An Award?

Well it seems I've gotten an award from the lovely Sandra of  Elephant Lover blogspot fame! sandra-elephantlover.blogspot.com

Until this morning i didn't know there were awards in Blogland?  Thank you so much Sandra, I am honored! I have been feeling rather speechless lately... but now I am suddenly inspired to type! 

I don't know if I'm doing this right.... or how to get the little picture of the award over here...(you really do need to give me explicit directions when it computer related you know!)  Ohhhh wait; I think i've got it now...

I guess part of the acceptance speech is to share ten things no one knows about me.... I'll try to dig deep, but I suspect that some of  the Mysteries of Melody may not be news to a few of you! 

so here we go.....

1.  I hate having to put my wet sandy feet inside of shoes.... all that sand trapped in there with my toes makes me want to scream!! 

2.  I freak out when bugs "touch" me.... I don't mind if they are near me... and I appreciate all the help they provide in the garden.... bees, butterflies, even spiders; but just please DON'T TOUCH ME!!!

3.  I am becoming "set in my ways".... wierd things are beginning to bother me. Like, I need the little dishes for the animals vegetables lined up in the same order every morning, so i know whose is whose; if they're not - I have to fix them before i can go on....

4.  I must "rearrange" and "organize" my hamberger (say from a fast food place)... before i can take a bite.  The people who make them do not assemble them with any attention to detail or affection.  If i don't rearrange it,  I'll be left with a big bite of bun and pickle in the end.

* are you sure this is a good idea Sandra?  I think i'm beginning to sound crazy????

5.  I believe in ghosts... and that old houses have feelings too....they just can't speak.

6.  I believe that the people/animals you love most stay in your heart and mind forever... even when they are no longer on this earthly plain.

7.  I am a firm believer that we all get to make choices in life... they may not all be good, but they are yours, and yours alone - don't blame anyone else.

8.  I love prowling around in thrift shops and junk shops and antique stores, with no time limits; and lots of small bills.... on a perfect summers day; and to finish it off with a root beer float and a ride in the country.

9.  I have NO musical talent - despite my name!

10.  I'm not sure some days who I am completely, or where i'm going.... other days i'm quite sure; and i often wish there was an instruction manual that we were all born with, so we could check on the confusing days.

And there it is...  All I can say is please don't judge me on my nuerotic sandwich arranging....

I'll pass the award on to a few people.  ( I have no idea who is  "award free" or not... so i'm sorry if you are..) First, back to my dear friend Sandra of course, who has inspired me to type again after 2 longs weeks of silence, and who ALWAYS  inspires me with her passion for animals.... And to Eve, special friend, artist and author of http://inspirationcreation-eva.blogspot.com/  who also acts as my artistic conscience in her free time... and also to http://ilkasattic.blogspot.com/ - It was the first blog I "fell for" as a result of buying an issue of Artful Blogging a few years ago; and that's how I came to learn about the magic of Blogland and fall under it's spell in the first place!

kinda crafty weekend...

 It was a mostly rainy, breezy, cool weekend in Maine.  It takes the world a little longer to warm up up there, but I don't mind, and the dogs love it!   I stayed inside and made silly things... and he played with his lawn tractor.... (I had the better deal...)

This image has been floating around in my mind for years.... Luke always sat under the little apple tree, watching for Pepe (the neighbors dog) to come and play.... They are both gone now, and the little tree is getting crookeder by the year.... I thought it was high time to get the image on canvas.  (painting in acrylic is outside my usual colored pencil comfort zone).

And this stunning cartoon is of course the fantabulous Ava and Marley!  I think the pen and ink versions by my lovely friend are much more striking!!!   But, I decided to share them anyway, just to prove I was a teeny bit crafty this weekend!

see my fancy paper plate pallett??? Isn't that what Picasso used??   Oh, wait --- Picasso is a cat... does Picasso paint too? Was there another one someplace in art history...  *Meow??? 

and finally, a little "mouse house" made from a card board box, and covered in birch bark! (it seems to shed from the tree naturally, and I can just leave it there on the ground! - what a waste!)

Then when we got home tonight, there were countless swans out front in the water.....

*sigh, so pretty.... 

 and now i must pay attention to cooking dinner....as this is typically how it gets burned.  :)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone!  As you can see, there IS an Easter bunny.... actually more than one! 

He tried to hide, but it was no use....

and he brought a friend too....

Strawberries to go with the frozen lemonade pie, see the heart?? 

What do rabbits like to eat?? Well carrot cake of course!

or perhpaps

Hot Cross "Buns" ???