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...