February In Calico Country by Ellen Eilers
Hi Kids 😀
Long time no see!
Umm, well…
more like “no write” for me,
“no read” for you,
and “no comments” for both of us. 😉
But here we are at the start of a brand new year.
Welcome back! Hope you had a chance to relax over the holidays.
One of the things I love about a new year is a new calendar. I love that it is totally blank and consequently just brimming with possibilities. I try to imagine how many fun things I can schedule along with the obligatory dental appointments, furnace cleanings, etc.
Of course, part of the excitement for me is choosing the calendar. We do seem to get a couple of freebie calendars each year, but somehow they are never quite right. Either I don’t care for the pictures or the little boxes for each day are so small you can barely mark a loved one’s birthday in them.
So, I usually buy my calendar – BUT only after they’ve been marked down to half price! It seems silly to pay full price in mid-December, when a couple of weeks later they’re at least 50% off.
Waiting for that sale means I may not get my first choice, but I love that it compels me to look at and consider calendars I might never have noticed.
With my purchase this year, I’ve discovered a new (to me) artist, Ellen Eilers! The calendar features her incredibly colorful and very charming scenes of farms and countrysides. This photo and the one above are just two examples.
Doc's Country Retreat by Ellen Eilers
She didn’t begin her professional art career until she was in her 50’s. Currently, at 93 years young; she still paints every day, exhibits her work, and teaches art at community workshops!
Talk about motivation for a new year! Reading about Ellen and seeing her work has inspired me to reach and stretch in 2011 – to try some things I’ve never done before . . .
To paraphrase the old saying:
“You’re never too old to become the person you might have been.“
Hugs,
See more of Ellen’s art here.
Or watch the following 2-minute youtube video!
Hello Crystal,
Happy New Year.
I also Like calendars.
My nephew gave me one for Xmas with horses on it.’
I also have a large desk calendar to write down the
days that I work.
The art work that Ellen is doing is lovely and colourful.
Imagine, 93 years young and still going strong. Good for her.
I started out the New Year starting something new.
You know that song – All I want for Christmas is my two
front teeth? Well, I changed it to – All want for Christmas
is my upper plate!!!! Oh! My goodness! That’s what I got!!!!
So, I’m learning how to eat again.
Here’s to a happy year for all of us.
Welcome back, Crystal. You were missed.
Your today’s post is spot on. I will be learning something new this month. Quilting. Everyone has told me once I try it I will love it. I hope so. But I have no plans to give up my pretty beads.
Speaking of calendars… the colors in the one above are amazing. Just proves you are never too old to chase your dreams. We get the usual freebie calenders too but end up mostly using the one from our city. It gives us the dates when Trash Day will be a day later, the upcoming events, photos from around the community and other useful tidbits. And I buy one every year for one dollar from Michaels for my own personal use.
Changing out the calendars. So final. And the first signal the new year is here and will be staying awhile.
BTW, I checked here everyday to see what was new. 😀
( I like your Amazon widget. I read about it and was thinking of doing it for my blog. Let us know how it works for you.)
Happy New Year everyone!!
We get a community calendar every year with photos sent in from the residents. I love it and its free too. I find the artwork in the calendar you bought amazing, what an incredible attitude this women has toward life.
Here are the offbeat holidays this week,
1/3 Festival of Sleep Day
1/3 Fruitcake Toss Day & National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
1/4 Trivia Day
1/6 Epiphany
1/7 I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore Day
I hope everyone finds these days as fun as I do, but I can stop if no-one else enjoys them.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again.
I LOVE the “days”, Kelly!!!! Please don’t stop!
“Festival of Sleep Day” LOL 😀
Aw, thank you, Donna
It’s lovely to know I was missed! 🙂
While I’m glad to hear you won’t give up your beads (I couldn’t either!!!), I know you’ll have fun quilting.
Hi Cheryl 🙂
How sweet and thoughtful of your nephew!
Sending my very best wishes that you adjust to your new plate quickly. I’ll bet you have a movie star smile! 🙂
Kelly Ann, your holidays for the week are too funny!!
I hate fruit cake. Can I toss it and then sleep the rest of today? 😀
What a nice quote!Its been proven that people that keep learning and are creative live longer:)
Chocolate covered cherries day? I just found my excuse to go buy some! Yum, they are my favorites! 🙂
I get a Basset hound calendar every year; my husband thinks I am crazy since we have 2 real ones but they are so darn cute. I also have a basset page-a-day calendar so I get a new dog every day! I use the previous day’s page as scratch paper or to put a note in my daughter’s lunch.
Happy New Year everyone!
Welcome back! I missed you and Kelly and don-mae and Cheryl. I love reading everyone’s comments.
I hate fruitcake too and definitely would toss it (as soon as I got it) Would you believe, my mother loved fruitcake. I would send her 4 or 5 fruitcakes from a local bakery (I’m in New England and she lived in the Midwest) She was always thrilled.
I usually buy a Golden Retriever calendar. Maybe this year I’ll venture out and get something different. Ha
Hi Clenna!
I’m so glad to see all of you guys checking-in today. 😀
You know I love the lot of ya.
Regarding fruitcake, I could never warm up to it either. LOL I remember it used to come in a wedgewood blue tin with a scene of a driver and coach on it. I’m shuddering just thinking of all that overly candied fruit!
Greetings Allison, 🙂
What a great way to have a new dog every day!! I also like those page-a-day calendars and some years I have them too. I so agree that it seems a shame to just toss the pages daily so, like you, I am always looking for things to do with them. Here’s a post I wrote about that very topic a while back:
http://beadhappilyeverafter.com/blog/?p=4189
Hey there, Michelle! 🙂
I’m really glad you like the quote. It really touched me. I think it’s one of those sayings that stays with you once you’ve heard it.
Have you had a chance to make anything lately? I found some great craft supplies on clearance (80% off) last week at Michael’s!
Hi Crissie
Yes, I missed you too!!
Fruitcake!!! I NEVER will understand why people don’t like fruitcake. I absolutely LOVE it. I can honestly eat the whole thing, which I do if we have one cause no one else eats a bite.
I ALWAYS buy a National Wildlife Federation calendar. My love is always big cats. I used to buy leopards, but I am absolutely mesmerized by Siberian Tigers. My office decor is cats, big and little so I like to have a Big Cat calendar. When I need a minute to regroup, I look up at a beautiful wild cat and relax a moment.
I am off to a great start in a wonderful new year. How bout you?
Carol, I have always hated fruitcake. And I have tried it. I can’t get past two things. The way it looks and the way it smells. LOL!! I won’t mind if you eat my piece. Have two. Loved your New Year’s post about your grandson and his poker face. His hat and giant glasses are too cute.
Thanks for posting the link to your previous post; you are so creative!
I also LOVED Becky Kelly’s artwork! I went to her website–her books and cards and prints are adorable. I have found my Christmas cards for next year already. 🙂
Me too, Crystal, I love a pretty calendar on my wall. I usually look for ME because I so love her art, but thank you for introducing me to Ellen Eilers. Her art is lovely as well! xoxo Paulette