Flutter

Yesterday, TWITTER was the message.

Today, it's FLUTTER. As in Butterfly/ies.

Many of you know that hubby and I have been Habitat Stewards with the National Wildlife Federation since 2003 ... we started a ginormous project here in our community, too, which we registered in 2005 - we are hoping to someday see Encinitas certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat.

But that's all bigger stuff ... this is smaller, more gentle stuff today.

If you are interested in GARDENING for BUTTERFLIES, click on this link and see what NWF has to say about your dreams:

http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/butterflies.cfm

Me, I am over-the-top impressed with the new 'look' of the NWF site, especially all the links that pertain to "gardening for wildlife" (ie, birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles, etc). For the complete overview on that topic, click here:

http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/index.cfm/

Let me know what you think. {I love comments!}

-- Davielle

tweet, tweet, twitter

Tweet.



After hearing about twitter from several friends, and having NOT A CLUE what it's all about ... I investigated it this morning, after hearing that a Facebook friend, Axel, would be going solely with twitter, and soon.

Not wanting to miss out on updates from this particular Belgian, I opted to look into twitter, rather than dismissing it out of hand {which I did, just last week, when invited to tweet by friend Victoria}.



So, what the heck? I've now got a twitter account.



http://twitter.com/DHMagpie is where you can find {and follow} me, if you like.



Want more information on this new trend? Visit them at www.twitter.com for details.

-- Davi

cooking with Pioneer Woman

friends, do yourself a BIG fat flavor {er, sorry - favor} ... visit Pioneer Woman's COOKING page today and not only enjoy her illustrated recipe for divine-sounding meatballs, but locate her foray into the world of fondant {ie, fancy icing}. oh my, oh my.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

need I say any more?

-- Davielle

Shutter Sisters Dream Assignment

Okay, so artist Kelly Rae Roberts posted a note on her blog today, complete with video clip {which I just can't get to upload ... darn it all!} that really got my attention. The only way I can make sure YOU, my dear readers, find out about this amazing project is to direct you to Jen Lemen's BLOG at this address:

http://jenlemen.com/blog/

PLS PLS PLS click on that link and check out her Dream Assignment project: Picture Hope. You may have to scroll down on that first page to find the video, but DO IT. And WATCH IT. And then - register (it's easy) and then - VOTE. I did !!!

You'll be oh-so-glad that you did.

-- Davielle

Simple Abundance for your CLOSET

Ladies, I am again resorting to "borrowing" a blogpost from the fantastic perennial, "SIMPLE ABUNDANCE: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy" by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Today's entry by Ms. Breathnach {don't you just love her name?!} is SO pertinent to us all ... it speaks to the whole SPRING CLEANING mind-set that many of us are suffering from {er, experiencing might be the kinder way to say that ...}, but with your WARDROBE in mind.

REAL LIFE: Clothes That Fit Your Lifestyle

"I haven't got a thing to wear" does not, of course, mean that we must resort to nakedness or seclusion; it means that our wardrobes contain nothing that might match our mood or offer a just reflection of our current lives." -- Kennedy Fraser

Most of us have had the experience of looking at a closet full of clothes and finding nothing wearable that matches our mood. With a sigh of resignation we resort to a well-worn and time-tested "uniform", where it be a black dress and pearls or a denim skirt, sweater, and boots.

Actually, most of us wear, with few exceptions, the same thing or its incarnation over and over again. The outfits may vary according to the season, but not our dependence on a few staples, which, in their own way, offer a revealing reflection of how we view our current lives. The legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue, Diana Vreeland, was famous for favoring the same style black couture skirts and sweaters every workday for many years.

So what do we do with all the clothes we don't wear? Nothing. They just hang there abandoned, because of their size or color or lack of appropriateness, because they itch, or because we had that last terrible fight with our ex-husband in that sorry dress and don't want to be reminded of the pain. Sometimes clothes hang around season after season, phantoms waiting for some unforeseen occasion in the future that never comes.

Spring is the perfect time to take stock of our wardrobes and reconsider our relationship to clothes. The wind of refreshing change is in the air. We long to shed our heavy coats and sweaters for lighter garb. Let's shed our outmoded attitudes about what's fashionable, and replace them with new ideas about what works for us in our real lives and truly reflects our authenticity.

What if everything hanging in your closet were something you loved -- something that made you look beautiful or made you feel wonderful when you put it on? Think of how good you would feel every day. Embracing the second Simple Abundance principle of simplicity can spiritually induce such a miracle.

Later you'll clean out your closets and dresser drawers, but not today. Today, I only want you to consider your real life and the clothes you wear every day. Do they really reflect the woman within? What about the clothes that speak to you from the pages of your illustrated discovery journal? What about the clothes that hang abandoned in your closet? Every dress, skirt, pair of slacks or jeans, blouse, sweater, T-shirt and jacket tells a story. "Clothes have a life that is quite independent of their shape and color," Kennedy Fraser reminds us in The Fashionable Mind. Get quiet, go within, and be willing to really listen to the tale that the threads of your life have woven.

-- the end of the Simple Abundance entry for March 25th

So, my friends, what does all that mean to us? I'll tell you what it brings to MY mind.

It reinforces the decision I made to purchase some items from CAbi {Carol Anderson by invitation} through my fabulous CAbi consultant, Rebecca Oostra. The pieces I have picked up from CAbi are what my mother would have referred to as 'Wardrobe Builders', or 'staples' of my wardrobe. Not plain old wear-it-with-anything-and-get-away-with-murder clothes - not by any means. The pieces I've recently added to my closet were well thought-out, fun, flattering pieces that I could just see myself wearing - over & over again - and being very happy inside.

When Rebecca gently said to me {I'm sure she says this to all her CAbi customers} that her mother taught her to MAKE ROOM IN HER WARDROBE for the new pieces by weeding out the old pieces -- thus giving them {the older pieces, the ones you know you're never going to wear again anyway} a new life -- in someone else's closet -- I knew it was keen wisdom she was sharing.

I did just that -- bags and bags have gone to Goodwill and Amvets, and anything that I thought one of my girls might wear -- was passed by them first. What a difference it has made in my dresser drawers and on the closet rods !!! It's quite liberating, actually, to make a decision that something that just doesn't "work" any more is OUT THE DOOR -- it's so freeing!

Where can you find CAbi clothes? Look them up online, or contact Rebecca if you'd like to work with the most amazing woman in the business {that's my humble opinion, and I'm sticking to it} at rebeccaoostra@mac.com OR on her CAbi website at http://www.rebeccaoostra.cabionline.com/ ... you'll be so glad you did! By the way, Rebecca can work with you no matter where you live in the United States.

And what can you do with all YOUR wardrobe mis-fits? There's so many options, but I might suggest you check with your local women's shelter and/or your church to see if they're collecting clothes for women in need. Then there's always Goodwill, Amvets, or a local clothing resale shop.

Whether you donate them, consign them, or sell them on E-bay (!), just MOVE THEM OUT YOUR DOOR if they're no longer expressing WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

-- Davielle

on Parenting

"If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging."

-- Diane Loomans
from the "I LOVE YOU, MOM" 2009 calendar

Aging GRAYcefully

My friend Victoria, a darling silver-haired gal, handed me a postcard yesterday and said "know anyone else who's totally gray or silver? pass this on."

Aging 'Gray'cefully is a photojournal style book in progress by Lori Brookes, celebrating women who are 50+ and have one common 'strand' between them -- gray hair! The women are vibrant, beautiful, and have made the choice to accept their 'gray'ness. They are a collective source of inspiration for what's next and that it ain't over yet! Lori continues to seek additional women for her project.

If you are interested in being included in a photojournal-style book, if you're 50+, if you have gray hair ... visit www.agingraycefully.com and/or call Lori at 619-884-5674 ...

Rock on, gray-sters !!!

-- Davielle

More TEA BAG Wisdom

"Life is a chance.

Love is infinity.

Grace is reality."

-- from Yogi Tea

Is there a chance in life that you're afraid to take? What is it? Why are you afraid?

Is there a relationship in your life that needs attention? Take the time to think it through, and then give it the attention it deserves.

Is there someone in your circle who graces those around him or her just by being 'present' ?? Acknowledge their gift to your life.

That's about all I am going to wax on about this morning - we're on our way to have breakfast with sis-in-law Heather and her husb Joel, and then on to church, to the baptism of baby Luke, son of our friends Gina and Joe.

I love days like this!

-- Davielle

Intuition

"Listen and you will develop intuition."

-- from my YOGI teabag {honest to God, that's where I found this gem}

You can visit http://www.yogitea.com/ to see what they're all about ... needless to say, I'm a YOGI TEA convert for life, with thoughtful quotes like that on each & every tea bag. Well, not on the tea BAG, but on the other end of the tea-bag-string. :-)

Mark called me on the cell today from Crest Drive {Cardiff} to report that he saw the first Western Bluebirds of the season over there. He, of course, invited them to visit us at Quail Oaks, but only time {and a watchful eye} will tell.

-- Davielle

and then there's the OWLS

Yup ... the nest-that-gets-reused-year-in-and-year-out has TENANTS ... Great Horned Owls !!!

It's been quite the Springtime around Quail Oaks, that's for sure.

Yesterday, friend Victoria came by mid-day with her friend, nature photographer Chris Mayne, to pay the nesting GHO's a little visit.

I captured this, using my oh-so-lowly Canon G9 {which, as digital cameras go, actually quite ROCKS ...}.

It's just that Chris totes a bazooka-sized CANON with a lens you can't believe ... too bad I didn't get a pic of him. ANYWAY. {and as an aside, it's Chris' wife CAROL MAYNE that did two paintings in our home ... one of Figueroa Mountain near Santa Barbara, and the other of the original house that was right here at Quail Oaks ... but that's another story!}

We couldn't detect any owls sitting in the nest in the hot sun, BUT Chris said 'hmmm ... we're being watched.'

It was rather spooky, 'cause just one minute later he says 'there she is' and he pointed to a nearby Torrey Pine tree {in neighbor Louis' yard} ... and here's what I got:

Wow. Great Horned Owls one day; Coyotes the next. Not to mention the daily ... hawks, finches, sparrows, Phoebes, Towhees, hummingbirds, bush tits, White Crowned Sparrows, etc etc etc ... it's PARADISE around here.

I now fear leaving the house without my camera -- you never know what's going to show up next around here!

-- Davielle

The Day the COYOTES Came to Play

Just when you thought I'd abandoned my blog(s), here I am ... I'm back!

As I stood at the master bedroom window this morning, appreciating the abundance of Wisteria blooms on our vine {the one that's planted outside the breakfast nook that is now up to the 2nd story and draping our balcony off the Master - THAT glorious vine} ... something caught my eye.

WHOA. A coyote, at 8:45 am - in the misty remains of our morning - hunting just behind our "barn" {where the pumpkin truck lives}.

I called Mark to come up and we both took a good look with the binoculars, just enjoying the sight.

look closely ... there's TWO of 'em

And then - Coyote Number Two {the one we now call 'Wounded' ... you'll see why shortly} appeared. A PAIR. In broad daylight. Right there, out back. Within shouting distance. Whoa.

OUCHY ...

"Where's Rocky," I asked. Not to worry - he was at our heels, wondering what all the fuss was about.

I then took a run downstairs for the camera {Canon G9, in case anyone's wondering} and thank God, the pair was still there ... I got some shots before they moved over to a spot ... get this ... CLOSER to the balcony, so I could get even better photos. Whoa.

'LOCK THE DOORS and DON'T LET ROCKY OUT' ...

This pair proceeded to visit the very same woodpile that Rocky visits DAILY, seeking lizards. I now know what else he's seeking: the SOURCE of that SCENT they're leaving behind. You'll see.

Coyote at Rocky's fave woodpile ... which is positively teeming with Lizard Life

And then - get this. They drank from our MISTY BIRDBATH, one of three on the property. You'll see.

And then - one of them ran across our driveway, right over to our front lawn. Then changed his {her?} mind and the pair of them went down the driveway a bit ...

Moments later, a very large, very fast RABBIT came bounding up the drive, into sight -- shortly thereafter followed by two galloping coyotes, who lost the chase. Whoa.

WHAT A MORNING !!! my last shot of the AM was this, which I call 'Coyote in Camo' ...

Thank God for the blooming WISTERIA, eh ???

Morning Glory

Woke up to the blooming Pink Jasmine and Wisteria this morning, and after a terrible night's sleep, let me tell you - there's nothing quite so lovely.

Rocky hasn't adjusted to DST yet, so slept in 'til 7:15 am ... but he's up for his day now.

Just wanted to post some other happy images I awakened to, so you'll see that when I 'clarified' my position last evening on here, you see that I mean it ...

This blog is NOT intended for airing of all our laundry, not by any means. It's INTENDED for random musings, mostly uplifting & happy ones, and to STAY IN TOUCH with family & friends.

But I was reading some of a book last night in the bath about ART JOURNALS as HEALING and they do point out, over and over, that if WE {the actual, collective WE .... not some vague "they"} SPEAK OUR TRUTHS, be it about an unhappy situation, or an illness, or a troubling spot in our life -- then OTHERS {all - those close to us and those strangers to us} can find RELIEF in the speaking. If those of us who HAVE A VOICE are willing to SPEAK OUT, so that others see that they're not alone -- then isn't that what BUILDING COMMUNITY is all about?

Okay, stop me before I ramble further ... I need my morning coffee with Ovaltine!

-- Davielle

Clarification

Lest you think that this blog has turned DARK and MOODY, it hasn't. It's just what's happening lately. I apologize.

But let me clarify, in case anyone's interested.

Mark is angry with me for not clearing out a certain corner of our garage -- that has an old file cabinet in it, which has housed my {late} mother's paperwork / poetry / family writings in it for the last 5 years. I've procrastinated, true. I am making progress, but slowly. I'm trying, as often and as best as I can, to sort through all that so that all the children & 'grands' will have copies going forward. It's not finished yet. So he is angry.

I make plans to attend an art class or workshop, often registering for same weeks {and sometimes, months} in advance. Like he does for his bike races or backpacking trips. One PLANS and one GETS ORGANIZED with advance notice. Usually. Only Mark gets angry THE DAY OF the class, making it clear to me that there are "Things To Be Done" and that I have let him down {again}. Ouch.

Hence yesterday's "don't rain on my parade" blogpost before I headed to Poway for the day.

Am I guilty of letting him down? I sure am.

Is he guilty of doing his best to let me know how disappointed he is in me? He sure is.

How do we come to a place of acceptance and closure on an issue like this? It seems so -- ongoing. So amorphous. So ever-present, yet ever-changing.

I'm a terrible housekeeper, by the way. That in itself doesn't make me a bad person, nor a bad wife. It does, apparently, stack up against me.

I am quite good with laundry and keeping the shelves of the pantry stocked, however {although there's always, always too little of 1 thing, too much of another}. I'm a decent cook, although he prefers I cook for him in BATCHES, so he always has a meal to pull out of the refrigerator.

To his credit, Mark is a terrific PROVIDER. In this rough economy, it's getting to him -- all the trauma our friends, family, and his clients are going through.

Is there more I could do to KEEP HIM HAPPY? I'm sure there's plenty.

All I ask in return is an appreciation {of sorts} for the person I am -- instead of the expectation and request that I become the person -- I am not.

-- Davielle

Key Lessons from One's Parents

"It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings."
-- Ann Landers

Wise words from one of the queens of advice columnists.

If our parents had brought us up to COMMUNICATE with our loved ones, wouldn't we all be better off?

If our parents had brought us up to RECOGNIZE another human beings' intrinsic value, simply by their "being", wouldn't we all be better off?

If our parents had taught us, well and good, that "What goes around, comes around", wouldn't we all behave differently, and therefore, wouldn't we all be better off?

So where does a parent "fail" in those basic Life Lessons. How do they go about instructing their offspring to treat others as they would like, in turn, to be treated?

And how does a parent teach their children to be LOVING, even in the face of adversity, so as to avoid TEARING THOSE CLOSEST TO THEM ... up? How?!

Where did my parents fall down on the job? And where did Mark's parents fall down on the job? Hard to say.

But they did.

-- D.

Don't Rain on My Parade

This one's for Karyl, 'cause she likes it when I blog about a PET PEEVE or something. I'm all into the 'airing it out' zone this morning ... here we go.

I'm about to head to Poway for two much-anticipated ART WORKSHOPS and I get a phone call from my sweetie {and this morning, I use the term loosely, tongue in cheek} that he's on his way to a friend's house. So I remind him that I'll be gone when he returns and there's this palpable PAUSE ... then comes the SIGH ... then he waits. For me to ask 'what's wrong?'. Stupid me!

Then he sits there, silent again. Don't you just love getting the SILENT TREATMENT when you are on the PHONE? You cannot tell what's going on.

So I ask 'by any chance are you MAD that I'm heading out for the day?'

BINGO. He says, with that deep {make that DEEP} sigh-tone in his voice, 'it's not that I'm mad - I'm just very disappointed'.

GIVE ME A BREAK. Do not call to rain on my parade, do not try to RUIN my mood when I'm on my way to HAPPY TIMES. Art classes and workshops are like THERAPY for me ... it's FUN, it's ENJOYABLE, it's RELAXING, and it's MY FREEKING THERAPY. Do NOT try to mess with my head when I'm going there.

As Charlie Brown or Snoopy or whichever Peanuts character used to say:

Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh !!!!!

-- Davielle

PONY boy

The words "pony boy" recently took on all new meaning for me.

In those olden days, my Nana {mother's mother} used to sing to me ... "Pony boy, Pony boy, won't you be my Pony boy? Don't say no, here we go - far across the plains ... Marry me, carry me, be my honeydew ... Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, WHOOOOOA ... my Pony boy."

Well, each time I see a notation in the calendar that "grand" Trevor has a PONY practice or game, it reminds me of Nana, and that silly little jingle from my childhood.
But PONY {as in baseball} is quite different, I've found. It's not always a nice, neat little jingle-like experience. It can be rough, it can be heartbreaking, it can seem unfair {if one draws a really 'off' ump, anyway} ... but heck, that's baseball. That's life.

So PONY SEASON opened on Saturday, February 28, 2009 for Trevor and his team - the Tennessee Volunteers. I missed opening ceremonies and their first game {they won, 3-0}, but did get down to El Cajon for their second game, on Sunday 3-1 {they lost, score not worth mentioning - remember my comment above about the "off" umpire?!}.

But oh, the Church of Baseball. And those meatball sandwiches from the snack bar {which, ahem, I did NOT partake of --- but Kristi & Kiara sure did !!!}. Me, I stuck with a nice, chilly can of Diet Coke.

And it probably goes w/o saying, but I'll say it anyway -- you DO know what a new team means for Kristina & I ... right? It means we {oh, yes} need to find ORANGE / shades of orange clothes to wear to the games. For while Pony might not have cheerleaders, the families DO have team spirit. Yes, we do !!!