One of the things that impressed me about visiting Washington DC was the architecture. Everywhere, there was evidence of beautiful, thoughtful, sculpture. The lion pictured above were at the entrance of the Taft Bridge on Connecticut Ave. There are four of them. Two on each end. I couldn't believe the lions. They were everywhere.
Then there are the buildings. Scroll work, finials, and lace at every turn. It was a feast for the eyes. I mentioned to S'mee that I would bet there were people that drove those streets everyday that didn't even notice it at all. Busy in their day to day world that the beauty that was around them yearned to be enjoyed.
Then I stumbled upon a story at the Washington Post today. It is the very thing I spoke to s'mee about. A virtuoso violinist in a hallway in DC. Playing music for the crowd. Did anyone stop to take notice? Did anyone recognize this virtuoso? Crowds just days before had paid $100 a seat for the cheap seats to hear him play. He also played a violin from the national archives. Did anyone notice that? You must read this story. It will make you stop and take notice, if even for a few short minutes, next time.
There is beauty all around, we need to take time to enjoy it.
UPDATE: There is a follow-up article to the WaPo article written by the author of the "experiment". If you are like me and enjoy reading all the details, go here to read the backstory.
08 April 2007
There is beauty all around
I believe, I know
Two days after the death of my brother, I was distraught. I remembered our last conversation. I hadn't wanted to talk and remembering the conversation, I felt I had cheated both of us.
We had made our journey back to California in a rush. We had to be at his funeral. While at the same time moving to go to grad school in San Diego. We got to my parents home and I was unconsolable. Not that there was gnashing of teeth and uncontrollable tears. Not at all. I had three small girls, I could cry, but I had to keep it together for their sakes. The last thing they needed was a hysterical mom.
I found myself lost in prayer. Prayers of hope, of comfort and of searching. My belief system includes the fact that prayers are answered. The heavens are open and our God loves us beyond belief. So I drew upon that knowledge and asked for comfort. I asked for something that I shouldn't have. It was indulgent. But I didn't care I needed one thing. It didn't matter if no one else had ever asked, I needed to say goodbye to my brother. I pleaded for the opportunity to see him one last time, to be able to give him a hug, to make up for my inability to allow him to reach out and be my big brother. Yes, it was a prayer of indulgence.
Sleep came intermittently, it was fitful and sad. The night before the viewing however, I went to sleep exhausted. My body succumbed to the days of filling vessels of those more needful than myself. That's when the miracle took place. In the wee hours of the morning my prayer was answered. My brother came to me and I was able to give him one last hug, to let him know of my love for him and to thank him for being my brother and protector all the years of our lives. It actually happened. When I hugged him I really hugged him. He was there. I awakened to tell my husband. I told a few others and they all said it was good. I am not sure anyone thought it had really happened.
It was not a magicians trick however. I know that my prayer, indulgent as it was, was answered. God understood the bond between us and my need to say good bye. I know without a shadow of a doubt God lives, answers prayer, sometimes not to our liking, and that the atonement and resurrection is real. I know that we will be reunited with those we love in the future, that our lives are worth living and that forgiveness is the key to happiness.
So this Easter morn I add my testimony to those of others. The Resurrection is real. Christ lives and atoned for us.
06 April 2007
05 April 2007
Random thoughts
I was just checking my gmail and there was an ad off to the side. It's headline was "Date Liberals Now". I ask, why?
Is it that they expire and need a code date to let you know when they've reached the peak of perfection? Or
Is it that they can't find their own dates and need the mercy of an unknown person to pull them from the depths of despair? Or
Will I learn a new set of paradigms that I couldn't without dating them? Or
Are they the new "it" thing and if you're anyone, you'll be dating them, now!
Hah! and I love that the spell check thingy in blogger doesn't recognize gmail as a word. Blogger is owned by google which produces gmail. hmmmmmmmm, think maybe someone ought to update the spell checker!
Just an example of the random questions I ask myself when I read commands randomly put forth.
04 April 2007
The little shack across the tracks
As I travel, I like to read. Making small talk on a plane is not high on my list of things to do. So I always make sure I bring along a couple of books to read while traveling. I usually like to keep it light reading as I am not one for emotion or intensity while trying to relax. This trip I chose two excellent reads.
Amy Tan has always been a favorite of mine. Her Joy Luck Club is one book I could read again and again. That is huge for me because once a book has been read, it usually goes to my library and resides on the shelf waiting for another person to pull it down. I don't revisit books. This time Amy entertained me with her Saving Fish from Drowning. Wow oh wow. I loved it. Her descriptive process always impresses me. I felt as if I was walking along with her experiencing every turn and cobblestone along the journey. Half way through the book, I mentioned to my daughter I never wanted to go to the country Amy was writing about. The story was frightening and thrilling at the same time. At the end there is a twist, a betrayal of sorts. It was surprising and enjoyable. I recommend your time being spent reading Saving Fish from Drowning.
Now the reference to the title of the post. I chose the second book, even though my sister said I probably wouldn't enjoy it. Just the opposite took place, however, I loved it. I cannot really express why other than the author was my voice. My childhood, in a sense. I highly recommend the book. The Glass Castle is an autobiography. Some will say it is a grand exaggeration. Some will saying it is half lies. Others will say she suffered at the hands of mentally ill parents. What I say is yes.
Garbage pit in the yard filled with garbage. Check. Stealing utilities from public utilities. Check. Wondering on a daily basis what will be available to eat. Check. Moving in the middle of the night. Check. Alcohol abuse. Check. I could go on and on. Jeanette Walls and I lived parallel lives. Had I known she was such a short trip away we could have been fast friends. Her life wasn't an exaggeration though. It was just like mine.
With one exception. She had both parents. She knew, in their own messed up way, they both loved her. And that they both felt they were teaching her to survive in the world. They were arming her with the necessary tools to successfully traverse the shark infested waters of the world. She had two parents. I cannot underscore how much different that made us.
I had a mom and a revolving door of men coming in and out. And an alcoholic father who would appear promptly on my birthday each year until I was ten to make sure complete and utter turmoil had been established and then disappear as if he were Merlyn the Magician. I have been the parent most of my life. I have had my friends parents tell me if my parents would just pay their bills things would be better. I have heard the whispers of good people behind my back criticizing our every move. And I couldn't change any of it. I still can't. I just swim my shark like swim and hope it doesn't all come crashing down around my feet.
However, Jeanette and I learned what we needed to learn. The example provided by parents were excellent teaching methods. So wrong, yet so right. Children should not have to worry about clothing, shelter and food. Yet every day children all over the U.S., not just the world are subjected to that tragedy, it is not an exaggeration at all. I made the choice to move away from my childhood in a stable way. My daughters have reaped the benefit of my hard choices. There was still a portion of a crazy parent there, but whose children don't think their parents are just a little weird?
The worst is people make judgements about you when you talk about how you wouldn't react in a situation like most of the rest of people. The harshest comments being, "well, you are so very arrogant as to think you would not react that way". My feeling is to strike back, recoil and strike again, it takes all I can to not ripped some one's head off and tell them how ignorant they really are. Especially when they live in a dream world I call "perfect parent" world. They've had two parents, the dad worked, the mom stayed home, dinners were always prepared on time, clothes were always washed and clean and ready to wear. They had perfect birthday parties and cupcakes at school and the worst thing that happened to them ever is they forgot their lines in a play at school or farted in front of the class. Then without any knowledge of me or my circumstances they tell me I have no idea of that which I speak. Heh. I have experienced most of it. And I know, I'll survive no matter what. No matter what.
I recommend the book. It will help the "perfect parent" people see a glimpse inside a world they've never even had a clue existed, except the whispered tittering of a few gossips, and see and hopefully learn empathy. It will help those of us who've lived the "walls world" know there are others like us and it wasn't all bad.
02 April 2007
At your behest Lisa
I'm back! What a whirlwind trip! I spent time with the new baby until the very last moment. Can I first gush at how cute the little bugger is??!!? What a little darling. I stayed until I had worn out my welcome almost and then came back for more!
You see, s'mee was in D.C. I talked her into giving me a ride back to the city so the offspring wouldn't have to endure a six hour roundtript drive just to see me off. S'mee is quite the loving sibling and did get me to D.C. She even let me stay a couple of days in their hotel room with them. (it was a clothing optional room until I got there. s'mee said something about having to go buy the husband some jammies prior to my arrival) That said, I'll probably never get to bunk with them again. We saw D.C. in a blurry hurry, the DC Temple first and then historic site after another. These are some of my favorite photos:
The obligatory messing with the monument photo! A favorite to photograph and also to see how unoriginal we all are on how to adapt to the large structure of the monument.
This was a photo taken at an exhibit inside the Hirshhorn Museum. The exhibit was on light and the diffusion of said subject. It was amazing. If you are in the area, for get the other museums and go to the Hirshhorn first!
This duck stole our hearts outside the Smithsonian. He posed for us from every angle and was very patient with everyone who wanted to photograph him.
Then beyond belief was the chance that we would run into Spencer W Kimball in Virginia. But, yep that's him! Well, maybe not, but I think most of you have a pic of him in your baby files too!
13 March 2007
With Mom's permission
Here he is! All pink and cuddly. Many, many, many blessings here.
Update: I forgot the details for you: 9lbs 2 oz, 19 inches long, head circumference 15 1/4 inches. The doctor says he had the cord wrapped around his neck very tight. Doc also said he'd never delivered a baby that had such a big head. But it's proportional to the rest of him.He has a very long torso.
12 March 2007
LIve blogging the birth
Well, not really but close. We are at the hospital. Nothing happening yet as far as a baby though. They admitted the oldest daughter for high blood pressure this a.m. with the notation, we'll figure out how to get this baby out soon. So not quite sure what that means, but I'll keep you updated.
One thing I know for certain. I'm freezing! It's cold here, 29 degrees on the way to the hospital at 8 a.m. Sunny but coooooooold! I am such a SoCal diva. If it's not at least 72 outside we better just stay indoors!
Okay, I'm back! Looks like this one is going into hyper speed! We have a momma that's entering into 2nd stage toxemia at this point so the decision has been made to do a section. Welcome to the club first one! We should have a baby boy here in about 25 minutes they say!!!! Yay!
One funny note. To pass the time we have been watching the ilusionist on dvd. The lead character is Eisenheim. In walks the anesthesiologist to prep for the surgery and introduces himself as Dr. Eisenberg. Yeah, twilight zone music plays in the background.
Ha! I hear brand new baby crying! Maybe its ours! Another grandchild. Two now. It gets better all the time! Yep. There's the tears.
09 March 2007
I am here, waiting......
This might give you a clue as to how it's going. Not a pretty sight. We're heading to the doc this afternoon to see if there mught be an inducement in the future. Wish us luck! And for those of you new to the blog. This isn't my foot!
04 March 2007
St Patrick's Boutonnieres
Years ago Martha Stewart had a "good thing" St Patrick's idea. I filed it away and said someday I'm going to do that. So Thursday I scanned the article, printed out a copy and gave it a go. I decided to use paper rather than cloth because that's what I had close by. It eliminated a couple steps and I got it done quickly.
Step 1. After printing out your example, cut out the template of the clover. Trace it on to the back of the paper you've chosen. I chose three different green papers to make mine.
Step 2. Cut out your clovers, making sure not keep the pencil lines.
Step 3. Fold each clover petal in half from the back side. You want the crease to pull the leaves forward when you're looking at your print.
Step 4. Twist your wire. I used a small screwdriver to help twist the wire around. It wasn't difficult to do at all. Leave about a quarter inch at the top in a v shape for gluing it to the paper.
Step 5. In order to make sure the wire stayed stuck, I added an element to the paper version. I cut a small dot of paper about 3/8" in diameter for the back. I then added a bit of glue, stuck the wire into the glue and topped it with the small circle.
Step 6. Arrange your clover leafs together and add a bow. I tied a knot first hold hold it stable; and then did the bow. Voila!
Hopefully this will inspire you to make your own. I especially made this one for the big guy. He will be all alone on St Patricks day this year. I will be in Virginia with the new baby. I wanted him to know I was thinking about him still.
03 March 2007
Welcome to the party pals!
For all of you visiting here for the first time...
I am a mom of three. All grown and the last was married a year and a half ago. Time flies! I have been reading blogs for five years, blogging for a little over two. I think faster than I type so there are always errors in my typing. I love to spell and it bugs the death out of me when I find a typo!
I love to craft. I am currently working on staying at home and making $$ here instead of "working for the man". hehe. I do fused glass primarily. Then a bit of vinyl cutting and a few odds and ends. My sister calls me the shark, if I stop I'll drop, so I never stop. I have two shops on the net. One for my crafty stuff, glass pendants, plates, etc. And, the second is for my invention the Sunspot. Check out my sidebar for live links to each.
We are (we as in me and my husband, the big guy) currently finishing up our plans for a house we are going to build on our land in Arizona. A few years ago we bought some acreage and it is now time to flee the city! We will have a lavender farm and try to live off the grid with a farm. A few chickens, tomatoes, fruit trees and whatever else we'll need. I am hoping to be able to trade for farm grown meat that isn't filled with hormones!
Well, enough about me! I need to visit the party goers and meet some new friends!
I'm Partying like it was 1964!
You and I have been invited to a blog party! Yes! I love parties and this one is pretty neat! The ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom have invited us all over to check out their diggs and join the party.
I noticed a banner at another blog and followed the link. 5 Minutes for Mom is a blog that networks blogging moms. It looks pretty neat. So come on, grab your hat and bag and let's go to the party! There's going to be prizes! And all kinds of wonderful links! Come on it'll be fun!
28 February 2007
Some vinyl cutting
I recently was hired by a local women's group to cut some vinyl for them. They are having an enrichment night and one of the projects chosen to do was a wall plaque. S'mee mentioned to the lady in charge that I cut vinyl and could probably cut what they needed. Yay.
So this is what I cut. (yes, i noticed in the pic that I need to weed out the center of that "a") I have given them the decal and they will adhere it to their medium of choice. I am now thinking of doing some things for the shop. Rather than make the plaques, I think I'll cut the vinyl and allow people to choose where they want to put them. Be it their wall, their cars, a picture frame, or even a slab of slate or other stone.
27 February 2007
Set the politics aside
I heard that on Oscar night that an award, the gold statue itself, was awarded to Al Gore for the movie An Inconvenient Truth. AaaaaacccK!
I sit here an old style hippie, raised in the sixties and seventies. Milk fed the pablum of kumbaya and peace. Willing to take upon my share of waste and dedicating myself on a daily basis of greening up the spot I live in and taking care of mother earth.
This dufus, and yes I mean dufus, is not willing to give an inch. At one point he even said that it is okay to lie about global warming to get people's attention to the problem. That's when I turned a deaf ear to him. And then this news. He gets the statue because people thought it was the best documentary. Please. Iraq in Fragments, or My Country, My Country were worthy of the statue. It's a shame Hollywood couldn't see it.
Today I read this story:
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization, issued a press release late Monday:
Last night, Al Gore’s global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature, but the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has found that Gore deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.
Gore’s mansion, [20-room, eight-bathroom] located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.
The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.
Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.
Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.
Gore’s extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore’s mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year.
“As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk to walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use,” said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson.
In total, Gore paid nearly $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills for his Nashville estate in 2006.
For Further Information, Contact:
Nicole Williams, (615) 383-6431
editor@tennesseepolicy.org
I will continue to be dedicated to caring for mother earth. I will no longer entertain the thought that Mr. Gore knows anything about the planet, or cares to. By their labors you shall know them.
26 February 2007
The Latest Dwell Mag
I picked up a copy of the latest issue of Dwell today. I have spent the better part of two hours going over some of the articles and ads found inside the magazine. I bought it specifically for the article on going solar.
You see, when we build in Arizona we will be completely off the grid. We are about 4 miles from the nearest "pole" and Arizona power wants $32,000 to bring one to us, and then we have the privilege of paying them monthly for their service. I don't think so. We will be using a variety of power sources. Once being a whole house generator. It will cost us about 1/3 of the cost of the pole and once it's paid for it's ours for good. It will run on propane. Then there is the solar panels and the wind turbine that will combine to provide the power we will consume.
Just a quick note to all: we are not wealthy Californians taking advantage of the real estate run up in prices. We cannot sell our home to build the Arizona house because we need somewhere to live. We will be boot strapping this venture and it will be long in coming. I only hope we can do a lot of the finish work ourselves. My wonderful sister has volunteered her husband and one son for the electrical work. The big guy was once a drywaller, so that will get done by him and sons-in-law. (yes if you're reading this, and want to come visit, you will heft a slab or two of drywall, guys) The biggest portion that we will not do is the framing and slab work. It will be something we can be proud of in the future, but we're not building a mansion by any means. We are building to meet our needs. I do not, nor have ever, needed to clean more space just so I can call it big. It will be larger than our current home, but mostly because we will be inviting all family to come stay if need be. There will be room for all of us, eventually.
So back to Dwell. It is a good magazine for information. There are many vendors in the magazine that I won't even be giving a second look. You see, I am frugal. I cannot ever see the value in paying $400 for a plastic chair designed by the next big "designer". I am perfectly happy with knock offs and pure form furniture from good sources. I am just not into "names or labels". In fact, Ikea has some of the best kitchen and bath resources around. Their bathroom designs are spot on and I love the wood counter tops they have available.
Favorite find this month in Dwell: Tex-Cote paint. It is 10 times thicker than regular house paint and can reduce the outside temperature of your home by tens of degrees. That's pretty good for desert dwellers. I would say a coat of that paint on the exterior of a home would pay for itself inside of a year. Good find.
25 February 2007
The Caveman got us
You know that commercial that says "So easy a caveman could do it". Well, I just got our bill for insurance. I decided we had been paying our current insurer long enough without a comparison. We are BYU Alumnus that receive a special "alumni" price with Liberty Mutual. Well, isn't it nice to find out that being a BYU alumni means nothing to the cavemen guys. It still got us a better price than the guys claiming to give us a great deal. How much of a difference?
50% Less!!!! Yes. I'm falling for the caveman. That's what you get when you're an alumnus of a university and believe that an insurer and your alumni group are getting you a group deal. They think you're more educated than the caveman and then take advantage of your devotion to your school. Caveat Emptor folks. The caveman has convinced me to use my liberty and persue happiness with him.
22 February 2007
Magnolia Blossoms
We looked around and knew we wanted something quite different. We would be using iris' and tulips for the centerpieces and wall ornaments. We looked and looked and stumbled upon the most unusual tree. It was covered in small little white flowers. I asked the proprietor what kind of tree it was. He said a Magnolia. I had never seen this variety before and was instantly in love. We purchased the tree and it became the welcome portion of the hall.
We set the tree in its pot on a stand next to the guest sign in area to block off a hallway. It was beautiful. The celebration was a success and memories were made to last an eternity.
The little tree joined our collection of plants at the front door. In five years, I think we have had 5 blossoms. It has been frustrating to see this gorgeous little tree go without blooms. It is always covered in leaves but no flowers.
Until this year. We have had quite a cold snap this year. It has been below freezing several mornings and several of the neighbors are stunned at the amount of plant death is in the neighborhood. Then as a small miracle the tree has chosen to blossom! It is full of beautiful white multi-petaled flowers! I guess we needed a good freeze to get this tree blooming. I am so glad, it has brightened my day for a couple of weeks now.
Read More......
21 February 2007
The farm, Arizona
Along the way out there we spied a few interesting things:
This is a scorpion statue in Mesa, We stopped there searching desparately for a Starbucks. I need hot chocolate! The statues line Main Street. Very cool.
We then moved on to take some shots around town and ended up at the Mesa Temple. There were some very nice photos waiting to be captured all over the grounds.
Proof that sping has not yet sprung in Arizona.
They have two really great reflecting ponds on the grounds. This is just one great reflection. I love palm trees!
We then hit the road to traveling 3 hours northeast. This is what is on the way:
They were everywhere in one part of Arizona. Other parts had Elk and pine trees but before you reach those, you pass through the cacti.
The farm is pictured above. Once you get there, you can drive another 15 minutes up the 80 and find the entrance to the Petrified Forest. Our land is covered in petrified wood. This picture is from the forest:
We don't have logs this large laying about on the farm. We have not yet turned the earth so you never know we may stumbled across a large log or two. We do have lots of small pieces though. If you've never seen it up close or would like a piece let me know, I could probably send you some. Read More......
19 February 2007
They really know how to to party
In Arizona! We were there for the Pesident's Day holiday (not at the cabaret). A good time was had by all. ;-)
16 February 2007
Medication that makes you go huh?
I have been watching a bit of daytime tv. I have been working on some new items for the store and have had the tv on while creating. Yesterday there was a commercial on a few times that I finally had to say "how dumb is that?" 
After listening to the commercial extoll the virtues of this wonder drug I began listening to the disclaimer. "This medication should be taken after 48 hours of your first symptoms. You may expect to experience side effects of nausea and vomitting..."
Okay yeah, I have nausea and vomitting. I think I'll take something to give me more of that!
14 February 2007
Sending Love
Here's wishing all of you out there in blogland have a nice Valentine's day. It's not just for couples you know. Go to the airport, sit in the terminal and you'll find love is really...
all around you!
13 February 2007
Just a little heat
We went for a drive a couple of weeks ago. We decided to see the effects of the Esparanza fire had on the property we almost bought about 6 years ago. The drive took us along the path of the fire. It stretched for miles and miles. I am amazed at how much acreage the fire covered in such a short time period. We finally came upon the street where the land was located. It had been consumed. Not just consumed but burnt to a crisp. There was one home completely lost and a few others that had been in direct harms way. If we had built a home there it would have gone in the fire as the land was completely burned. This is a picture of our would be next door neighbors' home:
The fence was melted. It was one of those beautiful no maintenance fences made of vinyl. I wonder if the fence was sold with a disclaimer about fires? The fence illustrates the heat in the area and also gives you an idea of the rest of the area's destruction.
Winter's back!
It's a cold and blustery day here. I have been baking and enjoying the indoors. The cat has been in and we're having a white trash dinner. Green beans and tuna casserole. Not my favorite, in fact, niether one of us could remember that last time we had it. It must've been when the girls were all at home. That was a good 10 years ago. Don't ask me why we're having it tonight.
Read More......10 February 2007
The best I've read on Anna NIcole
Tony Woodlief, author of San In The Gears, and my favorite writer on the internet, has written a compelling post about the death of Vicky Lynn Hogan. She is best known as Anna Nicole Smith. It asks us to examine ourselves, and our actions, everyday and become better than we are. To become who we were born to be.
I bring you,Sand In the Gears. Please if you've never read another link I've put out there, this one is worthy of you and your time. Thank you Tony. It made me think. I've got plenty of glasses, and an unlimited supply of water, I'll be ready next time.
09 February 2007
New way to get to Ozzfest this year
It has been announced by MTV news (not that I watch MYV anymore, I got this story from Ad Age) Ozzy Osborne has announced that this year's Ozzfest will be free to concert goers! Yes, that's right, Ozzfest, if you attend, will be free to go.
He says that bands won't be paid to participate, instead he is relying on sponsor ads to foot the bill for the concert. In order to get these tickets, you will have to go online to the Ozzfest website, then the fun begins. He said it's free to get in, but it will cost you to get out. This means if you are willing to jump through a few hoops of advertisers on the net, you get the tickets. Get your aliases ready!
07 February 2007
February's Hansel and Gretel
Okay, I have been perusing the blogosphere recently and come across a February theme. I am not sure if it the prolonged winter cold or the fact that St. Valentine is looming in the future. Occasionally all we need is a bit of inspiration. Let's go see if we can inspire each other.
What we'll do. Go to someone, or two someone's on you blogroll. Tell us who they are. Why you've blogrolled them. Then go to thier place and click on something in their blogroll that you're unfamiliar with, but suddenly awakens your faculties. If there are two or three that's great! Leave a comment everywhere you go, letting them know that you're trying to turn up the heat and demolish the February doldrums with their help. While your on your journey keep a list of where you've been and how to get back home ala Hansel and Gretel. A bread crumb trail so to speak. Then come back to your place and lead us along the path, inspire us!
I'll start out for you. This morning I was looking for inspiration. I clicked on all the usual suspects, made a comment or two and then said, I must be inspired! Along the my sidebar are some very talented people. Inspiration abounds! This morning inspiration came by way of In a Minute Ago. Unfortunately, I cannot make a comment at her blog! Arggh. Sharon B is certainly an inspriation. She is a stitch maven. She hosts an online class teaching people how to build a stitch libray. She is also a crazy quilter. Go see her stuff! The post on the Algerian Eye stitch is worth a half days' read alone.
At Sharon's I clicked on Ullabenulla. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but anyone who could take a childhood name game and make it their blog title had to be someone I'd like. Well, I was right! What a wonderful blog. Fresh, fun and visual. I love it.
At Ulla's I went one more place. I chose Two Lime Leaves. Kirsty is an Aussie and her pictures are gorgeous! She has a button on her side bar that says she's having fun with a year of color. It intrigued me. I am going to join that flickr group!
Okay, okay back to work I must go. So will you take me on your Hansel and Gretel trip? Leave a comment here and I'll come see where you are finding ispiration.
06 February 2007
Way Cool!
Styledash made my day. The traffic was up here at Cooper Chronicles and I went to my site meter to see who was tipping people off to me. It happened to be a really nice pice done by Deidre at Styledash. I was about half way down today's page just above Jeffrey, the designer who won Project Runway.
But alas, fame is fleeting. I hope everyone keeps coming by, and thank you to all of those who purchased nice little heart necklaces. The actual credit for the necklaces goes to Lisa. She was my inspiration!
01 February 2007
Heart Pendant
31 January 2007
Hat for the new baby
The pattern I used is from Carolyn Christmas' The Portable Crafter - Crochet. It is full of great little things to crochet. Next up- socks! I love my cozy winter socks to wear around the house. Carolyn has provided us with a sock pattern to crochet and I'm giving them a try.
I'll post the results. Read More......
29 January 2007
Thank you, Barbaro
I am a huge animal softie. I love them to death and am always touched by their loyalty. Barbaro was no exception. From my childhood days of loveing Black Beauty, to this year's preakness, I have had a love affair with these magnificent beasts.
In the late 80s I had the opportunity to go to Los Alamitos Race track for a day of racing. My favorite place was was the Walking Ring. As the horses are led from the paddocks to the track, at Santa Anita, the horses can be viewed up close. The jockeys, in their silks, lead the horses out of the paddock, along with trainers, around the walking ring to give spectators a chance to see the horses in all their racing splendor. I didn't bet on a race, but the day was wonderful. I often wish I lived closer, I think I'd spend a few mornings a week at the workout sessions.
Barbaro's owners and doctors did all they could to save him. Even with the best of care his injury was too much to overcome. He had developed laminitis in all three uninjured legs. Today he was euthanized. He was truly suffering and the time had come to say goodbye. He may be gone, but he joins a group of well loved animals. Go graze in some tall clover, eat all you want, no worries about getting colic now! See you on the rainbow bridge bud!
26 January 2007
Valentine's Apron
I am also using this apron for the Jan/Feb Tie One On! Amy at Angry Chicken hosts a event every pther month called Tie One On. It's an apron appreciation group where she challenges us to make and apron and put it up for all to see. I have watched from afar for the last year and now with a bit of free time, I am participating. I look forward to the next few months of sewing some cute aprons, as the ones I currently have are very utilitarian!
So the first one's for Little MIss. I can hardly wait to see the pictures. Read More......
23 January 2007
Scarf for Little MIss
This one was finished in a day and a half. It's for Little Miss of course. Who else needs a pink snuggly scarf? You see, she has this brand new convertible car, and it can be very cold in the winter! The scarf should help keeps things toasty while on her "drives". ;-)
Then it's on to the little cupcake hat for the new grandson. I have finished the band and am working on the body of the hat. That should be done in a day or so. Pics as soon as they make sense.
Than S'mee called and she needs a couple of crocheted flower pins. I'll whip those up for her tomorrow. I'll phtoograph the process, so it'll be a short tutorial for all of you who need to dust off your hooks and get started again. Read More......
Glass cabs
here's another:
Read More......
14 January 2007
The Fours Meme
MeMe from Melissa and her sister!
This came to Melissa in an email, she asks that we all keep it chugging along. So S'mee, Pea, the youngest one, and the 1st should all give it a try.
A) Four Jobs I have had in my life!
* Grocery Store everything, started as a box girl and worked my way to carrying keys, counting the money and setting prices (chain wide)
* Baker this was by far the very hardest job ever, it takes precision and stamina
* Stock Broker, yes I was one, I love the financial markets, hated the job
* Cook, line chef so to speak
B) Four Movies I watch over and over (and over)
* Empire of the Sun
* Regarding Henry
* About a Boy
* Joe versus the Valcano
Unfair to list only four. I love movies. I watch movies everyday, from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The State of the Union oldies to War of the Worlds and Braveheart. It serves an injustice to choose only four.
C) Four Places I have Lived
* Port Huron, Michigan
* San Diego, California
* Long Beach, CA
* Provo, UT
This was the hardest of all to decide, you see, I have lived so many other places too! I could have had a list of probably 20 more.
D) Four TV Shows I Love to Watch
* Heroes
* Monk
* No Reservations
* Amazing Race
This one was pretty easy. TV isn't all it's supposed to be, anymore. I have a myriad of tv to choose from and keep the channel on the HGTV and Discovery network most of the time.
Four Places I have been on vacation
* Punta Chivato, MX
* Cabo San Lucas, MX
* Utah, Idaho roadtrips
* San Francisco, CA and the pacific coast
Four Websites I Visit Daily
* My Blog Roll, some of you more than twice a day just to see if you're ever going to write again.
* Little Cotton Rabbits
* eGullet
* Ethicurean
Four of My Favorite Foods
* Hot Chocolate, yes, it is a food
* Chili Verde, in a burrito with melted cheese and lots of green sauce
* Kalamata Olive bread from Con Pane with thin sliced roast beef, goat cheese
* Turkey, gravy and rice
Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now
* Anywhere warm!
* Lexington, Virginia
* Provo, Utah
* Rexburg, Idaho
What I've learned so far is that I could probably eat with Lisa any day of the week and Melissa and I could watch TV or go to the movies together, a lot.
12 January 2007
What to do?
That isn't a phrase that gets spoken around here ever. There is always something to do. I have been in the kitchen experimenting a bit lately. I have also spent a bit of time in the garage with the kiln. The shop will have some new items in it shortly.
This morning the fabric that I showed you earlier in the week finally got its turn. I whipped this up. It's not finished completely, but almost. I have to go purchase a couple of buttons for the back and get it hemmed. Then I can mail it off to little miss. It will make a nice Valentine I think.
Now to warm some pizza for lunch!
10 January 2007
Important site to visit before taking any road trip
I stumbled upon this site while surfing away a couple of days ago and find it to be one of the most important sites on the net. I see blog awards all the time for blogs that are funny, witty, informative, well written, all those good things. But this site, this site, is the mother of all blogs. Yes, it deserves a special place on the net. I believe because of the information it provides, it should be automatically be the home page for anyone purchasing a computer and planning to use the internet!
Yes. That. Important. This man deserves every award available, at least a link from all of us!
So what is it you ask? Well it has something to do with these:
Hmmm. How does this become the focal point of our lives? Well, you tell me. How many times have you gone on a roadtrip and needed to pull off the road to take care of "business" and had to pick at random a place to "go". Most times you end up in a germ infested creepy substitute of a bathroom. The floor moves from out of the corner of your eye, the "paper" is provided in a roll size that would take care of a travelling football team, yet, is empty. And, of course, the water is never hot, the soap dispenser is empty and forget about seat covers completely. To the rescue comes The Bathroom Diaries. Yes, nirvana on the net! You can now map your course via the best bathrooms in the world! The world! Yes, they have commentary on worldwide public bathrooms! You go to the site, choose your cities, countries, locations and check the reviews. You'll know whether or not to carry a bucket with you, with rubber gloves, Lysol and TP. You'll know if you can easily navigate yourself through the myriad of rest stops along the way and find that perfect location.
Yes, finally a place you can check and prepare for Elivs leaving the building!
06 January 2007
Around the corner and back again
This weekend has brought a few extra moments to go looking around the net for new people and things. These are some of the new people I've found:
Claudia has illustrations that speak to me. Her art is done in what appears to me as pen and ink. The reason I say appears, is that Claudia is from Madrid and her site is in Spanish. The art is gorgeous, I'll have to get my son-in-law to translate.
Dub and Sam is a crafty blog that caught my interest. It seems Jessica is a lot like me. She's a crafter that loves to experiment in the kitchen and is interested in lots of things. She has a great link list too!
Bemused and I could be fast friends. She loves to quilt. Her quilts are so nice. The poatage stamp quilt she's working on is gorgeous. She also has an interest in other crafty goodness too so don't count her out if you're not a fan of quilting!
If you have yet to discover Superbuzzy! you're missing out. I have been a fan of Mariko and Kelly for about six months now. They has some very cute sewing and crafting items from Japan for sale at great prices.
Anja Boretzki has stolen my heart! She has some wonderful crafts to share with all of us. I am dying to make the angels for Little Miss next year! And that Nativity! Is that too cute?
I envy all of you who are illustrators. And I have added Natasha to my list. All of you do such inspiring things. My love for illustrators began with Danny got me started, I quickly added Kim who has brought inspiration untold to me. Each of you I respect and admire for your abilities to share life through your illustrations. They are wonderful. There are so many others. Please include yourself in that admiration.
So where have you been lately? And who is inspiring you right now?
05 January 2007
Cute fabrics
I am a sucker for cute fabric. I learned to sew when I was about twelve years old and have sewn ever since. Embroidery, pattern adjustment, culottes(should tell you how old I am) were my first projects. All in one item, aaack!
One thing I gained from being taught as a yound girl, was the opportunity to fall in love with fabric. I cannot walk by a fabric store without wondering what wonderful things are inside. I keep myself from dropping in, because I also have the other disease called "stash filling". Yes, I suffer from that dreaded condition. I have a dresser full of fabric that has yet to be cut. Eeeck!
While the granddaughter was here she opened a drawer and found this cute stuff. She said dress?
I told her I would see what I could do about making her a dress or two out of it. I have a pattern picked out but I am not aure it will work with the pattern. I may go with a summer jumper instead. Any suggestions?
04 January 2007
Organize everything!
I have been spending the last few days writing a priority list. There are so many things to get done that I have discovered the need to begin blocking out my time as if I were at work. I received a couple of great items for Christmas from the big guy with help from the daughters that will take me to the next level on several items I am persuing.
This for example:
and this:
I cannot believe what support I get from the family. They really do work hard to help me in my quest to learn and grow and become. So with these new tools come the opportunities to learn and stretch the old brain a bit.
Two more blocks of time please!
03 January 2007
At the risk of offending everyone....
Oh I thought I did that with the new year's post. Nah.
What in the heck is on the HGTV channel at 7 a.m. PST? Craft Lab? My husband has left the house two days in a row, asking how did they get a group of grown women, and sometimes guys, to play like they're in first grade for tv? I kind of have to agree with him.
They make the most inane projects. Today it was melting crayons on paper and add embellishments and glitter. Then once it dries you can use it for a frame or a journal cover or wall art. If someone gives me a glitter covered journal, I'll get the message. Stop journaling. I get it. You know the glitter would drive me out of my mind being all over my fingers and I'd never touch the thing. Yep, journaling would end then and there. How about a nice moleskin instead?
Don't get me wrong. These are the first few shows. I am sure it'll get better, they just have to find their groove.
02 January 2007
Super Organizer Girl Is on Board
Well, it is the 2nd of January and all...
I have been waiting for some quiet time around the house to begin. AS seen before by all of you (well, maybe not all) I have a office/craft/photography room to work in. It has been a bedroom, but now since the girlie girls all got married, I changed it out to my creating room!
This is my idea shelf. I have articles from magazines since about 1979 in those notebooks. Problem: how to find the article I want without fishing through a ton of notebooks? I finally figured it out. Scan! That's right scan. I am going to scan every article and put it in a folder according to category with an index. Yes! Then I'll have what I need when I need it all with a few keystrokes.
Most of these articles are from past Martha Stewart magazines, Better Homes and Gardens and House Beautiful. If you have a request for instructions from a long lost articles, let me know, I may just have what you're looking for.
I am still in search of an article from the early 80s. If I ever find it....
I took the plunge!
I went to haloscan a couple of days ago and noticed the recent news. The had a hack for the new blogger. Yes! It's exactly what I was waiting for. You see, I abhor the comments section on blogger. I cannot stand typing in code words for the opportunity to post a comment. Yuck. So I have been with haloscan for almost as long as I've been blogging. I paid the $10 ($10 wow that's all!) upgrade fee and I get to ban, and manage and change my template and do all kinds of neat things with comments.
When I read the news that some really great tech guy or girl over at halscan had figured the hack to get it to work with the new blogger I jumped at the chance to use it. That siad, as you can probably tell, there are a few bugs with the new blogger.
When yo migrate your site over, you lose all the cool extras you've added along the way. Then over the next few days, as I have been doing, you begin to remember all the stuff you used to have and begin adding them back in. It's not too difficult, but if you have a friend that's done it, give them a call or write them an email to check if you're doing things correctly.
Once you've made the migration choice, you'll get to see the bells and whistles, blogger has added. Cool stuff like being able to change your template colors and links, and all that good stuff pretty easily. I'm still not sold on the colors I'm currently using so you'll probably watch the changes with curious minds wondering when I'll stop. Possibly never. heh.
If you haven't yet managed to migrate, blogger is now saying the new blogger is blogger and the old blogger wants a vacation. I think that maybe, just maybe, they'll try to get you over your fears and have you make the change soon. Come on join the cool kids, drink the koolaid, or jump off that cliff, whichever peer presure slogan works for you. I know my sis has an aversion for lemming behavior, and doesn't like the "if I jump off a cliff will you?" mantra, but come on sis, I did it!
01 January 2007
Happy New Year
Forever, that sentiment has puzzled me. I was not schooled on the good fortune of a new year. Life began on your birthday, and your "new year" was on that anniversary each year. I say the "Happy New Year" greeting (feeling somewhat wierd) to those I meet in my daily outings, and here on the blog. Everywhere I visit are celebrations of the New Year.
As I try to figure out my lack of enthusiasm for this day, maybe it's that I listened too well to the teachings of the Old Testament when taught as a young child. The new year was celebrated with great anticipation in old testament times, mostly looking forward to the Jubilee year. It came in sevenths. On the seventh year, a Sabbatical was celebrated, farmers were to leave their land fallow until the next year. A rest period, kind of a type and shadow of the creation, I suppose. Then after the seventh sabbatical, the year of Jubilee was celebrated in the fiftieth year. Great things happened. Mostly with land ownership. Debts were forgiven and clean slates were made. A new approach applied and life was to improve.
Those are the things I remember being taught as I traversed the religious background of my childhood. We didn't have a definite religion, and visited just about anyone who had open doors when I was growing up. You name the church, I visited it, at one time or another. [I never did go to a Scientology place, as I didn't know about their existence until they purchased the land at the end of the valley. Yes folks, I live in Scientology land. The little robots(at least that what they seem like to me) are all over the place.] The year of jubilee came and went in our modern society yet debts were not forgiven. We've replaced the valued traditions of old with simple parties and "new beginnings". Salutations and celebrations have replaced true caring and forgiveness, especially empathy. The shadow of the creation has been replaced with the stark brightness of the new age, personal effort and amazing ability to intellectualize our existence.
Can you understand my confusion? I do care. The world needs a little more caring. From all of us. What I wish this new year, is a little more empathy, caring and concern. Instead of looking at the beggar with disdain, can we ask ourselves why? What put them there? Can we try, in this new year, to reach out more to others, really truly look them in the eye and ask the hard questions? You know the questions, the ones that will make you stretch forth your hand in fellowship, and true concern for the well being of others. The questions that look beyond the simple straight forward answers of "fine" or "just great" and move to real answers given because they feel your concern. Can we make each other just a little less anonymous, objectified? I think if we do, our lives, and the lives of those we reach out to, will be better.
So in this new year, I really do wish your dreams come true. That your empty longings will find fulfillment and that you will fill yourself with the love you are seeking. By giving, we receive. So give, give more than you ever expected, and reap the rewards you never knew existed.
31 December 2006
They came, we saw, they went home!
It was a flurry of activity at our place for the holidays. Everyone came home. The girls and their husbands we all here to celebrate together. They couldn't stay long as obligations such as rent and jobs take their priority these days. But wow, while they were here it was great. People were every where! Each room was filled with luggage or people or Christmas!
Presents were exchanged and everyone was pleased. The crowning glory of course was little miss and her entourage. Dora the explorer, the pony brigade, and oh what fun the advent calendar was! The Christmas morning surprise of her car was a highlight. I am not sure her father was very pleased as trying to get all the belongings and a car into their car for the trip home was quite a feat!
The best moments were spent talking and remembering and just being together. So many pictures were taken. Little miss waded in the pacific ocean for her first time ever and her beach girl genes were awakened from their sleep. She is a natural born Californian and will enjoy many many trips to the ocean. My ocean as she called it. There were tears as we left the shoreline, but promises to re-visit on warmer days ahead.
Our quarters were close, but no one seemed to mind. Next year they'll all be at the in-laws and we'll see them in "off days" as their in-laws did this year. It givesus ample time to have the house up and comfortable in two years for them all to come home again for Christmas, in a new home, with personal rooms for all. Plus a huge great room for fun and frolick!
