The Junk Drawer

Back in the USS, back in the USS, back in the USSA! Update 12 by fleur_de_lis

( With apologies to the Beatles), our daughter is back in the USA!!! Whoopee! Yahoo! Hooray! We heard from her at noon today, and they are at Ft. Bragg. Not all of them have arrived yet, and there will be paperwork and demobilization processes to go through, but it looks like in a week she will be DONE for good, and the process of reintegrating into civilian life can begin. As soon as she deplanes in Lincoln, NE, we will be able to gather her into our arms and take her home with us--it's been a long time coming. I only hope the changes she has gone through in the past year will strengthen her and not hinder her. It is a tough life for a woman, and especially a mother (not anything she expected to have to do when she joined the National Guard so many years ago, before war loomed on the horizon). I am so looking forward to returning to normal! Pray for our brave men and women in the armed forces.

Lion's Teeth by fleur_de_lis

Everywhere I look these days I see dandelions. Several are wilting away in my kitchen, courtesy of my grandson, and I am reminded of the original meaning of the word. Dandelion comes from the French words 'dents de lion' which mean lion's teeth! Even a grubby, pesky little weed can have an interesting history!

Waiting for the other shoe to drop...Update 11 by fleur_de_lis

As I write this I am hoping and praying that my daughter is out of Iraq and in Kuwait. For several days now, they have been living in tents with nothing to do but wait for their flight out. Boredom has really set in, especially since sand storms have pretty much confined them to quarters. They were supposed to be home for good by this weekend, but of course that is now out of the picture. In Kuwait they will also have to wait for a flight home, and then they will have a few days at Ft. Bragg for demobilization. Hopefully we will see them the middle of May. I haven't heard from her today but I am told that no news is good news! It means that they are on their way--we shall see. Pray for our brave men and women in the armed forces.

My New Handiwork... by fleur_de_lis

Every once in awhile you have to change it up a bit and so I decided to redo my dining room and living room in one of my favorite things ever--chocolate.... Do you notice the painting in the background? I did it Jackson Pollack style with melted dark, milk, and white chocolate flung onto a masonite base. Here is a closeup of my dining room table liberally covered with bonbons of all sorts. I especially like my chocolate candles. This is what my new living room looks like. Don't you just love the Lady Godiva chocolate creation on my back wall? And look over the fireplace! It is my all time favorite romantic painting--The Kiss by Gustav Klimt! Here's a better view of my chocolate creation The Kiss. I used the gold wrappings from the chocolates to create the gold robe. And finally....Ta Da! A close up of my new fireplace. Any and all of you are welcome to come for a visit (as long as your names are not Hansel and Gretel). I am anxious to show off my new handiwork. Godiva chocolates...

...All is Vanity by fleur_de_lis

There is a recurring theme in still life paintings that were done in Holland in the 1600's that is rooted in Ecclesiastes 1:2 'Vanity of vanities...all is vanity'. They were called Vanitas paintings and remind us that power, pleasure, and the beauties of earthly life are transient compared to what awaits us after death. They are admonishments to us to not attach meaning or importance to the things of this world. Here is a great example of a Vanitas painting by Harmen Steenwyck entitled An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life. This painting is chock full of the symbols used by Vanitas painters to represent their theme. Check out these items: Books-human knowledge Musical instruments-pleasures of the senses Japanese sword and seashell-collector's rarities representing wealth Chronometer and lamp- the frailty of human life Skull-death Purple silk-the finest of materials, the most expensive of colors Beam of light-the link between this life and the next Another interesting...

My New Summer Home.... by fleur_de_lis

Yes, my husband and I have been looking for a summer home and we have found a few that appeal to us. This one is probably my favorite--I've always enjoyed The Hobbit! And it would go well with my new car, too! My husband prefers this one, he has always enjoyed fishing.... I like solitude, and we do enjoy getting away from it all. Here we would have no worries about unwelcome guests coming to visit, but I do want a deck so....maybe not. Actually, with our budget I believe we will have to go a tad bit cheaper, so we will probably end up taking one of these units... I like the nifty red and white one at the bottom---they have a deck, greenhouse off to the side, and a pond (or is it a pool?). What more could you possibly want!

Mystery Painting Revealed by fleur_de_lis

The mystery painting is, of course, Van Gogh's Starry Night . Starry Night finds it's home at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in NYC. It is not a pretentious painting, but it carries an emotional wallop. In Starry Night we see the restless heavens, blazing stars, glowing, churning skies full of roiling energy and a crescent moon--all of it anchored by a tall church steeple reigning over the smaller buildings of a country village. The warm light coming from the windows of the homes gives us a feeling of peace, security and well being. Van Gogh did not paint this scene from real life--he drew on his memories, feelings and imagination to create a powerful statement about his chaotic world and his hope for inner peace. Each of us can see not only what he felt, but can create meaning from his work that applies to our own lives as well. When I look at this painting, I see the awesome power of God in the heavens, I see his hand protecting and caring for us, and I see the church providing...

Mystery Painting continued... by fleur_de_lis

The artist has been identified as Vincent Van Gogh and my favorite painting was done during the last part of his career after he had developed his distinctive style. As you know, Van Gogh's appeal to us is his ability to project his emotions about his subject in a manner in which we can feel what he is feeling. His distinctive style--using heavy brush strokes and scattering his colors also is a favorite of mine. Here is another example of his work you may not be familiar with: This is one of several versions Van Gogh painted of his bedroom in Arles, in the south of France. Van Gogh was a very lonely man. He struggled for years with mental problems and personality disorders that made it difficult for him to maintain relationships or friendships. He never enjoyed any form of success and yet he pursued his love of painting with an intensity unmatched by any other artist I am familiar with. In this painting of an ordinary, unremarkable bedroom I see Van Gogh's loneliness and longing...

Favorite Indiana Jones quotes! by fleur_de_lis

I am Indie crazy! With the new Indiana Jones movie coming out May 22, I thought it would be fun to try a few favorite quotes: (Feel free to add yours!) Here's the official site: http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html Indiana Jones: X never, ever marks the spot. (See also Favorite Indiana Jones quotes! Part 2, and Favorite Indiana Jones quotes! Final Round under Favorite quotes Tag)

Mystery Painting by fleur_de_lis

(No, this is not it, but it is an example of the artist's work that you may not have seen!) A while back I did a blog on a mystery artist (Picasso). This time I am going to do one on a mystery painting...let's see how many of you guess it before I reveal it to you! The painting I am going to be referring to is my very favorite painting of all, and it was hard to narrow it down to just one favorite from the thousands I love and enjoy. I am sure, however, that some of you may even agree with my pick! (Sometime I will post my top 10 with pictures, too). Some quick clues to start you off: The artist had a very short career, just 10 years. He painted towards the end of the 19th century. He sold only 1 or 2 paintings during his entire career. Most people thought his work was trash, it was even used for covering holes in walls and for target practice. Today his works sell in the 20 to 50 million dollar price range. Those are lots of clues, I bet some of you know which artist I am talking...