"Perfumed Letters"

I AM BACK !!!!!!!!

YES.....YES......YES.....the phone is working !!!!! and the computer is back !!!!!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way...it seems like the phone company always has problems when it rains alot...and Man ! Has it been raining!!!!And another big storm is due tonight...It really is amazing how much rain we have had....along with much colder temps.....maybe we won't have a Spring...and it will go right in to Summer with temps. in the hundred range...it wouldn't surprise me! Most of the week was spent dealing with the phone company.....and freaking out because the computer was down also...working on the chunky book swap...I bought a long utility table today so I have more space to work on...the desk in the studio gets so full and I end up working on a tiny little space ...so..the table will help ! Posted a poem below for Poetry Thursday by Pablo Neruda...I love his poetry....speaking of Poetry...April is National Poetry Month...check out this cool poetry site...www.poets.org
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday !!!!!!

Poetry Thursday on Friday

Clenched Soul
We have lost even this twilight.
No one saw us this evening hand in hand
while the blue night dropped on the world.

I have seen from my window
the fiesta of sunset in the distant mountain tops.

Sometimes a piece of sun
burned like a coin in my hand.

I remembered you with my soul clenched
in that sadness of mine that you know.

Where were you then ?
Who else was there ?
Saying what ?
Why will the whole of love come on me suddenly
when I am sad and feel you are far away ?

The book fell that always closed at twilight
and my blue sweater rolled like a hurt dog at my feet.

Always, always you recede through the evenings
toward the twilight erasing statues.
Pablo Neruda

No Computer No Phone

Hi Everyone....I am stuck with no computer and no phone...soon as the phone company can fix the problem I will be back!!! I miss looking at my blogs! The problem is due to all the rain we have had in March...it rained 20 days out of 31!!!!! Meanwhile....I'm working on the red chunky book swap...and walking around pulling my hair out!!! with NO COMPUTER...and phone! WAH!!!!!!

Altered Altoid Tin

I am going to make this a quick post while I still can...I've been having computer problems...as well as no phone! (This is the phone companies fault)...the computer is working right now...but, I still have no phone...a man is supposed to be coming today to fix it...we shall see! Every time it rains this happens...they told us it's because the phone lines are old and need replaced..but in the meantime they keep "patching" the line, and not really fixing it...this is the altered altoid tin that I did for my ""Spring Sprite" over at Artella....It has finally stopped raining...but more is due on Friday..I'm wondering if we will ever have a Spring?????

Lots of Water

This is "Horsetail Falls".....with lots of water...which is what it looks like with all the snow melt and rain....it is once again raining..I've been cleaning the studio and just finished an altoid tin for my Spring Sprite from Artella....I have to go to Wal-mart today and the grocery store...I'll post a photo of the altoid tin later...this photo was taken by my cousin Mary Ellen. I love waterfalls....

So Much Beauty in the OLD.....

It rained all night and most of the day on Saturday...between some breaks in the clouds Andy and I went here to "The Old Zeisz Brewery" ruins so I could take some pictures....The Zeisz Brewery Ruins are all that remain of a once extensive brewery establishment run by Bavarian brewer Jacob Zeisz. The building was built in 1862, and from within its stone walls came a fine brew from pure Sierra water. It was torn down in 1966, and today only portions of the wine vault and upper floors remain, crumbling away in a parking lot located at 658 Main St. in Placerville....I felt like I was in Ireland among some old castle ruin....the rocks were dripping with wetness...still shrouded in a fine mist..and dark green moss was shining in the little bursts of sun that would peek through the light and dark clouds...I could explore places like this all day....my imagination running wild...and LOVING it!

The King and Keeper of the Cemetery

When Andy and I got out of the car at the cemetery we were instantly greeted by "The King and Protector" of the place ....He gave us the whole tour..brushed up against our legs for some love...and then was gone...he had to make sure that we weren't going to hurt anything in his "Kingdom".......

A Place with a View

After taking photos at the old Zeisz House I talked Andy into going and exploring the old city cemetery...I had forgotten about this place....It had just guit raining and everything was wet and soggy and green with moss...and very old and quiet...This is the view of Placerville's Main St. from in the Old City Cemetery...I love the clouds in the background.

More Oldness.....

Rain...Rain....Rain...

It poured all night long....and it's still pouring!!! I'm warm and cozy right now...drinking a cup of Honey Vanilla Chai Tea....and sooooo glad it's rain and not snow out there! Andy and I watched a movie last night.."Crash"....very interesting movie...basically how we are all connected ..in some way...and sometimes how the most innocent thing can affect us...or somebody else in a catastrophic way....
I found this old horse shoe years ago....

Easter's Coming!!!!!!

I always try to keep a bowl of jelly beans on the kitchen counter at this time of year...as soon as I put them out...they are gone!!!! I think all the colors of the beans look cool!

"Dream"

German Chocolate Cake Time!!!!!!

I was so hungry for German Chocolate Cake the other day....so....here it is!!! (I needed this like I needed a hole in the head)...oh well! It WAS YUMMY!

Painted Rocks

Spring Has Sprung!!!!!!

Sisters Are FOREVER

These last few days have gone by in a blur!!!! It really is SPRING!!! I've been out working in the yard...raking...clipping...cleaning...burning...etc. Still much more to do..The sun felt absolutely WONDERFUL!!!! Today it is cloudy and more rain is coming..still started the morning off outside doing more raking...Andy is home from work today...so we were both out there with rakes in our hands...we did take a break to go have a burger for lunch...and stopped at the grocery store for some potatoes...In front of the store they had all kinds of really nice plants and I got a Columbine.....and an Iceland Poppy,that is a really pretty orange color! I'm making a roast beef for dinner tonight with mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus..YUM! The photo was taken yesterday morning at my Sweet sister's office...she works for a doctor...I quick grabbed her, and made her come outside for a fast photo!!! She is my best friend as well as my sister....I have 2 GREAT sisters! I'm the one in the red sunglasses! I've also been taking little breaks to work in the studio...finishing up the "Duckie" atc's...

Good Memory

I just love this picture of me and my Mom....I'm busy looking at some new trinket I found in the yard..This was at my Grandmother's place...we were having an Easter egg hunt.

The Old Homestead

This was my Grandmother's house...this particular picture was taken in the 30's...it went through many changes over the years..Gram had beautiful flowers everywhere...lots of walnut trees in the orchard...our family would drive out here every Sunday for dinner...it was a great place for us kids to roam around..lots of acerage so we could run to our hearts content...Gram and Grandpa had a horse..a dog...lots of wild cats..and at one time sheep...they were ranchers..they grew walnuts...and my Grandpa Earl also owned his own logging company for awhile...we all loved it at Gram's....I can still see her standing on the back porch at the old stove stirring a big pot of jam from the berries she picked in the back yard...My Grandmother was a school teacher..I use to LOVE looking at all her books...she was also a wonderful seamstress...she could sew ANYTHING! I miss this old place....some years back Andy and I took my parents for a drive to see it...and of course it had all changed...different people living in it...it was heartbreaking to me....I remember just bursting into tears...It really isn't very far from where we live...but I can't stand to see it now...I just always want to keep that memory of "How it use to be".....in fact....the whole area is changed...now instead of quaint old farmhouses it has become one of the finest grape growing regions in ElDorado County..lots of wineies..and plenty of tourists...I'll ALWAYS have my memories...that will never change.

Poetry Thursday

Ode to Enchanted Light

The light under the trees,
the light from high heaven.
The green
arbor
light
that flashes
in the leaf
and falls like fresh
white sand.
A grasshopper lifts
its sawing sound
over the clearness.
The world
is a full glass
of water. Mary Oliver

DUCK ATC'S

These are my "Duck" atc's for the journal project....

Postcard for a friend....

I made this postcard and mailed it yesterday...I'm still not awake so will write more later...one good thing so far...it is NOT raining or SNOWING!

"I Remember When".....

Me and My Baby...1971..Family ATC.

More Family ATC'S

Family ATC'S.....

Finally....Blogger once again would not let me post this morning!!! I made seven atc's yesterday for Lenna's swap....working on the Colors chunky book swap today...and trying to stay WARM....It's hard to believe that it's actually Spring! Feels more like December to me! I ran some errands this morning....mailed some letters...and now I'm listening to a Janis Joplin CD that Andy made for me this morning (something new for me to listen to today)..He is sooo Sweet!

More Snow

Me....at 4 yrs. old...looks like I'm getting a kick out of shoveling the last of the snow...I'm sure not getting a kick out of it now!!! Yes...you guessed it! It is SNOWING right at this very minute!!!

Waiting for Spring..........and Summer

It is cold today...and I am so ready for Spring....and Summer...speaking of Summer...I found this picture of my son and granddaughter taken at the river a few Summers ago...I'm still going through boxes of photos....(it's never ending)! I'm finishing up a swap today.....and trying to keep warm....

Yeah Blog !!!!!!

It is so funny how we take things for granted!!! I got up this morning and headed right for the computer so I could post a photo on my blog...it would not let me!!!! I kept trying and started to freak out because I thought I was messing up somehow...turns out it was "Blogger" problems....anyway....the problem is fixed! and I am glad! I wanted to post some photos of some of my books!!! I have this problem...with the books...I Never...and I mean Never have enough shelves for all my books! I can build them...buy them...whatever..and I Never have enough!!!! Maybe..someday I will. It has always been one of my dreams to have a library with shelves from floor to ceiling...big ole comfy worn leather chairs...plenty of good lighting...a long table for working at...a big window to look out of and day dream...and perhaps even a fireplace..Can't you just picture it !!??????? Dream on !

My Wonderful Books!!!!!!

And More Books!!!!

Favorite Books!!!!!!!!

Name 5 of your favorite books:

1. The Day of The Bees by Thomas Sanchez
2. Les Miserables
3. The Outlander (Series) by Diana Gabaldon
4. Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
5. The Sparrow by Doria Russell

Name 5 other authors:

1. John Steinbeck
2. Anita Shreve
3. Anne River Siddons
4. Elizabeth Allende
5. Barbara Kingsolver

Name of the last books you bought?

1. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopick
2. Soul Collage by Seena B. Frost
3. Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden
4. The Cookie Bible
5. The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan

Name of the last book you read?

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Name of 5 books that are really meaningful for you:

1. An Episode of Sparrows
2. The World Is A Waiting Lover
3. Heidi
4. Romancing the Ordinary
5. 14,000 To Be Happy About

Name of 3 books you are dying to read but just haven't yet:

1. Silver Spoon Cookbook
2. Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
3. The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

Okay...now it's your turn!

I Got My "Laini's Ladies" Hummingbird Girl !!!

I just adore these!!! Thanks Laini...You can find her blog at http://growwings.blogspot.com/

Lauri's Goodies

Got all this fun stuff from Lauri over at http://lauriesmith.blogspot.com/
Some cool cherries rub-ons...some die-cuts...really pretty Victorian tissue paper..some red tulle. Also a really neat rubber stamp...along with a sun and moon card!!! The outside of the envelope said to "Vicci...Vicci..Bo...Bicci"...I cracked up! Thanks Lauri Girl!

A Mail Bonanza

My mailbox was "runneth over" today!!!! Yippee...(I love those kinda days). Here is a home-made postcard from my friend Annie...pretty clever! She just started her very own blog...and you should check it out at http://scenesfromaslowmovingtrain.blogspot.com/
I'm going to try to post everything that was in the mailbox....I'm pretty tired..just finished eating corn beef and cabbage...and now I just want to flop in front of the fireplace and do nothing...and a nice hot relaxing bath sounds pretty good....

LADYBIRDS

I am HAPPY that I got these done today! Here are my "Ladybirds" for the swap that I'm in...No snow today...and just a tiny bit of rain...yippee!!! I feel so much better now that I finally created something!!!! It's leftover pizza tonight..and tomorrow the corn beef and cabbage! I also finished reading "The Historian"...torwards the end it really got good! I'm going to read "Soul Collage" now...and start a deck of cards! (still working on "Family" atc swap...and "Colors" chunky book swap). Let me know what you think of my "Ladybirds"......

WINGS!!!!!!!

This is my friend Diane's page in the chunky book swap "Wings"....I love and appreciate the talent of other people...I also love to look at other BLOGS....Well you will never believe this! The SUN is actually shining! Everything is glistening!!! YIPPEE! I am in the studio today finishing up an altoid tin...and working on the "Ladybird" swap...will post pics of both soon...I better go to the store later for some corn beef and cabbage for St. Paddy's day..yum!

Becky's Bounty!!!!!!

YIPPEE!!!! my WONDERFUL package arrived from BECKY over at http://istitch.blogspot.com/ my "Vintage Vixen"....Thank-You...Thank-You....Thank-You...Becky! I LOVE EVERYTHING!!!! Becky knows I like RED...so everything had the "RED THEME" to it...it came in a beautiful box..that I will be able to use... Here is a list of all my wonderful goodies...
1. Yummy Italian Amaretti cookies (that I love) in the red tin tied up in cellophane and red beads.
2. The most BEAUTIFUL sheer material that I adore....I'm still thinking of all the wonderful ways I can use this.
3. A picture of a Chinese Dancer (that you can cut out.)
4. A very OLD cookbook...wrapped in very cool paper.
5. An old Hymns book...and paperback book.."Tea and Sympathy"...along with an old "Child's 1st Piano book" (which has a red cover). Becky knows that BOOKS are one of my FAVORITE things in the whole world!
6. A really neat card that has a picture of "Chinese Peanuts" on it....
7. A tiny altoid tin full of crystals...Becky also knows I like "Rainbows in my Windows"....and a holy card with a picture of St. Anne...
I just Love everything!!! What a fun swap this was!
The other news for the day....YEP!!!! you guessed it!!! It is SNOWING again this morning!!! I REALLY hope that this is it for the Winter!! I just want to feel SUNSHINE on my face...and get out in the garden and work in the flowerbed....and FEEL WARMTH!!!!