Gobble, gobble

A while ago I saw cute turkeys made from pinecones at Martha Stewart's website. So now I proudly present the Tres Amigos:

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful that you dropped by.
It's the perfect occasion to wish you a

Happy Thanksgiving!

Close to Thanksgiving

Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for leaving a comment now and then -- that's very much appreciated!

Destination: South

The last birds fly to the south -- a sure sign that winter is near.

Scary at last

In its final stage, my Halloween pumpkin looked scary at last.

Magical neighborhood

Today in the late afternoon I went for a walk around the block. The light was magical.

Strange flowers bloomed on a stone wall -- a bit like a scene from Alice in Wonderland, especially with the red grass.

There were real plants...



... and strange flowers.



Signs of road construction were everywhere.



So many interesting forms and colors to discover.

Never think that your neighborhood isn't magical -- you just have to look around with open eyes.

Time flies

Mind Wide Open runs another challenge. Gail wrote:

"Here is the image you have to work with. The word prompt is TIME, you can use it in your work or not, but let it inspire your mind to wander... maybe somewhere you might not normally go."

Okay, yes, I really went somewhere where I normally don't go. First of all, I didn't digitally alter the image, as it looks ready as it is. Moreover, I tend to create items with clear lines and a limited range of colors. However, yesterday I made something really colorful, really glittering -- absolute kitsch. A hint of Las Vegas mixed in -- think feathers and sequins. Moreover, there are wings. Are you ready for this? So here is TIME FLIES:

You see -- I told you it was colorful and glittering and with feathers! I altered an empty cocoa tin, cutting out a window. I used Gail's image both inside and outside the tin.

Moreover, I printed the photo of the lady once again, mounting the image on cardboard. She is now looking out of the window.

The word prompt is TIME, so I added the word itself as well as an image of the clock next to it:

Doesn't time just fly now that the countdown to the holidays has started? That's what I had in mind when I added FLIES to TIME, even giving it priority by putting the letters on top:

There's a certain ambiguity about FLIES, as the L is somewhat bigger than the F. I really like that.

Most likely my creation will stand out like a paradise bird among many elegant and classy creations -- a bit like the famous pink flamingo in a beautiful garden. Gail will post all entries on December 2nd, and the voting will start then. Be sure to visit Mind Wide Open in early December -- I am sure all the entries will be fantastic.

Making Smiles On Faces Award

I received a blog award. It's the "Making Smiles On Faces Award" -- talk about a fancy name! Sure thing I am passing on the award to five other people whose blogs make me smile. Now that's a tough choice, as there are by far more than five blogs out there which make me smile. In random order here are five blogs which make me smile:

• Chrissi from Chrissiosity Cottage
• Joan from Joan's Home Studio
• Tracy from My Day To Day Scene
• Jeni from A Jeni Design
• Judy from Judy At A Touch Of Class

I got to know Chrissi through the One World One Heart event. She didn't win my prize, and I didn't win her prize, but I won nonetheless by meeting her that way. Joan is an active member of We Love Digital Art and has become a dear friend. Tracy and I started out as pen pals, even meeting twice in Munich. These days we keep up to date about our lives through our blogs. Jeni and Judy are two extremely talented digital artists whom I met at Nothing Cute Here.

Now I am supposed to name five little known facts about me. Okay, let's see...

1. I have eight dreamcatchers.

Yes, I know that one is a key ring,
but it's still a dreamcatcher.

2. I enjoy borrowing books from the mobile library, the Bücherbus (book bus).

That's a photo from January 2009 --
soon it will snow like that again...

3. I am very much into the Old West. Well, yeah -- that's not exactly a little known fact about me, but to some of you (though not you, Tracy and certainly not you, Rita!) it may be news.

A shadow photo from June 2009.

4. My bedroom lamp is made out of shells.

5. I saw a scary monkey on a children's merry-go-round in July 2009. I wonder if a child riding on it gets nightmares.

On the other hand I saw a baboon at Munich's zoo Hellabrunn in January 2009 which was a real artist painting intricate patterns in the snow.

St. Martin's Day

Today is St. Martin's Day. From Wikipedia:

St. Martin's Day (or Martinstag or Martinmas) is November 11, the feast day of Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me."

As a child I took part in lantern processions, carrying a paper lantern with a lit candle inside and singing St. Martin songs like this one:

Ich geh’ mit meiner Laterne,
und meine Laterne mit mir.
Da oben leuchten die Sterne,
hier unten leuchten wir.
Mein Licht ist aus,
wir gehn nach Haus.
Rabimmel, Rabammel, Rabumm!

Translation:
I go with my lantern,
and my lantern goes with me.
Up there the stars are shining,
down here we are shining.
My light is out,
we go home.
Rabimmel, Rabammel, Rabumm!

Goose is the traditional dish on Martin's Day. I didn't have it today, but I bought this sweet goose at the bakery:

Tonight I was very lucky to see St. Martin on his white horse -- right in front of my house!

Golden November

The first day of November, All Saints' Day, was beautiful and sunny -- a bright blue sky and colorful fall leaves everywhere.

Nevermore

Kris Dickinson from A Nostalgic Halloween is guest hosting this week's challenge at Sunday Postcard Art. True to her calling and passion, she chose the topic Edgar Allan Poe. Of course, I had to create a postcard of the master, especially since I listened to an audio book of The Pit and the Pendulum while carving my Halloween pumpkin yesterday. Yes, that's yours truly reaching out for Edgar.