Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers!


I have been Blessed!
Blessed with the Best Daddy.
Mohan K Singh
 September 4th, 1943 to March 7th 2006

My Daddy was my rock, my constant.

The parent who stood by me(us) through it all. From my birth to his death....

Always just a phone call away.
7 years after his death, I still reach for the phone to call and share... ask... discuss. I still feel his constant luv and support.

All I have now are memories... lots and lots of them.
I luv you Daddy... not even death can stop that.


My husband Douglas.
The Best!!!
My friend, my luver, my life!!

The Best Daddy to my boys. Who works very hard for us to have a wonderful life.

Who encouraged me to follow my dreams, no matter...

To be a full time Mom and be here when the boys came home from school , now from work and school.

 Lot's of sacrificing... never a regret!
To paint and help me take my canvasses all over the place to display and place for sale.
Dragging them and me to the Post Office to mail off to clients overseas and here in the US.

Encouraging me to step out there and decorate pieces and place them in stores... lug them around back and forth....
Never complaining....
Encouraging my decorating whims...
The man has to be special to put up with me!!

For his boundless luv and support!!!!
I am Blessed and Thankful.


To the newest Daddy on the block...

My son Mark.
First time daddy.... First Father's day  with little Miss Bella (who turned 5 a week ago )

I am in awe as I watch him grow and spread his wings.

May this be the first of many, many more to come Dear boy!

You have wonderful role models .... you will be fantastic!!!


So, to the Daddy's in my life, the one gone and those still here doing what they do best... luving with their whole heart...

I wish you Happy Father's Day!

I luv you all.


 Luvs and Hugs,

Me ( daughter, wife, mom)

Summer, Summer, Summer!!!

Aaaahhh Summer.

It doesn't

 wait for a date to make it's appearance, or stand on ceremony. 

Oh no, it just shows up. Full blown and beautiful.
Spring this year was kind of unpredictable.... 

For us here in Ocala ,

the rains came early.
Showers of blessings for sure as they left us with an abundance of flowers.

I am all brown thumbs. I mean every finger is a Gardening Brown Thumb.
No, for real.

I mean, I killed the indestructible straw plant.
I did.. hanging head in shame.
My garden was landscaped with plants that would thrive in-spite of me.

My exact words to the landscaper.

Bless him, he listened.

This Spring and now early Summer, the gardens are literally bursting with flowers.
Everything is blooming en-mass!! 
I am living in a wild riot of colour.

Summer is in full swing for us. 

Warm morning, HOT afternoons that spawn wild thunder storms.
Balmy evening and warm nights.

Typical summertime weather.

Most days, the rains, thunder, lightening and wild winds are gone as fast as they arrive,  leaving the most beautiful rainbow in it's wake.

There is so much to luv about summer in the South...
But I must say, the wild colours of the flowers and the afternoon storms are what I luv the best!

Followed by cookouts and sweet tea :-)

Balmy nights and brilliant stars. 

Cicadas and night birds....
I am not a fan of the heat and humidity... I cannot say that I am.
I view the intense blue skies and brilliant sun from the comfort of my air conditioned home .. hahahahaaa

Summertime !!!

Come join me for a tall glass of sweet tea. Sorry, not on the porch, but the sun room will do nicely .

Hugs,

Gee

Joining these parties.

Shiny and New.

I cannot believe that today is the end of May already.
Can you??

May 2013 has been a landmark month for my family.

 So many things happened.
Beautiful things.

The engagement.

Life changing things.

June will be a new month with many changes.
I am looking forward to all the new.

 The Cottage, Chez Newbanks is now a home for 3 instead of 4.
That in itself is strange, but good.
Only one young man now inhabiting the rooms across the way.

Big change.

But that means there is a vacant room in need of redoing.
What??
Redoing , aha. Imagine that. 

I luv the fact that I have this Blog as an outlet for my ever changing decor .
I am very artistic and cannot leave anything static for too long.
When the boys were younger the running joke was don't stand still too long , or Mom will paint  you.
The Mr. would say he was thankful fr wonderful eyesight or there were nay a time he would have killed himself die to a change in the furniture layout in a room.
Always a new 'look' in a room and ALWAYS new artwork!! Always.

I luv changes!!!

 May has brought about a few.

Just a few :-)

May 7th a young man reached the first step in his degree . Our youngest , Jesse graduated with his 2 year degree toward his goal. 

He graduated with High Honours and on the Dean's list.
He is not one for pictures and all that, so I have none of the event to post.
I/ we are very proud of him!
I am a firm believer that luv and support goes a long way to help a young person reach their goal. He is already registered and if he stays on task ( always) he will be completing and graduating with his BA in 18 months.
Luv you very much Jesse!

Our graduate, Jesse
handsome young man!

In the meantime, he's working for a company that develops software for Law Enforcement and enjoying it.
It is always a blessing to be able to do what you luv and get paid for it, no?

May 11th, 2 lives were joined to become one and a new family was formed.
In a quiet and private ceremony of their creation 

The Newly Weds!!

Mark and Danielle, said their 'I do's) .

Only parents , a sibling, and one Bella were present for the beautiful and personal moment.
 Amidst tears,laughter and lots of hugs and luving

 a new family came into being.

The New little Family
So sweet.

May 11th  ( morning) was also the day Bella graduated form PreK.
More tears and pride that morning.

Bella

May 11th Master Vic turned 3.
80 lbs of Chocolate Lab puppy luvs.
( May 11th was a HUGE day)

Master Vic. 80lbs of luv and affection.
And mischief!!

As if that was not enough goings on in May..... The newly weds closed on their first house.
May 20th they bought a house!!
How exciting is that!?


May 21st we set forth to make a house a home.
They are in and are settling in very nicely.

With all this going on, there was just no time for me to make a post.

June will also be busy... helping the kids... 

changes in my own home....

a 5th Birthday!
 our wedding anniversary :-)

I am tired, I cannot lie... But I am also so excited about all the new!


New home... new family.... new schools ( Jesse and Bella).

Join me in the excitement to come.

I am all about the 'new'


Hugs, Gee

My luv affair..

Amidst all the excitement happening around here, I have taken the time to paint in order to keep my head where it should be.
The smell of acrylics, the feel of a brush in my hands, normalcy...

keeps me grounded.

Panel 1 of Twilight Magnolia

Ocala, the Heart of Florida  as we are referred to, is a very beautiful part of the State.
We are smack dab in the  north central  part of the thumb of land that makes up Florida.

 Our placement makes for very interesting weather patterns.

 We seem to burst into Spring with a vengeance of pollen and flowers.

Panel 2 of twilight Magnolia.

A riot of blooms in various colours and fragrance. Both wild varieties and the cultured kind.
Equally beautiful.
Like many, I have my favourites....

The wild variety that does it for me is the Phlox. I look forward to the sides of the highways and main streets being bracketed by flowing shades of magenta, pink , red and white. Just a flowing softly undulating wave in the Spring breeze.But they quickly fade away as it heats up.
A short burst of beauty....

Both Panels together to form the Diptych. Twilight Magnolis 1 and 2.

Of the cultivated kind ( there is it's uncultivated variety that I luv just as well) my favourite, my luv, is the Magnolia.
Sigh.... the sight of the first bloom sets my heart to racing.
My fingers itching to sketch and paint.
My nose to bury itself in the center of the big fragrant blooms.

On my morning walks I watched the first blooms appear on the neighbourhood trees.
Studied them from small teeny buds to fat ready to burst forth buds.

Panel 1 showing the painting wrapped around the edges of the panel.
Each panel 13.25" x 3"1 x 1.25"

Then the next day, a full blown flower.

 All thrown open for all to see and enjoy. 

The creamy white that glistens with pastel shades when the sun's rays kisses it , to the irresistible fragrance of the perfume.
Clean and mild.. almost lemony in it's softness.

The glossy evergreen leaves that shine and shimmer...

The souring height of some of the mature trees.
The Magnificence of such a tree, and the delicate beauty of it's flower.

 Here today, creamy and beautiful, brown and dying the next.
One day of beauty ... it's beauty short lived. But touches so many.

Panel 2 showing the wrapped painting.

The Magnolia, still my favourite flower to paint.
The flower I await each Spring....
Symbol of new life.
A promise.
Beauty.
Simplicity.

Panel 1 and 2 together flowing as one. A puzzle according to my GrandBella.
Diptych in it's completion. But can be used as 2 smaller finished pieces in their own right. 

Have a beautiful day. Remember to enjoy the little things.


Hugs, Gee