The Old Man

This is my one of my all time favorite spring trips.  We take the canoe a ways down the Mississippi River.  Our goal.... to go into the flooded trees.  It is important to get to a place where it is easy to launch ones canoe AND to get into the canoe without tipping :)  Once underway it is also important to keep the canoe steady and not to reach for anything in or around the water.  River canoeing is different than lake canoeing, why, the current!  Man that current can be deceiving most of the time.

Under a highway bridge.

Moving through the back waters to the river.

Lots of eagles, herons and other fluttering bird.  Barn and cliff swallows and one good sized pileated woodpecker.  We were so close, it is surprising that none of our photos worked. 

This is what that blur is back there.  They stan

Cottonwood tree.

David heads into the vines, sticks, and spiders.

A VERY load river boat.

Some kind of river carving.

Warning signs of rough water ahead.

Tree caught by a pylon.

Water still rough. It's a little scary in a canue.

Spooky old building.

St. Paul.

Beautiful sky for a safe and beautiful river ride.  K~

Graduation Time!

Mike has graduated and is now on his way to Embry Riddle!  Then to Mars!  

Cora hating the load boat horn!

Views on the river.  K~

Let the good times roll!

  

FINALLY!! we have the NOVA not only out of the garage, 

but washed and "running".  

We took it for the first drive in about 15 years!  

I just had the best time with this!  K~

2nd Cultural Study Square

 

Kolam

This is a Kolam.  It was inspired by the South Indian Kolam.  They are drawn daily with rice flour.  I chose this pattern for its ability for freedom in its design along, keeping a rigid template.  It really keeps consistent guidelines and yet creative freedom for the artist.  Here is a link that I drew most of my inspiration from    http://www.squidoo.com/tamil-kolam

I am happy with the results.  It is a beautiful combination of colors.  Henna, orange and aqua.  K~

Micro farming update

I made a new condo for my crickets.  I have since switched them around.  The older born crickets are on top.  The (hopefully soon) baby crickets are in the middle.  The (mating) crickets are on the bottom.

 baby suite

young cricket suite

Mating suite

Meal worm farm

breeding beetles - top left.

pupa top - right (blue)

Hopefully babies - middle

Meal worms - bottom

 

Baby Meal Worms !!! YEAH!   K~

Pinterest

I am slowly beginning to understand Pinterest, at least, the way I want to understand it.  I spend a few minutes a day surrounded with things that visually stimulate me and my creative mind.  I read things that make me think and smile.  I look at God's amazing work in his wonderful world of animals, plants and nature. All I want to live in, all I want to see with my own eyes can be found here and since I am only one person with one life, I can't do everything I want.  Pinterest has given me a small tiny slice of this.  Thanks to whom ever introduced it to me.  I am not sure who it was, but I am glad I have it.  Oh.... and if I got the idea wrong, don't tell me, cuz it makes me happy the way it is.  K~

Color Texture Obsession

I am so into color and texture.  I love looking at textiles and color combinations.  I wanted to get a masters in color theory.  It was my dream path.  What would I have done with it?? I don't know.  It just make me happy to see the intriguing and daring steps artists take to create beauty.  K~  

sigh.

Kind of know how you feel buddy.  

My head aches. 

 Thanks for being my nap partner. 

K~

5 ancestors bookmark

I finally finished this bookmark for Cora.  She loves this series of books "The 5 ancestors". It was a challenge to get these images to translate in such a small area. I think it worked out ok.  K~

Monday Moday

beautiful art I found on my cultural searches

Here we go.  My Monday morning has started.  I got the kids out the door and off to school.  I have Pebs and Shelly the turtles and Bob the anole. I lost about 20 baby crickets trying to get them into Bobs home.  I need to work that out more efficiently.  I "watered" the crickets and switched over the meal worm beetles into another home.  I am a bit unsure on how to do this particular zoo.  I have fed Mazey. I am going to wait for Medusa until class today.  I have Natasha, Boris, Yuri, Francis, and Perdi left.  Once that is done, I need to work on my class power point and get a download for my 3rd "cultural study" 4x4 square piece.  Then I need to clean the house, dishes, clothes, floors and beds.  I had a head ache all day yesterday and slept most of the day.  Missed Easter festivities, but not the meaning.  Happy Monday.  K~ 

If your happy and you know it....

I just love this.  It describes me a lot of the time.  But mostly I feel that when I am happy and express it, the happy feeling is gone.  

Kind of like on "Finding Nemo" when Marlin says "Good Feeling Gone".  

It's not that I am a Debby Downer.  I like happy and happy things.  It's just when I get used to a happy thing, then the sad stuff is there.  I know, I know, that's life.  But, gee does it have to happen on such a constant cycle?  K~

The Babies are here!!

Cricket eggs

A baby Cricket (hard to photograph...a bit small)   

 enlarged but blurry cuz it's so small!

So now what?  They will keep growing and growing and having babies and more babies.  And we'll instead of having a lemonade stand, We can have a cricket for sale stand.  

Next I need to sort through my oats and meal worms and separate the worms from the pupa.  That way I can raise the beetles to raise the eggs to raise the worms.  Ah... Farming.  K~

Hummm.....

Ok.  I have not weighed in on this, because frankly I don't know what to think.  All I can say, was that until 2 nights ago, I was sad because I thought the colors of the Broncos was red, white and blue.  Rick reminded me that they are orange, blue and white.  YEAH!!! Orange is so fantastic!!  So that I can live with.  I never thought I would be a Broncos fan, but frankly, I never thought I would be a Colts fan either.  And to be VERY honest, the team makes me no never mind!!  I just want Pey Pey to be loved and have someone good to throw to.  K~

I posted on Facebook about being the CEO of my house.  I am looking at things in a whole new way.  I am kind of faking it until I make it.  I posted previously about not wanting to be referred to as a homemaker (only) I am not very good at homemaking.  I tend to take my family and animal needs into consideration first and let the floors, dust and clutter sit for a while.  I have broken down my CEO job by the letters.

C - Chief/Creative/Caring

E -Executive/ Efficient/Empathetic

O -Operator/Organized/Open

These are the words that I am choosing to reflect on.  I am going to put them up look at them daily.  I hope this will remind me that even though I do not earn money, that what I do contribute is still worth something.  It is almost impossible to ignore societies values on money.  Money seems to define Americans.  I was raised with that mind set surrounding me, and I don't see it changing in my lifetime.  But it however, can change in me.  I believe that I can learn to feel just as valuable as a societal contributor even if I don't bring in a paycheck.  Having said that, knowing it deep inside and living it day to day, for me anyway, can be a very challenging thing.  


K~

Sam and Rose, it was like yesterday for me.

Monday Morning.  70 degrees outside and hot inside.  I am sitting here trying to feel caught up.  Nothing new or special just this and that.  It keeps me busy not only physically but mentally.  I don't like dropping the ball.  I don't like unfinished business.  It drives me nuts.  I have 2 cross stitch projects I am working on, and am slowly making progress, I have many more I want to do, but can only cross stitch one at a time.  I have several crochet projects I want to finish and others to do, but can only crochet one at a time.  Then there are the things I need to do such as "home making", finance recording, kids appointments, doctor appointments, med fills, rabies titers, shopping for the family, up coming birthdays, holidays and so on.  I guess I can't feel caught up, and that's ok.  Being a mom is what I can only imagine a mail sorter feels like.  They just keep looking down the line and more mail keeps comings.  Some packages are big, some are very small, some are broken or smashed.  All need to be touched and handled in some way.  When your done with one there are 100 waiting for you and the days go on.  So back to Monday morning.  I could be  Wednesday or Saturday.  I is just another day in the life of a mom.  I get my stuff in there somehow and have joy and happiness daily.  My kids keep me busy and I like that.  My Husband keeps me grounded and (I guess) that's a blessing.  God keeps me humble.  K~

Sweet little Nub

This is sweet little Nub.  He is quite old.  He has been with us for quite some time.  Cora took these photos a few days ago.  I love the shaving piece on his head.  What a goofball.  K~