I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the new things I made for my Etsy stores recently

Here are a few of the new things I have recently been working on for my Etsy stores. I hope you like them. My roses will be sold in my supply store Starfirehawk, the stuffed animals are available in my store FantasyCreations and I sell handcrafted jewelry and other handcrafted things in my store FantasyCreations1. There are links to my store on the left hand side. Note: the blue merhorse was sold as a custom order. The lavender one is still available.

The real Mother Goose steps forward in a strange Canada Goose family

I visited a beautiful park in Portland twice recently and both times I saw a strange group. There is a large gray/white goose who is a member of an extended family. She looks like Mother Goose and functions like a nanny or a great aunt in this family of Canada Geese and gooslings. She guides and protects the little family but they are not her kin. Have a look at the pictures. This is an amazing group.

Blue Scrub Jays Nesting in my Yard and Attacking my Cats!

I constantly hear the rasping CHEEEeeee! of two scrub jays (also called California Jays but we are in Oregon) who are raising young in the large rhododendron shrub in my back yard. The have laid claim to the entire yard and constantly terrorize any of my cats who are out walking or even on the front porch taking a nap. I have had a hard time catching them in motion but if you look carefully at the pictures you can see a blue blur as one flies by. They actually hit the cats in the tail, back or head from behind. One distracts the cat with scraming, pecking at things and picking up debris and tossing it around. Then the partner swoops in silently and swiftly from behind and hits the cat! Their team effort has proven successful. My cats would rather stay in the house now.

Love Orange? Look at these Orange Houses!

There seems to be a strange new trend in house colors in my neighborhood. Orange houses are blooming like dandilions in my neighborhood. My neighbors are talking and most folks don't seem to like it but I think they are fun and cheerful. I cansee one through my kitchen window. I think it will make winter seem less gray. I hope you are having a great day!

Obama has earned my support

I just have to say that I hope Obama is the next democratic candidate

for president. I think Hillery feels entitled and she has no problem

with lying to us and saying what she thinks we want to hear.

I am impressed with Obama and he has my vote.

I am making both HOPE and Obama earrings, and a bracelet that spells out "Yes We Can" and selling them from my FantasyCreations1

store on Etsy so that Obama fans can wear their support as jewelry.

Cat Earrings will raise money for House of Dreams

I am beginning to list cat earrings in my FantasyCreations1 Etsy store as a fundraiser for House of Dreamd a no-kill cat shelter in Portland, Oregon. I will donate 50% of the price of the earrings to the shelter when they sell. I hope you'll purchase cat earrings from my store and help the shelter provide for the need of these kittys. The photo I'll post here is only the first of many darling earrings.

My 3 line LUNE poems

LUNES are little 3 line poems like haikus only easier for children to write. I wrote these when I took a class on various poetic forms. The rules are simple: first line 3 words, second line 5 words, third line 3 words.

Bobby Sherman sings

Lifts my spirit high above

A world forlorn

Happy little faces

School bus pulls out groaning

Loaded with children

Substitute teacher laughs

They thought they could trick

A wise woman

Shuttered windows wink

a world of noise without

quiet peace within

My Prose: Daffodills are Fairy Teacups

Daffodills are Fairy Teacups

When the gentle moon smiles down upon the creatures of the night, and cricket sing of broken hearted lovers yet unborn, the fairies come out of hiding. They dance through the night spreading love dust and drinking ambrosia from teacups of yellow gold. They eat cherries, grapes and strawberries, and riding on the backs of nightngales they search the darkness for small children and lonely women. Fairies watch our dreams for entertainment.

When the fairies have found a lonely woman sleeping soundly, they sneak in through an open window, or down a chimney, and creeping carefully into the theatre of her dreams they watch like clever begger's children as she plays out all her hopes and fears. Sometimes they tickle her ear with a tiny feather and whisper ideas into her ear to make her dream change. Their favorite dreaming women are artists because they dream in full color with all of their senses involved.

When the sun's rays lighten the sky and the lark's voice splits the morning silence, they run to hide in secret places. Sometimes, in their flight they may knock something from a shelf or leave the feather in her ear, or a single dewdrop in the corner of her eye. Often they awaken a sleeping dog or cat while making their escape and the confused animal searches through the house for the strange little invaders, creating chaos and awakening the woman.

"What is going on here?" she calls out as a glass is knocked off the kitchen counter and shatters on the floor. She rubs her eyes and sits up in bed, calling to her pet. Stroking the soft fur, and scratching the velvet ears, she looks into the face of her old friend and says, " I had such strange dreams last night!"

My poem/song lyrics: Lord I Surrender

Lord, I Surrender

Lord, take control of me.

Renew my life and let me see

that the fullness of Your life and love

is mine to share.

Make me a channel

Of your saving grace and cleansing blood;

Make my life a shelter for a person in dispair.

Release me into the current

of Your Spirit's Power

And fill me each moment of the day

and every hour.

Make my life count for You

in everything I say and do.

Help me ever to pursue

the fullness of Your love.

Lord, take complete control

of my body, mind and soul.

Give me grace to trust You

and surrender to Your will

Let me know Your promised rest

When I face each trial and test

so that You may manifest Yourself

to all the world.

Release me into the current

of Your Spirit's Power

And fill me each moment of the day

and every hour.

Make my life count for you

in everything I say or do.

Help me ever to pursue the fullness of your love.

Take my life and fill it with your love,

Lord, take my life and fill it with your love.

Eyes Wide Open Peace Exhibit

This exhibit at my church last Sunday has been so moving to me that I wanted to share it with my readers. The shoes were scattered beside and on the pews with tags attached with the names and sometimes photos of Americans and Iraqis who had been killed in the war. There were small pieces of fabric with names and death dates sewn to ribbons and draping the walls of the foyer with more shoes beneath. I photographed several of the displays and I think I'll let them speak for themselves. I started to cry several times during the service and couldn't sing. I go to a Quaker church and this is a traveling exhibit.