ROSEBUD 🌹

To stay retired or go back to work? A question we pondered on in the last week, did we want to continue the long distance trek for a little while longer to reach the dream?
All the stuff everyone tries to achieve in their life, pay the house mortgage, save for retirement, have enough funds for the kids to go to college and have a reliable vehicle, we took care of and now should be the time we get to enjoy what's left of our life; but it's not always the case. There's is always the dream.


I have forever wanted to move, actually since 1986 and the place I always envisioned in my dream was a small cottage by the sea or in the wood with a wood burning fireplace but the passage of time has changed the thought, we need to look at what makes the most sense and not so much what the heart desires although the magic cottage has always been there in my mind and has never left so to make a decision on where to buy our next house is not that simple.


Yesterday, I sat in my living room by the fire and all sorts of thoughts went through my head and then I noticed the tiny cabin sitting on the wreath surrounded by forest on the fireplace mantel; it changed. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks or my mind was taking a trip to the past. I was looking into a glass globe of a quaint cottage covered in snow. I knew immediately where I had seen it before.


I have always loved old movies, especially for their beautiful stories, the cinematography, and music; they are treasures of the past that I have never forgotten.
Do you remember the snow globe from the Old American Mystery Drama Film “Citizen Kane” written by Orson Welles? I do, I remember it well. Yes, Rosebud was written on his childhood sleigh but Rosebud was really the glass globe with the small cabin symbolizing what truly mattered to Charlie, true love.


Love is more powerful than all the worldly possessions we could ever own. Orson Welles, himself had said in an interview that when he wrote “Citizen Kane” he intentionally made an attack on property. The acquisition of property and the corruption in association to it. And it made me seriously take into account just how much did I want that PROPERTY! Enough to sacrifice another few years of quality life? We don't know the future and we want so much from the one life we have, so when is it time to call it quits?


“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” ~ Orson Welles

Tonight ‘s Supper

Tonight's Supper

 * Cabbage Rolls* 

My sweetie made supper❣️

♥️Thanks, Stan♥️

Can I Keep You Forever?😘

BETWEEN THE PAGES OF A BOOK

BETWEEN THE PAGES OF A BOOK

Books, inside them we find stories and sometimes more than one.By now, if you read some of my posts you know I love to collect old things and books are one. I love to read a good novel, in particular, a ghostly tale that has me bewitched by its captivating story.
But I also love the oldies for their wonderful original tales, their gorgeous book covers and old illustrations.These books are an inspiration to me as an artist and it's no secret they are to many other artists out there. The past keeps many treasures and I love haunting for them.

I remember a quote of E.B. WHITE'S “Always be on the Lookout for the Presence of Wonder.”

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find yet another hidden treasure inside the pages of the antique Medical Book. Last summer, I bought 2 antique Medical Volumes, used them in photoshoots and decorating my mantle but never opened their pages until this morning. Instead of picking up a volume of “Journeys Through Book land” I picked up one of the 2 Medical volumes, Volume #2~ Health Knowledge , The Most Essential Thing In Life. Flipping through it's pages I found an old polaroid of a man next to his vintage car on page # 1117, on the opposite page was the subtitle “Retinitis” not the same health issue my husband has with his retina, he's had retina detachment in the past but all the same it was curiously interesting finding the picture there because I also found further in the book 2 pink bills with their date and place, 1956; my husband's birth year.

Always look for wonder, for really it's never that far away.

NOTE BENE


The fella next to the car, I believe could be the owner of the Medical Books and if anyone recognizes the picture they can direct message me if they would like to have it back. You just need to tell me your name ( the name written on the 2 bills) which I think will confirm ownership of the polaroid. : ) I'm sure the picture is a keepsake and memory you would like back.

💤 SLEEP WALK 💤

Does Music inspire you? It does for me. I have always loved the instrumental piece by Santo & Johnny, "SLEEP WALK",one of my favourites.

I love many things like cats and dogs , music, art and stories and much more.

I once again was inspired by a song or should I say by an instrumental piece to create art and inspired by a place I once used to call home a very long time ago.

There really does exist a place called Wychwood across the Ottawa river on the Quebec side at Aylmer, Quebec. And so, I painted "SLEEP WALK".

SLEEP WALK

It snowed all day. It was a very deep and frosty snow. All of Wychwood was under a twinkling blanket of snow; a purrrfect night to tuck in early to bed for a good night's sleep but Genova , the witch couldn't sleep.

She was in an old cottage in the woods , with candlelight reflected in the large parlour room window; by her side, her 3 ghosts ; Ghost, Spooks and Boo. The view of the front lawn was an enchanting site, all sparkling and glittery, just like a Christmas postcard only it was just October.

Oh, my, I'm so tired but I can't sleep! said Genova. Lying on the sofa she reached for the knob on the radio and turned the dial to on, suddenly over the waves there was the song that always sent Genova to a far, far away place.“Sleep Walk”. Genova closed her eyes and drifted to the land of nod. Ghost, a big fluffy white cat, the biggest of the three cats became drowsy to the sound of the still guitar and soon he too was sound asleep. As for the other two cats, Spooks was transfixed to the window, something had caught his attention. It was Boo he was watching,once again sleep walking .......outdoors!

Spooks wondered just how long it would be before Boo would wake from the chilly air and realize he was not inside the house.

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Early mornings are wonderful because it's a quiet time of the day perfect for having a cup a coffee and reading a book. Upon opening the cover of the book I noticed I had written my name inside it, of course from the picture I think it tells a little secret about me, I love cats; but nothing more.

Anna Belanger is my name but just how many people in the world go by that very same name? And for that matter, how many before me who passed on lived by this identical name?

I remember the first time I was taken aback seeing my name written on a tombstone in Italy. At the time I was very young and discovery my name of all places, on a cold granite stone marking a grave made me feel very uneasy. The grave in the family cemetery had revealed to me a secret; I was named after my dad's little sister who had died very young from pneumonia. Who knew, not me until that telling moment.

At that point I realized my name was never the one and only,it was handed down to me and had belonged to someonelse who lived before me. And again happening to me when I married discovering others who shared the very same name. So, when sharing the same name, how does one make a distinction from the rest? 

The Mossycup Oak Candlestick

I adore trees and one of my very favorites is The Mossycup Oak.

When I found this little tree candlestick at my local thrift store , it immediately reminded me of the Mossycup Oak Tree. Come Fall,  I always collect it's beautiful large acorns, whimsically fringed at the edges of the cup which make lovely fairy hats. One thing I wish I had done when we first bought our house was plant some Oak trees but at the time I thought it took forever for them to grow, I was wrong. 

The Mossycup Oaks grow very fast!

Bat & Cat Jack O' Lanterns

The inside of our house was decorated for Halloween this year and the only outdoor decorations we placed was a floating green Witch Hat with a pussy willow broom and a pumpkin patch  consisting of Cinderella and Fairytale pumpkins. M had midterms on Halloween Night and I was on a dinner date with Spooks so the pumpkin craving was postpone for later in the week. M came up with the two designs, drew them and we then each craved one. 

Bat and Cat Jack O' Lanterns.

Always fun craving pumpkins for Halloween and these two are spooky cute, right? 🎃 🎃

Mirror, Mirror on the Hearth

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE HEARTH

WHOSE THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?

Will-O'-The-Wisp ~ Ghost Light

SHOULD HAVE GUESSED IT WAS YOU, LITTLE BAT🧡🖤🎃

Guardian of the Soul?

Little Sparrows circle, all around us.

Everywhere we go, they follow!

Ever wonder why?


If you believe in God then they are his messengers:

“ his eye is on the sparrow

And I know he watches me”


Or are they the guardians of the soul, like the Ancient Egyptians believed, who carry the dearly departed to heaven ?

I like to believe both.


This Little Silver Sparrow I keep, reminds me always “Not all Treasure is Silver and Gold”.

WYCHWOOD & THE MAGIC COTTAGE

WYCHWOOD & THE MAGIC COTTAGE 

For me,there is nothing more peaceful than being alone surrounded by the silence of nature, uninterrupted,with a mind free to wander and think all sorts of things.

Sometimes paintings will have the same effect on me without me ever leaving home for truly I am an introvert at heart. Looking into the watercolour field of this old painting someone long ago had painted instantly brought me back to the place I once lived as a young girl.

I believe I was 16 at the time when my dad was offered 2 teaching jobs, one in Ottawa and one in Bermuda, he chose Ottawa and my life had it's coordinates set . The little cottage in the woods of Wychwood my father discovered in Aylmer, Quebec couldn't have been more delightfully Spooky filled with mystery and strange occurrences of which I will write about in later stories. Wychwood or like my friends and I fondly called it, Witchwood was magical; a secluded spot hidden from the world, forgotten. Sadly, today everybody knows : )



We settled in a tiny white cottage steps away from the Ottawa River and many of the cottages including ours were surrounded by fragrant White Pines, one of my very favourite trees. My years there weren't the happiest, my parents split and the dream house my dad built next to the tiny cottage had to be sold but out of the stormy days there was one very cold night in September 1976, when my friend Diana and I ventured to town to the local pub,The British Hotel which still stands there today.
On that chilly night I took a motorcycle ride of my life with a tall skinny fellow from Val D'Or,Quebec, who later became my husband !Thirteen years later to the day of our meeting our son, Ty was born. Back when I lived in Wychwood I may have not been cognizant of it's magic but today I know just how special a place it was and still is .....for me!

I ain't afraid of Friday the 13th !

I ain't afraid of Friday the 13th !

Little Bat hiding under the table but he insists he isn't afraid of Friday the 13th!

Photograph by M

THE DREAMING TREE

THE DREAMING TREE 2015

Zoom in and you will discover a little girl sleeping high in the tree top.

'

LOVE LETTER TO THE MOON PILLOW

GHOSTALES ~ ETSY SHOP BANNER

MY NEW ETSY SHOP BANNER FOR MY SHOP GHOSTALES


Etsy is redesigning shops and changes will be visible on April 5th.
Also, their banner sizes have increased, now they are minimal 1200 x 300 pixels but 3360 x 840 pixels is for the cover photo large size banner I believe.
Love the larger size banner! Thanks, Etsy!!!


Happy Saint Patrick's Day🍀☘🍀🍀☘

Annabelle

LOVE LETTER TO THE MOON

LOVE LETTER TO THE MOON DREAM PILLOW

A BEAUTIFUL HOME DECOR ACCENT FOR YOUR ROMANTIC HOME DECORATING

"I put a piece of paper under my pillow, and when I could not sleep I wrote in the dark." Henry David Thoreau

AND SO I DID! I WROTE A LOVE LETTER TO THE MOON, not necessarily my letter but an old love letter from the past. I carefully wrapped the moon in the OLD LOVE LETTER and posted it to the Universe.

AND FOR THE WALL IN A BEAUTIFUL PRINT

MY ARTWORK CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH VARIOUS OUTLETS. EACH SHOP HAS IT'S OWN PRICING AND QUALITY. IT'S UP TO THE CUSTOMER TO MAKE THE CHOICE.

For some fun *Find the hidden signature : )

PIXELS.COM

FINE ART AMERICA

SOCIETY6

ETSY

SAILING ~I AM SAILING, I AM SAILING, HOME AGAIN 'CROSS THE SEA ART SALE SOCIETY6

I AM SAILING, I AM SAILING, HOME AGAIN, 'CROSS THE SEA


THIS SALE IS ONLY FOR SOCIETY6


FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING + 20 % OFF THROW BLANKETS AND PILLOWS

Please use the link builder below to generate Promo Links to share with your family, friends and fans and they'll get FREE Worldwide Shipping + 20% Off Throw Blankets and Pillows when they order from your SOCIETY6 STORE. Please note that this promotion is NOT automatically available on your Store, the promotion is only available once someone clicks on the link that you share with them.

USE PROMO LINK BELOW

https://society6.com/annabelle1957?promo=WRWB86W33B2P


I AM SAILING, I AM SAILING, HOME AGAIN 'CROSS THE SEA

Dinner Date

DINNER OR DATE?

IS THE BIG BAD WOLF HAUNTING FOR LOVE OR HIS LOVE FOR THE TASTE OF THE WILD WEST GASTRONOMY ?


Prints available via:



FINE ART AMERICA 


SOCIETY6