This is a squash that grew "by mistake" this year Dontcha love it!!

Sumac in my back yard

Isn't this colouration extraordinary??

Fall 2008 clearout.

This fall I have been clearing out my house and life, discarding old fabrics, yarns, projects and volunteer organizations that are no longer of interest or use. It was definitely time!! Life had become so overwhelming and cluttered that I was no longer able to focus on anything. Now I can actually get going with the things I really love. Wotta concept!!
My head and brain is actually becoming a useful appendage again. Yippee.

I have finally joined the 21st Century

Today I am finally hooked up with high speed internet..no more 8 hour downloads, no more going to make a coffee while I wait for my bank info to arrive, no more jammed mail system because someone sent me an enormous sized junk mail joke. AND the phone can be used at the same time, instead of permanently having a busy signal. WOW!!!
On the down side I have to start to send out mailings with my new email address..now THAT is going to be an extra large pain in the neck. However I can still access my old server for a while so no panic!!
Everything is so fast now. My evening "check the mail" took only minutes to deal with, even with the "gotta check that out" side trips. LUV IT!!
Picture me HAPPY Shirley

Oops, I missed October!!

It is November 9th, 6.30am, and I have been trying to access epost. Wotta pain that is!! Sometimes it lets me in, but mostly it ignores me, then shuts me out. VERY irritating and time consuming, especially as I'm still on dial up.
and that's another irritant. There are finally a few high speed services out here in the boonies, but trying to get someone to actually install everything in my village has been a nightmare. None of them have followed thru on what they say they can/will do. Frustrating, and time consuming again.
Hope your internet experiences are less annoying!! Happy Sunday

September 2008

My life over the last couple of years has been a real slow, brain-dead, lethargy filled drone, with lung infections and my puffers appearing not to have any effect. At the end of August I was finally referred by my doctor to a pulmonary team/clinic to see if my lung function could be improved. (I have COPD). DONT EVER SMOKE FOLKS!!!!

AMAZINGLY, I was just told to reshuffle the puffers I use, use this one first, then that one, then that one. Two of the drugs were combined into a single dose application, and I was told to prop the head of my bed up a little. and unbelievably, there has been a MASSIVE improvement in my health, attitude, and levels of oxygen in my blood stream. I simply am astounded at the changes as are my friends and family. I can stay awake, think, plan, work in the garden, have fun and generally feel alive again.

Life is GREAT again. Have a fun fall folks Shirley

OK so now it's August!!

I am still struggling to get my creative act together, but a few pieces have been designed for a series I want to do. A small needle felted base has been made, ready for embellishing, and several pieces of fabric have been dyed with rust for a collage I plan to do on a canvas base for an Art Explorations Yahoo group challenge. A year ago I put together a small crazy patch quilt with some of my hand dyed fabric and I have finally started creating and attaching embroidered, beaded plus pre-made lace and ribbon motifs. It's gonna be a knock out!! However, it's also going to take a long time but it's supposed to be ready for a show in 2010, so I do have some time to play with it.
Hope your summer is creative and fun. Shirley