Scraps

This is an interesting fringe benefit to a quilter……scraps.  I have lots of little pieces of green fabric with brown flowers, red fabric with white stars, and yellow fabric with little black and white “eyes”. 

When I moved to California about six years ago, I got rid of all my scraps, and practically all of my fabric.  Who knew I would come down here and become a quilting maniac? 

A few years ago, I was making gifts for Mother’s Day and I needed some green fabric for some leaves.  It was pathetic.  I went to class and asked if anyone had any green scraps they could spare….it makes me laugh now.  A dear friend, Lorraine, brought me a whole sandwich bag of odds and ends – all green – perfect for my leaves!

Now, I have scraps.  Lots of scraps!  I have them sorted by color into clear containers so I can find them quickly.  Something that really makes me smile is being able to whip up a little gift or some nifty appliqué piece from scraps.

J

Kindness

Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.


J

Funny Cat

Sometimes you see a picture and it just makes you smile....

This is my niece's cat...funny!!!

(Thanks Shannon! - this definitely made me smile!)

J

Cold Little Flower

We are expecting snow in the Bay Area tonight.  I will likely sleep right through it.  It's really a novelty and I would love to see it and take some pictures.

The last time it snowed in this area was in 1976...people are still talking about it and showing their pictures from that time.  It's funny what memories come to the fore - even after 35 years.  It would be nice to see....then I'll have a snowy memory for this area too!

I saw this flower and thought about how it reminded me of the beauty of snow...as well as the hope for spring.

Have a great weekend everyone!

J

Smile, Smile, Smile

every time I think of you,
smile for a while
that's the one thing you always do
smile smile smile 

acting out stories and hugging your friends
smile for a while
I know what I’ll do when I see you again
I’m gonna smile smile smile

like ripples in a pond
or runners who pass the baton
good feelings will go on for mile after mile
and your big heart circles the world 
every time that you smile

doing those voices and telling your jokes
smile for a while
your crazy hairdos and your thriftshop coats
smile smile smile

every time you break into a Broadway song
smile for a while
the whole world starts singing along
smile smile smile

well you know I love you and I’m glad you're my friend
smile for a while
you know what I’ll do when i see you again
smile smile smile

Dan Zanes

Laugh at Yourself

"If you can't laugh at yourself, you might be missing the joke of the century."


J

Motivation

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. 

J

Starbucks VIA

I don’t often endorse a product, but this is different….this is coffee.

http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/via

Starbucks VIA is the best instant coffee I have ever had.  It’s convenient to tuck inside your purse or pocket and can go anywhere with you.

It’s a great thing to have on hand if you have a few friends who like decaf and you don’t want to brew a separate pot.  The flavor of the decaf is excellent – another thing they got right!

It is a really great product and I love keeping some on hand for quick travel mug fill-ups or when it just doesn’t make sense to make an entire pot of coffee. 

I used to have a supplier (a child who was an employee of Starbucks) but now I have to buy it the old fashioned way….at Costco.

Check it out – it will make you smile.

J

Honking

This morning several Canada geese flew over our house.  They were honking to each other as they moved from the lake to the bay.  I love the sound of Canada geese in the morning – or anytime, really. 

Then, just after they flew out of ear-range, a taxi drove up to a nearby house and alerted the occupants of his arrival – with several honks. 

Two different honks – one that makes me smile every time and the other which usually makes me cringe, added a bit of irony to my Sunday morning smile.

J

Smile of Mine

If I thought that a smile of mine, might linger the whole day through and lighten some heart with a heavier part, I'd not withhold it -- Would you?

Anonymous

J

Friday Smile

When I was a kid, my mom always cleaned the house on Friday.  It was so cool to come home from school and smell the combination of a wonderful meal combined with a lingering aroma of Pledge.

It was a time for the family to be together and talk and enjoy each other’s company.  It’s so nice to get to Friday evening – especially after a long and very busy week!

My house doesn’t smell like pledge, but there’s a roast in the crock-pot and the candles are lit – the family is on their way.  Here’s to a wonderful weekend!

J

A Smile

A smile is a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes. 

Among humans, it is customarily an expression denoting pleasure, happiness, or amusement, but can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, in which case it is known as a grimace.

Cross-cultural studies have shown that smiling is a means of communicating emotions throughout the world. But there are large differences between different cultures.  A smile can also be spontaneous or artificial (when people feel obliged to smile).

Happiness is most often the motivating cause of a smile. 

J

(Thanks Wikipedia)

This Too Shall Pass

Abraham Lincoln included this story in an address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society in Milwaukee:


It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away." How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!


J

Banana Bread

I heard recently that bananas are the only type of fruit that doesn't make you feel guilty for not using it when it was perfect.  Bananas are very forgiving because they are actually at their best in banana bread.

For years (I am talking decades here!) I used the same recipe and it was okay, but just not very moist – not like I wanted it to be.  I would smother it in butter or dunk it in coffee, but it just wasn’t the best.

A couple of months ago, Jen, my daughter (http://glenniferjen.blogspot.com/) sent me a great recipe for banana bread – it’s different.  It bakes up dark and beautiful, but it’s so moist and full of banana flavor….finally, after all these years, the “best” recipe has been found!

Last night, I had about four over-ripe bananas sitting on the counter.  I had to do something with them.  I decided to make up the recipe but instead of baking it in a loaf, I made it into six extra-large muffins.  I kinda like muffins.  I topped them with almond slices before I baked them.  Amazing!

So, here’s another recipe for all of you out there who wait and hope for them.  Rest assured, I don’t post recipes unless I consider them the best, the go-to, the tried and true…so use up those bananas, bake up some of these lovelies and you will be smiling too!

J

Jen’s Banana Bread

3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix these together well, then add the following one at a time until well mixed:

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 ½ cups flour (I always use whole wheat pastry flour – it’s always great!)

1 tsp. baking soda

Bake at 350°

Loaf pan – 1 hour

Muffin pans – 20-30 min.

Animals at the Beach

While we were on our trip we saw fourteen different animals/birds/fish, not counting the fish that the cormorant was eating – even while it wiggled!

We technically didn’t see the whales, although we saw the spray, it’s so cool to know they are out there, even though you can’t see them.

We saw seagulls, crows and three pelicans flying in formation.  We saw harbor seals and elephant seals.  The cool part about the elephant seals was that they were all throwing sand up on themselves and if you only focused on that, it looked like fans of sand moving all the way down the beach.  We also saw a sea otter or two and a family of deer.

On the day we came home, we ate our breakfast on a bench watching the ocean.  We could see some kind of animal out in the water, but we couldn’t really see what it was.  Finally, they began to move and we were thrilled to realize they were dolphins.  Swimming and jumping in and out of the water as they moved north up the coastline.  Amazing!

J

Hearst Castle ~ Part One

We had the opportunity to tour Hearst Castle while on our anniversary trip last week.  It’s something I've always wanted to do – I've read a lot about the Hearst family and have always wanted to see the castle first hand.

We went on two separate tours.  The first one was an overall tour of the grounds and two of the houses.  It’s almost more than you can take in, visually.  Unfortunately, you can’t just stand and hang out and look at things or soak it in.  You have to stay with the group and the group moves through in about an hour and a half.  Then you have to get on the bus and head back down the hill to the visitor’s center. 

The ceilings are spectacular.  I’ve never really thought of a ceiling as much more than the top of a room.  These are inlaid, painted, three-dimensional pieces of art.  It was pretty cool going into every room and looking up! 

The artwork is old and uninsurable – there is no replacing most of the pieces throughout the houses.  The swimming pools are incredible – you do really want to try them out and take a dive in, but my favorite room on the first tour was the gathering room.  There were tables and chairs and couches.  Amazing tapestries adorned every wall.  The ceiling once again, was part of the enhanced room.  My favorite piece in this room was the fireplace.  It was a “mantle over the mantle” style – large enough to burn an entire tree.  When the fireplace warmed up, it heated the upper metal mantle which then radiated heat throughout the huge room.  Great idea!

We then went into the dining room – quite elaborate and formal, although the ketchup and mustard containers – along with paper napkins showed that the owners had a sense of style and formality, yet a fun attitude!

It was a beautiful day with fantastic weather – I’m still smiling about the experience!

J

An Approaching Frown

A smile confuses an approaching frown.  ~Author Unknown


J

Watermelon Quilt

When I saw this pattern I couldn't resist.  There was just something about those watermelons that I just couldn't pass up!

I started this quilt last winter.  It was all cut out and ready to put together.  I will hopefully have it quilted and ready for display this summer.

It makes me smile whenever I look at it – I hope the thought of warm weather and watermelons to come will make you smile too!

J

Keep Smiling

We were in Pacific Grove for a few days last week.  The weather was outstanding!  Sunny and warm and so clear….ahhh.  I am longing to go back.

We took our bikes along with us this trip.  We got settled in, did a couple of errands in the car on Sunday afternoon and then only rode the bikes after that until Tuesday.

We rode down the beach, up the beach, around Pacific Grove and into Monterey.  It was so much fun!  There is a really nice bike path all the way up the coast.  While you ride, you can see the ocean and waves, birds and seals.  We saw a sea otter and a whole bunch of harbor seals.  There are places to stop along the way – either for a view or food and/or drink. 

When we were heading back, the last hill was taking its toll on me.  On the other side of the street was an elderly lady walking towards us.  She saw me struggling and laughing.  She waved at us and said something quite remarkable, “Keep smiling!”

I asked Ken if he thought maybe she read my blog…..

J

To All Smile Followers

Unfortunately, I suffered a laptop breakdown last week.  Since we were away from home, it wasn't possible to make my goal of one smile everyday - in the blog anyway.  


We are back now and I'm using the old PC - but I'm still smiling....


Thanks for holding on - we're back in the smile business!


Have a great week everybody!


J

Coffee Art

I have enjoyed coffee in many places and in many ways.  I can drink coffee at home, in coffee shops, in diners and restaurants.  I especially like coffee in airports and train stations. 

I like drive-up coffee, walk-up coffee, coffee served in bed and coffee served at your table with a bottomless cup!

I love coffee in Seattle, SoCal, NoCal, San Francisco, Maryland, Washington DC, and Berkeley.

I especially like it when they decorate your coffee with coffee art.  There are some people who are artists when they pour the foam on your latte.  I’ve had baristas in my family and I have friends who have this talent as well.  There’s something about having a heart or a sun or a leaf or a smiley face show up in your coffee!  Definitely puts a smile on my face!

J

Pacific Grove

We are in Pacific Grove for a few days, celebrating our 6^th anniversary.  The weather has been gorgeous.  We are staying close to the beach; we can hear the roar of the ocean which is so delightful!

We are enjoying watching the wildlife from the deck of our room.  Deer, crows, seagulls, monarch butterflies – really nice!

We brought a couple of beach chairs with us, yesterday we took them and sat on the rocks and watched the water for about an hour and a half.  We soaked up the waves and the birds, the blue sky and the beauty of the ocean.  So many places make me smile, but the ocean feeds something deep within me.  It is renewing and refreshing in every way.

J

Love

     Love never gives up.

     Love cares more for others than for self.

     Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

     Love doesn’t strut,

     Doesn’t have a swelled head,

     Doesn’t force itself on others,

     Isn’t always “me first,”

     Doesn’t fly off the handle,

     Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

     Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

     Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

     Puts up with anything,

     Trusts God always,

     Always looks for the best,

     Never looks back,

     But keeps going to the end.

                                               Trust steadily in God,

                                                Hope unswervingly,

                                                Love extravagantly.

                                              And the best of the three is love.

J

                             JJJJJJ

J

Empty Hands

I found this poem to be encouraging and comforting this week. 

Regaining perspective is something that always makes me smile!

J

One by one He took them from me

All the things I valued most;

‘Til I was empty-handed,

Every glittering toy was lost.

And I walked earth’s highways, grieving,

In my rags and poverty.

Until I heard His voice inviting,

“Lift those empty hands to Me!”

Then I turned my hands toward heaven,

And He filled them with a store

Of His own transcendent riches,

‘Til they could contain no more.

And at last I comprehended

With my stupid mind, and dull,

That God cannot pour His riches

Into hands already full.

                         - Source Unknown

Little Happy Flower

I have a lot of bulbs planted in my front flower bed.  I just love it when they start waking up and showing their happy little faces.  We've had such nice weather – I  think they think that it’s spring.

I anticipate this wonderful flower every year.  It has striped leaves that kind of look like grass and then all of the sudden a flower appears.  I can hardly wait when I start seeing the leaves appear. 

Today was the day.  I went out this morning and there it was – all yellow and happy and then I was so happy, I just had to share!

J

Snow

The United States has been getting a lot of snow lately.  We haven’t seen any here, I’m still waiting.  It’s been sunny and beautiful here and I've been thinking of all my friends and family enduring the extreme weather across the country.

I found this photo online and it made me smile….I really hope it’s not someone from California praying for all that snow!

J

Mr. Postman

I have a really nice mailman.  I love how organized he is.  He parks his truck up the road a bit and then walks to each house and makes his way back to his truck.  I know it’s a bit old-fashioned.  He actually comes to each house and takes the outgoing mail and leaves the incoming mail. 

There are many mailboxes today that hold all the mail for the neighborhood.  You have to take a key and get your mail – you often don’t see the mail delivered or the person who delivers it. 

Our mailman is very efficient and seems to get the job done quickly.  Another interesting thing about him is that he always wears shorts.  No matter what the weather, he’s in shorts.  Sometimes he wears a sweatshirt or a hat if it’s raining.  I’ve asked him before if he was warm enough.  I am inside the house with jeans, and five layers of shirts and sweatshirts on and he’s outside delivering the mail in shorts and a light jacket.  I’ve known other people in my life who wear shorts all year long – there’s something about them that is fun.

My mailman is a really nice guy who talks to the dogs and waves to the people in my neighborhood.  He’s especially nice when he brings me letters and packages from my friends and family!

J