Sunday, January 12, 2014

I LOVE My Little LIGHTS!

What a great Sunday! Not exactly the one I planned but a good one nevertheless!
We started with morning coffee and our devotional/Bible reading followed by watching The Winning Walk on TV. This is Ed Young, Sr's church which we attended when we lived in Katy for 7 months.
Then we dressed for church and actually arrived on time!

It was warm today - 70 degrees - but the wind was BLOWING!!
What leaves I would have gathered up would have been scattered before I could PICK them up! So I switched gears and stayed indoors cleaning the living room.


I love little lights and have dozens of them all over the house!!
I have loved them all my life!
When I was a little girl Mother would tell all of us kids to get in the car and we would go driving around.
None of us were ever involved in after school activities or clubs or even visiting with friends.
This was the ONE thing we did for entertainment. Often Mother would buy us snow cones - if we had the extra money. My favorite houses on our drives were always the ones with little lights shining in the windows.
Not bright bold lights but soft dim ones.


I started keeping Christmas lights up year round way back in the 1970's.
Only white ones. Back then they were called Italian white lights.
Right after Christmas the lights that were here burned out so I took some of the 'debris' down - that's what Louis Dean calls all my decorative STUFF! - and cleaned it up and strung up nice fresh strands of lights!
I think I actually have lights in every room of my house! As in strands of them somewhere in the room!
Louis Dean and I hit up the after Christmas sales and stocked up on a year's supply!


Yesterday I cut back my two rosemary bushes a LOT!
Being the frugal person that I am - I will be making more rosemary salt and rosemary infused olive oil tomorrow. I am doing some in depth cleaning taking it a room a day. The kitchen is on the agenda for Monday so I may as well make the most of it!


It's hard to believe we are starting the third week in January!!
I love my calendars!! This one is in the kitchen.


This one hangs in my bathroom.
My friend, Brenda, always gives me a calendar for Christmas and has for the past TEN years!!
I have used them often for painting inspiration!


I went back to the foyer this afternoon and did some extra work dusting the paintings.
I did this one of Amber when she was two years old.


This is Samuel - my very FIRST grandchild!
I think he was about 4 years old.


Not my best work but I painted this for my mother's 80th birthday.


One of my better works of Amber.


While I was dusting I cleaned up this wedding photo of Amber.
The reflections did some crazy things to it but you can tell how beautiful she is!
Love her 'widow's peak!' I'll never forget when she was a little girl she cut it off - or tried to!


The first picture I took this morning was as the sun was pouring through the window.
Bright lights - especially overhead lights - as well as strong sunlight can give me a headache.
I always wear sunglasses even on a cloudy day. In my younger years I was plagued with severe headaches.
I don't have those much anymore but I still prefer soft lighting.

It's been a good day.....a blessed Sunday.
Before I go to bed at night I must go from room to room turning out all my lights.
It takes about 15 minutes. I use quite a few power stips so all I have to do is flip the switch.
The power strips are often tucked back in the debris and someone who doesn't know where they are would have a hard time trying to get all the lights turned off.
Louis Dean doesn't even try!!




18 comments:

Linda said...

Linda, I love your lights, too. The paintings are beautiful.

Vee said...

What fun to see all the paintings you've done of family. I'm truly impressed. Portrait painting is not easy. You sure do have some pretty and handsome folks in your family. Samuel's painting is delightful as is your mother's and Amber's. No trouble seeing that Amber is a doll. (I love her widow's peak, too. Do any of the quads have one?)

Bev said...

Beautiful lights!!...and what great portraits you can paint!!

Debbie said...

Love the new picture of you and ld and your header!! They are both wonderful pictures!!

You are one very talented and lucky lady, I know you know that!!

And.....this is the best time and only time to do a deep cleaning!! I do it once a year, during winter when I have to be inside anyway!! Then keeping up during the rest of the year is sooooo much easier!! Love those lights, make me smile!!

Wanda said...

So fun Linda to see your portraits.. Just beautiful. You certainly captured each one.
I'm a light lover too. I think I need to take your idea and add a few "white" lights here and there. My home is SO SMALL, it wouldn't take many. HaHa.

Blondie's Journal said...

Your paintings amazes me...you capture people almost as well as a photograph but with so much more warmth and life. I so admire you and your talents! Truly.

XO,
Jane

Pondside said...

Your house is the definition of 'cosy' Linda. I just love it!
I have to smile whenever you use LD's term for all your bits and pieces!

Deanie W said...

That first pic of Amber, you could actually put Kailey' s name on it:) they look the same:)

Lynne said...

Linda, you make life so special. I love your fairy lights! The images of your family are wonderful. You are such a talented painter. The photograph of Amber with it's fairly light reflection, is beautiful! Thanks for sharing your lovely Sunday at home!
Have a wonderful week, my friend!
w/L

Changes in the wind said...

You are indeed one of a kind and love how you do as you please. The paintings are great...what talent.

MadSnapper said...

I love little lights to, a room is so cozy with a little light. i love sunlight streaming in through blinds or sheers and i started leaving my fairy white lights in the nook year round about 4 years ago. hubby likes them to. i still have my little tree up and shining to

MadSnapper said...

forgot to say the paintings of your family are amazing

Kelly said...

I still smile every time you say LD calls your stuff "debris". Too funny! I bet all those soft white mini lights make your home extra cozy at night. I can't get over what a great artist you are! Those portraits are beautiful. I admire anyone that can paint or draw like that. I was not given that gene! There are others in my family that have it, but it skipped right over me. LOL.

Hootin Anni said...

Your art work of your family members, Linda, is phenomenal!!!! I am always in awe of your work. As for my grandson's pencil sketch portrait, I got it framed today and hopefully will post it as a share sometime this week!!! Thanks for popping in on my for a visit...it's always a pleasure to have your positive feedback and friendship.

Hootin Anni said...

...popping in on ME, not 'my'. Goodness gracious.

FABBY'S LIVING said...

Oh wow my sweet and lovely friend, you are one extraordinary talented lady! I love all your portraits, specially the one of your gorgeous Amber! AMAZINGggggg!!!!!!!!!!! I also love your new header! Beautiful, I'm impressed!
FABBY

must love junk said...

What gorgeous paintings-wow! You do amazing work! Love all the lights, too :)
Susan

Carla said...

I love all your little lights. Love all the portraits you did. You are good!