Way too long

since I've posted on here. Ruby has reminded me that Scarlett has been the center of attention long enough. I've been away from my other passion way too long. I've missed my other creative outlet of collage making. I'm the type of person who gets singularly focused on one thing and it takes priority over everything else. My stitching is a priority, it's an everyday thing, but after a while I start to hear the nagging voice of other creative pursuits. Ignoring it no longer, I sat down the other day and made these journals. I'll put them on my Etsy shop and see if there's any interest. Speaking of Etsy, I'm almost at the point of being tired of painting my little needlework accessories. I love it that people have been so receptive, but if I get to the place where it's no longer fun, it ends there.

I'd like to give a shout out to my dear sis-in-law, Julie, who's recovering from surgery. She recently pointed out that I've been neglecting this blog. She's right, so this post is for her. Get well soon, Julie, and make your way to the warm sun soon.

Too stinkin'hot...

here in AZ, for most flowers right now. These are from my brother's garden in IL. He was kind enough to send the picture so I can enjoy them, too. Hydrangeas are so beautiful, and one of my favorites. I just came in from watering what few plants we have left. My geraniums are gasping for air, the roses are just sad, and everything else is about to give up. I hate this time of year. I miss my patio. Everything is covered with a film of dust from the monsoons, and hunkered down so nothing will blow away. I long to sit out there and listen to the birds, which are also keeping a low profile on these hot days. I see them gathering in the birdbath, splashing and cooling off. At least, July is almost over, and fall will be here eventually.

Funny story...sort of.

Remember the visitor from last week? The real owl? Well, my hilarious husband played a trick on me last night. We were in the middle of a monsoon storm, it was dark and raining like crazy. I walked out onto the patio to see if anything was getting wet, and I came face to face with this guy sitting on the fountain. I almost died, or had a heart attack at the very least. Believe me, he looked real in the dark. I froze in my tracks, and when I turned around, there was Paul laughing so hard. It must have blown off some one's something because Paul found it laying in the middle of the street. Pretty funny, honey! Not!

This family of Gambel's quail showed up in the yard this morning. They are scared off easily and hard to photograph. I was hiding behind a bush, that's the reason for the green corner. They are so cute when they run. Their little topknots are just a bobbing.

I love this shot. It's looks like Jr. is getting a scolding.

"Keep up children, and don't fall off. "

I think I should change the name of my blog to the Bird Blog!

Look who stopped by...

Yesterday afternoon, I was looking toward our big tree in the backyard, and saw a brown spot. At first, I thought it might be a swarm of bees. When I got close enough, I was stunned to see this owl perched on a branch. I have no idea how common they are to AZ., but I have never seen one before. We have heard one screeching in the middle of the night, but that was several months ago. This particular one wasn't camera shy and allowed me to take several pictures.
The eyes are what really got to me, kind of creepy and intense. I have to say that I am a little worried about Ruby and Scarlett. We've heard stories about small dogs being attacked by owls. We'll just have to be alert.

Feeling old, and yet still cool...

I always wondered when I was much younger what it would feel like to get old. I'm starting to find out. While I'm not exactly ancient and decrepit yet, I do feel old some days. Mostly, it's just my body. In my mind, I still think I'm pretty cool. I probably just dated myself with my use of the word cool. It was THE descriptive word of my youth, and I still like saying it. I'm positive that my kids would say that I'm anything but cool. They'll get it one day though. It's weird when you feel younger in your head than you look on paper. I still think cool thoughts in my head. I still like cool music. I love to play my all time band Crowded House loud and sing along when I'm painting or making something cool. Speaking of Crowded House, they have to be the most underrated band ever. I was fortunate to see them perform live in the early nineties. I'm so glad that they are still at it, sounding cooler than ever.

Maternity Tree

Today while I was filling a hummingbird feeder, I happened to look up into this tree, and I was surprised at what I saw. Nests everywhere. I counted seven, but there could be more. It's almost like a maternity ward. The doves are very tame, and they don't mind being photographed. I don't think all of the nests belong to doves. As I approached, several small birds flew away. It will be a busy place if they all hatch at the same time.

Mama #1

Mama #2

A box for cards

I took a cheap wooden box from Michaels. Painted and crackled it. Next came some vintage images. It will serve as a place to store my homemade cards. I need to work on some dividers for the inside. It was fun to work on something like this again.