Irene's birthday is in April, just about two months from today. I will be making her a birthday dress, for which I have purchased fabric and sort of planned it out in my head. I'll be getting to that later.
Right now I am working on 18 inch doll clothes for Irene's American Girl Doll, Julie. Here's what I just finished.
For Valentine's Day I gave Irene a long formal cape, or "cloak", as Irene called it, for Julie, to go over the long pink formal I made the doll for Christmas. I guess I didn't get a photo of the cloak.
And of course there was the matching dresses I made for Irene for Christmas.
These little projects are fun, and most are made with scraps from other projects.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I took Tom to the airport at 7:00 this morning and he is now on his way to Denver, where he will shuttle out to Fort Morgan. Tomorrow he will help Corey load up a U-Haul truck with the rest of the household furnishings, and then they will be driving across the plains and over the mountains to Seattle. We're all hoping for calm weather.
It's raining lightly here this morning, a good time for sewing. This afternoon I have been promised some sun breaks so I can get out for my walk.
With Tom gone, Josy is keeping me company, snuggled into a box of sewing supplies in a corner of the den closet.
Monday it was a visit to Group Health Central for an echo-cardiogram.
Tuesday morning I had a haircut appointment. I was getting pretty shaggy. It's good to be all trimmed up.
Today we went to a tax accountant with our paper work, to have our taxes done. I usually do our taxes. They are pretty straight forward. With no debt, we also have too few deductions to itemize, so we can file a short form. Last year for the first time I filed on line.
But this year I wanted to be sure there were no errors in reporting the money I have received from my mother's estate. There were pre-tax investments for which I received 1099 forms, and on which I have to pay taxes. Next week we'll go back, look over the forms and sign them, and then send in the check for taxes owed. I don't have to spend hours going through the on-line process myself this year.
Sometimes it's nice to pay for services.
When we got back, I had an e-mail from my doctor with the echo results. There was "a small amount of progression". I guess that's good news and bad news. I had hoped it wasn't progressive, but it is. Just not very fast. So I'll continue to live a healthy life style, and monitor again in two years.
On a totally unrelated topic, I watched some of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on TV the last two evenings. I like doggy dogs: sporting dogs, working dogs, real dogs.
So the winner is that pushed-in faced, dust mop of a "dog", that Pekingese? Really?
Josy's not impressed either.
I had an echo-cardiogram today.
Two years ago my doctor noticed a heart murmur. This was not news to me, since I had one as a child, but this was a new doctor, and she decided I should have it checked out. The resultant finding was that I had minor aortic valve stenosis - narrowing of the valve.
Well, that wasn't good news, but since it was not yet problematic, I was to monitor it by repeating the echo every two years. I don't have today's report yet, and of course I'm hoping that there has been no change, that it is not progressive.
But this is heart month, right. So it's a good time to think about heart health. Having lost 50 pounds in the last year is a step in the right direction for me.
And tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a day for hearts! I'm cooking dinner for Jill and the kids tomorrow, and I finally got to use the heart shaped cake pans I've had sitting in the cupboard unused for a long time now.
That is not exactly heart healthy, and it may mess with the weight loss a bit, but Hey! it's Valentines Day. And yes, it is chocolate, with cream cheese frosting.
I'll be sending the left overs home with the kids, or put a chunk in the freezer. There is a limit to how much I'm allowed to consume.
Wishing you warm feelings of love and friendship,
and healthy hearts.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Of course you know I can't go to a garden show and not buy something!
We didn't buy any plants, but to avoid them I have to keep reminding myself that it's still winter and I don't want to go out and plant them yet. We did buy two dahlia bulbs, and one hosta root. The hosta can go in a pot for now.
We went to a seminar on art in the garden. As you know I do like yard art, some of which does not meet the true criteria for "art". The speaker suggested you collect all of your "art" and "accent" pieces, put them in the middle of the lawn, and start culling.
But I think I'll just keep adding instead.
I bought this fused glass bug to add to the other two that are crawling up the outside of my house. I love glass and color in the garden. I have purchased one each year for the last three years.
This is a kinetic piece- dare I call it a sculpture? -that is balanced on a single point and rocks and turns in the breeze.
These two pieces are by a northwest artist couple. The designs are hers, from her Native American heritage. I had to have the kingfisher, because it is my favorite Whidbey Island bird.
And of course here in the PNW we do worship the sun when it makes it's appearance.
None of these pieces has a permanent home yet, but they'll be worked into the garden somewhere, as the seminar speaker suggested, either as a focal point, or a little happened upon surprise.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In our quest to see all of the nominated movies, last night we went to see Hugo, in 3-D. We loved it!
Neither of us had read much about it and didn't really know what to expect. Set in post WWI Paris, the action talks place in the main train station. The stars are children, and both actors did a lovely job. The story line is intriguing, different, and well developed.
Visually this movie is fantastic, amazing. Think of living inside a clock, on a grand scale, for that's exactly where Hugo lives.
While The Artist is a black and white silent movie about movie making, this film is full of color and dialogue and action while also being about movie making, but so much more.
I always enjoy the Ikebana show. I do my own judging. I liked these best.
How about a green wall made out of an old wooden pallet?
We love succulents.
I have never bought an orchid. It's hard to meet their requirements in my house here in the PNW. But they are so beautiful!
We left the convention center and walked over to Pacific Place for dinner. this is the view from our table window.
Back at the show, we attended a seminar on shade plants, and then walked back through the now-closed show, past a few of our favorite displays.
And that bonsai being created by Dan Robinson?
Dan says he'll be doing some wiring and create a new live top. We think it looks great!
We saw lots of cool stuff in the Market Places.
How about this for yard art?
When we checked back, Dan had removed the top of the pine and was carving away with an electric drill at the top.
We found Marie from Chocolate Flower Farm in Langley at her booth. You could small the chocolate candles all over the area.
We are amazed at the skill needed to do this wood inlay. There were 1058 pieces of inlay made up of 36 wood species plus shell and minerals in this one picture.
I liked the use of the beer keg and the old bar-b-que kettle in this display.
Another very cool shed.
There were lots on great plants in the plant market.
Oh, oh. It's hard to resist with all of these lovely things for sale. Needless to say, I didn't.
I loved this faux bois bench, and entered a drawing to win it.
I loved this old concrete deer too, and it was for sale - only $1200. No, I didn't.
This is a great chicken coop. I do find it kind of funny how many suburban young people want to raise chickens. I grew up on a small farm. I did chickens. No thanks!
I'll post the rest tomorrow. It's time to get on the exercise bike, since the rain still persists.
First, the good news.
Son-in-law, Corey, got a job Tuesday! Beginning later this month, he will be working for a security company contracted to the Seattle Metro, and will be doing fare enforcement on Metro buses. He will have a car, drive to various city locations, board a bus, and check for proper proof of paid bus fare. It's a union job with decent wages, and good benefits.
Tom will fly to Colorado next Thursday and help Corey drive a U-Haul and tow the family van, bringing the rest of the household items here to Seattle.
Then the good day. Yesterday Tom and I spent all day and into the evening at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show at the Convention Center in Seattle. This is the 24th annual show, and we have only missed one of them. It is a highlight of our winter-wishing-it-were-spring-season.
We planned to take the Link light rail into town, but the park-and-ride lot was completely full, so we had to join the commuter traffic going into town. Fortunately we started early and made it in time to find parking in the adjacent garage and be at the show door when it opened.
I took hundreds of photos, of which some are actually good. I'll be posting some of them over the next several days.
The view from the atrium on the fourth floor of the convention center, above, and the carpet of color and fragrance that greeted us in the entry hall.
There were 27 display gardens, some quite large, and some smaller vignettes. All featured plants and hardscaping. Most you would just want to settle down in for an afternoon.
This huge stump, actually from three trees intertwined, was recovered from a lake by the Bonsai Man extraordinaire, Dan Robinson.
With huge boulders and wonderful old trees, his gardens are always crowd pleasers and prize winners. You can imagine the heavy equipment needed to build some of these gardens.
Dan was front and center, re-shaping an old bonsai tree. We asked him what he had planned, and he told us he would be taking the whole top off! We planned to check back later.
In stark contrast, the next door exhibit was an orchid display.
We went at a leisurely pace, taking in the details of the many display gardens.
We loved this garden that featured glass. We are told that the bottle tree is a southern thing, but I have bottle flower buds in my garden.
See the glass flowers by the shed? Oh, and we loved this garden shed! I wanted to take it home.
We always look for interesting plant combinations.
Tea, anyone?
Or maybe a goody from a Paris bakery.
This garden featured the most amazing wind sculpture, along with wonderful plant color.
A lovely specimen Japanese maple.
A garden featuring contorted plants. The overall theme was music in the garden, and this one 'did the Twist'.
I like the faux bois bench.
These were just the display gardens. Then there were the market areas, for art, garden related products, tools, and plants. We also attended two seminars.
More tomorrow.
