Lake Lawrence Bazaar, Part II

~O.K. , it is not Christmas, but don't these ornaments just give you a teeny tiny burst of Christmas spirit ? Just a little bit of jingle bells and deck the halls ?~~They were handmade by this mother-daughter team(below). Megan Erickson and her Mother of ME Original. They can be contacted through meoriginal.etsy.com . I looked over their many creative and primitive country ornaments, signs and decorations several times. I also checked out Megan's blog and find she is a very creative mom and wife...I hope she and her mother do well with their handmade items, most definitely made with love !~ "Frugality without creativity is deprivation." Amy Dacyczyn

~Here we have the big attention getter ! When you walk into Lake Lawrence Hall, why, you are met with CHOCOLATE ! Lots of beautiful, scrumptious chocolate. I could see this booth from mine , and the chocolate booth was always busy. Why, the other vendors were constantly buzzing around the chocolate. Isn't this (below) a wondrous sight to encounter when you walk into a building ? ~Yes, this is Aunt Billie's chocolate. Aunt Billie was decked out in tinsel garlands, her hair was wreathed in garlands, and her chocolate sent out the tempting call..."Come hither, I am chocolate, you cannot resist me....." ~This is Terry Halverson, of Scent With Love. I got to sit next to her and inhale the lovely aroma of her soy candles. She too was a very popular booth. You have no idea how many people come by to sniff, sniff, and sniff some more...then after they have done the rounds of the bazaar will come back, sniff a few more times and after a last whiff, why..they buy ! I succumbed to the aroma of her soy candles, and am glad I did. Terry can be reached at scentwithlovecandles@hotmail.com ~ Oh, she and her husband and son were also very pleasant company , I had such a wonderful time with my neighbors at the bazaar !Plus, Terry is SO organized, I learned a thing or two just from watching her. ~This lady is inspirational ! She asked me how my wool fleece felted up. I did not know. I had fleece in batts and rovings for sale but have never felted my fleece in the manner she was asking about. I have done some needle felting ON my rugs, but never felted the fleece itself. Well, she purchased some yarn and fleece batts and I asked her to tell me how it turned out..... "Creative work is play. It is free speculation using materials of one's chosen form." Stephen Nachmanouitch ~Can you see from the above and below photographs how her felting turned out ? Her name is Debra Southern..and she went home and felted the wool and came back the next day and showed me the successful results ! Thank-you Debra...I will be felting my wool fleeces now to create even more exciting projects ! ~Here is my booth. I still need to figure out a few tricks for display of rugs, yarn , fleece, and other items I sell. I did have a good time. I learned a lot, visited with interesting people, made some money ( mucho importante, hay is greatly appreciated by my spotted sheep ) and bought a few things I just could not find anywhere else and some for Christmas gifts. Hey...it is good to get some early shopping done, dont'cha think ? ~And, I sold out of my little Nativity sheep. Got to make at least a hundred before the bazaar in December! "Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with it's apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed on the disciplined adult intelligence-" Norman Podhoretz

~More of Laurie's Handcrafted Baskets ~ " To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted." George Knellen

Spot on Christmas Bazaar at Lake Lawrence

~If I was a rich woman,or did not need to buy a ton or two of hay, I would have purchased this beautiful glass bowl I saw and coveted at the bazaar. I did visit it a few times while I was there, but alas, did not buy it .~~This lovely young woman(below) was the sister and family representative at the booth that sold the glass. Doesn't she look like Melina Kanakeredes, the star of CSI New York ? She is really the sister of Jerry and Justin Brown, artists of the glass at the booth I stalked. Another of the artists was Mike Powers. I wish I had more time to ask (be nosy ) more questions about the artists and creators here at the bazaar but I was by myself here and someone had to man(woman) my booth....so, if I neglected to mention anyone who should have been named I am sorry. For more info on their glass e-mail them at : glassinfo@justinwbrown.com

~I was surprised to find out she knew one of my sons who was a track buddy of hers in high school ! You can see more of the glass ornaments with her in the picture. My photography did not do her or the glass justice. The sun coming through the window showed the glass to be gloriously beautiful but did NOT help, in fact hindered my pictures. ~The stage at the lodge. Our daughter and her husband were married here at the lodge. There is a lake just outside . It is a beautiful place, and full of wonderful memories for us. So I enjoy being here for Christmas bazaars too !I thought the stage was especially pretty and on Saturday Yelm High School Choir performed a medley of songs for the bazaar. ~This is Pam Walker (Atomic Art). She and her husband were next to me . I was so very blessed to sit next to great people who were FUN and encouraging ! I tell you, when you spend a weekend at a bazaar you really do appreciate company that is pleasant, and Pam and her husband Rick were ! It helps that you really, really like what they are selling. ~Sorry Pam ! This is a bad picture of a beautiful necklace and earring set Pam created(below). She is also an artist. This is glass inlaid with silver.Some of her jewelry was inlaid with copper .I wish I could describe how Pam does her work....but trust me, her work is glass, heated and molded and she has a lot of silver worked in or around it. I wanted some red glass earrings with silver. I found a pair of earrings I liked a lot and asked if she could add some silver to them..she did, that very night ! The next day I had a pair of red earrings with silver hearts overlaid and I LOVE them! Thank-you Pam ! I also discovered they know close friends who are their neighbors. Can't wait til next year to visit with them. Maybe we will get together sooner. For info about her glass jewelry and other glass are she can be contacted at: walkerfam4@ywave.com

~Of course I could not resist a picture of this glass dish..blue and yellow. Pam made this!~

~This is GLOW GIRL,(glowgrrl@gmail.com) Isn't she lovely ? She is also very nice and she has created her own line of fragrant body scrubs. Lake Lawrence probably was not able to appreciate her product as well as it should have, but Deanna Young's product is very nice and affordable. She is just getting started and I hope she does well. Deanna and her product are what I would call "classy" in every sense of the word !Her display was clean and sophisticated! ~Laurie is a basket weaver( Laurie's Handcrafted Baskets, Yelm, WA ). I have coveted her baskets for awhile. I resisted buying a basket last year, but this year I found one I NEEDED! It is sad but true, some markets just cannot afford or appreciate what goes into producing some crafts and wares. Laurie weaves baskets that are worth far more than she asks for them. Believe me, far more ! ~Here is the basket I bought. My picture does not show the craftsmanship involved here. I will treat this basket as the work of art it is. I think my homespun yarns look mighty fine in this basket, don't you ?

~Hand blown glass Christmas balls. Blue ! How can I resist ? Aren't they beautiful? O.K. I bought one....if only that bowl was in the budget......but I do have a picture of it!~

~I will post a little more about the bazaar tomorrow. I wish we were all able to appreciate the talent and the products available in our own communities and country. I wish local stores and markets were able to spotlight and sell local products at a price that would be affordable to many, and also be worth the time and effort the artist / creator / producer put into it. America has so much to offer, so much talent, so many creative and innovative people . Please, God bless America. Thank-you Lord for all you have given us and may we not take for granted what you have freely offered and given us !

Spot on Fiber, Fabric, Bazaar Fun !

~I am getting ready for the bazaar this weekend and there is a lot to do.~

~Aren't the colors and textures here just lovely ? Of course I am a bit biased about them. I wove the nubby fabric with the shell buttons on it from some of my homespun Jacob wool, and some funky yarns I picked up here and there. I finally decided after months of thinking about the fabric, just what I was going to do with it. (Above ) Here I have assembled various things I have collected over the months and years..and I will use my handwoven fabric, along with some Chinese fabric I just love, and turquoise shell buttons to make....

~A small purse just the right size to carry a cell phone, a driver's license, maybe some money and a comb or lipstick. Nothing much. This is meant to be a small purse for lightweight carrying. Here I have lined some of my handwoven fabric with the Chinese butterfly fabric. I spent a lot of time just looking at the Chinese fabric. It is so beautiful I did not want to cut it, but I did. ~Here above is one of the two finished purses I made. The handle is also made of the same yarns and is long enough to sling it over the shoulder and have the purse hang at the waist .

~Miss Marple is bored and decides to take a nap while I work on the other purses.~

~Here is more fabric I have woven of my yarn and some funky yarns. I have placed it with some beads I found a few years ago and some shiny gold fabric with leaves on it. Looks like a good mix, so I create 2 more purses.

~Close up of the beads.~

~Here is the lining stitched with the handwoven fabric. (above) ~

~The almost finished purse. I have yet to hand stitch the handle to it, but I like this little bag.~

~Miss Marple is awake, I have finished 4 little purses for the bazaar. Set up time at Lake Lawrence is tomorrow( I mean this afternoon), and the bazaar is Friday and Saturday. I have a lot left to do, Miss Marple has mischief to get into, guess I'll get to bed . I need my sleep. I think I like making little purses, and if they don't sell, why, I know I would really use the turquoise one , and the other one with the gold heart button, that one would go well with my little black dress... ~Our daughter has started a blog, 'A.Joy At Home', click on it in my sidebar and read the story about "cars going to heaven?" and also, read about "Turtle Love", it is a funny and true story.....a love that endures even now !

Spot On Someone Who Made A Difference

~This post will be a bit heavy on the Labrador retriever pictures, but there is a reason.~ Beatrix

~A friend of ours died this past week. Dale Tibbits, DVM. Since we have lived out here our lives have been intertwined with Dr. Tibbits' . He was our vetrinarian, he was an employer of our sons and nephew for a few years. He was the landlord of our dear friends, Dirt and Lanny ( It's The Dirt, in sidebar ) But really, he was so much more than that. Mabel (below) is our black Lab. ~Dale Tibbits was almost always seen with one, two, or many more black Labs. Dale was an avid hunter and field trial dog trainer and competitor. We would see his truck all around the area , Labs in their carrier, or often we would see Dale training them in his ponds and fields, or Ft.Lewis range land.When our sons and nephew were younger Dale would take them along for help. ~Dale made a difference in our sons' lives. A good difference!

~Here is Sienna, Mabels' sister, and mother to our dogs Beatrix and Willow. Now the little stinker has a litter of Vizsla / Labs. She is a good Mom. When she surprised us this past weekend with puppies I had made a mental note to myself to call Dale when we got back from the coast to have him dew-claw the pups and dock their tails. Dale did this for us in his home office, and usually we or the Vick girls were called into action to hold the puppies while he clipped and stitched. (Sienna is a Yellow Lab, yellow Labs can be anywhere from white, to yellow, to fox red, as Sienna is) ~When we called our daughter this weekend to see how the animals were doing she told us the animals were fine, but she had some bad news. Dale Tibbits was dead. You know, it is hard to imagine someone as alive, someone who fully enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest, as dead. ~This is Willow(below), Sienna's daughter, Mabel's niece, Beatrix' sister, half sister to litter in the kitchen right now. Sienna and Beatrix had their dew- claws removed by Dale. Sienna also had a hunting accident repaired by Dale. ~Dale is someone who if you know him, you will always remember him. Whenever we are gathered with anyone who remotely knows Dale Tibbits there are the 'Dale stories'. Believe me, the 'Dale Stories' will be told to grandchildren of our grandchildren. I think his funeral will be full of people remembering their 'Dale Stories'. Dale was interesting, funny, and I believe he is what one calls an 'eccentric', in the true sense of the word. ~This is our oldest dog, Misty(below). She is blind now. About 7 years ago she had her last litter of puppies. She was having trouble and could not pass a puppy. Dale told me to bring her in. While he munched on cookies he checked her out. Yes, Dale munched a lot on snacks. After a while, he had X-rays taken and they showed a very, very, large puppy stuck in the birth canal. Instead of rushing to C-section, Dale did a little bit of manipulating, and waiting. He waited awhile, and after more manipulating, the puppy came out...ALIVE ! And you know, two more came out fine, then Dale had me take her home where the rest of the puppies were born alive and well. I know had I taken her anywhere else she would have had a C-section. Thank-you Dale ! ~Here is Hawk(below), Hubby's Vizsla, father of the litter of puppies. (sly dog) Hawk somehow managed to slice a large hole in the top of his front right leg, just below the chest.I could see the muscle wall, a lot of blood.... You have to see how thin the skin is and how little there is to stitch together on the slender foreleg of a Vizsla to appreciate what Dale did. Hawk sliced his leg open while Hubby was away on business, on a weekend. Fortunately Dale was home, which is just across the highway from us. I rushed Hawk over to Dales' and he had Bet, one of Dirt and Lanny's daughters help , and we held Hawk while Dale stitched. He predicted problems with such a delicate area, but you know, Dale did a great job and Hawk healed fine. He still has a large scar there, but the skin held together. ~I could go on and on about what Dale has done over the years for our animals...I will leave the "Dale Stories' for other times and gatherings. Dale was killed in an ATV accident while hunting with friends in Montana. All who know Dale even a little will know Dale was having a great time until the end....hunting, friends, ATV's, Montana.....Dale leaves behind his beautiful wife of many, many years. He leaves behind grown children, and grandchildren. Friends, colleagues. People who have benefited from his generosity. Dirt and Lanny and their children live next door to Dale and his wife, they will miss him terribly. Their daughters don't know life there without Dale, his dogs, his antics and ideas. Life around here will be a bit less interesting without Dale. ~One thing we do know about Dale though, Dale loved Jesus ! This is what Dale held to be true:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16 We'll meet in Heaven. I hope Labrador Retrievers romp there !

Spot on A Full and Wondrous Weekend

~Sleighbells, a shop in Sherwood , Oregon~ NOT to be missed !~~~~This shop was on our way to Depoe Bay. I have wanted to stop here every time we pass the sign on the highway and this time my Hubby DID turn onto the road that took us to a wondrous shop. This is a Farm and Gift store. They sell Christmas Trees, farm produce, lots and lots and lots of unique decorations, Halloween and Christmas, and I imagine any seasonal items. I just know there was no place my eyes could land without spying Christmas baubles, ball, and items I had never seen before, and let me tell you, Hubby and I are great fans of Christmas decorations...outside there were some pretty peacocks, huge turkeys, and fluffy chickens. No matter how many chickens and turkeys I have owned, I cannot help myself stopping to look at other peoples' poultry.

~~~The exterior of this shop totally belies what awaits you inside ! It is huge, and you feel like you're on an adventure. I would wander into a room , be studying a display of ornaments and discover myself next to a table where someone was being served food, or tea. Yes, you can order and consume a meal here too !There are several rooms offering up goodies to eat. ~~~The gardens and vinyard surrounding Sleighbells are alone worth stopping to view !Here (below) a life size wood Santa watches you.

~We did make it to Depoe Bay in plenty of time to soak in the beauty before sunset.~

~Really, you see breathtaking views pretty much everywhere. The ocean, the cliffs, the forests and parks. The wildlife is abundant, the people around there are also friendly.~

~Under the bridge, looking up!~

~"Or who enclosed the sea with doors, When bursting forth, it went out from the womb;....

~"...When I made a cloud it's garment, and thick darkness it's swaddling band,...."

~"...And I placed boundaries on it, and I set a bolt and doors, And I said,'Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop?" Job 38:8-11

~Aren't these mushrooms pretty ? I thought someone had left colorful balls in an oceanfront yard, but nope, these are mushrooms. I need to get out my mushroom book and identify them . ~And here is how our trip morning started ! Our OLD dog Sienna had puppies. My Hubby came running into the house to tell me we needed to set things up so we could leave her and her puppies for the weekend. I almost did not go to Depoe Bay, but my Hubby needed to get away and I think I did too. Little Miss Sienna was not s'posed to get herself in the 'family way', she was a sneaky little hussy....I won't tell you how she deceived me, and I do know the way of dogs very well, I should have known, but she DID deceive me. Even then , I knew she was going to have puppies and she should have, could have waited til Monday, the days necessary and common for most dogs gestation. But NO, little Missy here had her puppies at the earliest possible gestation period for a dog to have healthy pups. ~Fortunately, I had prepared a clean shed and pen for her, filled it with shavings. My Hubby strung the heat light and our daughter came over every day to take care of things and check up on her especially. ~Now we're home. Sienna and her 6 puppies are set up in the kitchen in a small kiddie pool next to the dishwasher. More about the puppies in future posts !

~So how was your weekend ? ~

A Most Beautiful Place, Oregon Coast

~Sunset on the Oregon Coast, Depoe Bay !~

~We had the privilege of spending 2 nights and 3 days with friends in their condominium at Depoe Bay, in Oregon. This is one of the most beautiful coasts on earth, in my humble opinion. Of course, my experience with coast lines is limited to the East Coast and West Coast of the U.S., and Hawaii. Coastlines are usually beautiful, but the Oregon Coast, from Lincoln City, Cannon Beach, and Newport is indescribably beautiful.Above is the view out of the patio, to the left. ~Here is the view to the right.The ocean is directly in front of the condo....we had 3 days of view, with fireplace, good food, and good company INSIDE ! How can anyone beat a 3 day weekend like this ? ~There is always the invigorating walk along the beach, or coast line. The weather was perfect. Enough wind to make the view and walk interesting, enough sun to make it even better. "Praise the seas; on shore remain." John Floria ~One of the arches the waves flow through. There were seals swimming in the waters nearby. "The cure for anything is salt water-sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesan ~Me, on the brick wall in front of the ocean and crashing waves in Depoe Bay.You can see to the left a parking lot. We have watched the waves crash onto the rocks and spill OVER the highway and reach the store front windows on the opposite side of the highway. I DID get wet ! "The sea heaves up, hangs loaded o'er the land, breaks there , and buries it's tumultuous strength." Robert Browning ~One of the many, many spectacular views from the sidewalk through town on our way to and from the condominium. I cannot say enough how beautiful the Oregon Coast is. This is where I would spend any and ALL vacations. This is where my heart wants to be when I need a time of reflection or rest. We have been to this area many times and never, ever tire of it. The sand on this little inlet is black.

~Here there is a wave just breaking over the rocks next to the highway.~

~"The sea hath no king but God alone." Dante Gabriel Rossetti

~Thank-you David and Kathleen for sharing your special time on the Oregon Coast with us .We had a real time of rest and renewal !~