poetessa

Crocheted Hats & Purses, October 2011

2011-11-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

I've been crocheting small hats for my granddaughter's Pullip dolls (Asian, ball-jointed dolls, beautiful creatures!) Our church is having a Christmas bazaar in early December so I've been crocheting adult, child, toddler and baby hats non-stop for two months and still going. Here, our lovely granddaughter, Emma, is modeling what I call my 'cotton candy' hat with a rose. She looks good in pink!!

I found a good source for styrofoam heads to display my hats during the sale, this is a ladies head hugger

Another granddaughter, Alyssa, requested this slouchy, three colored, hat. I liked it so well I also made one for the sale. Thanks Alyssa!

This lavender and grey head hugger is so soft and comfortable

My 'Apple hat', being displayed on my newly arrived styrofoam head, this one is faceless, lol. Funny how they have all kinds of styrofoam heads for adults, mostly women. Men styrofoam heads are few and expensive and I could find none for children, toddlers or babies. I check the thrift stores for other things I can use instead, like teddy bears etc.

Here's Emma modeling a turquoise slouchy hat

The slouchy hat can also be positioned as a beret

Emma in a multi-colored rolled brim hat, it can be position several different ways

A basic black head hugger with a shell brim, rolled up

Grey, lavender and pink head hugger with brim rolled up

Pink head hugger with the shell brim

Grey and pink slouchy hat

A harvest gold and brown net hat with a pom pom

I was experimenting with this mixed yarn combination of off white and sport weight brown, decided to make a side flap too and finish it with an engraved medallion

The combo, side flap hat from the front

One of my Panda hats. These cost more, they're so labor intensive, ten separate pieces to crochet and sew together aside from the hat itself.

I love the frog hats. I make them a little longer so the brim can be rolled up, then a child can wear them longer

I love shopping in thrift stores. Stopped in at our local Goodwill looking for props to display my hats, was in the housewares section where I found a beautiful glass circle on a pedestal, turned out to be a candle holder from Party Lite (perfect for holding a styrofoam head). I bent down to inspect something on the second shelf and came eye to eye with the bear in the picture, I just couldn't resist, he came to live with us. I have also wanted to crochet hats for dolls and found the little guy in the picture, bare naked, sitting amongst the children's toys. He was absolutely perfect and what a cute little baby body he has. So I named them Will (bear) and Wyman (husbands middle name) They make a great pair and have been sharing a blanket and company on the end of the love seat ever since, until I can find some clothes for Wyman. They're wearing hats for the sale and will model them when the time comes.

A front view of the harvest gold and brown hat

Beautiful, burgundy, head hugger with a shell brim

A combinations of off white and beige with a gold fleck, looked very 'Holidayish' so I added two gold stars to the front

(the stars can be removed for washing)

A pretty Teal blue head hugger, one of my favorite colors

A very soft, oatmeal shade, slouchy hat that can be positioned in numerous ways

A pretty soft grey yarn with a slight shine here and there, slouchy hat

Same grey slouchy positioned in back

Same grey slouchy as a beret, you could pin a favorite brooch to the front also

Another combo of off white and blue green in a head hugger style

Off white and gold combination, rolled brim

An orangey red with gold flecks, done in a chunky yarn, very soft and warm. The brim can be worn up or down

Hope you can see this, it's camouflage, lol A newsboy hat, with a slouch top and reinforced brim in front, this is a child size

The camouflage from the side

I added 'purses' to the title of this post, and yes, I did make a couple, have more to come. These are a woman's clutch with a shell flap and crocheted button for closure. I really like the design. I plan on making more in other colors and also black and white. I'll be making some small purses for little girls too.

It doesn't take a lot of room to crochet hats, I sit on the love seat in the living room, Mylo keeps me company as you can see. But I wouldn't be able to crochet, especially at night on dark colors, without my Ott light, pictured on the table. It's a high density light, you can buy them at fabric stores....wow, what a great thing it is!! More to come!!

Mount Rainier, Washington State October 2011

2011-11-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

We were able to fit in two trips to our beautiful Mount Rainier this year. We were there mid September and again in late October. Driving through the beautiful evergreen forests to the mountain is fun and relaxing.

Sun shining through the branches creates beautiful patterns and textures. Moss on branches reminds me of the velvet on deer antlers

Even a fractured tree stump takes on beauty as the moss and lichens begin to coat it

We get glimpses of the mountain as we travel up the winding roads. It was a crisp, beautiful day.

We pulled off on one of the turns to get this view of the Nisqually glacier, the beginning of the Nisqually River that flows close to where we live. Notice the stand of yellow trees among the evergreens in the middle of the rocky bed.

There are several pull outs where you can get good pictures, we don't miss many. There is so much beauty around us, we are both photographers. I took 111 pictures during the trip.

Paradise side of Mount Rainer, the lodge in the distance, light green. There is also a visitor center, rest rooms and a building that houses the guide service. We saw a helicopter on the way up. They sometimes fly people to or from Camp Muir. The snow poles are in place.

What a gorgeous sight the mountain is on a sunny, clear day, especially in the fall with the beautiful colors around it. God has blessed us with such a beautiful world. This is part of a circular walkway and the stone wall where there are steps leading to the trail up the mountain.

Breathtaking beauty! I have a poem posted on this blog in an earlier post that describes how I feel about this mountain.

The colors are thrilling and I'm a huge lover of evergreen trees. Here on Rainier some of them stand so straight and tall, like Centurions on guard.

Coat time up here, that's ice by my feet! Those are part of the Goat Mountains behind me (opposite Mt. Rainier) Mountain goats live there. If you ever visit, bring your binoculars.

After walking part way up the trail to the mountain, I turned around and took this panoramic view of the Goat mountains, they also are spectacular. They already had a skiff of snow on them. In the summer the flowers bloom all over the fields and the aroma is wonderful. In the fall there is a more distinct herbal aroma.

A section of the Goat Mountains

Those beautiful trees I talked about

I really liked how this picture turned out, framed by evergreens, with the Goat Mountains, trees, colorful foliage and even a few of the buildings peeking through. You get great pictures the higher you hike!

To an artists eye, even rocks are interesting; textures, shade, highlights. It would be fun to paint.

Don on the picture taking trail with the Goat Mountains behind him

Typical in a mountain forest

Getting closer, better pictures of the mountain. The clouds were blown away at this point for a great view.

You can see some of the trail meandering between the trees

We're getting high enough now to see snow on some of the tree boughs

There's a little snow on the trail here and there as we get closer, you can see the rocks strewn across the landscape. We passed several gentlemen who had hiked up to the mountain and had been skiing and/or snowboarding, they said the snow was incredible!

A few puffy clouds swirling around the crown

The beauty of being so close and experiencing the fresh air, colors and joy of God's creation is exhilarating!

Anvil Rock from the Paradise trail. Camp Muir lays somewhere below this massive outcrop on the edge of Mt. Rainier. Guides will take climbers there, they usually spend the night and begin the ascent up Mt. Rainier early in the morning the next day. Click on this picture to enlarge it and you can see two people on the left, two thirds of the way down from the top of the slope.

More snow, just adds to the beauty of the area

Coming back down the trail I spotted something moving behind a tree at the side of the trail. We quietly walked on the furthest side of the trail to the other side of the tree and here's what we saw. A Ptarmigan. It didn't seem the least disturbed that we were there.

The Ptarmigan walked out onto the trail, pecking for food all the time. We just stood and took it all in, this was the first time we had ever seen a Ptarmigan up close and personal. What a beautiful and big bird.

We stood there watching it for at least ten minutes, how beautiful it was. I want to paint a picture of it.

Ptarmigans are a grouse like bird that live in the high tundra areas. They don't fly much and start growing white feathers, as you can see in the picture, around this time of the year. When the snow falls their new white feathers helps them hide from predators

As the evening approaches you see the fog begin to move in and create different layers of landscape beauty

Tree limbs make great frames

A small stream running down a rocky bed through the evergreens. At one point, further up the trail, there was a small stream running down a long valley, the sun was shining on it and it looked like molten gold. I wasn't able to catch the effect without a special filter for the camera.

On our way home, end of the day. The last portrait of the beautiful lady....until next year!!

Living with Pullip Dolls

2011-09-12T22:00:00.001-07:00

Our eleven year old granddaughter, Emma, was here for a visit and to spend time with her cousins who were coming from Oregon. While she was waiting for them to arrive she borrowed my digital camera, took her dolls out to the patio and took this series of pictures. I love her imagination and creativity. Her cousin Savannah has the same talents.

Sorry Emma, can't remember your dolls names, so for the story I'll use our names and yours, lol

So, here's Don, he's going to teach Carol how to use a skateboard.

Carol brought along her skate board, she looks a little apprehensive

Don says not to worry, just position your feet like this after you push off

Carol's first try isn't very successful and she winds up laying face down on the patio

"Well, that wasn't very graceful was it?" Don helps her to her feet

He comforts her and convinces her to try again, "It just takes time" he says

Emma doesn't seem to be having any difficulty at all getting used to her skateboard

In fact, she's darn good at it and does a little showing off

Don gives her a big hug for being so successful

They all lay down on the soft grass in the shade and rest after their skateboard session

This is just one of many picture stories my granddaughters have created, it always puts a big smile on our face and a lot of warmth in our heart!

Pullip Doll Hats

2011-09-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed crocheting, knitting, sewing and other productive hobbies, especially things that I can be doing at the end of the day while watching t.v., then I don't feel like I'm wasting my time.

So it wasn't hard to start designing and crocheting hats for our granddaughter's Pullip dolls. The dolls are so beautiful, they are Asian, ball-jointed dolls. All of the parts bend and they can be positioned so many different ways. Their eyes can be turned from side to side or closed and our granddaughters love them. I'm proud to say that they also have earned the money to buy them, they're expensive. Wish I had owned one as a young girl.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the variety and colors of the hats I've finished and what the dolls look like. Whenever the girls come to visit, the dolls do too.

Here is what we experience with each visit. We find the 'guys and gals' here and there throughout the house.

The girls have both boy and girl dolls. Here are two of the guys and two girls, hanging out on the love seat in the living room. I think they're resting by the looks of them. My yarn is soft and comfortable, good spot for a nap. Violetta, on the right is wearing one of my creations, the yellow hat with a daisy on top, you can see the top in the pictures below.

I'm sitting on the love seat, my favorite crocheting location. You can see the hats in the storage box on the floor to my right. I'm getting an inventory ready to sell on the internet. I just finished the hat on my knee, using a yarn I've never crocheted with before; it's like a sturdy thread with eyelashes attached, lol I have to say that I love the outcome. The hat is fuzzy and oh so soft!! It reminds me of a Sea Urchin, the shape and colors.

I love this combination of rose and white. I crocheted a small rose and some green leaves and sewed them on the top, it's very feminine looking.

Celsley is wearing the soft pink hat with the silver heart charm

And here's the boy doll, in our Ivy out back, wearing the aviator hat I crocheted using a soft cocoa brown. (Sorry Savannah and Emma, I can't remember your boy doll's names, except for Kyo, and I don't think this is him)

This is Claire modeling the beautiful blue hat with the silver trim along the brim and the seashell charm

Lily looks adorable n her new pumpkin hat

Lily tried on a lot of hats for me while she was visiting, this is a multi-colored, bright hat

I had to take advantage of the dolls being there for a visit since I don't have any of my own to take pictures with. Lily also liked this turquoise, lavender, beige and green hat with the pom pom on top

Claire, wearing the heather grey business hat

Claire wearing the lavender tweed hat with a pom pom. The yarn is from Turkey and is very soft.

Claire modeling the soft lavender hat with the silver heart charm

A favorite, the apple hat, fun to make!

The apple hat from the top. A nice picture of my toes too!

The 'Daisy' hat from the front

The top of the Daisy hat

A yarn pattern called 'Ombre', nice for fall; variegated browns. I found some nice brown ceramic beads. I sew two, separated by amber glass beads, on each hat

This is called a "Little Pullip', much smaller than the standard dolls. I had left over yarn so I made a little hat for her, it's a bit big but after the girls had gone home I made a few more and they will fit much better. Our granddaughters also like working with Polymer clay and I spent some time with Savannah making the items in the picture; a christmas cake, chocolate truffle on a plate, a plate of grapes, an ice cream bar partially eaten and a cupcake. It is so much fun and only takes 20 minutes to bake. Check out some of the Polymer Clay tutorials on the internet.

Our granddaughter Emma and grandson Aidan came a day earlier than their cousins, so Emma set up this display using her dolls, doll clothes and hats and wrote "Welcome".

The doll heads are a lot bigger than their bodies, the bodies are smaller than a Barbie doll. The hats measure 3 1/4" from brim to top and 10" in circumference. They're fun to make and soon I hope to be selling them on Etsy. More to come! Thanks for viewing.

Ruffled dresses and purses for Pullips

2011-05-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

This is a little 'Ruffled Dress' I sewed for my granddaughters Pullip dolls. They are made from inch and a half ribbon and the colors and patterns are endless when you consider how many different ones are on the market. They are so much fun to sew and each dress is 3 inches from the top of the bodice to the hem. Soooooo cute!!

There is a very talented young lady who posts videos of how to sew these wonderful dresses, and many other items as well, including the purses you will see at the end of this post. If you would like to view them they are on YouTube, here is a link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/yuniedhc?blend=19&ob=5

Play the video, at the end she tells you how to make the purses. To the right of the video there is a list of other videos you view. To watch the video on how to make the ruffled dresses, click on it.

Pretty plaid ruffled dresses, burgundy and green and orange and green

A pretty print of Chartreuse, pink and turquoise on brown and Turquoise satin

Tie-dyed satin ruffle dresses, perfect for a summer outing

Classic red plaid dresses

Purses!! Now these are just soooo much fun to make and I was able to make one in fifteen minutes. Many more will be made from different materials in the future. And the best part, no sewing. They are made from a square of material and double back tape. The decorations you can add to dress the up are endless. The chain, rings, charms and jewelry findings I used for the clasp (on the blue purses) can be purchased at Michael's Craft store or any other craft store. Here's where your creativity comes in. Try it! If you want to make bigger purses for larger dolls, all you have to do is enlarge the beginning square piece of material and cut a longer chain. They are meant to be accessories and are not usable purses. This video can be found on the YouTube site also.

Grandma makes more kimonos

2011-05-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Another Kimono for Kyo

Three new Kimonos, my favorite is the dark brown and turquoise one in the middle. Hard to see in the picture, but it also has a little sparkle on the fabric

A pretty Chrysanthemum pattern on a burnt sienna background, perfect for fall

The first one with yellow trim, I also used a velveteen and satin braid trim for the sash

This kimono was made from the fabric of one of Savannah's old blouses. The front had a band with gems glued to it, it came to a point in front, that's what you see here. I cut and sewed it to the back of the kimono

I cut a portion of the band with the gem centered, to sew into the sash for the kimono

There was enough material on the blouse to also sew a kimono for Emma, I used a portion of the band, with the gem centered, to sew on the back of her kimono

Then I used the other band, with the gem centered, to make the sash. The girls love the kimonos and for Savannah it will always remind her of the fun times she wore the blouse.

Sewing Session with Granddaughters

2011-05-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ever since our granddaughter, Savannah, bought her first Pullip doll, I have been inundated with requests to make things for them. They are taller than a Barbie, but the heads are much larger and the bodies are much slimmer, with jointed wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, necks and are moveable at the shoulder and hips. They are beautiful dolls and their eyes move left and right and close.

Here is one of the first baseball caps I sewed for them. The circumference of the heads is 10 inches. This toy basketball came close so I used it for a model.

The caps are sewn using regular, cotton material and lined with a medium weight Pelon. The bill of the hat has stiff Pelon inserted between the two sewn sections of fabric. Pelon helps it hold it's shape.

Here you can see the Pelon lining inside the hat.

I call this their 'All Star' hat.

Haven't tried it on one of the dolls yet, hope it fits.

Grandma is going to have to invest in a Pullip doll so she can have a model in her sewing studio to insure proper size.

Here's a grey one made from light weight fleece.

Items made for the dolls take such a little amount of fabric. I can make three full size (8 inch length) kimonos from a quarter yard of material. A full kimono with trim would cost me approximately $1.25.

I buy fabric at our local Walmart but a lot of times I go to Goodwill, our local thrift store, where I can buy toddler or baby items very cheap and use the fabric to make doll outfits or other items.

This sleeping bag was made from material cut from a toddlers stretch pants, I lined it with a light weight fleece and stuffed it with polyester stuffing. Nice and comfy!

Mom and dad were flying back East so we drove to Oregon and picked up our two granddaughters, Alyssa left and Savannah right, and our grandcat Tom, you can figure out which one he is.

Tom loves to travel, three years ago he traveled in the van with my daughter-iin-law Becky, Savannah and Alyssa and I, from Oregon to southern California. He loved it and we got a lot of second looks as trucks whizzed by.

Savannah received a sewing machine for Christmas and I had promised some sewing lessons and time making doll outfits.

Here we are on our way back to Olympia.

Love Tom's blue eyes!

Our dining room table became 'Sewing Central". We hauled out material, trim and everything we might need.

Set up our sewing machines and after giving the basic instruction to Savannah' how to fill the bobbin, thread the needle, adjust stitches and tension and guidance on what is located where on the machine, we got busy making kimonos.

Savannah had wanted kimonos her her dolls so I sketched, measured and came up with a pattern for kimonos.

Emma, our other granddaughter came to visit her cousins while they were at our place.

Here are Emma (foreground) and Alyssa in our office playing games on the computers.

Emma also has a Pullip doll so I always sew one for her too. Alyssa had one, Lily, but sold it to Savannah.

One of the finished kimonos.

Pullip dolls come in different sizes, this is an eight and a half inch doll, the smaller one is seven and a half inches.

Boy dolls are a little larger overall and wear a kimono that is closer to nine and a half inches.

This kimono was made using the fabric from an old blouse that belonged to Savannah.

We use double fold hem tape, folded in two lengthwise and ironed, to cover the raw edges and sew it all the way around, folding at the corner to finish off.

The sash is finished with a piece of hem tape for color and small pieces of Velcro are sewn on each end for closure.

Sewing for dolls has it's interesting moments. Here is the body of one of the dolls with her head and arms removed. We were measuring arm and torso length.

She is lying on top of a toddler's pair of stretch pants that I was using to sew into outfits. A bargain at $.99. I was able to make several pair of pants and a sleeping bag for the dolls using it.

This is Violetta, modeling her new kimono, sewn from a pretty leaf pattern. I found the material, along with several other patterns and colors, sold in sets of five, at our local Big Lots store for $1.

I also find trims and other sewing supplies there, as well as Goodwill.

Violetta lies some of the wooden cats from my collection. Behind her is a hand made pottery plate with fish on it, stamped "Pike Place" for the Pike Place Market in Seattle. I won it at an auction that benefitted a school. I love it because I had an Aunt who was a barber and had her shop in the Market for years. My Husband's grandfather also was a barber and worked in a shop in the market.

Savannah's boy doll, Kyo, modeling his first kimo in our back yard.

Here are Voletta and Letti wearing their kimonos made from one of Savannah's blouses.

Violetta is wearing an 8 1/2 inch and Letti is wearing a 7 1/2 inch length. They enjoy posing together.

Looking sharp in their new kimonos, left to right; Lily, Claire and Letti.

I needed to measure Kyo so I could adjust a pattern I had made for pants, he's taller and a bit wider all around than the other dolls.

Savannah had undressed him for the measurements, when I returned, this is how I found him....completely embarrassed at having been stripped and left naked for all to see. Savannah had covered him up.

I had a good laugh! (at Kyo's expense)

This is pretty Lily, posing in her kimono, sitting in my decorative grass plant on the patio. Nice day for a photo shoot.

It was too early to put the plants outside so Violetta took the opportunity to have her picture taken on the plant stand.

It was a very productive day and we sewed a lot of kimonos. With all of the posing and picture taking, it was very tiring for the whole crew.

So they laid down on the grass to rest and talk. Left to right: Letti, Claire, Lily, Kyo and Violetta.

The girls went back home with their dolls and new clothing and grandma is still sewing. More to come! If you are interested in Pullip dolls, you can research them online at Pullip Style.

Mini Moose, from Invader Zim

2011-05-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

My granddaughter, Alyssa, requested that I crochet a purple Mini Moose for her.

I had no idea who 'Mini Moose' was, so she sent me an internet link and informed me that it was a character in a cartoon series called 'Invader Zim'.

I copied a picture of Mini Moose to my desktop and printed it so I would have something to use to compare sizes for the legs, eyes and antlers.l

Here's Mini Moose looking for his antlers.

Mini Moose found his antlers and has a 'full tooth smile' on his face.

I made the antlers from light weight, slightly stretchy, terrycloth. They were easy to stuff and soft, yet firm enough to keep their shape and stand out.

The tooth was made from soft white fleece, I sewed a little pocket and turned it right side out, both the tooth and antlers were hand sewn to the body.

Alyssa is thrilled that he is finished and I will be packing him up, along with kimonos, ruffled dresses and purses I sewed for her Sister Savanah's Pullip doll and mailing him to his anxious owner. Next request is a goldfish hat and a Panda hat.

Dr. Renee's beautiful gift

2011-05-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Don came home from the Veterinary Clinic after having our cat, Emily, hydrated. He told me that Dr. Renee had given us a dozen eggs that her chickens had laid and they were in the refrigerator.

I forgot about them and the next day when I was straightening up the refrigerator I saw the box and decided to put some of them in with the ones I already had, in the egg holder.

When I opened the carton, this is what I found...absolutely gorgeous colored eggs. Dr. Renee has Araucana chickens, they are known for the beautiful colored eggs they lay. I had never seen them personally. Being an artist and loving photography, I knew I had to use the opportunity to be creative.

This was the result. I washed and dried the eggs and arranged them on one of my favorite plates, took them out into the back yard and placed them in the fresh grass under the Douglas Firs.

It was late afternoon and sunlight was shining through the boughs, creating a dappled effect on the eggs. I loved it and was so happy with the outcome. I printed the picture on a card and the following is the thank you poem I wrote to give to Dr. Renee.

A carton of eggs, from Renee, how nice

When I opened the lid, I had to look twice

"Ohhhh my, oh wow!" was all I could say

I gazed on sheer beauty, that blew me away!

Not eggs, but gems, laid out in a row

Deserving of velvet tied with a gold bow

Just a small 'thank you', you've done your part

You've satisfied this artist's heart!

Thank you for sharing your bounty Renee

For making our Monday an 'Eggsellent day!"

Honestly, they are so pretty it will be hard to cook them. I've never had a pastel omelet.

Last of the snow, February 24, 2011

2011-03-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

The last time it snowed was the end of February. It took a few weeks to completely melt away, but then we could again see the debris that had to be cleaned up in the back yard; small branches, big limbs, pine cones and lots of needles, from the Fir trees in our back yard.

It's beautiful to look at and so quiet. I love the rounded tops on everything in the back yard.

When the bird bath freezes I take the ice out and pour slightly tepid water in the bowl, the birds love it and will drink and bathe often, we also keep the bird and squirrel feeders full.

I call these our 'snow mushrooms', the yard lights in back.

A little Junco rests on top of the bird feeder after feasting.

They're here all winter.

Our neighbor's beautiful Fir tree is even more beautiful with snow.

Douglas Fir resides in our back yard flower bed, he keeps an eye on things!

Inside the Amaryllis enjoys the brightness of a snowy day and works to finish the last of it's blooming.

We're able to get some pretty good pictures of our bird friends from our kitchen window. Here a Junco sits atop the snow covered Rhododendron and contemplates the short flight to the bird feeders.

We throw bird seed along the side of the house, under the eaves, where the snow won't cover it up. Here's one of several Mourning Doves that come regularly to feed.

Spring must be around the corner, the Crocus are poking through the snow.

Close up of the Crocus, so fresh and pretty!

One of our cats, Blue, would rather hang out on the back of the couch next to dad.

The snow melted and now it's March. One of the first Robins we saw at the feeder. Spring is definitely closer.

Jumpers and tight pants for Pullip Dolls

2011-03-13T00:22:00.000-08:00

Granddaughter, Savannah, informed me that there was a new pattern on You Tube; How to make doll outfit 3 - overall/jumper.

So I viewed the video and took notes and also found another one for a t-shirt, that had a pattern you can download. These tutorials are done by a young Chinese lady who loves Pullip dolls. Her You Tube name is yuniedhc.

You can find tutorials for the following: Maxi dress, bubble skirt, tight pants, coat, round dress, top to go with the bubble skirt and by making the tight pants shorter you can also have capris. Her tutorial videos are great and short. I typed the notes and drew pictures for each step and keep them in a three ring binder for future use.

Here are three of the overall/jumper pants and one pair of tight pants.

It takes so very little material to make these outfits that I have bought small ends of material or used garments we no longer need. I also go to the local thrift shop, Goodwill, and buy infant and children's garments that are in good condition.

The material should be light weight with a little stretch to it. The tight pants especially, should be spandex or a very stretchy cotton knit.

The overall/jumper is only six inches from top to bottom, so it takes very little material.

This pair is made from a plaid shirt I got at the thrift store, the front is made from an old blouse.

The grey pair is actually made from material I purchased at a fabric store. It is a very light weight cotton/polyester.

I bought the metal studs at the local craft store, they were originally gold but you can spray them with Krylon paint. These were sprayed with "hammered Iron" that I had on hand from spraying some metal drawer pulls

Push the points of the studs into a piece of styrofoam and spray. Let them dry completely. To add them to the material, push the points into the material and

then cover the top with a small piece of soft, thick material and squeeze them

with a pair of pliers to set them.

You can add small buttons or a belt if you choose, dress them up to your style.

Now this material has been around our house for years, tucked away in with my remnants. It is a light weight flannel and I used it, along with padding, to line the bottom of some small wooden boxes that I painted for gifts for the groomsmen at our son's wedding.

The top of the boxes slid to the side and I painted a Mallard duck on top, the colors matched the fabric. This was perfect material for the overalls. You can buy a small packet of miniature buttons at the craft store.

These are the tight pants made from stretchy, cotton knit. It has to have a pretty good deal of stretch in order to fit over the hips. Depending on the length (her pattern is full length, down to the ankles) they could be long, capri or shorts. Just leave enough for a hem.

These were made from a baby's stretch pants, probably a 1 year size, I was able to make six pair from the material.

Very tiny, these are 4 1/2 inches long. A pencil will fit in the leg.

If you know of anyone who had Pullip dolls (from Korea) tell them about these patterns. They're expensive to buy ready made.

Even buying the material in a fabric store it's inexpensive. Just your time!

Emma's poem, Trees, March 2011

2011-03-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

This is our ten year old granddaughter, Emma holding her, much loved, Pullip dolls from Korea. Pullip, in Korean, means 'Young leaf'.

Emma is a wonderful young lady and is a lot of fun to be around. She is a great conversationalist and has a great sense of humor. She has been taking a writing class at school and enjoys it very much.

She came home a few days ago and handed a poem to her mother. Amy read it and said "is this something they had you do in your writing class?" Emma explained that it wasn't done in writing class, she just got bored and decided to write something.

I think it is a beautiful poem and was touched by the obvious talent she has for expressing herself in poetry. I asked if she would let me post it on my blog and she consented. So here is Emma's poem about trees. Good job Emma!

Trees

Written March 2011

Trees are the kindest things I know,

They do no harm, they simply grow,

And spread a shade for sleepy cows,

And gather birds among their boughs.

They give us fruit in leaves above,

And wood to make our houses of,

And leaves to burn on Halloween,

And in the spring, new buds of green.

They are the first when days begun

To touch the beams of morning sun.

They are the last to hold the light,

When evening changes into night,

And when the moon floats in the sky,

They hum a drowsy lullaby.

Of sleepy children long ago,

Trees are he kindest things I know.

Our Cat Kirby

2010-10-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of our cats, Kirby. He is a little over three years old now. I rescued him from the Animal Shelter after seeing him at Pet Smart. He was so afraid. His mother and three siblings had already been euthanized. I'm so glad we found him in time. What a blessing he has been in our lives.

Kirby hid most of the time when we first brought him home, either under the bed or burrowed under the bedspread on top of the bed. Once I couldn't find him and he had crawled into the pillow case and was nestled between the pillow and the case, looking out through a small gap in the end.

Poor baby. I have no idea what he went through as a kitten, but he doesn't stay around when someone new comes into the house, he hides. He doesn't like to be picked up but he will jump up onto the couch and lie down next to me when I'm watching television. He likes to be petted and groomed and he is a real talker. He is very vocal in the mornings especially.

In this picture, he was sitting on a chair next to me, in our home office, while I worked on the computer. It was his third day at our house and he was just starting to adjust to the routine. It was getting late and I'm sure he was wondering why I wasn't in bed.

He would give me the cutest looks, like the one in the picture. His eyes have such an inquiring look in them, like he's saying...."Are you almost done?" As I write this, Kirby is rubbing against my legs and talking to me, it's almost midnight and he is wondering when I'm coming to bed, so he can settle down, on his fleece blanket, at my feet and go to sleep.

Kirby is a messy eater, he scatters his dry food in a three foot radius around his bowl. I was cleaning it up this morning and was inspired to write a poem. Here it is!

Kirby Loves To Share

By Carol Glitschka

10/12/10

Our boy cat, Kirby, loves to share

I find his cat food everywhere

On the furniture, stuck to the wall

Scattered on the carpet

halfway down the hall

Floating in his water bowl

What a sweet and gentle soul

Such a good and loving cat

To generously share his

Food like that!

Spring and early summer in Washington

2010-08-31T00:04:00.000-07:00

I love this birdhouse, it sits on the stone wall in our back yard by a small pine tree. I've re-nailed, glued and painted it for over 16 years now. Hard to believe it was painted last year.

This year it will go inside the garage and be protected from the cold, rain and dirt from the Douglas Firs.

It was made and given to me by the young son of one of the school bus drivers where I worked. He came into my office one day to give it to me, he was so proud of it, and I was so proud of him for making it. I was touched and honored that he would give it to me.

I still have it Raffy and I love it even more after all these years.

A friend of ours gave me a wonderful tip on how to keep algae from forming in your bird bath during the summer. I'm going to continue through the winter also and see if it works then too.

You cut five or six long stems of Lavender, leave the blossom on the end. Tie them all together with a slender Day Lily leaf and float them in the bird bath water after you have scrubbed and cleaned it and added fresh water.

The oil in the Lavender keeps the algae from forming in your bird bath. Here is a picture of ours with the Lavender in it. It also looks beautiful and the birds seem to like it, they will sit on it and bathe or drink. The Lavender oil doesn't hurt the birds or animals. We also have squirrels who drink here often. I've done it for three weeks now and it works great!

Our beautiful Clematis in full bloom. I love the weathered wood fencing behind it, a wonderful contrast and easy on the eyes.

They come back year after year, I cut it down to about waist high in late October. Early Spring I give it Rose fertilizer. It never lets me down with the gorgeous dark purple color and prolific flowering.

A close-up of the Clematis. One day I'm going to paint those blossoms!

Our daughter gave us a huge bucket of Day Lilies about ten years ago, I filled up this empty, neglected space at the end of our retaining wall in the back yard.

Within two years they had filled it completely and every Spring they put on a beautiful display and soften the fence line, I love the long slender leaves.

Here's a close-up of the Day Lilies. So pretty and so easy to grow.

Last year we raised the height of our back yard flower bed wall around the Douglas Fir, filled it in with good soil and I planted Hosta all around the base of the tree. They still have a lot of growing to do in able to fill the space well.

I had to get a picture of the blooms, they are so delicate and they don't last long. No aroma to speak of but they are so pretty.

Funny how the slugs will like some and not others, it's a constant battle.

I filled several pots with Hen and Chicks and put them in the flower beds and on the edges of the walls in back. Here are a couple of plants that bloomed, they are very pretty when you can see them close up.

The grandchildren thought they looked pretty funny.

The Hen and Chicks close up, I love the burgundy color on the edges of the leaves. There's a little Sedum mixed in with these and also an Ajuga, ground cover, plant.

This lone Sword Fern plant grows amidst the Day Lilies. It always looks so pretty.

Ferns have a beauty all their own, from the fronds opening up in the early spring to the full leaf waving in the breeze. I leave them all winter and cut them just before the fronds start to uncurl.

Our pink Day Lilies that grow along the side of the house at the top of the retaining wall have been so neglected. I dug most of them out years ago and moved them to other spots. These just keep coming up year after year.

So for sheer perseverance I have begun rewarding them with regular fertilizer and waterings and they have rewarded me with absolute beauty.

Thank you for the promise Lord!!

2010-08-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

I'LL KNOW HER

By Carol Glitschka, July 2010

SOME DAY WE'LL MEET AGAIN

I'LL KNOW HER, I'VE NOT A DOUBT

SHE NEVER SPOKE A WORD TO ME

AND WHEN SHE DOES, I'LL KNOW HER

I TREASURE THE WARMTH OF HER SKIN

HER VOICE NEVER TOUCHED MY EAR

NO CONVERSATIONS WERE SHARED

YET I HOLD HER MEMORY DEAR

ONCE WE WERE SO VERY CLOSE

SHARING EACH BEAT OF THE HEART

OH, I'LL KNOW HER WHEN WE MEET

THOUGH IT'S YEARS WE'VE BEEN APART

THEN I'LL HOLD HER IN MY ARMS AGAIN

THE GATES OF HEAVEN OPEN WIDE

I'LL KNOW MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER

THAT I CARRIED WITH JOY AND PRIDE

To my daughter, Vaun Laurie - July 11 - 13, 1964

Babyland, Evergreen-Washelli

Camping Donuts

2010-08-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Our granddaughters, Savannah and Alyssa, making 'camping donuts' in our kitchen.

Savannah has on her camouflage outfit, she was going with her family to her dad's friend's house for a paint ball shooting day.

I had told the girls about the times we had made 'camping donuts' when our kids were young and we were camping.

Savannah and Alyssa's dad is our youngest son, Von.

The girls had always wanted to make the 'camping donuts' so they emailed me ahead of their arrival and I had all of the items ready for the project.

The only difference, and it's a big one, is that we weren't camping, weren't in the great 'out-of-doors'' doing this with a 'Camping Donut Kit'.

I'll give you instructions on how to put the kit together to take camping with you. You can use

it over and over again. Kids love it!!!

Here are the finished 'Camping Donuts'. They are delicious and the kids ate them faster than I could make them when we were at the campsite.

Here's how you prepare a 'Camping Donut Kit'.

You'll need a 3 lb. and a 1 lb. coffee can, both empty, save the lids, you'll reuse them over and over again. You'll also need tongs to remove the hot donuts.

You'll need some chicken wire, enough that when crunched up will fit in the bottom of the 3 lb. coffee can from side to side and an inch high.

Charcoal briquettes, bbq lighter fluid, matches, a can punch, and the 1 lb. coffee can filled to within an inch and a half of the top with vegetable shortening.

Punch four holes, evenly spaced, in the sides, at the bottom, of the 3 lb. can. These are for air distribution.

Crunch up the chicken wire so it fits the width of the 3 lb. can and is about an inch high. Place in the bottom of the can. Put a box of matches inside and put the lid on the can. Keep, along with a bag of briquettes, in with the camping gear. I put a note on the outside of the can to not forget the shortening can.

Fill the 1 lb. can with shortening to within an inch and a half of the top and put the lid on. Keep refrigerated until it is time to go camping.

You will need several tubes of inexpensive country biscuits. Keep in your cooler. A paper bag with a 2 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.

At the campsite, when you are ready for donuts; choose a safe place, an open area with dirt or a flat rock. Take the lids off the cans and save them. Put some briquettes on top of the chicken wire in the 3 lb. can, sprinkle with bbq lighter fluid, light and wait until they are glowing and ashy.

Place the 1 lb. can of shortening on top of the hot briquettes inside the 3 lb. coffee can. Let the vegetable shortening melt and become hot and bubbly, this will take about a half hour to 40 minutes. While the shortening is heating, open several tubes of biscuits and cut each biscuit in fourths.

When the shortening is hot and bubbly, carefully drop the cut biscuit pieces into the hot fat, about five or six at a time. Turn with a metal slotted spoon or the tongs and fry until they are golden brown and puffy. Remove with the tongs, put into the bag with the cinnamon and sugar, shake and remove to a plate. Continue for as long as you like, or until you run out of biscuits.

Carefully remove the shortening can from the 3 lb. can using oven mitts and the tongs, place on dirt or a rock to cool. Cover when completely cool.

Empty the charcoal briquettes into the campfire pit, or if you will be leaving, douse with water to be sure they are completely out. Let the 3 lb. can cool and put the 1 lb. can inside of it and put on the lid. Enjoy!! They're also fun to make at home using the deep fat fryer. You can also use a small cutter to cut holes in each of the biscuits. Then you will have regular donuts and donut holes. Refrigerate the shortening when you get home. The shortening can be used up to ten times without replacing.

Granddaughters and Pullip Dolls

2010-08-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Granddaughter, Savannah, turned sixteen this year Here she is opening some of her gifts.

The birthday party was in a local park where they live in Oregon. The weather was perfect, the kids played 'Capture The Flag' and some other games, hung out, visited and we all had cake and ice cream.

Savannah is the first of our granddaughters to have a Pullip doll, from Korea. Pullip, in Korean means 'Young Leaf'. Savannah named her doll Violetta.

Aidan, our grandson, had a great time at the party, he enjoys playing with the older kids.

Aidan could care less about Pullip dolls.

Granddaughters Emma (Aidan's sister) and Alyssa (Savannah's sister), at the birthday party.

They really enjoy each other's company and have a great time together. Alyssa also has a Pullip doll and Emma is saving up to buy one soon.

This is leading up to 'The rest of the story!'

Savannah soon discovered a U Tube site, by a Korean girl, with tutorials on how to make clothes for Pullip dolls.

You know what that means.....'get ready grandma!' So, here I am in my Pullip Doll Design Studio. Our living room, with the ironing board as a sewing table (works extremely well) Surrounded by fabric, lace, trim, elastic, floral decorations, cord, pins, thread, measuring tape and scissors.

Would you believe the little pink square I hold in my hand is the 'top' for the dress I'm sewing? Yes, they are small, but easy to make, thank goodness!!

We also discovered that we could make clothes from girls socks. Medium weight, colorful, cotton knit are the easiest to use. If the sock is too heavy the seams are too bulky.

The top, finished edge of the sock becomes the bodice of the strapless dresses, or the waist for pants that are made.

The two "Hello Kitty" dresses are the tops of socks, I sewed a pink cord in front at the top to tie around the doll's neck.

The striped 'hat' is the toe of the sock, the top is made from the heel of the sock, a hole is cut on the edge of the heel for the doll's neck. The pants are made from the body of the sock, one sock, one complete outfit. I reinforce at the ends of all seams.

Here is Savannah's doll, Violetta, with an outfit made from a turquoise and white striped sock.

Hat, top and pants. They are so cute!!

And they're fun to make also.

These are two of the dresses I made following the instructions from the tutorial instructions I got on youtube at www.youtube.com/yunledhc

The pictures are captioned and you can stop and start the video to write the instructions. You watch as she sews the item step by step.

I used a light weight cotton fabric, sewed velcro for a closure in back, added the pink cord to the front of the top (on the inside) to tie around the doll's neck.

I bought small purple bows and attached them with fabric glue. Rick rack was sewn on the skirt before closing the vertical seam in back.

Here is the creamy yellow dress with a floral design. I sewed lace around this one.

After the dress is completely finished, you can hold it at the top and twist the entire dress, as if squeezing water out of it. You twist it very tightly.

The video suggested even twisting and putting it under a heavy object such as a book to set the wrinkles, or iron it when it is twisted. it gives a crepe look to the fabric. I haven't done it here.

But I do like the look!

Here are three 'sock toe' hats.

If you don't like the look of the brim when it is rolled up (it shows the wrong side of the sock), you can cut the toe of the sock a little longer, turn the material back into the sock and sew it in place, then turn the end out and up and the right side of the material will be showing.

As shown here, you can add small flowers, bows, buttons (like the large orange and white one shown) or decorative trim, beads, anything you like.

This is a dress that Savannah made from a stocking. She told me that it took her over an hour to sew it, since she had to do it by hand with a needle and thread.

We can do an entire outfit, hat, top and slacks in about 20 minutes using a sewing machine.

Looks like there may be a sewing machine in Savannah's future.

She did a wonderful job. Savannah has also hand sewn animal plushies, using fleece and buttons for eyes. She makes them for her friends, what a talented granddaughter we have.

Here's a variety of clothing we sewed one evening using various socks.

Voletta is wearing some in the upper right corner. The others are slacks and the pink, white and black one is a strapless dress.

The knit material doesn't unravel easily. The items are easy to put on and take off.

Here is a knit material, with Spandex in it, that I sewed into a bathing suit. This was another tutorial I followed on the yuniedhc site.

Very easy and it looks so cute on the doll. I need to make several more, hopefully I'll get the shape of the top pieces closer to what they should be, lol

The girls went home yesterday, I left the machine up and the supplies out, so today I sewed two more dresses.

Here's the pink one, very delicate and pretty, I love the addition of the silk flowers on the bodice.

Here's the yellow one.

Each dress takes ten minutes to cut out and about twenty five minutes to sew, add the velcro, ribbon and flower.

So each project is quick and you don't feel like you're laboring all day to get something done. That's why I've enjoyed it so much.

The girls were here earlier in August for their grandpa's birthday party.

We have squirrels in our back yard, they come to the door for hand-outs. Savannah decided to put Violetta in the middle of the back yard and have her give out the peanuts.

She is wearing the dress and hat that Savannah made, and waiting for Buddy to show up.

This isn't Buddy, it's one of the other squirrels,

Alyssa added her doll, Lily to the scene. The squirrel decided that he could trust them, they didn't make any sudden moves, so he helped himself to the goodies.

Savannah and I decided that Violetta needed to have a photo session for her portfolio.

Here's Voletta in the Lemon Balm on the back step.

Voletta in the Petunias. Love her hair!

Savannah didn't care for the wig she had when she came, so she saved her money and bought the long burgudy one, good choice!

Close up of Violetta in the Petunias. She's very photogenic don't you think?

Violetta by the Crane statue.

Savannah holding Violetta. It's been a fun experience having Pullip dolls around. Today I purchased material to make a coat for the dolls, another tutorial from yuniedhc.

They are absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to get them finished and post them here. I thank her for all of her beautiful clothing.

Christmas in the Village

2009-12-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

A Christmas village is something our grandchildren always look forward to each year. I'm more than happy to supply that good memory for them because i love it as much as they do.

December is a wonderful time to start checking Goodwill and thrift stores for 'village' houses and figurines, I also buy them after Christmas when they are marked way down.

Michael's also will have after Christmas sales, that's where I bought the winter tree that has little lights in the branches.

I push lights up into the inside of the houses also.

Use a mirror under the buffalo snow for a skating pond, I also like to sprinkle some plastic snow here and there, some of it has Diamond Dust glitter mixed in and it looks so pretty when it reflects the colored lights.

I have a lot of different skaters, the more the merrier.

Goodwill has wonderful prices for Christmas items, you have to look for quality but I found it was very easy. Over the years I have bought houses and figurines to supply our grandchildren with villages of their own.

The reindeer stable, bakery and Santa's workshop, all hand painted. I get the figurines usually at bargain stores, like big Lots, always after Christmas when they are on sale.

I also check Goodwill regularly during Christmas, you can buy them very cheap there and they have some really nice ones.

I do the same at Easter and Halloween, you would be surprised what you can find there.

I purchase fabric, brand new and furniture, because I love refinishing furniture or repurposing other items by painting and also decorative painting them.

I also find a lot of tupperware items there, very inexpensive compared to what you would pay to the company.

This was one of the first porcelain houses I painted, the bakery. I used acrylic paint, water based, fast drying and easy clean up. I put 'snow' on the roof and chimney (out of a jar), added glitter and used a gloss vanish for shine and reflection of the lights.

It is so much fun putting the village together every year. Nothing goes in the same place twice, that's what makes it so much fun, you can be creative and do whatever you want.

The grandchildren always inspect the village when they come and find the figures they like the best.

It's also fun to get a few new figures and put them here and there for them to find.

I sometimes will buy extras and give them to the kids to take home with them.

How fun it is to build a Christmas village. Mine started when I painted several porcelain houses; a bakery, Santa's workshop, the reindeer stall, a church (pictured here) and many others.

I have a long buffet in the dining room where I put small twinkling lights, buffalo snow and my houses and figurines. I didn't have anything like it when growing up so I have accomplished recouping a part of my lost childhood, lol!

I love evenings, when I can turn off the room lights, turn on the village lights and enjoy the sight.

Now this could get very expensive but I am a bargain shopper and my motto is "NEVER pay full price".

Merry Christmas to all!

Family and decorations

2009-12-14T20:15:00.001-08:00

Christmas wouldn't be as much fun without our grandchildren. This is Nate and his cousin Alyssa, unwrapping presents with the help of Schultz our grand dog. Taken a couple of years ago at Nate's house.

Ribbon and torn paper, open boxes, laughter, whoops of happiness, warm hugs and kisses, lots of thank you's, that makes Christmas special.

Schultz is gone now, died just three months ago, we miss him. You can see a video of him by a pond where they walked him. It's on Utube "Birthday Schultz", when I think of him I view the video and remember the fun times. We have lost a lot of animals over the years, our Jenny, a sheltie/Beagle mix and our daughter's Jenny, named after our dog, a Beagle, just a week after we lost our Betsy, last November. They are so much a part of our lives. It hurts just as much losing your grand dogs as it does your own. We did a lot of dog and cat sitting over the years too.

Our granddaughter, Emma, a few years ago. She is relaxing in our glider rocker. Happy and content with her jammies and stuffed animal.

She set up a bed for our dog in front of the fireplace.

I laugh when I look at the fireplace. It used to be that awful red brick with insets of charcoal and black bricks here and there. And the fireplace doors were brass and burn stained on the bottom. I changed all of that when my husband went to San Diego to visit our son and his family. I had my turn earlier and stayed home to care for our elderly animals.

I primed and painted the fireplace and the screen. It was in the 90's, whew! was I ever hot. Check out the results in one of my posts, "What not to do on a hot August day", to see how great it looks now. What a makeover!

Our grandson, Aidan, with his school Christmas craft. The wings on his angel are copies of his hands. He was so proud of his creation and we were too.

this was a couple of years ago at their home.

Aidan is all boy, loves his skateboard and is very good, has great coordination and balance. Most of the boys on the cul de sac where he lives are a few years older. i think it's rubbed off on him.

He also loves computer games and his Gameboy. Kids now are growing up with technology we never dreamed of.

I'm an 'old grandma' but I am always challenged to learn new things and absolutely love my Mac!

I'll still be creating when I'm 90, Lord willing. There's still a lot to learn.

The bathroom gets a garland of evergreen, cones and wired ribbon, special candles and Christmas figurines here and there.

I wonder if there isn't a Christmas print toilet tissue available, lol!

Every room in the house has some kind of decoration. I have a brother, Pat, who is mentally handicapped, he is 58. Pat spends all of the holidays with us and i always decorate the room he sleeps in, to the hilt. Lights, village houses and figures, nutcrackers, Christmas runners etc. He loves it and always leaves the twinkling lights on all night. He is a gentle soul and so much fun to have around. Our parents are gone and he is my 7th child.

Every year I put our picnic bench below the kitchen window, outside on the walk to our front door. I run a string of colored, twinkling lights over the top, cover them with evergreen boughs, cedar, pine, holly and even Sword fern leaves, spray with snow and sprinkle on some Diamond dust (a clear multi-colored, like oil on wet pavement, glitter)

I put a nativity set in the center, a french horn, bulbs and other decorations on top.

At night it glows and twinkles and the lights from the eaves reflect on it also, It creates a very warm and welcome sight for visitors. And it isn't hard nor costly.

A wreath hung on the outside of the house always adds a warm welcome. This one also has lights on it and is very pretty at night.

Big Lots is a great place to buy decorations, pretty and inexpensive.

I use a lot of evergreen boughs, we live in an area where, usually, there is a wind storm the end of November or early in December. It provides me with a lot of supply for decorating. I also have Juniper Tams, a small Pine and a long needle pine in the back yard that I planted. All of the different textures are beautiful when combined in arrangements. Especially when sprayed and sprinkled with Diamond Dust.

You can use any container to do an arrangement for your porch or step, the overhanging boughs hide the container. Or you can always spray paint a large cottage cheese container with gold or some other color.

Put rocks in the container, about a third full, add some water, this will also act as a weight. Collect fallen branches, you can use Juniper Tam branches also. Place them in the container, spray with canned snow, sprinkle with glitter.

You can then add any decorations you desire, cones, Christmas bulbs or ornaments, ribbon etc.

Of course, I always have our iron cat sitting by the arrangement to greet visitors.

Christmas at home

2009-12-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

Ah Christmas, a wonderful, heart warming and special time of the year.

I love the lights of Christmas, both outside and inside. We have the lights up on the house, wrapped around the Ivy on the lamp post and draped over all the bushes around the front and down the side.

I used to put twinkling lights around the inside of all of the windows in the bedrooms but with our new windows and blinds there isn't enough room, so they are now outside.

I have a lot of decorating to do before the week is done and it is always a joy to see how happy the grandchildren are when they see it all.

I don't think there is anything more soothing and relaxing than the soft glow of lights on the Christmas tree at night. Turn off the room lights, pour yourself a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy the view.

Kids love it, the cats love it and we do too.

It's even better when you have a fire in the fireplace to crackle and put you in the Christmas spirit.

We wish for you all a wonderful, relaxing and spirit filled Christmas.

Remember, it is the celebration of Christ's birth and the wonderful promise of forgiveness and salvation and life everlasting.

Can you imagine what Christmas in heaven must be like? Merry Christmas moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, grandparents and children who have gone before us.

Have a wonderful Christmas and God bless you.

I love decorating at Christmas, not just for myself, we have 19 grandchildren and they are always so happy to see the decorations and enjoy each other's company. I buy one new, special ornament each year. I like our Tillamook cow, we bought him at the Tillamook Dairy operation in Oregon several years ago when we toured the facility.

He hangs with his dangly legs to bring smiles to our faces.

I have decorations my children made over 40 years ago in their classrooms at school. Decorations the neighbor children made and gave me as gifts. Lots of memories.

Christmas is decorations and family, worship and singing, cookies and special meals, gifts and laughing and all of it is a gift from our Lord.

Can you tell we love animals? We presently have four cats Mylo, Blue a Siamese/Burmese mix 12, Emily a black and white Tuxedo cat 15, who I found in the street with her babies and Kirby an orange striper who I rescued from Pet Smart, he is 3 now. All were strays, all are neutered and spayed and have their shots and regular checkups. Please take care of your pets, they depend on you.

So it isn't any surprise that this is one of my favorite ornaments of several cat ones that we own.

Does he look comfy? This is Mylo, our big fluffball of love. What a laid back guy he is and his favorite place at Christmas is laying under the tree, he loves the warmth and the lights; my tree skirt doesn't love the fur!

Mylo is now 12 years old, we've had him for 9 years. He showed up as a young boy and kept hanging around our house, he would sleep in the beauty bark behind one of our Rhododendrons. We were told he belonged to a neighbor.

After treating several wounds and taking him to our vet for treatment, I got mad, had him neutered, got his shots, went to the neighbor to tell them only to find out he wasn't theirs. He's been here ever since.

Our little Yorkie/Doxie mix dog, Betsy, was 14 years old in this picture. She was so patient with me when I set up her Christmas photo session. The look tells me "what the heck does she think she's doing"? She didn't understand the ribbon around her neck nor the reason she was sitting on the end table.

Being the loving little sweetheart she was, she went along with all the fussing and I was able to get this darling picture of her, I'm thankful because we lost her just a little over a year ago.

We had her for almost 7 years, she was eleven when we got her. I will never understand why people take animals and then get rid of them. We gave her seven great years of love and care.

Christmas is almost here

2009-12-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming, a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My husband and I sing in the choir at church and have been practicing for a couple of months. I was glad to discover that most of the songs we had sung before and were comfortable with, otherwise I would have had to spend hours going through my Alto part in my mind, humming it until it became the 'melody' to me. I don't read music so I have the pianist play the Alto part and I record it, much easier to learn.

It was time to bring out the decorations and that's what sparked my creative bent. Now that I am retired I have a little more time for the creative things I've always wanted to do. One of the projects this year was to do my own Christmas cards using my painting and poetry.

This is a 'triptych" meaning three/fold. Three panels with pictures, designs or carvings, hinged so that the two side panels may be folded over the central one. They were originally used as an altar piece.

Mine is painted wood, with the birth of Christ as the central theme. On the outside panels the roses signify purity, the heart, love and the Dove the Holy Spirit. I can't believe this painting is already 27 years old, painted in 1982.

When open the painting in the middle is of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus with the animals, chickens and Angels, dangling little hearts, looking on.

The left panel depicts Calvary, the right, the town of Bethlehem, Jesus birth place.

The entire piece was based with a green/black and the design painted with soft washes and transparent side-loads of color; the dark background provides the shading.

The routed edges were painted Red Iron Oxide and then given a coat of Antique Gold bronzing powder mixed with varnish. The entire piece was varnished

several times with a satin water based varnish.

I had also painted the same design on a large card for our church several years ago. I decided I would use this as the design for my Christmas card so I scanned it into my computer, added the scripture from Isaiah 9:6 at the top.

I printed it on half-fold card stock and put the verse I have composed inside.

You can get wonderful deals on card stock and envelopes on eBay I ordered 500 of each and do all of my own cards for birthdays, anniversaries, get well, just for fun, etc. It's fun and counting the large color cartridge I use for printing, they cost me just .54 cents each.

Try it, you can use photographs you take yourself, add 'talk bubbles' to the people, it's a lot of fun.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. God bless you all.

Here is the verse I wrote and put inside the card.

The Lights Of Christmas

12/12/09

Across the land at Christmas

Slowly now, begins the glow

Celebrating the Christ child's birth

The twinkling, colored lights below

Soon there comes a glorious sound

Angels bend their heads to hear

Thousands of choirs praising God

With heartfelt thanks and music dear

Those familiar, beloved, songs of old

Like heavenly Angel wings unfurled

To lift the spirit and excite the soul

Spread joy and hope across the world

Our wonderful God, Creator, Father

Love, forgiveness and salvation imparts

And gazes with pleasure on His children

Who celebrate Christmas in their hearts

God's Christmas gift is yours for the taking

The God who loves you, bids you come

Accept, believe and worship the King

That babe in the manger was Jesus, His son

End of summer 2009

2009-11-14T11:55:00.001-08:00

I've ignored my Blog far too long, so will start with a few short posts.

Summer is definitely over, this morning it was 30 degrees, slightly foggy with frost on the ground. I cleaned out the bird feeders yesterday, after days of rain the seed had cemented together and I'm sure the birds were frustrated.

I need to get out and clean up the garden, it has long since shriveled up and died. This was the last of the crop this year. I brought in a couple dozen tomatoes that were green and they are ripening in a paper bag in one of the kitchen cupboards.

We enjoyed tomatoes, cucumber, regular and lemon, green peppers and zucchini.

This morning we had one of the Doves, Juncos, Finches, Chickadees and Sparrows enjoying their breakfast.

Until later, God bless!

Scandinavian what?

2008-12-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know where this came from? I assume it is Scandinavian in design. I am curious about the construction and what it's use might have been. if you know, please post a comment. I have named him Gunnar and he graces my kitchen counter where I can enjoy seeing him every day.

I purchased this little gem at a local thrift shop for next to nothing, just because I liked it. Whoever painted it had fun, they didn't care if the dots were even or evenly spaced or all the same size or it was a production piece that was just whipped out to keep up with the quota, whatever - I think it's great!

Being a painter, I've painted on just about every type of surface and object; canvas, masonite, matte board, wood, boxes, plates, saw blades, wooden animals, you name it. I am not what I consider a 'loose' painter, I am very methodical and neat. Maybe that's what I like about the painting on this horse, it is free and flowing and it gives the eye even more to look at. Because even though parts of the design are all the same, each one is a little different.

It is made from wood and there is a small rise, as you can see, on the saddle. The wheels actually turn and the axles are small square pieces of wood that have been glued and nailed to the underside.

The painted design extends over the rump and a black tail has been painted. Slightly down from the rise of the saddle you can see a small spot on the white portion, this is a nail that enables the top of the horse to swivel open.

I took this picture so you could see the small metal hook that hangs down from the bottom of the neck and attaches to a small nail that protrudes from the lower portion.

Here is an overhead view of the inside of the horse, with a round hole in front that is 7/8 ths of an inch in diameter and 7/8 ths inch deep. There is a rectangular area that is 1"X2" and 5/8 ths inches deep. It was carved with a hand-held drill, there are small bit holes, one at the bottom of the circle and two at the base of the rectangle about 7/8 ths inch apart.

The horse is white and the decorative painting is done in red, black, green and white, with gold for the halter, harness, wheel spokes and around the saddle and blanket.

The horse is aged and dirty and I wouldn't think of cleaning it, that's part of the charm. There are no identification marks to be found anywhere. The wood both on the axles and underside of the bottom and also the underside of the top portion are rough, with ridges.

I don't believe it is an antique and probably not very old. I would just like to know what it was used for and is it Swedish,Norwegian, Finnish, Danish? Do you know?

Our Christmas Snow, 2008

2008-12-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

I love the outside lights at Christmas, especially when it snows!

I wound twinkling, colored lights around the ivy on our light post and tied bows at the top It looks like a small Christmas tree next to our driveway.

My husband, Don, getting his winter exercise. I'm thinking he would rather be in the warm house eating Christmas cookies.

I took this from the garage. What a job, and that's only half the driveway! Who has time to make a snowman?

This is a shot that is a first, We used to have a huge Juniper Tam hedge all across the front of our property. We removed it this fall (that's another post)

We have bird feeders and it is such fun to watch them. Snow makes it difficult for them. This is one of our visitors sitting in our Ornamental Plum tree out front.

We sprinkle seed all along the side of the house, under the eaves, where the snow can't cover it. The birds flit in and out of the Rhododendrons, and our trees. We have hundreds of them every day and can watch them from the kitchen window. Jays, Thrushes, Sparrows, Junco's and a resident Dove we call 'Dovey'.

The Ornamental Plum, beautiful with it's coat of snow.

The bird feeder, actually we have two, one of them froze and the chain broke. We sprinkle the seed behind this Rhododendron.

A beautiful Junco atop the frozen snow on our Rhododendron

The squirrel feeder in back needs to be refilled every day, they are experts at emptying it. They traverse over the fence tops and in the trees, none are on the ground, the snow is too deep. I miss the interaction I had with them during the summer and fall.

The lights around the flower bed in back look like mushrooms now. I love the different shapes when it snows.

Everything is covered in the back yard, the ferns and Pine had to be brushed off or they would have collapsed.

Snow, beautiful snow!! We are definitely having a White Christmas. It started snowing on December 18th and has snowed on and off ever since. A snow-covered world is so soothing to view and everything is calm and quiet.

Yes, you have driveways and walks to shovel, it's harder to get around and there is always the possibility of flooding when it thaws; but it has it's good side too. It forces you to finish those inside chores you've put off way too long, slows your life down to a manageable pace and provides you with time to reflect on what is really important, your life, family, friends, the beauty of God's creation and His love for you!

Get on your boots, winter wear and gloves and go out and build a snowman!

Christmas of 2008

By Carol Glitschka 12/24/08

The driveway now is shoveled

Don has had his fun

The lights are up and lit

The baking is all done.

Reindeer, lit, are taking off

From the roof of Alan and Shar

Snow is muffling all the noise

Of kids and dogs and car.

Seed is scattered on the ground

So all the birds can eat

The squirrel box is filled

With a Christmas treat.

Roast turkey, stuffing and gravy

Homemade rolls with butter

So many different pies

It sets your heart a-flutter.

The twinklig lights say "welcome"

The driveway is all clear

But no one will be coming

There's too much snow this year!

Charolais Bull Sign

2008-11-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Oils on plywood, May 1978

When I first started painting in 1973 I used only oils. I appreciated the slow drying time and the ability to work the colors longer and blend them well. I painted in oils for years until I started experiencing some allergy problems and switched to acrylics.

This is one of the largest projects I worked on using oils. A friend of mine, who was also a fellow painter, had owned land where she and her husband lived. They decided to raise some Charolais cattle and asked if I would paint a sign for them.

Her husband cut and sanded the wood and set it up on sawhorses in their barn for me to paint. It measured six feet wide by four feet tall Thankfully the weather was warm and comfortable for the time it took to paint it.

I gave the board several coats of a dark blue acrylic paint and sprayed the dried surface with Matte finish for a good painting surface.

I took pictures of their Charolais bull and using large rolls of tracing paper, that were cut and taped together to match the size of the board, I sketched the outline of the bull and then transferred it to the painted background using a white, artists, transfer paper.

I had to use much larger, flat brushes for such a large project. To base the body I used a regular, soft bristle, paint brush like you would use to do trim in the house. I worked on a section at a time starting with the head, applying shading, highlights, color and blending.

The whole project took me several days to complete, but was such a pleasure to work on.

Here's A Puzzle For You To Solve

2008-11-02T23:35:00.000-08:00

I just posted this last night and already I have an answer from both my garden website and one of the comments on my Blog. 'Anonymous" on the garden site and "Slightlylooney" who commented on the Blog said it was a Wild Cucumber; Marah Macrocarpeae. I looked it up o the internet and "Bingo" that is exactly what it is. Thank you so much!! The puzzle is solved after six months of searching for an answer. Such interesting information on this plant. It grows from January through April. I picked the one I had in May.

Would you believe it sometimes has a hundred pound root?

It's also nice to know that people actually do view my Blog. Thank you, that is very much appreciated!!

Do you have a clue what this plant is? If you do, please leave a comment. At the bottom of this posting click on the comment box and type in what you know about the plant. I would really appreciate it.

I am on a wonderful gardening site and have posted it there also but haven't discovered yet what it is. Looking forward to your comments!!

In May of 2008 I made a trip to Jamul, CA, a suburb of San Diego, to visit my children and grandchildren. My three grandchildren and I had gone for a walk and when we returned to the house we were looking at some of the trees growing by the patio when I discovered a vine growing through the tree that had the pod, in the picture above, hanging from it. I had never seen anything like it before. We picked it and waited until mom and dad came home to ask them what it was. They didn't know either.

So I brought the pod home with me and immediately took these pictures of it. I searched the internet for a clue, choosing different subjects; California plants, pods, spiny pods, gourds etc. I didn't find anything that looked like it. Jamul is in the hill country about forty minutes from downtown San Diego. It is very dry and gets hot.

The pod measured four inches long by three inches wide. The spines were very pointy and bent in different directions. You could handle it, they weren't extremely sticky.

I placed the pod on the buffet and pretty much forgot about it. A week later when I was cleaning I found that the bottom end, opposite the stem, had burst open. The inside, as you can see, was white, soft and moist. There were four chambers with beige colored seeds in each chamber. The seeds were smooth and shiny and had a little darker brown on one end. Altogether there were 12 seeds.

I imagine when they burst while hanging on the vine, the seeds would drop to the ground, into the dead foliage, dirt, etc. that is under the tree, sprout and grow. I tried placing them in a pot on top of dirt and covering them with leaves. I placed the pot in the direct sun but nothing happened. I'm sure that Pacific Northwest weather is not even close to the heat they have in Jamul. I was a little disappointed they didn't do anything.

Hot From The Oven

2008-11-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to put these together but had never taken a picture of my cinnamon rolls until now. Love digital photography!! I did the painting in 1978, it was done with oils on masonite and still hangs in my dining room. It is a constant reminder of all the times I have made cinnamon rolls.

The cinnamon rolls were made in October 2008 only I didn't have to sign or date them, they didn't last long enough. :-) We were having a new furnace installed the next day so I made a batch large enough to share with the installers and I also took some to our neighbors across the street as a thank you for loaning us their electric heater.

I love baking cinnamon rolls, the wonderful aroma of yeast bread and cinnamon, the pleasure of having something warm straight from the oven; and in this situation, without a furnace, it kept the kitchen and dining room toasty for a while.

The poem I wrote in November of 2005. It only took me thirty years to get the painting, cinnamon roll pictures and poem together; Now I'm satisfied!

Baking Time

The coffee is perking gently in the pot

The oven is on and getting hot

The counters are clean for the fun to begin

And I'm still searching for the rolling pin.

Before I mix I must grease the pans

It's hard to do later, with dough on your hands.

Pre-heating the oven is always wise

The heat it exudes helps the dough rise.

Bowls for mixing, cups to measure

Some used for years, a real baker's treasure

The big wooden spoon looks old and beat

It's had years of experience at mixing each treat.

A most wonderful aroma begins to lurk

The dough is covered and the yeast is at work

Punch down and knead gently, form into rolls

Add butter, sugar, cinnamon; line them in rows.

Into the oven slide the dough-laden pans

A masterpiece from the baker's hands

A pinch of salt, powdered sugar and heavy cream

Add a spoonful of vanilla for glaze that's supreme.

Pour a fresh cup of coffee or a tall glass of cold milk

The rolls set before you have a texture like silk

With butter and smiles the rolls they consume

Just a hint of cinnamon is left in the room.

Beauty In The Garden 2008

2008-11-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

Early in the year, sometimes as soon as February, the Crocus push their way up and out of their winter bed and smile at the sky. I love to see the appearance each year of my Crocus, it tells me that spring is right around the corner and the daffodils, tulips and Ajuga will be blooming soon.

Soon my tulips are pushing through the soil, with their lovely green leaves and long stems standing at attention. The flowers soon open with the help of the sunlight and nod in the gentle breeze. A beautiful carpet of Periwinkle Blue Ajuga stocks covers the flower bed, a sight to behold.

And Sean is ready with his shovel to plant, transplant and weed. A gift from my daughter Amy and grandchildren Emma and Aidan.

Soon the Lilac tree in back is budding and the buds turn into large clumps of gorgeous, fragrant Lilacs. The Lilacs only last a few weeks, especially when we have spring showers. I take full advantage of the season and have bouquets of fresh Lilac in the house the whole time.

There isn't an air freshener on the market that can take the place of a large bouquet of Lilacs. The fragrance is wonderful but the beauty of the flowers is calming as well.

For our dog Betsy, nothing is more relaxing than being able to lay on the grass in the warm sun.

I don't cut the leaves back in the fall on my Sword Fern. During the summer they change from yellow-green to medium green and then to a dark green. They stay green all winter and are so nice to have in the garden. It is important, in the spring, to know when to cut them back so I check the base of the leaves almost every day. At the base, new fronds are forming, all closed up like the fingers on a fist. I cut the old leaves before the fronds start unfurling. Then it is so much fun to watch the new growth open up and stretch into beautiful new, fresh, yellow-green foliage.

The ferns are unfurled and growing and Blue is checking to see if I remembered to change the water in the birdbath. He gets several drinks a day and loves to curl up between the birdbath and ferns to nap and watch the birds and squirrels. He has given up thinking he can catch them. The squirrels are so used to him they ignore him.

Another of my favorites, the Licorice Fern, or Black Fern. The stems are black and the fern is delicate and lacy. It is in the perfect location where it has enough light but is also protected from the wind. It has to be cut to the ground in late fall, but come spring it pops back up again to keep us company.

This is Mylo, one of our buddies. He is a very loving and laid-back guy. He is between the Ivy and the California Lilies, one of his favorite spots. It is nice and cool on warm days and out of the way where no one can bother him.

Mr Frog plays his French horn by my giant Hosta. The Hosta has beautiful light lavender blossoms. Sometimes it grows so big it covers Mr. Frog and I have to rescue him. He inspired a poem, can't remember if I posted it in my blog, I'll have to look. If not, I may come back and post it here.

I found the poem that I wrote in 2006 here it is:

Play Your French Horn Froggy

7/25/2006

Relaxing in the garden

Early in the morn

Froggy by the Hosta

Tooting on his horn.

Work, or stay and listen

Decision leaves me torn

He sits, as the leaves

His little head adorn.

Lovely garden music

I could never stay forlorn

Froggy's played his tunes

Since the day that he was born.

As spring passes into summer the plants begin to mature and together they paint a beautiful picture that is soothing and calming to the eye. On the fence next to thermometer is a squirrel feeder. I am so glad we started feeding the squirrels, they have been such a joy. I have heard from so many people what a pest they are. I don't view them as a pest, they are so much fun to have around and are so smart and inventive. It is a commitment on your part if you feed squirrels and birds, you have to remember to fill the feeders regularly and keep them clean. It isn't fair to start and then stop, they depend on you.

Here is one of my squirky friends. They are a constant source of smiles, laughs and entertainment, and yes - I know it's a bird feeder! The squirrels and birds have worked out a good arrangement, they get along just fine. If the squirrel is on the feeder it usually knocks plenty of food onto the grass for the birds. When the birds are on the feeder the squirrels feed on the ground.

Any position will do as long as he can eat at the same time. We have since added another feeder next to this one, it has a slanted roof that the squirrels can grasp at the top with their back feet. They hang down from the roof and are just the right length to be right next to the seed tray. You can't beat that!

Of course, if you become friends with the 'squirrel feeder filler' you get special attention. This is my friend "Buddy". The first time I offered him a peanut I thought his neck was going to snap he held it out so far and his little eyes were so squinted he could hardly see, he was so afraid of me. But he gingerly, and very quickly, took the peanut and ran. After a few months he knew I wouldn't hurt him.

Now he climbs up onto the top of the bird feeder to look into the window and almost waves to me to let me know he's there. He loves apple slices with peanut butter. I feel so privileged to have his friendship.

The Arrival of Fall 2008

2008-11-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Every fall we look forward to the changing colors all around us. It is amazing how fast this sometimes happens and how different the colors can look depending on the time of the day or the way the sun reflects on the foliage.

Just over the fence in our back yard is our neighbor's Maple tree. Every year it puts on a miraculous display of color for us to enjoy, I think we have taken fall pictures of that tree for the past 36 years. It has grown bigger over time but the color never disappoints us.

They also have a tall Mountain Ash that produces great clusters of beautiful red berries; In fact you can see its yellow leaves in the background at the left of the Maple.

Robins swarm into the branches gorging themselves on the berries before leaving for the winter. Their feeding frenzy is one of the noisiest gatherings in the neighborhood.

The small potted Maples in the lower part of the picture are ones that started from seeds dropped by the larger tree.

This is a Maple tree in our back yard that started from a seed that fell from the parent tree into our flower bed and sprouted. I transferred the seedling to a pot when it was about six inches tall. I probably transplanted it four or five times more to larger pots before it reached the height of three feet and then I planted it in our flower bed.

It is now ten feet tall and twelve feet wide and has filled up the area very nicely. I do prune the branches back now and then. We watched and pampered it as it grew from a baby, It is now seven years old.

The Turning

October 1997

A patchwork quilt of fallen leaves

Gently blankets the ground.

The air turns crisp and cold

and robins can't be found.

I miss the warmth of summer,

The flowers most of all

Their fragrance wafting on the breeze,

Is replaced by the wood smoke of fall.

My Summer Garden

2008-11-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a vegetable garden since I was in my late twenties (just a few years ago!) If I remember back that far, I planted peas, lettuce, carrots and beets. My lettuce failed miserably, but the kids loved going into the pea patch and eating the peas fresh off the vines.

With this thought in mind, and with all of our children grown and raising children of their own. I decided that i would like to have a small garden again. I was convinced our cats would certainly enjoy the experience too, something else to supervise!

I picked the end of our large back yard, against the neighbor's fence. You can see it started out pretty drab and ugly. The picture was taken after it sat, at this stage, all winter. So now it's spring and time to clear the sod and rocks, put up some weed barriers, amend the soil and get started. Most of the sod I had already cut and moved to the front to fill in a large area where we had removed Juniper Tams.

From the carrots I had grown in my garden, of years past, I recall having made a lot of carrot cake and the beets I had specifically planted so I could make pickled beets. I knew the kids wouldn't eat them. I have since gotten a recipe for 'beet cake'. You use cubed beets instead of fresh apple. It is the same texture as fresh apple cake, with cinnamon and cloves added. The red beet color bakes out and you cannot tell the cake is made from beets, it tastes wonderful, especially when served with whipped or ice cream. So the kids got their fill of beets and were totally clueless! I also have a 'beet jelly' recipe that tastes for all the world like grape!

I was a widow at the time and gardening brought a peace and satisfaction to my hectic life. I had five children to care for and it was a good experience for them also. I lived next door to an elderly widower named Harry. Harry had a huge garden in his back yard that butted up to the fence at the side of our house and extended down a third of the length of our back yard. Oh what a gardener he was! Harry graciously shared a lot of produce and some of his beautiful flowers with me. I was blessed not only with a wonderful neighbor but also given a lot of good gardening tips.

While I worked removing rocks and loosening the soil, my husband, Don, sank sturdy plastic weed barrier into the soil between the garden and our neighbor's yard, he then lined all along the fence with old cement blocks we had. This barrier worked wondrously well all summer.

Just the work that went into getting the garden ready for planting took weeks. The preparation is just as important as the actual planting and tending of a garden. Putting in the weed barriers saved me hours of work weeding.

If I were in the country and had room for a large garden I probably wouldn't have had to worry as much about setting up barriers. I have a friend who lives in Tennessee, Helen, who has a fantastic garden.

Helen grows so many things and she works hard preserving everything they grow. Her shelves are lined with beautiful jars of 'love' for her family to enjoy.

I couldn't believe the amount of rocks we had in the soil. I removed several buckets full and will use them later.

Carrying buckets of rocks around, especially across a large back yard to the storage area, negates having to go to the gym for your weight lifting work-outs.

Tossing rocks into buckets improves your basketball skills.

You can see some of the plants lined up along the edge of the garden area waiting to plunge their feet into the newly amended soil.

Having good soil is so important in gardening. We have been in our home for a lot of years and even the soil was getting old. I added good quality compost and a few bags of gardening soil with fertilizer mixed in to give the plants a good start.

Of course our supervisor, Mylo, made sure the job was done right. He walked through the dirt to test it for me.

After such a hard job he took a nap in the sun.

The Sweet 100 tomatoes, lemon and regular cucumber plants and the zucchini and yellow crook-neck squash are planted and given a drink of water to get them started.

The garden area was perfect for holding in the heat of the sun and protecting the plants from wind. In the Pacific Nothwest the main concern is not having enough sun, for a long enough period of time, so the vegetables can grow to full size and ripen.

I have to admit, I was like a new mother, I was out checking on my 'babies' every day. This is actually about three weeks after planting.

I was so excited that they were actually growing and I had to forcibly restrain myself to not water them too often.

You can't imagine how excited I was a few weeks later when the zucchini plants started blooming, and small zucchini started forming.

I will spare you the other 150 pictures taken in between the ones I posted. My husband is so thankful for digital photography.

Here are our squash, zucchini and cucumber plants, vibrant and healthy. Some of the produce is on the stone edge.

I remember reading a saying that went something like "A person is closest to God when gardening." We tend and feed our plants but it is God that makes them grow just as He does for us. He wants us to be healthy and vibrant too.

Picking the first zucchini and cucumbers was so fulfilling for me. It is so true that there is a season for everything. Don't waste the seasons that God gives you to live and enjoy!

It was so rewarding to actually have my tomatoes ripen to the point where we could pick them fresh off the vine and eat them, they were as sweet as candy and our grandchildren loved them.

Our cat, Blue, spent a lot of time with me outside working in the garden. I wouldn't actually call it 'work', it was a pleasure and a great learning experience.

Of course the garden was so small that taking care of it was very easy. The peas grew and produced wonderfully well. Delicious fresh off the vine or cooked. My lettuce is still growing well.

A sample from our garden, Bibb lettuce, peas, Sweet 100 tomatoes, cucumbers and Lemon cucumbers (the round white and yellow ones).

I love cucumbers and had not seen the Lemon variety. I grew them out of curiosity and came to find that I prefer them. They are crisper and milder and taste exactly like regular cucumbers.

I used this picture as the cover page in the vegetable section when I updated a cookbook I had done for my children in 1993.

Three of our granddaughters came for a weekend visit in August. They brought their 'Ugly dolls" with them and the dolls enjoyed an afternoon Luau by grandma's garden, between the peas and crook-neck squash. They had a great time!

I learned that yellow crook-neck squash starts forming several weeks after the tomatoes, peas and zucchini.

What a pretty contrast they make against the red and greens. They were also delicious.

I have an ample supply of vegetables in the freezer now and have added them to soup, spaghetti sauce and stir fry.

I saut'eed zucchini, squash, tomatoes and onion in an oil and butter combination. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, let them cool a little, ladle into freezer containers and freeze.

The vegetables can be eaten as is if you prefer.

Here's the garden at full-growth stage. The tomatoes got so tall they were starting to fall over.

Toward the end of the season I picked yellow/orange, orange and green tomatoes and ripened them inside.

The Lemon cucumber plants tend to spread out all over the place, I even found a vine had grown up into the tomatoes and the cucumbers were hanging like pears.

The vines stopped producing, they're wilting and old

The leaves are now yellow and speckled with mold

Warm memories in pictures of summer to share

But fall is approaching, there's a chill in the air

The sun hangs much lower in the crisp October sky

Time to clean up and tell the garden goodbye.

Mylo enjoyed his days in the sun, wandering between the plants and playing with fallen tomatoes. Now the shadows are longer and after checking out the back yard he heads for the warmth of his bed.

Carol removes the spent vegetation, pulls out the roots, works the soil and adds fresh compost.

The lettuce is still growing well at the end of the bed. The yard waste receptacle is full.

The squirrels are enjoying running through the fresh dirt and burying their treasures of corn, peanuts and various seeds.

I'm already looking forward to spring and next year I'll plant some beets!

What not to do on a hot August day!

2008-10-10T13:19:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of what our fireplace used to look like. If you have one like it and have been wondering how to update it and change the color, look no further. Hopefully I can save you a lot of time and effort researching online and elsewhere to find a solution. Most sites I accessed talked about the pro's and con's of painting brick but didn't give much help on how to do the job if you wanted a change.

I suppose red brick with charcoal and black accents was the 'in' thing back in the 70's but I was not happy with the look, over the years, it clashed with just about everything in our living room and I was ready for a change. Floor to ceiling and almost a whole wall wide, the brick curved around the left side for another four feet; it would be a huge job to update it. I didn't want to put money into recovering it so painting was my next option.

I had been thinking about painting the brick for a couple of years, but was hesitant to start because I wasn't sure of the colors to choose and whether I wanted to tackle such a large area. I had painted a brick fire place years before but it had been a very small area of brick and it was fairly old so I didn't hesitate to paint and make it look better. This was different, once done it couldn't be undone!

So when my husband was out of town for several days, I made my hundredth trip to the paint section of our local Lowe's and pored over the color samples as I had done again and again. I pulled out sample #2006-10 for Valspar paint and I immediately knew those were the colors I had been searching for; neutral and soft. I had to also find a dark brown for the hearth, which I did. It was time to order.

I bought two gallons of Zinnser primer (water base) to seal the brick before painting. I bought one gallon of 2006-10B Lyndhurst Gallery Beige, for the base color (a medium beige); one quart of 1006-10A Free Wheeling (a darker beige) and one quart of 2006-10C Vanilla Steam (a soft creamy color).

For the hearth I chose 3011-10 Frontier Road (a soft dark chocolate). I used all of these colors in painting the brick, using a dry brush technique to apply the accent colors of dark beige, chocolate and cream colors.

I headed home, excited that I had finally found the colors I wanted and ready to plunge into the painting project. I had to remove the fireplace screen with glass doors first, this put my painting project off for a couple of hours because I decided I didn't want the heat scarred, brass doors any more. I drug them (heavy, heavy) into the back yard, scrubbed them with hot soapy water and a brush, rinsed and stood them up against a tree trunk to dry. When dry I used a very fine grade sandpaper, something like 000, and sanded all of the brass to get rid of the shine. I taped off the windows inside and out with newspaper and blue painters tape. Laid the doors on top of an old plastic tablecloth (great for spray painting) and gave them two good coats of black, high-heat, spray paint. As long as I was going to get dirty and have black paint on my spray finger I decided to also clean the fireplace tongs and holder (the wrought iron parts) and shine up the metal.

That done I retreated back inside, out of the sun, to tackle the fireplace painting. I should mention, I chose the two hottest days of the year to do this job, 93 degrees. I recommend lots of iced tea, cold watermelon and fans. The nice thing about hubby being gone is that you can eat when you want, don't have to cook if you don't want and eat whatever you want!!

Okay, I rounded up drop cloths (old sheets), a bunch of old paintbrushes, the larger ones (4 inches and larger) I set aside for 'dry brushing the accent colors'. Got the stepping stool and set up the lightweight aluminum ladder, blue painters tape, cottage cheese and margarine containers to hold paint and a couple of wet cloths for wipe ups.

The brick was highly textured, lots of ridges and gaps, I know, I know!! Use a thick, fluffy roller. Well, at least to me, they are messy and spatter all over everything and still leave unpainted areas. I primed the entire fireplace by hand with a large, stiff bristled, brush. Be sure to protect with newspaper and painters tape, any area where the paint could get on the wall or ceiling, or in our case, on the carpet. Our brick went all the way to the floor and had carpet all around it. I'll explain later how I protected the carpet as I painted around the bottom.

Before priming, vacuum the brick and hearth, go over it with damp old cloths. If, like I did, you have used a wax on the hearth, wash it with T.S.P (Tri Sodium Phosphate) it is sold wherever paint is sold or in hardware stores. It will remove all grease, wax and dirt. Rinse well and dry before priming.

I started at the top since it is easier to expend your energy up high and still be able to have some left to paint lower down, without having to use the ladder or stepping stool. I'll admit it took me a whole day to just prime the brick. Prime both the brick and the grouted areas. Get in all the holes (we have a circulating fireplace with cold air intake at the bottom and hot air outlets above the fireplace opening) Check and double check for areas that didn't take the paint. I had to use a very small brush in some places to reach unpainted areas. I primed all of the brick areas and left the hearth unpainted so I could stand on it to paint; the hearth was the last thing I primed and painted.

Take a break, have a glass of tea, put your feet up and watch a little t.v. or play a computer game. Don't forget to feed the dog and cat or medicate them, whichever they need, or both. Admire what you've done so far and pat yourself on the back (after you wash the primer off your hand.)

When I got down to where the carpet stuck up around the bottom bricks I used a section of cardboard from a box I cut, nothing big and bulky, cut it to a useable width and length. Mine was heavy cardboard two feet long by 5 inches wide, just big enough to protect a foot and a half section while being painted and wide enough to hold and not paint your fingers. I hooked up my hairdryer with an extension cord and had it within reach while painting these bottom bricks to dry the paint before removing the cardboard protection.

I placed the primer container on a piece of plastic, had the brush and blow dryer ready. I pulled the carpet back away from the brick, positioned the piece of cardboard over the carpet and up against the brick at the bottom, as low as I could get it. I would then paint the brick from the base up, don't load too much paint on the brush, you don't want it to run down behind the cardboard. Work the paint into the brick and up high enough that it will be above the carpet fibers when you remove the cardboard. When you have painted the bricks that are the length of the cardboard, turn the blow dryer on high and dry the brick so it is not wet to the touch. Remove the cardboard and move to the next section and repeat until all of the lower bricks are primed. I cut several pieces of cardboard so I would have fresh ones to use most of the time. Use this technique when you apply the paint also.

When the primer was dry I applied an even coat of the 2006-10B, Lyndhurst Gallery Beige, again using a medium sized brush, working the color into the textured brick and grouted areas. It is important that you view a painted area from all angles to be sure everything is painted, do a two

square foot section at a time.

When the light beige is dry you are ready to apply the accent colors; in this order: 2006-10A Free Wheeling (darker beige), 2006-10C Vanilla Steam and last 3011-10 Frontier Road (dark chocolate).

To add these colors use this technique. I used a piece of cardboard with waxed paper taped over it, about 12"X14", like a palette for painting. I put a little of the darker beige on the surface using a spoon and spread the paint out a little making it easy to tap your dry brush bristles into the paint without 'loading' it up too much. Use a 4" or larger brush, dry bristles, tap the bristles into the paint and tap the brush on some newspaper to remove some of the excess paint, you want very little paint on the bristles but enough to transfer lightly onto the bricks.

It is important that you jump from place to place so the color doesn't look stuttered, spotty or planned. Hit the brick here and there with this darker color, jumping around, in about 8 or 10 places. Immediately, before the paint has set, using a large, dry, stiff bristled brush; pound the edges of the dark beige, wipe the brush on an old cloth now and then. Continue doing this until it looks as if the dark beige is fading out around the edges (you don't want a spotty effect). Continue until the entire brick area has been accented with the dark beige.

Do the same thing using the 2006-10C Vanilla Steam (cream color). Use a different dry brush for this lighter color so you don't muddy the colors together. Use less of this color than the dark beige (by less I mean not as many places dry brushed with this color).

Last, use the 3011-10 Frontier Road (chocolate brown), not very much of this color at all, and apply it very sparingly. Pound it well around the edges to soften, wiping the brush on old clothes now and then. The chocolate color can overlap the dark beige in some areas but not all.

Step back now and then, 6 to 8 feet away and check the colors for softness and randomness. You'll begin to get the picture. Last of all, if when you step back, you notice that some of the dark beige and chocolate are too overpowering in areas you can tap some of the cream color into a dry brush, wipe off the excess and very lightly tap it over the dark areas you don't like, then use a clean, dry brush and soften the edges, this will subdue the dark colors, add more if you want it lighter.

The last thing I did was to prime the hearth, two coats, let it dry for a day and then painted it with three coats of the 3011-10 Frontier Road (dark chocolate). There is a big difference between dry and cured. Paint can be dry to the touch but will scratch and mark easily if not cured (dry all the way through). I let the paint cure for 10 days before I replaced the fireplace doors and put the heavy decorative screen on the hearth. It is well worth the wait, nothing is more upsetting than to see your paint scratched and damaged after all of the time and work you put into making it look good.

The work and sweat that went into this job was so worth the outcome. I am very happy with the results and have even had fires in my new updated fireplace to see if they would harm the painted brick. There has been no heat damage at all.

So here is what the fireplace looks like now. I am so glad I took the time to accomplish this project. I hope this gives you some ideas and help.

Whaaahooo! I am back on my Blog! 9/24/08

2008-09-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Fall is coming for sure, I found my husband waxing the vehicles in preparation for the cold, wet weather.

In a clean garage!! After 36 years in our house, the garage needed a complete overhaul. Oh the treasures we found and the junk we tossed. That will be another post.

For now, the vehicles are waxed and have a clean garage to park in with nothing to crawl over after getting out of the car - if you could get out!

The triplets in the picture are for grandchildren, for Halloween, I couldn't resist them with their big googly eyes and cute faces. I'm getting into the mood for crisp weather, fires in the fireplace, hot spiced cider and donuts. I have to talk myself into it because I really dislike being cold and wet!

Memories of my time spent in the garden soaking up the sun will keep me happy through the winter months. And the beautiful tulip, crocus, daffodil, Iris and other bulbs given to me by my son Von and his wife Becky will give me something to look forward to in the coming spring. The Giant King Edward tulips were 3 1/2 feet tall.

Here are my friends, Mark and Helen, ready to jump in and help, standing by the zucchini plants.

I have many containers of zucchini, onion, yellow crook neck squash and sweet cherry tomatoes, sauteed in oil and butter, stored in the freezer to be added to soup, spaghetti sauce or just eaten as is.

We picked blueberries, blackberries and froze them for some wonderful cobblers, pies and muffins in November, December and January. Next is a trip to the Nisqually Wildlife Reserve where there are giant apple trees dropping their fruit. They make wonderful pies for the holidays.

Now that the rain has started, we'll give it a few days to work its magic. Then we will be going into the woods in search of Golden Chantrelle mushrooms. I hope it is a good crop this year. We came home one season with two shopping bags full. I clean, cut, saute' in butter, sometimes I add garlic powder to them. Ladle them into small freezer bags in 1/2 cup portions and freeze them. I hate it when I have to buy mushrooms. It was like that with my tomatoes this year, I was picking at least four cups off the vines every other day. I would think of the small container in the store that sold for $4.49 with only about 20 tomatoes in it.

I planted 'Sweet 100' cherry tomatoes and they were so sweet and delicious you could eat them like candy off the vines.

A cool, overcast and damp day today. The sun managed to peek through now and then but fall is definitely in the air and I'll be cleaning out the flower pots and the garden spot in preparation for cold weather.

Its so nice to be back again, this is an outlet for my creative side. Had a problem with our PC, changed internet providers, got a new Mac OS X and a new internet provider, Blogger changed to a Google account and I was unable to access my Blog, frustration galore. But that is now in the past and I'm thankful for that!

I'll be back tomorrow. God bless you!

Once Upon a Canvas

2005-12-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

Once Upon a Canvas
By Carol Glitschka 12/05

Once upon a canvas
I placed my painter’s brush
Gone the pristine surface
I wasn’t in a rush.

I painted in the sky
An Azure bluish hue
And clouds in puffs of white
And that’s when I just knew

There must be a mountain
It’s head against that sky
Snow piled here and there
A view to please the eye

Trees in varied green hues
Cover foothills below
Where soothing snowmelt rills
By towering pines flow

A veil of mist rises
From the warm forest floor
And gazing overhead
I see the Eagle soar

The scene is in my mind
With paint it comes to life
I mix the colors well
Apply them with my knife

For an invitation
I paint a path to walk
Lined with grass and flowers
A place to stop and talk

The painting is complete
Poetry of my soul
To view it brings me peace
This was my painter’s goal.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!!

2005-12-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

Some time the middle of December when houses are beautifully decorated and lit our neighborhood begins looking for a yearly visitor. He always makes his showing driven by our local Fire Department in a decorated, well lit, vintage fire truck. Jolly Old St. Nicholas! You can hear the sirens blocks away and Santa's happy "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!! booming over the loudspeakers. This year the driver stopped for a few minutes so I could get my picture.

The fire truck is preceded by a police car with lights flashing and volunteers on foot handing out candy canes. Bringing up the rear is another police cruiser with lights flashing and more volunteers on foot.

Doesn't matter how young or old you are, Santa is always a welcome sight!! We look forward to it every year. This event inspired the poem that follows.

Merry Christmas and God Bless You!!

Vintage Fire Truck Christmas
By Carol Glitschka 12/05

In the middle of December
Kids wait for him to appear
Decorations are up, lights are hung
They strain their ears to hear..

And then one night the sirens wail
Piercing the stillness of night
Not to worry, please stay calm
It will soon come into sight.

You see the flashing blue lights
Approaching down the street
Excitement, not fear abounds
It’s an annual Christmas treat.

“Ho, Ho, Ho and Merry Christmas”
Drift across the winter air
While happy Holiday songs
On the loudspeaker blare

The bright red, vintage fire truck
Bears a sight meant to tickle us
It slowly climbs the neighborhood hill
With Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.

The windshield, hood and ladder rails
Are strewn with multi-colored light
And Santa dressed in white and red
Smiles and waves dispelling fright.

Adults have smiles across their face
Children wave and jump up and down
Volunteers on foot give candy canes
And nowhere can you find a frown.

It’s a happy Christmas tradition
Looked forward to each year
Designed to lighten the spirit
And distribute Holiday Cheer.

I Hear The Sound of Winter

2005-12-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

We had our first snowfall a week before Thanksgiving and the first thing I thought of was how quiet and still it becomes when everything is covered with that soft, downy blanket of white. It inspired this poem.

I also remembered the watercolor painting I had done years ago that gives me that calm, unhurried, peaceful feeling when I view it. I thought the two would go well together.

I Hear The Sound of Winter
By Carol Glitschka, 12/05

I hear the sound of winter
It’s stillness all around
The softness of each snowflake
As they muffle trees and ground

The reflective crystal glow
Puts all nature on display
Pristine, untouched and soft
It beckons, come and play!

Against the velvet Prussian sky
I watch them gently float
A million stars from heaven
Apply their winter coat

I hear the trickle of the stream
It’s edges sparkle bright
Flakes mingle with the flow
And voyage out of sight.

Angles take on roundness
You can hear the stillness grow
The world at rest in winter
Beneath it’s cape of snow.

Blair House Christmas Ornament

2005-12-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

This is a pictorial record of a christmas ornament I painted in 1993 for the Blair House in Washington D.C. The theme was green, red and gold and the wooden piece was heart shaped. The finished piece had Holly leaves and berries on one side and a three dimensional heart shaped wreath on the other with small gold bulbs and a red ribbon. It hung on the Christmas tree in the Blair house that year and is kept in their permanent collection.

The first step was sketching thumbnail drawings of ideas for a design. Once I hit on a design I liked the process was as folows:

The wooden heart was painted a bright Christmas red and then gold-leafed, overlapping layers of torn gold leafing were glued to the heart leaving some of the red basecoat showing. The heart was then varnished and antiqued with a dark brown to tone down the red and gold.

Holly and berries were painted with oils on one side and allowed to dry and cure.

The opposite side was textured around the edges of the heart with modeling paste to create a wreath. Small bulbs were hand rolled and glued to the dried wreath along with a hand shaped bow. The wreat, bulbs and bow were painted.

The piece was given several coats of semi-gloss varnish for protection.

Unconditional

2005-12-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

My mother drew this picture in 1932. I wrote the poem as a tribute to her.

I’ll be your mother
I’ll dry your tears
Kiss your wounds
Calm your fears

I’ll be there when
You need a friend
Your broken spirit
I’ll try to mend

Please let me know
You care for me
That’s all I requireThe rest is free

She's My Mount Rainier

2005-11-20T00:18:00.000-08:00

She’s My Mount Rainier
By Carol Glitschka 11/16/05

The clouds play chasing games
Around her frozen crown
The glare of sun reflecting
Causes me to frown.

As I hike the rock strewn trail
Inhale the mountain air
Absorb the beauty all around
It lays my spirit bare

Indian Paint Brush, Lupine
Aromas ride the breeze
Texture and colors surround
The sight and senses to please

I view a rushing waterfall
Fed by melting snow
Flowing cold and crystal clear
To the valley far below

Hawks and eagles soar
Her slopes the climbers scale
I’ve seen nature’s offerings
Beside her many pale.

Born and raised in Washington
My heart holds her dear
She’s a gorgeous mountain
She’s my Mount Rainier

Just Poetry?

2005-11-19T23:54:00.000-08:00

This is a poem I posted on the poetry site where I am a member. The wording is directed toward other poets and the pieces they post. I hope you, as the reader, will take the time to read and enjoy poetry and let it touch your heart, encourage, soothe, uplift and inspire you.

Carol (aka Poetessa)

Just Poetry?
By Carol Glitschka 11/14/2005

My lifeblood flows
Through the tip of this pen
Revealing the thoughts
And emotions within

Sharing my life
In each written line
Not revealing too much
Pretending I’m fine

My Avatar smiles
Yet not I every day
I share your heartaches
I'm human that way

Like you, I struggle
With choices I make
Praying for guidance
Each day I awake

Inspiration I gather
From lines that you share
Your thoughts penned in verse
As you lay your heart bare

Heartfelt or humorous
Words serve to connect
Enrich and sustain
Provide new respect

I hope The words penned
Through the span of my life
Cut through the façade
Like a double edged knife

Will You?

2005-11-19T23:27:00.000-08:00

Top picture is my Maternal Grandmother and Grandfather, Nora and August Carlson. Middle is a wedding picture of Don and I, taken in the car before leaving for the reception. Bottom picture is my father and mother, William Charles 'Chick' and Carolyn (nee Carlson) O'Neall dressed to attend the Jockey's Ball. Dad was a sports announcer, called the horse races at Longacres Race Track, Renton, WA, Playfair in Spokane, WA, Yakima Meadows, Yakima, WA, Caliente, CA and other places.

My mother lost her mother when she was a year and a half old. My mother and her sister were in a separate room, with the door closed. Their mother, Nora, was boiling clothes on the gas range, the boiling water put out the flame and she was asphyxiated. That was before natural gas had an odor added to it to warn people. Her father died when she was 13. She and her sister, Trudy, were raised by their Aunt Caroline.

Will You?
By Carol Glitschka 11/16/05

Will you take this hand of mine
Hold it gently through the years
Will you share this life I live
Softly wipe away my tears?

Love, will you lay beside me
So I’ll always know you’re there
Will I find your arms around me
Always showing that you care?

Will you pledge your love forever
Not forget the promise made
Stand by me, still feeling proud
When my beauty starts to fade?

I will place my hand in yours
Leave it there through all the years
I will share my life with you
Softly kiss away your tears

I will gladly lay beside you
You will always know I’m there
I will wrap my arms around you
This heart of mine will always care

I will pledge my love forever
No matter dear how long we live
I will proudly stand beside you
My heart, my soul, my life to give

I will pledge my love forever
My heart, my soul, my life to give

The Ending of Day

2005-11-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

I love the way the sunset colors everything a soft pink. Even our white cat Mylo turns pinkwhen he's laying in the grass.

This is a picture of half of our back yard. Our grandchildren love to play there and our grand dogs especially love the room and laying in the grass.

Squirrels, Jays, Flickers, Juncos, Robins, Crows, Sparrows, and other birds drink and bathe in the birdbath. So do our cats.

On the evening run
So gently it falls
Trailing veils of pink
The setting sun calls

Come view the splendor
Like sweet sugar mist
I’ve coated each plant
A transparent kiss

The Black Fern now smiles
Preparing for night
And cares of the day
Instantly take flight

The breeze will retire
But now is at play
The long slender leaves
Of lilies to sway

Carpet of beauty
Ajuga in blue
Painted by the veil
Turns lavender hue

My Red Leaf Maple
Favorite of trees
Leaves waving goodnight
Shifts in the breeze

Even the fences
Of weathered wood gray
Are bathed in soft pink
At ending of day

Summer Yearning

2005-11-09T22:07:00.000-08:00

Hi,

I'm wishing the summer warmth had stayed just a little longer. Fall is a beautiful time of the year so I thought I would combine the two, my fall painting and my poem 'Summer Yearning'.

The colors are so beautiful this time of the year and Thanksgiving will be here soon. I'm thankful that God has blessed me with family and friends and a beautiful world to live in.

Have wonderful holidays, enjoy!

Carol

Give me now a mountain stream.
A bed of pebbles mottled and smooth
And looming stately at its head,
Snow capped mountains tall.

Meandering through a valley lush,
Constant, unhurried and quiet.
Waterbugs dance upon it’s stage,
As leaf boats float and swirl.

Minnows flit in the clear fresh flow,
Swimming to music unheard.
Frog tongues catch an insect,
And croak a happy response.

Vibrant carpets on the bank,
Grass and flowers nodding assent.
An invitation for rest or play,
A welcome mat for all who pass.

Deer, squirrel, skunk, raccoon,
Familiar with it’s traveled path,
Dependent on it’s life giving gift.
Within their orderly world.

Birds raise their young and sing,
In the arms of leafy boughs,
That bend and sway in gratefulness
For calming mountain streams.

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

2005-11-05T00:09:00.000-08:00

This ground was once productive
Tended and tilled by human hand
The pungent aroma of fresh turned sod
Yielding the promise of growth on the land.

Across this farmland now retired
I walk the rock-crushed trails
Pondering harvests of centuries past
Thankful that its beauty prevails.

Mount Rainier looms in the distance
Its snow-topped head brushing the sky
Observing the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
Where Heron, Eagles and Peregrine Falcons fly.

Long southern fingers of Puget Sound
Grasping inward, among mudflats, on the west
On the east Nisqually River flows north to the sound
In the center are marshlands, where wildfowl rest.

Still and poised to catch fish for a meal
Blue Heron stand in the water, along the salty shore.
Surrounded by Canada Geese, Gulls, Red Wing Blackbirds
Hawks, Mallards, Grebes, Swallows and more.

Goslings and ducklings swim and feed
Small puffs of feather enjoying the water.
Deer, Coyotes and rabbits in the fields,
On the incoming tide are fish, seal and Otter.

Migratory birds from Central America
Stop at the delta to rest and feed
Before continuing their flight to Alaska
Harkening to the call of internal need.

I have watched numerous babies grow
Observed the wonder of geese in flight
Heard frantic honking and wings beating water
As Canada Geese engage in a territorial fight.

Peaceful, beautiful Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
Provides sanctuary for wildlife that are free
I’m thankful the beauty has been preserved
As a blessing and refuge for me.

A Ghastly Halloween Deed

2005-10-22T00:28:00.000-07:00

Pictures are of my hand carved Frankenstein pumpkin and some of my hand painted pumpkins.

I wanted to make pumpkin pies from scratch one year. I bought a medium size pumpkin, cooked it, scraped the pumpkin meat from the skin and started mixing. Good grief, I had forgotten that the bulk of a pumpkin pie is eggs, milk and sugar. I ended up making 28 pies. Oh, I didn't bake them that night, I made the crust, fluted the edges and put them in the freezer to chill. When the pumpkin custard was mixed I poured it into the crusts sitting on the freezer shelves and let them freeze. Then wrapped them in a freezer bag to be baked later. I only make a few at a time now.....good lesson!

I love the fall, the crisp temperatures with a few sunny days here and there. The leaves changing color and making their yearly trip to the ground. Fresh apples to be picked at the Nisqually Game Reserve. This is the time of year I make my apple, pumpkin and berry pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas, bake my cinnamon and dinner rolls, pop them in the freezer and they're ready.

Here's a poem I penned just for this 2005 Halloween.

A Ghastly Halloween Deed
By Carol Glitschka, 10/05

They took me home today
I sat around a while
Wondering what was happening
Wishing I could smile.

I heard some funny noises
Metal clinking and a paper crinkle
I really felt like frowning
But my forehead wouldn’t wrinkle.

I felt warm hands upon my skin
Holding me very firm
The knife cut deep into my head
I couldn’t even squirm.

Then I heard the scraping
Why were they doing these terrible deeds
I felt those little hands removing
My insides and my seeds.

Again I felt a stronger grip
And on my skin a slice
Soon both eyes were opened
Strangely, It felt rather nice!

I saw my guts and seeds
On the paper, in a pile
Soon I had a mouth and nose
It took them just a little while.

I could feel the smile they carved
It spread across my face
And soon there was a candle
Lighting up the place.

I caught a glimpse in the mirror
Of my handsome Jack-O-Lantern face
As I was carried to the porch
And set in my proper pumpkin place.

Floral Paintings in Varied Media

2005-10-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm tired tonight and can't think of a topic to talk about so I'll post a few paintings and maybe a poem.

Above left is a small, wooden, heart box with a sliding lid. I covered the top of the box with a piece of wallpaper cut to fit. It was the same wallpaper I used to have on the diningroom wall. The painting was done in acrylics and is a typical Folk Art rose.

Top right is my watercolor Hibiscus. I now have it matted and mounted in a frame. It hangs in one of the bedrooms with other florals. I love the way watercolor fades and runs together, finding it's own path and eventually forming a hazy backdrop. It has a dreamy quality and tends to peak your imagination.

Just below the Hibiscus is a floral done in acrylic washes. Washes being more water than paint making them more transparent. These types of paintings are usually done on a light background, the shading is painted in first using a Blackgreen color. The painting dries well and is misted with Krylon Matte spray before the washes of color are applied. The transparency of the color washes permits the shading to show through. This can be a challenge.

Last is my painting of flowers in a glass vase, one of my favorites, done in oils. The picture doesn't include the frame that was simply 1 inch quarter round, mitered and glued to the surface of the board. The board was sanded and painted a blackgreen, gold leafed on the outside of the oval, the painting was completed, dried and varnished and then the mitered quarter round was painted and glued on the edges of the board with the rouded edge facing the picture and one of the flat edges flush with the outside edges of the board.

This has been an exceptionally full month for me. Working every spare minute to complete the project I started of creating a home office has been exhausting but well worth it. Too many late nights, midnight and 1 a.m. don't make for a relaxed fun work day.

As I type this I am enjoying the peace and serenity of my long awaited and greatly desired work space. Everything I need is close by and organized. The colors are restful and very European.

I have also managed to work my way through years of teaching files and a lot of unused art supplies, with one thing in mind - toss or donate! My husband has been cleaning out our home and business files, the drawers actually roll out smoothly, unimpeded by bulging files and untamed collections of paperwork. There is space - space - between the file folders....whew!!!

Still have a large mirror to hang and a couple of shelves and under-shelf halogen light bar but for the most part the room is finished and I LOVE IT. Will post a few pics when I have them.

I just purchased some books from one of the vendors that displays them where I work. They will be gifts for some of my grandchildren this Christmas. The vendors that bring books and other gift items to sell are very nice people, interesting and have good products. We had a bad experience with one several years ago that prompted me to write a poem. I hope his attitude has changed since then, I would hate going through life the way he was.

THE AMERICAN BOOKMAN
By Carol Glitschka, 3/99

Delivering books he
Stomps through the door
Drops the big load
With a ‘BOOM’ on the floor.

His attitude shows
With each line on his face.
His mouth curved downward
Pulls it all out of place.

He's a cloud of gloom
wherever he goes
The American Bookman
Full of sorrow and woes.

We don't want him here
We don't want his books
We don't like his style
And we don't like his looks.

We don't like to order
From a list we can't read
He's disgusting and ornery
And he acts out of greed.

The look on his face
When books don't sell
He's angry and difficult
He has one foot in hell!

There's a chip on his shoulder
A chip on his head
A curse on his business
that soon will be dead.

he throws books around
He's rude in his talk
The American Bookman
Can just “TAKE A WALK!”

Goodnight!! I'm going to finish my glass of Gewurztraminer (wine) and head to bed!