My 2011 Calendar - Ready to print!

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Originally uploaded by Farmhouse Greetings

Today, I printed my first sample batch of my 2011 Water-themed Farmhouse Greetings' calendar! Next step- give one to Warren at line dancing to proof it for mistakes!

Now it's May

We went to Gettysburg and Washington, DC, on a recent Spring break. The massive rocks comprising the area of "Devil's Den" at Gettysburg are a humbling reminder of the many lives lost during the Civil War. It's a good thing that people still experience this area as hallowed ground.

Of course the beautiful flowering plants and trees remind us, too, that the cycle of life continues and beauty is still a part of the world.

One of our first stops in Washington was Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. I love these murals depicting man's walk on the moon,,,,,

...and America's beautiful, spacious skies. This great mural's by Eric Sloan.

We saw the new WWII memorial. It has many components and is huge(much bigger than pictured here), probably to reflect the huge worldwide involvement. All I could think of were the many committees that must've had to reach compromise after compromise to design and implement this complex memorial.

The Korean Monument allowed you to feel like you were part of a scouting patrol.

The sheer amount of names of dead Viet Nam men or women who gave their lives or were missing in action remind us of the staggering cost of war to those who lost their lives and the countless people still affected by these losses. We found Kenneth Keith's name, a serviceman from our home place we always honor at the local Memorial Day ceremony.

We took time to read the words carved in stone at the Lincoln Memorial. The 2nd Inaugural address, chiseled in stone, is powerful even today. It reminded us that both sides prayed for their cause during the Civil War. and it took years to resolve. It encourages tolerance, humility, patience and to aspire to beliefs and wisdom greater than our own.

We always try to keep Mom supplied with flowers in the nursing home. This is the bouquet picked from around her "home place" that Dad and I gave her on Dad's recent birthday.

My Dwarf Gray Sugar Peas are up! I'm letting more flowers have reign in my backyard garden this year since it's too shady for the vegetables I 've tried to grow there in recent years. I've been transplanting any stray rudbeckia I find into one general area.

The tulips have been especially nice this year!

Our small cat is ready to enjoy the big world beyond her window!

Here's my Mother's day picture my kids granted me. I've been a Mom for nearly 27 years now!

I just finished this drawing recently of the barn near the Sapsucker Woods Bird Sanctuary near Ithaca.(I added the reflection after photo was taken) Ready to start my last calendar drawing for 2011- which will be of Taugannock Falls, also near Ithaca).

The last picture shown below is of me flanked by poet and author, Marilyn Nelson, and my all-time favorite illustrator, Jerry Pinkney! I've been reading his books and admiring the gorgeous illustrations (for over 20 years) to my kids. I chanced to spot these collaborators at a book-signing table at the Smithsonian's American History Museum. We had already exited, but came back, bought the book, Sweethearts of Rhythm (The Story of the Greatest All-girl Swing Band in the World). A flash flood of tears took hold of me once it set in the I met one of my artistic idols. (One's never too old to have heroes) I tell my youngest son, a die hard baseball fan, it'd be like if he had a surprise encounter with his all-time favorite, Derek Jeter!

Current Drawing

Just put down my pen on the current water-themed drawing I'm working on. I won't say "finished" because often an illustration is never "done" but one has to decide when to pause for awhile... This is a photo I drew from and another one of my "start" -


And here's what I've done so far-(I've added geese to help offset the heavy detail on the left side, should probably add a sapling or overhanging branch to the right side, too, but don't want to clutter it excessively or make it perfectly balanced)

Springtime Sensations!

Spring's arrival is a delight as always and one's senses shift into over drive. So much to notice, do, smell, feel!. The daffodils blooming shout to me that Winter is OVER! The daily changes outside are hard to keep up with, but so very welcome.After the first few days of noticing incremental growth, suddenly the whole landscape changes overnight from hints of misty pink and pale green buds to a well defined cloak of green and russet leaves and scattered blooms of yellow, blue, pink, red and white flowers. We had a good taste of Summer, too, when temperatures reached the eighties last week, but now they are moderating into a more normal Springtime range.






We've been busy celebrating the promise of Spring during Easter gatherings with family and decorating eggs, visiting my Mom in the hospital and nursing home, lunching with friends, visiting Sapsucker Woods, a fantastic bird sanctuary, in Ithaca, NY, and several waterfalls there, too.










I continue to plug away on my drawings toward next years calendar, as well as keep food on the table and clothes washed for my family. Sometimes I even vacuum! I've submitted my Summer illustration assignment to Pat Stone, editor of GreenPrints, a gardening quarterly. Today the Masonville General Store requested more cards, so will have to print and package more this week.


It's been a real pleasure to play in the yard, raking, weeding, planting and pulling grass and feeling the dirt through my fingers once again. My radishes, lettuce, and peas are starting to poke up through the soil (and, knock on wood! the bunnies haven't discovered them yet)!

Spring Greetings!

This season bombards one's senses with the constant daily, noticeable changes. Our local fruit stand, Frog Pond, reopened Friday and I loaded up on fresh fruits and vegetables, a few frilly pansies and a hyacinth (the sure smell of Easter and Spring!) for my Mom.





Soon, my daffodils will bloom a Springtime greeting!











Fabric choices for quilt to welcome baby Blaire.



A nice surprise Spring porch bouquet of pussy willows, cattails, ferns, hemlock & lilac buds...



The Hudson River Bridge as seen from the newly opened Walkway over the Hudson...







The freight train looked like a model when seen from the walkway.



I think I'll draw this lake scene from Chenango Valley State Park to include in my 2011 Water themed calendar.



My friend, Warren, from line dancing loaned me his Yosemite park photos to use as reference photos for my water drawings.

Bees!Crocus!Action!

Spring's skipping into town, trailing sunshine, blue skies and a breath of fresh air! Yesterday I noticed our first clump of crocus in the front border!



Today, a line of crocus greeted me, complete with welcome soundtrack of busy, buzzing bees!