YES! More Michigan Pot Hole PLEASE!

Yes, it is possible to  love Michigan Pot Hole, when it's Ashby's chocolaty, chocolate, chocolate ice cream filled with pebbles of chocolate and ribbons of ground chocolate cookie sand in a mud of chocolate.  This is Willie Wonka style road work.  Eat responsibly! 

A Distinguished Profile

A lesser published view of Mt. Rushmore is this profile of first president George Washington. It seems right that his image is the only one that can be seen, at some point, unaccompanied by the other presidents. Being first is a lonely position.

Strength and Humility come to mind when I reflect on these president's service to our fledgling nation. Strength and humility is reflected in the strong and humble stone from which their images are carved.  I like how the portraits are polished to a kind of "spiritual radiance." 
It's fun to quiz folks as to why they think these four presidents were selected for this special memorial. Their many achievements are worth remembering and acknowledging. 

Here I am trying to look distinguished alongside Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.  It's doubtful that any other portrait will be sculpted at Keystone Park, however in a metaphorical sense U.S. citizens can consider themselves as part of the sculpture.  Many of us are like the strong and humble rock foundation from which great individuals emerge and/or are supported.

Bean out West

 At the end of May I headed out west with my friends Gwen and Mike.  On our first day we made a stop at the "Bean" in Chicago.  We arrived at the end of the day as the sun was setting and the early rising moon was bright spot in the cloudless sky.

I really like this photo I took of the moon above the sky scrapers.

I really enjoyed seeing the Bean as it reminded me of a past fascination I had with an old parlor game that uses a chrome tube and a distorted picture which reflects a proportional image in the the tube's concave surface. Of course everything is distorted in the bean, but it is fun like the Fun House Mirrors in Dempsey's Restaurant.  However, the Bean, at least on that night, in the cool of a May evening was more like a magic mirror and was full of elegance and class.  

Painting the Glazow with thoughts of Spring

On March 6 the grandkids came over for mid-winter break.  It was a bitter cold day but Mekayla said something about painting the snow.  Typically this is done with spray bottles filled with water dyed with food coloring.  I don't have the spray bottles, but the snow had a icy slick over it on account of freezing rain the previous Tuesday.  I told the kids that the Inuit have many words for snow and that I decided to name the snow glazow for glazed snow.  The glazow made an interesting "canvas."  Our thoughts of spring made charming images and so it was worth it to brave the cold for a few minutes.  But, it was so cold that the water froze in the containers before our eyes!

Yesterday warmth passed through melting our Spring Dreams and leaving no detectable trace of their being.

My New Friend

This is Bailey.  My friend Gwen bought him at a pet store in Billings.  I took this picture in January and he is a little more grown up.  It's clear he is adorable and he loves me and he is funny and sweet and he doesn't have accidents in the house!  He does get into the trash can . . . but as he he is becoming more excited about the outdoors he should out grown his interest in trash.

Calendar Waste Basket

I made a waste basket from an old calendar.
I used some chip board, and some old harvest gold vinyl shelf liner, clear contact paper, hole punch, and some yarn in mardi gras colors. I found a pattern for a waste can and traced the shape on the chip board. 

I glued the calendar onto the board using rubber cement.  When the glue was dry I trimmed each side and put contact over the images.  I glued the shelf liner on with E600 spray adhesive and trimmed off the extra.  Bore holes around the edges and then I blanket stitched around each piece. I sewed the sides together using a light green cotton thread which I wove around the existing threads.  

I like the results.  The waste basket is contemporary and nostalgic.  I think I would like to make boxes using this method.  

Valentine Cookies

Gwen gave me pink pearl sugar so I made these lovely heart shaped palmiers.  I have made them before but these were the most charming by far.  The large grains of the sugar really accentuated the form of the cookies.  The grandkids loved them.  I also made them hazelnut spread shortbread cut in the shape of hearts. These cookies needed a few days for the flavors to come to a peak, also the dough was kind of a pain to work and required my patience.  However, the results were worth my effort.

Goat Herdess

 So a week ago I was invited to help tend some goats.  I helped to feed them grains and hay, and I even cleaned a stall.

The place I went to is not a large farm, rather it is a little hobby setup for gathering milk.

Have you ever used goats milk soap?  It feels wonderful.

The does have fun loving dispositions, but the bucks (not shown in these photos) can be aggressive and they stink.  Their vile odours were stuck in my brain for days.  Both does and bucks show stubborn attitudes. They do not go where you want them to.

The little goat "camp" cares for a variety of small breeds:Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, Boer.

 

Happily living among the goats is a Great Pyrenee named Sasha.  She sleeps in the middle of the herd at night.  Protection is her primary service.  Protection from what?  Coyotes! When the sun sets these wild predators rise up howling and hungry!  Sasha looks sad in this picture but she is a very happy dog.

Sasha is fulfilling her calling.  Dogs want meaningful lives too.    

It is funny that I had this goat tending experience.  Goats have been showing up in my travels.  I saw a picture of my mom as a little girl sitting in a wagon being pulled by a goat.  This was a professional photograph as sales men used to bring horses and goats with wagons into cities (like Battle Creek) and parents would have their children's picture taken in a mock rural setting.

Then I came across the Coco the Goat by Rhea Wells which has charming illustrations.

All this goat talk makes me want to dig out my Goat Rodeo CD.

The day of no striving

I am tired from striving.

Pinecone on Skates

The grandkids say I look like a pinecone in my snow suit; I really filled it out this year.  (It was encouraging to learn that Princess Grace struggled with her weight.)  After getting a shot in my foot for plantar fac . . . I was able to skate.  My first outing was at Adrian College.  This picture was taken the night of New Years Day in Jacob's back yard.  He put in a little rink and is already thinking of biggerin for next year.  Still, it is a good size for brushing up on your balancing skills. 

This was the first year the grandkids came over for New Years Eve.  We played wii and I got exhausted and fell asleep before the ball dropped.  Does the ball click up the rest of the year?  I woke up when the grandkids were screaming and making racket, I sent them on the porch with horns, hats, and vintage clanging things. 

I think when they are older they will really appreciate the ways we live well.

Peace

The Lion and Lamb symbolism of Peace, was my Christmas theme this year.  I look to God for peace his is my lion and my lamb.  

Christmas Train

Christmas Train which is an entertainment train that runs a canned food drive for the needy, passes through Lenawee County.  My camera fstop wasn't fast enough, but the image sums up the sudden thrill of colored lights flashing by like a shooting star.

Evelyn and Steve

For the much anticipated wedding of Evelyn and Steve I decided to make another pastel painting.  I was in a huge rush (again) and did the whole thing the day OF the wedding.  This is based on a photo I took of them when they first began courting in October 2013.  That year there was a GREAT crop of apples.  The fruit was so abundant it couldn't be used up.  Many folks were making apple sauce and Steve offered Evelyn and I some. 
On the back I wrote that I hoped that their lives would be filled with more blessings then they could utilize. 
I felt a little insecure about my gift so I gave them a Lowe's gift card too.

I have this problem of not feeling like enough.  That is a sad admission.  

Cranberry Birthday Theme

For Maripat's birthday I selected a cranberry theme.  I found the tin at a thrift store, the tea was new  this year from Celestial Seasonings, I got the face cloth and little book from Golden Hobby in Columbus, OH.  I bought the sugar scrub with extra bucks, I made cranberry pistachios biscotti, and included a recipe for my favorite cranberry relish that my grandma used to make. I also made the pastel painting of the cup filled with cranberries.  So much fun to compile this gift for my dear friend.

Grandma's Cookie House

I have been wanting to make a gingerbread house with my grandkids.  When? How? What? This year it was now!   The what was a gingerbread version of my house -pink with green shutters.  Above are pictures of how it was done.  I am having trouble with blogger and am unable to upload certain pictures.  I'm a person in a rush most of the time so I haven't taken the time to figure out this problem, so the image of my grandkids decorating the house is not provided.

Taking a cue from a friend I constructed the house before the grandkids decorated it.  This was a good move because construction took several days and two concrete mixtures.  It was a bit frustrating, but I persevered.

The gingerbread house was entered into the Adrian Public Library gingerbread contest.  The contest raised money for library services - mostly the summer reading program.  Friends of the Library sold five tickets for a dollar and the public voted for their favorite by putting a ticket in a canning jar.  We didn't win the community favorite award, but we did win first prize in the multi-generational catagory with the special distinction of being "The Most Elaborate."  The grandkids were surprised by our win.

On the base I attached a lable on which I wrote a quote from Arianna, "Grandma's house always smells like cookies."

I hope they will remember the experience.