Not A Good Day

Hello.
I am not in a very good mood today. This day, (March 24), is the 25th anniversary of my mother's death, and it is still hard for me to face this day of the year, even though a quarter of a century has passed since she died. Today is also the 104th anniversary of her mother's birth. I still feel a deep sadness each year on this day, but I have learned to cope better with my feelings with each year that passes. A wise woman once told me something which has helped me through the years since my mom died. The lady told me that the pain of losing a loved one never grows any less intense; we just get more used to its being there. Those words have been proven true time and time again over the past 25 years. I have found a kind of comfort in them, which has made the passage of time more bearable. I hope that by posting all of this here, I can help others who have suffered a similar loss to better cope with their feelings of grief and be able to face the fear and pain which the death of a loved one inevitably brings. Thank you. Anna

Hello.
I'm sorry I haven't posted here for a few days, but I have been busy creating some new artwork, and Windows Paint is often a hard program in which to work. Any way, here is what I have accomplished in the last couple of days:

                                                         

                                  

           

     I hope everyone enjoys these couple of pictures. Regards, Anna   

An Old Favorite!

Hello.
I have noticed a new trend all over the net, lately. With all of the huge amounts of snow falling around the world, I am seeing a lot of recipes for 'Snow Ice cream'. I have loved this stuff since I was a kid. My mom (RIP) taught me how to make 'Snow Ice cream' years ago. Now, due to the fact that I am a diabetic, I have had to find new ways of making my favorite winter treat. Here is a recipe I have put together which tastes more like the original, sugar-sweetened version of my childhood than any other version I have tried. Please, enjoy!

12 cups dry, powdery snow
6 oz. evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup Aspartame sweetener (Not Sucralose; it adds a bitter aftertaste)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Stir together milk, honey, sweetener, and vanilla until well blended. Pour over dry snow in small amounts, stirring between additions. The mixture will be dry at first. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to melt slightly and it will begin to acquire a creamier texture. Serve immediately. (Leftovers may be kept in the freezer in an air-tight container. The texture will change due to freezing, but if allowed to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving, it will soften up a bit and be closer to the original texture.) Yield: approx.20-22 1/2 cup servings. Calories per serving:48; Fat:4g.; Cholesterol:0mg.; Sugars (Fructose,from honey):6.5g.

Lady Jean Simmons Dies At Age 80

Hello,
I am very sad today, because I have just learned that one of the great, legendary, female actors of our time, Lady Jean Simmons, passed away Friday. She was a great lady and a great actor. She will be greatly missed.

British actress Jean Simmons, who starred in the 1960 film "Spartacus", arrives as a guest for the opening of the play "You Can't Take It With You" in Los Angeles in this April 20, 2005 file photo. Simmons, aged 80, died at her home on January 22, 2010, local media reported. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/Files

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - British actress Jean Simmons, who starred opposite Laurence Olivier in "Hamlet" during a career spanning 60 years, has died in California, Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday.
Simmons, who was 80 and had lung cancer, died at her home in Santa Monica on Friday night, it quoted her agent Judy Page as saying.
Born in London, Simmons started acting in films as a teenager and later moved to the United States to star in movies such as the 1955 musical "Guys and Dolls" with Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, and Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" with Kirk Douglas in 1960.
Simmons won a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for playing Ophelia in "Hamlet" in 1948 and a best actress nomination for her role in "The Happy Ending" -- a 1969 film directed by her second husband Richard Brooks.
Her marriage to Brooks ended in divorce in 1977. She married Brooks in 1960, months after divorcing actor Stewart Granger.
"As a 14-year-old dance student she was plucked from her school to play Margaret Lockwood's precocious sister in 'Give Us the Moon' (1944)," according to a biography of the actress on IMDb.COM movies website.
By the 1980s, she mainly appeared in TV mini-series and won an Emmy for her role in "The Thorn Birds" in 1983.
Simmons "made a comeback to films in 1995 in 'How to Make an American Quilt' co-starring Winona Ryder and Anne Bancroft, and most recently played the elderly Sophie in the English version of Hayao Miyazaki's 'Hauru no ugoku shiro'," a 2004 animated film, according to IMDb.COM.
Simmons is survived by her two daughters, Tracy Granger and Kate Brooks, Los Angeles Times said. She lived in Santa Monica with her pets, a dog and two cats, according to IMDb.COM.
(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

RIP Lady Jean. Love, Anna

More, Different Artwork

Hi.
Wesley's artwork is proving to be very popular. Our thanks to everyone who has commented or rated his drawings. This time, I decided to show everyone a little bit about where he got his talent. These are my drawings. Please, Enjoy. Anna
(click on pictures to enlarge)

 

Wesley's Artwork

Hi,
I got several very positive responses to my son's paint picture, so I decided to post some of his drawings here. Some of these were done when he was a teenager, and others are more recent. All of them make me proud to have such a talented son. Please, enjoy! Anna  (click on images to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,
I would like to show everyone a picture which my son drew with the Windows Paint program. He made this a couple of years ago as a Halloween wallpaper for his computer desktop. I think it is very creative and I wanted to share it here with all of you. I call it:
                                                                              Spooky House

I hope you all enjoy it. Anna                                                           (Click on picture to enlarge)