New Yard Stuff

I see my last post was April 7th.  So much for posting frequently.  No wonder I don't have much of a following.  Since DH's (Dear Hubby) last heart attack in February the days have slipped by with yours truly in a daze much of the time. His 6th one a year ago was hard to handle, but the 7th one 10 months later was devastating for both of us.  He's doing really well for the condition he's in.   Me??....not so good some days.  I'm going to try to get my act together and post some, hopefully, interesting information at least twice a week.  Would anyone like to hold my feet to the fire?!

We have a maple tree stump in our backyard at the edge of our dry river bed.  Great place for a potted plant.  So I found a shallow planter, wired an old metal hanging planter to the top of it and placed some plants in it.  I love doing things with stumps.  I wish we had more of these fir trees cut down.  I could do more stump art.  Here's a photo of the finished project.

DH decided that because I like fresh tomatoes so much he should plant more of them this year.  Tomatoes don't ripen very rapidly, if ever, in this cool NW climate so I helped him make a 'hothouse' of sorts.  Here is a photo.  Hope it works like it's supposed to.  He planted several tomato plants of various types. 

We have so much yard work to do that it's becoming overwhelming!  Neither of us can work like we used to.  We really need to come to terms with that and get some help.  We have a big yard.  No lawn to mow, but lots of bark mulch, rocks, shrubs, flowers, paths and dry river beds.  AND WEEDS!  They never stop coming up.  I pull one and two take it's place.

Jigsaw Puzzle Wall Art Tutorial

A few weeks ago my DH (dear hubby) finished putting a jigsaw puzzle together.  It was so beautiful that he wanted us to prepare it for hanging on a wall.  I'm posting a tutorial here for making a jigsaw puzzle suitable for hanging.  This is my first tutorial so please bear with me.  I'll do the best I can.

 He put the puzzle together on a piece of plywood that was larger than the puzzle.  No photo for this.  Sorry.  I told you this is my first tutorial.  I'll try to do better next time.

Here are a few of the tools used for the project.

After he put the puzzle together I brushed a layer of Mod Podge all over it with a soft brush.  Then I carefully scraped off the excess with a putty knife.  The next day I put another thin layer of Modge Podge on it in the same manner.  This holds the puzzle pieces together. 

After the 2 layers were dry we carefully slipped a mat board the same size of the puzzle under it.  

 

Using 1 x 4 white pine my husband made a frame for the puzzle.  He ripped the wood pieces to1 3/4 inches wide.  He then cut out 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch inside the edges to inlay the picture.  He cut a pattern in the outside of the frame material with a router, then cut it into four pieces the lengths and widths of the picture.  He cut the corners forty five degrees. 

He used 4 penny nails and wood glue to hold the corners together.  He laid the frame on a piece of cardboard from a flattened box and stained it with wood stain.  When it was finished we placed the puzzle and mat board into the frame and used staples to hold it in place.  Then we put a screw eye about a third of the way down from the top on each side of the frame on the back, twisted the ends of the picture wire through one of them and twisted the wire to secure it. We put the other end through the other screw eye, pulled it taut, twisted the wire end and the picture was ready to hang.

 FINISHED PICTURE

I would like to say that it’s hanging on our wall, but it was not to be.  There’s a Native American young man who works at the golf course where my husband plays golf.  DH thinks highly of him and wanted to give the picture to him if he wanted it.  Unfortunately for me, he loved it BIG TIME!  It’s now hanging on his wall I presume.  Now I’m trying to find another puzzle like it for me.   

Skagit Valley Tulip Fields

So much for my goal to post here frequently.  I see it's been a month since the last one.  Since my husband's last heart attack my emotions have been all over the place...from totally numb to depression to anxiety.  Some days I have to push myself to do much of anything.  He still has a lot of heart issues to deal with, but he just keeps plugging along.  He has slowed down a lot, but he refuses to stop no matter how he feels.  He's one tough guy and I thank God for that!

I planned to post a tutorial, but my brain isn't functioning well enough to do a good job of it, so I'll concentrate on our Skagit Valley tulip fields.  They bloomed two weeks early this year because of the unusually warm winter and spring.  Tourists come from all over the U.S. and some foreign countries to view the awesome sight.  Anybody who planned to visit during the last half of April might be disappointed when they see that the tulips have been deadheaded. 

I haven't been out in the valley to see them yet.  It used to be easy to go early in the morning or evening, but the crowds keep getting larger, come earlier and stay longer.  We could wander through the fields, but now we have to pay to walk through them.  I don't blame the growers for starting to charge.  Not only does it give them income, but also limits the damage to the tulips.  Most viewers are courteous and careful, but there are some who don't have a clue.  The fields can still be viewed from the fence lines without paying and great photos can be taken from that position. 

Here are a few photos from last year.  Enjoy.

Life Is Unpredictable

In January I set a goal to post on my blog three to four times a week, but sometimes life just gets in the way.  A week ago yesterday I had to take DH (dear hubby) to the emergency room.  He had pneumonia and a heart attack...his seventh one.  We spent six days in the hospital.  The doctor performed an angioplasty and a stent.  During that six days I lost his hearing aids, my car broke down and one day I was sick with what I thought was a cold.  It only lasted a day and a half so it must have been an allergy attack.  I don't get over a cold in a week and a half, let alone a day and a half.  On top of that when we got home and I emptied the bags of clothes that we had at the hospital his underwear was missing.  Some of it was brand new.  

But what's important is that he's still alive!  Thank God for that...literally.   I don't know how much more that poor old heart can take.  He's always been so active even with his health problems, but the last two heart attacks have really taken a tole on him. 

I did finally find his hearing aids.  They were in the laundry basket.  I had put them in my coat pocket, but I must have taken them out and put them in my pants pocket so they wouldn't get lost (?!!), then threw the pants in the laundry.  Now if his underwear would turn up, the car would magically fix itself and his heart would heal all would be well. 

I'll try to post a more interesting, uplifting subject in a day or two. 

Valentine's Day

Valentine's day has come and gone, but I'm still laughing at the jokes I heard and read.  Our church had a brunch for couples (or even people that weren't part of a couple).  Our church clown (sorry Bill) was in his element walking around with his microphone and jokes.  Here are a few I heard and read around and on Valentines Day.

Q: Why did the banana go out with the prune?
A: Because it couldn't get a date.

Q. What did the boy bird say to the girl bird on Valentine's Day?
A. Let me call you Tweet heart!

 Q: Did you hear about the nearsighted porcupine?
A: He fell in love with a pin cushion!

 Q: What did the pencil say to the paper?
A: I dot my i's on you!

GROAN!  That's the last of the one liners.  How about knock knock?

 Knock Knock
Who's there?
Pooch
Pooch who?
Pooch your arms around me!

 Knock Knock
Who's there?
Luke
Luke who?
Luke who got a Valentine!

 Knock Knock
Who's there?
Olive
Olive who?
Olive you!

Double GROAN!  That's enough knock knock.

 Driving through Southern California, I stopped at a roadside stand that sold fruit, vegetables and crafts. As I went to pay, I noticed the young woman behind the counter was painting a sign. “Why the new sign?” I asked. “My boyfriend didn’t approve of the old one,” she said. When I glanced at what hung above the counter, I understood. It declared: “Local Honey Dates Nuts”

 The lingerie store where my aunt works was crowded with shoppers selecting Valentine’s Day gifts for their wives. A young businessman came to the register with a lacy black negligee. My aunt noticed that the next customer, an elderly farmer, was holding a long flannel nightgown and kept glancing at the younger man’s sexier choice. When it was his turn, the farmer placed the nightgown on the counter. “Would you have anything in black flannel?” He asked.

 My dearest wife is always going on and on and ON about NOT making a fuss over her on Valentine's Day.  She repeats that it's the thought that counts.
Well, I put a lot of thought into the gifts from previous February 14ths but she didn't quite take to any of them like I assumed she would. Here's my list - see what you think:

...(v3r)

• Brand new mop and bucket.
  I was thinking it would be fun to see what color the floor was because I couldn't remember.
• Romantic dinner at fast food restaurant.
  I was thinking that she might like to go inside for a change instead of fetching dinner at the drive through.
• Chocolates left-over from last year's candy box.
  I was thinking of how proud she'd be of me for not wasting food. She's been nagging me for years to recycle.
• Midnight moped ride through the park.
  I was thinking that I'm getting too old to be peddling on the bike.
• Dozen roses printed on high quality photo paper. One of my favorites  -
  I was thinking these would last a lifetime instead of just a week.
• 45 second back massage.
  I was thinking any longer and she might think I was interested in something else. 

 Phil, a smart and handsome young man, dressed in the latest fashion, walked into this local pub. He noticed a woman gazing at him without blinking her big eyes. Phil felt flattered so he walked up to the woman and said in his deepest voice, 'I'll do anything you wish, beautiful lady, for just $10 but on one condition.' 
The woman appeared to be trapped in the moment and asked as if in a trance, 'What's your condition?'
Phil answered, 'Tell me your wish in just three words.'
There was a long pause, the woman opened her purse, counted out the money and handed it to the man along with her address.  She then looked deeply into his eyes and whispered, 'Clean my house.'

Until next year - -
Love is catching.  Spreads by kisses.

Getting Older

Tomorrow is just another day....and my BIRTHDAY.  Why do they come around so fast?  I remember when I could hardly wait for the next birthday.  Now I'd rather have one about every two years.  At our  church service last Sunday my birthday was announced, and when asked how old I would be I added 10 years to my real age thinking that some people might comment on how young I look for my age.   Most people knew me well enough to know I was kidding, but a few didn't.  They thought I looked AMAZING for my age. 

When I was young I thought that no matter how old I became I would always look and feel young.  I would make sure of it.  Wrong!!  I'm losing ground on both counts.  Most of my body is drooping and there's that neck that looks a lot like a turkey.  Last week I bought some of those jeans that ride just below the belly button. Well, from my belly button down I look like half of a blown up balloon.  When an item is sitting at the crest of a hill it's naturally going to roll down.  The jeans wound up down around my crotch.  

My joints hurt and don't want to bend when I tell them to. What doesn't hurt doesn't exist.  When I look in the mirror I wonder why my mother is there.  Sometimes I walk into a room and forget why I'm there.  Sometimes I forget that I forgot.  

Oh, well, I guess it's better than the alternative.  I'm my mother's clone and she lived to age 99.  I probably have -???? - more years to get used to the inevitable  

My Attempt at Haiga

I have been writing poetry for many years and at one time I was a member of a poetry board on the internet.  I was never a big fan of haiku, but became interested in that poetry form as I read haiku that some of the members were writing.  I never became good at writing that type of poetry, but have written a few to combine with some of my photography, creating haiga (haiku + art).

If some of you studied haiku in school years ago you probably learned that haiku, Japanese form of poetry,  consisted of three lines...5 syllables, 7 syllables,  5 syllables.  However, the Japanese equivalent of syllables isn't the same as ours.  The modern day poets no longer use that rule of thumb. There are so many rules and non-rules pertaining to modern haiku that I won't list them all here, and I can't say I understand them all considering that I'm definitely not an expert on that poetry form. The haiku quite often describes nature, but not always.  The phrase that sticks in my head is that an 'AHA!' moment is important.  

Here are some of my haiga experiments.  I hope you enjoy them.  And if you're a poetry expert, please feel free to critique...or even if you're not.

Meat Loaf YU-UUMMM!

A few years ago my granddaughter gave me a recipe for meatloaf.  I've always been about the worst at making meatloaf so I was happy to get a recipe from a chef.  She's no longer in the restaurant business, but she's still a great cook.  For a couple years I didn't make her meatloaf.  In fact I forgot she had given me the recipe. Last week I hunted for it until I finally found it among my stash of  'wanna cook this some day'.  I made it last night and it was just as good as I remembered it.  Here's the recipe.

Blythe's Meat Loaf

equal parts ground pork and ground beef. (I used Italian sausage for the pork.)

diced onions

chopped garlic

ketchup

dijon

paprika

panko

eggs

chopped bacon

fruit of the pig spice  (I don't have any of that.  Don't even know what it is)

sauce - chopped mama lil's pickled peppers and ketchup. Just heat it up and put it on the meatloaf when you eat it.

Mother Nature Confused Winter or Spring

I love seeing the flowers bloom in our yard this time of year...witch hazel, winter jasmine, rhododendrons....Wait...WHAT!??  Rhodys don't bloom this time of year!  But there they are, just like they know what they're doing.  Every day I see more blossoms on the rhody bush that's blooming, standing proudly by the witch hazel.  We have, obviously, had a very mild winter.  All our spring bulbs are out of the ground and several inches tall.  Amid all this I see on TV the terrible storms on the east coast and the freezing temperatures that so much of the country has endured.  However, winter isn't over yet, so I shouldn't crow too loudly.  Our time might be coming.   

Beach Treasures

I'm fortunate to live in an area where there is an abundance of driftwood.  I no longer live in a residential community that has it's own private beach, but I still run across some interesting pieces here and there along the waterfront.  I've been creating a few sculptures with some I've been collecting over the years.  I love seeing  what nature has created with some of the pieces.  Here are my finished sculptures.  Two are for sale in my Etsy shop and I have more ready to be listed soon.  The fifth one is a solar light.

Birds of a Feather......

Winter is here and the large flocks of Trumpeter Swans and Snow Geese are everywhere when we drive across the bridge from Fidalgo Island to the mainland.  They're so beautiful.  It's been a few years since I've been serious about photographing them.  I've decided I've just got to get over there to get a few good shots before late winter when they began to leave.  I need to go early morning or late afternoon.  Because I'm not a morning person it will have to be late afternoon.  Or maybe I should just throw a coat over my pajamas and head for the fields.  We'll see. Decisions, decisions.   

Several years ago I photographed a few as they were flying in early evening.  I wrote a poem when I was feeling a little melancholy and included it with the photo in a chap book that I had printed for friends and family.  

Like Swans In Flight

Drifting through bleak darkness,

engulfed by silken clouds,

bound in discomposure

by imaginary shrouds.

Striving for a mission

like winter swans in flight,

chasing elusive solace,

I yearn for tranquil light.

Never let me waiver;

guide me in my quest.

Give me wings of power

to remain upon the crest

until I find contentment

in a field of silent rest.

         

©2002 Laura Crumm

Christmas Family Food and Gifts

Christmas has gone and we're nearly into the new year. I hope all of you had the wonderful Christmas that we had with our daughter and family.  It amazes me that we receive gifts that are so 'us'.  It's hard for me to pick just the right gift without an explicit description.  Ex:  Item on granddaughter's Christmas list...jewelry, silver, not gold.  Question: Big jewelry, dainty jewelry, statement jewelry?  So I gave up on jewelry and bought her a gift certificate.  I wrote on my Christmas list that I like jewelry...any type of metal.  Also would like to have a leather bracelet.  So I received a gorgeous unique gold tone bracelet with leather cords laced through the chain.  I love it!!  The leather and beads on it are green and I received two other green bracelets.  They can even all be worn together, and I had no green bracelets in my jewelry drawer. How perfect it that?!! 

Because the trip to Seattle is getting to be too hard on DH (dear hubby) we had dinner here with joint effort on preparing the meal.  Our granddaughter brought an apple caramel pie, DH baked a sour cream pecan pie and made a smoked salmon pate with his 'secret recipe' smoked salmon.   I made a cranberry relish from a recipe I got recently from a friend.  Our daughter brought a ham, scalloped potatoes, and after she arrived she cooked a wonderful vegetable dish from The Chew.  (Recipe below).  What a great day!  We're so fortunate to have loving family within driving distance. 

I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAD THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!
  
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Squash and Sausage Sauté

Ingredients:

¼ lb. sausage

½ tsp. chili flakes

4 c. butternut squash (peeled and diced)

4 c. Brussels sprouts

½ c. chicken stock

4 oz. goat cheese

Honey

3 T. olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.

When the pan is hot add a drizzle of olive oil,

followed by the sausage and chili flakes.  Cook,

breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon

until the sausage is nicely browned and mostly

cooked through (about 5 minutes). Add the squash.

Season with salt and pepper and cook until they start

to get some color (5 – 8 minutes).  Add Brussels sprouts. 

Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes. 

Add the chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan

to deglaze. Dollop the top of the casserole with goat cheese

and drizzle with honey to serve. 

Tips:

Cover the skillet to help the goat cheese melt and to keep the

dish warm.  Don’t stir the vegetables until they are crisp and

caramelized.  Peel the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts so

they don’t come apart 

Brass and Glass

I've been creating glass flowers using found glass, china, ceramic for years. A few weeks ago I was going through my stash and saw some brass items that looked interesting.  Hmmmm, I thought...flower.  I combined the two brass items with an amber glass candle holder that had an open bottom.  Hubby screwed the brass pieces and the spoon on the back (for slipping into a copper pipe) together and I glued the candle holder in the center.  I love it!!!  I'm going to be searching for more brass pieces. 

I love making flowers for the garden and have branched out into creating them for inside use.  I call them 'wall flowers'  I say 'inside' because I use old jewelry for the centers and I'm not sure how well they would hold up outside.  I could probably seal the jewelry  with a weather proof sealer.  Maybe I should give the seller a choice of inside or outside.  If they want outside I would seal the flower centers and put the spoon on the back for placing in the pipe or a hanger for hanging on an inside wall.

I only have three 'wall flowers' listed on etsy so far.  I'm wondering how much interest there will be for them.  I got the idea from a friend who said she would be more apt to hang one on an inside wall.  Of course even the outside ones can be hung on a wall or fence using a bracket on the wall to slip the spoon handle through.  I put a metal hangar on the back of the 'wall flowers'.

I've also been making home decor items from found objects....candle holders, serving plates, candy dishes, sculptures, etc.  For awhile I had two shops, one for outdoor art and one for home decor.  I decided it was too time consuming to keep up two shops, so I'm fazing out the home decor shop and putting all the items into RecycleRoom.

Check it out.  I've been busy creating and listing.

What I'm Thankful For

When going through the ups and downs of life it's sometimes hard to think there's much to be thankful for, but we're really very fortunate to live in a country like ours.  Even though we have poverty, crime, hunger  (and I'm not downplaying the seriousness of this) we enjoy so much more than war torn and third world countries.  Here are some things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving season:

1. A warm home with a cozy gas fireplace for a little extra heat on a cold, wet day.

2. A loving husband and family. Some of us will be gathering together for turkey and all the trimmings.

3. A beautiful area of the U.S. where we live.  Mild climate, beautiful views of bays and mountains.

4. A wonderful church where the Bible is taught, the pastor is super and the members are friendly.

5. Exceptional medical care locally and within forty five miles driving distance.

6 Our little dog KCee who went to doggie heaven this year.  We had her for fifteen wonderful years.

7. Close friends who care about us and are always willing to help when necessary.

8. Beautiful and handsome grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

9. A husband who cooks and cleans up, vacuums and does laundry.

10. The fact that I wake up every morning to a new day which is sometimes mundane, sometimes full of surprises.

What are you thankful for?  I would like to see your responses. 

...and a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you out there.

Back in the Saddle Again

I was just blown away when I saw that I hadn't posted here since August!  I'm not sure what I've been doing all this time.  I do know that hubby and I have done some much needed yard work.  Also, last month I flew to Oklahoma to see family members and to attend my 60th high school reunion. Yeah, that shows how old I am!  The reunions in my hometown consist of a three day bash so between the activities and trying to visit with all my family I was a busy girl....errr...woman.  I had a good time, but I'm glad to be home.

Now that most of the yard is put to bed for the winter I intend to get back to creating items for my Etsy shop.  I'm moving all the items from the Artistic Butler shop to Recycle Room.  I've decided it's much easier to maintain one shop than two. The items in Recycle Room have been art for the garden.  Artistic Butler had items for the home.  They're all created with the same type of materials and created in a similar manner so I'm hoping it will work out well.  Check it out.  There are some great items for Christmas gifts.  .

Sultry Summer Sun

sultry summer sun

lazy days

basking in the hot 

gleaming rays

sunrise early morn

golden dawn

children running through

sprinkled lawn

sultry summer sun

rising high

cotton fluffs adorn

cobalt sky

gentle waves play tag 

on the shore

seagulls ride the breeze

eagles soar

fall will soon be here

leaves ablaze

vivid hues replace

summer days.

                   

©2012 Laura Crumm

Wall Flowers For Home Decor

I'm increasingly becoming more overwhelmed when I see my work room.  So many pieces of glass, ceramic, china and metal to be put together to form art pieces.  I'm always shopping for just the right piece to go with one I have started, then come home with six or more more pieces.  I need to just spend a couple days catching up, but so much of the fun is in the hunt.

A few months ago I opened my second etsy shop, Artistic Butler.  It hasn't been a success story so far, but I'm not giving up.  Because of health problems I haven't promoted it like I need to do.  My garden flowers in Recycle Room are selling well, so I decided to try some of them for indoor wall art in my Artistic Butler shop.  I'll be listing some of them soon.  Here are a few samples.  I'm using found jewelry for some centers.  .

Home For the Birds

A friend of ours asked us to make a birdhouse for her.  She was open to any design as long as it was painted yellow.  Hubby did the carpenter work and I was the designer.  I bought the brass hinge to make the door at a thrift shop.  I found the rest in my stash except the license plate which belonged to the recipient.   This was the first time I had tried twisting wire with a drill.  Actually, hubby did it, but I told him what I wanted done.  When he was through I arranged the limbs and roots the way I wanted them and he screwed the tree to the house.  Our friend was happy with it.  I hope the birds will be, too.

Summer Beauty

There's no place more beautiful than western Washington in the summertime. The spring blossoms are gone, but there's the later flowers to keep our interest. The skies are blue (at least for a few days), the water in the bays sparkle and Mount Baker with its snow cap is awesome.  Here are a few of my photos taken from Fidalgo Island.  

Dock at Sunset Beach in Washington Park on the northwest side of the island.  I caught this shot just as the sun had gone down and children were fishing from the dock.

Kayak reflection.  I love taking photos of reflections, both water and window.  This is the perfect location for that.

Purse seiner headed for best fishing grounds.  Commercial fishing is a big industry here, both in local waters and Alaska.  









Old boat house on Guemes Island across the Guemes Channel 
north of Fidalgo Island.

Lady of the Sea statue at Seafarers' Park on the east side of Fidalgo Island overlooking the bay.  There is also a monument there honoring all the Anacortes commercial fishermen who have died in fishing accidents.
                         

        
                                                         

                                            

Every summerneeds 
a sunflower!!

Forecast - Warm and Sunny

It was 86 degrees today in sunny Anacortes!  Every warm, dry day we get is fully appreciated.  We had an unusually wet, cold spring.  Hubby is picking ripe strawberries from his patch (I say 'his' because I have nothing to do with the vegetable garden, fruit trees or the berry vines).  He even brought in three ripe blueberries.  YUM!  Wanting more....as long as he picks them.  

I haven't had much ambition since my three surgeries during the last eighteen months, so my flower pots are sitting empty.  I really want to hit the sales this weekend and get a few planted.  One of the nurseries near us is having a 40% off sale on some small perennials and annuals.  Good time to stock up.  

DH (dear hubby) went on a long motorcycle ride today with some of his buddies.  It's amazing what he can do at 81 years of age with congestive heart failure and three months after his sixth heart attack.  I figure when he dies he'll die on the golf course or on his motorcycle.  I have to admire him for not sitting here in his chair day after day like some men do when they develop health problems.

Enjoy the summer wherever you are.  I know some of you would nearly kill for some of our spring rain.