This is my beautiful Aunt Anna DeFranco Daecher...she was loved by many...and will be greatly missed. My Aunt Anna is the last of the DeFranco Family...(my Mom's Family). They are having a big Italian party in Heaven celebrating her arrival...and everyone being together.

This is going to be a very quiet day for me. A day of "reflection"... I'm going to take my Dad for a drive...and treat him to lunch. My heart is heavy over the loss of my Aunt Anne....and over the devastation of Hurricane Katrina along the gulf coast. Two things come to mind at the moment...1st , be sure to treasure your loved ones...and 2nd, a saying by John Lennon..."Life is what happens..when you are making other plans".

3 little mini's....I am working in the art room today...taking little breaks. I mowed the side lawn and turned on the sprinklers...(that was one break)! This is another break...scanning some things on the computer and reading e-mails. I called An at lunch time to see if he wanted to go to Jack-in- the- Box for dinner...(since I have some FREE meal cards from my friend Shelly who manages a J in the Box in North Carolina)..plus I don't feel like cooking today...he said SURE! So...it's a date! I have cooked sooo much in my life that at times I really get sick of it! Today happens to be one of those "sick days"!!!! Oooooh...I forgot! I did go to the thrift store yesterday and found lots more goodies..some cool yarns for fibers...some playing cards with polka dots on the back....some old address books with vintage pictures in them...all for under 5.00...I love when that happens! Hope everyone is having a yummy Tuesday!

The Best Homemade Lemonade
5 lemons
5 limes
5 oranges
3 quarts water
1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar
Squeeze the juice from four of the lemons, limes, and oranges; pour into a gallon container. Thinly slice the remaining fruit and set aside for garnish. Add water and sugar to juices; mix well. Store in the refrigerator. Serve on ice with fruit slices. 12-16 servings (about 1 gallon).
This is so yummy! It tastes like fresh citrus juice!! Perfect for a Summer day....

Monday...Monday...Hurricane Katrina is going strong in the southern states...I jusy hope everyone comes out safe and sound! Today is errand day for me...gotta run around and pay bills....go to the post office....(I'm sending the "By the Sea" journal) grocery store...etc. I plan on getting a copy of the new book "The Historian" it's a new twist on the very old vampire story....I can't wait to sink my teeth in to it! (no pun intended)!It also looks like it's going to be a little cooler...Yippee! I feel so much better today...our little poodle is feeling much better! He started eating again...we are still giving him antibiotics...just to be sure that whatever he had goes away. I'm also going to start some new art projects...more swaps and a greeting card challenge. I don't have to cook dinner tonight...it's leftover chicken tacos from last night...yummy! Here is to everyone reading this... .Have a wonderful week!!!!!

This is "Rock Creek Summer"....
This is where I hung out in the Summer...My best friend Cecilia...her parents owned this property right on the river...the rocks are where we "perfected" our tans.....
I have so many wonderful memories of this place...there was a gate going into the property so it was nice and private..we could take our tops off...go skinny dipping...paradise!
Cecilia called me the other day and wanted to take a drive out here....I couldn't go...but, I'm gonna take her up on the drive some day this week! It's time to take some more pictures of this place anyway!

altered photo of the poodle..."Toby"
This is a great way to use all those photos that are not the best quality and have yucky stuff in them...but yet they are too good to throw away...for example this photo of Toby had a back of a chair on the right side and the kitchen cabinet on the left side...all I cared about was the image of Toby...I put the photo in lukewarm water and then sanded (very gently) away what images in the photo that I didn't want. Put the photo back in the water to get all the residue from the emulsion removed and blot gently. I then took my H2O watercolors and added the colors I wanted...I also used water soluble markers and drew the tree on the left side. I used one of my rubber stamps and stamped the rose image and stamped friends forever...Ta Da...that's it! Pretty cool! You can add pieces of paper if you want...just practice....you can also seal your photo with a spray or varnish...which I will finish mine off with. Have fun!

This cartoon is too funny!!! The week is once again flying by...wish we could put "time" in storage and get it out when we need it!!! My little Toby seems to be feeling better today...I finally got him to eat something yesterday..of all things...he ate a deviled egg that I made...go figure! I tried something new yesterday..."altering a photo"...I'm pleased with the result and will post it later...I read about it in the first issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. I HOPE to get going on that journal today...I keep telling myself the same thing everyday...I'll probably wait until the last minute....it's the "working under pressure" thing! The house seems back to normal now...everyone got home from their trip to the coast...it was sooo quiet for a few days that it actually seemed eerie! I picked more tomatoes and green peppers from the little garden this morning...and yesterday picked a nice yellow squash..(my favorite)....remember this is the month for meteor showers...so... go see stars!!!!!

First item on my agenda today is to thank my cousin Merry for all of her comments on my blog! So..."THANKS MER!!!" I wish I could give you a big hug right now...and I hope your back is feeling better!
I'm still worried today about my little Toby...he is still feeling very bad. I will just have to be patient..I know bad backs sometimes take a very long time to heal! I just HATE it when my animals are sick! they can't talk and tell you what is exactly wrong...all Toby does is stare at me with his huge black eyes...poor baby!
I AM going to start the journal today and try to get caught up on some important e-mails...I can't believe that it is almost September! Yesterday in the dollar store they were already putting out Christmas things....that is a scary thought to me! I love Christmas...but not in August!

What Women Want....

To live a life that is
thought out, thought through,
and carefully considered.

To take care of what's not urgent,
instead of living from crisis to crisis,
responding only to emergencies.

To not have to dress in five minutes,
gulp down food in two,
be rushed on the phone,
scribble curt notes to friends,
and run through the house
always late for the next
unscheduled event.

To have time to notice each day,
to take Pleasure in living each hour,
to enjoy every minute
before it has ticked away.
Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D.

I found this in a book and it fits my days.......
My Life Is Made Up Of.......
An infinite number
of insignificant details
a large number
of significant ones
and a daily dose
of emergencies
_Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D.

a collage for one of my glue books

atc's closed and opened....
What a weekend! Friday night our poodle Toby was not feeling well...he wasn't eating or drinking..and he was just being very very quiet...which is not like him. He loves to run and play. The next day...Saturday he still was not eating or drinking or playing..and I was getting very worried. Early Sunday morning...still not any better so we took him to the Vet emergency clinic. To make a long story short...after many tears (from me) of course..it turns out he has a bad back! We had a x-ray taken...and blood work and everything else was fine...so he must take it very easy and get plenty of rest....after hearing what the bill was we both got very depressed...and that put a damper on the rest of the weekend...( I won't mention the amount of the bill).
Today being Monday...Toby is feeling a little tiny bit better...and I'm looking forward to a good week....I hope! I have the Sea journal to work on...and I'm still going through lots of pictures and cleaning some things around the house...here is to a GOOD week!!!!!

apc for blue swap....
Yippee!!!!! today is the first time in a very very long time that we have the house totally and completely to ourselves!! I feel like singing and dancing! The first thing I did was put a cd on the stereo...and turned the volume up really ..I mean really loud! Then I went outside...took all my clothes off and jumped in the pool! What a wonderful way to wake up..I made a macaroni salad for later and plan to work on some art...An is outside mowing the lawns and that smell of fresh mowed grass is drifting through the window...happy Saturday!

Pacific Oceanic by Merry

"Them There Eyes"
Tylene Mae
8 years old

Shy and Withdrawn

People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive. You're thought of as someone who needs looking after... People see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren't.

How Do People See You?

Vintage atc...this one goes to Joan in Italy.

I am having a hard time working on anything because I hurt my arm! I was sitting in a swivel chair and swiveled around too fast and smashed my arm into the corner of a book shelf. It hurt like hell..but, I thought it would be okay...(not real bright)..anyway it is getting worse and now a week later I can hardly move my arm..and cannot pick anything up! It's a bummer because it is my right arm! I am going very slow..and have some swaps to finish! I bought some fabric sheets that are for putting through my HP printer...and I cannot get them to go through!!!! I've been messing around and trying all different things...geez! always something! I just might take a break from the art work today and go float in the pool and daydream....while sipping a fresh lemonade...sounds good to me! Sometimes a break is in order to get a better perspective on things.....(sounds good anyway)!

I have been going through some book shelves of my Dad's and found these old Hot Rod magazines from 1951 and 1954. They are a "hoot" to look at...time sure zips right on by.....

We found this turtle in the back yard! My poodle "Toby" was very curious....we relocated him to a neighbors place who has a huge pond.

vintage nudes atc's

My Grandmother...Edna Viola Bates Enyart Klare.

This is me!!!! I have been going through one of my Aunt's photo albums and found this picture. I had never seen this one before! Checkout the look on my face! I still make this same face every now and then! I am 6 years old here...soon to be 7...oh! if only we could go back to the times when we were small..and know what we know today!
August is flying by...the Cheyenne call the August moon "The Moon When All Things Ripen". Speaking of "Ripen"...we are picking lots of peppers and tomatoes from our plants..yummy! Nothing like fresh veggies from the garden! AND!!!!! some of the best news..it actually rained last night! The smell of that first rain was so wonderful..I sat outside at my little bistro table and took in great gulps of fresh "rain air". The sun is back again today...but it is a little cooler...so it will be pleasant. I'm off to run some errands..and then have great plans to get (seriously) started on a journal project with the theme "By the Sea"....ummmmm? I got a great deal yesterday from my friend who owns the local stamp store in town on a set of 52 ink pads that come in a little caddy....I can't wait to try them out! Thank-You Linda!!!! I also got a special invite from my talented cousin Merry...I will be taking her up on that! Happy Tuesday to everyone....PS...Ty started the third grade yesterday! (1st day back to school)! It seems so early to me to be starting school..when we were kids we didn't start until after Labor Day! Oh well..things do change! AND...my friend Catherine is back home from her trip to France!!! YES!!! someone to talk to about ART!!!!

On Saturday Aug.12 we went to my Grandaughter's (Ty) dance recital. It was so sweet..The recital was held in Pollock Pines California...underneath the stars...and the moon was shining right above us..she danced in two dances..."Grease Is the Word" dressed up in poodle skirt and bobby socks...the second dance "Under the Sea" she danced as one of the "seaweed". It really was a magical night and we enjoyed it tremendously! This is the cover from the program for the recital. (Thank goodness it had cooled down some...so the evening was really pleasant).

more vintage photos..the lady sitting on the car is my Dad's Aunt Lillian Enyart...and the pictures beneath..I haven't a clue! Aunt Lillian married Charlie Smith who was sheriff of Elko Nevada for many years.

My brother Larry in the fifties...taken in Lancaster PA. on Laurel Street. Check out the bike-wagon all in one! My Mom sure dressed him "snazzy" to be playing outside!

My Grandfather Laurence Alexander Enyart is on the right and his brother Aaron is on the left. I am getting old photo albums ready to take to the County museum so they can scan them. They also want to sit with my Dad (who will be 90 his next birthday) and talk to him about the "oldin days" of the Placerville area. He has lots of great memories and they are going to record them. I will be posting lots of great old vintage photographs.

atc's done for a Breast Cancer Awareness swap. Which reminds me...I went and had my yearly mammogram today!!!! Hope all you women out there...get this done when you are supposed to! This is soooo important!

Birthday card for Beth

This is a paper napkin! I love collecting these for my artwork...only thing is...now these little "gems" are getting expensive..so I'm always looking for a "sale table".
It has cooled off just a teenie tiny bit...now it's in the 90's...still pretty warm. I've been busy cleaning out cupboards and drawers in the art room..it's always fun because I never know what little goodie I'm gonna find for the art work..things that I throw in a drawer or cabinet and then forget I put it there! Last night I took one of the drawers in the bedroom with me to clean.. ..and watched Rock Concert INXS..(I got hooked on that show). I'm going through old vintage photos today of my Dad's family..I'll be posting some of those pictures soon. I'm also working on a tiny altered book for a swap and some fabric atc's.

"Butterfly Fairy"

Yippee!!! The blog is fixed! Thanks to An...Here are some atc's...(artist trading cards). It is still very hot here...it makes you feel tired!

Still working on the blog...apc..."Goddess of Roses"

Help!!!! This blog is messing up...so I won't be doing very much on here until An and I can figure out what the problem is...(mostly An)! Here is another APC.

Another VERY HOT day in Paradise...too hot to be doing very much...here is another apc "Beautiful"

I'm on my way to the grocery store...guess that's why I posted this apc!

I cannot believe that it is August already!!! What I really can't believe is that some of the stores already have Christmas things out!!! C'mon..it's hard to think about Christmas when it's 100+ outside. All I can think about is getting in the pool to cool off!