Hi Everyone!

I just called my dearest friend of thirty something years. We have been through it all and the test of time has proven that it is a real, honest to goodness friendship. I called her this morning and said "Merry Christmas, dear Judy." I instantly felt bad when I heard her heavy voice say "Oh, Merry Christmas, Julieann." Immediately I said "I am so sorry I said that trite greeting. Please forgive me." She said that's all right. Judy just lost her oldest son, Greg, just before Thanksgiving. I was in Colorado on a week long photo shoot when she called and told me this horrible event. She found him dead at his computer. He was 40 years old. They are still doing an inquiry into his death but it doesn't matter. He is gone. Judy is suffering the worst agony a parent can experience. I can't take it from her.

 I have a hard time titling my blog "Merry Christmas!" because there are so many out there who are having a day of red red pain. Many of us have had those kinds of Christmas's and it seems as if the world outside is all happy. Sometimes, time heals and helps. Sometimes it never does. In my case, time has really helped. This is the first Christmas in a long time, I have felt a deep peace and joy throughout the month and especially today, Christmas 2008. This didn't come by chance either. I will explain at another time.

Christmas 2008...it is what it is and I am doing my part in putting some pictures up of the world I live in and see, that might warm your heart in a special way.

                                    always...Julieann...always

This is the world I live in. It's for real. I look outside my bedroom window and I see the barn ...

and it just takes a few minutes to walk up there. There are all these sweet animals up there and the amazing thing is they love each other. In my fantasy, I have always wanted to live a life like the painting John Hicks did "The Peaceable Kingdom." Where the lion lies with the sheep and so forth.

I call mine  "The Juiceable Kingdom" because it all seems to blend so well. I bring people out here who are sad or need something special to happen and they pet all these little animals and they become like children. I hope by sharing them, you will feel like a child as well.

One morning in October, I had the coffee brewing and I walked over to the kitchen window as I always do. I saw something was very different in the paddock behind my cottage. I tried to make out what it was and I suddenly realized there were about sixty large pumpkins laying all over the place. I smiled as a little girl because it felt like the "Pumpkin Fairy" had visited me. It turned out the man that owns the farm was going to sell pumpkins this year. All month I enjoyed this wonderful scene. My grandchildren were elated and said "Our Nina has almost 100 pumpkins growing in her backyard!" I am sure their little friends hardly believe any of their stories but they are all true. Can you imagine how cool this was for me and then to see the little animals around them. sigh