Do Do Do Lookin' Out My "Front" Door

I took this picture the other day, while trying to photograph Miss Jessie. I love all the big trees. I love Washington State. We live at the end of a dead-end street. Most of the yard is in front. The back yard is teeny tiny. We have awesome neighbors - the kind who would help you out any time of the day or night. The kind who keep their eyes on your house if you go away.

My shoulder has been so much better for the past week. Tonight it flared up, as if to remind me not to get too comfortable, with being comfortable. I treasured every good day I had though!

On Saturday my husband and I will be selling at the farmer's market in Battle Ground (the next town over). This will be the first time we have ever done anything like this. My dear friend Kay of The Rustic Cottage will be selling in the booth with us. She is a pro at this type of thing, and we are so grateful to her for taking us under her wing and teaching us the ropes. It will be fun to have that face to face interaction with customers, to see their reaction, get their input, etc. Of course there is that little bit (okay, a lot) of anxiety....will anyone like what we made, will anyone buy it and so on. I am very excited though and I know we will have fun, even if we don't sell a thing.

A "Just Because" Surprise

The bewitching Samantha was my partner in the Easter Basket Swap. Not only was I blessed with a great swap partner, I was also blessed with an awesome new friend. It's eerie how many things we have in common. Receiving her emails is always a high point in my day.

Friday a box arrived from Sam, with a "just because" note inside. She sent me so many vintage treasures ~ I was about to cry. Thank you sweetie ~ I love everything you sent!

P.S.M.'s

A few years ago, when my son was learning about PMS, he got the letters mixed up and called it PSM. Actually....he says PSM's....as in, "are you having PSM's?" Since so many of his incredibly sweet mispronounciations have fallen by the wayside (words like "doorbello" and "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wrench like me"), I never corrected him on the PSM's and that's what he calls it to this day. He even thinks HE is a victim of PSM! He will tell me he's in a bad mood because of PSM's or he's overly emotional due to PSM's.

Right about the time we were sitting down to dinner, the PSM train pulled into Menstruation Station. Suddenly I could hear everyone chewing, and it made me insane. I didn't like the cut of meat and went so far as to take chewed up pieces out of my mouth and put them on my plate. I hope my mother doesn't read this. Both dogs were staring at only me, and that was annoying. So I growled at them....seriously, I growled. My son eats every bit of one food, before moving to the next food. He can't alternate like a normal person. THAT was driving me crazy too and I told him he'd better eat a bite of potato. He ate a bite of potato.

I looked over at hubby and said, "Maybe a bit of PSM's?" He didn't answer right away. I could see the wheels turning, his brain racing to find just the right answer. He took a deep breath and said "I was going to say that your shoulder was sore, but if you say it's PMS then that's what it is." Is the man smooth, or what?

I know I'm being a witch, I hear myself being a witch, I don't WANT to be a witch. I'm a witch.

Must You Annoy Me with that Camera??

I'm Miss Jessie and I really don't like being photographed. Yeah, the sun was in my eyes this time, but even when it isn't I am quite camera shy. I am eight years old and depending on who is looking at me, I'm either a German Shepherd OR a German Shepherd MIX. I love everyone, especially UPS drivers with treats. I have no problem getting into the truck and trotting to the back in search of the driver with the treats. Mom says this can be a bit stressful for certain UPS drivers. But I know what brown can do for me.

My hobbies are chasing squirrels, being a watch dog, playing with my little "brother" Juneau, napping, giving kisses - and my favorite pasttime is being scratched by Dad. No one scratches like him. He really gets down under the fur - it's heavenly.

I am friendly and polite - sweet is the word for me. But when it comes time to protect what's mine, don't push it because I have big teeth and I'm not afraid - unless you have fireworks. If you have fireworks, you can take anything in the house...feel free.

Enchanted Swap Gifts for Lori

To officially finish up this swap, here are the things I sent to Lori aka Lovely Lori (I saw her picture, it's true - she is lovely). A rabbit filled with Rolos as we are both rabbit lovers.



A wooden crown on which I did a mosaic. This crown is about five inches wide. The "jewels" are vintage rhinestones. So sparkly, and big! I have in my little studio/office a whole area set up for mosaic work. Haven't done any in quite some time and I had forgotten how relaxing it is. We are hoping to do some craft shows this summer, and will be at a local farmer's market with a dear friend weekend after next. What a great incentive to start smashing and grouting again.

And a wand with lots of frou frou and vintage accents in the center.

Blessings

Things are rough right now, for a lot of people, economically speaking. Gas and food prices going up, up, up. Lay-offs and companies shutting their doors forever. Those of us in the retail trade feel it too. It's a scary time. A time when we need to come together, and share our strengths.

I was a single mom for five years and they were tough years. My goal was always to hang on to the house, and keep my son in Christian school. In the midst of struggling, a very special bond was formed between mother and son. It was he and I against the world. Back in the days when he was young enough to want to sleep with mom, we'd cuddle under the blankets and sing songs and laugh, as the rain came down outside. He is 13 now, and he remembers those times well. As much as he loves his stepfather, I know he misses the days of just me and him.

We still have our house, and he's still at the same school he's attended since kindergarten. The Lord has made many things possible in our lives. Lately we have been telling Jacob we need to cut back on some things, tighten our belts, etc. Once again the old goals of keeping our house and him in school come to the forefront. He asks how bad things are and my husband reassures him we will be okay. A little while ago I went into my office/computer room, and found $2.18 on my chair, along with a note:

"This is all I can give right now. Don't give the money back. I'm part of the family too and want to help."

Of course I started to cry. I am so proud of him and so blessed that God wanted me to raise him.

Enchanted Swap Gifties

Here is what the Lovely Lori sent me. She decorated this case so beautifully, with all my favorite colors. I love all the roses. You can't really see it in the first photo, but behind the roses she spelled out "enchanted" with little gold colored letters. More roses inside, and sitting upon a bed of red tulle was a velvet pouch. Inside that pouch was this gorgeous bracelet. It is just stunning and so perfectly done. As I told her, I cannot bead anything to save my life, so I really appreciate the care and work she put into this piece.

I have a link to Lori's blog on my sidebar (Morning Glories and Moonflowers). Her blog is always interesting, and full of pretty pictures.

Thank you again Lori, for the treasures. I am truly enchanted!

Enchanted Swap Sneak Peek

Pretty scary huh? Definitely not a piece any self-respecting Princess would claim. This is all I can show...for now!

New ATC's

Three new cards were just listed...finally! The Picture Show is rather homely I think, but still it has elements that "speak" to me. I found the vintage blue rick rack in the back of a drawer. So pretty. The nice thing about making art cards is I never use too much of anything, so my supplies last a long, long time. My husband will occasionally use the word hoarder, but I have everything contained in one room, plus the antique dental cabinet.

I love this card. Pretty much sums up life with teens, but I have to say mine is really a good kid and it's not his fault he knows everything, and was cursed with such stupid parents.

The Letter R - not even upper case R - I have no idea where this came from. I must have been really tired. I think I was inspired by the great "r words" on the old dictionary page.

Tomorrow I will mail my Enchanted Swap goodies to the lovely Lori. She is a very nice lady and I hope she likes what I made for her.

The Men in My Life

This morning my husband was ironing fabric. Fabric with cats and kittens on it. Then he was cutting that fabric into 4x4 inch quilt squares. He picked our son up from school and took him to get new tennis shoes. I asked him if he minded looking for a strapless bra for me, since he'd be in the store anyway. He said "no problem" so I sent him off with all the info on a little piece of paper.

They got the shoes, but alas, no bra. My son was less than enthusiastic and begged to go to the electronics section while the bra hunt took place. But Dad insisted they remain together. Dear son was mortified as Dad explained what the numbers and letters in a bra size mean. They were actually laughing and joking and male bonding. It wasn't a horrific experience that my son will use in the book he threatens he will someday write about me.

When they got home dear son had quite a bit of math homework, took out the trash, and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Then he was off to downtown Portland (just across the river from here, and the "big city" to us) with the youth group from church. They helped cook, serve and clean up meals at the rescue mission. He got home at 8:30, talked with me a bit and then went to sweep and vacuum the hardwood floors in the living and dining rooms because it's on his chore list for today. All of this done with a happy heart, a servant's heart.

My husband - a more masculine man you could never find. He can cut a perfect quilt square, cook a gourmet dinner, shop for a bra, thread a sewing machine, and create out of wood anything my little mind can imagine....just to name a few of his talents.

My son - a 7th grader with an incredible love for the Lord. His faith inspires me every day. He is polite, caring and respectful of his elders. He thinks I look 30 and doesn't believe the hair under the blond is actually gray.

I am truly blessed to have these men in my life.

My Brush with Fame

I am a big fan of Donna Layton's work, and check her blog (undertheredroof) daily. Donna recently posted a photo of vintage wallpaper scraps she had been saving. I want some of those scraps. From the moment I saw them, I have wanted them. In fact there have been times when I "flashed" on those scraps while taking a shower, or typing an email, or watching TV. That concerns me, at least it concerns the one small sane piece of my mind still remaining.

I recently stopped being a lurker on Donna's blog, and would occasionally leave a comment there (after I checked for any scrap updates of course). Donna emailed me in response to a post, and mentioned the scraps. Wow, my heart went pitter patter since I consider her a member of the elite group of Altered Art Royalty. So I emailed Donna back and suggested the mystery packs because, in case I have not mentioned it, I want some of those scraps! At the end of my email it occurred to me that I was begging. I did it tactfully and politely, but I was still begging. I wondered how she would react. Would she start putting padlocks on her garbage cans, or file for a cyber restraining order against me for being a Scrap Stalker?

I heard from Donna this afternoon. I was relieved to see she wasn't disturbed by my begging, and said she got a good laugh out of my email. That, in itself, made me happy because we don't laugh enough in this life. Making someone laugh is like giving them a gift in my humble opinion. I am one step closer to scrap serenity - I can just feel it!

Time Flies ~ Third Card

This card is now available for the cyber world to see. Speaking of time flying....geez Louise, I cannot believe I have not posted since last Tuesday. The older I get, the faster time passes. One of the universal truths of life.

It is in the mid-70's here today....ick, yuck, boo hoo, bummer, and drat. I must have the reverse of what people get in the winter. Seasonal "something" disorder? Anxiety? Anyway, I LOVE the winter. I love the rain and the cold. I love the overall misty feel of things. At 75 we are pushing close to a heat wave. Anything higher, and I am miserable. The only good thing about the accident was my old car did not have AC, and the car I have now does. I have tried to convince my husband that moving to Alaska would be a good thing. So far, no dice.

You won't find too much talk about the weather in my blog. Most blogs I read however, talk A LOT about weather. In the winter the blogger is complaining of the gloom and doom. Come summertime the blogger is complaining of the heat and humidity. Strikes me as ironic.

Ride the Moon

Newest altered art card, just listed today. This baby girl is so incredibly adorable.

Monday.....

Here is a photo of hubby and the "kids" I took last summer. That's Jessie the German Shepherd, Juneau (AKA Boogie or Growly) the Malamute, and Ellie the Lhasa dog who belongs to my stepdaughter. Note the couches. They are hubby's bachelor couches (insert shudder here). I think every man must buy a set of couches like these - it's in the handbook, or something. He's a very calm man, and three sets of eyes staring at him are not a problem.

Physical therapy was not bad today. After Friday's session I was in bad shape. Apparently one is not supposed to have a hump on their shoulder as a side effect of PT, so they "loosened the screws" quite a bit and I am back to stretching only for this week. I have such a wonderful husband. Just his presence and touch are enough to soothe me to sleep. He did a lot of that this past weekend.

I received my "trunk" from Robin, in the Junque In My Trunk swap. Robin is VERY organized and ahead of schedule (I envy people like her). She sent me a ton of cool stuff, and I hope to get it photographed tomorrow so I can show it off here.

It's a Very Pretty Card....the Kind you CAN Take Home to Mother

I am stuck on that song lyric....she's a very kinky girl, the kind you can't take home to mother. Except I am remembering a Dirty Jobs episode where Mike was wrestling with an unruly hose and said "it's a very kinky hose, the kind you can't take home to mother." Alrighty then, my meds have definitely kicked into overdrive!

The above ATC is up for bids, and ends in 24 hours. So far, no one wants it and it's breaking my heart. It's a very lovely card (I even mitered the corners of the ribbon frame) and if you feel it calling to you, it can be found by clicking here.

Paper Pretties

Listed these in my etsy shoppe (link is to your right) this evening. These are professional color copies of a small portion of my mega fabric stash. I have used them as ATC backgrounds and they work wonderfully. Water and paint and modge podge - this paper can take it all.

Began physical therapy today. It wasn't too bad. This week will be simple stretches and they said my range of motion was actually pretty good all things considered. Next week will come the strengthening "stuff," which is of course rougher. At least the people there are cool, kind of like a second family!

Drive Carefully.....Please

My dogs and I were in the blue car, waiting for the left turn arrow to change to green. The white car ran a light and was t-boned by another car traveling about 60 mph through the intersection. The impact sent the white car airborne where it rolled twice before coming to rest where you see it. The whole scene unfolded in front of me, in slow motion, like some kind of surreal nightmare. I thought this was the end of my life. In some ways, it was.

The Lord sent an army of angels to help me, and He has seen to it that my primary care doctor, my physical therapist, and even my counselor all are Christians. This was my prayer, and He answered it. The fact I was able to get out of my car by myself is a true miracle.

The woman in the white car ~ I do not know why she ran the light. Was she on a cell phone? Was she drinking? Was she distracted by some event in her life? I saw her approach the intersection. She wasn't speeding, nor was she weaving. Straight as an arrow she drove through that red light. That leads me to believe she wasn't having her own medical emergency at the time.

This accident occurred 20 months ago. Wednesday I begin what I hope is the final course of therapy to try to strengthen one of the rotator cuff muscles which is torn. This was only recently diagnosed, despite my complaining about it for a long, long time. I will have pain for the rest of my life. Yet I am so blessed to have survived this very close call.

Emotionally, a lot of things changed on that day. Gone are the "hey, let's go out and get ice cream" or "I'm gonna run to the craft store and look around." Every trip in a car (be it as a driver or a passenger) is a major event which involves some level of anxiety, and sometimes panic. I know the Lord, I know my life is in His hands. Logically, I know these things. Emotionally, every fiber of my being tells me not to go out, it's too big of a risk.

Maybe, when all the legal things are taken care of. When the doctor and therapist and counselor have decided I'm as well as I'm gonna be physically and emotionally. When I no longer have to be poked and pushed on. When the mailman stops bringing bills from all these medical people. Maybe then I will have some sort of closure. Till then, I take it day by day and do the best I can, and praise God for all He has done for me.

Most of us live in a hectic, fast paced, sometimes frantic world. A car is a deadly weapon. I think that fact is often forgotten as we travel about talking on the cell phone, mentally planning our day, drinking coffee, trying to find that perfect radio station. I offer this post as a little reminder.

Drive carefully......please.