Happy New Year!

The first day of a new year!
Today is the day that we all make the lists - the resolutions - of all of the things we are going to do, to change, so we can improve our life, our looks, our health, our relationships, our attitudes.  We make so many lists, write them down , in books, in letters or notes, post them on line, store them in our hearts.  My list is always long - and most years it is the same as the previous, which indicates to me that I don't really do very well at accomplishing all of the lofty goals that I dream of accomplishing.  I realize now that all of the wants, all of the improvements, are really things that I think are going to make me happier so that I will be able to reflect on my life with satisfaction.  Peeling it all back, I see that I must do one thing better.  Love.      I'm a realist - not a romantic.  My pragmatism fiercely denies love with abandon.  I mean - what "if"...?  I must find a way to learn to love without criticism, judgment, remorse or mourning.  Without fear.  This year, God willing, I will learn to open my heart.

"Dwell in Possibility..."
                            Emily Dickenson

Paper

I love paper. I have all these old books and cool papers and never know what to do with them. I found this old piano book at the thrift store the other day and thought..... Why not? As crafty as it might be....

Hello paper chain!

Sewing for Jovi

I went out on a limb this Christmas break and spent some quality time with my sewing machine. After finishing an apron I was making for a friend of mine for Christmas, which turned out quite well I might add, I was still feeling the itch and need to continue to create. I then remembered the wonderful pattern for a sewn soft stuffed ball I had on the back shelf and thought.... Why not?

My first niece was born last June and thought she would like this.... as much as a 6th month old likes anything that is not food. So I gave it a go! I am not going to lie, it was tricky and I had to get my seam ripper out more than I had wanted, but In the end I think it is just wonderful. Complete with a homemade rattle inside.

Need less to say I had a great time making this.

Take Me Home

My ranking: 4 out of 5 stars

Just watched a beautiful Indie move about family, life, and figuring out your priorities.

I have always loved stories, so naturally I watch a lot of movies. The best ones to me are the stories about evaluating you current mindset or situation and taking a leap of faith to make a much needed change in one's life. I have done this several times in my 26 years and each time while in the process , I second guessed myself, worried that I was letting someone down, and was plain old scared. What I have learned from these experiences is that in hind-sight, it was always in God's plan. What it comes down to is that sometimes we have to make tough decisions, but we are better in the end because of them. I have tried hard to stop worrying if someone else is judging me and tried to focus on the things I know are right for me.

This movie is about overcoming the boundaries that we put on ourselves based on who and what we know, and just doing the things we know are right. Beautiful.

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have never read anything by Michael Connelly before but my brother sent me a few books that he'd read and recommended that I give him a try. I chose "The Lincoln Lawyer" and was immediately hooked. It was very good. Not a lot of gore but enough detail to keep the bad characters bad and the suspense pulling at you. The Lincoln Lawyer has the good cops and bad cops (literally) and a main man who you can't help but like despite his personal charachter flaws. I was not able to figure out the answer to the nagging question that was key in the story and was really was surprised in the last 10 pages or so by the swift turn of events.


Connelly has an obvious knack for spinning a tale that is believable while keeping you turning the pages with curiosity about the answer that is just around the corner - then the next corner - then the next...

I look forward to the next book I read by Michael Connelly.

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What Rhymes with Thyme?

Ummm..... Delicious? Or maybe Lemon.

My husband and I recently put in a bunch of herb plants in the back yard. I never want to use them because they take so long to grow and you usually have to use so much. I don't want to hack my whole plant away, so I will wait for the right time to harvest them. 

Well that time came today! I figured since we have them, why not use them! It was a thyme sort of day. First I made iced tea with fresh Lemon Thyme and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Here is the recipe:

Lemon Thyme Iced Tea

2 large ice tea bags
3 sprigs lemon thyme
lemon slices
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
Put tea bags, water, and lemon thyme sprigs into a pitcher. Set outside to in the sun to steep. Remove tea bags and dissolve the sugar. Add a touch of fresh lemon juice and maybe a slice or two to make it pretty. Refrigerate until cool.

I think this would be really good if you crush open the thyme leaves before you put them in.


Then, since I had this here lemon, I made Lemon Thyme Bars. Umm, Holy Moley. Fantastic. At first I thought it was too much thyme, but I followed the recipe and it ended up being great. What I found interesting is that without the sugary glaze on top, the shortbreaddy stuff on the bottom had a very interesting flavor. Not one I am sure I liked. However, pop that glaze on and it mellowed out the interesingness of it and the flavors blended into a heavenly delight. Thank you food network. Thank you.

 Here is the recipe for the bars.

Lemon Thyme Bars

Bars:

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish.

For the bars:

In a small bowl combine flour, thyme and salt. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 stick of butter and powdered sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Using damp fingers, press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze:

In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled crust. Allow the glaze to harden, at room temperature, for at least 1 hour.

Using a metal spatula, remove the crust from the pan. Cut into 1 1/2-inch square bars and arrange on a serving platter or store airtight in a plastic container at room temperature.


That's all for Thyme day.

Make, Eat, Enjoy!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Under normal circumstances I would have never chosen a book with this title but, as luck would have it, circumstances were not normal and I picked it up and gave it a second look. I figured that the price was sure right and all of the profits going for a great cause so ... why not.

I was very pleasantly surprised. I'd told a friend just after I started reading it that it was a hoot. But the story got much deeper. Although it is written with a big dose of humor and I did find myself chuckling I also cried and groaned as I read a very moving tale, all written as letters to, or from, Juliet by friends and perfect strangers.

A succesful author, in a bit of a slump, gets some extarordinary inspiration from a chance correspondence with Dawsey, who was requesting information on a book that had once belonged to Juliet and had her name and address inscribed in it. The letters begin to unfold the story of a community on Guernsey, an Island in the English Channel, during the German Occupation of WWII.

The Guernsey Literary an Potato Peel Pie Society is chalk full of quirky charachters (Islanders are always quirky - that's why they don't live on the main land in the first place) that are 100% believable. A fun read with enough depth to make you want to "think on it" for a day before starting something else!

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It has been way too long -- Time flies by - sometimes in a gentle breeze, sometimes in mighty gusts. The clock ticks and chimes each hour, the sun rises and sets, the months blend one into the next without much fanfare. Then there is an event, an occurance that marks your life calendar forever. It may be something big or small in the scope of human existence but the remarkable shift it causes in your life, in your thinking, your heart, deep in your soul will not be forgotten. How much can a heart hold? How vast are it's boarders? I am glad that I can't answer that and thankful for all of the experiences that I have been blessed with. I hope that you feel blessed - because you are!

Rooster Guy

This is a counted cross stitch that came from a Bucilla Kit. Basically, counted cross stitch means that you start in the center of a blank canvas and work your way out of the center following the creator's stitch guide for color and the type of stitch you will be using. Once you get the basic stitching in, then the features are outlined to accentuate them. If you make a mistake, you take out the stitching and re-count and do it again.

It took me about 6 or 7 months to stitch it, but I really love it. The yellow background really makes the other colors pop.I was so excited to find the barnwood frame. What could be more perfect for this guy.

He is hanging in my kitchen. He has glass over the top of the stitching and I had trouble getting a good picture..thus the white spot on his leg...Perhaps I can get my photographer to take a better picture when he gets home from hunting.

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

The location of a new Japanese internment camp is just outside a small town in Colorado at the time of Pearl Harbor. The citizens of the town of Ellis are in an uproar. Most of the towns’ people, caught up in the tide patriotism that grips communities in the midst of a national crises and are suddenly very prejudiced against the Japanese even though most have never actually seen a Japanese person except for the exaggerated cartoon characters so common in the in the local newspaper. But the farmers of Ellis are hurting, their men and boys going off to war, girls who are old enough are off to work in factories. There is not enough help to plant the fields. There is worry about the harvest, if the fields do get planted. In a desperate and courageous move a few residents reach out to the relocated Japanese American citizens at Tallgrass Interment camp and hire them to help plant and harvest. Since her father is one of the men who has hired the Japanese Rennie can see, first hand, the sudden change of attitude of many of her neighbors and is subjected to harsh treatment that she finds hard to understand. When a local girl is murdered, fear grips the entire community and all eyes are on the camp at Tallgrass.
The author weaves a picture of the state of the union, the condition of a small town and the idiosyncrasies of a family all through the eyes of a little girl. The daily grind of farm life, hardships and family problems, taking place during a time of national unrest, gives Tallgrass a believable backdrop. Set in southwest Colorado, there are many names and places that will be familiar, which always makes a story interesting and fun to read.

Rural America

There is something to be said about living in a very rural community. Most folks are very friendly and we get to know each other by bumping into each other at the post office or at church. Over time we learn a little about families and farms, jobs and hobbies. We lend a hand when we can - and there is always a hand ready to help if we need it. We watch out for each other - and stay out of each others' way. There is an undeniable sense of independence that is both respected and revered. And -- there is mail delivered to your PO Box even if the sender isn't sure how to spell your last name or know what your box number is. Sometimes we even get mail on a federal holiday. (sshhhhh -don't say a word!) This is one of the things I love about living in a very small town. It is one of the things that I will miss when regulatory agencies finally get wind of our free spirited, bureaucracy free ways. But I will take this little nugget of rural living and cherish it as long as I can.

The Glass Castle

Janette, or Mountain Goat, as she is lovingly called by her father, begins her story at the beginning of her memory. As a small child her view of life is one of adventure – and that it is. Always moving because FBI operatives or the Gestapo were hot on their trail (which turned out to be bill collectors or the some branch of law enforcement) and living in very interesting places (sometimes abandoned buildings) was something that was normal. She grew up adapting to spontaneous travels to new towns, learning from her father about the land and the stars, and learning on her own new ways to find food, comfort and shelter in very unconventional ways. Both of her parents were intelligent but obviously common sense was not something either was endowed with. Her mother was, when she chose to work, a teacher – but more naturally a free spirit who obviously suffered from depression. And who wouldn’t be a little depressed with four young children and a very intelligent, alcoholic husband, who could never keep a job. As Jeanette gets older the family’s situation continues to deteriorate. As a teenager, the goal of escaping the dysfunction and poverty, that she could plainly see was not necessary, became a priority. Her story becomes one of personal strength and perseverance, dreams turned into reality. The ambition and fortitude with which she and her siblings develop and execute their plan to improve their life is incredible. You will enjoy some humorously told stories of childhood and some pathetic tales of kids being senselessly denied basic needs.
The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeanette Walls, will prick your conscious but you will no doubt applaud Janette and her brother and sister for breaking the mold of dysfunction and creating a new way of life.

What came first.....?

Well - If you look back at the post on Sunday, April 10, you will see "The Flock". We have pampered and coddled these little hens. David has built a fortress to keep them safe from any predators. Four months later, on August 8th, one of the girls layed their first egg. I was so excited! David actually found two eggs in the nesting boxes and left them there so I could "find" them when I came home from work. I have tried for the last few mornings to find out who is presenting us with these beautiful gems but I have been unsuccesfull. When I go out just as soon as it is light enough to see there are no eggs. So I feed and water and tell the girls to be good and when I come home from work -- TaDaah!-a treasure awaits!

Wild Turkeys!

Chris and I have the pleasure of helping a friend of ours out with her yard work once a week. She has a beautiful cottage up in the hills and a wonderful yard. One of the many amazing things that happens there is she gets all sort of wild animals coming through her property. Yesterday it was two mother turkeys and their four babies. It was a really nice little visit from these guys. These are images of her feeding them, the little ones were still a little put off by someone throwing food at them, so the were hiding, but it was still fun!

Great Day for a Thrift Day!

I was ecstatic when I saw these at a thrift store today. Not only do I love vintage books (well, vintage everything really) but it was a complete set with amazing color. I LOVE the two tone people at the bottom, and turns out there are actually some good stories inside. Double yes! And Christopher was pretty happy when he found a vintage leather chair and ottoman. So everyone was happy on the last day of summer break.

Lab 33

Another fun drawing activity to spur on your creativity. In this lab you are supposed to listen to music or books on tape or a podcast and doodle absentmindedly until it is how you like it. I drew this on some packaging that was on a birthday present from my cousin.

Quote of the Day

"There is no boat, plane, train, or car that can take you as far away as art."

- Chris' T-Shirt

I think I am going to put this on my classroom door.

Hatching the Moth

About a month ago Maryhanna (our neighbor) pulled a huge green caterpillar out of her flower garden and was going to squish it so it didn't eat her plants. Having never had a big beautiful garden before, I had never seen such a thing. I mean, that sucker was 4 inches long, bright green and as fat as my index finger. It had this awesome Alice in Wonderland quality about it and I was not going to have it destroyed. So Chris and I, of course, rescue the caterpillar from it's demise. (Besides, we had just recently purchased a bug "house" from the thrift store just in case.) So we made a little home for him and he lived there happily eating stolen primroses from Maryhanna's side of the fence for about a week. He then ran around in circles (as fast a caterpillar can run) for a day and half, buried himself under the dirt and sat in a chrysalis stage for I would say a good 3 1/2 weeks. (We kept poking him to see if he was still alive.)

2 days ago he emerged from his humble abode and became a beautiful fluttering....... moth. Interesting though! It was fun while it lasted.

Lab 6

Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists by Carla Sanheim has quickly become my favorite book. It is a compilation of 52 drawing exercises. Lab six was to one dog, one pose, 20 times using a chisel tipped marker on notecards.

I used the picture of Max that my mom posted further down on this site. It was really interesting to see what I concentrated on the most and what I didn't mind leaving out. A great exercise for anyone!

Apricot Jam with Maryhanna

My next door neighbor is 84 years old. She has lived in her house since she was 14 when she came to live with her grandmother. There is so much beautiful history there and I love to hear her stories.

This morning I had the pleasure of canning apricots and apricot jam with her. It was probably one of the most delightful times I have had in a while and the jam is delicious!