Who in the world would want health care for everyone?

An omen?

After a particularly unloving day (on my part) I found this leaf in my driveway.

 A little reminder, perhaps?

Supreme Court guide to evolution

Oh, now I understand evolution!

Zen eucalyptus trees- Diva Challenge # 76

The challenge was to do something using your home (or country, state, city, etc.) as inspiration. I had done this a few weeks ago and it sure fit the challenge.

My long driveway is lined with eucalyptus trees. Some of them were also overhanging the house. That can be very scary in a big wind. I had to have about 5 of them cut down when I first moved in.

I had trouble with them in 2 of my last houses. One of them dropped some big branches on my neighbors garage. They didn't get mad, even though it did a little damage. My gardener removed the branches and fixed the damage. 

I love the looks of them and hated to cut any down. I could almost hear them crying!!!

So this is my memorial to them.

Music Without Borders- Fallbrook Library

Another wonderful concert at the Fallbrook Library. 

Music from all over South America, Mexico and Cuba.

Zendala Dare # 10

See more at www.thebrightowl.com

Diva Challenge # 74 Eccentric Circles

Sepia Saturday: Tea Party-- Then and now

A TEA PARTY THEN

I've posted this picture before of my mother pouring tea at a Women's Club luncheon. This was in Pomona, Calif. in the 50's. Note the gloves and hats.

At the meeting she probably talked about taking care of the needy, having better schools, better health care for everyone and things like that. She was very socially conscious. She cared about people.

She was president of the Democratic Club here in Fallbrook for several years.This is such a conservative community so being a Democrat was almost like being a Communist. She had a small group of fellow Democrats who were quite active. They were all senior citizens but traveled to the state convention in Sacramento and worked at voter registration at the county fair and anyplace else they were needed.  She was a very responsible citizen.

My mother would be turning over in her grave if she could see what's happening now.

 For more Sepia Saturday click here. 

Diva Zentangle challenge # 73, Bridgen

I didn't think I would like this tangle but I really enjoyed it.

I'm not thrilled with all my results but I think it's going to be one of my favorites.
It's very soothing and fun to do.
Thanks to Carole Ohl's "partner in crime" Daved who came up with it.

Sepia Saturday: My grandfather- the sheet music designer

 My grandfather, Petrus Finwall

The Finwall family: Della, Petrus, Glenn, Bob, Don.

The Finwall boys, Glenn, Don, Bob, and Gil (my father).

The photo is dated Sept. 1918. Petrus was killed

 the next month in an accident with a firetruck.

The car in the background might have been

 the one they were in.

One of my earliest jobs was as a record cover designer.  So it was quite a coincidence that my grandfather had a similar career as a sheet music designer. He really passed down his "artistic gene". The oldest child in his and each of his descendant's families became an artist.

His oldest son, Glenn didn't realize his artistic abilities until he retired. I wrote a post about him.

He was a wonderful artist.

http://banardesigns.blogspot.com/2011/11/sepia-saturday-celebrating-100-posts-my.html 

The oldest son of my Uncle Don had a printing company.
( I think he started out as a designer.)

Uncle Glenn's oldest child, Carol Ann was my inspiration. She made the most beautiful paper dolls.

She and I would sit and draw, color and cut for hours. Unfortunately she took her own life in her early twenties before she could have had an artistic career.

Now my niece, Megan is an artist.  She started out as a graphic designer and now is a film maker.

Carol Ann and I discussing paperdolls

None of my grandfather's sheet music covers have survived. Some relatives think they were destroyed in a fire. I'm constantly on the look-out for covers from Chicago publishers in about 1918. Not many are signed by the artist so I've never found any by him.

To see more sepia saturday posts click here.

Diva Challenge #72 Crescent Moon- Tanglation Nation

"Tangleation" means to take a tangle (or pattern) and change it from it's original look.
I only did that on the first one. The rest are normal "Crescent Moons".

Henry Ford vs. modern conservatives

A continuing tour of my house

 There's usually at least one cat making themselves comfortable.

 Kitchen window.

 My Zentangle chair.

 Pictures waiting to be hung.

 At the front door.

 The living room.

 

I'd love to see where you live.

C'mon in

 C'mon over for a visit. 

You can come in the front door (although no one ever does).

Or you can come in the side door which leads into the kitchen and the office.

Before you come in check out the bird's nest which is hanging from the eaves of the front porch. It took the birds about 2 weeks to build it. I couldn't imagine what they were doing at first. They were hanging thread-like pieces of something from a grate in the eaves. Now they fly in and out of it and there might be some eggs but it's impossible to see in it because of it's position. I'm told they're finches.

 The French doors open into the kitchen.

 And on the left the messy office. (Nancy at her desk).

With an unused fireplace. Pretty classy to have a fireplace in your office, though.

 Then into the dining room with it's new china cabinet. I took a lot of things to the consignment shop (The Broken Chair) when I moved and couldn't resist buying this while I was there. It was on sale- how could I resist. I think I've made enough on the things that were sold to pay for it. What a good deal.

 A peek into the china cabinet. Mostly Blue Willow which I bought at an estate sale. It was from the estate of Earl Stanley Gardner who wrote the Perry Mason Series. His wife lived in Fallbrook and the estate sale was held after she died.

 The side of the dining room with a painting by my ex-husband and some peacock feathers from the yard of one of my ex-houses. They made a lot of noise (the peacocks- not my ex-husband) but I loved having them around. (the peacocks, not my ex-husband.)

 The second fireplace. A painting by Alene Ahrend hangs over it.

This dog guards the fireplace. It was given to me by my mother because it looked so much like my dog Daphne. (May she rest in peace.)

Tomorrow we'll continue into the living room, if you're still with me.

The last two weeks: a party, Anne Patchett, an art workshop with Claire-Lise Matthey Anderegg. flowers, cats and sunset.

 Margarita Shillig at Dick's birthday party.

 Dick Shillig's birthday party. Opening his presents.

Anne Patchett talks about her new book, "State Of Wonder", at the Friends of the Fallbrook Library. She's a wonderful speaker and my favorite author. This year she's one of the Time Magazine Most Influential People.

 Mixed Media workshop with Claire-Lise Matthay Anderegg. 

Claire-Lise giving constructive criticism to Diane, Peg, and Pattie.

 Claire-Lise's painting in progress.

 My painting, in progress. The technique involved acrylics, colored pencil, contact paper, alcohol, stencils, stamping. Don't worry- this is going to get better.

A gift of flowers from Helen's garden.

 Mother's Day flowers from Margarita

 Chloe peeks out of her Cat Tree House.

 The morning mist hides the view from my deck.

The beginning of the sunset.