Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Scavenger Hunt

Looking for


THREE

Three ducks swimming - one duck dancing .  .  .

HANDS

Our neighbor's cat, waiting for a hand-out.  Ok - so I fudged a little on that one.  .  . 

FENCE


Old and new fences.  .  .

CUDDLY


What is more cuddly that a little boy and his cat?

SIGN

There's always time to stop for tea.  .  . 






Saturday, May 18, 2013

Mountains





“A simple act of kindness the size of a rice grain can weigh as heavy as a mountain.”   ― Feroz Bham



“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...”   ― John Muir



“May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits.”   ― Harley King



All the birds have flown up and gone;
A lonely cloud floats leisurely by.
We never tire of looking at each other -
Only the mountain and I.

Li Po



All these photos were taken  on Hiway 9 - about 30 miles from our house.  Mt. Baker and The Sisters. 






A Favorite Thing

There is nothing like a grandson to cheer you up - unless it is three grandsons.  My little pink camera rides in my pocket - ready to capture grandsons - the two oldest ones often say - there's Grammy with her camera.


But I can't help it - they are so cute!!!!  I wonder how long I'll keep getting away with "cute" with the 11 year old. Oh well, I'm Grammy - I get to do pretty much whatever I want.



For Mother's Day we all went to breakfast - it was a busy day at the cafe - and before breakfast I gave each boy a small box of Legos - they are crazy into Legos - and I'm crazy into giving them gifts - so it works out well.  Jahn-Zyel is explaining his toy to Ben



Jahn watches Ben put his Legos together - some Star Wars Thing


Seems that Ben's Star Wars planet is crashing into his face.  They had so much fun.

I loved sitting across from them at breakfast - got the best photos.




Donnie lives in West Virginia - we get photos often.  This spring he played in the hose a lot.


While Ben did yard work with his hose - notice the Batman pants - he is Batman - doing good for the world!!!


Donnie - in  a basket


My son is trying to teach Donnie to say "cheese" for a photo - is there anything cuter?



Every night when they get home, Donnie insists on doing a little mowing. 


Ben, puotting together another Lego Set we gave him - the Batmobile!!


Jahn on a cool windy day - sitting in the new chair we bought for his new room in their new house.  He came out to the car to get the chair and sat in it immediately - testing it - he declared it perfect!

So now you see - three favorite things - aren't they just perfect?!?!!



Friday, May 17, 2013

Country Whites Weekend

Country Whites Weekend

I love white - in all shades and in all places - some of my favorites - 


White lilacs - we once rented a house that had a white lilac bush in the yard - one day the landlord told us that he was one of the few people that had white lilacs - he said they were quite rare in this area.  Looking around we could see 6 houses, from our front yard, that had white lilacs - and dozens were growing withing a few blocks of us - wonder where he had been looking?

White petunias


White Lavender - confusing name - that's for sure.


Elderberry blossoms


White tulips in with the red and pale yellow

White tree bark

A white bicycle as garden art

A white flowering bush that is not a snowball bush

But it sure is pretty

Whatever it might be

Tiny white flowers in my friend's garden

And what would a post about white be, without one of my favorites - seagulls.

Doing the happy dance!!






Random Five Friday

I was thinking about flowers - and the flower collages I have made over the years - you'd be surprised.  So with my 5 Random Thoughts today I decided to share - or re-share the flower collages - I have so many I could make a collage of collages - but we won't go there.


So 5 Random Things about me - let me think.


1. I like to design things - I've designed quilts - and even made them when I was done designing.  I drew out and designed a green house when we lived in California - Don did the building.  I designed our new deck because I didn't like the designs available - I enjoy designing.


2. I can do math in my head - long, complicated, complex numbers of addition and subtraction, but multiplication baffles me and makes my brain soggy.


3. My favorite part of gardening is picking - flowers, vegetables - it doesn't matter which - I love to harvest.  When our oldest daughter and I would garden together in California, we would do a harvest dance, carrying our harvest in the house, singing and dancing.  (We were the ones singing and dancing - not the vegetables - just in case you were wondering.)



3. I like wind - and storms - and rain - and wild seas.  I like the energy before a storm and the glory of a good strong storm - you can leave out tornadoes and hurricanes - otherwise I love a good stormy day.








4.  I collect watermelon "things".  Once I even painted our mailbox to look like a slice of watermelon.  We were easy to find - go down our road until you come to the watermelon mailbox - turn and go up the hill to our house.  I have enough watermelon items to do another whole post - watch for it soon.  You have been warned!




5. I love hot air balloons but have no desire to go up in one.  I will chase them to take photos - I will watch in awe and wonder - but I won't ride in one. So you want to put me in a little basket, attached to a flammable meltable balloon and then put a big fire inside it?  I think I'll pass. 





Thursday, May 16, 2013

Chickens

Hmmm not real chickens - chickens on dishes - lots of chickens.  I got my first chicken dishes in the 60s - from Sears.  We lived in Alaska and had to order from the Sears catalog - then wait for two weeks, or four weeks - or sometimes a bit longer, depending on when the order was placed and when the barge left Seattle, and if the package had even made it to the barge.  Then when the barge came in, we waited around until it was unloaded - then waited again for the post office to sort the letters, and then the packages - it was like christmas.  

Over the years the chicken dishes got broken - until I had almost nothing left - then  - I started finding them again - a few years ago I found some plates, 2 bowls and 2 mugs.  Happy chicken dishes! 

And recently I found MORE chicken dishes - I've got enough to feed the entire family when they come to visit - maybe we'll do brunch.




Brunch for two - on my new round table



Rooster close up


Crystal napkin ring

Egg cup


Or turn it upside down and it is a juice cup - pretty clever, eh?  The chicken is placed on each side so it can be used for either thing.

A nice mug for tea or coffee.  .  .  


 The creamer and sugar bowl are plain, but I fancied them up by putting them on a doily made by my good friend Franni - she does machine embroidery - go over and browse her lovely Etsy shop - HERE.  Go ahead - I'll wait - look at all her lovely things.

Ok - back to the dishes .  .  . 


I'm  so happy to have my chicken dishes again - I have 10 plates - 6 cups - and assorted
other pieces - happy day.