CCOFFEE POT PEOPLE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

Good grief, I've been busy! I have three, count 'em THREE, new projects to show off, but I've been working on them so nonstop, I haven't had time to post them. I'm going to do the last one first, of course, and show off the new Coffee Pot People Christmas scenes.

My daughter Melody started it. It's her fault that I haven't been doing a bracelet a day. Well, and those other two projects, too, but that's different.

Anyway, Melody's idea is to create a Christmas Organizer, which is a great idea. I've been using the first one she created for years, so I already know she's good at it.

This time, though, she wants the frontispiece for each section to feature a Coffee Pot Person or Tea Kettle Character, and she wants a little line-drawing mascot, too. For that, she wants me. To do the artwork, anyway. These are my first five efforts, and my thought is to turn them into Christmas cards, with more to come.

Lumin in the Snow

Santa, The Children, and Wren

Bubble Light Coco

Belva Goes to Church

WATER FAERIES: A STORY IN POEM

I was looking for old paper (not kidding) to print something on a bit ago, and found a poem I wrote several years back. I'd forgotten about it, and hadn't ever shared it with anyone, so (Lucky You!) I'm going to put it here.

Water Faeries

Legend has it that faeries dwell
In the water that glistens way down in the well.
What sort of faeries would they be,
Who choose to live so watery?

A lad with laughing, merry, eye
Came to the well 'neath summer skies,
Asked a maid for water, said, "Hot today!"
"But cool down there where the faeries play!"

She lifted the pail on the winch's rope
And a lark nearby sang sudden of hope.
"Will you draw, or I?" and they both looked over,
While she wished once again for the love of this rover.

How deep runs the water reflecting their faces!
Swirling along in deep channels it races.
A penny bright from her pocket she drew,
Tossed it, watched, as it downward flew.

He turned to her with a puzzled look,
As ripples recorded the path the coin took.
"Why did you throw your money away?"
"The faeries like pennies," was all she could say.

His hand, then, cradled and lifted her chin.
"Is it favors you ask when you toss a coin in?"
"It is," and she blushed as her secret she told.
"I wished you would love me, for my heart you hold."

"Faeries are hoaxes for children, I've heard,
And to ask them for love's like asking yon bird,
For my love has been given this many's the long year
To a lass whose least glances can fill me with cheer."

So, sadly she turned, but he caught up her hand,
Brushed from her forehead a wayward, red strand.
"The faeries have long had my coin and request.
'Tis you, lassie, truly, that I love the best."

And smiling they walked off together that day.
Was it the faeries? None knows as can say,
But each summer's day when, "Hope!" sings the lark,
They toss thankful pennies down into the dark.

Anitra Cameron

FRIDAY FENCE POST #33

Took a "shortcut" over near Foster Blvd today, and spotted this. Awesome.


Click on the photos to see them full-size. I especially love the close-up of the second shot.

A BRACELET A DAY?

It dawned on me the other day that I may be a tad overbooked as the bazaar season opens. My first inkling came when I took my store of little Tea Kettle Characters to the first bazaar I had on my schedule. Since I'd never done this particular show before, I took all of them, figuring the woman running the show, Cindy, could choose the ones she liked, and I'd leave just those.

I carried the two big tubs into her garage-cum-Christmas-shop, and began pulling my peeps out and setting them on the table. "Look at those!" someone said. "Ohmygosh, those are adorable!" came from someone else. You can just imagine my smiles as we talked, there was so much excitement about them.

In fact, there was so much excitement that Cindy decided she wanted ALL of them! This bazaar runs every weekend from this Thursday through the fifth of December, which means I have no Tea Kettle Characters left to put in the other four shows I'm doing in that same timespan. Holy cow, I thought. I've got to get busy!

Then I thought, Four shows. I've got four shows scheduled in a 3-week period. I don't have enough jewelry made either!

So I've been busily making more bracelets, and earrings to match. Here are the latest two:

LEFTOVER FRENCH FRIES

So, I admit I'm a little short on the uptake. However, I did, at long last, figure out what to do with leftover French fries. It took having a bunch of them that I didn't want to throw away, but I did it.


DH, Bruce, and I went out to lunch this past week. I had a Philly sub sandwich, except I asked for no bread, and lots of lettuce. Totally yummy salad, that was! It came with fries, which I was not going to eat, but I figured with two big men at the table, they wouldn't go to waste.

Ha! They both had their own fries, and I ended up taking home every single one of mine.

Have you ever microwaved French fries? Yech. They go a limp and gummy. Trying to pan fry them isn't a whole lot better. What was left?

The next morning, I reached into the 'fridge to get something, and the lightbulb in my head went on at the same time as the lightbulb inside the Big White Appliance. I took out the fries, spread them on the broiler pan, turned the broiler on low, and left them to heat while I fixed the eggs and toast. I mean, fried potatoes are fried potatoes, aren't they? Doesn't matter what shape they're cut in, as long as they're fried.

They came out of the oven all crispy and brown, and went onto the plate alongside the eggs. DH raved about them literally all day, and then the next, whenever he'd think about them.

What you see in the photo is a second, smaller, serving for his next breakfast. Gotta love it.

FEATURED ETSY BLOGGER: MADE BY MELISSA

Isn't it great when you meet someone who always makes you smile? Even online, we can use all the smiles we can get, right?

This month's Featured Etsy Blogger is MadeByMelissa, whose blog always has something cheery to say or show. Drop by and see her Halloween greetings!

At her Etsy shop, I go back and forth a lot, thinking, I like her crochet items the best!

But then her jewelry is so pretty, too....


Crochet...

Jewelry...


Crochet...


I guess it's just a good thing I don't have to choose!

FRIDAY FENCE POST #32

Saw this while driving through the Irvington neighborhood today:


"There's only one thing I never did and wish I had done: climbed over a fence. "
Queen Mary

Kinda makes me glad for all the fences I've climbed over, under, and through in my life. The reward of being a confirmed tomboy is knowing what's on the other side!