A Bit of a Holiday Kick-Off...

...spent with my family

celebrating the beginning of the Christmas season

 Arizona desert style...;)

"Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!"

 ~Albert Einstein

"Partying in the Desert..."

Today

is my brother Jack's birthday!

(His wife, Sharon, celebrates her birthday later this week.)

The birthday card

Scott and I are giving them is shown above...front and back.

We found it in Tubac, Arizona on our recent trip.

I had no intention of embellishing it...

but my hand and colored pencils felt differently!

Our family...

Mom, Dad, Susan, David, Joya, Jillian

Sharon, Jack, Scott and I

are meeting for dinner at Grayhawk Golf Club tonight

to celebrate.

(Click on the link above to check out the place...it beautiful!)

This is the first adventure "out " for me

after "getting stoned" last week!

Can't wait! LOL :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK AND SHARON!!!

"Sunday Night..."

...We
(Dad, Mom, Jack, Sharon, David, Susan, Joya, Jillian, Scott and I)
celebrated my mother's birthday...

at the Tonto Bar and Grill at the historic Rancho Manana
in Cave Creek Arizona.

Luminarias greeted us upon our arrival...

and lead us in to the cozy interiors of this once historic Pony Express stop.

We enjoyed a festival of southwestern styled food...
(note that I had "prickly pear" dressing in an homage to Cactus Monday...LOL)
and
topped it off with a scrumptious
"dark chocolate raspberry whipped cream filled"
delight of a birthday cake.

As the evening ended...
we walked out into the crisp, clear, chilly Arizona night
with our hearts full of love
and let the
lush, black-velvet starry skies of the desert
guide each of us homeward.

Happy Cactus Monday All!
May your day be filled with love and your night sky...star studded.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday MOM!

"Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world."
~Author Unknown

"My Birthday Thoughts..."

"Begin doing what you want to do now.

We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment,

sparkling like a star in our hand...

and

melting like a snowflake..."

~Unknown

Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving."

~Kahil Gibran
I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star,
fragile as a flower,
a tiny sliver of one hour.
I dropped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know,
I held opportunity."
~Hazel Lee

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand...there is no art."
~Leonardo DaVinci

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and
creates a vision for tomorrow."
~Unknown

In gratitude and love, in joyful spirit and hope, I celebrate this day!
"WooHoo!"

~Me

"The Palette..."

...of a most colorful "Sweetest Day" 2008,

...the beautiful roses gifted me by my very own "Sweetie"!

Mmmm! XOXOXO :)

"In our life there is a single color,

as on an artist's palette,

which provides the meaning of life and art.

It is the color of love."
~Marc Chagall

"Happy First Month Birthday Water Blossoms..."

With all the excitement of a little kid on her birthday... I celebrate this day!

This was the one of last things I thought I would ever do.

Me?...A blog?...You've GOT to be kidding! ;)

Visiting you all, "watching from the outside in", was joy enough for me.

Drawing, painting, doodling, fiddling, class taking, journaling,

THAT is was I did...

...and life was Good!

Then a change happened.

It all started with "call out"

for participation in a Postcard Pen Pal Exchange.

"Why not try? What could possibly go wrong? "

Well, to my surprise, and utter delight,

everything went very, very, very right!

"Water Blossoms", a thought I once had, became a reality.

A blog was born...

Then,

I met YOU...and this time I really MET you...

up close and personal, right here in my own home.

Every morning you would be right there in my email.

You came from all corners of the world...

from the east to the west coast...

from across the rolling seas..

from big urban cities to the quiet open skys of the fens...

...from your world into mine.

You entered my life and decorated it with your individuality,

and your talent,

and your encouragement.

So,

on this "First Month Birthday" of "Water Blossoms",

I joyously celebrate!

I celebrate the vigor it has brought to my art

and,

most importantly,

I celebrate

YOU...

each and every one of you,

and

I thank you for the artistic energy you give me every day.

With appreciation and thanks,

Margaret :)