I found the Secret!

 

Entrance to the House

Today I found the SECRET!
It was nestled in the Rose Garden at Filoli Gardens along with Marco Polo, Michelangelo, and Queen Elizabeth! Yes, the Secret is a rose!

But, the best part of the day wasn't the Rose Garden, it was the little treasures I found tucked away behind garden gates and  hidden pathways.


Sunken Gardens. Note that the Olive trees are shaped like Goblets!



I had never been to Filoli Gardens, but I have been to Versailles. I have to say I liked this just as much. I found the walk through the home interesting and the gardens magnificent! 

I went by myself and actually enjoyed that. I could walk in silence and take in all of nature. I never once felt lonely.  Sometimes it is nice to just slow down and, o.k. I have to say it, "Stop and Smell the Roses!"
 

This is Marco Polo!



This is Secret!



I'm not much of an expert when it comes to botanical and garden varietals. But, I do know a pretty flower when I see one. And I saw a lot of them. I'm surprised I only have 39 photos. I could have been out there all day snapping photographs.  My treasures were taken with my iPhone. You don't even need to have that great of a camera to appreciate all the beauty that Filoli offers. 

Even small places can have life!

 

I just liked the moss growing on this piece!




 


 

Beautiful Doves!
















  


Makes me think of Monet with the waterlilies!


  


Not sure which way the sun dial was pointing!


  


I wish this was my backyard!



Another charming Gate!




I learned that the name Filoli comes from combining the first two letters from the key words of Mr Bourn's credo: Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.




  

Rich lavender hues!

 

Old door charm!

 

Another tucked away bench!




  

This is Spartacus!



After the Bourn's died, the house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. William P. Roth. Mrs. Roth donated the house and formal garden and surrounding acreage to the National Trust for Historic Preservation so that future generations could enjoy its timeless beauty.

I know I did today!


Sylvia
P.S. They compost at Filoli!


They compost paper towels from the bathrooms! Great idea!








Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day......

I remember being a little kid and picking up pennies when I found them. It was suppose to bring good luck. According to Wikipedia, "Finding a penny is sometimes considered lucky and gives rise to the saying, "Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you'll have good luck." This may be a corruption of "See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck" and similar verses, as quoted in The Frank C. Brown collection of North Carolina folklore and other places.
It is also believed that one may get rid of bad luck by dropping a penny on the ground. The bad luck will go with the coin and be acquired by the next person to pick it up."

So, today I went for a walk and didn't find a penny. I found a dime! Wow! Does that mean I get 10 times the luck?  Probably not. With the rise of inflation, I'm not even sure that my dime is worth what a penny was back in my childhood.

I actually walked past the dime and then made a u-turn to go pick it up. Call me superstitious, but I didn't want to pass up any luck if there was any to be had.

I already feel like a lucky person. So, I'm sure I don't need the dime. But, it's shiny and relatively new. The date is 2006.  I guess I will put it in my coin purse and that will be that!

But, wait a minute, CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 2006 D Roosevelt Dime Value at a minimum of 15 cents, one in great shape can be worth $1 or more.

Maybe my dime won't bring me luck, but it could bring me more cents!

Richly,
Sylvia

Edible delights (and low calorie too!)

Is it possible to have an edible delight that is low calorie too? Why yes it is. And, the recipes are so easy, which just gets them bonus points.

I didn't start this blog to become a food critic, or even a food creator. In fact, most of my blogs are not about food. Although a few are about alcohol!

Anyway, maybe it's the hot weather we are having, but my grocery shopping today included a lot more fruits and vegetables than I usually get.  I have Bing cherries, blackberries,  blueberries, strawberries, red and green peppers, zucchini, and fresh basil.  A plethora of goodness.

Today I found two new recipes to try.  Both were really easy and, most importantly, quite tasty.
The first was Watermelon Stacks. They are basically a mound of watermelon covered with yellow tomatoes, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and red onion.  I think the recipe calls for some balsamic vinegar and salt, but I left those off and it was still a hit.

The second delight was zucchini rolls. You grill zucchini and then spread a mixture of goat cheese and herbs and some fresh basil on one end and then roll them up.  My husband sort of burned the zucchini, which in my book made them perfect. I love a good char!

So bon appetit!
May you enjoy your summer harvest of food delights.

Summer lovin, had me some food..........

Sylvia

A little piece of Caroline!

It's Father's Day, but today I'm thinking mostly about Caroline. She was Mitch's mom and my second mother. She was a lot like me: left-handed, short, vocal, smart, determined and loved!

It's been more than a month since she passed, but her memories are all around us. We have incorporated a few of her possessions into our home. It's amazing how a little plant can make you stop and think of her.

Of course, we didn't bring much home. We left the "Where's Waldo" stick and the aged salad dressing, and the "every color under the rainbow" collection of earrings. Caroline loved deals and she rarely had just one of anything!

We have cleared out her home, but not our hearts! We donated a lot of usable treasures so that other families may benefit. We have just a few trinkets, but they seem right at home now.




art candle joins other "blue hue" trinkets

Art Vase joins the end table

 

This vase was hand-carried over the Mexican border by Mitch's parents



Cordial glasses get added to the mix

Kitchen plants adorn the shelf

  

 

Leroy Neiman Golf Picture adds to the Office motif



"Love" statue and hanging plants find a new home





Golf figurine, candles, Italian Vase and Stemware complete our T.V. console area

It's nice to feel her presence around us. But, of course, the real treasure was the time we got to be with her. Nothing can replace our fond memories. Her house may be empty, but that's o.k. We hope new families are loving their new possessions. We love the few we brought home!

We love you Al and Caroline! Like that "Love" statue, may you embrace once again.

Beware of sale items!

I love to get a deal. I very rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. Perhaps it's a depression era mentality, but I wasn't born then. I don't know and I don't really care. I just want the best price possible. Maybe that's the buyer in me. I did work in the purchasing field for more than eleven years.

My latest great deal involved a poster outside of Michael's. They were selling posters that normally retail for around $30.00 for a mere five bucks. Five bucks for artwork!  Woo hoo!

I bought the poster not really knowing what I would do with it. Once I got home, I decided on the perfect place for it. But here is where the domino effect comes into play. You have a nice poster, but now you need to frame it. 

My five dollar investment is now turning into over $200.00!  I bought a minimalist frame from Aaron Brothers but it had to be custom made. The poster size would not fit any standard frame, and my area on the wall was not big enough to accommodate a larger frame with matting. Of course, I did work a deal at Aaron Brothers and got $100.00 off the retail price!

I must admit I do like my new look!  However, my wallet took a hit.

So the lesson learned is to not be an impulse buyer unless I'm ready to start the domino effect.

Now I like my wine cabinet even better. And, it has nothing to do with the wine in it!

Cheers,



New and Improved Wine Cabinet

  Sylvia


A cluttered wine cabinet

 

I'm so crafty!

I didn't know I had it in me. But, surprise, I'm crafty!

If I can do it, anybody can.  I'm the left-handed person who can hardly cut with scissors! Now, thanks in large part to Martha Stewart, I have become a transformer of art!

A while back I was motivated to change out my bathroom decor. It started with a candle scenter and then a new floor rug.  The rug sort of made me feel like I was back in Greece, so I decided to pull some of my actual photos of Greece and Paris. 

I went to Michaels and found Martha Stewart stick-on ribbon. This is the best invention ever! 

I took my photos and put ribbon around them and then added some stick-on embellishments.  How easy is that?

Now my picture of Monet's "Parisians enjoying the Parc" has been enhanced by my own photos of the Jardin des Tuileries.

My photo of the windmills in Mykenos has found a new home next to Greek soap. My mule in Santorini picture is on display, as well as my photo of a Greek Church!

Lastly, the Eiffel tower has been embellished too! Although it hardly needs any additional architectural elements!

I think my best result was how my light fixture turned out. No more looking at screws!

All in all, I think I have done a nice job of bringing my actual photos into a small space where I can enjoy them.

So run to your nearest craft store and buy some sticky ribbon. It will change your world!

I promise,
Sylvia

There's an app for that!

It never gets old to receive love letters.  Today I got one from my husband. It wasn't written on nice stationery, or a stick-it-note, it was much more hi-tech than that.  It came to me from his iPad via a pdf file in my email!

It's so great to know that with technology, we can all go back to our inner artist and send doodles!

Here's the one my husband sent me!

This is so great!  The next time I expect some X's and O's and some artwork!  But, for the first attempt, this will do!  As my husband said, this app was like working with an Etch'n Sketch! He used his finger to write and then again to erase!  And, he didn't even have to shake his iPad! 

Such advancement!  Now, there's no reason not to get love notes all the time!

xoxoxoxo

Sylvia