Knitting in The Loop

In an effort to feel cooler (!!!!!!),

my sista and I decided to visit Knitting In The Loop 

at their new location.

Lots of yarn to make something yummy for cool days 

(someday ... in December maybe????!!!!!).

Their new place is right next door to their old place,

but bigger and that means more yarn!

Lots of gorgeous yarn, places to sit, knit and chat.

I just had to include the photo of the knit tea cozy.

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Wine Country

Wine, drink of the gods

born in a land of magic

earthly beauty hurts!

Halls Napa Valley, Napa County

Korbel Champagne Cellars, Brandy tower, Sonoma County

Artesia Vineyard and Winery, Napa County

I'm always finding something to bring home when I visit Half-Price Books.

In this case it was this postcard book.

Thirty of the most beautiful postcards I've ever seen.

The images are so lovely that they almost make me *hurt*.

"Wine Country: 30 Postcards published by Chronicle Books

c 2009 Thea Schrack.

Thea Schrack is a San Francisco photographer known for her

painted photographs.

Ms. Schrack's love and understanding of nature is evident in all her work.

Her originals can be seen at the I Wolk Gallery in St. Helena, California

and at www.theaschrack.com."

Also from the back of the postcard book:

"The storied beauty of California's wine country comes to life in this

collection of 30 postcards by artist and photographer Thea Schrack.

Lovingly painted with her encaustic beeswax and pigment, these images 

of Napa and Sonoma counties most beloved wineries are an ideal

showcase of the region's warmth, beauty and timeless romance."

A big thank you to our hostesses:

Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday

and

Rebecca for Haiku My Heart

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled weekend.

Good Morning!

A Unique Song

Two postings in one day! Don't get used to it! I couldn't resist this email from the Daily OM. I'm a big believer in sound, music, chant and how important it is. From listening to water in the fountain, to the song the trees sing as the wind blows their leaves, to the symphony orchestra. Sound is important. Our song, the one we make ... even more so! Enjoy!

July 27, 2011 Spirit of the Sea Whale Medicine Like the whales each of us has a unique song or gift to offer the world as is meant to be heard by others. Native Americans teach us that the Great Spirit speaks to us through our animal brethren. The whale is one animal that we can learn from. Whales have existed for over 50 million years and are considered to be record-keepers who possess knowledge of the past. It is through the vibrations of their unique sound that they release this ancient wisdom to us. At the same time, their sound carries across such great distances that whales can enter the realm of the future where they can acquire knowledge of what is to come. Every whale sings a song, and they never repeat the same pattern when they sing their song. Since whales must be conscious at all times in order to breathe, they cannot afford to fall into an unconscious state for too long. Never completely asleep, their brain has constant access to the collective unconscious where all answers lie. Whales float peacefully, secure in the ocean environment that supports and sustains them. You can learn from the wisdom of whales by remembering to express what’s uniquely yours. Each of us has a unique “song” or gift to offer the world. Your song is meant to be sung by you and heard by others. No one else can sing this song but you, and your song is medicine for the healing of the planet. Like whales, you can choose to access information about the future when you go into a meditative state. Whales teach us to look at where we came from and where we are headed. Knowing that our past helps shape our future, we can remember to make positive choices regarding our lives, the environment, and our world. Like whales, we can remember to stay awake and actively engaged in a universe that supports and sustains us. When we express ourselves and share our unique gifts, we add our wisdom and vibration to the planet.For more information visit dailyom.com

This and That

It is way too HOT.
In the words of one our local news broadcasters:
"and we haven't gotten to Ughust yet!"


***

I wanted to finish my little crochet owl.

The pattern is in the Summer 2011 issue of Interweave Crochet.

It never crossed my mind that I would have problems finding

sew on animal eyes for his face.

I can find the stick on kind, but I want the sew ons.

My sista is looking in her part of the world. 

If all else fails, I'll hit the button box and come up with something.

Meanwhile, I've pinned on the face.

You can change the owls attitude by placing the face

high or low.

Fun!

And, the blue owl is for the Rice University Owls (blue and gray)!

This is a great way to use up your stash.

I can make a whole parliament of owls! 

***

Many of you have asked about Cassie.

She went to see the vet again.

This time for her annual exam and shots.

She's doing very well.

Her hip and knee problems seem to be genetic.

As long as she has no pain and the problems don't become chronic,

we will leave well enough alone

(especially while she is still growing).

She is pretty much back to running, jumping and playing with Teddy 

with no problems.

She was on my shoulder this morning, purring and loving. 

(In the picture above, the baby sock is stuffed with cat nip, her favorite toy.)

***

   

Dr. Siri Paiboun is the 73 year old national coroner of Laos. He is off to the north to attend a communist meeting, something he is definitely not looking forward to. While there, he is kidnapped by Hmong women who believe he is Yeh Ming, the 1000 year old shaman who is supposed to inhabit Siri's body. Meanwhile, back in Vientiane at the morgue, Nurse Dtui discovers that a body delivered for autopsy has been booby trapped. Curse of the Pogo Stick is different from the previous novels in the series as Dr. Paiboun and his staff are separated, with two different mysteries going on. 

Curse of the Pogo Stick (and yes, there is a pogo stick in the story) by Colin Cotterill is the fifth novel in this mystery series set in the late 1970's in Laos. It is one of my favorite mystery series. I was hooked from the beginning by Dr. Paiboun. Laos is an exotic location. There are endearing and quirky characters including Dr. Paiboun, Nurse Dtui, Madame Daeng, and many others including a transvestite fortune teller. There is plenty of political satire, otherworldly phenomena and most importantly, Cotterill shows a deep understanding of the Laotian and Hmong cultures. I finished this book in two days. I enjoyed every minute. Please start with the first book in the series, The Coroner's Lunch, and read them in order. I'm an out of order reader, but even I read this series in order!!!!!

***

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled week.

Circle of Red

The American Heart Association Circle of Red Art Hearts

arrived in Houston this summer 

and will be on exhibit in several different locations.

The hearts are a reminder that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

The Art Hearts, on display from May 15 to July 31,

were individually created by various local artists for 

members of the Circle of Red group,

a dynamic, committed, passionate group of women

who have made a personal commitment to help find a cure for heart disease.

The Circle of Red Art Hearts

are a representation of the Circle of Red's dedication

to fight heart disease in women. 

These were photographed in *my* village. 

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Meow

I've gone to the Cats on this Friday!

The postcard I'm sharing is from

The Cat Postcard Book c 1987 by Running Press Book Publishers.

The back of the postcard reads:

Cat and Butterfly, Edo period, 

Ukiyo-e school, by Hokusai (Japanese, 1760-1849).

Painting on paper.

Courtesy of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D.C., Acc. No . 02.42

The kitty in the postcard reminds me of my furbaby,

Cassie.

She's the star of the Haiku for today.

Cassie knows no fear

flying through the air with ease

slowed down with bad knees

Cassie had a bad weekend.

She was playing with my other furbaby, Teddy, when I heard her hiss at him.

She never hisses.

When I checked on them Cassie was holding one of her hind legs out at an odd angle.

A few minutes later she was walking on all fours,

but the day was off to a not so good start.

To make a long story short ... Cassie has a dislocated hip and bad knee caps!

Her growth plates are still open and as long as she is getting around and not in any distress,

we are in a holding pattern.

Today she's been flying through the air ... just like old times.

Off to the vet again next week to see how things look. 

***

Cassie and Teddy have a friend named Luna

and were featured on Luna's blog last week.

If you like kitties, you should visit!

The Lovely Luna

***

ICAD #22!!

A big thank you to our hostesses:

Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday

and

Rebecca for Haiku My Heart

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled weekend.

Good Morning!

This and That

I feel like a This and That Day!

I thought I'd start with a knitting project that I've almost finished.

Pretty colorway -- Bernat Mosaic Ambrosia.

I needed to knit 12 fans.

I put them together to make the scarf.

I enjoyed this pattern. 

Knit one fan a day and two weeks later .. a scarf!

(I still need to weave the ends.)

Teddy had to help me photograph the finished project.

It takes 3 skeins of the Bernat Mosaic.

I ordered the kit (from Mary Maxim I think) and received the 

Bernat Mosaic booklet with 10 knit and crochet patterns.

This is an acrylic yarn that feels much like cotton!

***

Sappy and homespun, Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani was my perfect summer read. Set in the real place of Big Stone Gap, Virginia we meet Ave Maria Mulligan. She is 35 years old, a pharmacist, a member of the rescue squad, and calls herself a spinster. The highlight of her week is the arrival of the bookmobile. (Remember bookmobiles? I do and just knew I'd like this book because Ave likes bookmobiles, too!). Ave's favorite book is about the ancient art of Chinese face reading.  A surprise, family secret sends Ave Maria on a quest. There are the requisite Southern quirky characters: "sexpert" Iva Lou who runs the bookmobile and crusty, chain-smoking Fleeta. I was delighted when I found out there are three more in the series! 

***

I started ICAD (Index Card A Day) on July 1 ... one month behind everyone else.

Here are my three newest ICAD's.

It's been fun to see my work pop up on Tammy's blog as she reviews the latest ICAD's of the group. 

Wishing YOU well and a  joy filled week! 

Tea and Books

There is nothing like a cup of tea and a good book.

In this case, it is a book about tea:

The Chinese Art of Tea by John Blofeld.

Mr. Blofeld was a world renowned writer and scholar who 

devoted his life to the study of Eastern traditions.

I've just started the book and it is a delight.

Full of history and stories that will fit in with one of my 

Food and Feast tours at the museum.

The tea cup is one I found at Anthropologie.

There are no markings on the bottom of the cup or the saucer.

I love the orange color and the shape of the cup.

It is very thin and you can feel the tea in the cup. 

In Mr. Blofeld's words:

"Tea is at its best when enjoyed in pleasant surroundings, whether indoors or out, where the atmosphere is tranquil, the setting harmonious. A large party is distracting, whereas the company of two or three relaxed and friendly people contributes to the enjoyment of unusually fine tea. The other two essentials are very pure water and a set of tea-things that please the eye on account of their subdued, unostentatious beauty, thus adding to the prevailing atmosphere of tranquil harmony. Nevertheless, a perfect combination of these five --- setting, company, tea, water and tea-things -- will fail to work its magic in the absence of the special attitude required to do them justice."

"The key to that attitude is mindfulness. The world today is so full of distractions that mindfulness, which must have come about spontaneously in times gone by, has to be cultivated. Once this has been achieved, a thousand hitherto unnoticed beauties will reveal themselves. For example, there is music in the hiss and bubble of a kettle, a springtime freshness in the fragrance of the steam rising from the teacups, and a gentle exhilaration -- too subtle to be apparent to a distracted mind -- results from certain mysterious properties inherent in the tea itself, particularly in the case of green and oolong teas as opposed to black teas. "

"The spirit of tea is like the spirit of the Tao: It flows spontaneously, roaming here and there impatient of restraint."

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea! 

Up, Up and Away!

It's Friday and that means Postcard and Haiku day!

I have two postcards for you.

Another from the Memento Box.

The back of the postcard reads:

Experiment, 2000, oil on board, 36" x 24"

c 2004, Inez Storer, from Mementos, 30 Postcards, 

published by Chronicle Books.

And the second postcard from the 

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

(my old home town).

The back of the card reads:

"The launch field is the site of the Balloon Fiesta's mass ascension

when hundreds of balloons at a time go up in  waves. Actual

flight times for balloons average one to two hours, but the

entire ballooning experience -- including pre-flight preparations,

flight, and post-flight celebration -- may take three hours."

And, lastly, a photo from my memories.

October 1981, the first year we crewed for a balloon in the Fiesta.

I'm the photographer, recording for history something every balloon pilot 

and crew dream about ... landing the balloon in the chase vehicle!!!!!!!!

Mr. Dragon is the one in the back on the right with the big smile.

I miss him. 

up, up and away

memories of other days

love gone to the stars

***

A big thank you to our hostesses:

Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday

and

Rebecca for Haiku My Heart

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled weekend.

Good Morning!

A Very Special Tea Cup

A very special tea cup arrived in the mail last week.

Isn't it beautiful? 

I won Terri's give-a-way!

I do love Mail-Call!

I love the color, the wonderful flowers.

Terri included a sample of teas, too! 

Oh, my.

What fun I'm going to have!

She even picked a card to accompany her gift that is so me!

The beautiful Tibetan Buddha of Infinite Light.

Thank you so very much, Terri.

"The daintiness and yet elegance of a china teacup focuses one to be gentle,

to think warmly, and to feel close."

~Carol and Malcolm Cohen

***

I'm participating in ICAD.

(Index Card a Day)

Here are two that go well with tea.

Teacups, teapots and tea quotes ... some of my favorite things.

"Write It On Your Heart" The Buddha of Infinite Light

Thanks to our tea party hostesses.

These are just a few of the tea parties in the Land of Blog.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Tuesday Tea For Two

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea! 

Cows On Parade!

Going through photos each week,

I never know what I will find.

Mr. Dragon had started putting photos in albums (the non sticky kind).

I'm trying to finish what he started.

This week I found photos we took of the Cows On Parade In Houston.

I just had to put the space shuttle cow in the middle to honor its final flight. 

The cows were painted by artists and sculptors and were on parade 

in the late summer and early fall of 2001.

We took photos of the cows we found in the museum area of Houston...

just a few of the 325!

They were auctioned off to benefit Texas Children's Hospital.

***

This is a Better Homes and Gardens Recipe that I just had to share.

Chocolate and strawberries ... a combination that is hard to beat!!

Better Homes and Gardens

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

6 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced strawberries

1/4  cup sugar

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 beaten egg

2/3 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

Chocolate ice cream topping (optional)

Whole strawberries (optional)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Lightly grease a baking sheet.  Combine sliced strawberries and the 1/4  cup sugar. Set aside.

For shortcakes, in a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, the 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in buter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine egg and milk; add all at once to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Drop dough into 6 portions on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in 450 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack.

To serve, split warm shortcakes in half crosswise. In a chilled small mixing bowl beat whipping cream, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spoon a little whipped cream on shortcake bottoms. Top with sliced strawberries. Add shortcake tops and top with remaining whipped cream. Drizzle with chocolate ice cream topping and garnish with whole strawberries, of desired. Makes 6 servings.

MAKE AHEAD TIP

Prepare and bake shortcakes; cool completely on wire rack. Place in freezer container or plastic freezer bag; seal, label, and freeze up to 2 weeks.  To serve; wrap frozen shortcakes in foil. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until warm.

***

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful, Joy filled week. 

Index Card A Day

I came to the ICAD (Index Card A Day) party a month late.

Better late than never!

It has been bittersweet.

I am getting paint on my fingers which is sweet.

But I am also going through Mr. Dragon's art supplies which is bitter.

I am almost finished getting all of his artwork framed. 

On with the ICAD show!

This ICAD #1 ... my elephant period!

Where am I going?

First, get up in the morning ... see what the day brings.

ICAD #3

Buster Says Be Peaceful

Buster is one of my favorites.

I was going through old magazines,

cutting out words, phrases, images that appealed to me.

When I was putting things away,

Buster and be peaceful were stuck together.

Sure brought a smile to my face!

Yes sir, Buster! I'm listening!

 

ICAD # 4

To celebrate the 4th of July holiday.

I'll try to post ICAD's more often.

Next Friday I promise to return to the regularly scheduled programming

Haiku My Heart and Postcard Friendship Friday! 

Wishing YOU well and fun filled weekend! 

Good Morning!