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HOW TO LOSE TEN POUNDS
by Sharon Furner on 9/2/2010 2:47:37 PM
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How to Lose Ten Pounds
I hear many women lament, "If only I could lose TEN POUNDS!"
There is a way to painlessly slip BURDENSOME POUNDS.
In the beginning you shall need to relax and drift like down floating away from Mother Dandelion. Join me in leaving behind the air sucking humidity and oppressive heat of North Carolina. Float a bit...
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| relax, breathe, gaze |
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| drift, soar, meditate |
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| into iceberg clouds. |
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| Shrouded in silent gauze |
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| we travel two thousand miles before Earth plays peek-a-boo. |
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| Leaving our steel chamber isolation, we step forth into the most brilliant sunlight and welcome dry mountain air of the Wasatch Front. |
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Instantly we feel TEN POUNDS lighter. No longer bound in humidity, one's spirits lighten, one feels lithe and eager for adventure.
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| Hewing logs, pulling sage, the early pioneers didn't have TEN POUNDS to shed. |
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| Isolation, open vistas, sunlight showering down like crystals on a chandelier |
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| silence, only the whistling wind, the bellowing of animals and the hum of wasps. |
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| Unbounded time to watch the Wild Flowers with Sunshine Faces slowly dance their meandering routine |
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| catching each ray of pure air. |
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| Cedar smoke, tilled virgin soil, gray-green mountains of desert Sage |
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| time to drift under the Creator's hand, to think and offer thanks, quiet, stillness, alone-ness, at one-ness, |
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| interrupted only by the bellowing of cows or the rock hard gallop of Pony Express riders, bottoms as solid as the leather they sit upon. |
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| Oh, Pioneer. Did your Dreams, Wishes and Prayers come true? |
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| Your strength, resolve, commitment, fearlessness set a high standard. |
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Read more »
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RECORDING LIFE--The Journal
by Sharon S Furner on 8/28/2010 6:15:41 PM
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Journaling, Recording, Commentary, Diary, Observation
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However we choose to document our lives, our thoughts, our emotions, our elation, our experiences, our UPS and DOWNS....there is nowhere to go but THROUGH until it has been marked somewhere, sometime. And there it stands, MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES THAT CAN LIVE ON.
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| What a journey to "mark" down your life when young. But it matters not what age you embark upon the path of journaling, it just takes BEGINNING! |
| Drawing and writing about Balinese Puppets. Perfect for keeping in a journal or special box. |
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| These cute teenagers are "mugging" it up for the camera having created bright wonderful paintings. Each time they look at their piece of art, they will remember this fun painting event. When they see a golden sunflower, hear the name or see a painting by Van Gogh, it will bring them back to this time and place. |
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A journal and sketching class at the famous Ruffles Hotel in Singapore. We are studying with Lorette Roberts.com
This was a dream come true to join this sketching group with a Master Teacher. |
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| Recording my own adventures on a sea view patio....everyone swimming while I stay back and just paint and ponder the mysteries I have been absorbing. |
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| Working on the first stage of an Art Journal that will chronicle the last weeks before we left Havre de Grace. Over looking the Chesapeake Bay these pages will take me back to these short sweet hours. |
I will leave this little "teaser" journal posting with a few completed Art Journal pages done two years ago. Just looking at them fills me with memories that would be lost if I hadn't recorded them. And sometime in the future, hopefully my progenitors will love reading them.
I look forward to sharing lots of fun interesting detailed journal ideas in the very near future.
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BUBBLE DAZE
by Sharon Furner on 8/18/2010 1:19:32 PM
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We have heard on good authority that Bubble Fairies only come on special occasions! Seems silly, to us because we think that BUBBLES can be a part of our every day life. For instance: Funny Bunny and Grammy had a Grammy-Granddaughter date and they ran into BUBBLES everywhere.
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| How about Bubble Pancakes! Yum Yum. Even Bubble Sausage and Butter. |
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| Ooh lah lah a pampering petite hair cut at the Beauty Salon, where Bubbles were EVERYWHERE and filled with magical mirrors! |
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| Grammy and her Funny Bunny are pretty sure there was a lurking Bubble Fairy somewhere, maybe behind the bushes. Because-- right in the middle of the walkway was a GIGANTIC BLUE BUCKET of BUBBLE SYRUP! Well what can two 'ladies' do but pick up BUBBLE WANDS and let those BUBBLES fly up to BUBBLE HEAVEN!! Our only regret was not riding on them. Wow, what a view that would be. Bubbles, are a phenomenon gifted to us by Mother Nature. They have always been floating around. But the notion of PLAYING with BUBBLES didn't really exist before the "invention" of soap. Doing a bit of research, since the BUBBLE FAIRY speaks too softly to really understand, we uncovered a few interesting side lights. The PEAR SOAP COMPANY was founded in England in the 19th century. They get the credit for popularizing both soap and bubble blowing. BUBBLE TOYS were mainly bubble pipes until mid 20th century. Must have driven the BUBBLE FAIRIES crazy waiting so long to share their BUBBLES. |
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| Sir John Everett Millais painted this picture called BUBBLES. This became a very popular painting as it was used over many generations in advertisements for PEARS SOAP. |
Sir Millais used his five year old grandson to pose for this portrait. Millais based it on techniques used by 17th century Dutch predecessors, spotlighting the transience of life. During Millais lifetime, the use of a piece of fine art for advertising sparked a very large debate over the relationship between advertising and art.
Okay we are now getting off subject. Grammy took Funny Bunny home for a nap. Sleepy time let her little thoughts soar on all things round and BUBBLY. Grammy took a minute to go through some paintings, she too was curious, was she painting BUBBLES and didn't know it. Maybe there was a BUBBLE FAIRY tucked in her paintbrushes. What do you think? See any BUBBLES?
| Children at Play....30 x 40 inches.... |
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| Klimt's Sisters... |
By all appearances there just might be a BUBBLE FAIRY drifting around in the painting studio.
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FAIRY BUBBLES
by Sharon Furner on 8/10/2010 8:22:49 AM
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Bubble Fairy
It was rather warmish outside. Fading Dusk. Just right for a Bubble Fairy to POP by.
The double tiered fountain was gurgling away while the Funny Bunnies blew bubbles from tiny green bottles. Waving their magic wands, bubbles jumped in and about the fountain, danced across the lawn evaporating into the warm evening air. One Funny Bunny, lip slightly drooping, lamented, " I wish the bubbles would last longer. I want them to dance on my nose!"
Now every one knows that Bubble Fairies have very keen hearing. And this particular Bubble Fairy was passing by the garden when she heard the Funny Bunny's sad words. Ever so silently the Bubble Fairy slipped quietly to the gurgling fountain and put Fairy Bubble Syrup into the water. (Fairies love SWEETS.)
Humming her best fairy song, the Bubble Fairy, like the best of bubbles, evaporated into the air, leaving a hazy iridescence hovering over the fountain.
Ever so rapidly, faster than a blink of a lady bug's eyelashes, silky foam dusted the top of the fountain. POOF ONCE--POOF TWICE--POOF--THRICE-- it GREW and GREW and GREW until enormous, billowing pillows of BUBBLES danced over and under the fountain.
Well, you should have seen the faces of those two little Funny Bunnies, ASTONISHMENT, they couldn't believe their eyes. The bubbling fountain looked like a DOUBLE Cupcake slathered in foamy FROSTING! And then the FUN began,
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| "Who left all the beautiful bubbles?" asked the Funny Bunny. |
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Meringue Bubbles everywhere, sticking like stamps on a postcard.
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| "My WISH came TRUE. Bubbles to tap on my NOSE!" |
Nighttime with its velvet blackness arrived too quickly. The stars came out and the bubbles continued to match the radiance of the twinkling stars. The Funny Bunnies went to bed dreaming their bubbly dreams. The Grammy of the house spent the night scooping armfuls of bubbles out into the night air, quietly THANKING the BUBBLE FAIRY for hearing a child's heartfelt WISH!
Bubble Fairy Inspiration
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Remember to ALWAYS speak the WISHES of YOUR HEART! |
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FUNKY, QUIRKY, ONLY IN AMERICA!
by Sharon Furner on 8/2/2010 2:43:34 PM
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Funky, Quirky, Eclectic, Unbelievable, Different, Outrageous....it all comes down to PERSONAL STYLE and TASTE. And in this grand, huge, enormous country, the USA, there is room aplenty to express oneself. We have heard it often said, "One man's trash is another man's treasure."It is the unpredictability in life that is so fascinating."
The day before the movers arrived, my camera and I continued our little "wander." We went here and there sifting through many memories.
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| "So long, Farewell....." |
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| "Down by the Seashore, Early in the Morning." |
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| Generosity |
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| The Yellow Castle in the Sky is empty for want of retail business...so sad. |
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| Windmills anyone? They are abundantly present in Havre de Grace. |
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| The Cadillac of Windmills. |
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| Ship ahoy me mateys!!!! |
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| A front yard filled with eclectic sculpture. |
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| Gravity defying, bent metal all magically linked together. |
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| Waiting for the Bride and Groom. |
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| Americans LOVE their FLAGS of RED, WHITE and BLUE. |
This little meandering has fed my MUSE. What funky, quirky little treasures decorate your home
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GONE GONE GONE
by Sharon Furner on 7/24/2010 4:28:42 PM
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Color us GONE GONE GONE. All the work, planning, farewells and efforts to move from a beloved home to a new home of opportunity and adventure have now past. Finished. Done. Complete.
And with this chapter closing behind us, a by product has led me to neglect a few things like: bloggING, paintING, photographING and writING!!! I have missed this creative part of my life. But..SMILES... today finds our new home in a semblance of order, all those "brown boxes" emptied/donated, studio set up, a wee bit of food in the pantry and all the beds made. Now the new studio is beckoning, COME BACK, COME BACK.
LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDERS
The day before the movers came to load all of our STUFF, I buzzed around Havre de Grace, revisiting all the tiny nooks and crannies, the quaint and quirky, the favorites and funky. This is a village that is very hard to leave. SOOOOO today's post is a JOY to offer you: photographs of some really luscious places in HDG! Next posting will be the really funky personality side of the village..you know the "I can't believe it is real".....but for now, join me for an armchair view of the village that opened our eyes and hearts to vistas of land, water, sky.
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| Swift footed mascot strutting before his court! |
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Farewell for now...ducks, geese, seagulls....footsteps and fallen feathers the marks you leave behind.
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| Sweet magnolia...petals of creamy wax...flower of the South. |
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Hydrangea mounds majesty
Havre de Grace is not bashful. Homes and businesses are as colorful as a platter of delicious cupcakes.
Popsicle Colors
Giant trees to climb and pretend to be a damsel in distress or captain. of a pirate ship.
Faux French Chateau, robust with life and ambiance.
Step inside, inhale the perfume of herbs, vitamins, minerals, incense and the mildewy age of an old building.
First rays of sunrise skipping across the bay reflecting on the windows of the RiverView Gallery. My home away from home, hosting many of my paintings. Tamara Stickler, a multi-talented artist herself, with an eye and natural instinct for displaying works of art, is the Gallery Director and a Very Best Friend. It is Tamara that I miss most in Havre de Grace.
A few of my paintings sitting in the front window, speckled by blots of sunrise. Love love the papier mache fish appearing to float out of the glass bowl of goldfish up into the Lily Pond painting. This is the humor and talent of Tamara to put works of art together, to settle shoulder to shoulder.
Thank you for sharing a few minutes with me. Feel free to write or paint from any of these photographs. I intend to myself. How better to sustain a memory.
I can't resist sharing in the next blog the really quirky personality of HDG!!! Then I will get back to sharing what I am working on now in my Art Journals, my new studio and life in the SOUTH.
Home is where we reside at this exact moment, where our hearts beat, and we enjoy each moment of living. Home was once Havre de Grace, home now is Charlotte, NC.
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Beyond the Brown Boxes
by Sharon Furner on 6/12/2010 1:49:53 PM
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For weeks now, our lives have been lived amongst brown boxes; packing tape and labels; four knives, four forks, four spoons, a stack of paper plates; shriveling fruit and milk marks on frig shelves; freezer-burned chicken and soybeans; and the essentials COMPUTER AND PRINTER! Our destination to North Carolina is fast approaching. And this is none too soon, as we are quickly forgetting how to live in a CIVILIZED manner!! (SMILE)
Personally I need a break, would you like to join me for a few minutes exploring where rainbows end, the food is exotic and the smells, colors, sites are dazzling to one's eyes? Let's spend a few minutes wandering in INDIA. Wrap yourself in your prettiest shawl, put twinkly shoes on your feet....
and join me on a MAGIC CARPET ride.....
A good friend of mine, Bethany and her husband, Andy traveled India as part of their honeymoon. (years ago) They brought back mesmerizing, intriguing photos to share.
With Bethany's permission I painted from a few of these.
All these beautiful pictures of real people and real events instilled in me this yearning to know this vast country better. India is on my list of countries to explore. But for now armchair reading and the travel of others has to suffice until the real thing comes along.
Women Empowered is a transforming book, featuring women from around the world and how they live their lives with joy and dignity.
This off beat and slightly irreverent book gives a great perspective on the co-mingling of religions; the history and cultural context; plus the ins and outs of traveling and living in India. On my second reading now.....
This is one gorgeous travel book, written in French, but that is okay, the photographs are worth a thousand words, maybe half a million? Delicious eye-candy!
Inspiration can come from anywhere...how about stamps?
And foreign newspapers, supplied by our amazing Sarah.
The best of course is the wonderful stream of photos of women around the world provided by Sarah our personal photographer extraordinaire!
This little sharing could go on and on, but let me close with the following update:
Bethany, Andy and adorable blond-haired daughters are now living in India. Sarah and family live in Singapore. A few months ago a long held dream was fulfilled as Sarah visited Bethany twice in India. And here seated in plein air are my most favorite travelers!!
Now how to thank these two special women for sharing the wonders and amazement that is India. As a surprise, I painted them both riding camels. Sarah and Bethany I hope you enjoy! And yes they did ride CAMELS!!
We have come to the end of our shared moments in India, so it is time for me to swirl away.....
put my pink slippers away and slip back into my brown-box packing feet!!!!
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Blue's Break
by Sharon Furner on 5/20/2010 7:48:05 AM
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Life has been interesting! The never ending WORK involved in moving to another state has tossed my mind into a noodle-like state. So what is a girl to do to unscramble her numbed head and aching back?
The thought filtered through like butter dripping down pasta: how about taking a BLUE'S BREAK.
Before taking a break a deadline loomed to complete a painting that was making me pucker with Lemon Power!
Okay, that accomplished, now how about a trip to the BLUE OCEAN with some dear FRIENDS?
Relax, sit back in my BLUE chair and enjoy a little photo-book journey in BLUE.
We were more than happy to go to the Eastern Shores of Delaware to join up with Dale and Steve.
Piling into one car we headed to where the BLUE WAVES dance a wild tango, the dolphins dip and dive and show off their skills, and one might perchance find a delicate seashell as a souvenir.
On our picturesque drive we passed a delightful DAIRY farm, where the happiest COWS make the BEST ICE CREAM ever.
While we slurped our ice cream, mine was COCONUT !!! YUM!!! we wandered about with the kiddies, all "ifty-hundred" of them.
And what did we see:
Are you kidding me BLUESY PIGS?
Well here is a sensible friend, probably thirsty from all those ice cream cones tossed her way!
This cool Dude in BLUE, was just waiting for someone to stop by for a chat and caress his black furry friend.
Can you guess what is causing such a STIR and EXCITEMENT?
Sweet little Chickie's! The children were in AWE of the squiggling, peeping, mounds of yellow down! The children politely took a turn to hold one of the precious little darlings. You couldn't hear a PEEP they were so mystified.
Seems only fitting to say our proper GOOD BYES to those lovely cows who make this all possible.
Next time I will get BLUEBERRY ice cream!!
Off to the beach. Remember building sand castles in the air when you were a wee lad or lassie?
Here we are soaking up the RAYS, peering at the OCEAN. And me
Well, I am blowing in the wind.
All this sitting around counting the dolphins and the waves
makes one hungry.
Dale brought the PERFECT PICNIC for a BLUESY DAY!
She packaged individual forks and perky napkins in a little baggie.
Then came the best IDEA and the bestest FOOD ever!
Individual containers of yummy CHICKEN SALAD and HOMEMADE bread!
It was sad when the last crumb of bread had wiped up the last vestige of salad..what a culinary memory.
All good things come to an end. Or do they? We drove back to Steve and Dale's new home on a HUGE BLUE pond full of dancing green waterlilies.
Every morning from their bedroom window they see the BLUE and GREEN of this magnificent pond--mini lake.
And petite, sweet, succulent STRAWBERRIES top their morning cereal.
We waved white hankies out the car windows (our FURNER goodbye) until we drove out of sight, but never out of mind.
It was a TRUE BLUE day!
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Hands
by Sharon Furner on 5/8/2010 8:12:13 AM
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A Tribute to Women Everywhere.
The Magical First Years
Smooth as duckling's down
Waxy from purple peeled-paper crayons
Stuck fingers mucky thick with Elmer's.
Moving Into Adulthood
Wet licked fingers zipping homework pages
Knuckles white as pearls gripping steering wheel
Spending first pay check earned
Caressing a secret love's face.
The Becoming Years
White veil placed by trembling fingers
Watery-wrinkles soaping dinner dishes
Walking life's path, hand in hand.
Germination
Tenderly caressing swollen belly
Cradling a downy head
Feeling a raging fever.
The Best Years By Far
Throwing crazy balls, sewing frilly frocks
Signing streams of school reports
Wiping tear-stained faces flushed in pain.
The Ebbing Years
Waving goodbye, first-born leaves
Waving hello, longed for company
Sheltering shoulders in great sorrow.
What It Is All About
Compassionate wrinkles born of service
Aging pigment, mementos of
One's life passing on to another.
These are a Mother's Hands
Praying for All Mothers Wherever They May Be
Sharon
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Back and Forth, Forth and Back
by Sharon Furner on 5/4/2010 8:03:31 AM
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My it seems a long time since writing, but in reality one unbelievable week plus a few frantic days. I have missed sharing a few thoughts and photos with you.
Truth be told: we have been going
BACK and FORTH
FORTH and BACK,
UP and DOWN,
DOWN and UP.
Liken it to riding a TILT-A-WHIRL running on adrenalin. Selling a home and purchasing a home within a few short weeks is a test of endurance, patience, bouts of sorrow, sprouts of excitement, quick wits, challenges and a liberal dose of GOOD LUCK. The good luck was in having the second person to walk through our home make an offer. It was sudden. It was quick. It was unexpected. And it caught us up in a maelstrom of emotions and activity.
The ink barely dry on our buyer's contract, we decided to zip on down to Charlotte, NC where we are moving. Hurry, hustle,throw some things in a Trader Joe's shopping bag: don't forget sunglasses, camera and computer, fill the tank, stock up on peanut M&M'S and gooey orange Circus Peanuts, then Ready- Set- Go! We set off at dawn, poorly prepared, with out a clue as to what we were doing. Nine hours later, found us in the WARMISH TO HOTTISH Charlotte with sweaters, heavy jeans, and for me the only shoes I had on my feet and NO extra socks in the Trader Joe bag!! What is a GAL to do without a personal planner????
We arrived in North Carolina, the sun shining, the pollen count high, and blissfully unaware of how unprepared we were for the southern climate. We pulled into the North Carolina Tourist Bureau (red brick and white wood--pure Southern architecture) stepped out of the car and into the SOUTHERN HUMIDITY that watery atmosphere that clings to one's skin, clothes and hair and enables all that luscious growth of Southern blossoms, vines, moss and a thousand hues of GREEN!
As though the sweet smell of blossoms wasn't enough, we looked UP!
And there shines a most magnificent azure umbrella dotted with clouds tinged in mauve and gray.
Pretend with me that you are lying on your back beneath a hundred year old tree... where do your childhood memories float off to? Want to go for a climb and stake a view of the world?
We were now in the land of Southern Hospitality, wisps of Southern drawl, new freshness and new adventures just ahead.
Previously I mentioned our good fortune to sell our home in a flagging economy, and a wonderful Seller Realtor, Astrid Ermanis who made it happen.The next bit of brilliant blessings was taking the suggestion to invite Joel Bennett to work with us in purchasing a new home in Charlotte
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Joel is a true blue Southern Gentleman by way of Maine!!! He and his wife, Gwen gave us undivided attention, listened to our needs and wishes, then set out to find them.
If you every move to Charlotte be sure to call Joel and Gwen to represent you. You will not find more friendly and hard working people to help you find your dream home on a shoe string budget!
In TWO DAYS and one evening we found the perfect home for us.
Now this is the amazing part of our tale. Joel sent us a website listing of homes near our daughter and her family. Scanning the home prices first on the website, I opened THIS VERY HOME!!! Next came viewing the Virtual Reality Tour, as the entrance photo popped up, suddenly I FELT US LIVING there, like we were on the other side of the door!!! It was an overwhelming feeling. Would have purchased unseen, the vibes were so strong.
For surety sake we toured many homes and came back to this first home two more times. A delightful family own it and are ready to move to a larger home. I am sure we will become friends.
We will live one block from our grandchildren and the swimming pool they call their second home!
And there is a large, airy, periwinkle blue bonus room for my ART STUDIO!!
And more tidbits, Joel, Gwen and their four children live just down the street in an identical home! We will be neighbors.
We can hardly believe our good fortune.
To seal the deal we went to a tiny cobblestone BBQ diner to start our Southern affinity for all things BBQ'd a mere few blocks from our home!
There was even a friendly pig that escaped being cooked!
A Bluebird welcoming us to Charlotte,
And when all that southern barbecue, pecan pie, banana-cookie pudding and all things fried start to mount the calories, in back of the BBQ diner is a produce stand.The South has an abundance of farmers' markets, many organically produce.
Give a hands up to OPRAH oops mean OKRA!!!
 "But I always think that the best way to know God is to LOVE many things." van gogh
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