The Royal Wedding

I had insomnia this morning at 3:44 so I decided to get up and watch the beginnings of the Royal Wedding via computer.
I was so glad I did because I found it very intriguing from start to finish. So many elegant things to watch and see, I loved the pageantry and even the solemn proceedings!

While I know some could care less about such matters, I enjoyed it partly for the reason that the news has been so sad of late that
it was quite refreshing to see something of a positive nature, and with a hopeful tone. I sat there while watching the proceedings and thought of how whether we are very poor, or very rich, a prince with every material need met, or just an ordinary person who labors to make it day by day, everyone has the desire to love and be loved.

I wish the now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge every happiness and long wedded life together for many years to come!

Laura Ingalls and Her Legacy

I love the Little House on the Prairie books, all of them! I read them years ago, have read them several times since then, and confess that even now that I am much older, I still like to take them out and read them. Being an avid history fan of almost any kind, anything related to the way of life and adventures of various pioneers always captures my attention. Laura Ingalls Wilder has left us a treasured legacy in the telling of pioneer life as it was when she was growing up!

She was a most interesting author and I do believe I have read just about every biography book about her and her family- which is what inspired me to create some of the family members themselves.
Charles and Caroline, her parents, were recently finished this past week,



I added Laura and Almanzo based on photos taken at their time of marriage,



and I had to do a little miniature of Laura as I pictured her being a young girl.




Stay tuned, because I may just add some more characters to this theme, that's the fun of doing the art work that I do- I never know who I will get a fancy to make next!

When the Lights Go Out....

We had quite the storm pass through last night, the power actually went out and there all six of us sat...in the dark in various parts of the house- except for the glow of my four near adult children's hand held games they used as flashlights to find the family room where I was...somehow it wasn't real cozy feeling that way!

I tried to remember where I stashed my candles but since I couldn't remember right away, I broke down and lit the decorative candles that have been sitting on our mantle. So much for keeping them in perfect decorative shape for years to come. I had to light them so I could make sure we didn't stumble and fall on each other. Husband sat next to me on the couch as we all sat watching the candles flicker, and I told him how romantic it was sitting there in the glow of the candles...but somehow he didn't buy it since our four children were crowded on the couch too, playing their electronic gadgets. (Sigh, oh well..)

After an hour and the power was still off, husband gave up and went to bed, even though it was only 8:30 (according to our trusty cell phones). So there I sat with everyone silently playing games and I couldn't do anything else to do for lack of sufficient light.

I finally decided to pull up a chair at the dining room table and began to read part of Dickens's ' A Tale of Two Cities' by the glow of a small candle- no easy task mind you. I had to keep turning the book towards the candle light just at the right angle to be able to see what I was reading. And if it did anything, it made me appreciate all the more the modern conveniences we take for granted. I kind of liked reading by candle light, but I sure do like a good lamp much better!

Thank goodness for the privilege of living in the 21st century!



Charles Dickens himself!

Buck the Patient Hound Dog

We got our dog Buck way back about 10 years ago when he was a little pup sitting in the corner of a pen at the Humane Society. Little did I know how big he would get, but now I don't care. ..I am actually glad he was a good sized dog, he has done more than his share of scaring off strangers who walked behind our house on occasion!

He is an outdoor dog, and with good reason- his fur is that of an Alaskan Husky in the winter and sheds tremendously in the summer. (And may I add, he is a spoiled mutt at that. He has a super deluxe well built solid wood dog house with tiled roof, built-in heater, patio chair cushions, the best dog house I have ever seen - all designed by my engineer husband, (who tries to pretend he doesn't like the dog, but I think he does!)

At any rate, the thing I enjoy most is his very patient disposition. As you can see by posted pictures, he allows us to dress him in the most ridiculous hats and other costumes, and even holds for pictures. (One year we even made a full calendar of him in different themes for each month...not easy, but a lot of fun (for us anyway!)



If only we could all be so laid back!