More Summer Fun

The hollyhock is blooming, love that thing.

The guitar lessons are going well. I'm learning from David Taub at Next Level Guitar. Luke is taking lessons from me, and Frank is taking lessons from Luke. At the rate things are going, Frank will probably be playing before me and Luke, but that is only because he keeps hogging my guitar. I need to get him one of his own.

Luke's speech therapy is coming along - he's working on "ch" and "j"/"g" and then he's done, all caught up and done with that. Vision therapy is going well too, improvements every week it seems. Several months more of that though, but it's all good.

We were going to take a road trip to Montana to dig for crystal and dino bones this month... but I got cold feet. Or rather, I thought my feet would be too hot. And dry. And dusty. So I pulled a the "I'll miss the dogs too much" card and the next thing you know all our plans have changed. A (gasp) RV is rented, a KOA campground space is booked, and we are off on an All-American Family Vacation. Dogs included. An adventure, for sure. I'm not sure how it happened... but there it is. We are heading to the Oregon Coast. Luke is super excited. He drew this great picture: Frank is driving, I'm cooking something that steams, he's playing a game at the table, the dogs are riding with us happy as... well dogs in an RV could be.



And right this very minute, we are watching the movie I rented for Frank: "RV". Just to see what we have gotten ourselves into. Haha, it can't be that bad, can it? I'll let you know. Stay tuned.

Rockin' the House

Yesterday I won the "Best Mom Ever" award. Look what I got Luke:



But really, I wanted one for myself... so Frank dragged me out and made me buy my own. He wins the "Best Husband Ever" award. Look!





It's a good thing the old dog is deaf. I have a feeling Frank wishes he was. We are getting headphones today. Then everyone will be happy.

Where did the sun go?

m's redsox game

Seaview

A view from yesterday's walk, found a tiny little park with two benches in my neighborhood.

Fishin'

Brilliante!

Hey! Look! I got an award!



Big thanks to Layla of The Lady Blog for nominating me for this! Be sure to check out her herbs and spices on Etsy too, you can almost smell them, just looking at them!

Here's my list of nominees that I'd like to receive this award as well:

1. Maggie's Bead Towne
2. Barrie's Jewelry World
3. vLaDtHeBaT's Attic
4. Life on the Island
5. Andee's Photo Blog
6. Rita's R'tistic Ramblez
7. Lavender Cottage Originals


Here are the rules for this award:

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.
6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking every body's mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and the kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!

Feet

Just jump in, the water is great!

Mmmmn... Grill Pizza!

This turned out way better than I thought! Wolfgang Puck's Pizza Dough, grill on one side, flip, add your toppings and let melt and bubble. Yum! Next time fresh basil, goat cheese and caramelized onions.

Summer in the Garden

Another Beach Walk

Low tide. Great blue herons fishing. Ferries coming and going. Roses blooming. Another perfect morning.



And the Good Girl:

This Morning's Walk

One of the nice things about Luke's tennis lessons (besides the fact that he loves them so) is that I have the hour to get a walk in while it's still cool enough out. Today I took Zoe and we headed to the beach cliff street in our town - one side is gorgeous Puget Sound with Ferries and islands, the other is nice houses with pretty gardens. There was a nice fresh breeze and great sunshine - perfect day. Zoe was such a good girl, ignored the other dogs, bikers, runners, walkers, she was perfect too. The train runs along the beach and when I saw one coming, I had her sit pretty and we waited to watch it come through - the conductor blew a hello whistle at us.



Have been thinking... wouldn't it be nice to be a writer? Like there isn't enough on my plate. But still... wouldn't it be fun to write a book? Or a play? Or a tv show? Will continue thinking about that... and what I would even write about.

Beach Days

This summer is turning out to be super busy. So busy: tennis lessons, day camp, soccer camp, guitar lessons, speech class, vision therapy. And that's just Luke's schedule. I'm not getting a whole lot accomplished, have been training the dog to walk nicely (much progress so far), the garden is looking pretty good, the bedroom is almost finished (painting), the downstairs is getting an overhaul (organizational). I managed to make some beads the other day, I'll show them in a day or few. That's all I've got for now!

A (Gasp) Political Post

It's been a long time since I shared my angst over politics and the state of the nation. World. Universe. I've come a long way to feeling peaceful in my own life, which gives me a more peaceful outlook on the bigger world view too. I know it's all going to work out in the end, no matter what. That said, I'm feeling some excitement again, possibilities on the horizon, opportunities for fairness and goodness, peace and understanding - it's *this* close - and it feels good. I like what I'm seeing, I like how money is being raised, principals honored, the way the talk is being walked... the whole deal. Honesty and truth in politics? Unity instead of divisiveness? Is it possible? Maybe! Wouldn't that be nice.

I also know politics are a tricky subject, not everyone's cup of tea. So, feel free to ignore me and go ahead keeping your own views, or not having any at all if that's your thing, it's what makes the world go 'round, everyone doing it their own way, right? But if you have any interest and few spare dollars, check out this list of progressive women that will help give our congress a better representation of "we the people". I would like to see more smart women in our government - to help fight for better schools, heath care, safe foods and products, protect out planet, to insist that all avenues have been exhausted before we send our children off to wars... Plus some of these women are from my home state of New Hampshire - what a long way that little state has come from when I was growing up there, I'm pretty proud of it. There is also a woman from my own state, Darcy Burner, who is pretty great too, smart and compassionate, in it for all the right reasons, I like her a lot.

Go ahead, check out http://www.emilyslist.org/ or MoveOn.org to see how you can get involved or contribute to their campaigns.

There, I've done my little bit for the day - but I've got something else up my sleeve (literally!) that is more fun than just clicking and donating. Stay tuned... and save a few bucks in case it turns out that it IS your cup of tea. More soon!

Another Purple Flower Photo

Summer camp started today - what was I thinking? 8:30 AM tennis camp? I *was* thinking I'd get up, take the kiddo there, walk the dog around the block for an hour and then take Luke to regular summer camp and go home and do something creative. Today did not work out that way *at all*. Will try again Wednesday, wish me luck.

Oh! Check out these very beautiful, amazing really, photos. Elephants and people, big cats and beautiful women, deserts... gorgeous: http://www.ashesandsnow.org/en/flash-popup.php.

PS. The hamster is in his roller ball, chasing the cat around the room. Bumping into the dogs. It's pretty funny.

Meet Mr. Nibbles

Luke has a new little pet. He's a black bear hamster and very sweet. He loves to roll around in his plastic ball - he rolls right up to the dogs and cat, no fear at all. He also spends hours climbing up the side of his cage and sliding down the ramp. Little show-off. Cute guy.

And The Cow Jumped Over The Moon

I finished it! And little baby Cole is only a week old - not too bad, I'm pretty proud of myself for getting it done before he was a year old. Hah, just kidding, it's right on time.

It's a little busier than I would have wanted but I kept adding things because I wanted him to have a lot to look at. Luke and his friend Lilly insisted on stars in the ski - so there you have it!

May 28, 2008

Just a few things:

James and the Giant Peach is a FABULOUS book to read aloud.

Crazy hair day is fun but exhausting. We did this "do" twice before we got it in this "acceptable" state. Tears were flowing first try (he insisted on a mohawk, but it wouldn't stand up) and we had to wash, dry, and retry and were half an hour late to school because of it. And then it took 3 shampoos to get it all out after school and before the baseball game (he couldn't get his hat on over it).



Summer is coming, summer is coming, summer is coming. I keep telling myself this as I sit here in my fleece, freezing.

Pretty Little Things

Progress on the Moon Painting

Yes, there IS a cow after all:



And it turns out a pond is forming:

My Garden

It's amazing what just a couple of days of sunshine can do.

Just a picture

Still Raining

Still raining here... and still reading about hormones - very interesting stuff I'm telling you!

Three Things

Four, if you count this photo. Doesn't it look like dragon skin?



1. The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, rocks. I just discovered we get the National Geographic Channel and he's on Friday nights. Amazing! Facinating! Fun to watch! I have been trying some things with my girls... so far, some luck.

2. Bare Minerals Makeup - LOVE! It's like not wearing makeup only better. Happy skin, happy cell phone (no powder/makeup on my phone), happy me looking in the mirror. Why did I not know about it before now?

3. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-menopause by John R. Lee MD. - I'm reading this now and I have to say it's Very Interesting, not at all boring. Empowering. A kind of take-charge-of-your-own-health that every woman should read. It explains about all the hormones, how they are getting messed up prematurely due to life-style, stress and environmental influences, and what to do to get things back on track. To get our energy, vitality and yes, even stop aging as quickly as we may be. Have not finished, but so far... I highly recommend.

Happy Mother's Day!

It was a good one this year, even with the rain. There was also some sun, though no rainbows. The boys tried very hard to let me have my way about everything. They made me waffles for breakfast:



And while they cleaned up that big mess, I fit in a long walk with Zoe the dog - we saw an eagle being harrased by a crow - over and over again - though the eagle seemed quite able to ignore it. I kept thinking the crow would soon be lunch, but it didn't happen before we walked on. Also found a half a robin's egg, someone had found it before me and placed it on a rhody bud - a beautiful gift. And then we took a new road and found a new shortcut path between neighborhoods - I always like finding those.

Then we all took a long ride out to farm country to look for rusty things. I wanted an old wagon wheel, but found this lovely thing instead. It's a tiller blade. I think I'll hang it on my studio. I also got a horseshoe and an old key.



Hope your Mother's Day was a good one too.

Life... just an update

It's been awhile, huh? You most likely missed my birthday. No biggie. I've reached the age I plan on staying at for the next oh... 10 years or so. That sounds fair enough, right? If only... I'd give up parties and gifts for the next 10 years to make it so. Ah well, I'll get into this aging thing someday. Only when I'm good and ready, which, I'm sure, will be awhile.

What's new? Not a whole lot.

Baseball takes up so much of our time. Most of it is spent in our lovely Pac NW spring weather of rain, cold, sleet, hail, rain and more bitter cold. Two hours outside with an umbrella watching the boys play ball... and then a day to thaw out again. One day I was lucky enough to get to spend a freezing couple of hours watching a game and then three more freezing hours manning the snack shack. It took me two days to thaw that time.

Zoe the dog got to go to Luke's school for show and tell. She was overjoyed. Loved everyone and every minute of it. She sat, laid down, and spoke on command, and then picked her own tricks - French-kissing as many kids as she could get to and sitting on the teacher's lap. She's hilarious.

Luke is getting ready for end-of-school-year. We have a talent show coming up (he plans on doing yo-yo tricks while blowing bubbles and one other thing with his free hand, though he hasn't figured out what that might be yet), and his class play (he's Montana, the state, and something else he can't remember what), and his last report of the year, on an insect of his choice - the praying mantis - the female of which, did you know, eats it's mate. Ick. They are hatching mantises in his class and he wants to take some home to raise over the summer. What do you think? Maybe just one... wouldn't want to watch the mating ritual in real life. Though he's got a video of it on his blog if you are interested. Yeah, Ick.

Seriously, that's about it. Not much progress with art. Or beads. Or even the house, I'm still painting the master bedroom and it looks awful... the yard is too cold to work in, though I've just about finished with the bark "patio" area. I've got an arbor to put up for my honeysuckle vine, if it would just get warm enough and dry enough to go out and do it.

Mother's day is coming up, are you ready? Did you get your cards in the mail? Flowers and gifts ordered and sent? I did. Just hope they get there in time. Of course not everyone lives thousands of miles away from their mothers... maybe some of you get to take yours out to brunch or dinner instead? Frank and Luke say they are cooking breakfast and dinner for me that day. I hope they are cleaning up too. Hah. Really, I just hope the sun is out and it's warm enough to plant some flowers or something, that's all I really want. A warm spring day. With no baseball game to go to. I don't think that's too much to ask. Though coffee and waffles will be fine too... and lobster, assuming that is what they make, will be a nice treat.

For Mother's Day, I give you this link. A hilarious compilation of notes from moms around the world. http://www.postcardsfromyomomma.com. Enjoy!

A Classic with a Twist

African Green Jasper, Jade, Pearls, etc.

A Hippy Girl Necklace

I made this today, I think it might be for me, though I have enough to make one more I think.

More Bridal Jewelry

Spring has Sprung

Not really, it's still cold as winter out there... but things are starting to bloom.

The Latest Art Project

This is something I'm making for my good friend Becky who is expecting her first baby early this summer. It was supposed to be a painting of a cow jumping over the moon... but... the cow may or may not happen as it's becoming something other than what I originally intended. I really like the direction it's going in though, but am a little afraid it won't be very "baby". But then, I think that might just be ok, after all.

Purple

My old lilac tree toppled over in the snow we had last week. We propped her back up today, I'm hoping for the best, but not sure what chance she has. There are lots of baby shoots around her though, perhaps it's just time for the next generation.

Sunshine

Pure happy sunshine today. Could spring finally be on the way? Here's hoping.

A Bride's Necklace