Flights of Fancy

Yesterday was capped off with some unexpected adventure as my mother, my daughter and myself found ourselves chasing hot air balloons down a back road in Central Jersey. It was the final day of the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning at Soderberg-Hunterdon Airport and despite rough weather earlier in the evening at least 20 balloons braved an ascent.

Luckily, we realized the weather was preventing the balloons from ascending very high and left our initial viewing spot, from which they were just distant tiny dots. We headed down Reading Road towards the balloons and found ourselves in the thick of it. Balloons were coming down all around us in fields and front and back yards. The excitement of the spectators both in cars and lawn chairs was palpable as the balloons descended and dwarfed the houses they were landing among. It made me wish I had a great camera. Here are a few shots I managed from the back seat of the car as the police warned cars to keep moving.

It was a perfect adventure for a summer evening. Thank you to the all the balloonists who made our evening and a great memory.

Rain, rain, ...

I won't even bother saying go away, because I know it isn't listening to me. I feel like I took a break from blogging because I was down from all of the rain. In the back of my head I was thinking when the sun come out I'll get motivated again. Well, no sign of the sun, so I'm forcing myself to get past the inertia I've been feeling. It's a little sobering to realize how easily affected by the weather I am. Shouldn't I be able to determine my own state of mind rather than being a victim to some clouds?

Okay lot's of clouds and days and days of just gray skies and rain. Argh! I feel like I'm in some weird sci-fi movie where the sun disappears and it takes a while, but people finally begin to realize it's not coming back.

These photos by Carl Kleiner are inspiring me to put the color in my own days. Come on rain, I can beat you. Oh. wow a hint of sun out side!!!

My Words in Color

Wordle provided a playful diversion and some much needed color to an otherwise grey day. You can create your own word cloud based on your blog, a favorite text or words you type into the application. The above word clouds are based on this blog and my other blog Joy Bucket.

Where's the Rain?

I changed my plans today because of the torrential rain we are supposed to be experiencing. So where are the April showers? Paris maybe? This photo is proof that Paris makes even inclement weather look good.

Reading Wish List: Script and Scribble

I'm the kind of person who would be very happy curled up and reading a good book for hours. My life however does not accommodate such singular pursuits these days, so I find myself compiling a Reading Wish List.

I did manage to read the latest issue of ReadyMade from start to finish the other night (Domino substitute) and came across a blurb about Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting by Kitty Burns which peaked my interest. I often look at my handwriting and think what happened? I learned penmanship before the personal computer hit and was taught by nuns no less, so there's really no excuse for the state of my handwriting these days. The answer may lie in Ms. Burns' book which goes beyond blaming computers alone and looks at our modern lifestyle for an explanation. I personally hope there is still hope for the art of penmanship.

April Showers Deserve a Good Trench

This afternoon I looked out the window and the sun was reduced to a diffused glow behind the grey clouds. I felt as if I were in some weird sci-fi movie in which the sun has devolved into a Red Giant and can only partially illuminate the sky. Hmm, maybe the less than stellar weather has me down?

I'm sure I'd be happier if I had a great trench coat in my wardrobe to throw on and looked as pulled together as this woman from Lucky's Fashion Copycat. In Style magazine featured a surprisingly great trench from London Fog this month (may be that shouldn't be a shock from London Fog). Unfortunately the extra 20% off from InStyle's April Deals seems to have depleted supplies. Only XL is still available. Wah, no retail therapy for me.

Thank You Forsythia

Here's a little shout out to all the forsythia bushes trimmed and untrimmed that have provided a much needed bit of sunshine these past couple of grey days. Now if the sun would just get its act together!

Photo via The Dessert Years.

Great Scotts and Tartans Too

As NY Tartan Week comes to a close I'm reminded of how much I love men in kilts and a good tartan. I'm pleased my family name has two tartans associated with it, a rather bold district sett and a more subdued family sett. I'd love to order a few yards one day to cover a comfortable old chair. It would be nice to settle in with a good book engulfed in the family tartan.

Not to worry if you don't have a Scottish name or tartan to match you can create your own at Tartan Maker.

Moffat district tartan top, Moffat family tartan bottom.

My New Wierd Obsession: Willow Hurdles

Maybe I've just watched too many episodes of Midsomer Murders and have become enamored of the English garden aesthetic through osmosis. That would explain my love of willow hurdles and why when I think of how my garden is going to look, I can't get the image of them out of my mind.

Realistically, I think my still to be dug garden is going to be have to be much more modest at first. I have yet to find a source of hurdles on the east coast and have limited funds to work with. This year's garden will likely have more in common with the Victory Gardens of WWII than an English garden but I can still dream. Either way I'm looking forward to getting some dirt on my hands.

The lovely willow hurdles pictured above are by WonderWood.

Time for a Clean Sweep

I had wanted to get a jump start on my Spring cleaning this year but somehow Spring snuck up on me. I planned on having cleared the decks of clutter before winter ended. Now the forsythia is threatening to bloom and I'm just getting started. Oh well the best laid plans...

The good news, now that I have begun, I am proceeding with a vengeance! I think I am trying to deal with all my anxieties by organizing various corners and drawers. "Less is more" is my mantra as I try and let go of the stuff that has become just clutter. I have moments when I think it would be easier to attack the problem with a good broom. It may come to that, and if it does, I want a broom as cool as the one pictured above from Pioneer Broom Shoppe.

So here's a list of what's in the garbage or on it's way to Sal's (Salvation Army) so far:

• Three lipsticks in impossible to wear colors
• A dried out nail polish
• A cheesy hair straightening product
• A pair of running pants I always trip on (and I'm just walking)
• A pair of American Apparel sweats that are cute but always feel like they are falling off (not a comforting sensation)
• A book from an old boyfriend that I always suspected was a recycled gift, at best it was a thoughtless gift befitting his self-centered nature
• Christmas cards that were never used
• Christmas tree shaped peeps that were beyond the good kind of stale
  
• A lone juice glass
• A mauve colored lamp that looks like it was stolen from a hotel
  
• A jar of jalapeno jelly ???

I just have to keep going and know how good it's going to feel living in the clear.