Holiday Greetings

I did not mail Christmas cards this year. It’s not like the holiday snuck up on me. There is no good excuse because I love cards and enjoy the ones I receive from those of you that keep me on your card list each year. I especially love the cards that are accompanied by the “Here’s what our year was like” family letter. So . . . instead of mailing cards and letters, I will regale or bore you with my family letter added to my blog this year. Most of my friends are on Facebook and have already been bored by all of this throughout the year 🙂

January started with a very special visit from a young friend in the Navy that we have known since he was a toddler. We enjoy visits from Seth and the energy he spreads when he is here.

 

Mid-January brought Chuck by for a visit. Chuck and Jim have been friends since they were both in the Navy years ago. I like to hear the two of them playing guitar together.

Before the month was out, Seth was back for another visit. He and Jim tried to go duck hunting from our boat, but had no luck.

As January moved on into February, Jim and I volunteered at an event at the Tryon Palace in New Bern, and then at the Chocolate Festival in Morehead City.

Elizabeth traveled all the way from Las Vegas for a visit in February. Along with Kim and Nancy we visited a moonshine distillery, and had fun checking out some local things and enjoying each other’s company with friends.

March came along and Jim and I took a trip to Europe for about 12 days. We flew direct from Raleigh to Paris. Even though my phone was pick-pocketed the first day of our vacation (Metro station at the Louvre), we still had a great time. Some things had changed a bit since we were last in Paris, but it is a wonderful city that I wish everyone could visit at least once in their lifetime.

We took a high-speed train to London via the Chunnel. London was fabulous and we will definitely go back there some day.

We then flew to Amsterdam. I had always wanted to see the canals, houseboats, bikes, and museums.

We also went to the Keukenhof Gardens just outside of Amsterdam. It’s the largest flowering bulb park in the world and is only open for a few weeks each year. Even though Jim was skeptical, he enjoyed it. We took another high-speed train back to Paris before returning to the States. Two of the highlights of our trip were seeing Kim and Scott in Paris for dinner one night, and running into an Indian family twice – once in Paris and then by chance again at Keukenhof!

In April we flew to St. Louis to visit relatives. This was a long overdue trip and we had so much fun. We stayed with Jim’s sister, Jane, and got to spend time with her, and her daughter’s family – Ashley, Jesse, Elliot, and Lena. What a delight it was spending time with the kids. Elliot was so involved and present in everything we did. Lena was adorable and just about ready to start walking. We got to visit pawnshops and thrift stores – Yes, Jane loves them too – it runs in the family. We all went to the Museum of Transportation together and it was a wonderful outing for all ages. Jim, Jane and I also went to IKEA more than once, and visited the National Blues Museum together.

The end of April brought about a mini-cousin reunion in Florida. We went to Amelia Island and spent a few days at Jack and Virginia’s condo along with Charles and Joanie. While we were there we got to spend time with Todd, and have lunch with Hobie and Georganna and Hobie’s mom, Patty that we had not seen in decades! We also got to meet Karen, a MD transplant that lives in FL and is related to Joanie.

As we rolled into May, Jim and I continued a little further south into FL and visited with friends (and my old boss), Dave and Theresa. It was lovely seeing them, as it had been several years since we saw them in Las Vegas. They also live on a river like we do!

We then ventured on to Ocala and spent two days with our old Tampa neighbors, Kent and Susan. I had not seen them since 1990 and we picked right up where we left off – so many laughs. They took time off from work and we visited every pawnshop in the area and loaded up their car so much that the guys had to put the pizza on top of the stack of guitars across their laps in the back seat!

On the way back to NC, Jim and I stopped in Savannah, GA. It was so nice spending some time there since it was on my bucket list. Mitzi got to enjoy the entire FL trip with us and really is a good little traveler.

We had a fun fire pit night with friends and neighbors in the middle of the month, and then threw a Memorial Day picnic – but it was SO hot!

In June we made a trip to WV to attend the service and funeral for Jim’s Uncle Russ. He was always special to us and had been the patriarch of the family. He passed away a month shy of his 91^st birthday. We got to see Sammy, Carolyn, and Chris. We stayed with Jack and Virginia too – I had not been to their home in years! The boys even tried their hand at finding treasures in the yard with Jim’s metal detector – all they found on the Civil War era river property were a few rusty nails!

Barb and Allen rented a beach home not far from us in June. I got to spend some time with them as we took one day and went to the Duplin Winery. We also had Greek food together one evening in Swansboro.

My birthday present in July was trading in my SUV for a new one, and having Suzanne visit from TX. While the river was too shallow to get our boat out while she was here, Kim and Scott came to the rescue and we enjoyed a boat ride and dinner with them.

Ken and Rosanna, newlyweds from Las Vegas, were our next visitors. We had fun watching Ken on a jet ski for the first time and enjoying time together on the dock.

In August we drove to Manteo in the Outer Banks and bought L’il Sparky. Stan, our neighbor and friend, was a trooper as we needed his truck and trailer to get this little GEM (Global Electric Motorcar). It was an all-day trip up and back and Jim couldn’t be happier with the deal he got on this fun vehicle that we just drive around the neighborhood.

Later that month we had a small get together on our dock to watch the eclipse! Our next August trip was to Virginia. Maria, one of our dear friends recently moved to VA, not far from Barb and Allen. We ALL met for dinner in Petersburg, and then spent the next two days on Barb and Allen’s boat (Le Rouge Bateau) on Lake Chesdin complete with the doggies!

Since Jim loves a sale, we drove to a “yard sale” at Screen Gems studios in September. Screen Gems is a division of Sony Pictures and is located in Wilmington, NC. They make TV shows and movies there so we weren’t sure what to expect. We got to look through TV show props, LOTS of Christmas decorations, and set furniture. Among other things, we bought a beautiful sideboard for our dining area that was used on the set of the TNT show “Good Behavior”. We checked out the Wilmington waterfront while we were there.

In October, we lit paper lanterns at a beach house nearby and got to meet new friends, Dawn and Joe from MD. This was all possible because of Mark and Lynn, and was one of the many get togethers we have with Kim, Scott, Mike, and Nancy.

Chuck came back for another visit and this time he drove his beautiful new Honda.

Once November came around, we flew to Austin to visit Suzanne. We got to see her folks and meet Jerry. We had fun going once again to pawn shops, which by now I am guessing you know is something Jim really likes to do. We ate at great restaurants, listened to live music, went shopping, and had fun celebrating birthdays and anniversaries together.

When we got back home, Joanie and Charles came to visit. Charles drove his new Prius hybrid and bragged about the great gas mileage he gets – over 55 mpg! We always have fun when they visit from MD.

“Friendsgiving” was held at Mike and Nancy’s – what a great time had by all – good food and great friends.

December started off with the milestone birthday celebration for Jim. The surprise party at Kim and Scott’s was lots of fun. The Facebook birthday page was a hit too – it was a great way for everyone to provide a birthday sentiment for Jim.

I posted lots of pictures, and the favorite was one of Jim and Charles taken years ago after a run – that was back when shorts were made of nylon and REALLY short!

Our next December adventure was a trip to Baltimore to attend Bobby and Tanya’s epic Christmas party. We were going to MD, via Virginia, and I landed in the hospital. We stayed at Barb and Allen’s in VA on the way to Baltimore and we never made it to the party. I was feeling some discomfort, so I went to a Quick Care/freestanding ER place and they had me admitted to Chippenham Hospital for a bad case of diverticulitis – my first bout ever with this colon problem. The best part was getting to watch the Steelers/Ravens game in VA the night after I was discharged!

We got recertified for SCUBA a few days ago and realize how much this is a younger persons sport – carrying all that gear is tiring! We also visited the local nursing home for their Christmas party this week. We are having a small dinner with friends at our house on Christmas Eve. Jim will serve the troops on base on Christmas Day, and we’ll celebrate the New Year once again with the folks here that have become like family to us.

My jet ski got fixed this year and flies through the water – I am not comfortable when it nears 40 mph! Jim got to experience more about boats and boat repairs as we enjoyed our 24’ Cobia on those days when the water was deep enough to get it off the lift!

We celebrated birthdays and anniversaries; went to concerts, festivals and brewery grand openings; worked on projects at home; participated in several different art projects; tried new restaurants, and were delighted we had no hurricanes affect us this year. I am still working when McCormick throws a project my way.

Jim and I are truly thankful and blessed for this life we live. We hope next year will once again be full of visitors, travel, laughter, friends, and family. We wish the very same to each of you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS – HAPPY NEW YEAR – GOD BLESS YOU

Enjoy another sunset from our little piece of the world 🙂

 

The list of “famous” people I have met and seen

I am a list maker. When I go to the store, need to remember something, Christmas, project components, etc. For some reason, I made a list of famous people I have met and seen.

In my 60 plus years on this earth, I’ve had many opportunities to experience lots of different things. Some of my favorites have been concerts, seminars, speaker series, celebrity promotions, musicals, operas, plays, book signings, sporting events, guitar pulls, etc. It was at these types of opportunities that I got to meet famous people. I consider anyone famous as someone that has published a song that became popular, a business giant, a prominent politician, a movie or TV star, a well-known sports figure, a Las Vegas entertainer, comedians/comediennes, a legendary musical group, a famed speaker, etc. Actually “meeting” these folks is a stretch. Most in this list I saw from first row, nosebleed and everywhere in between. I think my very first “famous” experience was seeing Lassie at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, PA when I was a kid! There are several in this list that I actually got to speak to, shake their hand, and have a picture taken with them.

I happened to meet Raquel Welch in Nordstrom’s one day while I was shopping and she was promoting her wig line – she signed a picture to Jim for me. I drove the ex-U.S. Secretary of the Interior Babbitt to the airport after he made a visit to see my boss. Rudy Ruettiger (the real guy the movie “Rudy” was made about) would often pick my brain about interior home finishes and who I was using as a particular subcontractor when he was building a custom home a street away from where I was building one. Danny Glover was on the same Southwest flight as me from Reno to Las Vegas – he was flying alone, and after he ate a large bowl of fresh fruit, I asked him for an autograph! Laurie Hicksom-Smith of HGTV’s Trading Spaces signed a photo for me and picked my name in a drawing to win a chair at a furniture store. Jim and I gave Tim Weisburg a Diet Coke and chatted together before his outdoor concert at Spring Mountain Ranch. I got to hug AND get a pic taken with Bret Michaels. I got to do the same with Chris Botti. We ran into Chris Rea (my all-time favorite singer) in the lobby of a hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia – he couldn’t believe I even knew who he was because he has never toured the US, but I got to talk to him and get a pic – he even offered me tickets to his show, but we were heading back to Moscow! I have had a photo opportunity with Senator Harry Reid. Roy of Siegfried and Roy in Las Vegas shook my hand as we sat front row at their show. We went to a meet and greet after an REO Speedwagon concert and got to take pics and talk to each one of the guys! Randall Cunningham looked at a custom home I was building.

Even though my husband, Jim, was a stagehand for several years in Las Vegas, I was only given free tickets two times to a concert, and I never got to meet the talent. He has some really great stories of the “famous” people he has worked with in the business.

I’ve forgotten a few, but here’s my list of the famous folks I’ve seen from near and far and where I saw them:

98 Degrees (Las Vegas)

Aaron Lewis (Havelock, NC)

Alan Alda (Las Vegas, NV)

Alice Cooper (Pittsburgh, PA)

Al Stewart (Las Vegas, NV)

Amy Grant (Las Vegas, NV)

Andre Agassi (Las Vegas, NV)

Andreas Vollenwider (Tampa, FL)

Ashly DelGrosso (Las Vegas, NV)

A Thousand Horses (Havelock, NC)

Barbra Streisand (Las Vegas, NV)

Bette Midler (Las Vegas, NV)

Billy Joel (Las Vegas, NV)

Blue Man Group (Las Vegas, NV)

Bob Dylan (Tampa, FL)

Bob Kittell (Las Vegas, NV)

Bob Seger (Las Vegas, NV)

Boyz II Men (Las Vegas, NV)

Bret Michaels (Las Vegas, NV)

Brooke Eden (Havelock, NC)

Bruce Babbitt (Las Vegas, NV)

Burt Reynolds (Tampa, FL)

Carlos Santana (Las Vegas, NV)

Carol Burnett (Las Vegas, NV)

Carole King (Las Vegas, NV)

Carrie Ann Inaba (Las Vegas, NV)

Celine Dion (Las Vegas, NV)

Charles Durning (Tampa, FL)

Cher (Pittsburgh, PA and Las Vegas, NV)

Cheryl Burke (Las Vegas, NV)

Chicago (Las Vegas, NV)

Chris Botti (Las Vegas, NV)

Chris Rea (St. Petersburg, Russia)

Cirque du Soliel shows in Las Vegas, NV over the years:

• The Beatles LOVE
• KA
• Mystere
• Nouvelle Experience
• O
• Viva ELVIS
• Zarkana

Citizen Zero (Havelock, NC)

Claudette Colbert (Baltimore, MD)

Claudia Schiffer (Las Vegas, NV)

Clint Holmes (Las Vegas, NV)

Craig Campbell (Havelock, NC)

Danny Glover (Reno, Nevada)

Dave Koz (Las Vegas, NV)

Dave Stockton Jr. (Las Vegas, NV)

David Brenner (Pittsburgh, PA)

David Copperfield (Las Vegas, NV)

Davis Love III (Las Vegas, NV)

Debbie Reynolds (Las Vegas, NV)

Dennis Miller (Las Vegas, NV)

Dire Straits (Las Vegas, NV)

Dom Deluise (Tampa, FL)

Drake White (Havelock, NC)

Drew Lachey (Las Vegas, NV)

Duran Duran (Las Vegas, NV)

Dylan Scott (Havelock, NC)

Earth, Wind & Fire (Las Vegas, NV)

Ed McMahon (Las Vegas, NV)

Eddie Murphy (Tampa, FL)

Edyta Sliwiniska (Las Vegas, NV)

Ellen DeGeneres (Las Vegas, NV)

Elton John (Las Vegas, NV)

Eric Clapton (Las Vegas, NV)

Erykah Badu (Las Vegas, NV)

Faith Hill (Las Vegas, NV)

Frank Sinatra (Las Vegas, NV)

Frankie Moreno (Las Vegas, NV)

Fred Couples (Las Vegas, NV)

General Colin Powell (Las Vegas, NV)

George Lopez (Las Vegas, NV)

George Rose (Baltimore, MD)

Gladys Knight (Las Vegas, NV)

Glen Campbell (Tamps, FL)

Glenn Frey (Las Vegas, NV)

Granger Smith (Havelock, NC)

Grateful Dead (Las Vegas, NV)

Greg Anthony (Las Vegas, NV)

Senator Harry Reid (Las Vegas, NV)

Harry Hamlin (Las Vegas, NV)

Howard Putnam (Las Vegas, NV)

Hulk Hogan (Tampa, FL)

Jamie Foxx (Las Vegas, NV)

Jerrod Niemann (Havelock, NC)

Jerry Tarkanian (Las Vegas, NV)

Jersey Boys (Las Vegas, NV)

Jim Brickman (Las Vegas, NV)

Jim McGuinn (Las Vegas, NV)

Jim Nabors (Pittsburgh, PA)

Jimmy Buffet (Las Vegas, NV)

Jimmy Stewart (Indiana, PA)

Joan Fontaine (Columbia, SC)

Joan Rivers (Las Vegas, NV)

Joey Lawrence (Las Vegas, NV)

Joey McIntyre (Las Vegas, NV)

Johnny Cash (Fairlea, WV)

Jordan Rager (Havelock, NC)

Josh Turner (Havelock, NC)

Jubilee (Las Vegas, NV)

June Cash (Fairlea, WV)

Kari Michaelson (Las Vegas, NV)

Kathleen Madigan (Las Vegas, NV)

Kelly Gibson (Las Vegas, NV)

Kenny G (Las Vegas, NV)

Krish Dhanam (Las Vegas, NV)

Kristen Chenoweth (Las Vegas, NV)

Kym Johnson (Las Vegas, NV)

Lassie (Pittsburgh, PA)

Larry Johnson (Las Vegas, NV)

Laura Bush (Las Vegas, NV)

Laurie Hickson-Smith (Las Vegas, NV)

LeReve (Las Vegas, NV)

Lionel Richie (Las Vegas, NV)

Lisa Rinna (Las Vegas, NV)

Lou Holtz (Las Vegas, NV)

Louis Anderson (Las Vegas, NV)

Louis van Amstel (Las Vegas, NV)

President Lyndon Johnson (Summersville, WV)

Maksim Cherkovskiy (Las Vegas, NV)

Mary J. Blige (Las Vegas, NV)

Mark Calcavecchia (Las Vegas, NV)

Mary Buffet (Las Vegas, NV)

Melissa Etheridge (Williamsburg, VA)

Mick Fleetwood (Las Vegas, NV)

Neil Diamond (Las Vegas, NV)

Neville Brothers (Las Vegas, NV)

New Kids in the Block (Las Vegas, NV)

Pat Sajak (Las Vegas, NV)

Patty Smyth (Las Vegas, NV)

Paul Azinger (Las Vegas, NV)

Paul Goydos (Las Vegas, NV)

Paul McCartney (Las Vegas, NV)

Paula Deen (Richmond, VA)

Peter White (Las Vegas, NV)

Phil Mickelson (Las Vegas, NV)

Pink (Las Vegas, NV)

Pittsburgh Pirates – ‘73 team (Pittsburgh, PA)

Randall Cunningham (Las Vegas, NV)

Raquel Welch (Las Vegas, NV)

Ray Romano (Las Vegas, NV)

REO Speedwagon (Las Vegas, NV)

Rex Harrison (Baltimore, MD)

Richard Elliot (Las Vegas, NV)

Rick Fehr (Las Vegas, NV)

Rick Springfield (Las Vegas, NV)

Rita Rudner (Las Vegas, NV)

Rippingtons (Las Vegas, NV)

Senator Robert Byrd (Fairlea, WV)

Robin Williams (Las Vegas, NV)

Rod Stewart (Las Vegas, NV)

Rolling Stones (Las Vegas, NV)

Ronnie Black (Las Vegas, NV)

Rudy Giuliani (Las Vegas, NV)

Rudy Ruettiger (Henderson, NV)

Sammy Hagar (Las Vegas, NV)

Seasons After (Havelock, NC)

Sheryl Crow (Las Vegas, NV)

Siegfried & Roy (Las Vegas, NV)

Sonny Bono (Pittsburgh, PA)

Stacy Augmon (Las Vegas, NV)

Starlight Express (Las Vegas, NV)

Steve Forbes (Las Vegas, NV)

Steve Miller Band (Las Vegas, NV)

Steve Thomas (Las Vegas, NV)

Stevie Nicks (Las Vegas, NV)

Tanita Tikaram (Las Vegas, NV)

Terry Bradshaw (Las Vegas, NV)

The Three Cool Cats (Tampa, FL)

Three Dog Night (Pittsburgh, PA)

Tiger Woods (Las Vegas, NV)

Tim McGraw (Las Vegas, NV)

Time Weisberg (Las Vegas, NV)

Tiny Tim (Pittsburgh, PA)

Trace Adkins (Havelock, NC)

Tyler Farr (Havelock, NC)

Usher (Las Vegas, NV)

Vanna White (Las Vegas, NV)

Vince Gill (Las Vegas, NV)

Walker Hayes (Havelock, NC)

Willa Ford (Las Vegas, NV)

Willie Nelson (Las Vegas, NV)

Woody Harrelson (Tampa, FL)

 

THE GIFT THAT STICKS :)

Last Christmas I decided to make personalized magnets as gifts for my neighbors. I found the process to be a bit tedious, but I was very happy with the outcome. I made about 180 magnets and thought I’d share my process with you should you be looking for something fun to create for Christmas presents this year. The first picture was my inspiration. I always liked the fun design. The second picture is a group of magnets that I finished and gifted to a neighbor.

I never made these before so I watched a few YouTube videos and made my decision about which type of glass, glue, and Mod Podge I wanted to use. One of the most important things was the actual magnet. They come in various Gauss ratings and thicknesses. I always hate using a magnet that doesn’t do it’s job very well, so I chose a magnet that has a gauss rating of 1.04, with a.75 inch diameter and about a .25 inch thickness. Only one of these is necessary to hold several papers at a time to your refrigerator!

In addition to the magnets, you will also need the glass gems. Now these can get expensive if you buy fancy cabochons. I chose instead to buy the glass gems from Hobby Lobby. The ones I found were clear and located back in their craft area. The ones in the floral area are iridescent and you don’t want them because they are not clear. The glass gems come in mesh bags and contain about 50 pieces per bag. This may differ because they are not sold by the number included, but by weight. Not all of the gems will be acceptable because some tend to be not as clear as you might like and others may have an occlusion that mars the design you choose for your magnet. In general, these are about 1 inch in diameter.

I never used Mod Podge before and really liked it. I chose the matte finish type.

The paper I used was just the generic paper I had in my printer in both white and yellow. I didn’t see the need to use cardstock, but you could. You could also use a piece of wallpaper, fabric, newspaper, something from a magazine, a picture, etc. Keep in mind that what you choose will be about 1-inch square, that will then be sized a bit smaller.

When it comes to glue, I chose gorilla glue. In retrospect, I should have used another glue that is just as strong, but doesn’t expand. The expansive properties of gorilla glue caused me a few issues as the glued dried.

I used baking trays and pie pans too while making these. This worked well until I added the magnets. As you can imagine, the magnets wanted to attach themselves to the metal trays. I should have used wood, plastic or cardboard instead.

Materials List:

• Glass gems
• Regular printer paper or other things mentioned above (fabric, wallpaper, picture, etc.)
• Magnets
• Mod Podge
• Glue
• Windex
• Paper towels
• Trays/lids/something to stage your items while they dry
• Modge Podge applicator – I used a small plastic ruler
• Paper or plastic plate
• Pen or pencil
• Scissors
• If you choose to create the magnet design as I did, you will also need a computer and printer

Research: For my project, I decided to personalize the magnets to my neighbors likes and interests. For example, I have neighbors that like to dance, play pickleball, boat, fish, sew, cook, etc. Some like specific football teams, while others prefer baseball. I chose at least 3 or 4 interests for each neighbor and made a list. This took some research! I then went online and found free clip art to match the interests. As I found each image I copied it into a folder on my desktop. It was great when I could duplicate an interest. For example, several neighbors have dogs, so I created a paw print for them and duplicated it for every neighbor with a dog.

There were three constants in my designs. The first was the last name of each family was created in a nice font and placed on yellow paper. The second constant was everyone in my community was also given a magnet with a picture of the entrance to our community that I reduced down far enough that it was still legible to read the signage and know what you were looking at. The last constant was if you had children, I made a magnet with the first name of each child.

Step 1: Choose your design(s)

Step 2: Buy your supplies

Step 3: If you customize them like I did, you need to print the designs. To do this you will take the free clip art design already waiting for you in a folder on your desktop (see research section above). You will resize it so that the dimensions are slightly less than the size of your glass gem. In my case this was just under 1-inch square. I opened a blank Word document and imported the design to an 8-1/2 x 11 page. If I needed 8 dog paw prints, I copied and pasted the design as many times as necessary onto the piece of paper. I placed approximately 24 designs on each 8-1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Once all the designs were complete, I printed all the pages.

Step 4: Clean the glass gems. I cleaned them using window cleaner and paper towels. This is also the time when you will cull out the ones that have cracks, chips or occlusions in them. As you finish cleaning the ones you are going o use, lay them out on a tray or whatever you are using to stage these while you make them.

Step 5: Cut all the designs from each 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. You can do this as you go, or just cut them all out and put them in a pile. When you cut them make sure you cut them a little larger than the size of the glass gem. I cut mine into 1-1/4” squares.

Step 6: Place the glass gem on top of the design and draw a line around the gem using a pen or pencil. You will do this on an angle so you are getting the size of the back of the glass gem.

Step 7: Now you can cut the design to fit that specific glass gem. Dryfit the design on the back of the glass gem after you cut it out from the line. Make sure none of the edges will hang over the back of the glass gem.

Step 8: Lay several of your designs and their matching glass gems on a tray as you complete the previous step. This will make the next step faster to do.

Step 9: Open the Mod Podge and place a small amount onto a paper or plastic disposable plate. Close the lid on the Mod Podge until you need more. Find the implement you want to use to place the Mod Podge on the back side of the glass gem. For this step, I used a small, flexible plastic ruler I happened to have on hand. I could wipe it off between uses. Dip the implement into the Mod Podge and smear some on the back of the glass gem. Wait a second or two and place your design onto the back of the glass gem. You want to have enough Mod Podge on the glass gem to completely cover the surface, but not so much that too much oozes out. Remember the design goes into the Mod Podge and will dry clear so you can see the design through the glass once it dries. Don’t worry about oozing Mod Podge, it will clean off. Let the glass gems dry for about 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.

Step 10: Take a damp paper towel (water or window cleaner will work) and gently clean any dried Mod Podge that oozed from around the design. Don’t wet the design.

Step 11: Take a small brush and put a coat of Mod Podge on the back side of the design. You can see the sheen of the Mod Podge on the back side of the glass gems in these pics. Let these dry for about 30 minutes before moving on to the next step. This step really seals the design onto the glass gem and protects it.

Step 12: Take a damp paper towel (water or window cleaner will work) and gently clean any dried Mod Podge that got onto the glass. Don’t wet the design.

Step 13: Now that the design portion of the project is complete, you can get ready to add the magnet. I placed a small drop of Gorilla glue on the back of each dried glass gem and waited a few seconds before I added the magnet. Since Gorilla glue expands I had to press the magnets down part way through the drying process. Use another type of glue if you do this project!

Step 14: Since I was using metal trays up to this point, I had to change to something else. As I placed the magnet onto the dot of glue on the back of each glass gem, I let them dry on pages of a magazine I placed on my office countertop.

Step 15: Now that you’re all done, you should use a wet paper towel and clean your gems one last time.

How do you want to present these as gifts? I decided to place them on something metal and I found some steel stars that were the perfect size. Magnets ONLY stick to iron, nickel, cobalt and some forms of steel. Magnets DO NOT stick to aluminum, copper, lead, tin, titanium, zinc, brass and bronze.

I hope you try this because customized gifts are special.

As always, I will leave you with a fabulous pic of a sunset I get to see most nights right in my own back yard!

The giving of sweet potatoes

Many of us have heard about designated state things like motto, tree, flag, and bird. What about state vegetable? As it turns out there are a handful of states (10 to 14 depending on the list you find) that have designated a state vegetable.

I moved to North Carolina three years ago and recently learned that our state vegetable is the sweet potato. Some people may think sweet potatoes and yams are the same thing, but they are not. They are different in origin, appearance, etc. The state of North Carolina produces millions of pounds of this starchy, tuberous root each year; more than any other state.

I also live in a part of the state where there are an unusually high number of churches. I don’t have the specific statistics on this but there are churches every few miles in this rural part of the state. One local church that I pass regularly on State Highway 101 combines the state vegetable with giving back to the community.

The Hyman Chapel posts a sign along NC State Highway 101 for anyone that wants to pull onto the property to get free sweet potatoes.

I’ve seen a dozen vehicles there at any one time with folks selecting sweet potatoes from the pile. I imagine local wildlife enjoy a bit of a sweet potato feast every time the local potato farmer dumps this large pile of the state vegetable.

I took my pictures two weeks after the potatoes were delivered, so just imagine the pile about 75% larger! I’m sure many local folks enjoyed a sweet potato casserole over the holidays, thanks to the generosity of a local farmer and the Trustee Board of the Hyman Chapel!

Since I always end my blog with a pic of a beautiful sunset taken right in my back yard, I leave you with the last one I took in 2016.

For the love of GLASS

If you know me you know I love glass. That fact that something malleable can be formed into something beautiful is what endears glass to me. I feel the same way about wood, but that’s a different story.

There are some opportunities to see glass transformed from its liquid state into something useful or into art. There are many more opportunities to see or even try creating your own glass art.

As a kid, I got to visit the Museum of Glass in Corning, New York. That may have been when my fascination with glass began. I remember watching a man with a torch and rods of glass make little animals, parasols and miniature birdbaths as I peered over the counter top to watch him.

As I got older I had the opportunity to travel. When I went to Italy, part of the trip to Venice included taking a water taxi to the islands of Burano and Murano. On Murano, known as the Glass Island, we visited a glass factory where we watched glass blowers create the most amazing things.

While visiting Italy, I fell in love with millefiori, a glass technique whereby glass rods are created that when cut into pieces, the small beads have flowers of many colors embedded inside. In Italian, millefiori means thousand flowers. These beads are then used to create jewelry, plates, paperweights, and other works of art.

Here is a picture of a millefiori bead bracelet I purchased in Italy.

This is a picture of a glass necklace I bought in Venice.

I have also been to the Waterford glass factory in Waterford, Ireland. The factory offers a wonderful tour of the facilities where you get to see glass blowing, glass cutting, how the molds are made, etc.

I couldn’t help but buy a few wine glasses as a memento. I did not choose a classic Waterford design because I liked the works of John Rocha better. Here is the Rocha wine glass design I chose:

Some cities in the U.S. have glass museums and/or glass galleries. I was visiting friends in Washington and got to visit the Tacoma Museum of Glass. I highly recommend this museum. You can view a large gallery of various forms of glass art both inside and outside, sit in the Hot Shop and watch glass blowers live, view other small glass making techniques, buy something in the gift shop, or grab a bite to eat.

I bought this roll-on bracelet at the Tacoma Museum of Glass. Women that crochet these tiny glass beads into a bracelet that will fit most wrist sizes make these in Nepal. These Nepalese artisans are paid fair trade wages, which allows them to improve the quality of their lives.

On a trip with another friend to Denver, I visited the PISMO Fine Art Glass Gallery in the Cherry Creek shopping area. Unfortunately, after many years in business, this gallery owner closed her shops and retired. Stunning glass art pieces were available for purchase.

I bought this small glass pendant at PISMO and wear it often.

I lived in Las Vegas for many years and got to see Dale Chihuly works in person. The famous Bellagio Hotel and Casino resort sports a glass ceiling in the registration lobby that was completely created by Chihuly. Named “Fiori Di Como”, this 40,000-pound glass sculpture includes 2,000 pieces of glass!

In Las Vegas there is more Chihuly to see. Just down the Strip from the Bellagio is City Center. This mixed-use urban complex of hotels, restaurants, casinos, mall, and other shops is home to the Chihuly Gallery. The pieces are exquisite and for sale, but the prices are not for the faint of heart.

There is another artisan I like and he is much less well known. His name is Ron Hinkle and he lives in southern WV. I have visited his workshop and purchased a few of his works of art. One of my favorites is the “glass kiss” which is great near a sink to place a ring on while washing dishes. I love this small bowl which I purchased on my last visit to his shop. The inside reminds me of mustard.

My love of glass has included my own hand at creating things. I took a few classes in Florida and Nevada where I got to make glass beads and fused glass. I made the bowls in glass fusion class along with the sailboat pendant and hair clasp. The glass beading class was fun, but I didn’t make many beads!

My favorite so far has been the stained glass class I took earlier this year. My first attempt at this glass art was the panel I made with a few different kinds of clear glass along with some red and orange glass pieces. I also made a few sailboats that were far more difficult than the larger panel!

Glassmaking goes all the way back to 3500 BC. It is so easy to appreciate glass, but the process isn’t all that simple for glass to become useful. Have you ever seen an old window that has hand blown glass panes in it? How cool that must have been to create them. How about walking out on the glass skywalk at the grand canyon and looking hundreds of feet below you to the canyon floor? Have you ever sat in a church and really looked at the stained glass church windows?

Enough about glass. I haven’t written a blog in several months and have missed this. One of the reasons I have been a slacker is because I fractured my shoulder, but I’m all better now, or at least I’m as good as I will get.

I will end once again with a lovely NC sunset taken right in my back yard. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving this week!

Driftwood Tree DIY Project

I fell in love with a driftwood tree I saw while shopping last fall. The tree was about 4 feet tall and made me think of the beach. I saw smaller ones in other stores but they were overpriced making the 4-foot tree I saw a bargain.

When I went to purchase the original tree I saw, I learned that it had been sold. The store owner told me how to get in touch with the artist that made the trees. I placed a call to him and, along with a friend; we went to his house to purchase a tree. He had a small selection from which to choose, but I found one that I liked and took it home.

I really wanted two trees, but I didn’t want to spend that much money. I also wanted to place them on my porch flanking the front door. They would replace the fake evergreen trees that were there.

It gets very windy where I live and I quickly found that the tree I purchased was not stable enough to stand on its own. The artist had used a bulky piece of driftwood on the very bottom, but it wasn’t large or heavy enough to stabilize the tree in a breeze. I had to prop the tree next to a front porch rocker to keep it from falling over.

The only solution was to take the tree apart and rebuild it so it would stand on its own. Since I wanted two trees and there’s a beach in my community, I decided to solve two problems at once.

I took a stroll on the community beach after a recent storm and collected several pieces of driftwood in all sizes.

I then went to Lowe’s and purchased two deck blocks to use as the base for the trees. I also purchased two, 3/8-inch threaded rods. I already had four washers and four nuts that I would need to complete the skeleton before I started to add the driftwood pieces.

My husband used a ½-inch masonry bit to drill a hole through the center of the deck block. We then placed a nut and washer about 8-inches up the rod and slid the rod into the block that was turned upside down, securing the other end of the rod with a second washer and nut. After tightening both nuts and placing the block into a square plastic pot I already owned, I was almost ready to build a few trees.

I deconstructed the tree I bought and placed each piece in sequential order based on size. I then took the driftwood I had collected and placed the pieces in a similar order next to the original ones.

I wanted to drill the holes safely and chose a flowerpot full of dirt as my work surface. I re-drilled each of the pieces from the original tree and drilled the new pieces too using a ½-inch wood drill bit.

Working with six to eight drilled pieces at a time, I created two new driftwood trees. When I got them to the height I wanted, I cut the threaded rod leaving about 3-inches visible above the last horizontal driftwood “limb”. I then chose a piece for the top of each tree that would be inserted on the rod in a vertical fashion. I drilled the end of each piece and placed it on the rod.

I now have two very stable and cool looking driftwood trees flanking my front door. I plan to fill the space around the deck block in the pot with sand or gravel and add a few seashells that I collected as the finishing touch.

If you have access to driftwood, this two-tree project would only cost about $40!

I’ll leave you with a beautiful February sunset on the river from my little piece of the world.

A little fun in the guest room :)

I’m not sure what you were thinking when you read the title, but I am talking about pictures. Not just any pictures, but pictures of your friends and family.

Mixed among the clutter on the dresser and night stands in my guest room are a number of picture frames. I thought I would marry the fact that we get lots of company using the guest room and I take LOTS of pictures!!

Just before company arrives, I put pictures in the frames that relate to the company! It might be pictures from their last visit, or pictures of their pets. For one cousin in particular, I have a picture of his favorite hot fudge sundae taken in a restaurant in a different state.

I think it’s a fun thing to do and if you have repeat visitors you just have to shuffle the photos in the frame because you can usually keep more than one or two tucked in there behind the glass!

All of our visitors get to experience the beautiful sunsets right in our back yard. What subtle thing do you do that’s fun for your guests?

Santa belt buckle gift wrap

I love to wrap presents. This includes those that receive gift wrap and ribbon, and those that are placed with tissue paper in a gift bag. It all started when my Mom would let me help her wrap presents when I was a kid. I thought it was a big deal and felt grown-up when she allowed me to help. She even let me wrap my own gifts, but only after she placed them in a box and taped up all the sides!!

It’s a fun way to hide a secret until the big reveal. Opening a gift is a fun and happy thing to do. When you see a wrapped present, you look at the size and maybe even have the opportunity to shake it, and feel the weight of it in your hands. What is inside? Is it something you wanted? Will it be a complete surprise?

I had the opportunity to wrap a large number of the same present this year for Christmas. Thirty of them in fact. Thirty secrets that will be revealed on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I like order and wanted them all to be wrapped exactly the same. When wrapping any present, you have to take into consideration the size and shape. My large group of the same present was flat and almost square. Hmmm – what would be a fun way to wrap them?

I decided on a “Santa belt buckle” design. I went to the store and found red, glossy wrapping paper, gold card stock, and black ribbon. In addition, I needed scissors, ruler, X-Acto knife, pencil, and cutting mat.

First, I wrapped each present the same with the red, glossy paper. I then took each piece of gold card stock and measured for multiple buckle squares, which were 9 squares per sheet. I made a template for the actual buckle design and using the X-Acto knife cut out the first buckle area and repeated the same for the rest of the squares.

The black ribbon was cut to length so it would go around the width of the present one time. I proceeded to cut 30 lengths of ribbon. I then assembled the Santa belt buckle design by threading the ribbon through the buckle openings I made in the card stock and fastening it with tape to the package. I then folded over a small piece of tape and placed it on the back side of the buckle in order to keep it in place.

 

 

 

I am very happy with the results and think they not only look festive, but also do a great job hiding the secret present inside. This is a great idea for any size package.

 

As we fast approach the day when we open presents under the tree, keep in mind that it’s the thought that counts, not how much the present is worth. I say this because worth isn’t always measured in a monetary way. Enjoy the time you have with family and friends during the holiday and don’t forget the religious and cultural aspect of why we even celebrate this time of year.

Enjoy your sunsets, holidays and the people in your life.

Make that “Charley Horse” gallop away!

I just love receiving advice on how to solve a problem that is bothering me. I hope this information helps you too. I can’t take credit for the clever title for this particular blog as I found it when I ‘Googled” leg cramps.

I used to suffer from leg cramps once I went to bed. They might have been due to dehydration when I lived in the desert. They might have been due to issues related to prescription medications I was taking. Whatever the cause, and there are many more reasons to get them, I was miserable.

I moved to a new state and a new neighborhood. I learned from my fellow neighbors during a morning walk that all I needed was a bar of soap!

You might laugh, but they weren’t kidding. I was told to place a bar of soap on top of my mattress and under the fitted sheet. I had a lovely bar of soap that I received as a gift in a cotton bag.

I did as I was told and even though it looks odd under my sheet, I hoped for the best.

I received this advice over a year ago and I have to say I have never – ever – had leg cramps (also known as a charley horse) since that little bar of soap was placed in my bed.

I understand there are other remedies out there to keep from getting leg cramps. One is to drink pickle juice, but this is the remedy I have tried and the one I know that works. It’s simple! Give it a try if you want to avoid those sharp pains in the night that keep you from falling asleep 🙂 Think about the advice your friends give you – it can be invaluable!

As always, I will end with a lovely sunset taken in my back yard.

Halloween memories

What are your memories of Halloween as a kid? Did you get to go trick-or-treating to lots of houses or did you live out in the country without many neighbors? Did you grow up in the age of going to a mall and getting candy from stores or did you get to attend a special “safe” event just for kids? Do you remember your costumes from year to year and do you have a favorite?

I grew up in a neighborhood in Pittsburgh that was full of kids and we all went trick-or-treating. This was back in the day when everyone either made his or her own costume (or their mother made it for them), or you bought one in a box at the store. Usually you went to SS Kresge, Murphy’s, Zayre’s or other similar discount store and picked from a pretty good variety of costumes.

The bad thing about the boxed costumes from the “old” days was the mask. The mask had an elastic band that went around the back of your head to keep it held in place. Another bad thing was the holes for the eyes. The holes completely cut off any peripheral vision you had. The worst part of the mask was the condensation that built up because you had to breathe all the while you were trying to see, keep warm, get candy, maneuver steps, curbs, and sidewalks, etc.

Some of my neighbors gave apples and when they dropped them in the bag, the apples crushed the more delicate full size candy bars. Yes, I said full-size candy bars. We didn’t have “fun” size bars when I was a kid. Other neighbors passed out nickels. I guess that was the going rate for a chocolate bar back in the day. I always liked the neighbors that gave us homemade candy apples or popcorn balls. They were special things to get in our pillowcase.

We didn’t use cute little orange, plastic buckets. We needed something large to handle all the big candy bars! I can remember going home and getting a second pillowcase to go back out! When we were done for the night, my sister and I would sit on the floor, dump out all the candy, make a few swaps, and give our parents the candy we didn’t like.

Half of the homes in my neighborhood were at street level making it easy to maneuver up and down sidewalks bypassing other kids with their pillowcases. The other half of the homes were on the high side of the street, which meant we had to climb stairs to get to those front doors. This was actually difficult especially if it was cold outside. You had a coat on over your adorable costume, you were wearing a mask, which was hard to breathe in and difficult to see out of, and you were carrying a pillowcase brimming with candy!

My idyllic memories of Halloween as a kid have lasted into adulthood. I have a few home parties under my belt and I helped to plan several large corporate events over the years where lots of $ was spent on candy and making the evening a fun and safe time for kids.

Two years ago I moved from a neighborhood in one state where we would get about 200 kids on Halloween, to a neighborhood out in the country in another state where we don’t get any trick-or-treaters. I miss the little ones!

I hope you and yours enjoy Halloween if just for the fun of dressing up and having fun!

Here’s a recent sunset taken from my yard: