I Have Often Walked . . . . .

I have often walked . . . . . . . . . down this street before!


Sometimes I think that my husband Lee and I take for granted the wonderful mountain scenery around us. After all, we have lived here in the same house, on the same street, in the same city, in the same state, for over 20 years! So I guess it's easy to understand how we may have become overly accustomed to our surroundings.

But every now and then, I'm struck by how truly lucky we are to live in such a scenic area of the country, and at times like these, I do indeed feel humbled and blessed by the natural beauty around us.

I grew up in the Midwest (Kansas, to be exact), but I've long been drawn to the mountains. My first recollection of seeing mountains was during my family's early road trips to Colorado to visit my aunt who lived in Denver.

Later, I went to live in Denver for a time with that same aunt, while attending college there. I've been "hooked" on the mountains from that point on.

I lived in Denver for five years, then moved farther west into the Rocky Mountain state of Utah, and have been here ever since.

The weather here in Salt Lake City has been somewhat unpredictable this Spring, not an unusual occurrence for this part of the Rocky Mountains. The past week has been rainy and chilly. . . but today was quite beautiful.

We started the day with a clear sky, full sun and temperatures in the high sixties. A few scattered clouds found their way into the sky later in the day, but luckily, the high clouds brought no rain.

By late afternoon, when I decided to take a leisurely one-mile walk around our neighborhood, the temperature was still mild, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the light was perfect for a few hand-held scenic mountain photos. (Luckily, I had the foresight to take my camera along!)






Even after all these years, I am amazed that these kinds of views can be achieved while walking around our own little Salt Lake City neighborhood, within less than a mile of where Lee and I live.

Thank you all, once again, for visiting my Blog!

And until we meet again. . .may you each have the opportunity to enjoy unique and special views of your own. . . from the street where you live!

Ciao!

Never Give Away Your Dancing Shoes . . . . . .

You never know when you might need them.

Let the light shine. . . . . .

Where there is light . . .

there is vision,

there is hope,

and there is strength.

BEAUTY is . . . . .

Today was the first day in almost two weeks that we haven’t had rain, usually accompanied by thunder and lightning. (Of course, there’s still time…the day isn’t over yet!)

Motivated by the relative warmth and sunshine of the day (along with a pretty strong case of cabin fever), I decided to spend a little time outdoors today exploring our yard from a slightly different perspective than I usually do.

Harley joined me, sometimes walking beside me, sometimes rustling around in the bushes searching for something of interest, and sometimes just lolling in the damp green grass, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of Spring.

It’s amazing what you notice when you’re open to possibilities and take a look at things a little more deeply than you normally do. . . . One thing led to another, I decided to go get my camera, I snapped a few photos, and the idea for today’s blog post (better late than never!) began to rattle around in my head.

Here's what came of it.

Beauty is . . . .

wherever you look for it.

whatever you want it to be.

found not only in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary as well.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

And until we meet again. . . . .may you delight in the beauty around you.

PROXIMIDADE BLOG AWARD!

I was recently surprised and delighted to find out that a fellow Etsyan and Blogger, Cindy, had selected my Blog for a PROXIMIDADE Blog Award! Thank you so much, Cindy!

Cindy’s and my paths first crossed over a year ago, when she purchased a handmade card from my Etsy Shop. And it was then that I became acquainted with Cindy’s beautiful handmade jewelry. Please check out Cindy’s Etsy Shop, to see this talented artisan’s lovely creations! And visit Cindy’s Blog too, which was also a recent and very deserving recipient of a PROXIMIDADE Blog Award!

Admittedly, before Cindy selected my blog for a PROXIMIDADE Award, I’d not heard of this particular award before. But after reading about it and what it stands for, I’m truly honored to have my blog selected!

Following is a description of what the PROXIMIDADE Blog Award represents:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

For me, this PROXIMIDADE Award has special meaning. . . .Little did I know when I started blogging less than a year ago, that my blog would become such a creative outlet for me, as well as a new form of personal expression. Nor did I have any idea that through my blogging, I would “meet” so many interesting, caring and creative people, many with similar interests as mine, scattered all across the globe!

In my blogging “travels” I’ve come across some extraordinary blogs that I believe truly embody the philosophy of this PROXIMIDADE Award. So, it is with great pleasure that I’d like to pass along this PROXIMIDADE Blog Award to the following EIGHT Blogs/Bloggers:


Excerpts from the Edge

This blogger is a talented handmade card designer, and an accomplished scrapbooker. On her blog, you’ll see some of her lovely and unique card creations, links to other great scrapbooking and crafting sites, as well as family and vacation snapshots which give you a personal glimpse of life in Australia.

Girl with a Curl

This multi-talented artisan in Washington State does watercolor paintings, wonderful beadwork jewelry, and digital graphics. She has three Etsy stores representing her artistry. Her blog is always an interesting read, and she frequently features other talented artists and craftspersons.


WhippetSnippets

As a dog lover, this is truly one of my favorite blogs. There are eyecatching photos and wonderfully written and entertaining ”snippets” about the most adorable whippets you’ll ever see, Ribsy and Mirabel, who reside with “Boy” and “Girl” (AKA owners) in Ontario, Canada


Life with Dogs

Once again, this is a blog for dog lovers! It is without a doubt one of the most cleverly written blogs (much of it from a dog’s point of view) that I’ve experienced. Check it out and read about the daily challenges and adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Author, Nigel, Sola and Truffles, and their lives in Vermont.


The Seasonal Cottage

This blogger is also a talented craftsperson, and indeed her interests and talents are so broad that she actually has SIX Etsy stores! Even so, she manages to update her blog daily and has regular blog features which never fail to disappoint. I also “follow” her daily tweets on Twitter, and she is a tireless Tweeter! It must be all that coastal Maine air that energizes her!


On Ruby’s Hill

Once you read a couple of posts on this wonderfully written blog, I think you’ll be hooked! Residing in Juneau, Alaska, this blogger creates unique and unusual handmade jewelry, and works with several types of media including copper etching, sterling silver and soldered pendants. Although her blog does occasionally feature her beautiful handcrafted creations, this blogger also writes about a variety of other topics, ranging from featured Etsy artisans to her own personal musings and “snapshots” of her life in Alaska.


Ann Ranlett’s Blog

Ann is a wonderful artist and illustrator of animals and nature subjects. I’m particularly fond of her dog portraits. Ann’s and my paths have crossed through our blogging as well as on Twitter, and it is clear that she and I share a deep and enduring love of animals and nature. She creates her art from her California home/studio, but it is offered through a variety of marketplaces and venues. Please visit her blog and take a look!

SassyGlass Designs

I love to visit this crisp and cheerful blog! There’s always a new posting of interest, be it about the this blogger-artisan’s wonderfully handcrafted jewelry and lampwork beads, the featured work of fellow craftpersons, or photos of captured scenes from the blogger’s local Arkansas countryside.


Please do take a little time to check out all these wonderful blogs, and watch to see what eight blogs each of these bloggers select, to pass along the PROXIMIDADE Blog Award!



Until we meet again . . . . .Happy Blog Reading!

A Bump in the Road for a Special Greyhound . . .

It's been less than a week since I posted Part 1 of "For the Love of Dogs" . . . .a tribute to the various dogs that my husband Lee and I have been honored to own and care for over the past 20+ years.


I had been planning that last post for a while, letting it take shape it in my mind over several weeks. And, I'm so glad that I posted it when I did. . . . ..


Because, as it turns out, just a few days ago, our eldest and very special greyhound, Ride, with whom Lee and I have shared the past 10 years, began to show troubling signs of significant illness.

I took Ride into our veterinarian yesterday to be checked, and it appears that she has a tumor of one of her mammary glands, which is likely malignant.

We are awaiting biopsy results, which should come in by tomorrow or the next day. We will then need to decide, in consultation with our vet, what treatment options are possible. In the meantime, the vet put Ride on an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory medication, and a pain medication.

It's clear that poor Ride is not feeling well, and we're trying our best to get her to eat nutritious foods. Since she's been refusing her regular food we've begun to cook "people" food for her . . . chicken and hamburger with rice, bacon, scrambled eggs, etc. Sometimes she eats it, sometimes not.

Both Lee and I are very saddened by this turn of events. But, we also realize that Ride is approaching 13 years of age, which is somewhat elderly for a greyhound. So, we're trying to prepare ourselves for whatever may come.

Please keep our sweet little greyhound girl in your thoughts and prayers.

For the LOVE of DOGS: Part 1 . . . . . . .

It’s no secret to those of you who know me, or who have been following my Blog, that I’m a “dog person”. I love animals of all kinds (well, perhaps with a few exceptions), but I’m particularly fond of dogs.

Throughout most of my adulthood, I’ve always had one or two dogs. And in all honesty, I can’t imagine my life without a dog! I’ve often commented to friends over the years that having dogs adds another dimension to one’s life. Of course, I recognize that having dogs is not the same as having children. But for my husband Lee and me, our dogs have always been an integral part of our lives, and we consider them members of our family. To us, they are indeed very much like children.

So, on that introductory note, I’m dedicating today’s Blog post to DOGS and those who LOVE them. This will be the first of several related posts on this topic, which I’m entitling, “For the LOVE of DOGS . . . .”

Although one of Lee’s and my current “passions” is greyhound adoption, and we currently have two wonderful greyhounds, we haven’t always been greyhound owners. In fact our first two dogs were mixed breed dogs that came into our lives rather accidentally.


Lucky was a Gordon Setter and Black Lab mix, whose owner was one of Lee’s co-workers. As it turns out, the co-worker was moving to a place where he could no longer have a dog, and was looking for a new home for Lucky. So, Lee and I decided to meet her.

It was love at first sight, and we were both struck by her friendly and exuberant personality, her wonderful lustrous black fur, and the way she ran like the wind. So, we took her home. Lucky always kept us on our toes . . .she’s the only dog we ever had who took a flying leap and slid along the top of my baby grand piano to get a glimpse out the adjacent window, AND she’s the only dog that I’ve ever had who caught mice! She was a handful, but a delight.

Less than a year later, Lee and I came home after work to find a second dog in our back yard. . . .a timid and rather scraggly-looking terrier mix with long off-white fur, mostly matted! Later we found the place where she had dug her way under the fence into our yard to visit Lucky. She wore no tags, and she had apparently been through some rough treatment, because every time we tried to approach her (Lee more than I), she nearly cowered.

But eventually we managed to befriend this little waif, feed her, give her a bath and trim her matted coat. We couldn’t bring ourselves to take her to the local animal shelter, fearful that she wouldn’t be adopted. SO. . . . .. we named her and decided to keep her. That was a decision we never for one moment regretted over the years Mutt-Mutt was with us. She never got over her timidity with men, but she was one of the most affectionate dogs I’ve ever known. She was a gift.

For 16 years, Lucky and Mutt-Mutt were each others and Lee’s and my sweet and loyal companions. Early in 1997, both dogs passed away within one month of each other. Lucky died on Lee's birthday.

It was shortly after we lost Lucky and Mutt-Mutt that we adopted our first two ex-racing greyhounds.

Having grown up in Abilene, Kansas (home of the National Greyhound Association), I was somewhat familiar with greyhounds, but only from a distance. And Lee and I had talked about the possibility of adopting an ex-racing greyhound. So we started doing some online research about greyhound adoption in Utah.

We found out about a greyhound adoption group in southern Utah (then the only greyhound adoption group in the state), and contacted them to inquire about the availability of ex-racing greyhounds for placement. And one month later, having successfully completed the adoption “application process”, we were making the 5 hour trip from Salt Lake City to Kanab, Utah to pick up our first two greyhounds, Cody and Cassie.

Cassie was a beautiful brindle girl. She was a small and very shy greyhound whom we loved dearly, but who had a number of mysterious but serious health issues over the short time that we had her.

A little over a year after we brought her home, she succumbed to a bizarre illness. (We never did have a final diagnosis.)

Cody was all black, with a white chest and four white-tipped paws. Weighing in at around 87 lbs., he was the largest dog we’d ever had, and it took a little while for us to get used to his size! But he was one of the quietest, most gentle dogs I’ve ever known (except around cats!).

We called Cody our “gentle giant”. Cody was with us for 8 years, until he developed bone cancer and passed away a few months later. He was almost 10.

We adopted Ride (racing name: Emotional Ride) in 1999, shortly after Cassie’s passing.

This is a photo of Ride, not long after we adopted her. She was around 3 years old.

(I'd forgotten how dark her face was way back then . . .she hadn't started to turn gray yet!)

At first, we were a little nervous about how Cody would adjust to sharing the house again with another grey.

But mellow fellow that he was, Cody did fine, and it didn’t take long before he and Ride were best friends, which they remained until Cody’s passing in 2004.

Ride was our only greyhound for a couple of years. Both Lee and I were so saddened by the loss of Cody, we weren’t sure we were ready to attach to yet another greyhound right away, so we thought we’d wait a while to decide.

I was recently retired from my job by then, and since I was home all day, Ride and I became inseparable. She LOVED to take jaunts in the car with me, and I would often take her with me for short errands when the weather was nice.

Around November 2006, Lee and I decided that we were ready to adopt another greyhound, and as fate would have it . . . along came Harley!

It so happened that right about the time Lee and I decided to seek out another greyhound, Harley was “returned” to a local greyhound adoption group, where we know the kennel owner. Harley had been placed in an adoptive home a year before, but unfortunately the placement hadn’t worked out as well as expected. And when Harley was returned to the adoption group, he was not in very good shape physically OR emotionally, so he needed quite a bit of tender loving care and attention.

Once we brought Harley home, it was a difficult couple of months, in that Harley had moderate to severe separation anxiety, and somewhat aggressive food behavior. Thankfully, with a lot of patience, love, and consistency, Harley is now well-adjusted and happy as the newest member of our family.

And this beautiful fawn boy with amber eyes has turned out to be another one of the greyt joys of our lives.

Although it took Ride a while to warm up to Harley, they have become good companions to each other. And coincidentally, even though they are 7 years apart in age, their birthdays are only one day apart! Ride will turn 13 on March 28th and Harley will turn 6 on March 27th.

I am so grateful to have dogs in my life. Not only have our dogs always provided Lee and me with unconditional love, they have also brought us joy and laughter.

Our dogs help prevent Lee and me from being TOO introspective, TOO self-absorbed, and TOO serious. And, they provide us with special memories and “Kodak moments” that have helped to inspire us in our own creative endeavors.

I hope you’ll stay tuned for my next Blog post, “For the LOVE of DOGS: Part 2”, in which I will focus on how our greyhounds and dogs in general have provided inspiration for my handmade cards, scrapbook layouts, and other paper creations.

INAUGURATION Day!

It's been over a week since I've posted a Blog entry, and I've missed my blogging!

Since my last post, I've been keeping busy with my cardmaking and various other tasks (read: "life"!) that demanded my attention, all the while obsessing about topics for future Blog posts! And indeed, I have a couple of ideas in mind for upcoming Blog articles.

But right now, what I'm most excited about is January 20th, INAUGURATION Day!

In all my adult life, I've never been much of a "political" person. REALLY. Now don't get me wrong. . . . .I've taken my right and my responsibility to vote quite seriously, and as nearly as I can recall, I've voted in every general election since I turned voting age (and that was MANY years ago!)

But I've never been registered with either major political party, I've never been a "dyed-in-the-wool" Republican or Democrat, I haven't actively campaigned for any candidate, nor have I "marched" for any particular cause.

Yet, this last presidential election has energized me, moved me, touched me, like no other ever has.

And like so many other fellow Americans, I am SO excited and SO hopeful that our new President and his administration can bring positive change once again to the United States of America.



I wish I could be in attendance at the actual Inauguration Ceremony to witness President-Elect Obama getting sworn into office, but since that's not possible, watching it on TV will have to suffice!

And I know I'm going to be glued to the TV to catch everything I can!











I feel so privileged to be living in a time when this exciting and momentous election has taken place. This is a time that I know for sure, "history is being made."

Until we meet again. . . . .May you, too, recognize and enjoy watching history in the making.

Holiday Musings . . . . . .

When Lee and I first met years ago, both of us had been single for a while, and neither of us had more than one or two Christmas tree decorations among our household "stuff".

So for the first few years that we were together, we decorated our Christmas tree with red and green "glitter balls" that I'd made by rolling styrofoam balls first in Elmer's Glue, and then in red or green glitter.

Even after we were married, those styrofoam glitter balls served us well for several years as our main Christmas tree decor, but eventually we yearned for some decorations with a little more "class".


So, we began making a conscious effort to build a unique and special collection of Christmas ornaments, year by year, and piece by piece.

Whenever we would travel to a new place or see a new Christmas shop, we kept our eyes peeled for new ornaments for our Christmas tree. And every year, we would add two or three new ornaments to our collection, each one carefully selected.

Now, after nearly 25 years of marriage, we have more Christmas ornaments than we can fit on our medium sized Christmas tree (yes, we eventually bought an "artificial" tree)!

Some of our Christmas tree ornaments were chosen because they represent a place we'd visited or something that we especially love (nature, animals, birds, whimsy, greyhounds!). Others were added to our collection because we simply fell in love with the artist's design or creativity.

And then there's that special group of our Christmas tree ornaments that were gifts from friends or family, or that just remind us of "home."

Now that we have so many ornaments, we don't necessarily put them ALL on the tree every year. Even so, we cherish each and every one, and each one holds a special place in our hearts. Over the years, all these special ornaments have become our "old friends".

I can't say that Lee and I remember specifically what year or from what place every one of our Christmas tree ornaments was obtained, but many of them do indeed bring back special memories of cherished times and moments in our lives.

We're not actively adding to our Christmas tree ornament collection any more, although there are times that I see something during my annual Christmas shopping (or those tempting After-Christmas sales) that I just can't pass up!

On this, my last post of this Christmas season, I wanted to share with you some photos of Lee's and my favorite ornaments from our collection. . . . . . .




We found this little resin greyhound ornament during one of our twice-a-year trips to see my family in Abilene, Kansas.

We always stop into the National Greyhound Hall of Fame to visit the ex-racing greyhound mascots there, and found this little ornament in the gift shop. (As greyhound lovers, we simply had to have a little greyhound ornament for our Christmas tree!)


Back in the mid 80's, I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Philadelphia. Lee joined me and we both saw the Liberty Bell for the first time!

In 1997, Lee and I discovered Sedona, Arizona. We'd never been there before, but we had a chance to trade an unused time-share week there. And now we're hooked on the area!

We go back twice a year . . . .this little southwest style ornament was purchased in Sedona. It reminds us of the warm weather, while we're freezing here in Utah during the winter!

Being a lover of whimsy, I have two of these little "mouse on the moon" ornaments. I actually can't recall where or when I got them, but they've been part of our collection now for quite a number of years.

Yes, I actually did make this little Rudolph counted cross-stitch ornament. I haven't done cross-stitch in years, so this little guy is now around 15 years old, I would guess!

Lee loves just about anything to do with airplanes, and this little wooden airplane ornament was a gift from me to him a couple of years ago. The little propeller and wheels actually move!

This sweet Precious Moments Christmas ornament was a gift a number of years ago from one of my very special long-term friends.

You guessed it! Lee and I purchased this commemorative ornament in 2002 during the Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games.

That was, for us, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We didn't attend any of the ticketed events, but we did walk around downtown several times just to experience the ambience and see the street displays. It was SO much fun!

This delicate glass Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is about 6 inches tall, and it was one of our very first ornaments purchased after Lee's and my "glitter ball" era. I remember paying $15.00 (!!!) for this little guy, in the early 80's, in Keystone, Colorado. Yes, it WAS love at first sight . . . . .but I would never pay that much for an ornament again!

I'm particularly fond of folk Santas and whimsical Santas . . . .and this one is a purchase from last September, during one of our trips to Sedona.

This little straw-hat Santa is another newer addition to our collection . . . .can't quite recall where we got him. But he reminds me of the Southwest, so he's on the tree pretty much every year.

And this little ceramic jester/clown struck my fancy many years ago. I think I found him in a local gift shop, and he wasn't intended to be a Christmas tree ornament, but his life's work has been decorating our Christmas tree for at least 15 years.

I believe this ornament might have been one of two or three ornaments that Lee had when we met!

This beautiful brass rocking horse was a gift to Lee and I from my dear sister a number of years ago. The photo doesn't do "him" justice, but there are several layers of embossed metal, for a 3-D effect. I LOVE horses!

And this moose, although I truly have no recollection of where or when we bought him, remains one of our favorite "old friends" from among our Christmas tree ornament collection.

This Christmas ornament holds special meaning for both Lee and me, in that his mother (whom we lost to cancer a year ago) made it herself many years ago, from a kit. She and I shared a love of all kinds of crafting.

This bell (that really rings) is one of my more recent purchases from a local gift store, while I was shopping for other Christmas gifts. I couldn't resist the sparkle!

And here's yet another of my recent purchases (last year or the year before), at an After-Christmas sale in one of my very favorite local novelty and paper shops.

No, this is NOT an ornament . . . . .although I sure do wish I could capture this wonderful greyhound face (of our very special greyhound, Ride) on an ornament!


This photo was taken by Lee in 2005, during the 3 or so minutes that Ride allowed us to leave that Santa hat on her!

I wanted to end my Holiday Musings post with a photo of Ride, who, at age 12 years, will always hold a very special place in Lee's and my hearts.

(Next year, I'll try to include a photo of our other greyhound Harley too, but thus far, we haven't been able to get him to keep either a Santa hat OR reindeer antlers on!)

So, this will be my last Blog entry during the Christmas Season. Tomorrow is another day, and we'll all be looking toward the New Year.

But before the day ends, I want to share with you a lovely quote that I first saw a number of years ago, on a Christmas card. The message particularly resonates for me on Christmas Day.

"Never a Christmas morning,

Never the old year ends,

But someone thinks of someone,

Old days, old times, old friends."

~ Author Unknown ~

Until we meet again . . . . .Wishing you fond thoughts of old days, old friends and old times.