Jade Lake at Chateau Montelena

Jade Lake Swan

A really lovely winery in this area is Chateau Montelena in Calistoga. Their wines were made famous when they won the Paris Tasting in 1976. (In the "blind" tasting the nine French judges awarded Montelena's 1973 Pinot Chardonnay first place.)

The 2008 delightful movie Bottle Shock was about Chateau Montelena and "the judgement of Paris". It's a fun movie and you can get a feel for the early years in the California wine country. You can click on the iTunes button to rent or buy the video.

If you visit Chateau Montelena, don't forget to walk down to Jade Lake on the estate. It's beautiful (and is accessible for those in wheel chairs).

Today's iPhone Polaroid

Keep On Dancing - Day 20

Today I danced...
time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after -7
(mood scale and chart is in the left column under the clock)

Some Favorite French Songs

Richard and I are going to Paris in September and I am beginning to try and remember a bit of my high school French. Except for the first ten numbers, days of the week and Je voudrais un cafe' au lait s'il vous plaît (I would like a coffee with milk please), I have forgotten most everything. I thought a good start would be to start listening to French music.

I heard this one on the a la parisienne blog. It is Carla Bruni. Yes that Carla Bruni - the first lady of France. I couldn't find it on iTunes, but here it is on Amazon, which can be downloaded to play on your iPod or iPhone.

New iPhone App

I am continuing to discover new iPhone apps that are very cool. My brother-in-law told me about one called iCarPark and boy have I needed it. I have to say I forget where I park more often than I care to admit - especially at the Alameda Flea Market (which, by the way, is this Sunday).

You just tap the "Park Here" button and iCarPark uses the iPhone gps feature to note where you are parking. There are two very easy spinners. One is to set an alarm for a parking meter. The other lines up the floor and space number (very handy in San Francisco). It then gives you walking directions back to your car.

To see pictures of the different options and/or to download - just click on the iTunes button. 

Click here for other iPhone applications I like.

Inspiration From Thought Threads

Tricia at Thought Threads inspires me with her Daily 5 Things She's Grateful For.  She describes them so beautifully. I love this one....

A past that is just wild enough to seem interesting to my daughters.

She also mentions something else that is great about living in the wine country - The Hot Air Balloons floating above the vineyards. She reminded me of the 20th Annual Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic, June 13–14, 2009. Thanks Tricia. I have it on my calendar now.

Today's iPhone Polaroid

Above my computer

Yesterday's iPhone Polaroid

I travelled  across the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday on my way home from San Francisco. When I stopped to take a picture, it was so windy, my iPhone almost blew away. Dancing or no dancing I would not have been in a good mood if my iPhone had ended up bouncing down the hill into the bay!

More Mother's Day Ideas

Here are a few more ideas for Mother's Day.

These are the chocolates given away at The Academy Awards, The Latin Grammys, The Emmy's, The Country Music Awards, The Grammys, The Golden Globes and Dancing With The Stars. They look great and I have ordered the white chocolate bark for my mom, (who loves white chocolate) and a truffles box for me (who loves all chocolate).


I love the Tea Forte products. I have purchased them in the past for my mom and for friends, as well as for myself.


One idea is to give real flowers for Mother's Day along with a small canvas wrapped print for mom to keep long after the flowers fade.
Click here to see small canvas wrapped prints of flowers.

Today's iPhone Polaroid

Yesterday's iPhone Polaroid

Keep On Dancing Day 19

Today I danced...
time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after -6.5
(mood scale and chart is in the left column under the clock)

sssh! Don't Tell!

Pink Rose In Lavender

This is the piece I am giving to my mom for Mother's Day. She lives in a small place so I am giving her the free standing 5 inch canvas wrapped piece and am tucking in a gift certificate to Macy's and a promise of a day of shopping and lunch out. 

Click on the title or image to see this piece as a canvas wrapped print (available in small, medium and large).

Today's iPhone Polaroid

Things I'm Grateful For

Tricia has started a daily 5 things a day - gratitude journal on her blog. I thought I would post today the things I am grateful for.

I am always most grateful for my friends and family. In addition today I am most grateful...

1. that the weather has cooled down again from the 90s back to the normal 70s. Makes for magnificent days in the wine country.

2. for my new iPhone.

3. that Richard and I will be going on a road trip in a few weeks and that he also likes to photograph so that I don't drive him nuts every time I want to stop and take a picture.

4. that Lola does something funny every day that puts a smile on my face.

5. that dancing in my kitchen for 30 minutes can completely change, for the better, the quality of my day.

Keep On Dancing - Day 18

Today I danced...
time of day - evening
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after -6.5
(mood scale and chart is in the left column under the clock)

One thing I've noticed is that I like to dance to quieter music in the evening...still up beat, just not quite as intense as when I dance in the morning.

Tonight's Go To song is California Soul by Marlena Shaw. It's a beautiful evening here in the California wine country and this song just fit. To listen and/or download click on the iTunes button.

Today's iPhone Polaroid

Little pitchers on my kitchen counter.

So You Think You Can Dance

My favorite reality show is returning on May 21st

This dance reminded me of watching traditional dances while in Cuba. (Yes I was there legally - for a cultural exchange program). The dance only lasts a little over a minute and a half and then it's just yakety yak by the judges.

This video makes me want to buy a long, full skirt to swish around when I dance in the kitchen!

Gratitude

Tricia sent me information about an app for my new iPhone called Gratitude Journal. 

Click on the iTunes button to find out more information and/or to purchase the Gratitude Journal app.

The App To Make Polaroids

Camera Bag - This is the app I am using to make my iPhone polaroids. You can also use it with iTouch but the iTouch does not have a camera. With the iTouch you have to import your photos.

Camera Bag has a total of 10 camera simulations. They all are fun, but I like "instant" best. I also think these would be great to put into my moleskine journal

Click the iTune button to find out more or to download it.

Click here for other iPhone applications that I like.

Today's iPhone Polaroid

Is this not an adorable face?

So much tragedy in Rwanda. So many sad and violent stories. I recently read an article where a Rwandan woman said that the women of her country heal themselves by dancing.

Thanks to Jess at pecannot for posting my sun flowers on her wonderful blog about abundance. 

Today's iPhone Polaroid

My friends Debbie and Gordon gave Richard and me these beautiful Hydrangeas. They are definitely going to be planted in the garden.

Keep On Dancing - Day 17

Today I danced...
time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5.5
mood after -7
(mood scale and chart is in the left column under the clock)

New Project

I just got an iPhone. Love it. Love it. Love it. I've never liked phone cameras much, but this one is terrific. I found an app that makes it look like an old polaroid. I have been sad that the old polaroid film is so hard to find. So, I have started a new blog project with my iPhone Polaroids. I am going to do One Photo A Day.

More on the iPhone and apps later. I really do want to go dance.

Joseph's Coat Roses

It's going to be a hot one today - in the 90s. That's unusually hot for April in the wine country. My Joseph's Coat rose bush has exploded with color. I took this photo this morning (with my canon rebel xt) while giving everything an early morning watering.

Time to go dance before it gets too hot.

Keep On Dancing - Day 16

Today I danced...
time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5.5
mood after - 7
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

My Go To song today is Mambo Italiano by Club Des Belugas. Click the iTunes button to listen and/or download.

For My Mom

This is a piece I created for my mother last year for Mother's Day. If you would like a a canvas wrapped print for your mother or another great mother you know, click here or on the picture.

Don't You Just Love It - Belgium Version

My friend Joan forwarded this youTube video to me. Maybe this is where TMobile got the idea.

Don't You Just Love It!

From my friend Judy. This is my vision of how life should be.

Brush Dance Card

Brush Dance is featuring one of my cards on their blog. Click on the image above to see it at their store. 

Keep On Dancing - Day 15

Today I danced...
time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 4.5
mood after - 6.75
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

My Dance Chart - The First 15 Days

I'm half way through my 30 day dance challenge. You can see how my starting mood each day (the black dots) really improves after 30 minutes of dancing (the red dot). The green lines mean there was a day I did not dance.  My starting mood really dropped after not dancing two days (the 2nd and 3rd green lines). However if you look at the date when it really dropped it was April 15th. As Tricia remarked in her comments...doing your taxes would make anyone's mood drop to a 4.5!

Definitely A Go To Song

Click the iTunes button to download Beyonce's Single Ladies

Keep On Dancing Day 14

I never danced yesterday...got caught up finishing my taxes on Turbo Tax. Now that is behind me it is dancing time!

Today I danced...
time of day - afternoon
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 4.5
mood after - 6.5
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

Another Great Gap Ad

Don't You Just Love Tulips?

Yellow Tulip Quartet

Day 13 - Of the 30 Day Dance Challenge - I'm dancing around my kitchen and living room for 30 minutes for 30 days

Today I danced...
time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5.5
mood after - 7
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

Always Love The Gap Dancing Commercials



The song is Jump and Jive from Louis Prima. You can download it by clicking on the iTunes button.

Keep On Dancing - Day 12

Well I got my 30 minutes in. I wasn't sure I was going to have the time and energy, but I really needed it especially after eating a ridiculous number of jelly beans.

Today I danced...
time of day - evening
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after - 6.5
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

Happy Easter From Cynthia and Lola

White House Dog Bo

I know this is a bit off topic, but how cute is Malia and Sasha's new dog Bo? I think my dog Lola would love him.

Click here for the story

Keep On Dancing - Day 11

No dance list would be complete without Aretha's Respect. Click on the iTunes button to listen and/or download.

Today I danced...

time of day - evening

for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after - 7
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

Chocolate Easter Bunnies

One thing that definitely puts a shimmy in my spirit is chocolate. Easter would not be Easter without chocolate Easter Bunnies. I love these laughing bunnies. They're from Woodhouse Chocolate in Napa. Don't they just make you smile!

Today's Go To Song

Today's "Go To" song is Let The Good Times Roll. There are so many great versions of this song. Here are a few...
Click the iTune buttons to listen and/or download

Let The Good Times Roll - Buckwheat Zydeco (this is one of my favorites) 
Let The Good Times Roll - Shirley and Lee (this is a real oldie)

Let The Good Times Roll - Ray Charles (doesn't get much better than this)
Let The Good Times Roll - No list would be complete without B.B. King

Let The Good Times Roll - Ike and Tina Turner

Let The Good Times Roll - Another B.B. King but with Tony Bennett

Keep On Dancing - Day 10

time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after - 6.5
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

Keep On Dancing - Day 9

Backwards and in High Heels

time of day - evening
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after - 6.5
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

Keep On Dancing - Day 8

Well that was cool. I never got around to dancing until this evening. I decided to make it a bit more fun by lighting candles in the living room while I danced.

time of day - evening
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after - 6.5
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

New Art

Petunias

The First 7 Days of the 30 Day Dance Challenge

Here is my mood chart (see left column under the clock for the mood scale and to print out a 30 day mood chart for yourself) for the first 7 days. The black points are where I started, the red points are what my mood was after dancing for 30 minutes. It is making a huge difference for me - the difference between spending my day in the "unhappy zone" and in the "happy zone." That effects everything I do for the entire day!

Keep On Dancing - Day 7

time of day - afternoon
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 5
mood after - 6.5
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

My Go To Song is 3 Cool Cats by Ry Cooder. Click on iTunes button to download

No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency on HBO

Sunday evening I watched the second episode of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency and loved it even more than the first one. I went online to see what I could find about the music and ran across this youTube diary by the author Alexander McCall Smith.

Glass Flower Fountains For The Garden

I have been meaning to mention this blown glass artist that I saw at the San Francisco Garden Show. She makes these wonderful glass flower fountains for the garden. You can visit her web site at Glass Gardens NW.

The Fan Museum in Healdsburg

Rose Fan

I love old hand fans. Did you know that there is a fan museum in the wine country? It's in Healdsburg which is a charming small town with terrific little shops, restaurants, and wine tasting.

I've also heard about a fan museum in London.

Keep On Dancing - Day 6

time of day - morning
for how long - 30 minutes
mood before - 4.75
mood after - 6.5
(mood chart is in the left column under the clock)

I didn't dance yesterday and am a little disgusted with myself. No use in my fussing about it. Just move on and dance today.

Today's Go To Song - Single Ladies by Beyonce. Click the button to down load from iTunes.