My 20 Things

It's been so long, I hope I haven't forgotten how to do this!

In no particular order:

1. I am a huge bird lover, espec. parrots and such. I've had birds of one sort or another for over 30 years, currently Jessie, my mini macaw.

2. I am not a winter/snow/ice fishing kind of person. I left Wisconsin 10 years ago and will never go back.

3. I hate to sweat so my main exercise is walking on my treadmill, sometimes playing catch and fetch with the dog.

4. I am a cookie monster...love 'em, even cookie dough. I just can't eat only one.

5. I love to read, mainly fiction (legal thrillers, funny stuff, cookbooks)

6. I love to cook and bake...make french bread twice a week, cook by the seat of my pants, adding whatever I have that sounds good. Well, I like it!

7. I love sleep, would do it a lot more if I didn't have to get up early to feed the bird, the dog, the chickens.

8. I dislike television, actually haven't had live TV for 10 years, don't miss it at all. I think it's 99% crap on 99% of the 950 channels, and there are so many other things I can be doing with my time, like painting, reading, listening to music, creating, visiting with friends.

9. I'm a creative person at heart but a very disorganized one. If you come to my house, don't expect perfection 'cuz you won't find it, but I will make you feel at home and we will laugh.

10. I love to laugh (see ↑)

11. I used to love to fly, but now I don't. It's just not as special and fun as it once was, really more of a pain.

12. I wish I could see my sons more often, but one is in Wisconsin and the other is in California.

13. The internet is my blessing and my curse. I spend too much time there, but it connects me to friends,family and the world. I buy things I want/need, read about current events, watch movies and occasionally play games.

14. I love watching my dog play and how he looks at me, with his freckles all over his face and his brown eyes (just like mine).

15. I love NPR, have it on all day long. It taught me to like opera, that there is still funny stuff that isn't filthy out there, that learning what's going on out there involves more than 30 minutes at noon and 6PM.

16. I like working outside with my guy, cutting, splitting and stacking wood for fueling our woodstoves and knowing how much money I'm saving by heating this way. There is nothing cozier than listening to the crackle and roar of the logs burning, feeling the heat radiating all around me, seeing the yellow and orange flames flickering and dancing.

17. I enjoy selling things to people, packing them up to ship, and hearing from the buyers how much they like their purchase, how great my service is.

18. I love Pinterest because the interesting, creative and yummy pins are neverending!

19. I like making new friends, learning about other people's lives and other places in my neighborhood, country and world.

20. I like taking quizzes, filling out questionnaires, entering contests for cool stuff.

I Heart Macro

.

Due to a

challenge from Lori of Studio Waterstone I got to looking at the beauty growing in my yard with a new view...closeup. Accordingly, I present to you: my yard, a macro view.

Can you guess what holiday is almost here?

Well, you might say "Super Bowl Sunday" and that wouldn't be incorrect, but that isn't what I was thinking. I'm heading out to get some munchie goodies to help me enjoy SBS, but what's really on my mind is a day where you see candy hearts, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and lacy heart-colored Valentine cards...are you catching on? Of course, Valentine's Day! There is a wealth of places to shop for Valentine gifts for your sweetheart whether they are 2 or 92. They run the gamut from books to gift baskets, music to romantic candlight meals, perfumes to poetry, you get the idea. Shops at the mall, uptown stores, and of course a myriad of internet gift sites.

Wherever you do your searching, I'd like to suggest that some of the most desirable and appreciated gifts come from the heart, or rather from the talented hands of an artisan who does not mass produce multiple identical items. You can find the most unique and special treasures lurking in the little, delightful and surprising shops, online and offline. Take a little time to investigate these artisan handcrafters, and you will likely be amazed and drawn to their talents and their creations. Here are a few to get you started:

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/gemtwists has some very lovely and imaginative jewelry accessories, reasonable prices and lovely descriptive pictures

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vegankittyxoxo?ref=seller_info natural and vegan handmade soaps and lotions for sensitive skin in so many delectable flavors and scents!

http://www.artfire.com/users/SalamanderArt where there are handmade journals, photo albums and memory books, not to mention lovely watercolor paintings

http://www.uncommongoods.com/occasions/valentines-day-gifts anything but ordinary gifts for all ages and all occasions

Okay, times a'wastin' and the clock's ticking, so get out there, get in there and git 'er done!

Recycler.com : Self-sufficient KY haven

Homesteaders, those who are country at heart:
Recycler.com : Self-sufficient KY haven

Rainy days and Thursdays

Yes, that darn four letter word. It got up into the mid 50's today and tonight we are having thunderstorms with thunder and lightning. It makes for a lovely sleeping night. I almost forgot to lock the chickens up amidst the storm and my indoor busy work. That would be a very bad thing.

I'm enjoying my new (old) desk, all full of office type things, computer stuff. It's so big compared to the old one it feels luxurious. I've been inventing posters to put up in the places I sell jewelry and crocheted items to encouraage Valentine sales since it's only about 3 weeks away. Also we paid a visit to our friend the local jeweler. He had a bunch of tools for me and boy am I excited! Finally, a ring mandrel to form different sized rings...I made my first one already and it's not bad for a first try.

Working hard on getting some Valentine pieces of jewelry done and out there. Boy is this fun!

Winter reflections

Here in eastern Tennessee, Bad Winter has retreated and Wet Winter is back. We had 2 weeks of bitter cold (here that means anything below 30 degrees). Truly it was very cold, and I'm a Wisconsin gal, granted my blood has thinned a bit since living in the south. Nevertheless, I am so glad that is past. Now we have rain day after day, although the temps are now milder. The last few days have been lovely with sun and temps in the 40's and low 50's (that's more like it!) Driving on the winding road to town, you can still see where water has dripped and run down the rocky roadsides and frozen like tiny Niagara Falls in January. It is mostly the northfacing sides, not in full sun, where it is still thick and hard, taking longer to melt. Still sparkling and pretty, with melting drizzly rivulets running down into the roadside ditches, it gives you a sort of fairyland view of the Tennessee countryside.

Shameless self promotion here

Etsy is one of the really great sites to browse and purchase fun, fascinating and fresh handcrafted creations, as well as vintage items. You owe it to yourself to check it out. It's easy to get to, fun to shop and safe to make payments.


Artfire is another great site for finding the unusual in one-of-a-kind treasures like jewelry, stationery, clothing and accessories, art and much more.