Homeward Bound

 

"In the end, all our journeys
have to bring us home." -Pico Iyer

On The Subject of Jewelry

   

 The following conversation from an interview here: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/04/iris-apfel-interview?mbid=nl_043015_Daily&CNDID=29549888&spMailingID=7707866&spUserID=OTU0OTAyNjQxNDAS1&spJobID=672507785&spReportId=NjcyNTA3Nzg1S0

Are there any items in your jewelry collection that are too precious or valuable to wear?

"Of course, but I have a very odd collection: it goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. I have some very important, valuable things, and I have some junk, and I like to mix them all together. I’m constantly buying jewelry—I love it, I love it, I love it! I mean, I could be an octopus and have ten heads and I couldn’t wear it all."- Iris Apfel

What Counts

"In the end, it's not the years
in your life that count.
It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

Recipe for Snowball Cookies

 Ingredients:
1 cup of butter softened
1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4c. finely chopped pecans

  



 Directions:
Combine butter, sugar and vanilla. Sift flour, salt together and stir into butter mixture. Stir in nuts.
Chill dough. Roll into 1" balls and place 2 1/2" apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees
for 10 minutes or until set but not brown. While still warm roll in sifted confectioners (powdered )sugar. Cool. Roll into powdered sugar again before serving. 

Happiness

It's All In The Realm Of Possibility

Forever Young

“The island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.” -E. Lockhart, We Were Liars
 

A Lesson In Idleness

"La Forêt de Fontainebleau", 1876, Abbott Handerson Thayer An American Painter


Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.
-- John Lubbock

A Perfect Summer

“All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.” -L.M. Montgromer, Anne's House of Dreams

The Door Is Open

“summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to quiet people. for those few months, you’re not required to be who everyone thinks you are, and that cut-grass smell in the air and the chance to dive into the deep end of a pool give you a courage you don’t have the rest of the year. you can be grateful and easy, with no eyes on you, and no past. summer just opens the door and lets you out.” -Deb Caletti, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
 

Summer To Do's

Summer Time and Books

“Come with me,' Mom says.
To the library.
Books and summertime
go together.” -Lisa Schroeder, I Heart You, You Haunt Me
 

Another Reminder

Life is Short- 









 You should party!

A Book of Hope

“Summer was here again. Summer, summer, summer. I loved and hated summers. Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought something out in me. Summer was supposed to be about freedom and youth and no school and possibilities and adventure and exploration. Summer was a book of hope. That's why I loved and hated summers. Because they made me want to believe.” -Benjamin Alire Saenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
 

A Way Of Saying Thank You

Simply The Best

"Being told you're appreciated
is one of the simplest and
most uplifting things you can hear." -Sue Fitzmaurice, Author

The Truest Life

"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake."  Henry David Thoreau

Happy 2nd Anniversary Aria and Daniele (June 13, 2013 Madison Wisconsin, June 27, 2013 Palazzo San Gervasio Italy)

Every once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, 
" Love gives us a Fairytale."

A Beautiful Season

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Believe You Me

You CAN have your cake and eat it too!

Live A Little

"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap." ~ Cynthia Heimel

Summer Days Are Here Again

Hip Hip Hooray!


Photo by:  S. Cooperkawa


 I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.
-- L. M. Montgomery

Finding Your Balance

"There are no choices that are really a detour that will take you far from where you're wanting to be -- because your Inner Being is always guiding you to the next, and the next, and the next. So don't be concerned that you may make a fatal choice, because there aren't any of those. You are always finding your balance. It's a never ending process."

Abraham Hicks

Up To You

The Summer Wind

"The summer wind, came blowin' in from across the sea
It lingered there, to touch your hair and walk with me
All summer long, we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand
Two sweethearts, and the summer wind..." -lyrics from The summer wind  by Mercer and Mayer
 

Salted Caramel Frosting

You can frost any kind of cake you like with this yummy frosting. I chose a double chocolate cake (box mix of Duncan Hines Devil's food cake with a box of instant chocolate pudding, google recipes for any number of these cakes). Better yet use your own favorite cake recipe.

Salted Caramel Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 c. dark brown sugar
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1/3 c. heavy cream
3 T. strong coffee (optional)
2-3 c. powdered sugar sifted (add more or less to your desired sweetness)
Additional pinch of salt as needed
Frosts approx. 24 cupcakes or 2 9" layer cakes

Melt butter, dark brown sugar and heavy cream on stove. Allow caramel to bubble and boil. Keep bubbling and stirring on stove for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Do not put caramel in the refrigerator to cool.

Once the caramel is not warm. Beat in the softened cream cheese with 3 T. coffee and sifted powdered sugar.  Add caramel mixture and blend. Can be made ahead store in sealed container in fridge. Bring to room temperature to frost. 

Each Morning

"Wake up and smell the possibility."




"Good morning starshine
The earth says hello
You twinkle above us
We twinkle below" 
Good morning starshine"  Good Morning Starshine" is a song from the second act of the 1967 musical, Hair. 

  

Awaiting The Arrival Of My First Grandbaby

"Not only is your story your truth, 
your story is going to be
the platform and the 
foundation for everything
that's getting ready to happen
in your life." - DeVon Franklin

Some Advice For My Grandchild

You Are Here

On Sunday we were invited to a back yard  family concert of our friends the Sanders.  Five musicians make up their band called "You Are Here".  It was the first time I have been able to attend one of their informal concerts. The band members consist of Tom on drums and Greg on keyboard  (friends of the Sanders family) and the guitarist is Mike Sanders. Mike's two eldest daughters Katie and Emily play multiple instruments and are the lead vocalists.  They play a wide range of music and they gave a completely delightful afternoon concert.  It was such a fun summer afternoon of great entertainment.

 Sisters, Emily and Katie wow the crowd

 We got there early and were impressed with the set-up on the deck. It looked very professional.

We were happy to get seats very close to the stage. Soon the seats filled up to capacity.

"You Are There" performed two 45 minutes sets.  

 

By the end of the concert they had the crowds up and dancing.

 

 So nice to be with the Sander's family. Below the two Mike's who co-coached our girls soccer teams many years ago.  Mike Sanders youngest daughter, Lucy (now living in Hawaii)  went to Middle school and High school with our daughter Aria. 

 We really enjoyed our afternoon backyard concert.  Thanks to Mike, Laura, Emily and Katie Sanders for inviting us to be part of this wonderful event.