A NEAT GIVEAWAY

Connie over at Smockity Frocks is having a giveaway. Digital Room has offered to give away another 16x20 poster print to one of their readers! (Shipping is free in U.S. and Canada only.)


I can see one of my flower photos framed and up on my wall! Or I could use it for a study for a painting. I might use the one I posted on Charley's Plant back at the end of March. It is a closeup of a beautiful orange flower from the plant on our back fence. It was in full bloom all during February, March and into April. Alas, it has gone to seed now, but it was so beautiful that we had people stopping to ask the name of the plant. We don't know the name of the plant, but call it Charley's Plant because it came from cuttings I got from Charley's plant in Corpus Christi.



Here is the picture I was thinking about for the poster!

POETRY

Barbara at The Serenity Room is giving away an interesting book, "The Poet's Companion" on March 1st. It is a guide to writing poetry and even contains writing exercises. Poetry is one form of writing that I have shied away from and perhaps that book might help me write poetry more often. Anyway, check out Barbara's Give Away and good luck!

A NEAT GIVE AWAY

My daughter-in-law, Kara, is having a Give Away over at her blog. Check it out--who knows, you might win! Actually, I left a comment and hope I win, but that might not be fair to keep it all in the family.

GIVE-AWAY WINNER ON THANKSGIVING DAY

I had my Random Integer Generator (that is Son #3), who is visiting for Thanksgiving, do the drawing as we sat around watching the Longhorns begin to beat the Aggies. The name he came up with was: TA DA...Terri Tiffany. Terri, if you will e-mail me your address, I will send you two of my hand-painted ornaments.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I tried something different this year. A couple of years ago I inherited a number of pieces of silverware that had belonged to my maternal grandmother, my mother and my paternal grandmother, and then I had my own partial set of sterling that I got when I married and I use a set of stainless that Mother got for me with Betty Crocker coupons when I acquired my first apartment before I married--more than 40 years ago. Except for my Betty Crocker stainless (which I still use daily) none of these sets of silverware provided enough to set a complete table, but I put one place setting at each place, so that Son #3 ate with Mother's silverplate, my husband ate with my maternal grandmother's sterling, I ate with my paternal grandmother's silverplate, my brother-in-law ate with my sterling and Mother ate with my Betty Crocker stainless. It was interesting to reflect on past Thanksgiving gatherings where those pieces were used years and years ago. I had a wonderful sense of family history as I put those place settings together.

We have so much to be thankful for today. We are healthy, safe, have a roof over our heads, enough to eat and a comfortable bed to sleep in tonight. I am so grateful for my many, many blessings. Thank you, Lord. And, Son #3's dog, Nero, is also grateful for all his blessings, I am sure!

Christmas Ornament Give-Away

I have been having fun using my oil paints to paint some wooden Christmas ornaments. I thought I would give away a couple right after Thanksgiving. That should give them ample time to dry. Here is a picture of a few that I finished a few days ago.

I will keep the names of all who leave comments on my blog for the next two weeks--until Thanksgiving. I will put those names in a kettle and have one of my Thanksgiving guests draw a name to send the ornament to. Good luck.