A Few of My Favorite Things...

A Mensch

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:18:00 +0000

The world has lost a great man.

Today, I am saddened with news of the loss of Coenraad Rood.

As my mentor, he trained me in tailoring, but it was the lessons
he taught me through his life, as a Holocaust survivor, that were far more valuable.

His sense of humor was contagious, his wisdom far-reaching, his virtue unchanging.

I will forever be indebted to him for his kindness and
generosity of spirit.

It was truly a blessing to have known him.

May he be at peace.

Coenraad Road

A Trip to Main Street Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:33:00 +0000

Main Street Festival comes once a year to Fort Worth,

taking its place in the center of downtown, just south of the old Courthouse.

Main Street Festival is an incredible gathering of talented artists, who every year sell their goods to an appreciative crowd!

And this year was no different! My friend, Susie, and I decided to start the day early and the weather was unseasonably cool for Texas. A perfect day to be outside!

Surrounded by the beautiful architecture,

as well as shops and cafes,

white tents lined the streets, each full of its own brand of art.

Custom crafted jewelry, paintings, sketches, photography, sculptures, pottery, art glass,- even shoes!

All with the individual touch from the depths of the souls of the creators.

The shoe art canvas...

and a tattered coat of mail were just a couple

of interesting art forms!

I was particularly intrigued by the creations of Jim and Tori Mullan of Pompano Beach, Florida.

The wonderfully quaint sculptures paired with pieces of "discarded" rustic hardware.

Wouldn't you just love to have this bunny for Easter?

or an owl for Halloween?

All these little artworks just made me smile and I wasn't alone.

There was a long line just to pay for the many wonderful items from Jim and Tori.

To see more of their works, you can visit
Mullanium Jewelry and other Fun Stuff

Around noon, Susie and I stopped by the concessions

and got some lunch. We found a cluster of shade trees under which to rest and eat our lunch.

Susie used the break to check her messages.

Then off to see more art!

On Main Street, you could be treated to live bands or bagpipes.

Every artform seems to find its way to the festival.

Later in the day we stopped at

Jakes on Main Street for a margarita break.

It was a welcome treat to sit and relax at Jakes.

The crowd continued to gather on this gorgeous day.

And finally, after just about seeing it all, Susie and I called it a day. And though I was a tired from a full day of seeing the many artists' wares, tasting the foods and listening to the music, I am looking forward to spending another day, next year, at the Main Street Festival in Fort Worth!

I think I can....I know I can!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:03:00 +0000

"Don't be afraid of the space between
your dreams and reality. If you can
dream it, you can make it so."

~Belva Davis~

"Most of our obstacles would melt away
if, instead of cowering before them,
we should make up our minds
to walk boldly through them."

- Orison Swett Marden~

"If we all did the things we are capable
of doing, we would literally
astound ourselves."

~Thomas Edison~

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that
commands your thoughts, liberates your
energy, and inspires your hopes."

- Andrew Carnegie~

Even if you are discouraged,

Don't Quit!

A China Plate

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:57:00 +0000

She gave a cherished little dish

Kept forty years with pride

To her young niece, soon to become,

As she was once, a bride.

Because she loved it very much,

Its happy years and days

Will be renewed and added to,

Instead of laid away.

This is the pattern of her life

And this treasure from her shelf

Will carry memories of love

Transplanted from herself.

author~Dan A Hoover~

From Sweetheart Ideals

1986 publication

Love is the poetry of the senses. ~Honoré de Balzac~

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:38:00 +0000

Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time,

destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.

~Author Unknown~

How did it happen that their lips came together?

How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill?

A kiss, and all was said.

~Victor Hugo~

Poetry spills from the cracks of a broken heart, but flows from one which is loved. ~Christopher Paul Rubero~

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you,

I could walk forever in my garden.

~Claudia Ghandi~

Texas, Our Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Texas, Our Texas! all hail the mighty State!

Texas, Our Texas! so wonderful so great!

Boldest and grandest, withstanding ev'ry test

O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest.

Texas, O Texas! your freeborn single star,

Sends out its radiance to nations near and far,

Emblem of Freedom! it set our hearts aglow,

With thoughts of San Jacinto and glorious Alamo.

Texas, dear Texas! from tyrant grip now free,

Shines forth in splendor, your star of destiny!

Mother of heroes, we come your children true,

Proclaiming our allegiance, our faith, our love for you.

God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong

That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.

God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,

That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long.

Texas State Song

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE TEXAS RANGERS!!!

Thanks for a great season!

Thank you for bringing the WORLD SERIES home to us!

It was a fun ride !

We are proud of you!

Summer Respite

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:04:00 +0000

The Summer heat in Texas can be brutal, sending everyone either indoors or into the water!

Well.....almost everyone!

Shasta just looks for the nearest shade tree.

As summer heats sears the earth in August, all the flowers struggle just to survive.

But the Summertime moonflowers and crepe myrtles remain glorious,

The pink flowers of the Crepe Myrtle reveling in the hot sun.

The delicate Moonflower opening at dusk and welcoming the morning.

I can always count on these hardy flowers to lift my spirit during my summer doldrums.

One blooming bright in the evening and early morning,

The other flaming bright during the noon heat.

They are like little summer kisses.

Admittedly, my favorite season is Autumn. And it will soon be here.

But until then, I am grateful for the simple gifts that summer brings.

Spring Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:20:00 +0000

The flower offered of itself

And eloquently spoke

Of Gods

In languages of rainbows

Perfumes

And secret silence...

Phillip Pulfrey, from Love, Abstraction and other Speculations

Happy St Patricks Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:52:00 +0000

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

A Winter Eden by Robert Frost

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:54:00 +0000

A winter garden in an alder swamp,

Where conies now come out to sun and romp,

As near a paradise as it can be

And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.

It lifts existence on a plane of snow

One level higher than the earth below,

One level nearer heaven overhead,

And last year's berries shining scarlet red.

It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast

Where he can stretch and hold his highest feat

On some wild apple tree's young tender bark,

What well may prove the year's high girdle mark.

So near to paradise all pairing ends:

Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,

Content with bud-inspecting. They presume

To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.

A feather-hammer gives a double knock.

This Eden day is done at two o'clock.

An hour of winter day might seem too short

To make it worth life's while to wake and sport.

A Winter Eden by Robert Frost

Photography by Jacque Benson 2010

Definition of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:16:00 +0000

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

***

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

***

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

English Standard Version

A Personal Insight for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:06:00 +0000

I have been hit with a case of melancholy as 2009 ended.

Perhaps it is just delayed "holiday blues"

It could be that time seems to pass faster as each year comes and goes.
Whatever the reason, I certainly know that I am not alone in my sentiment.

So I start this New Year, not with the ringing of bells or toasting amidst the clinking of champagne glasses; but rather in quiet contemplation and introspective musings.

One thing I know is this - that my blessings far outweigh my troubles.

Looking back over last year...

For every setback I encountered, I experienced success.

For each blue day was a day filled with a sense of wonderment.

For every person who disappointed me,

there were twice as many who encouraged and supported me.

For every tear was laughter.

With this in mind, I forgive and move forward, extricating the destructive, replacing

with edification.

Sometimes it just takes trust and faith, especially when we are unable to see the big picture.

So for the year 2010, I will look to my Creator with a sense of awe and gratitude.

"The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul."

G K Chesterson

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:34:00 +0000

When we recall Christmas past,

we usually find that the simplest things

- not the great occasions -

give off the greatest glow of happiness."

~ Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian.

Happy Holidays!

Be Thankful...

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0000

How To Observe Thanksgiving

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes;

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.

- Author Unknown

A Visit with my Mom on Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Mother's Day is always special, but I especially enjoyed my Mother's Day visit with my Mom a couple of weeks ago. I made a special cake for her. She doesn't like a cake that is too sweet, so I made a lemon cake. The lemon filling was so tart that it made your lips pucker! But she said she liked it that way! After we had dinner and each had a piece of cake, Mom and I went outside for a walk--just the two of us.

Mom's hydrangeas had started blooming and her minature tea roses were just out of this world. Then I asked her about the "fairy garden" in her neighborhood. While driving into the neighborhood, I saw the most beautiful garden full of larkspur and roses. It was so gorgeous that I gasped!

Mom said, "Oh that is Lorraine's garden! I haven't had a chance to see it this year, so let's walk over to her house. The garden was enchanting, and I began snapping pictures of all the beautiful flowers. Lorraine was outside tending to her lovely yard and walked over to greet us. She told me that when she had moved here eight years ago, her yard was barren. But now it was absolutely magical and Lorraine's hard work showed in a spectacular way.

What a lovely tribute!! As Mom and I walked home, it was time for my husband and me to end our wonderful visit. We said our goodbyes and began the long drive home.

The sun was just beginning to set and was peeking in and out of the clouds as we drove through the countryside.

Such a beautiful ending to a perfect day.

I can't wait until Father's Day to make the trip again!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:41:00 +0000

Happy Spring~

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:14:00 +0000

A Prayer in Spring

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

To which it is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends he will,

But which it only needs that we fulfill.

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost

Photography by Jacque Benson

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:33:00 +0000

An Old Irish Blessing

May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours!

Confucius say...

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:05:00 +0000

To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order;

to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order;

to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life;

and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.

Confucius 551-479 BC

To my Love...

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life,

For which the first was made,

Our times in his hand who saith,

"A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half;

Trust God: see all, nor be afraid!

Robert Browning from "Dramatis Personae" 1864

Photography by Jacque Benson

Love One Another

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:21:00 +0000

Love one another,

but make not a bond of love.

Let it rather be a moving sea

between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup,

but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread,

but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,

but let each one of you be alone.

Even as the strings of a lute are alone

though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts,

but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of life

can contain your hearts.

And stand together,

yet not too near together.

For the pillars of the temple stand apart.

And the oak tree and the cypress

grow not in each other's shadow.

Khalil Gibran

Desiderata

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste.

And remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

Be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even to the dull and ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons.

They are a vexation to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter,

For always there will be greater

And lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble,

it's a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit

to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Author-Max Ehrmann (1872-1945)

Photography-Jacque Benson 2009

How Do I Love Thee?

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:04:00 +0000

How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints,

I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life!

and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

May your New Year be filled with Children's Laughter!

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:33:00 +0000

Run, run my little ones,

Under the golden sun.

Let your spirits like eagles soar,

Let your laughter like lions roar.

Sing a song so joyous and strong,

Born on the wind the whole day long.

Dance and play on this glad day,

Here no troubles come your way.

Like the sunrise we'll pretend

that this day will never end.

Dreams we'll share together here,

Later pursue them without fear.

----*----

Run, run my little ones

Under God's Golden Sun.

"Children in the Sun"

Author-Sondra Pohlmann Harrold

Published in Ideals

Angels We Have Heard on High

noreply@blogger.com (Jacque) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:05:00 +0000

Angels we have on heard high

Sweetly singing ore the plains

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see

Christ whose birth the angels sing

Come adore on bended knee

Christ the Lord the newborn King

Gloria in excelsis Deo

See him in a manger laid

Whom the choirs of angels praise

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid

While our hearts in love we raise

Gloria in excelsis Deo

A Few of My Favorite Things...

A Mensch

The world has lost a great man. Today, I am saddened with news of the loss of Coenraad Rood. As my mentor, he trained me in tailoring, but it was the lessons he taught me through his life, as a Holocaust survivor, that were far more valuable.

His sense of humor was contagious, his wisdom far-reaching, his virtue unchanging. I will forever be indebted to him for his kindness and generosity of spirit. It was truly a blessing to have known him. May he be at peace.

Coenraad Road

A Trip to Main Street Festival

I think I can....I know I can!

A China Plate

Love is the poetry of the senses. ~Honoré de Balzac~

Texas, Our Texas

Summer Respite

Spring Flowers

Happy St Patricks Day!

A Winter Eden by Robert Frost

Definition of Love

A Personal Insight for the New Year

Be Thankful...

A Visit with my Mom on Mother's Day

Happy Spring~

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Confucius say...

To my Love...

Love One Another

Desiderata

How Do I Love Thee?

May your New Year be filled with Children's Laughter!

Angels We Have Heard on High

The world has lost a great man.

Today, I am saddened with news of the loss of Coenraad Rood.

As my mentor, he trained me in tailoring, but it was the lessons
he taught me through his life, as a Holocaust survivor, that were far more valuable.

His sense of humor was contagious, his wisdom far-reaching, his virtue unchanging.

I will forever be indebted to him for his kindness and
generosity of spirit.

It was truly a blessing to have known him.

May he be at peace.