Happy New Chapter~70 Years Living!

A few days ago I accomplished the miraculous feat of having lived 70 years! I am so grateful to be alive and healthy as I enter into this new chapter of my life. It truly felt like a milestone event, and coming up to it was nerve-wracking in a sense. I wanted to cross the threshold and get into the big leagues without any snafus! Thankfully it all worked out, but there were a few incidents that almost sidelined me! I enjoyed a fun day of celebration, and a few weeks leading up to my Big 70 Birthday I enjoyed even more pre-celebrations! Now the celebrations continue, since one day is not nearly enough time to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee!!

These past few months were filled with settling in and resting after yet another move in my life! I am grateful that I had some time to breathe and get familiarized with this new area where I live. I continue to explore and meet new people along the way. I go back to my old neighborhood for Meditation in Nature sessions twice a week. It’s not too far away so I am happy I can continue spending time with good friends and visit some favorite eateries, and nature spots, especially my favorite labyrinth! I did find a labyrinth in my area and have walked it a few times already!

Now I am getting ready to focus on my left brain world of earning an income! I could be happy until the day I leave this planet, living in my right brain world of creativity! So far, it doesn’t support my royal life style! I will continue creating art, join a local artist group, and soon exhibit my art at local galleries. I will be balancing my left and right brain worlds until I win the lottery!

Spring will be ending soon, it has been a very rainy one, but gloriously lush green, with gorgeous blooming flowers, Iris, Tulips, Lilacs, and flowering trees, Red Buds are my favorite! Summer is around the bend, and I will enjoy all the farmers markets, cooking with all the fresh veggies, and indulging with a Caribbean Mule or Apersol Spritz! I have planted some fresh herbs and lots of flowers to enjoy.

Enjoy the lovely remaining days of Spring and see you in the summer!! I will soon be counting the days until Autumn, my favorite season!

Namaste

May 31, 2023 0

Serendipity! Happy New Colorado Chapter!

This month I celebrated my One Year Colorado Anniversary on March 4, 2023, and also found my new home sweet home serendipitously on the same day! I moved on March 12th, and now live in another suburb of Denver, in Lakewood. I love the area, and am so happy to have made this change in my life! So very excited to start this new chapter and in this beautiful new season of Spring.

I have realized my dream of living in Colorado, and now upgraded my surroundings under this new roof. I have begun to feel like myself again, hanging my art in all the rooms, cooking some delicious meals in my new kitchen, and getting ready to plan some spring flower pot creations!

There are many art districts to explore right in my neighborhood, so that thrills me! I am closer to Denver and all the museums, interesting architecture to photograph, and my friends who live there. I am closer to the foothills and see the glorious Rocky Mountains everyday out my window. There are open spaces, parks and nature spots to hike and savor in the Colorado beauty. And the best part, I am still close to all my friends and activities in Arvada! I am so grateful for this opportunity to start over in this new chapter and can’t wait to see what happens next.

The Universe never ceases to amaze me!

Namaste!

March 31, 2023 0

Colorado ~ A Joyful December…

Happy Holidays! It has been a fun filled and very busy December here in Colorado! Holiday Season has been magical, so many creative displays of holiday lights in the neighborhoods. I have never seen anything so extravagant in my lifetime, these Coloradoans really love to decorate! Winter has arrived with many days of snow cascading over the Rockies. In between the cold and frigid days, we have had some spring like days too! The temperature fluctuations here are bizarre. Just last week we had minus 50 wind chill and then the next day it was 50 degrees and sunny! Layering is the way of the land, when it comes to wardrobe! I enjoyed so many fun visits with friends, for lunch and dinner, birthday celebrations, a Chanukah party, tree lighting in Olde Town, and so much more!

I got to visit a few other areas too, I call them the “L Towns”, Longmont and Louisville. I have been to Loveland a few years ago, so I have only one “L Town” left to explore, in Lyons. I had fun baking my favorite holiday treats, and sharing them with new friends. We had a new housemate for the holiday season, a life size Grinch has been hanging out, and he changed his mindset, and now loves Christmas. I made him a heart for his transformation to being a happy loving Grinch! I have picked out some photos to document this busy month.

Nature has been my elixir here in Colorado for the past 9 months, and I am so grateful to live in such a glorious place. I have been walking my favorite labyrinth, making hearts in the snow, and enjoying all the open spaces and parks in the area. There is one more day in December before the New Year begins. My plans are to go snowshoeing with a good friend, I am looking forward to giving it a try! I bought myself some hiking boots for Christmas, so now I am really an official Colorado woman! It will be a fun way to say so long to 2022, and welcome in the New Year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all!~Helen Keller

Go for it now, the future is promised to no one. ~Wayne Dyer

December 30, 2022 0

Gratitude & Colorado November Nature Adventures…

The month of November I spent an enormous amount of time out in nature, deliciously walking in the crisp snow, drawing snow hearts along my path. Yes, even though it is still autumn here in Colorado, we have had a few snow days already! I enjoyed a heartfelt Thanksgiving with new friends, and am so grateful for the new memories created.

I have begun to gather many nature photographs for my first Colorado PhotoArt Calendar. I have taken so many photos, the editing process has become mind-numbing!!! So far I have chosen these 12 in the collage below, but I’m sure the final published calendar will include other favorites in the coming weeks. Many of these photos are available on my website at Fine Art America.

I have designed a collage of Denver street art/graffiti that a friend has shared with me from his many photo excursions. It will be a surprise gift as these have been photos sent over the past nine months, now incorporated into a collage.

Here are a few collages of more glorious nature walks in November and hearts that I am inspired to draw in the Colorado snow. I also find them created by Mother Nature!

I wish everyone a wonderful Holiday Season enjoying all the festivities with friends and family. I hope you get out and breathe the fresh air, take some nature walks, and if you are inspired, draw some hearts in the snow, or in the sand, depending on where you live! Keep an eye out for the serendipity hearts already designed by Mother Nature!

Namaste

November 30, 2022 0

Colorado October Autumn Adventures!

Time goes by so fast these days! The seasons are changing and now we are deep into Autumn, and with a hint of winter showing up last week when we had our first measurable snow. Thankfully it was short lived and melted away quickly! Autumn will still be around for awhile according to the forecast. I am not ready for winter yet! I have selected some highlights of my month in photos and videos to share.

October started with a visit to Golden Gate Canyon State Park hiking the Burro Trail, a moderate hike, but for me it was a breathless trek and I could only go so far. My friend continued on to the end, and I stayed behind relaxing on a comfy rock creating en plein air drawings of the autumn beauty. The aspens were beginning to show off their golden beauty mixed in with the evergreens. It became cloudy with a threat of rain so I headed down the trail and met my friend closer to the entrance where we began. I had fun collecting leaves creating photo collages while I waited for my adventurous and fearless friend to meet me. She has hiked a 14 er on Longs Peak, so we were not matched for a day of hiking! It was glorious to be out in nature and continuing to feel as if I really do live in Colorado.

Spent the afternoon with a friend enjoying the beauty of Evergreen, Colorado. We went to a wonderful exhibit at the Evergreen Art Center featuring Water Media paintings. I found a serene Labyrinth near the Church of Transfiguration near a pond surrounded by an evergreen forest. I have wanted to finally make my way to that Labyrinth since I heard it was in a beautiful natural setting. It did not disappoint. I would like to return on a warmer and sunnier day, since it was a bit chilly in the shade. It would be a lovely place for a picnic spending time in the serene location with a beautiful Labyrinth to enjoy, I will return soon. There are so many historic old structures in downtown Evergreen, it was fun to drive though and we stopped at the famous Beau Jo’s Mountain Pizza Pies for lunch.

I took another fun adventure with a few friends going to Boulder for an event that occurs nationally and annually on the third Saturday in October: World Singing Day! It was so wonderful, young and old singing their hearts on the Pearl Street Mall! It was a gorgeous Autumn day, sunny with perfect cool breezes. There were handouts with the lyrics and music blasting as we all sang along, and danced to the beat. I will definitely mark my calendar to repeat this fun event next year.

I continued to explore my neighborhood going to Standley Lake Trail and Two Ponds Wildlife Refuge. See some photos below of my walks in those glorious nature areas. I feel so lucky to have such amazing access to these places so close to home. I had quite the experience at one of my walks in Two Ponds when I came upon a Deer Couple, a doe and a buck. I think we startled each other, and for a moment I got a bit anxious being out there all alone at dusk. I hustled my way back down the trail getting home safe and sound…and not chased by deer! I do love them, they are my spirit animal! I used to see them all the time when I lived in Sedona. I know they are gently creatures, but maybe not when they are startled and possibly in mating season!

Last but not least I continue to visit my favorite Labyrinth and Park in Arvada. The Labyrinth is now covered in crunchy maple leaves, since we had a few windy days and then a mini snow event. I enjoyed walking in the crunchy leaves, love the sound effects, it is one of my favorite things to do in Autumn. I have included a short video below so you can enjoy the fun! I also went to Majestic View Park for my weekly meditation class, and took a few photos this week on a very cold windy day with spectacular majestic views as always!

I hope you enjoyed my October Adventures in Colorado! I will soon be uploading some full size photos of these glorious nature spots that can be purchased as prints, etc. at Fine Art America.

Thanks for coming along on my adventures, hope you enjoyed!

October 30, 2022 0

Rocky Mountain High~6 Months in Colorado!

Hello Colorado! Yes, I finally feel like I LIVE in Colorado after my visit to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park. Here in Arvada I have been admiring the view of the Rocky Mountain Front Range everyday and salivating at the chance to get closer into the mountains. Last week on a beautiful autumn day I realized that dream. It was 48 years ago that I fell in love with Colorado, and that long since I was up close and personal with the glorious terrain. I probably took hundreds of photos and it is overwhelming to begin editing my favorites. I found heart rocks covered in multi-colored layers of lichen that thrilled me. We saw a herd of Elk in the throes of their mating season and listened to the bull bugling for his herd to follow him! We went to the timberline, about 13,000 ft. altitude, and I was slightly out of breath, albeit it was about 25 mph wind and freezing cold! Along the road up to the mountains the Aspens were showing off their beautiful autumn colors, mostly yellow, but some orange bits and still some green. We took a short hike in a meadow with the mountains surrounding us and it reminded me of why I fell in love with Colorado! A few wildflowers were left in the meadow and of course I found a few heart shaped stones as souvenirs. As a bonus in Estes Park we found a lovely Labyrinth to walk with amazing views. I am so grateful to live here amongst the magnificent Colorado nature, and for new friends to share these wonderful adventures with. Here are a few photos to enjoy.

I celebrated living in Colorado for six months on September 4th with a month of fun filled adventures with new friends, enjoying cultural outings, taking art classes, continuing my weekly “meditation in nature” class that I love, listening to live music at a few venues, going to the theater, visiting some galleries, taking in the First Friday Art Walk in Denver along the Sante Fe Arts District, holiday barbecues, nature walks in the neighborhood along the trails near my house, walking the Labyrinth, and the path in Majestic View Park, savoring the breathtaking sunsets over the mountains. I will include more pictures for you to enjoy.

Trees framing Longs Peak over Standley Lake

Last but not least, I celebrated my Honda’s 32 year anniversary! I bought it brand new in 1990 in Los Angeles, and it has been with me on all my life journeys ever since! It only has 61,000 miles on it and will outlive me for sure! I went to Standley Lake for a photo op and Mother Nature gifted us with a rainbow in the distance! I also celebrated a 6 month anniversary with my friend Alan who has a similar Honda. We met on March 12th at Majestic View Park, and for a moment as he drove up, I thought my Honda was being stolen until I realized his car was too dirty! He has almost 333,000 miles on his! We have been “car” friends ever since, and he came for visit to take a photo of what I call, “The Meeting of the Honda’s”. Here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy!

I am looking forward to October with many more Autumn Colorado Adventures! So until then I hope you enjoyed reading about my September fun filled adventures!

Happy Autumn & Enjoy!

September 30, 2022 0

Colorado Cultural & Creative Fun…

I don’t know where this month of August disappeared to. Thankfully, I have a lot of photo art creations and fun memories to look back on. Much of the month had to do with learning my new cell phone and fun camera editing apps, causing many challenges, but also a lot of serendipity along the way! I’ll post some of my favorite photo art and a serendipitous video of my first rainbow sighting here in Colorado. I enjoyed so many glorious nature outings and of course taking photos along the way! I also enjoyed some fun cultural outings with friends. We went to a one-man comedy production in Lakewood, Colorado at their lovely Cultural Center. It was a laugh riot entitled: “My Mom’s Italian, My Dad is Jewish, and I’m in Therapy! It resonated with me since I happen to be all of those things! Also, with friends we enjoyed some live Americana folk music at La Dolce Vita, a cool coffee house in an eclectic part of Arvada called Olde Town. Just the other evening with one of my newest friends, we went for a walk along the labyrinth and out for dinner back in Olde Town. And last night a belated birthday dinner with my housemate, and girlfriend at my favorite sushi restaurant. My life has been so enriched during these almost 6 months of living in Colorado, making new friends and sharing in such fun cultural and creative activities.

Fun with photo filters!
A view of the Rocky Mountains!

The labyrinth with the Rocky Mountains in the distance! Another fun photo filter photo art creation!

Out for a lovely evening sunset walk in my neighborhood, with the Rocky Mountains in the distance! This was my first attempt creating photo art with my new filters!

Photo Art Creation – August Full Moon – Supermoon

I took more enjoyable walks in the neighborhood savoring the amazing clouds and sun after a few thunderstorms. The month of August has been extremely hot here with thunderstorms almost every afternoon it seemed!

An afternoon of Meditation in Nature at Majestic View Park a few weeks ago.

My new cell phone camera surprised me with this video of a time-lapse rainbow, the first rainbow sighting I’ve had since I’ve arrived here! Apparently it’s just something my phone does if it finds a landscape photo that it can turn into a time lapse with music in the background! Quite serendipitous to say the least!

Serendiptious Rainbow Video!

I’ve also had even more fun with my new camera apps, experimenting with new techniques, and lighting, which I am calling painting with my camera!

I found a beautiful heart cloud in the sky and then I used my filters to create it into an ethereal looking cloud!

And last but not least some other interesting sites and new furry friends I found along my walks in the neighborhood in the month of August!

August 31, 2022 0

Soul Rehab ~ Colorado Home

I finally got to take some time to myself for a week in July to enjoy some long overdue Soul Rehab here in my new Colorado Home! It’s been a wild ride the past 1 1/2 years in my life! This blog will be a day by day sharing of my thoughts and photos during this very cathartic journey in my week. It was a delicious and soothing week for my soul. Maybe you might try a similar exercise, it can be very ZEN and healing! Namaste

First steps in Soul Rehab…Day 1… unpack and hang some of my favorite creations in my office! I haven’t seen them in 14 months, they’ve been in dusty old boxes, moved from Sedona, to my brother’s garage in NY, and 4 months ago to my house in Colorado! Hello old friends…the site of you soothes my soul!

Soul Rehab…Day 2…So happy to see more of my old friends hanging on my walls once again! I’ve missed you, it’s beginning to feel like I have a home again! Also… I took a lovely, delicious, peaceful, luxurious bubble bath to add to the soothing of my soul!

Soul Rehab…Day 3…My bedroom sanctuary that soothes my soul with all my favorite art. Some of my creations, and a few of my dear artist friend’s magical paintings.

Soul Rehab…Day 4…Hanging a few more old friends in my office! I so love my large canvas which I named “Serendipity”, painted back in the late ’80s! It really soothes my soul to see it while I’m working at my desk! The rose was painted by a dear artist friend in Portland, Oregon. A very special birthday gift that she painted from one of my beautiful lavender roses called Neptune.

Soul Rehab…Day 5…I spent the day getting back to work in my home office, and was soothed by seeing all my favorite art on my walls! Later, I went out for a lovely Labyrinth walk, so very healing. I took my drawing pad and pencils for a plein air attempt at drawing the mountains! The bonus was an amazing sunset over the Rocky Mountains! So grateful!

Soul Rehab…Day 6…On this Full Buck Moon I cooked one of my favorite meals, Lamb Rib Chops with Mexican Gray Squash. I think it shows in my photo that my soul is very soothed and satiated! Today was my favorite meditation in nature class at Majestic View Park, so perfectly timed for my soul rehab week!

Soul Rehab…Day 7… Beautiful sunflowers greeting me on my evening walk in the neighborhood, after a work day, and also a healing acupuncture treatment.

Soul Rehab…Day 8… As my Soul Rehab week comes to an end, I enjoyed the day doing some of my favorite things! I took a lovely Soul Healing walk at the Labyrinth, and created a plein air landscape painting inspired by the Rocky Mountains. For dinner I picked up some of my favorite Italian take-out food, from our neighborhood restaurant Massino’s, Baked Ziti & Buffalo chicken wings! Delish! Here is a collage of some of the foods I’ve cooked this week, breakfast, lunch, & dinner!

July 30, 2022 0

Officially a Coloradan!

After 48 years of Colorado dreaming I have officially become a Coloradan! I got my Colorado ID/drivers license, car registration/license plates, and voted in the primary election! Now, let’s hope I don’t get called for jury duty, not yet at least!!! The month of June went by like a flash, so many official things to accomplish!

I did have some creative fun in June, and began a 53 week plein air art project, drawing my interpretations of the Rocky Mountains and surrounding landscape. I have been inspired while visiting all my favorite nature spots in the area. I continue to walk the labyrinth several times a week, and love my meditation in nature class every Wednesday at Majestic View Park. That is where most of my drawings were created, along with my newest nature favorite, along Standley Lake trail. I am excited to begin a drawing and art class on July 1st which I hope will assist in improving my skills immensely!

Continuing in the creative mode, I got inspired to write a short story about my almost 4 months of living here, and the trials and tribulations of life at my affordable rental house! It was very cathartic to write, and is quite humorous at times. I have always loved Norah Ephron’s writing, so I attempted to infuse some of her style into my story.

I have also begun writing another memoir, this one about the past 5 years of my life, which I have entitled: “Limbo”! I have written about 6,000 words so far, and many more to go! The past 5 years have been filled with so many adventures and challenges, and as I write this memoir it brings up many emotions that I have pushed aside, so I could keep moving forward, and now it has become a very necessary healing and cathartic piece to write. The uncertainty of life during the pandemic was excruciating to write about, it was a time of “Limbo” for all of us. Between my Zen adventures, the political climate, the pandemic, and all the unplanned moving around I had to do, it has been quite a ride in Limbo Land for me! Limbo Land also known as the space in between, the bridge to nowhere, and the timelessness tunnel of my life.

I mentioned this is my second memoir, my first was written during the height of the pandemic in 2020. It was a great escape into reliving my many wonderful food related travel adventures throughout my life! It is available on amazon, and is called: “My Royal Palate”, Lobster, Steak and Ice Cream! There are great stories about my childhood, family restaurant, and many delicious recipes are included!

The summer solstice just passed us by, and I have begun the countdown, there are 84 days until autumn arrives. I hate summer, I hate being HOT, I hate being sweaty, and I really HATE mosquitos! See you in July, it’s one month closer to autumn!