All of these roses were bending and ARCHING DOWNWARDS like a DOWNWARD DOG POSITION IN YOGA!I had NO HESITATION to cut them……….I really do not cut my roses in the garden as they LIVE SO MUCH LONGER in nature!

I had NO QUALMS about it and climbed the stairs to the kitchen to make a bouquet for my new area I am trying to clean up off my living room!I found a NUSTEP bicycle to exercise my heart a bit for FREE last week!Amazing when you OPEN YOUR MOUTH and ask a question what can happen!

Isn’t she pretty?

I couldn’t BELIEVE her BARS and TABS were MY FAVORITE COLOR!

CHARTREUSE.It was meant to be.

SHE WILL BE NEEDING A NAME…………ANY IDEAS?

My view while I pedal away…………birds and plants.We have a lot of butterflies and hummingbirds this year which always brings a smile to my face.

This is a similar bike that I use at HEART REHAB.It is the older model.They started me off at TEN MINUTES and now I am doing 17 minutes!Every week I get an increase!Now that I have one at home I can practice.At the moment I am doing TWO different bikes with an ARM MACHINE in between.

I am the only patient that has not had a HEART PROCEDURE RECENTLY.And I’m the only patient that has to sit and rest afterwards as my heart has lots of little things happening like Afib and PCP’s.etc.I would also say I’m the youngest one in the class at 65.

THE BOUNTY ONCE AGAIN!

It’s been three days and still it is a GORGEOUS BUNCH OF BLOOMS!

TO those of you who enjoy TIGRE!

My neighbor sent me this of him lying in the middle of our street with his BESTIE!

Tigre has now graduated to catching mice or BIG LONG TAIL RATS and bringing them in the house to EAT!He leaves that tail and some other body parts that aren’t to his liking as a SOUVENIR of his CATCH!

I was hoping he would have more EXPENSIVE TASTE and leave the food TO ME!

It has taken him TWO YEARS to develop this HOBBY…………

UGH,why can’t he be content stalking with NO CATCHING!

A note from my GRANDDAUGHTER upon her departure last week…………

I sent this to my SON saying does this say what I think it says?

His answer was a FIRM YES!

(It really is the little things that bring BIG JOY!)

Dinner last night was LOBSTER TAILS.

I recently read we do not EAT enough BEANS!SO, this was dinner one night last week.Zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies and a three bean salad with a dash of leftover potato salad.How many of you have NEVER had a zucchini flower?I would imagine quite a few!Very easy to make with a bit of flour and water; batter and fry after you put in your choice of stuffing!Feta works well too!

Morning!We are getting ready for school!

Note the graceful PAWS of BETTY!

She is always close by and keeps an eye on EVERYONE!

She was a WONDERFUL MOTHER’S DAY GIFT FIVE YEARS AGO.

MY neighbor who just BEAT CANCER at age 80!

Doesn’t she LOOK TERRIFIC?!

She lost all her hair but it’s coming back so no more turbans.

She has always dressed with color and style…………..maybe we need to visit her closet?!!

WE CAN CALL IT DRESSING AT 80 with Elegance and Effortless EASE!

The rain in MAY really helped my hydrangea’s!They have never been so BIG!

I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE BLOOMS AND BLOSSOMS.Once again it’s the LITTLE THINGS!

It dawned on me some of you are new here sent by HOMEWORTHY and don’t know anything about me!

I am a CALIFORNIA gal born and raised.Grew up across the Golden Gate Bridge at a time it cost 50 cents to go over and you paid with a coupon!My job was to tear the coupon out!The ticket takers knew you by face and would always have a nice thing to say!

I lived in MILL VALLEY, but our house was on the other side of the 101 highway.It was on the way to TIBURON.We had a VIEW of San Francisco and the BAY plus ALCATRAZ and ANGEL ISLAND TOO!I loved to put on PLAYS in our basement and wrote a magazine about PETS for 25 cents that went up to $1.00 after a bit of time!My father would take to his office and photocopy for me.I loved antiques at an early age but we did not live with them in the house.I think my first collection was old keys and bottles.I still have some of them.I am talking about the time I was probably 8 to 10 years of age.I spent a lot of time with my Mother growing up.

I took BALLET from the wife of Mr. Christensen who ran the SAN FRANCISCO ballet school and company.Then I went on to Marin Civic ballet for years……….at about age 15 I realized I would NEVER MAKE THE BIG TIMES.But I was committed five days a week…………plus rehearsals if there was a recital or the NUTCRACKER was upon us.SO, then my focus changed to FASHION and being a BUYER.Worked in retail through out college and beyond until I met my ITALIAN.We met in 1984 at the young age of 24 in an office full of young girls.He had come from the factory outside FLORENCE, ITALY.We worked for a woman who had the sole distribution for the GUCCI ACCESSORY COLLECTION, which you would see in the specialty stores and better department stores.It was the 1980’s and the designer handbags were very popular.

We married in 1986 in Florence.Had two SONS.Moved to Italy for a few years.(I FELL IN LOVE AGAIN!)Came back to the STATES.Bought a house I HATED,but we could afford.And here we are now almost 66.He is retired. I had a small shop for a few years vintage/antiques.Now, we are home together but I rarely see him as he has ENERGY of a WILD BEAST and is on THE GO! I have NO energy at all.I’m dealing with congestive heart failure and a couple of lung issues.I NEVER smoked.Always ate right since meeting the ITALIAN but have a weakness for SEE’S CHOCOLATE’S,cinnamon rolls gluten free and cookies!I forgot to mention I discovered I was Gluten Free after years of terrible stomach problems.I wrote everything down;I ate and drank and I saw a pattern after a few weeks!

BE YOUR OWN DETECTIVE!

I LOVE ANIMALS AND ALWAYS WANTED A SMALL FARM.High on the list from a very young age was a cow, donkey, sheep, goats and a shetland pony.

This will not happen now.But I did have a PIGGY, dogs and cats and chickens, a few geese and a duck named DONALD!We also had bunnies.

I guess I was always a bit ECCENTRIC.SPOKE MY MIND and had a BIG HEART.Got myself to Europe a few times.Met some WONDERFUL PEOPLE between this BLOG and INSTAGRAM!Drove my husband crazy with my REQUESTS!He has yet to build me MY FOLLY in the yard!Maybe, I shall bring THAT UP for the Birthday that is coming up!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

A FOLLY or a Farm Animal?

TO COMMENT KEEP SCROLLING DOWNWARDS………….I WILL ANSWER EACH AND EVERYONE!

XXX

YOUR CONTESSA