“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day Thoughts





Every Memorial Day morning many years ago, we would gather at the community center. As a child in a small town it was our duty to arrive early to go over our assignments for the morning. We were handed red poppies and small crosses. After a prayer and program, we would drive to the small country cemetery and visit the graves of the soldiers.  A few had died in battles, more from old age. World War I ,II and one in Vietnam. I remember how solemn it all was and how proper. There were men dressed in military garb and much of the community took part. We placed the poppies and the crosses on the graves and at the end the best trumpet player in our high school played taps. And that was that. There was a bit of chit-chat with the neighbors and then we drifted off toward our perspective family burial plots and visited some distant relatives grave that I had never known. At the age of six or seven, I had not experienced death except for a pet. I still recall the quiet sadness of it all even to this day.




Thank you all for serving our country so honorably. A special thanks to friends and relatives who are members of the armed services.




Thank you Kelly, Aaron, Shawn, James, Joseph, Betsye and Philip.








Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Rain, Rain Go Away, Come Again Some Other Day!

This spring has not been kind. As you see from my photos, the sun does come out and the flowers do still bloom. Time keeps on moving and better days are ahead. I hope you enjoy looking at my garden. It helps to replenish my creative spirit. Maybe it will yours too.

Pretty Little Violets



Tulips Which Rabbits Did Not Eat This Year
















Funny Gray Squirrel Relaxing
















Wild Columbine
















The Back Yard Just Beginning to Bloom

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Bears Are Finally Done!!


Well it took me awhile but I finally got the bears done and listed on Etsy. It took me a little trial and error until I got the Baby Bear done. I wanted him to be eating something or licking something off of his paw. Since we all know that bears like honey I decided on that option. After trying a couple products I used a tinted gel medium to get that honey look on the honey comb.  Now for a little break and then on to the next project.




Wednesday, May 11, 2011

I Actually Do Work Sometimes...

If you haven't been to my blog before, the main reason it exists is to showcase some of my cute paper mache creations. I also am trying to get people to think about what they buy and why. I also want people to think about what goes into making things they buy. I have been guilty in the past of buying something because of the way it looked without much thought to where it came from. These days I think we should really reconsider the impulse buy. Since finding the Etsy site, I have been amazed at how many creative people there are. It is nice that they finally have a showcase for some of their incredible art. I tell people all the time that they should check Etsy for a piece of art work first, before buying some mass produced import. Often the Etsy handmade items are not much more expensive and you have an original fabulous work of art! I am a self-taught crafter and artist and I consider my pieces to be just fun little whimsies not really art. Maybe in my really old age I will finally be an artist.

 The other night on some TV Art show an "artist" had taken some drawings into a gallery for the curator to evaluate, she said "Anyone can call them self an artist, that doesn't mean they are a good artist." Right, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder too! So there! I like the following quote much better.

"Imagination is more important
            than knowledge."  Albert Einstein

                                     

Shampoo bottles
Alright, so I vote for imagination over knowledge for today anyway! I have plenty of imagination and that leads me finally to my little critters. I posted this picture a while back and you may have thought, huh?  What is she gonna make out of that?





Pulp Layer Added




With the addition of a bunch of paper pulp and sculpting, bottles became Bears! They need just a bit more paint and polish and then off to the the Etsy shop! Yes, I do work occasionally...

Three Bears but not "The Three Bears"








Friday, May 6, 2011

Remembering Our Mom's






To all the Mom's that may visit my site, have a wonderful day. For everyone else, get off the internet and go call your Mom!








I remember my Mom was always in the kitchen. She was a great cook and baker. Even though she has been gone for almost 20 years, I can still see her working in her farm kitchen. Pies were one of her specialities and her crusts were famous around town. There was always some scrumptious aroma wafting from that kitchen. I still think of her on my birthday and how she would always make my favorite meal, followed by my favorite dessert. Every few years I would ask for pie.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

One Lovely Blog Award




Thank you Val for passing on the One Lovely Blog Award to me. I am very pleased that you thought of my little blog.  Val has a Lovely Blog too, ValValVoom. Once awarded I am to share 7 wonderful things about me, and then pass on the award to 15 more lucky bloggers. So here goes.


1. I'm a romantic at heart and love the PBS movies like "Sense & Sensibility" or anything by Jane Austen.


2 .My favorite animals are cats but I love all animals. I am fortunate to live on a small lake and we are visited almost daily by ducks, geese, squirrels, assorted song birds, and rabbits. I have been lucky enough to see the following animals at least once since living here, red fox, coyote, mink, ground hog, turkey, and the most exciting - the bald eagle. Fabulous!


3. My favorite musicians  are Best Coast, Callers, Nina Persson, Dan Mangan, Kelli Scarr, Little & Ashley, The Love Language, Rosi Golan, Katie Herzig, Cafe Accordion Orchestra and many more.


4. I love to collect things and decorate and my style is a kind of English Cottage. I started decorating and rearranging my own room when I was six years old. My parents always wondered what I was doing in there! Then they would see the Christmas Tinsel Garland on the wall! My decorating has gotten much better!


5. My favorite colors are blue, pink and yellow. My least favorite color is orange, but I do love it in the autumn leaves, pumpkins or oranges! Just not in my house or garden!


6. I love my flower gardens and as you view my blog you will see many more of my favorite things as they come into bloom.


7. The changing seasons are something I look forward to every year. My husband and I lived in California for a few years and I dearly missed the winters. Now that I am older I really look forward to the nice winter get-aways to Florida!


I will be looking for the next 15 bloggers to pass on the award to and will be posting them here in a few days.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Finally, Some Sun!!

It seems like weeks since we  had any sun! Now we get to enjoy one day before the rain moves in again. Just enough time to clean up my flower beds and take a few photos.

Scilla




Tulips before the rabbits eat them.