Rhododendron

Our Rhododendron has bloomed!

A Sunday Sermon: A Recipe for Self-Improvement

I read the following a few days ago and I found it inspiring. Food for thought, if you will. Susan gave me the magazine last week. She had been talking about reading spiritual books with an older man in the parking lot of a nearby shopping center. He had said to her that was what he was doing. And he gave her a few copies of Turning Points Magazine & Devotional.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful.
2 Peter 1:8

Recommended Reading: 2 Peter 1:3-8

Aldous Huxley, the twentieth-century British author, said, “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”

What area of your life do you want to improve? Just take a moment and think about that. In what area would you most like to grow? With God’s help, you can improve your one corner of the universe. What it really takes is the power of God in our lives, and there is a passage of Scripture on this very subject.

The apostle Peter wrote, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness…. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness… knowledge… self-control… perseverance… godliness… mutual affection… love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive” (2 Peter 1:3-8, NIV).

God will do His part (“His divine power has given us”), but we must also do our part and “make every effort.” Find an area of your life to improve, and start right now.

~From Turning Points Magazine & Devotional

ROOTS

I had my DNA analyzed.

I analyzed my DNA.

I had expectorated into a test tube

and sent it off to Ancestry months earlier.

I was hoping for a surprise.

I was hoping to learn 

I had ancestors

From a country I did not know

About. But there was

No surprise.

Italy.

Great Britain.

Scandinavia. 

Maybe there was a surprise.

I see Scotland.

So maybe, just maybe

The following story is true:

Mary Queen of Scots

It is rumored from whom

I am descended, it says here

Questa famiglia originaria della Scoizia

E nobilissima in molte citta,

Ed e divisa in molti rami

The Barone family, my family

Originated from Scotland

Mary's son King James VI of Scotland

Became King James I of England

King James great grand daughter married

The King of Itlay

It is noble in many cities and

Is divided into many branches it

Had many fiefs and illustrious men in court

In the magistrature, in the army

And in the church it was

Conferred high chivalrous honors and

Was vested with the holy orders

Of Malta from the 15th Century

It includes, as branches, the Counts

Of Casola and the Marchesi di Liveri

The title was granted in 1710

To the celebrated literary figure Domenico

Director, San Carlo Opera, Naples

Praised even by Giambattista Vico

In an assembly of praise of him

Made by the Academitrician in 1735

The family is listed in the Registry of Neopolitan

Feudal families and numbered among

The patricians of the Republic of Marino

The Republic was represented in Lisbon

By the Court of Casola and Marchese di Liveri

By Napoleon Barone son of Marchese Pasquale

Who had as his grandmother Maria Filomarina

Of the Principality of Bocca

Title to Alfrede Domenico Barone

Held from 1869-1952 also as the Count

Of Casoli in the Registry of Nobility

Melchizadek descendant of Pasquale

And likewise Alfred my father

Or so the story goes there is

A castle and a title

Or at the very least a story

That belongs to me in Italy

I write to know

Live Artfully

I received my first issue of Galerie Magazine yesterday. The Spring issue. The magazine was launched in 2016, I believe, and the present Editor-in-Chief is Margaret Russell, the former editor of Elle Décor and Architectural Digest.

According to promotional literature, Galerie Magazine "is a quarterly publication that engages readers who have a passion for art and design. Its distinctive coverage informs and inspires—delivering the finest in art, interiors, and architecture, plus compelling creative talents and fascinating destinations."

It is inspiring and informative.

Here I am holding my copy in our living room. The photo color is a bit off---it was dark and raining; but don't worry, I am about to share some photos of our home.

Why? Because of the magazine's Tagline which is "Live Artfully." I just love this and it so reflects the way my wife, Susan, and I live with our dog, Freddy, a mini-labradoodle, and out cat, Nadine, a calico.

Now that you met the children, let's talk about how we Live Artfully;

There is the kitchen table

round, a place

of gratitude

of grace

Thank You God

for these gifts before us

The food before us

The many books

The art

The colors  on the walls

The bathroom

The office

The Dining Room

The flowers and our garden

Doing our best to live our lives Artfully!

Cheers!

The Beautiful Daisy

I love Daisies.

I recently learned that the Daisy is the Birth Month flower for April.

The Daisy conveys innocence, loyal love, and purity. Yet, it is also a flower given between friends to keep a secret; the daisy means “I’ll never tell.”  

They are often known as a token of affection.

Here in Massachusetts, however, we are months away from seeing them bloom in our gardens.

But there are photos:

Hello. It's Me.

I am back.
This is me and Freddy, a mini-labradoodle, just the other day working in my garden.

I have a lot of catching up to do with you and I hope to share with you some past events and some current events.

Stay tuned. Please.