tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19317633160970130312024-03-13T12:16:59.380-07:00My Narcissistic RamblingsLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-39110864913008643192015-10-15T00:02:00.000-07:002015-10-15T00:02:33.101-07:00Feeling Very ThankfulLife is funny. I have this art studio that has never come even close to paying for itself. It's not a business, it's just for me... for my sanity. But recently I've been thinking I have to buckle down and produce more and be more mindful of my Etsy shop and try to make the studio at least pay for some of the rent, just to justify its existence. Pretty much immediately after I had come to this decision, I went to a conference for work and reconnected with some lovely folks from my training course. This rencontre resulted in an order for the studio that will keep me busy for several months to come, but which will, in the end, pay for about 6 months of studio rent. Huzzah! Seek and ye shall find, ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-47853327769654180882015-09-27T15:13:00.000-07:002015-09-27T18:17:43.176-07:00Bucket ListAlmost a year ago my lovely friend Gab and her lovely father Glen took me salmon fishing, and a miracle occurred. I actually caught one!! They'd taken me salmon fishing several times before. Apparently I suck as an angler, because not only had I never managed to catch a salmon before, but while I was along no one else caught any either. I've caught other fish over the years, but I <i>really</i> wanted a salmon. It was on my bucket list. In fact, I had planned on taking a salmon fishing excursion in Alaska, but when I came to examine the details of the prospect, it was so expensive and then there's the issue of getting your catch home from Alaska if you should be lucky enough to snag some, I decided to go off-roading in the Yukon instead, much to our mutual satisfaction. Anyway, a couple of months after the Alaska trip, Gab and Glen kindly invited me along and the result was at long last successful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I look creepily excited.</td></tr>
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It's always satisfying being able to cross something off your bucket list. Looking back at this outing got me thinking, I don't actually have a physical bucket list written down. I have a mental list, but we all know a goal is much more likely to be accomplished if it's set down on paper, so today I'm going to do that.<br />
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<u><b>Things I want to do before I die:</b></u><br />
See the Grand Canyon, (mule ride to the bottom)<br />
Visit the Smithsonian<br />
Travel to Scotland<br />
Visit my cousin in Palm Desert<br />
Visit my cousin in Washington DC <br />
Weigh less than 200 lbs<br />
Hike the Milford Track<br />
Climb a volcano (driving up the one outside Bend doesn't count!)<br />
Own a house and land<br />
Make my studio support itself<br />
Drive to Alaska<br />
Write something (novel, screenplay, book of verse, children's book)<br />
Raise chickens<br />
Go sky diving<br />
Take a hot air balloon ride<br />
Ride a camel/elephant<br />
Learn to fly a plane<br />
Get a PhD<br />
Do a European road-trip<br />
Fly first class<br />
Produce something on my pottery wheel<br />
See a Broadway play<br />
Sing with Dave Plaehn<br />
Learn to make cheese<br />
Take a vow of silence<br />
Learn Spanish or Mandarin<br />
Attend an All Blacks test match<br />
Test drive a Rolls Royce/classic Jaguar/Mercedes<br />
Visit all 7 continents:<br />
<strike>North America</strike><br />
<strike>South America</strike><br />
Asia<br />
Africa<br />
<strike>Europe</strike><br />
Antarctica<br />
<strike>Australia</strike><br />
Visit all 50 states:<br />
Alabama<br />
<strike>Alaska</strike><br />
<strike>Arizona</strike><br />
Arkansas<br />
<strike>California</strike><br />
<strike>
Colorado</strike><br />
Connecticut<br />
Delaware<br />
Florida<br />
Georgia<br />
Hawaii<br />
<strike>
Idaho</strike><br />
Illinois<br />
Indiana<br />
<strike>Iowa</strike><br />
Kansas<br />
Kentucky<br />
<strike>Louisiana</strike><br />
Maine<br />
Maryland<br />
Massachusetts<br />
Michigan<br />
Minnesota<br />
Mississippi<br />
<strike>Missouri</strike><br />
<strike>
Montana</strike><br />
<strike>Nebraska</strike><br />
Nevada<br />
New Hampshire<br />
New Jersey<br />
New Mexico<br />
<strike>
New York</strike><br />
North Carolina<br />
North Dakota<br />
Ohio<br />
Oklahoma<br />
<strike>Oregon</strike><br />
Pennsylvania<br />
Rhode Island<br />
South Carolina<br />
<strike>South Dakota</strike><br />
Tennessee<br />
Texas<br />
<strike>Utah</strike><br />
Vermont<br />
Virginia<br />
<strike>Washington</strike><br />
West Virginia<br />
Wisconsin<br />
<strike>Wyoming
</strike><br />
Visit the Las Vegas Strip at night<br />
Attend the running of the sheep<br />
Visit Chichen Itza <br />
Keep bees<br />
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I'm sure more things will occur to me, but this will be enough to be going on with for awhile :) Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-32005615501813380952015-09-27T13:20:00.004-07:002015-09-27T18:04:33.878-07:00Kittehs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have long wanted a cat or a dog, but I don't live alone and my mother has been consistently and vehemently opposed to the addition of pets to our tiny abode. Apparently she has recently been replaced by pod people, because a few months ago she unexpectedly changed her decades long anti pet stance and agreed to let me get a cat.<br />
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At first we were going to get just one, but I fell in love with these brothers and we couldn't bear to separate them. They've lived with us for 2 months now and I don't know how we did without them. They are endlessly entertaining and a total joy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKt_Ar3kpAbXV4jnGgC8_gch_1WovYEo2Ex6ourLedGaccmT_omio5A7qzkAo6nkmCw0jwPa0IXc_gaOMnB56O7UJA7SRnqBYFGtIyMko0P7uFXQrGLGBbwpaNZ7pYw6hRCOCvr_vMpt8/s1600/2015-07-10+05.49.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKt_Ar3kpAbXV4jnGgC8_gch_1WovYEo2Ex6ourLedGaccmT_omio5A7qzkAo6nkmCw0jwPa0IXc_gaOMnB56O7UJA7SRnqBYFGtIyMko0P7uFXQrGLGBbwpaNZ7pYw6hRCOCvr_vMpt8/s640/2015-07-10+05.49.03.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Fezzik and Inigo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fezzik making himself at home on Baathsheepa.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgBWi03u4rrRkR8tUGmH3F3ffKfd_ayHC0nXcQZ7q7XozdphDFetoTEGVC1fxsIQmUpWFji8AzBvvQGT4V8jm2-tCaMxTwuYPuTFVAsIsqwttaq8-x-zAjw5dDW1XrorYdMKrxMengus/s1600/2015-07-10+10.44.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgBWi03u4rrRkR8tUGmH3F3ffKfd_ayHC0nXcQZ7q7XozdphDFetoTEGVC1fxsIQmUpWFji8AzBvvQGT4V8jm2-tCaMxTwuYPuTFVAsIsqwttaq8-x-zAjw5dDW1XrorYdMKrxMengus/s640/2015-07-10+10.44.03.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If we shaved his head he'd look like the alien from Independence Day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETZgcPRfwDfe9zVLrG9gfOR1F5bG628iVbI7Po45dYnOEQGT7iRWdR-KAg0wn7NuY5Fi9PKD81JTUK0kkA4UhPZCWTilF-jeBDQK4TH9a7K527MJnem8se4Jgqb9zaPbuKtYbDjkwJEs/s1600/2015-07-10+15.03.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETZgcPRfwDfe9zVLrG9gfOR1F5bG628iVbI7Po45dYnOEQGT7iRWdR-KAg0wn7NuY5Fi9PKD81JTUK0kkA4UhPZCWTilF-jeBDQK4TH9a7K527MJnem8se4Jgqb9zaPbuKtYbDjkwJEs/s640/2015-07-10+15.03.47.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So teeny!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESbsSLQte62r0w8HuJ22OB54-MHUqXwbBg9WJ1y5z-5wo_052BQJCnWib8UHeDOFK79HMsW6aJ2rrt_a1H-49m_fq6LT_TXuJgblawDjlhQ9yTvCatTYUoewl9qqYY53fDVNZz1BgXfE/s1600/2015-07-11+12.02.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESbsSLQte62r0w8HuJ22OB54-MHUqXwbBg9WJ1y5z-5wo_052BQJCnWib8UHeDOFK79HMsW6aJ2rrt_a1H-49m_fq6LT_TXuJgblawDjlhQ9yTvCatTYUoewl9qqYY53fDVNZz1BgXfE/s640/2015-07-11+12.02.46.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Came home to find this mess one day. Yes, black lives do matter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk_OBK1bSqbX1oJcrGvpLq2yqcdr1iKPUlLJCDkTXOCfb5UkYI-ImUqLwcbwgmmm3q0_KnKCLxOaxsP7ZMZUkUpej8CIcvxek10LfTJSh9IaqZSIzwrxlYLl0Y8tCUAyyaW4TW86q-kY/s1600/2015-07-11+21.41.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk_OBK1bSqbX1oJcrGvpLq2yqcdr1iKPUlLJCDkTXOCfb5UkYI-ImUqLwcbwgmmm3q0_KnKCLxOaxsP7ZMZUkUpej8CIcvxek10LfTJSh9IaqZSIzwrxlYLl0Y8tCUAyyaW4TW86q-kY/s640/2015-07-11+21.41.51.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma human with her baby boys :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeLrZrYJnHzv9IUxMf0-ywvaScEljQrDEUCeq64lEmAV1xcwEaqS1RRGaZCpkdZzcNmFby1E8B-dwQr32BnfbPKF_dqgLQRBcVSA-DJZ50IbLAUY248DJElWzydGyK13Dhi1yD6hqAEE/s1600/2015-07-13+09.11.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeLrZrYJnHzv9IUxMf0-ywvaScEljQrDEUCeq64lEmAV1xcwEaqS1RRGaZCpkdZzcNmFby1E8B-dwQr32BnfbPKF_dqgLQRBcVSA-DJZ50IbLAUY248DJElWzydGyK13Dhi1yD6hqAEE/s640/2015-07-13+09.11.02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fezzik can sleep anywhere.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvsXEH4ZJYfMRe52Glxltxc7l81UnlnxtYPUXvJAwkH7XtpUeVvNZQy4gl7nMDvwc2FYGmZhTJZceYow-fCxaYe342Ugf8N-y9IqbJWy_xdENgvRmYY4x6UuqXGwWH2-sTgWMqqimydA/s1600/2015-07-12+08.05.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvsXEH4ZJYfMRe52Glxltxc7l81UnlnxtYPUXvJAwkH7XtpUeVvNZQy4gl7nMDvwc2FYGmZhTJZceYow-fCxaYe342Ugf8N-y9IqbJWy_xdENgvRmYY4x6UuqXGwWH2-sTgWMqqimydA/s640/2015-07-12+08.05.09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical morning. I suspect I will find it increasingly difficult to be on time. They're so cuddly when we wake up :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSj_eYPhZBayYk20aoCgsn1hvKlCfjvXYrKeGw0p1zFfYANyyI5mnXMv4SvsRw_Y1cAtume23cjhcnJIxpiNN5WlXc5Q-YsttQm2RQ-wiV-9gyJTOpv0Qtm0kXysUQR9mXlQ1Lf4Tnsts/s1600/2015-07-19+09.07.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSj_eYPhZBayYk20aoCgsn1hvKlCfjvXYrKeGw0p1zFfYANyyI5mnXMv4SvsRw_Y1cAtume23cjhcnJIxpiNN5WlXc5Q-YsttQm2RQ-wiV-9gyJTOpv0Qtm0kXysUQR9mXlQ1Lf4Tnsts/s640/2015-07-19+09.07.23.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their castle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGpOsjOYw9tkKmPr1EfCedjyfNZIeBO_QvephVDXgeZ4HSiLlzWXIU-bQra7EO-5lWg1xGEmJmyBJ6TW8xQ3qcRpGw3uCqLHbBRZ0UJbs5ftMznKCfzxMo2LYvvqaOXQ9OnCQAaP8Vwc/s1600/2015-07-25+22.45.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGpOsjOYw9tkKmPr1EfCedjyfNZIeBO_QvephVDXgeZ4HSiLlzWXIU-bQra7EO-5lWg1xGEmJmyBJ6TW8xQ3qcRpGw3uCqLHbBRZ0UJbs5ftMznKCfzxMo2LYvvqaOXQ9OnCQAaP8Vwc/s640/2015-07-25+22.45.39.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I didn't want to use the computer anyway.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOZyVBe9rva4esJZ-YbldOXVcWu0sswFF-b73-L36b0RQKrz5Mw-dQTkDzaYfy02Xy2-BKkfcaJos-eekwNXPMwqG-w1Pct0sbvrLZ0-wWmJT1n-9My7dUAdzasv3uXUFARRzoYM1Jf8/s1600/2015-09-11+12.03.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOZyVBe9rva4esJZ-YbldOXVcWu0sswFF-b73-L36b0RQKrz5Mw-dQTkDzaYfy02Xy2-BKkfcaJos-eekwNXPMwqG-w1Pct0sbvrLZ0-wWmJT1n-9My7dUAdzasv3uXUFARRzoYM1Jf8/s640/2015-09-11+12.03.25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hellooooooo, ladies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKOwXtirpUzvFN2Q-Mvc19sNpKqhd10PvRjxR_RnV-BkKEmFq5IcA4axia-7Zxi_9GaHYrYoQL7bXxuZLy3CWj4uD8WV56LtEuYL8YlnAOKxFq0Dbtoa7m9WvY8GGu2rqQre9Q82F5_Y/s1600/2015-08-15+17.31.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKOwXtirpUzvFN2Q-Mvc19sNpKqhd10PvRjxR_RnV-BkKEmFq5IcA4axia-7Zxi_9GaHYrYoQL7bXxuZLy3CWj4uD8WV56LtEuYL8YlnAOKxFq0Dbtoa7m9WvY8GGu2rqQre9Q82F5_Y/s640/2015-08-15+17.31.52.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow, I need to vacuum.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jCYjpHi_W-k6FDpXt57xcybzhzvGc6RHcM8vCI6xgwvhxEwEwR-LDK-0gsJ6drpTwWldIpfd4lWDz0cgvFy9XJ0EaoDv_o90kvppYNThnUpSm2FqagUc2fMZNQA9Lj6P5b0vmX-pgeg/s1600/2015-09-18+12.13.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jCYjpHi_W-k6FDpXt57xcybzhzvGc6RHcM8vCI6xgwvhxEwEwR-LDK-0gsJ6drpTwWldIpfd4lWDz0cgvFy9XJ0EaoDv_o90kvppYNThnUpSm2FqagUc2fMZNQA9Lj6P5b0vmX-pgeg/s640/2015-09-18+12.13.16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brotherly love. They groom each other all over pretty much every day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaH24V6zEz9GxaqeSfi71D_p2tg6k0SPmebPC8_0n8iI3kPw8Xhu_J70ONHgaZIYOtXeYM7edQxHzABC4an7YJVzsGqsq9weYbxUtlhqFsiHeSdEowCcYwI7fJGxFaPlXFdjAza_2FpSA/s1600/2015-08-20+07.56.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaH24V6zEz9GxaqeSfi71D_p2tg6k0SPmebPC8_0n8iI3kPw8Xhu_J70ONHgaZIYOtXeYM7edQxHzABC4an7YJVzsGqsq9weYbxUtlhqFsiHeSdEowCcYwI7fJGxFaPlXFdjAza_2FpSA/s640/2015-08-20+07.56.00.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fezzik looking sly after a morning of mischief.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUgou_De6dHnn1-KwOBSrvd1fI4ATBJWztUGYNyqurodDsc0-G58e9Lwt9xbe5VxzvMW39yT72X0vehFWDXndv8w8BavE6KrHoimBepLWQ6B811d1AJ9SlIlnJMLvKq2Rar0mJf33AXM/s1600/2015-08-20+09.11.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUgou_De6dHnn1-KwOBSrvd1fI4ATBJWztUGYNyqurodDsc0-G58e9Lwt9xbe5VxzvMW39yT72X0vehFWDXndv8w8BavE6KrHoimBepLWQ6B811d1AJ9SlIlnJMLvKq2Rar0mJf33AXM/s640/2015-08-20+09.11.49.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohai!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsbAf8dHd96H2Q_D0pj-yWdRbV79SXQdRbMYNdgtR9tiwoq1pz4m3KhxzDRiM-t4gb_rusBLPCMMbbj8Qd7tTU5MqOqOBgLl6FN-KNMRGit8YpGPsmf7Ln5Y3Yo21RenEojO-L-rp0hA/s1600/2015-08-24+22.48.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsbAf8dHd96H2Q_D0pj-yWdRbV79SXQdRbMYNdgtR9tiwoq1pz4m3KhxzDRiM-t4gb_rusBLPCMMbbj8Qd7tTU5MqOqOBgLl6FN-KNMRGit8YpGPsmf7Ln5Y3Yo21RenEojO-L-rp0hA/s640/2015-08-24+22.48.32.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awwwww. That face :)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjureTetoM9zRaXre-clAGmtKmfM1GOXDv6PIGvD58xYH27V19D1lhAGbOhilaBPg6RMrycAVq4o-mueCdb3die-SgSo2Cymjn9COZIIO5FY8arp4s2x8X8_6trbUIJxzDpnmx0C91SRwc/s1600/2015-09-06+10.06.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjureTetoM9zRaXre-clAGmtKmfM1GOXDv6PIGvD58xYH27V19D1lhAGbOhilaBPg6RMrycAVq4o-mueCdb3die-SgSo2Cymjn9COZIIO5FY8arp4s2x8X8_6trbUIJxzDpnmx0C91SRwc/s640/2015-09-06+10.06.27.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIE7dV_zn0rAzxjQQJrl5dxlo0h1-5fmkJD8uWZ0RCeEI1x9p6D__1wJLMY80eux6bdISN6GVcS_advFd31kOZqm12SXuuZYV2pQ-loSPMuVlam73RQCki0J7TcgzMxAy7hBn7cm2Oc0/s1600/2015-09-19+01.35.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIE7dV_zn0rAzxjQQJrl5dxlo0h1-5fmkJD8uWZ0RCeEI1x9p6D__1wJLMY80eux6bdISN6GVcS_advFd31kOZqm12SXuuZYV2pQ-loSPMuVlam73RQCki0J7TcgzMxAy7hBn7cm2Oc0/s640/2015-09-19+01.35.06.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fezzik's curly little tail.</td></tr>
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I know they're not particularly unique, (most black cats look surprisingly similar), and the photos are not extraordinary in this world of uber cute cat photos glutting the internet, but they're ours and we love them.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-38222383525450526762015-09-27T00:13:00.000-07:002015-09-27T00:13:37.683-07:00Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A little over a year ago I rented a tiny little space downtown and turned it into an art studio. I have a kiln and about 27,000 paints and pieces of bisque. It is my haven. Here are a few things I've made since I moved in there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJYNnO1WvxqxbAiDlKEIsaJSEUVckd6290jw8nPkI44QsUE7J_-PpQIkNlg7lLW_q6vaq_XRv_MNl-ZqgF62zBVk_S7mlBPlIVW6_tjNAy8xL_KggUKBTGS8vMumf0y8D5VQtS8hVOHc/s1600/20140828_184354-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJYNnO1WvxqxbAiDlKEIsaJSEUVckd6290jw8nPkI44QsUE7J_-PpQIkNlg7lLW_q6vaq_XRv_MNl-ZqgF62zBVk_S7mlBPlIVW6_tjNAy8xL_KggUKBTGS8vMumf0y8D5VQtS8hVOHc/s640/20140828_184354-1.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My studio logo. Lol.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFShJIvQ3zzOgn_-5fmvW45t3D1yIj_WVQMCsg5tBZK1LAHiLubxZdoUlNZznUekmykRcSo_tvvfFsXOQEEEFvypWIICNajKaAjd31k3yZHftoOidPjmYnlkniHIbD60ZJciTaGKbtV0/s1600/2014-08-30+22.51.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFShJIvQ3zzOgn_-5fmvW45t3D1yIj_WVQMCsg5tBZK1LAHiLubxZdoUlNZznUekmykRcSo_tvvfFsXOQEEEFvypWIICNajKaAjd31k3yZHftoOidPjmYnlkniHIbD60ZJciTaGKbtV0/s640/2014-08-30+22.51.08.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back wall of the studio. I'd like to report that it's tidier since we finished moving in, but that would be a lie.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsIYO2UhV5nTF4f75CbWLiYc-abz2DmjJJnnTwnwd5CBd4oEVh0boK2lUAJIF7eEDOcIf9pB2nGPOlrmSBQkiWtYpOayY2oNdmiKWHviJFORnJsSTu6nlQTu8__ZQvKxMuJWhzGy313w/s1600/2015-02-11+08.15.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsIYO2UhV5nTF4f75CbWLiYc-abz2DmjJJnnTwnwd5CBd4oEVh0boK2lUAJIF7eEDOcIf9pB2nGPOlrmSBQkiWtYpOayY2oNdmiKWHviJFORnJsSTu6nlQTu8__ZQvKxMuJWhzGy313w/s640/2015-02-11+08.15.09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made this for my wonderful friend Gabrielle for her birthday this year. I finished it in January and her birthday isn't until July. It was torture waiting to give it to her.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBh_cTcOftTFPRTuB5m0B9iZ2XfOA_oHnTtYscg1lRiOcf8LfS1Y9wy2clFxTeEUZuVG9WndNvFhiKRvwHxLHiciFdiqg8XoaZgYXBwTfHOdtDLw5R4wiwVz8RGWU8erVY7LYqUsooZRs/s1600/2014-10-08+11.34.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBh_cTcOftTFPRTuB5m0B9iZ2XfOA_oHnTtYscg1lRiOcf8LfS1Y9wy2clFxTeEUZuVG9WndNvFhiKRvwHxLHiciFdiqg8XoaZgYXBwTfHOdtDLw5R4wiwVz8RGWU8erVY7LYqUsooZRs/s640/2014-10-08+11.34.43.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made this last year and posted it in my Etsy shop. It got lots of attention and sold fairly quickly. A gentleman saw it and ordered a custom one for his fiancee, pictured below.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1UHK-GuLqOtRlVzpPgd5uGo1paswC0rFNYVEIrYUMIOtWVq0qYBvJ1j7SIZdI0dqV4nEriGvNUSePgSLoWaUhHeo-YnBx9MELE7-zOZOsoi3F43JWzJ75APQdTPrkRwh2WJq-AqYkLE/s1600/2014-11-10+08.03.23-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1UHK-GuLqOtRlVzpPgd5uGo1paswC0rFNYVEIrYUMIOtWVq0qYBvJ1j7SIZdI0dqV4nEriGvNUSePgSLoWaUhHeo-YnBx9MELE7-zOZOsoi3F43JWzJ75APQdTPrkRwh2WJq-AqYkLE/s640/2014-11-10+08.03.23-1.jpg" width="584" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhjmi3hWZda7SOScT_KX06HWB28J_uJRQ-sRiAivVpIbqoLyL_KFsl0jzUUsiaCUHKEoGoMCYIwYPfj8H5VkOIS1Zypt9injNVHpBm6Rzvv3Oas7Vyg9Q15ev4A8sMfbAF_ieglOG2rw/s1600/2014-10-01+17.17.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhjmi3hWZda7SOScT_KX06HWB28J_uJRQ-sRiAivVpIbqoLyL_KFsl0jzUUsiaCUHKEoGoMCYIwYPfj8H5VkOIS1Zypt9injNVHpBm6Rzvv3Oas7Vyg9Q15ev4A8sMfbAF_ieglOG2rw/s640/2014-10-01+17.17.35.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I painted this ginkgo bowl painstakingly and intricately, using different glazes to shade the leaves and get the shapes just right. This photo is before firing, mid-way in the painting process.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXmi_unY4TQHkO0YDET9worg7xppZSze6Lwz-rIj6uZnq4aMaS23Nsnve9oNupS-46TfBwN6EGILvf4_9IUkMDZSXLeQ2GMQK_M93nk4_P4vAr8tk81I7AGv15Nph22Gt4d9vcLryEh8/s1600/2014-12-07+21.36.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXmi_unY4TQHkO0YDET9worg7xppZSze6Lwz-rIj6uZnq4aMaS23Nsnve9oNupS-46TfBwN6EGILvf4_9IUkMDZSXLeQ2GMQK_M93nk4_P4vAr8tk81I7AGv15Nph22Gt4d9vcLryEh8/s640/2014-12-07+21.36.02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When it came out of the kiln I laughed loud and long. All that detail work for nothing. The ginkgo leaves are so blobby! I took it to the gallery to show it to Paige, thinking to give her a good laugh. She made me leave it there and it sold!! Unbelievable what people like. Lol.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjP440IMNsHoLPxkiO14R9JrAkE9M3TpzmGB0U6vYkdc_0LZkrE-UEPnoyttHwcIbBIeCm7hOCNKJVSqgOKb5McLp0Y1qHrhVU6fX7WWk9UB8521_jzn1BWZHJGssIWsqH1VPic0yG0zk/s1600/2015-09-21+16.15.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjP440IMNsHoLPxkiO14R9JrAkE9M3TpzmGB0U6vYkdc_0LZkrE-UEPnoyttHwcIbBIeCm7hOCNKJVSqgOKb5McLp0Y1qHrhVU6fX7WWk9UB8521_jzn1BWZHJGssIWsqH1VPic0yG0zk/s640/2015-09-21+16.15.15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A year ago I promised my SIL a bowl to go by her front door that she could put keys and stuff in. I finally finished it last week. Heh heh. I guess I dragged my feet a bit because I wasn't really liking it, but she loved it, so that's all that matters, right? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9dq-_f7vMKyVlX5u0Gwb7h7l1TguZ23RgjmcZJCa0Llpv18wFadPBnLjFOnanqLvq_qjeqMxpNwnjijIyDcELywCE3ejmMdCPw91FCILQ-NMSQMHi4NkwTVg2VvNfsJxNorDTyiZKDc/s1600/2015-09-21+16.15.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9dq-_f7vMKyVlX5u0Gwb7h7l1TguZ23RgjmcZJCa0Llpv18wFadPBnLjFOnanqLvq_qjeqMxpNwnjijIyDcELywCE3ejmMdCPw91FCILQ-NMSQMHi4NkwTVg2VvNfsJxNorDTyiZKDc/s640/2015-09-21+16.15.25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom view of the bowl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_E_882edVZlUDHdPjaxDHWG6O-P7FBDCNeIujgskMbdQ9_nJg_sSWu3l0TiDH9vnKMFQ5yA7puXazbplZ1gJy5neBrgW-sKUG8uyx3sS6PpmEYcCufavOnj01v5knCues6wekB7QgUI/s1600/2015-09-10+20.00.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_E_882edVZlUDHdPjaxDHWG6O-P7FBDCNeIujgskMbdQ9_nJg_sSWu3l0TiDH9vnKMFQ5yA7puXazbplZ1gJy5neBrgW-sKUG8uyx3sS6PpmEYcCufavOnj01v5knCues6wekB7QgUI/s640/2015-09-10+20.00.27.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got this new copper glaze that I wanted to try. Here it is on a mug. I love it! So sparkly :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQKoDU4KBDGRtMNK4snslnRrB61vGI32aWAk0aGlVBjJfStO61nd_HKR_DjO1otSxVC77Xo8XKc2SOJAukYHhzzSbCD9QEEJ0a_Whd7i3erz5DHY8TJJh26lKg2RS5X454lQsOXa2PyE/s1600/2015-09-07+22.18.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQKoDU4KBDGRtMNK4snslnRrB61vGI32aWAk0aGlVBjJfStO61nd_HKR_DjO1otSxVC77Xo8XKc2SOJAukYHhzzSbCD9QEEJ0a_Whd7i3erz5DHY8TJJh26lKg2RS5X454lQsOXa2PyE/s320/2015-09-07+22.18.58.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here it is on an unfired bowl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1XhYPMgd82pSEyhHHksxgzRvCEEt9L5syZNkpsed1rkJgSNAzgnabAGnA-B_hAfStb3QKXOSug49YBG28rXn20h3KgW1hMvi2oefwP_hu0DqskRlLaWfvBeUJxGVKR_QN36w8GCaefo/s1600/2015-09-10+19.39.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1XhYPMgd82pSEyhHHksxgzRvCEEt9L5syZNkpsed1rkJgSNAzgnabAGnA-B_hAfStb3QKXOSug49YBG28rXn20h3KgW1hMvi2oefwP_hu0DqskRlLaWfvBeUJxGVKR_QN36w8GCaefo/s640/2015-09-10+19.39.29.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the fired bowl - totally different effect from the mug. That's what I love about ceramics. You never know exactly how it's going to turn out. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got a custom order for a funeral urn and this was the end result. I'm still kind of gloating over it :)</td></tr>
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-57001749872530429982015-04-25T17:48:00.001-07:002015-10-04T23:49:42.360-07:00Cruise Photos part deux<div style="text-align: center;">
I did promise to post the rest of the photos from my cruise... last year... heh heh. So here they are:</div>
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<b>Ketchikan</b></div>
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We arrived in Ketchikan very early in the morning and had lovely weather and lovely views of the harbor.</div>
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I quite liked Ketchikan. It was very quaint and charming, the little bit of it we saw. We had time for multiple excursions but we wanted to do different things, so Gab headed off for a wilderness adventure and I trotted off to the lumberjack show. I had very strict instructions from the ladies at work not to come back without lots of photos and I did not disappoint. I took over 400 during that one hour. I won't toy with your patience by posting all of them, but here are a few.</div>
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As well as being extremely easy on the eyes, these guys are actually all real lumberjacks who work for real logging firms and compete in real lumberjack competitions throughout the year. Working at this cheesy little tourist attraction in Alaska and competing every day gives them much needed practice in the off season, apparently. </div>
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After the lumberjack show, I boarded a bus and headed to Totem Bight State Park, where they've made an effort to preserve the abandoned totem poles on the island.</div>
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If I had blogged about this right after I got home I could have told you what all the various animals mean and related stories about each pole... but alas, now I can't remember. If you're really interested I'm sure the park website has information. Lol. I do remember our guide telling us about the last pole pictured here. The master carver, when asked why he chose to carve the fish sideways on top of a square pole instead of choosing the more traditional style, replied, "for the halibut". Yes, I know. Groan.</div>
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<b>Victoria</b></div>
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<b> </b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1EIB1XpYMCIFTgYdzpMwCx494zaRxpi-l5Ze8R5OIjiiouvD_1tQfFe3a1HoaPTHA3XCVyoSkUrsBLQww46feaY_Trl2OS6UxaPl165RiNPmW9-VTRee61UpT_lpemdksgzX4lYeMV0/s1600/2014-08-22+18.53.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1EIB1XpYMCIFTgYdzpMwCx494zaRxpi-l5Ze8R5OIjiiouvD_1tQfFe3a1HoaPTHA3XCVyoSkUrsBLQww46feaY_Trl2OS6UxaPl165RiNPmW9-VTRee61UpT_lpemdksgzX4lYeMV0/s1600/2014-08-22+18.53.23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We were only in Victoria for a few hours. Like 3. We were delayed arriving, so the amphibious bus tour we had scheduled became unavailable, and there were very few other options, so we ended by going on a horse drawn carriage ride through Victoria in the evening. I didn't get many photos, nor did we frankly get a very good look at much of anything in the dark, but it was still a lovely night to be out and about in Canada, and our guide was adorable. It was quite breezy and a bit nippy after the sun went down and there was a group of geriatrics in the rows behind us who were disgruntled about the difficulty seeing anything. Their comments got snarkier and ruder as the ride wore on and our lovely guide took it all with good humor and grace. She answered them kindly and ignored their rudeness. We learned that she was a native of Victoria putting herself through college. I thought she was a great example for the kids on the ride, who were cuddled up next to her enjoying being close to the horses. I don't remember her name but she was very impressive. The horses were also lovely :)<b> </b></div>
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That's the end of my photos. I suppose I should have some pithy summation of Alaska or cruises or something relevant... but I don't. I'm ready for another trip!</div>
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<b> </b>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-2827889301066096032015-04-19T14:19:00.000-07:002015-04-19T14:20:15.849-07:00Update<div style="text-align: center;">
I suppose I should probably do some sort of update about actual life events. Let's see... </div>
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Eclectic NW: that retail shop that was going to sell my book art that I was so excited about turned out to be a complete fiasco. They were only open for about a month, they didn't return any of the 3 months worth of rent all the 200 vendors paid to get the thing started, they destroyed about half of my very fragile inventory. I will never do retail again. At least not like that. I so appreciate Paige at Pegasus Gallery here in Corvallis. She has always been very gentle with my stuff and very respectful and supportive of me. </div>
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The flower shop: A little over a year ago, I sold my half to my business partner's husband and now they run it together and are doing very well. It was just too much for me to do that and have a full time job. I was spread too thin and shortchanging everyone, most of all myself, so for my own health and sanity, I happily walked away. </div>
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Bus driving: At the end of last year I quit driving city transit and took a training course to become a driver education instructor. I've always liked the idea of teaching people to drive, particularly a defensive driving program that makes the roads safer for everyone. I know what it's like to lose someone to a car collision, and if I can keep that from happening to just one person ever because they were driving defensively, my life will not have been in vain. I now do behind the wheel instruction through Linn Benton Community College. Yay :)</div>
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Gall bladder: a little over a month ago I went to the ER with severe abdominal pain and all the fun excretions that come with that situation. They did an ultrasound and found a MASSIVE gall stone. They admitted me to the hospital, where I languished for 4 days while they bumped my surgery time and again for more pressing cases that came through the doors. Gunshot wounds, exploding appendixes... I guess I'll allow it. Anyway, they finally removed my gall bladder and the enormous stone it contained. Did I mention that it was big? The doctor said it was the largest he'd ever removed, so yay me! I win :) If you want to see a photo, go here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153172910754106&set=a.10151107844949106.460369.559219105&type=1&theater</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-1705522001287797402015-04-19T13:52:00.000-07:002015-04-19T13:53:32.058-07:00Bryant Book<div style="text-align: center;">
I haven't been doing much book folding lately because frankly, I don't have anywhere to put them. But I was missing it, and also the gallery that shows my work has a poetry in art exhibit every April, so I produced a few new ones. I tried something new to me and I think it turned out pretty cool, if I do say so:</div>
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I love the top view too. You can't see it in the photo, but the edges are gilt and shiny :)</div>
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This is a pseudo-replica of a book folded by a fellow etsy dealer, who I greatly admire. She doesn't do much folding anymore, but is concentrating on her watercolor art, which is beautiful and which you can see here: http://rhymeswithmagicart.blogspot.com/</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-66341019789179161842015-04-19T13:31:00.002-07:002015-04-19T13:31:51.718-07:00Tulip Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfMMzr27ssfHUTli8suqlxTi66VbO629Rst1tsWejGM8UeHhwEfDAd0KKf6qMbZwE4SOtBtiC4twrcJj0z_l62RYaLk8wA8ApsQH98k24RVQJ_37KRNCAe3hw9NXF0PImv9Y914uHohc/s1600/2015-04-14+12.36.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfMMzr27ssfHUTli8suqlxTi66VbO629Rst1tsWejGM8UeHhwEfDAd0KKf6qMbZwE4SOtBtiC4twrcJj0z_l62RYaLk8wA8ApsQH98k24RVQJ_37KRNCAe3hw9NXF0PImv9Y914uHohc/s1600/2015-04-14+12.36.02.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>My brother and our niece and I went to visit a tulip farm in Woodburn last week. We got lucky and happened to be there during the only sunny 45 minutes of the entire day. (We were there longer than 45 minutes, but we also got rained on and very windswept.) We all took many photos. Here are a few of the best of mine. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4oJCx-vRI45mpEphJ_bLSV_ab8RDeRYvLeiIKXhNwR2ibFKDPuvnpUY7Ile1Sc4Hb-rYspSOhyphenhyphenbtGClLxU0iTGOxLXlolHvpWQUw8jj04CfCdNf_9z9u3cHvtWsa6Un57lbiIzFUqY8/s1600/2015-04-14+12.40.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4oJCx-vRI45mpEphJ_bLSV_ab8RDeRYvLeiIKXhNwR2ibFKDPuvnpUY7Ile1Sc4Hb-rYspSOhyphenhyphenbtGClLxU0iTGOxLXlolHvpWQUw8jj04CfCdNf_9z9u3cHvtWsa6Un57lbiIzFUqY8/s1600/2015-04-14+12.40.02.jpg" height="640" width="480" /> </a></div>
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These tractors are wood fueled. That means as you sit and drive your tractor through the fields, periodically you are required to reach behind you and grab a log out of the box to your right, open the door to the furnace, which is RIGHT BETWEEN YOUR LEGS and throw the log on the fire in order to keep the tractor moving forward. Yikes. They say these machines are all still operational and they fire them up every weekend. They don't make them like they used to, eh?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZOt9Wa_knbahAcGwJE-ClRsmPflk6ZUMuFNfQ30ELwglth0x5vOzs0B7OTJfJceHyBzbJBzvkmUJvZsIf96a9Gs3VclBSkfXH9hXaV9B8dxpZRQ25XNdTVo4p_0hEC06IEXCH-D0M7Q/s1600/2015-04-14+12.27.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZOt9Wa_knbahAcGwJE-ClRsmPflk6ZUMuFNfQ30ELwglth0x5vOzs0B7OTJfJceHyBzbJBzvkmUJvZsIf96a9Gs3VclBSkfXH9hXaV9B8dxpZRQ25XNdTVo4p_0hEC06IEXCH-D0M7Q/s1600/2015-04-14+12.27.16.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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I love this photo of my niece :) She's adorable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlTJbl_7OFOKicKNbeV7Y_FB6SnAjv2PjSASwM8v7_wl1uiOxd7862mc7XQQXmD1NHhBoXlI2PnELhhl7Y5OvMJpwxPdyHvFMpP2sojR6igyoSq8ciwYQK2TtvIvZJSgBbLHihJS-o0w/s1600/2015-04-14+12.38.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlTJbl_7OFOKicKNbeV7Y_FB6SnAjv2PjSASwM8v7_wl1uiOxd7862mc7XQQXmD1NHhBoXlI2PnELhhl7Y5OvMJpwxPdyHvFMpP2sojR6igyoSq8ciwYQK2TtvIvZJSgBbLHihJS-o0w/s1600/2015-04-14+12.38.58.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> Pink tractor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj706Y0pa8AS55HU33WXkpwKB7vqwN0FGXV5iC0aboqkryvznYs9sXa8UU18eIxJ66pv8n-xje4Yh3kNsrXp7mQgzY85zk45GGKGjEbYUbdGrHS7Ev5Hnx3GqRTb0O5qNzVcVXz1Uzb7lg/s1600/2015-04-14+12.41.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj706Y0pa8AS55HU33WXkpwKB7vqwN0FGXV5iC0aboqkryvznYs9sXa8UU18eIxJ66pv8n-xje4Yh3kNsrXp7mQgzY85zk45GGKGjEbYUbdGrHS7Ev5Hnx3GqRTb0O5qNzVcVXz1Uzb7lg/s1600/2015-04-14+12.41.40.jpg" height="640" width="584" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-xoP3pCGwAYJjJWrW_a4qgkXxevcG4u8hdBMh0ij6Ek0xL7IiWlnIghDsyphskzt7F5VDOA8tV9b9zG-sHAzhBNIJ-hoal0WZGQ58lYcqTUN_SgU65-K2xJ2BAbT-hzigLYCgeBQ5dg/s1600/2015-04-14+12.35.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-xoP3pCGwAYJjJWrW_a4qgkXxevcG4u8hdBMh0ij6Ek0xL7IiWlnIghDsyphskzt7F5VDOA8tV9b9zG-sHAzhBNIJ-hoal0WZGQ58lYcqTUN_SgU65-K2xJ2BAbT-hzigLYCgeBQ5dg/s1600/2015-04-14+12.35.10.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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These look like peonies, but they are in fact tulips. Want. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDpp-M5AOWnOKrf__V8-M5pkrT9eJVEzGry4OSZh4QY6tRp5v8_WfuEf8oOV3P_v2W5GsP66LEdmyKKy1bwwzEFwjynzxEcn2IuK8Rojv0Y-zfp1oWz3c2FHIW8qpXhyVgtjqMkLYcyI/s1600/2015-04-14+12.36.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDpp-M5AOWnOKrf__V8-M5pkrT9eJVEzGry4OSZh4QY6tRp5v8_WfuEf8oOV3P_v2W5GsP66LEdmyKKy1bwwzEFwjynzxEcn2IuK8Rojv0Y-zfp1oWz3c2FHIW8qpXhyVgtjqMkLYcyI/s1600/2015-04-14+12.36.35.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD1ra3d4Dms-s0OlWUZIu-KlmCI8PpI6bQ36SENFmPNbkx1f15aDzlDbJunKRPwkSHEwWRrPOuYoPbFfnspdLJUFiVTjoEfErOh8di5oMjSXCjiggpEHHbXu2x9g-nIGtA5PwxJpdkjY/s1600/2015-04-14+12.40.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD1ra3d4Dms-s0OlWUZIu-KlmCI8PpI6bQ36SENFmPNbkx1f15aDzlDbJunKRPwkSHEwWRrPOuYoPbFfnspdLJUFiVTjoEfErOh8di5oMjSXCjiggpEHHbXu2x9g-nIGtA5PwxJpdkjY/s1600/2015-04-14+12.40.41.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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I think a good time was had by all, in spite of the 15 degree drop in temperature and gale force winds that eventually drove us from the farm to the more sheltered confines of the chocolate store at the outlet mall 5 miles away :D</div>
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-55258907581798405852014-09-02T23:40:00.000-07:002015-10-04T23:46:44.421-07:00Alaska Photos part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
I promised photos, so here they are. Most of them are the same ones I posted on Facebook, so if you've already seen those, sorry for the repeat.</div>
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When I thought about going on a cruise, I never really thought about the logistics of it, the huge number of people, the ordeal of getting to the ship, on the ship, through the ship to the cabin, etc. I'm not an impatient person, I don't think. I understand that sometimes you have to stand in line for something worthwhile. I look at it as an opportunity to people watch, so I actually enjoyed the process of boarding the ship. There were long lines of amusing people. Every one was in a festive, pre-holiday mood. I did not enjoy the hour long runaround my GPS gave us before we found the parking lot. Luckily, we left the hotel in plenty of time, so we were still over an hour early for our boarding time. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EJK3d4xkgNazDelWkpts7sjk-sTHM9e86-i84QyJJ0A8hrD6mzoMvHQk5HHT6nFoEvZBXVeHyyektJc5Wk-cv2nlDx7xuw9m4X-XDRxMZnvyCuKxvaU-BlguYaUwTQSLTUJxU5q3Igo/s1600/2014-08-16+12.30.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EJK3d4xkgNazDelWkpts7sjk-sTHM9e86-i84QyJJ0A8hrD6mzoMvHQk5HHT6nFoEvZBXVeHyyektJc5Wk-cv2nlDx7xuw9m4X-XDRxMZnvyCuKxvaU-BlguYaUwTQSLTUJxU5q3Igo/s1600/2014-08-16+12.30.58.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our floating home, the Golden Princess.</td></tr>
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The ship was worth the wait. The Golden Princess was luxurious. I didn't photograph it, but our cabin was actually bigger than I thought it would be. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROPW_aJmLGbIkfZQQTcTpTzCjPNMOSp3-j2C9_FW9FoEL1pUgXA0M8odN_7oOXrYgwNA-JQ888caVwNa3bgbqqpLLHspljRS_eEghbLKdNWBBmAS7I8YLAydkbFm0oVSE-FP7t8-Suq8/s1600/2014-08-16+13.21.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROPW_aJmLGbIkfZQQTcTpTzCjPNMOSp3-j2C9_FW9FoEL1pUgXA0M8odN_7oOXrYgwNA-JQ888caVwNa3bgbqqpLLHspljRS_eEghbLKdNWBBmAS7I8YLAydkbFm0oVSE-FP7t8-Suq8/s1600/2014-08-16+13.21.57.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many pools. Our cabin was just down a corridor past the stingray sculpture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle skyline as we left port. The tents you see on the shore below the Space Needle were Hempfest, which we did not attend. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOWT2rBwxyEIfyEGqTnlMOi81ugwMLYeUkn0x-rTEu-qYrBJz-tHEjtg-IK7WvunMNtOsi1b5x621YM5sZbqSmp5GLOgs3Qwp48zR8pBZiKtS-Z9GipQwSlL6oTxZsiMFxQZBECBtt8U/s1600/2014-08-20+13.44.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOWT2rBwxyEIfyEGqTnlMOi81ugwMLYeUkn0x-rTEu-qYrBJz-tHEjtg-IK7WvunMNtOsi1b5x621YM5sZbqSmp5GLOgs3Qwp48zR8pBZiKtS-Z9GipQwSlL6oTxZsiMFxQZBECBtt8U/s1600/2014-08-20+13.44.24.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ship interior, the Atrium.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiw7mp5LVeX06iv7YIbk4TecVM-fJdRpHTfpoJDIncfjvH_m-xV-RpIhqW9JQdozFW0x6I6OsQ6fu7QC40-Fy0i5rKIjnytFFRdgOQztLdiWP6ctvt1hyphenhyphenO5_HAIDaNQ5GcedV8NMEhPU/s1600/2014-08-20+19.32.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiw7mp5LVeX06iv7YIbk4TecVM-fJdRpHTfpoJDIncfjvH_m-xV-RpIhqW9JQdozFW0x6I6OsQ6fu7QC40-Fy0i5rKIjnytFFRdgOQztLdiWP6ctvt1hyphenhyphenO5_HAIDaNQ5GcedV8NMEhPU/s1600/2014-08-20+19.32.50.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A string quartet playing Strauss in the Atrium. They played nearly every day, from classical to Beatles tribute songs. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdxHezzsGBf3jQui7pxdFF1agcMuYHYVInEPlkp0wJeKyktfYMecHrlh-X0EIf6R3dNN6PBcHk9vSDZYvhvLrFJsvdYf_2JzsE9bbcAr2KPJFroggHYZ6gPwxWrQfOm9JUhTNlCcWTso/s1600/2014-08-20+19.57.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdxHezzsGBf3jQui7pxdFF1agcMuYHYVInEPlkp0wJeKyktfYMecHrlh-X0EIf6R3dNN6PBcHk9vSDZYvhvLrFJsvdYf_2JzsE9bbcAr2KPJFroggHYZ6gPwxWrQfOm9JUhTNlCcWTso/s1600/2014-08-20+19.57.48.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Princess Theater, where the uber cheesy evening entertainments were perpetrated. In the day they had lectures and other things. The guy down front was my favorite member of the bar staff. Instead of taking drink orders like he was supposed to, he'd wander around the room flirting and playing with all the little kids, showing them tricks and telling jokes and stories. He was adorable.<br />
I say the on board entertainment was cheesy, but I have to give the performers props for being able to dance around on a stage in heels while the ship was listing and rolling. They looked as though nothing was amiss, but when the audience stood up to go after the show ended we all lurched around like a Star Trek fight scene.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCkR6XnYNsO_FEFHILGhD8s_tM3uyFQs8Kqx6nstEwWetbPYmcLlNmE75-hK4KA6U-21oDj8ZTOlBSY3Pd2ivXqb2hD07S8_2UoJ3xltXUaUYv-0j07RBgvaGBGhF-Aqwkp4Bim7GIEE/s1600/2014-08-16+17.54.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCkR6XnYNsO_FEFHILGhD8s_tM3uyFQs8Kqx6nstEwWetbPYmcLlNmE75-hK4KA6U-21oDj8ZTOlBSY3Pd2ivXqb2hD07S8_2UoJ3xltXUaUYv-0j07RBgvaGBGhF-Aqwkp4Bim7GIEE/s1600/2014-08-16+17.54.16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My awesomely fabulous friend Gabrielle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptOBEKEZMSpZ0KNLZYmMim0ofNfxv-2IAxQhnw6QN4XEn8K3OSCXmndPVKtImt9XEIUzIi91acoi3jP4n12lXQkAVPWnk8w0tJsz6Kx_XCL5R9FTK5dGKl6jKFeKTObC625U7Jr3n6iA/s1600/2014-08-17+17.52.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptOBEKEZMSpZ0KNLZYmMim0ofNfxv-2IAxQhnw6QN4XEn8K3OSCXmndPVKtImt9XEIUzIi91acoi3jP4n12lXQkAVPWnk8w0tJsz6Kx_XCL5R9FTK5dGKl6jKFeKTObC625U7Jr3n6iA/s1600/2014-08-17+17.52.04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Formal night. Do I look uncomfortable? Because I was.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let's talk about the food, because frankly, you could eat 24/7 on a cruise. You hear stories about cruise food, about people gaining mega poundage while cruising. All the stories are true. The food is amazing, our waitstaff was just the best ever, there were so many options and too many things to try. Here is a sampling:</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjru2Oym2VVkyTUGt_KFoJLCe0OpOc1H30bVuAPmGabngCob2YbdxHXggSD6jMHbTQMTUj4xE3L-2yZOnZEXvFVDEfJYTjLG0cDDRjGKEJiZ0Ugl0IWEDWtoWKCpUZm6WuShmEPIxkgiSE/s1600/2014-08-16+17.54.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjru2Oym2VVkyTUGt_KFoJLCe0OpOc1H30bVuAPmGabngCob2YbdxHXggSD6jMHbTQMTUj4xE3L-2yZOnZEXvFVDEfJYTjLG0cDDRjGKEJiZ0Ugl0IWEDWtoWKCpUZm6WuShmEPIxkgiSE/s1600/2014-08-16+17.54.06.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our waiters brought me gluten free bread every night :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSAxh9YhKurOwRcA50b08eaX7JG9cX3RMy6KaCVwiyh0iA88-VWAQk0vPaulbG6CGqS8TYSiV4vD3Y2veffLwfItjLz3jOf2gYaJTSB8949kE4Jd9ODHXSttjt5EPGe1T3u0XyA0PdO8/s1600/2014-08-16+18.35.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSAxh9YhKurOwRcA50b08eaX7JG9cX3RMy6KaCVwiyh0iA88-VWAQk0vPaulbG6CGqS8TYSiV4vD3Y2veffLwfItjLz3jOf2gYaJTSB8949kE4Jd9ODHXSttjt5EPGe1T3u0XyA0PdO8/s1600/2014-08-16+18.35.47.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon, veggies, mashed potatoes and I think parsnips?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFxO3dKXW_FE1A6o9ouqgCgoD52aGWUztJuP6eFMebSEGMNWD6qv-wfzVFvpPzBcK_FdN5eJYnckiFCSAicqphduWQK5ITn35fcNwbV3ZnwO5-Km8zBfYGoVwjuoemLVEeVdmwE3QRfA/s1600/2014-08-16+19.10.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFxO3dKXW_FE1A6o9ouqgCgoD52aGWUztJuP6eFMebSEGMNWD6qv-wfzVFvpPzBcK_FdN5eJYnckiFCSAicqphduWQK5ITn35fcNwbV3ZnwO5-Km8zBfYGoVwjuoemLVEeVdmwE3QRfA/s1600/2014-08-16+19.10.27.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flourless chocolate cake. SOOOO GOOOOD!!! I wish they'd had this every night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdGLYshx9WE36Z5fqKtvKCCYd-ZbNhlaV_t-38PD0v7ux1bhzdQ-s34Fn8gA445ovsD1StZ11kSnJ5s499xmFG5p6tz_XiwxnEBp6joVvF4laUeCHSD48huzYPYsInwqN0ZrOK1A_7Cw/s1600/2014-08-17+13.16.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdGLYshx9WE36Z5fqKtvKCCYd-ZbNhlaV_t-38PD0v7ux1bhzdQ-s34Fn8gA445ovsD1StZ11kSnJ5s499xmFG5p6tz_XiwxnEBp6joVvF4laUeCHSD48huzYPYsInwqN0ZrOK1A_7Cw/s1600/2014-08-17+13.16.38.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caprese salad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhwxJpXh4Qtt8CI0ovBjOf1xb-oddf_VaNTUdoFFLlHHu10slC52sBY3VpbTfeUjuP_Af31wLMo9yVCe96WYnwi9HUCtw79PdKwsu92rXI0Md2_1THkKH7iJGjQrHlnOAIbskeBNJuws/s1600/2014-08-17+17.50.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhwxJpXh4Qtt8CI0ovBjOf1xb-oddf_VaNTUdoFFLlHHu10slC52sBY3VpbTfeUjuP_Af31wLMo9yVCe96WYnwi9HUCtw79PdKwsu92rXI0Md2_1THkKH7iJGjQrHlnOAIbskeBNJuws/s1600/2014-08-17+17.50.04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This looks disgusting but it was so good. It was stilton mousse and cucumber slaw. Drool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3t3ioRuUqCixg1ltPVxhsnF3I2KKkqgyU6XSUBWVgUJ44usRM6TJmqHrvpc13x9krIwMe78hMOnf4yTy5HTYQfaVxiFZxlVxORHqSNJuZ2-QYgKty3LRY4zHVU-jzAEARYedwIaeWw/s1600/2014-08-17+18.21.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3t3ioRuUqCixg1ltPVxhsnF3I2KKkqgyU6XSUBWVgUJ44usRM6TJmqHrvpc13x9krIwMe78hMOnf4yTy5HTYQfaVxiFZxlVxORHqSNJuZ2-QYgKty3LRY4zHVU-jzAEARYedwIaeWw/s1600/2014-08-17+18.21.26.jpg" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef medallions and veggies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_tMI962Ia2kwH1qeAm9pizdvvkVDl5wIBsVc8lkcXhUSoU6JI0lUEKFvy5TxMQ8HIJRVfTxfKjfsTSQxXmu-_WX-20kS3yg4nc3pS4oLBRym8GavvOydRAxoT4vyWEcKd71X-0-W7RY/s1600/2014-08-18+20.17.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_tMI962Ia2kwH1qeAm9pizdvvkVDl5wIBsVc8lkcXhUSoU6JI0lUEKFvy5TxMQ8HIJRVfTxfKjfsTSQxXmu-_WX-20kS3yg4nc3pS4oLBRym8GavvOydRAxoT4vyWEcKd71X-0-W7RY/s1600/2014-08-18+20.17.32.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab legs. I should have ordered 3 plates. These were the best food I had on the cruise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DUdawhJcW-MsdoV0ph_-zZR0_5LGXAFEh1Hps-mBYd1kkMfMoflaKV9gGqlCSOUh_LJ7D585Cagd8Hnb1nbtAqCFHL2tOZygqETIXB5DS5z8xecgbHrWZ3dgESwnWiMEBLJcNSsl13Q/s1600/2014-08-18+20.51.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DUdawhJcW-MsdoV0ph_-zZR0_5LGXAFEh1Hps-mBYd1kkMfMoflaKV9gGqlCSOUh_LJ7D585Cagd8Hnb1nbtAqCFHL2tOZygqETIXB5DS5z8xecgbHrWZ3dgESwnWiMEBLJcNSsl13Q/s1600/2014-08-18+20.51.04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef, veg, potato.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSj1D6MLMurclOW4WA8NNeYNlaY-_Q9fbZ08mulSYFniJVTmZSMQpHc-xGFuEjPdHBUEDStP4rzU6o_SHFsd6lmuTqqp0i70VDLLDdPVsElkFD0zbFRdD4Uqujfhzze7DvTyPlQ8vXOt4/s1600/2014-08-19+20.32.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSj1D6MLMurclOW4WA8NNeYNlaY-_Q9fbZ08mulSYFniJVTmZSMQpHc-xGFuEjPdHBUEDStP4rzU6o_SHFsd6lmuTqqp0i70VDLLDdPVsElkFD0zbFRdD4Uqujfhzze7DvTyPlQ8vXOt4/s1600/2014-08-19+20.32.24.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They made me gluten free pasta as an appetizer one night. It was sooo goood, but so big for a starter. I had a hard time eating the rest of my dinner. </td></tr>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TlfVZeiQFpn_b9O4c4nytB2aTFE0823NDhcPVaeK-lYIz-x08YOe_jeXcf0sKp0MT4PI3ixOwIxCPvRtoIwV2w9oLgymh7yK8jlJmh9Faq6gSl5MbZLbC4AtE7x6LW8GcVS_8PvbQPQ/s1600/2014-08-19+20.44.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TlfVZeiQFpn_b9O4c4nytB2aTFE0823NDhcPVaeK-lYIz-x08YOe_jeXcf0sKp0MT4PI3ixOwIxCPvRtoIwV2w9oLgymh7yK8jlJmh9Faq6gSl5MbZLbC4AtE7x6LW8GcVS_8PvbQPQ/s1600/2014-08-19+20.44.08.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was disgusting. Mushroom soup.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUAZpc_COnHwrWl25kIxBJ9l32GAcvZoXHzzU563G9yCzNFNqEA6aP6vJYDGRwTwKnKTrGyJBk1luuzxhcbZg-boHa6H7z_tM7k44xsOjDvnrZX6bO49FTxaQcQCTJjHjqhhZsWnDzgU/s1600/2014-08-19+21.04.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUAZpc_COnHwrWl25kIxBJ9l32GAcvZoXHzzU563G9yCzNFNqEA6aP6vJYDGRwTwKnKTrGyJBk1luuzxhcbZg-boHa6H7z_tM7k44xsOjDvnrZX6bO49FTxaQcQCTJjHjqhhZsWnDzgU/s1600/2014-08-19+21.04.18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted pork, asparagus and potatoes. I would have loved this if it hadn't come right after my pasta starter. </td></tr>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM91zBrBWXNoZ_XeKpmjN19UCc8NgMPvhb-JLl6169IbTl6pe7ghInU_-i_J_GDHmg2IB3CVR9CsM0wONYPkOUU0QhhRoyFb_87dIGOn5FRBILbiu3Uyfn6uxZA1jJBNKO6BwseYYqhUs/s1600/2014-08-20+19.20.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM91zBrBWXNoZ_XeKpmjN19UCc8NgMPvhb-JLl6169IbTl6pe7ghInU_-i_J_GDHmg2IB3CVR9CsM0wONYPkOUU0QhhRoyFb_87dIGOn5FRBILbiu3Uyfn6uxZA1jJBNKO6BwseYYqhUs/s1600/2014-08-20+19.20.26.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neapolitan ice cream cake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEsNVm_IIIyvlaQP_ndvjSY0pU0L7W1R78yxdX7YaBFGhKcWsrwGLdeM_q-h8l7vVcJFvndLnrBD5RpwyHr6O8SSJ2PvtWlzvjeAM7rEcz_fAnLazZvDyGDkqu3EPThEJ0Lam0WKQ1nQ/s1600/2014-08-20+19.20.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEsNVm_IIIyvlaQP_ndvjSY0pU0L7W1R78yxdX7YaBFGhKcWsrwGLdeM_q-h8l7vVcJFvndLnrBD5RpwyHr6O8SSJ2PvtWlzvjeAM7rEcz_fAnLazZvDyGDkqu3EPThEJ0Lam0WKQ1nQ/s1600/2014-08-20+19.20.32.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheesecake. I didn't eat the crust...</td></tr>
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<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Juneau</b><br />
In Juneau Gab and I took a raft float trip from Mendenhall Lake, past Mendenhall Glacier, down the Mendenhall River. I'm sensing a theme here. They were all named for Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, who was responsible for defining the boundary between Canada and Alaska, among other things. Hah! I did listen to our guide. <br />
On this trip we weren't sure how wet we were going to get, so I took my phone, but only took a very few photos and then tucked it away during the river part of the excursion. Gab didn't take her camera or phone, for which I am immensely grateful, because I looked like an ass clown. They gave us wet weather gear, which was awesome, except that as a very girthy person, the pants didn't quite fit. They were way too long to begin with and then I couldn't pull them all the way up, because, you know, belly. So the crotch was down by my knees and I was waddling around like a penguin. Add boots that were literally 5 sizes too big, a huge rain slicker with a hood, and a life vest. I could hardly move. If the raft had flipped I would have drowned, dragged down by the 127,000 lbs of rubber I was wearing. When I went to get into the raft, I sat down and tried to swing my legs over into the raft, but I fell over onto my back and was stuck there like a turtle, waving my rubber clad limbs in the air, gurgling for help. Gab pulled me in and we were off, but I have rarely felt so foolish in my life. The guide just laughed and said, "best part of the trip!" Thanks, dick.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbGS4O-hXwsq_vOX7VuPU8Sv3fh9SwIpLprWU39_SJk6Z2C-zgv1qA16Vq245UMQE-kqz9erIMbgPCGCiWWDrLsGiQCYHWiDvFlb1yUmVwzUuWzFBzHIIwW_gy4EAJEaerB5WXq-1VeM/s1600/2014-08-18+13.07.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbGS4O-hXwsq_vOX7VuPU8Sv3fh9SwIpLprWU39_SJk6Z2C-zgv1qA16Vq245UMQE-kqz9erIMbgPCGCiWWDrLsGiQCYHWiDvFlb1yUmVwzUuWzFBzHIIwW_gy4EAJEaerB5WXq-1VeM/s1600/2014-08-18+13.07.36.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken from the raft in the middle of Mendenhall Lake, just before heading down the river.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa4JDjmvvYy4I-KsW-MACaxY2EO2e6I_sScpTy-rqbtjTStA2UFPkwrATtQXad1qgtLXTHLQRx8vHPzzOkdASzt1nQtHpyXu-TGsH1D_ixPkdRfTRZNDAHO7CLp4tLbJFC-Q5FmKjqpA/s1600/2014-08-18+14.54.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa4JDjmvvYy4I-KsW-MACaxY2EO2e6I_sScpTy-rqbtjTStA2UFPkwrATtQXad1qgtLXTHLQRx8vHPzzOkdASzt1nQtHpyXu-TGsH1D_ixPkdRfTRZNDAHO7CLp4tLbJFC-Q5FmKjqpA/s1600/2014-08-18+14.54.49.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mendenhall Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWLxdtz9YR8t05AGA7j9PNJ5A_hJKe6gG14z7E-AMEOe4ksim-2zMU3n-jCeQ_PFne1QVrPDX0EbfKwNzGcQxqhanjiKwOFfFYaQWGzGplU3WPtoOswBblXxULj-1TkCFHYDvjf5oK9g/s1600/2014-08-18+18.55.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWLxdtz9YR8t05AGA7j9PNJ5A_hJKe6gG14z7E-AMEOe4ksim-2zMU3n-jCeQ_PFne1QVrPDX0EbfKwNzGcQxqhanjiKwOFfFYaQWGzGplU3WPtoOswBblXxULj-1TkCFHYDvjf5oK9g/s1600/2014-08-18+18.55.04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After our float trip, Gab and I had planned to take this tram ride, but when the time came we didn't think we'd have much of a view from the top. </td></tr>
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<b>Skagway</b></div>
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In Skagway we arose at the crack of dawn and took a jeep ride to the Yukon to go off-roading. It was awesome! The drive was gorgeous. There really aren't words to adequately describe the beauty and the enormity of Alaska. Every description falls short of the reality. And photos never really do any great landscape justice because it's not just about the view, is it? It's the smell and the feel of the place. The wind and the sounds. It's magnificent. You should go.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsJXNKICWQREc1sqtKwu0RKHDw7PbSHPq13xEb1uVEq9ia8o2bwcrPSZtMOKQ8xM_s_Rw-a5hMIgt4F73VczlmaxhfF_F1iYdFQq-LTspA-4-Iit0j_BLHjZW_Sbufbf1ibzx9XQdABs/s1600/2014-08-19+09.03.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsJXNKICWQREc1sqtKwu0RKHDw7PbSHPq13xEb1uVEq9ia8o2bwcrPSZtMOKQ8xM_s_Rw-a5hMIgt4F73VczlmaxhfF_F1iYdFQq-LTspA-4-Iit0j_BLHjZW_Sbufbf1ibzx9XQdABs/s1600/2014-08-19+09.03.52.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeep caravan.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLC6k5JyWZZsVkpEXzdiujJOxmwHMm1-rOxktZbypa4uWVZ1JBu6m-4ENx3I1u4-Df3wwTHZUO1ihhzZDFsCSZN7zvgKFRdziOajQujRKQiVQXaAvILbBXUIVFpbZ1VIMOqQmqwNB63DA/s1600/2014-08-19+09.38.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLC6k5JyWZZsVkpEXzdiujJOxmwHMm1-rOxktZbypa4uWVZ1JBu6m-4ENx3I1u4-Df3wwTHZUO1ihhzZDFsCSZN7zvgKFRdziOajQujRKQiVQXaAvILbBXUIVFpbZ1VIMOqQmqwNB63DA/s1600/2014-08-19+09.38.54.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TMI alert: When we got to the off roading part all the bumping and jostling around made me horribly aware that my bladder was near exploding so I was forced to do something I generally avoid at all costs. I've never been good at peeing in the woods, but I did it here. Yukon Territory - I came, I peed, I conquered.<span class="fbPhotoTagList hidden_elem" id="fbPhotoSnowliftTagList"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXYlyHMXiV8oSwtaqCGVrGIUT8gBxVsNapaHh9tmQ0sPyEuaNQXm-X60CsSHukv05aUwzNrwf3jnJpNXCTcKYhDEFjX_rpcFlcypicJN5JjuLQMqIwVZBx7ZXftmwMp-L00hlk5FJfJE/s1600/2014-08-19+10.20.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXYlyHMXiV8oSwtaqCGVrGIUT8gBxVsNapaHh9tmQ0sPyEuaNQXm-X60CsSHukv05aUwzNrwf3jnJpNXCTcKYhDEFjX_rpcFlcypicJN5JjuLQMqIwVZBx7ZXftmwMp-L00hlk5FJfJE/s1600/2014-08-19+10.20.40.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof that we were there. I think that's Montana Mountain behind us?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddmbr5sohkaFWCqBRz4StbsdxMftBb6XfJXLBR-oL-inxJydrCKkL6bmx1ZWtgQO-tKBh6V9qYUleKud8F3JYVnWKWoKMWjCmXHbo2NmEP-xwPXpKBn2KAfUqGlJzw_uXnFBAc3NFZQ4/s1600/2014-08-19+10.35.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddmbr5sohkaFWCqBRz4StbsdxMftBb6XfJXLBR-oL-inxJydrCKkL6bmx1ZWtgQO-tKBh6V9qYUleKud8F3JYVnWKWoKMWjCmXHbo2NmEP-xwPXpKBn2KAfUqGlJzw_uXnFBAc3NFZQ4/s1600/2014-08-19+10.35.57.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdTLCHP4MweASCDe2Qk8WCJonHje6iazSEe5RTrkZ1LOeu2gcTTlus6z2d1jOVlDGRdAGnuWZMMiKkpVXqJor-QtMkjLSlfZFlVFpPTFcTYYDXrwYP1BbXEP-8olKFkiZc896OjZPh9Y/s1600/2014-08-19+11.03.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdTLCHP4MweASCDe2Qk8WCJonHje6iazSEe5RTrkZ1LOeu2gcTTlus6z2d1jOVlDGRdAGnuWZMMiKkpVXqJor-QtMkjLSlfZFlVFpPTFcTYYDXrwYP1BbXEP-8olKFkiZc896OjZPh9Y/s1600/2014-08-19+11.03.44.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carcross. I love the art on the buildings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guide pointed out that this statue is anatomically correct. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCBXseOLw7djA_A7-l3Sxm-Vwc01t2hmfOR4Jfz6uOm6Vom9ybAmGexjvZpkf6L4ayFDXfLx4dJZGZs79nbfrqXUi1Gx7LTnd4vlwForxbJEngi_iKSYxw2nuKAbaDX6H8MXZFs5Kglg/s1600/2014-08-19+11.44.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCBXseOLw7djA_A7-l3Sxm-Vwc01t2hmfOR4Jfz6uOm6Vom9ybAmGexjvZpkf6L4ayFDXfLx4dJZGZs79nbfrqXUi1Gx7LTnd4vlwForxbJEngi_iKSYxw2nuKAbaDX6H8MXZFs5Kglg/s1600/2014-08-19+11.44.48.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the jeep trek, I took the White Pass Scenic Railway excursion. The next bunch of photos are from that trip. Sorry about the weird reflections off the glass. </div>
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<b>Glacier Bay</b></div>
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There's not much to say about Glacier Bay. The photos will speak for themselves. It's just magnificent. I will say though that I haven't edited these photos at all. The colors are true life. Also, I have to mention how totally, utterly lucky we were to have such clear, sunny weather. Everyone kept saying everywhere we went how the last 10 cruises before us all had nothing but rain and fog. We. Lucked. Out. </div>
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That's it for the first half of our cruise. I'll post the rest later.</div>
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I've been thinking more about the disconnect I feel about this trip, like I haven't really been to Alaska. I feel as though I've been to the zoo and seen Alaska through the glass, you know? I think it might have to do with the fact that we didn't actually STAY in Alaska for more than a few hours at a time. We didn't sleep there. We didn't eat one meal there. We came, looked, and left. We didn't touch. We didn't play. </div>
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If visits are like relationships then I have a long term, committed relationship with Oregon, I had a torrid love affair with New Zealand. I met Paris at a party, we had a conversation, held hands. I hope we meet again someday. Alaska - I saw Alaska across a crowded room. I thought it was beautiful, but it didn't notice me. </div>
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I'd really like to go back... in a car. I'd like to drive there, sleep there, stay in one spot for more than 3 hours. Eat local food, meet people who have nothing to do with the tourist trade. See places that aren't on the cruise line. Apparently it's a 32 hour drive...</div>
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-43805052231689697692014-08-23T23:35:00.000-07:002015-10-04T23:54:38.862-07:00CruisingI just got back from a cruise to Alaska with my lovely friend Gabrielle. I'll post photos later, (after they've finished uploading to Dropbox. I only took 900 or so,) but I wanted to process some of what I felt on the trip and I think writing about it will help me do that. <br />
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It's a strange way to vacation, cruising. 3000 people, most of whom have never met before, living within inches of each other for a week, crowding into lounges and theaters, gift shops and dining halls. Cruises are billed as relaxing getaways. It's an odd way to relax, in such close proximity to so many strangers. Maybe the disconnect between the ideal and the reality would have seemed less broad if our destination had been less grand in scale, but Alaska... Alaska is breathtaking in its enormity. It is pure wilderness, and to have it sullied by the hordes of capitalistic cruise goers... it just felt wrong. <br />
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We had a famous naturalist on board with us who has lived in the wilds of Alaska and has many well rehearsed tales to tell. He's published books about his adventures and even had one of them produced by PBS as a television program of some sort. He gave lectures on the ship about his life in Alaska, his adventures in nature and with the natives. He is very practiced at making everyone listening feel as though they want to throw off the shackles of modern civilization and brave the wild unknown. I couldn't help looking around me at all the pampered guests who can't cope if the waiter brings them regular Coke instead of diet, all of them with the fervor burning in their eyes that said, "I am mighty! I will conquer this great land! I will go on a wildlife viewing excursion and I will return to tell the tale! I will have photos to prove it!" (Gab, I do not mean you. I don't know anyone who gets more pure enjoyment out of being in nature than you do.) <br />
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I should state at this juncture that I enjoyed my cruise, that the vast majority of the people we met were lovely, friendly folks, and that I very much enjoyed being waited on hand and foot. I also liked the touristy things we did. We went on many fun excursions. I just don't feel like I've seen the real Alaska. And while I was enjoying being waited on I felt ashamed of myself for enjoying it, for allowing it. I guess I felt like it was all a big show. We were all participating in this grand charade of pleasantness and politeness, but underneath I was causing a lot of people a lot of inconvenience and because it's their job, they smile and pretend like they enjoy it too. My hope is that the people who work on the ship and in the towns we visited and on the tours we took really do like their jobs, but I know I'd have a hard time tolerating, let alone enjoying a lot of what they do. <br />
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I guess I'm still myself, even on vacation. Crowds make me uncomfortable, or I should say small-talk makes me uncomfortable, because I know I'll be quizzed later. You meet someone and exchange pleasantries. This might happen 20 times a day on a cruise ship. Two days later you meet the same folks, they ask you how you are, how you enjoyed your <u>insert excursion name here, </u>how your mother is feeling after her recent surgery, if you've heard any more about the news story you were discussing the last time you met, and if that strange rash that might be developing on the arch of your left foot ever came to anything. If you are me, you struggle to remember a single detail about them. I HATE THIS SCENARIO. And it happens all the time. I do come from a long line of social retards, so I guess I come by it honestly. Sigh.<br />
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Gabrielle will read this and never want to go on another vacation with me again. She is a lovely traveling companion. There aren't very many people I could stand to share a room with for 8 days, or who would willingly tolerate the same amount of time with me. She is the best vacation buddy. She puts up with my cluelessness and odd ways. She's been my friend for 23 years and I feel grateful to have her in my life. She gets me to do things I'd never do without her, things that would never occur to me. She knows how to have fun and she has a bright, optimistic nature that I admire and envy. <br />
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I'm not sure if I will cruise again. I have to decide how I feel about the whole rich person being waited on by poor person thing... It's most certainly the least expensive way to see Alaska. I don't think you could drive there for what we paid for the cruise, let alone have accommodation and food included. (And the food! The FOOOOOOD!!! Cruise food is pretty darn fabulous.) Plus it's a long drive. Looooonnnnggg. You'd have to have a month off to do it properly, and who can swing that? <br />
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Those are my thoughts for now. I'll post an obscene number of photos soon. Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-38931343459093457522014-05-04T11:51:00.000-07:002014-05-04T11:51:28.798-07:00Cow Philosophy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been given the opportunity to be a vendor at a new shop in Salem, 35 miles from my home. I'm happy to expand my market, and the shop sounds like it's going to be pretty fabulous, so I'm way excited. The shop is called Eclectic NW. It will be all local area artists and craftspeople, 200 vendors but not set up like so many of these places are with individual booths or stalls. Eclectic NW will be arranged like a boutique shop with everything in sections like housewares and clothing, etc. It opens on June 1st and I have to deliver my inventory of 25 new works 11 days from now!!! So I'm folding and cutting and looping in all my spare moments. </div>
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This is what I'm working on this morning:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UgMVPu6ENCXTGOv-kpfHVHFkVagbQgyINeAOvC7GgzsLtSFSsRrg2g1yiQ6xXQhaeMVxM_iX0V3ephRHr29BfV3acdVltLGUVTp1eiOXzgK8QNuC-KnWMtnkWy6mlSKxyRaXpL3MXP8/s1600/2014-05-04+11.07.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UgMVPu6ENCXTGOv-kpfHVHFkVagbQgyINeAOvC7GgzsLtSFSsRrg2g1yiQ6xXQhaeMVxM_iX0V3ephRHr29BfV3acdVltLGUVTp1eiOXzgK8QNuC-KnWMtnkWy6mlSKxyRaXpL3MXP8/s1600/2014-05-04+11.07.23.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's from a book called Cow Philosophy. Really. I love how it's turning out. It looks better in person. I wish it was Ovine Philosophy. It sort of looks wooly :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6Ohep2QT7Z4Bes87DPakOFM5ELEOjtLC_HfsjautFJ8nOUHAr3P1-BuuXHEZBSt5OZd1Vy3YSH9pDwdsQduNL4-SVMvQ_Mb27lJP-YIp30aNOHecKpPEp6_HkWC-SRwCiTVzycJnvB4/s1600/2014-05-04+11.07.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6Ohep2QT7Z4Bes87DPakOFM5ELEOjtLC_HfsjautFJ8nOUHAr3P1-BuuXHEZBSt5OZd1Vy3YSH9pDwdsQduNL4-SVMvQ_Mb27lJP-YIp30aNOHecKpPEp6_HkWC-SRwCiTVzycJnvB4/s1600/2014-05-04+11.07.08.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are a couple of other recent works that will also be going to the shop.</div>
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This is Pride and Prejudice :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh49iqvoNem5fjuNr8eEgHX-bzjvqCtYrZKZVbFqpYsynEeJoH-znlSpQhDOKj-1QdD73-mnB_pbFTGbBvubfz53YHOiTnCnSdawmwt8qS6Y_SrEC9NYXD1E9QosqDpcWuIJt43m31qY/s1600/2014-04-23+13.06.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh49iqvoNem5fjuNr8eEgHX-bzjvqCtYrZKZVbFqpYsynEeJoH-znlSpQhDOKj-1QdD73-mnB_pbFTGbBvubfz53YHOiTnCnSdawmwt8qS6Y_SrEC9NYXD1E9QosqDpcWuIJt43m31qY/s1600/2014-04-23+13.06.18.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
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This is a book of seashells, not that you can tell from this awful photo :-/</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sJpYG130MaWM6Jix-jCO0SFzHVTA3F9XotRU9UboFWMaLme3KBFyn0eN5vHG7fFj577S-CXErw2aB7SQ3NMdZJ9XJ_UjbOO21abm2V3ZxMTotnNBtWQfmMWEI_nVyUEbmZFx8ahpjr8/s1600/2014-05-04+11.06.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sJpYG130MaWM6Jix-jCO0SFzHVTA3F9XotRU9UboFWMaLme3KBFyn0eN5vHG7fFj577S-CXErw2aB7SQ3NMdZJ9XJ_UjbOO21abm2V3ZxMTotnNBtWQfmMWEI_nVyUEbmZFx8ahpjr8/s1600/2014-05-04+11.06.59.jpg" height="277" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm also still painting ceramics, just for me, because it makes me happy. This is my most recent project.</div>
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Before firing:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSr1FmyPpS_Ep4XUZXnO5fgPPcxIFyG4JRc0aoFTcj3anVlpUTuT5anfxiV3NARg8sUy6B5p_CW5yumfe2c-kIQqu2C2YzGr7f1zehHFYYE6DONLuZcb1_zM_4DPS2Kx7OeXjgSQF-AE/s1600/2014-03-30+20.36.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSr1FmyPpS_Ep4XUZXnO5fgPPcxIFyG4JRc0aoFTcj3anVlpUTuT5anfxiV3NARg8sUy6B5p_CW5yumfe2c-kIQqu2C2YzGr7f1zehHFYYE6DONLuZcb1_zM_4DPS2Kx7OeXjgSQF-AE/s1600/2014-03-30+20.36.30.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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After firing:</div>
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I have to say, I'm gloating a little over this one. </div>
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Oh, and I suppose it has to be said today. May the Fourth be with you.</div>
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-246555422200243082013-06-23T14:35:00.000-07:002013-06-23T14:38:52.491-07:00Tomato SauceHello blogworld! I haven't posted for an egregiously long time. I have no excuse for myself. <br />
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The flower shop is going well. We are hoping to move to a bigger space soon, just around the corner from where we are now. The new space will have a nice big display window on one of the busiest streets in town. No more being tucked quietly and unobtrusively inside a large building. Also, and this is the real reason for the move, our retail space and our work space will be all together instead of on two different floors of a large building. No more having to leave the register unattended to make arrangements or do deliveries :) Yay! We're also in talks to purchase another florist who is wanting to sell. She's the oldest florist in town, established in 1917. We get lots of internet business now, but very little local traffic. We hope the addition of the new client base will change that. <br />
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I'm still driving city transit. In fact I just doubled my hours to requalify for health insurance. My asthma meds are too expensive without insurance, so I'll be splitting my time more evenly between the shop and the bus. Between the 2 I'll be working nearly 60 hrs/week, so if I don't have much of an online presence for the next little while, I'm not ignoring you personally. Someday the flower shop will be able to support us, but that's several years away, I'm sure, and until then I'll be burning the candle at both ends. The good news about increasing my bus hours is that I get my vacation hours back, so I'll actually be able to afford a day off once in awhile :) <br />
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In book art news, the exhibit at Pegasus Gallery went well and they asked me if I'd like to keep some pieces on display there all the time :) Yay!! <br />
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Hmmm... surely other important things have happened since October... It all runs together, you know? Here's a picture of the most recent book I took to the gallery. It's a bit ridiculous :) It's called Forever in Love, made from a book of poems, sayings, snippets about love and romance. I shredded it :D <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FGCB9Vup4wQ6F24-QnSHdHtU6CpFxFvBwe2beS9YgdxoG6llr4dQ67vhyphenhyphenjXar6VcTsv_uv6ugfVE4DTJMMe1klMeFCWF_PlN21UaCO_Q4KL4uqJb0Ezg6TKh9_fh4Ps79vR7u9K_dSk/s1600/2013-03-07+16_47_19-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FGCB9Vup4wQ6F24-QnSHdHtU6CpFxFvBwe2beS9YgdxoG6llr4dQ67vhyphenhyphenjXar6VcTsv_uv6ugfVE4DTJMMe1klMeFCWF_PlN21UaCO_Q4KL4uqJb0Ezg6TKh9_fh4Ps79vR7u9K_dSk/s320/2013-03-07+16_47_19-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oh, I guess I should explain the title of this post. One day in my seminary class in Christchurch I asked my students to turn to a particular scripture. They did so, but one girl was having a hard time finding it and one of the boys said, "Geez, tomato sauce!" She said, "Huh?" and he explained, "Ketchup... Catch up?" In New Zealand they call ketchup tomato sauce. So this is my catch up post.</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-62753329121341039292012-10-30T20:53:00.001-07:002012-10-30T20:53:32.975-07:00HalloweenieNormally I don't dress up for Halloween, because I hate what it has become. When I was a kid it was awesome. I could dress up as a robot or an angel or a cowboy and it was all good. Costumes were imaginative and magical and mostly home made in those days. Somehow, sometime between then and now it has become a prerequisite for all women on Halloween to wear as little as humanly possible. It has to be a sexy robot or a slutty angel. Go to the Halloween store and try to find a modest costume. Just try. I dare you. Unless you're in the men's section you won't find one. And Halloween decorations have gotten so much less fun and so much more gross. No more smiling pumpkins. It's all coffins and blood spattered dismembered body parts, and of course, zombies. Everywhere. I've even seen life sized dummies hanging from trees in yards before. From nooses. Which to me is not only gross, but totally insensitive to anyone who has actually known someone who has hanged themselves. It's also racially insensitive. Wow! When I started this I had no intention of ranting. Lol. Where did that come from? Ah, well, I have long said I am the Grinch of Halloween.<br />
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Anyway, the original point of this post was to tell you that since I work in a building that participates in the downtown trick or treat thingy, I will actually be dressing up tomorrow. In fact, as I type I am wearing part of my costume, a pair of disco ball antennae. They are surprisingly comfortable, and oh so chic. Perhaps I might possibly post a photo. We'll see :)Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-35906619875227652602012-10-22T20:53:00.001-07:002012-10-22T20:53:23.288-07:00""I never really noticed before, but none of the books pictured here on my blog have titles on the spine. Hmmph. Now that I have noticed it kind of bugs me. Too bad I can't name them myself. "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Trousers" "Women Who Love Cheese Too Much" "A Fine and Subtle Stench" "Why Football is for Sissies" "My Life as a Hoochie Mamma" etc...Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-52273710090939294292012-10-20T20:58:00.000-07:002012-10-20T21:31:39.084-07:00Madison Avenue Floral and Pegasus Gallery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have opened my own flower shop. I am woman, hear me roar!!! Lol. My friend Michelle and I used to work at the same florist and we've been talking for years about either buying out our old boss or opening a place of our own. When I found this kiosk for rent we knew it was time. It's located right outside a Starbucks, so there's more foot traffic here than anywhere else in the city. Also, the next nearest florist is miles away. There are only 3 other florists in town, none in the southern end of town or the downtown area, which is where we are situated. We've been open for a month now and things are going well. We started out slow, but it's picking up. And most importantly, we love what we do :) Our very basic website, designed by yours truly: <a href="http://www.madisonavenuefloral.com/">www.madisonavenuefloral.com</a></div>
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Here is our lovely kiosk :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iHCXPNGrpcopH0jTzZCZAoBNH9yJakZJW0xRIj7Q6crYIHFxrQHUyEiPZOce7Pv0F2oEuEt7edZOktotrJrTkz6sT33v4nQuRuZwaeM2ByizQ4UsZhAx-gJqsBXlnwOBpBFESssZaMs/s1600/2012-09-17+10_04_21.jpg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iHCXPNGrpcopH0jTzZCZAoBNH9yJakZJW0xRIj7Q6crYIHFxrQHUyEiPZOce7Pv0F2oEuEt7edZOktotrJrTkz6sT33v4nQuRuZwaeM2ByizQ4UsZhAx-gJqsBXlnwOBpBFESssZaMs/s320/2012-09-17+10_04_21.jpg2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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One of the perks of this location is that everyone else in the building is super nice and supportive. The building was originally a JC Penny's, but the current owners have turned it into a hive of small retail spaces. It's been really fun meeting new people and getting outside my introverted shell. You'd think as a bus driver I would have to be open and friendly but it's actually made me so cynical and antisocial. It's really nice to be able to be more trusting and open, to let people in a little more than is my wont. The folks at Einstein Bagels, right next to our kiosk, have been particularly friendly and accepting. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdFFd1ZPPoVHgp1InuPMEZEgbb1xI6u6-1GWCrscuP3O92k0Q_Cqso-PzVq5OA5Do8R6Z2A7HDV23-HHy79v2AqUKTMb22LxJGZZS-DKtGtwUGcMRjcU7DLbW-cCXVvFoPZ9yRudyc-0/s1600/book+art+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdFFd1ZPPoVHgp1InuPMEZEgbb1xI6u6-1GWCrscuP3O92k0Q_Cqso-PzVq5OA5Do8R6Z2A7HDV23-HHy79v2AqUKTMb22LxJGZZS-DKtGtwUGcMRjcU7DLbW-cCXVvFoPZ9yRudyc-0/s320/book+art+072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41yrhy27k1w4ezKtAfYeVhIsmVk0-te2yFXwnkwjlPDhjsUI6u1mWfmcCVN4aMFLQEqsgT4gCRee3s_pyJu4Cg0tYi4OE-8ffINZc7ikF9XEUQhKUPr2QCR1-ov747gQjEeZNwAUdySo/s1600/book+art+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41yrhy27k1w4ezKtAfYeVhIsmVk0-te2yFXwnkwjlPDhjsUI6u1mWfmcCVN4aMFLQEqsgT4gCRee3s_pyJu4Cg0tYi4OE-8ffINZc7ikF9XEUQhKUPr2QCR1-ov747gQjEeZNwAUdySo/s320/book+art+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In other news, I have been invited to exhibit my book art at Pegasus Gallery over the holidays :) Woo hoo!! I'm so officially excited! It's great to have someone seek me out and say, 'hey I love your stuff and I think a lot of other people will too. Come sell at my gallery.' I can't wait to see it on display and to see how the public reacts. It would be so cool if I actually made some money from this ridiculous obsession. I dropped off a few book sculptures at the gallery last week, just 45, not too many... :D I think the exhibit starts November 1st.</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-91552011029047893982012-09-30T13:02:00.001-07:002012-10-01T19:33:37.008-07:00Happy 3rdI wonder if they celebrate birthdays on the other side of the veil, you know, like their last day here is their first day there. If so, Happy Birthday Charlie. Today is the 3rd anniversary of your departure from us and your entry to the other side. I hope things are going well for you there.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-72067450408601152482012-01-05T00:36:00.000-08:002012-01-05T00:44:45.972-08:00Nye BeachI had a very relaxing afternoon at the coast yesterday. The weather was perfect. Sunset was gorgeous. I needed that.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HZ8zbQK05w0tEgwu9ynfzDMPZyepERPk-ocGufV6_ck8aIf8uPaWHY8dAXG-WzT8Ikku8vf0fhvanhUUsX_C_RUmMwI_da3CujsyG01vVg9xehdiYqSZcQWsaiQyI2sOUZQI4wUAhSM/s1600/coast+jan+3+2012+747.JPG"><img style="width: 400px; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694065015525642706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HZ8zbQK05w0tEgwu9ynfzDMPZyepERPk-ocGufV6_ck8aIf8uPaWHY8dAXG-WzT8Ikku8vf0fhvanhUUsX_C_RUmMwI_da3CujsyG01vVg9xehdiYqSZcQWsaiQyI2sOUZQI4wUAhSM/s400/coast+jan+3+2012+747.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-RL0eAPP46NsNSMipcS7utpPaEezOZaoucwv-kiEDR3StLmWxkgMHkJLVLKmtHzfI05n1v9c911WhzoDxn9Y6eZBhpMuAIKObz5dVB3sgJsIN9Ikh7b7_mozgmDL5qXjpnIKgNn2HV8/s1600/coast+jan+3+2012+759.JPG"><img style="width: 400px; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694065009889895666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-RL0eAPP46NsNSMipcS7utpPaEezOZaoucwv-kiEDR3StLmWxkgMHkJLVLKmtHzfI05n1v9c911WhzoDxn9Y6eZBhpMuAIKObz5dVB3sgJsIN9Ikh7b7_mozgmDL5qXjpnIKgNn2HV8/s400/coast+jan+3+2012+759.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_9luJJuvjE8lO1oHlNUwF80R5VcyBt8KemORI8uZ126it4f0iR67Y3tGt3X0HzBeyouKZPxU5iXwMWejbJXafwA9To2nFBmTTjFoAw9SVCVzQnxjvx36IsQC9Nh3s1QiaFTibE2sQzs/s1600/coast+jan+3+2012+762.JPG"><img style="width: 300px; height: 400px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694064828339369186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_9luJJuvjE8lO1oHlNUwF80R5VcyBt8KemORI8uZ126it4f0iR67Y3tGt3X0HzBeyouKZPxU5iXwMWejbJXafwA9To2nFBmTTjFoAw9SVCVzQnxjvx36IsQC9Nh3s1QiaFTibE2sQzs/s400/coast+jan+3+2012+762.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyvs_ktjsjS7ScgWvTWVmGDNr-FkE4knyUYqqdXx1d8rvTOzEyFhdolrCfhAB_CBlPSplS7DxOsNasAPrTi9fSgw8H3A0lKbWJjme0a9CcvtpV4z380-IJNdO0Z85A-lDZTHGJDVLhSM/s1600/coast+jan+3+2012+771.JPG"><img style="width: 400px; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694064818297908114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyvs_ktjsjS7ScgWvTWVmGDNr-FkE4knyUYqqdXx1d8rvTOzEyFhdolrCfhAB_CBlPSplS7DxOsNasAPrTi9fSgw8H3A0lKbWJjme0a9CcvtpV4z380-IJNdO0Z85A-lDZTHGJDVLhSM/s400/coast+jan+3+2012+771.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3ZVxije_hksb2ZQsaOQm5QCQCFLM1EDky6bXHPm-ZYVkC8GWMao25Tu18MsW0cBkzI_ufYkYJZcZluJzDJKXuAvloMBTTFIvdYJFL010KiFZluZjbGfgpQxiX0JVJX2q7K_ofNH7_Rc/s1600/coast+jan+3+2012+784.JPG"><img style="width: 400px; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694064815221464290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3ZVxije_hksb2ZQsaOQm5QCQCFLM1EDky6bXHPm-ZYVkC8GWMao25Tu18MsW0cBkzI_ufYkYJZcZluJzDJKXuAvloMBTTFIvdYJFL010KiFZluZjbGfgpQxiX0JVJX2q7K_ofNH7_Rc/s400/coast+jan+3+2012+784.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC4XsB43YYlmEKEDWzkbALY8px-GP6IkiW5AUVdTkv4YJQPGGP1KzKOnlqGqJ-zdJ6F7xeYzr0SGrGGfbfb2KIVg6-bbjIu1v_jGBZoIhW8NNRB8k1GMuBXJViUx4EQB9LlabcDRQgAk/s1600/coast+jan+3+2012+800.JPG"><img style="width: 400px; height: 300px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694064801316471122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC4XsB43YYlmEKEDWzkbALY8px-GP6IkiW5AUVdTkv4YJQPGGP1KzKOnlqGqJ-zdJ6F7xeYzr0SGrGGfbfb2KIVg6-bbjIu1v_jGBZoIhW8NNRB8k1GMuBXJViUx4EQB9LlabcDRQgAk/s400/coast+jan+3+2012+800.JPG" /></a></div></div></div></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-36023982335880020272011-12-28T00:38:00.000-08:002011-12-28T00:48:38.647-08:00Ho Ho Ho!When we were kids my brothers and I all had Santa mugs. I remember drinking milk out of mine and dunking cookies in it. I liked it, even though none of us ever really believed in Santa as kids, and as an adult I think Santa competes with Jesus for attention at Christmas. This year I decided to make new Santa mugs for all of us as a nostalgic reminder of our childhood Christmases. I started painting them traditionally but didn't get any farther than red hats before I got bored. Here is the result of my boredom.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MVYKShGxk5Hw2mJYiT3Jkks0mtanyT2jwGMVy8uikWKf2yWB911EldmmOZAYZqu-e5TVqCXeR74rOMA86UoKA3jPv49oZqf_e5rzsCgfXpzYQsKVHctMexlCdl8hRinPh379aTPmsMw/s1600/santamugs.jpg"><img style="width: 400px; height: 180px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691096002964635970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MVYKShGxk5Hw2mJYiT3Jkks0mtanyT2jwGMVy8uikWKf2yWB911EldmmOZAYZqu-e5TVqCXeR74rOMA86UoKA3jPv49oZqf_e5rzsCgfXpzYQsKVHctMexlCdl8hRinPh379aTPmsMw/s400/santamugs.jpg" /></a><br />I laughed myself silly over these. I love them, particularly the zombie Santa. I know, I'm sick. I don't know why I find the idea so appealing and humorous. Lucky for me, the recipients also liked them :DLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-55563268212227336462011-11-13T21:11:00.000-08:002011-11-13T21:44:52.577-08:00Alpine Holiday Festival<div><span style="color:#006600;">Yesterday I participated in my first ever art/craft fair. I was very nervous about whether I would have enough inventory to fill a whole booth, and whether my first time amateur greenness would look chintzy next to the seasoned veterans of the craft fair circuit. I need not have worried. I totally over-prepared. This is my booth:</span><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jf2-a-dfyGGWjt7OuXIUv1GECyibDsavNRvuqjgzJ1nzcpx4HI4pp3YeUnnz0xn5XxJLq_x6vEgm3sOrOmzNgfbRiNqlUq4WfI7jj2SOXEkXVUjxcJEeMevlAAt1zboJ7sa0qbYLY7Q/s1600/alpine+277.JPG"><span style="color:#003300;"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674716036178057490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jf2-a-dfyGGWjt7OuXIUv1GECyibDsavNRvuqjgzJ1nzcpx4HI4pp3YeUnnz0xn5XxJLq_x6vEgm3sOrOmzNgfbRiNqlUq4WfI7jj2SOXEkXVUjxcJEeMevlAAt1zboJ7sa0qbYLY7Q/s400/alpine+277.JPG" /></span></a></div><br /><div><span style="color:#006600;">I really like how it turned out. I think it's homey and cozy and inviting. Our neighbor vendors were all so friendly and helpful. One of them loaned us an extra table and one offered some peg board to help with the display which we didn't end up using, but the offer was much appreciated.</span><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4s7GnRxi1WIK0W0FPB232oxETvFbuVzj1WVqE_pChFs99P3MGpPTk8QZD_FvaM8AkF6zvctyT6xXJZroM41Cewfbn6BQRVAXeX5AACGS7FAqNBK9-yvOM60q_F5bC2DTkYNc4ykwX4A/s1600/alpine+280.JPG"><span style="color:#003300;"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674716055672475698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4s7GnRxi1WIK0W0FPB232oxETvFbuVzj1WVqE_pChFs99P3MGpPTk8QZD_FvaM8AkF6zvctyT6xXJZroM41Cewfbn6BQRVAXeX5AACGS7FAqNBK9-yvOM60q_F5bC2DTkYNc4ykwX4A/s400/alpine+280.JPG" /></span></a></div><br /><div><span style="color:#006600;">So many people as they walked by said they had never seen anything like my book art and how cool and impressive and intriguing it was. Equal numbers of people remembered seeing old Reader's Digests folded into angels or Santas or Christmas trees. </span><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoyxCv53uM2zt5MaMRa2mxVhU3z371id_OhmBpSCacEfQK6EB8Hxow_IBRZox1f5aPHBQhm3MS6Ev6WlZxUKnWCvYbIM-mHTKZzstUEizYwx1HE3x2J1sCfbamXVOvf1VE05DNHUHAg8/s1600/alpine+281.JPG"><span style="color:#003300;"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674716057269854962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoyxCv53uM2zt5MaMRa2mxVhU3z371id_OhmBpSCacEfQK6EB8Hxow_IBRZox1f5aPHBQhm3MS6Ev6WlZxUKnWCvYbIM-mHTKZzstUEizYwx1HE3x2J1sCfbamXVOvf1VE05DNHUHAg8/s400/alpine+281.JPG" /></span></a></div><br /><div><span style="color:#006600;">My friend Coral came with me for moral support. She also had a few books to sell of her own. We did all right. I figure we about broke even, after the booth rental fee and the gas to get there and the supplies and all. Not to mention the money I spent at other vendors' booths ;) It was fun. I'd totally do it again. </span><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiex4H1q38n3X5yN-1wnbpagwxdhfk_MIuUZ9Yy1QtnH6aUz3MhrjFjlZvBe6eqzhbcsmaq9OvJJBavr_AmWHhjjfCs-wTNRBdiHGe04ktAW_xDXJBJmY3GXLMKHRoxqoE6tweahbYW6qU/s1600/alpine+278.JPG"><span style="color:#003300;"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674716042648762002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiex4H1q38n3X5yN-1wnbpagwxdhfk_MIuUZ9Yy1QtnH6aUz3MhrjFjlZvBe6eqzhbcsmaq9OvJJBavr_AmWHhjjfCs-wTNRBdiHGe04ktAW_xDXJBJmY3GXLMKHRoxqoE6tweahbYW6qU/s400/alpine+278.JPG" /></span></a><span style="color:#003300;"> </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#006600;">When we arrived in the morning to finish setting up there was a diminutive visitor to our booth. I know the photo is blurry and horrible, but we considered it a sign of good luck that the ladybug decided to grace us with her presence. We liberated her from the confines of the building after quickly taking her portrait :)</span><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZK-9-gNOf4zDixJWYI2nGeDPK1higkyLjhx1wQ7fE4Aod90eYMgGV_ROMiiHqbumphffOdAwgObD2Icw72PTCUrDihravLIs-dT0GUS1NYRfA99dy-yBdUo9AIcd5LuFIklZgN00Ywc/s1600/alpine+276.JPG"><span style="color:#003300;"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674716072687258402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZK-9-gNOf4zDixJWYI2nGeDPK1higkyLjhx1wQ7fE4Aod90eYMgGV_ROMiiHqbumphffOdAwgObD2Icw72PTCUrDihravLIs-dT0GUS1NYRfA99dy-yBdUo9AIcd5LuFIklZgN00Ywc/s400/alpine+276.JPG" /></span></a><span style="color:#003300;"> </span></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-21584272195439559652011-11-10T23:07:00.000-08:002011-11-10T23:24:23.910-08:00NewsFirstly, This weekend I've been asked to participate in a holiday art/craft fair. Woo hoo! I've never done a fair before. I'm nervous about the booth setup. I don't want it to look lame and amateurish. But I'm excited. Coral and Abby are coming with me, so even if we don't sell anything we'll still have fun girly time :) <br /><br />Secondly, I'm being sued. Remember that ice storm accident I had almost two years ago? Apparently one of the children in the suburban I slid into was injured and the lovely billion dollar multinational corporation for whom I work hasn't paid her medical expenses. Her parents are suing the company... and me... for negligence to the tune of $104,5oo, or something like that. The $4,500 is the medical bill, the $100,000 is for pain and suffering. Every time I try to talk to my boss about it he says, "Don't worry about it. The company will take care of it." But he gives me nothing tangible to make me believe it's true. Their idea of "taking care of it" might be hanging me out to dry. Anyway, Monday is the deadline for the company to respond, so one way or another I suppose I'll know soon. <br /><br />Thirdly, I got a new calling at church. They released me from teaching Relief Society :( and called me to teach the sunbeams in Primary. Gaaah! I haven't been in Primary since I was 12, and I know next to nothing about 4 year olds. Thank heaven it's team teaching because I think the little rug rats would eat me alive if I had to be in there alone with them. I'm sure it will be good for me, I'm sure I'll learn a lot, and hopefully I won't warp the little ones too severely.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-78009874221152011702011-09-08T08:55:00.000-07:002011-09-08T10:54:14.373-07:00The man in my life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKWw9baWF-3X4UigKFT_YfVWD2tM3Ql2p-5PUTlIxB1HsjdRoKRYNcURqM-_TkTshiTM9yCuRZ5vknAKwdICa9npgU61uo_khSaB5mqnliWsE-qnicS0v7r_WgsItZ7fBS-Web3Lxf5Q/s1600/2011-09-08+08.48.57.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650018354773308162" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKWw9baWF-3X4UigKFT_YfVWD2tM3Ql2p-5PUTlIxB1HsjdRoKRYNcURqM-_TkTshiTM9yCuRZ5vknAKwdICa9npgU61uo_khSaB5mqnliWsE-qnicS0v7r_WgsItZ7fBS-Web3Lxf5Q/s400/2011-09-08+08.48.57.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Casper's human, (my brother) has gone to Hawaii to visit our Dad and has left his gorgous and nearly perfect kitty here. He looks a little cranky in this photo but he is a very good humored creature, and very affectionate. His human is flying home tonight and will undoubtedly be greeted with enthusiastic mews and demands for attention. I love Casper, but I will not miss being jumped on in the middle of the night, or having everything I own covered in long white hairs... but I will miss his furry little face.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-85263096371217214672011-08-30T22:32:00.000-07:002011-08-30T22:51:46.547-07:00911I feel like all I ever do is post doom and gloom and whine about it. I apologize, but I genuinely can't think of anything cheerful to write about at the moment. Since last posting I had dinner with my soon to be divorced friend and had to call 911 because he rushed out of the restaurant intent on doing himself harm. The police caught up with him and took him to the hospital, for which I am intensely grateful. I hope they keep him long enough to do some good. He's been talking about drowning and carbon monoxide poisoning and running his car into trees, among other things, for weeks now. I told him I wouldn't stand by and let it happen, that I'd have him committed. He can hate me for the rest of his long and normal life.
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<br />On a lighter note, here are some photos of Coral and I at our friend Laura's birthday party, and of the plate I made her:
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JxSROEleX4hIAHLgWhAEZIzXIRVRh1JGajz29Gx-h0vJ0RrGKtCW9taYurMXHJKYVgIbEb2SR17RCHzTkTHDSV9E9Duh_ECJQ-D6KuEZv46tMSVj2vqeu_VAS3UzEXVUld91GKpTjpo/s1600/chad+023.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646888989227078274" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JxSROEleX4hIAHLgWhAEZIzXIRVRh1JGajz29Gx-h0vJ0RrGKtCW9taYurMXHJKYVgIbEb2SR17RCHzTkTHDSV9E9Duh_ECJQ-D6KuEZv46tMSVj2vqeu_VAS3UzEXVUld91GKpTjpo/s400/chad+023.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>
<br /><div>Googly eyes rock.</div>
<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKBvCAe4DTLa65EgN_QWFI4H7qUUgXIVH_yOg1ZfMUztNzQeVVnLvX6levmUf-h_fTQv8jrJdG174hJD5m_9heoKEVX_V1RtmsRoxwvZZ0T96TFpgze5YWjKUB2VdZJZxDh0XpugFnW8/s1600/chad+026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646888990506588978" style="WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKBvCAe4DTLa65EgN_QWFI4H7qUUgXIVH_yOg1ZfMUztNzQeVVnLvX6levmUf-h_fTQv8jrJdG174hJD5m_9heoKEVX_V1RtmsRoxwvZZ0T96TFpgze5YWjKUB2VdZJZxDh0XpugFnW8/s400/chad+026.JPG" border="0" /></a></div>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_KY_FzMzPqR7NotF95zKWNmJJuhwnTS9RFlQd-j3c1n1sP_JM6iM0puY893zlVzyYQHBqPCkiaP9jizBC7fzN98iVBdJKczCdeR05NXHnhaOauGLqCin160s5DMHmD9ABZFrnpunXBs/s1600/chad+022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646888985556583778" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_KY_FzMzPqR7NotF95zKWNmJJuhwnTS9RFlQd-j3c1n1sP_JM6iM0puY893zlVzyYQHBqPCkiaP9jizBC7fzN98iVBdJKczCdeR05NXHnhaOauGLqCin160s5DMHmD9ABZFrnpunXBs/s400/chad+022.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-67708519193285461792011-08-30T16:05:00.001-07:002011-08-30T18:45:42.200-07:00Paging Nurse SimmonsI don't even know what to say about the last few weeks, but I'm tired out. Two things have been going on that independently would be manageable for me, but concurrently they are taxing my strength and sanity. Firstly, my beloved mother has been unwell. She had surgery yesterday and is now home. I've taken some time off work to care for her and am happy to be able to look after her. She's taken such good care of me over the years, it's nice to be able to return the favor in a small way :) But it is stressful. It's hard to see someone you love in pain, which brings me to the second thing.
<br />My good friend is in the beginning stages of divorce and is relying heavily on me for emotional support. He is in the first, most agonizing part: the pain, the self doubt, the depression. And I am his only friend. And it's hard to see him suffering. And of course it reminds me of my own divorce.
<br />Watching other people suffer is almost worse than suffering yourself. I am strong and am happy these people can lean on me for support, but I am tired. I hope I make it to the end of their trials without failing in some major way. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-58046851805387577762011-08-24T10:29:00.000-07:002011-08-24T10:53:03.025-07:00Freeze FrameHere are some recent projects. The first two were birthday presents for my nieces. The third is a Christmas present for my mother, which she already knows she's getting because it was originally meant to be for one of my darling nieces and Mum saw it and drooled so excessively over it that it wasn't fit for consumption by anyone else... Not really. No actual drool was produced. She expressed a great liking for it, so I made another one for the girls. The last frame is for my lovely friend Lynda who doesn't read my blog so I can post without her knowing what she's getting :) Is it wrong that the one with my photo in it is my favorite?
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToiN9XnkZ4ye-GkqTIBJ59MEohlyuHXviE2fIyIG0fRuX6PUpiZwOFDkTHRbVYByoQYeQ0ke6lSGvxqfZYpT0k2HiJDkKR6IL8pdnPa6NnFQBZuz6iETDN3yW2DoJEFgF5EZUUUzvvg4/s1600/ceramic+frames+021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644477118031604146" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToiN9XnkZ4ye-GkqTIBJ59MEohlyuHXviE2fIyIG0fRuX6PUpiZwOFDkTHRbVYByoQYeQ0ke6lSGvxqfZYpT0k2HiJDkKR6IL8pdnPa6NnFQBZuz6iETDN3yW2DoJEFgF5EZUUUzvvg4/s400/ceramic+frames+021.JPG" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH-9HwV6pCo08FFiGU_Zc1KbTYlIMym4Tyb9GhzqmGhmv_L2omjqD0lBehueyoaxgaADCHTzTZyYzvr3d9Iy09xk5Q0tIu8rXEWMBZ4hfV36r4BvREqWiNDRbZ7A_DZfVtEOhNtxsql0/s1600/ceramic+frames+024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644477114421997586" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 292px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH-9HwV6pCo08FFiGU_Zc1KbTYlIMym4Tyb9GhzqmGhmv_L2omjqD0lBehueyoaxgaADCHTzTZyYzvr3d9Iy09xk5Q0tIu8rXEWMBZ4hfV36r4BvREqWiNDRbZ7A_DZfVtEOhNtxsql0/s400/ceramic+frames+024.JPG" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb1xEisSblhHm-_hdSAXmX69Yl050JnSqGpWnjHvmNSDLP2FqU-7zr60EsVakyOBmpyWIZgVo4h_6a3WMGewQg1oTMBiMOkAT1MufZ52rYYABfjjYyl9gPSqgDOP1TFmiJmvGpRMJKyo/s1600/ceramic+frames+027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644477107970375538" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb1xEisSblhHm-_hdSAXmX69Yl050JnSqGpWnjHvmNSDLP2FqU-7zr60EsVakyOBmpyWIZgVo4h_6a3WMGewQg1oTMBiMOkAT1MufZ52rYYABfjjYyl9gPSqgDOP1TFmiJmvGpRMJKyo/s400/ceramic+frames+027.JPG" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRlBSuFIR_gPQUBQQKZA9Sul-u1libcba-iwJFmd41TovV9qa9_RFop4d63RmvAb2YxFIXpYpevsPMV9JdfLZoEKVZVzOYSgfuZ5wKSn8udBEwYRVQK14XVVX2rFPLrCdBHd7v52WVDs/s1600/ceramic+frames+036.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644477107090591938" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRlBSuFIR_gPQUBQQKZA9Sul-u1libcba-iwJFmd41TovV9qa9_RFop4d63RmvAb2YxFIXpYpevsPMV9JdfLZoEKVZVzOYSgfuZ5wKSn8udBEwYRVQK14XVVX2rFPLrCdBHd7v52WVDs/s400/ceramic+frames+036.JPG" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931763316097013031.post-13333084884467263802011-08-06T01:51:00.000-07:002011-08-07T14:40:52.966-07:00RIP part deuxSo... my computer died. I had been telling myself since we got it 2 years ago that I needed to back up my photos and documents. Now they're ALL GONE!!!! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WAAAAAAAHHHHHH</span>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sniff sniff. I still haven't quite regained good relations with the beastly machine since the reboot. I hate Vista passionately. I blame all the quirks and crashes we suffer through hourly on Bill Gates personally.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>On the up side, there's pie. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Marionberry</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mmmmmm</span>......</div><br /><br /><div>As you know, I spend a great deal of time painting pottery, for my own amusement and for easy gifting. I rarely make anything for myself. In fact, in the history of my pottery painting I have only ever made one thing for myself, a gnome called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Xenophilius</span>, who I love.</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8l3TduY4snFK0fWW0-w4GK1o1L2MzPGGN-Hi57Ic-3Y4tNn7s4XQweu5YhlrHboq8EeLVpgUQholKxqr46uwJVAtatlB1G7yUA6coFt-f0mILuEpReK6XLffWmI9W410iL9SLfboIypE/s1600/mail.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637673178466625858" style="WIDTH: 295px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8l3TduY4snFK0fWW0-w4GK1o1L2MzPGGN-Hi57Ic-3Y4tNn7s4XQweu5YhlrHboq8EeLVpgUQholKxqr46uwJVAtatlB1G7yUA6coFt-f0mILuEpReK6XLffWmI9W410iL9SLfboIypE/s400/mail.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div>I have many projects in progress and a shelf full of bisque waiting its turn. Among these items is another gnome, to be a friend for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Xenophilius</span>. I know exactly how I want to paint him and have been waiting to start him until I get a little further along with my Christmas projects. My friend Jonah has painted two gnomes for himself and has been eyeing my gnome for the last month with envy. He wants to make seven, all in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Nascar</span> uniforms, to be the pit crew for his favorite driver, Tony Stewart. (Does that make him Snow White?) He has been hinting broadly that I should let him have my gnome since I have so many other things to paint. They are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">apparently</span> difficult for the shop to get and the next shipment won't arrive for another month, if ever. Jonah has other projects as well, but none he enjoys as much as gnomes and he has been making it known that he thinks I'm selfish for wanting to keep my gnome. I am feeling browbeaten into giving him the one thing from my shelf that is for me. Am I being selfish? Or is he being a jerk? Or both? I've told him no a dozen times and he keeps asking me. I gave in today and let him have it, not because I wanted to, but because I felt I had to in order to preserve good relations. But I resent it. What happened to no means no? </div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15023383458835327560noreply@blogger.com0