I've been absent.  I haven't really had anything to talk about.  Now that May is almost over, I guess I need to figure out what I'm doing this summer....
Summer is a time when I usually hibernate inside because of the heat and humidity.  I don't do well it it.

We had a very nice Memorial Day yesterday.  We didn't do much over the weekend - did go to some stores, did some shopping but mostly stayed home.  I have a book I'm reading - Home Front by Kristin Hannah.  I'm enjoying it a lot.  It's my kind of reading.  Has to do with a woman being in the military, and having to leave her husband and 2 little girls behind while she goes to war.  The marriage was falling apart before she left.  I won't give any more of the book away but I do recommend it. I guess I can relate as my hubby was in the military for 20 years.  Thank God he never actually went to war.........

Yesterday I did spend time thinking about my father who had fought in WWII.  What he must have endured, and what he was like while I was growing up.  I have been reminiscing about the past lately.  Not sure what that's about.   I don't like it tho. I'm one to look toward the future.

I'm a bit depressed that nothing has sold on my website www.cottage-artists.com.  Nothing from me, nothing from the 2 people that share the website with me.  I'm wondering if I will bother to renew next year.  I've done everything I can afford to do to drive people there.  I cannot afford to pay for advertising.  I was really hoping my photography would take off.  I have a small lap quilt to post on there, and I'm going to modify the purse pattern I've been using to make it more of my own, then I want to make a couple and see if they sell.  We'll see.  Variety is the spice of life, eh?

Here are some photos I took awhile back.  This goose was REALLY upset with the other goose in front if it.  The goose in front wasn't bothered at all.....this is a series of photos taken with the continuous option on my camera.

In the end, the back goose calmed down and floated away................

So that's it for today.  I'm off to sew and take some photos (because I haven't taken any lately). 

Enjoy your week.
Martha

My New Purse

Made by me.  This is from a pattern called Bow Tucks bag.  It sounds like botox when you say it.  Kinda funny.  But I left the bows off this bag.  My first bag was blue, and I've carried it about 2 years I think.  This one is from fabric that was supposed to be for a mystery quilt, which I never finished.  I love the fabrics but, I have NO idea why I'm carrying a red, black and yellow bag.  Everything I wear is purple or blue.........

Anyway, I like it.  Before I switched everything over into this bag I wanted to take photos.  Only a couple came out well. So here they are.

front

Inside.

The inside is light so you can find things, and there are a TON of pockets.  I'd like to make one a bit bigger than this to hold all the crap I tend to carry with me.  I'd also like to try my hand at designing and making a wallet to hold stuff because I don't carry the entire bag into a store with me (because of all the crap stuff I carry).

I am going to hunt for purple and blue fabric to make a couple of more so I can switch out.  Yeah, I have a blue one but I want a different blue one. lol.  They are pretty easy but time consuming to make.  Or maybe, I just didn't make it all in one sitting because I didn't manage my time well this week.  Yeah, that's probably it.

Have a GREAT day!  (it's my birthday , the weather is gorgeous, and I'm seeing Willie Nelson in concert tonight - mine is ALREADY great!)

Martha

New Stuff

I'm going to preface this post by saying, once again, yes, I'm spoiled....and I deserve to be. :-)

Yesterday my friend took me to lunch.  She has an IPhone, which she got late last year.  I got my IPad soon afterward.  I decided on the IPad instead of the phone.  I've carried that IPad everywhere with me, and enjoyed using it for photos, videos, checking emails, and playing Words With Friends.

Back

Front

Since tomorrow (the 19th) is my birthday, I asked hubby what he was getting me.  He didn't have an answer.  He wanted to know what I wanted.  I want my new sewing machine, but I have to have the yard sale and sell as much stuff as I can for a down payment.  Or, start having sales on my website (www.cottage-artists.com).  So I asked if I could get the IPhone.  Last time we looked at them, the 4S with Suri was almost $300.  That has changed....it's now $200.  So I got that one because the next lower model is almost obsolete - it's been on the market for 2 years.  I haven't tried Suri out yet.  I will have to figure out when I need her.........the commercials on t.v. are hysterical to me tho.

I love my new IPhone.  I did have to have the 3G service cut from the IPad and transferred that cost over to the IPhone.  I can't have everything I guess....  :-(

Today I finally had time (and energy) to make the air freshener I wanted to make.  It's an experiment.  I want to make some for my daughter and see how she likes them too.

They are made from these supplies:

Essential Oil & Baking Soda air freshener

Baking soda.  Did you know this also can be purchased in a large box in the section of the grocery store, in the laundry isle?  Yes, it can!

Mason jars.  I had one small mason jar left from another project from my daughter's baby shower.  I used that for this project.  I'll use up the larger jars for the rest of what I'll make - they'll just have to do for now.  I don't want to spend money on jars if I have some that will work for now.  Mason jars are sold in Wal Mart, and come in many shapes and sizes.

Scissors.

Essential Oils of your choice.  Do some research - figure out what oils you like the smell of but also find out thru your research, what effect those oils have on the human and animals.  I used Lavender in this jar.  It is supposed to help breathing (asthma for example) and a host of many other ailments.

Fabric or paper.  If you use paper, make it a decorative paper such as scrapbooking paper.  You want it to be sturdy.  If you use paper, you'll need a tapestry needle or at least, some sort of pin, to poke holes in the paper.  If you use fabric, a nice open fabric like the lace above, is nice.  You can use cotton but I haven't tried it to see how much of the scent escapes the jar. 

Open the mason jar, remove the solid portion of the lid so all you have left is the ring that screws onto the jar.  This is the reason you can't really use another type of jar - if you did, you'd have to use a hammer and nail of a good size, to poke holes in the lid.  Not my favorite thing to do.

If using paper, use the ring to measure the circle using a pencil (on the wrong size of the paper).  Cut out with scissors.  Place the paper inside the ring.  After screwing the lid onto the jar, take a needle or pin, and poke many holes into the top of the paper.
If using fabric, I cut a square of fabric larger than the ring, put the fabric inside the ring, screwed the ring on, and cut around the edge with scissors.  You can attach the fabric with a white glue if you like.  I didn't -  we'll see down the road when I have to add more EO's if this is a good thing or not....

I put about 1/4 - 1/3 cup or using a spoon, 3 heaping tablespoons of baking soda in the jar.  In the small jars, it's about half a jar. In the larger jars, it's about a quarter of a jar....

I then dropped about 8 drops of lavender EO into the baking soda, took a plastic straw, and stirred it up.  I then took the lace, put it inside the ring of the lid, and screwed it onto the jar.  I cut the excess of lace off the edge of the ring.  If you're using paper, this is the time to poke the holes.

Now, I saw this on a blog or website.  Once again,  I didn't bookmark the blog or website so I cannot link to it (dang it!).  Oh wait, maybe I DO have it -- hold on, be right back...........AHA!  I DO HAVE IT!  I sent it to my friend and it was in the "sent" emails!  YAY.  Now to bookmark the darned thing....brb....
Ok, done.  Now, to give credit where it's due.  Here is the link....Baking Soda & Essential Oil Air Fresheners

So here is mine, finished.

I LOVE the lace - all my curtains in the main living area are lace.  I have a TON of it leftover from another project....I was making angels out of lace and Styrofoam balls for Christmas one year.  Teeny ones.  So much lace leftover - I used it as a background to take the photos!  LOL





So there is my post for today.  Trying to keep up better and post more interesting stuff...........with photos....cuz that's what I like to see when I read blogs from other people.

Now, I really MUST go upstairs to finish my new purse I'm sewing.  I'm excited to be carrying a new one.  Same pattern as my old one but have had that one for about 2 years now.  It has lots of pockets inside, and it's called a "Bow Tucks" bag.  I'm leaving the bows off this one, because they aren't useful and are just annoying.  Fun colors too and it has hearts on it - one of my favorite things. :-)

Have I mentioned I'm going to the Willie Nelson concert tomorrow?   YEEHAW!  Oh, and Nose Fun class starts too, excited about that also.

Have a Wonderful weekend!
Always,
Martha

Photos

I try to post photos, but it doesn't always work that way.
I did post this photo today, on http://www.52photosproject.com/

This week's challenge is movement, and I think this bird is showing off his movement!  Look at those tail feathers shake! :-)

LIfe

May is an interesting month for me.  My father was born in May, the 3rd.  He's no longer with us.  In fact, I was just 20 years old when he passed.  I wasn't very close to him.  Nor my mother (who is also not around anymore).

My birthday is in May.  I've always liked celebrating my birthday.  It's all about me, and I don't often get days that are all about me.

There is a rather strange anniversary in May also.  In 2007, three days after my birthday, I had a major heart attack.  Did I know it was a heart attack at the time?  No.  I was out playing with my horse.  I was planning on riding.  Good thing the horse wouldn't let me get on....all of a sudden my chest felt like someone sucked all the air out of me, I got light headed, and just didn't feel right.  I put the horse in the pen, walked into the house, and had to use the bathroom.  I was sweating profusely.  I couldn't catch my breath.  It was very scary.  I called to my dear hubby, and he came into the bathroom and took one look at me and thought I'd fallen off the horse or gotten hurt somehow (I had a tendency of that happening....).  I told him best I could, that wasn't it, that something was wrong and I needed to go to the hospital.  Never did it cross our minds to call 911.  Imagine that.  Dummies.

Because I was sweating so badly, I couldn't pull my riding pants back up so I sent hubby upstairs to get shorts.  I told him to pull the car around to the front steps because I wouldn't be able to walk to the car.  He got his father (his parents were living with us at the time) and they both took me under the arms, and carried me out to the car (still, no one thought of calling 911.....).  Hubby drove like a bat out of hell to get me to the hospital which is about 15 miles away.  Luckily, it was evening, and the road we live off of, is a 55 mph road - and mostly empty at that time.  Needless to say, he didn't go 55 mph....it was more like 80 or 90.

I was still sweating, and having difficulty breathing.  I had to lean forward and couldn't wear my seat belt because of the restriction on me and how I had to sit.  I had my head leaning on my arm which rested on the console between the front seats.  I kept saying I don't want to die.  He kept telling me I wasn't going to die.  My head kept slipping off my arm because of the sweating.

When he got us into town, at one point because he was going through red lights (looking both ways first) a cop started following us but hubby kept going.  When he pulled into the hospital, and ran to get someone to help (I couldn't walk at all by then) the cop left.  I guess I wasn't looking too good.....

The hospital staff took me in immediately and kept asking me stupid questions.  They wanted me to lay back but I couldn't breathe if I laid back.  I kept resisting.  Finally they forced me to lay back and at that moment, my heart stopped beating.......
Obviously, they brought me back to life.  Or I wouldn't be telling this story.
It took them two sets of shocks to bring me back. From what I've been told, the team that had me when I arrived, was shooed out of the room and the A team of hospital staff (the really knowledgeable ones) were brought in.  I guess they knew what they were doing, since they got me breathing again.

To answer the question I get quite often, no, there were no angels, white lights, or anything else.  One second I was aware of what was going on, the next I wasn't there.  Just darkness. Peace.  Nothing weird to report on that front.  Sorry.  Some people say it's because it wasn't my time.  I really believe you just pass to the other side....you aren't any longer in your physical body.  What happens next, I dunno because I wasn't out that long. 

Dear Hubby was told that if I wasn't back by the second shocking, I might not come back.  Someone was actually telling him that while he was watching me die.  Not great news. Good thing I'm stubborn.  Poor guy, I'm surprised he didn't throw up and pass out himself........

After I was brought back, I was told I had to be flown to UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, VA.  It's about a 60 minute drive, but by air it's only a few minutes.  I told them I wasn't going in a chopper.  NO WAY, no how.  They told me I had to go or I would have another heart attack.  I told them, if they wanted me to fly, they better drug me.  They did.  I barely remember hearing the chopper blades, and saying goodbye to my dear hubby.  Next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital and told to lay flat on my back.  I had a stent inserted into the artery that was blocked.  I'd had a BIG heart attack.  I had what most men have, it's called "The Widow Maker" because most men die of it immediately.  It's not the "normal" heart attack for women.

After recovering, it's been difficult for me.  I don't have the stamina that I used to have.  I had been dieting and lost about 35 lbs before the heart attack.  I can't seem to wrap my mind around being able to lose weight and diet again.  I need to get fit.  I've gained a LOT of weight back.  My blood numbers always come back great, but that's because I'm on meds to make them come back great.  I'm overweight and want to get fit, but it's not easy.  I run out of breath easily.  No stamina.

Anyway, that's my heart attack story.  This year it's five years since it happened.  I've never really dealt with it - I denied that it really happened to ME.  I'm grateful to the people that brought me back to life.  I'm forever grateful to my husband.  He kept it together and got me to the hospital.  I'm grateful I have a second chance at life.

The other thing that's hard for me during the month of May is Mother's Day.  Some years, I do ok, others, not so much.  I have two children.  My daughter is brilliant, has her Master's degree, she's a new mom, giving us what will most likely be our only grandchild.  I also have a son.  I haven't spoken to him in over seven years.  When we moved here, we didn't give him an address.  There are reasons for this.  He is a druggie and an alcoholic.  He was abusive.  He's 34 years old, selfish, and a user.  At this point we don't know if he's dead or alive.  Even my daughter had to stop talking to him because he was so abusive and not like anything like the kid he used to be.    He used to have a really big heart, and care about the people around him.  My daughter said the last time she talked to him a few years ago, she could tell his brain was fried.  He didn't make sense, he was angry, and just wasn't doing well at all.

The prayers I send are for him to get well, to make a life for himself that he'll be proud of, that he'll find love, and someday, will come back to us as a grown man, proud of himself, and doing well.  I don't know if those prayers will ever be answered.  We did our best, we did everything we could to help him.  Drug treatment programs, jail, tough love.  It was an awful time during his teenage years.  It's not easy for me not knowing where he is, or if he's even still alive.  I pray for him.  I will never give up or forget him.  I pray that I will win the lottery, and I can hunt him down, get him the best treatment in the world, and help him become whole again...............

I also had my six month checkup this month.  Last September, I had a hysterectomy, and they found cancer in my uterus.  I usually  say I'm going to be fine, and this is just a bump in the road.  This time, I couldn't pull myself together and make myself believe it.  My check up went ok....but they said I hadn't healed correctly and had a granuloma.  They removed it (ouch!) and they had it checked - it came back clean.  Unfortunately, I'm still having some symptoms that I'm not supposed to have.  If they don't clear up, I have to go back in July.   This is constantly on my mind.  It sucks, knowing that these things will only continue to happen - especially if I don't get myself fit and healthy again.................

Anyway, that's my life in a nutshell.  At least, part of it.  Nothing in my life has ever been easy. Alcoholic parents, seizures as a child, born eight years after my next oldest brother (oops, what a mistake!), school was hard.  Life has always been a challenge for me - staying alive, keeping the faith, and looking for the next GOOD thing in my life. 

I'm here, I'm grateful for every day that I wake up and can enjoy my hubby, my dogs and cat, the beautiful weather, my grand baby, and life in general.  It's a good day when I wake up!


Oh, my birthday is on Saturday, and this past Monday, I won tickets to the Willie Nelson concert, which is being held on Saturday.  I'm so freaking excited.  It's an outdoor concert, which means we aren't stuck in seating in an indoor venue.  The weather is going to be awesome.  We can take our own chairs, blankets, whatever, and sit as far away as is comfy for us (our ears).

Today, my friend is taking me out to lunch.  We do this for our birthdays.  Hers is in January.  It's nice that we get to spread it out.  We usually go somewhere special - we went to Red Lobster for hers.  I think we're going there for mine today too.  Otherwise we don't usually get to go to Red Lobster!  :-)  Works for me.

I hope you will always take care of yourself because if you don't, no one else will.  Only you have the power to make yourself happy, healthy, and strong.  Only you have the decision to make as to what you do with your life.  I'm very lucky - I love my life.  I have it really good even with the ups and downs.  You are worth taking the time to care for yourself, de-stress, do good things for yourself, treat yourself to something special.

Always,
Martha

Wow!

Yesterday was an amazing day.  I was up and getting ready to go, and I heard on the radio they were giving away tickets to see Willie Nelson live in concert in the nearby city.  I called, and I was first, but had to be the 7th caller.  I called back but he'd given them away. Darn!  On my way to pick up my friend Rita, I tried again.  I finally got through (yes, I was driving and hitting SEND on my cell phone, hanging up on the busy signal, and redialing all while driving - NOT a normal habit..and not a good one, I know) the announcer said the tickets had been given away, and I said oh darn I was hoping to win because Saturday is my birthday.  Well....he said "Oh heck, what are rules for if not to be broken, I'm giving you a pair of tickets I should be giving away tomorrow."   YES!  I was SOOOO excited!  I told him how old I was going to be (56) and how he made my day - I was SO excited I was jumping up and down in the car - by now, I was in my friend's driveway!  I hung up from the radio announcer after giving him my info (for the Will Call ticket window) and called hubby.  I got the dullest, calmest, not excited response - "that's interesting."  REALLY?????  C'mon - get a LITTLE excited!  Geesh.  Oh well, it didn't kill MY buzz!  Ha!

I told my friend what happened.  She was pretty excited for me so that was good.  Then we climbed back into my car, and we drove up north to meet with some old working buddies from the vet hospital we used to work for.  It was so great seeing them.  There was one we hadn't seen in like 5 years, and another we saw last year but not for long.  It was really great getting together, but the little quick visits just aren't long enough.  
We had a very good lunch.  Then my lovely daughter showed up with my grand daughter.  I wanted to show off, and we were in a place not far from where daughter lives.  I had asked her, if she had time, would she come by with baby.  She did!  That really made my day. :-)

When she showed up, we took baby to the ladies room for a diaper change, and when we returned to the table, my friends had a small birthday cake for me.  Sweet!  The best chocolate cake ever!  Rich, creamy, and the frosting - everyone else didn't eat it because it was so rich, but I did.  We just had teeny pieces because it IS so rich!  Yum.

We did a little shopping in this place (it's a grocery store with a really good food court in it) and then we left - behind schedule....but we made good time coming back. 

Today, I have volunteering at the hospital with Therapy Dog Evan.  He needs a good brushing, bath and blow dry, and since Gabbi is a mess because her food gets on the ends of her ears, and she has something sticky on top of her head, she is getting a bath too! 

Gabbi Sunning

Evan Almighty Super Therapy Dog!

Today will be busy.  Tomorrow I babysit (see photo above of beautiful baby girl grand daughter) and Thursday, my friend is going to take me out for birthday lunch! 

Friday, I have nothing on (as of right now) and Saturday, I'm supposed to do nose fun class with Evan but it's not till 3:00.  Then the concert is that night.  It's not far away - 45 mins, but the concert starts at 7 I believe.  It's been YEARS since we last went to a concert - the last one was Paul McCartney and I won those tickets on the radio too! 

Well, that's it for me today.  I have lots to do.  Off to get it started!

Take care,
Always,
Martha

Photo crazy....

I seem to be really focused (ha ha - get it????) on my photography lately!  I just can't tell you how much fun I'm having with it.  Learning as I go, sometimes falling back on the Auto mode, but when that doesn't work I remember I have other, better modes to play with. 

Here is a macro shot I took yesterday.  We've had a LOT of rain lately.  I think I need to go out and do my "no more rain" dance....the rain dance certainly worked!  Getting tired of the gloom around here!

Without further ado, here is my ROSE..............

This is one of those cheap rose bushes I bought at Wal Mart.  Yeah, I know, shame on me.  It does come up with some beautiful color, and if I pay attention to it, it grows nicely (I know nuthin about growing roses) and I get some nice flowers from it.  The rain drops added that extra beauty to it yesterday.  It was gloomy when I took the photo but good ole Macro helped! 

I have some other photos that I recently took, but haven't taken the time to post here.  This is my absolute favorite of late........

Mr. Cardinal!  I finally got him.  He and the Mrs. were hanging around on the side of the house, chirping and carrying on.  I couldn't get a photo of the Mrs. as she was flitting around SO fast I just couldn't catch her.  Mr. was a real show off........I got a LOT of photos of him.....some not so great but they are interesting because of him moving.  Here's an example....

Do you see that tail?  He was shaking those tail feathers!  Isn't his color amazing???

There was a reason that Mr. & Mrs. were hanging around.  I looked down at the azalea bushes just under the porch railing and look what I saw!

Two baby cardinals!  I think the one on top is a male, and the one on the bottom is female.  Only because the one on top is huge and has the larger feathers on the top of it's head.  The bottom one seems to be smaller and not so much plumage on top.  Now, I'm not a bird expert by any means but I Googled baby cardinal images and I came up with some that are pretty spot on except for the ages of the birds seems a little older.

It has worried me the last couple of days, since taking these photos, that I scared the cardinals away....I haven't seen the mom or dad around, and the babies are not visible in the bushes....we had some really hard rain the other night and I'm praying that the babies didn't drown, or worse, get caught by the feral cats that hang around.  I thought I could hear the singing of the parents yesterday in the pine tree near the barn, but I couldn't see them at all, and I've been spending time outside trying to see if they are still around.  I hope my pursuit of them didn't scare them off and think it was unsafe here!

Photographing things wasn't the only thing I did this weekend.  I actually got a warp wound on Thursday and Friday, got the reed threaded on Saturday, and got the heddles threaded on Sunday.  I am still in the process of tying on, and I plan on getting that completed today, get everything in place, and start weaving - hoping I don't have any mistakes. I've NEVER before had a warp go on with no mistakes....but there's a first time for everything, yes?

I had to order more matching fabric from Missouri Star Quilt Company last week, to have enough to do a binding on the lap quilt I have ready to bind.  I ordered enough for the next 2 quilts also, figuring since I didn't plan well enough for this one, the other two will turn out similar and I ordered the same amount of fabric for backing for them - which means there isn't enough for binding.  That arrived quickly and I want to get the one quilt done and start another.

This week will be fairly busy for me, but I also have time at home and if I use it wisely, I can get a lot done!  Today we go back to the dr. to get hubby's lump looked at.  He had a gland that went way out of whack on one side of his throat a couple of weeks ago.  We couldn't get into his dr. so we saw someone else in the practice.  Luckily, the antibiotics they gave him, worked, and I don't think we have anything to worry about.  If they hadn't worked, we'd be looking at getting a needle biopsy!  Thank goodness we don't have to go through that!
Tomorrow is lunch with the girls, although one of our girls is MIA visiting family in Long Island and Delaware.  Wednesday I babysit.  Thursday and Friday (at the moment) are free.
Ooooo, Kohls is having a sale starting on Weds and they have two things I'd like to get - a pretty pair of headphones for my IPad & IPod use, and a pair of shoe/sandles that look very comfy.  Hopefully on Weds, I'll either go to Kohls with the baby or if her mom doesn't want her out of the house that morning, I can get there on my way home. 

I hope you all have a wonderful day, and a wonderful week!  I know I will.
Always,
Martha

P.S. - just had to leave you with one more - crazy squirrel!

More....

More photos of course!  Just more stuff in general too.
Last weekend we went to a little fiber festival put on at Graves Mountain Lodge, in Syria, VA.  Here is the link for  Graves Mountain Lodge  which is a a lovely area.  Here is the link for the Let's Get Naked festival Let's Get Naked.  It's really too bad that there weren't more vendors, or more people that attended.  Saturday's weather was kinda stinky.  Hot, humid, chance of rain, blah blah blah.   Sunday turned out really beautiful.  I think that this cute little festival isn't advertised quite well enough....which is sad.  It's a great place to have it.

I took a few pictures (surprise!).  We arrived about 10:20 or so, and the first little area we walked up to, had a little pen with 3 of the cutest Alpacas in it you can imagine.  The lady that was there was trying to feed them, but she only had 2 hands - and you know what it's like if you have 3 animals and 2 hands to feed with.  Being the animal friendly person I am, I stuck my hand out and said give me some, I'll feed too.  So she did.  This is what we were feeding...............

 

They are cute, aren't they???

Here is a bunny that was there.  I felt badly that it was in such a teensy cage, and was probably there all day Saturday and Sunday. 

Pink bunny nose

The REST of the bunny!

I guess it's kinda difficult to see how BIG this bunny was.  It would take 2 arms to hold it.  It's HUGE.  There is nothing in the photo for perspective. Sorry about that!

Here is a vendor that let me try her spinning wheel.  I really do want to get into spinning.  I'm not crazy about wool, but I do LOVE the feel of alpaca.....maybe some day down the road.  I have SO many hobbies now...I can't keep up with them! 

I'm not thrilled with this photo, and didn't know hubby took it till I downloaded the photos from that day.  Sigh....I'm so HUGE.  But hey, I was wearing my made-by-me jacket and I got lots of compliments on it!  I felt really at home on this wheel....it was easy and it didn't try to get away from me.  I've tried the wheels you have to use 2 feet on, and wasn't thrilled with them.  But then, someone said that another lady had the creme-de-la-creme of spinning wheels - a Spinolution III.  So I got a photo of that too...

I really like this wheel!

Alas, it is more expensive, and I'm not really sure I'm going to be able to spin - I have arthritis in my thumb joints, and you have to hold your fiber between your thumb and forefinger in order to let it go onto the wheel.....

At any rate, it was fun.  Here are a few pics of the vendors.

As you can see, there weren't very many vendors, but there were a variety of them.  Some beautiful fibers, and some critters.  Not many people - I am hoping more people showed up Sunday afternoon!


That's it for today.  My focus is zero.  I don't know why.  I did get a lot of things done today.  I went to the gym for a little bit, trying to work my stamina back up.  Ran a few errands in town.  Came home, bathed my Maltese Gabbi, blew her dry, gave her a haircut.  That's always an adventure!  Then I showered and gave myself a haircut.  I haven't looked at the back yet...hope I didn't leave a bare spot there!  Oh, and I cut my finger while doing it!  I finally got a load of laundry in the washer, which is now finished and need to get it into the dryer, and put my second load in the washer.  Pretty soon it'll be dinner time.  I think I'm going to make something easy tonight.

I need to go read my dog training book - tomorrow is obedience - if I decide to go ahead and do it.  With the heat that has come up this week, I'm no good at being outside.  Not sure if I can handle it or not.  We'll see.

I also have some shows on the DVR that need watching........I'm SUCH a t.v. junkie! 

I'll be back with more in a day or 2 or 3....
Always!

Happy May!

May is my birthday month.  :-)  Yeah, I know, you think I'm too old to be happy about birthdays.  What you may not know, is that back in May, 2007, I had a major heart attack and died.  So I really celebrate May!  I'm glad I'm alive and I celebrate my age! 

So, in celebration of my birthday month, I'm holding a sale on my website, for my photo greeting cards!  You can find them here .

Yesterday, I went to my friend Jan's house for a visit.  I love going to Jan's.  The time FLIES by, and we always have stuff to talk about!
Of course, I had the camera with me.  The weather was "supposed" to be 72 and sunny.....but alas, weather.com was incorrect once again!  It was overcast and almost dark, but thankfully it didn't rain till last night.
I once again played around with settings on my camera.  I tried different lighting and even did a black and white that came out very interesting looking...........

Without further ado, I'll show you what I have....

Camera on Auto

Camera set on Cloudy Day

Camera set on Black and White

I think the first one, set on Auto with regular lighting setting, is the closest to true colors, at least on MY monitor.
I took over 140 photos.  I'll show a few today, and have MANY more for a few more posts!  Yay.

This flower is in neighbor and friend Lynn's yard.  Isn't it just beautiful?  But wait, there's another one....

This flower is SO beautiful in person!  Amazing!  I don't think my photography did it justice......


This weekend my daughter, her significant other, and the grand baby came by.  So this will be my last photo for today.  I have a lot to do, and I have to get to it.  THIS is the best beauty in my life!

Today, the farrier comes, I have to bathe Evan the Therapy Dog as we have a hospital visit this afternoon, and I have to get myself ready.  I started winding a warp the other day, and want to get upstairs this morning before it gets too hot up there, to finish winding it (it's actually a physical activity because of my warping board being so large) and I really want to get this warp on the loom!  Can't get it ON the loom till I get it wound.

I hope you all have a GREAT day and enjoy every moment of it.

Always,
Martha