Memorial Day ~ In Flanders Fields

Poem ~ In Flanders Fields:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie?In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.
— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

Strawberry Pickin' with my friend, Nanci!

My good friend, Nanci, scheduled a trip for us to go on a farm tour. We took a bus with 20 or so others to visit two farms, River Ridge Farm and Strawberry Knob. At Strawberry Knob, we picked strawberries for almost 2 hours. I cannot wait to try the strawberry jam I made...yummy!

The Winner Is...America Alcala!

I just went to America Alcala's blogspot to let her know she won my blog giveaway. Today she posted a giveaway on her blogspot. Here is a link to site: http://lovelylovelyart.blogspot.com.
I am a firm believer that you get back what you give. I was recently at Lowe's and gave the lady in the checkout line behind me an extra coupon I had. The next day at Hobby Lobby I had a woman ask if I would like her buggy when she was leaving the store and then she returned to give me two coupons.

I hope you enjoy the video. Lil brings such joy to our lives. She is so full of personality and sweetness. I knew she would do a great job selecting the winner. Jack wanted to help, but she let him know she had it handled!

Blog Giveaway & A Big Thanks to 100+ Followers!!!

I promised Lil she can pick the winner! Since she enjoyed picking up many of the spacers we used when we tiled our basement, I feel confident she can handle a small piece of paper. It might take me all week to number each one, but it will be worth it. I am going to video the entire drawing, so everyone knows Lil did not listen to Jack. I have a feeling he is partial to Jenny!

If you are currently following my blog, you will be entered automatically. However, if you would like to leave a comment that will give you a second chance to win the giveaway. I will run the giveaway for 7 days and announce the winner next Wednesday. If you win, please e-mail me at theoldoakenbucket@comcast.net with your contact information.

Here she is, my little Spring bunny painting giveaway for reaching 100+ blog followers. I really cherish the friendships we have formed thanks to these wonderful blogs. I especially love the passion we share for all things creative!

I Caught a Little Red Bird!

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Johanna Parker's artistic creations. I regularly follow her blog http://johannaparkerdesign.blogspot.com/ and I was the first person to catch one of her original creations! She created a Collector's Catch where the first person who contacts her can purchase one of her original creations. I love this little red bird because it is an all-seasonal piece. Also, it coordinates better than I expected with my Spring decorations.

Another great blog I follow is Jenny Carter's Alley Cat Rescue at http://allycat-rescue.blogspot.com/. She just e-mailed me tonight say I won her blog giveaway for an ipod cover she made. Jenny is an incredibly talented artist and she has a huge heart for cats. She just rescued some kittens and was able to find homes for all of them!

As soon as I reach 100 blog followers, I am having a giveaway! I will enter everyone following my blog automatically, so you do not have to leave a post. For those just visiting, you can leave a post and I will add your name to the drawing. Thank you for leaving such wonderful comments...I love following your blogs! Please watch for my upcoming post about the giveaway...

One & A Half Acre Canvas for Earth Day!

Wyland begins work on Earth Day painting atop L.B. Arena
By John Canalis, Staff Writer

LONG BEACH - In recognition of Earth Day, mural artist Wyland began creating the world's largest painting of the planet today on the roof of the Long Beach Arena.
"I get excited when I see blank canvases," Wyland told CNN.
The rooftop area is about 3 acres, according to a news release.
The image of the planet will be painted over a 24-hour period and complement "Planet Ocean," the world's largest mural, also by Wyland, painted on the arena's exterior walls. The artist told CNN that the image will be visible on Google Earth.
The artist is in the process of restoring that work and earned permission from the city manager's office to do the rooftop as well, according to LBReport.com.
The mural will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Wednesday in recognition of Earth Day, said Bob Magulin of the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Wyland on CNN video can be viewed at http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/ireports/2009/04/18/irpt.wyland.earth.cnn

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way!

I did a hop, skip and a jump when Laurie Hardin from Monkey-Cats Studio agreed to sell me her Bunny Bowl! I love buying art as much as I do creating it. I feel so blessed to own some wonderful pieces from some extremely talented artists. Laurie's creations have so much expression. The Bunny Bowl which I have now affectionately named "Mr. Buggs" is sporting such a smirky grin. Laurie sent me two bags of speckled malted milk eggs for the bowl, but I could not bear to put them in the bowl since I was so afraid they might become cat toys and Mr. Buggs could easily lose an ear due to a little cat nibbling. However, I certainly enjoyed eating them with my coworkers! Mr. Buggs looks perfect with all my Easter decorations and I found the best spot for him where he is so beautifully displayed. Thank you so much Laurie...I just love him!

All I Need to Know About Life I Learned from the Easter Bunny...

Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

no such thing as too much candy.
All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.

The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.

An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare.

To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey!