Our Library

Probably my most favorite spot in my city is the main branch of our beautiful public library. Check out this link for more pictures of this great place! I consider the library the hub of our community - a place where you can learn just about anything, check out a book, movie, or music, visit with a friend, have a nice lunch, listen to a story with your child, see lots of fine art, or listen to fantastic music.

For a number of years a friend and I have been meeting here weekly, originally to write our novels, but it ultimately became a time to discuss life, families, faith, and the future. We've been through religious renewal, children growing up and out, and the sudden death of a spouse. I treasure our "library time." Earlier this month my friend traveled to Italy, on her own, for two weeks. I'm SO proud of her! She's so much braver than I. She even got to visit a priest-friend of ours who now lives in Rome. And look what she brought back for me:

A great Italian journal, a fabulous dip pen, and some luscious burgundy ink! Does she know me well or what!

Love you, dear friend!

Make-It Monday

Two cards I made today:

This one is for a couple we know
who just had a baby girl.









This one is a thank-you card.










I really like both of them.

Scenes from our Sunday Walk

The temperature was 50 degrees when we set out on what's becoming a Sunday ritual: walking through this city we call home. Much of the 18 inches of snow we'd received on Thursday and Friday had sublimated so we didn't have too much trouble walking the six miles or so. Gotta love this Boulder weather!

Storm Aftermath

Lots of snow!









I heard what sounded like knocking on the kitchen window and looked up to see a little birdy wondering where the bird feeder was! I forgot that during the warm weather we just had, I had taken it down and cleaned it out. This little one was just trying to keep me in line!

Note to self: clean the window. Squirrel dribble is gross!

Fun Friday

We have a very friendly, conservative young neighbor who loves sailing. Earlier this week, before the big snowstorm, he was readying his boat for some time on the Reservoir. This meant parking the boat in front of his house. Which meant I could see the brand new curtains hanging in the boat's windows. I WAS SHOCKED!

Of course I had to ask him about the racy, pin-up girl curtains and he informed me his mom made them for him. MOM?!! What were you thinking!

Anyway, Dear Husband and I sure got a kick out of seeing them every time we entered our cul-de-sac. Thanks for the laughs, Peter and Cheryl. You each have a great sense of humor!

The Storm Finally Arrived and A Post Card

The snowstorm that was supposed to happen Sunday night has finally arrived! Lots and lots of snow, bad roads, city and county offices closed. This is probably the most snow we had this year. I hope we can dig out the hot tub this afternoon.


Make-It Monday is late. This week we had to use stars, circles, and sewing. I made this using a watercolor postcard. The stars are yellow watercolor with gold Pearl Ex around them. Then there are some loose star and circle punches, a few star sequins, and then I sewed a layer of organza over the whole thing, so that when you shake the postcard, the stars and circles move around! I think it definitely looks better in real life. If you click on the card, you might see it better.

When Does Night End?

"One day a rabbi asked his students, 'How can you tell that night has ended and the day is returning?'

One student suggested, 'When you can see clearly that an animal in the distance is a lion and not a leopard.'

'No,' said the rabbi.

Another said, 'When you can tell that a tree bears figs and not peaches?'

'No,' said the rabbi. 'It is when you can look on the face of another person and see that woman or man is your sister or brother. Because until you are able to do so, no matter what time of day it is, it is still night.' "


from What is the Point of Being a Christian, by Timothy Radcliffe, OP (pg.125)

Inquisitive Squirrel

While out walking a very inquisitive -- and probably hungry ---
little squirrel approached me. She walked right over to the sidewalk....






... sniffed my shoe ....








... and when she realized I had no food, she ran up into a tree and just stared at me!

She was awfully cute, don't you think?

It's Hot Today

Gosh, it was so warm today we just had to get out for a walk. Here are some photos from various places on our walk.





Our thermometer said 81 degrees but it felt hotter.








Here is Dear Husband on the throne near the creek.







Dear Husband enjoying his iced coffee at 29th Street.









A couple of women at 29th Street enjoying the hot weather.









We had a wonderful lunch at Sherpa's. Dear Husband had noodles with yak.









I like what these folks did with a dead tree in their yard. I really like the raccoon sitting safely on top!










The trees are flowering, so I hope we don't get the huge snowstorm that is supposedly on its way.







Flags are flying from the street lamps downtown, celebrating Boulder's 150th birthday. I like this one because we were married at the Hotel Boulderado, which opened 100 years ago.







Now it's back to the NCAA Basketball tournament.............. and the impending snowstorm. (I'll believe it when I see it!)

Remodeling Upstairs: Words Unnecessary

Fun Friday

Here's an email I received today, although I'm sure it was meant for Dear Husband as it was addressed to "Hello Sir." (Is that the manish version of Hello Kitty?) Anyway, I was considering sending her an email to let her know I'd love the TEN MILLION DOLLAR share, but something sounds fishy. Really -- WHY would anyone want to invest money in the US right now, what with the financial turmoil we're in? And she says she's from Serria Leone. Where is that? Is this some new place run by the Serria Club? High in the Serria Madre Mountains?

But please keep this quiet! I mean, she's NEVER disclosed any of this before. I'm the only one. So keep this confidential, OK? Just you, me, and Hadiza.

Hello Sir

First I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction and I pray that my contacting you will be given genuine approval considering the fact that we don't know each other before. I wish to use this opportunity to introduce myself to you. I am Hadiza Abdullah Sahe'ed, I am writing to inform you of my desire to invest in your country. I am the first daughter of Abdullah Sahe'ed who was the former Diamond Board Director of Serria Leone. My Father was attacked by the R U F Rebels on his way to Lucia, a Northern part of Serria Leone, and my Father sustained injuries and he died three days later. Before he died he revealed to me about the two boxes containing $50 Million US dollars, which he deposited with a security company in Ghana for safe keeping.

My father did not disclose the content of the boxes to the security company. To avoid the officials from raising eye brows. Presently I and my brother are here in Ghana to notify the security company of the claims, and we are staying in the refugee camp. Therefore I want you to lecture me on how best we can invest this money in your country, because my late father told me that it is dangerous to invest in Africa to avoid suspicions, and due to market instabilities coupled with economic and political situation facing Africa, for your assistance my self and my brother have agreed to offer you 20% of the total amount of the money as your commission. We have all the vital documents covering the deposit and the ownership which I can send to you.

Note, I have never disclosed this transaction to anybody apart from you. So please keep it very confidential. Best regards.

ATCs

From Wikipedia: Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as baseball cards (2.5 by 3.5 inches) and thin enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets. The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origin in Switzerland. The cards are usually traded or exchanged rather than sold.

Here are some of my latest ones. They're not the best photos but if you click on each photo, you should be able to see the ATCs more clearly.


If you would like one, let me know. But you have to trade for them. That means you have to make one for me! Try it. It's fun..... and addicting. Some work out and some, .......... well ............ I don't throw any away because I always learn something from them, even if it's to NOT do it that way again.

Make-It Monday

Directions: Use red, black, letter stickers, and some bling.


Directions: Use a heart, a button, ribbon, and something pink.


A random "spring" card.

Oldest Daughter Turns............... What?

Oldest Daughter had a birthday last week and I won't be divulging her age as that would just set me up for some retribution! So, I'll just say that these early photos were taken .......... ummm .......... not that long ago!

Well, maybe this one was a long time ago!

Here she is with Middle Daughter and our favorite priest.

She loves animals, both comic ...
and live!


Gotta love the smile and those freckles.
Yes, this gal is fearless and climbing high!

Happy _????_ Birthday, Oldest Daughter! You are truly a blessing in my life.

Youngest Daughter Eats (Maybe) at Home

Some of the ways we facilitated learning about the world while unschooling was to travel, read books, watch videos, and eat food from different countries. Youngest Daughter took that to heart, especially the eating part, and she is famous for not realizing that one can actually eat at home. She pointed out to us last night that while she's been home (two and a half days!) she's been to Japan, Switzerland, Mexico, and India.

So, for breakfast this morning, I decided to let her take a trip back in time rather than place and made her a favorite:

She must be taking some kind of dissecting class in college as this is what was left:

Apparently the ears were edible, as were the nose and lips, but the rest of his face and his eyes were left over. WHO DOESN'T EAT MARASCHINO CHERRIES????