Aunt Jean’s gift #2

Aunt Jean was a wonderfully colorful artist. She loved color in her art, in her dress and in her life.

Once I told her that if I could have a meal with anyone who had passed, it would have to be Van Gogh. I dreamed of taking his hand in mine and sharing with him how he is considered the greatest post-impressionist artist the world has ever known. If only.

Aunt Jean understood my love and gifted me this painting she did of Van Goghs Entrance

To The Public Gardens in Arles. I framed the painting and it hangs in our bedroom. I look at it every day and smile knowing that this gift from Aunt Jean is also a gift from Van Gogh.

 

My Current Favorite Quote

"Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born."

Albert Einstein

 

A Gift From The Heart, To The Heart

Years ago, after a trip to Paris, Cassandra gifted me a beautiful necklace. It was from the Rodin Museum and has an engraved quote on the pendant by Auguste Rodin –“une vie a plein bond.” Which translates to “a life that’s full to the brim.”

Unfortunately, because the silver chain was very delicate, it eventually tangled and broke.
The other day I remembered I had this very special necklace and decided to give it a new life. One that’s full to the brim. I can’t wait to wear it again, close to my heart.

Follow Your Dreams

Yesterday, a hawk visited the Hawkins. He sat on the grass by our apricot tree for at least 10 minutes. Calmly, without a care in the world, he directly looked at us as if he had an important message he wanted to deliver.  

According to legend, a hawk visiting you is seen as a powerful sign of heightened awareness and intuition, urging you to focus and observe your surroundings more closely. This encounter can symbolize a call to action, encouraging you to trust your instincts and seize opportunities in your life.

 

Father, I Can Not Tell a Lie: I Cut the Tree

The cherry tree myth is one of the oldest and best-known legends about George Washington. In the original story, when Washington was six years old, he received a hatchet as a gift and damaged his father’s cherry tree with it. 

In a strange way this story was a part of my childhood. Growing up we had a large cherry tree near our garage. Once a year, one of our neighbors would drag over a ladder, pick a load of cherries and then bake yummy cherry pies.  We always got the first pie and it was delicious. 

I just went on Google Earth to look at my childhood home. I am sad to report that the cherry tree is gone. Guess the ghost of George Washington cut it down. 

 

Hillside Road

It seems the older I get, the less brave I am. For example, I absolutely hate being a passenger when the driver (Tony) is speeding, as he usually does. I tend to close my eyes and hope for the best. But despite my fear of speeding, as a child I loved sledding down Hillside Road after a winter snowfall. The faster the better. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I was never a brave child. But I do recall my mother shared that as a toddler they actually had to tie me to the crib because I used to crawl out when no one was looking. I wish I could recapture that brevity, but alas at least I have the memory.

 

Geraniums symbolize Friendship, Protection and Happiness

For the last 10 + years we have had white azaleas in the front yard. Azaleas are nice flowers, but they never added anything to our mid-century ranch. Recently a memory from my childhood resurfaced and I recalled how much my mother loved the geraniums that grew on the side of our house. I asked Raoul, our gardener, if geraniums would do well in place of the azaleas and he enthusiastically said YES! The front yard would be the perfect spot to grow geraniums.

That is, until he planted 4 tiny pots of geraniums. I was so disappointed because they looked so lonely and I lamented how they would never look as good as my memory.

And then as if by magic, they started to grow and filled the front lawn with vibrant coral/red flowers. The memory is now perfect.