Is this how it's supposed to go?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/01/protests/

Saturday Evening

I don't have any new cards to share, but I am working on one with wisteria and hardenbergia. The hardenbergia looks like small wisteria blossoms. Kate C. gave them to me awhile ago, but I am so unorganized, they got lost in a pile of other flowers. I finally found them, and delighted once more in their beauty. When I finish, I will scan it and put it on here -- I just hope I can do justice to the flowers. I'm using a piece of Lynn's handmade papers, so I want to do better just for that....not too great of aspirations, right?

This afternoon, I spent some time in the "Chitty Chat" room, as Bob calls it...lol! I had a wonderful time talking with Carolyn and Deb S. Both of them made me laugh so much that I was embarrassed...Bob was sitting in a chair near me, and I could tell he thought I was off my rocker..lol! Bless his sweet heart, though, he didn't say anything. That's a good thing about him (one of many): he never tells me I am being foolish, even if I am.

It surprises me when I look outside, and then at the clock and realize that it's later than it looks. It's almost 7:30 pm right now, but the sun is still shining. I imagine, though, that the days will get shorter and shorter. In the winter, the sun sets at about 5:00 pm. Those are really depressing days, that's for sure.

Hope everyone is have a great day!

Love to all....
Lee

Blackberry Lily and Morning Glory Vines/Leaves

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday and looking forward to a tremendous weekend.

I haven't written in awhile because I've been busy pressing, and sorting out my dry flowers. These flowers I pressed at Lynn's, and then she put them in the dehydrator. The colors came out really well, but the scan doesn't show it. The petals are actually a bright orange red. I used some morning glory vine and foliage to give it a more (hopefully) light hearted effect.

We've been having some muggy weather here. Yesterday, though, it was cool enough to have the a/c off, and open all the doors and windows. Boy, was that refreshing! This evening, the gloomy clouds have lifted, and the sun is peeping through.

Love to all....

Lee

Thank you, C

I forgot to tell you that Carolyn posted a beautiful card she made for my birthday on her blog site. It is one of her stamped designs.

Also, I got many happy birthday wishes, which I was very touched by.

Birthday Cards from Lynn and Sylvie

I was very pleased and impressed with the two handmade cards that Lynn and Sylvie made for me. It really made my birthday very special.

I had a wonderful time with Lynn. We did a lot of things in the five days I spent with her. I, mostly, just watched as she made handmade paper and her beautiful cards. We went to a garden, and also, went to a historical site, Bishop Hill. She made sure there wasn't many people at either place we went to, so I was comfortable. She is a wonderful cook, too, and made some fabulous meals.

I got home yesterday, but didn't do much except unpack a bit. I was really tired.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Love to all.....

Lavender Larkspur, QAL, Fern & Tendrils

I've spent my Sunday afternoon working on this card. I just felt like cool, peaceful colors. The larkspur is really, really old, but that's OK. Oddly enough, I had put it on a lavender paper, but it doesn't show up. I think I need to get another printer/scanner/copier. Unless it's black and white, printing is bad, too.

The temperatures dropped from 90 to 80. Last night, it got down to 50. I was able to throw open all the doors and windows, and shut off the air, like I've been wanting to do for quite awhile. It's bad enough in the winter with everything closed up, but it's just a shame in the summer.

I've been enjoying C and S's new blogs. I so wish I were as talented as them. It's lovely to hear what's going on in their lives, too.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Love to all.....

Of A Saturday Afternoon

I just finished making a Victorian "tussy mussy," and tried to scan it in. I used a white doily that Sylvie gave me. Unfortunately, except for the arrangement, it didn't show up at all, so I can't show it. Truthfully, it is a little florid and over-done, which is sad because I wasted a lot of flowers. Oh, well....it was fun doing it.

We had a bad rain, thunder and lightning storm last night (in spite of the weather forecaster saying there was no clouds in sight...lol). It didn't do any damage, but I guess it was quite noisy. It woke poor Bob and the dogs up from sleep. Dabby tries to crawl on Bob's head when he's scared by thunder. He's done that to me, as well, and it isn't a pleasant position to sleep...lol!

Bob is doing a lot better with his hand. He's still has some pain with his hand being crushed and bruised, but it's not as bad as it was before. At least, he didn't break anything so it will eventually heal.

Even though there is a bit of sunshine showing, and it's a little cooler, it looks like the sky is clouding up for more rain. That's all we need. There have been flash flood warnings in the past couple of days, so that's not good.

Other than that, not much else is new. I think my depression is finally lifting...I can tell when I have a little creativity, and I think on doing more.

It was so nice to see C, S, and B posting on their blog. They all are such wonderful friends. I sure wish we all lived closer so that we could get together once in awhile.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend (and I'm praying, C, that you have a little sunshine and warmth.)

Love to all......

Fuschia Falls

A little bit about nothing...

It's been some time since I posted, and I am sorry. I've just been in one of those non-communicative moods I get into. It may be a form of depression, most likely.
It's a hot and humid day here...up to 90 degrees. Fortunately, we'll be going into a cooler zone for a few days, so that will be refreshing. I so long to open up all the doors and windows, and shut off the air.
We've had a good deal of rain and windstorms. I may have posted here about the 100 year old walnut tree in front of our neighbor's house, that came crashing down on their garage. That was a couple of weeks ago. Well, it was our turn a couple of days ago. Even though we had called the city that our tree on the parkade was drastically split, it came down. Fortunately, there wasn't any damage to us or our neighbors, but both trees are being brought down as I type. It's going to be pretty bare looking. It used to be that every street had trees up and down on the block. Now, the city isn't replacing any of them, and don't want any others put in. Sad, how neighborhoods deteriorate.
As usual, not much is new with me. I've been having problems with my side. It's probably my gall bladder and stones, but I was told by my doctor that they won't do anything until I am in excruciating pain, and then it (them?) will be removed. Ha....something to look forward to, no doubt...lol!
L'IL has invited me down for to spend some time with her. I always enjoy visiting her. I will be going down from the 15th to the 19th of this month. It is always so much fun getting together. I hope she inspires me to creativity.
Hope everyone is doing well, and has a great weekend!
Love to all.....

Dahlia and Bridal Wreath Card Topper

I did this yesterday, I think. I can't remember. I've been trying to do little arrangements, and then laminate them and adhere them to cardstock. I meant them to be vertical, but as you can see, I put my name in the wrong place...lol!

Not much is new with with, so I don't have much to say.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

Love to all....

White Lilacs On Blue

This is another card I made only with white lilacs. Carolyn, I didn't press them flower by flower...lol. I press them in little clumps, and then rearrange them on paper. It isn't very hard. Actually, the blue card makes them look quite a bit whiter than they really are...they are sort of an off-white. Still and all, it's the first time I've had white lilacs since we sold our farm.

I haven't been out to pick anything in the past couple of days. We've had rain showers quite a bit. I need to get out when the sun is shining. Some of my roses are in bloom and I need to get them pressed.

Bob came home early today. He came in the kitchen and his hand was all wrapped up. He had gouged his hand open while at work. It was pretty icky, and so he went to the E.R. to have stitches. As long as that takes, he probably won't be home for awhile. I offered to go with him, but he knows that's a strain on me....but I would if he'd wanted me to, that's for sure. I would do anything for him. He's the love of my life.

I guess we had some excitement in the neighborhood this morning. Our neighbor across the alley had police cars, the FBI, reporters and drug-snifing dogs at his home. He is a really nice guy, and I'd lay a bet that a lying neighbor, who has reported him before for noise disturbance set this whole thing up. It is so ugly when people don't get along, and the two have almost built up a war between themselves.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Love to all....

Lavender Blue Lilacs

This spring, I finally had all my lilacs bloom. It's taken years for the three in the front to come to life. I had this lavender-blue, a white, and a pink. The pink hardly ever press well, but the lavender-blue and the white did. It's too bad that I didn't get too many of them before the rains came because they were shredded by it, and the wind. Oh, well....such is life, I guess.

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I couldn't get any images to upload. I don't know if it was a Google glitch, or if my pictures were too large.

Not much going on with me. I've been really been tired, for some reason. I have hardly been able to do a thing. I took naps during the day, which is really unlike me.

I hope everyone has had a good day!

Love to all.....

Hydrangea and Astrantia Wreath Card Topper

I finished this yesterday. I hope it isn't too thick to be laminated, as I do the rest. I completed a full 5.5 x 8.5 card, as well, and will probably show it tomorrow.

Haven't heard a lot from C or S. I know C is visiting her son. Wonder how S is doing?

Today is the first day of summer....or, at least, at 6:59 pm. It's going to be pretty hot at almost 90, and with uncomfortable humidity. The rest of the weekend is going to be cooler, and just in the 80's.

Bob has today off because the shop he works at is closed for the day. His bosses decided to go to the races...where ever that might be. Still and all, it's good to have him home.

Not too much else is new, as usual.

Hope everyone has a good Friday, and a wonderful weekend.

Love to all...

Just Another Day

Thursday Afternoon....

I don't know what these flowers are, but I have to thank Sue Morris for sending them to me. She lives in MN, and is the nicest person. Anyway, I did this arrangement a few days ago, but forgot what I had named it. I know now I called it "Wildflowers." They sort of look like a form of Salvia, I think.

Yesterday, I worked on two cards. One, I finished and will show tomorrow, probably; the other one is still in a working stage.

I guess I'm sort of starting from scratch in making these little card toppers. I had that long dry spell, so I'm just doing designs that come easiest to me. I still haven't figured out what to do with the giraffes I worked so long and hard on. I hope something comes to me...and, sometimes, it never does.

There's a chance of showers for the next three days. The percentages are low, but every time they forecast that, we have storms with a vengeance. This will put a further burden on those south of us who are being flooded. My heart goes out to them.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Love to all....

Fish School

Wednesday afternoon:

Here is a card topper I finished yesterday. I think it's rather unimaginative, but what the heck, right? Anyway, it was just an urge I had, and they come few and far between.

Yesterday, I went out and picked and pressed the small amount of flowers that survived the deluge of water. Pressing is really tedious, however, I'd rather not have to buy flowers. I just don't have the money for that, anymore.

I've, also, been working on three giraffes that I made from fungus (bought on KC's site). I haven't figured out any backgrounds, yet, although I've looked at enough pictures.

I went to S's blog site and saw two really gorgeous cards she made. Wow, she is so talented! I'd like to be her when I grow up. She has such imagination and creativity.

Tomorrow, we have our first garbage pick-up in about three weeks. It will be such a relief. Bob and I are "paper" people, and thus, accumulate a lot of that type of crap. Needless to say, things have really been piling up.

We're finally having a dry-out period. It's been three of the first days this week. It's been lovely, with the sun shining and everything. The rivers and streams are still out of their banks, and it will be awhile before everything is back in order. I so pity and pray for the people that lost everything. While their immediate needs are being taken care of...food and water....there will be no money to repair or replace everything they lost, despite being declared FEMA disaster areas. If I ever hit the lottery, I would help those people out.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Love to all....

Iowa Flooding of 2008

I just saw the news at noon, and they said that 83 counties out of 99 have been declared state disaster areas. That is so not surprising. I'm sure it will be more since the rivers in Southern Iowa haven't crested. It's going to be declared a FEMA emergency. I can only hope that they don't handle Iowa like they did in New Orleans. Of course, this is a state rather than a city.

The Waterloo/Cedar Falls rivers have gone down a little, so that is a relief. Today...for a big change...it's not raining, and, hopefully, we will have a dry spell.

Yesterday, I spent some time going through my presses. I had flowers from last year that were still in there. I was so disappointed that so many of my roses were discolored. Of course, they were moisture saturated last year, too. There doesn't seem a way to do anything about it, unless I color enhance them. I don't think they are worth the effort, though.

Today, we have to take the dogs to the vet so they can get booster shots. Even if we don't get medical treatment, we make sure the dogs do. Bob gave them haircuts, and we both gave them baths, so they are fresh and clean. Dabby, our oldest dog, hates being clipped, and bathed so it's a real struggle to do him. Cookie has a more nonchalant attitude about it, thank goodness.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Love to all......

The Floods of 2008

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather

Bob turned on the washing machine to do some laundry, and the water was black. Obviously, the water system is bad. They haven't put any announcement on the news, yet, but we won't be using tap water for awhile.

It's been raining all day, and the forecast looks like more heavy rain for the days to come. The whole of Waterloo zone...City Hall, and many more blocks...has been evacuated. The loss of our storage shed is so small compared to what the rest of Waterloo/Cedar Falls is going through. Please keep the people who have lost homes in your thoughts and prayers.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Love to all....

Zinnias and Montebretia

This is a picture I just finished. I started it as the first quilt patch. Unfortunately, I ran out of zinnia and noticed it was getting way too thick. I really didn't do a good job with this.

We just got some bad news. As you know, there is major flooding here, and in surrounding areas. We had a storage shed, which held all our furniture and antiques from my grandmother, mother and step-father's mother. The shed is completely underwater. We had all that stuff up at the farm, but had no room here when we moved. I am really devastated. We didn't have any insurance on the storage shed, either....so it looks like we'll have to take a total loss. Who would have thought that the waters would get this high? Flood stage for the river in our town is 99 feet. It's predicted to crest (if we get no more rain, and that isn't likely) at 103.5 feet. No one around here has ever seen it get this bad...it's broken all records.

Well, isn't that dismal news? Wish I could think of a happier topic, but basically, I write whatever is going on at the time.

Hope you're having a good Tuesday!

Love to all....

Quilt Square #2

Saturday Afternoon....

Not much going on with me today. It is 87 and extremely humid. I had to turn on the air conditioning for the first time this year. Hot makes me cranky...lol! There's a 50% chance of more rain today....and rain every day for the next 7 again.

Bob and I went out for a drive, yesterday, after I had my doctor's appointment. The amount of flooding is amazing. Corn fields look like the oceans. It looks like this years crop is ruined. Corn and soy beans will be at a premium this year, as much as anything else, wouldn't you know.

The quilt square above is made with bits of QAL, coral bells and fern. The pot, itself, is of banana skin. I sort of like the color...to me, it looks "country."

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Love to all.....

Quilt Square #1

Thursday afternoon, 6/5/08

This is one of the two 6 x 6 projects that I made for support of the CA 2008 Conference. If they were going to be judged, I don't think I would have done it.

I don't know what the flowers are, but I used buds, flowering, and older blooms. It's supposed to show diversity, since the Guild has young to older members. It probably won't make sense to anyone but me, though...lol!

Another day of dark skies, and rain. I don't even remember the last time I saw sunshine.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Love to all.....

Flamingos at Sunset

I finally got the project finished for the May 2008 class. It was hard....very tedious, and detail oriented. I didn't do that great a job, but at least it's done.

We had a lot of tornados pretty close to us. It destroyed a few communities. There were about 8 deaths. It was yesterday, and pretty scary. There were constant sirens going off.

Today has been beautiful. It's pretty warm, though. We have to appreciate it while we have it, though, because tomorrow is going to be down to 60, with possible frost at night. My poor plants don't know what's going on.

Hope is everyone is having a good Memorial Day!

Love to all...

Sunday Afternoon/Early Evening

I hope, while I type this, I don't forget the scalloped potatoes and ham casserole in the oven for supper. I set the timer, and if I stay put, I should be OK. Bob was going to grill hamburgers, but we do that so often, I thought it would be good if we had something hot. Standing up so long almost did me in.

This was a beautiful day...a trifle cool out, though. Earlier this afternoon, Bob helped me hobble outside, and we picked a whole bunch of my lilacs. I have them in different colors: white, a pinkish blue, a light purple, and a blue. Unfortunately, I don't have much success in retaining their color. I had some old, old lilac trees up at the farm...a double, deep purple and white. While I was emptying out some of my presses, I found a couple sheets of the deep purple. I pressed them in 2003 or 2004, and they still have quite a bit of color.

One of my vines...I've had it for years...has a surprising bounty of little flowers on it. They are a deep maroon. It must be some form of Clemitis because they have those kind of leaves. I don't remember where got them, though, or the name for them.

I spent the day working on my class picture. I started all over, and I think I got the hang of blending the sky. The end will tell, however. It is a challenging class, but I know I'm getting my monies worth out of it.

All of the three episodes of 'Indiana Jones' are on the television right now. I've watched them all three or four times. I know they are working it up for the movie that's supposed to be coming out....the one with the Crystal Skulls. A lot of New Ager's believe they have a special power, but I've read that they are just "trinkets" made during the Middle Ages. I sure wouldn't buy one -- unless it opened it's mouth and gave me three wishes....lol! Of course, with my luck, it would be like the Monkey's Paw.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Love to all....
Lee

Three Peony Card

This is the latest card I have done. I used pieces of peony petals to make smaller flowers, as well as the buds. The peonies haven't come out for this year, but I just craved doing it. Looking at it, it seems like it needs some filler, but I don't know what to use.

Not much is going on with me. I'm sort of bummed out because my knees are so swollen, I can't go down the stairs to pick the flowers in my yard. The lilacs are in bloom, and I don't want to just look at them. I need to press them in the worst way.

Today, and yesterday, are beautiful days. It got up to 78 degrees. I don't know what the high will be today, though. It looks like it's going to jump from a cold spring into hot summer. After all the complaining I've done about the cold, I'm not going to whine about the hot, that's for sure.

Bob is in the bedroom, watching bowling. He loves that. He doesn't get too much time to do what he wants, so I don't mind that he gets up late. He, also, needs to catch up on his sleep.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Love to all....

Lee

May 11, 2008

Sunday afternoon....

Well, mission sort of accomplished. I've spent this morning and afternoon sorting through the landslide of flowers that hit my head and the "fan" yesterday. I found things I hadn't even known I had....for instance, I found deep, purple lilacs that I pressed in either 2003 or 2004. Remarkably, a lot of retained their color. I, also, found some Jacob's Ladder pressed around the same time....unfortunately, it didn't fare very well as the lovely blue were faded.

I really need to get a better way to organize -- both my flowers and papers (paints, and miscellaneous, as well). I have file cabinets, but they are packed full of old flowers and foliage that, for some reason, I can't bear to part with. A lot of them are from a long-ago, and better time. When I see them, it pinpoints me to where I got them, and how happy I felt. Many are from when my Mom had 40 acres in NE Iowa (that would be in the 1980's). It seemed like everything grew there (well, not tropical, of course). I used to go all over the place to where I knew things grew. There was a ravine that had weathered rock formed into stairs. The trees would filter light and it was like an outdoor cathedral. Hepatica and Rue Anemone grew wild there, as well as various ferns. It felt like I was the first white person who saw it.....Indians had been there, as well. There was a burial mound on Mom's property, and the first flowers of spring -- Pasque flower -- grew there. All that land seemed so enchanted.

It's been another chilly day, but at least, it isn't raining. Things are still pretty saturated, though. Usually, by May, it is in the 70's, but the weather guy said it would be a short spring, quick leap into summer, and then back into winter again. What a bummer!

Hope everyone has had a good weekend!

Love to all

Kudzu and Monardo

--------------------------------------------------

Sunday Evening...

First of all, it was lovely to chat with C. this afternoon. It sounds like she has some tough choices to make with retirement. I hope she figures out what to do in the most profitable way.

I made this notecard earlier this evening. I found some Kudzu, which Pat S. had sent me. In the south, it covers everything. It was brought there as an ornamental plant, and just took over. I've seen houses, trees, telephone poles, and whole landscapes of it. It looks like a different planet. Too bad it isn't useful for much....you'd think it would make a good fuel alternative, wouldn't you?

Today has been chilly, with some rain. Bob started the wood stove so it's comfortable in here. It definitely hasn't been shorts weather, that's for sure.

I've been watching the Indiana Jones movies that they have on a channel here. I think I liked the last one the best. I definitely feel squeamish when I see the second (it's set in India)....too many bugs, eating monkey brains and scorpions. A dash too exotic for my tastes...lol!

I had my flowers on a big pile on my desk, and had a landslide! Before I can concentrate on any creating, I'm going to have to sort them all out. I wasn't too organized to begin with, but this is a total mess. I wish I had a way to set things to right and make some sense out of what I have.

Other than that, it's been another boring day. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Love to all.....

This is an 8 x 8 picture that I just made tonight. Usually, things take forever for me. I was so relieved that I was able to do it. It is for Cellestine, and due June 1st. I kept it pretty simple, but I did it. Now, all I have is my big picture project to finish this month. It's going very slowly. and is pretty complicated. Maybe, it's just me and my lack of imagination.

It was a pretty cool day today. I don't know if it rained, but the skies were really cloudy. I guess tomorrow is going to be even cold. This has been a winter of record snow, record rain and record cold.

I watched a movie called "Georgia Rules," yesterday. I had no idea what it was about, but it starred Jane Fonda, Lindsey Lohan, and one of the actresses from Desperate Housewives. I thought it was cheesy and tacky, personally, but it made bad memories arise in me because it was about a girl (Lindsey Lohan), who had been molested by her stepfather at the age of 12. I could really identify since that is what happened to me.

Other than that....not much is new. I took my pills, so that's the last of me tonight.

Love to all.....

The Blog of Lee A. Hough

Monday afternoon....

This is the start of my new blog.

Today is a beautiful day...an "Easter Egg" day, I call it: blue skies, warm sun, and green grass. It will be the only one this week as it is supposed to rain 5 out of the next 7 days. That's a bummer! However, I guess we should appreciate the good, and not dwell on the bad. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts!

I started working on the May class. It may be harder than I thought. The project picture is really lovely, and I would like to do it justice. Whether it works that way or not is subject to speculation. I need to do some Mother's Day cards, as well. That will have to be a priority.

I would really like to figure out a slideshow, but need to read about it more. I love the ones done by C & S.

Well, I guess that's all for now.