Serenity EASTER Sunday...

“Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”

“He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Happy Easter you all of you, May the joy of the season be with you, today and everyday...

**Tami**

Serenity Sunday...week 83

Beautiful Super Moon....

Only the soft moon
and silky stars
know my ever
changing goals.
Within me, I found love
For others.

Copyright

Tamara Egan

07/26/00

Deep sleep fades
as glowing rays
fills morrow's light
and banishes dark shadows.
Precious day is waiting.

Copyright

Tamara Egan

8/9/00

God's wisdom danced.
Particles of glowing silky stardust
defined as grace and perfect love
within every new life.

Copyright

Tamara Egan

8/12/00

Through impending cold
and afternoons of soft grey
my sub-conscious seeks an end
to the silky winter fog.

Copyright

Tamara Egan

06/29/00

Soft rays of sunlight

glisten through dimly lit forests,

while the beauty of spring

awakens in the garden.

Copyright

Tamara Egan

3/11/10

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HAPPY SPRING!!!!!

I spent about 1 1/2 hours today raking out a couple of flower beds. I'll be sorry tomorrow, but it feels good to know that one, they are done (at least for now) and two, the blooming flowers are on the horizon. It'll be a long while before I see flowers, but just knowing that they are coming is enough.

Last night, I watched for the SUPERMOON and took a few pictures. I used the 'night' setting on my digital camera, but left my tripod at home. Lesson learned...when it's cold outside, night time photos need to be taken using a tripod...I apparently, shiver a bit.:-) The pictures (above) that I took of the moon last night, we captured over Jamesville Reservoir, which is still frozen. The moonlight on the reservoir was beautiful.

::::On another note::::

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2nd Annual

'Spring Gathering of Friends'

will be held at

The Colonial Housefitter

4538 Apulia Road

Jamesville, NY 13078

(315-492-1977)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

11am-5pm

We had a great time last year....
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!

Serenity Sunday...week 82

In my opinion, the most moving oration at the Oscars tonight...

"It's not the load that breaks you down,

it's the way you carry it."

~ Lena Horne

Serenity Sunday...week 81

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sounds the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

New Hampshire

1923

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I shamelessly repost this poem and photo from last January. For a couple reasons...first this is befitting this time of year and second...this is one of my favorite photos and the poem, well...speaks for itself... The photo was found on the web years ago...and always seemed like there was a story behind it. The photo is a story in itself...hope you enjoy..

** On another note, stay tuned for a peek into the 17th annual Valentine's Tea that was held at my friend Cindy Petter's house last Monday.

Serenity Sunday...week 80

Quiet and serene
Nature’s heavenly moment
A calm winter’s day.

Love is not a word
It is the soul of a heart
Aching to be heard.

Happy Valentine's Day!~

Tomorrow is Cindy Petters 'Annual Valentine's Tea'. It's an all day open house hosted by Cindy for about 400 of her closest friends. I think this year will mark her 17th tea.

She makes her special 'magic' blend of tea and dozens and dozens of beautiful cookies.

These are a couple of pics from last year...stay tuned for some updates from tomorrow!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

Serenity Sunday...belated week 79

Around here…nothing doing…doing nothing…except watching snowflakes grow into mammoth piles of snow. Piles of snow so huge that I could not wade through it if I tried. Winter white surrounds everything in it’s path and the icicles grow at an incredible rate.

I used to enjoy the snow…I was a skier for years. I’ve come to dread the white stuff…even dislike it to a degree! Last Friday (February 4th) marked the first time in 33 days that we didn’t have a measurable snowfall. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t be such an achievement for most of you out there…here it’s something to celebrate!

It started in December and has snowed almost continually since. According to an article in the NY Times…December in Syracuse (by 12/22) 71.9 inches of snow had fallen on our fair city making it the snowiest December on record. It hasn’t really stopped since…except on New Years day. That day it was a balmy 58* at my house, which quickly prompted the opening of windows to air out the place.

We skated on the storm that left the rest of the country in shambles last week. I don’t know how we managed that, but we were relatively ‘snowfall-less’ last Wednesday (Feb. 2) with only about 7 inches which was several inches shy of the predicted snowfall.

Yesterday, however, we made up for it. In the afternoon…it started as rain/sleet/freezing rain, depending upon where in the county you were…then HUGE snowflakes began to fall. That’s how the roads became so bad so quickly. There were about 10 inches of snow on my car this morning…it was only snowing for about 3 hours last night. I can attest that the shovel fulls of this snow was back breakingly heavy…laden with the water from the sleet and rain that fell during the afternoon.

After last night...officially, we're at about 130.9 inches. I'm ok with it...it can stop now...any time really...just turn to spring...take a week or two so we don't have flooding...but, yup...it's ok with me!

I’ve had it…officially…too much…too often…can render even a native Syracusan…crazy…

(These photos have been taken over the past couple of weeks at random times. That will explain the different amounts of snow on the ground. The nighttime photos were taken last night during the latest snowfall. The daytime road photos were taken this morning on my way to my parents for a visit. As much as I hate to admit it...snow photographs well...)

Serenity Sunday...week 78

CHRIS: Morning Cicely. 8:00 A.M. muchachos. Time to finish those flapjacks, knock back that second cup of joe, get ready to greet the day. Temperature's creeping towards double digits as the solar drought continues--23 days, an average of an hour and a half of sunlight every day. No relief on the horizon. Which only makes sense cause there is no horizon. Our friends at the weather service are calling for another storm and as we know, they've been batting a thousand lately. Hey, let's check our social calendar. Nothing. Total blank. It's cabin fever season people, that time of year when four walls feel like they're going to come in here and choke the spirit right out of you. Time to lock away those firearms and hang tough. No way through it except to do it.

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I hope you enjoyed another glimpse of the wisdom that the character 'Chris' shared with us on the TV show Northern Exposure. As always, the writers hit the nail on the head. Somehow, this show always comes to mind in the winter here in central New York...it must be all the snow....

HAPPY NEW YEAR! This time of year, there is so much to look forward to and so much to let go of. It's time to reevaluate your priorities, chart new goals and look at the long-run. Take a look at your relationships...improve what needs to be improved. Take a look at yourself...figure out what makes 'you' tick and expand the qualities you feel are your best and improve what needs work. We are all a work in progress and what better time of year to become the new and improved version of yourself, than the new year? I don't look at it as a 'resolution' per say...just a new goal...

**Tami

Serenity Sunday...week 77

(From my favorite quote garden: Northern Exposure)

CHRIS STEVENS: Season's Greetings, everybody, from KBHR, the heart and soul of Cicely, Alaska. This is Chris In The Morning. From where I'm sitting, I've got a great view of all the yuletide decorations going up all over town. That's right, everywhere I turn my head I see ebony birds roosting for the holidays. You know, twinkling colored lights are nice, and so are plastic Santas and reindeers and manger scenes, but I'll tell you something, friends... nothing like the sight of beautiful black-as-pitch raven to get you in the Christmas spirit.

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These past 2 weeks have been a winter wonderland around here. We have set and broken more snowfall records than I care to remember. Driving has been iffy at best, most mornings, but in our usual Central NY way, we find a way around the weather, get to work and make our way to the destination that we had planned. Not much holds us down here...the plow drivers work 'round the clock to make sure that we are safe and the roads are clear.

Rarely do we have a whole city shut-down. The schools may close for a day, cancel after school activites or delay the start of the day...but we get through it and are better for it. Yes, we get several feet of snow...it gets cold and we sometimes curse the winter, but rarely does it come with devastation or destruction. We don't have to rebuild or restructure our lives because of it. We can plow it, shovel it or wait for it to melt. It does not own us, we own it...winter...it's only a season, it lasts a couple of months and then it's gone for another year.

Enjoy your winter...whatever it may be... Tami

Serenity Sunday...week 76

This is what it's like to live in Syracuse in the winter. There are tons of YouTube videos from this week, but of the ones I've seen, this depicts it best. We gripe about it, curse it, in some cases, detest it...but then the quiet serene beauty of the snowfall captures our imagination and it becomes a beautiful painting of white. We are way above average in our snow totals already and it's only been a week of snowfall. Here, without further ado...is the feature of the week...YouTube video of the snow capitol of the country (cities of over 100 thousand residents) after our first snowfall for Winter 2010...

**personal thoughts...it was miserable driving this past week and might be again this week....to all the locals...drive safe and stay warm! Oh, and keep your eyes open for the www.ColonialHousefittershopnews.blogspot.com for photos of our Christmas Open house from a couple of weeks ago. The post should be up today or tomorrow!

Serenity Sunday...week 75

Another great quote from one of my favorite TV shows "Northern Exposure". This is from Chris, the radio DJ/Philosopher character regarding the first snowfall of the season.

Chris: Oh the snow the beautiful snow filling the sky and earth below. Over the house tops and over the streets, over the heads of people you meet. Dancing flirting skimming along. Oh the snow the beautiful snow how the flakes gather and laugh as they go. Whirling about in their maddening fun it plays in its glee with everyone. Chasing laughing hurrying by it lights on the face and sparkles the eye. And even the dogs with a bark and a bound snap at the crystals that eddy around. The town is alive and its heart in a glow to welcome the coming of beautiful snow. Bon Hiver Cicely.

***This weekend marks the first real measurable snowfall in the Syracuse area, especially in my town, Jamesville. This photo was taken last December and has been untouched. It looks like a black & white photo that has been enhanced to show the red, white and blue of the flag, but honestly folks, it is exactly as I took it. It looks like that a lot around here all winter. Just black and white or shades of it. You get used to it...it's really kind of pretty.

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Last night was the 'Light Up Jamesville' celebration here in town. It's the night that the town tree is lit and Santa comes to town. All the shops stay open until 8pm and the Christmas carolers wander through town and make sure they stop at every shop and gathering of people. It's really quite nice. I was at the shop, working. Lots of new faces and some that we know, stopped in for a little hot mulled cider and a peek at the Christmas decorations. It was fun, I never miss it. Other than our first night of the 'Open House' at the shop, it's my favorite time to work.

Enjoy your Serenity Sunday! and keep Christmas in your heart.....

Serenity Sunday...week 73

This holiday season...

...please make a point...

...to put charity first...

...think of others as well as your own...

...do what you can to help....

"No act of kindness,

no matter how small,

is ever wasted." - Aesop ...