Snow Bunny

Thought you might like to see this year's snow sculpture. For some reason, I feel like I missed part of winter if I don't make at least one snow creation during the season. But the snow has to be just right and hopefully it's "just right" on a weekend! This was created on a Sunday in early February.

The Lion

The lion-like entrance that March is supposed to make will probably be arriving tonight. And I think I've reached my limit. I'm all done with both sets of skis for this year. I've had enough fun trudging through the waist-deep snow (seriously, I actually find that fun) and watching the dog pretend to be a dolphin. I've made my obligatory yearly snow sculpture. I am ready for the lamb. I've ordered all my seeds and they arrived a few days ago. The snow has melted enough for me to see the remnants of last year's gardens, and I'm getting the bug again. I'm ready to see some color. But I think I have a few more weeks at least before I get my wish. So I will try to enjoy these last few days of confinement and get some more housework done before I can't stand to be inside anymore. I spent Saturday cleaning the kitchen and part of the studio and then today I helped my sister-in-law with her wedding scrapbook. I also went to my parents' house to visit with my sister, brother and all the nephews and the niece.
Friday night was the third annual Pawcasso silent auction to benefit our local spay and neuter clinic. Engine (pictured above) donated one of his many wire sculptures and I did a painting of Lia. We didn't do as well as we have in previous years, but for a silent auction during a depression, I think we did pretty well.

The Altered Page: Natural Evolution

There is an interesting winter project going on over at The Altered Page called "Disintegration". If you want to participate (check out the link below), all you have to do is create an art piece that you place securely outside, and expose it to the elements until sometime in April or May. Photograph it when you put it outside and then we will all photograph the pieces again at the end of the project. I wedged this into the branches of a pine tree that we planted last spring that didn't make it. This will be its last hurrah before we have to remove it. Hopefully I tied the piece up tight enough! As I was securing it, dark storm clouds started rolling in and it started snowing pretty hard. I took the idea of the tea bag from Judy Wise, who is also participating. I am curious to see how this turns out. One more reason to look forward to May!
The Altered Page: Natural Evolution

Welcome to 2009

There's another Flickr mosaic project floating around... Here are the new questions!

1. Looking back on 2008, what might the theme have been?
2. If 2008 was a movie, who would play you?
3. What was your greatest gift of 2008?
4. What is your New Year Resolution, or, what are you committing to this year?
5. If January could be represented by one song, what would it be?
6. What do you wish for your body in 2009?
7. Name one new thing you would love to try in the New Year.
8. What do you long for 2009 to bring?
9. If that happened, how would you feel?
10. Where would you love to vacation in 2009 if money were no object?
11. What would you like the theme of 2009 to be?
12. If 2009 was a book, and the title was 5 words or less, what might the title be?

Ringing in the New Year

For as long as I can remember, my family has always ended the year laughing our heads off with a game. It's a good way to end 365 days- or was it 366 this year? Anyhow, I only have a couple minutes before I have to go give the husband the New Year's kiss, so I will make this quick. I have chosen my word for the year. I'm going to work on "Love". Not just the people I already love, that would be too easy. I'm talking about the challenging people. This is probably going to be harder than I think. But it's late, and that's the word I'm sticking with. Gotta run!

Fireside Reads

Winter is on its way and it's time to start a big stack of wonderful books near your fireplace or your favorite chair. I found this book by accident at my local Barnes and Nobles. Our eyes met from across the room and I fell in love. And I'm sorry, sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover. It is the most perfect "fireside read" I have ever found and the illustrations are just beautiful. It has inspired me to create my own illustrated journal- we'll see how long that idea lasts, but I'm pretty excited to try.

One More Ghost

I almost forgot to show you this because it was taken in my pre-digital days and required a scan! Anyhow, if you're headed out to any Halloween parties this year and you want to bring the grossest dessert anyone has ever seen, I've got the recipe for you. Now, I've seen people bring yucky looking food to parties before- dirt cake, finger cookies, etc. It was always creative and cool, but it was never too gross to eat. This will make you gag. Some people won't eat it. But if you can force down that first spoonful, you're in for a treat. Feast your eyes on Andrea and Heather's Kitty Litter Cake:

They actually went out and purchased a new kitty litter pan and scoop and washed them. Then they filled the pan with a mixture of pudding and crumbled yellow cake (I think they added a little blue-green food color to some of it). And as an added bonus, melted tootsie rolls. I dare you to try scooping this on to your plate and eating it. This was the coolest Halloween food I have ever seen.