2010 in Review: The Best, the Worst and some Photos...

The worst things happened early: on January 8, 2010 Hubsy's sister, Piper of Tamahay passed away.
Later in the month, we visited Northern Minnesota for the memorial service. This is the side yard at the residence, overlooking the camps Lake (or "water front"). Sorry, no swimming today, girls.

Benefit of "Low Tunnel" Gardening....

...just prior to Thanksgiving, I cooked a mess o' freshly picked carrots from Hubsy's covered garden rows.
Orange, and a few yellow, carrots. He grew the beans, too, but had frozen them in late summer.

Here's the Young Male Cardinal...

...a "late baby", as late as September, he would appear--feathers on sideways--beside Mom or Pop.

Nervous Eater...

...our little female cardinal feeder-guest doesn't like the camera "click"; she tries to flutter away.

Thanksgiving Day Sunset...

Sky Watch Friday

...in NE Illinois, USA. Hope you had a Great Thanksgiving! At the coming solstice, we will see the sun set near the chimney on the house to the left.

Little Grains of Sand thru the Hour Glass...

...today, little Alice only wanted her Mommy to Play Chase, up and down the drive way--she'd have played all day if she could....    We have lived here since 1983, Alice GP's a few year more... Tho I didn't know Alice's Mommy when she was quite this little, she and her sibs were pretty small when we moved in.  So while I watched Alice's Mommy running up and down the drive, through the yard, hiding from her, laughing--Alice positively gleeful with all the fun, it was bittersweet with the shadows, echos and memories of the little children who used to play here, then. But are now Grown Up Adults.  Most of the time, I feel like Alice here--only with a very long memory.

Alice: Still in Wonderland...

...we met Alice last summer, just before baby July was born. She adores her new sister, she's happy and funny and impish--like here--I think she's trying to give herself rabbit ears in the picture.
'

Something Seasonal...

...and pretty for Mellow Yellow Monday!

July in November...

...the World's Most Serious Baby visited the neighborhood the other day! It's the "Lady, get away from me with that blasted camera!"-look. They learn early. She's about 5-months old now, still cheerful and happy, inspite of the photo. I love how her little pink cheeks matches her outfit.

Proceeding with the Construction-Next-Door...

...to the Gardener, it feels like the job goes on forever. But in truth, it's been fairly straight forward. Sadly, the old fashioned, real wood clapboard sliding (in beautifully maintained condition) had to go. Gardener's Hubsy can no longer paint it to his high standards. (Hired painters' work not good enough). So new vinyl siding will replace it. I'm certain it will be great; no one our age should be up on high ladders painting gables, anyway. Just asking for a trip to the emergency room trip!

The Wish-Making Process...

...fulfilled. One of her celebrations is a weekend trip with Mom and Dad to an indoor waterpark and resort in Wisconsin Dells. It has educational value, as well--this way she will be able to keep up her practice on all the swimming lessons she had this past summer!

Hubsy Quietly Dozes in the Doorway...

...these Celebrations a bit too much "social butterflying" for his comfort. But he awaits Cake....

Those Common-Place Items that Keep Showing Up....

...the big bread knife that FlowerGirl's Mom is using to cut the cake belonged to our late Mother. She probably got it early in her married life--late 1940's--and used it every day in meal preparation.
I remember it well, since there was a time when I was distinctly forbidden to touch it; I was younger than FlowerGirl is now.

FlowerGirl can be a Clown...

...she sits with her Aunt Ella, winding up to blow out her candle. What an age.

Another New Cast Member...

...a new FlowerGirl Cousin, 1-year old. Haven't figured out a "stage name" for her yet. (Hubsy instructed me to look down at the baby, since I always blink when the flash goes off. It's not much better.)

Little Party-Maverick...

FlowerGirl's younger cousin is only 5, but several inches taller than our 'Girl. Last year, at the Furry Friends Birthday Party (nature center / petting zoo) the 'Maverick went wild and tore off across the big park after a flock of Canada Geese; had to be rounded up and brought back by a grown-up. She's a spunky l'il half-pint.

FlowerGirl, Still Busy with Her Game...

...her cousins put on their pretty-faces for a nice photo.

FlowerGirl Wanted to Open her Gifts Right Away...

....so she focused like a laser-beam on her new game. (Don't worry about her cousin, Party-Maverick: her party was scheduled for the next day and she was to have 25 guests and tons of gifts)

First, Let Me Introduce....

...a New Cast Member: HerVhey, who has the honor to be FlowerGirl's new pet hamster.

FlowerGirl Celebates "Big Number 6"...

...it's difficult to believe that time goes so quickly. So recently, she was a baby. She has no loose teeth yet, but she has Hopes, since several of her friends have. Some of her gifts featured "technology" and she was captivated by one of the new games she got.

A Bland Corner of the Yard....

...decked out in the colors of Autumn. We've had a very warm and sunny Oct and Nov here in Northern IL.
Some days the temperature's been well into the 60's. However, conditions are quite dry; last night's moderate rain was the first in quite some time. Let's put it on Ruby Tuesday!

Toad Lillies, Part 2

For Flowers from Today

Amid the Construction Chaos Next Door....

...the pretty Toad Lilies bloom in the front bed. (It's not really that chaotic over there. It is like organized disorder, but the project is going pretty well! The Gardner said today that it is beginning to get old and she'll be glad when the job is done.) She was busy sorting about 27,000 plastic plant containers and pots for a potential plant sale next summer; her Hubsy was completely cleaning out the garage to do some repairs ahead of the sidings of the house and garage, to come. So, you see, they have the situation under control.

I am Remiss...

...again. My Construction Reporting fell behind. But here's the new room, mostly. It's Drywall Delivery Day; the operator of the truck is about to set the load down. The men inside slide in onto a cart and stack it by the far wall.

How Many Cardinals....

...end up on Ruby Tuesday ?  Maybe too many; but whenever I can "capture" one, I do. This one hangs around for sunflower seeds and the laughs. If I open the back door and go out, he doesn't even bother to fly away.

I Went Nuts with the Camera in Hermann, Mo...

...the first evening, 19th Century Re-enactors casting a spell.

At the Feeder..

...this regal young female cardinal (one of the "late summer" babies in the class of 2010) is fully fledged and bursting with attitude at the feeder.  And off to the right, you can see one of the standard "little brown jobs"
in a flight of panic. (They must sense me at my kitchen window with the camera, getting material for Critter Cam this week) Click on photo to enlarge and see it better.

Lord and Lady Guildford...

...from the book I mentioned in the previous post. These are the sketches. Holbein was so skillful that all he did to make Lady Mary look more mature and serious was to put the prayer book in her hands and point her winsome gaze direct at the viewer and subdue her little smile. A theory is that Lord Hubby want her to look matronly and solid for this portrait. Hubby pays, Hubby rules in 1527. I like that we have the sketch--we can still see how pretty she was. (one of my vices is that I like art)

Visiting Lady Guildford...(at the St. Louis Museum of Art)

...in September, I mentioned I had listened to Philippa Gregory's novel (on Recorded Books, Inc.) The Boleyn Inheritance. The painter, Hans Holbein the Younger, appeared as a character in the section devoted to Anne of Cleeves. It occurred to me I knew little about that artist; I also mentioned I found a book devoted to an exhibit of Holbein's work. He was such a talented portrait painter, but he excelled in producing accurate likenesses of his famous subjects in quick sketches which he used for reference in the final paintings.
I learned that the portrait of Mary, Lady Guildford is housed in the portrait collection in the St. Louis Art Museum. The actual painting is large--about 32" square; of course the clothing is richly painted, using real gold in the paint. The subject was in her mid-twenties, the wife of Lord Guildford, important friend of Henry VIII, who acted as Henry's events director to stage his ceremonies, public entertainments and such.
She appears serious, solid and matronly with her prayer book in her grasp, but Holbein's original sketch shows her looking younger, merry, smiling and even flirtatiously charming. The painting was made about 1527. Imagine. The thumbnail portrait to the left shows her hubby. His portait by Holbein is in London.
The photo above is from Hans Holbein the Younger--Painter at the Court of Henry VIII by Stephanie Buck and Jochen Sanders. It's a beautiful and interesting read.

The St. Louis Art Museum....

...a nice sidebar to our bike trip was a visit to the Art Museum in St. Louis. See Outdoor Wednesday and
please stay tuned...

The Official Portrait....

...here it is: The Last Rose of Summer 2010. The bush this came from is new to us this year. Got it at Sam's Club. Ruby Tuesday !

Happy Halloween My A$$..2.0

....or FlowerGirl's Really Rotten Halloween!  She got a respiratory infection which peaked on Halloween Day. She was coughing, throwing up and had 101+ degrees fever. I've never seen her sicker; it was heart breaking! And she was perfectly aware that she was missing Trick or Treat; she cried; not realizing she felt too horrible to go out even if her parents had taken her out! So sad.