On A Quiet Saturday

Things seem to be going by so slowly at times.  January is one week in and I am already looking forward to spring.  It can be hard being away from friends and familiar faces but there are some perks

that come with this small town like thrifting awesome children books and toys.  Here are some photos I've taken.  I really need to get back to photographing things that exist outside of my house.  ha ha.  

Here are some photos of a really awesome book I found about a month ago.  I am so stoked on these illustrations!

  and a toy for Iris.

 An old Fisher-Price camera with exquisite little images to view that are so extremely detailed, they look like prints of tiny watercolor illustrations to boot.

The below object is another children's toy.  It's actually a nite-lite/ projector.  I wish I had photos of it at nite when the images are projected thru those little circular clear windows onto the ceiling.

When the nite-lite is opened here is what one will find.  It's like a record player for acetate images and they do rotate round and round.

It came complete with all the films to change up the theme from time to time.

In other news I am gearing to get a coat of paint on these air dry white clay goodies, some of which I will be using in jewelry pieces that I make. Finally I can get around to these little buddies!  The top white goose is home right now to two found dragon fly wings from Portland, Oregon and a crystal I scored from inside a blue 'Understanding' candle when I was living in Los Angeles.

The terra cotta is sculpey.  I need to paint all of these up!

I don't have a studio space for my art/ sewing table so this is actually a corner in our bedroom, where the art table/ sewing station now lives.  And thus, our only windowsill is occupied by a few of our rock finds and my "to do's."

**  ps.  I know I've been doing pretty big postings lately.  Thanks for bearing with me.

Underwater Relic and Ghost Town Inspirations

Cleopatra's Palace in Alexandria, Egypt Underwater Ruins

Austrailia

Wahalla,

Agadam-Nagorno, Karabakh

Bannack, Montana

Belchite Vista, Spain

Calico, California

Smeerenburg Fjorden, Svalbard

Yonaguni, Japan Underwater Pyramids

Insane to think of all the 'new to us' type finds popping up of underwater ruins.  It's like there was an advanced cilvilization of pyramid and palace builders on every continent.  And ghost towns bring to attention how temporal everything is, here is a site that has many photographs that show how everything seems as if it's in the same spot where people who lived there, left it.  Such cool objects of everyday practicality.  It feels a little lonely to know how fast things can come and go, but at least the history and the story remains.  At the inaudible levels in the spirit the voices can be heard.

Digging Deep into Pacific Northwest Love

So, we were in Portland, Oregon for around 4.5 years.  The first place we had there was a house & it was the year 2006.  That house was a haunted old white bungalow with a huge 70 year old cherry tree in the backyard.  In 2010, when we decided to leave Portland, we were living in a duplex apartment townhome right across the street from my son's elementary school.  In the following images taken just last year all this loveliness was to be seen.  I wanted to dedicate a post solely to the Pacific Northwest as an homage to life experience and to acknowledge the suprisingly beautiful luminary imprint the Great Pacific Northwest has given my heart and as a cathartic way to release the past in all it's majesty and welcome the PRESENT.

With that said here was 2010 on the Northwest.

St. John's/ Pier Park-  Portland, Oregon around this time Last Year.

Trips to Seattle and Bainbridge to see awesome friends!

 On the Bainbridge Ferry with the lovely and amazing Elisa and her little man Van.  

Sauvie Island old man fishin' spot.

The Ape Cave Hike

Point Disappiontment magic beach in the cuts.

Hanging out with our good pal's the Hadd family when they began raising their now HUGE but then little chicks.

Iris' first bike ride.

 I and E

 Flyin' Kites.

Lastly fondly remembering the P-town apartment.  We planted tons of hydrangeas and wild pansy, borage and more.

 My succulent garden on the side of the house.  It was my 'secret power spot.'

 The garden w/ rhubarb and cayenne and some wheat grass Enoch grew in class at the time from seed.  

 Our plant boxes Chris built months before we left town.  Squash, basil, blueberry, tomato, thyme, strawberries and raspberry.

Goodbye Pacific Northwest and your bright greenery and soft bright lite!  This year I'm looking forward to starting a little indoor herb garden on the sunporch here in our new place in Iowa of course.  There's always something to appreciate 'in the now' and that's where I am looking most these days.  Thanks Oregon for all your hospitality!  Hello 2011 and the great big here and NOW.

2011 Heaven, goodbye 2010 the 'Interesting Year'

How is everyone doing so far this year?  Well, here are some photos of what X-mas and New Year's looked like around here in Algona, Iowa.

 I made that 'oval' wreath (above) using the tree clippings from the bottom.  We cut our own tree this year on a snowy day at a lovely Tree Farm on the outer part of town.  The tiny red twig dogwood branches are from my husband's family.  There was a ton of them to use this Holiday. 

Below we have a photo of E-man eating his gingerbread house he helped to decorate at our dear friend Rebecca's house (she had a gingerbread making party that was so much fun, tons of kids having fun).  Rebecca and E made the shingles of the house together and it came out so good.  Thanks R!

The last weekday of winterbreak, we went a sleddin'.

**  And below is sorta a year in review.  Here is a photo of our sunporch at the beginning of winter.

Iris and her beloved cookies in our 'new' apartment's kitchen!

I was gifted with a new plant over in the background (above pic) from C's mom, the Christmas Cactus is one of my favorite indoor houseplants and I don't have much greenery since the move!  We've also been making soymilk by the heaploads and gave a swing at making some sourdough bread.  Bread adventures on the horizon! We spent the Christmas Holiday with C's family and ate yummy warm food.  For New Year's C and I celebrated a day early with a margarita and some good laughs.  I have a lot to be thankful for!  I remind myself as much as I can that abundance abounds.

So this is where the journey from Oregon into Calif., and saying our hard to do farewells to P-town began!  We thought we were on our way to Los Angeles to live for awhile where my side of the family resides and a few real rad pals...  Little did we know just how soon we'd be departing Los Angeles (1.5 months after arriving).  We traveled lite that time (the move from Portland to L.A.).  With a camper cargo carrier on top of our car and the rest shipped off in a crate.  First, (below) is the photo of all of Enoch's awesome Portland, Oregon pals at his Bon Voyage party.  I still remember the kindness of the families and the children whom Enoch befriended.  It was bittersweet to be leaving our Portland friends for sure!

This above photo was taken at Cape Disappointment in Washington.  Then time slipped by and it was goodbye Pacific Northwest, so sad we miss everyone.

The Hi-Lo stay and E located in Weed, CA.  Mt. Shasta area.  It's fun there!

We got to finally make our way down to SF on during our move to Los Angeles.  San Francisco is where C and I lived years before.  Little E was born and raised there for almost 2 years.  On the left is our beautiful Pal Risa.  We miss our friends in SF for sure.

Los Angeles (below) was pretty good to us.  Seeing the ocean all the time and good friends and reconnecting with long lost family was revitalizing.  Other things happened while we were there that were quite challenging to get a handle on, life defining infact.  But the happy parts definitely overshadow the sad.  Now we definitely feel like a family of road warriors!

And now presently, here in Iowa.  Some long awaited (by me) projects in the works, low light photos on a late night.  Just sketches and in the first stages.

So, treasured times overall and hopefully more and uplifting fun in 2011.  All has been just fine.  We're lucky to be meeting such nice new people everywhere we have lived.  And to have C's family here in town (Iowa) is really fun and helpful.  Of course we miss Oregon and LA and SF even.  Who knows what 2011 holds for us.  We are keeping our head up tho'.  Happy New Year's wherever you are from Ancient Pocket here in Algona, Iowa!

Algona, Iowa (Fall 2010)