More of the golden Ash...

I especially like these photos for their dynamic - the wind was blowin' quite strongly while I took these photos....

"Fraxinus" (Oleaceae)

ash, Esche

New Years Goals--Not Resolutions

Happy New Year Everyone! It's almost here, so I thought I'd post my New Year's Goals--not resolutions, because you know we never seem to keep those. Goals are different--aren't they.

So here goes...................For 2009 I plan to......

Work on my needlework and sewing more and get more projects done. You know like those patterns that I bought that have been sitting around forever and that list of ideas that keeps getting longer by the day. I know I won't get them all done, but I'd sure like to take a chunk out of them all.

I have 2 secret projects that I'd like to work on and no don't ask, because they are secret and I won't tell. I'm a good secret keeper!

I recently discovered The Toy Society and I really like their idea, so I've decided to give it a whirl.

Get healthier--yes that means eat better (chocolate still included!) and to exercise. I still have my old Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies VHS--yes I said VHS tape (and I still have a VCR--2 in fact) and get busy exercising!

And last but not least is to create more patterns! I have lots of ideas floating around in my head and in my notebooks and it's high time I got them out and onto paper!

AND!.............................I'd like to start 2 new collections......Hey that can be a New Year's Goal and I may even add to the list throughout the year. hehehee!

For 2009 I would like to start collecting (in addition to my older collections of course!)......

China doll heads--I have 4, so I officially have a collection, but I really need more. I'd also like to find some molds for the old style china dolls. I have lots of fun ideas I'd like to try with these.

And then also I'd like to collect Things That Are Pink. Odd? Maybe, but I love pink and want to make our master bedroom the one room in the house that is Shabby Chic/Vintage Cottage/Romantic Homes style, so I need to find some pink knick knacks and rose floral fabrics and such. I do have a start, so hopefully by years end my hunt will have paid off and that room will have been transformed.

Well I have tried to keep it simple, so hopefully I will have some success.
Have a safe and Happy New year and don't forget to set some new, fun goals!

On the last day of this year...

On the last day of the year I'll show you what I promised a while ago - the cycle of the cherry trees at a certain place...

A very Happy New Year to everyone!

Mind-boggling Colours of the Barberry...

This is a plant with about 500 species - can you imagine that?
I only know that this is a plant with the most incredible autumn colours I can think of - even more intense and differentiated than those of the maple.
Now click on the images and your eyes will be dazzled...

"Berberis" (Berberidaceae)
barberry, Berberitze

Golden Birches....

Normally the wind blows them away, immediately, as soon as they appear - the golden leaves of the birches. But this year we had the luck of an exceptionally beautiful autumn and I had the opportunity to photograph many different trees in their most beautiful dresses. These were the birches...

"Betula" (Betulaceae)
birch, Birke

Some of My Christmas Treasures

Now that things have slowed down a bit and getting sort of back to normal I thought I'd share just a couple of my favorite Christmas gifts I received this year......

I got a wire dress form! We had went to the mall to visit Santa when the husband had to stop at his favorite western store--that also happens to be going out of business, so while he looked at hats I looked at the store fixtures--but I some how missed this little beauty. He was the one who found it when I drug him over to the fixtures corner to show him the shelving and decor items. They had 2 different styles of dress forms and this was the one I wanted, so after inquiring about the price and finding out it was $40 he bought it and told me it had to go under the Christmas tree. That was alright by me! In fact I'm considering letting it live in that spot after the tree is put away--which just happens to be where he puts his western collection. hehehee! Oh yeah I named this one Mae--Mae West, because she's from the western store--Corral West, so it only made sense, however I'm pretty sure she won't be dressed western. ;)

Then I got a sewing basket! For so long I've wanted one of these little sewing baskets and now I finally have one! My folks sent me this and my mom filled it with all sorts of little treasures and even wrote out a "geneology" of how she had acquired each little treasure through the years. She has no idea how fun it was to open this and pull out each little piece. This is my favorite kind of gift!

A peek at some of the goodies found inside...... a fabric jelly roll, crocheted basket and pot holders, china doll!, little bitty beaded pink purse, pink enamel necklace, sterling silver tatting shuttle (she found at a garage sale for a dime some 20 years ago), silver ladle, belt buckles, clothespins, bobbin, thread, antique lace, button card, wooden needle holder, and even 2 little old milk bottle paper tops, a couple of hankies that were my grandmother's and a darling dress dishtowel.

Pretty darned good treasures I'd say! I was tickled pink with them that's for sure! In fact I told my family that I think next year all gifts should either be handmade or 2nd hand from the thrift stores or antiquety places. Much better than store bought!

A closeup look at the darling little dishtowel dress. Isn't it cute!

Yup, it paid off being a good girl, so I guess I'd better keep on track for next year too. hehee!

GTS - Green Thumb Sunday

This plant is growing as a hedge right in front of the house where I live. The colours in autumn are just incredible as you can see yourself...

How to join:

Golden Ash....

The ash tree was the sacred tree of the celts. In Germany you'll find them often in public parks and residential areas because of their beautiful blossoms and filigree foliage which appears with an outstanding luminous green in spring.
Normally they lose their leaves in autumn when they are still green. This year I found some real beautiful exceptions - but judge for yourself...

"Fraxinus" (Oleaceae)
ash, Esche

The Christmas Donkey

This is one of those Christmases when a Christmas Wish was granted. Our youngest (9yro) daughter has talked about nothing but wanting a donkey of her own, since we pastured a few donkeys for a neighbor this last summer, so when Christmas got close and talk of Santa started that's all we heard--I want a donkey. And she didn't care if she got any other presents. All she wanted was a donkey. Soooo we're thinking ok--how do we do this..........................

Last Thursday the 18th I logged on to our local Freecycle Yahoo group-- (www.freecycle.org) and posted a want ad for a donkey. In case you're not familiar with freecycle, it's a nationwide group of local yahoo chapters and you can post for things to giveaway for free or that you are wanting--but it all must be free. Well within the hour I had a family with a donkey they were willing to give to us--free! We made arrangements to go meet the little donkey and we fell in love with her and knew she was the one! Next we made arrangements with our neighbor to help pick her up and so on Christmas eve the husband and neighbor went to pick up little Dixie Donkey and brought her home, where we hid her out in the barnyard until Christmas morning.

Bright and early Christmas morning everyone was up and dressed and soon gifts had been unwrapped and then it was time for our daughter to head out the door to take care of the ducks--and that's when she found the lead rope with a note from Santa attached and then she was like a bolt of lightening off to the barn, because there was a donkey waiting for her--her very own donkey! It was love at first sight for both of them!

Dixie, daddy and daughter out in the snow in the barnyard. Lots of snow! And yes Dixie has her very own stall all to herself in the barn, so she can keep warm. Don't you love her pink harness she's sporting. She about 2 1/2 years old and is a lovely chocolate brown with cream muzzle and belly and she has the sweetest personality.

She was one happy girl with her big Christmas Wish granted.

Ginkgo Leaves in Autumn...

Ginkgo trees are very difficult to photograph as a whole so that it really looks good. Due to the tree growing very sparsely with few branches you often have either too much irritating background or the tree itself is too asymmetrical. So the solution is - besides choosing a detail of the beautiful leaves - to go for a good crop which I did here again.
The reason why I find Ginkgos so extremely interesting is that in autumn the leaves are turning into an incredibly warm yellow without the slightest touch of any other colour such as red or brownish.

Merry Christmas to Everyone...

A Christmas present to you with images you would not expect at this time of the year???? First I wanted to show you some images from last year with wonderful "iceflowers" due to lack of snow photos from this year. But instead - look what I found today while taking some freah air with the bycicle! I take this as a wonderful omen for a good New Year - the full blossoms of a Daphne.
In reality of course this bush often blooms while there is still snow. But nevertheless for me it stands for hope towards those blossoms to come hopefully soon and which are a feast again each year. I can hardly wait....

*** Merry Christmas to You All ***

"Daphne Mezereum" (Thymelaeaceae)
Seidelbast

Nightmare before Christmas Wallpaper

Nightmare before Christmas Wallpaper

Get the horrable free wallpapers from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas, These pictures are so big that you can use them as the computer desktop backgrounds, so download and save these Nightmare before Christmas Wallpapers which are given here in the sizes 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960 and 1600x1200. This website is one stop for all fans of Nightmare Before Christmas from here they can to view, , share, download, send their favorite images, pictures, animated gifs, icons, clipart, photos and wallpapers. Here you also have an area to add comments and discuss you views.

This place is featuring all the main characters of the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas with scary ghosts, witches, vampires, bad santa, bloody night mummies. Its just like Halloween horror and night mare of Halloween night party.

Nightmare before Christmas Wallpaper

Nightmare before Christmas Wallpaper

Get the horrable free wallpapers from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas, These pictures are so big that you can use them as the computer desktop backgrounds, so download and save these Nightmare before Christmas Wallpapers which are given here in the sizes 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960 and 1600x1200. This website is one stop for all fans of Nightmare Before Christmas from here they can to view, , share, download, send their favorite images, pictures, animated gifs, icons, clipart, photos and wallpapers. Here you also have an area to add comments and discuss you views.

This place is featuring all the main characters of the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas with scary ghosts, witches, vampires, bad santa, bloody night mummies. Its just like Halloween horror and night mare of Halloween night party.