Travelogue

Amazingly my photos have traveled from an iPhone 4S

to the iCloud

then to a MacBook Pro...

***WOW***

but learning how to pry them from the MacBook Pro

to share them with you on Blogger

is challenging me today...

...now how did I do it a few days ago =)

ahhhhhhh, yes.

Here are some photos from my trip south, from Portland, OR, to northern CA and back...

Viewing  the Umpqua River Lighthouse south of Florence

 is becoming a tradition for me when I drive the coastal route.

then stopping at the Veterans Memorial

and marveling at the huge sand dunes that are a part 

of the Oregon Dunes National Park area.

South of there I had to stop for road work and had time to

snap some photos of the placid blue Pacific Ocean.

I arrived in Crescent City, CA, just in time to have tea with these

lovely ladies, Windy Weavers =) who I enjoyed meeting

with nearly every Friday afternoon for 7 years while we chatted, and crafted various fiber arts projects.

I never tire of being near the sea and enjoyed this view especially.

The large rock island is called Castle Rock.

Many years ago a shepherd would herd his flock of sheep out into the

water at low tide and have them swim to the island in the spring to have

the flock graze there for the summer.

Sea lions laze on the lower rocks of the island and we could sometimes

hear their funny "orffing" conversations at night when we lay in bed with our window open.

In February thousands of Aleutian Geese land on the island to sleep at night, but every morning

for several weeks they take off in huge Vs across the sky and land in nearby pastures to feast

and store up enough energy so that they can eventually make it back to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

North Beach

Crescent City Lighthouse

One of the redwood groves and some ferns in the Jedediah Smith

State Park

The weekend passed swiftly and we headed back north to  Portland, OR on Monday.

Then on Tuesday and Wednesday visited some of our favorite local spots...

Chanticleer Point at the Women's Forum along the Columbia river...

an artist's view 

and the following photos are of my journal pages from last week,

 Kate's Challenge

to track reasons we have found to be cheerful =)

How has  your week been?

Hugs from Gracie <3

Cheers!!!

Monday I drove back from the mighty redwood forests
and the wind whipped coastal waters of  northern CA. 

My niece and her friend followed me home.
They left Thursday morning  after a fun-filled three day visit:
exploring the Columbia River Highway,
the Women's Forum,
Vista House,
Multnomah Falls
a hike to wildflower meadows near Mt. Hood,
photos at the Jonsrud overlook of the Sandy River Valley
and Mt. Hood still decorated with snow,
 enjoying the pioneer exhibits at the Sandy Museum
and tea at Charitea's Tea Shop.
My niece and I managed to play one game of Yahtzee, too.
[she won =)]

AND

I picked up and am learning to use the MacBook Pro!!!

Here are my last week's journal entries for Kate's challenge.



Reasons to be Cheerful

Now I am off to read your blogs to find out

what is new with you.

Cheers  =) 

and hugs to you from Gracie <3

Apple Picking. =)

My dad bought a ticket to the moon from a comic book
when he was a kid in the early 1900's.
Out of high school he sold sets of books,
The Harvard Classics.
For a time he supervised the running
of a huge drum carder in a New England woolen mill.
During my childhood he worked as a Research Supervisor
on a poultry farm.

Over the last month my little laptop computer
began to suffer delusions.
Even though Norton Security insists my laptop is virus free,
I have grave doubts.
In the midst of randomly flashing blue screens at me,
it started broadcasting bits of commercials to me.
It refused to talk to my printer.
Then one day it chose to broadcast Paula Dean and her sons
talking about cooking something.
I quipped to family members and friends that PD & Sons
were probably
discussing cooking my goose/laptop.

Is it any wonder that at this point I chose to follow
in the curious, adventurous footsteps
of my father?
While I did not purchase a ticket to the moon,
I did pick and order a MacBook Pro Apple Computer.

My blogging buddy, Teresa Kasner and her dear husband, Dayle,
invited me to meet them at the MacPac store.
I asked Dayle to act as a voice of reason for me,
which he nobly did :)

In the midst of the disasters and discord of life
when some suffer disproportionately more than others,
I am grateful to have the opportunity to stretch and grow creatively,
as I type to you about what I am learning about
forming fibers, and fabrics,
loving God, my family members, friends, neighbors and my enemies,
and fashioning colors to celebrate the beauty I see around me.

What have you been picking to do?

Hugs to you from Gracie <3

More Reasons For Me to Be Cheerful :)

My week started out cheerily when my youngest daughter surprised me by bringing me a bouquet of purple Freesia from Trader Joe's. The fragrance is so wonderful I wish I could share it with you through cyberspace!
We have been enjoying beautiful warm weather just right for young friends to visit, run through the sprinkler and swing on the swings...
I had some tense hours wrestling with my computer this week, but was so glad to
have a spur of the moment lunch with my blogging friend
and mentor, Teresa Kasner on Saturday. In the midst
of lots of good conversation she gave me wise counsel, and encouragement.
Following are some of the reasons I found to be cheerful and recorded in my journal this week.

How was your week?

Hugs to you
From Gracie <3

Summer Sprinkler, Swings, & Squares

Young friends came to play today!
Great fun!

The cherry tree was strangely quiet

 after a week of chirping celebration

while the birds feasted on this year's cherry crop .

And I completed some more squares for my Granny Square blanket.

What is new with you?

Hugs from Gracie :)

Designing Days

This is close to the way the pattern I chose to follow should look.

But I decided I would prefer my blanket to be denser, so I made up this square.

I am having fun :)

Out of the many times I noted that I felt cheerful this week, the following are my reasons to be cheerful that I recorded in my journal :)

Have you started jotting down your reasons to be cheerful? It is never too late to start and if you share some of your reasons to feel cheerful, you just might cheer someone else...
<3 :) :) <3