ADJUST YOUR SAILS

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. - Jimmy Dean

With only a few more hours of 2009 in front of me it is time to think about 2010 and what my goals and resolutions are going to be for this New Year. First off I hope to produce more art. I really want to work in a studio environment and concentrate on making more art quilts for sale. My mosaics are only collecting dust if they aren't in gallery and available for public sale. I think most artists enjoy the creative aspect of their art and not the marketing of themselves. Rejection isn't something that is POSITIVE!! Since I have had my foot surgery I can hopefully increase my walking so that some of my extra weight can come off. That has been something that has been bothering me for almost two years! I know I face physical therapy and that won't be fun, but walking my dogs is a great motivating factor to get better!! Another resolution is to use my computer time more efficiently. I love corresponding with my cyber friends and will continue to keep you informed with all that I am doing. My photography is really important to me and so I hope to integrate more of it in my art. My photoblog is updated everyday so if you haven't visited it in a while please do: http://www.photoblog.com/TWOZEES/

We hope to sell our home in 2010 and start the next phase in our lives. Not sure where we will move but I hope whatever we find will give us many hours of pleasure decorating and setting up a new home that both of us will enjoy. So as the quote above suggests: YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE WIND BUT I CAN ADJUST MY SAILS...

RUBY JANE

Ruby Jane is the next great picker, fiddler, songwriter, and singer with an amazing career in front of her. She is only 13 years old! This enormously talented up and coming bluegrass performer is going to be at GRUENE HALL on January 3rd. I would love to go hear her play. You can listen to her below:

THE ROSE HOTEL

Tonight is the concert I have been waiting for!!! Robert Earl Keen is coming to the House of Blues to play. Sure hope he plays songs from his new album; THE ROSE HOTEL. You can hear some of it if you follow this link. http://losthighwayrecords.com/artist/releases/release.aspx?pid=1763&aid=223

SUNSETS

There is nothing prettier than a sunset over water. We were in Galveston a few years ago and I took these of my kids sitting by the bay. What makes a sunset so calming to watch? I don't even want to know any scientific reason what makes them so colorful. I just want to feel the good vibes!

MY HOME TOWN

Americans, it seems, still have a love affair with the West. Texas was the big winner in the Census Bureau's annual population estimates, which were released on Wednesday. If and when we sell our house we will be joining that love affair, too. But can you really count two native Houstonians in that mix? Yep, both Perry and I are born and raised in Houston. Of course, if you add "a wish" into that mixture, and we could move anywhere in the USA, I doubt it would be to Houston.

Ha...

FEET

You never realize how important your feet are until something goes wrong. I had a bone spur that developed due to arthritis in my right foot. I tried dealing with it by having injections of cortisone and trying to find shoes that would fit my foot. But after almost two years I decided to go ahead with having the spur removed. It is considered a simple operation by most orthopedic surgeons BUT when it is YOUR foot it is a different matter. I had my surgery on Friday and so tomorrow they will fit me in a walking boot. This photo was taken before the surgery.

WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

PHOTOGRAPHY

I love taking photographs. I love the way my camera feels in my hand. I like seeing the world through my view finder. I feel like I am hiding inside a box and I can witness what is happening on the outside. Here are a few photographs I have taken lately.

HOSPICE SANTA CLAUS

A Santa Claus volunteer leans in for a girl who just received a candy cane at a hospice care center. John Scheuch, Santa-America's executive director, says these kids sometimes ask difficult questions. "I visited a 6-year-old who asked Santa, 'What is it going to be like when I die?' After a gulp and a deep breath I said, 'I don't really know, but I do know you will not be hurting or in pain anymore and that can only be more pleasant.' Then we spoke of other things." Santa-America

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

156 countries sing together for the Starbucks Love Project. Watch the video: Added to Quicklist4:04

For one moment we can unite and share in raising awareness of Aids in Africa. We know what love sounds like, now show them what it looks like. Submit a drawing to their "LOVE" gallery and Starbucks will contribute 5 cents towards the global fund.

http://starbucksloveproject.com/#/love/

GRADUATION WEEKEND

Last weekend my middle son, Lane, graduated from The University of Texas in Austin. We are so proud of him and all he has accomplished! Here are some photos from his graduation.

Check out his image in the jumbo screen!

SUPERFOOD STATUS

Chocolate has all but been elevated to "superfood" status. And the good news keeps rolling in. That is great news to me! I am not one of those crazy chocoholic types but I do love a piece of the creamy delight in my mouth sometimes.

So here are three more reasons why you may not want to be too quick to break that chocolate habit. (As long as you're hitting the dark stuff.)

1. Chocolate makes you smarter.
2. Chocolate weakens heart attacks.
3. Chocolate has a cavity-fighting compound.

WHICH DO YOU PREFER?

I was so bored last night that I decided to post on my Facebook page a poll about toilet paper brands. It has become quite the talk of my friends!

How about you? What is your favorite brand?

DECLUTTER DELIGHT

Most of you know we are getting our house ready for sale. That means getting all the clutter out and making the rooms look larger than they really are. I should be an expert at it with all the TV watching I do of HGTV. I could design, stage, paint, update, and sell anything since I have spent so much time watching all those shows. Here are some photos of our front study. It hasn't looked better! Those are Hickory wood built in cabinets. Notice how uncluttered they look? Tomorrow the granite floor will be buffed.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

DECEMBER 8, 1980 was the tragic death of John Lennon. Check out this link and watch the video.

It is their mission to create documentary films to enlighten and change the world. This is their first film called STRAWBERRY FIELDS. http://www.eimagine.com/

SULAWESI COFFEE

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite coffees that we found at our local Starbucks store. It is called Sulawesi. It is a full-bodied coffee with a dense cocoa finish. Many coffee tasters use words like "herbal" and "spicy" to describe the complex flavor present in the best Sulawesi coffees. Unfortunately Starbucks doesn't carry this coffee year round. So if you want to try it you better go to your Starbucks ASAP.

I found this link by COFFEE TALKEE. He talks all about the different beans that are for sale at Starbucks. Check it out for yourself: http://coffeetalkee.com/my-starbucks-coffee-bean-reviews/

ROCK ON

It was really nice having everyone home for the Thanksgiving holidays. Lane was having fun playing the guitar for Mia and Noah. He taught them the "ROCK ON" sign and the grrrrrrr that shows how tough they are. Mia built a small tent under the sofa and ottoman. Noah found my big floor pillow and carried it around the house. Yogi even got in on the fun following them for dropped morsels of food.

WEDDING PHOTOS

Here is the link to all the wedding photos I took at my niece's big day last month. http://gallery.me.com/kathyzieben#100264 It was in Austin and I had so much fun snapping away. They were all taken for my own pleasure, I wasn't hired to do it. Here are just a few of my favorite images in case you don't want to scroll through the whole set at my gallery.