A GALLERY OF THANKSGIVING COLOR

"In everything give thanks........" -New King James Version
"Give thanks in all circumstances......" - New International Version

A WORLD WITHOUT COLORS I can't imagine a world without colors. Recently , I went browsing in a boutique called White House/ Black Market. Every gorgeous, pricey and tempting stuffs for sale are in white or black. These are modern and popular colors today but not the kind that make me feel alive. The boutique has an excellent display and marketing strategy but somehow, nothing appeals to me to splurge on. Imagine a world without color, it's...DULL.

A WORLD WITH COLORS On the contrasting side, nothing makes me feel alive and grateful than waking up in the morning and seeing the gorgeous autumn leaves of our neighbor's maple tree just across the cul de sac. Late autumn's palette is the deepest of the four seasons here in the U.S.A. Before I immigrated here, I lived in Manila (Philippines) where there is no colorful autumn. Today, of course, I live in sunny Southern California where leaves have the good sense to stay on the trees almost year-round. But there are some areas here in California where we have autumn leaves, but not as distinct as in the East Coast. I will never forget those many exciting, fascinating and colorful autumn trips to Silver Springs (Maryland), Washington D.C., Connecticut and Colorado.
When Thanksgiving is around the corner, what comes to my mind are the myriad colors that dressed one of the richest feast of the year in America. I've always associated the colors of autumn with Thanksgiving. This feast celebrates also the transformation of season and color. Of course I also have a vision of the lustrous golden turkey. What is Thanksgiving without turkey fest and all the colorful trimmings? It's hard to resist comparing it to a a gallery of colorful impressionists paintings.
HOW MANY COLORS DO THANKSGIVING WEARS AND PARADES? Like a fashion show Thanksgiving parades in many gorgeous colors. They added depth and also visual appeal to the season of festivity. Let's not be color-blind to the beautiful world around us and take colors for granted. Now, it's time to count the many fashionable colors:

COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#1- MULTICOLORS. This photo was taken in Connecticut one fall ago, where I saw the most beautiful and colorful autumn in my life. Think like the famous impressionist artist, Vincent Van Gogh. He painted with gusto and used multiple colors in most of his paintings.
COLORS OF THANKSGIVING #2-ORANGE I've always associated orange with Thanksgiving. Now, thankfully, I can enjoy the orange color. Some of the sweetest and most distinctive taste of autumn come in the color of orange. Think pumpkins, sweet potatoes, persimmons, mandarins, clementines and satsumas. Let's add pumpkin pie.Yum....yummmmy!!!
COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#3-DEEP ORANGE- I can't imagine a world without deep shade of orange. Orange is the marriage of a little tint of yellow and more reddish tint added. Orange is a pretty color that makes things pop-out. COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#3- YELLOW This is a very happy color. No wonder, Van Gogh was crazy about it. Other relatives of yellow are lemon, ochre, buttercups, bronze and gold. If you want to be happy wear yellow. If you want to be healthy eat yellow fruits like bananas, mangoes and pears, and drink yellow juices like pineapple. Decorating the table with yellow leaves make the Thanksgiving feast very much alive......... like a painting.
COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#4- RED This color comes in many different names like ruby, scarlet, crimson, and vermilion. The red cranberry is the Tiffany touch on the Thanksgiving plate. The jewel-like quality of the color red adds just the right accent to one of the dressiest feast of the year. Red also compliments every other classic colors. It also brings drama to the mushroom-golden brown roasted turkey.MY "AUTUMN PAINTING" - 18"x 24" ( oil on canvas). This is one of my favorite painting which I lovingly donated to the Fil-American Association of Sta. Clarita during their 20th anniversary celebration and auction. This painting has a rustic, wide open door leading out to a leisurely pathway with colorful autumn setting of birch trees and Southwest vases.

GRATEFULLY, this THANKSGIVING I am also thinking of the many bountiful blessings God has given. We have so much for which to be thankful. So much to smile about & so much to share. The top blessing this year is the many opportunities to be able to travel with my hubby to our homeland (philippines) and cruise abroad (Southeast Asian Countries- Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hongkong, Singapore,Okinawa, and China). These travels had enriched our lives and enlarged our perspectives. This year, since I spent many hours on the road, sea and air, I didn't have time to do oil painting. Nevertheless I am grateful for those days to be home. Last April, we moved to our new condo here in San Diego. The past months were spent organizing & decorating our home. I am also preparing my little studio.

So I am thankful not just for one blessing but for everything, even for the bad things that had happened.
"Wishing all my family, friends, blog-mates and viewers a very colorful and wonderful THANKSGIVING DAY! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!"

ARTISTIC WHALES

We owe it to our children to be better stewards of the environment. The alternative? - a world without whales. It's too terrible to imagine. Pierce Brosnan

A WORLD WITHOUT WHALES: According to Pierce Brosnan....."its terrible to imagine a world without whale." I do agree with him. I like to watch whales doing their playful things but I am against their gruesome ways...... like eating people & coloring the sea RED. Should I condemn the whales? Well...of course not. I do like to eat whales too. I am not sure if whales or sharks are the same species. I know they are both gigantic ocean mammals. Anyway, I loved the delicious & exotic "Shark Fin " soup they served at Chinese Restos. I don't know how to make it so when I crave this soup, it's time to go to our favorite Chinese resto. It's their priciest soup because it's hard to get.

Here's a bit info about this soup from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Shark's fin soup is a Chinese soup that has been a popular item of Chinese cuisine since the Ming Dynasty, usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets,]or as a luxury item in Chinese culture.
There is controversy over the practice of shark finning which is used to source the signature ingredient for the soup. Consumption of shark fin soup has risen dramatically with the middle class becoming more affluent. Animal rights activists and environmentalists have called the practice brutal, and it is also named as a primary contributing factor in the global decline of many shark species.
China's growing economy has resulted in a large increase in demand for shark fins.[ This increase in demand combined with the importance of this top predator in the ocean, has the potential to significantly alter oceanic ecosystems.
ALTERNATIVE TO KILLING WHALES? Making artistic sculptures of them. Why not? Yes, it's a creative alternative. Look at the above whale. I spotted this sculptural whale during our trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia during the summer of 2009. Along the cruise port, they were displayed along the way..... for walkers, joggers & visitors to enjoy. This is one of those beautifully painted whale scuplture.

RHOD WITH LAZY WHALE: Another view of the same whale sculpture from above.

BLUE & PINK WHALE: Happy colors! Happy painted whales! Happy jumping! Happy day! What are we going to do without whales? Think about it!!!!!!

ARTISTIC LOBSTER

"Rather than worry about foods to avoid, I think of everything I can eat - lobster, mussels, crab, tomatoes." - by Sarah Beeny LOBSTER SCULPTURE: During a summer trip in 2009 to Halifax, Nova Scotia, my husband & I caught sight of this lovely lobster sculpture while walking leisurely along the cruise ship port. I had never seen something as big & beautiful like this before. It was a very colorful, fascinating and interesting lobster artwork.

FAVORITE SEAFOOD: I like all of the above listed seafood by Sarah but my favorite is lobster. It's very delicious but quite expensive. Somehow I always find good ways to satisfy my cravings for this lovely pinkish creature. Whenever I see a Miss Lobster around, I am reminded of the many happy memories I spent w/ her kind of creature Here are some occassions that I had happily spent w/ Miss Lobster & company:

1. My first good memory about lobster was during a family vacation to Maui, Hawaii many.many years ago. During our last night in Maui, my husband & I splurged on a clambake dinner at the Westin Resort w/ out the kids. They stayed behind at the condo & had pizza for dinner. We enjoyed an excellent clambake lobsters plus all the trimmings and........ a big prize tag later on. But the happy memories of that dinner lingered long after and so there was no regret as the years went by.

2.Whenever my husband & I went cruising (10 cruises so far), we always look forward to the special nights when the chefs & kitchen staffs will be serving lobsters. Usually lobster & steaks were served during formal nights. We could asked for seconds if we wanted too. We were spoiled & pampered w/ lobster dinner during many cruises. One of the best rewards of cruising.

3.When my husband was still working for L-3 Communications, I always tagged along during company trips & conferences. Some of my best memories were those welcome & farewell night dinners at the Longboat Key Resort in Florida, where I had attended four times. Spouses were included and I never refused. These were some of the company perks that's unforgettable. During those memorable dinners, they served huge grilled lobster w/ steak. All you can eat. Yum..yummm.....!!! No wonder, I got home from those conferences w/ added pounds.

4. During our 25th wedding anniversary at the NBC Resturant in China Town, Monterey Park, we picked a banquet menu w/ lobster dish included. Many of the best lobster dishes that I tasted were from many great Chinese restaurants. They cooked it differently and very palatable. The heavenly taste lingered long after the special event was over.

5. Whenever I go shopping at Costco and I see those huge lobsters for sale at $17.99/ pound, I am reminded of a simple neighborhood get-togeher lobster dinner at The Oaks, Sta Clarita, where we once lived. I vividly remember one memorial week-end when our neighbors decided to have a clambake dinner at Dr. Larry's driveway next to our house. All of us bought fresh lobsters for each member of our families. Dr. Larry was divorced and a psychologist but volunteered to share his huge pot for boiling the lobsters. What a sight to see those live lobsters jumping & struggling on top of the boiling water! When cooked they had a reddish color. We also decorated the long tables beautifully & ate together w/ friendly neighbors. Along w/ the lobsters we feasted on store bought bread, boiled corn splashed w/ butter, grilled potatoes & yummy ice cream. Five neighboer w/ their families pitched in w/ the cooking & clean up. We had so much fun with our simple neighbor get-together that it was worth the splurge and work.

Yes, lobsters are pricey but with all these wonderful memories, I think they are worth spending for. If I will be rich, I'll buy a lobster sculpture to be placed on my garden by the kitchen. The lobster will inspire me to paint more. Why not?