The Huhu Grub

The Huhu Grub is native of New Zealand. (Rumor has it, that the Huhu tastes like peanut butter. I don't know. I think I'd have to be very hungry to try it.) One of the interesting facts about the Huhu is that the adult does not eat, and it only lives 2 weeks.

Now, I'm not trying to be depressing, but I had to stop and think about this. What would I do if I knew that I only had two weeks to live?

If the truth be told, I''m not sure. I think, more than anything, I'd want to be with my family and spend as much waking time with them. I'd like to melt glass. I'd like to walk with my dog. Somethings you have to let go, but I think this is what I would like to do.

What a Difference a Week Makes!

She's my dog now! Take a look at my girl now! She's feeling better now. I think the thyroid medicine is kicking in! She's feeling more comfortable with me. She's starting to enjoy her walks. She loves to charm the people she meets. She's learned "Stay," "Go," and "Pixie, you are a naughty girl!" She seems to laugh when I say that! She loves her bed!






























Pixie found the couch!






















Pixie likes to be warm!





















Pixie's nose is cold!





















Look at my girl run! Isn't she beautiful!

Joshua Raiden Concert--Thanks, Nick!

My son, Nick has been teasing me for awhile about giving me an "early" birthday present. Both he and Jenny got into the act. Jenny told me she had a big box from Nick that was my present. They both knew I'd be trying to find it, and neither one would tell me what it was. Finally, Nick called to tell me what my early birthday present was. My gift was tickets for a Joshua Raiden concert in Minneapolis at the Prestages Theatre! I was thrilled beyond words! He's one of my favorite performers, and I had never seen him in concert! Jenny and I were there last Friday night! What a fabulous concert!

The first opening act was Amber Rubarth! She's a fabulous artist who used to be a chain saw sculptor in Reno, Nevada before she started to sing professionally. She was cute! Jenny and I had a wonderful conversation with her during a break. She has a fabulous sense of humor that is refelcted in her music! Amber also sang harmony with Josh Raiden during one of his songs.

The middle act, and I am sorry to say that I don't remember the gentleman's name, but he was also an excellent musician and did get the crowd ready for Joshua. All of my photos of him are blurry, so I don't have any to show.












After the 2nd break, Joshua Raiden began his performance.




















Joshua sang a mixture of old and new music. It was a great performance! After the concert, Joshua held a meet and greet.
Jenny and I were able to talk to him for a few moments. He invited the entire audiance to join he and the band at a local pub for beers after he finished the meet and greet.





















Jenny and I weren't able to take him up on his invitation, but we had a wonderful conversation with him. Jenny even had her photo taken with him!





















Thanks, Nick, this concert was a treat for both of us!! And I thought I was getting the Fruit of the Month club! This was so much better! Thank you!

Is this cute or what? I just needed something for today!

Here it is!


If this made you smile, the world will be better today.

Can you Read This?

Eonverye taht can raed tihs rsaie yuor hnad.



fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of
100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I
awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you
can raed tihs forwrad it

Only
great
minds can read
this
This is weird, but
interesting!

What do you think? Can you read this? I received this in an email from my dear friend, Bernadette Fuentes! Thank you, Bernadette!

Creativity Unleashed or A Look Into My Creative Journal

My creative journal had been getting a little bit dusty when I picked it up at the beginning of the week. I decided it was time to use both the crayons and my journal again. I also decided that it was time to try to preserve some of the gray matter that I have left in my brain, and, perhaps, even get some new synapses growing and connecting. It was time to use my journal, my crayons, and my left hand. (I am right handed.)

The assignments I gave myself were to draw a picture of an item and color it in STAYING IN THE LINES! Oh, my! The photos you are about to see are very graphic. You may choose to turn your head. I'm just kidding. The pictures I drew were not complicated. They were simple with very little detail. I think a first grader would have done better than me.

Here's what I learned: 1) Drawing with my left hand was hard. 2) Writing with my left hand was hard. 3) Staying in the lines was even harder. Take a look.

My first assignment was to draw and color a flower. I think the words are readable, but see if you can tell.
My next assignment was to draw a fish.
My last assignment was to draw a sunset. I do like this one the best.
I could feel my brain warm up, and I could hear the crackle of those synapses connecting. No, not really, but this was an interesting assignment for me.

Do you ever do anything like this?

Shopping Etsy - Search Recycled Art Glass

I decided to shop Etsy again using the search term: recycled art glass. Here are some of the fabulous items I found. I think you'll enjoy them, too.
The first item I found was this recycled glass mobile from Designs by C.D. Childs. This mobile was made from recycled wine bottles. It's called: Eco Friendly Wine Bottle Mobile (Recycled).
Isn't this awesome?











From bayatinge on Etsy, I found a shop full of wonderful treasures including these awesome slumped Perrier bottles that are now coasters! How cool is that? Titled: Chill, these would make a unique gift for anyone!
















Ecohead is another vendor on Etsy.
Talk about a creative use of recycled objects, this item, titled "A Family of Peace Spiders" shows how creativity and recycling can be put together.















Amazing!
In Minty Fresh's Etsy Shop, I found some very interesting works of glass art.




















Simply titled "Kiln Fired Beer Bottle Wall Hanging or Tabletop Art," this would be a wonderful gift for that bachelor in your life who has everything! I love it!

I am amazed at the wonderful pieces you can find in any online shopping venue if you just look. Now, what have you found lately? Feel free to share it here.

New Treasury on Etsy!

At last, I snagged an Etsy treasury!
Here's the link, please click and comment. There are wonderful items both in the main treasury and the alternate list!

Fiona Prentis a Kiwi Glass Artist

I first "met" Fiona Prentice on Facebook. She's got bright red hair and a fabulous smile! Then I started to see her beads on a thread on Lampworketc. forums called the Gaffer Chalcedony 109 thread. (I'm not sure, but you might have to join lampworketc to view the thread, but if you do, you won't be disappointed.)







This is one of those beads that you look at an gasp! It is beautiful!


















Fiona has been lampworking for 6 years with one year off. In the beginning she used the traditional Hot Head, which is what most of use used when we first started out. It's a torch that uses propane as it's fuel. Fiona has since upgraded to a Nortel Minor which is a dual fuel torch (oxygen and propane). Look at the results she's getting using Gaffer Chalcedony glass.
(The first bead is chalcedony glass, too.)






















If you visit Fiona's website, you can see more of her amazing beads. Those beads in the gallery were made on her Hot Head torch.





















Fiona works as a psychiatric nurse in the forensic unit of her hospital in her non glass life. She felt that she had lost her muse at one point in time, and that's why she took a year off. Now, thanks to Gaffer Chalcedony glass and Deb Batten, another Kiwi glass artist, she feels that she is able to develop her style and skills in glass.





















See what I mean, she only gets better!

The Journey Has Just Begun

Now, to explain the last two posts. The scriptural reference of "Ask and you shall receive," came because of my prayer to "Please, Lord, send me a wonderful dog." Little did I know how quickly that prayer would be answered.

Wrong turn: I knew of two greyhound rescues in Minnesota. I even talked to one of the facilitators in one. She suggested that I go online and download their application and mail the application into them. I asked if it could be filled out online and submitted that way. She told me she wasn't sure.

So, not remembering which organization it was, I Googled "MN Greyhound Rescue." I found the first greyhound rescue, and, amazing! It has an online application. I filled it out, and I hit the submit button. I was thrilled to have been able to fill it out online. Then I realized, I had taken the wrong turn. It was not the organization that I had wanted to work with. It was the wrong Greyhound rescue!

Two days later, I received a call from Kelly. She suggested that I take a look at Pixie. I fell in love immediately! I have never owned a female dog, nor have I owned one that is so small! Today, Pixie and I got to meet for the first time. Isn't she beautiful?

She's tired. We just got home from our first walk, and she's wiped out. I think it was too hot. We'll try again later. Now, we are getting to know each other. She's never been in a home without other animals. I sure hope she's happy!

Like I said, the journey has just begun!

The Journey - Taking the Wrong Way

We've all done it. We've gone the wrong way at some point in time. Sometimes we see the sign, and sometimes we don't. We've taken a left instead of a right, or we've taken a right instead of a left. We end up where we thought we weren't supposed to be, but then we find that, maybe, just maybe, we were supposed to be here all along. These turns and twists in the road cause my anxieties to elevate. When I get where I'm going, then I look back. It was where I was supposed to be. Have you ever done that? How do you feel when you take the wrong turn?

The Journey

Look What Came to Play Hide and Seek with Me Today

Hi, there! I know you see me!
Peek a boo!

Can we be friends?

You don't want to stay and play?

What are you looking for?

Now, I know!
Bye, it was fun!

When Mom Goes to Visit Jenny

Marvin had low expectations of my visit.
He made it clear that it was far more important for him to groom himself
than to purr for the camera.
Walter, who learned to open cabinet doors on this visit,
chose to ignore the
new human in his life.
He also waited for Marvin to groom him.

Jenny no longer gives her mother a chin or an elbow.
As an adult, she merely sticks out her tongue.
Such is the wonder of children and grandcats!
So. until the next visit.
Back at you!
Truly, I love them dearly!

Happy Birthday, Jenny!

Happy Birthday, Jenny!

I remember that little girl that used to give me a chin when she got mad at me. When I told her to stop, she would, but then she'd give me an elbow.

I knew when she was 2 days old, I'd have my hands full, and I did! We were told, as new parents, to keep our babies bundled. I did. Then, on day 2, I saw that determined little look on her face, and her hands were out of her bundle.

Now, I see a beautiful, young woman so full of potential and unconditional love!

I know I'm in trouble when I hear, "Mother!" I used to be calleld Mum when she was young. Times have changed. Our lives have changed, but this will never change.
I love you! Nick loves you!

Happy Birthday, Jenny!

Rings n Things Wholesale Show in Minneapolis

Rather than bore you with the details,
I'm going to let the photos show you the day.
My partners in crime were Joan and Ginny.
In spite of everything,
We had a great time!
Part of the Room full of beads and gemstones.
Another part of the room.

Joan, Me, and Ginny
I'm tired!
Feet are up.
Nap time!
Funny friends!
Even funnier!
Checkout!

When You Need a Good Laugh!

Go to Etsy and visit MayBeads store!
Lauren is my round robin partner this week in Fire Divas. I was so excited when I found that out because I love her products.

















I nearly covered my computer screen with diet coke when I saw these. Do you know what they're called? Nice set! I did a little bit of personal research. You know, I think those beads are a nice set!























Now, who else but Lauren would come up with this idea--A Turtle Taxi! That might not have brought the huge laugh of the nice set, but this sure brought a much needed smile to my face!























Here's another of my favorites! Iggy the Inchworm! I could go on and on, but I think you need to go visit Lauren on Etsy! What a hoot! I love her work!