Monday, November 16, 2009

My first Victorian Coronet











Greetings! Boy, is it a blustery day here!! Quite windy and, although I haven't seen any rain, it looks like it could just dump on us at any moment. The wind has been howling, though! This will certainly put a damper on the last of the beautiful leaves that are hanging to the trees. :
Anyway, I've been crafting. I'm working on some Christmassy blocks right now... almost done; photo will come later. But, first, this is a Victorian Coronet that I made a week or so ago. I've been wanting to make them for a year or so, but hadn't gotten to it. So, I was getting together with a few friends, for one of their birthdays, a week or so ago, and two days before we were meeting, I decided to make one of these for her birthday! I figured if I had a short dead-line, that would make me do it and get it done. One of the ladies at the local quilt shop used to say that I worked better under pressure... because I'd come in for fabric for dresses for my girls, like two days before Thanksgiving and say I had to make them for Thanksgiving! :) (I always got them finished!) :) Plus, since her birthday is so close to "Christmas decorating time", I thought a Christmassy thing would be nice. I bought this beautiful box at Jo-Ann's, (which I wish I would've taken a picture of!) for her to store it in.
It was really fun to put together! A little overwhelming, at first, but that seems to be how I am with every project I do. I get my supplies out and then I think, "How will I *ever* decide which paper to use??" ... as in the main paper for the cone. But, I bought that paper, with that in mind, and it was still the best choice, at the time. :) So, I went with it. I decided to add Yo-yo's... only buttons were in my original plan. I learned some things by doing this first one. But, the only thing I really wished I'd done was to put little eggs in the nest. I didn't have any. :( I do now.
Hmmmm.... I might just do a tutorial on it... I did take pictures as I went along.
Well, enjoy the weather, wherever you are!!
~ Teri

Monday, November 2, 2009

The gang of jack-o-lanterns!


Happy Halloween, a couple days late!


Here are the kids, carving their jack-o-lanterns! Well, the one in the red isn't mine, but we've known her for most of her life! It was such a gorgeous day and it continued into the evening. The moon shone brightly as we walked around... it didn't even get cold! Cool, but not cold. :) We walked as long as the littlest of kids could take it. When we were close to our house, again, one of the moms says to her 3.5 year old, "We're almost back to the Patty's house" and he says, "Thank you!"
It was fun. One of our friends brought some mulled wine over with her, so we had that to come back to.





Here are my kids, plus two that aren't mine. All the blonde kids are mine. :) Little pirate, monkey, big pirate.
Ack! Where'd the picture of the finished jack-0-lanterns go?? I hate when that happens!! I'll add it, by itself.
The time has changed.... it's 7:42 and I'm ready for bed! I do like the Fall and "going inward" stuff... but, I don't like how it happens just all of a sudden! Feeling like going to bed at not-even-8:00?? Geez... that just makes me feel old!!
Well, I hope you're all enjoying this beautiful season and are staying healthy! Take your vitamins, people!!!
Enjoy the day... or night.....
~ Teri


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Boo!

Fall is definitely here. I always look so forward to the leaves changing... and love them while they're in their Fall glory..... and, then, all too often, we get a storm.... it gets windy and Poof! They're all gone. Just like that.

I still have Maples, though, that are just now starting to change! They'll be my last chance for photos. :)

This tree is downtown, in historic McMinnville. It looks so beautiful down there right now! My only complaint... if I had a complaint, which I don't, really... is all the overhead wiring! You go to take a picture of some lovely group of trees and there are all these wires going across them! Ugh! Photoshop would take care of that, probably, wouldn't it? Well, some day I'll have that. Not today.

Here's a little something that I put together for the dining room table.

And, Halloween is right around the corner!!! I mean, that corner is only four days long now! I'm *so* not ready for Halloween.... and probably will not have a costume because of that, but so be it. We've had sickness in this house for a week and a half. I need to make our front porch look not-so-scary. No, you don't understand.... our porch looks scary in the real sense, not in the Halloween goblin and ghoul type way.
Blackberry vines went crazy while I was busy working on the garden, in the backyard, over the summer! You turn your head for five minutes and those little buggers run amok! "Amok", now there's a word. And, here I thought that "awry" was my favorite word. Today it might be "amok". Did I spell that correctly? It's starting to look funny now. Ah, I just looked it up. It can be spelled like I spelled it... or "amuck". Oh, my. It also says this:
(among members of certain Southeast Asian cultures)..a psychic disturbance characterized by depression, followed by a manic urge to murder. Wow. I didn't realize that word was so intense. Well, I'd still say the blackberries have run amok.... they'd like to take over the world!!
Enjoy the day!
~ Teri

















Monday, October 19, 2009

Reuniting with old friends!



























So, here I am, first singing a duet at the Spring Concert, in May of 1976, and then at my 8th grade graduation, June 10, 1976. I've recently reconnected with some of these people; people that I played music with and many of us are still playing, and doing music professionally, which is really great to see! We owe a lot to the man in the first picture, Gary Fredrick(s?), who was our guitar instructor. He did so much more for us than simply teach us how to play the guitar!! He put together different groups, a "Mariachi Group", which I was in, and a rock-band, which my friends were in and some of them backed us up, too. But, the cool thing was that he booked us to play in public places!! We started out going to nursing homes, that kind of thing... then, we were doing a bank opening/ribbon-cutting ceremony, then we started playing in pizza parlors! He took all the sound gear and set it up, ran it, etc..... I *so* appreciate all the work he did for us *now*!! It was such a great experience for 12/13 year olds!! We never got paid.... I don't think it occurred to any of us to be paid! We were just having fun and I'm sure the pizza parlor enjoyed having us there, for free! :) We did bring some people in for them and we benefitted in so many other ways! The Chorus teacher, Mr. Orlando, was equally wonderful. Those were easily the best years of my school career, which is what all these other people have said, too. That's partly because it was a small school, but also because of these two great men and their love for music. They've both left the planet, so to speak, unfortunately. But, I'm sure they touched many more kids' lives than just ours, over the years. I'm so thankful for both of them. I'm sure they're both smiling down upon all of us right now. Rest in Peace, you two.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Pillow-Talk



Here are the pillows that I made yesterday! Three of these had old, funky coverings on them. I just cut off the old coverings and used the inside forms. I thought of adding piping, but I really wanted to get them done and I knew that I'd be sabotaging my efforts if I did anything besides simple, simple, simple!! Usually, I would make it an envelope opening or add a zipper, but, again, I wanted them Done. So, I made them so the coverings can't come off, without scissors. :) I don't think the insides would stand up to machine washing, but I figured the fabric was on sale.... if I really need to wash them, I can open up the opening and take the forms out. I did hand-sew the opening together; that took longer than all the rest of it!

This couch is so deep and cushionless on the back of it, that you need to have these pillows there to even sit on it. When I sit on this couch, which is rarely, I feel like Ruth Buzzy in that skit that she used to do on "Laugh-In", where she sat in that huge rocking chair, to make her look like a little girl. If I sat straight up on this couch, my legs would stick straight out, in mid-air. So, anyway, the pillows are a necessity for this couch!


But, they do go nicely with the blue couch, too. So, yay...something in this living room goes together!



And, these, having nothing to do with the living room, are on the dining room table. Probably the last of the flowers from my own garden for this year. These sunflowers are, believe it or not, Mammoths, that I got planted late. Poor, little, sad, stunted things. I was going to make a Sunflower House, which I threaten to do every year! At least I got further with it this year... I have hope for next year! So, anyway, these sunnies got about four feet tall and, much to my surprise, they actually bloomed! But, by the time they bloomed, the sun had moved further south....well, okay, we tilted so that it seems the sun moved further south.... and these little sunshiny faces followed the sun. Which is away from the garden. No one but the bunny, Jack, could enjoy them. So, I figured they'd be better off and would probably enjoy a longer life, in a vase, in the house.

Happy Autumn! Enjoy the day!

~ Teri



~

Tuesday, September 22, 2009


Keio, at her tie-dying party that we had for her, for her 18th birthday! She's never celebrated her birthday before, due to religious constraints. She doesn't live with her mother, anymore, so we had a birthday party for her! And, threw in some tie-dying because she'd never done that before, either.
It was lots of fun! She even had her own party-hat!!

I made her favorite dinner of mine, Manicotti. Then, we finished the evening off with Aunt Betty's Chocolate Cake (my great-aunt Betty) and ice-cream.
These are some of the bandanas, after being washed. The top-left one is mine. I don't like to wear tie-dyed things, except to bed, but I love doing them!!




Some of the tie-dye party participants, having fun.
OK....gotta get ready to go to dinner in Salem. We're taking her out to dinner, too. :)
Enjoy the day!
~ Teri

Friday, September 18, 2009

The Hobbit Hole at The Oregon Garden



Here's the Hobbit Hole that's at The Oregon Garden! It's built up, over a culvert. Has beautiful plantings on both sides of it, around the doors. Such fun! I want to have one of these!

Enjoy the day!

~Teri






Saturday, September 5, 2009



Is this beautiful or what??? This is the kind of thing I've been longing to do for some time now. And, it's my lucky day that I happened to go check out one of my favorite websites, The Feathered Nest, only to find out that she has her tutorials on such things at half-price! (Her link is down below, over at the right, in my "favorite blogs/websites" list.)

So, jump on over to her website and check out her sale! She gives you a PDF file and you print it all out. All the gorgeous images, full-color detailed instructions, etc..... The sale has already been going on a day or two and ends on the 7th.... so you only have a day left!

There's an interesting story behind this, actually, too. Just before I actually met my friend, Angela, in person, (we'd been communicating online before she moved to my town) I came across The Feathered Nest and loved it. Well, then, I went over to Angela's house and what do I find up on her living room wall?? This nest assemblage, or one very much like it! I asked her where she got it and she couldn't quite remember. I asked her if it was from The Feathered Nest and, yes, that was it! She loved that site, too. A kindred spirit, as Anne Shirley would say. :) And, such a small, small world.

I hope you're having a beautiful day!

~Teri

Friday, September 4, 2009

The Bittersweetness of Fall


Ah, the harvest......the sweet, juiciness of a vine-ripened tomato....there's just nothing like it. But, for me, it comes with a bittersweetness. It means that Summer is coming to a close. Which is, again, met with bittersweetness....I love the Fall here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, but I know that once it's upon us, there's no turning back. We're in for the long-haul, no matter how long that might be!
I have to remind myself, though, that the Earth starts to shift, again, right after the first of the year. It's really not long after that that you might see crocus' poking their little greens up... and they'll even bloom their adorable little purple, orange or white blossoms right in the snow! That is a sight to behold! One that always gives me hope that the Life that's been lying dormant is renewed...the Light is growing stronger... and longer, warmer days will be upon us.
We used to have some crocus but they were crowded out by crabgrass. I'm vowing to plant some new ones under my Dogwood and Cherry trees, out front, this year. That way, when I'm at my wit's end, with the coolness and/or wetness (or both!!), and I see one of those, I can be reminded of life's sweetness. And that Spring is just around the corner!
But, for now, Fall is just around the corner. Bittersweetness and all.
Enjoy your day!
~ Teri

Sunday, August 16, 2009

So, here's the quilt. My niece, Anna, loved it and I'm sure the baby will, too!

I'm going to post some of the steps that I took in cutting and piecing it together, so you can make your own!

But, for now, I have to go meet Wayne down at the coffee shop.

Enjoy the day!

~ Teri

Friday, July 31, 2009

Hannah's Artwork

My daughter, Hannah, gets to put her artwork up on "the wall" at our favorite hang-out, Cornerstone Coffee, for the month of August! So, I've been matting and framing like a mad-woman the past three weeks!

It was sort of a fluke that she got in for the entire month. They are usually booked a year in advance! We're having our second annual Beatles Night on August 29th and we had originally wanted to have some of her Beatles work up over that weekend. Then, we got word that, for some reason, that month hadn't been booked and it was available!! It's so cool... we're so excited! And, I'm DONE with all the matting and framing!!! There are 32 pieces ready to go!! A few of them I didn't actually have to mat because they'd been done at The Art Conspiracy and this JL one we had done at the frame shop, but, most of them I did. These are all original works and she isn't going to sell originals right now, so now we need to figure out what to charge for prints!

Here is a sample of some of her work. This first piece is of John Lennon, all in words. That's right.... look closely... every bit of shading is done in words. Part his biography, part Hannah's thoughts about him. It's amazing. It took her many hours to complete... I don't even think she knows how many!!

The last one is a CD cover that she painted for her dad, to go along with the CD that she burned for him. (Sssshhh! Don't tell anyone about that!)

Enjoy the day!

~ Teri


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Those fabrics, unrolled


So, here are those fabrics, all rolled out! These photos just don't do them justice... they are so sweet! :)

Monday, July 6, 2009

What do you get when you.....???




So, what do you get when you cross a beautiful April Cornell (for Moda, of course!) springtime fabric with a simple white-on-white fabric?? Well, stay tuned to find out! I will take pictures as I go and you'll have a better view of these fabrics once I undo the "jelly-roll". This is all one jelly-roll.... just the two different sides. So, stay tuned! I can tell you that it's going to be sweet, sweet!!
Count your blessings and don't forget to Be Grateful!! :)
Enjoy the day!!
~ Teri

What I've got blooming right now

Sweet-Peas that I planted last Spring. They didn't grow much and they certainly never bloomed. So, I figured they just weren't even going to do anything. I noticed, though, that they were there all Winter long. Then, this Spring they started growing again! They climbed up into my tea roses and bloomed!! Yay!!

Below is a mini-sunflower. They're only about 18" tall, if that. They have multiple blooms, but they're all pretty close together so you can't really cut them for bouquets. I do have some other ones that are better for that, but they are still in their little, tiny "cells" that I planted the seeds in! Maybe there's still hope. These little ones do look pretty out in the garden, though, so maybe I wouldn't use them in bouquets, anyway??

It's SO much cooler today!! I should be out weeding!! And, transplanting!!

Enjoy the day!

~ Teri



So, did you see my raised beds right after we put them in, at the end of May? Here they are, just after they were planted with tomatoes, swiss chard, tomatillos, onions, cabbage, green beans, lettuces and marigolds.
And here they are, just over a month later!! I didn't want to "cage" the tomatoes..... tomatoes get ripe from the gas that they give off and if they are covered, they ripen faster, because that gas can't escape as readily. So, if you have tomatoes that you're trying to ripen, after they've been picked, lay them on the counter and cover them with towels.

I have more pics, of more veggies and flowers, but I'm going to put that in another post or my images will get all messed up and be in the wrong order! :)




















































































Friday, June 19, 2009

Stir-fry on the stove and a fun day at the Black Sheep Gathering!

Hey! I just put together a stir-fry, using some of the veggies from the CSA that we now belong to (our friends, Sheila and Andre...Growing Wild Farm... run it) and my own beautiful Red Lights Swiss Chard! I used their bok choy, broccoli and green onions. Yum!

Last night I was so inspired that I had Roth's cut up some lamb stew pieces for me and I made a lamb stew. Looked at an online recipe, but mostly did it intuitively. I've never cooked with lamb before!! It turned out wonderfully....everyone loved it!! I used the turnips and the turnip greens, green onions, my swiss chard, some sherry, carrots, garlic, chicken broth and a bay leaf from my own backyard. :) I also made corn fritters that had green onions in them and some diced yellow bell-pepper. We ate those with sour cream. Yum! Had fresh "Batard" bread, like a rustic french bread, from Red Fox Bakery (local) that I bought at the Farmer's Market and green salad, made mostly from all those great local veggies!!

My friend, Jana, and I went down to the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene. It's a fiber festival....lots of roving (for needle-felting or spinning your own yarn) and beautiful yarns to see, touch, smell, rub against your cheek, etc.... Jana bought some roving, for needle-felting/fairy-making projects with her boys. I only bought one skein of yarn. But, it's beautiful yarn and there was enough on there for me to knit myself a pair of socks. Maybe if I count my rows this time, my socks will turn out the same!! I have no doubt that they will. Other than that, they turned out beautifully last time. So, I'm excited! I didn't, however, find any nice yarn to use for the Booga Bag that I want to make, so I guess I have to go to the local knit shop. Well, I have a gift certificate for them, anyway; maybe I'll get some of that gorgeous Noro yarn!

I'm determined to learn how to spin now... just with a drop-spindle. Jana said that she bought one and I can borrow it. I'm thinking that's more of an Autumn activity, but, then, after a long day in the garden/yard, I've been known to have a shower and watch a little tellie... so, I'll need an activity for that. I have a hard time just sitting and watching TV... I bite my nails if I don't have something to do with my hands!!

We played at a Solstice Party last night... in a barn, with bales of hay all around us! It was a lot of fun. Not many people there, but the people who did hear us were appreciative, so that's nice. We're playing at Cornerstone Coffee (on Third St.) on Friday, July 17th. 8:00, I think, but we might start at 7:00. If you're local, please come and join us! OH! We have a name, so we are now on My Space!! Go to www.myspace.com/urvaan and you'll find us. We'll have our schedule there... please drop by and say, "hey!" Yep, Urvaan is the name. It's a Zoroastrian term... look it up. (We aren't Zoroastrian.... we just like the term.)

Enjoy the day!

~Teri

Monday, June 15, 2009

Toe update

Well, my toe looks much better! I'm hopeful now!
I went to the MD and he added another antibiotic to the mix, plus another eight days of the original antibiotic. Whew. So far, my body seems to be fine with the flora balance issue, though.
Very strange and scary to see an infection get so nasty so quickly!! But, it appears that we're going in the right direction now. :)

Enjoy the day!

~Teri

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Well, here's the update on my toe! This was taken about 30 mins. ago, so it's current. It looks awful but it is actually feeling better!! Wa-a-a-ay better!! I started taking antibiotics on Friday. It'd been hurting less than 24 hours when it started looking this bad....so, whatever this is, it moved quickly. Kind of scary.
I took Monday "0ff" and just layed around, with it elevated, and watched old Lost episodes that I hadn't seen yet. :) I'd been on it so much even though the doctor's orders were to keep it elevated as much as possible and to soak it as much as possible. But, I had a graduation to attend and a party to get ready for!! Once that was over, I took a break. I think it paid off.
It's amazing how slowly the healing process has been, though. And, to not know what the culprit was is rather disconcerting. But, I'm more confident now, though, that it will be totally better...even though it's been looking like it's going to fall off!
I hope you're all having a good day.... and wear closed shoes when you're playing in the dirt! (That's what I think happened.)
~ Teri

Friday, June 5, 2009

My toe


Isn't this bizarre? It's so painful and I can't believe how fast it came on! It hasn't even been 24 hours since it started hurting and it looks like it's dying!! (Not really, but it does have a gruesome look to it!) I'm going to the Naturopath in about an hour so I'll let you know what it turned out to be after that. For now, I need to go lie down, so it can be up.... it feels better that way.
And, wouldn't you know it... it's been raining and so I'm going to have to put on close-toed shoes for Kyla's graduation. Ugh! I hope whatever the remedy is has a profound effect and works fast!!
Enjoy the day!
~Teri

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The other thing I've been doing

The other thing I started doing a few months ago, (before gardening season came on!) was knitting handbags, to felt them. The first one I did for my sister, for her birthday. I took a picture of it on my phone, but it didn't work when I tried sending that to my email account. Go figure. But, the second one I have right here so was able to take a picture of it. The one I did for my sister was more interesting because I needle-felted some flowers over on the left-hand corner of it. Kind of viney, swirly flowers. I'd never needle-felted like that before, so was a little nervous doing it on a finished project!! What if it looked ugly? Would I be able to take it out?? Well, luckily, that wasn't an issue. It worked out just fine...even while watching television. :)

So, here is the second one I did. The colors were brighter before they were washed all those times.... I liked them better before. The sagey green gets lost in all this purple and there's exactly the same amount of both! I'm not crazy about how this one turned out. I might even try to sell it. :) I shouldn't say that I'm not crazy about how it turned out... it turned out great! But, it's a little big for me, as handbags go. I'm going to try the Booga Bag next....I think the dimensions will work better for me. The other thing is... and tell me if this is odd... but I don't want to carry around a wool bag in the summertime! Even the last few months, I've been thinking that it sounds too warm! To have wool up against you? It just sounds like a "cozy" thing.....I think that would work out better in the Fall and Winter. Is that crazy?
The pic below is a close-up of the felted wool. I'm picky about how the felt looks... I don't like it to look like it's been knitted!! I want it as smooth as possible. I was pretty happy with this in that regard. I got the pattern from Kyla, my daughter, who was doing this project for a class in school. Hers turned out really cool! She played around with colors more. I'll see if she'll let me post a pic of it.

Enjoy the day! Happy gardening, knitting, whatever-it-is that makes you happy!
Teri

Monday, June 1, 2009

What's Blooming in your neck of the woods??

Greetings! How did it get to be June 1st?!?! Well, I hope that you're all enjoying whatever the season is where you live. We are coming into Summer and I am most appreciative of the dry, hot weather we've been having! A bit hot, yes (94), for working in the garden.....but I work in fits and spurts....starting early to take advantage of the beautiful, warm, clear morning air....then I take breaks in the afternoon when it's just too hot to be out for long. I mean, out - working. :)

My flowers are looking good, although I have more weeding to do....always! I've got stuff in the veggie beds now, too! Yay! The flower to the left of this is Thunbergia, aka Black-Eyed Susan Vine. I love them but I really only love this color and it's hard to find! (They are usually a bright yellow.) They're an annual, but they bloom all summer long, as they climb up whatever you give them to climb onto.

Here are my Cecile Brunner Tea Roses!! I wanted them to cover up my falling-apart picket-fence and they are doing a darn good job of it. They are such sweet little flowers....beautiful, little buds. And, you can smell them from about ten feet away!



















These are pansies, "Johnny-Jump-Ups", actually, that survived being under two feet of snow last December! They've been showing off all Spring! Self-Heal is coming up in them now. I need to look up Self-Heal because I know it has medicinal properties, but I can't recall what they are. They say everything you need is right in your own yard...so, it's probably something that I could use. :)


Here is a Siberian Iris that was planted last year. Some people were giving away hundreds of them and they gave me lots! I planted several clumps and then gave away a lot, too! I think it was too close to their bloom-time, when I transplanted them last year, or it was just too much for them...not sure, but nevertheless, they didn't bloom last year. But, this year they are putting on a show! They're beautiful! They're a more simple iris than the Bearded ones.

And here are the raised beds and the melons! Right after I planted the cantaloupes and watermelons, a squirrel came and ate the top right off one of the cantaloupes!! Grrrrr!! They've eaten the top off of one of my Cosmos, too! I've decided that I don't like squirrels any longer. :)














I have a few varieties of tomatoes out there, including cherry, grape and pear tomatoes. Tomatillos, "golden" bell peppers, Swiss Chard ("Rhubarb Red", but their stems are a variety of reds and yellows.), green beans, sugar peas, strawberries, potatoes, a few walla-wallas that the girls brought home from Horticulture class, plus a broccoli and cabbage from them. They weren't lookin' too good when I put them in, so we'll see. Oh, some Mesclun lettuces and Patty Pan squash! This family has to have Patty Pans!! Someone just gave me some black zucchini, acorn and yellow summer squash yesterday... so, I'm going to try to fit them in!! :)
I really should be out there right now, working! We're having a graduation party/BBQ for Kyla on Sunday....yes, in six days. There's lots to do out there to get it ready for a special occassion... I have my work cut out for me! But, it's supposed to be cooler this week so that will help. Plus, I'm making a list of all the things that need to be done, so that my kids can help! Austen cut branches out of the Juniper trees yesterday. Wayne bought a small chain-saw that has a guard on it. Uh-oh, I might just go crazy with that thing!! Filberts, watch out!!! :)
Speaking of Horticulture, Kyla got a scholarship for her work in Horticulture!! (She was on the winning team for the State Contests for FFA, so they go to Nationals in October, in Indiana! But, that's not why she got the scholarship.) She also received one from the Master Gardeners of Yamhill County. Did I say how proud we are of her?? We are so excited for her and so is she! Only three days left of high-school! I'm sure, 2.5 years ago, she felt like she'd never get to this point. But, she did it!! Hurray, Kyla!!
OK.... I need to get out to the backyard!!
Enjoy the day!
Teri

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

I figured out the backgrounds

So, I figured out the backgrounds. Not sure that I am happy with this one, or any of the others that I tried, but at least I figured it out. :)

Wayne and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last week! We tried out a new Mexican restaurant, downtown, which was very good! I actually had a margarita, which I rarely do...but it was also very tasty. They even offer to make them on-the-rocks, which is nice!

It's hard to believe we've been married for 20 years. We are so very lucky to have found each other!! We are both so grateful for our life together. I hope all of our children find what we've found.

We also can't believe that our oldest is about to graduate from high-school! Geez... seems it was just yesterday that she was running around here, naked, and when I'd tell her she needed to get dressed, she'd either say, "But, I'm not cold", or, "Why? Are we having company?" We are so, so proud of the young woman she has become. So responsible and hard-working. She has completed four years of high-school, basically, in 2.5 years! We need to start planning a graduation party for her.... she deserves it!! June 5th is the big day!! :)

We're growing tired of the cool rain around here. We had weather in the 80's and that's always dangerous. Makes one think that things are going to turn around, weatherwise! Well, it is turning, but it can seem so slow....then, suddenly, it'll be 90! I think it just might be sunny tomorrow....I was actually hoping that tomorrow would be the day it rained!! We are playing at the Art Harvest Tour Benefit, at McMenamin's, in McMinnville, and Colin's wife can only come down if it rains and she isn't able to do the Alberta Street Fair in the evening. I was hoping she could be here....but, I guess that's not really in my hands. As Doris Day used to sing, "....whatever will be, will be...."

So, we've gotten in extra practices the last week and I think it'll go well tomorrow night!! We're excited. It runs from 5 to 10:00 with us playing from 8:00 to 9:00. We hear that it's a very well-attended benefit so I'm sure it's going to be crowded. McMenamin's is donating the room and half of all the dinner/drinks tickets.....that's pretty generous!! Very cool. I hope to see lots of my local friends there!

OK... need to get ready for Game Day at Lisa's.
Enjoy your day!

Teri

Monday, April 20, 2009

Blog backgrounds??

Hi, everyone!!

So sorry I've been absent! Spring has sprung here and there have been so many things that I've wanted to take pictures of to post on here, but my camera is still not working. :( All our daffodils are just about done for the year... the tulips are in their glory, though! Mountain/Wood Hiacynths are going crazy. It was 80 degrees yesterday!! (See, I told you, Jana!!) It was so wonderful..... I barbequed burgers and we had a fire in the backyard and made S'mores, after dinner. I wish I could post the sweetness that you can smell in the air right now! Ah, summer must be coming!

I tried to change my blog background a couple of months ago, but it wouldn't work, for some reason. Now, I see that thecutestblogontheblock is totally different.... so, I imagine they were in the middle of switching things up when I was trying to use one of their backgrounds. I just spent an hour trying to find some nice backgrounds... but had no luck. Can anyone recommend a good site for free blog backgrounds? I have lots of scrapbook paper.... I'm thinking that when I have my camera fixed, I could probably make my own. Right? Would that work?

For all you locals, the band I play in is playing at the Open-Mic at 3rd Street Pizza tonight. Not exactly sure when we'll play, but it runs from 7:00 to 10:00.

OK, I need to get out in the yard before it gets too warm!
Enjoy the day, wherever you are!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

I'm cheating.... these aren't my primroses, but I couldn't help myself!! Aren't they lovely? I had to slap my hand at the nursery today because I SO wanted to buy some! But, I'm going to wait until the weather will be decent enough that I can plant them.... otherwise, they may never make it out of their pots alive. I hate when that happens!! If it's not raining tomorrow, I'll go back and get some. They give me hope.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

A little clarification on that rain thing....

A friend of mine who just moved here from Arizona emailed me and said that, in all our conversations and emails about Oregon, I never mentioned that it rained "until the 4th of July"! I realized, even before getting her email, that I think I made it sound like it rained, consistently, until the 4th. That's not what I meant!!! We get lots of beautiful weather before that....and it gets warm, seemingly all of a sudden (!!), before that.... but the weather in Oregon is unsettled until about then, generally. The 4th of July can go either way. Generally not too cold, though.. but it can be rainy and 70 or clear and 100. So, just watch the weather report.... or consult your Runes or Tarot cards or whatever it is you do to figure out what tomorrow might bring...before you plan your BBQ's! And, make sure the inside of your house is clean, too, just in case all your guests end up inside! But, rest assured, it'll break 80 degrees before the 4th of July! :)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Just some "this 'n that"......

Oh, my goodness.... how is it that nearly a month has gone by since I last posted? Well, okay, not a month.... a mere twenty days. But, how does this happen? Excuse me, but wasn't it just Christmas?!?! How is it nearly March?? I have to say, as far as the weather goes, I'm glad it's nearly March. But, us Western Oregonians are so easily lured into a false sense of security when it comes to "Spring". Being from California... at least this is what I remember, but it may not be the reality at all.... I do remember, growing up, that it always rained on the first day of Spring. But, it was *always* sunny and warm on my birthday (June 10th). So, once daffodils started popping up and showing off, the weather became increasingly nicer and nicer. ("Increasingly nicer"... is that a redundant phrase?? Should it be "increasingly nice"?) Anyway, it was more like a gauge that you could see going up, steadily, until in June, it was just plain ol' nice. I don't ever recall the 4th of July being "iffy" as to whether it might rain during the fireworks down on the beach in Capitola! It just didn't happen! Now, there are parts of California that are also all dried up by June... and, well, not a pretty sigh in my humble opinion. But, this was the central California coast.... where the moisture from the ocean (and the fog) kept things pretty green... and it generally didn't get very hot. Vegetation grew with "wild abandon", as they say.... much like here, in the beautiful Willamette Valley!!

I hear it from lots of people.... a few days of warmer weather and the popping up of croccus' and daffodils and budding of camelias and they start talking like it'll only get better.....like Summer's coming!! Ha! No, Spring is coming and it can be the longest of seasons in this area. I don't want to rain on their parade, but it's likely to get worse before it gets better, folks. This winter, in particular, we've had little rain... so I fear it's going to all come crashing down (as in "cats and dogs") in the next few months. I almost wrote "several months", but I'm not even going to put that out into the Universe. I start getting cranky when it's still cold and rainy after July 4th. I always say that summer in these parts starts on July 5th. It can be rainy on the 4th and shatter all your best-laid barbeque plans, and, then voila! .... the 5th is graced with gorgeous blue skies and temperatures in the 80's! What's that all about?! I don't get it, but it's the way it is.

I'm looking forward to changing the look of my blog, to something more Springy! But, I want to be able to take a picture of my blooming daffodils and pansies when I do that... and, well, I'm still having a camera problem. I need to take it (or send it??) to be fixed, but I'm dragging my feet on that. I'm afraid it's going to cost an arm and a leg to fix it. But, now, it won't charge at all... so it's useless, basically. Even after changing the battery.... no lights come on when I hook it up to the charger/printer dock. ~huge sigh~ If anyone has any ideas, please share them!!!

Oh, I can hear the rain on the skylight! It's been a long time since I've heard it rain that hard! Don't get me wrong... I enjoy the rain and all the beauty it gives us (believe me, I've come a long way since moving here in 1981!!)....it's just when it goes on and on and on and on....then, I get tired of it. And, well, after all the snow we had this year and how cold it has been, fairly consistently, I'm ready for warmer weather. I'd be okay if it weren't for these teases that we get. That's when we start thinking that change is imminent. It's coming, but it's probably not imminent. Be patient.

I think that's all the rambling I need to do right now. Thanks for listening!
I hope you're enjoying "Spring", no matter where you are! (as long as you're in the northern hemisphere, obviously!)

Teri

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Revisiting fabrics for pillows


Hi, again!

So, here are the fabrics that I ended up with, for the couch pillows. I love them, but now that they are home and I could put them right up next to that blue couch, the dark blue on the bigger flowers isn't anything like my blue couch! It has way more green in it. But, oh, well.... if I was trying to match it perfectly, I would've bought an 1/8th of a yard and taken it home to check because I know that it's very difficult to match colors up just from your mind!! Well, for me, I think it's impossible. Maybe some people can do it successfully, but I'm not one of those people. :)

My oldest, Kyla, saw these fabrics, though, and said, "I hope those are for a quilt for me. I love those!!" So, that was nice. They would make a nice quilt. By the way, the top two, in the upper photo, are Moda, of course, called Tranquility, by Sandy Gervais. All the others are called Kashmir III, by Sentimental Studios, also Moda. I say, "Moda, of course" because I'm always drawn to the Moda fabrics. I'm like a Homing Pigeon with them! I often don't realize that they're Moda... I just like the look....and I check and sure enough...Moda! And, now I'm learning to write down the name, designer, etc....!! I'm just a slow learner, I guess.


I keep saying, "Today I can get started on those pillows!!" But, no-o-o-o-o! Other things keep coming up. Today is a totally full day, starting with gymnastics for Quinn at 10:30, eat lunch afterwards, leave for Sheila and Andre's at 1:45, to drop Quinn off there; be in Salem at 3:00
for a consulation with the surgeon who will remove half of my thyroid. Oh, and maybe stop by to get some flowers and go see a friend who just had pins and plates put in her leg because her dog and his doggie-playmate knocked her over and caused her to break her leg!! She was in surgery when I stopped by yesterday so I'm going to try again today. Then, home for dinner and off to Sheila and Andre's, again, for music practice! Oh, Cornerstone went well, over-all. It was fun. My voice had a couple of weird moments when I was singing solo (just great), but other than that, it was fun and good! A good crowd at the beginning, although they weren't all there for us.... they just happened to be in there, playing Scrabble! But, they clapped so they were paying attention, somewhat. :) Our thanks to our friends who did show up, though!! Kymm and Matt came all the way down from Vancouver, (Washington), about an hour and a half drive; that was much appreciated!!

OK... time to get Quinn up and ready for gymnastics!

Ciao!

Phil saw his shadow. :(

Oh, boy..... bad news. Phil saw his own shadow yesterday! (Punxsutawny Phil, for anyone that doesn't know. You can get all the info you might ever need about him and his legacy at http://www.groundhog.org/) We've actually had nearly a week of gorgeous blue skies (with some fog here and there) and it did get up to 58 degrees yesterday, but I'd just like it a bit warmer so I can get out to do some work in my flower garden that I totally dropped the ball on when it came time to trim up and clean up last Fall! And, well, I'm a garden-whimp. I'm sorry, but I don't have a lot....well, any, really, outer clothing that's good for temps in the 30's or low-40's, which is what it has been. I serioulsy thought about getting out there, yesterday, when I saw that it was 58 and I had already noticed that the polar-fleece was too much to have on in the car! Yes!! But, in the shade, it was cold... and where I'd be working was in the shade at that point, so, nah.... I'll wait.

Cloudless-blue, gorgeous skies today..... but tomorrow we're supposed to get you-know-what-flurries! When you say (ssshhhh!).........I'm not going to say it, I'm only going to spell it....s-n-o-w around here now, people kind of tense up. You can see it. Everyone envisions their perennials and winter vegetables (and gnomes) being buried in 2' of snow again; trying to drive on roads that aren't being properly cared for, or being stuck at home, and losing power from all the limbs that came crashing down! C'mon, people... it's not real likely to break a 40 year record twice in one season, is it? I loved it, by the way! Every part of it. But, we didn't lose any power, which would've meant our heat; I don't have to worry about getting to work and Wayne just didn't work! So, we are grateful for all of that. I wish we'd get that every year, to be honest! Maybe the city would buy some snow-plows then!! :)

How are those Gratitude journals coming along? I have a confession to make. I've been bad. Very, very bad, when it comes to my Gratitude journal. :( I hope you're all doing better than I am at it!!!

Enjoy the day!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Playing at Cornerstone Coffee tonight!

I'm sorry this post is so late in coming... but, oh well. Life just has a way of getting in the way!
Wayne, Colin and I are playing at Cornerstone tonight! So I hope to see all of my local friends there. (Hint-hint, if you're a local friend!!) :) Wayne will be playing with Quinn, Austen and Hannah, each separately, starting at 8:00. I think that'll take about an hour and then the trio will play. If you missed Hannah performing on Beatles Night, you won't want to miss this!! She and Wayne are going to play Hey, Jude!! She does an amazing job.

We were hoping for this to be a gig for the entire band (bass and drums included), but our bassist had a video shoot to do, with his real job, in New Jersey and it just happened to be this weekend! :( So, hopefully everyone will be available for the next gig. We're hoping to play at Cornerstone again in March. Keep your ears open.

We're also looking to play at some festivals/fairs this summer, so if any of you have any ideas about those, I'd love to hear them! (We're talking Oregon, southwest Washington events). I have contacted "The Bite of Oregon", The Oregon Garden "Brewfest", Carlton's A Walk in the Park and the people who run the Brown Bag Concerts and the Farmer's Market. If you have any other ideas, please share them with me! Thanks!

OK... this is it for now. How are those gratitude journals coming along?
Have a wonderful weekend!!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Did I say how much I appreciate your comments?

Have I said how much I appreciate your comments? Because, I really do! It's important to me to know that people are reading my blog and to know that they're enjoying it. If you become a "follower", then you will be alerted when I put up a new post. So, you don't have to keep checking it, wondering if I've posted or not! How cool is that??

So, thanks for those comments and keep 'em comin'!

Teri

Pillow fabrics... who'd have thought it could be so complicated?!

I've been trying to find fabric to redo some pillows that we inherited from my sister-in-law...along with a love-seat. We have a couch that is this blue that's dark, but not quite Navy blue. You know, one of those colors that's a little "off" from all the other fabric that you look at... or so it seems! I found a collection at Craft Warehouse, in Salem, yesterday, that I now wish I had bought a few pieces of!! But, I remembered that I want to go for a "cottagey" look, so I went with these more whimsical pieces of Moda/Mary Engelbreit fabric. I'm going to start with the smaller pillow, so only got three fat-quarters. Now that I have them home, I'm not sure they're going to work! We have an old chair that we had reupholstered a few years ago... in a more classic (?) fabric. (Also pictured here.) Am I going to be able to get away with Cottagey, with this other fabric?? Ugh. This is why I don't get these kinds of projects done!! I get too caught up in the details and don't "just do it"! I could never work for Nike! :) Help?? Anyone?? I'll definitely have to ask my friend, Angela, over at http://www.cottagemagpie.com/! She'll know what to do!! :)
I've looked and looked, online, trying to find that fabric I saw yesterday, but to no avail. I can't believe I haven't learned, well, until this very moment, that when I see a fabric that I want to use, to write down who the maker is and what it's called!! I wanted to post a pic of it, too, but I guess that's not going to happen right now. Maybe later. I know you'll all be waiting, ever so anxiously, for that picture to show up. :)

Thanks for listening!
Teri


Monday, January 5, 2009



As I said, in all fairness, I should also include a photo of Jack's Gratitude book. It's also very nice and has information in it about being grateful. Very helpful information, I might add! Information that made me have an "ah-hah" moment after questioning this one part of being grateful for several years!! Yay! I'm so excited to have figured this part out!

Of course, you could use any kind of notebook, with binder paper in it! I just find that pretty books are more inspiring. :)
(Gratitude: A Daily Journal, copyright, 2007, by D. D. Watkins and Self-Esteem Seminars LP