This is my Grandmother (Edna Mae)....and my Grandfather (Laurence Alexander)...1914. So cute!!!!

I'm still going through old photos....just finished scanning some..and thought I'd post a few before I go continue working on an altered book. The days go by so fast...never enough time to do everything I want to do! This photo is my Dad (baby) and his Aunt Frankie....1916.

This is one of the oldest buildings in Placerville.."The Fairchild Building".....I love old buildings!
Monday is here already!!! The weekend went by so fast that it seems like a blur...it is raining again..and supposed to do so on and off all week. I must go pay bills....send mail...and do some grocery shopping...I'm going to work on an altered book later...(I hope)..right now all I feel like doing is going back to bed! (ha)!

This picture brought back so many memories..I'm on the left and my little sister, Button, is on the right. We were at our Grandmother's ranch..that old shed in the background was used for storage.

collage..."Spring Offering"

Out my front door and window it's raining right now!!! It's very damp....my feet and hands won't seem to warm up! I have been messin around in the studio and made this envelope for fun...An and I went to Office Max today for ink..paper...pens...and blank cd's...there goes 100.00 easy!!!! I don't know why ink has to be so expensive for the printers!!! We stopped at Carls Jr. for lunch...An got 2 spicy chicken sands...and I tried one of those jalapeno burgers...it was delicious but hotter than ....you know what! I took most of them off...we'll probably splurge later and get a pizza...it is Saturday night!

altered cd cover "Tiny Dancer".

This is a large collage I did......"My Dream". One of my favorites. I usually have some deep hidden personal meaning in my art work....

Another picture from the front yard..BEAUTY!

The pictures below are from the front yard...this one is the (side-back yard)..this is what I see when I look out my studio window...I have my desk right in front of the window. I am living in PARADISE!!!!!

These are the beautiful Pines in my front yard.
Gypsy reminded me this morning in her e-mail of how beautiful it is where I live. I sometimes take this for granted because I've lived here so long...so..thanks Gypsy for reminding me!

I made this from one of those covers that the free AOL CD's come in...I made my own CD with good tunes...and then collaged the inside and out.

Tony and Ty in the front yard.

Pages from one of my altered board books....

I love this picture!!! It looks like PERFECT solitude to me!!!! Speaking of SOLITUDE...
10 Things I would do if I had a day COMPLETELY to myself!
1. Sleep in at least until 7, and take myself out to breakfast for "Eggs Benedict"...and then Starbucks for Chai tea.
2. Work all morning in the art studio..unplug the phone.
3. Take my friend, Cecilia out to lunch..(someplace really nice)..then treat her to a pedicure and new pair of sandals.
4. Go shopping....linger in Borders and The Body and Bath shop..and get some goodies at Trader Joe's.
5. Take Toby for a walk...and feed the ducks at the park.
6.Work in the studio and have the music "LOUD"!!!!!
7. Take myself to a Chinese Resturant for dinner....
8. Take a long relaxing bubble bath..with lots of wonderful soaps...oils...and give myself a facial.
9. Put on my most comfortable pair of jammies...furry slippers...and read my favorite blogs on the computer.
10. Curl up in bed with my dog...a good (new book that I bought at Borders earlier), and a cup of hot tea (new kind of tea from Trader Joe's that I bought earlier). Drift away to dreamland...and if I'm still not tired(ha! ha!)..e-mail my friend Catherine and tell her about my day! Tell me 10 things that YOU would do!

Here's MY Daddy!!!!! He'll be 90 years old in June.
He was born June 24th 1916!!!!!!

Tylene Mae Henderson...my beautiful grandchild! She will be nine years old this Summer.

Yes....this is me....long time ago! I'm going through more boxes of old pictures today..and still CLEANING!!!!

Busy bee all day long...I packaged all the chunky pages...started cleaning the studio...(I'm in the middle of that right now)...went to the post office and mailed 3 mini atc's to Wisconsin...and 5 postcards going to Germany,France,Brazil,UK, and New Zealand. I also got my needle felting book with four needles (thought I'd try my hand at this)...and I got a great altered tin..(I'll post photos later).....I am currently cleaning the studio...and I have the self-cleaning oven timer on...(what a great invention that is)....
I miss a dishwasher!!! I thought that I would never say that!!! but after having one...and then NOT having one.... I MISS IT!!!! I get sick of doing dishes....dishes......Here's another chunky book page "Two hearts that beat as one".....

I am definitely a MORNING person!!! I love the sunrise...and the peaceful quiet mornings...come around 3 in the afternoon I start to DRAG..until I get a second wind around 5.....I'm taking the evening off from cooking...and I am going to clean today!!! I don't even know why I plan what I'm going to do!!!??? It never turns out that way! Whats that famous quote by John Lennon??!!! "Life happens when you are making other plans"......how true!
I do know the sun is shining today...and it feels like it will be warm! I'm gonna go start some cleaning right now!!! Oh...everybody is getting "tagged" about "4 Things"...here are mine.


Four jobs I've had:
1. salesgirl at a clothing store
2. waitress
3. working in a magazine publishing house
4. working at "The Pie Tin Grill" in Apple Hill.

Four places I've lived:
1. Lancaster,PA.
2. Boulder, Colorado
3. Pattaya Beach Thailand
4. Honolulu, Hawaii

Four movies I'd watch again:
1. Shawshank Redemption
2. The Four Feathers
3. Almost Famous
4. The (classic) King Kong

Four TV shows I like to watch:
(this one is hard for me)
1. Boston Legal (JS)
2. Oprah (sometimes)
3. Dateline
4. any old good movie

Four of my favorite foods:
1. tacos
2. rice pudding
3. pizza
4. Chinese (all of it)

Five places I'd rather be right now:
1. I'm already here!
2. visiting Thailand again
3. visiting my friend in Holland
4. visiting my relatives back East
5. A warm beautiful white sandy beach with emerald blue green water
with Andrew Bryan..sipping a rum and coke...or..camping.
Thats it folks...what are your "4 things"??????

Thought I would post one more before I go relax..and have a nice cup of hot tea...I'm drinking "Masala Chai Tea" from Trader Joe's.
It's ingrediants are black tea,ginger root,cinnamon,black pepper,cloves,and cardamom. Yum!

Another chunky page....
Beautiful day today...sun is shining bright!
I've been working like crazy on ART!!!!

Monday.....I AM FINISHED with the chunky book pages!!!!! I will be working on a round robin altered book now...both of these (book and chunky pages) go to the same person...so I'll be able to mail both soon as I am ready.
I plan on cleaning today...(that includes the studio)...it takes so long to clean this house...it can't be done in one day...the house is 2600 sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms...2 baths...etc. so....today its washing the kitchen floor..yuk! yuk!!
I had a dream last night that (Ty Pennington) from "Extreme Makeover" was yelling my name through his megaphone.....don't I wish!!!! It is so amazing what that crew can do in a weeks time! I am such a sucker for any shows like this...I swear I cry at everything!!! I cry at this show...and even the news if a really sad story is on...I can't even watch anything horrible about an animal or the tears start to flow!!!...I also shed tears about anything REALLY HAPPY!!! I'm not a baby either...just emotional!!! Something else I do that I think is funny ....I call my animals by their "nicknames" which are different on any given day!!! It's a wonder they know their "real" names at all! My little poodle's name is "Toby"...but lately I call him "DeDe" or "Mr. Deets"...don't ask me why???? One other "funny" thing ...I have to make the bed!!! If for some reason the bed isn't made I can't relax right....it's like the house is a "mess" if the bed isn't made..we all have funny "quirks"...this is one of the things that make us "human"...what are some of your "quirks"???????

I only have a few more to go!!!!! I worked on these most of the day yesterday...went to the library...and enjoyed being outside ....the sun is shining again today!!!! YIPPEE!!!!

This is another of my very favorites....my friend Catherine bought this for me in Greece...she is beautiful!

The other day when I was snapping photos I started walking around the house and just clicking...I love pictures of Mary..and have quite a collection. This particular one was my Grandmother's..she brought it over from Italy. It hangs in my studio...and is one of my favorites!! Now...check this out....I snapped 2 photos..this one...AND the one below....look at the light where the sacred heart is!!! It was like a "sign" to me...that my Mother and Grandmother are with me all the time.....protecting me..and loving me....

Fairy and humminbird chunky page....
Saturday morning.....it is chilly! Andy is building a fire in the fireplace....I am working in the studio and trying to get warm!

Another chunky page...I'm on a roll...I only have 7 more to do!!!!

Here is the chunky book page "closed"...and the following picture is how it looks when the doll inside is opened....this is what I've been messing with most of the afternoon....I watched the movie "Mr. Jones"...and did this book page..NO..I didn't do ANY cleaning yet!! (and I'm still in my pajamas).

The little baby I bought at the antique store managed to find a spot on one of my chunky book pages!

My HANDSOME son!!!
He is painting this old building downtown...and I snuck down there the other day and snapped some photos....

I'm still going thru boxes of photos and sorting etc. (on going project)...this is my high school graduation photo 1968!!!

Another page for the chunky book...10 more to go.....
Today is FREE-DAY!!!!! and it's not raining!!! Looks like the sun might even be out!!!! Okay today I'm going to clean!!!! (don't hold me to that one!) and try to get some more "chunkies" done.....I tried to watch one of the movies yesterday (that we got out of the bin at walmart)..but stopped it half way through..it was too depressing! "What Dreams May Come" with Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr. It did have great special effects...but the theme was so sad that I couldn't take it! I already have the "blahs" in Jan. I don't need to add more to my plate! Hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

Chunky book page "Butterfly Song"....

Me and my brother in the fifties!!!!

While in town yesterday I decided to browse through one of the many antique stores....I found this old photo in a big basket that was full of them....this one I could not resist! The look on this little babe's face is so precious...and look at her little feet! On the back of the photo it says her name is Edna Lee....she has a home with me now! I always wonder about how these photos get to this place in time...and who the people really are???? and what happened in their lives????? It says on the front of the photo it was taken in Missouri...how did it get in a basket in Placerville California????

"On the wings of love"...chunky book page number 5....
Finally stopped raining...but more is coming...seems like it rains for 2 days...then dry for 1...etc......I did brave the rain yesterday and went in to Placerville to take some photos...will post them later....TODAY is clean up the STUDIO day!!!!! ( I think).......

My Little sister Tina....(look at that old swing)...Happy Birthday Dear Sweet Tina!
I love you tons and tons!!!!!

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR SISTER!!! TINA MAIRE.....
This picture was taken when we first moved out here to California....Look at you!!! You are so precious! I hope you have a GREAT birthday today....You are a wonderful sister...a wonderful friend....and I can't imagine my life without YOU!!!!!!! I LOVE you very very much...your sis, Vic
XXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXOOOOOO

Yes!!!! This is me!!!! Whoa....I forgot all about this photo!!!
I am back from returning the jeans!!! and getting everything I need for making the meat loaf for dinner tonight...I also got the new Mary E magazine...also mailed 4 packages at the post office...once again I got the "grouchy" mailman's window....he is such a jerk!! In one of the packages I had to send a SASE..so I told him just to put the same amount of postage on the SASE as the one I was sending...he acted all bent out of shape! He said..Well...are you going to get this envelope sent back to you with nothing in it!???? Oh Duh!!!! I think NOT!!!!!! anyway..if at all possible I try to avoid him...but no such luck today!! AND if you think you are going to call your local post office and make a complaint...well forget it! You have to go thru hell just to speak to a REAL person on the phone!!! It is crazy! I am (hope) thinking that the old grouchy coot will retire soon! My regular mailman that delivers our mail is a "stoner"...I swear!!! He acts all stoned whenever we talk to him...and we see his truck hiding out at the strangest places...mmmm.....wonder what he's doing in the back of that truck!!????

Chunky book page..."Sad little blue wing"....
Cloudy and more rain coming this way!!! I have to go back out to walmart today and return those jeans!!! They didn't fit!! *&65$#265@!!!!!!!
I also feel like having meat loaf for dinner tonight...and I have to go mail some swaps...
Things are quiet today..Andy is back to work...Dad is keeping warm in his bedroom with a good book...and watching old movies...and It's me and the critters (Toby and Shaquille) out here in the big old house!

"The Little Italy Board Books"
We are home from Walmart...and I did get a pair of jeans!!! Man!! I hate shopping for clothes!!! well actually I hate shopping for pants and bathing suits!!! Talk about a harsh reality check!! Now...shoes I can buy anytime...and do I love having lots of shoes!!! At my age the only thing that matters to me anymore is COMFORT!! We also bought a new light for outdoors (a nice one for outside the kitchen door)...ours finally bit the dust last week...and 3 movies out of the 5.50 movie bin....and a can of mixed nuts....and a bag of mini bagels. That was the extent of our shopping trip! I always look in the art department for anything new and exciting but I didn't see anything this time (probably a good thing)...oh...I forgot...I did get some watercolor pencils!!

Some more altered pages from "The Little Italy" set of board books.....
It is cloudy and cold this morning...a Monday...and the USA is celebrating Martin Luther Kings birthday (even though today is not his real birthdate)...I don't think anybody really minds. Andy is home from work and our big adventure is going to be making a trip to Walmart....I still need to get those jeans!!!!!

number 2 chunky book page..."Sailor's Wings"

I must do 18 pages for a chunky book swap...theme is WINGS. This is the 1st page.
Sunday morning here...it finally quit raining and the sun is out!!! Yippee!!! Everyone all around us got some snow last night...we didn't! We live on top of a hill...and the way the air currents flow, we are in a little "banana belt"...it is always warmer than "down in town" or up higher in Camino or Pollock Pines....I need to go grocery shopping today...maybe go to Walmart for some jeans....we'll see...I might just stay in and do some more chunky book pages!!!