if you look in the bohemian dictionary,

under "majestic" you will find:

the beloved mountains

under "Rock Star" you would find:

the fairy grandchild

if you look  under "sunshine" you would find:

under "DANCE!!" you would find:

beloved sea shore

under "color pot" you would find:

Mothers' Day gifting

sending wishes that are the very definition of bohemian joy!!! hope you have time to play today...

a gratitude fling...

the weather here in bohemia is mercurial... the bohemian is sure she has mentioned that before. once or twice. per season, even. possibly...

but she never tires of her mountains, at the feet of which she is so thankful to be able to dwell...

and although the wind tried to destroy her camellia bush by blowing half of it over, still it blooms into glorious profusion, to her deep delight...

exchange group challenge: purple and yellow

she is so thankful for time. and resources. and the ability to create...

thankful for PAINT!  and such variety of colors! yummy...

and she's thankful for her tiny magnolia tree, blossoming in fragile white star blossoms the season of its second year of life.

and she is so thankful for her quiet place. a bower beneath the fruit trees, where she can read and think and listen to nature around her... and remember how deeply blessed she is. wishing you deep blessings and refuges full of sweet nature with its riotous colors! go out and take a look....

it's the day after christmas...

it's the day after christmas and all through her house...

not a creature is stirring, not even her spouse (back to work he went... bummer).
her house is quiet and full of peace,
and she is all snuggled down under her fleece.

 
"Yule Log" is quietly playing a song (with its faux woodfire burning),
while the bohemian softly hums along.
the previous two days were filled with fun,
table-full of family and feasts, all done.

it was such a joy to have her fairy grandchild there
playing wildly, loudly, or softly with care;
grown children with spouses all gathered around,
reminiscing with shouts and laughter, beloved sound.

but this day after christmas, she's just soaking it up,
christmas blessings abounding, overflowing her cup.

she's hoping for you that the same will be true
and wishing a barrel-load of happiness to you...
(corny but true... o so true!!)

deeper into december...

well! blogger is having its way with the bohemian today!!! this is where it insists that her words must go!  so... here are some more christmas advent calendar squares. the christmas lights are on to ward off the piercing-cold-but-yet-not-snowing rainy day.  dirty clothes are washing themselves in the magic washer (think about it as if you were a poor village woman in africa!). vegie soup is going onto the woodstove to simmer through the afternoon hours.  satellite is bringing christmas music into the living room of the cottage.  the cat family is well-fed.  the wood pile is full.the bohemian is well content. and she hopes from the bottom of her heart that you are too!  sending bright wishes full to the brim of holiday cheer and happiness.  hope you find time to play today.

morning pages:

the new "morning pages" book:

a september page... the bohemian wiped out a large portion of two months with this headache that mounted and receded, like an ocean tide, and which made it hard to plan to do anything. but she's ALWAYS grateful that this is the only thing she is struggling with right now.  she  knows many others who are being challenged with much worse things!!!

and the rains finally came, late into the fall...

and there are always things to be grateful for! the bohemian likes to list these blessings and gifts, to remind her of how blessed she really is. and to remind her to pray for all those not as fortunate...

thanksgiving blessings are earnestly wished for you and yours this holiday season. may God bless you richly! don't forget to "count your blessings. name them one by one.. and it will surprise you what the Lord has done".

the bohemian would love to hear what's on your gratitude list! linger and leave a comment. she would love that....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

morning came whispering into the bohemian's bedroom window.  she opened her eyes to a crashing, smashing headache. she made it to the medicine cabinet for meds and to the fridge for the icepack.  as she lay snuggled in her blankets, willing the headache to go away and praying that it would happen soon, she realized how thankful she was for her life...

•  she didn't have to get up to go to work
• she didn't have to go anywhere!

• she had pain meds
• she had her ice pack
• she had her fridge freezer to freeze her icepack
• she had fuzzy blankets to keep her warm while she froze her head
• she had a soft bed and a quiet house...

..

• she had her beautiful gorgeous mountains just outside her window, even though at the moment they were lost in the haze of forest fires burning to the east...

• she had lovely summer memories of her outdoor room in which she and her fairy grandchild had frolicked all summer long...

• she had the memories of their shared laughter, and snuggles...

• she remembered how the fairy grandchild was so eager to help hang clothes out on the clothesline...

• and the way the fairy grandchild loved the grandmother's books... (and loved to rearrange them!! ahem...)

• and she remembered the beautiful sunsets brought on by the smokey haze over the valley...

• she thought of women she had met during her travels in other parts of  the world... the ones with no meds, no beds, no refrigerators, no just-for-fun outdoors rooms because there was hardly an indoor room!

• oh yes! the bohemian was extremely thankful for what she had!
• and extremely thankful when all her pain-lessening techniques helped and she was able to get out of bed and slightly function the rest of the day!!

the bohemian thanks you for your visit and wonders: what are YOU thankful for today?  don't forget to go outside and play... if you can.   warm, sunny indian-summer wishes to you...  and may there be no forest fires burning near you.

gratitude produces hope in the dark days of winter...

the party lights are on... to drive away the dark and stormy night... time for a gratitude fling: *peppermint tea * Christmas lights that stay up late into January * fig bars * jigsaw puzzles * chicken soup * simplicity at Christmastime * quiet time with God * fuzzy blankets * warm woodstove fires * toasted sourdough bread * new appliances: popcorn popper, skillet, electric massage cushion for the royal chair * grandbaby giggles and snuggles * all the kids and their families around the dining room table * watching the cousins laugh together * new pink fuzzy socks with black polka dots... What's on YOUR gratitude list? happy new year wishes and prayers for a blessed new year for you all!

it's beginning to look a lot like...

season's blessings: *trumpeter swans flying over honking all the way* day-after spaghetti* creating home-made cards* christmas lights going up all over town * warm, snuggly quilts * time with loved ones (esp. moms!!) * egg salad sandwiches * coffee and scrabble friends * artist friends * petting warm, cuddly kittens * christmastime coming!!! enjoy this most wonderful time of the year... toasty marshmallow wishes to you...

holiday blessings...

so many blessings at this time of year: *precious baby grandchild * woodstove warmth* christmas lights * creating cards * homemade soups * dragging out the christmas decorations * a clean craft room (it will only get messy again...but tidiness for the moment...) * my kids and my kids by law * snowflakes * snowmen* hot chocolate * peppermint mochas * watching Ellen and laughing out loud... happiness and fairy wishes to you all!

it's coming... it's coming...

it's coming! a big storm... the wind is battering the cottage and the rain is belting sideways down the windowpanes. it's coming and there's christmas music playing softly and the woodfire is warm. it's coming and it's time for a gratitude fling!! the bohemian is SO thankful for: thanksgiving time, a gathering of family, laughter and stories and turkey and gravy and her children near, her warm cottage when the wind and rain rage outside the door, constant comment orange tea to soothe her sore throat, good books to read under a blanket. (just a few of the best things in her life) it's coming... and she has been busy, busy making christmas tags! (browse through and enjoy...) it's coming and it's time to count down with anticipation... and so it's almost time for advent calenders!!! it's coming... and she needs to make squares for the advent calendars, lots and lots of squares, lots of 'em! 00ps...oh... a tangent: the paste paper snowflake tag she mentioned last time... half an advent calender to go (times 4... one for each daughter/daughter-in-law)... it's coming and the bohemian hopes you are knee deep into christmas joy and creations. and NO, it's not too early for christmas music and watching Elf and the Grinch!! and listening to "baby, it's cold outside" and smiling quietly.... cheery, holiday joy wishes to you today....

november...time for a gratitude fling...

here in bohemia, signs of autumn saying farewell are all around... chimneys are puffing woodsmoke softly into the wind. the bohemian's lovely ginkgo tree has lost, overnight, it's brilliant yellow leaves, which now carpet the lawn beneath. the warm red leaves of the blueberry bush are dropping to the ground beneath, leaving scraggly branches dancing in the wind. the sky above bohemia is a moving picture of purple clouds, brilliant sunbeams, rainbows, and blue, blue sky. the pumpkins, tomatoes, cabbages, onions, and cukes have all been plucked from the dying vines. and the bohemian knows... winter is approaching. no, she has not put away her halloween things yet, but the "harvesty" stuff can stay for another month. she has christmasy things happening on her workspace, and the nutcracker ballet playing softly in the background. yes, she thinks, i am ready to move on... bohemian gratitude fling: she is sooo happy for these things (only a tiny partial list, you understand!!!): *the magic of grandbabies *the warmth of woodfires *the taste of coffee with honey and cream *the variety of colors *quiet serenity *her faith in God *her wonderful best friend and hubby *the deep satisfaction of creating art what are YOU thankful for at this time of the year? her stamping exchange group played with paste-paper-making (glorified adult version of finger-painting, really) and then were challenged to use it in cards. this is what the bohemian did with hers. the leaves and the punched border were punched out of the paste paper that she made. her last "fall" card. with some of the leftover paste paper she punched snow flakes. she'll show you that another day. deliciously messy painty wishes to you all...

grantitude fling... see previous post! ( these were some pictures in one of my unpublished drafts)

art...creativity...masks...paint...colors...time to create...artist friends...art studios... Fall...Autumn...pumpkins...garden spaces...jack'o'lanterns...Halloween...Thanksgiving...family... gorgeous dramatic weather...cozy warm house from which to view it...raindrop prisms... Jesus...my salvation...His sacrifice for me...His prayers of intercession for me...His joy=my joy... woodstove warmth...woodshed full of wood...cooking on my woodstove...watching flames dance...