tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21839562593057673812024-03-13T09:18:56.800-04:00Exploring the Wonders of LifeA place where I can share the inspirations found around me with people who are also searching for some... (do I sound like Zoolander? Awesome.)sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.comBlogger370125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-39234168561516800102024-02-11T08:08:00.001-05:002024-02-11T08:08:00.140-05:00There's Beauty in a Sunset...<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_LmzL-47LIZOdk80VTGJdzES_8zsaqaqY2So9c75dzvnO230988-Mtj_4uwyXzHvn5aLnXu_IPrdWuwn0uBfwr4FZWpCwl77MhbEIqp6ShVxEJ9Z2ST2YoSzdbM9B3uJ8f0dQOw2Cv8FQI_QaxTwzbzk3R4lrrPeJ3drRfoXtjH7FLyV0YJZobzJCoFe/s4032/IMG_0508.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_LmzL-47LIZOdk80VTGJdzES_8zsaqaqY2So9c75dzvnO230988-Mtj_4uwyXzHvn5aLnXu_IPrdWuwn0uBfwr4FZWpCwl77MhbEIqp6ShVxEJ9Z2ST2YoSzdbM9B3uJ8f0dQOw2Cv8FQI_QaxTwzbzk3R4lrrPeJ3drRfoXtjH7FLyV0YJZobzJCoFe/w400-h300/IMG_0508.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />What comes to mind when someone says "sunset?" When I think of them, aside from the wondrous array of colors that I imagine, I also think... </span><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The end of the day</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The cowboy riding into the sunset after his story is done</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The end of an epic journey</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">An old couple living their final years together</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">well, basically, I guess I think "The End!"</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Okay, I'm being a little too much to my point. If I'm to be honest, I also think of </span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hawaii (where I saw sooo many beautiful sunsets)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The time I sat with Keith and two of his friends during my first week in Bethlehem, outside a sushi restaurant where we met for dinner, and were lucky enough to see the most beautiful sunset I think I've ever seen outside of Hawaii! And this, my friends, was a BEGINNING.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Driving around California looking for the best place to watch the sun go down while I lived in Fremont</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Days spent at the beaches in Northern California, sitting on the sand until the sun crashed down into the Pacific</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also, countless sunsets viewed from Sunset Beach, Cape May, New Jersey, where our family spends a week every summer</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sunsets definitely mark an end of a period, most of the times. They mark the end of a day, which, if you've had a tough one, is felt as a positive thing. If you're having a great one, then maybe it's bittersweet. But if you learn to enjoy the beauty of it, then its arrival is always amazing... and this is where I come to my point. In my 50s now, I finally see the true beauty of The Sunset. I have learned so much about who I am. I have painstakingly created the Me that I love. I feel a sense of satisfaction and joy with what I have been through, experienced, learned... to the point that as I reach that bend in the road that leads me towards my body's expiration date, I also welcome what awaits in that final sunset. I understand why physical immortality isn't needed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We ARE immortal, my friends. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I hope you know this. Physics tells us that nothing can be destroyed, only changed or transmuted. We are energy and energy never dies! That is the miracle of Life that we seem to forget. Our soul and spirit continue as we return to God/The Universe/Ether... however you wish to see it. Many feel that we close our eyes in our used up bodies and then wink out of existence. That would be a true miracle! lol Because that would defy the laws of physics!! No, my dear ones... I can't explain how I KNOW this. I know it like I know my own face. We don't go into nothingness. For proof, listen to the stories from people who have returned from their death to tell the tale. Near Death Experiences are not actually "Near death" as many actually WERE dead for many minutes. Their bodies literally had stopped working. The definition of death. But they came back because they were given a choice sometimes, or they were told they weren't done here on Earth, and were sent back to their bodies. And they came back with stories. I've heard so many of them, and the similarities are stunning. Not to mention that I had my own experience that changed my view of the afterlife. More on that in another post. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let me just say that this is not all there is. There is SOOOOOOOOO much more, and folks, when you experience your own, it will outshine any sunset anywhere, because it will be like you were shot straight into those rays of the sun, except it's not hot... it's brilliant, yes, but it's like looking into a gorgeous diamond up close with the sun shining and all the refractions of rainbows and more spectrums of light than you have ever been able to see with your human eyes, plus ALL the love in the universe suffusing every molecule, merging with you.... and you will sigh with your soul and you'll say: I AM HOME. You will remember that THIS is you. You are again one with Divine Source Energy. You are and always have been one with God. You just forgot.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blessings and Love xoxo</span></div><p></p>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-7357715176023236852024-02-10T08:08:00.005-05:002024-02-10T08:08:27.024-05:00The Highest Authority<p> <span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't know what your stance is for the existence of extraterrestrials, inter dimensional beings, angelic beings, or multidimensional beings, but mine is that they all exist, and they're all around us. There. I said it. I believe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why do I believe? For one, the Universe is greater and more mysterious than we can imagine, and it's being proven to us all the time if we only open our senses to receive that information. I have seen things. I have heard things. I have felt things. I know beyond doubt that others exist that are not US. They also aren't NOT us. I believe we are connected on all levels and with all beings through God. Let me make clear: I am not religious. But I also am not an atheist. I was born a spiritual being and remain a spiritual being. My experiences in this lifetime, as well as past lives, have taught me that we are greater than the sum of our parts. I think that's why mystical experiences are so expansive for humans... they remind us that we are part of the Divine. Mystical experiences teach us that we ARE mystical if we are able to experience the mystical. In the experience, we become.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I've gotten older, I've been able to acknowledge that there is more and greater understandings to absorb than I could have hoped there would be. Our lives are not just: You're born, you live, you die. Rinse and repeat. We actually contribute to the vast fabric of Life with every thought, action, awareness, understanding, and intention. Our vibrational frequencies go out and make the fabric of life more complex, more beautiful, and more rich and diverse for what we add to it. And when we move on to the next dimension, when our human bodies stop functioning, our soul rejoins the Great Spirit, Mother Father God, and our experience as a human is shared with all. We are but individuations of God, experiencing Itself. When we do something to another, it is done to ourselves, and it is done to God. I can't quote the Bible, but I know that there is something to the statement, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This is because we are all One. We are all God. That includes extraterrestrials. That includes angelic beings. They were the first of God's creatures, right? Mother Father God wanted a way to reflect back to Itself, and angels were the first. We all came a little later. I'm not just making this up... this is what is written in many various spiritual texts throughout time. All religions teach that God was first, and then angels, and then everything else. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What many DON'T know is that we are all multidimensional beings, with access to other dimensions outside of time and space. Because we are connected to God, and to all other beings (including our past selves from other life times) we can access those timelines and dimensions if we only know how. And some people know how already. I'm on the path of learning... I want to learn to connect reliably with my higher self, and with my angels and guides. I've had some contact with them that felt very one-sided... meaning I asked them for help and received it. Thank you! But I'd like to learn how to hear them. How to answer their calls, and hear their messages. I know that we are meant to hone our intuition, which will lead us to greater awareness and understanding... but I think I need to trust myself more. I KNOW I need to trust myself more. That's one of the problems we humans face every day, I think. We just don't trust our own intuition. We don't know how to listen to our higher selves, and so they become silent. But they're not gone. They're just waiting until what they say is heard. Then they will speak more often and with more authority. We are all greater than we know. And we don't need to look outside ourselves for authority. We can be our own authority. If we only learn to trust ourselves. In trusting ourselves, we are trusting in Mother Father God. The Universe. The Highest Authority.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In what ways are you contributing to the vast Fabric of Oneness? How are you honoring your higher self, your ancestors? What messages have you received from your guides that you listened to? What were the results? And how will you connect to your higher self now? Or your Spirit Guides, Angels and Ancestors? We each have our Team, and they want us to succeed in our Soul's Journey. We are each a hero in our own story, so how are you showing up for your role as Hero? Just some questions to ponder... if you sit with these questions, and ask your Higher Self these questions, see what comes. Journal if that helps. (That always helps me!) I welcome advice and comments! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Love and blessings to All. xoxo</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW09CTk1ELVqw3E3qtjikth2uMXBoQmBickfE6iB7PSUKcRxufrm2pvxSDQAmhReF3XZwNGbVmfSeYNm2M33hpTpfUNUv93mLvIEgTpD49_xwzEy7fkcb7bdjQbcHrAdTAqr_nM4amFXLxHz0XyTMku7kZVdx78_6paTO4_5gY1AluEljupuQxnfCD687H/s612/IMG_5963.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW09CTk1ELVqw3E3qtjikth2uMXBoQmBickfE6iB7PSUKcRxufrm2pvxSDQAmhReF3XZwNGbVmfSeYNm2M33hpTpfUNUv93mLvIEgTpD49_xwzEy7fkcb7bdjQbcHrAdTAqr_nM4amFXLxHz0XyTMku7kZVdx78_6paTO4_5gY1AluEljupuQxnfCD687H/s320/IMG_5963.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-9288182220005109682024-01-25T10:46:00.021-05:002024-01-25T10:46:00.140-05:002020 and Beyond<p> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Let's back up a little bit... back at the end of 2019, I was having strange, apocalyptic dreams. They creeped me out. Also, friends of mine that I talked to all the time were ALSO having apocalyptic dreams. Little did we know what 2020 was going to bring to all of us. When Covid-19 drove us all into quarantine, I think we all felt like the world was ending. (I felt like I understood why I had those dreams.) The world didn't end. It changed, though, and so did we. And what I believe a lot of us actually found, for better or worse, was ourselves.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnzJ47Dcl4OHMwHNUQuCnCqVZ6cuxTdljxQDFJhcRHi2wljQ040opv-R6ikSGKjTI_yjimMeExdcJSVzOvZGSRDdiMoZIy7eNUwPx3iOGkNm3gnFA54RnK10WTpAVMceXXDmQb_zxB8PyIiHf-yLO7y3IFCGih1SKQ0kJh1fxipm3xPneTxeJdt_WNiwV/s2048/128-2885_IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnzJ47Dcl4OHMwHNUQuCnCqVZ6cuxTdljxQDFJhcRHi2wljQ040opv-R6ikSGKjTI_yjimMeExdcJSVzOvZGSRDdiMoZIy7eNUwPx3iOGkNm3gnFA54RnK10WTpAVMceXXDmQb_zxB8PyIiHf-yLO7y3IFCGih1SKQ0kJh1fxipm3xPneTxeJdt_WNiwV/w446-h297/128-2885_IMG.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once we were secluded from the world of work and schedules and commutes... well, it was like a collective sigh of relief from humanity, wasn't it? All of us who were stuck in a rut, spinning our wheels in the metaphorical mud suddenly realized that we were being gifted an opportunity to reflect on what matters the most. We made connections with friends and families via Zoom, as awkward as that can be, it was nice in a way. We found out that we needed the break from the hustle and bustle we were living. We learned more about self-care. Many learned to meditate and connect with their Higher Self. The Earth started to heal as pollution died down to a minimum. We reconnected with Nature, as a way to get out of our homes and find some peace for ourselves... thus reminding us of how important those natural spaces are for everyone. I also learned that Love is the highest frequency, and all things must be rooted in Love. One of the downloads that I received from my guides was that my purpose is to help guide people to that understanding. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In hindsight, that year truly gave me 2020 vision for what my true needs were, and it gave me the time to detox from the craziness of civilization. For many, it also gave a clearer view of what we didn't want to experience anymore... whether it was poor health habits, manic work hours, dysfunctional relationships... disconnection. Some of us started learning new things about our truest selves. I discovered that I want to be part of the up-leveling of Humanity. I want to see us reach the Golden Age that is prophesied by ancient civilizations and various channels throughout history. What is being channeled by people all around the world is that THIS is the beginning of a Great Age. That is why many of us have incarnated here now... to help do the difficult work of raising the consciousness of humanity from the dark ages of control and lack and scarcity thinking to a world of freedom and abundance for all. We all are part of this world for our own light to shine! How we contribute is by being our very best selves. By learning who we are and how we can help. We contribute by creating art, music, and more. Creativity comes from the heart and the higher self. All you have to do is express it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's now January, 2024. I've made my way (slowly, slogging through some muck) to a place in my life where there is little I fear. I can truly say that when I search my energetic body, I can't find too much in me that feels fearful. The unknown is nothing to fear... it's just unknown. It can be only positive in nature, if you understand that we are all here to learn. The difficult challenges we face are there to forge you into a stronger, wiser YOU. Know that when we leave this earthly plane, this Grand Experiment of Duality, we return to the Source. We merge back with Mother Father God, Source, the Universe. We return to Unconditional Love. We return to the Loving Embrace of each other, where we were before our bodily incarnation into this Dimension. Let go of fear... we are all here. Together.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In all things, be Love. In every exchange, do it with Love in your heart. Treat each other with the understanding that we are all connected, and indeed we are all ONE. We are ONE with each other, and with our planet, our solar system, with Mother Father God. Separation is the illusion that was put before our eyes so that we could find our way back to God, and prove that we are Divine Beings who have not forgotten our immortality. Ask yourself if this feels right to you. You don't have to take my word for it! Why is it that when we do something out of deepest love, that it feels so good and raises our vibration? I believe it's because we were all meant to be vessels of Love. We are here to support each other in our learning and advancement towards a society that acts out of Love. Wouldn't that be an amazing world to live in? Well, it's exactly where I'm heading, folks! Join me! </span></p>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-89312898340390760882024-01-24T10:44:00.012-05:002024-01-24T10:46:09.174-05:00My Current Reading List<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjcGY36hR2NwGNGV5uTYvSyuDR0j7gepv95tiL10kzwZY6p71BbKyBo7yH9RFtrW6jT3mm8MWwIbyiSP3JulTl4jfUAQM49I5bJj_3mK8wMeBNDgt5mKlTvhw3DbUdCXVeSp2P6t_mRcU6CCNrBtMooK3bFl9WIeLjQ69ASBlxqV4tMX1LF-AxA7QgUl2/s1000/15679686257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjcGY36hR2NwGNGV5uTYvSyuDR0j7gepv95tiL10kzwZY6p71BbKyBo7yH9RFtrW6jT3mm8MWwIbyiSP3JulTl4jfUAQM49I5bJj_3mK8wMeBNDgt5mKlTvhw3DbUdCXVeSp2P6t_mRcU6CCNrBtMooK3bFl9WIeLjQ69ASBlxqV4tMX1LF-AxA7QgUl2/s320/15679686257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>In order to expand my understanding of Soul, and to help me unlock my own potential, I've been reading a LOT. I wish I could say that it's all fun and fiction, but actually... nothing I've read has been fiction, or even easy. Although I'd argue that it's kind of fun learning that we (humans) are powerful beings with abilities that are yet to be fully unlocked until we're ready. Some people have already unlocked many of their latent abilities, but many have yet to even believe that they have latent abilities, and so they can't be unlocked for them yet. I've learned that your subconscious beliefs can be either limiting or empowering. Our ability to manifest is truly amazing... and I'm not saying that I have this figured out. I am only starting to understand all the subtleties that surrounds this. But many others manifest naturally, and some are able to with their conscious will. My understanding is that we all are manifesting all the time. The trick is in allowing yourself to receive, and to not block your desires with unconscious negative beliefs.</p><p>I've been able to manifest what I need when I need it... and it started with a shift in my thinking and my beliefs about Abundance. I've listened to a lot of subliminal programs to undo my scarcity thinking. As soon as you start to do the work (and it's work, believe it or not, to deprogram those deeply rooted beliefs about abundance, wealth, health, etc.) Once you start, though, and you start seeing results, that empowers you to continue! We are all helped by each person doing their Shadow Work. I'll be honest, it's almost addictive once you start to do your deep dives into your psyche for the causes of your limiting beliefs. I enjoy the feeling of lightness I get everytime I dig something out! It's like the feeling after you get a splinter out of your foot. It hurts while it's in, and it hurts while you're digging and pulling, but once it's out you get a sense of relief and you can then heal. Spiritual work and self-discovery is like that. </p><p>So here is how I started:</p><p> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Placebo-Making-Matter/dp/1401944590/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">You Are the Placebo, by Dr. Joe Dispenza </a>- I've always enjoyed listening to him in interviews, and was first introduced to him in What the Bleep?! It was a movie I watched years ago when I still lived in California, and it followed The Secret, which is what led me to look for more. The quantum exploration is how I started learning about the truth of our existence! This book delves into how our mind works in the process of healing... and it gives you powerful tools to help change that which stops our healing: Our own beliefs. Because human bodies were designed to be self-healing! We're hindered by environmental toxins, self-ingested toxins, etc, and we can be physically hurt at times, but it's inherent in our amazing human bodies to repel what's bad and to heal. There is proof all around us, if we choose to acknowledge it and to accept it as true.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Nine-Dimensions-Prophecies-Consciousness/dp/1571746269/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5ytkZlWO4yglb43Hd-GF5e1gFmfE_WWZqkJwkXCPZ0BKNq1UdULJB57Ye7JV9EFs5mpagQWgNrlmJXDPqM6nVnf-r7jq1IQQha8S3FEWSHiN7rhLjliWxNGEwGYJUZiP7IKtK01NTjPalphgWvwojio90B8-ToXbfsH65IRWKyerBVsDSIgsJ4C2ENtU-g4o6fGQ6rFi1udQPoS1EsoPVTPBBa2Fw852146mE-majmA.5X1Yte83_gClRsHZ2XDVw-D-fi3FXebrXIoCYFDcGNg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Alchemy+of+Nine+Dimensions&qid=1705852938&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Alchemy of Nine Dimensions: The 2011-2012 Prophecies, by Barbara Handclow</a> - I'll be fully honest: I'm still not done reading this one. There's a lot in here, and I find that I need to absorb it in small chunks. I need lots of grounding after I read from this book. The information in this book was channeled by Barbara Handclow from a Pleiadian collective. Basically, the information in here teaches us about the available dimensions that we can have access to, when we're ready. According to Handclow, we've already moved into the Fourth Dimension, and so animals and other beings are now moving into the Third Dimension. The idea that Mother Earth, Gaia, is conscious and her consciousness is increasing in this cycle of humanity, is very exciting to me! As a child I always felt the Intelligence of Earth, minerals, plants, trees especially, and animals. I was never in doubt, even when being told that I was imagining things. Don't doubt your inner knowing, people! Trust your instincts... trust your gut, and trust your heart.</p><p>I will talk about other books that I'm exploring in other posts. These are dense reads (mostly the second book haha) and I haven't finished reading the second one yet.</p><p>In future posts, I'll talk about my sessions with Lightstar, who is a channel and read some of my Akashic Records for me. I'll also talk about Human Design and what that can show us about ourselves, how we show up in the world, how we show up for others, and how our personal design uniquely shows us about how we interact with others.</p>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-40295131197361286482024-01-18T10:14:00.000-05:002024-01-18T10:14:37.696-05:00I Am Back (Oh, What a World!)<p>I know it's been years since I have posted anything. Life has been A LOT. After having my child in 2012, I was consumed by other responsibilities and tasks. I personally went through many changes. I changed careers in 2016, and I'm on the brink of changing again... I'm only waiting for the Universe to help me set my path. I've been processing many losses and many changes. Not just personally, but globally. These are highly unusual times we find ourselves in, are they not? </p><p>Here are some of the tangible changes that I'll share:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>We lost dear Beckham in 2016, and Saint Jimothy Boo in 2021. I was grateful to have had Jimmy Boo with us during the Pandemic quarantine although not much after that.</li><li>We got a new cat, Lincoln, in 2017, who became Jimmy Boo's best friend and who loved Jimmy as much or maybe more than we did, in the way of cats.</li><li>We rescued a St. Bernard/Akita mix senior dog, Max, from an animal shelter in 2018, but then discovered that he was very reactive to the presence of cats. Oh dear. This changed the rhythm of our lives, but we learned to flow with it!</li><li>I completed my certification as a Crystal Reiki practitioner through Love and Light School. I did this during the Pandemic, as what else was there to do?</li><li>We took on the care of Luna, who was my sister's cat for many years, and she became our Basement Kitty, who didn't get along with J Boo or Lincoln, and who only came out once Max was upstairs in our bedroom. She passed in 2022.</li><li>I wrote a book on crystal healing, having planned a series, but then got stuck on the publishing portion ha ha!</li><li>Most recently, we adopted a new kitten for my daughter and also for Lincoln, as he was missing a partner to cuddle with. Her name is Freyja, and she's a darling little pip! Everything is always on her terms only!</li></ul><div>Here are some of the intangible changes that I'll share:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I started to play with frequency, vibration and resonance in my being, and also with others' energy fields. I learned Reiki 1, and plan to continue to mastery.</li><li>I started meditating more regularly.</li><li>My eyes were opened to the existence of Life Outside of Earth. </li><li>I started having some strange "downloads" of information that came seemingly from another dimension.</li><li>I became aware of other dimensions, and other ways of interacting with dimensions outside of the Third Dimension. Not least, I was able to see and hear things that were not emanating from our Third Dimension.</li><li>I also became aware of the shift of the Third Dimension of reality into the Fourth Dimension, although I didn't know how this was manifesting, exactly. I could feel it and sense it.</li><li>I became aware of the subtle energy within my body that we call Intuition, and started paying attention to it more and more.</li><li>I had several sessions with Lightstar and learned of some of my past lives, and some of my other dimensional lives. (I lived in Lemuria, which doesn't surprise me at all!) </li><li>I found out that I've had lives on other planets, and was once from Andromeda, the Pleiades, and that I was Arcturian. (I'm sure I'm only one of millions who have made these kinds of discoveries lately!)</li><li>I started to actively connect to my Higher Self, and with my Angels and Ancestors/Spirit Guides, receiving help from them all in my daily life.</li></ul><div>I know that was a lot to share, and I'm not unpacking all of it now. Let's just say that I've embarked on a Spiritual Journey, as many others have, I'm sure... and that I'm ready to start sharing this beautiful exploration with others now. And I'd love to hear from other people who are going through similar things as myself. Exploring the wonders of Life... and indeed, discovering the multidimensionality, power and infinite nature of our amazing and beautiful Souls is the ultimate, is it not?? </div></div><p></p>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-3580173127981892992016-07-20T12:17:00.002-04:002016-07-26T13:49:57.733-04:00Fossil Hunting On the Jersey Shore?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yep! As crazy as that sounds, that's exactly what I've been doing... The past four years we have vacationed in Cape May, New Jersey, as a family. One week in July, every year. And the first two years, my daughter was so little and required so much attention, that I didn't really even collect any seashells, which as many of my friends know, is my big weakness. I am an avid shell collector. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Well, last year, E was 2-1/2, and finally playing with Nana on her own two legs. And I had a chance to sift through the pebbles and shells along the shore... a couple of things caught my trained eye as possibly organic in origin, though they were currently stones. So I picked them up and put them in my little pile of goodies, consisting mainly of Cape May Diamonds (quartz crystals worn smooth by the sea,) pretty colored stones, jingle shells, scallop shells, other bivalves, and a growing number of "interesting looking" stones. One of them turned out to be a fossilized marine mammal tooth! A mosasaur, to be exact!! I identified it by comparing it to <a href="http://www.fossilguy.com/sites/bbrook/bbrook_col.htm">Fossil Guy's</a> photos and descriptions of his less-worn fossils found in New Jersey. So exciting!! (Edit: after putting my finds to <a href="http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/forum/14-fossil-id/">The Fossil Forum</a>, I was called out on my "mosasaur tooth" and must bow to the pros on their consensus: It's actually a Rugosa Coral, aka Horn Coral. Thanks, guys!)</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VmlOGZ5R998/V4-f-OsIa6I/AAAAAAAAHqc/-QRR8BRZCqEvaVVqSn-M8kZrhYAk2oEjgCLcB/s1600/Mosasaurfossil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VmlOGZ5R998/V4-f-OsIa6I/AAAAAAAAHqc/-QRR8BRZCqEvaVVqSn-M8kZrhYAk2oEjgCLcB/s400/Mosasaurfossil.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rugosa Coral at right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After I got home, I got out my daughter's little stereoscope to view my finds more closely. That's actually when I realized that I had a lot more fossils than I'd thought... mostly fossilized sea sponges, corals, and bryozoans. But a few other things that I had to research on the web, and discovered were possibly dinosaur vertebrae, based on the pattern of the mineral replacement. (Edit: the two pieces on the bottom left are oolites.)</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7rPkA4Y2XVM/V4-f9EhOKDI/AAAAAAAAHqU/hB0NgoeshkIi8_68SAcjX21jYYeJF2MzgCEw/s1600/Coralfossils.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7rPkA4Y2XVM/V4-f9EhOKDI/AAAAAAAAHqU/hB0NgoeshkIi8_68SAcjX21jYYeJF2MzgCEw/s320/Coralfossils.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coral fossils and possibly bryozoans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke0-3bWrIgo/V4-f9FB3SpI/AAAAAAAAHqY/UCRnLt0qSS09AIpVc-MFk0dNNa8aIAm_ACEw/s1600/Dinovertebrafossil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke0-3bWrIgo/V4-f9FB3SpI/AAAAAAAAHqY/UCRnLt0qSS09AIpVc-MFk0dNNa8aIAm_ACEw/s320/Dinovertebrafossil.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinosaur vertebra? (Edit: or honeycomb coral)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So this year, with my daughter actively playing in the water with her Nana, her great aunt, and her dad, I sat an "excavated" the beach for more fossils... and I found a few...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WOTRtVrc_uY/V4-ijjC5cII/AAAAAAAAHqo/oIutSEKyzyYSHdRta_W41UOeulLwKdrzACLcB/s1600/Crinoids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WOTRtVrc_uY/V4-ijjC5cII/AAAAAAAAHqo/oIutSEKyzyYSHdRta_W41UOeulLwKdrzACLcB/s320/Crinoids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think these are rugosa corals, or "horn corals" from the Permian Era</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZhcDYKJ3Jw/V4-iklxs6jI/AAAAAAAAHqs/YH2DpjK9klQpriYHR6uF9EyEFl-9jtcfwCLcB/s1600/Notsure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZhcDYKJ3Jw/V4-iklxs6jI/AAAAAAAAHqs/YH2DpjK9klQpriYHR6uF9EyEFl-9jtcfwCLcB/s320/Notsure.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No idea what this was!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The photos above are a few of my favorite finds, though I actually have a small container full of what I have determined to be fossils of one kind or another. A lot of sea sponges and corals, for the most part. I also found lovely agates, and a few semi-precious gems, but they are so small and worn, that I just put them all into a little clear bottle, grouped by colors. So pretty! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I will have to post soon about the other fossils I've found here in Pennsylvania, while hiking near creeks and rivers.... but that's for another day!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hope you're all well. I know it's been ages since I've posted, and you might not even be out there listening anymore. If you are, Hello! If you're not, I hope to have you visit soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Blessings</span></div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-89288709619974830852014-03-31T09:11:00.001-04:002014-03-31T09:11:16.761-04:00Paying It Forward<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">About a year ago, one of my friends, who was also a coworker, passed away. She was a very dear, sweet, open person, and her death affected all of us. Last year on her birthday, in her honor, the owner and many of the employees, went out into the community to do good "Deeds For Diane," which is what we started calling it. I was at home with the baby, and not able to participate. However, this year I was able to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-552NfI0ReCQ/UzSKJKp7hPI/AAAAAAAAHIY/pP-YOKZkvTw/s1600/IMG_2423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-552NfI0ReCQ/UzSKJKp7hPI/AAAAAAAAHIY/pP-YOKZkvTw/s1600/IMG_2423.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boss giving a resident a hand massage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The therapists, the owner (who is also a therapist), another receptionist and myself, all went to an assisted living retirement home. I brought Elie with me, and she walked about, making people smile. The folks at the home just loved her! The therapists gave free massages to anyone who wanted one. All of this was on their own time and no one was paid for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We handed out bags of quarters for bingo, and mints. It was quite a hit with the folks there! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TF6568poHoI/UzSKJO6ph5I/AAAAAAAAHIY/Y6rFlxW0jEY/s1600/IMG_2424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TF6568poHoI/UzSKJO6ph5I/AAAAAAAAHIY/Y6rFlxW0jEY/s1600/IMG_2424.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clover enjoying the day & her work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some of the people didn't want massages, but they stopped by to visit with Elie, asking me questions about (him) her. Even though she was in a dress, many of the residents didn't think she was a girl, ha ha! Not that we cared. One sweet lady, Dotty, had Alzheimers and asked me the same questions over and over, but Elie really liked her. It could be because she had a fuzzy little monkey on her walker! Dotty LOVED her massage, too, and wanted to take Doug home with her, ha ha! He's the guy massaging Dotty's shoulders and back in the first photo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Szt2FeiBt9A/UzSMHYVuRhI/AAAAAAAAHJk/SvFDQrFOmNQ/s1600/IMG_2428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Szt2FeiBt9A/UzSMHYVuRhI/AAAAAAAAHJk/SvFDQrFOmNQ/s1600/IMG_2428.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many of the residents just came by to see what was going on, and to chat with Elie, who was eating her goldfish crackers and sitting on my lap. She basically was glued to me the entire time, but ventured out a little bit once she got more comfortable. Her effect on the residents was amazing. They would see her and approach her, with huge smiles on their faces... she responded, too! She was very interested in them, as well! She would yoyo between me and the residents, though not getting TOO close to them. She's pretty wary still, of anyone not in her immediate family. It was just really cute to see her bringing them so much happiness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I fully enjoyed being part of this awesome day of helping others for our friend, Diane. It also really helped us. Doing something for others, without expecting anything in return, really brings a wonderful light into your soul... and is a huge, unexpected reward.</span></div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-28915201296760894242014-03-28T07:00:00.000-04:002014-03-28T07:00:02.741-04:00Geometry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When you're a new mom, you don't always have time for big projects, because you don't always have the chunks of time to complete something at one sitting. It's probably a problem for moms who aren't necessarily first-timers, either. Kids take time and energy, and a lot of us creative types have to find small ways to get our fix.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lately, my way has been to take a piece of graph paper and a pencil, and just start making patterns.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Upz2kjoGbuc/UzSKxh2TGuI/AAAAAAAAHIs/eUyn2FB9S-E/s1600/IMG_2123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Upz2kjoGbuc/UzSKxh2TGuI/AAAAAAAAHIs/eUyn2FB9S-E/s1600/IMG_2123.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BofLhiMvtvg/UzSKxViaQ0I/AAAAAAAAHIo/VGcrtOHFkVQ/s1600/IMG_1990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BofLhiMvtvg/UzSKxViaQ0I/AAAAAAAAHIo/VGcrtOHFkVQ/s1600/IMG_1990.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's fun to see what patterns emerge from starting with a simple design and then repeating it... When I was young, my dad had given me a coloring book that had designs much like the ones I've been creating. I used to love coloring them! I could photocopy these patterns, too, and then use either acrylic paints, watercolors, or markers to fill the patterns with color. If I could just get my printer up and running again, I could print to watercolor paper and have some fun! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What do YOU do to feed your creative urges when you don't have lots of time? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-24240869425209001002014-03-24T10:57:00.000-04:002014-03-24T10:57:44.455-04:00When Faces Called Flowers Float Out Of The Ground<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and breathing is wishing and wishing is having-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">but keeping is downward and doubting and never</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">-it's april(yes,april;my darling)it's spring!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">yes the pretty birds frolic as spry as can be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(yes the mountains are dancing together)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">when every leaf opens without any sound</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and wishing is having and having is giving-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">but keeping is doting and nothing and nonsense</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">-alive;we're alive,dear:it's(kiss me now)spring!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">now the pretty birds hover so she and so he</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">now the little fish quiver so you and so i</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(now the mountains are dancing,the mountains)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">when more than was lost has been found has been found</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and having is giving and giving is living-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">but keeping is darkness and winter and cringing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">-it's spring(all our night becomes day)o,it's spring!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">all the pretty birds dive to the heart of the sky</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">all the little fish climb through the mind of the sea</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(all the mountains are dancing;are dancing)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">e.e.cummings</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That, my dears, is one of my favorite poems that usher us into spring... and it is finally on it's sweet, bright way to us. The winter was long, and helped us to remember that all life that dies away will be rebirthed in another way. Life is an amazing cycle. It's time to celebrate!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5sDmMiBuIMA/TmYGbkbX8oI/AAAAAAAAEe0/ZnKkxEewgW4/s1600/IMG_6159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5sDmMiBuIMA/TmYGbkbX8oI/AAAAAAAAEe0/ZnKkxEewgW4/s1600/IMG_6159.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-89270699493732778602014-03-13T11:16:00.000-04:002014-03-17T09:45:14.902-04:00Book Review: Jamie's Food Revolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, back in October 2013, some of my Minnesota family came to visit and stay with us for a few days. We had a great time! After they left, I received a package in the mail that was full of goodies from Trader Joe's (none are close to us here), and included a cookbook called, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401310478/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401310478&linkCode=as2&tag=explthewondof-20%22%3EJamie's%20Food%20Revolution:%20Rediscover%20How%20to%20Cook%20Simple,%20Delicious,%20Affordable%20Meals%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=explthewondof-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1401310478%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">"Jamie's Food Revolution," by Jamie Oliver</a>.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401310478/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401310478&linkCode=as2&tag=explthewondof-20%22%3EJamie's%20Food%20Revolution:%20Rediscover%20How%20to%20Cook%20Simple,%20Delicious,%20Affordable%20Meals%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=explthewondof-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1401310478%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401310478/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401310478&linkCode=as2&tag=explthewondof-20">Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=explthewondof-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1401310478" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5mColKrejKk/UyHEcSVL3XI/AAAAAAAAHDU/FtBrCwV9v-o/s1600/IMG_1968.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hadn't heard of him before getting the cookbook, as I don't have cable. However, this book has been my wonderful companion this winter! I tried many of the recipes for my family, and we've liked all of them... some more than others, but they have all been easy to make and yummy! The best thing about the recipes is that you can buy some basic supplies and be set with most of the recipes! He even gives you a list for your larder, to make things simpler.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After making a few of the recipes and being successful with them, I felt inspired to invite people over for meals... and I felt competent! That's a pretty cool thing. It also gave me the confidence to come up with my own recipes, based on ones that I learned in the book and made a few times.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I think that's the best quality of a good cookbook... to give you confidence to create! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B7oeSRC5LJw/UyHEffF3UaI/AAAAAAAAHEM/VcYkCTBWXBU/s1600/IMG_4218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B7oeSRC5LJw/UyHEffF3UaI/AAAAAAAAHEM/VcYkCTBWXBU/s1600/IMG_4218.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making Chili Con Carne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fu7eFEUd15s/UyHEfmPsYLI/AAAAAAAAHEQ/heUZUL3xv3c/s1600/IMG_4220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fu7eFEUd15s/UyHEfmPsYLI/AAAAAAAAHEQ/heUZUL3xv3c/s1600/IMG_4220.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chili Con Carne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAJVWhcF85Y/UyHEe7bdUBI/AAAAAAAAHEE/84NswnCRReA/s1600/IMG_3129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAJVWhcF85Y/UyHEe7bdUBI/AAAAAAAAHEE/84NswnCRReA/s1600/IMG_3129.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spices for the chili</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A81TdGU7FEs/UyHEeaQVXtI/AAAAAAAAHD8/9zb0KCiRpU4/s1600/IMG_1992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A81TdGU7FEs/UyHEeaQVXtI/AAAAAAAAHD8/9zb0KCiRpU4/s1600/IMG_1992.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little one, after finishing her chili</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My daughter loved the chili con carne... I just added a little plain yogurt to it for her. She loves spices and a little heat to her food sometimes. This is one of the dishes that I like giving her because it has garbanzo beans, kidney beans, carrots and other healthy ingredients. I've modified it many different ways, and it's always yummy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l85bjccJOR8/UyHEbiAo_sI/AAAAAAAAHDE/1bVpcBqdzZU/s1600/IMG_1866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l85bjccJOR8/UyHEbiAo_sI/AAAAAAAAHDE/1bVpcBqdzZU/s1600/IMG_1866.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My own creation!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've made it without meat, using lentils from Trader Joe's (my cousin sent them to me!) and adding portobello mushrooms... they gave the chili a meatiness that's delicious! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've also made Jamie's beef stew, using organic grass-fed beef, and with a side of mashed potatoes, peas & my own home-baked French bread....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jr39kuGfmG0/UyHEeMq2_xI/AAAAAAAAHEU/YzU7DjR8ma0/s1600/IMG_1972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jr39kuGfmG0/UyHEeMq2_xI/AAAAAAAAHEU/YzU7DjR8ma0/s1600/IMG_1972.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recipes for different stews</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UoxA9lhHLK8/UyHEa4Uu8GI/AAAAAAAAHC8/MIkkF42R-hQ/s1600/IMG_1881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UoxA9lhHLK8/UyHEa4Uu8GI/AAAAAAAAHC8/MIkkF42R-hQ/s1600/IMG_1881.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making beef & ale stew... yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XB56b5Ewe5g/UyHEceVjXgI/AAAAAAAAHDY/hCTv3rXBw4Q/s1600/IMG_1880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XB56b5Ewe5g/UyHEceVjXgI/AAAAAAAAHDY/hCTv3rXBw4Q/s1600/IMG_1880.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My own French bread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are lots of ethnic recipes in the book, which I probably would never had tried to make on my own, but he makes it so simple! Some of the recipes only take about 20 minutes to make... like this Moroccan Fish Stew...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZBa_2oyByo/UyHEdm4ETLI/AAAAAAAAHDk/ozK8UNlrd60/s1600/IMG_1970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZBa_2oyByo/UyHEdm4ETLI/AAAAAAAAHDk/ozK8UNlrd60/s1600/IMG_1970.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So easy, and my daughter liked it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When I made it for my daughter, I didn't include the shrimp, since I haven't introduced any shellfish to her, yet. She enjoyed the flavors... mainly mixed in with the couscous. She's pretty adventurous, I'll admit. More so than a lot of other toddlers, maybe. Or she saw the peas in the dish and decided that it was going to be alright. Ha ha. She LOVES peas!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So if you're looking for a new cookbook, I'd recommend going out right away to get <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401310478/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401310478&linkCode=as2&tag=explthewondof-20%22%3EJamie's%20Food%20Revolution:%20Rediscover%20How%20to%20Cook%20Simple,%20Delicious,%20Affordable%20Meals%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=explthewondof-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1401310478%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">this book!!</a> It's amazing... it opens you up to new flavors and combos, and a new way of cooking. If you like to eat and you also like to cook, this book is for you! If you like to eat more than you like to cook, but you still have to cook, then this book is for you, too! </span></div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-54890147281889172372014-03-05T07:24:00.000-05:002014-03-13T11:23:23.896-04:00The Sound of Tree Rings...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KX6nygZCtY/TpRvxaJtcQI/AAAAAAAAFK0/I4r2Z5t_3HI/s1600/DSC06963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KX6nygZCtY/TpRvxaJtcQI/AAAAAAAAFK0/I4r2Z5t_3HI/s1600/DSC06963.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My photo of an oak tree.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While browsing my Facebook feed, I found this awesome link that a friend of mine had posted... An artist named </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 20px;">Bartholomäus Traubeck</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> invented a way to "listen" to the sound of tree rings. Ingenious and creative. The result is amazing... Check this out below...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/30501143" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">People are so ingenious... And I love that this piece might increase the interest of the general public in admiring and respecting nature. There's so much that we can learn from the natural world around us. There's more magic than we can discover in a lifetime, but keeping our eyes and heart open will allow more magic to find us... </span></div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-21218729298238078502014-03-04T09:10:00.003-05:002014-03-04T09:10:34.540-05:00Animal Portraits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This past Christmas, I only had a few gifts to give and very little money. The one thing about staying home with baby is that you don't have lots of extra cash for spending on anything you want! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So I had to get more creative with gift giving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My friend/brother-in-law(ish) had gotten a beautiful Shiba Inu pup last year, and was completely enamored by her. So I wanted to create something for him with Yoshi as my subject. That's when I dug out my watercolors and brushes!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4G0mQ9ouruA/UwYmApaZV3I/AAAAAAAAGug/cXy96nVRKbE/s1600/IMG_8122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4G0mQ9ouruA/UwYmApaZV3I/AAAAAAAAGug/cXy96nVRKbE/s1600/IMG_8122.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoshi, the Shiba Inu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Elie and I went over to visit, and I took a few pictures with my phone, kind of secretly, so he had no idea what I was doing... so they were a little blurry, or not composed really well. But I just needed the visual information on her markings, expression, etc. The photo didn't have to be very clear for a watercolor. I wanted to capture her essence, not details, exactly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSBEgQlFG9A/UwYaWa8J51I/AAAAAAAAGmg/u4j44P2kx6Q/s1600/IMG_8134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSBEgQlFG9A/UwYaWa8J51I/AAAAAAAAGmg/u4j44P2kx6Q/s1600/IMG_8134.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting & taking secret photos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's not perfection, but I think I was able to get her sweet-natured aura, and some of her distinctive markings & coloring. It's only my second animal portrait, so I felt pretty good about it! I had a vintage frame for it, which wasn't perfect, but again: no money! Had to make-do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrDZ8aY1LNc/UwYmBzaSH0I/AAAAAAAAGuw/sRGWpCSlMYs/s1600/IMG_8236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrDZ8aY1LNc/UwYmBzaSH0I/AAAAAAAAGuw/sRGWpCSlMYs/s1600/IMG_8236.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My portrait of Yoshi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I think Kyle really liked it. He put it on his wall, so that's always a good sign! With more practice, I think I'll improve... but really, I'm not about absolute realism. I never have been. (Well, I was when I was learning to draw and paint in school, but you kind of drop that after you learn to do it.) I like being able to capture an emotion, or a quality in the subject... I think that's more interesting. Do you agree? </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-31043603889856437662014-03-03T10:54:00.002-05:002014-03-13T11:18:20.792-04:00Handmade Party For Elie's First Birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For Elie's First Birthday party in December, I decided to keep things pretty simple. We were having a Pancake and Pajama Party. It was designed to fit between the nap schedules of little ones like Elie... plus, I can only take so many little ones in the house for so long! (Sorry, everyone, but I'm just not that into ALL kids!)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mwfcE90kb-Y/UxSZwZVfMBI/AAAAAAAAG_w/FDpnB-_GCt8/s1600/IMG_7682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mwfcE90kb-Y/UxSZwZVfMBI/AAAAAAAAG_w/FDpnB-_GCt8/s1600/IMG_7682.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of color combinations, just for fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, with all that in mind, and the fact that our house is small, we basically invited our friends that had children close to Elie's age... though there were several that were in the 6-7 year range because their parents are close to us and to Elie. We can't fit too many people, so the number of invitations weren't too many.... I decided to make them by hand, using craft tape and pen.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jo1fi3I6-NQ/UxSZwFI7z2I/AAAAAAAAG_Y/lFUHFkRKoRE/s1600/IMG_7684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jo1fi3I6-NQ/UxSZwFI7z2I/AAAAAAAAG_Y/lFUHFkRKoRE/s1600/IMG_7684.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade invites using craft tapes & pen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I made several prototypes to see what I liked best for the composition, after I decided on creating a festive bunting and keeping it simple. Then I drew out the string first, and then cut out the pennants after, affixing them one at a time, picking the color groups before-hand. I wanted each one to be different, since that made things more interesting for me. After that, all I had to do was layout the wording under the bunting and also the info on the inside. I did that on scrap paper and then did the final on a prototype card first. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWVL38U9Gbk/UxSZyMJR_4I/AAAAAAAAG_0/Uva0kGc55Z8/s1600/IMG_7849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWVL38U9Gbk/UxSZyMJR_4I/AAAAAAAAG_0/Uva0kGc55Z8/s1600/IMG_7849.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of tissue pompoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also made simple decorations of tissue paper pompoms, that my sister has done before (idea from Martha Stewart) and I purchased a strand of bunting from etsy, also. I made the sign for "One" myself out of scrapping paper. I hung that under the bunting. Simple, right? The only time I felt like I had gone crazy was when I ordered all the pink plastic-ware, matching paper plates, pink table cloth and napkins, etc, for the event. I probably didn't need to, but it made things easier for me later. (I kept the plastic table cloth & as much of the other things that I could for another party in the future. I prefer not to waste things that can be reused!) </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHiUX3_no8g/UxSZysi6w5I/AAAAAAAAG_4/R3jK82xWuvQ/s1600/IMG_7974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHiUX3_no8g/UxSZysi6w5I/AAAAAAAAG_4/R3jK82xWuvQ/s1600/IMG_7974.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"One" made from scrapping papers, bunting from etsy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ye0V1Ux00qg/UwYl-xbNaKI/AAAAAAAAGuI/hNw7SFkhAhw/s1600/IMG_7926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ye0V1Ux00qg/UwYl-xbNaKI/AAAAAAAAGuI/hNw7SFkhAhw/s1600/IMG_7926.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adults wore PJs, too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rktnDde2-5Q/UxSZx-KlKXI/AAAAAAAAG_o/5dW_AhusOeo/s1600/IMG_7925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rktnDde2-5Q/UxSZx-KlKXI/AAAAAAAAG_o/5dW_AhusOeo/s1600/IMG_7925.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family & friends watch the kids play</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had loads of help making pancakes, bacon and sausage, and coffee for the adults. Orange juice and hot chocolate was laid out for the kids. We had three different syrups, fresh fruit, and powdered sugar... basically, anything you could possibly want to put on pancakes! Since we had one child with peanut allergies, we had to be careful of what mix we used, but after talking with her mom, we got the right one. There will pillows and blankets piled into the living room where the PJ'd kids all went wild romping and wrestling with each other. Elie watched and ran about the sidelines, excited just to have so many kids around her! It was a lot of fun for her... she wasn't overwhelmed by all the people, either. It was one of our fears for the day. She had so much fun and afterwards, napped like a champ!!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j0KYhspduN0/UwvT8YgHz-I/AAAAAAAAG5A/KLYtcYuKc2U/s1600/IMG_2219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j0KYhspduN0/UwvT8YgHz-I/AAAAAAAAG5A/KLYtcYuKc2U/s1600/IMG_2219.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elie gets her birthday pan"cake" with a touch of powdered sugar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-75403978864431913712014-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:002014-03-13T11:21:14.050-04:00Visiting Cape May, New Jersey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Last summer, K's mom wanted us all to take a beach vacation together... It was time to get to the sea, and for the family to get closer to Baby E. I was all for it! I always miss the ocean when I'm away from it, so I was extremely pleased to be able to spend a week near the Atlantic... It's one of the oceans that I'm not too familiar with. I grew up next to the Pacific, and my timeshare is on a Pacific Ocean beach. I'm always happy to get to know another ocean, though!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zdBlXBlx7DQ/UwegQb5-U7I/AAAAAAAAGyU/25hXbupm8-w/s1600/IMG_4452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zdBlXBlx7DQ/UwegQb5-U7I/AAAAAAAAGyU/25hXbupm8-w/s1600/IMG_4452.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lush flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GIHCgbnBors/UwegNr5ufBI/AAAAAAAAGyA/HNRiqnxw7QY/s1600/IMG_3233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GIHCgbnBors/UwegNr5ufBI/AAAAAAAAGyA/HNRiqnxw7QY/s1600/IMG_3233.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild berries to eat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OnLzV2kNp0c/UwegMV1NA-I/AAAAAAAAGxU/Db2GWp7lzKE/s1600/IMG_2728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OnLzV2kNp0c/UwegMV1NA-I/AAAAAAAAGxU/Db2GWp7lzKE/s1600/IMG_2728.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking to the bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
We stayed at a home that we found on <a href="http://www.vrbo.com/">www.vrbo.com</a>, which is how I booked places to stay when I was in Europe, remember? This worked well then, and it worked well for our local vacation, too! The house we rented had bikes, water gear, pretty much everything we needed for a fun time with family by the beach! We enjoyed biking to the bay to see the sun set... it's one of few places on the east coast where you can watch the sun set over the ocean!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTsdiiaEwEA/UwegN826g2I/AAAAAAAAGxs/7DLjWgfZzZU/s1600/IMG_3686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTsdiiaEwEA/UwegN826g2I/AAAAAAAAGxs/7DLjWgfZzZU/s1600/IMG_3686.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pathway to the bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QRWyuneuVw/UwegLzYSxPI/AAAAAAAAGxY/O6sG8gcJp8M/s1600/IMG_2734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QRWyuneuVw/UwegLzYSxPI/AAAAAAAAGxY/O6sG8gcJp8M/s1600/IMG_2734.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x4Em6omd3Ho/UwegIDBkOUI/AAAAAAAAGw0/7HijqQORKjk/s1600/IMG_1632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x4Em6omd3Ho/UwegIDBkOUI/AAAAAAAAGw0/7HijqQORKjk/s1600/IMG_1632.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-745ohFAJ94c/UwegLNteeTI/AAAAAAAAGxI/0LJXc3o_D8I/s1600/IMG_1838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-745ohFAJ94c/UwegLNteeTI/AAAAAAAAGxI/0LJXc3o_D8I/s1600/IMG_1838.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pyOWdVRY4yc/UwegMFWYGsI/AAAAAAAAGxQ/o4kuYelx8nU/s1600/IMG_2894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pyOWdVRY4yc/UwegMFWYGsI/AAAAAAAAGxQ/o4kuYelx8nU/s1600/IMG_2894.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also liked walking to the ocean early in the morning... but I was surprised the first time we went. This is what we saw...</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-foRza9GA8j4/UwegQiec9LI/AAAAAAAAGyc/ISijOdo-wQw/s1600/IMG_4464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-foRza9GA8j4/UwegQiec9LI/AAAAAAAAGyc/ISijOdo-wQw/s1600/IMG_4464.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe crabs all over the beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Nu-nBt2w8I/UwegIPjr1XI/AAAAAAAAGw4/TbSnghs7bNU/s1600/IMG_2515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Nu-nBt2w8I/UwegIPjr1XI/AAAAAAAAGw4/TbSnghs7bNU/s1600/IMG_2515.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting stuck in the sand after the tide has gone out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I felt really bad for them! We helped a few live ones back to the retreating sea, but I doubt many made it. Turns out it was the time of year (July) for them to come in and find mates and lay eggs, and then die. Sad! But also kind of fascinating.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_mudFtGgMk/UwegPLHUi9I/AAAAAAAAGyE/9gbwS1hjxkQ/s1600/IMG_3781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_mudFtGgMk/UwegPLHUi9I/AAAAAAAAGyE/9gbwS1hjxkQ/s1600/IMG_3781.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who was this fishy creature?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ExzEk6ywEw0/UwegPVSq9bI/AAAAAAAAGyI/OcL1GWhtJQc/s1600/IMG_4004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ExzEk6ywEw0/UwegPVSq9bI/AAAAAAAAGyI/OcL1GWhtJQc/s1600/IMG_4004.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this a needlefish? Do they live in cold water?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The other cool thing to see was the tidal patterns on the sand... I loved them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X4cubGIzpCI/UwegR1PTrDI/AAAAAAAAGyg/a7K1pgN8UDs/s1600/IMG_4453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X4cubGIzpCI/UwegR1PTrDI/AAAAAAAAGyg/a7K1pgN8UDs/s1600/IMG_4453.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lacy patterns from detritus left on the shore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We went out a lot, too... just to eat yummy seafood, and to do a little shopping here and there. The historic downtown of Cape May is quaint. They have a couple of really cute candy shops, and unique children's stores. There were cafes and restaurants, too. One crab shack we went to was right by the water... it had a nice eating area on standard picnic tables. We ate some fresh crab there... it was okay, but the view was really cool.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j-23H5RbS20/UwegPP4amrI/AAAAAAAAGx8/goAOi5fsOGg/s1600/IMG_4309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j-23H5RbS20/UwegPP4amrI/AAAAAAAAGx8/goAOi5fsOGg/s1600/IMG_4309.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My favorite beach, though, was Sunset Beach, which is more of a local's hangout. Not remotely like the main beach in Cape May proper. I can't stand those beaches where you have to pay to sit on the sand about a half mile from the edge of the water because it's so crowded. No thank you. I like the quiet little beaches where you can relax and hear the ocean waves lapping at your feet. Also, Sunset Beach had a little fried food shack that was actually pretty yummy! And the sand looked like this...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bcMsru9Je5M/UwegNmCbC9I/AAAAAAAAGxo/XRPsHyshjJQ/s1600/IMG_3778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bcMsru9Je5M/UwegNmCbC9I/AAAAAAAAGxo/XRPsHyshjJQ/s1600/IMG_3778.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite kind of sand...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
We're going back to Cape May this July, and I'm already looking forward to it! Probably in part to the intense winter we've been having. Boy, I almost forgot what it feels like to have the sun on your face! Mama needs some time on the beach with her family!! It feels so far away right now, but the way time seems to fly since Elie was born, it'll be here in a flash! I need to remember to slow my mind down and savor the moments we're living. {Breathe... just breathe....}</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's to sunny, loving thoughts to keep you warm this winter...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Blessings,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
S</div>
</div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-48883529989878940122014-02-20T16:50:00.000-05:002014-03-13T11:22:41.744-04:00Creating A New Blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello Blogworld!<br />
<br />
Well, now, I thought I was back for good, but then my computer died, and my iPhone app wouldn't work properly, so I didn't do another post since last time I got all fired up. However, I am now motivated by my family to start a blog about my daughter, and share her with them.... as some of you know, I moved from California to Pennsylvania, and therefore, most of my family is out west. I have some that are in the Midwest, too, and one that's here on the east coast.... but most of them are in California. So the best way to share Elison with them, is on a blog!<br />
<br />
If you're interested in following and checking out what's up in my family life, you can visit us at <a href="http://elisonsfamilyblog.blogspot.com/">elisonsfamilyblog.blogspot.com</a> and say hello! I'll be posting about discoveries made, recipes for my new tot, and other random family-type things. I'll also probably be asking for advice, ha ha.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufA3LDQ7JSs/UwYaMoM_DqI/AAAAAAAAGkY/KbMqMBTp2wk/s1600/IMG_7643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufA3LDQ7JSs/UwYaMoM_DqI/AAAAAAAAGkY/KbMqMBTp2wk/s1600/IMG_7643.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little turkey I love so much</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Life has certainly changed a bit for me... it's definitely a lot more work, faster-paced, and filled with a lot more love. And in case you think I've forgotten about my fur babies, here you go...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52-ynbrUEaY/UwYfceFOf2I/AAAAAAAAGow/y5RC7R4L3Yo/s1600/IMG_1151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52-ynbrUEaY/UwYfceFOf2I/AAAAAAAAGow/y5RC7R4L3Yo/s1600/IMG_1151.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jimothy Boo getting love from E</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKCYaMgOy2Y/UwY0wke8FeI/AAAAAAAAGvw/bmgjeoyprCk/s1600/IMG_7079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKCYaMgOy2Y/UwY0wke8FeI/AAAAAAAAGvw/bmgjeoyprCk/s1600/IMG_7079.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beckham watching a movie with E</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the way, I will also still be posting on THIS blog... in case I wasn't clear! So visit me when you can... I'll be around.<br />
<br />
Blessings... Shari</div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-81018063041809200542014-02-20T11:15:00.003-05:002014-02-20T11:15:24.326-05:00Wintering Through Pennsylvania<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yes, it's been cold. It's been snowy and icy. It's been long... but every now and then, there are things you see that you just have to photograph and share!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIAf9qEJMYM/UwYfdI9u8fI/AAAAAAAAGo4/UcJljmarcnM/s1600/IMG_8375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIAf9qEJMYM/UwYfdI9u8fI/AAAAAAAAGo4/UcJljmarcnM/s1600/IMG_8375.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing snowflakes on my car hood...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMjNV6v6Gq4/UwYfeEHWSvI/AAAAAAAAGpQ/3ysy3BvUBkU/s1600/IMG_8379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMjNV6v6Gq4/UwYfeEHWSvI/AAAAAAAAGpQ/3ysy3BvUBkU/s1600/IMG_8379.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never saw snowflakes like this before!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MKyNokdwUQ/UwYfdv5KMCI/AAAAAAAAGpA/hp_9x-rgtGU/s1600/IMG_8378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MKyNokdwUQ/UwYfdv5KMCI/AAAAAAAAGpA/hp_9x-rgtGU/s1600/IMG_8378.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't they cool?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3mZcnV6l2Es/UwYfdTVzeMI/AAAAAAAAGpU/nEdq5QJhZgc/s1600/IMG_1115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3mZcnV6l2Es/UwYfdTVzeMI/AAAAAAAAGpU/nEdq5QJhZgc/s1600/IMG_1115.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icicles on ivy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hk7MEzDWZqE/UwYfbdK0WjI/AAAAAAAAGog/w6LpkpCdO_4/s1600/IMG_1113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hk7MEzDWZqE/UwYfbdK0WjI/AAAAAAAAGog/w6LpkpCdO_4/s1600/IMG_1113.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bare, frozen branches over snow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UuUg_P620dA/UwYfb7qFXsI/AAAAAAAAGoo/cKi5HvT2bfw/s1600/IMG_1103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UuUg_P620dA/UwYfb7qFXsI/AAAAAAAAGoo/cKi5HvT2bfw/s1600/IMG_1103.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evergreens encased in ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been a long winter, and it's not over yet... Soon, though, spring will come and we will be able to go out without fear of frostbite! Until then, I'll keep trying to see the beautiful in this frozen landscape.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X8y0uO9bMmA/UwYfZQV97SI/AAAAAAAAGoE/Iwp7jDkM_Iw/s1600/IMG_1058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X8y0uO9bMmA/UwYfZQV97SI/AAAAAAAAGoE/Iwp7jDkM_Iw/s1600/IMG_1058.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter seeing snow for the first time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-13733913528548395922012-06-15T14:49:00.003-04:002012-06-15T14:49:20.524-04:00...And I'm back!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yes, it's been ages since I've blogged, but I have a very good reason: I've been in the throes of First Trimester Pregnancy Nausea. (It's a thing!) I'm now in my second trimester and starting to feel a bit better. On top of the pregnancy going on, K and I have been looking for a new home (to buy) and we think we've found it! Our offer was accepted today (YAY!!) but we still need to schedule inspections to make sure we're getting the house that we think we're getting. Our fingers are crossed!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So a lot has been going on over here, though little of it has been artistically creative. I've been creating, though, that's for sure! A little life beats inside me, and from the ultrasound images we've seen, it's a cute one! I hadn't realized just how exhausting making a baby can be. Whew! I feel tired quite often, and actually take naps. Weird. I'm NOT a napper. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qoGW9BqYoLY/T9tv3WFrhRI/AAAAAAAAGXo/yLV6G9Z6_2s/s1600/DSC07290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qoGW9BqYoLY/T9tv3WFrhRI/AAAAAAAAGXo/yLV6G9Z6_2s/s400/DSC07290.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken the day I found out I was pregnant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't know if you know this or not, but I've wanted to have a baby for about 15 years. I thought that maybe I wasn't able to conceive, and had tests done, but it seemed I was fine. I just wasn't getting pregnant. I'd pretty much given up at my age. All the stress of K's father's failing health and his subsequent death threw things into perspective for me: I needed to just enjoy life with K and our friends and family, and not worry about having or not having a baby. And then about a month after K's dad passed, I started to wonder what was going on with my body and my health since I wasn't feeling like myself... and it occurred to me that I hadn't had my period in a while. We went for a walk with a friend of mine, and discovered a nice creek that we want to return to, and later, after we all had dinner, I went home and took a pregnancy test. That was the start of something new and quite unexpected.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i61XN0x9twg/T9uDEEVTR1I/AAAAAAAAGYQ/2NCp6TLslzQ/s1600/IMG_8771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i61XN0x9twg/T9uDEEVTR1I/AAAAAAAAGYQ/2NCp6TLslzQ/s320/IMG_8771.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ultrasound image at 12 weeks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And so a new adventure in life starts for K and I, and soon, our little baby.... I'm looking forward to sharing and learning and teaching. What an amazing thing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blessings to you all...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">xox</span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-71354414441277870452012-04-06T12:14:00.000-04:002012-04-06T12:14:10.906-04:00Emergence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A butterfly emerged last week... I photographed it, and then three more followed suit!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lI7-shJzNY/T38UiTNvBJI/AAAAAAAAGIE/h6IJfBe51Zc/s1600/IMG_8410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lI7-shJzNY/T38UiTNvBJI/AAAAAAAAGIE/h6IJfBe51Zc/s320/IMG_8410.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cz9Ak4Ps2Zg/T38UkCRbRWI/AAAAAAAAGIU/5M08XEOx3Yg/s1600/IMG_8420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cz9Ak4Ps2Zg/T38UkCRbRWI/AAAAAAAAGIU/5M08XEOx3Yg/s320/IMG_8420.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking Gatorade</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was very exciting to wake up one morning to a fresh butterfly! I had to move it out of the small cup that the caterpillars had arrived in, and cocooned in. Now they are all in this larger glass bowl with the coffee filter on top, which has the last cocoon dangling from it. Two of the butterflies were released yesterday and flew away beautifully! The two we kept have damaged wings because they were born in the night and I wasn't able to get them onto anything before their wings dried. I feel really terrible about it. Now there's a branch in there, for the last butterfly to attach itself to. It was just kind of a shock to have one butterfly come out, then three more almost the very next night. The last one will take longer since it didn't cocoon until quite a bit after the others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, Spring is officially sprung, and I took a wet, spring walk the other day...</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PK_0s9iFGM8/T38UfU7TtqI/AAAAAAAAGHs/x2B5IWYoBuc/s1600/IMG_8353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PK_0s9iFGM8/T38UfU7TtqI/AAAAAAAAGHs/x2B5IWYoBuc/s320/IMG_8353.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New pink rain boots!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mABiPDMdURM/T38UhoITyvI/AAAAAAAAGH8/AL-AMMOX0pA/s1600/IMG_8364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mABiPDMdURM/T38UhoITyvI/AAAAAAAAGH8/AL-AMMOX0pA/s320/IMG_8364.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm so glad that it's finally warming up again. It's been a bizarre "winter". Cold, yet no snow to speak of, and now that it's spring earlier than last year, it stayed kind of chilly... we've had freeze warnings the past couple weeks. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQbXA_R2SG0/T38Uk5iQkrI/AAAAAAAAGIc/oSgqN9tj0tE/s1600/IMG_8460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQbXA_R2SG0/T38Uk5iQkrI/AAAAAAAAGIc/oSgqN9tj0tE/s320/IMG_8460.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JPvlOs9TfrM/T38Ul0dIItI/AAAAAAAAGIk/CeRRBK1GrLg/s1600/IMG_8468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JPvlOs9TfrM/T38Ul0dIItI/AAAAAAAAGIk/CeRRBK1GrLg/s320/IMG_8468.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gHa0E-8EJ6c/T38UmecJKMI/AAAAAAAAGIs/PBoqFR0JHdI/s1600/IMG_8477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gHa0E-8EJ6c/T38UmecJKMI/AAAAAAAAGIs/PBoqFR0JHdI/s320/IMG_8477.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forget-me-nots</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nDYUVWn5Rdo/T38UjN-dr_I/AAAAAAAAGIM/OJ3NPMQD4i4/s1600/IMG_8414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nDYUVWn5Rdo/T38UjN-dr_I/AAAAAAAAGIM/OJ3NPMQD4i4/s320/IMG_8414.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogwood blooms are out, but smaller than last years</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Also, I thought I'd found a meteorite and was very excited! I researched and thought that I had been the lucky finder of a space rock... check it out:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EviZExphj5A/T38UgqynY9I/AAAAAAAAGH0/MK0Nb0SlSS4/s1600/IMG_8358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EviZExphj5A/T38UgqynY9I/AAAAAAAAGH0/MK0Nb0SlSS4/s320/IMG_8358.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Turns out that it's probably just slag. But it sure had me fooled for a while! I'm keeping my eyes open, though! You just never know!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I hope you're all doing well... happy and healthy! I'm spending lots of my free time hiking and connecting with nature. Getting grounded. I really need it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">xox</span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-66713588061758273572012-03-25T13:10:00.002-04:002012-03-25T13:10:00.482-04:00Playing With Watercolors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You all know how much I enjoy watercolors... well, recently I made my own using dry pigments, water and gum arabic. I like the richness of color you get from watercolors that you make yourself.The tube colors don't hold as much pigment, so they're generally more transparent. You just need to be careful not to inhale any of the dry powders as you work them into pastes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QR2DNrzRo7o/T24AnLJgbpI/AAAAAAAAGFQ/bJO7Q4RDPk8/s1600/IMG_7769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QR2DNrzRo7o/T24AnLJgbpI/AAAAAAAAGFQ/bJO7Q4RDPk8/s320/IMG_7769.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creating the colors</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After I made the colors, I wanted to try some color studies with this limited palette.You can see that by mixing, I got a wide enough range of colors... but I couldn't create a real bright green without a bright yellow. All I had was the ochre. (Cadmium Yellow is REALLY expensive to purchase as a dry pigment.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NFRd6yp6Ncc/T24AmCNYQAI/AAAAAAAAGFA/reWGSNgSNVQ/s1600/IMG_7742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NFRd6yp6Ncc/T24AmCNYQAI/AAAAAAAAGFA/reWGSNgSNVQ/s320/IMG_7742.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All my greens were sort of khaki, and my yellows were dark, but the variations I got when colors were overlaid were quite nice. I made lots of dots, letting some dry and leaving some wet as I overlaid other dots, just to see how the colors reacted and changed. It was fun!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-puo1CN3diTs/T24AmUf5ebI/AAAAAAAAGFI/7ut8U_U4_Es/s1600/IMG_7768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-puo1CN3diTs/T24AmUf5ebI/AAAAAAAAGFI/7ut8U_U4_Es/s320/IMG_7768.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also played with lines, using the same color palette I had created. I found new colors while I was doing this study. Corals and pale pinks came out, though I have no idea from where! Well, that's not exactly true, but it was nice to see them unmuddled by other colors on my palette. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's the final products from my three pieces created for this study...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjP8fIHbBDY/T24AqBepzsI/AAAAAAAAGFY/iDy88hMzHBA/s1600/IMG_7816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjP8fIHbBDY/T24AqBepzsI/AAAAAAAAGFY/iDy88hMzHBA/s320/IMG_7816.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I had a really fun afternoon/evening making dots and lines out of colors. I essentially had five original colors that I created from dry pigments: Cadmium Red Medium, Ultramarine Blue, English Red Dark, Yellow Ochre, and Genuine Green Earth. Pretty crazy, huh? I encourage playing with colors, especially if mixing isn't your thing. You learn a lot from playing with things! That's how we start out as kids, after all... learning from playing! It's the best way!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">xox</span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-57257117641277470692012-03-24T11:37:00.000-04:002012-03-24T11:37:27.692-04:00Celebrating Spring & My Birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">First of all, I have to show you what my best friend, E, got me for my birthday... It arrived early, so I got it about a week and a half ago...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QpxuCpUdToo/T23nIPALWRI/AAAAAAAAGDY/l3CbN_eL5eY/s1600/IMG_7779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QpxuCpUdToo/T23nIPALWRI/AAAAAAAAGDY/l3CbN_eL5eY/s320/IMG_7779.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0FXFA67DEs/T23nHLGIXJI/AAAAAAAAGDQ/Oh5KV6OvQig/s1600/IMG_7778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0FXFA67DEs/T23nHLGIXJI/AAAAAAAAGDQ/Oh5KV6OvQig/s320/IMG_7778.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The caterpillars were quite active, at first. They squirmed around, ate their food, and scaled the walls of their little cup environment. Jimmy Boo was extremely interested in them. Beckham paid them no heed whatsoever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tQksbtchbz8/T23nKXSAiCI/AAAAAAAAGDw/ctCym4V_t1g/s1600/IMG_8005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tQksbtchbz8/T23nKXSAiCI/AAAAAAAAGDw/ctCym4V_t1g/s320/IMG_8005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't stop watching the caterpillars</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After a while, the activity in the cup slowed, then nearly stopped. Although I could tell something important was going on...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jL-Y2v1apQ/T23nLEd1FyI/AAAAAAAAGD4/9YIVAlbe6ds/s1600/IMG_8034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jL-Y2v1apQ/T23nLEd1FyI/AAAAAAAAGD4/9YIVAlbe6ds/s320/IMG_8034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pimi7DBGhVk/T23nMlmwWcI/AAAAAAAAGEI/C377RIP8Ajw/s1600/IMG_8114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pimi7DBGhVk/T23nMlmwWcI/AAAAAAAAGEI/C377RIP8Ajw/s320/IMG_8114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The caterpillars were pupating. You can see the chrysalises above! I'm very excited to see the Painted Lady Butterflies emerge from their cocoons! We have a larger container for them that was for lizards or fish, and which we can use to house the butterflies while they get strong. I will definitely post photos or video after they have metamorphosed!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, as the weather has been gorgeous and warm, we've been taking advantage and going for some nice nature walks...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ny-aG5-CrE4/T23nIyCaANI/AAAAAAAAGDg/n4DAJyoHFbA/s1600/IMG_7982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ny-aG5-CrE4/T23nIyCaANI/AAAAAAAAGDg/n4DAJyoHFbA/s320/IMG_7982.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which includes climbing around near the river!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OmtUpRFOmIc/T23nJjojLVI/AAAAAAAAGDo/7i7D4mkMUc0/s1600/IMG_7993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OmtUpRFOmIc/T23nJjojLVI/AAAAAAAAGDo/7i7D4mkMUc0/s320/IMG_7993.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And my birthday was full of nice surprises! A photo texted to me by my sister... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNKUb78IbEA/T23nQyrWg2I/AAAAAAAAGE4/Ui_xQHboj5M/s1600/IMG_8224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNKUb78IbEA/T23nQyrWg2I/AAAAAAAAGE4/Ui_xQHboj5M/s320/IMG_8224.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friends and sister, wishing me a happy birthday!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All the way from California! Loved getting this message while I was being treated to a delicious meal with K...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-smCu3jrXiNI/T23nNWG6eUI/AAAAAAAAGEQ/Yg5_q_3gjSQ/s1600/IMG_8216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-smCu3jrXiNI/T23nNWG6eUI/AAAAAAAAGEQ/Yg5_q_3gjSQ/s320/IMG_8216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-llcHhytiGPU/T23nN7LtSKI/AAAAAAAAGEY/kS4jQcOUosI/s1600/IMG_8219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-llcHhytiGPU/T23nN7LtSKI/AAAAAAAAGEY/kS4jQcOUosI/s320/IMG_8219.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znaPLfgxGWY/T23nOrvPstI/AAAAAAAAGEg/0SucE_dcbyk/s1600/IMG_8221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znaPLfgxGWY/T23nOrvPstI/AAAAAAAAGEg/0SucE_dcbyk/s320/IMG_8221.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oysters on the half shell... mmm...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N8Q8tz5xZTQ/T23nPvRSHQI/AAAAAAAAGEo/KiporzspFCk/s1600/IMG_8222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N8Q8tz5xZTQ/T23nPvRSHQI/AAAAAAAAGEo/KiporzspFCk/s320/IMG_8222.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled salmon on roasted cauliflower & mushrooms</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ukUFj1VAb0U/T23nQRpSy0I/AAAAAAAAGEw/63niEfsDBMU/s1600/IMG_8223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ukUFj1VAb0U/T23nQRpSy0I/AAAAAAAAGEw/63niEfsDBMU/s320/IMG_8223.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterscotch pudding with candied pecans &whipped cream...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was delicious and romantic, and I think I hurt my face smiling all night! Thank you, K, for a fabulous treat!! It was a very memorable and lovely birthday! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">xox </span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-3031025201638480502012-03-23T08:25:00.001-04:002012-03-23T08:25:10.446-04:00Yes, it's my birthday!I woke up to this...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/106500750876145088823/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCLWC3Lai1tODswE#5723067542083889458'><img src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BsaDXBdPCgo/T2xrm396aTI/AAAAAAAAGCk/I81JtPqgP68/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />And a croissant (which I love) to have for breakfast!<br /><br />Today turned out to be the sunniest day this week and I the day plus weekend off. Couldn't get better than this! Except that K is taking me to Bolete, a lovely little fancy restaurant that I've been dying to go to for a while now. Yay! Sooo excited!!<br /><br />It's been a sweet start and I know it'll only get better!!<br /><br />Blessings to all!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/106500750876145088823/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCLWC3Lai1tODswE#5723067581845570274'><img src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VviomAKnlFM/T2xrpMF1guI/AAAAAAAAGCs/tqt7biF3jI8/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-6107834432641985582012-03-12T10:20:00.000-04:002012-03-12T10:20:25.593-04:00Bizarre Connections Reaching Up From the Past<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bgWYDzQuVjQ/T13-NZcYcxI/AAAAAAAAGBA/b21ppZ1dPEQ/s1600/Hellyer+Grade+4+1978-79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bgWYDzQuVjQ/T13-NZcYcxI/AAAAAAAAGBA/b21ppZ1dPEQ/s320/Hellyer+Grade+4+1978-79.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 4th Grade Class</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yesterday, I got a surprise. Someone from my far distant past found me on Facebook. They requested that I "friend them" and I just sat there for a moment, thrown backwards in time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was an awkward little girl... who wasn't awkward, right? But there were those kids who were already full of seeming confidence among those of us who were timid and quiet. It could be that older siblings helped forge stronger personalities in some. I was an older sister, though just barely. I didn't have the advantage of older siblings to make me strong and toughen my hide. I was quiet, though I had friends. We were the kids who liked to read and sit in the field at recess picking small daisies, or playing hand ball when a court was empty. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was actually in the 3rd grade that I met the boy who would unknowingly change me forever. He was one of those quiet kids, too, though his solitude seemed to be created by a self-made barrier of disdain. He was in my homeroom class and I was more aware of him than other boys because I had admired him. He didn't run wildly with other boys at recess, or make a lot of noise during class. I thought he was only shy like me. Then one day, when I had just walked past his desk on my way out to lunch, he stood up and made a face at me... he wrinkled up his nose and wiggled it, like Tabitha from "Bewitched". It stopped me cold. He had just mimicked my one facial tic that I wasn't even aware that I had, until that moment... it was like he had put a mirror in front of my face and I was frozen in front of it. From that point on, I was hyper-aware of what my face did, as much as I could be. I stopped wiggling my nose, out of sheer embarrassment. I also stopped biting my fingernails, though that was mostly through the efforts of my dad. This boy also pointing it out to me stiffened my resolve to stop this habit, too. In my mind, this boy was a bully. I was afraid of him and his sharp observations and avoided him completely after this. And then, some 30 years later, he sends me a friend request.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I want to point out that I didn't have him in any other classes after the 3rd grade. I had been put in a different school that one year because of admission mistakes at my own elementary school. The following years I went back to my old school with my other friends who had also gotten stuck at different schools in 3rd grade. So I didn't see him again until maybe around high school, when he came to our school briefly, and I never spoke to him. I didn't actually think that he'd know who I was anyway. I didn't bother to ask him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It took me a couple minutes to decide to add him as a friend, mostly out of sheer curiosity. He immediately posted something on my wall. It was a heart-felt apology. He apparently remembered that he was a mean boy, and he wanted to apologize and to ask for forgiveness. That was all he wanted. To be forgiven. My eight-year-old self pondered this. My adult self did, too. In retrospect, he had done me a favor. Bad habits are hard to stop outside of childhood, and I had stopped two because of him. Yes, I was hurt and embarrassed by him, but when I remember it now, I don't recall other people even witnessing either exchange. He wasn't as malicious as he could have been, really. Certainly not nice, but not horrible, either. And he was asking for my forgiveness now. I accepted it. I hadn't really held onto any animosity towards him, after all. The memory had dimmed, and all I could tell you now is that I was shocked at finding out that anyone had noticed me at all, let alone noticed that I made funny faces. Yes, it hurts to be teased, but hadn't I done mean things to a kid or two by then? Maybe even something worse.... so who was I to hold back forgiveness? It was a relief to accept his apology. I felt a shift in my own concept of myself. My eight-year-old self smiled. My adult self did, too.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nm4xA1ncd_4/T139Q5F5S4I/AAAAAAAAGA4/_7nzGYjIb-Y/s1600/IMG_6001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nm4xA1ncd_4/T139Q5F5S4I/AAAAAAAAGA4/_7nzGYjIb-Y/s400/IMG_6001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peace is a wonderful thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-55574075322027083182012-02-24T11:47:00.000-05:002012-02-24T11:47:23.920-05:00An Early Spring Walk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The weather was nice the other day, and after all the emotional expenditures lately, I felt I needed to just get out for some fresh air. It was exactly what I needed: a reminder that life does go on, and a hint of spring...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PLYT30xaRqI/T0e9pDPR9iI/AAAAAAAAGAY/-J0QSUA72fk/s1600/IMG_7484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PLYT30xaRqI/T0e9pDPR9iI/AAAAAAAAGAY/-J0QSUA72fk/s320/IMG_7484.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I walked down my usual route and then entered Nisky Hill Cemetery. I meandered along the paved walks under the 100+ year old trees, and just listened to the breezes playing through the branches and bushes, and to the birds overhead. Then I heard the sound of rustling in the brush below the edge of the drop-off that ends at the creek below, and looked down to see three deer. So I sat and waited here for them to come up...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKvkD2BoGOg/T0e9llPDHSI/AAAAAAAAGAA/YsucSK3oWao/s1600/IMG_7477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKvkD2BoGOg/T0e9llPDHSI/AAAAAAAAGAA/YsucSK3oWao/s320/IMG_7477.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-oF3PA2nfg/T0e9qAROfrI/AAAAAAAAGAg/nIiqgeHK2uE/s1600/IMG_7495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-oF3PA2nfg/T0e9qAROfrI/AAAAAAAAGAg/nIiqgeHK2uE/s320/IMG_7495.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They didn't show themselves up at the cemetery while I was there that day, though. It stayed calm above, so I wandered back the way I came and saw some snowdrops coming up through the ground...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njicklSiT7s/T0e9mzeZnrI/AAAAAAAAGAI/bs83J4XbuKY/s1600/IMG_7480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njicklSiT7s/T0e9mzeZnrI/AAAAAAAAGAI/bs83J4XbuKY/s320/IMG_7480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also noticed the ombre greens of a patch of moss...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFmCol9IdKk/T0e9nuuwe_I/AAAAAAAAGAQ/Bhqrw6114VU/s1600/IMG_7482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFmCol9IdKk/T0e9nuuwe_I/AAAAAAAAGAQ/Bhqrw6114VU/s320/IMG_7482.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">which reminded me that life continues, even after the death of winter. Sometimes these reminders are all it takes to pull you out of a funk. I hope you're seeing some signs of spring for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere! I think it's coming early to the east coast this year, despite what the groundhog said. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blessings... xox</span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-60283766150065115542012-02-22T10:27:00.000-05:002012-02-22T10:27:37.279-05:00Rocking Cats<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Okay, I had found this rock that at first I thought looked like a heart, and so I picked it up. It sat in my studio for months, until it changed from a heart to a cat.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ilDlvVOmUY/T0UHpw_lCII/AAAAAAAAF_4/lU_te3CwAh4/s1600/IMG_7440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ilDlvVOmUY/T0UHpw_lCII/AAAAAAAAF_4/lU_te3CwAh4/s320/IMG_7440.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexandre</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I decided to turn it more into a cat with some acrylic paints. After I painted it, I sent a photo of it to K, who promptly told me that he looked like "Alexandre" from an old episode of Home Movies. And that is how he came to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've always had a fascination with painting rocks since I was really young and my mom bought me a little pamphlet sized book called "Rock Painting," which took the art to another level. The images were inspiring, colorful, and sparked my childish imagination like nothing else at that time. I painted several rocks, which ended up in my mom's garden in the back. Some of them my best friend and I tried to sell to our neighbors as paper weights, "or whatever!" But I can't remember if I ever did sell any of the earlier ones.... they weren't all that pretty, to be honest. You can probably imagine. Ha ha! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, I wanted to post this because it's been a helluva week, and I needed some lightness. K's dad passed away last week, and the family had been planning the funeral, then attending the funeral, and now it's all over and I think we're just completely drained. It's a lot of emotional output, and input (from all the people who care) and a person can only take so much, you know? Once there is some time and distance from the past week, I will post my thoughts. Right now, though, I just need to breathe and let go of all thoughts. It's time to just Be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thanks to all who have been so supportive, both publicly and privately. You are appreciated and loved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">xox</span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183956259305767381.post-91024421481786502832012-02-14T10:58:00.000-05:002012-02-14T10:58:03.645-05:00Happy Valentine's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4KbLNIh6QuU/TzphMj6mrvI/AAAAAAAAF_c/mwjd9Zgh-Bg/s1600/Moon+Kitties+Card_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4KbLNIh6QuU/TzphMj6mrvI/AAAAAAAAF_c/mwjd9Zgh-Bg/s320/Moon+Kitties+Card_0001.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I promised that I would share with you the card I made for Keith, and here it is, at left. It features Beckham and Jimmy Boo, watching the moon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It didn't scan as well as I hoped, but you get the idea. It's been a bittersweet Valentine's, but I've always kind of liked bittersweet over sickly sweet, anyway. I regret that I haven't spent any time making handmade truffles, or baking some real chocolate brownies, like I would have liked. There just wasn't time this year, due to work and running around. I miss the Blogosphere a lot. I've been trying to stay in touch, but I feel out of the loop, really. I <i>DID</i> actually follow through on a project for Valentine's Day that I had seen and been inspired by on Lillian's lovely blog, <a href="http://www.unstitchedblog.com/2012/02/artsy-living-a-valentines-installation/">Unstitched</a>. Mine wasn't as pretty, but the memories that I wrote down for K made him happy as he reminisced with me... and the last envelope had a gift card in it for a ninety-minute massage at the center I work at! A full-priced one, too, so that when he schedules, he won't get bumped for another client, ha ha!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">K has been consumed with family matters, obviously. That's where he needs to be right now. And yet, he brought me home some chocolate covered strawberries last night, and a bar of dark chocolate with hazelnut toffee.... mmmm..... :-) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ah well. My studio table is covered, once again making it difficult to work properly, although I recently did a deep cleaning of my room. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I forgot about the Sketchbook Project, and though my book is half-filled, I never sent it in for submission. I missed the date! This year has started out as The Year I Didn't... (fill in the blank.) I need to change that dynamic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Okay, it's a work day, so I have to go get ready for the Valentine's Day "Last Minute Rush" which will inevitably happen at a place like where I work. All the guys (and some girls) rushing in to buy gift certificates when they can't get onto the schedule for Couple's Massages. Yesterday was crazy already... and today will likely be more of the same!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Many thanks to those of you who pop by and comment (thus making me feel very happy and connected again) and to those who just check out my blog but don't comment, because it somehow makes the world feel a little nicer and a little smaller... I hope that you continue to visit me. I will continue to try and stay in touch when I can. Maybe share some photos or a thought I have. It's all the creativity I have these days, anyway: photography and musings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blessings to you... xox</span></div>sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589646446340639391noreply@blogger.com1