A Place Like This......

Mesmerizing Music Rolling Along in Japan

I was visiting Ren's blog Lady of the Arts today when I saw the most incredible video. Filmed in the Japanese forest of Kyushu. A wooden ball goes down a very long wooden marimba playing Bach's Cantata # 147: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. The sound you hear comes from the actual marimba and is not super imposed.

I know when little "o" gets hold of this it will inspire him to do the same thing. Maybe we'll start with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star before we work our way through the Smoky Mountains with more dificult repetoire .This amazing instrument was made by Kenjiro Matsuo at Invisible Design Lab.

Bear, Marcel and Pasta Fourno

So often on the blogs we share those very fun projects and living experiences we have with our kids. What happens when they grow up, move out and off to college? I can feel the tears welling up in your eyes now. I'll confess to a few of my own, but today I come with encouraging words. Once your kids, always your kids.

(Marcel Simone Dupont)

Yesterday I stopped by my big girls apartment for a little hang-out time. She's recently moved to the "grown-up" apartment. As I was sitting there eating lunch, playing with the dog, and loving the cat, it dawned on me that Zuzu is all grown up. So though she may not be living in our house anymore there are still the daily phone calls, the afternoon crafting sessions, favorite movie watching, our love of travel and photography and our deep affection for a dish called "Pasta Fourno".

(Bear Wilber the lap dog)

Over lunch we discussed all of the things in this world that are currently inspiring us, what projects we are in the middle of, and lots of good laughs. A few years ago I would have dread the thought of this girl growing up but it's turned out so wonderfully well. I've really had to learn to just enjoy the moment I'm in. Each moment has brought it's own very unique gift. 

Today, however, I'm going to leave with you with one of our favorite foods......Pasta Fourno.

Pasta Fourno

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• 1 16 oz box of pasta shells
• 1 jar of tomato sauce. Any will do homemade or store bought.
• 1 small container of half and half.
• 1 small package of Italian 5 blend shredded cheese
• 1 package of mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil a pot of water. Once boiling add salt and a little olive oil.
2. Cook the pasta.
3. While the pasta is cooking. Mix the tomato sauce, half and half, and italian cheese mix into a bowl.
4. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it quickly and add the pasta to the tomato sauce mix in the bowl.
5. Take a large baking pan and place the pasta mixer in it.
6. Spread as much mozzarella cheese on top as you would like.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 425 degree oven. You just want the cheese nice a bubbly and brown.
8. Pull out of the oven and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then eat.

Enjoy!!!!

{This Moment} and Circle of Stones

I'm happy to offer one photo which sums up our week. Amanda is hosting this event which I'm greatly enjoying.

 

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On another note,......I'm so honored to be featured on Heather of Shivaya Naturals, Circle of Stones. Thank you Heather for asking me to be a part of this. I'm thankful to all of you who stop by here and share a moment with us.  Have a great and happy weekend everybody.

Happy Friday: I've got mail

Today is another Happy Friday. This week I've received so much mail. Here is a special look at a couple of things the post-man brought for me. First, some of my valentines cards from the Valentine Swap have started to come in. They are just beautiful. It is so fun to get mail. Oh how I love them. All of my swap partners are very talented ladies. Have a look for yourself:

Renee,Samantha,Kyndale,Mandy,Angie,Kaui,Linda,Nicole,Patricia, and Elizabeth. It's been such a thrill to exchange cards with all of these wonderful women.

Next came a lovely little package from Stephinie over at Gypsy Forest. Her and I are swap partners for Heather's Vintage Swap. This little box of goodness was packed with spectacular things.

I love them so much and will have so much joy using them. Thank you everyone so much for all of your thoughtfulness. Many fun things are in the mail, coming your way. Happy weekend everybody.

Along the Enchanted Way

Rarely there comes such an unexpected moment that it captures you heart and soul. Such was the case when I was surfing the net over the last few snowy days and encountered an experience of a book that had me searching for more.

During the holidays in my inbox was an email from Toast with a little gift, a man by the name of William Blacker reading from his book about his adventures in Romania. I'm a die-hard nomad at heart. These days of being snowed in have left me with an extreme case of wanderlust. William, I hope he doesn't mind if we're on a first name basis from here, was just what I needed.

In 1989 as the Berlin wall fell, William Blacker drove East into the unknown of Eastern Europe, and then he drove a little further east until he found himself in the middle of winter, in the midst of village life in Romania.

"Snow lay heavy on the ground....the trees beside the road were white with frost, and I had entered a country frozen in time." William Blacker

Along the enchanted way, William meets a group of German speaking villages who have been there for over 500 hundred years, actually they are speaking Saxon.... as in Anglo-Saxon.

 From there he lives a good but hard and humble life with an old couple who live as their ancestors have for the last several centuries.

 
  

If meeting the Middle Ages in the 20th century isn't exciting enough for you then a little gypsy camp life outta shake things up a bit.

After meeting two gypsy sisters, Willaim lands himself in yet another culture within a culture. Singing and dancing in the middle of the night, smashing windows, stolen altars, knife fights, and a little romance add yet another dimentsion to this ancient modern tale.

Why is William sharing this story with us? Because Romania is changing and he wanted to hold it the way he lived it.

 

You can live the experience of this book here as well as purchase it from Toast. Amazon UK also has the book available.

Our photos today are William Blacker's. Enjoy!

First Snow

One can always tell when winter is coming here. Our local weather people start threatening us with "could be" snow. Usually it never comes. This time it did.

 

It was early morning and I could see the snow falling from my window. I quietly got up,got dressed, and headed outside to capture all of the winter white stuff.

When it snows, everything is completely transformed into a magical enchanting new world. There I was, all by myself, seeing how my world had changed while I was sleeping.

Did I mention that I was all alone? or at least I thought I was. Whose footprints are these? Clearly too big to be the cat.

Is that a gnome? It's moving so very fast....almost magical.

Nope, not a gnome! only my sweet young son who got up earlier than we did. "I love the new snow all to myself." he said.  Who could blame him?

To complete our snow tradition, all that was needed was a big pot of soup and so I went back up to the house to get things going.

I just love snow days. Why don't we live in Vermont or somewhere really snowy. I don't think I would ever get tired of it. Well for now, I'm just glad to  be here in my Tennessee snow.


  

Sunny Days

This blog post is brought to you today by the numbers 4 four and 0 zero.

Before the time of children's programming,endless product marketing,and computer games, there was nothing on TV for children except of course Disney on Sunday Nights and the occasional Mickey Mouse Club, which was way before my time.

When I started school I already knew by alphabet but I had the greatest problem writing it. Many of my letters were backwards or I would just call them different things,(I was already showing my creative tendancies.) I remember it clearly, ....the TV Guide came, which I always loved to look at, and there was this big Yellow Bird on the cover. I made my mother read the article about the big yellow bird out-loud and she put the date on the calendar to see the very first episode of Sesame Street. Once on, many new friendships were made and I over came many of my writing issues thanks to this show. Everybody was welcomed on Sesame Street regardless of race, age, abilities,or attitude. Everyone always could consider Sesame Street home and a place where things could always be worked out. Those were the days when television hadn't yet taken over our lives.

Many years later I watched my own daughter become so excited when "today is brought by the letter Z", the letter which her name began with. There aren't many Z's in the world and for the next hour she got to experience her letter.

I want to wish all of our friends on Sesame Street a very happy 40th birthday today and thank you for helping me with my b's and d's, r's and k's.

Bright Starred Away........

The light is subdued and golden. The air has a chill but warmth at the same time. I was ready to be taken back into a time. To live as another did for just a little while. Not knowing that such a film was playing, I stumpled upon Jane Campion's new movie Bright Star.

 

It unfolded like a poem. Not surprising since it's topic had to do with that of John Keat's and his tender amour Fanny Brawne. I related to Fanny very well. She was a queen of the domestic arts. She constantly sewed and embroidered, her sweaters were incredible, and she knew her heart and persuded it, those feelings for John.

I had studied Keats in school and he left me cold. I couldn't relate to his poetry. I thought it was rather fluffy. Is what was lacking was Fanny Brawne. Campion brilliantly intertwines their love into his poetry and then it becomes clear that his poems are the mirror of his heart. In fact, some of Keat's most beautiful poems were inspired by his love for Fanny. Sadly, he died at the age of 25 and Fanny for the remainder of her life walked the heath reciting his poems.

The movie is a complete package with stunning photography,beautifully hallow music, and costuming to warm the heart. Not to mention they have a cat in the film constantly which resembles my katten.

Jane also shared her process with us. When this movie comes out on DVD, it will sit right next to Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. This is not to be missed if you love period pieces.

(This poem takes on a whole new light after seeing the film. It is his last sonnet.)

His Last Sonnet

By John Keats

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art! -
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night,
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature's patient sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors -
No -yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever -or else swoon to death.

 

A Bird of Thanks

Today I am so thankful. A few days ago in the post arrived this box, addressed to me. Though I had expected it, it was a surprise none the less. This was an anticipated parcel from Erin of Apples for Poppy Anne's, Snail Mail Exchange.

I was matched with Bird from Minneapolis. We were to write a handwritten note, go around our houses and collect little lovelys to send to the other. Erin, in designing this exchange, had wanted the joy of getting a package in the mail. I, among others, have missed getting snail mail and so randomly we were matched and the mission was set into motion.

Inside I was greeted by a beautiful handmade card and signs of the fall season....leaves.

A Great big thank you to Bird for the wonderful box you sent. I love the little herb pots which will be planted and sitting on my kitchen window. I'll send you some of the dried herbs. I love the socks and mask, just perfect for the Hallow feasting, and the journal is just perfect place to write down my thoughts. The letter stamps are already in use on everything.

In return, I sent a box to Bird but that will be saved for another giving day post. Until then I wish you well.

(Photo by Erin from apples for poppy anne)

Inspired Confessions

Yesterday I was watching Oprah and much to my surprise a very much cherished blogger was on. Maybe you know her, Stephanie from NieNie Dialogues. Is what makes her story so special is that she survived a plane crash a year ago with 80% of her body burned. Her husband survived the crash also.  These moments with Stephanie and Christian on Oprah were so inspiring.

(From www.oprah.com) 

While in a comma,Stephanie had a "spiritual" visitor who asked her if she wanted to stay on that side and work with them or return to this side and have a very "hard" life. Stephanie chose this side because she thought of her husband and children.

She has had to overcome so many things this past year. She continues to mother her four children, often times in pain. She emotes so much love towards her husband.  You can see the love Christian has for his wife by the way he looks at her. Their love for eachother and their spirits transcends their physical appearances and might I mention the TV screen. While I was watching them and listening to their story it was so evident that love is what holds this family together. Stephanie and Christian appreciate every small detail of their day and I so admire that.

I consider myself to be a person who lives in gratitude. Today I will up that and be even more thankful for the very smallest and mundane things in my little life. I will love more intently from now on. After watching Stephanie and Christian I will live and love more completely. I thank them for the great gift they shared today. It has left me inspired to keep on living fully.