rstuvwxyz is for...

rapids: The sound of the rushing water, the white foam, the spray, the cool air...I am drawn to the water and especially the waterfall! If I were a more organized photographer, I would have all the photos of me (and various friends and relatives at the time) and waterfalls available to post here...I don't. One of the fabulous things about working on this blog is that I am paying attention more and thinking about photography more, so when we are settled in our new home, I will be organizing all of our photographs, and eventually scanning them for inserting here and there in the blog and in my jewelry.

river: Oh, my dream of living on a river! When it was a possibility, and then likely that we'd be headed somewhere else, I reminded myself that living alongside a river in the midwest would mean *lots* of mosquitos. (I had to think of the negatives, to give up the bigger dream of the running water and the possibility of an inground swimming pool too). I love a river with smooth river rocks to stand on while feeling the water flow all around.

records (keeping them; melting them; listening to them): I keep them a bit haphazardly. I do have a manilla envelope that I stuff with my receipts, and I am really good about keeping everything in there. I record a lot about my days on my daily collages and in my journal pages. Have you tried melting vinyl records into candy dishes, chip bowls, catch alls? I haven't tried it yet, though I have been drawn to the idea for many years now... When an undergrad I had a record collection (no idea where they ended up), my most beloved was Holst: The Planets, I got crazy amounts of cleaning done in no time listening to that record.

i know, right? : We have been enjoying playing with this phrase lately.

ravelry: Love reading through so many of the groups here. Have searched for projects in here. Met some wildly interesting folks there. Am getting an idea of knitting community in the Seattle area. Will be able to stay connected with the Bay Area knitting community through Ravelry. It is really fun.

socks: I prefer socks to slippers. Handknit socks are a treat to wear. My favorite knitting socks method is two at a time, toe-up, magic loop.

slumber: Ah sleep. Our current home's bedroom is so restful (will, not so much now, it's a bit of a mess), spacious, window to the backyard. We are full of hope to find a home in Washington with some of this room's blessings.

ssss sounds

steam (tea kettle; lake in the morning air): One of my most beautiful visual memories is of waking up at a rustic campsite with a view of a little mountain lake with steam rising into the filtered morning light surrounded by huge evergreen trees.

serious?: Another favorite trendy phrase for us right now. Trying to rid ourselves of both of these actually.

spontaneous: Trying to fit this into our days, amidst the packing and social obligations. Looking forward to our venture toward Washington, being spontaneous with our days on that trip. Checking out hiking trails, waterways, and special little stores along the way.

trees: Love the light filtering through the leaves, especially at this time of the year, the light playing on the changing colour of the leaves! Fruit trees! The sway and sound of the leaves in the wind. The shade provided.

trip: Much needed getaway coming soon. We are hoping for a big trip to Europe also, want to visit amazing church architecture, museums, bakeries, farmer's markets, flea markets, all that old world charm.


unicorn: Those mystical creatures, they seem so dreamy and relaxed.

vegetables: Aren't they beautiful all lined up at the farmer's market? I especially love bringing them right in from my garden (looking forward to that again), the sun still felt on the skin, a bit of dirt still clinging to the roots, or the side that touched the rich earth. Into the cast iron pan that's had olive oil, shallots and garlic seasoning the pan, saute them up, add a bit of frest herbs at the end!

vineyard: Ah, the draw of the vines! We have *so* enjoyed our wine country time while living in the Bay Area and are *thrilled* to be moving to another wine region! We've already scouted about a bit and are excited about outdoor concerts, picnics and events on various vineyards in our new neighborhood.

whale: Gentle sea creature. So looking forward to ferry rides and whale watching, the thrill of seeing them swim, the tale and the water flowing off it.

walk

who, what, when, where... washington

wonder

wander: Not all who wander are lost. I know I should know where that phrase came from and why it was just everywhere for awhile. I don't know though...and yet, I like it. It's true. Though some are.

welcome (angels unaware): One of my favorite cross stitch projects from *years* and *years* ago! Just took this photo and realized that 'welcome' isn't in this, but that's what I always think of when I think of this piece...

xeriscaping: Using less of the resources of the world. Planting native plants, in areas that will allow for as little water as possible. I think this'll be easy peasy in Washington, great garden centers await us, and plentiful rain. No irrigation needed.

yarn: Oh, the luxury of a stash. The glory of a yarn gift certificate. I finally used mine toward yarn for the *famous* Tilted Duster.

yes (getting it tattoed...): I love this idea of getting it tattoed on my wrist, I have a lot of different words I think about for this area though...a bracelet?

zuzu's petals: Love the holidays when this movie is on the screen for weeks, nearly every hour of the day (if you have cable).

zipper: what would be do without it?

zoo: I do love a zoo, the unabashed wonder in the faces of children. The variety of landscapes, smells, and animals. I try to believe that they are all treated extremely well and they are safe.

q is for...

Queen: As a child, when I really wanted something with my name on it (I believe I've talked about that here before) my consulation was the Babar stories. And Barbar was big in Australia. Queen Celeste *and* she was Queen of Celesteville.

Also, the knitted crown I made for Cordelia. She looks like a queen in that photo.

queue: British English...another word I lost (mostly) since leaving Australia. The word is back now - thanks to Ravelry.

quirky: yes. My favorite people are. My favorite stores are. My favorite restaurants are. My favorite churchs are.

A sock progress photo...a tad blurry, sorry, the crisp shot was with a flash and the colour was way off. Nearly done with these. I love this pattern, so my next pair of gift socks may be the same pattern again - thank goodness I have so many different colourways to knit it in to keep from getting too bored with the knitting. Don't you love watching the colourways emerge? (Though I have to say -- I'm *not* a fan of the lightening bolt pooling, which is why I haven't purchased Lorna's Laces again. Does anyone know if they have changed their dyeing pattern to avoid that yet?)

p is for...

Pescadero: Photos from last week's trip ... a new section of the California coastline. Cute town. Captured this photo of a hummingbird too (shout out to Amy)



packing: Has been such a great experience this time. I'm tossing *so* much stuff! Put stacks and stacks of papers from my files -- papers from conferences and presentations and staff development theory and just, so much stuff -- it's all on the internets (that's a mantra in our house :)). The studio is even more empty now. I'll add photos tomorrow of the piles of boxes in the house and the sleekness of the studio once again. The best part of paring down now is having only items we love in the new house. No storage units, no "Hmmm, I wonder what's in those boxes in the garage?" From experience I know that I'll get rid of more stuff when we begin unpacking too. It's so freeing.




parades
party
Powell's
podcasts

o is for...

ocean: I am such a water baby. I don't remember learning to swim. Though I do remember swimming in the curriculum when I was in 5th and 6th grade. Swimming is *huge* in Australia and we were taught how to swim competitively, face in the water several strokes before a quick flick to the side to breathe out of the top corner of your mouth. Lots of practice with holding your breath. I loved swimming. I still love swimming. I haven't really *swam* in the ocean though I have gone on many a wave jumping adventure. Hey Sherree, Cyndi, Ellen...are you out there? We drove down to Durate's today - having heard about it many times, but never quite making it past our favorite spot in Half Moon Bay. We explored a little more before we take our leave of the Bay Area. We could not recommend more highly the Crab Coppicino and the Olalliberry pie.

oprah: For years Oprah has brought a positive energy to day time television. Encouraging all of us to develop our best selves, to administer self care through healthy eating, little luxuries (those give away shows - didn't you find something you needed, even if it wasn't the expensive choice shown on the show?). I love that she seems to have finally come into an understanding about her influence and (hopefully) regrets giving any credibility to GWB years ago. This presidential election she's supporting Barack Obama. He's infinitely better than GWB. However, he's still listening to advisors telling him to 'play it safe' and be middle of the road for me. He didn't show for a vote instead of standing up against this administration. I'm heartsick about the lack of spine in *most* Democrats. (And terrified about the lack of heart and evil/greed of *most* Republicans).

octopus: I love the look of them. When we lived in Singapore dried squid was a very popular snack. We never really took to it, for me it was just too salty.

ocktoberfest: Oh the glorious days of Ocktoberfest in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The first two years I lived there (graduate school) I lived off campus - my assistantship was in Student Activities. I went to the parades the fairgrounds for all the caramel apples and beer tasting. The last three years I was in LaCrosse I was a Hall Director and we had *round*the*clock* coverage to be sure all the buildings were secure, students and their guests stayed healthy. The team spirit those nights...Some of my greatest work memories are from LaCrosse - the best team I have ever experienced!

oregon: Will always have my heart. Really it is the Pacific Northwest -- the seasons, the evergreen trees, the snowcapped mountains nearly year round, the lakes, the hiking. When we moved to Oregon in 1978 I really felt *home*.

(just a few photos of my latest knitting...I haven't been keeping up with documenting them lately, but thought I'd better before they got packed...)

moving, exhausting...

so, we continue sorting, recycling, donating, offering things to friends
shredding
wishing recycling came *every* week in September and October.
we are on track though.
my studio is very nearly done (I'll take pictures this weekend - for now I'm just putting up anything I have in the computer that I haven't posted yet - I hope I have a photo to share, because I so don't appreciate a blog post without photos)
I've completed all of my projects due to folks - going to mail them all out this week.
Starting training my replacement at work today. Wonderful woman. Very exhausting to spend the whole day training!
Participating in what will be a *fabulous* chapel service tomorrow.
More packing. More trips to Half Moon Bay. More dolphin sightings (I've tried to capture them on film - no luck - it is magical to watch them though)
Soon and very soon we'll be finished with packing. and training. and good-bye parties, teas, lunchs, dinners. And we'll be spending a week on the road, taking the slow lane to Seattle - with a few scenic stops along the way. Room service. Hot tub. Gallery exploring. More beach time (in Oregon this time). We so need that. Only 15 more days!

n is for ....

new york: When I lived on Long Island I went into Manhatten as often as I could to see all the musicals I could knowing my stay there would be relatively short - I was there two years and saw over 40! Went to every museum I could find. Only went to see the "tourist shows" when friends and family from Oregon came to visit. Tourist shows are the ones that native New Yorkers never admit to seeing (Cats, Les Miz, and the like) -- fortunately I had many friends and family come to visit, so I saw them all. I had the opportunity to see many 'famous' people in the musicals - Nell Carter, Joan Rivers and more. Often waiting for them at the stage door with my friend Chris (he knew all the right things to do theatre wise). More photos from my 'scrapbook' on my flickr. I took them all before I tossed them all into recycling (I love moving!)

nest: Don't actually have a photo of a nest. So looking forward to creating our next nest in Washington. The more we pare down now, the prettier the nest will be :) This photo is from a bunch I took of birds at Half Moon Bay. Doing a bit of drawing for another bird project.

natural: Huge fan. Hiking. Organic foods. No GMOs. No copyright on food. No corporations making 'special seeds', bankrupting farmers. Heirloom fruits and veggies.

neverland: I'm not an obsessed person about Peter Pan. However, I do love the description of Neverland.

Packing, sorting, recycling papers, taking bags of things to Goodwill. New goal -- finishing boxing up all but two boxes worth of things from my studio by this Sunday night! Any guesses on how many total boxes that'll be?

Your Birth Month is December

You love life and exude an outgoing, cheerful vibe.Blessed with a great sense of humor, you can laugh at adversity. Your soul reflects: Celebration, success, and wealth Your gemstone: Blue Topaz Your flower: Narcissus Your colors: Indigo, green, and blue-green

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthmonthmeanquiz/">What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

m is for....

my interpretation of journal prompt via dawn sokol:

and back to the alphabet.

magic: Don't you love it when you encounter magic on what seems to otherwise be a normal, everyday experience? Like finding a meter with time still on it. Or going to the coffeeshop to find that it's free latte afternoon. Or really hoping to learn enamel skills and finding a class tomorrow available to me!
messy paper: One photo sample of the messy paper I often have on the messy table of my studio...I swirl around bits of leftover paint, then when it's full, cut it up and add it to art projects.

moon: We always look to the sky at night to see the moon. Make wishes upon the moon.

martha stewart: Found her again on the Fine Living channel. I so admire her.

metal clay: Love experimenting with this magic medium. I have a bunch of new pieces, but am packing them up for the move, I'll show you all finished objects later (late October, mid-November?)

merry christmas: The holiday season. The only early display I love. In fact, I like that places are filling with red, green, blue and glitter. It is a constant gentle reminder to keep working on those gifts. And advent - what a glorious time to be in community. I love all the family photo cards that come in the mail. Those christmas newsletters! The variety of cards, the colour of the envelopes, the re-connection with family and friends from around the globe. The christmas lights (we are of the all white light camp), the gift wrapping, the baking, the open houses, the spice-y smells in the air...

maker faire: If I was able to take any one thing home from the Maker Faire this year...it would have been this camper! For as long as I can remember I always had this dream of living in a tiny cabin in the woods along side a river. So incredibly efficient and beautiful. Maybe someday we'll have one of these beauties. I love the awning in front too.

l is for...

luscious: I just love the way this word sounds - try it. (pause) Doesn't it sound decadent and yummy? Luscious yarn, luscious fabric, luscious gardens...love that descriptive word.

latte: Love them, ration them now that i've learned that dairy isn't my good, good friend. Still trying to find a good milk substitute that works heated (soy, no; almond milk, no - any other suggestions?)

lamott: One of my favorite Christian writers. So much of what she writes resonates with me, love to hear her speak too, one of the great benefits of living in the Bay Area for the past four years is that we've had the pleasure to listen to her in person half a dozen times - at her home church, at our chapel, at graduation and as fundraisers. Love her!

let's do lunch: The beginnings of a new friendship, the ease kindred spirits. A slowly sipped coffee while chatting about our families, our jobs, our home, our life, our art. Meals while we lived on campus during seminary were such a treat, theological discussions, full-tilt life conversations. I will *so* miss those. We're moving on - to explore new places, learn more about new people, new communities, and still (hopefully) theological discussions.

lawn: Maybe at the next house? Not a lot of lawn (it's very ecologically unfriendly), but just a bit at our feet (because isn't a lush lawn so fabulous on our feet?) by the Adirondack chairs, under the Sky Chair, or near the hammock. The rest of the yard full of native plants that require whatever water is provided naturally. (This lawn is at Chateau Ste. Michelle, these peacocks were totally into me!). When I lived in Pullman, I developed a lovely habit of going to this great park with a quilt, and a pile of stuff - books, art supplies, letter writing paraphernalia - the grass was so soft, fragrant and deep green, I'd lay down and nearly immediately take a glorious nap.

luau: always wanted to attend an authentic luau, is it possible, or are they all hotel sponsored tourist traps these days?

k is for...

koala?: not sure. Did see them though when we lived in Australia...will have to see if I can find a photo from one of our wildlife sanctuary visits.

kismet: fate. i do believe that we have the larger hand in our fate, faith, belief, hard work, all come together in kismet.

kris kringle: love the English, old fashioned pre-Coca Cola version of father christmas.

x's (and o's): hugs and kisses. love this shorthand. Sculpture seen on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle, beautiful, peaceful sanctuary with great views of Mt. Rainier

krispy kreme: one of the reasons i love krispy kreme is the big, big machine you can watch make the donuts. An engineering marvel in my opinion. Tasty donuts too.

kayak: so looking forward to trying out some of the available designs. Found a sweet little lake in our new 'hood and we are excited to try out a new way to explore nature.

kindred spirit: we just know don't we? the instant click when we meet someone who we get, we feel they get us. And then we get to know these folks better, cookouts, coffee, hikes, knitting nights, just chatting more. Found some folks I'm looking forward to getting to know better in the Seattle area...hope to meet you too, if you live in the area, send me a note :)

what are your k's?

j is for...

journey. What a wild ride it's been. And the journey continues! We are moving to the Seattle area! We're thrilled, house hunting and enjoying exploring the area for a bit. Late yesterday afternoon we wandered the Chateau Ste. Michelle grounds for a bit, encountering these two peacocks. Also found the heart leaf -- what a weekend full of love and joy. A great community has embraced us, we cannot wait to settle here. The photo to the left is one of the outdoor seating areas at the home we have been welcomed into this week. Beautiful!

journal. My visual journal has been getting a lot of time these past few days, I haven't been writing much down, maybe because I'm blogging quite a bit?

joy. Feeling the love these days. So full of joy!

junk. I *heart* little treasures, the thrill of the hunt, the anticipation of finding one of the things on my list. The dusty nooks and crannies at the yard sale, the thrift store, the antique mall.

jelly beans. One of the first day trips we did when moving to the Bay Area was a trip to the Jelly Belly factory. Wild. Great fun. Haven't had any jelly beans since (they have seconds in these huge bags, I think we bought two bags - we shared with friends, but still...a lot of jelly beans!)

what are your j's?

i is for...

ice cream. Did you ever make ice cream as a family? Have any of you tried the super brightly coloured plastic spheres that REI (and probably other camping/sporting goods places) sells to make ice cream at your camping site? I'd love to try it, but don't really want to add to the kitchen gadgets unless it is really effective. Anyone? Tell us your ice cream making stories....especially if they involve these ice cream making spheres.

imagination. In college I had a full on crush on Albert Einstein (who didn't) - I mean the hair! the smiles and smirks, the fluffy 'i'm too busy to conform to the close cut cropping of men's hair in this era' wild hair. His commitment to many social justice causes. One of my favorite quotes of his: "Imagination is more important than knowledge".

intuition. I need quiet and alone time every day to replenish my intuition. Hey, another 'I'...because I am an introvert (well, borderline, I can be an extrovert, and am in some situations, at the beginning of the school year when new people are all around, when I start a new job, most coffee hours (though sometimes, I sneak out the back :))

inspired. By nature, truly. I just don't know what I'd do if I didn't live near enough to water to get to it regularly for day trips, hiking, picnics, photographing birds, fences, trees, other plant life. Also inspired by colour, the writers of blogs, architecture, yarn, thrift stores, garage sales, the women in my family - mom, grandma, aunts, sister in law...strong, beautiful women!

I titled this piece 'Innocence' because that's the name of the paint chip snippet on this quilt. It'll be on etsy soon.

artfest & sleepless nights

struggling and struggling with the artfest registration form!
some days have 5 classes i could pick for #1
having a hard time with one day trying to pick first choice.

meals are about as good as any cafeteria (would rather make my own), but *so* much happens in the dining hall!

gotta pick those final classes and complete the rest of the blanks to get it out in the early a.m. mail! so excited. i've started making trades too.

h is for...

hot coffee. It really wasn't about the caffeine! I love the rich, deep flavor of coffee...now I have decaf Americanos, with occasional 1/2 lattes (half the milk, double the decaf shots) yum! Seriously, if you love coffee and haven't tried my friends coffee yet, please, give it a try - *so* good!

home sweet home. I'm such a nester. I love 'corners of my home' on flickr. (If you haven't yet discovered this corner of the internets, watch out, you could spend *HOURS* looking at all the fabulousness in 'corners of my home' alone). I love HGTV! Love, love, love! These are my teeny tiny collages I make into little pendants. I have lots related to the home, lots of hearts and lots of winter imagery. hmmm.

hearts. Love the symbol, I love the anatomically correct heart too (I just haven't really explored using it in my art yet...though now I'm completely inspired to do so).

handmade/homemade/handcrafted. Love, love, love. It truly is the thought that counts, isn't it? When you know someone really thought about you while deciding what to make you, what colours to make it in and then thought about you all the while they were creating it...isn't that the best?

what are your h's?

g is for...

granny squares! I have been making granny squares for years. The 'christmas blanket' i made in grad school (ahem, more than 15 years ago). The silver granny square is one of my most proud art pieces (available here, with custom colours or inscriptions)

i love this hat! Seen on a poster at one of our favorite shoe stores in Bend. Soon, i'll be needing hats, so i'll have to try to figure out how to make this.

gift wrap. I love to do extra special wrapping for my etsy people. Usually i forget to take a photo. I was always the gift wrap person in our family. My dad owned a mail business (Handle with Care) and one holiday season he had a space at the mall - so people could wrap, box and ship moments after purchasing. When I finished my last final in Eugene (U of O) I drove straight to the mall and begin wrapping gifts. I *love* wrapping gifts!

go write. I love this collage and the reminder to squirrel away and spend time with my journal, jotting down blog notes, etc.

giggles. In high school I had to leave the classroom a couple of times because I couldn't control my laughter. As an adult, I have had to leave meetings on occasion. Laughter is the best medicine.

growth. A beautiful word, brings to mind spring, wonderful smells, earthy. A favorite of folks who frequent the library (or bookstores), schools, lifelong learning.

go to your destiny. A favorite phrase between us.

good earth tea. Has saved me since giving up caffeine. My favorite break tea. So, so yummy.

grace. A mantra for me when I am confronted by folks saying and/or doing hurtful mean things.

goldberg, natalie. If you keep a journal or a blog, if you love to read, especially books about writing, self expression, living your dream, etc. you must read Natalie Goldberg!

'good conversation is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after' anne morrow lindbergh