Random Thoughts on a Random Day

OK- so how adorable is my grand niece, anyway? haha... She's a pip. A real smartie, and loveable little 1 1/2+ year old. A picture from our home the night of a Memorial service for Ken. She is so very delicious. Oh, lucky us:)
My ever wise, polite Kiska. I don't know what I'd do without this kitty. I'm kinda' special to him:)...and vice versa.
An adorable kitty that my neighbor found along a road. They fixed him up at the vet's and decided to bring him home. He is so sweet.Pretty flowers around outside.
What is this thing anyway? Is it some kind of dragonfly? Does anyone know? Very interesting. We had so many this summer. (click to enlarge).
And my photographer daughter is forever taking photos of all kinds of things. These next 3 shots are very cool.c. L A-G


And, what better way to end the picture day....
.....so this has been quite an exhaustive year. (...as I type, the above mentioned kitty has just meowed and entered with a gift of his butterfly toy. I am loved. He wants my lap and to push, but I cannot do that with this posting).

So last summer, a long ago friend,Jawade, passed away . Then Kippy , my talkative and very furry kitty in Aug., and good friend , Jenny in Sept., then my darling hubby Ken had his massive stroke,blood clot in the lung , and multiple seizures the day after Thanksgiving, (all on top of his stage IV lung cancer), then Ken's 98 year old grandmother passed away in March, and Ken followed 2 months to the day in May, then my brother-in-law's 92 year old mother passed away,(I think it was on Ken's birthday in July), and within days my cousin Nina (73- she would come to every family event and will be sorely missed- my dad's 1st cousin. Her dad and my grandfather came over from Russia , right before the Revolution, with a priest for religious freedom in the early 1920's), and then just this past Sunday, my good friend Patty's husband, Byron, passed away after years living with the repercussions of a stroke, & then lung cancer on top..................

Ok, so it has been a tough year. Add to that the state of the economy and nation, job situation, paperwork, 3 kids (with one teenage son), and..............but, somehow we are hanging tough, as they say. And that includes feeling very lousy many days, but somehow we make it through.

My coffee table is still a 'wreck' with papers, vintage ephemera, etc. for collages, pins, ornaments, and more. I am trying to work in the family room while catching some news here and there. Shops asking, and shows coming up....I still haven't loaded the pictures onto my computer. A job application out the door today, and tomorrow I may go to DC, not sure. Feeling pretty tired after a night of not much sleep 2 nights ago.

Larissa and I had a nice visit with a Hospice counselor today. And I made a lot of catch up phone calls. And my very kind neighbor recently mowed and weed wacked my 'getting to be unruly lawn'. Nice to cross some things off my very long list! And so blessed by such wonderful people in our lives.

Forgive me my random ramblings.So many people are having such hard times. Prayers to you all.

Oh,yeah,I almost forgot---my daughter flipped over in the car last July. The car was totaled, but she walked out alive with just a few scratches on her. That was such a big scare that did not go away right away. An angel (or a few) on her shoulder.

Memory Eternal, Margaret, Nina, Byron!

Be blessed!

xo Lydia

A Bridal Shower,Artwork, and Paperwork

My beautiful niece, Lindsay. Soft spoken, multi-talented, knowledgable, organized, kind, gentle, and drop dead gorgeous:)
Larissa and her blueberries.
Getting ready for the last show. Art nouveau table for sale, and will be at Boonsborough Days. I often use display pieces that I sell. Gold paint underneath, and it has some age.
Homemade, delicious, handmade Margharita pizza. Yum. Very easy. I will tell you how another time, including my Russian teacakes as I promised.
Pretty cake from Safron bakery for Serge. Even though his birthday was a month ago, I thought I'd show it. Safron Bakery makes fabulous French butter cream cakes. Pretty flowers.

So, sorry for not posting recently. I did not realize that it has been nearly 2 weeks! My daughter , Alex , is her cousin Lindsay's maid of honor. So the shower was 3 states away on Long Island on the 14th. Lindsay was surprised and the shower was very nice. I haven't taken the memory stick out of the camera yet to see the pictures, though.

Everyday, I have been trying to get to artwork. I have shows coming up very soon. Boonsborough Days is very big and is creeping up very quickly. Stores have been asking for artwork to sell, and I keep 'not having enough' to bring in. Not good. And we have so much to put on Etsy, but we have been very negligent- although with very good reason.

And the paperwork is never-ending , it seems. So , I have been trying very hard to do some paperwork every day. I have been very good at it, but still need to plough away. I came onto the computer to start a rough draft of an appeal that I am submitting, and got diverted by this blog post. And my kitchen, family room, and dining room tables and island are loaded with glazed pins and ornaments in the making, along with a gazillion other items I uncovered to work on. My kitchen table holds about 17-24 canvasses all sketched in ready for painting/collaging.

I know, terrible- to have to eat meals at different loacations. Ehhh!!!!! BUt, out of sight is out of mind. I could move them easily, but....

And I am invited to a friend's house this evening. Either she will cook, or she and her husband will take me out. Who can say no?haha......

Hopefully soon I will post pictures of all the work that I am working on around the house. And in between all this 'fun' , I am interviewing, etc for jobs. Sometimes, ...alright, often, I do not know which to tackle first. But, I just start doing. It's not easy keeping all the eggs in the basket after losing one's husband of 27 years just less than 3 months ago. We still miss him big time, and still are finding our way.

Stay blessed.

Vintage Sunday

A vintage looking rose.
A wooden egg, probably from the late 1800's, painted with watercolors from Galitsia. Galitsia is where my Grandmother's family is from. They were Russian, with some Ukrainian in the background, no doubt. Galitsia no longer exists, but its area is now found in Austria & Hungary. So when I saw this egg, I knew it was for me. I bought it at a street fair in Laurel, MD years ago-maybe 16-18. It's fabulous, don't you think? I love finding things with meaning , like this. The picture does not do it justice.A fabulous cottage clock. It works, but needs constant winding. That's a picture of my grandma & grandpa. He was from Tula, the wrought iron factory outside of Moscow. That's where they made the canons and the samovars. It is near Yasnaya Polyana, where Tolstoy had his summer home.

My grandfather went around the world on a boat with one brother and other boys- young sailors in uniforms. They came to the US , but had to go back, then came back again- this time to settle. I have his ship tickets, and his guardian's passport, his old Russian & Orthodox school books. His guardian was a very special man, who was my Dad's godfather. Fr. Joseph was a wonderful priest, who to this day is looked upon as a very good man. He is buried in New Hampshire. My father was a very good man. One of those rare birds who leaves a mark on many, but never knew it at the time.

My grandfather came over when he was 13! Imagine that. Traveling the world 1 1/2 times, then settling in a foreign country, leaving your beloved roots and family and friends, for religious freedom. He came at the wake of the Russian Revolution. He would get letters from his parents asking for help for others such as a prosthetic leg. Those are the roots from which my family came. Educated, yet simple people, who were faithful, and always helped others. Can you imagine what it must have been like to even think of locating a prosthetic limb, and having it sent to another country? Even today this would be a huge undertaking.

My grandmother was THE BEST grandmother in all the land! She, like my Dad, passed away young in her 50's. Everyone should have a grandmother as good as she.

A very old Russian maiden doll, holding a vintage mini icon. She is made of silk with a formed , sculpted underskin, and painted features. I can't remember where I found her- perhaps at the Gaithersburg doll show, in Gaithersburg ,MD, years ago. She is great-more wonderful in person.:)
OK- these are not vintage looking- yet just pretty for a final picture. So what vintage specialties do you have in your home that have meaning, even if they are not handed down?

Courage and the Cat

Power words made by those who love us. A cat who sits watchful of the powerful words.A note by someone who has loved me since I was a child, and the most, delicious,.......
...chocolate chip cookies ever. Made the same way for maybe over 40 years. Always perfect, because the imperfect would be secretly eaten, so that all would always be perfect.

A most wonderful gift.
God's grace in every picture. Remembering what is truly important.
A gift of the flowers of life, the flowers in our life. Intense color in friendship and love.
The imperfect edge of a cabinet, over 100 years old......how perfect this imperfection.
Does this need any explanation? Observe the delicious black pads.
A flower by any other name......

an invitation in waiting for a special event.
A new found picture, uncovered by a cousin, tucked away in the years of life, to emerge

on our chair.... now this, dear friends, is priceless.
The courage in living when the hole is so huge. When we get lost in our worlds, it is in the little things in life, in the little details where memories exist and prosper.

xo

Happy 56th Birthday KG!...29 July

So this was taken years ago I think in Central Park. Ken is in the foreground playing doubles with his good long time friend Scott.

Larissa had a dream of him walking out the front door with some of my family, and some of his. He was smiling and feeling good and dressed in all white with a white hat. I guess God's tennis courts require all white:), like some of the old established formal clubs. A good dream I'd say.

Happy Birthday Ken for the 29th !!! Miss you big time handsome.

PS- The show I thought was a bust, but after coming home and tallying up, we did better than presumed. At least we paid for everything and then some. And I sold a lot of art work vs. antiques/vintage items. So the feedback on newer items was very good.

I think people thought it would be too hot. It was beautiful w/the air conditioning, thank goodness. I was told that the show was not indicative of a normal show for July.... although, I do not know if I should give it another chance. Too much work for sure. We shall see. Too much heat and humidity +the lousy economy, which does not look to be improving yet, make for a so-so show. Hope the rest of the year will be better!