So, You Are Probably Wondering....

About why this used to be a design blog, and now, it's all over the place! WEll, one reason is that my life is all over the place these days...

That said, it's taken me forever to get the holiday decorations down, and putting my house and garage back together...It's been to cold to work in the garage, and when it's a pretty day, I just want to be outside...

Another reason is I've had two Geeks (computer) in,and neither one can figure out why my blog controls are all fouled up...yet, I blog on.

I know that I have said in the past that it's better to spend a few bucks on real flowers (there are great deals out in the local supermarket), than to have fake-looking silk..I am now taking that back...I was in Salado Texas, my favorite shopping spot in Texas, and these silk flowers (I call them "Teddy Bear" sunflowers, like the ones I used to grow in my garden up north) just waved at me...cheerily...the breeze caught them, and they moved! My husband even likes them..says they don't look like real flowers so much as they look like a scupture of real flowers...so, I lied..

I am so stiff and sore today; long story...Found a note in my mailbox with a photo on it of "Samson", the missing 11-month old long-haired German Shepherd. Yesterday, it was raining a bit, and I was out sweeping the birdseed off our porch, when Pepe, the pesky Yorky from down the street, came careening up the steps with Samson (it said so on his tag)...Pepe apparently had told Samson that we have cats, and he likes to come over an terrorize them. I let them in the house (big mistake) only because it was raining, and I didn't want Samson to get away and be lost again before I could call the number on the tag.
Chaos broke loose....wet dogs, cats with their backs up...then, Samson was so excited, he decided to eat Pepe...So, I am standing there, holding Pepe up over my head, and Samson thinks Pepe is now a pinata', and is leaping at him...
I managaged to throw Pepe outside, and drag Samson to the garage, where I gave him a nice blanket, some food and water, and called the owner..who, of course, wasn't home.

I had to get our car inspected, so I left Samson in the garage, all the while thinking about all the trouble he could get into while I was gone. I finally got hold of his owner, and we arranged a time for him to come retrieve Samson.

When I got home, I thought the garage would be distroyed, but it wasn't, thank God. I put him on a leash (our departed Lizzie's) to take him outside to do his business, and here comes the other neighborhood Yorky, "Bella", whom, once again Samson decided was a tasty morsel...He lunged for "Bella", and I was holding on for dear life...So, there I was, on my stomach, in my good, leather jacket, black velvet Navaho skirt, my hat flew off, and I was being dragged across wet grass and rocks.
The neighbor came out from across the street, and just stood there watching..nice guy.

Finally, got Samson under control, back in the garage, his owner came and got him, and I cleaned myself up..

See what I mean...all over the place.

Baby Olivia

I am having such difficulties with the mechanics of this blog, that I am tempted to shut it down and start over, but am also sure it would still be a problem...cannot see photos, cannot use colors, etc..But, I so wanted to post these photos of Baby Olivia that I took last week. She was a perfect baby; the sun was shining, and their home was dark, so we stripped her down (it was 78 degrees), and took her outside. Never a peep out of her...she just went with the flow...what a sweet child.



When photographing infants, or children for that matter, you have to work fast, for once they melt down, it's pretty much over..unless you want a photo of a screaming child. Babies have that natural grasping thing, so she just hung on to that rose for dear life. I'd like to say she smelled her first rose, but the scent has been taken away by years of hybridization..which is why I love old roses.....

She did seem a bit startled by having this rose in her hand, and probably was just reacting to a new stimuli, but to me, she seemed a bit in awe of it..

I took some wonderful photos of the three of them (mommy, daddy, and Olivia) together, but won't post those...it's there private moments I am protecting...
That said, these three photos are copyrighted (written)? and will become part of my "Here a Chick" greeting card line....

I am off to the health club to walk five miles...I did my first "Zumba" class yesterday...Latin Dancing and Belly Dancing...terrible at both, but had fun!
Life is good....

A Tribute to Kelly....and a Nest, and a Cat

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There's a wonderful woman, who has a wonderful (actually, two) blog: www.muchtodowithnothing.blogspot.com and www.didyouknow.blogspot.com. If you have read my profile, and some (okay) alot of my posts, you will see that I am trying to learn all this blogging, computer stuff, but just barely get by...Sophisticated bloggers just go HERE, and there you are....don't let that stop you from finding her. Or, go to my complete profile, and find them in "blogs that I follow"..Now, get up off the floor from laughing so hard, and go there...please.

Kelly is a wonderful sewer..she makes slipcovers down by the seashore in South Carolina...She is also a saint, who has a blog about animals, actually, the mistreatment that is rampant in this Country and around the world....So many of us say we love animals, but then, we just seem to forget that someone needs to be their champion...Kelly takes risks, and makes a difference..as should we all. She has a link on her "Did you know" site that I've been going to everyday for years...I checked it out on Snopes, and it is genuine...it is www.theanimalrescuesite.com...clicking daily helps feed animals in shelters. I went there today, and they are asking for help for the animals in Haiti...it is a secure site, and I did send a donation..(we also had donated to the people, but animals seem to get left out there alone and suffering)...so, yes, this is a blog about design..sometimes, but those of you who have been reading for awhile know that the ETC. stands for so many other things..the Etc. of life.

The nest and the cat....I am photographing Olivia, a five-week-old baby girl, who weighs nine pounds...my cat weighs nine pounds (that's Raisenette Funicello Buttafuco Badcat)...just checking it out..won't let him in it - hope she fits...we will find out this afternoon..should be interesting....And yes, I am a fan of Ann Geddes, who does such wonderful photos of babies...just playing..The nest is baby-friendly...The grapevine won't be anywhere near her...I covered a straw wreath form in the softest velvet (an old pair of Eileen Fisher - my favorite designer- velvet lounging pants -only the best for Olivia), then, a bag full of poly fiber fill in the center, then a piece of cozy foam, and topped off by a wonderful, feather collar, that I got at a resale shop...hope she fits in it....It's going to be 76 degrees today, so I hope to take her outside for it...we shall see.

Okay, all you Interior design fans..tune in later in the week...today is about, well, Etc.