Way Behind...

OK...so I haven't written in a while...since I wrote last I've been out on the river two more times...once with my darling husband...and once with my eldest grandson...both times were a blast...here's a couple of pictures...they came right up to the boat and let us pat them...that's a flipper/arm reaching up out of the water in the second picture...they have fingernails...or I guess you'd call them "flipper-nails"...

Beadwork has consisted of one completed doll (above)...I loved the matte finished beads in purples and blues with the white stripe...I haven't named her yet...think I might send her to someone...but won't say who in case they are reading...it will be a surprise...and two others that are works in progress...I have yet to make my June or July Beaded Journal Project turtles...I have them cut out and ready to bead...but haven't even begun the beadwork...

Golf has been pretty good...hot as heck out there...but hitting pretty well...chipping pretty well...putting...well...on these greens "REAL" putting is an exercise in futility...we are on temporary greens til the completely revamped old ones have grown all their new and improved grass (drought and salt resistant)...and have been manicured...they say September...but I'll be surprised...still...we have fun when we play and that's really the whole point...did see a Roseatte Spoonbill at hole #6 of the River Course...such an odd little bird...here it is standing next to one of my favorite birds...don't know what kind it is...but love the white body, black legs, and bright yellow feet...like he stepped in a bucket of yellow paint...I think it's some sort of small heron...

I happened upon my daughter and her little girl today at the grocery store...they were on a field trip from the pre-school that my daughter teaches at and her daughter goes to...my daughter didn't acknowledge my presence...but she didn't give me a dirty look either...so that was a blessing...the guy behind the meat counter had the kids completely captivated by showing them how to make meatballs...he made a few...then proceeded to juggle them...the kids thought that was pretty cool...I'm glad I got to watch...I still pray every day that my daughter will have a softening of heart toward me...

Oh...and I turned 54...so we celebrated that a few times...ha...in my family birthdays tend to last a few weeks til everyone has a chance to celebrate...always fun...

Not a lot else going on...walking nearly every day...swimming a few days a week and golfing a few...and trying to stay busy...

God bless...

Ella Belle...Life is Swell!

I made a doll for my granddaughter, Ella. Though it saddens me greatly that I am not allowed to know her (my daughter and I have been estranged since before she was born...prayers are needed and welcome...), I always pray and hope that one day not only will Ella know I love her...but that she will receive her. About a year ago or so I drew a picture of a little girl and named her Ella Belle...partly after my granddaughter and partly after my mom (Ninabelle)...when I decided to make Ella a doll it only seemed right to make Ms. Ella Belle! It was a challenge...I had to make a pattern for the doll...and her clothes...but they turned out pretty well...I even made panties...since she is wearing a skirt.

She has little sandals and I made her a beaded hair snood. Her arms and legs are bendable (I put wire in them).

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

Piggy-Back Shuttle Landing

On Friday, December 12th, 2008 the shuttle came into Cape Canaveral Air Station on the back of a 727. These images were taken at 7th Street South in Cocoa Beach as the 727 flew down the beach for all to witness. A very very cool site to see! Here's a video with about 9 slides in a row of it passing while I stood on the beach ramp at 7th Street.

Christmas is approaching fast...I lit candle 11 this evening...that means only 11 days til Christmas...and I've been working hard to get the tree up and the presents wrapped and the cards sent...one of this year's Christmas Cards will include my "Flip Flop Tree"...which is our 2nd tree each year...I made it to make my husband laugh the year we were married...he loves it...

Here is my Beaded Art Doll for December...and ornament named "Glisten".

Doesn't she have a sweet face?
And this year's Christmas ornaments for the 4 grandchildren? A Christmas tree!

I still have a lot to do...have my Beaded Journal Project to finish...and have a lovely Round Robin Doll to work on...but I'm still getting out to play a little golf every few days...today shot a 43 on 9 holes...found some really "old-fashioned" clubs at the Thrift Shop for $1.00...old wooden woods...really old...and about 5 different putters!!!...and a leather bag...all for $1.00...I was amazed...the head on the 7 wood isn't much bigger than the ball! But I shot a really great tee shot on a long par three with it today...

The 2008 "Pink Ribbon Turtles" Drawings have been completed. "Ling" was won by Joan M. in Cocoa Beach, FL. I was very happy to find out that she was one of my mother's good friends. She was excited to win.

"Jewels of the Sea" was won by Anne H. of Edmond, OK. She was thrilled to hear the news.

"Kameko" was won by Beverly M. of White Pine, TN. Bev was also happy when she heard the news.

We don't have a final tally of donations to be sent to the American Cancer Society, but know it will be well over $800. With the economy the way it is...we are very pleased with this number. I will announce a final amount once I know it. I'm still waiting for a couple of "snail mail" checks to come from people that simply wanted to donate and not get tickets. Thank you to everyone who donated this year. Congratulations to our winners. Thank you to the 7 wonderful beadwork artists that made this year's turtles a reality.

We are working on plans for next year's project, and will announce our plans once they are confirmed. Anyone who is a beadwork artist is certainly invited to join us!

I reckon that's about all the news today...if I don't get to post again between now and Christmas I wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

Grandchildren, Storms and Beadwork

"Ma, we make a cake?"

What grandma can say no to a 3 year old with a request like that? Of course...what he wanted most was to make the decorations on the cake...he wanted blue and green and red and orange and yellow...and stars...

My youngest grandson loves the book I wrote for him and my other three grandchildren, "The Adventures of Shorty". His mom says he reads it all the time. So when discussing what we were going to put on the cake, Shorty naturally came up. At first, Shorty was going to be an astronaut (a recently drawn pic for the new Shorty book)...then he decided on tennis...then the astronaut on a skateboard...finally we decided that just Shorty on a skateboard would be best.

Whenever I bake cake, I bake it in two square pans. One goes home with the grandson's...the other (or what is left of the other after we've all had a piece) stays here. This works out well since my husband and I, though we love cake, don't eat much of it.

So the first cake (above) was decorated with Shorty on a skateboard...artistic direction by my two grandsons...the eldest helped with the icing...then they both helped with putting the candy stars on it.

The second cake? I let the oldest decide. A tennis player...he decided on a tennis racquet and tennis balls...that's the one we ate after the kitchen was clean.

Then it was time for a rousing game of "Simon Says", and a little bit of "Hokey Pokey", both of which the youngest is learning in pre-school. He is doing pretty well with the "Hokey Pokey", but he hasn't quite gotten the gist of "Simon Says"...it's fun none-the-less. We even got grandpa up to do the hokey pokey!

School will begin (again) on Monday, and all of them will be busy with that. The oldest is in middle school and trying out for the basketball team; the youngest going to pre-school a couple of days a week; and mom, who is a teaching assistant, going back to work. Dad...keeps us all safe working as an officer at the police department.

Now...the reason I say school will begin AGAIN on Monday...is the fact that they started last Monday...and then Tropical Storm Fay came through...and stayed...and stayed...and stayed. We had three and a half days of nothing but wind and rain...and they didn't go back to school all week.

Fay...never making it to hurricane force...dumped over 30" of rain in some places. There was a lot of flooding and a few tornados. It was nothing like Jeanne from a few years ago in strength, thankfully, but was still devastating for some. In the state of Florida TS Fay was responsible for about a dozen deaths and thousands without power and flooded out of their homes. We are thankful that our only damage was the porch getting about half way flooded and the loss of our air conditioner from Wednesday evening til this morning when it got fixed...thank goodness. It was hot those three days...but nothing like the heat we're going to get now that there will be sunshine...at least til the next one!

On the first day of the storm we looked out our back door and saw a Great Blue Heron just standing in the wind and rain. (Video above) We weren't sure at first if he was hurt or just disoriented. We finally decided he just "landed" and was afraid to spread his wings to take off for fear he wouldn't be able to control his flight and land in OZ somewhere. After over three hours of standing in the wind and rain out the backdoor...he was gone. Hopefully it was on purpose...if not...I'm sure the Wizard will have a lovely pond for him to fish in!

During the nearly 4 days of being sequestered in the house due to the storm, beadwork was most certainly a way I entertained myself. (That and the Olympics...great combination!) One of the first things I did was finish a "challenge" from one of the online beading groups I'm in. The challenge was to make a bracelet using the 'peyote' stitch. I had just recently learned it, so I thought it would be a good challenge for me. The tough part...at least for me...was that it was to be "freeform". As much as I try, being anything but symmetrical is difficult. I've managed to do it on a few of my turtles, but usually they are very symmetrical. Now symmetry and "freeform" are not necessarily opposite...but they are not synonomous either. Some of the bracelets the ladies in the challenge produced were exquisite...and not a bit symmetrical. None-the-less...I perservered. Though quite symmetrical...I am assured by the ladies that it is indeed considered "freeform". Which is good...because it's about as freeform as I can get...at least until I learn a bit more about the 'peyote' stitch.

I don't know if you can make them out...but the two circles are actually little polyclay faces. The beadwork around the bracelet is not "exactly" the same...but very similar from side to side.

The second part of the challenge...to make a ring to match. I didn't use the little cab faces...but used some of the other little beads I used around the bracelet to jazz up the ring.

I'm pleased with how they came out. I'll probably put them up for sale on my etsy site ( http://www.atawhisper.etsy.com/ ) . Being a Licensed Massage Therapist, I don't wear much jewelry, (certainly not rings) and in this case, I don't have anything to match these wonderfully bright colors. But I sure had fun making them!

Then it was on to the "Pink Ribbon Turtle" Project. Dubbed "Turtles of Hope" by Beadwork Magazine last April, the "Pink Ribbon Turtles" project took on a new level. Originally the turtles were made only by me in memory of my mother, who passed away with Breast Cancer in 2000. After the "blurb" in Beadwork Magazine, another style of PRT was created. With the help of my new friend, Gretchen, we decided that in addition to the turtle(s) I make each year, that we would have a 4 Quadrant Turtle. The turtle was divided into four quadrants and four different artists completed a quadrant. We were thrilled when a second group decided to help with a second 4 Quadrant Turtle. For more information, stay tuned...on October 1st all three turtles will be professionally framed and available in a drawing, ALL proceeds going to Breast Cancer Research.

So anyway...when I finished my freeform bracelet and ring challenge, I spent some time putting the quadrants together. (Ralonda, in Texas is in charge of the second turtle). I will give you a little peek here -> of the right side of group 1's turtle...these turtles will be fabulous I know!

For more information about "Turtles of Hope" - the "Pink Ribbon Turtle" Project, you can go to (http://www.atawhisper.com/prt.htm). You will find pictures of turtles from previous years, and a bit of the history behind the project.

Later on, when the ticket "sales" begin, I will make sure the information for you to get some is right here, along with pictures of all three of the 2008 "Pink Ribbon Turtles".

During the hottest part of the Tropical Storm that kept us all indoors for a week...when we didn't have air conditioning...I did as little as possible. Everytime I moved I would break into a sweat. So I sat myself in the coolest room in the house and sorted my beads. My husband was amazed...he thinks I have more beads than the bead store. And he only saw the ones in the drawers! I have more in the closet! But anyone who beads...knows that you can't have too many beads!

The air conditioner has been fixed, the grandson's have visited, I've just eaten my supper, and I think...I'll go do a little beadwork.

God Bless!