Penguin: Leap of Faith

I love this image. Found here.

A Painted Bunting was seen in Maryland

I saw a news clip about this rare bird siting in Maryland on the CBS News this morning. It was rare to see a painted bunting so far North but the news clip said they were rather common farther down South. All the bird watchers (birders) are flocking to Maryland hoping to get a glimpse of this bird for their life bird count. 

I couldn't find anything to watch last night in bed on Acorn TV so I started a search. I was searching by name of some of my favorite actors and I put in Martin Clunes and guess what popped up? Doc Martin, Season 9 was released in September 2019 but I never knew it. I started watching and it's delightful. I am SO HAPPY! I think it's on Amazon Prime Video too.

I have been working upstairs in my attic home office doing endless organizing and shredding. I went to paper recycling today with 3 tall garbage cans of shredded paper, junk mail, and flattened cardboard boxes. I wasn't the only one either. The lady in front of me had a car full and I thought she would never get finished unloading her SUV. Mine was all organized and went quickly.

I have an older, small flatscreen TV on the third floor with a Chromecast attached to the back and I have been streaming non-stop episodes of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW UK from PLUTO TV Channel 621. It's so much better than the American version. It's on 24/7 and I don't often see repeats because it has been on the air for so long. I am such a happy cord cutter and haven't looked back since I got rid of cable TV and my landline phone. All I have now is high speed WiFi and my cell phone. In my living room I still get Air TV from an inexpensive antenna. Now I watch what I want, when I want. I can stream the Sunday shows on PBS starting on Monday from The PBS Video App.

xo

Delightful Bedroom with Bookshelves

I love a bedroom with bookshelves and I have them in mine too. This room has a lot of personality, doesn't it? I love the bedside tables, matching lamps twin windows, the wallpaper, the bed and linens, actually all of it!!! via

Beautiful Landscape Photograph

Gorgeous photograph of a Montana landscape. via

Edinburgh's Hogmanay (New Year) with Drones

Due to Covid-19, 150 individual drones took the place of fireworks this year in Edinburgh Scotland's New Year's Celebration called Hogmanay. I have never heard of this term mentioned on Instagram and I'm glad I decided see what it was all about. I am posting the celebration in 3 videos below:

Fare Well Part 1 - Edinburgh Hogmanay 2020

Fare Well Part 2 - Edinburgh Hogmanay 2020

Fare Well Part 3 - Edinburgh Hogmanay 2020

History of Hogmanay

I took a photo of the one-pound bag of frozen Chopped Collard Greens I use. I have seen them at Walmart too under their private label. I searched Google Images if you want to look for brands in your area. I had a replay of my New Year's Day supper today with the addition of a slow, oven-baked sweet potato and it was delicious. I had a very productive day moving bits around and putting them back where they belong. I am on one of my organizing frenzies and it feels good. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend. xo

My New Year's Day Traditional Supper

I thoroughly enjoyed my traditional southern home cooking for New Year's Day. I like my black-eyed peas rather "soupy" so I can dunk my cornbread in the "pot liquor" as we always called it in my family. The collard greens were good too. I will have my peas in a soup bowl tomorrow and crumble cornbread in it. Yum. I love leftovers and I have plenty. I've done a lot of research on greens and collard greens are off the charts when it comes to nutrition compared to kale, spinach, and all the other greens. They are good for your eyes too. Don't forget to eat your greens! xo

SMOOTH SAILING IN 2021

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R

Soaking My Black-eyed Peas for New Year's Day

I am soaking my black-eyed peas for a traditional New Year's Day meal with collard greens and cornbread. It looks like it will be enough for an army, doesn't it? This is a pyrex 8-cup measure and just one bag of beans. Looks like plenty will go in the freezer and that's a good thing. Enjoy your New Year's Eve. xo

Gathering Wood and Walking a Pig on New Year's Eve

"MAY YE NIVER WANT AUGHT

NOR A FRIEND TO SHARE

IT WI YE"

This is an original artwork on a card in my collection that I framed and love. This is my sentiment to you for midnight tonight and beyond in the New Year and forever. xo

Woodcut Engraving with Heart and Bird

A Song in my Heart

Numbered, signed, and dated.

I love it.

Image found on Tumblr.

Wonderful Cat Video

Wonder how this photographer got this shot of his cat? He was under a glass top table, and he had spread something delicious on the top for the cat to lick.

I just finished watching all three seasons of "detectorists" on Acorn TV. It is also available on Amazon Prime. It is full of charming characters and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this award winning BBC production and hope you will too.

A Beautiful Winter Landscape

There is beauty in the natural winter landscape if you don't cut everything back. This one is especially lovely. via

2020 Almost Gone

"Good riddance!" I say. How about you? via

A Really Spectacular Bathroom

This custom bathroom is definitely not a cookie cutter example. Every inch is custom including the tiled ceiling. The marble sinks with the brass surrounds are quite spectacular, aren't they? I would love to see the rest of the room to see where the owners store their "stuff". I can't see a place for even a tube of toothpaste unless those mirrors open up to medicine cabinets. Photo found here.

Interesting Antique Calligraphy

Superimposed Letters Spelling the Names of Illustrious Women of Ancient Rome: Faustina, Lucretia, Virginia, Vittoria, Giulia, Flaminia from Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta or The Model Book of Calligraphy (1561–1596) by Georg Bocskay and Joris Hoefnagel. 

Original from The Getty.

Hawk on My Balcony Railing

This hawk actually posed for me, turning his head in all directions while I clicked away with my camera. He is either a Coopers Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I sent this photo to Cornell Lab to help me identify him correctly. Have a great lazy weekend. xo

Vintage Christmas Postcard

Vintage Christmas Postcard by Zdenek Guth. Original from The New York Public Library. I love this illustration with the angels celebrating Christmas in the snowy woods. Tonight I am going to watch Call The Midwife 2020 Christmas Special on PBS.

xo

Gorgeous Holiday Wreath

This is absolutely one of the most gorgeous Holiday wreaths I have ever seen. I would leave it on my door until spring. via Denise mentioned a DIY video on YouTube for a similar wreath. Thanks, Denise!

Merry Christmas to All

My snow melted overnight thanks to the hard rain, fierce winds, and unusual warmth for this time of year. It seems that 2020 is continuing to be a year for the record books in every respect! This photo was taken on Christmas Eve morning and I added the greeting to wish you all a happy Christmas Day that is merry in every way. xo

Extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker

Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands (1754) by Mark Catesby (1683-1749). Original from The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library via

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone. I am up in the middle of the night because the howling wind woke me up and I'm wide awake. The power is still on and that's a good thing for the people around me with no generators. I'll see you later. xo

Happy Christmas Eve

My weather sounds pretty ominous for later in the day or early evening for rain and strong winds. I posted these hares on my blog back in 2013. See more of my Christmas Eve Posts Here. Be safe and blessed tonight. xo

Window Box with Christmas Decor

So pretty! Found on Instagram.

Bookplate with Borrowing Instructions

Neither blemish this book nor the leaves double down

Nor lend it to each idle friend in the town:

Return it when read -- or if lost, please supply

Another, as good to the mind and the eye.

With right and with reason you need but be friends

And each book in my study your pleasure attends.

I think these instructions from James Moore are very generous and polite, don't you? I found this photo on my computer, saved from long ago. I added the text below. It has always been my experience when I lent a book that I might as well have kissed it goodbye because I rarely got it back without asking for it. xo

N O E L

Old calligraphy alphabets are so beautiful and this one is no exception. This would make a beautiful Christmas Card. via

THE GOLDFINCH

Carel Pietersz Fabritius, the most promising student of Rembrandt, famous for his painting “The Goldfinch,” died young at just 32 in 1654. He was killed in an explosion. (Not what you were expecting, right?) The city of Delft’s gunpowder magazine unexpectedly exploded, destroying about one-fourth of the city and killing Fabritius. Dying young does not mean the end of a painter’s career – just look at Van Gogh. But unfortunately for Fabritius, most of his paintings were also destroyed in the explosion. Only about a dozen of his paintings survive today. (Source: Wikipedia) photo source

Winter Solstice 2020

Tonight is the longest night of the year. Starting tomorrow, the days will be getting longer so I decided to feature the sun rather than the moon.

This sun is an image copied from an 18th Century calligraphy manual. The December solstice happens at the same instant for everyone, everywhere on Earth – and this year the winter solstice occurred on Monday December 21, at 10:02 GMT in the Northern Hemisphere. As such, Monday December 21 will be the shortest day and longest night of the year.

Moon Snow by  Lucy Grossmith

This delightful image was found on Google Images.

Tonight will be perfect for animals like these.