a quote to live by

As a single footstep will not make
 a path on the earth, so a single thought
will not make a pathway in the mind.
To make a deep physical path,
we walk again and again.
To make a deep mental path,
we must think over and over
the kind of thoughts
we wish to dominate our lives. 

- Henry David Thoreau

a heavenly scent

Even on a cold day my kitchen's little herb garden smells like summer. It's quite nice to just stand by these herbs and breath deeply, not to mention pinching a few sprigs here and there to use in dinner. With lavender, thyme, mint and Cuban oregano, it's a heavenly scented mix. 

an impressionist sky

Early morning skies almost always bring about the most unbelievable shades of colors and the way one color can bleed into the next, reminds me of Impressionist paintings. One recent morning I woke up early, looked out the front window and grabbed my camera because the sky was stunning. It just had to be photographed.

The sky appeared as if an artist took his brush and painted wide strokes of pinks, peaches, lavenders and blues. It's like Monet was asked to help out with the sunrise this particular morning.

sublime!

beautiful isn't it?

a Monet in Paris with similar shades

deck the halls!

We kicked off the Christmas season today by decking the halls - the lights are up outside, and our freshly cut tree is decorated and full of beautiful and sentimental ornaments. 

Every year, our little kitty Nino seems to enjoy the excitement of Christmas, and personally, I think he loves the fact that there's a tree in the living room full of shiny lights. 

 Isn't he the cutest Christmas kitty?

light and reflections

Water's ability to capture light and reflections and create sublime beauty is something that always grasps and holds my attention. One of my favorite water features can be found right here in Madison at Olbrich Garden. This fountain is like a big copper bowl, though bowl doesn't really do it justice. With its calming cadence of bubbling water it isn't the type of fountain that awes by pure "wattage" or sheer volume, but rather by its tranquility and less-is-more effect. 

As you walk nearer, the water's serene dance and song pull you in, allowing you to forget all of the hub-bub of the world outside of the gardens. It's at this point I notice myself taking deeper, slower breaths and feel the garden become my world - where all else is temporarily forgotten. 

like a Siren's song, calling me in

looking down into the surface reflections

What a wonderful place to escape.

flowerful friday

It's one of those days that makes me long for sunnier, warmer weather - when the days are longer and seemingly easier. Today's dreary sky seemed to cast a grey cape over everything. So there's nothing like imaging, remembering a more beautiful setting to make one forget the present and escape...

shall we take a walk in a garden?

happy thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving here in the States. What a wonderful holiday - a day to take time and really express our gratitude for the people in our lives and all of the many ways we've been blessed. I'm so appreciative of my family, friends, and the many comforts of my life. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

shout out - brasserie v

One of our favorite restaurants here in Madison is Brasserie V, a small, neighborhood restaurant that specializes in a seasonal menu and beer, especially Belgium beer. I'm not a beer drinker, but I still find Brasserie V to be delightful. I love that it's right in our neighborhood and that there can't be more than 10 tables in the restaurant, which creates such a cozy vibe. Even on a weeknight the place gets a lot of patrons, no doubt drawn in for the tasty dishes and extensive drink list, not to mention a really pleasant atmosphere. We enjoyed our dinner at Brasserie V tonight, and I snapped a few photos for you to see...

red wine - Chilean for my husband,
Spanish for me

a little oil light
lends a beautiful glow

the frites are a must-do!

my entree - leek risotto 

my husband's choice -
the restaurant's signature burger

chocolate mouse pie for him,
port for her

If you're here in Madison, you need to check out and support this outstanding local business! Here's their website: http://www.brasseriev.com/home/welcome_.html.

curled up by the fire without a care in the world

For many of us, the perfect way to spend an autumn day is to relax by curling up by the fire. Of course, most of us aren't so lucky to be able to do this on a nearly daily basis. So, my ginger tom, Nino, is happily relaxing in front of the fire for all of us. I believe he's thinking something along the lines of, "relaxation...ahh, the key to a long and happy life...if only humans could figure this out!".

not a care in the world

a word for this week - paean

Did you know that paean means joyful praise, especially as a hymn of thanksgiving? With Thanksgiving just a few days away, what an appropriate word for this week.

roasted chicken

Roasting a chicken seems like the perfect Sunday cold-weather dinner. It's delicious, easy, and provides for leftovers for a few nights - the ideal combo! My most recently roasted chicken didn't disappoint both in its original state or as any of its several incarnations - we enjoyed chicken soup made from the leftovers today. 

roasted with lots of
fall vegetables and herbs

light and reflections

These jewel-like lamps light up even the darkest of days.

photographed in Istanbul

flowerful friday

We're nearing the end of our fall flowers & here's one of the season's last bouquets. I put this together from what we still have in the garden.

Happy Friday!

home

After being away from home for work for a few days combined with feeling under-the-weather, it is wonderful to be back in the comfort of our house. Jane Austen was right (about a lot, in my opinion) - she wrote, 

"There is nothing like staying at home,

 for real comfort." 

Oh so true!

a simple joy

A hot cup of tea on a cold day warms me up inside and out.

on the road again

On the road again for work, and I'm loving my hotel room's view - a perfect blue sky with puffy clouds on the horizon.



a photo for a monday morning

Good Monday morning! Here's to hoping we all have good work weeks with minimal stress. 

I think having a photo to look at and imaging myself somewhere completely peaceful for a few moments is a great way to take a little break from the day. I captured this scene on a remote hilltop along the Aegean Sea in Turkey. You can click onto the photo for a bigger image - check out all of the details - a tiny town with a mosque's minaret, rolling farm country, and off in the distance are Greek islands. What a view!

my moment of zen

an old man and the sea

Looking out to the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea. I wonder what he's thinking...

light and reflections

I never tire of seeing sunlight reflect off of water in an almost dance-like manner. Here, looking out from a tiny Turkish village to the Aegean Sea, the water catches thousands of sun beams and like sequins, scatter light in every direction.

the Aegean Sea - gorgeous

flowerful friday

My husband surprised me earlier this week with a gorgeous bouquet. I'm not sure what the flowers are - they have long stalks like delphiniums, but with long and slender leaves, and the blossoms are scented like lilies, and frilly petals remind me of sweet peas. The various shades of pink blooms brighten up our dining room. If a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the way to my heart is with flowers - no chocolate for me, thank you very much!

Happy Friday!
ps. Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served - most especially my dear dad!

color therapy - green

Today's weather seems to be a combination of fall and winter. We have fall's leaves still clinging to their branches, and we have light winter-like flurries falling to the ground. I thought it would be a good day for some photos of bright and verdant greens...

a lily pad

light dancing off of sedum

fragrant mint

kale - it's what's for dinner

alacati, turkey - part 3

Without a doubt, staying at the Tas Otel (Turkish for Stone House) made our visit to Alacati so very special. This beautifully quaint and small-scale locale is my idea of the perfect boutique hotel. You won't find a t.v. or a telephone in the rooms, intentional omissions that I happened to love. I also happen to love that you will find olive trees, palm trees, bougainvillea, lavender, and geraniums in the hotel's courtyard - it's a feast for the eyes!

the cream and blue facade 

in the courtyard 

tea time!

looking out to the courtyard

looking out to tiled roofs,
bougainvillea & a pomegranate tree 

breakfast - superb! 

the view at breakfast - lovely!

The Tas Otel might just be absolute perfection. I didn't want to leave! I only wish Alacati wasn't so far away! 

Check out their website.

alacati, turkey - part 2

I always try to capture some candid photos of locals when I travel, though I never want to intrude by taking photos, so I try to be discreet. The Alacati locals were friendly and traditional - probably a reflection of small town life. 

greeting an elder

usually full of locals enjoying some nice
baked goods and a cup of tea

local boys

local men

alacati, turkey - part 1

From the moment I read about Alacati (the "c" is pronounced with a "ch" sound) I knew I would adore this little town full of history. The goals of our vacation to Turkey were to see new places and to relax. We knew Istanbul would meet the 1st requirement but not necessarily the 2nd. Alacati seemed to fit that bill perfectly, and we could not have been more pleased with its quiet and scenic streets and proximity to the Aegean Sea. It was the perfect spot for a few days of total relaxation, allowing us to enjoy a slower pace for a little bit. 

even the town map is cute 

an old style windmill

an address marker  

blue and white decor throughout town

a local lady looking out
a balcony window

so scenic!
the sign - "nars" - Turkish
for pomegranate 

what a view!

evening in Alacati - so peaceful!

the dane county farmers' market

Yesterday was the last outdoor Dane County Farmers' Market of the year. Despite the brisk weather, hundreds of people turned out to enjoy the fresh produce of fall's harvest. Here are some of the season's beauties:

butternut squash

a melody of gourds

carrots by the bunch

Chinese lanterns, gourds and kale

fresh mustard greens

rainbow chard

a mix of ornamental cabbages
and eucalyptus 

who knew onions
could be so pretty?!

variety, the spice of life