Palouse Falls: Flying Adventure

This area, about 38 nautical miles from home, is part of the famous, Ice Age Missoula Flood plain. Millions of years ago, an ice dam broke. Raging water coursed through thousands of miles in what's now Montana, Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington. You can see how the flood gouged out the land. It didn't leave much topsoil, and so nothing much grows in the area.

Abandoned mission southern Maui

An old, abandoned mission on the southern coast of Maui. Beyond it is a most breathtaking view of the ocean. The southern coast is not Mitchner's Hawaii. That area is along the East coast, near Hana, and the rainforest side of the island.

Hubby and I prefer the more barren, windswept desert areas of Maui. Surrounded by so much water, it doesn't feel much like a desert.

Craft Book Review: Rubber Stamping Artist Trading Cards

Rubber Stamping: Artist Trading Cards
Tweedyjill Publications
2007

I'm currently designing seven weekly craft programs for tweens and teens at the library, as the programming component for that age group for Summer Reading, which takes place during June and July.

At the weekly craft sessions, the teens will get to make marbelized paper; their own books; sweet sushi; hydro-bracelets; snow globes; sand art mosaics and, last but not least, Artist Trading Cards.

As an avid scrapbooker, I find the ATC's, Artist Trading Cards, to be the most intriguing of the seven craft sessions. As someone who is used to working with a rather large canvas--TWO 12" squares on which to convey my story, I find the small size 2.5" x 3.5" (the size of a wallet photo, or a playing card) to be intimidating. Even my handwriting is even big and sprawling. How can I possibly create something on such a small scale?

Fortunately, I found this book, which is a treasure trove of ideas and techniques. The more I read, the more excited I became. Organized for the beginner, it has chapters on materials and tools; stamping basics; and stamping techniques.

I love to play with rubber stamps and inks, embossing powders, acrylic and watercolor paints and every imaginable type of embellishment, and so none of this information was new to me. But I did SOooo appreciate the hundreds of pictures of ATCs.

Over the weekend, I'll be happily making up a bunch to have on hand as examples/ideas for the teens who take the class.

I doubt I'll ever be comfortable with the small canvas, but who knows? Never say never, right?

14,000 Things to Be Happy About

14,000 Things to be Happy About
Barbara Ann Kipfer
Workman Press
1990
700 pages

Last week, I ordered a used copy of this book out of sheer curiosity. The author has written a good number of other books on various subjects. This particular one is a compilation of things that have made her happy over a 30-year period. She began it, if I remember correctly, when she was just entering her teens.

It's not the kind of book that anyone would read from cover to cover ... I don't think! I was curious to see the type of things that made her list. Interestingly, the list was abridged. I think she pretty much cut the number of entries in half.

Five times, I randomly opened a page and ran my eyes down it. I saw the following selections: 

• watermelon with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top
• people who read an article on something and consider themselves experts on the topic
• spice boxes
• smoky eyes
• zippy limes

Hmmm. All I can say is that tripping through this book could be a lot of fun. It could inspire me to try new things, like watermelon with a scoop of ice cream. Sounds yummy. It could inspire me to soften my heart toward know-it-alls: those people who are so fond of blowing smoke. It could make me want to go sniff the herbs and spices in my (separate) herb and spice drawers. When I think about smoky eyes, I always think I want to try it on myself sometime, but then I never get around to actually running to the bathroom to apply thick Kohl  and shadow to my eyelids.

I have no idea what zippy limes are. In essence, limes ARE zippy, or zesty, aren't they? Isn't that simply their identity? And no, I'm not particularly fond of Key Lime Pie. Once every five years is often enough. As Dexter's foul-mouthed sister, Debra, said (on Dexter), it tastes like dog shit. (Her words, not mine, but I tend to agree.)

Favorite Picture of Hawaii: Thunderous Ocean Surf

Taken January, 2010 by my husband. We were on the SE coast of the big island of Hawaii and totally in awe of the majestic sea cliffs and the crashing waves. Oh, the power of God's Creation.

Mt. Rainier from 10,000 feet

Mount Rainier

May 2009

Taken by me.