I Am From Hammer and Nails

I am from hammer and nails, from Avon and fishing poles.

I am from the cool feel of the big stone porch on a hot summer day
where the sound of laughter and the clink of dishes makes you know that you are safe.
I am from brick.


I am from the pine tree's and the aspen whispering in the soft mountain wind,
from the purple lilac's and buzzing bees.
I am from the wild spring onions that leave their taste in the fresh cow's milk.

I am from 4th of July sparklers,
Strong Women,
lumber yards
and crackling fires.

I am from the love of Rolin and Leoma,
the strength of Toot and Shirley,
and the storms of Tommy and Janice.

I am from shallow pockets and deep love.
From This too shall pass and Rise and shine in the early morning.

I am from vacation Bible school
with the smell of glue and Mom next door teaching a class.
From cherry trees and hot August days at the county fair.

I am from Cricket Flat and Denmark,
Alaska and England.
From pumpkin pie and biscuits.



From the young man who drowned in the Grande Ronde River,
the Grandmother who tossed the Christmas tree out the window
and from the woman who longed to be a writer.


I am from a dusty cardboard box in the attic, letters under the bed, and from diaries lost long ago.

I am from the carpenter and the country girl.

*Tipper had her version of this poem on her site, Blind Pig & the Acorn. I loved it and followed her links to the site with the format to make my own. Go here and here to read more.

Half-Pint Hoodie

One of my knitting goals for the year was to knit a sweater and I slid my first one off the needles this week. Half-Pint Hoodie is from a Better Homes & Gardens pattern book. I knit the main body of the sweater using a fabulous wool that Kathy, Riff's ex-wife, handspun and dyed using her grandfathers old spinning wheel. It is a beautiful yarn, one that I hoarded until I found just the right project for. The sweater is knit with a double string and I was running low when I reached the hood, so I mixed another green wool in and I actually really like how it turned out. There are some mistakes that a seasoned knitter could probably pick out right away, but a non-knitter would not see. I'm really pleased with my first sweater project and am on the lookout for the next.


Dustin thinks that Noah looks just like a little pea-pod in his pointing green hood. A happy pea-pod, me thinks.

I have recently re-connected with a couple of childhood friends, so my mind has spent quite a bit of time this week 20 or so years in the past. It's been a pleasant place to be for the most part. Pop over to my friend Dan's blog, A Journey of a Thousand Miles, for some thought-provoking posts, then check out my friend Crystal's etsy shop, Sage N Sand Candles, for some fantastic soy candles.

The Big Two - One!

My little girl, Brittany Rose slide into this world 21 years ago yesterday. She's grown up into quite a lovely young lady, intelligent and sweet, a mommy now herself. We decided to just have a girls day, so headed over to Portland for a little bit of shopping. Brittany had never been in Powell Books and since we all devour books at an alarming rate, (well, except for Dustin. He has better things to do!), we made this our first stop. Silly girls, what were you thinking?! If you make the bookstore your first stop, you have to carry those books around the rest of the day. We emerged back onto the street loaded down with some fun stuff, including a Dr. Suess for Noah. Next stop lunch, then on to Anthropologie. A quick look at the watch told us that the parking meter was ticking away...


Just enough time for a quick stop at Cupcake Joe's for a little bit of cupcake magic to be savoured in the park. Heavenly!

Brittany doesn't drink, doesn't party. I offered to take her out for a drink anyway, but, nope, not interested. Good. Me either. Lets go home....

Happy Birthday, B!

This 'n That

(I really wasn't that grouchy. It was cold! I did find out this weekend that my nickname as a baby and toddler was Stormy. Maybe that has something to do with that scowl on my face...)
Things have been insane around here lately. A house full of wacko-s, I tell you! People starting new jobs, buying new cars, taking turbo trips, trying to pass classes, getting new glasses, growing new teeth, not growing hair. I could go on and on....
All joking aside, we have been crazy busy this spring. Not quite sure why or where the time is going.
My little brother came to visit for a week and we made him so comfortable that he's staying until mid-July. He graduated from college in November, finished up his internship and is in a kind of limbo until he reports for training in Chicago for his new job. He's been in New York for several years now, so it's been nice to have him around. Makes us do extra sight-seeing that we wouldn't generally do. Word to the wise - if your brother comes to visit, don't let him have that comfortable mattress - he'll never leave. (Just kidding, Josh. You know when I start cooking eggplant that it's time for you to leave. LOL!)


This past weekend found us at my sister's house outside of the sprawling metropolitan area known as Echo, Oregon (population: 30) for my nephew, Jordan's high school graduation. WA-HOO! Way to go Jordan. We're so proud of you!!

Since the ceremony was held at 6pm on a Sunday evening and it's a 5 hour drive back home, we went for the afternoon party. The woman in my family get a little bit carried away when we have get-togethers. For some reason each and every one of us think that we need to bring the entire dinner for everyone, so we always have truckloads of food hanging around. I swear there was an entire salad and a whole dessert for everybody. Craziness!


Riff and Dustin had some good old-fashioned muddy four-wheeling fun down at the Umatilla river with the rest of the silly boys. Too bad I didn't get a picture of all of them. Check out my sisters blog post, Bumper-Be-Gone, for a hysterical redneck u-tube video. Even though someone could have had their head sliced off (TAMMY!), you'll see how my family has a good time. (If you double-click on the picture, you can see their mud-splatteredness.)


Getting home at 10:30 last Sunday night from our little road-trip, I checked my email and YIPEE, I had sold a set of baby blocks on etsy. I have been busy cutting blocks and letters, appliqueing and stitching. I finished them tonight, boxed them up and they are ready to head out the door to the post office in the morning. I hope little Caleb likes them. As I was sewing away tonight a thought came to me. Wouldn't a set of these in, I don't know, maybe blue's and green's brighten up my little cubicle?! How fun to replace that standard old name plate with some fun soft blocks. hmmm....
I have my first sweater almost finished. It's Noah-size and I'll give you a peek hopefully next week. "But it's almost summer", you say. No, no now don't you worry - here on the Oregon coast it's a bit chilly. He can wear it all year~

Singing In the Rain...

Just a singin' in the rain!
That's all we can do these days, since it won't stop raining. It's okay, though ~ all green & beautiful around here. We will get spring one of these days, I can smell it through the raindrops...
How's spring in your world?

Buy Handmade ~ Etsy!

I was excited yesterday when I opened my incredibly cute red mailbox yesterday and pulled out the newest Home Companion magazine. Then I was tickled to death when I quickly thumbed through and found this full page Etsy ad on page 5! Wa-hoo! It's so exciting to see and hear about Etsy from other genres besides just on the net and from those of us who use it. It's out there, it's full of talented women, people are finding it, people are talking, and people are buying . If you haven't visited Etsy in awhile, go ~ go now!



A couple of the listings in my own etsy shop.
Yeah Etsy!! Yeah Home Companion!

Dirty Fingers

(originally uploaded here )
It's springtime. The birds are singing, the grass is green, the rhodies are starting to bloom. I have that itch that I get every year at this time to dig my fingers into that rich fertile soil in order to coax out some tasty pea's, tomato's and zucchini along with a few delicately swaying cosmo's. I am challenging myself to a veggie garden this year. It has been several years since we've had much on the dinner table that we've grown ourselves and I want to change that this year. I have plans for a deck top herb garden right outside the kitchen and have a good start so far with rosemary, curry, parsley and lavender. Twining up our deck posts so far are two pots of pea's ~ the Oregon Pioneer variety that was cultivated at OSU. I have grand visions of several large pots of tomato plants taking up residence on the deck as well. I believe that here in the Oregon Coastal sunshine, that will be the only place warm enough and with enough hours of sunshine to nurture them properly. Down in the side yard, there is a spot that Riff has been clearing for my veggie patch. I, of course, have visions for that also, if I can possibly keep the neighborhood deer away.... I will show you here, on this little blog, my triumphs and my defeats. Hopefully you will see the finished product on the dining room table and, even better, on the picnic table outside, weather allowing.
Join me, will you, in bringing your own homegrown produce to the dinner table this year? Whether it's in a big plot in the ground or a container on your porch,I would love to see what you have success with and to share your tips. What are you planning on growing this year?

Delivery Service

If you wait long enough INSIDE the birdfeeder, breakfast will deliver itself to you sooner or later. Thomas O'Malley, you are one naughty puddy tat!