Don't hold your breath

This is the sum total of my "garden"

Is anybody laying bets on this tomato crop?

Is there any possibility I'll get to eat fruit of the vine 

from this spindly creature

before it frosts?

Serenity----- ah . . . . . .

OK....I think I'm at the end of the Yachats posts

Good bye, ocean

Don't let the black bird nor the tsunami warning put you off

This is a great place to find serenity

Here is the view from that bench

I could sit here a long time soaking it all up . . . . . actually I did

Enjoy!

The Secret Garden Sounds

In daytime, the birds rule the airwaves in The Secret Garden

The evening before I left town

I went to The Secret Garden to check the word rocks (2 still there)

The birds were no longer in charge

What I heard surprised me

And, no, I didn't see even one

Black and White. last sketches of vacation week

This phrase tickles me:   Serious Whimsy.......love the way it trips my synapses

Yes, I take my whimsy seriously

It is part of a shop logo

I didn't get to visit the store or the store owner

The shop door was locked and she left a sign on the door

"I'm off getting high on chemo"

Other shop owners said this is her 4th battle with cancer in 4 years.....beastly

Bless her good nature

Three years ago I bought a beautiful kalidescope from her

Glad I had a chance to support her

I have some kids at school use it to help them relax

 If  you've been to Yachats

I'm thinking you've stopped here for a double decker ice cream cone

or at least you should have

The store owner is such a nice guy

busy making chocolate turtles between ice cream scooping orders

REALLY good mint chocolate chip ice cream with big honking chunks of chocolate

So glad the Wellness Challenge didn't start til after I got home from my trip

Such a crowded, chunked up, small town storefront,

I wanted to see if I could get the essence down on paper

How's that!

Ocean sounds for Mom

As I walked along the ocean edge

I thought

I bet Mom would really enjoy hearing some crashing waves

She has had very few coastal days in her life

Decided to try out the video feature on my new camera

And a kind friend just coached me on how to attach it here

I can't get enough volumn on my camera for mom to hear this, but posted here

I think I can pump it up for her 

Now it's time for another lap top viewing visit for Mom

Peace, be still

Near an ocean cliff, I see a word post

It bears a closer look

Amen

I vote YES

Yachats souvenir

I found a new school tool

In the small groups I run at school

we sometimes use a "talk rock"

You hold the rock when it's your turn to talk

Anyone talking out of turn risks getting the stink eye from others

with a look that seems to say.....

"You don't have the rock,

how dare you talk!"

Last year our "talk rock" was a cool sea shell

One of my intentions for my ocean trip

was to bring home a piece of driftwood as a new talk "rock"

And here it is

just the right size for young hands to grasp:

smooth

no slivers (yet)

and a conversation starter

Is it illegal to bring home a chunk of ocean back wash?

Hopefully I don't get arrested for such a procurement!

All the colors of the rainbow

Time to play with my new water color crayons

Like I said, I never knew such a thing existed til a month ago

Smear some on the page for background color, add water, see what happens . . .pretty fun

I used them, plus a travel pallet of water colors that has a "brush/pen" you fill with water so you don't have

to  carry a jug of water if you are painting outdoors

Very clever

An online site called Sketch Your Day was my inspiration

Draw what's in front of you

  OK . . . . I'll try that

Hm...everything looks cute, but mighty delicate

Do you like the pits and the stemsm of the cherries? 

Hey,,,I know my fruit was bigger than that!

So I thought about what Angela teaches in her photo classes

"Fill the frame, fill the frame, fill the frame!"

(She made us sing it . . . .  Oh yeah)  

Draw a little bigger, I tell myself . . . see if I can fill the page  

Cool

A birds eye view of my breakfast

Frosted mini-wheats

a banana with a little brown....just the way I like 'em

and a few lumps in my chocolate....the way Kristen likes hers

Meet Petah (Peter, said with an English accent!)

 Someone left a large real starfish clinging-----and rigamorted----to our deck edge

(pretty sure that's a big NoNo and a form of anti-tree hugging in Oregon)

A rather handsome dude, I thought

So I named him

He and I hung out together a number of times

as I read or drew or journaled or breathed deep---gazing at the ocean

I noticed he's the silent type

 Been pondering lately about my season of life

This is one of the thoughts that nudges

So I did a little collage piece to put words on the whisper that is inside me

 Some of my beach combing treasures, including the "talk rock" for school

I took all the artistic license I wished when I picked colors 

The colors on this make me smile and feel happy

and I like it even better since I added some color to the rope and fence



These were all quite a stretch for me . . . sometimes I surprise myself

Anybody want to come play with color? .....smear a crayon, swish a water brush!

Rock My World. Part 6

Perhaps a silent thank you to one of my favorite spots...the library

So handy....right across the street from our house

I'd pop in about once a day...

chat with the volunteer staff

check email, browse the stacks, check out books or movies

They gave me a library card good for two years!

 Just a flash of purple

added to the arm of one of the outdoor benches

Though it was noticed and moved,

 the relaxed folk of Yachats let it remain

Help yourself to some purple love

Rock My World. Part 5

 There's a certain bench with a great view

The ocean is below-----crashing into the rocks, sand and boulders

You can hear the sound, feel the vibration

You remember to take a refreshing deep breath.... let all your muscles relax

Ah . . . . .that's perfect

You happen to glance through the grasses to your left

There is the word that matches you

oh so fine

It is yours

Oh yes, this one found a new owner immediately

I would love to have witnessed that match!

Rock My World. Part 4

Welcome to the center of The Secret Garden

Do you love that stately tree?

If you happen to glance

between two chunky branches

your gift is a reminder to sweeten your day

(still there . . .feel free to take it home with you)

 Just the other side of The Secret Garden is an amazing treehouse

(don't you just want to hop up those steps and set up a tea party!)

 and another giant of a tree that held a colorful reminder

(Zipadeedoodah, that rock is gone now!)

 Here's the big picture

Can you find the eesy weensy purple rock?

Here is a hint

I had such a blast

and I still wasn't done

Rock My World. Part 3

 I quite like this knarly sit spot---just because it is so funky.

I didn't sit there much

because green bushes block the view of the waves crashing on the boulders beneath. 

Still......a very picturesque spot

That's where I tucked the grateful rock.

Last check:   Still there!

 Peace got planted on a much frequented bench with a great view

It must have found a new home in a flash, as it was gone next time I walked by

(Do you see the shadow of my hand?)

There is a nature sanctuary that I call The Secret Garden

It has a fun tip-tap-clip-clop wooden path through high bushes and marsh land

I feel totally separated from the motorized world

as I listen to the birds

I think it is the love rock that I stuck into the niche on this bridge

Still there!

(though someone turned it over once)

Funny story about the funky bench pictured at the top. 

I just couldn't wait to get the purple-ing done! 

As a trial run early in the week, I put a natural colored rock on that log bench with "Enjoy!" written in gold. 

I happened to be nearby when an older lady approached. 

I held my breath, wondering.....what will she do when she finds the rock? 

I watched to find out. 

She plopped down---sitting right on top of it---without even noticing. 

I chuckled as a thought whooshed through my mind:  Remember the story of The Princess and the Pea...she is not the princess!

Bummer

Anybody having trouble posting on my blog?
I am!  I tried to make a follow up comment to Jana and Alisha-----and, evidently, "I" won't let me post.  How rude is that?!
Of course, if you, too, are getting bumped off everytime you try to post - - - you can't tell me here.
Oh bummer

I just went in and dinked around with my settings.
Did it help?

Any suggestions?
Email me

Want Mo?

 We found a

Mo's Restaurant

 for one of our dinners

 As usual, it was crowded

but the wait staff was cheerful and

the kitchen crew hustled to feed the hungry tourists

 Here is the peaceful scene out our window....

no problem enjoying the waiting time

 There are a few items I just have to try when I'm at the coast.......

clam chowder is one....

 and whatever seafood sounds good at the time........

prawns and shrimp, this day

All of it was yummy

After filling my tummy and my To Go Box

I got a good look at my very appropriate dinner ware

I gave my little glass friend some fancy fins before I sent him back to the kitchen

Kitchen Privileges

We took turns fixing the meals we ate in our rental house

Yes, I really did take my turns
Do you like the tomato-red decor?

I'll tell you the truth

Tuscan cantaloupe is deeeeeee-li-shus

And Oregon bing cherries are bigger and sweeter than what we get here

It was a tasty week...more later

Rock My World. Part 2

Oh yeah, I found some smooth rocks with enough surface for some lettering

I brought in about as many as would fit in the small pocket of my pants

Wash and dry

Bring on the acrylic paint

What doesn't show so much is the chocolate and almonds as treats in the background

the swish of paint

the munch of sweet

life is good

Ah . . . .word rocks

They rock!

I am in love with the serenity rock

For one thing, it is one of my favorite words....and favorite concepts

such a favorite, in fact, I chose it as one of my LONG term goals a LONG time ago

but just look at it.......it practically glows!

I couldn't wait to find a unique and fun place to stash it

In fact, I was excited to take a walk with my message rocks

and tuck them each into its own niche........

each waiting to surprise someone

and maybe be taken to a new home

So what word rock would you wish to find along your path of life?

Rock my World. Part 1

I may have talked before about my word rocks

Years ago, I gathered these rocks from a stream bed

Uh huh, I looked for smooth rocks that "spoke" to me

I took them home

and wrote on them in gold......

*words I love

*qualities I want to grow in me

I've had them as decor and reminders in my home----off and on------for maybe a dozen years

They still bring me pleasure

Last December, as I started this blog

I discovered another rock word lover

I am inspired by her sharing heart

I decided it was time for me to offer inspiration to others

I figured I could find some smooth rocks near the ocean

So I packed

a bottle of purple paint

and a white paint pen

just in case

Servin' up some art play

When I entered my vacation bedroom, I discovered an empty tray on a stand

Ah hah!

Looks like prime territory for holding the play supplies I brought

Just the right size for my art stash

Who says you need to get all the way dressed to start your day?

Half dressed, half jammies

a drawing pad

and go for it

Look at this rich abundance---and the lovely tray..... I feel so blessed

Lots of choices for art play

some lines, some curves....

and sometimes, a splash of color

I especially pushed MY try-a-new-experience-envelope with my new Koi brand water color travel pallet

(a posh splurge from Dick Blick.com)

PLUS a new discovery: water color crayons

Spread some color....add some water

Oooo-eee . . . Try not to scare myself with judgment . . . just play with it and enjoy what emerges

Coastal Greeting

I'm the kind of person who thinks it is entertaining

to read the material I find in my motel room or vacation spot

just because it is . . . .

But some of the reading at the beach is sobering

Beside the ocean, tsunami warnings are posted

along the beaches, roads and on paths that lead up hillsides

Inside the room

is a list of instructions and an evacuation map

Just in case you want to know

If you feel an earthquake, do not wait for instruction:

Head inland, immediately!

Yikes

God Bless America

I forgot to post this for the 4th of July.

This is Dean and Alisha ready for---I think--- a bicentennial parade. They were pretty excited.
Can you name the year?