Creative Side

TEN THINGS WEDNESDAY

2012-01-18T14:36:00.000-08:00

Tuesdays slip past so this is a ten things Wednesday post.
1. I have come to love having Bob work from home.
2. The snow today is brilliant and beautiful.
3. I love having a housekeeper come once a month.
4. Branches are breaking from the weight of the snow.
5. I'm having trouble thinking of five more things.
6. I enjoy my iPhone 4, but wish now that I had gone Android.
7. The little daffodil bulb babies are poking their heads up.
8. I WANT to go shopping!
9. We are almost out of milk and the driveway is too slippery to drive up.
10.Sweet Beignet has turned into Beignet Monster. She has bit me three times really hard recently.

WHEW, TWO YEARS

2011-10-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Unbelievably it has been two years since I contracted H1N1 which then set the Lupus which had been in remission into full force illness. I have spent a lot of days sleeping to heal and have had a lot of time to think. Here is what I think:

My body is not who I am. My spirit/soul/mind is who I am and that part of me is very healthy. During this entire two years I have had very few times when I have felt down or depressed. Of course I have been frustrated at the disease process, but that doesn't affect my internal self. I keep on thinking and looking for miracles and enjoying the things that I can.

Here is the best part: I have the most wonderful, caring, loving and kind husband in the entire world. I tell him this all of the time. We are both tired of the illness, but we have found happiness and communication in the midst of all of this.

I have been completely bound in bed part of the time, Bob takes me to appointments in a wheelchair because the hospital is so big. I have chemo every other week and it takes me 10 days to feel better which sometimes only gives me two good days before the next treatment. Sometimes it feels like I am fighting cancer, only we look at blood tests for signs of remission instead of CT scans.

For those of you who pray for me, thank you. I think that is part of why I am upbeat. Please keep on praying that this body will get the message to heal. I want to walk and exercise and do gardening and ART!

MEETING MY GOALS

2011-09-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been two months since I began a 99% vegetarian diet and I have lost #30 as of this morning. I still can't believe it. I have looked at a 25# bag of dog food and it is big. I'm almost ready to fit back into my smaller jeans. It is amazing how good success feels after so many long years of being overweight. I think that this style of nutrition will be my way to eat forever. I really hate the way sweet things and things with to much salt taste. Two weeks of juicing began that process. I still juice, but not all the time like I did the first week.

RAW JUICE

2011-07-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

July 13 I decided that it was time to do something drastic to reset my brain and my taste buds. I had watched the documentary, "Sick, Fat, and Almost Dead" and was impressed by the vitality that two very ill men had accomplished by using a raw vegetable and fruit juice diet that I went ahead and checked with my doctors and they gave me the go-ahead to use it. Their exception was that I add some more protein in the form of fat free milk or yogurt, beans and eggs because I have been very sick and am still healing. I bought my juicer - the cheapest one on the shelf which was a Jack LaLane Express It, and have now been juicing for 12 days. Result so far is that I feel better, have more energy, my brain no longer teases me in wanting bad things to eat and I have lost 11 pounds. After an initial big plunge in weight it has steadied out to almost a pound a day. I don't expect that to continue at that rate, but it has made my pants too big.

I am most impressed by the flavors of the juices I make and by the change in mind set. That was the first reason I went on the diet. For only 12 days, I am also impressed by the change in energy level, and what person wouldn't be impressed by the loss of excess pounds. The fourth thing I am impressed by is how little I crave what everybody else in the world eats and how disgusting fatty/sweet desserts seem to me now. I do crave hot foods, but not too much because it is summer and the produce is so amazing. Life will be so much different for me after the sixty days that I will be using this introduction to the flavor of food that is good for you.

ETC.

2011-07-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm here, I'm alive and I'm happy. It might be summer but I can't tell because I'm wearing my fleece in July.

CHRISTMAS GONE, CD'S SHIPPED

2011-01-30T03:49:00.000-08:00

Finally Christmas decorations have been put away. After waiting a week for Chemo and then not feeling good for a week after chemo, I finally had the energy today to help Bob go through the Christmas decorations. We had so much more room for them in our large house and now I had to decide which special ones I wanted to keep. It will, in the future, make Christmas decorating and putting away much easier.

Bob has made a CD and many of you will be getting this via mail in the next week. He spent a long time working on it - many, many hours of thinking and creating to compose the work on this CD. I'm so proud of him and the quality of his composition.

As I sit here, I look at the new photos we got for Christmas of Sam and his family. He is so sweet and charming and well behaved and full of surprises. I could just hug him forever (but I won't). He wears an elf's grin all the time and one never knows what he will say next.

Daffodils are about 3" high and I'm looking for peonies to show their pink little heads. Soon the hosta will begin to sprout and we will have to be hot in pursuit as we plan to divide them this spring.
Our yard continues to grow and mature as we add new plants. Soon it will be warm enough to work in the yard again. Little green shoots show on our weigelia and I have finally discovered that it likes to be pruned in the spring after bloom. I thought it was a fall pruning plant. Learn, learn, learn.

We went on a drive to Marysville North of us last weekend and were in awe of the cantaloupe colored willows. There were also yellow weeping willow branches, but the orange ones were vibrant and delicious to look at. All of the trees looked as if they were just waiting for the flag to go down in order to start leafing out. How I love this time of year.

If you are wanting hosta starts, let me know and plan to pick them up when we divide them.

NEW PRINTER/FAX/COPIER/SCANNER

2011-01-05T00:18:00.000-08:00

I've been watching the price on the HP 6500A all in one printer/fax/copier/scanner/web wireless for nearly a year. It started out at $229, then down to $199, today it was $149. That I could afford. $79 savings! It will take a bit to get it set up and it will probably be housed in Bob's office, but WOW, this will make things much easier and if you have a fax and know my number you can fax me your art or Christmas letter, or recipe. Our printers are going on 10 years old. It was time.

I'M STILL HERE

2010-11-30T08:01:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, I didn't drop off the face of the planet. I'm sure you don't want to hear my year long health report, so we'll just say I'm here smiling and enjoying rain falling and long naps.

We have three new Japanese Maple trees in our yard to compliment the four existing ones. Last year we planted four Vine Maples and next year we plan to plant more vine maples. On a big property, trees don't make much of an impact at once. Somebody asked how many trees we have on our property. We looked on one side of the driveway and saw at least sixty and that is the small portion of the property, but with smaller trees. Someday we may count, but suffice it to say that we live in the forest.

We saw almost all of the family over Thanksgiving and little Sam was chattering away all the time and the life of the party. His favorite phrase was, "ready, set, go!". His other favorite word is, "no" in a little whine. He's a pretty well balanced kid. It was fun to see him RUN down the driveway to get to the house. It was also fun to see him give everybody hugs on his way out to go home. Quite a charmer he is.

BABY STEPS

2010-09-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have discovered the value of baby steps. When I take big steps I need a whole day to recover. When I take baby steps I gain ground. So lately I work for shorter periods of time and then rest. It seems to be helping. In a few days it will be a year since I got sick with what was thought initially to be H1N1.

Looking back over the last year I find that I have learned some things.
1. The body heals as fast as it wants to heal.
2. When the body is really sick, the brain shuts down to slow.
3. People really, really care about me. Thanks folks:D
4. When one doesn't use muscle it converts to fat.
5. When muscle converts to fat, one becomes very weak.
6. Baby steps are very useful.
7. I like to wear pajamas all day long if I'm not going out.
8. Bob likes to be dressed even if he isn't going out and doesn't feel good.
9. Knowing where your comfort zone lies is very important.
10. Staying thankful keeps one's attitude in the right place.

I've learned a lot more, but those are the things that come to mind on this particular day of my life. I'm so happy to be better even if it isn't all the way well. Better means I can go to church, I can drive myself to a doctor's appointment, I can go on short shopping trips, and I can have short work sessions in the yard. I'm still working up to going on walks and daily exercise, but the yard work counts as exercise, so I have begun some exercise.

The final thing I want to share that I have learned is that I am the one in charge of my life and that what I do ultimately reflects in who I am. Becoming stronger is a big goal for me because I want my life to last for a long time. Being strong and eating healthy are two important things that I get to choose. To choose something, one has to take action, and I'm taking action.

Thanks to everyone for all of the love and care over this past year. All of you are why I try hard to do my best, but especially for Bob and Aimee and John and Sam. I love you all.

TO MY FANS

2010-08-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've posted. I've spent much of it sleeping and not understanding why my body hadn't healed. The last visit to my doctor indicated that I had 10 times more inflammation going on in my body than the highest normal level. I guess that takes energy to heal which is why I needed so much sleep. Time will get me back to creativity.

We have planted a few new items in the yard, the most pleasant of which is a hardy gardenia. As we walk by the path to the front door or get out of the car near the garage the fragrance is overwhelmingly lovely. It seems to like its new home and is busy making new blossoms. It is evergreen which will be a nice change in the spot in which it is located.

I love you all - you already knew that- and especially to my niece Jennie I express condolences on losing her lovely pink hair because of a woman that doesn't understand the beautiful individual that she stands in authority over. May you shine pink inside Jennie.

YARD WORK

2010-08-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

Whew! Yesterday was planting day. I know, August 1 is the WRONG time of year to plant, but this body couldn't do it before this. I began by digging up some Hostas and replanting a hardy Gardenia in a sunny spot. The Hostas on that side of the garage got too much sun and burned every year. Then I had Bob dig up more Hostas for planting three large Hydrangea bushes. They will be semi shade and should be a beautiful color for this time of the year for years to come. Then we headed to the back yard and replanted all of the Hostas into the shade around our back patio. We already had some there and wanted to fill in a lot of open space that was always invitation to weeds.

We have hundreds of Hostas in our yard and all of them need dividing. Fall is a much better time for that project. I also rescue baby Sword Ferns from the drainage ditch at the top of our driveway every year and transplant them to useful areas. With the right conditions they can grow into large shrubs.

Little by little we make progress in our yard. Cut back lilacs and rhododendrons. Cut down dying fruit trees, plant more trees that can survive the conditions, plant day lilys (hundreds of them free from Craigslist), divide Lily of the Valley, transplant ferns, cut back Camellias, sweep off the deck, sweep off the deck, sweep off the deck, rest a little, sweep off the deck again.

Today I'm going to paint some medallions on our front door that is plain Jane dark brown. I'll use some metallics to give it some punch and I'm pretty sure BLUE will be involved. For those who don't know, all of my planting pots are blue. I'm a blue freak. I always thought my favorite color was purple, but it is becoming evident that my favorite is blue.

This morning - sore muscles, but I'm getting stronger all the time. Thanks to all who have prayed for my recovery from a long illness.

CALENDAR

2010-06-28T01:47:00.000-07:00

I looked at my calendar tonight and I have (for now) nothing scheduled for the next three weeks. NOTHING! That means I can garden and sew and do art to my heart's content. I could even start cooking again!

CRITTERS

2010-06-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

We have lots of little critters roaming and flying and crawling about our property. It's God's property, not ours, but we live here and manage it for him. We always say the cats own the house, they just let us live here. Yahoo can open all of the cupboards and doors in the house, including the doors going outside. The only one she can't manage is the sliding door and she has been working on that one.

Back to the critters. Last week we had our septic tank pumped. I'm sure it doesn't take much imagination to know that it is a smelly and disgusting job, but somebody has to do it. I chose not to observe that process except from indoors. A day later another two guys came to put risers onto the tank so that next time we don't have to dig the space of two coffins. It was cool to watch, but I left when the smelly part got opened. So, we have these darling little centipedes that are black with yellow spots on their sides. I've held them in my hand numerous times and they curl up and then start crawling. It tickles but is not scary. In fact my 18 month old grandson held one. They are literally all over and I'm sure there is something wonderful that they do for the earth. The guy that took the smelly lid off saw them and freaked out. I mean he was moving back away from them and he got all hebe jebe from them. I think they are cute. He was going to step on them and I encouraged him not to. They just live here and don't harm a thing. This was a big tough septic tank guy afraid of a little centipede. He may be in the wrong business because centipedes are everywhere.

So far I haven't seen a snake, but I've seen ants both large and small, gnats and midges of all kinds, slugs and very few snails, butterflies, moths, spiders, bunnies, deer, bobcat, cougar and have heard coyote. We have had brief encounters with neighborhood cats and with raccoons. I've seen no evidence of opossum. There are numerous birds and we even had chickadees nest in our house this year. I'm pretty much a keep it natural girl. I don't like spiders snakes, but I can deal with them. I don't hold the fast moving centipedes because they are in a hurry.

So folks, who is the brave one here? The septic guy or the little grandma? By the way I saw a baby centipede today and when they first hatch they are pale green. Cute little guy.

THINK OF ME AS STEEPING TEA

2010-06-26T23:47:00.000-07:00

I've been horribly absent from my website. My heart just hasn't been here. Thursday my cousin LeRoy Kreiger died. His wife has watched her brother die, her mother of cancer, her father of something unknown, her daughter of Hodgkin's disease, and now her husband of colon cancer that metastasised. I've known he was being overcome by the disease but to the end he remained hopeful. He was fine man, husband and father as well as funny, hysterically funny, kind, generous and fund to be around. So is Elaine. What a tremendous loss for her after losing so many of her family.

I have also been playing catch up on medical appointments that I was too sick to make last fall and this spring. There are usually two or three a week and by the time I drive there, wait for the appointment, get through with it and get back home the day is gone and I'm tired.

I always try to do my best to spread happiness and kindness throughout my life with the people I meet, but these last few months have taxed my positive attitude.

Our deer was back to eat the columbine seeds, but just one deer. Last time there were two. Mom must have sent the yearling out on her own.

The chickadees from the birdhouse outside our kitchen patio door have fledged, leaving one little dead one behind. I fear he suffocated because there were so many - at least five or six plus two parents. I also found a completely perfect robin's egg the other day. Nature always astounds me. We walk around the yard and find things that put icing on the cake that is our life. We have little black centipedes with yellow spots that are everywhere. They are so sweet and we can pick them up and they crawl on our hands. They seem like little friends.

Our spring has been so late this year because of the temperatures. I am still fearful to put my basil out. I may just keep it in my garden window. It gets plenty of light there. My orchid is putting on a blossom stem and I'm so excited. This has never happened for me before. I was just about to throw it out when I noticed the little bud. How cool is that?

So folks, that's my life in a nutshell for the last several weeks. I hope yours had more happiness and less tragedy.

I REMEMBER

2010-06-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

Recently I read a friends blog and the words I remember triggered an exercise that I used to do for creative writing. It was writing about our memories.

I remember family reunions, both as a child and as an adult. As a child I was just the cute little tow head that everybody wanted to hold or twirl around. As an adult I began to realize the strong connection of family and how we change from year to year. Aunt Mary many times brought her amazing apple cake, somebody always brought a box of fruit, Dave and Dar were the experts at watermelon, carving ornate baskets from the rind. Over the years their skills have definitely improved. There were many times weddings that substituted for family reunions, and many times there were an enormous amount of people coming from long distances. Sometimes Fred and Ester were able to come all the way from Estonia (a Baltic nation of the former Soviet Union). We have lost two of Mom's brothers and a couple of years ago was the first time that Mom and Dad missed the reunion because Dad had fallen and broken several bones.

Family reunions aren't about all the good food everybody brings. They are about the love and fellowship and caring that goes on and on in a most wonderful family. It is about games and water play and sunshine and lemonade. It is about new babies and the joy of watching them play together and of course we also see wrinkles appear more pronounced on all of us. It is a snapshot of the passage of life. I'm so thankful for this family.

My family lives far away and most of the children live far away, so those family reunions are long between each other, but just as special because we see a toddler become a young man and a young man become a loving a patient father. Pay attention at your next family reunion and see the time pass in a snapshot.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

2010-05-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a neighborhood meeting for our development. I'm a member of the Architectural Committee which helps to interpret infractions of our covenant and also reviews requests for homeowner changes. For 81 homes that can get to be a busy job, but fortunately most of it is able to happen by email. Last night was a very animated positive meeting where people expressed opinions in quite a civil way. A lot of progress was made on some very important issues and I am thankful for that.

I first volunteered for this committee when an all-neighbor request was sent out for members. I saw it as a way that I could do a civil duty and help make decisions that directly affect the value of our home. I also knew that I had the ability to look ahead and see if things could become problems in any in terms of our covenant. To explain a covenant; it is a legal document that indicates that each homeowner will comply with the rules of the document that they sign at the closing on their home. So, here I am in a wee bit of a sticky mess about a very large infraction to our covenant, but our job is just to interpret whether an infraction has been made. No legal action has to be made unless the homeowners want it to happen. At this point it looks like people want to go forth with the legal action. We will see how a vote comes out to be seen some time next week.

I encourage each an every one of you to find a way to help in supporting your community. There are a lot of small jobs out there and even people with lots of health problems like me can still participate. In the end the feeling of being connected to your community outside of church connections becomes very strong.

JUST AN ORDINARY DAY

2010-05-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it really isn't ordinary, it is spectacular! The sun is shining, the thirty or so rhododendrons are blooming, the pink fairy colored columbines have begun to bloom and the birds are singing. Actually the birdsong has died down a bit, because everybody has babies to tend. I have about six birdhouses out on our deck wall, but of course they don't get visitors, but the hanging one at our back patio has chickadee babies in it.

We got a little patio table for two and I was proudly setting it up where I thought it should go and all of a sudden I was in trouble with the chickadee family. Oops! I quickly moved the table and two chairs to the other side of the patio. We do love the birdsong here and there are a few new ones that we didn't hear in Portland. This morning I saw a Rufus Breasted hummingbird. They don't go to Portland. They aren't territorial like Anna's hummingbirds so it isn't unusual to see several of them together at once.

I'm slowly improving. Currently the idea is that all of these episodes of flu have been Lupus like events. I'm to see a Rheumatologist soon. I've seen so many specialists my head is spinning and I can't remember all of their names. Hopefully someone will be able to explain what has been going on.

Beignet has suffered from my sickness. She gets bored when I have to sleep. I've begun taking naps on the couch now. She had a deformed feather that died and caused her some discomfort. From that one thing she began digging at her tail area until it was a scabbed mess. She had to have surgery again to close the wound. During two of the surgeries she has had breathing problems. During the first she had a complete respiratory arrest. During this one I noticed that her breathing was becoming shallow and they gave her drugs to help her ramp up her breathing. It is a tricky thing doing surgery on tiny things. Dosages have to be micromanaged.

I have been fortunate (some might not agree) to be able to be with her during surgery. The vets know that I have an interest in biology and I'm not wimpy about blood. They said when I was calm during her respiratory arrest that I passed the test for being able to attend surgery. I just want to know what is happening to Beignet and to be present for her. I think she senses that, because she doesn't act angry about the surgery. She just doesn't like the collar.

I've been hand feeding her for almost a week now. I think she milks the hand feeding routine because I've seen her eating on her own. The issue is that having a collar on makes her lose weight and it is already low. We have to keep caloric intake high for her. You can see that this is like having a child in terms of love and care.

AN IDEA

2010-05-04T20:02:00.001-07:00

I'm done posting Ten Things Tuesday until my health improves. It is hard to think of how exciting my life is when I feel like *^#+!%! I am doing a few fun things, but they just sound really wimpy compared to what I think they should be.

A note for all of you who follow my blog: I have a new blog which has not real posts on it, but it will be solely for art. It is www.openeyedart.blogspot.com

I hope to be posting photos of some of my work and some of my doodles and even some sketches. I have to get that camera busy.

We had a bobcat, two deer, and a bunny all that should have registered on Bob's critter cam. Lo, he had a card in that couldn't be written on because a little button was in the wrong place. Drat! The deer that we have seen so frequently didn't have babies this year and one of her twins is missing. I'm afraid the cougar was hard on wildlife around here last winter.

Google slipped out the front door a couple of weeks ago and has been WAILING about wanting to go out again. We got the cat stroller down, but the zipper has a rip that needs repairing. Soon Google, soon.

A FEW NOTES ON TUESDAY

2010-04-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

1. Beignet ruptured a small pin feather. Scared me to death.
2. It is so green here and I can see that warm weather is on its way, finally.
3. I've been knitting a hat for John.
4. Our dogwood is blooming.
5. I have seed packets lined up on the counter waiting for the right day to plant them.
6. Two deer were in the yard on Sunday and I walked within about 6 feet of them, then one of them lay down.
7. I want to lay down with a color book and be like a kid again and just color whatever I want. I can do that, I can.
8. We are trying to get Beignet to say Please. It is an awesome task and she is resistant.
9. I was at Macy's today buying unmentionables and saw the new styles in clothes. I think I'm in the dark ages, but I don't want to leave. It was hard enough the first through ninth times learning how to stay in style. I think I'll just keep this one.
10. I ordered henna powder and oils (terps) to make henna paste. I'm eager to do this, but have to practice some designs first.

A JUMBLED UP WEEK

2010-04-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

1. Bob woke me up Monday morning, I got up and had breakfast and slept until he woke me up when he came home. My body is still healing.
2. Wednesday I had my weekly visit with my primary care doc. I'm doing better, but have to see a ear, nose and throat specialist and also a pulmonologist.
3. I've already seen the throat doctor and my vocal cords are severely swollen. I'll be back on antibiotics and we will try more frequent inhaled steroids. If that doesn't work, then it's the big stuff again.
4. I actually got out of the house twice this week.
5. I fell asleep watching a movie last night. I never fall asleep during a new movie.
6. I'm so thankful for the Indian gown that Samatha brought to me from India. I have been wearing it for a robe.
7. We have a mile high stack of laundry on the sofa and nobody has the energy to fold it.
8. The ENT doctor wants me to have gastric bypass surgery. I'm having a hard time considering it.
9. Beignet is always happy. It is nice to have that presence in our home.
10.Bob is at a place called "Fatburger" that makes the most marvelous hamburgers in the world. He is bringing them home for dinner. I get mine on a plate of lettuce with lots of veggies without the bun. Yum. And...the funny thing is that they pat the fat off the fresh lean meat burgers. The name is from the 50's.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-04-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

1. My peonies are about 18" high already.
2. The cherry tree is in bloom.
3. I'm still really sick. It's depressing for both Bob and me.
4. I have a yearning for homemade kettle corn.
5. I want to dance in the sunshine with great abandon.
6. Bob has been pulling up ivy. We're trying to get rid of it..
7. Goggle is finally mat free. That means the cats can get a bath.
8. I've been knitting a hat for John. I'll probably make two.
9. I wish I had a log of all of the hats I've ever made. It's a lot.
10.I'm ready to wear shorts and tank tops. I like the warm weather. Wait till July!

TEN THINGS

2010-04-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

1. I can't talk and have had laryngitis for almost two weeks.
2. Because I can't talk I'm on self imposed voice rest hoping it will reduce the swelling.
3. My sister's whole family is sick.
4. Is this the universe's idea of a joke. Give us beautiful sunshine and flowers and make us too sick to enjoy it.
5. At least we have beautiful flowers and sunshine.
6. Beignet is absolutely gorgeous and is so proud of her feathers.
7. I'm happy to have my nephew Jeremiah home with his family. He's been overseas on duty.
8. I finally got my iPod to work. I won't ever buy an Apple product again. They don't have the heavy duty applications that are available in Windows OS gadgets. Their ads are good though.
9. I cut my hair yesterday. It feels so good.
10.Sam has become so cute. He is charming and I say that with reserve. In actuality he is a magnet. He does such cute things. His new word for the weekend was cha tsige.
Sausage.

I'm pooped today after two doctor's appointments. Prednisone is great to heal a person, but one day off it and you go back to reality. The doc says I need another week on it. Oh boy, no sleep this week.

Being sick for near on two weeks makes one a little sassy and caged. Cabin fever is at its high in this house. I want to go out and work in the dirt!!!!!!!!!!!

TEN THINGS THURSDAY

2010-04-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

1. I've had a really bad asthma attack.
2. Have I ever mentioned that I really hate ER rooms and Hospitals. They help, but I had them.
3. I had great docs helping me. 911 told me I only had a little cold and left.
4. I learned about the kind of old woman I don't want to be when I get old (never).
5. The food was delicious at the hospital - like going out to a great deli.
6. I'm so happy to be at home after basically 5 1/2 days at the hospital. Too much to explain.
7. Did I mention I'm so happy to be home with my family.
8. Spring is really here. The peony's are growing fast.
9. It is so good to feel a lot better.
10. I'm thankful for modern medicine. The attack I had would have killed me before cortisone was available. Of course cortisone has been around for a long time, but I'm still so thankful for it when it is necessary.

ps: Thanks to all who prayed for me during this time. It always helps and is appreciated.

BUNNY

2010-03-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon after working in the garden I went to leave via the west garden gate. My eye caught a little bunny but she did not attempt to move or even move her ears. As I looked I realized that there was a bulge coming from beneath her stomach and that she was laying on newborn babies. Bob came out and took a picture of her, but it was dusk, and didn't turn out well. She was gone the next night, having realized she was discovered. We have enjoyed these little tan bunnies so much since we moved here. We see them on a regular basis, but have never seen babies.

Bob said he saw Scarborough the deer about a month ago, probably pregnant. It is about time according to the plants for her to bring her young by to show them the columbines. I hope I get to see it.

Little by little we are planting things and thinning things, and picking up things that fall or are dead. It is a serious job, but we are dedicated to keep up at it. This past six months we have planted five new trees: one Japanese maple and four vine maples. We have also planted a lot of calla lilies and Stargazer lilies, day lilies and I planted sweet pea seeds that are all blue. We have so many rhododendron bushes that I think I'm going to plant one in my favorite deck pot. They have a small root system, so it should be able to live the pot for a long time.

EARLY TTT

2010-03-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

1. I'm up early and going to get busy baking bread in a little bit.
2. Last night I put a big box of Mountain High Vanilla Yogurt into a paper towel over a strainer over a dish and covered it with plastic wrap. This morning I'm semi-rewarded with yo-cheese. It still needs to strain longer (at least 24 hours), but it is a tasty thing to have with toast and jam.
3. Friday Beignet's collar is supposed to come off. Hip Hip Hooray!
4. I'm going out later in the morning to Molbaks to get a candy tuft plant and perhaps some bare-root perennials.
5. And, I will be planting those this afternoon.
6. I finally feel like the flu is gone and my strength is returning. Hooray!
7. I wore my lei to church and a lady there said she missed living there so much and commented on the lei, so I gave it to her (this is supposed to be true Aloha style).
8. I drew a quick summary of the colors and looks of Hawaii to remind me what I saw.
9. In no way could I draw what the underwater world looked like. It was truly amazing.
10. I love you all and get so encouraged when you leave me just a wee message to let me know you were here. Thanks.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY AFTER HAWAII

2010-03-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

1. We had such a good time in Hawaii. They said the weather was cool, but it was like Seattle summer with just a little more rain.
2. We went to the place that gets the most rain on earth. It was other worldly with so much green.
3. I found a teeny tiny baby gecko. He was darling, but quick.
4. We saw two chameleons and one big toad.
5. Chickens are a protected bird in Hawaii. They are everywhere and crow two hours before sunrise.
6. Snorkleing in Poipu was so fantastic. I didn't want to leave but we were both getting tired.
7. Philodendrons like we pamper in our households as precious little plants are a weed in Hawaii.
8. I got henna tattoos twice while there. They go away as your skin sloughs off so they aren't permanent. I'm looking into learning how to do it. The artist was very helpful in steering me toward the natural safe henna. There is some stuff on the market that will burn your skin. I'm really enjoying the tattoos.
9. Some people are going to be surprised when they see what I brought home for them.
10. Flying in today's time is like being a chicken packed into a tiny crate without the ability to move, having horrid food brought to you (I had to take my own) and a little cup of liquid brought to you at inconvenient times. The bathrooms would terrify MONK. On the trip home I took Benadryl to help me sleep through it. It worked.

11. Just an extra. When travelling put everything out on the bed and take twice as much money and half as many clothes. REALLY!

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-03-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

1. I have an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner so I cleaned all of my jewelry last night. So pretty!
2. Don't know how they reached it, but my cats got into my yarn - not good. Correction, Yahoo got into my yarn. If anybody gets into something it is always Yahoo.
3. I gave up using a PDA or Smartphone and now I just use a plain old paper calendar like most of the world.
4. No luck on the roller ball pen yet. I think it is a loss.
5. Sam talks to me on the phone. It is so cute. I have talked to him on the phone since he was really little, but now he makes sounds at me.
6. I wish our family all lived closer.
7. All of my miniature daffodils are blooming outside our living room window. I love them.
8. I love that it is lighter at night. Equinox is only a short time away.
9. I look forward to everybody that writes TTT. It is always fun to know what is on their minds.
10. Beignet whistles all the time to me since she can't talk with the collar on. I love her so much.

MYSTERY

2010-03-02T00:18:00.002-08:00

Okay, the mystery thing is beginning to drive me crazy!!!! I try to go to sleep and all I can think about is the plot of the mystery. I can't give any hints, but I'm really excited about it, or at least my brain is. It is now 12:15 a.m. and it is all I can think of. I think I need to start counting sheep or dollars or something like that. Anybody have any ideas???

ROLLER BALL PEN

2010-03-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

I have a roller ball pen that I have really liked, but having had it in storage for the past nearly two years, it has dried out. I'm trying an experiment by soaking it point down in water for a number of days. I can see the dried out pieces of ink inside. More info later to let you know if it works. I try it every day, and it seems it shows more color each time.

I have also packed a tiny art kit for an upcoming vacation. Very small pieces of paper, a few pens and pencils and a tiny child sized 3x2" paint box with good paint in it. The old stuff was washed out and I put new stuff in it. I have three small brushes, a pencil sharpener, a tiny piece of sponge, and a wee bit of chamois and two stomps. It all fits into one little box and I love it. I've been using this kit for years now and it does everything that I want at a short notice. The small bits of paper make drawing or painting totally unintimidating and I always come away with something fun.

During a nap yesterday I had the visions for a REALLY good mystery. I've written down all of the details that I remember and begun an outline. I'm so excited about it. It is amazing what the brain does when at rest. Maybe that is why I don't sleep well.

SECOND TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

This morning early I wrote all ten of my ten things Tuesday. Before I could post it, my computer did an automatic shutdown. Aargh! I just installed new software last night and it was part of the protocol that hadn't happened yet. I was just too eager to use the computer again. I installed Windows 7 and Office 2007 and updated Norton Security. There are a bunch of programs that I have to reinstall because my computer is older and W7 didn't save them. We still have them on a portable hard drive and I also have the discs..

1. I am so thankful to live in the Pacific Northwest where spring comes early. Some of the trees are budding out and I've seen trees in bloom, daffodils, one lonely tulip, and our hostas are starting to show their buds.
2. I am also very thankful to be healing, however slow it may be. It is still progress.
3. I am also thankful that Beignet is healing. I keep my prayers up that she will someday be able to have her collar off.
4. I give thanks every day for our two cats. With such distinct and different personalities, they are a joy to love and receive love from. Google thinks I'm a sofa. Yahoo drools all over me.
5. I am thankful for a warm and comfortable home, however small it might be. To many it is a mansion.
6. I am thankful for a warm, caring, thoughtful and loving husband and especially thankful that he understands my physical limitations.
7. I am thankful to have found a young but wise physician here in Redmond.
8. I love that the sun has been shining for many days and I appreciate the rain that comes and nourishes the newly planted ferns in our yard.
9. One of our goldfish (outdoor in heated pool) has started eating from my hand. He is always first no matter what. Red is his name.
10. I'm so very thankful for the people in my life that make it interesting and joyful. Hugs to all of you.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-02-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

1. It's my birthday this week:)

2. It's my brother's birthday this week:)

3. I like the look of the light as it increases in the morning from subtle to bright and how it dances off the leaves.

4. Bob and I are addicted to "MONK" dvd's. Tony Shaloub is the best at physical comedy.

5. I have Windows 7 and Office 2007 installed on my computer and love it. I previously had Vista.

6. I have found so many of my old friends through Facebook. I highly recommend it to those that don't use it. It has been great to reconnect with them. Just last night I reconnected with my college roommate.

7. Sam claps his hands for "more" and for "yes". He also says yes with an ssss on the end. It was so much fun to see him recently. He says cheese and toast. It seems the "S" words work well for him.

8. I am married to the most marvelous man in the whole world. It is so heart warming to be deeply in love with him after 33 1/2 years.

9. Beignet's feathers are slowly coming back, but there will still be more time in the collar. She hates it, but has become quite agile with such a cumbersome contraption.

10. I realized that on February 25 1976 which was 34 years ago, Bob proposed to me. It has been a wonderful journey.

This post got lost because my computer shut down unexpectedly. It was still converting new files after I installed Windows 7. I think I like the new program. I also use Office 2007 and love it. At the same time I updated Norton System Works, so my computer should be good for a while. Doing those things fixed all of the problems I have been having.

Time to go to bed.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-02-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

1. Yahoo and Google have been like Velcro since we got home yesterday. It is nice to know that they really, really, really love me. Pet love is so unconditional.
2. When we got home we could actually see how much things had grown.
3. The sun is out today and it is glorious.
4. I have a shiny red birthdays/anniversaries book that is oriental satin. If you want me to remember yours, tell me your dates. Friends or family count.
5. I crushed up Rice Chex for Beignet this morning. She took one taste of it and went for her own food. I guess that says a lot about Rice Chex.
6. Yum, I still love that first sip of "Homebucks" in the morning.
7. I am head over heels in love with my grandson Sam.
8. My orchid is putting on new blooms. The best part is that the cats aren't interested in it:).
9. I packed clothes for a four day weekend for two people into a tiny carry on suitcase. My skills have improved over the years.
10.Next thing on the agenda, figure how to pack that efficiently for Hawaii.

A NEW DAY

2010-02-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

Every day comes to us a little bit differently. We do many of the same things, but each day has its own twist. Today I woke up early at 6:00 a.m. That was a little early for me, but it felt right. I made a big pot of coffee and drank it all. Yum, "HomeBucks". I much prefer it to that other "Bucks" coffee that costs an arm and a leg. I use Stevia to sweeten it, powdered vanilla by Cooks to flavor it and Silk Soy Creamer to make it smooth. I make my coffee strong from fresh ground frozen coffee beans (Millstone brand "Breakfast Blend"). If you are not a coffee drinker this means nothing, but that first sip is just heaven. I love the first sip and I love the last cold sip and everything in between. I can go days without coffee, but when I make it, it is a love affair.

Beignet is grumpy, angry, and stoic today. She gets her pain medicine twice a day and she would rather not have it, but it is necessary. Friday she will see the vet again. She knows this and is not at all happy about it. My necklace or zipper on my robe have become her current hated items and she grabs them as often as possible. Her beak is a powerful instrument and yesterday it inflicted a huge bite on my forearm. I have a 50 cent size angry red spot with a bite over it on that arm. She was on drugs at the time and quite rummy, so I can't blame her.

I noticed just how green everything is becoming. The bulbs we planted last fall are coming up with vigor. I keep looking for the seeds of last year's columbines and foxgloves. I'm going to plant sweet peas today if there is a break in the rain.

My fish in the huge urn outside my kitchen door almost eat out of my hand now, especially the little red one that we call Kid. His side kick is Spot. The other two are Butch and Cassidy. They are the bigger Shubunkin goldfish. The other two are just feeder goldfish that happened to get lucky.

Laundry is part of today. So is soaking stains from white washcloths.

Each day is different, yet still there are 24 hours and what we do with that 24 hours is our life.

LONG DAY

2010-02-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

I don't usually like to complain on my blog, I'd rather write what is interesting. However, today I'm exhausted. I could hardly stay awake driving home from Beignet's surgery. I had a 20 minute nap and went on to my appointment with the doctor. I have an infection that used to be a virus. Healing wasn't complete from having H1N1 so bad in the fall so my immune system can't fight anything off. This is depressing being sick so much and then Beignet being injured. I have to give her medicine and she HATES it. I feel so sorry for her and the situation she is in. I'm also feeling a little sorry about my pocket book too. All these vet visits add up. Thankfully my cats don't go outside, so they can't get sick from anything but playing too hard with each other. Most cats are too smart to do that.

Okay, done complaining. Thanks for listening. I'm sure everything will be great by the time we go to Hawaii. I can hardly wait to get into the salt water.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-02-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

1. I woke up this morning and called the vet and my doctor for appointments. See last entry for the vet appointment; I've had a cold for more than 10 days and am not getting better.
2. The sun is shining and it is a gorgeous day. All of the trees have color in them.
3. I am SOOO sleepy today. It is hard to keep my eyes open.
4. I have a weird rock that I put under my computer when I put it on hibernate. Sometimes the computer turns back on and this keeps it from getting too hot.
5. My birthday is almost here.
6. The very last boxes have been unpacked excluding the boxes of puzzles and games.
7. We bought a new desk for my computer and I really like it.
8. My art studio i finally making sense to me and is functioning better.
9. I've been practicing the Aram Khachaturian Toccata for Piano almost daily.
10.Having less is feeling so much better. I don't miss the things I have parted with. Owning things just doesn't mean that much to me anymore.

COLLAR BACK ON

2010-02-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

Last night I saw bad signs. There were drops of blood on the paper in Beignet's cage. I looked at her tail and she had been chewing on it. So this morning we went back to the vet, she had more surgery to fix the hole she had chewed and then got another collar put on. She is one angry parrot. It makes me really sad, but she will have to wear it until all of her feathers come back in so that she doesn't want to dig at her tail. She was doing so well up until last night. Poor baby.

THE COLLAR COMES OFF

2010-02-06T01:58:00.000-08:00

Today Beignet gets her collar off. She has been really depressed with it on and the excitement is beginning to register with her. I'm planning to take a video of the event. I'm sure she will fluff up her feathers, and old feathers will go flying. It has been on about six weeks now. I hope to post pictures of her later today.

It was so beautiful outside today and I wanted to be out in the garden, but Bob and I are fighting colds, so we both stayed in and nursed our colds. He has been off work for two days now.

If you read my blog, please post that you did. Sometimes I think nobody in the world knows that I write anything.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-02-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

1. Beignet is almost healed.
2. I've been breaking in new shoes for our trip to Hawaii.
3. The work is NEVER done at this house.
4. I need a nap.
5. I played a trick on Bob's Critter Cam and dangled a fake mouse in front of it.
6. Things are growing like crazy outside.
7. I have a new great niece.
8. My favorite time of day - when the sun streams through my studio window.
9. I had real "HomeBucks" this morning. It was soooo good!
10.I can't wait until Beignet can talk again and say, "Oh boy, cracker!" Translated this means, oh boy cooked quinoa and flax meal - her favorite food.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-01-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

1. Today I WILL plant the ferns I dug up on Saturday.
2. I am so amazingly excited about the art I'm doing right now.
3. Can't sleep because I'm so AE about the art I'm doing right now.
4. Beignet sang today for the first time in weeks. I'm so grateful.
5. It is good to be feeling better and to be able to do something sometimes.
6. Bob made muffins Sunday night. Yum!
7. Avatar 3D is so beautiful.
8. Did I mention how amazingly excited I am about art??????
9. Bulb babies are up - my absolutely favorite event of the year.
10.I found a whole bunch of college pals on Facebook today.

May your Tuesday be as happy as mine has begun to be. It's only 12:50 in the morning.

FRIENDS

2010-01-25T16:53:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days I have had calls from very good friends. I am so thankful for those who love me and want to spend their time with me, be it by phone, email, Facebook, or at our home. Friends are the fabric of life and I treasure every person I have ever met, even ones who are no longer a part of my life. Loving people on this planet is part of why we are here. I don't know what the other part is, because my life is pretty full of love for people and for my animals. Thank you to each one of you who read this and know that you are one of those friends that I treasure.

FRIDAY FUNNIES

2010-01-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

Today I had a dentist appointment. The card said 10:00 so I was there at the appointed time only to find out that it was 1:00 instead. Hmm...what to do with three hours. I decided to find the Bead World store in Kirkland. I found a place that said parking 2 hours and parked my van. There were no meters to feed. Hmm...that's odd! The store didn't open until 11:00 so I walked around looking for places to get my hair cut. I found a great place and they had just had somebody not show up so they said they could do an immediate appointment. I had planned to just make an appointment. They probably looked at my hair and thought "This lady NEEDS a haircut!" So, haircut over, and I'm at the bead store which is phenomenal. Then I go out to my car and there is a ticket. I guess the Kirkland downtown is known for its shady way of getting driver's money. It so happened that they called the parking 2 hours place a loading zone. No good information about that except for two cars down the track. I'm writing a letter along with my fee.

So, it was a serendipitous type day which was quite fun, and a frustrating one with the Kirkland Meter Maids.

ZENTANGLES

2010-01-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

For those of you who tried to look up Zentangles I led you astray. It is www.zengangle.com
So sorry for the misleading information. It is a great newsletter.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2010-01-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

1. Finding a swimsuit in January is hard.
2. Beignet got her collar made a little smaller and she is a little bit more happy but still really mad at me.
3. Beignet hates getting her three medicines every day.
4. With my new unfortunately larger size I needed Hawaii shirts, so Beignet and I went shopping after her vet appointment and I found three really great ones at 50% off already marked down price.
5. I love finding a good deal, especially when it only takes 15 minutes.
6. The wind blew too hard today for me to do fern rescue in out ditch which will be cleaned out by the county tomorrow.
7. Google cried and cried at dinner time. His sister Yahoo was hiding under the covers on the bed and he couldn't find her.
8. I am hopelessly addicted to Zentangles (.com). Look it up. I bought the kit, but you can get the ideas online from the newsletter.
9. I'm still needing a daily nap four months after H1N1, but I was unusually ill with it.
10.I miss Sam and Aimee and John.

TEN FAVORITE CHRISTMAS THINGS

2009-12-18T03:24:00.000-08:00

1. Reading the Christmas story from Luke.
2. Twinkling lights.
3. The sky always seems to get crystal clear at Christmas time.
4. Creating joy for the children that I gift.
5. Being with family.
6. Solstice.
7. If you catch an afternoon moonrise at this time of year (the 31st this year) it is always magnificent.
8. Remembering Christmases past.
9. Enjoying Christmas present.
10.The friendliness of people this time of year (leave a comment if you read this).

FAVORITE THINGS, VOL. 3 / BEIGNET'S WINGS CAUGHT

2009-12-10T00:06:00.000-08:00

1. Clean desks.
2. My miniature basket collection
3. Writing with a good old fountain pen, given me by my Dad
4. Old things out of place.
5. Temporary collections (like the seashells sitting by my desk from Bainbridge Island).
6. Christmas carols.
7. Old wooden boxes.
8. Soft skinned babies.
9. Well behaved children (which means the parents have worked on this).
10.Handmade tools.
and last but not least tonight I experienced this.
11.Being able to burp when the tummy hurts (Didn't God make us wondrously!)

I'm thankful tonight that we didn't have to make an emergency trip to the avian vet. Beignet caught her wings in the cords for the curtain and wrapped them around her wing and twisted them around her feet. She was very upset and scolding, but she didn't bit once. We were so proud of her. I asked her later and she lifted her wings to show me they were find and shook her head yes, they were just fine. I'm so glad I can communicate with her. I'm also so glad she didn't get hurt. We have a few changes to make.

FAVORITE THINGS, VOL. 2

2009-12-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

1. Waking up early in the morning refreshed.
2. Getting my hair washed at a salon.
3. Listening to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings.
4. Cuddles from Beignet.
5. Picking up seashells (ranks high on my favorites list).
6. School supplies. The very thought of them makes me drool uncontrollably...!
7. My grandson Sam.
8. Pictures of Sam.
9. Videos of Sam.
10. Talking to Sam on the phone.

As you can see in this particular post, Sam is nearly half of all of my favorite things. I love his smile and his laugh and sense of humor.

TEN OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2009-11-19T00:50:00.000-08:00

1. Raindrops twinkling on bare branches.
2. Layered dusky mountain ranges.
3. My two red tabby cats now four at Halloween and still kittens.
4. My sweetheart parrot Beignet who continues to astound me with her wisdom.
5. My husband who loves me so dearly and has taken care of me when I was sick with flu.
6. Wind in the trees and the perfume that it creates.
7. Crunchy tart apples in fall.
8. Tofutti sour cream and cream cheese. Life savers for the dairy intolerant.
9. Fat crunchy grapes that burst in your mouth. Beignet likes these too.
10.Ticking clocks. They remind me that time passes and that I am using the ticks.

One more my sister and I share...fresh black smooth asphalt.

ONE THING MONDAY

2009-09-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

This week it is one thing and only one thing. Refreshment after vacation. I am renewed! That is all I want to say!

FOUR THINGS FRIDAY

2009-09-04T14:41:00.001-07:00

It has been a busy week, so Tuesday has gone and here is Friday. Beignet is sitting on her little portable perch beside me and she wants to write something:

rrrrrrrrrrs reza. That is Beignet's message to everybody. She stood on the keys.

1. I so love that Beignet continues to grow in her abilities. She now whistles a specific number of times and I reply the same number of times. Then she says, "Good Girl!" She has become a teacher and I'm the student:D.

2. The sun is still shining here in Washington and I feel grateful for each ray of sunshine. Soon the rain will be here and we will experience all the colors of the grey spectrum which I personally find quite interesting. Good thing, because here we get rain forest type of rain all the time.

3. I'm grateful for the friends that are in my life and for their support to me and for the times I can lend support to them. If the whole world functioned on this simple system we would have peace.

4. Okay, I was going to wane philosophical on this one, so I'll put it into a more personal mode: I love my husband so much and I love that he loves me back. I love our life together and the way we are able to work side by side. I love the little things of love that happen when we work side by side, the tiny little things that make marriage a good thing like the wink of an eye or a giggle at the right moment or a simple glance. Connection to each other with regularity is what makes it work. I think every couple should prepare their dinner together. The dynamics of work together for a common goal provides a significant means to great camaraderie in a marriage. For this I have profound thankfulness.

LATE 10 THINGS TUESDAY

2009-08-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, we were at Detroit Lake State Park last week and had a blast. We took 8 month old Sam swimming in his first COLD water. He loved it (and was wearing an appropriate life jacket). He is going to be a fish just like his Mom. This was the first time in 14 years (how time flies) that we went camping.

I missed my 10 Things Tuesday column, so here goes for last Tuesday:

1. Wow, it looks like it's going to be warm today

2. I want to go swimming right away.

3. Boy, I'm hungry.

4. Need a nap.

5. Aargh, sun on tent, napper too hot.

6. Why did we swim this morning? We should go now.

7. Mmm. Spaghetti is on the menu.

8. Mmmmmmm. Bob makes great spaghetti.

9. My assigned job - drying dishes.

10. Toasted marshmallows, then brush teeth and off to bed. A fine day at the lake.

The next day we swam in the afternoon and it was fabulous. Snorkeling is one of my favorite things even though I have to override that very strong human law that says, "Do not breathe when the face is in the water - no matter what!!!!!". It is always amusing to me how strong that law is, even though the brain knows that the snorkel will bring the air to the mouth. It always takes me a few breaths to get it regulated. The first few are jerky, untrusting and downright scary.

Sam and I had this fabulous little game of peek-a-boo going one night as I babysat. I loved it. That is his picture at the top. His mother tells me this morning that he has begun standing up on his knees. He wanted to be in the play pen during the week because then he got to stand up. I think he is going to be walking before we know it. He is a real acrobat.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

2009-08-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

My niece who is, by the way, 35 weeks pregnant has posted on her blog a great idea, name any ten things on Tuesday. After all in our city Tuesday is Junk Mail Day, so what am I going to do with my spare time except think of ten things.

1. I am abundantly thankful for good health care for me and my husband.
2. I need to rescue one of those roosters that nobody wants and have it for dinner. This, of course would mean that I would have to kill and prepare it for cooking. It would keep me in contact with why I would really rather be a vegetarian.
3. Having a grandson is the fourth greatest thing that ever happened to me. The others were getting married, having Aimee, getting a son (in-law), and then holding Sam the night of his birth while his parents slept. We whispered secrets all night.
4. God bless this place where I live. I'm awestruck every time I go outdoors or walk on the hardwood floors.
5. Five days of intestinal virus is W A Y too much.
6. When traffic is too heavy, just get off the road and have dinner:)
7. Finding swim fins in August is poor planning.
8. AAA has a great travel store. I've been buying purses there for years.
9. Having somebody to cuddle up next to at night is pretty nice.
10.Third hip injection is over with and it seems to be working. We'll know in three months when the MRI is repeated.

So, that wasn't so hard once I got going. But, there is a #11
11. It's okay for the deer to eat the columbines. We saw the Mom last week and she was really thin. They were here before I was. It's not really our land. The bank can complain if they think the deer will comply.

HOT WEATHER

2009-08-07T17:13:00.001-07:00

The weather in the Northwest has been particularly hot in the past two weeks. This week it has cooled down, but here is a shot of what that hot weather does to animals. This little gal had been on another chair in a similar position. Our two cats were watching her and then I joined in to see what was so interesting. The squirrel hopped down and then up to this chair and assumed the "Darn, it's so hot today!" position.
The moon was full last week and we saw it as we came home from our Chinese class. I couldn't resist a quick shot.

Here is the sunset from the building that our Chinese class is at. This was a week prior when the hot weather made the elevator riding up to the place where I shot this a miserable toast of a ride. The elevator faced the sun and it was near 100 degrees out, so we guessed that the elevator was at least 130 degrees. Now I can slightly sympathize with our guys in Iraq.

I continually find the rising and setting sun and moon to be something of a fascination. My attention is held fully in the images I see. Beauty is all around us and I count these little glimpses of life to be small miracles in the bigger miracle of the universe.

DOE AND TWINS

2009-07-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

I saw a doe and her fawn recently in the yard and watched them for quite some time. Bob came home driving down the drive and the doe moved away a little bit, but not far. We were going out for dinner when he came home, so I went out to the car. The doe had walked a little bit closer, but the fawn wasn't in sight. As we left she sauntered up the driveway ahead of us and over into the neighbor's driveway.

The next time I saw her I saw the fawn first and then...another fawn. Then Mamma dear came up behind them. We call her Scarbourough because she bears a scar on her left shoulder. Last year we saw her with her yearling fawn. She seems to know which plants to eat and when. Our columbines had bloomed beautifully this year. I wanted them to go to seed so I could start some in our back yard. One day I came home and most of the seed heads had been carefully nibbled off. Evidently she has been taught from her mother just when these columbines are richest with seed. Now the fawns are nibbling the columbines to the ground. The hostas have suffered the same fate. I'll be looking for deer proof plants next year.

Cute little fawns with all of their spots and huge ears. They are a much smaller deer than is seen in the Rocky Mountain region.

Mamma deer is gently guarding her babies. She seems quite unafraid of me.

WATER IS SO FUN/ PART 2

2009-07-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

What total glee is present in this photo. Kids are so pure and unreserved about expressing their feelings. Look at the hands held in little fists. As adults we do the same thing when expressing sheer joy. I giggle every single time I look at this and actually giggled most of the way home last night after taking Nithya and her Mom home. We had as much fun as she did.

Here it is. After clicking my camera constantly I was rewarded with the perfect picture. She is anticipating the water with eyes closed just a bit, the dress is swinging as she turns and the water splashes out to illustrate what has been happening. I don't remember ever getting the perfect shot, and this whets my appetite for photography. Thanks Nithya for a great day.

WATER IS SO FUN/ PART 1

2009-07-23T12:13:00.001-07:00

What child doesn't delight at the idea of playing in water. It is an irresistable urge that is common in most people. My friend Samatha and her daughter Nithya are regular visitors at our home. On this warm summer day we walked around the yard and then settled in on the deck to watch Nithya play. She soon found the water and this is what happened. First is that anticipatory look of "what will happen if I put my hand in the water?".

No self-respecting child could resist the urge to drink out of the birdbath - "NO NITHYA!" shouts Mother. I just giggle.

She is such a beautiful child with zeal for living. Her little gauze dress is soaked at this point.

"I'm having SO MUCH FUN!" and it is so evident in every fiber of her being.

And I thought the other picture was soaked. Now this is really soaked. Stay tuned for part 2.

TO MY FOLLOWERS

2009-07-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you, thank you to those who follow my blog and make comments. I always go back and read them and they uplift me so much. Bless you for being my friends and family and blessings to those who might find me by accident.

STILL HERE

2009-07-13T23:42:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not I'm still here. We have been busy every weekend either travelling or working in the yard trimming shrubs and pulling blackberry vines the invasive weed of the Pacific Northwest. I'm getting settled in my studio space and have begun making a bit of jewelry: a gold colored freshwater pearl single strand necklace, a black freshwater pearl three strand necklace and learning the process of cold joined metal. Reading a lot is how I learn best, and that means not only books, but using the Internet as a tool for research. Both are time consuming.

Last week we saw a doe and her speckled fawn, probably a month of age. I took a video of them that is sweet, but until I learn how to edit it and prepare it for upload, you won't see it. It is a very small breed of deer that lives here in the Northwest, unlike the large Mule Deer that live in the colder Northwest areas.

I keep delighting in the growth of Sam and his gentle spirit. I think he gets that from both of his parents who, I might add, are most excellent parents with a wonderful sense of patience, love, and encouragement.

SAM HAS A MOM

2009-06-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

I realized by the last comment that I didn't say anything about Sam's Mom. She has been busy finishing her last two terms of university to get a degree in economics and a minor in business. She graduates June 13 and we are very proud of her. Four days after having a c-section for a 10# 4oz. son, she took her final exams from fall term. She is one determined woman. Nobody wanted Sam to have to be in day care while she was in school, so the two grandmothers and Dad worked out a system where we could all share his care and Aimee could finish school. She has had high grades and will become a wonderful CPA. I am so extremely proud of my daughter. She has always been more of a blessing than I could have ever imagined.

20 SIX BY SIX DRAWINGS

2009-06-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who has been asking me to post some of my art work. The pure and simple truth is that my art has recently been spent on helping to raise a child, my grandson Sam. His other grandmother and his father each take a week and I take the third week. Then we start the process all over again. I travel 6 hours by train there and six hours by train back. Another 45 minutes is spent each way in travel by car, and that doesn't count packing and unpacking at which I have become expert. One of the best ways for me to pack for the same place repeatedly is to leave the things in the suitcase that I always take as travel items and a list of the things I will always need. One must consider as well, that I have horrible food allergies and must pack all of my own food for the trip and part of the food I will eat while there for five days. I have my bags down to a small computer/overnight bag, and a backpack. So, that has been my most current art work - the art of being a loving grandparent and parent.

When I have free time I have settled down to work on a pad of Bristol paper that I bought as a sketchbook. The first drawing it was so much fun that I decided to do a series of all of the pieces of paper in the pad. I use the same #2 pencil for all of them to keep things transportable. Each drawing originates with one single shape, which is then repeated over and over until a texture is knit upon the page. Then I add darks. If I run out of room for large shapes, then I make underlayers of those images beneath the existing ones. A close up shows the scribbly and scrawly filling in of dark values. I'm not fussy about coverage, just the value. I have only six of the pieces finished, but two are total failures. There are 20 papers in the pad, so that means that if I'm really lucky I'll end up with 13 or 14 good pictures, but then one can never count on luck, only skill and practice. I don't think there will be 20 six by six drawings.

Please accept apologies for my editing errors. I am unable to find a 'delete image' spot on this editor, so there are two of one image.

SUNNY WASHINGTON

2009-05-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today I was supposed to be working in the house, but it was sunny outside and I ended up outside all day long. It was so gorgeous and I was able to walk about and see what was growing in our yard. I found some steps going to the upper property that had been hidden under blackberries. It is always fun to find surprises in one's garden. I always liked finding salamanders in Oregon, but haven't found one on this property yet.

THE LAST BOX

2009-05-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

We have finally unpacked the last box and the boxes have been hauled away as of yesterday. We now have an open and airy garage. Wahoo!

Plants in the yard are growing daily by the inch (hostas) and I've been out pruning blackberries which are also growing by the inch daily. I thought my hands were protected, but this morning I have numbers of broken off thorns in my fingers. Leather gloves don't seem to stop a razor sharp blackberry thorn. Does anybody have any ideas?

We are certainly not done weeding out all of our posessions, because the house has too many "things" in it. However, the boxes are gone and that is a big load off our shoulders. May day was the day it was all over. We moved July 24. Nine months and two full moves along with moves to storage units. I don't know how people move every couple of years. It is expensive, emotionally draining, and just a #!*/# lot of work.

ON BEING A GRANDMOTHER

2009-03-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

There have been women in my life who have been grandmothers and all of them have bubbled with joy about the experience. I always wondered what made them remark about this experience as opposed to the wonder of having one's own child. Now I know! Sam is at that stage where he grins all the time and coos sweet little sounds and melts my heart. When he was born I thought he looked just like his mother. Now I think he has the shape of his mother's eyes, but looks much more like his dad. Every once in a while I see a resemblance of many different family members and I personally find joy in seeing this. Before Sam was born I thought that I would most want him to look just like his mother, but seeing all of the different "faces" in his face is like seeing a family photo in one face.

This feeling of family and connectedness from generations past to present overwhelms me sometimes. I'm a bit (well, truthfully a lot) nostalgic. I have the watch that belonged to my great great great grandmother. It has been passed from mother to daughter for that many generations and it still ticks! It is as if it is really time being passed from one generation to the next.

So, as I write this tonight, I am saying to anyone who might be or who might become a grandparent that the experience is like one you can never imagine until it belongs to you. Thanks Sam for making me your Maemae.

FLU

2009-02-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

You don't want this. I'm staying home so nobody else gets it. You really, really DON"T want the flu. Stay healthy, wash you hands often, take your vitamins and drink lots of fluids. Remember to keep sanitizer to use after driving a shopping cart or writing on a checkstand with somebody else's pen. Meanwhile, I mend.

FOUR GENERATIONS

2009-01-28T06:37:00.000-08:00

Such beautiful people, such a sweet baby boy. This was taken at Sam's third baby shower. I understand that newspapers only print 5 generation photos now because people are living so much longer and four generations is pretty normal.

VISITORS

2009-01-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

We knew when we moved to this house in the woods that there was wildlife. It didn't take too long before we began seeing a doe and this years' fawn (that is the fawn on the left). They have been frequent visitors to our yard. Just before this photo was taken the rose bush on the very far left, almost off the photo had the last leaves nibbled by these hungry deer. I suspect they are the ones that snatched the ripe pear off the pear tree last fall before we moved in. There are definitely coyote, bobcat, and we have heard reports of wolves and cougar. I will keep my ears and eyes aware when gardening in our yard and hopefully the only critters I'll see are the slugs and an occasional salamander. However, from this entry you will note that gardening is a while away yet.

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE

2009-01-05T06:34:00.001-08:00

I'm holding Sam while he is trying to sleep. He looks pretty normal sized in my arms with my stature a wee bit on the short side.

Sam's Dad is 6'3" and Sam looks like a newborn in his arms. In Grandpa's arms with chin to head Sam looks pretty normal sized. Now look at second cousin Jenn. Sam looks HUGE. At 5 weeks Sam is wearing 6 month sized clothes. We are hoping that if Jenn has children they will be born closer to her 5#?? birthweight. These photos were all taken the same day.

COLD DRAGONFLY

2008-12-23T20:05:00.001-08:00

This is the view from our office window. Again, I love the look of the intertwining branches and never tire of trying to figure out how it all connects together in space.

My watering can seems to have acquired a taste for a new job description - snow shaker!

I bought this plasma cut steel dragonfly in Montana last fall at the last farmer's market of the year. It has looked so neat in our hosta bed, but now it looks like an airplane ready to take off. This dragonfly looks really cold. I guess it needs some de-icer.

CABIN FEVER

2008-12-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

I love the lacy look of trees with snow on them. I especially like looking into the depths of the branches and seeing the patterns they create as they interlock. The icing of the snow just makes it a special treat for me.
Beignet has always loved paper. I have called her my personal paper shredder. No batteries, no electricity, just plenty of good food and clean water. She has been practicing up for the Holidays. This is the paper that has packed our belongings. We have unpacked, folded, put away, repacked, unpacked again, folded and put away so many times that I begin dreading opening a box because it will have MORE paper in it. We should be done in a couple of years:).

Google is sitting in one of his new favorite spots - in front of the window. It was out this window that he pointed out two deer in our yard the other day. Note the length of Goog's tail.

I hate to be all Scroogish, but who needs a Christmas Tree with THIS out the window. We have really been enjoying the appearance of the little forest we live in with its transformation from the snow.

Google loves to find the warmest, coziest spot around. He burns off so much energy with his racing around the house that we work at keeping him fed well enough. He is a rather thin cat, but all muscle. The boxes from our moving have become a favorite hideout for him - nice insulation, quiet surroundings and nobody to find him, unless I'm around with the camera. What a great cat he is. His sister Yahoo is pretty neat, too, but she disappears when the camera shows up.

It isn't too hard to tell that we have cabin fever around here. For goodness sake, I'm taking pictures of birds shredding paper and cats hiding in boxes and he doesn't exactly look pleased about it!

DECEMBER 18 SNOWSTORM

2008-12-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is Queen Anne's lace all covered with a crown of snow

The sign post to where we live is all wrapped in a bow. All of the mail boxes have wreaths on them that are now completely invisible.

This would be my Christmas card to all of you. It just exudes Christmas to me.

Oh my, look at the height of these trees. That is what you get when you live in old growth forest.

I believe this is a duplicate of the trees, but I don't know how to delete the photo, so hurray, you get a second look at those tall trees.

I have to give my husband Bob credit for these photos. I was a wimp today and stayed in. After living in the North most of my youth, I'm happy to just look at the snow from a warm window.

I wish a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a delightful start to a new year to all of you and your kin and friends.

THE GOOD FATHER

2008-12-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

Oh how I would love to post a photo tonight. My computer doesn't want to allow it, so it is time to use creative language. I have an image burnt in my memory. It is of a man kneeling by his son and wife, caressing them in adoration. It is what I have always felt that the image of the heavenly father should be, one who is caring, attentive and ready to meet my needs. That is what I saw my son (in-law) doing the other night. I had walked down the hall to the guest room and turned to ask a question when I saw him kneeling at the bedside of his wife and son. It is so dear to me to know what a good father and husband he is.

Sam is a fortunate son and Aimee is fortunate as well to have such a man in their lives. We all have physical needs such as food and shelter, but to have emotional and mental needs met so well is a great gift. I'm thankful that my daughter and grandson are recipients of that gift.

We are not always blessed with the people our children choose as life partners, but John is like a real son to me and I love him dearly. I wish I had the photo of him to show, but perhaps that image was just for my eyes so I could put it into words. Memory is all we had before cameras and memory is a wonderful thing.

AMAZING GRANDCHILD

2008-12-04T23:25:00.000-08:00

Amazing, amazing and again amazing. I've become a grandmother and his name is Samuel Robert. He arrived weighing in at an amazing 10#4oz. and has not one roll of fat on his body. He has chubby baby cheeks and a lean well-muscled body with feet that will make his Mamma and Daddy want to start saving for custom sized shoes. His foot prints went outside of the lines, so at an early age he has learned to not color too much inside the lines (as an artist I'm so proud of this). I loved him the moment I saw him and he dazzles me with his awareness at such a tender age of three days. He is wearing the afghan I knitted for him over four year's time. Enjoy this glimpse of him at less than 12 hours of age.

ONE HOME

2008-11-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

As of yesterday we are moved out of our apartment!!! Hooray!!! We finally have only the responsibility and joy of one home. Of course, we still have about 150 boxes to unpack and we've no idea where all of it will go. Last night we managed to arrange the two living areas so that we can actually sit down and relax. One is a sitting room, the other is TV room along with dining area. We have a dining room but it is filled with boxes of art supplies from my old 13x20 studio. We also have the office arranged and I think we are ready to start unpacking books.

It has been two weeks now at the new house and we were concerned that we wouldn't be able to move until later because Aimee's baby might come. We are still waiting for a grandchild who is 9 days overdue. However, we are happy that mother and baby are still healthy and content.

The cats have adjusted well to the move and now feel relatively comfortable. They are delighted with the big picture windows and don't miss a movement outdoors. There is a little bunny that visits once in a while.

Beignet has adjusted well, too. She has a view out of two windows and it is common to see here sitting and looking out the windows. She seems to really like it.

It feels so good to be in just one location. Since April we have been in the moving mode and is nice to know that when we need to relax that we can. Just one home.

CELLO AGAIN

2008-11-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

Cello again, folks. Really, I mean that I got my cello out and played it the other day. It was good to see it and play it after having it in storage for four months. I placed the cello case on the small sofa which at the time was the only clear spot in the house. We have walls of boxes to unpack! When I went back to put the cello away I found both of our cats sitting in each of the flared areas to the cello case as if its velvet lining were made just for them. I'm always amazed at the places cats find interesting to sleep.

IN A CABIN IN THE WOODS

2008-11-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of our new home and the surroundings. The first is of Yahoo trying to hide in the old oven we took out. The second is of a gorgeous Japanese maple tree midway up our driveway, and the third is of the Japanese maple we see from our living rooms. The last is the "cabin in a woods" photo.

We have been busy transporting things to the new house and from the apartment and storage units. In particular I have been busy picking out paint for the kitchen and living rooms. I think I have settled on a Ralph Lauren color called Mexican feather grass. Bob is finishing the new counter tops this weekend.

FWIB

2008-10-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

It seems a small thing when you think about it, but today I got to sweep out the garage and deck and sidewalk and driveway at our new house. It was a big job, but it was just sweeping. We used to play a game at dinner called FWIB. F was for the most fun thing of the day, W was for the worst thing of the day, I was for the most interesting and B was for the best. Today the most fun was sweeping, the worst was having aching arms, the most interesting was seeing the toadstools off the edge of the deck in the forest and the best was seeing the sunset in the sky as I swept. It was a small thing, but what a great part of my day.

NEW HOUSE

2008-10-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

Wow! I don't think I have ever done this in my life. Yesterday we signed papers on our new house and today we went to the appliance store and bought a new refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. I don't think that we have ever done that. Sticker shock (with tax) is still grating on our nerves, but I'm sure we will enjoy these modern conveniences for a long time. I will have crushed ice and filtered water to drink all the time. I love ice water and have just put up with tap water all of my life.

We walked out at the house today (we don't get keys until Tuesday) and looked at the variety of plants in our new property. It was so extremely quiet except for the sound of birds and the air felt clean and fresh because it is so purified by the trees in the area. I think it is going to be a good home and a great place for grandkids to grow up.

MORE FAVORITE THINGS

2008-10-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

My sister Lorrie and I recently went on a trip to Montana. Long road trips tend to encourage a lot of nonsensical talk and soon we began reciting some of our favorite things. Fresh blacktop, dark trees against the fading sky, the haze on blueberries, and many other things came up.

For a long time now I have kept a list of favorite things. At first the list began because I wanted to a piece of calligraphy listing my favorite things. Eventually the list became so broad that it couldn't be kept to one work of art, so I just kept adding to the list. At this point it could actually be subdivided into groups such as garden, color, feelings, nature, people, events, etc.

I would encourage everyone to keep a list of favorite things. At some point in one's life that list will become a part of a legacy to leave behind oneself. We are defined by the things we love.

THE FIRST BIRD

2008-07-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

High on my list of favorite things is the call of the first bird of the morning. One bird sings in the distance and then another a little closer and then the forest is a cacophany of song. It stirs the depths of my being like a prehistoric force answering to the first alarm clock - the bird. Usually I don't hear it because my body doesn't seem to subscribe to the prehistoric force; it likes to sleep later, but occasionally I arise early and hear that sweet first bird call and love every single note it sings.
We live in the last swath of old growth forest on the West Side of Portland, Oregon that is privately owned by individuals. If one were to look at a satellite view of our home you could see the shining green swath looking like a huge punctuation mark on the map. All of the other green spaces are owned by corporations or the city. These are the only homes left that have towering trees above them and small creeks running below. These are the homes untouched by massive developers that devoid the land of trees, those precious oxygen rich beings that keep us breathing. Most of us aren't even aware that it is the trees that give us most of our oxygen. Lawns: they just look pretty and contribute to global warming with big lawn mowers and exhaust, plus they contribute to pollution with chemicals to keep them looking glowing, as well as use up water resources. Trees: they survive on their own, give shade, and allow the ferns to grow beneath them. For fertilizer they drop their leaves every year and let the slugs and bugs grind them up to be used again in a never ending process. The birds like the setting. It is beautiful and it has been my most honored privilege to live here for the last twelve years. Keep on singing first bird...

MOVING BY THIRDS

2008-07-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

When I write and can't think of anything to write I follow the Natalie Goldberg advice, "Keep the hand moving." When I don't want to exercise and I need to I follow my own advice, "The body dies unless it keeps moving." That is not the kind of moving I am talking about. We are physically moving from one city to another. Moving from a 3000 sq. ft. home on 1/3 of an acre adjoining many other acreages that are all unfenced and a bit of heaven to a 2 bedroom apartment a little bit over 900 sq. ft. We are being so drastic so that we can try to sell our Portland, Oregon home in a bad market. So the plan goes like this: 1/3 of the stuff goes to storage, 1/3 of the stuff goes to our apartment and 1/3 of the stuff stays here so our home is "staged", the modern term for making a house look like a model home from a magazine. None of the stuff of personality is supposed to stay. It all has to look like we are sparse interior decorators who just love to look at 19 foot ceilings with nothing in the way. The real intention is to not distract the potential buyers from actually seeing the house, as opposed to seeing the STUFF.
All of that stuff I mentioned...We have also thrown away or given away about 1/3 of it. It is amazing beyond comprehension how one can accumulate things and never notice that the nooks and crannies are filling up. It is a slow and devious process that begins to take over a home and pretty soon the corners are screaming to be seen again, but the stuff keeps them silent. Not any more! The stuff that is accompanying us to Seattle, Washington is the stuff we really want plus the stuff that we didn't have time to sort through. Little does it (the stuff) know that I now know how to be ruthless. My husband and I have called each other Ruth and Les. I'll ask, "what to you think?" and he'll reply, "Ruth!", so I throw it away. You know the flip question and answer, don't you.
Our movers come in three days and I'm awake at 4:30 in the morning with my head swimming with overload. What do I think about, you ask. One would suppose that worry would be flooding my mind with the impending due date on preparation. Nope! The beginnings of a way to put three different stories into one has pushed its way through the thoughts of stuff and is running rampant. I have tucked it away into my file of things to write about and now I'm attacking a corner of stuff that has been eluding me. I'll get you my dearies.....!

SUSPENDED ADVANCES

2008-05-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

Having viewed my last entry I realized that I wasn't prepared for the 30 day trial period. Life is just too full of life challenging changes to encompass that kind of trial. So...I have gone back to the change that works; the one thing at a time concept. It works for me and I can handle one change at a time. When that is habit, I go on to the next change.

The concept of diet has always troubled me. It has the word DIE as part of it and I think that really explains why it usually fails. Something that we think of as temporary doesn't usually work. Something that is thought of as part of the rest of our lives does work. I refuse to say that my last plan didn't work, the plan was just suspended while I worked on other things in my life. I don't diet, I make changes.

TAKING CHARGE

2008-02-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who is an artist (who also has my sweet little parrotlet Isabo). She says that she has a hard time just getting sat down at her desk and working, so she sets a timer for 30 minutes. She begins to doodle and pretty soon she is working on something with intensity and the timer goes off and she just ignores it.

Having gained several pounds (ugh!) I decided to try the same concept except that I would do the right things for diet management and exercise management for 30 days. I know it is really TROML (the rest of my life), but 30 days is something I can look at for a short term and have a specific goal and look forward to what can happen in 30 days. I was sick with the flu and look what happened: I got flabby and unmuscled and that was for 21 days. I can reverse all of that and even gain more muscle which will increase metabolism.

This feels pretty radical and scary for me, but it is what I'm going to do. I'm hereby beginning the experiment as of 8:30 this morning. I've already done my exercise, eaten a healthy breakfast and walked the dog.

2008-01-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

This quarter I'm working out a new strategy to keep myself busy. Last quarter I spent every night in front of the television and it literally sucked up three months of my life. I don't plan on doing that again. So far I'm doing fine, but this is just Tuesday so I can't pat myself on the back too hard.

I have been struggling with a pattern for a baby sling. After interviewing lots of Mom's I have discovered the things they like and dislike about some baby carriers. The most popular has been a tube like sling. I am attempting to get it to be just one seam and I think I have it figured out. It takes quite a bit of fabric, so just going for it seems like a huge risk. However, that is what I'm doing today - going for it!

TRYING A CONVERGENCE QUILT

2008-01-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to make one of Ricky Tims' Convergence quilts since last summer. I had some scraps of batik fabric and Christmas break was a good time to concentrate on one. Thinking back on the process, I think that I would have made decisions to create more open space in the pieces. As well, I would not use complimentary colors as I did in this one. My eyes buzz when looking at it. The whole process was fun and very EASY. What amazed me most was how easy it was to get perfect piece matching.

The pictures show only the later steps in the process, but it does reveal how easy this was to make. Everything is just done in strips. The book I used for this is Ricky Tims' Convergence Quilts. Instructions and great pictures are provided. Great job Ricky Tims for giving us beginning quilters a way to quilt without cutting out all of those tiny pieces. It is such a time saver.

RAGING PEOPLE

2007-12-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I had an interesting encounter with a woman. She rudely challenged my personal integrity and I was so shocked that I paused in silence for a long period of time. This took place in a meeting. I paused to gather my thoughts and to release any anger and then I defended myself. I am still upset about the encounter because I want to live in peace. How is it that someone can be so rude to someone else? I've never liked this woman because she whines a lot and acts aloof - not the kind of person I like to be around, but she is in my group and I tolerate her. I've just never had anyone challenge me in such a direct way and with such rudeness and presumption.

We as a people have to learn tolerance of other individuals, even if they don't agree with our viewpoints. This was an experience that brought home to me the meaning of peace and also personal validation. I knew that I was okay about myself before her challenge came forth, therefore I was able to approach this in a wholesome manner. I wish none of it had happened, but it did. It was sort of like road rage in a meeting. I had to decide if I was going to be a part of it or not. I kept in my lane on my little side of the road, but didn't fight back.

Peace is right here where I live in my own little personal life. That is what peace is about - exercising the right to remain peaceful in a raging world.

MAKING A COAT TREE

2007-11-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

I'm making an early Christmas present for my husband. He wants something to hang his sweaty clothes on to dry after working out, so I'm making him a coat tree. He wanted something colorful so I've decided that since most trees are green, I'll make this one green. It has been great fun figuring out the pieces and hardware and now painting it and adding a finish. Sometimes store bought just isn't better.

2007-09-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

I am so amazed!!!!! I took a workshop this weekend from Colleen Cavin on alkyd finishes for calligraphy. The glazing method offered in this class was so different from other techniques that I have used. It allows one to erase mistakes easily and to create layer after layer of writing to create an abstract that still includes lettering.
Another development in our life is schooling for Bob. We are now unemployed by choice. It is a very different part of our normal scheduled life and we are actually looking forward to it. I'll have lots of free time to do art and am very excited about that as well as the free time to pursue my writing.
One knows when growth occurs in life, because it is always accompanied by change.

SLOW DOWN

2007-08-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'm an all hands kind of person. I cook, I do art, I write, I knit, etc. That said, my left hand is in a cast and my thumb is out of commission. In reality it isn't all that bad, but I have slowed down what I do. The great thing is that I am mostly right handed and I have time to do all kinds of art now. Hooray!

HAIR

2007-02-11T21:41:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought about the insulating properties of hair! I didn't notice it so much in the summer when the days and nights were warm, in fact it was nice to have a cool head. However, once winter set in and the nights became warm and the furnace kept it at barely the temperature on the thermostat, I quickly noticed that bald head plus cool air equals very cold human. Hats became my constant companion. Once Chemotherapy was completed my hair began to slowly grow back. When I returned to the doctor for my three month followup he mentioned that my hair was growing back very slowly. Well, that didn't discourage me one bit, because I had noted that even though my hair was pretty short, I was beginning to feel the insulating properties of hair again. Hair is like a sweater for your head, even if it is only 3/4 inches long. I still wear hats outdoors, but I am once again a little warmer. Thanks be to HAIR!

Thanks be to Chemo and to God, as my tumors have all disappeared!

2007-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

I've been doing abstract acrylic paintings lately. The first set of canvases that I did were an excercise in minimalism: I used only one color and white or matte medium and one brush. It was amazing how this stretched my abilities as I am a color-holic. It made me really reach inside to find my own emotions to put onto the surface. By the time I had done four paintings I was really sick of that color, but really awed by the variety it provided. I think that perhaps future paintings with color will be more expressive than before. Now I'm working on what I call the "Rock Series". I found some really neat rocks at the beach that have possessed me and I want to paint the feeling that they have created within me.

I have said for a long time that my goal in painting or calligraphy is to evoke emotion within the indivicual. Perhaps the emotion will be of a long forgotten event, or of something that is a twinkling of a remembrance, but I want to be able to bring out the deep emotion within human beings. I think we are all made of and react to emotion in our lives and to tap that inner resource is my goal.

Who would have ever thought that my writing life would come to a point where I have three books cooking on the fire. I have been writing on a regularly scheduled basis and I continue to add pages every day. This is a new first for me.

As an aside, our friend Harry was visiting town on business and called to say hello. We ended up going out to dinner with him. A spontaneous and spirited dinner discussion ensued and we enjoyed it so much.

Adjustment in Attitude

2006-09-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Anything new in life requires an adjustment of attitude. If you marry, you have to adjust your attitude to compromise and make a good life with your spouse. If you have a child, you make a lot of adjustments, like getting up several times in the night to care for your new bundle of joy. If you get cancer, you make adjustments, too. For me it has been learning that every cycle of Chemotherapy has its ups and downs and also learning to look at the benefits of Chemo - first of which is shrinking of tumors. Tagging along after that is *no acne, *no shaving of legs, *no bed hair, *easy showers, *no bothering with hair in the morning. Those few things give me a lot more time to sleep every day. In all seriousness, I have found that if I can look at the good side of things during this time, it keeps me in good spirits. I try to find one small miracle in every day. Occasionally it is the same miracle,but hey, miracles are worth repeating!

Dreams and a Change in Venue

2006-08-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

It has occurred to me that my initial desire to write about the artistic life has been a bit interrupted and some of my writing will now be about cancer and living with cancer. However, today I want to want to write about dreaming about art. It happens once in a while for me and is sometimes very intense. A few days ago I dreamed about a piece that I will do. The dream created the piece in its entirety with specific detail and color. I was amazed at the ease of concept within the dream. Conceptualizing a piece is sometimes the hardest work an artist does. In this dream it was already present, and now in real life it is already prepared for me. The only thing that the dream didn't specify was the medium. So, as my artist sister-in-law says, perhaps it is a series. I am thankful for this art activity, even if it is in my dream life. It means my creative spirit is still alive and shouting. With cancer it is sometimes difficult to remember what else you did with your life before cancer hit. Remembering in a dream is a great encouragement.

Sleep

2006-08-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to me how much sleep is required to heal. Today was about one thing: healing.

Who Would Have Guessed

2006-08-23T00:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since my last post. I've been busy, just not with the art kind of life I enjoy so much. We have been on a couple of trips, totaling about 7,000 miles in driving miles. In the middle of all of it I was diagnosed with cancer - follicular lymphoma to be specific. I had a pretty intensive surgery to retrieve one of the tumors and ended up with a seven inch incision on my abdomen. It didn't heal well, so we packed it with sterile gauze for two months. The first part of July saw me again in the hospital to have a Port line placed in preparation for chemotherapy. I have had three sessions of Chemo now.

Nothing that I know in this world could prepare me for what chemotherapy is like. Most of all it is extremely tiring. Of course, that was one of the early symptoms for me - profound fatigue. The vomiting thing is pretty well controlled with drugs, and then more drugs to keep my white count up, and more drugs to stop the constant intestinal irritation.

When I began this journey I woke up one morning wondering, "What is the job description for fighting cancer?" Text will follow on further installations.

The important thing to me in this passage, if that is what it might be called, is that I intend to arrive on the other side of it a better person, more alive than I have ever been in my life and completely cured. I will not be beat!

Flying Lessons

2006-02-16T20:35:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid I would go to the playground with my friends on Saturdays and swing. During the week at recess we had to be careful and not go too high, but on the weekend there were no teachers to caution us. I would imagine that I was a bird flying high in the air and it felt amazing to go so high. It was daring, exciting, and the fresh air across my face completed the feeling of actually flying. I wonder what a kitten thinks when jumping so high that it is flying through the air. Yahoo looks like a flame in the air, and appears to have more height left to go after the photo was taken. What fun we are having with these two special little lives.

There WILL be Consequences!

2006-02-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

Cats hate water. Well, most cats hate water. Tigers swim, and there is some other breed of house cat that likes to swim - perhaps it is a Turkish Van, but to sum up the issue, cats hate water. They don't just hate it, they think it will make them die, so they avoid any contact with it except to quench thirst. On the other hand, people love baths of many kinds: showers, steam baths, long relaxing baths, Turkish baths, hot tubs, and the list goes on and on. People like to swim, too and that list is even longer. People like to be clean, but I must generalize here because I have encountered a few people in my years who tweak the ability of my odor sensing nerves, though those times are rare. So the quandary between human and cat is how to find a middle ground with the water issue. If one appreciates the freshness of a clean cat and a clean human, then somebody is going to get wet in the process, and if the cat can help it, then it will be the human. I have found a solution to this issue. I just bathe my cats when I take a shower. I put a plastic stool into the shower so they can find some "high ground" and away we go using a shower head with a cord. Cats are wet, human is wet, cats are upset! I find it pretty easy to read the look on Google's face in this photo. Refer to the title above.

Together For Life

2006-01-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Reunion means an array of different things to a lot of different people. For some of us it is filled with pleasant, warm and fuzzy memories and events, for others it is reminders of hell-laden situations. Nonetheless, reunions take place at a fairly regular pace in our lives here on earth. I have a friend I meet with to knit and talk, I sing in a choir that meets twice a week, I embrace my family daily. Sometimes we are torn from situations where we think we will never see someone again, though this is much less common than a century ago. Wednesday Yahoo and Google thought they would never see each other again. They are the only two kittens from a litter. In previous posts I have alluded to their story. It is sad up until now. Their parents are "drop-off" cats from uncaring humans and the kittens are the result of no birth control. Their mother was live-trapped and now lives with some loving humans, Yahoo (girl) and Google (boy) were also live-trapped, sterilized and have been reunited to live out the rest of their lives together in a loving home. They have had an amazing reunion with loving snuggles and kitty kisses. An interesting fact is that approximately 95% of orange (red) tabby cats are male. Of the remaining 5% that are female, most have white somewhere on their bodies. Yahoo is in the tiny minority that has no white and is a dark red. Yahoo is in back, Google is in front. Note the "bracelets" on Yahoo's legs.

& Google

2006-01-27T19:21:00.000-08:00

I have believed for most of my life that things always work out the way they are supposed to work. Perhaps another way of stating that idea is to say that one can always look for the best in any circumstance.I still worry (probably too much) and get angry or disappointed when things don't seem to be going my way, but like the last leaf on a tree I hang on to my belief. Sometimes I wish I didn't have that belief because it means I won't get my way, but I choose to believe that way anyway. Yesterday that belief was tested beyond all odds. It was a day that appeared to be set up for disaster, but I held on, asked others for prayers and good thoughts and waited out the time until at 5:45 in the evening when I was to find out if Google was going to get to live with his sister and us. Somebody had put a "hold" on him at the last thing the night before when I had taken his sister Yahoo home. It was a series of unfortunate events, but with a great ending and even greater reunion. Yahoo and Google are now for life sister and brother in the same home - our home. Purr!

Yahoo

2006-01-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

In the course of one's life many events occur: birth, growth, marriage, homes, children, pets,death. As well, many emotions are felt: happiness, dreariness, love, hate (sometimes), joy, anticipation, grief. To experience death and then life in the same week does not happen often, but to experience two new lives in the same week's span is most uncommon. Last Friday our dear cat Cjazz died, and today I met Yahoo, a sweet little girl kitty. She has a brother, but he didn't get to come with her. After much conversation, it was decided that these two siblings should be together and so tomorrow, Google will come home to live with us and his sister. The clincher in the decision making process was when we were choosing names. I kept finding names that would work for a pair and all of a sudden I thought of the perfect names for cats that live in a computer person's world - Yahoo and Google. My husband loved it. Death, Life; Grief, Joy!

On coming and going

2006-01-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

It is so fun to get a kitten or puppy or new baby, or for that matter to see the new flowers bloom in spring. New life is wonderful and so is the process that we live each and every day. But, the reality of life is that it ends and January 20 we had to say goodbye to our long time cat friend Cjazz. I'm sure that as much as the heart delights at the little things that a new kitten does, my heart grieves as I see a toy he played with still on the floor, and see his water dish needing to be put away. I can't let go of these things yet, it is too soon, but there will come a time when he is just a memory in our hearts, a very, very good memory of a profound friendship. Like posts in the past, his picture is there, but he will not be in this one.

Pets in Sickness and in Health

2005-12-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

My cat, my dear friend for 12 1/2 years now has diabetes. He has been so sick for several months, has lost almost 3 1/2 pounds, but is finally recovering. When we buy or adopt a pet, we don't think of the times in their life when they might become sick. We just think of having a healthy animal that loves us, and we love them too. I am learning that it takes a dedication to keep up with your animal when the diet must be carefully adjusted and when shots must be given twice a day. All that this wonderful cat has given to me is worth every bit of that dedication and more. I am so thankful for his presence in my life. When we adopt or buy an animal it really is for "in sickness and in health". It is a marriage between human and feline, an oath to an animal. Pets are not disposable just because they have an easily treatable problem.
This sweet guy "asks" for his shots. Evidently he knows they make him feel better. As you can see here he is fond of lazing his day away in odd positions.