Fall is in the air and I am Happy

I am so glad that the weather is changing and the smell and feel of ~Fall is in the air~

. I don't know how I ever dealt with the heat of Tombstone, AZ. I sure couldn't do it now. The high humidity and 90 degree temps. No thank you Arizona. I will take the rains of Oregon any day. I may complain toward the end of winter but You can always add more clothes, but you can only take so much off. hehe

I am staying busy with my needlework and other projects and my husband is so funny when he says what are you going to work on tonight.  I try to switch projects so that I don't get bored with one so I have a Swedish weave that I am working on along with my rug hooking. I worry about our health in our later years as we are no longer middle age unless we plan on living to 120 hehe.

Greg should be retiring soon, I hope but he has no hobbies. I wish I could get him interested in something besides Nascar. Oh well, he still has a few years to think about it.'

This is where my Swedish weaving is at the moment. I hope to have it finish for this winter and if I do I may give it as a gift or snuggle up under it.  I will decide that later.
This was the first one I made and I gave it to a friend during her chemo treatments.

YEA ! ! ! Its Fry day depending on where you are.

 Monastery Complex fire in Oregon/Washington

The weather has been so hot everywhere and we are fortunate enough to have a bit of an Ocean breeze being just 6 miles from the coast. We are naturally a bit warmer but still not suffering like so many of you in the desperately hot climates.

Mount hood fire near Sisters Oregon

We are only going to be in the high 60's here. I bet you are all saying, WHAT ! hot temps. Well, we never get too hot here in Toledo, Oregon and hot for us would be upper 80's. That's why I left Tombstone, AZ. Couldn't handle the hot temps and swap coolers are just that. Swampy, humidity. YUK! ! but it was better then nothing and cheaper the AC.
So now we are content to be right where we are. It rains too much in the winter but keeps things green and I love green. I am partial to green not BROWN ! !

 So, even though we have cooler temps in our area, in the Portland and eastern Oregon the fires continue to burn out of control in High Heat temps.
So to all of you in those devastating areas, be safe and stay clear until they the powers that be say it is safe to return. I will pray for your safety and your homes. Many have lost so much already but as one woman I saw on a broadcast who had just lost everything she owned said. I am so blessed and so lucky, none of my family was hurt and everyone is safe. I know how difficult it is to lose everything and my heart goes out to those that have.
Hugs and blessings to them all.
 What we need right now is a great Native American Rain dance. I am not saying that this is a rain dance but if all of us would just take a moment and go outside and say to heck with the neighbors, crank up your favorite  music and start dancing and maybe if enough of us do it Our God will hear and laugh and his tears of laughter will be showers of rain here on earth. So what are you waiting for?

Just Dance

I am dancin

It going to be a great weekend

Yes labor day weekend is here and we aren't going to labor at all. It is going to be a weekend of relaxation and enjoyment and Phoebe has already started with her swimming pool. She love to romp around and go snorkeling for her rubber balls and toys that go to the bottom. She just has the best time in there when the temps are hot outside and it is proving to be one of those weekends already and it is only 11:00.
Well, I will need to get busy and pick some more blackberries to save for the fall and winter months. Best get busy before it gets too hot.
Have a great weekend .

I am so Excited

This is an update on my newest WIP. I have now got it transferred onto the backing so I can begin as soon as I have all my wool.

I am so excited about my newest endeavor. I am going to do a rug hooking of my dear sweet William Wallace. I am sketching from a photo of him and I was going to use that as my pattern but now I am thinking that I may just take and have the original photo blown up and keep this as a picture to frame. Isn't he just the sweetest little guy?

I was worried that Phoebe may be bothered by this picture but I guess dogs don't see a photo like we do. I think their prospective is different. She looked at it but not like she recognized the picture but just as it being something that I was doing. To me is is just a great dose of therapy of letting go yet being able to hold on to his sweet face in my heart and soon on my wall. I hope that the rug hooking comes out as nice as his sketch. The hair may be a bit of a challenge. I may resort to using some wool yarn in some areas just to allow for the detail to come through. I think the wool strips might not be small enough to show the fine hairs.
We shall see. Will keep you updated.

Gosh I bet your saying "Now why don't she Write"

heheh....
I apologize for not having posted for so long. I guess that you really need to have something to share to post about.
The summer is coming to an end and I always look forward to fall. the last few days have been very muggy and hot and it always makes me long for those cool days of fall. Its funny how the passing of each season brings new rewards to you. I love the colors of fall and as a matter of fact, my house is constantly decorated in those colors all year long. I am trading my crows for a quilt and it is going to be made with my favorite colors. I can't wait to see it.
This is the photo I chose to depict my favorite colors.

Not sure where this is but doesn't it just scream Fall. It does to me. I have grown to love the Fall holidays like All Hallow Eve and Oktoberfest , Thanksgiving that takes you into the next season of Winter.

I just finished my Scarecrow challenge and am working on my newest plan of attack in the rug hooking realm.
I am planning a foot stool with the four seasons going around the outside and a celestial calendar of sorts on the top.  It is still in the planning mode though. I will update you when I have it sketched out.
Phoebe is finally starting to overcome the loss of Sweet William and seems to have taken on her new persona as an only child. I had planned on getting another dog but I think I will wait a bit on that. She still seems to reject other dogs coming around but not sure if it is out of fear as her fearless bother isn't there to protect her any longer and she immediately goes on the defensive. I just keep giving her lots of hugs and mega doses of love. So on that note I will close with a sweet shot of Sweet Phoebe my 100+lb lap puppy.

A Beautiful Weekend with dancing and food and great music

Oh what a wonderful weekend I had. I was invited to go the the 2011 Siletz Indian Pow Wow. It was wonderful and the location in Siletz, Oregon is beautiful in itself. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the feelings of all the warmth of the many different tribes gathered together just surrounded you. The youth of the many nations really show such respect of the elders and was so heart warming when I was down photographing some of the dancers and a young man came up to me and asked me if there was anything he could get for me. He didn't know me from Eve but it is obvious that I was of the elder age group and he was honoring me in asking. I was truly touched by this.

I took gobs of photos, 170 some to be exact but I have posted 124 of them on my Facebook page. You are all welcome to see them if you go there.

                             Just go toJan Mackay  on Facebook and and you can browse the photos I took. This is just a sampling.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.178701008866313.39628.100001792448640&type=1

I am contemplating a trade

I would love to live here as these are my year round colors but I know that this is a gorgeous setting and a fall one at that. But if anyone were to ask me what is my color scheme, THIS IS IT! ! ! I absolutely love every color in this photo and to me it just screams warmth and harmony. I am not sure where this is as it was on a  TripAdvisor. Anyways, back to my trade, I am going to try and work a trade for the two crows mounted on the conk for a quilt. I do hope that I can work this out as It would be a dream come true. I think I may have to do a rug hooking or punch needle of this picture.
Can't you just imagine living among  this beautiful setting? Well, I suppose that some of you do. I live on the Oregon coast and I get a lot of the green but not enough of the reds and golds. Ummmmm makes my mouth water. ehehe,  am I a little nutty. Yea. guess so. I was born and brought up on the wrong side of the country. I should have been born in the New England states.
My dream is to visit Vermont in the fall and if all goes right a dear friend of mine is moving to Vermont. Hummmm sounds like a nice little or big road trip. eheh

Just finished my new Crows.

Yes, after saving the crow on the back fence I now have two more in the living room. Ulysses and Aristotle. I used Pam Garcia's pattern from Soft in the Head. She is one awesome lady and going through a struggle with health problems. SO Pam, this creation is dedicated to you. Hugs my friend, and be well. Good luck on your endeavors.
Okay, now I need to see what other things I can get into. Still waiting for the wool to finish my rug but there are, Oh so many, more projects to get in trouble with. Well, maybe not trouble but a whole lot of fun.
Phoebe and I will be around today, some out in the garden picking her favorite strawberries and the rest of the time playing some Phoebe basket ball.
You all have a wonderful day and remember to smile at someone. It is catching.

Smile :0)

What Saint Francis of Assisi must have felt like

I had the most awesome encounter yesterday. I had just pulled in the driveway and was looking towards the back fence in the back yard where a huge flock of crows were just going bananas and screeching and squawking like crazy. A few of them flew up and then I saw it. One crow had gotten itself stuck in-between the slates on the fence. Its little head on one side and its body on the other. It was flapping its wings and trying to free itself while all the other crows where giving it moral support I guess or just didn't know what to do to help their little friend. I dropped everything and ran back to the fence and wrapped my arms around the body of the bird, folding its arms close to him. He seemed to know that I was there to help him as he just relaxed. I raised him up to free his head and held on to him for a bit to make sure he was okay. He turned around and looked at me as if to say, "thank you for saving my life" and  then I loosened my grip and he slowly flew away. Stopping at the roof top, he looked down and then flew off. I felt so good knowing that I had just save that little crows life. It must be what Saint Francis of Assisi must have felt like when  he cared for Gods creatures.  I wish I had time to take a photo but there was no time to spare. He would have broke his neck if I hadn't been there when I was.
Then I went and fed the neighbors 5 cats and other neighbor and friends 4 dogs and then my own dog. I guess you might say it was an animal day afternoon.
 Bless all Gods little Creatures.

Good Monday Morning

I am going to be working on getting my yard and house in order. I guess it would be called pre winter cleaning. I am still in the mists of  cats pooping in my flower beds. There just seems like it is a constant battle and I don't even own a cat. I have nothing against them just their poo. heheh so that is something that is an ongoing problem.
I need to mow today and it seems that it is getting less now as the fall is approaching. YEAH ! ! !

 My clematis is just about done but, BUT.... the one that I planted 3 years ago finally bloomed just this week. I am so excited.


Phoebe keeps out out for those nasty kitty cats.

The hydrangeas and almost done but this lily is almost ready to bloom. It is blooming a little late I think but better late the never and the holly hock came out of now where. I don't remember ever planting it. Must have been that little birdie dropping seeds.

This is a pretty little surprise. I almost pulled it out because I thought it was a weed. Pretty little weed, huh?

So after I finish out side I will be inside cleaning. Not too bad since there is just the two of us, well three counting PHOEBE and she is probably the messiest of us all. Spreads her toys everywhere. 

Okay, on a sad note, Please say a prayer for the families of all those fallen soldiers that died this weekend after being shot down in the helicopter they were riding in. 22 Seals lost their lives and each of them are survived by family members, fathers, mothers, wives, daughters, sons and siblings.

My heart and prayers go out to them and all their love ones.

God bless you all.

What ever happened to using our brains???

I was shopping today and there were so many kids and parents with lists of things that they absolutely have to have.  I am just amazed at how expensive it is to send a child to school these days.
My daughter has 5 children and it cost them a stinking  fortune to send them to school. I remember when my girls were growing up that all I had to worry about was new school clothes and notebooks, paper, pencils and little items like scissors, folders, crayons, glue etc. Now they even have to provide there own tissue, and even in the elementary school they have to buy there own books. I mean the school doesn't provide anything and I am sure that to those of you with kids still in school that you know all to well what I am talking about. My gosh, how can we even afford to have children any more. It is so sad and frustrating that we can't get by with out each child having a calculator???? what happen to using our brains. Oh and  my grandchildren in high school have to have there own computers. OMG. My daughter has contemplated home schooling but with 5 children that would be extremely demanding of all of her time. What has happen to our education system. Oh, and another thing that I just learned it that at the charter schools teachers don't have to be accredited???? WHAT! ! All of those that spent a fortune to get a teaching degree for what?  This just doesn't make any since at all to me and maybe its a sign of my age but what happened?
Okay, I will get off the proverbial soap box and shut up but I just needed to voice my opinion.  Would love to hear comments. 
All I can say is I am so glad that my children are all grown but so sorry that they all have to deal with this stressful time each year.
I love you girls and to all my grand children be so kind to your parents as they deserve all your love right now.

What do they dream about

Don't you love to watch dogs sleep? I do, especially my little Phoebe. She is so funny and does the craziest things. I do know better then to bother her or touch her when she is moving all about  like running or barking and such when she is sleeping.
I got this picture this morning and don't you just wonder what she is dreaming about
When I was growing up we had a Japanese Akita named Dozo. He was huge and all the kids in the neighbor hood loved him and he loved playing with all of us. That was until my friend jumped on him while he was sleeping. Well, of course he is going to attack and he did. He just clawed up her back and bit her arm. It wasn't his fault but never the less we had to give him to a couple with out children. My friend recovered fine but always was afraid of dogs after that. Do you blame her? So, hence I let her dream. If she is getting loud I will calmly talk to her and make her wake up. She is such a joy and makes me laugh everyday from some little antics she does. I still miss my Sweet William Wallace but Phoebe does her best to make sure that I don't miss him too much.

                         




 May be she is dreaming of her                                                             Sweet Wally Gator


Sweet dreams my friends. Zzzzzzz.....

MIA for a while

 Sorry, I have been away for a bit. Not from home just from my blog. I have been working on some new projects. Yes, I said some new ones. I just finished the first crow for my gathering. I plan on adding two more plus a few surprises.  This is the first one. I still want to add two more crows and who knows what else lives  on Crow Mountain?
Well, time to take a nappy poo so will talk to you  all later.

Now I am working on a punch needle too. You all know me well enough to know that I am not content to only have one thing going at a time. Hehe. This is the Gate and crow that I am punch needling.

Okay, update on WIP projects.

Yes, I am sporadic and usually have several projects going on at one time but I am trying very hard to get several of them done before I go on to another new project. I  have several in mind and am so anxious to get going. So here is where I stand on my current projects.

My Pal Scarecrow                                        
                   







                                                               

Sherwood Forest Afghan

Corner of Afghan with bear. I still have more to do on this and this is what I still need to do on this afghan

So you can see I have my work cut out for me because .......This is my next Rug Hook that I plan on doing. After I hook it I am going to punch needle it.  Heheh, I am such a glutton for punishment. 

Don't you love this gate. I am going to get one of our local craftsman and friend to build it for me if he can.

I just love the look of walking though this gate and up the walk way to the house. 

 

My newest WIP

Yes, I posted this on my Punch needle blog but some of you don't venture there so I just wanted to share it with you all here.
I am learning how to do rug hooking and this is my first attempt. I'm not done with it all yet as I am adding flowers to the background and possible some corn stalks.
Anyway, it sort of comes to me as I go along. So this is my scarecrow and his pal so far.

Gravity sucks. ehehe

Yes, you know how they say that when you get older you look younger when you lay on your back. Well, I guess its the opposite when you are young. This is not Phoebe's best look but it surely made me laugh after I captured the photo.
Labs have such loose lips or what they call a soft mouth that as she lies on her back her lips fall back too. Not her best look. heheh Sorry Phoebe, I couldn't resist. Here sweetie pie, this is one of your better looks.
Working hard on my rug hook project and didn't do much else yesterday. As I was walking Phoebe, a neighbor was having a BBQ and ran over and offered me one of the wonderful little appetizers. Well, she thought they were wonderful and they looked delicious but little did I know that it was a big jalapeno stuffed with cream cheese  and wrapped in bacon. I thought is was a little green pepper (not hot) done the same way and what they call poppers here. Well, I took a bite and I thought my mouth was a blow torch. Holly Crud. I spat it out into my hands and apologized as I don't do hot at all. I was in agony and said I had to run. I came home and almost drowned myself in milk. Guacamole dip is the best for cooling a spicy mouth but didn't have any of that. It took almost 1/2 hour to cool down. I don't know how folks can eat that hot stuff and then taste what the rest of the food tastes like.
I am going to get busy with my Halloween critters this week. Can't start too early for things like that. I need to make about a dozen ravens and a few owls and some bats and witches. My needle work will be taking a back seat and only work on it in the evening when I am relaxing.

Drizzling here today so another day inside. No problem, as I have plenty to keep me busy.
Hugs everyone.