bunting in the shedio
sony nex-7
sony 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 e-mount lens
vivitar polarizing filter

chinese elm bark
(vivitar 70-210mm series I Komine lens 2.8-4.0)

almost ready!

(shot with minolta celtic 28mm 2.8 lens)

playing with a minolta md celtic 28mm 2.8 with an albinar fisheye conversion lens

she'll only let me take so many pictures before she tires of it, lol!

testing testing

just how infrequent can one person write a blog? hhmmmm, let's think...

working on it...

My bday is coming up. DH wanted to know where I wanted to go. Haha! I told him instead of getting away, I really need to improve my ventilation. I showed him that book - you know the one. "More than you ever wanted to know about glass beadmaking" by James Kervin. He said it all makes sense (thankfully). I'll keep you all updated on the progress!

hold up the mirror

"I know I need to do it. I just need a kick in the butt to get a move on."

How many areas of your life can you apply these two sentences to at this very moment? Lol!!!

seriously...

I never took my blog very seriously but the more I read other blogs, the more I think 'gee, mine needs something...". So I started adding things to the right side in hopes it will make my blog a place you may want to come back to, or at least add something more interesting for anyone who happens upon it. There'll be changes along the way as I build it to what I want it to be (ie: I have SO many favorite stores saved in Etsy, I could be the personal shopper for half of the country, hehe! but I can't add them all!). In the meantime, I hope you find something new to you, something of interest :)

just sit and watch them grow

tomato plant woes

Wow, it's been a while since I've been here, hehe!

Today I was watering my tomato plants and noticed an odd happening. What's getting to my tomato plants, I wonder? It's off to the nursery today with some pictures. Hopefully they'll identify the tiny burrowing beast. And then I'll buy some new resistant plants to replace this one. Gotta have those homegrown tomatoes!

the happiest grasshopper

I've been told that crickets are good, they're lucky. Okay, I'm all for crickets. The grasshoppers freak me out, though! This one has taken up residence in my patch of lamb's ear and it's a creamy yellow color (unless that's what they look like before they turn brown). The full grown ones are about 2" BIG and sound like a helicopter taking off when they take flight. God forbid one lands on me, it's the scream heard up and down the west coast.

aaa...aaaaa...aaaa...chooooooooooooooo

I'm hunkered down with a good old springtime cold. Hopefully it'll pass within the next couple days. Till then, nap time!

going back a few weeks

Hey, remember that sleepover story and the info about our friends who live in the trailer? Their home is on site, the foundation is being readied and we've been invited to the foundation party (where the house will be air-lifted by crane onto it's foundation). That'll be a once-in-a-lifetime thing! Kim's taken me for a tour of the different sections, and she's excited beyond belief. Yippeeyahoo! These pictures are why they've chosen to live the country life. Bambi was born about two weeks ago after two vets told them that Lola was definitely NOT pregnant. Oops! She's up to my waist and thinks she's a puppy. Gorgeous!

jumping in with a quick hello

Hey all! I'm busier than I-don't-know-what and it's not with anything in particular, just life. The fast few days all started with 'I've got to get back to my blog' but then the machine (my family) got hold of all my time and by the end of the day there was just no energy left to keep an eye open. Great for sleep, bad for the blog! I'm putting together a gourmet meal of chili dogs tonight because the kids eat it without complaints (something I'm very much in need of right about now, hehe!). Tomorrow, I promise, I'll have something more to say...

green and nothing but

I spent yesterday on another field trip with about 60 kids and am so ready for a quiet day alone today, hehe! It must be springtime because my desire for green has kicked into high gear. This is a small grouping of the greens on hand in my studio. If I looked deeper, I'm sure I could find more! Last year I sold a large set of beads that were entirely green, as green as green could be. The buyer apparently loves all things green. She'd commented that she has a hard time finding green lampwork and was thankful that I'd created such a fun greeeeeeeeeen set. Could it be because I've accumulated all that's green? ;) I can't help but be happy with all this green color in front of me!

back in the swing

Wow, isn't it funny how when you don't do something for a while that you like to do, you feel rusty or question your ability in some way? Why doesn't the same feeling rear its ugly head when it comes to doing something less enjoyable (ie, "oh my, I hope I'm still able to clean the toilets like a champ!")? Lol! I took a couple hours today to light the torch and fight off that feeling of 'oh no' and was pleased to find that my beads formed nicely, the frit didn't roll too heavy, and while I didn't get as many made as I'd wanted, I'm pleased with what went into the kiln. Hopefully I'll be pleased with what comes out tomorrow morning, hehe!

the fairy's mission

One of the hardest silent jobs of being a parent is the act of being the Tooth Fairy. Another tooth came out last night amidst many tears. Poor thing thought everyone would laugh at her since it's one of those upper front teeth this time (and, let me tell you, it's a large gaping hole, lol!) but I consoled her and told her that everyone's teeth come out at her age and that half her class looks like swiss cheese. We got out her special tooth fairy box and found the perfect spot for it under her pillow. Since I'm up so early in the morning, I figured I'd just do my job in the wee hours. Sticking to my schedule, I tiptoed in with tooth payment in hand and slipped my hand under her pillow. No box. I shuffled my fingers around and couldn't find it anywhere, but I did manage to wake her up. Uh-oh! Luckily she thought it was still bedtime and said goodnight to me. Whew! I put my hand behind the bed and found it resting on the inside headboard. I plucked it up and placed it back under her pillow in case she wasn't as asleep as I thought, left the room and prayed that she'd fall back asleep. I muttered a few select words at myself for not being so careful, but that's another blog, hehe! 1/2 hour later, I crept back in and she was snoozing away. Whew again! I got the box and snuck to my room to do the exchange more quietly. No tooth in the box. Argh! Well, at least I had the box, I put the money in and replaced it. She was so happy that the tooth fairy came, which makes all the little frustrations so worth it :)! Still, I'll be glad when I can retire from the fairy position and will wear the newly sprouted gray hair proudly, hehe!

ps. I found the tooth on the floor behind her bed ;)

like looking in a mirror

I got this from a friend today. Hhmmm, seems she's been watching me, lol!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only 1 check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye - they need water.

I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
- the car isn't washed
- the bills aren't paid
- there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
- the flowers don't have enough water,
- there is still only 1 check in my checkbook,
- I can't find the remote,
- I can't find my glasses,
- and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

anyone see that truck?

I'm so tired, I feel like I got hit by a truck. The sleepover Saturday night started it, more energy got zapped on Sunday and last night... let's just say that my husband snores. Every time he got quiet, I was treated to a sprinkling of slumber but WHAM he'd start snorting again and wake me right back up. Thankfully, it's not every night but when he snores he sure can cut wood, lol! I'm off to water my garden (no energy to do much else, except maybe buy some glass, hehe!) and decide on a quick dinner for the family.