Christmas never looked so good ~

Will Santa bring me all the pencils I want for Christmas?  Most aren’t even sharpened!

Huge Pencil-Pen Lot - $20 (Bellingham)

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Date: 2009-11-22, 9:53PM PST
Reply to: craigslist.org

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Huge Pencil-Pen Lot
All Pencils all Unsharpened unless noted. Some are in their original boxes some are bundled by me.
13) American Eco-Writer(bundled with paper cover)
10) American (2-HB) Eberhard Faber
8) American(2-HB) Faber Castell
6) BIC (Black Ink Rollers) Vintage,all apens still write great.
1) Black w/Adidas Logo
6) Blackstonian 555 #2 Universal
5) Boeing Future of Flight
1) Box Dixon Ticonderoga (1388) No.3 (1 pencil sharpened, missing eraser top) Vintage,1940's?
2) Boxes of 12 Dixon Ticonderoga (1 Box has 12, 1 box has 11) (Date?)
2) Boxes of 12 Dixon Ticonderoga (1990's?)
1) Box of 12 Dixon Ticonderoga (Black) similiar to the Dixon Ticonderoga Millenium(1 pencil used)
2) Sealed packages of 10 pencils each of Dixon Trimline Pencils.
8) Eberhard Faber Col-Erase Violet
12) The H.H. West Co's Idol No.2(vintage) Date?
5) General Pencil Company Kimberly Carbo Weld (H) Vintage
5) General Pencil Company Kimberly Carbo Weld (2H) Vintage
4) Mirado Black Warrior (2 older Style, no hearts)
1) Papermate Classic (HB-2) 5 Green, 6 Blue
11) Postal(Thin Lead Red Color Pencils) w/cover
2) Bundles of 12 Skilcraft Bonded No.1 Soft.
4) Tower Records(1 sharpened)
7) X2 Live Line (No.2) in Plastic Package (missing one pencil) open at bottom.

• Location: Bellingham
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

flailing arms & a room full of laughter ~

…thanks to Ms. Kim Werker!  Last night Kim entertained the Whatcom Weavers Guild in Bellingham and had members laughing so hard I bet the 12-step group upstairs could hear us through the ceiling. 

I know, unbelievable ~ who thought stuffy old weavers could muster a chuckle let along a belly laugh.  But they did.  Kim’s presentation was delightful and made us all rush home to look up crochet patterns on the internet ~ I know I went looking for the seraphina shawl.

Kim was adamant that crochet doesn’t have to be like what we remember from the 1970s.  With the beautiful array of yarns available today, crocheted items can have lovely drape and be as soft as a dream.

Or….you can go the other direction and create wonderful art installations like Mandy Greer, or reach into your dark humorous side like Patricia Waller.

Yes, these strange vignettes are crocheted.

If you want to learn more about some of this great crochet ~ check out my post from early this year ~Crochet~.

For more about Kim’s great program, go check out her blog and dear Linda Sue’s too.

suzzy to me ~

The cabbage rolls are out of the oven, all my workshop gear is lined up in the hallway, and the fridge is stocked for three days worth of potluck fixings.

Tomorrow I’ll join about 20 other folks for year #2 of a fall spinning workshop taught by Ms. Spinning Guru herself ~ Ms. Judith MacKenzie McCuin.

Like last year, I know my head will nearly explode with all the information she’ll dish out to us. And this year she’s going to teach base don the Interweave book Fleece in Your Hands. So I’m ready for the brain swell.

Out of the 4 spinning wheels (there are 5 in the house, but one is still under construction with new paint job that is progressing every so slowly), I prefer to take my Majacraft “Suzie” wheel. She gives my the most control and options. “Suzie” being the name the manufacturer call the model, it isn’t the way I think of her.

My sister’s name is “Suzy”, so when I think about my wheel, I think “Suzzy” as in Suzzy Roche.

Suzzy & Maggie Roche ~ Killer shoes, Suzzy!

Now if I could only wear those while spinning!

Now go listen to The Roches.

last breath bruises ~

A previous collection for Sandra Backlund, but it’s my favorite.

and where the hell was the squad?

The boys were not on watch last night when Whatcom Middle School burned down. I’m sorry to say, these dudes did not fulfill their duty.

Got some splaining to do….And I am wondering what the hell Chief Jess Odell is going to tell the authorities about his squad. I bet Asplund is going to take the fall. Now, I know, you’d first think that ol’ Mr. Horn should have been blowing something, but Asplund, he’s only got a future in local retail…he’s surely set to take the fall.

Plus, rumor has it, he’s been carrying a “torch” for little Miss Oltman. But we know the truth! He’s got his eye on her family’s insurance business ~ damn his future in retail!

I also heard that “Duke” Skinner was involved in something up there on the roof top. Yep, it was all about giving some guy, well you know, “the axe”.

That was all happening while the Yell Kings, Stevens and Hudson, were working up one of their clever formations we keep hearing about. As the kings, they should have had kept a closer eye on old Duke. And used some of their zeal to yell F * I * R * E !

The very early days ~ she still had her pitched roof.

No additions yet, but she was still a high school.

A recent image.

Whatcom * * * * School ~ it use to say “high” but now she was a “middle”. Was is the word. How many hours did thy waste?

Aside: I have my mom’s eldest cousin’s old annuals from Whatcom High School ~ 1934, 1935, 1936. As I looked through the books tonight, I realized that I have few (if any) memories of my middle and high school years. The weren’t pleasant I recall, but I can’t recall much more than that. It is funny how memories fade or become more important as the years pass. There seems to be quite a HOLE in my memory.

My middle school, Shuksan, was demolished this fall. Could that be why I haven’t any memories left?

a hole in our hearts ~

This morning the community was shocked and saddened to learn that one of the local landmarks had burned through the night. Whatcom Middle School (originally Whatcom High School and then Whatcom Junior High) stood in the Lettered Streets neighborhood for over 100 years.

My husband went to school there.

My mom went to school there.

My cousins went to school there.

With nearly 600 displaced pupils, teachers, and support staff, the Bellingham School District is going to have some huge challenges facing them in the coming years. The economy isn’t in the right place for something like this to happen ~ not that any time would be a good time. But rebuilding (more like building from the ground up) a school will take a couple of years.

Here is video of the news report on the fire.

I do hope my dear friend and favorite goddess Kwan Yin will protect and show her mercy.

ode to my future ~

As I go through the day, I think about my hands constantly. It has become a nervous habit, rubbing my sore knuckles. I still pop and snap them all day long, but the affected area has nothing to do with cracking knuckles. It’s age. It’s use. It’s arthritis.

I wouldn’t call it vanity. It is just they way people try not to show their “short comings”. Everyone has something ~ something they are hiding. My list is long, but not different than yours. It may be something permanent like the scars I have from a car accident. Or it could be the scratch across my nose from the cat biting me in the night. We are all trying to cover up and hide those imperfections.

When my hands are painful like they are tonight, I think of Olivia. Faded photographs of hands, painful hands. Olivia was my great-great aunt…my great-grandfather’s brother’s wife, and I only know her from the collection of images I have tucked away.

You can’t help but notice that Olivia hid her hands. They were always tucked under in a way to not show the arthritis that had settled in her joints.

In most posed photos she has her hand hidden from view.

It is apparent that her right hand gave her the most trouble and insecurity.

The unmistakable knots and twisting of her fingers.

Even in the nursing home, photos show dear Olivia holding her hands in a manner to not display what arthritis had done to them.

My grandmother, Mabel, had arthritis too. She always said she hated her hands, and then pluck at the loose skin on her knuckles. But I loved her hands. Those hands, like Olivia’s, tended the garden, crocheted and knitted, mended and cooked, patted and consoled, they supported the entire family.

Olivia Saude born 1865 Norway, died 1960 Rugby, North Dakota

tweet ~

i just realized i don't have a headache, my sinuses aren't burning and my hormones aren't wacked out. well hell, you'd think i was 32 again.

to knit or not to knit ~

I keep thinking that I want to knit a new sweater or vest...but then I think again. If I could only lose 40 pounds it would take so much less wool. Damn those skinny knitters!

headed toward accreditation ~

Today the college nursing program I work for learned that it was going to receive its recommendation for National accreditation.

Only four years ago the first group of nurses began the two-year journey to prepare for a nursing career. It is really great to see the faculty and students work so hard to make the Whatcom Community College Nursing Program a success ~ Kudos to them all!

Although a majority of the students are women, there are more and more men moving into the profession. I was excited to find the photo above ~ do you think he was graduating as a nurse too?

Although I’ve hardly been working for the program for more than four months, it was nice to learn that I helped make a contribution to the program’s move toward accreditation. Although I really feel like I was just along for the ride ~ they have all put in four years of hard work to get the program where it is so quickly.

So make sure you respect those nurses out there! Even if they are sticking you with a needle ~ that flu shot is going to keep you well this winter season.

sunday afternoon in the park with bill ~

Yesterday was the Cornwall Park Disc Golf tournament. Dad (aka Bill) decided to take part. He’s been playing every morning for a year ~ about two hours a day. He may not be the local pro yet, but at (almost) 73, he scored better than some of the younger dudes.

We grew up with our backyard leading into the park, so this was our natural playground. We’d play on the park swings, roam the hills, and bike like mad through the trails before there was even a hit of a mountain bike fad.

I remembered to bring my camera with me to take some shots of the tournament. But I have to admit, the “nature” in the park was enchanting ~ the tournament soon took a photographic back seat.

There were mushrooms and toadstools galore throughout our walk as the group dad was playing with circled about 10 holes. Most of these mushrooms were at least 7” in diameter and 6-7” tall. They were amazing.

The park is filled with the most amazing trees: cedar, fir, hemlock, maples, etc. They are some of the oldest and largest trees in Bellingham. One of the problems with the disc golf course in the park is that the trees are natural obstacles and get whapped by discs constantly. The bark gets damaged like the cedar in the photo above. This, supposedly, isn’t a big deal for the older trees, but is not good for younger ones. Personally, it is really a shame they can’t figure a better way to play around some of the trees.

Not sure which hold this was taken at, but it gives you an idea about the height of the trees.

There’s a small row of chestnut trees at the southeast entrance to the park by the elementary school I went to 35 years ago. I use to collect the chestnuts on my way home from school ~ it was my “collection”. I’d glue each chestnut carefully to a sheet of paper ~ oh, how I loved my chestnut collections.

I couldn’t believe how close I was able to get to this dragonfly ~ such wonderful shape and color.

The colors of fall were starting to show everywhere.

This is the last hole we watched before heading home. See the big pack the guy on the left was carrying ~ most of the guys what these filled with their discs. Poor guy wasn’t play so well, but he did have a lot of discs.

Dad told us where there was a patch of native cyclamen that we would pass on our way up the hills. The leaves were starting to break through the ground ~ another sign of impending fall. Soon the shuttlecock flowers will be gone for another season.

carpe diem ~

Synonym via MS Word ~

“make hay while the sun shines”

“Cook car” c. 1900, Barton, ND.

Making hay was a community endeavor during the turn of the century (and much later). When the threshing machine came to town, everyone pitched in to help. Even the ladies worked the cook car preparing hot meals for the men. Above, my great grandpa (John Johnson) is kneeling center, bottom ~ smoking a pipe. My great-great uncle, John Saude, is the man standing ~ first man at left with light colored long-sleeved shirt and suspenders.

Circuit camera photograph of men “making hay”

in Barton, ND c. 1900.

Close up of circuit camera shot above.

Threshing in Barton, ND c. 1900.

And a closer look at the right side of the photo above.

Carpe diem ~ seize the day ~ make hay

Today with the sniffles, I successfully rolled out of bed before 8 a.m. Drank a cup of coffee and played on the computer. Carpe diem!

signs of summer ending ~

The season begins with the hopes and dreams

of a warm, bountiful summer and a plate full of burgers.

A sense of sadness and melancholy fills the hearts of everyone when the hamburgers are gone and the days become shorter. Time to close up the family cabin ending another season of summer.

surface tension ~

Leaving my parents’ house this afternoon I was stopped dead in my tracks by these Katsura leaves. These pools of water were nervously balanced on the fallen leaves after last night’s rain. As the light came and went with the clouds passing over the sun, the pools changed like little looking glasses.

Perched atop this bubble of life was one tiny blade of grass.

My parents’ porch, like their yard, is a gardener’s wonderland. Collections of yard art from the traditional (Red Grass Designs, Rosebar [we’ll miss you Mary Taylor], Shirley Erickson) to the dada-ish work of Rich Art (aka Dick Tracy or Rich/Richard Tracy) that I purchased when I worked at the Whatcom Museum. Each corner has a surprise.

Above is a rock that Steve and I gave my parents for their 46th anniversary. Steve was into carving stones into plant markers for the garden. I drew this pattern out to represent multiple things ~ an “H” (for Hadley, my maiden name), the number “46” for their years of marriage, and a flowing motion to represent all the Asian inspired things they have in the yard and house. I think Steve did a great job using his Dremel and many hours.

On Friday, I made a new friend. I saw her flutter by the window and land outside just behind the TV. I quickly grabbed my camera to capture some images of this little lady goldfinch.

She continued her journey south after this last shot.

Enjoy the winter down south, my dear!

fragment ~

…week word….too literal?

fibers & beyond ~

Click on the poster above to go right to the guild’s website for details about the sale.

Each year the Whatcom Weavers Guild puts together a wonderful event called Fibers & Beyond. This is a show and sale of members’ work and should NOT be missed!

For the last few years I’ve worked on the pr for the event and (with fingers crossed) we will have a small article in Entertainment News NW ~ a wonderful arts and entertainment full-color glossy magazine published in Bellingham, WA.

They let me write the article for the last couple of years, and we (guild members and community) are lucky to have a publication of this type around.

Here’s a taste from last year’s sale.

And of course we have security! Girl with gun ~ well, almost.

inky…

Fun, yes, but very inky. I’ve had very colorful hands during the last week. I kind of went stamp cutting crazy. You saw the beginning of my linocut stage at the end of August ~ since then I’ve been cutting and stamping and doing some all around messy stuff with ink.

Now I have about 80 bookmarks all stamped up and tasseled with beaded handspun yarn. I’m afraid I can’t stop! This has mostly been a late night activity since they days have been very busy. Next I’m going to make a bunch of gift tags in themes (fiber arts, bugs, generic designs, and maybe birds).

All of this stuff will be for sale at the next Whatcom Weavers Guild sale on October 16 and 17 in Bellingham. This is the 10th year for the sale and only the 4th for me. I hope I can make a bit of cash to fund the upcoming Judith MacKenzie McCuin workshop offered by NWHandspun Yarns ~ it will be another three-day brain bending fiber filled workshop.

Here are some gift tags in the works.

Below are some images I took at last Wednesday’s guild meeting. Guild member Sheri Ward came up with a great idea/challenge for members. She suggested that people find a mug and make a companion mug rug over the summer with the creations and mugs being donated this fall to one of the shelters in town that helps battered and homeless women. The mugs and rugs are to be given to women who are moving out of the shelter to their new homes. Thanks Sheri for such creating a “kind gesture” project for the guild.

Bookmark anyone?

isn’t she charming ~

I grew up with her just like my mom did. She was sophisticated and had a strong sense of style. She was both modern and classic. With her tattered corners and frayed edges, she still knew how to hold a pose and was a timeless figure.

Grandma’s brother Cliff’s first wife Genevieve clipped her first. Probably back in the 20s and 30s. As a matter of fact, Gen looked a lot like her ~ that may be why she saved her for all those years.

Known to most as Toots’ cousin, never the main character and far from being the star, we loved her the most ~ ………………………………… …..… Mabel Charming

Mabel was a part of the Toots and Casper strip created by Jimmy Murphy in 1918. I don’t know when Mabel first came on the scene, but she was was most likely there for the duration (which looks like it was a full 40 years). Sometime in the early 1930s, Murphy started to add a paper doll to the strip ~ a “cut out”. This “cut out” usually appeared in a box to the right of the top part of the strip.

Mom told me that Mabel Charming was her favorite paper doll of Gen’s. Gen then made a copy of Ms. Charming including all of Mabel’s stylish clothing. Traced and cut from the original newspaper clippings (this is way before the days of photocopying), Mabel Charming was treasured by mom.

This is the “Mabel Charming” pose I remember.

Not knowing Ms. Charming’s history, I did a bit of a search on the web and quickly discovered that there are bits and pieces out there about Toots and Casper (the strip’s main characters), but no real mention of Mabel. There are a few relics for sale on the web ~ I found these:

This version of Mabel may have been a later edition since her arms are modified. By drawing her with her arms tucked in, she could wear a variety of clothing drawn with the arms in place. So clever!

Below is a close up which shows Mabel being credited as Toot’s Cousin Mabel Charming ~

Here, Mabel’s clothing has been cut to expose her hand. Could these dresses originally belonged to a different character doll?

The lovely and charming, Ms. Charming, was paired up with the cool Danny Hoofer on these “Lucky Bucks”. Hummm…was somebody getting lucky?

Gen’s hand-drawn Mabel Charming has been treasured so much that she was hiding in a “secret” location at Mom’s house. A call to Mom this morning and a long discussion about the last time we had seen her initiated the search…. I said Mabel Charming was in a box that had a Cupie Doll on it ~ Mom said she was in a box that had strawberries on it. Now, two hours after I initiated this post, Mom called. She has been located!

Ms. Charming was high on a shelf in a old hat box containing bits and pieces of memorabilia ~ my “little girl” white Easter gloves, Mom’s old celluloid toys, and a box with a cover illustration of a Cupie doll lookalike surrounded with fruit including strawberries ~ yep, we were both right.

Mabel Charming is now on the “bench” waiting to be picked up later today. I’m so lucky! Mom just told me I can have Mabel Charming ~ she’s so charming!

feeling up to it…

           

The last few days have been a challenge.  I told Steve that you can tell if I’m not feeling well when I don’t even try to at least knit a few rows.

No knitting today, but back to some other stuff.  A few weeks back I was in the mood to do some block printing.  Not having the needed supplies, I made my way up to the university book store to only be disappointed in the selection and price.  I did pick up what I needed along with a few other toys.

I found that my dollar store erasers worked just as good as anything else when carving out little stamps.  I first carved a "twill” pattern just to get started digging into the erasers.  I was feeling okay with the tapestry bobbin, but my weaving shuttle needs a lot of help.  The tapestry beater is strangely okay.

This is all a work in progress since I haven’t made an actual linocut since high school.  I massaged a picture of Mabel and cut her out this afternoon.  I don’t have any printing ink and my ink pads just won’t cut it.  Mabel needs to be fully inked up.

Here are some pictures of new friends I made the other week at the fair.

camping ~

…camping, camping you say.  Friday’s word of the day was camping?

Is that “musty smelling tents” or “glitter and rhinestones”?  If camping is a verb, why can’t it be a verb also defining “one who presents ‘camp style’”. I much prefer that.  The idea of being in a tent on the ground is very unappealing to me.

To address how I see “camping”, Saturday’s word of the day will once again be camping ~ but with a twist.

Wikipedia describes it as ~ Camp is an aesthetic sensibility wherein something is appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value.

Camping = Bad Taste

Bad Taste = dead animals, fur collars, face distorting winks

….this camping is NOT appealing….

time ~

In a blink ~ June was gone.  In a wink ~ July went too.  August, well dear August, we are in a stare down…

 

This should be a new post…but just indulge me here….

I’ve noticed some things, odd things lately.  I recently noticed that odd things are bringing me joy.  The oddest of all is the fact that I am so pleased to head into my usual stall in the ladies room at work to find the toilet seat up. I know, I know ~ you are thinking ~ What?  No woman in her right mind would be happy to see the seat up.  But remember that I said “ladies room.”  That’s right, there is nothing like being there first after the restroom cleaning.  Nothing like being the first in line.

Hummm…..In the photo above, doesn’t it look like I have one eye drifting off to the right (your left).  And then there is my nose which I cut off ~ it looks as if it could be HUGE. 

I don’t think my eye drifts…..and I don’t think my nose is HUGE.  I’m hoping this photo is just distorted and not my face ~ well, any more distorted than what I’ve grown accustom to in the last 44 year.

And just for fun….

 

Captured in the shopping cart at Pay ‘n’ Save in downtown Bellingham.

      

Steve’s mom cut his hair ~ Mr. Bowl Head.

And then there were the cool teen years….Definitely Mr. Trouble during those days.

a cool 100 ~

 

Not only am I doing my best to keep cool, I am trying hard to keep Marcel hydrated and cool. I have him circled in ice packs and two fans on him.  He has spent the majority of the last four days on our bed in front of the fans.

I knew it was going to happen soon, so I sat in wait….I sat in front of our little weather station watching the temperature rise.  Within 20 minutes, this is what happened ~

It was feeling REALLY hot at 97.9 degrees.

It was feeling toastier ten minutes later at 99.3.

And then it just kept going up….

 

and up….

and even up again…

And then it happened…oh my GOD, it reached 100 degrees and the air is heavy with humidity. 

We are a tough lot up here in the Pacific Northwest, but having air conditioning is relatively unheard of since it is usually only “hot” once or twice a year.  It certainly isn’t worth paying to have a cooling system.

What’s this I hear about global warming?

sent today to a friend ~

I'm blaming CANADA!!!!  I'm blaming CANADIANS!!!  I'm blaming you all for the heat that is blowing into Ferndale from the Fraser River Valley.  It is hotter here than in Bellingham.  Last I looked, it was 86 outside and 83 inside and it isn't even 11 am.

~ your hot (temperature wise only please) American friend....Julie

Windows Live Writer ~

Have you been here yet?  www.americantapestryalliance.org

Just reading tonight in the ATA's Educational Article Series section about Blog Tech.  Their education editor, Mary Lane, asked six blogging tapestry artists to share their thoughts and insights.  In addition, Lyn Hart created a great page about resources for bloggers ~ it is available on the site and in pdf format (take a look http://americantapestryalliance.org/Education/Ed_Ar/BlogTech/BTResources.html or http://americantapestryalliance.org/Education/Ed_Ar/BlogTech/BTResources.pdf).

One item that Lyn wrote about was using Windows Live Writer to compose blog posts.  I just downloaded this program (yes, it is free) and am typing this in it right now.  I’ve been looking for a way to post without being live in Blogger ~ hopefully this will work better for me.

Already I can see that it gives me more control ~ I always want more control!  With being able to easily go in a edit the code, I think I’ll be able to pull out some of the “funkies” that get in on the page unintentionally.

Other than reading about Blog Tech on the ATA’s website, you really should take a look at all the goodness they have going over there.  I am really impressed that they can do all that they do with everything being completed 100% by volunteers.

So go there NOW!  Go there and be enlightened about tapestry. 

www.americantapestryalliance.org

lightening ~

Tonight there has been a thunderstorm with lightening rolling through the sky.  Luckily our cat has nerves of steel and just sits in the window watching outside.  I’ve been on the computer wondering if it a smart idea to be working during the storm.  I’m diligent about saving as I go along, and I haven’t seen the lights blink yet. Luckily...

 

glasses chat~

It's been two years since my last eye exam and once again my vision has hardly changed. Back when I worked full time with my face squarely in front of the computer monitor for 8+ hours a day, my eyes got worse every year.

I have to admit, I was hoping that there was more of a dramatic change in vision so I could buy new glasses ~ well, at least a vision change would justify another purchase of glasses.

About 3-4 of years ago, I got hooked on buying glasses. I wear contacts, but decided I needed a new pair of back-up glasses. So I saw an ad for a sale in a shop downtown ~ complete pair for $30! So I rushed down to see what they had. There were a lot of frames that I liked, but I didn't always like them on "my" face.

On a whim I bought these ~


I figured these were just cheap frames, but they quickly became my favorite ones that I wear all the time. They have lasted and lasted ~ obviously they weren't as "cheap" as I thought.

At the same time I bought an "adult" pair that were pretty basic. I hated them! I never have really worn them and plan on beading them up or gluing rhinestones to them.



Then the next year (from the same store), I bought these ~

This isn't the exact color ~ they are really a maroon/rust with orange highlights. I LOVED the colors, but the fit has never been just right. It is something with the bridge of the nose. At the same time I bought a pair of rectangular frames ~ clear plastic and blue highlights. No need to show you those ~ they are another pair I rarely wear. There is something about the shape that looks great on other people, but it makes me feel very pedestrian.

Because I was feeling "pedestrian" the next year I bought these ~


These are ones I LOVE ~ the photo doesn't show the teal and lime colored stripe on the edges.

After these frames, I decided that cats are for me. I know I need to stay away from any shape that doesn't have an "up swing" at the cheeks.


Back I'd say 9 months or so ago, I saw a great pair of Coach frames at Costco. They were the only pair they had in that style and were more than a bit shop worn. I did check back in the optical section every so often, but they never reappeared.

After visiting the eye doc last Friday I was started dreaming about those Coach frames . So yesterday I did a searched eBay....and....oh....my....god! There they were!

So who cares if they are last year's style ~ they were brand new! And for la pièce de la resistance ~ they were only $34.95!




Yes, I have insurance that would cover some of this, but who really cares when you find what you want. Plus I still had dough in my paypal account so really what just bought these was the sale of duplicate Spin Off magazines last year.

I can't wait to get them and get lenses. Oh what the hell! Who cares about lenses? I might just wear them without any!

four prior posts ~

...that could of been one HUGE post, but not. Envy the Pacific Northwest, but stay home and leave the beauty to those born here!

sea a·nem·o·ne ~

sea a·nem·o·ne ~


sea animal resembling flower: a solitary and often colorful sea animal with a squat cylindrical body topped by a ring of tentacles that attaches itself to rock or other nonliving material. Order Actiniaria.




Colonies and colonies of anemone(s) on rocks and scattered all over the sand. We read that they clump up in separate (but equal, I'm sure) colonies and do not co-mingle.








Green balls of goo....amazing, green balls of goo! Then it appeared! Magenta, magenta tentacles hidden from view.

And yes, the ugly American and her pointy index finger...

touching sea anemone to see the sphincter-like contraction...

contracting tighter than a ___________? (you fill in the blank ~ everything I came up with was pretty vulgar)

Moving past the ugly to find the beauty...

We were awestruck by the beauty, the magenta, the movement in the waves...

...spending hours watching their graceful dance...

home wrecker, i am ~

In the small little town of Hermitville lived a quiet community of humble hermit crabs. Though they preferred the long, lazy days of summer, they were discouraged by the number of tourists this season...





Poking, touching, pushing, shoving ~ those ugly American tourists have no couth!

As if poking wasn't enough, the ugly American, lacked the sanity to leave me put!

Damn her!

Point Whitehorn ~

As promised, Steve took me to visit the new park at Point Whitehorn since I missed the prior weekend's event.





It's a beautiful walk down a wooded trail to the cliff over the beach.





The trail down is posted "hikers only". It isn't strenuous, but someone who isn't good on hills and stairs would best enjoy the view from the top.







Looking sort of south down the beach...





...and looking north.



Way down south we saw a harbor seal on a rock eating a fish.







The beach was scattered with starfish, lonely starfish...



...and starfish huddled en masse.

...legs...such texture...

bull kelp washed ashore...

solo bull kelp telling me his story...

...such grace...texture, rhythm, balance...