On A Rainy Night....

Birthday Winner!

2012-01-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

(Mom in her new Christmas Parka - Ketchikan, Alaska 1971)

Early January and much of the northern world is covered in snow and ice. When I was a small child, we lived in Ketchikan, Alaska where my dad had graduated from high school and my grandparents were commercial fisherman. Mom was an Oregon girl who went to live on the island of Revillagigado with her young husband, having not even met her new in-laws until arriving in Alaska. Mom always said that Dad had a bit of gypsy blood and couldn't quite decide where he wanted to live. We moved, along with the fishing or hunting seasons that were calling Dad's name, back and forth between Alaska and northeast Oregon several times when we kids were small.

This picture of Mom was taken during one Alaska stay in 1971. I remember it clearly. Dad had purchased this beautiful parka for Mom for Christmas and made the mistake of taking me with him when he picked it up. I was a precocious four year-old at the time and remember Dad telling me, "Now Paula. Don't tell Mama about her new coat. It's a secret." I barely made it through the door at home that evening before blurting out, "Daddy bought you a new parka. It's a secret!"

Dad didn't tell me secrets much after that....

Today was Mom's birthday so it is the day to draw a name for her birthday giveaway!

I hopped on over to random.org, popped in the numbers 1 through 9 (the amount of comments on the giveaway post) - clicked on go...and the winner is....

Tipper !

Congratulations to Tipper of Blind Pig and the Acorn! These two coasters and that box of tea, along with two more coasters for a complete set of 4, will be headed your way!! (and for anyone who doesn't know Tipper - pop on over and introduce yourself - you will get lost in her incredible blog about life in Appalachia!)

Thanks everyone who stopped by and left a comment on the birthday giveaway post -

Happy January!

Terrible Tilly

2012-01-07T11:54:00.001-08:00

Terrible Tilly, a photo by paulaniz67 on Flickr.

Tuesday - It's Tuesday!

2012-01-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

Hey! So maybe it's Wednesday but I seem to be making it a point recently to be late to everything, so...why not be late for Tuesday as well? Now that we've decided it's Tuesday AND it's the first Tuesday of January - It's time for Turn the Page...Tuesday hosted by Adrienne of Some of a Kind! Yipeee! Time to tell you all what I've been reading the last month and for you to tell the rest of us what adventures your reading has taken you on.

I read some fantastic books in December but am going to stick to telling you about just two of them so this post doesn't get to long and out of control.

The Winter Sea was a wonderful novel that I didn't want to end. Even now, over a couple of weeks after finishing, my mind keeps going back to Sophia and wondering what she is up to now. In the Winter Sea, author Susanna Kearsley takes us on a journey of another author, Carrie McClelland, as she settles into a charming cabin on the Scottish cliffs. Carrie is writing a historical novel set at Slains Castle and gives the heroine the name of one of her own ancestors, Sophia Paterson. As Carrie writes and explores the ruins of Slains Castle, her characters become quite chatty and the story just seems to come alive as Carrie types.

The year is 1708 and the Jacobites are trying hard to help the young King James to reclaim his crown. Slains Castle is a very busy place, full of Stewart supporters and is the perfect cover for both French and Scottish fleets who support the cause as well. With some well-hidden coves, the ships can slip in and out quietly when needed. Sophia lost both of her parents young and her and her sister were sent to live with her uncle, John Drummond. Her sister has now passed away as well, in terrible circumstances and her uncle is deceased also. Sophia has arrived at Slains as the guest of the Countess of Erroll, a distance relation to John Drummond. In her research, Carrie begins to see startling similarities between what she has written and what actually took place at Slains during the time of her story. A retired Scottish doctor that is helping Carrie with her research suggests the possibility of ancestorial memory. Could this be what is happening? Is it even possible?

I really loved this book and the possibility of ancestorial memory. Our brains work in so many mysterious ways that are yet untapped and unknown. The author did a wonderful job of weaving both the past and present into her story; such wonderful history and just the perfect touch of romance.

For the new year, Adrienne has challenged us all to continue to dust off those books that have been lingering too long on our shelves, but to also read books from series that we have started. Christmas with Anne covered both of those catergories for me this past month. I loved the Anne of Green Gables series and always like a good Christmas read every year, so when I saw this at Goodwill months and months ago, I just had to bring it home.

Many of the short stories in this book were written as magazine stories by L.M. Montgomery and they are all either Christmas or New Years stories with sweet lessons to be learned. A couple of the stories are actually taken from the Anne series, so they were like visiting with familiar friends. I very much enjoyed this one; it was the perfect light read for the week before Christmas and will go on my shelf with my other L.M. Montgomery books.

Tell me, where did reading take you in December? I hope you had some down time with a good book and a hot cup of tea.

Speaking of that....please scroll down to my last post and enter the giveaway in celebration of my Mom's birthday!

Mom's Birthday Giveaway

2012-01-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect picture of my Mom. She loved reading in the early morning and this picture was taken at my sister Stacey's house when Mom and Dad were visiting one year. January 9th was Mom's birthday and even though she has been gone for many years now, Stacey and I like to celebrate her day by having Birthday Giveaway's on our blogs.

This year Stacey is giving away a wonderful book that she thinks Mom would have loved called The Healing Quilt by Laurainne Snelling.

Mom also loved to drink her tea in the mornings with her quiet time reading, so I will be making a set of four quilted coasters for my giveaway and a nice box of tea. Just leave a comment, even just Hello will do, and you will be entered in my drawing for the coasters and tea. I'll draw a name sometime on the 9th.

~Don't forget to pop over to Stacey's place, Stacey's Treasures, to be entered in her giveaway as well~

Happy beginning of 2012 all!

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2011-12-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

It's time! Time for December's Turn the Page...Tuesday hosted by the fabulous Adrienne of Some of a Kind. Woot Woot!

I read a couple of books this past month - One that left me wanting to read the next one in the series and reaching for my camera to capture the perfect light...and one that had my mind wandering away from the train that was chugging down the tracks. Read on to see what I was reading on....

Another wonderful Jane Kirkpatrick novel! I just love her writing and this one did not disappoint. Written about Jane's very own Grandmother, this story brings Jessie Gaebele's love of photography and dreams of her own studio alive. Jessie is a young girl, working to help out her family and just happens to get a postition that she loves, at a photography studio in her hometown of Winona, Minnesota. Jessie's joy at learning her trade and expanding her talent is only dampened by her worry over her little brother, Frog, and her families growing discomfort over her relationship with her boss, Mr. F.J. Bauer. Mr. Bauer is a married man who see's Jessie's talent and spends extra time tutoring her. Mr. Bauer has re-occuring bouts of mercury poisoning which plaqued photographers of this time and Jessie proves herself invaluable in the running of the studio during his lengthy absences.

This is a beautifully written story. I loved the insights into the early photographic world and the photo's of Jessie that were included. Cannot wait to get my hands on the second in this series and follow Jessie's life for a lit bit longer!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Gentleman From Finland: Adventures On The Trans-siberian Express by Robert M. Goldstein

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was my dusty read - one that had been sitting on the shelf for four years or so....
You know when you read a book and you just don't want it to end? This was not that book. The Gentleman From Finland wasn't a terrible read by any means; in fact I found parts of it fun and enjoyable but by the last 50 pages or so I just wanted it over but couldn't give it up when I was that far in.

The author writes about his journey riding through Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Express on an epic journey that he had wanted to take since he was a kid and fell in love with trains. In 1987, regular tourists don't generally get to make this journey by themselves, but because Bob was the guests of friends living in Moscow, he got all the right paperwork to ride the train. Things in Russia are sort of like Alice in Wonderland, with not much being as it seems. In his quest to get paperwork to ride this train, Bob's passport came through an agency in Finland, a place he has never even been, but it seems that all of Russia now thinks that the Mexican-American-Russian-Jewish Bob is Finnish. He can't seem to make anyone understand that he is an American, so finally gives up. Throughout his journey, Finland keeps popping up in all kinds of ways, as if there is something that Bob is supposed to find out about his heritage.

Two days in to the very first leg of his journey, Bob realizes that he isn't even on the famous train. Between his extremely limited Russian speaking skills and the man at the train station not understanding him, he boarded a train headed to the same first stop. Bob finally arrives, a day early, to the hotel in the town of his first layover, but because they are not expecting him until the next day, the staff at the hotel pretty much pretends that he isn't there until the actual time that he was supposed to arrive. The scene was pretty comical, if you weren't Bob. Along the rest of the way, we meet some pretty amazing characters, some quite unbelievable really. Bob ends up getting sick along the way and the last third or so of the book is really the ramblings of his feverish mind. Believe me when I say that it was time for this train trip to come to an end.

View all my reviews

Now I am on the Scottish Coast with Carrie McClelland as she writes her next novel in the shadows of Slains Castle in The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Where is your reading taking you?

Peaceful

2011-11-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight I realized that I should take more time to enjoy the incredible sunsets that we have here on the coast of Oregon. Beautiful displays of pinks, oranges and deepest blue can be had for just the looking. I put down my dishrag - dishes can wait - and stepped out onto the deck. Taking a seat in one of the outdoor chairs, I breathed deeply. The long day at work, the migraine that has been pressing all day, were forgotten for an instant in the beauty surrounding me. Gazing off into the horizon, I just sat quietly, listening to the sounds of our evening neighborhood; the thump of the daily paper hitting the front door as the newspaper boy tosses it onto porches up and down the street; traffic noises as people come home after their work day; the sound of voices as others move outside to enjoy the spectacular colors; soft footfalls of the neighbor out walking his dog. I am in solitude here on our darkened deck, but I am not lonely. Our evening neighborhood is full of noises, but it is not noisy, only peaceful. The last rays of light slip behind the hills and I pick my dishrag back up, better off for the few minutes of natural wonder enjoyed.

Five Little Turkeys

2011-11-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Five little turkey's are we -

We slept all night in a tree -

When the cooks came around

We couldn't be found -

And that's why we're here

You see!

Howling At the Moon

2011-11-19T21:22:00.000-08:00

Last night, Shilo and I went to see Breaking Dawn with a group of friends. (It was awesome!) Shi's birthday is the beginning of December and it seems that since I started knitting a few years ago, I have always given her a new hat for her birthday. I didn't realize it until she pointed it out and now that I know, the tradition must continue, right?!

Waiting for Breaking Dawn

This year I chose to knit up this super fun wolf hat from Vampire Knits, a wonderful new knitting book that I splurged on for myself this summer.

Even though her birthday isn't for another two weeks, we couldn't go to Breaking Dawn without me giving her her hat early.

And, seeing how we're both Team Jacob, well...

Hoooooowwwwwl!

Flirty Apron's Secret Santa Swap

2011-11-17T22:17:00.000-08:00

What an adorable banner for a fun swap! I've joined the Flirty Apron's Secret Santa Swap after telling myself that I wasn't going to do it. I love to make handmade gifts and never get all of them finished that I have on my list, but after reading about this fun swap I just couldn't resist. Part of the fun is the questionnaire that we are to fill out so that our secret partners can learn a bit about us~

What are your hobbies? I love to knit, bake and sew

What are your favorite colors? I am very "favorite color fickle". It changes all the time, but right now I'm really loving reds

Do you collect anything? I have a small collection of vintage aprons and also a bit bigger collection of vintage classic hardback books

Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? Yes, but not enough to stop me from knitting with wool anyway!

Do you have any pets? We have a Great Pyrenees dog, Gus - and two cats, Boots and Mr. Thomas O'Malley

Coffee, Tea, or Chocolate? Both coffee and tea!

What do you like to read? I LOVE to read! Historical fiction based on fact is my favorite genre, but I read much more than that. I also love cookbooks and craft magazines.

Do you prefer Cookies or Candies as a sweet? Cookies, but I very rarely turn my nose up at candy either!

What is your favorite holiday treat? Pumpkin pie and hot holiday coffee and tea flavors

Describe your favorite holiday tradition. Driving around looking at Christmas lights with Christmas music playing along

Did you believe in Santa as a child? What do you mean as a child? I still do!

When do you open presents? We have always opened one gift on Christmas eve and the rest on Christmas morning. The Christmas eve gift started as a get together with the grandparents and opening the gifts to and from them and we have carried that tradition on

Do you put up a tree and when? If not, how do you celebrate? Yes, we put up a real tree generally the second weekend of December

Does your tree have a theme? Not really. The last couple of years our tree has been decorated in mostly blue, silver and red because our living room walls are blue, but we also still put up some of the kids favorite traditional decorations from when they were small.

What has been your favorite gift to give? to receive? I love to both give and recieve handmade goodness~

Hope you all are getting into the festive holiday season!

Spinning Gold

2011-11-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

"Spinning is the simple act of drawing out a few fibers and twisting them together to form a yarn. The process predates written history, and was first done by hand and with sticks. Spinning wheels are believed to have originated in India between 500 and 1000 A.D. By the 13th century, they were seen in Europe, and were a standard piece of equipment for those making fiber into yarn. By the 17th century they were commonly found in homes in the colonies of North America, where the production of fabric was a cottage industry. Spinning was generally seen as a woman's job. Women spun yarn at home, as well as with friends at spinning bees, where food was served and prizes might be given to the person who produced the most or best yarn."

~From the website American History

On my bucket list is learning the ancient art of spinning wonderful wool into gold...I mean yarn. Yesterday I took the first step in marking this off of my list with a beginning spinning class taken through Astoria Fiber Arts Academy. This class is a two-part with the first two hour session yesterday and the next two hour next Saturday. I was so excited to start and my instructor, Shannon, did not disappoint. She did a fabulous job of explaining all of the parts of the wheel and how the energy made from turning the wheel translates the wool roving into the final golden product, beautiful wool yarn!

Shannon brought her own personal spinning wheel to teach on - very similar to the one in the picture above. After going over the parts of the wheel and explaining how it all works together it was time to prepare our wool. Shannon brought wool roving that she had dyed herself then proceeded to explain how you prepare the roving by "drafting" it - gently pulling the roving in segments to seperate the fibers and get it into the thickness that you want your finished yarn to end up.

Once we had a bit of roving drafted, Shannon then demonstrated on the wheel how to actual spin it, then it was my turn! The hardest part so far for me is trying to figure out my hands. I am definately not the most coordinated person you will ever meet, so getting that down and understanding when to hold the tension and when to let the roving feed in is certainly something I will have to work on. In the beginning, Shannon spins the wheel by hand so that the student, (me!), can work on the hand skill while not having to worry about the foot on the treadle. I learned to sew, many years ago, on a treadle sewing machine that had belonged to my great-grandmother, and was pleasantly surprised to find that my leg and foot still held that muscle memory and hopped on that treadle like I do it every day. Muscle memory is an incredible thing. Hopefully someday my hands will hold that same spinning technique memory!

Our two hours went by so fast and I can hardly wait until next weeks class. I was sent home with homework - roving that I wil get drafted to the best of my very limited ability. Then next Saturday, that roving will be spun into a two-ply yarn! How fun! I can see all ready how addicting this ancient skill can become. Anybody have a spinning wheel for sale??!

So tell me, have you been able to mark anything off of your bucket list lately? What was it?

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2011-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Happy November! Time for Turn the Page...Tuesday hosted by Adrienne of Some of a Kind. A time to share what you have read the last month and find out what others have been reading. Just a warning...it will most certainly add to your long to be read list, but that's okay - we all love recommendations from other readers!

During October I read some perfectly haunting reads!
Ghost on Black Mountain by Ann Hite

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was the perfect October read! Ghost on Black Mountain by author Ann Hite is everything the cover says it is; haunting, eerie, dark and unnerving. Told in the voices of five different women who all have different portions of the story to tell, the author did an excellent job of binding the story together in those separate voices. The story is set in rural depression-era North Carolina, we first meet Nellie, a young girl who, while serving meals in a soup kitche n, meets and falls head over heals for Hobbs Pritchard, a man eight years her senior. Nellie's mama immediately see's that Hobbs is a bad man and what she see's in her tea leaves confirms this fear. Ignoring her mama's warnings, Nellie runs off and marries Hobbs anyway. He immediately moves her to his empty, (or is it?) family home on Black Mountain.

One of my favorite quotes from this early time in the story:

'In the first days of sweet romance, if Hobbs had asked me to jump off a cliff, I would have with a smile on my face. Mama always said, "Nellie, don't love a man too much. A woman should save some feelings back to care for herself."

Nellie soon finds that the people of the mountain both hate and fear Hobbs Pritchard, but she still thinks that her husband must be mis-understood. Soon into the marriage, Hobbs cruel side starts showing itself to Nellie. According to Hobbs, his young wife is dumb, lazy and a horrible cook when in reality, Nellie is none of those things. Right away Nellie starts to see a few of Black Mountains ghosts. There is the woman who seems to live right in Nellie and Hobbs home and the man in the round glasses that is summoning her from outside. Shelley, the young girl who is hired to help Nellie clean the long neglected house, is scared but likes Nellie and slowly starts to give her some hints of Hobbs bad reputation. They say he killed a man here on the mountain and there are stories of the untimely death of his stepmother, along with a few other very disconcerting stories. As Hobbs cruelty to Nellie increases, she trys to find ways to leave, but Hobbs will never let her go. Will the ghosts of Black Mountain aid her? You'll have to read to find out.

I loved this book. It is the authors debut and I will definately be waiting for her next one to be released!

View all my reviews

Seems I spent a lot of time on mountains in Appalachia this past month. My next read was Bloodroot by Amy Greene, set on Bloodroot Mountain....

Bloodroot by Amy Greene

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bloodroot is a story full of magic and maybe a bit of madness, told by several different generations of the same family as they try to puzzle the story of Myra Lamb together. The author did a fantastic job of telling the story through several different voices and perspectives.

In the beginning we meet Byrdie Lamb, Myra's grandmother. Byrdie tells us about seeing Myra for the first time. The baby born with "Haint Blue Eyes" was thought to have broken the curse that Byrdie's Grandmaw Ruth's cousin had put on the family so many years before. Grandmaw Ruth and her two sisters were "Granny Women", all with their own gifts of healing. Their cousin, Lou Ann, was a Granny Woman also but didn't neccessarily use her gifts for good. When the girls grandfather died and left the best plot of land to Grandmaw Ruth and her sisters, Lou Ann put a curse on them and their family that wouldn't be lifted until a there was a baby born in their line with haint blue eyes. Terrible things started happening right away- husbands and children dyeing, houses burning down- Byrdie was mighty glad when Myra was born with haint blue eyes. Myra's parents were killed when she was just a baby in an accident on the railroad tracks, so Granny Byrdie raised her up on the mountain. Myra loved the mountain but when John Odom from the town at the foot of the mountain came along, Myra followed him without looking back. Myra soon finds out the John and his family are not the people she thought they were. What is that smell of evil that seems to penetrate John's dads house and why is she so uncomfortable around them?

This was another story - a great October read - with a bit of magic, mystery and maybe some murder thrown in. Bloodroot had me turning pages late into the night, antsy to find out what would happen next.

From the back cover:
Myra Lamb is a wild girl with mysterious, haint blue eyes who grows up on remote Bloodroot Mountain. Her grandmother, Byrdie, protects her fiercely and passes down "the touch" that bewitches people and animals alike. But when John Odom tries to tame Myra, it sparks a shocking disaster, ripping lives apart. Bloodroot is the dark and riveting story of the legacies-of magic and madness, faith and secrets, passion and loss-that haunt one family across the generations.

View all my reviews

'Tis Near Halloween

2011-10-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

~Tonight the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch. He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world.
– Linus in “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”

~ Beautiful orange pumpkins ~ Towering corn stalks ~ Misty fall days ~

When the wind begins to shift and the scent of fall can be caught in the air, I cannot stand myself until we take the little people in our lives to a wonderful pumpkin patch.

This year we choose Bob's Corn and Pumpkin Farm in Snohomish, Washington for our outing. It had everything you could want in a pumpkin patch ~

*Lots and lots of pumpkins

*A ten acre corn maze

*Pony rides

*Cow train

*Misty, foggy farmland

*Hot wonderful corn-on-the-cob

*Delishious pumpkin pie

*Hot tasty chili

and best of all

*Noah and Mazzy!

We had the best fall day, ever! Come on, pull on your hat and join us~

~ When witches go riding and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

'tis near Halloween.

~Author Unknown

May you all be blessed with the most wonderful day at a pumpkin patch. Be careful, don't get lost in the maze...

(oh - and while you're out wandering around, stop by my sister Stacey's house for a walk in her haunted wood.)

Autumn Dreams Table Runner

2011-10-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

I actually got to spend some time in my craft room this weekend with this gorgeous fall fabric. I found this pattern on the Moda Bake Shop blog and decided to give it a shot. I really like how it's turning out and think I may make another one when I get a chance, as well as the table topper.

Making bias tape always kicks my butt and this is the look you'll get if you interupt me while I'm getting my booty kicked...

~Hope you all had a wonderful autumn weekend~

Turn the Page....Tuesday

2011-10-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

It's time once again for Turn the Page...Tuesday, hosted by the incredible Adrienne of Some of a Kind. Turn the Page Tuesday is a time to share what you have read in the last month and to see what other's having been turning the pages in. It's a really fun way to start the month!

The old, dusty book that I chose to pull off of my shelves and finally read this month is The Best Known Works of Ibsen, by Henrik Ibsen. Mr. Ibsen was a playwright from Norway whose work has been turned into several "made for television" plays and is known worldwide. He is one of Norway's favorite sons. I was surprised to find that Ibsen's plays, written many years ago and based in Norway, deal with so many issue's that had to be taboo at the time. His works were known to by quite scandalous, written in an era when family life was portrayed as perfect, Mr. Ibsen instead choose to write about some of the harder realities of life.

In "Hedda Gabler", the main character, Hedda, has married the wrong man though continues to see the "right" man through business dealings of her husbands. She actually convinces the "right" man to shoot himself and the play ends with Hedda's suicide.

In Ghosts, Ibsen deals with arson, a child born out of wedlock and sexually transmitted diseases.

There are nine short plays in this book; I haven't finished all of them yet, but they all deal with equally hard topics.

Henrik Ibsen - 1828 to 1906

A friend of mine gave me this book and I'm so glad she did. Written from the perspective of Kimberly, a young Chinese girl who along with her Mom has immigrated to America via the help of her mom's older sister, Paula and husband Bob. Aunt Paula and Uncle Bob own a clothing factory in Chinatown where they immediately put Kimberly and her Mom to work to pay off the large debt of bringing them to America. It takes many years to pay off that debt, years where the mother and daughter live in an otherwise empty apartment building that should be condemned, left to the rats and roaches that run rampant. During these years, Kimberly keeps her home life private, exceling at school and earning a scholarship to a private high school that she focuses on as a way out of the life of poverty her and her mom are living.

I believe this book may be a bit autobiographical as the author immigrated to Brooklyn as a young girl and also worked in a sweatshop. This background made for an excellent telling of the story right down to the translation of words that sometimes got so confusing for Kimberly as she tried to understand the speech of her teachers and classmates. Slang and accent's sometimes made the words quite hard to understand and the author really did a good job of descriping the words that Kimberly thought she heard.

This story was both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. One of the passages that stayed with me the longest was the one in which, not long after Kimberly had started school in America and met her best friend, Annette, she was trying to tell Annette that she worked in a clothing factory with her mom until late in the evening after school every day. A few days later, Annette told Kimberly that she must have been making up excuses to not do anything with her because when Annette had told her dad about Kimberly working in the factory, her dad had told her that things like that didn't happen in America. Amazing how we sometimes bury our heads in the sand when we hear things we don't want to accept.

I highly recommend this book. Pick it up and read it if you get a chance! It's one of those books, that for me, the characters stayed with me for quite some time after I was finished turning the last page. I miss Kimberly and wonder what she's doing now!

Pop over to Adrienne's to see what others are reading. For October, I plan to pull a dusty hardback copy of The Works of Edgar Allan Poe down to read. It's just a small book with only a few of his stories in it, but quite appropriate for an October read I think!

Stitchin' Weather

2011-09-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Fall time is in the air - the scent is strong - and with that my fingers are itchin' to be stitchin'.

At work fall time for me means inventory season. (Yes, that IS a season and not one that makes me grin!) The days are long and dusty and weekends are pretty much non-existant. The company I work for has seven retail stores up and down the Pacific coast line and three warehouses in three different states. Being the inventory control guru, it's part of my job to make sure that the stores are in good shape and ready for their counts as well as going back to the stores on the weekends that their actual counts are scheduled. All of that to say that even with the blustery fall weather, my stitching time is very little right now. I have managed to squeak out a darling little pumpkin hat for Mazzy Kaye and have started a Working Man's Beanie for a Christmas present.

Last night I was wandering around etsy and came across this super sweet Alphabet Tree Girl embroidery pattern. I instantly fell in love with the little girl reading in a tree; picturing this darling pattern on a canvas bookbag. The pattern found it's way to my shopping cart and I checked out. When my pattern came in my email box just moments later, I read all the notes from the seller with glee which led me here to Nicole's blog, Follow the White Bunny, which in turn led me to Feeling Stitchy where I came across a super fun embroidery contest.

Covered in Stitches is a Feeling Stitchy contest that involves embroiderying a piece of art based on the cover of a book. You can make your piece to look just like a favorite book cover or you can interpret that cover with your own imaginings. The sky is the limit and what a wonderful contest for those of us who are not only book lover's but embroidery lover's as well. Pop over to the Feeling Stitchy contest post for the rules and to see what the wonderful prizes are!

I love to embroidery in the evenings and haven't done it nearly enough the last couple of years. I'm super excited about this and have a couple idea's kicking around in my head. It'll be so fun plus the finished pieces will make great Christmas presents for some other book lover's I know!

Sew tell me - do you have any fall projects going on? What are they?

Super Hero's to the Rescue

2011-09-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

Super Noah, Guardian of the Galaxy, just turned 4!

Super Hero's were flying all over the park in the fight against evil.

The smallest Super Hero has the power of cuteness~

Not a single bad guy would have dared come near this bunch!

Happy Birthday, Super Noah!

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2011-09-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

Where the heck did August go and how is it possibly time for Turn the Page...Tuesday again? Sheesh!!

August was full of our daughters wedding and an eleven day work road trip, so reading wasn't top priority or even possible some days, but looking back, I am surprised to find that I still managed to finish a couple of books. One of them was wonderful and one was painful. Below are my reviews -
The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Hmmm...what to say about this book. It sounded interesting and I was looking forward to reading it - the plot was a seven year old murder that somehow was tangled around the lives of two different families, a clandestine love affair and summer on Cape Cod. Sounded intriguing. What I found was a disjointed novel describing the events that lead up to the murder, interspersed with present-day drama from the families involved. I felt that the author didn't do a good job of jumping from one time frame to another or from one character to another. It seemed very abrupt.

Betsy was the woman murdered; I felt nothing for her as her character was not given any time or depth. Marcella, the woman having an affair with the murdered woman's husband, is now, seven years later, having an affair with the murdered woman's son since his father had died of heartbreak after the murder. Can you say yuck? I kept reading, thinking the plot would redeem itself, but towards the end, I found myself just skimming so that the pain would end.

View all my reviews

Thankfully my next choice was wonderful!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I loved this book! I usually mark my favorite passages and quote them in my review, but it would be simply ridiculous to tap out all 451 pages, now wouldn't it?

This book grabbed me right from the beginning and kept me turning pages long into the night. I'm really impressed with the writing style and the ease that the author takes us from one persons perspective to another throughout the entire story. I really felt that the characters all had a lot of depth to them, letting the reader either connect with a character or loathe them. Not being from the south myself, this isn't a lifestyle that I am familiar with, but Kathryn Stockett wrote the stories so that I feel as if I was there. She picked such a hard time in the south to set her story in. A time when racial tensions were running extremely high and horrible things were happening to both the blacks and the white "sympathizers". We meet Miss Skeeter, a young woman who was raised and loved by her family maid. Skeeter wants to find out what happened to the woman who raised her and she wants to make some changes that will make life easier for the black families in America. Being a writer, Skeeter sets off to interview as many maids as will talk to her, telling their stories about the hardships, and pleasures, they have found working for white families. Jackson, Mississippi is one of the most dangerous places at this time and Skeeter and the maid's that finally agree to talk to her for her book are in great danger everytime they meet. Emotions are high when the book finally goes to press. Will the people of their community read it? Will they know who the people in the stories represent, even though names have been changed? Was it worth the risk?

Okay - I'll do it. Here are two of my favorite passages-

Minny is one of the maids that Skeeter is interviewing. It took awhile to talk her into it, but she finally decided to do it. Skeeter has to be really careful with Minny, making sure that she doesn't scare her off. In this passage, Minny is talking to her friend Aibileen, who Sketter is interviewing as well.
'"Oh, fore I forget, Miss Skeeter wants to come over early Tuesday night," Aibileen says. "Bout seven. You make it then?"

"Lord," I say, getting irritated all over again. "What am I doing? I must be crazy, giving the sworn secrets a the colored race to a white lady."

"It's just Miss Skeeter, she ain't like the rest."

"Feel like I'm talking behind my own back," I say.

In this next passage, we are listening to Minnie again, after a tough run-in with her mean husband.
' "I guess I got to go," I say, even though I'd rather spend the rest of my life right here in Aibileen's cozy kitchen, having her explain the world to me. That's what I love about Aibileen, she can take the most complicated things in life and wrap them up so small and simple, they'll fit right in your pocket.'

If you haven't yet read "The Help", pick it up. You will be so glad that you did!
Today I took myself to a matinee showing of The Help. Like all movie's, they left out a few important parts, but all in all they did a really good job of following the story line and I really enjoyed the movie. Yeah!

Pop over to Adrienne's Some of a Kind to find out what others have read this month...Where had your reading taken you?

The Bride Wore White

2011-09-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

September 3rd and a hint of fall in the cool breeze blowing this morning reminds me that summer is almost over and has gone so fast. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I'm not sad, just looking back in wonder of where the time all went.

(Riff walking Brittany across the footbridge to give her away)

Much of it was taken up this year with wedding preperations for our daughter, Brittany. August 13th found much of our family gathered on Puget Sound as Brittany and Chris promised to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. Chris' Aunt Karen and Uncle Sam's house provided the spectacular setting for the perfect wedding day. The weather was absolutely perfect, the flowers divine and the guests charming.

(The happy couple shortly after the ceremony)

Chris' Aunt Diana did an incredible job taking wedding pictures. What a talented lady.

Thanks so much to all who made the festivities. It was such a wonderful day!

"Dance Little Jean a prayer that you had was answered today; your Mama's marrying your Dad."

~Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Waiting Room Friends

2011-09-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

While sitting in the waiting room in Internal Medicne at OHSU waiting for Shilo today, a son wheeled his Mom into the room, parking her in the empty spot next to the chair I was sitting in. We said our "Hello's", me making the assumption that she was the patient and her son was bringing her to her doctor appointment.

Soon a nurse popped out of the patient room doors and called out a name. As the son, in his 50's, got up to follow the nurse through the swinging doors, his Mom called out, "David? Do you have your list of questions?" "Yes Mom", he answered holding up a notebook.

David's Mom, probably in her 70's, now looked at me and said, "It's a Mom thing." I chuckled knowingly, since Shilo and I had just had a similar conversation when she was called back.

I then continued to read my book. My new friend, glancing over, stated, "Darn! I forgot my book today." I asked her if she would like me to find her a magazine. She just smiled and good-naturedly said, "No thank you. I'll just sit here and pout."

Very shortly, Shilo emerged from the nether-regions of the clinic, I said good-bye to my waiting room friend and we were off.

Heading to the car, I told Shilo about our conversation. She laughed and said that it sounds like a picture of us in 30 years or so.

Sometimes those short moments with strangers can add so much to our lives.

Have you made a waiting room friend lately?

Turn the Page..Tuesday

2011-08-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's time once again for Turn the Page...Tuesday hosted by Adrienne from Some of a Kind. Pop on over to see what others have been reading this past month.
I have been to a lighthouse in the Carolina's, canoed the mighty Columbia River, danced in the bayou with the Ya-Ya's and spent some time in Alabama with an aging beauty queen. Where has your reading taken you this month?

Voyage of a Summer Sun: Canoeing the Columbia River by Robin Cody

I was a bit aprehensive about reading this book, just because I thought that it may be a bit dry. Instead it was a completely delightful read and really interesting. I loved the way the author eased his way into the actual canoe trip by giving the reader a background of his family and his Dads love of the river. Robin Cody gives a wonderful history of the Columbia river and the dam's that provide the Pacific Northwest with power, as well as colorful accounts of his trip and the characters he meets along the way as he paddles his way from the source of the Columbia River to the mouth where it spills out into the Pacific Ocean. This book is really eye-opening and heart-breaking in many ways; the loss of native life-styles up and down the river as the dam's went in; the change of landscape as these dam's backed up creating reservoirs and leveling age-old falls.
If you have a connection with the Pacific Northwest or a love of rivers and wildlife, I would definately recommend this book.

A couple of my favorite passages from Voyage of a Summer Sun -
"From my mother came a strong sense that it mattered who came before us, and how they did it."

On witnessing a family of geese in spring on the river -
"Adult geese lose their flight feathers soon after the goslings hatch in spring. The adults can't fly until the little guys can, which is nature's way of keeping the family together."

The Language of Sand: A Novel by Ellen Block

This was a very quick read with enjoyable characters and a wonderful setting.

After losing her husband and young son in a tragic fire, Abigail has moved to Chapel Isle off the North Carolina coast as the caretaker for a lighthouse, hoping to connect in someway with the island that her late husband loved as a boy. When she arrives, she finds the lighthouse possibly haunted and quite run-down; the town full of colorful characters and herself changing from the Abigail she has always known into simply Abby.

I found it an enjoyable read, one that kept me turning the pages but left me in the end wishing that there had been more depth to many of the characters and more story behind the haunting of the lighthouse. It did feel as if the last 1/4 of the book was rushed a bit and could have been played out with more depth, but all in all a nice light read.

One of my favorite quotes from The Language of Sand was from a scene where Abigail was unpacking all of her books that she had brought to the island with her:
"As she organized, she allowed herself to read the first few pages of each book, tasting the story or sampling a morsel from a text. It was as if she were bumping into an aquaintance on the street-Abigail couldn't simply pass them by."

Happy Reading!

Don't forget to pop over to Adrienne's place for more reading fun!

N is for Northwest Beaches

2011-07-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

Keep walking down this sandy path. In just a moment you will top the dunes for a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. It's the perfect day to spend on a Pacific Northwest beach.

Riff is a surveyor, which sometimes calls for a bit of exploring on a Saturday. Such was the case a few weekends ago. He had to go up to the North Beach area of Washington to "shoot a few points". (That's surveyor talk for whatever it is they do with those big yellow tripods.) I was happy to toss a beach blanket and good book in a bag and tag along.

We walked through the dunes to the beach where Riff left me to go get his work done and I found a soft bit of sand to enjoy the kite festival that was going on. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, the kind that are sometimes few and far between here the land of grey skies and an absolute delight to find a kite festival in progress. I didn't get much reading done, but take a look at all the great sights that met my eyes.

I hope you enjoyed a peek at one of our Northwest Beaches. Come back when you can. We'll make a pot of chowder...

Stop by Jenny's place for more Alphabe-Thursday!

M is for Maple Tree

2011-07-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

"Tree at my window, window tree-

My sash is lowered when night comes on;

But let there never be curtain drawn

Between you and me."

~Robert Frost

A beautiful red maple stands in our Secret Garden, providing shade on a sunny day and shelter on a rainy one. Always this tree is full of bird-song, spring, summer, winter or fall.

A delightful area of our property, this part of the yard actually sits on the backside of our small fenced yard. We live in a very lush, green part of the country so this time of the year, when all the wonderful bushes and tree's are full of leaves, you can not even see this area from the house. It's a beautiful secluded area, perfect to sneak away for a few minutes with a good book and a glass of iced tea.

Won't you join me?

Pop over to Jennie's place for this weeks Alphabe-Thursday!

"Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thorn cannot grow."

~Frances Hodgson Burnett

A City of Books

2011-07-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Portland, Oregon's Pearl District holds one of the greatest treasures of all; a city of books contained in a building that takes up one full city block. Powell Books is the largest independant book store in the world, full of new, used and rare editions of almost anything you could be in search of, book wise.

A pillar of books greets you right outside the front door, hinting at all the wonderful things to come when you pop open those double doors and walk inside.

Shilo and I have made a deal. A sweet deal, actually, for both of us. She has a doctor appointment just about once a month at OHSU in Portland, so after each appointment, as a treat, we take ourselves to Powell Books. Because of this deal, Shilo and I have been popping open those front doors to enter the City of Books on a regular basis. You walk in, breathe deeply the smell of books, old and new. You are immediately surrounded by a mass of fellow book-lovers. You find your favorite room, (yes, each genre actually has a room), your favorite shelf, your favorite author. If the section that is your favorite today is on a lower shelf, you sink to the floor and begin the search for the book that is on your must-get list for today. New editions are stacked right next to used editions as well as collectors editions. Powell Books is truly a book-lovers paradise. Whatever your looking for, whatever your book-reading heart desires, you can find it at Powells. And when you find it, you can take it to the attached coffee shop, order a latte and sit and read. Incredible!

Where else could you hold an old copy of Alice in Wonderland, written in caligraphy by the author? This is not an original, but an old, 1800's, copy of the authors notes.

Up a flight of stairs and up a flight of stairs, on the 3rd floor, is the Rare Book Room. I have been in Powell Books more than a handful of times and didn't realize until this weeks trip that this wonderful, intriguing room was here. Leaving any books and parcels outside on the shelf provided, you crack open the door to the Rare Book Room and the smell of antique books draws you in. Behind glass cases resides an incredible array of leather bound books that stretch your imagination.

The oldest book in this collection is De Bello Judaica, printed in 1480. Modern printing was only approximately 30 years old when this book was printed. Imagine.

In this very room, you are in the presence of a two-volume first edition of the Journals of Lewis and Clark, published in 1814. Originally, there were 1,417 copies of the Journals printed, but now only 23 remain. This particular copy is still in its original binding with the included folding map intact. For a mere $350,000.00 you may take these volumes home to add to your private collection. Again, Imagine.

If you ever find yourself in the beautiful city of Portland, book-lover or not, find the Pearl District and take yourself on an excursion to Powell Books. It is an adventure in itself. A delightful, book filled adventure.

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2011-07-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

What Matters Most - Luanne Rice

'The annual Children's Home summer beach picnic was on everyone's mind, and the kitchen was bustling. A ham roasting, to be sliced and served cold; Dublin Bay prawns, a gift from one of St. Augustine's benefactors, chilling in the huge refrigerator; fresh-baked bread cooling on the rack; cookies already packed in baskets.

Kathleen Murphy, thirteen, stood at the long stainless-steel work table, peeling potatoes for potato salad. Her fingers worked so fast, a total blur to anyone who might be watching. Her long dark hair was held back in a ponytail, and her clothes were protected by a stiff green apron. She kept one eye on her work, another on the side door. Sister Anastasia would be back in five minutes, and if James Sullivan wasn't here by then, there'd be hell to pay.'

Luanne Rice is one of my favorite authors for quick summer beach reads. This book is one I had picked up at a yard sale last summer but had not gotten around to reading until now. It takes us from Dublin, Ireland to the Connecticut shoreline following the love and life of two different couples as they try to figure out What Matters Most. It's a story of true love that never dies and soul mates who are connected over time and space.

From the back cover:

For Bernadette and Tom it is a return to their roots in Ireland and a love that broke every rule and could have withstood any consequence-but the one that broke their hearts. For James and Kathleen, whose indelible bond was forged in a Dublin orphanage before one was adopted and carried across the sea to America, it's a reunion they could never see coming, even if they dreamed of it all their young lives. From the Emerald Isle to the Connecticut shore, four lives are about to come together in a confrontation that will challenge each of them to leave behind the past and all they once thought was important and embrace at last What Matters Most.

A great summer read, but make sure and keep the kleenex's close!

Daughters of the Witching Hill ~ Mary Sharratt

'See us gathered here, three woman stood at Richard Baldwin's gate. I bide with my daughter, Liza of the squint eye, and with my grandaughter, Alizon, just fifteen and dazzling as the noontide sun, so bright that she lights up the murk of my dim sight. Demdike, folk call me, after the dammed stream near my dwelling place where the farmers wash their sheep before shearing. When I was younger and stronger, I used to help with the sheepwash. Wasn't afraid of the fiercest rams. I'd always had a way of gentling creatures by speaking to them low and soft. Though I'm old now, crabbed and near-blind, my memory is long as a midsummer's day and with my inner eye, I see clear.'

I picked up this novel in Powell Books not long ago. The write-up on the back of the book intrigued me and I was not disappointed. The author has done her research well and each character is based on a true person; many of the scenes based on actual court clerk, Thomas Pott's account of the 1612 Lancashire Witch Trials.

Bess Southerns is a widow living in Pendle Forest who has built her reputation as a cunning woman; a woman who can heal the sick and bless others as well as animals. Her best friend has no such powers, but Bess teaches her what she knows and her friend turns to dark magic to save her daughter from their landlords son, who has terrorized her for years. As Bess' grandaughter grows, Bess can see that she has the gift as well, but Alizon wants nothing to do with it. One day Alizon meets a peddler on the road who seems to think she is a prostitute. Alizon exchanges harsh words with him, cursing the peddler who suddenly falls to the road with a stroke. The local magistrate is trying to build his reputation as a witch hunter, so locks Alizon up in the dungeon and the witch trials begin.

This book is written really well, bringing this disturbing time in history to vivid life. The author lives in Pendle Forest, right where the witch hunt took place. I think her nearness to the scene lent clarity and depth to the writing . If historical fiction is one of your passions, than this book should not be missed.

'She was a very old woman, about the age of Foure-score yeares, and had been a Witch for fiftie yeares. Shee dwelt in the Forrest of Pendle, a vast place, fitte for her profession: What shee committed in her time, no man knowes...She was a generall agent for the Devill in all these partes: no man escaped her, or her Furies.'

-Thomas Potts, The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster, 1613

Pop over to Adrienne's Turn the Page Tuesday to see what others have read this last month, and add to your own "want-to-read" list!

J is for Journey

2011-06-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

~Lao-tzu

We live on the very northern coast of Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River. At this spot in 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition ended their long journey and spent a long rainy winter in the fort they built to weather those 106 days of rain. When the party had reached the mouth of the Columbia, William Clark wrote in his journal, "Ocian in view! O! The joy!" I can only imagine the relief and joy they felt at the end of this part of their long journey, to have finally found what they had been in search of for so long.

Take a peek at Fort Clatsop, a reproduction of the original fort, rebuilt on the spot where the expedition members wintered. Come along now, it's not raining today!

~May all of your journeys end with some kind of joy~

For more Alphabe-Thursday takes on the letter "J", head over to Jenny's Off on My Tangent.

Small Town America - Oysterville, Washington

2011-06-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

Oysterville is a tiny little village on the eastern shores of Willapa Bay in Washington state. First settled by the white man in 1841, the town was established in 1854 and aptly named Oysterville after the flourishing oyster trade. For many generations before, this area was the fishing and camping grounds of the local Chinook people.

During lowtide, this oyster boat sits waiting for the oyster man to come on board for the harvest. To the first white settlers, the oysters that covered the tideflats were looked on as a treasure trove of gold. These delicacies could be shipped south to San Fransico and sold to the restaraunts who then sold each tiny oyster for a dollar a piece!

Beautiful houses were built, some of which still stand today; a church,

courthouse

and a school

were established along with a newspaper and several saloons. Oysterville was booming and soon had about 500 residents.

Because so many oysters were harvested, by the late 1880's the oyster beds were dwindling, then a much-awaited railroad track ended about four miles away. Without the railroad and the oysters, how would people make a living? Residents quickly begin moving out and even now, 140 years later, Oysterville has only a handful of year round residents. It's a beautiful, serene little village. Come on, take a walk with Riff, Gus and I...

"Myrtle Johnson W----

was the last Indian Princess

Born in Oysterville"

I bet these women could sew a nice quilt then pull on their boots to dig up some oysters and clams. Women after my own heart~

When you're done with your walking tour of Oysterville, make sure you pop over to Oysterville Sea Farms. Sit out on their brand new deck while enjoying a cup of their wonderful chowder and a cold beer or a glass of Willapa Bay wine. It is not at all a hardship to enjoy your chowder or steamer clams with a view like this! If you hit it just right, you may just get to watch an Oysterman at his trade and feel the whisper of times past.

To read more about Oysterville and find some great history on the town and individual dwellings, pop over here. So much great information!

I hope you enjoyed our little tour of Oysterville today and if you're ever in the area you'll stop by and see it for yourself. While you're there, pick up a bushel or two of oysters for great summer grilling. Now, please excuse me while I slurp down this Willapa Bay oyster...

I is for Iris

2011-06-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

The Song of the Iris Fairy

I am Iris: I'm the daughter

Of the marshland and the water.

Looking down, I see the gleam

Of the clear and peaceful stream;

Water-lilies large and fair

With their leaves are floating there;

All the water-world I see,

And my own face smiles at me!

~Cicely Mary Barker

Wild yellow Iris' grow in the marshland here on our piece of the north coast. They are absolutely beautiful and last for just a short time, but grow in abundance in certain area's. Riff and I were walking our dog, Gus, the other day in a spot where so many wild Iris' were blooming. It was absolutely beautiful but my picture taking skills with my phone leave a lot to be desired, so the photo's I took do not at all show you the beauty of these wild flowers. Next time I'll drag my camera along for some better shots.

Happy Alaphabe-Thursday all!

Pop over to Jenny's Off On My Tangent to see others take on the letter I.

~May you all be blessed with wild Iris' ~

Bunny Riding in a Carrot Car

2011-06-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes inspiration comes from the silliest places. Our little grandson, Noah, has a favorite book by Richard Scarry called All About Cars. Inside the little cardboard book made for small hands is apple cars, carrot cars, apple cars, toothbrush cars and on and on. Noah gets a big kick out of all these silly cars and this was the chosen book for bedtime for many months. He has now moved on to other books but still loves All About Cars.

I was completely tickled to find a pre-made banner for my etsy shop with not one, but two carrot cars! Isn't this cute??

All of these carrot cars got me to thinking....hmmm....wouldn't Bunny Riding in a Carrot Car bags be cute? And maybe some carrot car bibs and t-shirts? Well, I haven't gotten quite that far, but my first Carrot Car bag is complete.

This motoring hare is headed over to Adrienne's place. He was kind enough to say that he would take along Leaving Protection, the book that Adrienne won in my Turn the Page...Tuesday giveaway. I think that this little bag will be just right to carry some of the boys summer reading list home from the library, don't you?

Hopefully, one day soon, my little etsy shop will have a few of these on hand. Don't you think carrot cars are the best? Once you get to where you're going, you can eat it!

Country Pleasures

2011-06-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of the great country pleasures is standing beside a lake, pond or stream with your fishing line in the water. What a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the day. We grew up with a Dad who is a fisherman. Many summer evenings found us, as a family, beside the Wallowa or Minam Rivers. Us kids would splash and play around (as long as we weren't too close to Dad and his fishing pole. Darn kids scare the fish away!), and Mom would usually have a book or magazine to read. We also had a pond right at our house that was full of catfish so spent many hours laughing and splashing around with the neighbor kids as we all caught catfish for dinner. Such fun times, so I get a lot of pleasure out of spending some fishing time with our little grandson, Noah.

Yesterday was Free Fishing day at many lakes and streams in Oregon, so I gave Brittany a call and asked if they would want to come over so Noah could go fishing. Coffinbury Lake in Fort Stevens State Park was not only participating in Free Fishing Day, but also had a few organized fun events for the kids including a fishing derby with prizes. As you can see, this particular dock was a bit crowded, but fun for Noah to throw his line in.

Waiting patiently for the fish to bite. Noah didn't actually catch a fish, but it was very exciting when his bobber jumped and dived with a bite. Reeling his line in, Noah found that that darn fish had come in for a snack, stealing his worm. That was pretty funny stuff!

Fishing works up a powerful appetite and picnics are a must for any fishing adventure, so we brought along fried chicken, potato chips and cookies.

Yummy!

Little Mazzy enjoyed her first fishing outing as well as anyone. She was one cute little number in her summer shades.

The afternoon ended with a couple of splashes as Noah dropped his pole in the lake. Him and his Papa both reached for it with Papa trying to keep Noah out of the water and the both of them tipping in. Ooops! (Shhh...don't tell Riff I told you. He was pretty irritated at himself that he failed to keep his little man from falling in the lake.) No harm came of their wet adventure except for some wet, cold clothes. Noah, at 3-1/2, already has his first fishing story to tell! His Great-Grandpa is proud!

~May you all be blessed with some country pleasures~

H is for Home

2011-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Home is where you start from.
~T.S. Eliott

Today, I'm joining in with Alphabe-Thursday hosted by Jenny Matlock.

For today's letter - H - I picked the word Home. Home is where we should all feel safe, loved and comfortable. It reflects who we are and what is important and beautiful to us. Here are a few pictures of our home. I hope you enjoy your tour!

Pop over to Jenny's blog for more Alphabe-Thursday links.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting our little corner of the world!

~May you all be blessed with homes that provide you comfort and are full of love~

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2011-06-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

It's time for Turn the Page...Tuesday hosted by Adrienne of Some of a Kind. I actually got a lot of reading done this past month due to some ugly spring weather and not feeling quite up to par for much of the month. Quite a good list of reading too, with no books that were a chore to wade through. I've picked a couple of them to tell you about, so here we go....

The Purple Parasol by George Barr McCutcheon is my sweet old hardback that I pulled off of my dusty shelves to read in May. What a pleasure it was!

'Young Rossiter did not like the task. The more he thought of it as he whirled northward on the Empire State Express the more distasteful it seemed to grow.'

Sam Rossiter was a young attorney, fresh out of Yale, who workes for a prestigious law firm in New York. Their wealthiest client is an older man by the name of Godfrey Wharton who is married to a young, beautiful wife who seems to have fallen in love with someone else. Mr. Wharton wants the law firm to follow his wife and find out the truth once and for all. Being the newest member of the firm, Sam is sent out on this distasteful mission. He was told that he would know Mrs. Wharton by her youth and the purple parasol she would be carrying, so he sets out to follow her, finding her at the train station where she is headed for her romantic trip with her lover. Sam finds that the young couple are using assumed names and as he checks into the lodge where their party is staying and gets to know the guests, he himself seems to fall in love with the young beauty.

Oh my! What will happen? Has their been some mistake? Can this sweet young girl really be married to that nasty old rich man? You'll have to read this delightful old book to find out!

I love the smell and feel of old books and this one was just perfect. My version was published in 1906 and has the most charming illustrations ever. It is a very quick short read, only 108 pages long and quite fun.

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran was loaned to me by a friend from work. I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it, then Shilo read it as well. It was a fascinating time in history, so we then got a Nefretiti National Geographic documentary from Netflix to learn a bit more. Really interesting stuff!

'When the sun set over Thebes, splaying its last rays over the limestone cliffs, we walked in a long procession across the sand. In a twisting line that threaded between the hills, the viziers of Upper and Lower Egypt came first, then the priest of Amun, followed by hundreds of mourners. The sand cooled rapidly in the shadows. I could feel the grains between the toes of my sandals, and when the wind blew under my thin linen robe, I shivered. I stepped out of line so I could see the sarcophagus, carried on a sledge by a team of oxen so the people of Egypt would know how wealthy and great our crown prince had been. Nefertiti would be jealous that she'd had to miss this.'

From the back cover:

Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, and unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped that her strong personality will temper the young ruler's herectical desire to forsake Egypt's ancient gods.

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people, but she fails to see that powerful forces are plotting against her husband's reign. The only person brave enough to warn the queen is her younger sister, yet remaining loyal to Nefertiti will force Mutnodjmet into a dangerous political game-one that could cost her everything she holds dear.

Historical fiction based on fact is my favorite genre and this book was wonderful. I will definately read more of Michelle Moran in the future.

Last but not least is Leaving Protection by Will Hobbs. This book came my way by my sister, Stacey, of Stacey's Treasures. She had reviewed it a few months ago, then given it away and I was the lucky comment winner. I would like to pass on that favor and give this book away once again to someone who would like it. Just tell me in your comment that you would like it and I will draw one of you and send it your way.

Leaving Protection is a young reader book, written well and with quite a bit of intensity to it.

From the back cover:

Raised in the island world of Southeast Alaska, sixteen-year-old Robbie Daniels jumps at the chance to work as a deckhand on a salmon troller captained by the legendary fisherman Tor Torsen. Catching king salmon from dawn till dusk, Robbie is living his dream-until he discovers his mysterious captian's dark secret. Tor is illegally searching the coastline for historic metal plaques buried by early Russian explorers. When Robbie learns the value of these hidden treasures, he fears he may know too much to survive. Tor's wrath and a violent storm at sea put Robbie's courage and wits to the ultimate test.

Just let me know if you would like Leaving Protection and I'll pass it on just as Stacey did!

Stop by Adrienne's to see what others are reading this month!

Treasure Hunting

2011-05-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

During my childhood, my sisters and I spent a part of every summer tagging along after our Mom as she looked for treasures at yard sales. She would give each of us a dime, or sometimes a quarter, so that we would have our own spending money. I remember holding that shiny coin tight in my fist while dreaming of the wonders I could purchase with it. Would it be a new doll, a book about horses or maybe a baton that would take me to a world of marching bands where I would lead the parade down a street lined with cheering crowds? The possiblities in that little coin and those sales were endless!

Mom loved to go to yard sales and she loved to have them as well. Both of my sisters and I have inherited the love of going, finding bargains and even things we never dreamed of, but I don't think any of us have the love of actually having a sale. We all do from time to time, but not like Mom, who never let a summer pass without holding a yard sale. We lived quite a ways out of town, so for days ahead of the sale, we would clean and price our items, then haul them all into town and set up the sale on Grandma and Grandpa's front lawn. The day itself was always fun with us kids taking turns being the "cashier" and writing down in a notebook whose items sold and for how much. Afterwords, we would divy up our earnings and a trip to The Corner Market was always in order for a pop and a piece of candy. My favorite was the lollipops that were two-toned, kind of powdery and came on a hollow white stick. I don't remember what they were called but I loved them!

As a teenager, I no longer went to yard sales or even wanted to help with the annual summer sale. We lived in a very small town and how mortifying it would be to wind up in a classmates yard going through their castoffs! No thank you!

Those awkward teenage years weren't far behind me before yard sales once again callled my name. (And it didn't hurt that I had moved an entire state away, to a much larger town so odd's were entirely in my favor that I wouldn't be digging through my friends things!) Now, many years later, I would happily paw through friends stuff, offering them a dollar here or there when I found something I just had to have. Brittany and Shilo have also gotten the yard sale itch, so with both of them close this year, I predict lots of Saturdays out "saleing".

With all that said, would you like to see my treasures from this past Saturday's hunting? Yes? Have a look ~

This is my favorite find! I've been wanting to change out our curtains, something to make the room feel lighter and brighter, so I was super excited to find this set of 12 panels, all for $25. Yeah! They go perfectly in our house, the same brick red as the fireplace and other red accents we've used in the living room. They make the room feel very summer country beach cottage-y which is just exactly what I wanted.

With 12 panels, I have enough to do the kitchen as well, which really ties the house together. I just love them!

How about a sailboat picture for $5? Perfect for an empty spot that really needed to be filled in our nautical-themed bathroom.

It's very rare for me to come home from yard sales without a stack of books!

Isn't that top adorable? Actually, it's two pieces that Shilo found at seperate yard sales for 25 cents a piece. What a score!

We found a whole stack of super cute clothes for tiny Mazzy Kaye. This little outfit is my favorite for $1.00.

We all know how fun dress-up can be, so I couldn't pass up this little Ninja costume for Noah. ($1.00)

Of course, it resulted in a couple of karate chops for Bana and a little voice stating, "Watch out. Inja coming through!"

Have you been out treasure hunting yet this season? Found any wonderful things? It's true that one girls trash is another girls treasure!

Flower Moon

2011-05-17T06:26:00.001-07:00

Full Moon Bokeh, a photo by badjuuuu on Flickr.

In May, Mother Nature delights us with re-birth. From blooming flowers and budding trees to new babies of every species tagging along after their mothers or riding on their hips. What a delightful month, chock full of surprises and warm days, as well as anticipation of the summer to come.

Tonight's full moon is known as the Flower Moon. If you have clear skies, get outside, look up and bask in the joy of nature. Pick a spot to sit for a minute, where flowers are blooming and you can look up at the greatness that is our moon. What a beautiful time to reflect on the day and to simply delight in the wonder of creation.

"I see the moon and the moon see's me. God bless the moon and God bless me!" - Dustin sang this song quite often when he was a tiny boy. I cannot see a full moon without hearing his sweet 5 year old voice running through my head.

Ninja Bunny

2011-05-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting~

Those bunnies were fast as lightning.

In fact it was a little bit

frightning

Turn the Page....Tuesday

2011-05-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

Isla Pixol, Mexico, 1929

In the beginning were the howlers. They always commenced their bellowing in the first hour of dawn, just as the hem of the sky began to whiten. It would start with just one: his forced, rhythmic groaning, like a saw blade. That aroused others near him, nudging them to bawl along with his monstrous tune. Soon the maroon-throated howls would echo back from other trees, farther down the beach, until the whole jungle filled with roaring trees. As it was in the beginning, so it is every morning of the world.

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver starts as above with a young boy, half American, half Mexican, awaking each morning to the howling of monkeys in the trees. Harrison William Shepherd has come with his mother to live at an estate in Mexico with the man she left his father for; the man she was hoping would marry her but has more than anything kept her a prisoner on this remote Mexican island.

The first chapter of this book intrigued me, but unfortunately became dry and quite slow-paced for the next six chapters or so. A story told through the letters and diaries of the main character after his death, it covers the time period of the workers communist movement in Mexico. Many real-life historical figures are written in. Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo, both famous artists, are employers and friends of our young hero, as is Leon Trotsky, a Bolshevik Revolutionist who was exiled to Mexico.

Even though historical fiction is my favorite genre, I really took a long time to drag my way through this book. It's not that I didn't like the story, I did, but parts of it were dry and just seemed to drag, though I never did get to the point of just giving up and I am glad I finished the book. It was one of those stories where I could just never connect with the main character and felt that he was a bit flat. Lots of good reviews out there and many readers loved this book. It was just okay for me man. (My shout out to Randy Jackson on American Idol. lol)

From the dust jacket:

Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico - from a coastal island jungle to 1930's Mexico City - Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence.

Meanwhile, to the north, the United States will soon be caught up in the internatinalist goodwill of World War II. There in the land of his birth, Shepherd believes he might remake himself in America's hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. He finds support from an unlikely kindred soul, his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, who will be far more valuable to her employer than he could ever know. Through darkening years, political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach-the lacuna-between truth and public presumption.

Naomi by Berniece Rabe is the book that I decided to pull off my dusty shelves and read this past month for Adrienne's Turn the Page Tuesday challenge of reading something that has been on your shelf for awhile. This is one I read years ago, I believe when I was in Junior High. I picked up this autographed copy at a yard sale a couple of years ago.

' "Cain't you hear? I asked you what y're doin'?" Grace shouted.

Naomi paid no attention to the roughness in her sister Grace's voice, but kept right on with what she was doing, placing one leg with a great crossing motion in front of the other as she walked on the hard-packed dirt path that circled their weathered house and made forks through the weeds to the barn, chicken house, toilet, and cotton field. "I'm walkin' like a cow. What does it look like I'm doin'?"

"Well, Mom says to cut it out. She said for me to tell you that it looks nasty."

Naomi took two more cow steps. '

Naomi is a ten year old girl growing up on a farm in southeast Missouri. Her Mom is already harping on her that if she can't peel potato's thin enough, she will never make someone a good wife. At the opening of the story, Naomi's Aunt Wilma has already died from a snakebite, but at her death at the ripe old age of 21, she was unmarried and already a burden to the family. Naomi is a pretty girl, taking after her aunt in that aspect and her Mom is very afraid that Naomi is "patterning her ways" after the dead aunt.

A fortune-teller has moved to town and Naomi goes to see her, hoping to here that she will grow up good, become rich and not be a burden to her family. Instead, she hears that she will die before her fourteenth birthday - and the fortune-teller is never wrong. When Naomi's family finds out that she went to see this woman, she is in a world of trouble, but Naomi can tell that her superstitious family and neighbors believe in her fate. What a terrible burden to be hanging over a young girls head.

What will happen? Will Naomi perish before she is fourteen? This is a young reader book, quick moving. Naomi is a very likeable character, full of spirit and always getting herself into trouble with her very strict and not so likeable Mom and sister. A good coming of age story set in a time and place full of poverty, ignorance and superstition.

Pop over to Some of a Kind for more Turn the Page Tuesday reviews!

Brick Roads

2011-05-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

A strong hand reaches out to steady the elderly man as he stumbles on the sidewalk. The younger woman, a stranger to the man, helps him into the grocery store, keeping her hand on his elbow until he is settled into a motorized shopping cart. The encounter brightens the day for both of them.

The sound of a lawnmower brings the great-grandmother to the window to see what is happening in her yard. A tear forms in her eye as she watches her neighbors mowing and raking her overgrown grass simply because they notice that it needs done.

While raising her boys, a friend of mine instilled in them the joy of doing kindnesses for others. She told them that when they stepped out of their own worlds to help someone else, that they were building themselves brick roads to heaven. I have always liked her analogy, picturing those boys building their roads, brick by brick.

It seems that so often we all walk around in our own little bubbles, forgetting to look up and around. We are, many times, oblivious to the needs of those around us, whether they are people in our worlds or complete strangers we encounter. I challenge you all this week to open your eyes and help someone out. Even a small kindness will add one more brick to your road to heaven.

Rain Rain

2011-04-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

The sun did not shine

It was too wet to play

So we sat in the house

All that cold, cold wet day.

All we could do was to

Sit Sit Sit Sit!

And we did not like it.

Not one little bit.

(words stolen from Dr. Suess' The Cat in the Hat)

Make your own Bunny Nuggets by grabbing Rebecca Dangers free pattern over here. They are so stinking cute and check out Rebecca's not-so-free patterns while you're visiting. She makes the most adorable creatures ever!

I Am From Hammer and Nails

2011-04-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

I am from hammer and nails, from Avon and fishing poles.

I am from the cool feel of the big stone porch on a hot summer day

Where the sound of laughter and the clink of dishes

Makes you know that you are safe.

I am from brick.

I am from the pines tree's and the aspen whispering

in the soft mountain wind,

from the purple lilac's and buzzing bee's.

I am from the wild onions that leave their taste

in the fresh cow's milk.

I am from 4th of July sparklers,

strong women,

lumber yards

and crackling fires.

I am from the love of Rolin and Leoma,

the strength of Toot and Shirley,

and the storms of Tommy and Janice.

I am from shallow pockets and deep love.

From "This too shall pass"

and

"Rise and shine in the early morning".

I am from Vacation Bible School with the smell of glue

and Mom next door teaching a class.

From cherry tree's and hot August days at the county fair.

I am from Cricket Flat and Denmark,

Alaska and England.

From pumpkin pie and biscuits.

From the young man who drowned in the Grande Ronde River,

the Grandmother who tossed the Christmas tree out the window

and from the woman who longed to be a writer.

I am from a dusty cardboard box in the attic,

letters under the bed,

and from diaries lost long ago.

I am from the carpenter and the country girl.

~Paula Sannar Niziolek

May 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(This is a re-post from a poem that I wrote back in 2008. It's been on my mind a lot lately for some reason and I wanted to share it again. This poem was written using a format that gave a loose guideline of which part of your memories to search for each section of the poem. You can write your own "Where I'm From" poem by following the link here. I would love to read a poem about the people and places that made you who you are today.)

Easter Basket Swap

2011-04-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

My Easter Basket Swap package arrived last Thursday from Mary Lea of Mumsie's Musings and oh boy! Did she ever spoil me! Just look at all this wonderful Easter time goodness! I absolutely love it all, but the one thing that really touched my heart is the picture Mary Lea took from my blog of my Grandma. She printed the picture and put it in a beautiful silver frame. What an incredibly thoughtful gift to include!

Grandma's picture has already found her way to my desk at work~

I just had to show you the giant box all this goodness came in. Wow! And it was stuffed to the brim. What a spoiled brat I am!

Mary Lea made this super sweet fabric basket and I'm pretty sure that these cute bunny buttons are made of Shrinky Dinks. I LOVE it!

Isn't this wreath one of the cutest things you've ever seen? Adorable! The wreath is wrapped in brown paper and the flowers and bunny are all fabric. SEW darn cute! Mary Lea really went all out with the handmade goodness she included.

Here is the wreath, hanging on our front door and bringing springtime cheer to the front porch. Makes me smile everytime I walk through the front door!

Easter napkins and plates for our picnic, candies, tea, a handmade card, a fun Busy Woman's cookbook, a lemon pound cake candle, the cutest every chick and easter egg salt and pepper shakers, bright fun easter socks, a hopping little fuzzy chick, wooden tulips among so many other things. When I say that Mary Lea completely spoiled me, I mean it!

Thank you so much, Mary Lea. I cannot tell you enough how much I love this wonderful package you spent so much time putting together for me!

Hoppy Easter!

Welcome to the World, Mazzy Kaye

2011-04-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

Sweet little Mazzy Kaye joined the world this weekend. Our family was so happy to welcome her and meet our newest grandbaby and very first grandaughter. At 7 lbs. and 9 oz., she's a chubby little thing who looks very much like her Mama did as a newborn. It took long hours of labor and then a c-section in the end for her to get here, but get here she did and we are all just tickled pink. Mommy and baby are both doing well.

Mazzy's Papa already adores her and is thinking up all kinds of ways to spoil her! Her big brother thinks she is the prettiest baby ever and can't wait until his Mommy, Daddy and baby sister are home from the hospital so that he can go home and play with them. Noah is already the best big brother that little Mazzy could ask for!

Welcome Mazzy. Our family is so blessed by your presence!

Turn the Page....Tuesday

2011-04-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

It's once again time for Turn the Page...Tuesday hosted by the fabulous fantastic Adrienne at Some of a Kind.

My first choice this month is a book that my sister, Stacey, sent to me and one I have seen some great reviews on and really wanted to read. Thank you, Stacey, for passing this one on to me. It was wonderful!

'Old Henry Lee stood transfixed by all the commotion at the Panama Hotel. What had started as a crowd of curious onlookers eyeballing a television news crew had now swollen into a polite mob of shoppers, tourists, and a few punk-looking street kids, all wondering what the big deal was. In the middle of the crowd stood Henry, shopping bags hanging at his side. He felt as if he were waking from a long forgotten dream. A dream he'd once had as a little boy.'

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is one of those exceptional novels that, once read, will stay with you forever. A powerful story of young love lost but never forgotten; of lives torn apart by war. So much has been written about WW II, but so little about the Japanese Relocation Camps right here in our very own country.

Living in Cody, Wyoming for many years, I drove by the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp between Cody and Powell so many times that it became just a part of the landscape. But take a moment, pull off the highway and up the hill to those old buildings. Get out of your car, walk quietly and peek into the long, low-lying rooms. Listen and you will swear that the long gone voices of the residents of this remote camp in the high desert still echo throughout those concrete walls. It's haunting - heartbreaking to think what was done to Japanese Americans right here in our own, their own, country.

Mr. Ford's novel is about so much; the issue's between a father and son, the rivalry and cruelty of young kids, a country tearing itself apart during war-time. We experience Seattle's China and Japantowns during the 1940's and touch on the vibrant Jazz scene there before moving into the Seattle of the 1980's. In this book, I connected and fell in love with so many of the characters - Henry, Keiko, Sheldon and yes, even Mrs. Beatty - that I was not at all ready to let them go when I turned the last page. Like dear old friends that you miss when they go back home.

I do believe that more of Jamie Ford's work will find it's way to my shelves. And soon.

This year, Adrienne challenged each of us to read books that have been languishing, unread, on our shelves. I am trying to do that each month, so for March I picked Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. Now, I love the Anne of Green Gables series and had heard that the Emily series was somewhat autobiographical about the author, so when I found "Emily" at out local thrift store awhile back, I brought her home. I started reading right at the beginning of March, but it took me nearly the whole month to turn the last page. Not because I didn't enjoy the story, I did; but with so much going on in our lives this month, I found it particularly hard to read this book. L.M. Montgomery had a very flowery and very descriptive writing style and I think you have to be in the right frame of mind to read her. I just kept falling asleep everytime I would pick the book up, but I did enjoy meeting Emily and the story was sweet, innocent and fun. I will pick up "Emily Climbs" sometime and add it to my reading stack, for a nice lazy summer day, methinks.

From the back cover:

In this sensitive, heart-warming story we meet Emily Starr for the first time. Spirited, irrepressible Emily, left an orphan when her father dies, finds she is really not alone. An unexpected world of family and friends is waiting for her at New Moon Farm. There Cousin Jimmy encourages her emerging talent for writing, stern Aunt Elizabeth teaches her a surprising lesson in growing up, and Emily's own special way of understanding solves a mystery that gives a lonely man the chance to love again.

Pop over to Some of a Kind to see what others are reading, and join in the fun if it suits you!

Where has your reading taken you this last month?

2011-04-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

"It's Spring Fever...

You don't quite now what it is

you do want,

but it fairly makes your

heart ache,

you want it so!"

~Mark Twain

I have it and bad. That hint of spring is in the breeze, the birds are singing, fluttering around the yard, my hands ache to dig into rich, fertile soil, coaxing those sweet green buds from their winter slumber.

Do you have it? Is your heart aching for spring?

May you all be blessed with daffodils~

Baby Mine

2011-03-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Waiting for a new little grandaughter to brighten our worlds is a very hard thing to do, but a pink and brown baby shower goes well in helping to make the time pass swiftly. I found the cutest pink elephant invitations on etsy and our shower theme was born. Shilo and I spent an afternoon making paper elephants for a couple of mobile's, a door sign, and Shilo made all of the toothpick cupcake toppers. It's so much fun to spend the afternoon with scissors, glue and pretty paper laying all over the room!

The morning before the shower, Shilo and I were leaving the house on our way to Brittany and Chris' to decorate and get some food supplies. Shilo checked Facebook before we left, then let me know that my sister, Susan, had posted that it was a beautiful morning for traveling; that she was on her way to Brittany's Baby Shower. Hmmm...Susan lives about 4 hours away. Maybe she was planning on coming to spend the night and had just not thought to tell me. Well, that'd be okay. Hmmmm....but it is a little curious. Guess I should give her a call.

Ring-Ring, "Hello?"

Me: "Hey, whatchya doing?"

Susan: "On our way to the baby shower. Jordan's driving and we're about an hour out."

Me: "Oh. You do know the shower's tomorrow, right?"

Susan: - a moment of silence. (If you knew my sister, you would know how unusual this is!) Then, "No. No. I wrote it on my calendar for Saturday!"

Jordon: (I can hear him in the background) "Doesn't mean it's right. What does your invitation say?"

((My mind is racing at this point. Did I write the wrong date on all those invitations?? Tell me it isn't so!)

Susan: sheepishly and quietly- "It says the 20th"

Me: "Thank God!"

Susan and my nephew Jordan got the pleasure of helping us clean and decorate. Unfortunately, they had to get back to Echo as they hadn't made arrangements for anybody else to feed all the critters that live at their place. We appreciated the help, but were sorry that they couldn't join in all the other festivities!

~Sweet pink elephants were everywhere~

"Baby mine, don't you cry

Baby mine, dry your eyes

Rest your head

Close to my heart -

Never to part

Baby of mine"

"Little one, when you play

Don't you mind what they say~

Let those eyes sparkle and shine

Never a tear,

Baby of mine"

"If they knew sweet little you-

They'd end up loving you too

All those same people who scold you

Oh what they'd give just to hold you."

"From your head down to your toes

Your not much, goodness knows

But your so precious to me

Sweet as can be~

Baby of mine."

Brittany got such cute outfits. Mazzy Kaye is going to be the best dressed little girl in the neighborhood!

All little men who have a baby sister on the way need a flashing "I'm the Big Brother" button. One of the gals Brittany works with brought it and it was one of the most loved gifts of the day.

How cute is this?? Thanks Auntie Susan~

The elephant on the invitations were so cute that I just had to carry that over to the felted diaper bag I made for little Mazzy Kaye. Now, if she would just stop being stubborn and come on out...Grandma wants to hold her.

"Baby mine, close your eyes"

Easter Basket Swappers Craftiness

2011-03-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

Springtime is starting to show her beautiful face here on the Oregon Coast, along with the endless rain and even the occasional snow squall. The blooming daffodils are a gorgeous reminder that Easter is just around the corner and our Easter Basket Swap is coming to a close with the mailing date of April 1st only a few days away.

I hope everyone is having a great time putting your baskets together. I've been out of town for a short vacation, then to be with family when my Grandma passed, and then a week down the coast for work. Finally home and perched on the couch with my laptop this evening allowed for some much needed blogging time and visiting all of your blogs. There is such Spring and Easter cuteness happening at your houses that I almost couldn't stand myself. You guys are awesome!

Here's a list of what you've all been doing. If I've missed anyone's springtime craftiness, please leave a message so I can share it here~

Connie's beautiful baskets at Pearls and Precious Stones - woven and felt baskets that are just beautiful!
Debbie's Spring Owl Tags at Gumdrop Mama - Adorable!
Donna's Spring and Easter Banners at Tea Loving Lady - made from beautiful scrapbook papers!
Jennifer Robin at Jennifer's Creations sent her basket out right away - You can see the beautiful contents and all of her handiwork here at Paige's Funny Magic.
Kerry's oh so cute Pincushions at Tales of a Needle and Thread - an Easter bunny and a gnome. You have to check these out!
Laura's adorable Easter Bunny Rug Mugs at Tara Court - I've never heard of Rug Mug's and am in love!
Mary Lea's Easter Bunny Wreath at Mumsie's Musings - Shhhh! I think I may be the reciepient of this gorgeous wreath and I'm SOOO excited! Shhh now~

The basket for my partner is almost done. I have a little bit to finish up on one of the handmade projects and a couple of other tuck-ins to add, then it will be off. This has really been fun. Thank you all for joining in and I hope you can find a minute or two to visit with the other Easter Basket Swappers.

Gakness

2011-03-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

It bounces, squishes between your fingers, stretches, breaks apart and melds back together. It's GAK and boy is it ever fun!

Alli brought me an egg full of GAK one day last week and I just haven't stopped playing with it since.

Get it out of the egg, mush it, mess it, drape it on your desk and watch it spread out and drip to the floor, then gather it up, stick it back in the plastic egg and give it a minute. It softens right back up and shapes to the egg or whatever container you happen to have it in.

Works awesome as a stress ball too!

A few of our funny creations are below ~ Enjoy!

Gakrope

Gaklace

And a Gakseal!

Very soon I feel a gak making party coming on at my house! Want to make some of your own? Pop over to Alli's Perhaps Today for the recipe. Perfect to put in the kids Easter baskets. (Who am I kidding? Perfect to put in ANYONE's Easter basket!)

A Legacy of Strength

2011-03-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

Grandma may be gone here on earth but when I think about her she is still on the Alaskan waters, in the galley of a small Troller, The smell of Coffee and the sound of rubber on the bottom of the cups and her laugh.
These words were "borrowed" from my cousin, Rodney. I will always remember Grandma in the kitchen making hot cocoa for us little ones and will forever hear her voice singing hymns at church on Sunday mornings. Shirley Marcilee Kennison Sannar passed away March 3rd, 2011 leaving all who loved her with many happy memories.

Grandma was born July 4th of 1923 in the Wallowa Valley of northeastern Oregon. She was the oldest of three children and had to grow up fast when her dad passed away when Grandma was only eleven. After being the one sent, in the middle of the night, to fetch the doctor, Grandma spent the next years helping her Mom raise her younger brother and sister.

My grandparents met at a dance where Grandpa was to shy to approach the pretty girl, but instead asked a friend to ask her out for him. Six months later, Toot and Shirley drove to Walla Walla, Washington to be married. Grandpa says it was the hottest day of the year and his wedding outfit was a $5.00 wool suit that he had saved up to buy. Back in Wallowa County, the happy couple moved in with Grandma's mom for a few months. Their first house together was a wall tent with a wooden floor. Can you imagine? A wall tent? And in the bitter cold winters of Wallowa County? My grandparents were strong, stubborn people their entire lives. Grandpa, at 90 years old, still is.

For the next few years, Grandma and Grandpa started a family, welcoming my Dad and Aunt Judy. Work was scarce during the war and Grandpa worked all kinds of odd jobs. Towards the end of the war he was drafted and served as a soldier oversea's. Once back in the states, Grandma and Grandpa moved to the logging camp of Starkey where Grandpa worked as a mechanic and my Aunt Kathleen joined the family.

Early in their marriage, my Grandma had told Grandpa that her job was to be his wife and the mother of his children. That wherever he went, she would go. So when Grandpa's brother-in-law called from Alaska, telling him mechanics were needed, off they went. Grandma made her new home in Ketchikan without a backwards glance. Even though she was deathly afraid of the water, when Grandpa decided to buy a commercial fishing boat and make a living from the sea, Grandma tugged on her boots, pulled on her rain slicker and became the Skipper of that fishing boat. For years, they trolled the Alaskan waters, making a good living and storing away many memories and stories to share with friends and family.

When retirement time rolled around, Grandma and Grandpa moved back to Oregon but still craved adventure, so they packed up their motor home and headed to the desert every winter until just the last two when Grandma was having blood pressure issue's and problems with her hip. Even then, they kept the motor home and refused to park it at families, instead enjoying their time in an RV park with other year round residents. Strong and stubborn.

Grandma was a wonder in the kitchen. I can still taste her delicious mincemeat pies from my childhood. She loved to quilt and made beautiful handstitched quilts for each and everyone of us grandkids and even a few of the great-grands. Grandma and Grandpa had a large garden every year, growing and canning their produce right up into their late 70's. Two summers ago, we celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with a camping trip and family picnic in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.

My family is full of strong women and Grandma was always right at the head of that line. Such a wonderful legacy of strength and love she has left for her family.

Rest now, Grandma. Your work here is done.

"And if it looks like we were scared to death

                                 Like a couple of kids just trying to save each other
                                                You should have seen it in color"
                                                          ~Jamie Johnson

Just One More Day

2011-02-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

to sign up for the Easter Basket Swap! Well, really kind of two. You have all day today and all day tomorrow, so if you've been debating about it, click here to join in the fun. We would so love to have you!

Snow Dog

2011-02-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

Watching dogs romp and play in a new snowfall is so funny! We don't often get snow here on the north coast of Oregon, but several days this week the sky and water have been steel gray (making for some beautiful images that I just could not capture on my camera). Snow has fallen and my doggie has been romping. At first he just wasn't sure what that cold white stuff was that he was stepping in but it didn't take him long to start rolling and rooting around. Quite a comical sight.

Gus and I hope you all are blessed with some good romping time this weekend!

Peeps!

2011-02-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

Homemade Marshmallow Peeps!

I was cruising around in blogland, looking for Easter inspiration when I came upon this post by Twig & Thistle. What a fantastic idea and they are so darn cute!

Pop over to Twig & Thistle for the recipe and a step by step tutorial. It's actually an older post from 2009 by it sure doesn't make those little peeps any less SWEET!

Tell me ladies, how are you coming in your search for Easter crafty inspiration? If you have made anything and have posted about it, I would love to know so that we could post a link and all swappers could take a look! Fun! (and if anyone has signed up for the swap but hasn't recieved an email from Alli and I, please leave a comment letting me or Alli know. We don't want to miss any of you!)

There's still plenty of time to sign up for the Easter Basket Swap if you haven't done so yet. We would sew love to have you! Click HERE for the details and how to sign up.

Snow Moon

2011-02-18T20:15:00.001-08:00

Full moon
Originally uploaded by ConnyLundstrom

Tonights full moon is known as the Snow Moon, named such because February typically has the heaviest snowfall of any month. Until I got my new calendar this year, I didn't really know about each month's full moons having different names. I'm really having fun finding out the reasons behind each of these full moon names. This month The Farmers Almanac had the information I was looking for. Here it is:

'For centuries, full moons have been given specific names by various cultures and civilizations from around the world. These special moon names helped people keep track of the seasons and were often inspired by nature and agriculture.

Since the heaviest snow usually falls during the month of February, Native American tribes of the north and east most often called this month’s full moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to it as the Full Hunger Moon or Little Famine Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult. Forced to gnaw on bones and sip bone marrow soup for sustenance, the Cherokee named it the Full Bony Moon.

Around the globe, the Celts called February’s moon the Moon of Ice, while the more optimistic Chinese named it the Budding Moon in anticipation of spring.'

It's a bit too cloudy here this evening for a good glimpse, but I hope you all have a chance to howl at tonights Snow Moon.

Little Lambkin

2011-02-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

What a sweet project to get all of you fellow Easter baskets swappers creative juices flowing!
Little Lambkin is a free pattern by Pattern Bee, who has the most beautiful vintage-inspired embroidery patterns you have ever seen. This sweet little lamb would be the perfect start for any Easter basket. I can't imagine any little girl, or big girl for that matter, who wouldn't just fall in love with this cutie-pie!

There's lots and lots of time to join in the Easter Basket Swap! See the post below for all the info and how to sign up. Baaaaaa!

Check back often, and over at Alli's place to, for more Easter fun inspiration!

Easter Basket Swap

2011-02-15T18:40:00.001-08:00

Easter Sweetness
Originally uploaded by paulaniz67

It is hard to look back on our Easter celebrations as children and not think of the joy and excitement we felt when we got our Easter baskets. Candy, treats, Easter eggs and, of course, chocolate bunnies! Let’s bring back the giddy joy we felt as kids, and spoil each other with our very own Easter Baskets, stuffed to the brim with Easter sweetness.

Join Alli and I in our first ever swap! We've been talking about hosting one together for a year or so now, but hadn't come up with any fabulous idea's until Alli hit on this Easter Basket fun. Read on to find out how to join in and what the fun will entail ~

First, sign up by sending the following details to us at easterbasketswap@yahoo.com
Name:
Mailing Address:
Blog Address or Website:
Favorite Easter treat: (Chocolate, jelly beans, peeps, etc...)-
Preferences: Colors, themes, Religious preferences, décor style, favorite Easter traditions, etc…

Then, just sit back and wait for your partner information to arrive. I know, that part is really hard to wait for. You're excited and you want to get started on your basket. Fill your empty time with cruising around the internet looking for fantastic Easter projects and simply getting inspiration from other fabulous bloggers out there!

Once your partner information arrives, get to know her and start filling an Easter Basket with goodies that will make your partner giggle with glee…

Alli and I came up with a bit of criteria for your baskets but not so much that it will stifle your creativity. We want you to have fun with this!

What’s in the basket?
1. One Easter decoration - what kind of decoration is up to you and your partners likes. Be creative.
2. One Easter Card - paper crafts are so much fun!

3. Chocolate/ or other candy - yummy!
4. Easter character; i.e. Bunny, Chick, Egg, Cross, Lillies, etc… - something that signifies Easter to your partner (and is adorable!)

5. Other goodies your partner will enjoy…stuff that basket full. The idea is to pamper your partner!

Criteria:

1. At least one of the items in the basket must be handmade.

2. We ask that a minimum of $20 (not including shipping) be spent on the basket and goodies.

(There is no limit as to what all is put in the basket, just as long as the minimum is met.)

Have fun with the basket’s presentation! For example – Easter grass, ribbons, raffia. Get creative! Your basket could be the handmade item. So many possiblities - just remember to go with what your partner will enjoy!

Remember, it’s all about pampering your partner!

Important Dates

Sign up by: March 1st
Partners will be sent out by: March 10th

Swap needs to be sent out NO LATER than: April 4th
(We want everyone to be able to enjoy their baskets before it's time to put those Easter decorations away!)

Most Importantly

Be creative! Have fun! Pamper your partner!

Check back in often to On a Rainy Night or Perhaps Today for Easter Basket and fun project ideass, as well as leave lots of comments as to your progress. Remember to watch for what your partner likes too!

We sure hope you'll join us - hop to it! Send that email!

No Access

2011-02-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

Sadly to say, my powercord for my laptop died a week or so ago, so my blogging time has gone away for now. I popped into our brand new Staples to see if they had one that would work or could possibly get one in for me. After an hour of.....well, if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all. Anyway, I've ordered a new cord on-line and am very impatiently awaiting it's arrival.

Please stay tuned because very shortly my friend Alli and I are going to be announcing a very fun swap that we are hoping you will want to join in with us. Think Easter baskets and sweet little spring critters.

Until then, may all of your cords give you limitless power!

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2011-02-01T06:46:00.000-08:00

'Along Elena's smooth white back is an ancient scar that cuts downward in grotesque beauty like a long, graceful snake. It begins at the joint of her right shoulder and sails south across her shoulder blade, then her spine, swoops around the lower edge of her left ribs and across the unguarded softness where vital organs once lived, and finally ends deep in her left buttock. In places, it looks like a rope, dark pink and angry; in others, it submerges beneath the flesh, showing only a slight white scratch above the skin.'

So begans The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal, the story of Elena and the ghosts who haunt her. Elena is a chef, raised in New Mexico who, many years ago, was the sole survivor of a terrible car accident that took the lives of her sister, brother, a cousin and Elena's boyfriend. It wasn't until much later, when Elena finally woke from her own devestating injuries that she found that her siblings and friends were gone. Her sister, after all, had stayed by her side the whole time, holding her hand and helping her through. Years later, her sister is still with her, helping her along. Elena's dog, Alvin, is her faithful companian and a big help on the days that Elena's body is screaming from pain and she can barely move. Armed with her grandmother's wonderful recipe's and the love of her dog, Elena finds herself in Aspen, Colorado, opening a restaurant for a famous director who is also trying to find some peace and stability in his life. Will Elena be able to put her ghosts to rest and move on to a life and the happiness that she deserves?

I had so much fun reading this book. Some parts have a bit to much steamy romance for my tastes, but they're easily skipped over to move on to the better parts. Scattered here and there throughout the book are some of Elena's recipe's and the food she concocts is described beautifully. Had me craving real authentic southwestern food. I still am. Anybody have a tamale?

Adrienne at Some of a Kind is the delightful host of Turn the Page...Tuesday. This year, she has challenged us to read a book each month that has been languishing around on our shelves which was perfect and fit right in with my own goals of reading one of my old classics each month. I have a passion for old books and from time to time my family feeds that passion. This month, I pulled my old hardback version of The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting of the shelf, dusted it off and read on. My sister, Susan, had given me both this one and The Story of Doctor Doolittle a couple of years ago and boy are they ever fun!

'All that I have written so far about Doctor Doolittle I heard long after it happened from those who had known him- indeed a great deal of it took place before I was born. But I now come to set down that part of the great man's life which I myself saw and took part in.'

This story is told from the perspective of Tommy Stubbins, the 10 year old son of the local cobbler in the village of Puddleby where the great Doctor John Doolittle lives. Tommy meets the Doctor when he finds a squirrel with a broken leg and takes it to him for mending. At the Doctors house, Tommy is fascinated by all the animals and the fact that the Doctor can understand and even talk to them. He spends much time there and eventually is apprenticed to the Doctor, learning the language of some of the animals and embarking on a great adventure. Another famous naturalist, Long Arrow, seems to have gone missing, so Doctor Doolittle, Tommy and a few of the animals voyage on the sea to Spidermonkey Island, hoping to find out what has happened to Long Arrow. Many fun adventures befall them, including a vogage on the bottom of the ocean inside of a giant snails shell.

These old classics are so much fun. I absoluely love them!

Hurry over to Some of a Kind to see what others have been reading...

and happy reading adventures to you. Hope you've been traveling to some wonderful places!

Coolness

2011-01-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

Our little town of Astoria, Oregon is on the ballet of Budget Travel Magazine to be one of the coolest small towns in America. So far, the votes have us coming in at number two. A quick picture tour of our town and a little bit of history will show you why we've made it this far, then, please, feel free to pop over to Budget Travel Magazine and vote for our Astoria!

Astoria, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, is situated at the mouth of the Columbia River. Fort Clatsop, just a couple of miles out of town, is where the Lewis & Clark party wintered after they spied the mighty Pacific Ocean. The Hudson Bay Fur Company settled in, with a big trapping and trading post and Astoria has been a unique and wonderful little settlement ever since. Built on a peninsula of steep hills and boasting beautiful victorian homes, Astoria is sometimes refered to as the little San Francisco. We are connected to the state of Washington by the bridge you see in the photo above, spanning the Columbia River for 4.3 miles.

A Riverwalk spans the whole length of our town, running all the way from the bridge that spans the bay to the small town of Warrenton to the Tongue Point on the other end of town. It's a great place to excercise, walk your dog, ride a bike or just sit and enjoy the sites on one of the many benches that dot the pathway along the Columbia River.

Starting with Lewis & Clark, Astoria has boasted several famous residents, such as John Jacob Astor. Clarke Gable actually started his acting career here in a small local theatre. Astoria is also the home of The Goonies~

Kindergarten Cop, Short Circuit, Free Willy, The Black Stallion, The Ring Two and several other movies have been filmed here because of our beautiful countryside and sweet town.

Many of the stars of Discovery Channels The Deadliest Catch and Axe Men are local residents. Even with all of this, we are still a small fishing and logging community. A real town who has not gotten above itself.

Astoria has a big and super fun Sunday Market, second only to Portland's famous market. It runs every Sunday from Mother's day through the 2nd weekend in October and is full of everything from plants, handmade blankets, baked goods, fresh seafood, produce and artwork. Food booths and live music are always a part of the festivities.

There's so much more that I could tell you - like how our downtown is still a small town downtown with fun shops in original old buildings; how when you walk down the street people smile and say hello; how people take pride in their beautiful victorian and craftsman homes; how the first daffodil that blooms in, yes, early February, brings joy to all.

Thanks so much for taking this small tour of our town and if you find it to your liking, please, pop over and vote for the coolest small town ever. And if you find yourself out here, in the Pacific Northwest, stop by and have a beverage on our deck. We'll be glad to show you around!

Wolf Moon

2011-01-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight, the first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon has risen above our town. It's shining on the water and lighting up even the darkest of streets, sending it's magical light down to enchant us and fill us with it's mystery.

The January full moon is known as the Wolf Moon, named so by the Indian tribes who, on cold winter nights, experienced the mournful and frightening sound of wolves howling through the night on nights when the full moon lit their dark paths.

Once I heard an old legend, one that I can't quite remember all the details too, about a pack of wolves, the protectors or spirit guides of one nation of Indians, who in order to better protect their people, merged with the sky wolf and the earth wolf, becoming the moon. The yellow of the moon shown down into the eyes of the cubs on earth, forever leaving wolves eyes tinted yellow.

This years wolf moon is so big and so beautiful that it makes me want to join those wolves in howling my pleasure for all to hear. I hope your skies are clear enough that you can see it as well. A truly incredible sight.

Sugar & Spice

2011-01-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

...and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of.

It's super exciting to have a new little girl on the way since we have so many snakes and snails and puppy dog tails around here!

I have piles of pink flannel for recieving blankets and burp clothes, pink yarn for knitting into diaper bags, booties and hats and all kinds of patterns set aside and saved to my favorites on Ravelry for homemade goodness to welcome out little Mazzy Kaye in April. We just can't wait to cuddle our new little granddaughter!

The pink yarn-y project you see in the picture is on it's way to being a felted diaper bag. I've knit with two strands held together to give the bag some sturdiness. I want it to be able to stand on it's own. When finished and felted it will have a really cute pink elephant appliqued in wool felt on the front. (At least it's cute in my head. Time will tell, won't it?) The bag only has a bit left to go before I can felt, so I'm hoping to have it done in about a week~

The little flannel tag blanket is a small baby toy with a krinkly paper sewed in place between the flannels. Baby's like that krinkly sound and she will be able to hold onto the ribbons, suck on them, slobber all over it and just have a krinkly good time. Yeah!

To see other yarn-y goodness, pop over to Tami's Amis for Work In Progress Wednesdays. Join in the fun and show what your WIP's are this week!

Hats Hats Hats & One Lonely Scarf

2011-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas time has come and gone, it's finally safe to show you the projects that were knit in secret. I have VERY nosy family members who would think nothing of stalking this blog in the hopes of glimpsing their gifts before the big day. Quite scandolous!

This years knitted gifts consisted of mostly hats with one lonely scarf thrown in.

Fish Madness:

Now tell me - who couldn't use a lucky fish hat?? Picture one in pink and green's for the little girl on your knitting list. Super cute. Grab the pattern here on Knitty.com and whip up a few for your little (or big!) ones. Totally easy to knit. You'll love 'em!

Here's a fish hat in action - worn by Noah -

Time for a Butterfly Beret!

And in action - worn by Shilo-

This picture cracks me up. Obviously something surprising was going on~

Now, this pattern gave me a couple of fits. If you decide to follow the link above for the pattern and knit it, know that there is a bit of errata at the end and you really need to pay attention when you start decreasing to finish the hat. As the pattern is written, you would end up with one butterfly sitting right on top of the last one instead of staggered. Just pay attention and adjust your butterfly's accordingly and you shouldn't have any problems. I used a light-weight merino wool yarn and it the hat turned out just right.

Jacob's Jaunty Cap-

Knit with a soft alpaca wool, this one turned out pretty nice. Because the yarn was so soft, I thought the hat needed a little something to give it some heartiness so I lined the brim with a nice brown fleece lining. Just what it needed!

You can find this pattern on Ravelry where it's called the Salute hat and the pattern costs $6.00, which I think is worth the cost.

A nice warm wool hat needs a nice warm wool scarf, don't you think?

I held a strand of the same yarn that I used in the hat and also a pumpkin-colored wool together to knit this simple scarf. I love how the colors of the two yarns blended, made me hungry so I called it Gingerbread.

For this scarf, just cast on 26 stitches using size 9 needles.

Knit in a 2x2 rib until scarf is the length you want.

Easy Peasy!

Well, the title of this post says "One Lonely Scarf", but I totally forgot that during my Christmas knitting I got carried away and made one for myself. That's okay, who else was going to make me a new scarf if not me???

My friend Denise gave me this beautiful variegated yarn for my birthday and I thought it was perfect for a new scarf. This pattern can be found on Ravelry also and is called 2 Weeknights with Warrick. Apparently the pattern is named that because you should be able to complete your scarf in just two evenings of knitting while watching tv. Took me a couple days longer than that, so I called mine Autumn Waves. I love the fun waving pattern in this one.

Last but not least is Puppy Paws Beret ~

I love this hat! I actually knit it after Christmas and it's for me too! Wasn't meant to be but that's how it turned out. I knit it as a test knit for a designer on Ravelry and the pattern is actually called a baby hat. Did not at all turn out sized for a baby, but instead fits me. It was going to be for our new granddaughter who we are waiting for, but I'll just have to make Mazzy something else. (The other test knitters had the same problem with their hats turning out adult sized instead. The designer will be fixing her pattern before releasing it.)

In action -

Right now, I have a very pink yarn on my needles that will soon be a felted diaper bag for that new grandbaby. Lots of other pink crafting going on that has nothing to do with yarn also. That's another post.

What's on your needles or coming out of your craft room these days?

Pop over to Tami Amis for more FO Fridays~

Gustav, the Big Red Dog

2011-01-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

Back in October, we brought home a new little puppy whom I introduced to you here. He was born at my sisters house, the runt of the litter but in not to long of time caught up with his four brothers. By the time, at 9 weeks old, that we brought him home, he was the same size as the others and had a big personality to match. I haven't done a very good job of taking pictures of his growth, but we weigh him once a week to see how fast he is growing. Every single time it makes us giggle to see how much he's gained every week, which is an average of 4 pounds. Gus is a Great Pyrennees mix and is showing all the signs of being the size of a Great Pyrennees. He was born September 1st, so is getting close to 4-1/2 months old. As of last night, he weighed 48-1/2 pounds. Holy cow! Full of personality and as naughty as a little boy, we are having a wonderful time with him. Potty training is proving to be not so fun, but I have faith that he will get it.
Here are the few pictures that we have of Gus - so you can see him grow. One of these days, like Clifford the Big Red Dog, Gus may just stand up and walk away with the house on top of him. Could happen...

I hope you had lots of fun romping and playing with our Gus-Gus.

He loves to have visitors~

Birthday Winner

2011-01-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

Karen of Sew Much 2 Love (spelled that wrong, I think. Should be Luv - not love) is the winner of my Mom's Birthday giveaway!

The Little White Hen coffee cup cozy and a box of cinnamon apple tea will be flying to California. Appropriate since my Mom was born in California, moved to Oregon when she was 4, then back to California the year I graduated from high school. She would like that her birthday chicken will be hanging out in one of her favorite states!

Mom - Janice Sharon Simmons

Age 6

1st grade

September 1950

Birthday Wishes from the Little White Hen

2011-01-05T20:53:00.000-08:00

"Who will help me make the coffee?", said the Little White Hen. Fortunately, the Little White Hen had many nice blogger friends who she knew would jump right up to help her make the coffee, unlike her sister, the Little Red Hen's friends who would not help her plant the grain and would not help her water the grain and would not help her harvest the grain or bake the bread.

For the past couple of years, when my Mom's birthday rolls around, I have had a birthday giveaway to honor her memory. Mom was a giver and I know that she would love that someone is getting a gift because of her birthday. This year the giveaway is the Little White Hen coffee cup cozy that you see here, along with a box of some fun tea. The Little White Hen promises to keep your fingers safe from hot cups and promises to keep you some cheerful company as you are enjoying your hot drink.

All you have to do is leave a comment here. That's it. No jumping through hoops or telling others about this giveaway, (unless you want to of course. I'd love to see you jump safely through a burning ring of fire! Exciting stuff!) So leave a comment, you don't even have to tell me a good chicken story, just a quick howdy gets your name in the coffee pot.

My Mom - Janice Sharon Simmons Sannar - age 15 - Elgin, Oregon

Mom's birthday was January 9th, which is this coming Sunday, so sometime in the late afternoon or evening on Sunday, Random.org and I will pick a winner and the Little White Hen will fly away to your house. (Chickens don't fly very well, so please keep an eye out for her!)

My sister, Stacey, is going to have a giveaway for Mom's Birthday as well, but she said that it may be a bit late. Keep on eye on her blog, Stacey's Treasures, so that you don't miss out!

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2011-01-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

For this month's Turn the Page...Tuesday, I have choosen "The Christmas Jars" by Jason F. Wright. For a couple of days during December I was home sick with the flu. I had participated in an apron swap and my package of goodies arrived on my first sick day. This wonderful little book was inside and since I had just turned the last page in "Sanctuary" by Nora Roberts when our Mail Lady was at the door, I immediately begin reading it. The darn flu had me doing nothing but reading or sleeping, so I finished this 122 page book the next afternoon and just wanted to read it again. So good - it's one that I want to give to my daughters and my sisters. Reading "The Christmas Jars" will have you starting a whole new family Christmas tradition of your own, or at least wanting too.

It's the story of Hope Jensen, a girl who was left in a diner as a baby along with a sweet note begging the person who finds her to take care of her and love her as their own. Hope's biological Mama was in an abusive relationship with Hope's father that she couldn't see a way out of and knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be hitting that sweet baby as well. Giving her away was the only way she knew to protect her little girl.

Hope has grown up now, raised by a single mother who loved her dearly, and is an up and coming newspaper reporter. One Christmas Eve, after coming home to a break-in in her apartment, Hope is left a jar of Christmas coins. Not knowing who left her this much needed gift, Hope starts researching other such gifts in the hope of finding the story behind the Christmas Jars. Hope does find the story behind the jars. What she does with that knowledge will leave you holding your breath until the end.

A delightful and very inspirational read. I think you'll love it~

For my Classics from my shelf resolution, I read "The Cricket on the Hearth" by Charles Dickens. It was good and charming, though not wonderful, but I'm glad I finally read it.

Today, my reading is taking me to Aspen, Colorado to spend time in the kitchen of Chef Elena Alverado in "The Lost Recipe For Happiness". Delightful~

Where is your reading taking you??

Don't forget to pop over to Some of a Kind for more Turn the Page...Tuesday reads.

A Blessed New Year

2011-01-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

The turning of a page from 2010 to the new 2011 is a time for reflection on the old year and a welcoming of the new. Are there things in our lives we would like to change, things we would like to do better, things we want to banish completely? Of course there are. I don't make New Year's Resolutions, as I feel that I'm setting myself up for failure. Most resolution's pass away in an average of two weeks. Instead, I've set myself some goals, but even those I plan on keeping close to the cuff. They are mine - or mine and Riff's - and I will show you the results of them as the year passes. Many have to do with projects around our home and the ability to FOCUS on one project at a time. This spills over into my craft room as well.

We know that 2011 will be brining some blessings to our lives:

1) A new granddaughter will be born in April to Brittany and Chris~ Mazzy Kaye, we can't wait to meet you!

2) Brittany and Chris' little family will be complete with a little boy, Noah, and a little girl, Mazzy, so they will be getting married in August. (Sometimes we do things a little backwards in our family, but that's okay! LOL)

3) Our oldest son, Sam, will be coming home in September from his third and hopefully final tour in Iraq. Please keep him and the safety of the troups he is with on your prayer list.

With six kids and four and a half-grandkids, we know that 2011 will bring more blessings to our world that we are yet unaware of. We so look forward to the dawning of this new year.

May you all have a blessed and prosperous 2011!

The Visitor

2010-12-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me. Please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree....

Some of you may remember that last year, right about this time, we came very close to losing our daughter, Shilo. After she healed up, she decided it was time to make a change in her life, so she packed her bags and moved to Texas. She choose Texas because our oldest son, Sam, is stationed down there so she would not be completely on her own. Her plans were to try and become a flight attendant. Not long after she got to Texas, she was diagnosed with Lupus, so the flight attendant goals have had to be set aside. Shilo is still in Texas, has a wonderful new boyfriend (at least that's what she tells us. We haven't met him yet, but his Mom is really nice!), is working at a restaraunt and finally facing her illness instead of having it on ignore. She does get very homesick from time to time, so decided to make a trip home for her birthday, which was at the beginning of December. She's really not going to be home for Christmas, which the song lyrics suggest.

It was really fun to have her home for a few days. We went to the beach, she frolicked with Gus, visited family and friends and had a small birthday party at home.

Happy Birthday to you!

We miss her and worry about her not taking care of herself like she needs to, but I finally had to tell her Daddy to stop reminding her that she can move home. Yes, she knows that daddy, but she's a big girl now.

"You all can go to hell - I'm going to Texas."

~ Daniel Boone

Old-fashioned Christmas

2010-12-13T08:19:00.001-08:00

Mr. Fezziwig's Ball
Originally uploaded by jholbo

Last night I was watching A Christmas Carol and the scene came on where Mr. Fezziwig was having a Christmas party and dance for his employee's. It reminded me of a certain Christmas party from when I was a girl.

My dad belonged to a Muzzleloaders Club for a time. The Shoot's were held every so often and it was so much fun to go. Many of the men and women would be dressed in mountain men and period attire, tents and teepees set-up amid lots of laughter and gunsmoke. It was always an exciting day.

One year, an old-fashioned Christmas party and dance were held. Generally we just went to the shoots in our normal clothes, but for this dance, Mom made us what I thought of as our "Laura Ingalls dresses", complete with old-fashioned aprons. I don't remember a lot about the actual party, just a misty image of boots stomping, skirts swirling amid much talk and laughter. A very fun childhood memory to have.

I wish you all on old-fashioned, country Christmas.

Frosty the Snowman

2010-12-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

...was a jolly, happy soul with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal.

Still needing a cute holiday gift for a friend or two? Or maybe a little something to decorate your entryway table? This sweet snowman light is fast and easy to make and you even get to enjoy a Starbucks bottled Frappacinno before hand! My friend Alli from Chicken Scratch Creations showed me how to make these little guys. Pop over to her blog here for a quick tutorial. (Hey, and don't forget to let her know that you stopped by. She'll be happy to see you!)

I also painted up a couple of plain small pickle jars that are super cute with a tea-light or a votive candle dropped in. These would make fun little hostess gifts and would be easy to do with your little one's as well.

Happy painting!

Frosty the Snowman was a fairy tale they say. He was made of snow but the children know how he came to life that day...

Turn the Page...Tuesday

2010-12-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

'On the morning my husband left me, hours before I knew he would, I looked at the bruised March sky and recognized tornado green.'

When Cami Anderson was eight, a tornado touched down on her families farm. Cami knew by the wind and the sky that something was about to happen and she did not want to miss it. Ignoring the calls from her mom, she ran outside and tried to touch that tornado. The rush she felt was what compelled her to do all the reckless things she could find from there on out, trying to recreate that feeling. That is until she met her future husband, Bobby, who was a reckless tornado himself.

For the next 18 years, Cami hangs onto that tornado, loving Bobby and forgiving all his volatile moods until the day he tells her he just doesn't want to be married anymore. Bobby walks out the door, leaving Cami devestated and with the very hard task of explaining this all to their heartbroken 17 year old daughter. Cami's world seems to be falling apart, while all around her, her family and closest friends are dealing with milestones in their own relationships.

Cami is a veterinarian who participates on animal rescue missions. Some of those animals have found a full-time home with Cami and still others have come for a short stay as shelter animals. Always loving her furry companions, Cami finds the most comfort and understanding when she's in the barn spending time with the angry shelter horse who has come to stay. Together, the two create a special bond and once again learn to trust.

A friend gave me this book and I enjoyed it completely, finding it hard to put down. I will certainly look for more of Katrina Kittle's works.

Cherry Ames - Senior Nurse by Helen Wells

Last month, I told you about some wonderful books that I recieved from a neighbor as she was moving - The Dana Girl Mysteries by Carolyn Keene. This same delightful neighbor also gave me the first six books in the Cherry Ames Nurse series. The first one was published in 1943 and about one a year after that. I think there is close to twenty books in this series. This month I read the second one in the series, Senior Nurse.

This book opens with Cherry's first day of her senior year as a nursing student in a teaching hospital. Her first assignment for the year is on the Children's Ward where she meets a maid who has smuggled a rabbit into the ward to help put a smile on the young patients faces. The rabbit gets away, dashing around the ward, but with the help of Cherry and a handsome young doctor, catastophe is avoided, but something special has possibly started to brew between Cherry and the young intern. We follow Cherry through the different wards of her senior year until the most difficult - the Surgery Ward. Will Cherry make it through this final task and earn her graduate's cap? During this hard time of war, so many nurses were needed both on the home front and the war front. Where will Cherry decide is the best place for her?

These books, written in the 1940's are so full of fun and innocence. So refreshing - I need to carry on and finish the six that I have.

I love old books and the classics and have quite a few on my shelves that I have yet to read, so I've decided that for the coming year I'm going to try to read one a month, at least. I will also try to tell you all about it. On my nightstand right now, for December, is Charles Dickens Christmas Stories - A Christmas Carol, The Cricket on the Hearth, and The Chimes. What is on your nightstand?

Pop over to Adrienne's blog, Some of a Kind, for more Turn the Page Tuesday reads.

Blue Christmas

2010-11-29T22:12:00.000-08:00

When those blue snowflakes

start fallin'

That's when those blue memories

start callin'

You'll be doin' all right

with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue

blue blue blue

Christmas