I'm home my little Honeysuckles

Dear World:

Had a marvelous trip and once again enjoyed my time at the Life of Riley Farm and the Murphys and Valley Ridge Art Studio!

Met good friends,


made new ones,

laughed a lot - oh yeah, Michelle always cracks herself up - she is a funny funny silly girl!


Remember my honeysuckles, nothing compares to creating with the master artist Michelle Ward, check her roof top out below - oh my it is just so yummy! Oh geez, and now I will have to try to copy her technique to see if I can do one.... yes we had the parlor tricks, parlor tricks, and more parlor tricks!


and after our Parlor Tricks, I chased windmills,

watched shadows dance in the wind.

Fought dragons
and wild birds in my lovely sanctuary.


Entertained myself with my little camera (OK, I admit it - there was no TV),


Harley got some long need rest.


P.S. Did I tell you I had lotz of fun?


Love from me to you.

OH oh, New Kid on the Block?

Hmmmmm.... kind of looks like a little white robot, doesn't it? Wonder if I should name IT? *light bulb* goes off... maybe it's name is IT? *giggle* Just a funny, odd, Polaroid-type camera. OH WOW - Polaroid - (doing snoopy dance) always wanted one of those. 70s culture - cool - cameras but never did!


Hey, I really do kinda remember the 70s. OK, yes, I bought the little white ---- OOOOOhhhhhhh - whoosh.....Fasten your seat belts, peeps, I am changing the subject since I just looked at the clock and the NEW NCIS is on a about 20 minutes and so this will be quick. Back to the Murphy's notebook! Just wanted to share a few more pages in the Murphy grocery box book.

It is packed and ready to go. Wanted to show you a few more of my fav pages.... Here is our "Cool as a Moose" page - kiddos singing a song.....

And then Fall was upon this morning, woke up and it was 46 degrees. I love the Fall - my favorite time of the year....

This was just too cool not to do - OK, it just fell together. Had a brown paper bag from Trader's Joe with the statement on the left page and wouldn't you know it - I had taken a picture at their local coffee shop of a burlap bag handing.... it works.... today..

Had to include a pocket...

With the angel on the opposite page.....

And the final page. My very very sad and worried clown, yes he is facing a dark and stormy night. I love him.

So there we are and I still have a few more moments until NCIS. I will try to get back to you tomorrow - I play tennis on Thursday night and will also be packing so we won't be visiting then. Hugs my little peeps. Stay as cool as my white instax mini. Can't wait to get a photo of Harley on the plane with the instant photo...... oh my... hugs,

Is is "Creation" or "Havoc" in the breeze?

The Lipton Secrets....

Yes, here is another grocery box creation I've been working on all week long. That is -- sandwiched in between hitting tennis balls and workouts and my day job.

Yes, I played catch-up with my trainer who had previous week off and then made up all the sessions we missed this past week. My body was achy breaky - oh ouch, not another squat. . . no .no. . no. Yes 30 squats then 24 then 16 then 30 crunches, and on and on. Whadda ya mean hit the tennis ball harder? I'm hitting as hard as I can..... Yes I am whining!

Back to the Present. I am taking this little book with me on Friday to my Michelle Ward workshop (Parlor Tricks) at the Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscoda, WI. This will be my third year at the workshops in Wisconsin and my second visit/stay with the Murphys at the Life O'Riley Farm.

This little book as I mentioned is a gift for the Murphy's and has in it photos I took of their place last year. As a little tidbit - that weekend I saw my first snow flakes at their farm on October 11, 2009. VERY short lived but beautiful.

In fact, I so loved my stay there that I rebooked the "Granary" for two nights (last year I spend three nights) and will drive back to Madison on Sunday evening instead of getting up at the crack of dawn (4am) to drive back to Madison on Monday morn. The drive is about an hour and a half.

Now, my dear peeps, the little Lipton Secret Book has an odd little theme flowing through it,


Mystery and suspense and a little magic.....

Well maybe she does and maybe she doesn't,

Oh my, oh my,

(the photo above was from a MikeWright card I received once upon a time and so loved her!)

If you can't read the word above - it is "crap" not "crop"......

I hope you have enjoyed just a few little snippets from the book. I had lotz of fun creating this and will, hopefully, show you a few more layouts tomorrow. Need to now get my supplies gathered for the workshop. Have a wonderful evening! Hug to you all..... and to all........ a good night.

(the cozy bedroom in the Granary!)

September 11th Rewind

A jelly jar, some sheet music, some flowers, some leaves, some ribbon all coming together to make my candle to burn outside tonight in honor of all the beautiful souls lost on September 11, 2001. Nine years. Nine years and on these anniversaries the images replay not only on TV but in our minds and our souls. We remember where we were. We remember who we were with. Images forever burned.

In my gratitude journal on 9-11-01 I wrote, "It is so sad to see so many looking for the missing following the terrorists attack. Those poor souls, Jesus comfort them and the loved ones they have lost. Watching the second tower come down was surreal....as if watching a movie, over and over again. Driving home was eerie - since there were no planes flying over. Taking the trash out was unreal since everything was so, so quiet - like the world was dead. No planes, no one outside, all were wrapped in the nest of their home watching TV hoping against hope that there would be people found alive. God give us patience and comfort. Let us kill all the terrorists. Oops, God give me patience. May all the souls that came to you today know that we all pray for their families. May Jesus give them the hope, love, and courage to carry on."

We saw the devastation that a few evil men can do to the whole world. September 11th was one day I don’t believe any of us could ever forecast nor can we ever forget. At our office on the Friday following the 11th, President Bush asked America to honor those lost and missing by having a moment of silence and a day of remembrance beginning at noon. We put out some candles, some roses, and let staff visit the recital room for moments of silence. At noon, a co-worker, who is also a friend, and I did a short service. It just seemed that we needed to gather together in a group -- she played the piano, I wrote and did a meditation, and then played a video that by brother, Jim Likens, had produced and written in 1997. It is still one of the most beautiful songs ever written and it spoke to all of us that day and touched our hearts,

"God Knew Your Name"Words and music by Jim Likens© 1997 Jim Likens
Before the light of day, shined on your little face God knew your name.
When no one else could see how precious you would be, God knew your name.
And He held you so close in His loving hand
And He wanted all to see, that
Before the light of day, shined on your little face, God knew your name.

Before you walked around, before you first fell down, God knew your name.
Before you rode your trike, and then that first red bike, God knew your name.
He was with you everyday, right there by your side
Even when you made mistakes.

And before the light of day shined on your little face, God knew your name.
Before those wedding bells rang their story well, God knew your name.
Before that first new home and children of your own
God knew your name.
And through all times, both the good and bad, He held you in His hand, and
Before the light of day, shined on your little face, God knew your name.

As you gracefully grew old you know you had been told
God knew your name.
And one day when you died and your friends and family cried
God knew your name. And the angels carried your soul to me
And I said "Welcome home!"You were one of mine, I loved you for all time,

I knew your name.
You were one of mine, I loved you for all time,
I knew your name."

Let us all have a silent moment of meditation tonight, light a candle, and remember -- God knows each and everyone one of our names -- and at the same time, remember, angles are gathered round those who went to heaven on that day 9 years ago.

In the Breeze - The US Open

Ahhhh, what a trip last Thursday to my first Grand Slam..... the US Open, Flushing Meadows, NY,

Oh my. It was such fun and I am so happy I decided to go on the bus ride to NYC and into the the tunnels,

and over the bridges,

and among the crowds,

Arthur Ashe Stadium:

The players - # 5 Jelena Jankovic from Serbia:

Number 108 from the United States, the darling, James Blake;

And # 2 Roger Federer, the cutest butt around the courts,

Oh, yeah, back to tennis - the win:

nothing like it.

Wonderful day - long but you didn't feel it till the bus pulled in at midnight and you still had to drive home! Whoop Whoop - and yes, I needed the day off the next day just to recoup. LOL Roger plays again tonight! Oh my!

Here's to all them cute tennis male butts in the world! Now, now, my little peeps, I'm watching for the tennis - nothing else....Have a great evening!