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.

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎊🎉 2019!

Bing Crosby & David Bowie - "The Little Drummer Boy (Peace On Earth)"

A Christmas 🎄Favourite🎄

Merry Christmas 🎄

Wishing All A Very Merry Christmas 🎄Happiness, Health, Love and Peace


"There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour." 

~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol 

Anna and Family

Go To Sleep, Darlings

Daisies in the Snow

Go to Sleep, Darlings...

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields...
It covers them snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, Go to Sleep, Darlings, till the summer comes again.” 

Lewis Carroll

Waiting On a Friend *** The Veil Between Our Mortal World and The Beyond

The Veil Between Our Mortal World and The Beyond

When I first posted this painting on Instagram I had no idea where it was going from there only that I wanted it to convey something supernatural.

As I continued painting, the ghosts began to appear 👀👀👀 

Well, I finally finished the painting yesterday and when it came down to giving it a title it was easy. Always loved The Rolling Stones song ; “Waiting On A Friend”, (first recorded in 1972 and later released in 1981) and when I painted Casper The Ghost Cat sitting on a fence post between Heaven and Earth, “Waiting On A Friend” to check in, it was my obvious choice.

Waiting On A Friend

 Waiting On A Friend * Black &White

Waiting On A Friend * Original

Casper The Ghost Cat and a new way of signing my name ***
 A with 2 dots for ghost 👀's  

The Gate to The Beyond

Casper and a little ghost's eyes peeking out from behind the gate.

Look 👀 closer and you will find some ghosts about the house.

I cut in a few holes for the ghost eyes and stars, eventually I will insert wire lights at the back of the wood panel to light them up.

“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? 

Always, Remember ❤️ Remembrance Day, November 11th, 2018

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? 🎃 🎃