Right place at the right time!, Quote, zentangle

There are two kinds of light -- the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.

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-James Thurber

My husband and I were driving west this am and as we approached our county courthouse it was illuminated by the sun:

I'm not adept at photo shop or anything, so this is straight from our digital camera.

Ham Casserole recipe, another favorite quote

This is another one of my favorite quotes:

 

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food."
W. C. Fields

Here's a new recipe I've customized from a recipe I found in a magazine.  I was looking for a way to serve leftover ham in a new way.  I found a recipe for the potato gratin and then added my own touches, including the diced leftover ham (along with a little humor)

A little drink of water!

"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.

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-English Proverb

Tommy decided that he was thirsty and Bob's drinking glass was right where it was convenient!

Zentangle suggestions, quote of the day

"It is the little bits of things that fret and worry us; we can dodge a elephant, but we can’t dodge a fly.”  ~Josh Billings

I read this today on another blog (http://tangledtranquility.com/) and it reminded me of the quote I heard my Mother say so many times:  "It's not the climb of the mountain, it's the grain of sand in your shoe".  

Some times it is the little things that are so difficult for us.

When I'm feeling a little out of touch with myself, I've found creating a zentangle can help relax me and get back on focus.  That's part of what zentangle is about - thus the zen in the word zentangle.  Here is the zentangle link if you'd like to check it out.    http://www.zentangle.com/index.php

One day I hope to be able to afford to take the CZT training.

There are several books available about zentangles as well.  I just ordered  "Zentangle 6" by Suzanne McNeill, CZT from Amazon.   But if you are just beginning I recommend "Zentangle Basics" and Zentangle 3" as those are my favorites. 

If you are a quilter, "Zen-sational Stitches for Quilting" by Suzanne McNeill is a wonderful book as well.

Quote of the day & zentangle

The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.
-Nolan Bushnell

Puzzling!

There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.
Deepak Chopra

Here's a zentangle I did of puzzle pieces. 

After finishing our first puzzle last week, of course started another - then we found this puzzle with a picture of knitting and of course, I wanted to do that one as well.  Crazy or not - we have two 1000 piece puzzles going at one time!

Thunder during the night.

Stung by the splendor of a sudden thought.

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-Robert Browning

Last evening around 1am, a thunder storm rolled through.  Made me think of Spring, even though I know Spring is month's away.  Today's temperature is in the 50's however.  Nice break from the cold weather we had just a few days ago.

Timing makes all the difference.

Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears. |   -Barbara Johnson

One sure way to relate to the above quote is to be stopped on the interstate for three hours due to an accident.  Yesterday on the way home from Indy airport, my friends and I had that experience.  While waiting however, I keep thinking how fortunate I was to be caught in the traffic tie up rather than being involved in the accident!  What a difference a few minutes (or hours) can make.

Zentangle, quote of the day

Passions are vices or virtues to their highest powers.

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-Johann von Goethe

Purple zentangle challenge, Tommy & Bob

"The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most."

-John Ruskin

The Diva's challenge this week is to use purple.  It could be purple background, purple ink, etc.
I decided to experiment with some Adirondack color wash ink.  I sprayed it on my watercolor tile, then spread it with a paper towel.  Afterwards, adding my tangle patterns. 

 On this tile, I used Stampa Rosa's Silk Iridescent Ink and painted a purple heart, then added my tangle patterns.

 This tile was spritzed with the Adirondack color wash, then I added the tangle patterns.

















Last evening, Bob and I decided to work a puzzle - we hadn't done so in years.  After we started, Tommy wanted to be a part of our activities.   His actions certainly reflect yesterday's quote:   "If a cat spoke, it would say things like Hey, I don't see the problem here. "  

Roxy and quote of the day.

"If a cat spoke, it would say things like Hey, I don't see the problem here".

-Roy Blount, Jr.

This is Roxy - she definately didn't see a problem with her location and let me know she felt that way!

One of those days!

"Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it."

-Tallulah Bankhead


Do you ever have one of those days when you just sorta float in the universe? 

Wire wrapping, quote

"Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours."   - Swedish Proverb

Last evening, I attended a wire-wrapping class at Von's Store.  It was a fun class and I was really surprised at how easy it is to do.  I had always wanted to learn how, but was afraid to try it.  I'm glad I took the class and the instructor (Carrie) was really good.

New zentangle patterns & Challenge 53 and of course a daily quote

"Imagination is a quality given a man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."  - Oscar Wilde



The Diva's challenge this week was to include her new zentangle pattern called "undine".

 

 

 

 

I have also added to my design the zentangle pattern I created called "serpentine".

 

Knitting again

Wednesday I stopped by KnitStop in Indy and found this luscious yarn - Rowan kidsilk creation and the instructions for the scarf was on the back of the label.  Only took a couple of hours and it's so soft and warm!


"One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art. "   -Oscar Wilde



















-Oscar Wilde

New Years resolutions

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas. ~Author Unknown

This quote is a reminder to myself!  Gotta watch those calories all year long!

Happy New Year

"the best way to get something done is to begin. "     -unknown

Once again, we begin a new year.  I can remember as a child thinking about the year 2000 and how strange it sounded and how far away it seemed.  Now, I think about how fast the past 11 years have passed and how the years beginning with 19__ sound so far ago.  I thank God for my blessings and look forward to a new year and new beginnings.

Giving

The challenge issued by the Diva this week was to create a zentangle and give it to someone.   Boy, did this challenge cause me to think!  Thus, this will probably be the longest entry I'll ever post to my blog.

Blogs are interesting, and for the most part self-indulging and ego building - that's my thoughts anyway.  When I started blogging, I intended that my blog would be different.  I wanted to "share" with others the things I create - quilts, knitting, greeting cards, jewelry I make, etc.   When I discovered zentangles, my blog became filled with daily tangles.  I also share a daily quote.

Quotes are a part of me,  I can remember quotes told to me over the years by my mother, husband, friends and others.  My mother had  two in particular which have stayed with me:  "It's not the climb of the mountain, it's the grain of sand in your shoe."   and "Red sky at night, sailors' delight, red sky at morn, sailors' be warned."    My hubby shared a quote when we were first married which opened my eyes, especially since we were self-employed:  "Time is money."    My paternal grandfather even posted his favorite quote on a hand-lettered sign in his bedroom:  "From the time of my birth til I ride in a hearst, there's nothing so bad that it couldn't be worse."  My brother once told me, "If you pay peanuts, you get monkey's". 

Other quotes which have become my favorites are:  "The mind, once stretched, never returns to it's original size."   "Loose lips, sink ships".   "Do unto other's as you'd like them to do unto you."   "A stitch in time, saves nine". "Life's what happens while you're making other plans". 

My quotes have also rubbed off on my daughters, as often I hear them repeat some of the above quotes.  I like it when I realize that my kids do listen sometimes.

So, as another year is quickly approaching I, like others take time to look back on this year as well as memories from other years.  I'm getting older quicker as the years go by.   I only hope you've enjoyed some of the creativity and quotes I've shared with you.  I also now realize, that even I have fallen into the trap of my blog becoming self-indulgent and providing me with an ego trip.  I love it when you, the readers share your comments along the way.  And thank you to my "follower's" for signing onto my blog. 

During 2012 I will try to keep my blog full of more quotes, inspiration, creativity, recipes, etc.; and I will try not to become too egotistical. 

Diana



 

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If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity.
-Bill Vaughan

Santa

There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus."


- Author Unknown

I love this quote!  

Christmas

Norman Vincent Peale


Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
 
 

May you and your loved ones enjoy this Christmas season with joy and love.

Toffee cookie crunch recipe

TOFFEE COOKIE CRUNCH RECIPE:

4oz. saltine crackers ( 1 sleeve of crackers)
1 cup stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 oz. choc. chips or white choc. chips (your preference)
3/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer

In a saucepan combine the sugar and butter.  Melt, then bring to a boil and boil for 4 minutes.  Immediately
pour over saltines and spread to cover the crackers completely.

Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.  Let set until chips are soft, then spread chocolate and top with chopped nuts. 

Cool, then break into pieces.


This is so easy and people rave about them.  I love them!  What a surprise when you tell them that the recipe contains saltine crackers. 

Joy of Christmas

•John Greenleaf Whittier


For somehow, not only at Christmas, but all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you.

The Christmas Tree

Burton Hillis, Better Homes and Gardens


The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
 

As a grandparent, Christmas is truly best celebrated when my children and grandchildren gather in my home.
This year our celebration will be on Christmas Eve and I am so looking forward to the gift of my family.

Dr. Seuss Christmas

Dr. Seuss


And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

I knitted both my girls Christmas stockings and as they were growing up filled them with all kinds of treats and small gifts.  I really enjoyed shopping and making gifts for their stockings and it was fun watching them dump them out with such enthusiasm!

Another Christmas tradition is to purchase or make them a new Christmas ornament each year.  As adults, they still look forward to their new ornament.  One Christmas a few years ago when I'd had a hectic and financially difficult year, I told them that I thought I'd discontinue the tradition of Christmas Ornaments.
Both girls exclaimed that it wouldn't be Christmas without an ornament from me.  So, the tradition continues and I must admit, I'm so glad it does.  

Both these traditions are special memories for us.  But the memories are not so much the ornaments as much as it's the tradition of showing love by creating a tradition which bonds us together. 

White Christmas?

Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'.


Bing Crosby

christmas

Somehow, not only for Christmas


But all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others

Is the joy that comes back to you
 
 
 

Merry Christmas, zentangle, quote

Janice Maeditere


Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.
 
 

Breanna's Birthday

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.


e. e. cummings

My granddaughter is growing up and becoming a lovely person both inside and out.  

Happy Birthday Breanna!

Christmas, quote

Christmas is the time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell government what they want and their kids pay for it.