One of the fellows that helped take down the tree is a chain saw artist and always leaves a part of the tree that he takes down behind as art. The stump of my cherry tree was transformed into a smiling bear with a red tongue.
On September 9, 2011, I had to have the flowering cherry tree in the corner of my side yard cut down. Its pink blossoms and shade for the patio had delighted me since first moving here in 1988. To say that I was sad about losing this tree is an understatement. One of the fellows that helped take down the tree is a chain saw artist and always leaves a part of the tree that he takes down behind as art. The stump of my cherry tree was transformed into a smiling bear with a red tongue. I've watched that little bear weather over the last few years and really haven't given him much thought until yesterday. As I looked out over the patio at the snow, there he sat with his little white toboggan (yes, that's what we call winter caps here in the South), enjoying his snow day. Becky and I are off on a winter adventure today. We are joining Rich and Sue, Bob and Susan for a trip to Asheville for a visit to the Biltmore House, some good eats, and a bit of junkin'. I don't plan on sending you a Postcard until I get back home on Saturday. So be good until then!!
Have you noticed a Postcards pattern this week? On Monday I went back to 2010 to chat about a snowfall at the beach. Yesterday I shared a bit of art with you from my friend Edwin Green, a plein air painter from Williamsburg. Today I'd like to go back to a couple weeks before Christmas and tell you about a cylindrical tube that arrived via the USPS at my front door. The return address label said it was from Lowes, the home improvement center. I knew that I had not ordered anything, so I was stumped. When I opened it, much to my delight, I found a tiny blue spruce tree and a thank you note from Lowes for being a valued customer. I checked to see if Becky got one...nope. I asked Wendy if she got one...nope. So I don't really know if I'm that special of a customer or if someone had it sent to me. If that's the case, then this is a big THANK YOU to that anonymous friend! I immediately snitched a decorative clay pot from the deck, filled it with fresh potting soil, and planted my precious little tree. I put the pot in a sunny spot in the studio so I can keep an eye on it and watch its progress. By the time the new year rolled around, I noticed some new growth on the top! And coming up right beside the trunk was another little tree of unknown origin. I believe it was leftover from the pot on the deck. In any case, it's been welcomed to grow along side the little blue spruce. This morning while in the studio working on a new BRR project and looking out at our snow, I noticed that the new growth was really taking off! I appreciate you stopping by today so I could have a bit of pre-and- post-Christmas show and tell. Enjoy your snow, stay warm, and I'll be waiting on you tomorrow with another Postcard!
I truly believe that Mother Nature is on drugs...heavy duty drugs! Yesterday I wore shorts and a t-shirt while at CORE Fitness. It was 60 degrees outside and I had the windows down on the car. Today it is 19 degrees and snowing outside! Yep, she's on drugs!! Today's Postcard isn't about the weather though. It's a visit with an old Williamsburg friend, Edwin Green. While in Williamsburg, we almost always see Edwin with his easel set up somewhere on Duke of Gloucester Street doing his thing...painting in plein air. We enjoy visiting with him so much and it's always a treat to see him. Both Becky and I own several of his watercolor and acrylic paintings, but there is always a desire for more. While in Williamsburg for Grand Illumination in early December, we struck a deal with Edwin for four new prints. This past Saturday, while out and about looking for frames, we found the perfect one at Michael's that were $19.99 originally, on sale for $6.50 each. That purchase was a no-brainer since we had the prints with us to ensure a perfect fit. Becky got four brown ones and I picked out four black ones. Once home, it took us all of 10 minutes to get them in frames and ready to hang on the wall. If you are a Colonial Williamsburg lover, I invite you to visit Edwin's website HERE and peruse his paintings. All you Southerners stay warm and be safe out there!
In February of 2010, Becky and I were at the beach and were treated to a rare snowfall. Tomorrow, up and down the Carolina's coast, the forecast is for snow . . . a decent accumulation of snow once again!
I snapped a whole bunch of photos that morning after the snow arrived on Cherry Grove Beach and I thought I would share some of those with you today since it's impossible to give you a link to the original Postcard from that event. Enjoy and stay warm everyone!! I look out the window, see all the sunshine, and just cannot believe that it's 22 degrees outside at 1:30 in the afternoon! Alaska, maybe. Canada? for sure. The foothills of NC, unbelievable! So it's definitely another good day for some travel daydreams. Here's another set of America's biggest, longest, and best...
Hey all you snow bunnies and walking popsicles! This latest polar vortex has many of us homebound and experiencing a bit of cabin fever. So to feed your wanderlust, here are nine more daydream destinations . . .
What a grand day to dream about traveling. Our temperature is struggling to reach 32 degrees, but the sun is shining and we're not dealing with the snowy mess in the northeast. Here are nine more superlatives found in the United States for you to enjoy...
After I shared the Wonders of America commemorative stamp set with you yesterday, I thought it might be a nice follow-up if I take the next four days to chat about them in a bit more detail. January is such a wasteland for Postcards, so I'm taking the easy way out this week . . . LOL!! On the back of each stamp is the commentary you see below. Enjoy the first installment of America, land of superlatives . . .
Since returning home from the coast last Friday, I have spent a considerable number of hours out in the studio, inching my way towards a total re-organization. I keep finding things that have either been "missing" or totally forgotten. Imagine my delight when I ran across a blue file folder containing a sheet of postage stamps! This set of commemorative stamps was issued on May 27, 2006. I probably bought them that summer with the intention of using them on the real life postcards that I send Jessie when I travel. Why they were "filed" in a blue file folder, I haven't a clue. Forty natural and man-made wonders of the United States are depicted on this stamp pane. These remarkable places, plants, animals, and structures were selected from every region of the country. On the front of each stamp, in large letters, are words that describe the superlative nature of a particular place or thing. Smaller type gives the name or location of the featured wonder. Text on the back of each stamp provides relevant statistics and other interesting information. The stamps are valued at 39 cents each.
Today all across the country, National Park sites are offering free admission, so I think finding these stamps in my cleaning, is timely. I haven't seen all the places depicted, but it sure does make for some good winter-time day dreams. Happy Martin Luther King Day to you and I'll chat with you later! Our plan for the day was to mimic the past two days. Why mess with a good thing? If you picked up a Postcard on Tuesday and Wednesday, then this makes perfect sense to you. After our routine leisurely start to the day, we were out and about by 11:00. We traveled down to Books-A-Million where I picked up a trivia game that I need for the upcoming Blue Ridge Rally and Sue found a really neat cookbook. From there we scooted over to Hamburger Joe's for a lunch of cheeseburgers, onion rings, and sweet tea. This is a beach tradition for me and Bec that we wanted to introduce to Sue and Susan. Our lunchtime conversation was dominated by camping topics as we sat in front of the gas log fireplace. Our next three stops involved a wee bit of junkin'. Once again Susan came away with the coolest purchase . . . a red, cast iron caboose for the LiL Red T@Boose. I was in charge of supper this evening, so I morphed into the Soup Queen and whipped up a big pot of Loaded Crab Bisque. Based on all the second helpings, I'd say it was a success. Pajamas were the evening attire so we could watch "Somewhere In Time", "Conspiracy Theory", and "Notting Hill." You simply cannot have a Girls' Outing without watching movies! Becky and I have been trying to get Sue and Susan here for a long time and I gotta tell you, it's been a ball hanging out with them. We will definitely do this again! Tomorrow morning we'll all head home, but we'll be seeing them again soon as we travel to LaBelle. FL for the Swamp Cabbage Festival in February.
You gotta know how much I appreciate you picking up your Postcards this week . . . thanks a bunch! Have a great weekend everyone and I'll see ya Monday. |
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