alone;


Think of the happiness of others,
And in this you'll find your own !

This little known natural wonder
 
lies just east of 

Las Cruces, New Mexico, 

neighboring our government’s 

White Sands Missile Range.  


Pure white gypsum sand 

covers  275 square miles 

and visitors can enjoy it 

free of charge !




It  all  brings  to  mind  the world’s  greatest  intellectual,

Jesus, 

{ who  wandered the wildreness for forty days and nights }

and his infamous quote,

“Peace  I  leave  with  you,

My  peace  I  give  unto  you:

Not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.

Let  your  heart  not  be  troubled, 

neither  let  it  be  afraid.” 

John 14:27

Sounds good to me.

How ‘bout you ? 

 

SOMEONE  LOST  THEIR  MARBLES

in the desert of
 Las Cruces, New Mexico.

I  know  because

I  FOUND  THEM !!!

Funny  thing  is
 that  I  found  each  one
on  consecutive  days
 and  in  varying  locations,
 miles  apart,
 as  I  was  rock  hunting
around  the  region.


I  can  only  surmise  that  losing  one’s  marbles
in  the  wastelands  around  Las Cruces
is  a  rather  common  occurrence…

-  OR -

 ... the  gods  had  me  strolling  in  the  same  path
as  the  one  poor  soul  who  lost  them  all. 

COINCIDENCE  ? 

What are the odds ?


So, if  you  are  the  sad  soul,

{ or souls },

who  lost  their  marbles  in  the  desert,

PLEASE  e-mail  or  LEAVE  A  COMMENT
with   a   description  of  them

-  AND  -

IF  IT'S  A  MATCH,
 
I'LL  SEND  THEM  BACK  TO  YOU

ASAP ! 

I  really  don’t  need  anyone  else’s  marbles.

I  still  have  all  of  my  own.

I  know  because  I  checked.

Thank you.


In the meantime, 

supposing   that   Abraham Lincoln   was   correct   when  he  said,



“MOST  FOLKS  ARE  ABOUT  AS  HAPPY 


AS  THEY  MAKE  UP  THEIR  MINDS  TO  BE.”,

just  for  today,

I  WILL  BE  HAPPY  !
 
How ‘bout you ?

1. 
Promise yourself
to be so strong that 
NOTHING
 disturbs your peace of mind.


2. 
Promise yourself
 to talk health, 
happiness and prosperity
 to every person you meet.


3. 
Promise yourself
to make all your friends
 feel that there is
something in them.






4. 
Promise yourself
 to look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.


5. 
Promise yourself
 to think only of the best,
to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.

6. 
Promise yourself
to be just as enthusiastic about
the success of others
as you are about your own.

7.
Promise yourself
 to forget the mistakes of the past
 and
to press on to
 the greater achievements of the future.

8.
Promise yourself
 to wear a friendly countenance
 at all times
and
 give every living creature you meet
a smile.

9.
Promise yourself
to spend so much time improving yourself
that you have no time left to criticize others.

10. 
Promise yourself
 to be
 too large for worry,
too noble for anger,
too strong for fear,
and
 too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

As stated  by
Christian  D.  Larsen