Sunday, February 28, 2010

Three Birthdays!!! Three Cakes


Today we celebrated Yoda's actual Birthday and both of my parents. We had their siblings over for brunch and cake.
Mom wanted Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Dad wanted Angel food cake and Yoda wanted Chocolate Wafer Cake.
We celebrated 81 years, 78 years and 10 years.


The Joy is in the Journey, enjoy it.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Feeding the Chickadee's


This is a favorite winter activity but you can do it all year at a nearby park. On this day we had Chickadee's, Tufted Titmice and Rosy breasted Nuthatches feeding out of our hands and many other songbirds nearby. When the Chickadees Land their little toe nails grip your hand and when they fly away there is a cool flutter of their wings that is hard to describe. This is just another good reason to get outside.
It is not a good day without ink on your fingers or time spent outside. Get out and enjoy the day!!
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Quinzee's aka what to do with lots of snow!!



Hers looking from the inside out. Slugger spent one night in his Quinzee. Every time we got more snow he made it a little bigger. It was really a cool thing. Edna the dog even went in with him. Yoda and he had lunch in it one Saturday!!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Postcard Swap




So these are the Postcards I did for the PostCard swap sponsored by iHanna

I started with a large piece of posterboard that I treated like a "Masterboard" I applied watercolor, acrylics, decoupaged some pattern tissues and magazine cut outs. I then cut it up into individual 4-6 cards and started to individually create. Some I Punched out the painted area so that part of the postcard I mounted them on showed through. I stamped on them with Stazon ink, applied more paint and custom decoupaged more items on them. Finally I used my sewing machine to stitch each painted card to an old Postcard. I bought like 100 for 1.00 at a garage sale in the fall.


Sorry this last photo is vertical when it should be horizontal. Hopefully you can still get an idea of what the postcards looked like.

I totally loved doing this. I have received 6 postcards so far and I will post them next. They are from both the USA and Norway, Great Britain so far. I would definitely do this again.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Do something because it is the right thing to do.


Doing the right thing is often the hardest lesson to learn. Today people want to do what is easy even if it is not the right thing. I teach Sunday school and well there can be no kids to teach or poorly written curriculum, kids that act out, un-grateful parents, no supplies and one of my kids says -mom, well why do you do it? Because it is the right thing to do I answer.

We offer apologies to people for our wrong doing because it is the right thing to do, no matter how hard it is. We stay later than everyone to help clean up a room, maybe mopping a large floor- why because it is the right thing to do. We offer compliments when ever we can even to those that we do not like all that well, why? because it is the right thing to do. It is not always the easy thing but it is always the right thing. Life is not meant to be easy. We need to be prepared and sometimes we need to do our homework even as adults so that we can be as best prepared as possible. It is not always easy but it is right. I think our pets often can teach us this and other lessons easily. The main reason is that they have a never ending fountain of Un-conditional Love. Is it easy for a dog to succumb and share napping space with a Cat? I doubt it but it is the right thing to share the space.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Thoughtful Thursday


"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants"

Sir Isaac Newton, 1675


This is Balancing Rock on top of Bald Mountain, Inlet NY Be careful- don't tip it!!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday

Well I think the Video driver crashed on this here old computer because we have lost all images or ability to pull them up etc..

We just have to use the old imagination to see the pictures.

Today is typical gray sky and snowing here in western NY

The house is quiet let the keys on the keyboard clicking, the hum of the processor and a cat crunching on some dry food.

Kids are still asleep let for Yoda who is the early riser. hoping that Slugger sleeps in after an active winter camping weekend and sleepover to follow - massive outside + massive electronic overload and little sleep = grumpy/quiet child.

In the kitchen . . . . some baking to be had- Bread and cookies are on the list. A cherry chocolate dump cake for a Scout function tomorrow.

Plans for the day . . . bowling, ice skating at the local free frozen Basketball court, maybe swimming . . . . follow up on some work, scouting and stamping items. Hoping Slugger gets to work on his quilt for a teacher and some Merit Badge work.

We are learning . . . . about Thailand as we went out for Thai cuisine last night.

I am working on creating swaps for a Stampin Up Regional Conference being held next Fri./ Sat. also some invites for Yodas Birthday!!

So before this crashes too - I will sign off for another day.

All my postcards went in the mail, I received 3 yesterday - another from England, Texas and Penn. all are so much fun!!! Especially to get mail!!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Weekending in Adirondacks



Winter at its best or at least trying. We are usually complaining about to much snow but this year we are light on the snow. We are getting Lake Effect but not many big storms, they are all going south of us. It was -3 the first night sleeping out.

Snow shoeing and winter Mountain Climbing occupied the daylight. Cooking, laughing were nighttime pastimes. Everyone came home sleeping!


The Ice wall was very cool. Lots of exploring to be had.
Nature is just as awesome in the winter as in the Summer.

Get out and enjoy it!!!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Walking Quotes




Walking: One asks what I do to relieve stress- have a lot of that these days . . . . the answer is simple, I walk. ( well eat too:) )






If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. ~Raymond Inmon


A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White


Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow. ~Henry David Thoreau

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir


Thoughts come clearly while one walks. ~Thomas Mann


In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. ~John Muir


Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. ~Soren Kierkegaard

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Derby Days


Well Pinewood Derby 2010 was yesterday. If I can get the camera to up load I will have more "finished" pictures.


Our Cub Scout Den was in charge of the event so it was a family affair.

Yoda built a James Bond 007 car to race this year. After the white coat in these pictures came black trim for widows and lights etc.. We had trouble getting it to weigh 5.0 but in the end we did. No weight needed to be added.

There were all kinds of cars, colors shapes, paint jobs, a few that were just raw wood as well.

We all had jobs the night of the race and were glad when it was over!!

It is a good experience for the boys in doing a creative project that has a competitive component as well as learning a little Physics behind speed, incline and weight.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Clay Mask




Just a little Studio in Art taking over the dining room while History day is in the living room and Pinewood derby is in the kitchen!!!
Love the colors and detail in this piece of art.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Butterfly Quilt


This Quilt is finally finished. Quilts go in stages:
  • Collect fabrics
  • Cut fabrics
  • Stitch blocks
  • Decide you need more blocks
  • Cut and sew more
  • let them rest for awhile - kinda like letting bread rise.
  • Sew them into rows and into a top.
  • let it rest again
  • Decide on borders
  • Sew borders on
  • let it rest
  • Get backing
  • Stitch backing together
  • Press backing
  • Press top
  • Layer the 3 and baste
  • Let rest
  • Quilt it
  • let rest
  • Cut and sew binding
  • Press binding
  • Stitch binding to top
  • Hand sew binding
It is always fun in any stage but especially when it is DONE! This is s simple 4-patch with smaller squares sewed to the corners to make the triangles.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Birthday Muse's


Some People try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved. Will Rogers


Well this is the beauty that we will be salivating over tonight. It is a Flourless Chocolate Cake which you can find the recipe if you follow the attached link to everyone's favorite baker King Arthur! My sweet husband has made this for me during a very hectic week. You see it is Pinewood Derby week in Cub Scouts and his Den is in charge of the Race. They have to have practices every night and the race is on Friday. Yoda made a James Bond 007 car this year, will post some on that later.

Birthdays - you can love them or hate them. I usually don't mind them, they come more often than I would like them too!! My favorite way to celebrate though is to do things that I like and not things I don't - ie sort socks . . . I don't need a lot of hoopla, parties and people. Quiet is ok. This morning there was a lot of hustle and bustle with all the boys. They did chores, made lunches and breakfast- Cherry swirl coffee cake, oranges hot tea, all before the 7 am Bus- it was very nice. I not only have traveled unpaved roads- I have hit a few potholes!! it is through experience that we learn best- learn by doing and it is through adversity that we really stretch and grow, so the road is not always easy and often long but hopefully the destination at the end is well worth the bumpy ride. Have a great day!! I will.