On the Upswing o' Things

Last of the Single Digits

2012-01-24T07:38:00.001-07:00

Happy 9th birthday to my sweetest baby girl!

Rhetta is a sweet, outgoing, happy young lady. She made the honor roll at school, was awarded Terrific Kid for the third time, scored super high on her evals (155 in reading, math and writing - avg. 85-115), reads at the same level as a 15 year old, dislikes practicing math, draws comics, creates elaborate narrative stories, will not go out in the cold unless absolutely necessary, still likes to cuddle, brushes her own hair, wants you to knock first before entering her room, is a proud Brownie in the Girl Scouts, loves her family and schoolmates and teachers, and wants to be a nurse when she goes to college.

Cakes and Kids

2012-01-21T13:19:00.004-07:00

I had a lot of fun putting their cakes together this year. Rhetta requested fairies again. I found the cupcake tower at a yard sale. It's springy and bouncy and jiggles if you look at it wrong but it turned out sturdy enough. I used Disney Fairies figurines, dollar store lollipops and Nerds candies. The boy asked for a Mighty Machines cake (Oh no! Has he gotten over Thomas the Tank Engine already?) so I looked on Pinterest and found this idea. I found the very same Cat backhoe and other machines and created an excavation scene in the brownies. Too fun! and with many cheers and much applause from the birthday children.

Finally Five

2012-01-19T10:26:00.001-07:00

Willon turned five years old today! I say finally because he was the absolute most amazing 4 year old with his advanced vocabulary and his outgoing personality and a reading level exceeding even his sister's at this age, well, every time someone asked me how old he was, and people asked many times daily in awe of his abilities, I would say "still 4". For the last month or so however he started answering for himself, "I'm going to be 5 on January 19th. 5 years old! That's right. I'm going to be 5. Yup. 5. Mmm-hmm... 5.years.old. Yup."

Hand Drums

2012-01-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Rhetta has been taking music lessons thanks to a generous scholarship from the Cocker Kids' Foundation and matching funds from her grandparents. She meets with our good friend, music teacher David Hauze, for a laid back approach to music education and appreciation. She gets to learn theory while experimenting with different instruments including but not limited to the electric bass guitar, harp, keyboard, violin, cello, and most recently the hand drums.

Here is Rhetta's first foray into hand drum rhythm and tempo.

Meet Dazzle and Rocky

2011-12-29T10:23:00.001-07:00

We adopted kittens from the Black Canyon Animal Sanctuary (Facebook). They were born 10-19-11 and we picked them up from foster care on Christmas Eve about 1/2 mile from our home. The kids are so happy, and Lola while territorial at first is not only tolerating them but playing with them. They are less and less timid with us humans every day but are still quite wild. They get snuggles and attention however and will no doubt be curled around my head while I sleep in no time.

They are siblings and they love each other... (keep scrolling)

mostly... LOL Judo CHOP!

7 Days Winter 2011 Day 7 - Late Shift

2011-12-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

At the homeless shelter. Hardest part is staying awake in all that quiet. We had three guests tonight who woke up disgruntled and ungrateful, but how can you blame them when you have to send them out the door at 6am in 12°F.

7 Days Winter 2011 Day 6 - Snackage

2011-12-26T18:10:00.001-07:00

7 Days Winter 2011 Day 5 - Vanilla

2011-12-25T08:34:00.001-07:00

7 Days Winter 2011 Day 4 - Making Magic

2011-12-24T18:33:00.001-07:00

Back story: I attended Septemberfest in Rangly, CO as a vendor and took the family up there and made a weekend of it. It was fun and I sold some stuff. We had free BBQ and the playground still gets talked about. One vendor caught my son's eye and the entire festival he begged me to buy him a tanker truck from this guy. He visited the booth every hour and then came to tell me all about the tanker trucks this man makes out of wood (the area industry is oil and gas). We were barely breaking even on that trip so I had to tell him we couldn't get him a tanker truck but if he'd get me the man's business card we'd put it on his Santa List.

Fast forward to December: I seriously thought I successfully bean dipped this kid. We don't even HAVE Santa Lists! Not only had he been telling everyone who would listen that he was getting a tanker truck for Christmas he visited Santa for the very first time EVER, sat on his lap at the Chamber, and asked very specifically for a wooden tanker truck. I had an Oh Shit moment. BUT! I had saved the card. I called the guy last week. Here was my chance to make magic.

Today: After making an overnight trip northeast to Vernal, UT (Dinosaur Land) on the ruse we were visiting the newly reopened Dinosaur Quarry, leaving the children behind at the motel with their dad to go get breakfast, I met Mr. Rowley and his wife who had bless their hearts driven in from farther west to meet me, and exchanged money and pleasantries for a red, handmade, wooden tanker truck. I cannot wait to see my boy's face tomorrow morning.

7 Days Winter 2011 Day 3 - Go Green

2011-12-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

7 Days Winter 2011 Day 2 - White (chocolate) Solstice

2011-12-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Had to head out early to pick up the teen 45 miles away. There was another few inches of snow when we got back and it is still coming down. That's my front yard. I should have had the tree lights on! Does it count I had a mocha at some point during the trip?

7 Days Winter 2011 Day 1 - Friends

2011-12-21T19:07:00.002-07:00

She (the Orthadox Christian) and I (the Atheist). Not unlikely friends as it turns out. Christi is one of my newest friends but I hold her dear as if she were one of my oldest.

Still Decorating... wait for it...

2011-12-15T08:34:00.003-07:00

Christmas Tree

2011-12-04T14:22:00.001-07:00

You know, for $8 you can still get a permit from the BLM office and go out and cut your own Christmas tree which is precisely what we did this morning. It snowed a little but wasn't too chilly. The kids were excited and took it on like an adventure. Our forests are full of fantastic trees; some perfect, some not. We chose one that by our estimates is over 8 feet tall. I can't wait to see it all set up in the front yard, as is our new tradition.

Our little Bohemian.

Willon helping Daddy.

Just look at that view!

What do you think it's going to look like all decorated?

T-Day 2011

2011-11-26T07:21:00.001-07:00

I have been pretty slack with the taking pictures thing but I managed to remember to take a shot of the spread before we devoured it all.

Hey, wanna play Spot the Pyrex? I count 3. Although, this is only half of the spread. 4 more Pyrex could be spotted on the counter top had I remembered to photograph them as well.

Meh. Smiling faces, that's what counts.

Daddy/Daughter Dance 2011

2011-11-12T19:05:00.001-07:00

Cookies and Cider

2011-11-07T13:45:00.001-07:00

It was snack time this morning and I offered Willon the remainder of my mulled apple cider.

He thanked me happily then asked for an oatmeal cookie. I said sure! then I went off to another room of the house.

*thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump* (Real children do not pitter-patter, just FYI.) Willon runs through the house and finds me.

"Momma?"

"Yes?"

"There's enough apple cider left for another cookie."

"OK" I smile.

*thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump* Off he runs to the pantry.

*thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump* He runs back.

"Momma?"

"Yes?"

"My finger person very wants another cookie, too."

I think. "OK. You may have two more."

*thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump* Off he runs to the pantry.

*thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump* He runs back.

"Momma?"

"What?"

"Did you say my finger person could have two more cookies?"

I laugh. "No honey. You may have two more combined."

"OK!" with much happiness and vigor.

*thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump* Off he runs to the pantry.

*thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump* He runs back. (No, I'm not kidding.)

"Momma?"

"Yes?"

"What does combined mean?"

That is NOT a Smile

2011-10-24T20:50:00.000-06:00

LOL

Ouray County Museum

2011-10-23T20:58:00.003-06:00

Spent an awesome day last weekend at the Ouray County Museum (3 stories and 27 rooms, including a mine downstairs). None of us had ever been. It was more than impressive. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves antiques, history, collections, mystery, minerals, scavenger hunts, or just awesome artistic displays. I've decided, since I love pretty much every single thing I just mentioned, I am going to have to spend more time there in the future. Here is but a fraction of what we saw.

The museum stands beneath the beautiful geological folds of the Miocene Formation.

Some of the exhibits are outside.

Trust the boys to get sidetracked by deer grazing in someone's backyard.

The volunteer gave us a list of "I Spy" items we had to look for in each room along with a description of each item. The teen took charge of that, taking it very seriously as they were promised a prize for finding everything on the list. We started off on the Mercantile.

An Edison gramophone.

The surgery and some pharmaceuticals.

In this room we had to spy a bullet hole. We found it but I'm not giving it away!

Surgeon's office.

Dentist's office.

Lawyer's office.

Toys!

Native American exhibit.

Here then are some of my favorites... the sewing and the kitchen.

Uh... I am so glad I didn't go to public school in those days!

Gems and minerals.

Office for the mine.

Finally, the Mercy Mine - a virtual tour.

Everyone had a fantastic time and just to be fair everyone got a prize (their pick of rocks from an area mine)

Bye!

Cat Spider

2011-10-22T17:19:00.000-06:00

Ever hear of a Cat Faced Spider? Me neither! But I found one on my back patio. No, I didn't kill it. I don't kill spiders that aren't dangerous or threatening. Here it is hanging out on the 2x6 rafter, so that makes it about 2" long. 2 inches long! You can't tell by the mess of old webbing around it but it also had a brand new 12" (or so) orb web constructed for that night's supper.

Here is the image flipped so you can better see the Hello Kitty abdomen. Cool huh?

Wordless Wednesday is Wordless

2011-10-19T19:19:00.001-06:00

Investiture

2011-10-10T22:15:00.000-06:00

Yup, my baby girl is a Brownie! (Wah! sniffle* BIG GRIN Applause!!)

Lounging Carrot

2011-10-09T09:23:00.000-06:00

Hey Sexy

Our Day in the San Juans

2011-10-02T21:18:00.000-06:00

Bumper Crop

2011-10-01T17:27:00.000-06:00

Of grapes, that is.

We have a single vine of grapes (that's Rob in there.) We're not real sure how much we would have gotten last year as a raccoon ate every last one of them. This year however we were proactive and wrapped the entire vine in chicken wire. Even the deer were doing their best to get past the wire but we won this time. Just look at all those grapes! I'm making juice.

7 Days Autumn Day 7 - Hide and Seek

2011-09-23T09:46:00.003-06:00

Count to ten... and go. No cheating.

7 Days Autumn 2011 Day 6 - Pew! Pew! Pew!

2011-09-22T08:06:00.003-06:00

"Luke, at that speed, will you be able to pull out in time?"

I'm such a sophomore.

That's a Biggs line for you purists.

7 Days Autumn 2011 Day 5 - Jazz Star (theme: outside)

2011-09-21T14:14:00.002-06:00

Outside my studio door.

7 Days Autumn 2011 Day 4 - "Light Bulb"

2011-09-20T06:12:00.000-06:00

You know, "Light bulb." from Despicable Me? Because I had this ingenious idea.

Maybe you had to be there but I know some of you like a good yarn so here is my story:

I am up early sewing. I have been working on a stack of these things for days and they've been nothing but trouble. Too many layers and they are puckering and it's was royally ticking me off. It really was.

To make things worse I had already done a large portion of the stack before noticing something was wrong. The same thing was wrong with each one.

I had to figure out a few things. I had to figure out how to fix all of the ones I already did. I had to figure out how not let it happen again. And when it did happen again with the new technique I had to figure out yet another way to fix those!

Did I mention I was a genius?

I tried the tricks I already knew. I tried reading the pattern - always a good idea but not always necessary - which was absolutely no help. I tried starting over and was dismayed to discover I was still doing it wrong by not changing a single thing. I thought maybe if I held my face just right?

Well anyway...

I fiddled and fuddled and twisted and cussed until finally... "Light bulb." I had an idea.

I tested the idea.

The idea worked.

I'm a genius!

There's probably a term for this thing I came up with because there's almost always already a term for something. Even though you're a genius and you come up with this incredible idea doesn't mean someone hasn't already figured it out before you, right?

So, I put my idea to work. I fix the already screwed up pile and go on to the new ones thinking, OMG I'm sooo SMART! This is GREAT!

Shit, I did it again. I was so busy thinking how smart I was I forgot to do the thing I invented and had a whole new problem to fix. Brilliant. /sarcasm

Think, think, think, think. "Light bulb." Oh, now I really am a genius. I'm such a genius I am going to tell everybody all about it and they're going to know I'm so freakin' smart.

Shit, I did it again! Really. Really? Really!! I was so busy AGAIN thinking how amazingly clever I am I made the same mistake A-GAIN.

Perhaps I am up too early. Incredibly smart people don't get up early. They sleep late, and have brunch with artist friends who also sleep late.

So after five or eleven such ironic moments in a row the mistake became the norm and the fix I invented for the new technique became part of the process and I believe I may have revolutionized sewing in a way that only I am smart enough to understand.

7 Days Autumn 2011 Day 3 - C'mere You

2011-09-19T06:29:00.000-06:00

Oh Monday how I loath thee. Grabbed hubby to confuse and distract you.

7 Days Autumn 2011 Day 2 - I Heart Squash (theme: Inside)

2011-09-18T07:54:00.003-06:00

I nicked a couple of crookneck squash this morning thinking I would frame my face inside a squash heart. Guess I'll need to grow them much larger next time. LOL

7 Days Autumn 2011 Day 1 - Fall From the Hammock Chair

2011-09-17T10:00:00.001-06:00

Not fall off the hammock chair, thank goodness.

Loving my backyard in the rain this morning.

7 Days Group Photostream

Me and My Girl

2011-09-13T08:58:00.000-06:00

Harpers Corner Trail

2011-09-09T09:44:00.000-06:00

Harper's Corner Trail

It was an awfully long drive for such a short trail but it was worth it overall. We attended the craft show last Monday at Septemberfest in Rangely, CO so it was perfectly natural to make a trip up to Dinosaur National Monument and make a weekend of it.

Here are some shots from the trail and various stops along the Journey Through Time scenic drive.

Overlooking the Yampa River Canyon

The dead junipers at Harpers Corner were captivating. Some of the contours remind me of fingerprints. In a way, that's what they are.

The old growth was taller than any juniper trees I have ever seen.

This confused pile of fallen trees shows a variety of stages of decomposition. The more cracked the dead wood, the longer ago it passed. Interestingly, the one in the back on the bottom still has its bark. It looked to me as if a very strong gust of wind plowed them all over at once.

Hi.

Watermelon Seed Spitting

2011-08-30T08:09:00.000-06:00

That's a life skill, right?

Rhetta had her Girl Scout kick-off meeting and is one excited little girl. She had gone to sleep talking about registration and it was the first thing she said when she opened her eyes the next morning, making her Daddy giggle since he was the one waking her up.

She is a new Brownie and has already earned her first patch (not badge, patch.) I promised her I'd show her how to attach it to her uniform which made us both realize we don't know what the Brownie uniform looks like. Is it a sash or a vest? I don't know! Couldn't have changed that much since I was a Girl Scout, could it have? In fact, I think it's less uniform than in the old days when we had dresses and hats and sashes. We got all of our uniforms at Goodwill-ies. They had a rack of them so lots of sizes and styles to choose from. I can't think I've ever seen a GS uniform in a thrift store around here. Maybe we can make her one! I think she'd like that.

While people were arriving the kids ate watermelon with express instructions to save their seeds for spitting. Rhetta had spent some time going from one huddle of girls to another trying to make friends. I let her do that until she decided to sit by herself, not really giving up but done socializing, then I steered her to her troop so she could sit with them. After snacking and carefully saving their seeds they all gathered into a circle for introductions.

She did so well with her public speaking. Gathered were several troops from our area of the county. They began by (re)learning the three fingered salute. Then each girl spoke in turn their name, where they're from and what they are looking forward to. Rhetta didn't need any direction. She spoke clearly and loud enough for everyone to hear her name and town and said, "I love to have fun with all my new friends." So sweet. I told her later how proud I was of how well she spoke and she said, "Momma? Did I enunciate?" I said, yes she enunciated very well (this from a conversation they have frequently on the school bus). She asked, "Am I well?" LOL Yes, you are well but being well is different from doing something well. Such things spark interesting conversations.

After the introductions were through they separated into groups which then formed in circles around some hula hoops set out flat on the ground. On a signal from their leader they commenced spitting as many seeds as possible in a set time limit into their hula hoops. The group with the most seeds in their hoop won. It's all in fun as everyone got a prize and a patch, and got to spit. One girl was very serious about her spitting. She had sat practicing before the meet and greet by standing some distance away from her friend who held a paper plate. She would then aim for the plate, hit her target, and ask the girl to back up a pace and start again. I was very impressed at her accuracy! Girls crack me up sometimes.

So we have a Brownie now with spitting skills and she couldn't be happier to be a part of a "club". I wonder what patch comes next, Booger Flinging?

Had I Taken a Camera...

2011-08-28T19:00:00.003-06:00

This would be a picture of the huge isolated thunderhead that met us at the top of the rise on our drive west out Sawmill Mesa on the Uncompahgre this afternoon. The view toward sundown was sprawling with juniper and piñon, and the storm was changing rapidly before our eyes. Lightning was striking out of the center of that behemoth with no clear goal but to freak us the shit out.

This would be a picture of the exact spot I got my old Chevy truck stuck in the mud while traveling that road during another, much rainier season. Rhetta was still a little thing and we had to abandon the truck and walk back to town. Rob and I took turns carrying her while we slugged through the ever deepening muddy slush. We stopped at times under the juniper to get out of the rain and hoped beyond hope we would not be struck by lightning. We hiked for miles and miles this way until we came to a spot that was sunny but still slick with mud, and to our surprise a truckload of people coming up out a canyon that spurred off the main road. We hailed them and caught a ride back to town. Rob and his dad later went back to pick up my truck and in a miracle moment Rob spotted one of the trees under which we sought shelter and there sitting on a rock was Rhetta's purple and yellow sippy cup we had left behind unknowingly the day before. (Rob has informed me my memory of this isn't entirely accurate, that we knew the cup was missing and went right to it and that it wasn't his dad but a co-worker named Matt who took him out there two weeks later to get my truck. Huh.)

This would be a picture of a natural wetland used for a stock pond during the cattle drives in the spring and fall. The pond was circular with even concentric circles of starting from the outside: prairie grass, peppermint, water hemlock, reeds and some kind of floating broad leaf plant the kids called lily pads. We weren't really paying attention to what all was growing there until we actually stepped into the mint and the scent thus released nearly knocked us over. Then once we got to looking at it all very closely it was apparent we weren't treading on mere weeds and we began a short catalog of everything we could identify.

This would be a stunning picture of the sun shining through the top of the shrub oak w/acorns hidden among the foliage as they are still green.

This would be a picture of Willon excitedly pointing out a very large cow pie.

This would be a picture of the family holding hands hiking away from the camera up a steep hill on the Cabin Bench Trail No. 125.

Lastly, this would be a picture of a huge, maybe 20 feet tall tree truck, dead and free of bark still showing char marks from the lightning that killed it who knows how long ago. It's bigger around than I can wrap my arms and the soft silver of weathered wood. It's surrounded by young Ponderosa pines and scrub oak but looking up from the base they are nearly invisible to the bright blue sky above and sunlight pouring out from behind on all sides.

P.S. In the course of writing this I learned why trodding is not a word.

I Said, He Said.

2011-08-24T11:02:00.000-06:00

I said, "Get your FEET down, and don't spill your cereal."

He said, "I was just eating it upside DOWN, and I'm OK with that."

Then I made him reenact it for a picture.

Still 4

2011-08-22T17:23:00.000-06:00

I know. Unbelievable, right?

Willon started his second year of preschool today. He looks, speaks and reads like a 6 year old. However he still acts like a 4 year old so a 4 year old he will remain.

He wanted me to show you his new backpack.

Say "Bees Knees"

2011-08-22T08:23:00.000-06:00

Another fun photo shoot brought to you by the goofiest kids on our block.

My Very Own 3rd Grader

2011-08-22T08:03:00.000-06:00

Happy first day of school, Sweetie. Shine like I know you can.

I am going to miss you something awful.

Fabrique Totes

2011-08-14T10:54:00.002-06:00

C'est Magnifique!

2011-08-11T00:19:00.000-06:00

I finished a stack of those ruffled skirts I mentioned. I missed getting a shot of the sweetest 19 mo. old model by not having my camera on me at the time. But here they are, in all their ruffles. This fabric was delovely to work with. Easy peasy, really. It was my first time sewing gathers with the serger and they came out bee-youtifull.

7 Years Quit

2011-08-09T08:52:00.002-06:00

My Stats (QuitNet):

Your Quit Date is: 8/9/2004 12:00:00 PM

Time Smoke-Free: 2555 days, 22 hours, 31 minutes and 36 seconds

Cigarettes NOT smoked: 51,119

Lifetime Saved: 13 months, 11 hours

Money Saved: $5,623.20 (then), $14,313.60 (today's prices)

For anyone interested, my start date was roughly July 1981.

Cupcake Oven Mitts

2011-08-08T18:10:00.000-06:00

I got a pattern called Hot Cakes at a quilt shop called Nana's in Old Colorado City, CO. I also grabbed some fat quarters which I have long since turned into other fun things, plus some extra for "the stash", but I digress.

I was so excited to get some of these done up I neglected to leave anything for the seam allowance. I'm telling you right now it turned out OK but I won't forget next time. Woe it is though when you crank out the pieces for 10 pairs before you notice. They aren't too small to use and they are selling so I am not going to complain!

You can see the size here with Rhetta as my hand model and then myself as the model (I have big hands, just so you know).

They were super fun to make. I varied the stitching on the cup halves and changed up the prints for mismatched pairs. They're a real hit with the folks at the farmers' market. My daughter also loves them and picked out a pair for herself.

This one turned out my favorite. Not just because of the color scheme but I think because it looks like chocolate. I cannot stop myself around chocolate cupcakes!

The next batch will be the proper size, I swear, and a friend gave me a great idea for embellishment. Look for that update soon.

Rustic Sunday

2011-08-07T13:08:00.001-06:00

Sweetness

2011-08-06T15:48:00.002-06:00

Sometimes Rhetta chooses to crash on the couch. Sometimes she stays up late because of that. Sometimes because of staying up late she sleeps in.

Her sweetest brother misses her when she's sleeping. He was very quiet however and rather than wake her up by trying to share her spot he went and got a matching pillow and his own blanket.

He whispered to me from his spot on the floor, "I'll just be right here until she wakes up."

Pickin' in the Park in Paonia Part 1

2011-08-05T01:45:00.004-06:00

Tonight we saw another awesome free concert at the Paonia Town Park. An incredibly gifted and unique funk band called the March Fourth Marching Band came out from Portland, OR and blasted us into a funkadelic fun time.

It was a whole lot too loud for the kids' tastes so it is lucky for us (regardless of what day we go) the park has an engaging, well designed, sensory oriented playground. Rob and I took turns going to the stage while Rhetta and Willon had a few hours of outdoor mayhem.

Here's the band and some of the stilt dancers at the beginning of the show.

Their poster I liked very much. 20 members on the road. Even more on the poster. Every one of them a different talent and personality. High energy and highly cacophonous yet blended beautifully into an organized, well-working, musical, rhythmic machine. My kind of folks!

Rhetta enjoyed a bird's eye view from the crow's nest.

Willon wouldn't hardly be still.

Very much like Herman the Blur now that I think about it. (The stage is but a distant blur itself. See it there at the pinnacle of the merry-go-round.)

And so, here is a snippet of some of that fabulous energy.

Herman the Blur

2011-08-05T01:01:00.001-06:00

I have tried every setting possible on my camera to capture this adorable creature so you can see just how freakin' cute he is to no avail. Either he is too fast or my camera doesn't have the right settings, or quite possibly I suck with this camera. Whatever the reason I decided a short video would suffice. Notice how the only time he sits still is with his little butt toward me? Yeah, I see how it is.

Plus a quick one of him and his best friend... Lola... heh.

Clever Boy

2011-08-02T08:19:00.002-06:00

Willon and I spent some quality time in the back yard this morning while Rhetta slept in a little. We looked at everything blooming and inspected all the different vegetables. We ate ripe yellow cherry tomatoes and squished some squash bugs. We took the compost to the chickens and he fed them some cracked corn. The yard is so enchanting in the early sunlight after a rain.

Nothing is more enchanting however than a cute, clever little boy.

Willon came across a dry spot in the wood chips. He stood inside it and postulated thusly (Cross my heart, I just stood there listening):

"Look, Momma! A dry spot? How did it get here (looking around for a possible source)? Hmm... maybe it was an umbrella." He punctuated this with raised eyebrows.

He then looked down and proceeded to turn in place, inspecting it all the way around, and around, and around, and around, and around. Not finding an answer that way he then looked up into the sky thoughtfully.

"Maybe," he said "the sun was shining right here. Just right here." All the while studying the sky, then the spot, then the sky, then the spot.

Now looking intently at the spot he reckoned, "Look... it's roooooound on this part and straaaaaaight on this part just like... (thinking, thinking)... a wheelbarrow. Maybe it was the wheelbarrow!"

Then he said with much conviction, "Yeah. It was the wheelbarrow."

Treasure

2011-08-01T13:40:00.000-06:00

Yard sales and thrift stores. These are my favorite places to shop.

I am not a treasure hunter the way the re-sellers are that comb people's shops and garages for anything they can turn into profit. I am in general looking for useful, fun, sturdy things to use and repurpose. I do end up paying more than I want sometimes but the majority are deals I am comfortable with.

Just last week I was looking for treasure and came across a stack of three old card tables. I am always on the lookout for tables I can use at the farmers' markets and craft shows. For one, the old ones are far sturdier than anything new. For two, they are a rare find because no one gets rid of their sturdy stuff. I was immediately elated upon sight of these tables and even more so at the marked price of $5 each. I was testing the first one's legs when a man walked up with an armload of other stuff and said, "Those are mine." A re-seller. I was crushed. I really wanted at least one of those tables. He would not give however so I just said bummer and went about looking at old cross stitch magazines.

I don't fault re-sellers. It is first come-first served, and I would have snatched them up first if I could have. I do feel some pain yet for not getting there a few minutes earlier than he. I actually have moped about it for days. To be so close to something I would have loved forever, well I'm just sad about it. How funny to be so attached to something that was never mine for even a second.

I don't believe in luck, fortune or karma but some of you might think one or more power was at work for me yesterday. We were up visiting the boy in Grand Junction yesterday when along the way I saw a yard sale sign that read Sunday Only. That alone was unusual, I thought. Sunday Only. I said, OK, we'll go pick up the boy and then stop at this yard sale first thing. They were only a few blocks apart after all, right?

No, I didn't find any card tables. I am certain that was a once in a lifetime thing. I did find some other treasure that made me feel much better about my bad timing last week: a handmade pine bench, a brand new green (squee!) and white birdhouse I am certain has never been outside, and a vintage school desk. Since I am one to brag I will tell you I paid a total of $13 for the three of them, and I did well bargaining. Well, not with the school desk. I asked if it was for sale and the father said yes. The son said, "It's mine." so I asked the son how much he wanted for it. The father let him answer and handled the much less than expected price with grace and almost imperceptibly keen self control. He then said it was an antique (it's not) and looked at his son. I looked back at the son but he was firm on his price ($5). I politely didn't try to talk him down because I thought his dad wouldn't be able to handle it, poor man. I'm going to use it in my potting shed, hee!

Here they are. See how the birdhouse is the identical color green as the house-house? Treasure!

An Evening at Vega State Park

2011-08-01T00:38:00.002-06:00

We spent the better part of our afternoon and evening at Vega State Park today. It was a welcome break from the heat (merely in the lower 80's Fahrenheit) and the fresh air was practically intoxicating.

What best to welcome us upon our arrival at the dam than a wide full-spectrum rainbow?

Late summer in the mountains is really late spring. Everything is in full bloom and the wildlife is diverse and numerous.

A sure sign the nights still get cool however is the ripening wild serviceberries. I tried my first one today. It was similar to, yet sweeter than, a blueberry. I think I could really go for a serviceberry pie.

How about this vibrant, red, mountain berry? I forget what Rob said they were but he said they are edible although very, very sour.

It is a very busy time of year up here, har har. (Mexican Hat-like flower. If anyone can tell me the name of it, please do!)

Some other beauties caught my eye, like these: an Indian paintbrush, pink asters and lupine.

This, I have no idea. She's delicate and charming and her lavender stamens were a lovely surprise.

This one, too, no idea and also surprised me. It looked like some kind of high prairie grass only dusted with neat, feathery lavender petals.

Speaking of surprised (oops); spooked a doe.

She had been feeding down near this pond created by high waters and left stranded by summer usage downstream.

This big guy, an easily-four-foot-long beaver, didn't seem to mind us at all.

I say rather, do you mind?

Visible here is an Osprey nesting platform that has, if you look very closely, a nest on it. Neither bird was present during our wandering tour but the gals at the visitor's center said they have a nesting couple up there this year. I didn't dare get any closer than I could zoom from several hundred yards away.

My sweet girl fluttered around with a monarch butterfly finger puppet...

... while my sweet boy picked a flower just for Momma.

Later in the evening the thunderheads started to form over toward the west so we made our way around the last stretch of shoreline. (this sounds like we hiked around the lake but we mostly had to drive it.)

Our last little walk afforded us a nice spot for a family portrait before the long drive home in the dark.

We've been dreaming about a summer/retirement cabin in the mountains somewhere close by. Gunnison was our choice 10 years ago followed by something up on Lamborn Mesa nearby. Today that dream switched to the Collbran area. We were that enchanted.

Why Bother?

2011-07-30T20:33:00.005-06:00

This is our new business. Our small town doesn't have a recycling program, and the nearest recycling center is in the next county, so we saw a way to fill that need. So far it is going very well. Rob takes care of most of it on his Fridays off from his regular job and the kids are so into it our customers ask after them when they don't happen to come with. Mainly, "Where are your funny little helpers?"

This is a very popular song in our house (isn't he cute?):

In my two minutes of spare brain time per day I am a writer, but since I have already used up those two minutes today I will quote this article. It states all the good reasons I try to share with people when they ask me "Why bother?"

Why Everyone Should Recycle

Recycling is sort of like exercising: we all know we should do it, but not all of us do it as often as we should—and some of us don’t do it at all. However, there are lots of reasons why you should make an effort to recycle as much as possible. If you haven’t been diligent about recycling your garbage, here are seven good reasons why you should start.

It cuts back on global warming. Our planet is starting to feel the effects of global warming already—and we need to do whatever we can to lessen the impact. Production of certain materials from scratch can release significant amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Aluminum production is a prime example—producing new aluminum creates 95% more CO2 than recycling old aluminum cans. In addition, recycling paper saves trees—for each ton of paper recycled, 17 trees are saved. Each of these trees can extract around 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air in a year.

It makes us more energy-efficient. It often takes a great deal more energy to create something from scratch than to recycle it. For example, it takes twice as much energy to burn plastic as to recycle it; it takes 64% more energy to make paper than to recycle it; and recycling just one pound of steel can save enough energy to run a 60-watt bulb for one day.

It keeps our landfills from overflowing. We’re fast running out of space for landfills—especially near cities. Seaside cities have been dumping trash into their oceans for decades to circumvent the problem, but with widespread marine ecological collapse, this is no longer a viable option. Worse yet, it’s difficult to find land in suburban and rural areas whose residents will allow landfills to come into their areas without a fight. The squeeze for landfill land is only going to get worse in the future.

Recycling gives us some hope for this bleak scenario. Studies show that 60% to 75% of garbage in landfills can be recycled. That means that if everybody recycled, we’d have 60% to 75% less garbage in our landfills, and we’d need at least that much less land for garbage disposal.

It improves the quality of our groundwater. The garbage in landfills is usually not treated in any way—it’s simply thrown in a big hole and buried over. Much of this garbage is not environmentally friendly or readily biodegradable—and it’s no surprise that contaminants can get into our water. Rain and other runoff from landfills gets into our streams, rivers, lakes, and other waterways, damaging fragile ecosystems. It’s also a major reason why it’s not safe to drink from streams and rivers when you’re hiking and camping—even when it looks like you’re in a pristine environment. Recycling reduces the trash in landfills, and the more we recycle, the more our water systems can start becoming as pure as they look.

It reduces air pollution. Many factories that produce plastics, metals, and paper products release toxins into the air. Recycle these materials, and there will be less need for companies to manufacture new materials—saving on the amount of pollution dumped into our atmosphere. In addition, disposing of certain recyclable materials can also produce significant pollution. For example, plastics are often burned in incinerators. Plastics are made with oil, and that oil is released into the atmosphere when the plastic burns—creating serious greenhouse-gas emissions.

It creates jobs. From manufacturing to processing, from collection to invention—it’s no secret that recycling is a growth industry, earning billions of dollars annually. Our need to recycle is only going to grow more urgent as populations grow and as technology changes. Recycling creates far more jobs than landfills do—enough jobs to make a big difference in a small town.

It adds to property value. It’s obvious that a landfill near your home can decrease your property values significantly. Recycling reduces the amount of land needed for landfills. This reduces the number of houses near landfills, keeping property values up and homeowners happy. The more people recycle, the fewer landfills we need—and if enough people pitch in, recycling should pay off for everybody.

It’s good business. Pitting business against the environment is a lose-lose situation: everybody suffers. And yet, that’s how the debate has been framed in politics and the public sphere for years. This is a shame, because the truth is that recycling just makes good business sense. Industrial factories and processing plants save plenty of money on energy and extraction strategies when they use recycled materials instead of virgin resources. They also ensure that basic resources don’t become a scarce commodity, keeping demand and prices down and ensuring that their business can continue for decades to come.

One person can make a difference. With so many good causes, it’s easy to get discouraged—especially when the problem is so widespread that it’s hard to see what difference your individual effort is making. Many people think this is true with recycling, too—but the truth is that small acts of recycling make a big difference. For example, recycling just one large newspaper would save around 75,000 trees. On average, each person in the U.S. produces around 1,600 lbs. of waste each year. If you recycled all of that, you could save around 1,100 lbs. of waste per year—that’s over half a ton—just by yourself!

Need more reasons? How about the trash vortices in the Pacific Ocean?

I struggled for years wondering if one person really can make a difference. My answer to that is ultimately yes if that difference is in the form of action. Spreading the word helps educate, surely, but unless you are actively doing something to make a difference then we're never going to get anywhere... like Congress.

Ruffled Skirts

2011-07-27T22:15:00.000-06:00

I've been working on some ruffled skirts using this tutorial to great success. I have modified it twice to fit various other sizes. So simple and so incredibly beautiful.

I thought I'd share a little fabric tease because it is making me so happy to work with these prints I just had to spread it around.

Rock Garden 2011

2011-07-26T12:49:00.000-06:00

Made some executive decisions again this year and although you may not notice the differences it needn't matter. The end result speaks for itself. :)

April

July

Coneflowers

2011-07-25T10:28:00.000-06:00

The Morning That Got Away

2011-07-24T14:21:00.002-06:00

Albino Lavender

2011-07-24T11:59:00.000-06:00

I harvested most of my lavender in late June. I have two pink lavender plants and about 22 purple lavender plants.

My oldest of the purple lavender plants is still putting out some shoots. Much to my delight I found an albino bloom on it!

I say "delight" and not "surprise" because I have seen nature do this and other funky things many times. It is fun to find it happening in my own yard once in awhile.

Some Snaps

2011-07-21T12:51:00.000-06:00

Some smiles. Some silliness. Some sweetness, too.

Summer Progression

2011-07-09T11:28:00.000-06:00

June to July

Mid-May to Mid-July

Extreme Flower is Extreme

2011-07-09T09:36:00.000-06:00

Gallardia curling around a thorny Japanese Rose to put its face in the sun.

Stop Me if You've Heard This One

2011-07-06T15:10:00.002-06:00

Riddles by Willon (made up entirely from things he could see from his bed pillow with the exception of the refrigerator.)

Why does the shelf have a fan on it?
Because the box doesn't have a TV in it!

Why do you tell a box in your refrigerator?
Because the shelf doesn't have powder!

Why does a bed have a curtain laying down on it?
Because the big red lunch box doesn't have a box in it!

Why does the fan have paper in it?
Because the movies don't have their books!

Why does the curtain have a fire alarm on it?
Because the lamp doesn't have water!

Why do the cars have windows for wheels to race on racetracks?
Because the ceiling doesn't have a curtain!

Why does the coffee cup have a Jack-in-the-Box toy in it?
Because the picture doesn't have a letter!

Why does the book have spelling crayons in it?
Because the fan doesn't have boxes in it!

Squinks!

2011-07-04T19:15:00.003-06:00

I made up a word tonight. I was trying to take a picture of them together and smiling, silly me! We tried some smiles and then some funny faces. Then I asked for "super smiles". They skrinched up their faces and it totally cracked me up. But what I really wanted we some natural smiles. It is so hard to get natural smiles! So I quite spontaneously shouted SQUINKS! while they were dorking around and it worked. I got some natural smiles. But I somehow liked the funny faces better this time.

Happy July 4th!

Blooming Today

2011-07-03T15:10:00.001-06:00

This is everything that I found blooming in my gardens this morning. I spent literally hours shooting and editing. I am so glad I did!

These are approximately half of the total number of my blooming plants/flowers. Unlike spring that blooms in stages, and fall, when blossoms are in a desperate hurry, summer blooms continuously.

Click here for the Flickr set where you can view each one individually with their descriptions. It is all that has bloomed before and since the cotton(woods) popped so that's what you're seeing if you spy any white fuzz. Keep your eyes peeled for insect-type critters, too. My particular favorite capture is the Bachelor's Button because of the iridescent green bee at its center.

Summer Fun

2011-07-02T21:08:00.002-06:00

My kids are so cute! That is all.

Oh wait, that's not all. There are pictures and a video.

Kitchen cupcake ensemble from Mimi. It is essential, of course, for baking GF mini cupcakes in her Electric Mini Cupcake Maker, also from Mimi. (Miracle of miracles this is a very natural happy-smile. Ignore her choppy bangs. Those were not my fault!)

Daddy was trying to nap...

An extra of Willon because he wanted to share. He calls it his Tummy Tumble.

Lovely Day for an Anniversary

2011-06-24T16:31:00.000-06:00

Our 11th wedding anniversary, that is.

Our anniversary landed on a Friday this year and we had the bonus of Rob getting the day off. We were all kinds of ordinary all morning. He had some business in town and I did laundry. Later around lunchtime we went for a drive, got some lunch at the super market, and ate at a favorite park.

I insisted on Hobby Lobby for a stop and it turned out to be a lot of air conditioned fun for everyone. I scored a remnant and a sale for mere pennies. It was a better deal than a yard sale, I'm not kidding.

We later tossed around a few ideas of what to do next when we finally decided Moab at sunset would be fun to photograph. We could hike around in the cool of the evening and maybe get our feet wet.

Turns out we took our time a little too slowly as we didn't get to Moab until after sunset. Oops! But I got some nice shots along the way, and we got to have a delicious late supper at a very good, affordable restaurant.

The day ended and the next day began before we made it home. With any luck next year we can stay the night and take our time on the return. Otherwise it was a lovely day out with my little family. One to remember forever.

The back road to Moab gives an amazing view of the Colorado River canyon and Monty La Sal. We are close enough to Utah for Monty la Sal to be visible from the high points in our county.

Just into the river canyon alongside the road are ancient petroglyphs. This large slab of rock is no more than 15-20 feet off the pavement. The drawings (not including the defacement) are thousands of years old.

Looking closely you can see a herd of deer near the very top. A distant elk toward the middle right, and a busy scene at the bottom with a human figure surrounded by elk, bear, and perhaps antelope and a coyote. I want to believe the very skinny animal beside a bear is a fox. It's a magnificent example, really.

Further into the canyon and closer to la Sal the red rock buttes get more and more interesting.

The red sandstone crumbles and cracks with every freezing winter followed by every spring thaw. Washouts of red sand cover the road during heavy rains and rocks fall into and across the highway depending on their size and what height from which they've fallen.

Up Castle Creek Canyon they are surrounded by these massive sandstone buttes and towering ridges. Castle Creek is also the name of the town. It is safe to describe it as nestled in and among the mountains of eastern Utah.

The view from Castle Creek toward Monty shows the plug from the volcano that began the formation of these mountains. We have a similar volcano plug up in Crawford at the base of the West Elks called Needle Rock. Joe Cocker lives in the shadow of it, but I digress. Here is the one in Castle Creek and an aptly named road on the southwestern side.

Much of the rest of our evening was spent finding a restaurant that served food safe for Sis and her diet restrictions. We settled on the Mexican place, La Hacienda, that we'd been to before...

Located, by the way, next to perhaps the MOST awesome rock shop

I had, I am not kidding, a Monte Cristo chimichanga to die for! and a local brew called Scorpion Pale Ale. Yum!

Aside from leaving my wallet at the restaurant and not noticing until around midnight when we were two hours away and the low-gas light came on it was a very lovely day for an anniversary.

7 Days Summer 2011 Day 7 - Refraction

2011-06-24T12:11:00.002-06:00

You know, instead of reflection.

A morning sunbeam found its way to my peach cranberry juice (50/50 with water) and sent the most beautiful corresponding color onto my kitchen counter. I believe I captured the true color here.

Coffee pot haz eye on you. lol

Meet Herman

2011-06-23T19:35:00.003-06:00

Herman the adopted Hamster. He's teendie and kinda shy. Lola, the cat, is fond of him. She likes to sit directly on top of his home and taunt him in her silent, menacing, I mean curious way. He loves him's ikkle house and him's ikkle wheel. He's soft and furry and has more whiskers than the bathroom sink. He seems, um, used to his environment. Loud noises don't seem to effect him. He won't yet let us hold him but I hope he mellows out a little. He's squee worthy cute.

7 Days Summer 2011 Day 6 - Farming in Flip-Flops

2011-06-23T10:36:00.000-06:00

My neighbor lady (83) is certain I am going to develop gangrene and lose my toes if I don't take better care of my feet. I assured her I have talked to my MD about it and that no I am not going to stop wearing flip-flops. I suppose if I could better reach my feet I could take better care of them myself, but I don't really see it as a priority. I've never so much as had a planter's wart. Maybe a few cracked callouses but a little Super Glue and they're good to go. It is safe to say I have happy feet and I like it that way. :)

7 Days Summer 2011 Day 5 - White Noise

2011-06-22T15:52:00.002-06:00

Nothing better than a nap after a long day at the pool with two rambunctious non-swimmers. I may have actually fallen asleep in the time it took the shutter to snap. Such is the effect white noise has on me.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T11:41:00.001-06:00

7 Days Summer 2011 Day 4 - Flowers!

2011-06-21T09:37:00.000-06:00

There are no less than 15 different perennials visible in the very small sampling of my gardens. (Inset: Alternate - Cat Butt)

7 Days Summer 2011 Day 3: Shadows

2011-06-20T08:31:00.001-06:00

Dorking around with the shadows really brings out the lush green I wish my garden really was. A blessed 1/4" of rain last night helped tremendously.

p.s. So difficult to focus with the hammock chair swaying back and forth.

7 Days Summer 2011 Day 2: Reflection in Black

2011-06-19T20:17:00.001-06:00

... and white.

7 Days Summer 2011 Day 1: Braids

2011-06-19T20:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Summer, 7 Days friends.

My poor, aching, old, battered hands.

It's been a long time since I braided anyone's hair. My daughter's hair has been cut in a pixie for so very many years. Yesterday she asked me, "Is my hair long enough, Momma?" and it was!

(Sorry, blog followers, for the repeat.)

Is My Hair Long Enough, Momma?

2011-06-18T21:36:00.000-06:00

"I want braids."

Ziggy Marley is On My Mind

2011-06-18T18:56:00.002-06:00

Musings From The Children

2011-06-17T15:16:00.000-06:00

Willon asked me: "Where is my lunch box with my recorder in it so I can shoot music at monsters and make them dance?"

Rhetta said of her cousin Mark: "My cousin Mark and I are going to the ice cream shop and Mark had three scoops of ice cream. I like even and odd numbers. Mark likes only odd numbers. I had a double dip coconut milk coconut milk [sic] and Mark ordered extra nuts. There were exactly twelve. At the Pizza Hut, Mark ordered exactly three pieces of pizza. One with pepperoni on its sauce, one with cheese on its sauce, and one with onions. I had five pieces of pizza. Two with gummy worms, two with pepperoni on its sauce, and one with olives. And at the bakery, I got the cake that the baker made. It was Mark's birthday and there were candles on his cake. Mark had 20 candles, so he was 20 years old."

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/8

2011-06-16T10:58:00.000-06:00

Tiger on the Loose

2011-06-13T15:25:00.001-06:00

"Hey, Willon! Over here, honey. Do your tiger for me."

This was Rhetta's costume 3 years ago. Yes, it's only June but that's no excuse not to dress up. At some point he was wearing it with the tail in the front and was putting out fires.

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/7

2011-06-08T12:54:00.002-06:00

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/6

2011-06-07T09:11:00.002-06:00

As If They Couldn't Get Any Cuter

2011-06-06T10:09:00.002-06:00

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/5

2011-06-04T08:24:00.000-06:00

Camping With Grandpa

2011-06-03T13:23:00.002-06:00

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/4

2011-06-01T10:42:00.002-06:00

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/3

2011-05-30T16:13:00.000-06:00

Summer Vacation!

2011-05-29T09:35:00.000-06:00

Rhetta woke up early on Saturday morning (our first day of summer vacation and she can't sleep in?) and asked "It's the first day of summer vacation, can we go to the beach?"

Well, no, we can't go to the beach but we can pretend! We took out the kiddie pool and turned on the hose. Next thing we turned half of the dirt pile into a mudhole.

Instant fun!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T16:16:00.002-06:00

Holy Shit Hair Hell

2011-05-19T16:10:00.000-06:00

I can't stop laughing! I don't know where he gets it.

He's playing with the clown wig. His "hair hat". Endless fun, let me tell you.

He stops and pulls at a single strand of fake hair that had made its way into his nose, or mouth, I don't know. But he pulled it completely out of the wig.

Then he looks at it and says, "Hell! Holy shit hair hell!"

Diagram of a Butterfly

2011-05-19T07:53:00.001-06:00

Views in My Backyard 2011/1

2011-05-17T16:56:00.000-06:00

Here are some of my spring 2011 favorites thus far (Part 1 of a new series):

The view(s) from my hammock chair.

The Giraffe Tree.

Boneless Chuck (He's been with us for countless years, seriously I forget how long.)

The Strawberry Fairies.

And finally, a study in greens and yellows.

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/2

2011-05-15T20:52:00.000-06:00

This is an itty bitty transplant from the nearby desert that I was just sure wasn't going to make it. It's try #2 (RIP #1). But I had trod upon this little guy last year by accident and couldn't just leave it to die of shock.

This morning I noticed it had a bud on it! I was so excited I took a picture. Imagine my heart flipping in my chest this evening when I found it had bloomed while I was gone today. I very nearly hurt myself trying to find the camera before the sun set.

Eep!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:22:00.000-06:00

I got kisses and hugs and "I love you"'s, a homemade card - so cute - and lotsa rocks (Yippee!) plus a yummy fruit tart as a surprise from the hubby (Mmmmmm). I got to sleep in. I got to spend most of the day in my garden. I even got to nap. Success!

Happy 8th Mother's Day to me. *grin*

It Started With a Burp and a Fart

2011-05-08T13:38:00.000-06:00

Momma: BUUURP! excuse me!

Willon: toot *snicker*

Momma and Willon: Eee hee hee hee hee hee!

Willon: You burped, Momma!

Momma: And you tooted at the SAME TIME!

Momma and Willon: BAH HA HA HA HA HA HAHAHAHA!

Momma: Like Momma, like son! LOL

Willon: Yeah, you make the rules and I follow them.

ROFL!

I was all like, Huh?

2011-05-03T20:18:00.000-06:00

Rhetta asked me: What's a bunch of violence?

I answered: The string section in an orchestra? (har har - I think I'm so funny.)

Rhetta: Momma! what's a bunch of violence?? (ignoring my joke COMPLETELY!)

I said: I don't know, what's a bunch of violence? (playing along)

Rhetta: Hawaii!

Me: Huh?

I asked Rob: What does she mean a bunch of violence is Hawaii? (totally confused)

Rob: BAH HA HA HA HA HA!

Me: Huh?

Rob: That's funny! Violence... violins.

Me: NO! She said... then I said... then she said... (I recount)

Rob: BAH HA HA HA HA HA! A bunch of islands is Hawaii! She's right! She totally got you!

Me: Huh?

Rob: Islands! Islands! A bunch of islands is Hawaii.

Me: D'oh!

deergrama

2011-04-28T22:16:00.003-06:00

"MMMM... a... Dear Gramm, Grandma... I put a lot of G's... backspace, backspace, backspace. I did it.

Duh... e, e... d, rrr... guh... guh... grrr... deer grrr... ahh... mmm... a. Dear Grandma. Dear Grandma! I spelled, Dear Grandma! I spelled, Dear Grandma!" (awesome!)

Blooming Rock Garden 2011/1

2011-04-28T21:47:00.004-06:00

Goodbye, Old Chairs

2011-04-28T10:43:00.000-06:00

We were gifted a dining table and four chairs by the previous owners of our house (read: they were crap and owners didn't want to pay to take them to the dump.) I said sure and we kept them. We didn't have much in the way of a dining table or chairs anyway, except those three legged ones we kept falling off of.

I upholstered them at least twice and they came out nice, but sadly the kids are slobs (as kids can often be) and I couldn't keep them very clean.

I lucked out at a local(ish) going-out-of-business sale and bought a nice veneer table and chairs off the floor at a huge discount. They are beautiful and they have nice wood seats that wipe clean very easily.

The old chairs were literally falling apart by then so I didn't even bother; I put them in the burn pile. There they sat for weeks and weeks making my yard look like the dump, so I said to heck with it and built a fire.

Goodbye, old chairs. I will not miss you in the least.

Look What I Found

2011-04-26T17:50:00.002-06:00

Walking around Harvey Gap Lake a couple of weekends ago I picked up a bunch of shells along the upper trail. I used to pick up the same kinds of shells when I was a little girl, forever collecting little things in my pockets. Not much has changed since then! I soaked them for awhile to loosen the dirt that had found its way inside.

I was cleaning them out today when I found a plant growing out of one of them. (scroll down)

A very tiny plant...

I love tiny things! I can't stop looking at the tiny plant and seeing a whole Pacific Northwest island; an ecosystem in and of itself. To be sitting in the shade of one of those mighty trees, relaxing to the sound of the surf. If I had a tiny little ear I could hold the shell up to it and hear the ocean. ;)

Gotta Have a Sharp Eye

2011-04-24T10:28:00.001-06:00

... when Willon's the one hiding the eggs.

Yes, he really buried that one.