pAmELa mArTin 20 fOuR 7

fEbrUarY 28, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHursDaY

A Junkin' Kind of Day

I didn't want to count my chickens before they hatched, but the 4 of us did get to take our Junkin' trip today to Statesboro, Georgia - it was a great day. Okay, for the record, Jeri and Laura beat Gloria and me to the 67 Antique Mall. Of course, it was Gloria's fault, because the Golden Retriever who is head of our home, had to have some quality minutes with her "Aunt Gloria" before we could pull out of the driveway. Aunt Gloria had brought her ANOTHER new toy and a pig's ear for a treat. That is why we were on time, but came in 2nd place. We shopped first at the 67 Antique Mall. Gloria found two new Looney Tunes glasses for Nee's collection. Laura found a bear plate for Emily - shhh! it's a secret, and I think she bought an antique postcard. Mark your calendars for April 26th and 27th. They will be holding their outdoor spring yard sale. We will be there.

We made the trek into the city of Statesboro where we once again visited the Plunderosa (is that a great name, or what?!) The Plunderosa always has something new and at really great prices. Because of the great prices, if you see it, you had better buy it, because it will not be there when you go back! I know Jeri bought a toy horse, but I am not sure about everybody else - I was too busy shoppin'.

You can't go into Statesboro without visiting the Magnolia Bakery - they have the most beautiful and delicious selection of artisan breads, and lots of yummy and simple cookies and bars. Please treat yourself when you got to Statesboro.

Our last destination in Statesboro was not planned - that is always the best, it seems. They had an afternoon auction in the downtown area. It was really an amazing auction - they were selling the remaining inventory of a store named Alica Bea's. I have always enjoyed shopping there, and I will miss the store. But there were amazing bargains to be found. Gloria purchased a beautiful framed chicken picture that I know is headed to her sister's home - Nee', you are going to love it! The most exciting part of the auction is that it was Jeri's first time at an auction and to bid at one! And she won her bid! That is the best! She got a designer lap desk for $6 and Gloria got one of them, too! The auctioneer mentioned that the auction of the remaining items would continue next Friday night, so you might want to call and find out the details if you are interested - it is really great stuff! You will not be disappointed.

So, we had quite a successful day junkin' in Bulloch County on this beautiful Saturday. The best part was the four of us being together and sharing the day.

Okay, I am posting this a little early, but...

What a better month than February to remind everyone out there to go get a mammogram! I am cheating by posting this tonight, but tomorrow is going to be a very busy day, and this is any important issue. My yearly mammogram is scheduled for tomorrow, and if you have not scheduled yours, stop reading this and go make the call. I know, it is not fun, but early detection is the key, and it is just something a responsible person has to do! Better than that, call a friend and remind her to do the same, and better than that, schedule a day that both of you can go and then go "do lunch" or something to make the occasion a celebration!

Joe's Kickin' Shrimp & Cheese Dip - Recipe of the Week - Week 7

Ingredients
20 ounces of roughly chopped cooked shrimp (preferably the ones left over from a Low Country Boil)
16 oz. softened fat-free cream cheese
1 cup Ranch Dressing
2 oz. Louisiana hot sauce
1 1/2 cups Fraft fat-free shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
In one bowl:
Soften cream cheese
Combine other 4 ingredients and stir
Microwave for 2-4 minutes
Serve with crackers, bread, vegetables, or just eat it with a spoon.

Joe's recipe was inspired by a recipe that Kim Tabb brought to our Super Bowl gathering.

Hers is as follows:
Kim Tabb's Chicken & Cheese Dip

Ingredients
2 (10 oz) cans of chicken
16 ounces of cream cheese
1 cup Ranch Dressing
1/3 - 1/4 cup hot sauce
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
Soften cream cheese
Add drained chicken, Dressing, hot sauce, and 1 cup cheddar cheese
Microwave 2-4 minutes, then top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Serve with crackers, bread, vegetables, etc.

Note: This serves a lot of people - these recipes work well if you just make half.

Crab Float in the Marsh - What a Treasure!

It's Mardi Gras! - Time to Make a King Cake!

This week is just going to be filled with recipes! It's Mardi Gras (tomorrow), and a great and traditional dessert for your Fat Tuesday meal is the King Cake. There are a couple of traditions that go along with serving the cake. One of them is for the host or hostess to place a small toy baby into the cake, (after baking - very, very important!) and whoever gets the slice with the baby in it has to either buy or make the King Cake next year, or even better, they have to host next year's Mardis Gras affair.

Here is a really great King Cake recipe using your breadmaker - it does the work of making the dough for you! The King Cake is really just a brioche dough recipe. Try it and see what you think!

King Cake
Ingredients for the Dough (please put in breadmaker in this order)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm skim milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (it makes all of the difference!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup melted butter-flavored Crisco
5 egg yolks (save the egg whites for the egg wash later)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 packages of Rapid Rise, Fast-Rise yeast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small baby doll or a pecan half

Place all of the above ingredients EXCEPT the last two into your breadmaker in the order listed above.
Select "Dough Cycle" on your breadmaker (it will run for 1 1/2 hours)
When finished, turn dough out on a floured surface, knead into a long cylinder and twist.
Pinch ends together to form a ring.
At this point, you can use the egg whites to brush the top of the ring if you wish.
Sprinkle top of ring with the cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until done.
Allow to cool completely.
Then, slice a place in the ring and insert either the plastic baby or a pecan half.

Now, it is time for the icing.

Icing recipe
3 cups of confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3-6 Tablespoons of water
Yellow, green, purple colored sugars (you can buy these, but it is just as easy to make your own. If you want to make your own, place regular granulated white sugar in a freezer bag and add gel food coloring and knead the bag until all of the sugar is colored - now wasn't that easy?)

Mix well.
Then start icing the King Cake in sections. Do one section at a time and then sprinkle one of the colors of sugar. Don't try to ice the whole cake, because the icing will set and the sugars won't stick.

It is traditional to cut the cake in 2-3 inch slices, but trust me, your guests will want more than that.

Also - THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! IF YOUR GUESTS HAVE NEVER ENJOYED THE TRADITION OF KING CAKE, WARN THEM THAT THE BABY DOLL OR PECAN COULD BE IN THEIR SLICE - WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO CHOKE!

King Cake should never be made or served before January 6th (Twelfth Night) and after Mardis Gras (Fat Tuesday - Day before Lent begins.) That's just the tradition.

3 Recipes of the Week!

Wow! I know. I promised to share a recipe with Bonnie, which is one that was given to me by one of the best cooks on the planet, Mrs. Iris Green. The one I am sharing with Bonnie has been "adapted" so that folks needing to watch the cholesterol, fat, and sugar intake can enjoy. I know that you will think that it can't taste great if most of that has been deleted, but I want you to give it a try - then, let me know what you think! The third one is from my friend, Louise, in Tennessee. (She is the one who gave me the incredible Cranberry Relish recipe that I posted the first week in January - check it out if you haven't already!)

Okay - let's start with the original recipe from Iris Green - I have named it, Iris Green's Swiss Chocolate Cake. My Daddy and I received this cake as a birthday gift a few years ago when I was visiting Tennessee. Oh my gosh, it is so yummy! (I think that my Daddy got more than I did!)

Iris Green's Swiss Chocolate Cake
Ingredients for cake
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 box of Swiss chocolate cake mix
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix

Mix first 4 ingredients for 1 minute.
Add pudding mix and mix another minute.

Line 3 pans with wax paper and spray with cooking spray.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes (or until done.)
Allow cakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing to cake racks to cool completely.

Frosting
Ingredients
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
16 ounces of thawed whipped topping.

Combine first three ingredients.
Then, add whipped topping and mix thouroughly.

Spread generously between layers and over the cake.
Grate chocolate squares over the cake if desired and refrigerate overnight.

Iris Green's Swiss Chocolate Cake - Modified (Now, this is going to sound a lot different, but it is really, really good.) It is my husband's favorite!

Ingredients
2 containers of egg substituge (this is equivalent to 4 eggs)
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups of warm water
1 box of Pillsbury 50% Less Sugar Devil's Food Cake (Thank you, Pillsbury!)

Mix the first 3 ingredients and then add the cake mix - mix well.

Line 4 round cake pans with wax paper and spray with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until done.
Cool in the pan and then place in the freezer - it helps the wax paper remove more easily.

Frosting
Ingredients
1 package of fat free cream cheese
1 - to 1 1/2 cups regular Splenda (depending on how sweet you like your frosting)
16 ounces of sugar free Cool Whip

Whip fat free cream cheese until softened.
Gradually add Splenda and mix well.
Blend in Cool Whip.

Spread generously between layers and over the cake
Sift cocoa over each layer and on the top if desired.

Refrigerate.

Let me know what you think!
*Also, I make a trifle with this same recipe.

Groundhog Day! - February 2nd

February 2nd is Groundhog Day! I have always loved this day - I guess because we celebrated it when I was a kid - we made arts and crafts on that day - and waited to hear on the 30 minute evening news whether or not he had seen his shadow.

I thought I would give you some trivia to enjoy for the day in honor of this wonderful groundhog:

Did you know?
ALL groundhogs have 22 teeth!
Groundhogs hibernate about 8 months of the year.
The 1st Groundhog Day in the United States was in 1886.
Groundhogs CAN swim & climb.
Groundhogs are the only mammal to have a holiday named after it.
In the United States we have two official groundhogs:
Punxsatawney Phil lives in Pennsylvania. He lives in a climate-controlled home at the Punxsatawney Library (except on his special day,) then he is transported to a man-made tree stump and "pulled-out" exactly at 7:25 a.m. to determine whether we will have an early spring or 6 more weeks of bad weather. (I vote for the first!)

We also have a southern official groundhog named General Beau Lee PhD. He resides at the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn, Georgia.

Canada, our northern neighbor, has an official groundhog, too. His name is Wiarton Willie. Canada's groundhog tradition began in 1956.

Information source? A whole lot of different places over 30 years of teaching. You can also Google it.

Earthquake Stars

Earthquake stars! Sounds scary, huh?! Well, if you have been keeping up all week, you know that my subject of Week 5 of
my 52 Blessings Project (discussed on www.Photojojo.com) has been "stars". They are everywhere around me, so today's pictures are actually part of a history lesson. Now, just bear with me - I do not think you will find it too boring.

On a hot, August day in 1886 (the 31st to be exact), Charleston, South Carolina, was struck with the largest earthquake to hit the East Coast of the United States in its history. It was felt from Savannah, Georgia, all the way to Canada! Hundreds of buildings weer damaged or destroyed, but buildings that could be salvaged were repaired with long, iron rods. These rods run through the walls and are anchored with a washer-type device called a "gib plate" and a large bolt. These devices can be "tightened" or "loosened", by turning. Most owners of the buildings chose to "artistically disquise" them with cast iron symbols - stars were a choice, but others included, round discs and lions' heads. Some say that this bolt device was a scam, but it should be noted that these very buildings that were reinforced, are still standing beautifully and being used in Savannah's "sister city," Charleston. You should go see them for yourselves and then make up your mind as to whether or not you think it was a clever bolt saleman's scheme or a great invention. I choose to accept the latter. And that is your history lesson for today.

Star Garland

Love this stuff ! Star Garland - it is not just for trees and packages - nope - I even use it in my studio as a "clothesline" to hang artwork and orders and "stuff" I like to look at. Wrap it around a pen or pencil - it will make you like what you are writing and or drawing - try it! It is great for making a whimisical hanger - you can even put it in your hair - it will make you smile! Try it! Cut pieces to wind around as napkin holders. Put a mixed-up mess of it on your desk at work and watch people be drawn to you - they will pick it up and "play" with it without realizing they are doing it - watch them smile! Try it!

"Star" Fish

I think that as I look at things each week that I chose to place into this "52 Blessings" Project, it is also great to focus on how they "work" into and around my life and world. Wow! Stars are everywhere in my little universe. But, I also include them in so much that I create for others. Check out one of the "star"fish plates that I make out of South Carolina white clay and glaze with oodles of yummy, bright, beachy colors. Find the stars - they are there!
Wonder what it all means? - It might just mean, I love stars - it's as simple as that.

Thanking My Lucky Stars!

I thanked my "lucky stars" when I found two of these "vintage" star Jello@ molds at The Landings Yard Sale a couple of years ago. I sometimes use them as large ornaments on one of my Christmas trees. But when they are not being used for the holidays, I use them as containers for beads, buttons, and different other art supplies. This one is holding some copper "doodle-things" I am making for some artwork. They look great filled with star-shaped biscuits or cookies. Sometimes I just put them on a table with nothing in them.

52 Blessings - #4 - Week 5 - Stars

Star Struck!

Princess of Paste Journeyed to Midway

The "Princess of Paste", otherwise known as "Very Jeri", and to those who know and love her, Jeri Gale, journeyed to my studio in Midway for an "art day". Jeri is a successful papier mache artist, (check out her new blog at www.veryjeri.blogspot.com) and a very dear friend of mine. We always look forward to finding time in our schedules for a day like this. The forecast for today had been dreadful all week, so knowing it was going to be a gray, cold, rainy day, we decided to work on some art projects and talk about event plans for the year. (We really are spoiled in south Georgia because we don't have very many of these days - thank goodness!) She brought all of the things she needed to work on two ATC Swaps she is currently in, and she wanted to learn to solder so that she could make her niece a special birthday present. She created a microscope slide necklace of her niece's precious pup named Dr. Franklin. I made a couple of charms that I will use later. I also shared with her one of my favorite art inspiration books entitled, Pretty Little Things, by one of my favorite artists, Sally Jane Alexander. If you love collaging and soldering - check it out - it will INSPIRE you. To make it easy for you to find, the ISBN # is 13-9781581808421.

Check Those Batteries!

I thought I was going to have plenty of time to add wonderful things to my blog today, but fate had other plans - out of all of the things I had to do today - it did not include leaving one of many destinations to head home - and finding out I could go nowhere because I had a dead battery! Yikes! Luckily, I was close to help from Savannah Tire who rescued me and put in a new battery so that I could finally get home. So, the lesson to be learned today - go have your battery checked! Southeast Georgia is not used to the cold and our batteries do not like the cold, either! As my grandmother always reminded me, "A word from the wise is always sufficient."

Grits, Missy, & the Nut House

No, I don't work for the Baxley Chamber-of-Commerce, but after they read my account of a wonderful day spent there, I bet they give me a call and offer me a job.
Hopefully, the title of this blog entry grabbed you and brought you inside! I have so much to share with you of a day I had yesterday with friends and animals who are indeed like family. It was a wickedly rainy, cold, and gray day in southeast Georgia, but Gloria and I had made plans a couple of weeks ago to make the journey to Baxley to visit with her parents, sister and brother-in-law, visit all of the doggies and meet the new addition - Miss Missy, go to the gristmill, and do anything else we could fit in. So, we kept our plans and drove to her sister Nee's house which is about 1 1/2 hours from our home. After arriving at Nee' and Sean's farm, unloading some goodies, and being happily greeted by all of the animals and then family, we made our way inside and met Miss Missy. Oh my goodness, this little girl (Beagle) is the sweetest soul that Nee and Sean have ever rescued. (You should know that I compare Nee' to Bernie Berlin - she never turns down a rescue situation and has dedicated so much of her time, energy, and money to taking care of those sweet dogs who others abuse and neglect. Missy arrived at their home in a really critical way, and after a lot of tender loving care, sleepless nights, and numerous veterinarian visits and surgery, Missy has now found her home - and I must say, is becoming quite spoiled. Because of how sick Missy was, she did lose one of her eyes, but she actually looks like she is winking at you. This little girl just wants to cuddle, and the first thing we did was to sit on the floor, cuddle, and just get acquainted. Now, she is quite the fast learner, because when you leave her side, she cries just like a young pup for you to return - she geniunely has the ability to pull at your heart strings. I can't wait to see her again - and very soon I hope!

Now, one of the many reasons we headed to Baxley was to go to the gristmill that is located in FrogBottom - yes, this is a real place, not a town, but a community. Mr. Jack Harris and his dog Misty run a gristmill there. Gloria's Mom, Jo, has been sending me extra fine-ground grits and cornmeal for awhile, and having grown up around gristmills, I wanted very much to come see it for myself and buy some of his yummy ground corn. Wow! This was so much fun and educational. Mr. Harris grows his own corn, which is actually a vintage corn developed from two different strains. He also harvests and cleans it. It is really top-of-the-line. His mill is in this little building on his property. He sells his ground corn products by the pound, or he will let you bring your own corn and he will grind it for you. He will also grind it to your specifications, Jo, knows just how fine to grind it. We felt of it and tasted it along the way, and it was sweet even though it wasn't cooked! We bought a lot for ourselves and friends from different parts of the state. Mr. Harris starts grinding in October and until his corn runs out. He only has 20 bushels left as of this entry, so if you haven't gotten yours, his contact information will be under his picture. If you visit, Misty, his big black lab, would love for you to bring her a treat. Also, bring some Ziplock bags to bring home your supply.

The fun did not end there, Oh, no! We headed back into Baxley to visit The Nut House - yep, you read it correctly - The Nut House - it is not what you are thinking. Baxley is known for many agricultural delights and pecans are one of them. We had a bumper crop of pecans this year and luckily for us, The Nut House was still open to sell pecans in every way you can think of. You can buy whole pecans that you can crack and shell yourself, or they will crack them for you, or they will, what they call, "crack and blow" them so that it is really easy for you to pick out those pecan halves, or you can be really lazy and just buy the ones already ready to eat or add to your recipes. I guess what I was amazed at was how many different types of pecans grow in this area. You can buy chocolate pecan clusters and pecan logs there, too. Now, if you grow your own pecans, you can take them there and they will use their machinery to crack them for you. Mrs. Hutto, the owner, also "puts up" canned goods - all kinds of vegetables and fruits, during the growing season, to sell, especially around the holidays - of course, she did not have one jar left. She also sells local honey and cane syrup, and around the holiday season, she has gift baskets available that contain all local grown and produced Georgia products. What could be better than that! Her season is very much like that of Mr. Harris, they begin cracking nuts in October and go until the season is over - she told me yesterday, that might be all the way to the end of February this year. You can find her contact information under her pictures.

After our two adventures, we took a ride around to look at all of the blueberries being grown in the area that were already blooming and not too far away from being picked and sent to a grocery store in your area. I hope to be back when that happens to get some more photos to share with you.

Hope you enjoyed a little of our day - it was just too great not to share with the world!

Chicken Pot Pie - Recipe of the Week (3)

Okay, the cooler weather snuck back into Georgia this morning, so it called for a warm, comfort food for Monday night's dinner. This recipe has four steps, but the ingredients are easy and prep is, too. It is going to look like a long, involved recipe, but once you do it, you will see just how easy it is. The measurements don't have to be exact either. This is just a fun and easy dish to create, and this version is heart-healthy, and very, very yummy!

Pie Crust
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup Crisco (Butter-Flavored)
11-14 TBSPs ice-cold water

1) Combine first 2 ingredients
2) With a fork, cut in shortening until you have a coarse mixture
3) Add water, until a nice, non-sticky dough forms - the amount of water depends on the humidity - just be flexible.

Divide this dough into 2/3 and 1/3. Use 2/3 of the dough as the pie crust. The other 1/2 will be rolled out to make dough decorations.

Spray large baking dish with a release spray (like Pam)
Roll out the dough to fit a casserole or other large baking dish. Make it rustic - no need to fuss with evening the crust. Prick fork holes in the bottom of the pie crust and bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes (until crust is lightly browned). Set aside to cool.

While that is baking, I roll out the remaining amount of dough and use my grandmother's chicken cookie cutter to cut chickens to decorate the top. Bake at 450 degrees 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. (See the photo).

Vegetables
In a large skillet or steamer, steam enough vegetables that will fit your casserole dish - use what you like - I used fresh carrots, yellow squash, green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

Chicken
Bake or grill 3-4 boneless chicken breasts and cut into cubes - you should have enough to cover the bottom of the casserole. Season to taste. (you can plan ahead for this - when you grill or bake your next chicken, add some extra to be cut and frozen for your next pot pie - that is what I did today to save time).

Sauce/Gravy
I use 3 cans of fat-free/low-sodium chicken broth made by Swanson. Bring that to a boil and use flour to thicken.

Now, layer the chicken in the bottom of the pie shell and pour some of the gravy over the top of it. Then, layer all of the vegetables and pour the remaining gravy over the top. Bake on a cookie sheet (to catch any gravy that bubbles over) at 350-375 for about 20-25 minutes or until heated through - remember everything is already cooked. 5 minutes before the end of cooking, place baked chicken-shaped dough on top for decoration. Allow, the pie to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

52 Blessings Project - Week 3 - Flour Sifters

It probably seems like a strange blessing, but I LOVE vintage flour sifters. It may be their histories, colors, or mechanics, but they are all special. Here are three of mine. The green one belonged to my grandmother, Mae Pamela Jackson. She was one of the most special people who ever set foot on this earth. What a great cook, too. I learned so much from her, and use many of these things every single day. I am lucky to have some of her wonderful kitchen tools - I will share more later.

The cream-colored one with the apples scattered on it, belonged to Joe's Mom, who we affectionately called, Nana. She gave it to me when she knew I collected sifters, and it holds a special place in my collection.

The red one I found at a wonderful yard sale that was hosted by the 67 Antique Mall near Statesboro, Georgia. A bunch of girlfriends (Gloria, Jeri, Laura, and me) went on a yard-saling trip a couple of autumns ago. We found all kinds of treasures, but this was one of mine. I fell in love with the color - had to have it!

People ask if I use them - yep, I do. I believe in functional art. I also just love looking at them and thinking of all of the recipes that were completed by using them.

Turnip Greens, turnips, and Smoked Ribs - Yum!

Distressed Alphabet Swap on Display - a 24-artist collaborative project complete

One of the members of a Yahoo Art Group I belong to sponsored a Distressed Alphabet Swap back in the fall of 2007. I just received the last two alphabets this week, and the display is finally complete. I had thought a lot about how I wanted to display the work of 24 incredible artists who labored and created 24 individual pieces of art, and sent them through the mail, hoping to receive a set back in return. It is such a risk to do this. All of the pieces are originals which makes it even more amazing. Belinda Spiwak developed and organized the swap with the themes being, "alphabets" and "distressed". So, when I thought about how they should be displayed, the unit had to be dimensional, distressed, and have a sense of order - what better than an antique (really distressed) wooden Coca-Cola@ case.

Not everyone signed their work, but I wish they had, and I would love to have you post your name with the letter you made and the state where you are from. Right now, I know that this collaboration includes works from ten states! Pretty amazing. They are: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

I have this piece of art in the living room of my home on a silver platter on my grandfather's distressed work desk. Hope you enjoy the photos and can find your very special piece of art!

2 NEW Artist Trading Cards created for a Yahoo Art Group

These are two Artist Trading Cards that I just finished creating for a Yahoo Art Group Swap. First of all, so all will know the lingo, an Artist Trading Card (known as an ATC), is any kind of art piece that can be created on a card that measures 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. (Playing cards and baseball trading cards are this size.) Usually, they are pretty thin, but they can be dimensional - you can add all kinds of things to embellish, you can collage, just let your creativity take over. I am involved in several Yahoo Art Groups. These were created for LatestTrendsinMixedMediaArt@yahoogroups.com. This is a fun swap (in which you must use a button) hosted by Cynthia Powell. Check it out.

The first ATC ("Bloomin' Buttons") was created by cutting an ATC-sized card in a bright pink card stock, sewing on my Singer, two zig-zag lines for the stems, cutting free-form flower, leaf, and grass shapes and layering them on the card. Then, finally applying some retro-buttons to finish the flower shapes.

The second ATC ("Button It Up") was created in a collage format. I found a retro photo of a group of groovy gals at a diner (probably '40s or 50s) sitting at the lunch counter, I scanned it and printed it. Cut individual letters out of one of my favorite periodicals (Skirt! Magazine) (Yes, it took forever!) in order to spell the phrase, "I can't believe they told us to button it up!" I applied the letters to the background using Mod Podge@. I then, applied the button as the dot over the "i" to complete the theme. Two additional coats of Mod Podge@ were added.

These will now be mailed to Cynthia and swapped out with other fabulous artists from all over the country. Hope you will join us!

2 oF a KiNd - ATC Created for Arttechniquesatcs Yahoo Art Group

I also just created another ATC that will be involved in an art swap in the Arttechniquesatcs Yahoo Art Group. This is a great group, and if you are interested in joining, please check out the following link:
arttechniquesatcs@yahoogroups.com

Jan Myers is the hostess of this swap and the requirements of the swap included: that we must use the letter "a" and the number "2", and at least 2 different techniques.

I created this card by scanning an anniversary card that was sent to me by my good friend, Jeri Gale (a fabulous papier mache artist), and reduced it to ATC size. I collected Scrabble@ letters ("R") and glued them to the cardstock. Like in the above swap, I cut individual letters to complete the phrase, "We R 2 of a kind." These were then collaged with Mod Podge@ onto the surface. Additional layers of Mod Podge@ was used to complete the surface. Using altered images and adding collage elements are a fun way to add some dimension and funky whimsy to your ATCs.

39 dAyS FrOm 2dAy?

Do you know what 39 days from today is? The color should give it away - it's Valentine's Day. I know that if you have been in any store anywhere, you have seen all of the Heart Day merchandise already on the shelves (actually, it was in our stores BEFORE Christmas.) Join me this year in making a little sweet something for the folks who are sweethearts in your life. My goal - handmade hearts and Valentine sugar cookies. I will post pictures as they are completed. I hope you will post your ideas to me as well. I am also adding a 2nd recipe of the week (Sugar Cookies) so that you can go ahead and make your cookie dough and put it in the freezer. I try to make different colors of dough for a variety of cookies and this usually takes a while.

Decorating them is the most fun - more on that later - with photos!

What a Great Day!

Oh my gosh, we, who live in the area of the Gress River in Midway, Georgia, got a great gift today - the weather! It was 71 degrees here today with a very happy sky on January 6, 2008! Some friends who had received a tandem kayak called to see if I wanted to going kayakking - of course, I didn't have to think - I said, "Let's go!" We went to visit a friend around the corner on Isle of Wight and had plans of coming back through a small creek called, "Christmas Tree Cut", but the tide was low and the entrance was blocked by mud. We came back the way we started our "voyage" and got to see a beautiful, young dolphin out for a swim, too. Joe was on the party barge with Cobaka, and was able to click a couple of photos in which to remember the day.

52 Blessings - Number 2

A quick note about the 52 Blessings Project (please scroll down to find out how it began). I have not placed or are not placing the "Blessings" in any order, just as they come to me.

The blessing I have chosen to be number 2, is our dog Cobaka. She is a golden retriever who brings unbelievable joy to all who know and love her. We named her Cobaka Mille Jo Martin - (I took a couple of years of Russian and one of the first words I learned was the word for dog - which is Cobaka - I love that word. Her 2nd name was for the millenium. Her third name is after her "Dad", my husband, Joe). It all seemed to go together.

jAnuArY 3, 2008 - Quote-of-the-Day - tHurSdAy

I actually have 2 quotes I want to share with all today.

The first one is a great one from Emerson. I keep this one with me all of the time.

"Finish each day and be done with it - you have done what you could; some blunders and some absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can."
Emerson

The second one is something I read in one of my Yahoo art groups - I just adore it. It was posted by Red Dog Scott of http://www.capolan.org/ and travelershart@yahoo.com . See if you don't think it is great and try "doing" it today - I am.

"An 8 year old boy was asked how he got his inspiration for his drawing. His reply, "'I think up something and draw my think.'" So as Red recommended, "Think up something today and draw around your think."

A Journal Project Idea

This is a great idea that I found on one of my favorite websites - www.photojojo.com

For those of us who love to take photos, the project is called, "52 Blessings". The idea of it is to take one photo a week of something you are grateful for. How easy is that! Digital cameras make it a breeze for a project like this. The purpose of this project is to give you a chance to reflect on the good things we have, have learned from things we have in our everyday lives, or things we just enjoy. It will make for a great gratitude journal to reflect upon throughout the year, as well as, at this time next year.

There are more projects listed at this site as well that are fast, fun, and easy! This website is very easy to navigate, and the folks who write it seem like they really like those of us who visit it. Check it out.

jAnuArY 1, 2008 - hAppY nEw yEaR!

What better day to start a blog than on the first of the year! My little universe in south Georgia is filled with so many remarkable and wonderful things, and one of my goals this year is to share as much of it with you as I can. I hope you will visit this blog of mine with frequency, as well as, my other blog (http://www.pamelamartindesigns.blogspot.com/)- this 2nd blog is for art events and shows in which I participate - other art "stuff and info is shared there, too.). Please post messages - would love to hear from you! You can also email me at themartinco@clds.net.

Quote-of-the-Day - January 1, 2008 - Tuesday

Can't quit collecting these - quotes - just love 'em! I think I have enough of these that I could probably post one-an-hour, but I can comfortably add one-a-day. If you have any you want to share, send them to me and I will post for you.

January 1, 2008
For those of you that know me, you KNOW this is one of my all-time favorites - I just adore the author-ess, too!

"When I am old and gray I want to have a house by the sea and paint with a lot of wonderful chums, good music, and booze around, and a damn good kitchen to cook in!

Ava Gardner

Is this just not great?!?

Thursday, May 29, 2008

"LOST" Season 4 - Finale

Don't miss it! Tonight is the Season 4 Finale of "LOST" on ABC starting at 8 pm Eastern. Lots of questions and hopefully, lots of answers await us!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Joe vs. A Very Large Fallen Oak!

This is the picture that I posted at the top of this blog for Monday, may 26th, so that you could find your way at the bottom for these photos - scroll below to meet our heroes and a visual record of the damage.

More Local Heroes! - Thank you!

Heroes and more heroes rushed to the aid of residents in the Lake George area of Liberty County, Georgia.

Leonard Turner (K-9) and his partner, Chase, were two of them that arrived at Station 12 - Lake George Fire Department.

These were some of our local "heroes" who worked tirelessly through the Memorial Day weekend - Thank you!

(L-R) Leonard Turner K-9 (His partner, Chase, is in photo above); Samantha Ashdown, Station 12 Assitant Chief; Terry Kimmel - Station 12 Chief; Lt. O.G. Nestor, Liberty County; Alec Waters - Station 12 Explorer; Joseph Yanng - Station 12 Explorer; Firefighter Adrian Lewis

Local Heroes - American Red Cross

You can ALWAYS count of them - The American Red Cross! (This is the Savannah Chapter). They were here within what seemed to be an hour - immediately surveying the damage and helping the victims. Thank you!

Mrs. Rancourt's Home and Mr. & Mrs. Peacock's Home

Storm Damage - (Camparison of tree size to emergency vehicle)

More Storm Damage (including Blue Jay Drive)

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Okay - I'm Back!

Okay, Okay, Okay! I can't believe that I have not been back here since July 22nd! My apologies - but when I entered the blogging world, I really had no idea how busy the summer and beginning of autumn would be! For those of you who have personally written to ask if I am okay - Yep! I am great, and do I ever have a ton of stuff to share with you! Now, I KNOW that I must have a laptop so that I can keep you all up-t0-date with the goings-on without any excuse!

I have completed two dreams that were on "My List of Things to Do"! The first was experiencing "The World's Longest Garage Sale!" Oh my gosh, there are no worlds for how great this experience was/is! It inspired me to create a line of jewelry - I will share photos later!

The second was to find a retro, 1970s, "canned ham" camper and totally redo it! It took the most-part of this year to do, but I did! "She" is a 1978 Serro Scotty Sportsman that Jeri Gale and I found on September 3rd on a buying trip to Wrens, GA in a field in Wadley, GA. I just completed "her" makeover! She is going on her "Virgin Voyage" this Saturday, October 18th, to Tybee Island, Georgia, where I will help to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of a terrific shop called "Seaside Sisters"! Diane Kaufman, of Mermaid Cottages, represents my art in her "shop-within-a shop, so, in her honor, I will have the camper, now named, "Le Petite Crevette", on the premises filled-to-the-brim with art. So, please come by and say hello, shop local, and take a tour of my little home-away-from-home! You will be looking for one of your own on your way home!

For more photos, check out the following websites and attached blogs:
http://www.seasidesisterstybee.com/ for your invite and their blog
http://www.mermaidcottages.com/ and Diane's blog and my other blog:
http://www.pamelamartindesigns.blogspot.com/
Also, to see the Kodak Gallery Album, click on this link, but you really must visit her in person!
www.kodakgallery.com/SelectPhotos.jsp?UV=423458319416_785092889605#

After this weekend, I will have more photos to share - I promise!

A Pirate Looks at Fifty

Need to give a little information before I write the "Quote of the Day." I just finished reading a great book that I bought for myself three years ago because I was turning 50. The title was wonderful, as is the author, Jimmy Buffett. Guess I let life get in the way a little bit, and never finished it on my first attempt. I did decide, however, that I really wanted to read and finish the book (this time) before my 53rd birthday - and I did - it is one of the things I have on my "bucket list" that now can receive a well-earned check. Not only did I finish it, I loved it! (Knew I would.) I have tons of things underlined in it, many quotes that I want to share with you. So, I will begin adding these quotes today - but you may find that quotes from others will still be mixed in.

Enjoy! Thanks, Jimmy Buffett!

It Is Hard To Believe

I could not believe the news. My Mom had called and left a message on my voicemail that Tim Russert had collapsed and died. I have watched Tim Russert for what seems like forever. Sunday mornings do not seem complete if I do not turn on "Meet the Press". I also catch him on "Morning Joe" as I tackle the treadmill each morning to begin the day. You just can't help but love him, admire him, and best of all, trust him. I write this in present tense, because I am not yet ready to accept that he is no longer with us.

52 Blessings - Week 24

I have been really slack about not recording my 52 Blessings of Week photos - I have tons of them - way more than 52 - but I was just going through photos of a trip I just took to Tennessee and said to myself, "Self, let's get back to recording them! The one that I have chosen first is actually from the dock. I will get to the Tennessee ones later. So, the one I have included for today is My Hammock and Orange and Pink Polka Dot Towel. (Gloria Gould gave me this towel. I had used it as a tablecloth until Cobaka decided to start tearing it to shreds one day (for no reason). But, I got out the trusty Singer and sewed it up. I just LOVE this towel! The picture "says" it all! It is one of my favorite places on the planet. I write from there, draw from there, think from there, and just spend time there.

Shuttle is Prepared to Launch Tomorrow Afternoon

I will be "LOST" tonight!

It all begins/ends tonight starting at 8 pm Eastern time! I will not answer the phone, I will only be on the computer during commercials just to see what the "LOST" fans are blogging, I will be recording the three hours I am watching via my DVR so that I can watch it over and over and over again to "see" or hear what I probably missed. Oh, did I mention that I am somewhat of a fan?! If you haven't seen "LOST", do not try to catch on to it tonight. You can see all four seasons on http://www.abc.com/ right there on your computer, or you can rent the series, or buy them. We fans know that we may get a few answers to our questions, but I am very sure that there will be many more questions added when we see the last minute of the show. We do want to know why only the Oceanic 6 got off the island, what happened to all of the others, how did the Oceanic 6 get off the island, did they move the island and how, and who is in the casket? There are many more answers we need, but let's start with those! Enjoy, all of you "LOST" fans!

Days are a Little Out of Order - Blessing of the Month!

I do realize in writing this blog entry that the dates contained within will be a "little out of order", but there is a good reason. During the early evening of Saturday, May 24th, a very quick but damaging storm hit the small and rural coastal area of Liberty County known as Lake George. The day had been beautiful, but we had been earlier warned of potential damaging thunderstorms. We had no idea what was to happen. Judy and Gary Walker had just arrived for a get-together for the holiday weekend. It was sunshining one minute and then the winds started swirling and an unbelievable amount of hail started hitting all of the windows in the house and filling the yards. It was really unbelievable. Almost as soon as this had begun, it ended. The temperature had dropped significantly, but the sun was shining again. It was not until we ventured off our little island to the main area of Lake George that we really understood what had just happened. It is also unbelievable that only two people were injured. Sadly, some folks lost their homes and others have extensive damage. We had a lot of local heroes that you will see in photos below. I just can't say enough about our local emergency personnel and the wonderful people from the Savannah chapter of the American Red Cross - they were here immediately! It was also wonderful to see neighbor helping neighbor. They were worried about us losing power and water for days, but that did not happen. We were out for several hours the night of the event and for a few hours on Sunday, but the power and water were also quickly restored. Kudos to our local EMC (Electric Membership Corporation). I would also love to recommend to everyone - get a generator or at least have one in your neighborhood! We have one (as we say for hurricane insurance), and it gave us a chance for people in the neighborhood to come down to our house, chat, eat, and not spend hours sitting in the dark alone.

I am posting an array of pictures I took the morning after the storm at the bottom of this blog under "Posts".

Pamela Martin Designs at Seaside Sisters on Tybee Island!

Swim, bike, walk, or surf your way to Tybee Island, Georgia, where you will find the the whole Pamela Martin Designs line at Diane Kaufman's "shop-within-a-shop" at the beach chic shop called Seaside Sisters. Just ask Nancy, Sally, Susan, or any of the great staff there to point the way - they will be happy to show you around! All of your favorites are there: ornaments, painted buckets, fan pulls, prints, all-occasion cards, as well as, a new addition - the beach gourds - you have got to see them to believe them. Can't wait to see you all or hear from you when you visit!

What a Wonderful Artware Day on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina!

Even though it was a busy, busy work day, I had an incredibly wonderful time with Jennifer Megliore, of the fun & fabulous art boutique, Artware, located in the Main Street Village on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. I am quite the lucky girl to know Jennifer, to have her as a fan of my artwork, and to have my work among all of her other fabulous artists at her shop!

All of the pictures above are of Artware and the event that took me to Hilton Head today. Jennifer was called upon by the Westin Resort to gather a variety of artists who would bring their talents to share with a convention attendees. It had been the request of the visitors and their guests to have breakfast and shopping in a beautiful outdoor setting where they could touch the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in a few, short steps. Our "job" was to set up a shopping venue for the visitors, and provide them with some of the most beautiful and fun art creations in the region! It is hard to really call this "work", because the setting was like being in a picture postcard with the warm southern breezes brushing your face. The guests we met were from so many different states and were so friendly! I felt very special to be in the presence of these artisans! To learn more about the artists and their work, feel free to contact Jennifer Megliore at http://www.artwaredesigns.com/

When we completed the event, Jennifer and I had chance to visit with one of our favorite people in this universe, Pamela McKenna. I met Pamela because she (like me) is a mermaid lover, and she found my mermaid art at Artware. When Jennifer was finally able to arrange a time for us to meet, we were immediate friends! Now, it is a "Pam Law" that I cannot visit Hilton Head without seeing Pamela. She is so dear and one of the greatest cooks EVER! I finally got a photo of Jennifer, me, and Pamela (in that order) today and will cherish it always!

I also want to mention that I also met another fabulous fused glasswork artist, Toni Chirico and her art assistant, Dante. I was unable to take their picture because we had to go to work, but check out her work at http://www.shescraftydesigns.com/. Other artists were there, too, and I apologize for no more pictures or names, but check with Jennifer, or better yet, visit her shop!

Be sure and visit the "post" area below for another look at the day!

Happy Birthday, Cobaka!

How lucky we are that we were chosen as "parents" to this beautiful and delightful Golden Retriever! Everyone who has ever met her has fallen in love with her. She is so sweet, yet is an independent spirit! Actually, catching this birthday picture, was quite an ordeal. She has a birthday portrait made every year, and she didn't have one with a tiara, so, I thought that would be a great idea - Judy Walker and I tried and tried to get her to keep it on, but it took Gary Walker to bribe her with food so I could get this one shot. Looks like she is telling me how very much she does NOT like this whole plan. She normally LOVES a photo shoot and will wear all kinds of accessories EXCEPT on her head! I will work on a better plan for next year! Happy 8th Birthday, Cobaka!

Pink Geraniums - Photo of the Week (Maybe the Year)!

I have to write this entry in pink, because when you look at those geraniums right below this entry you will know why! These are so beautiful! I have to get some of these! I found them on Tybee Island, Georgia today when I went to visit Diane Kaufman (www.mermaidcottages.com). Of course, I should have been taking photos of her home that will be featured in Southern Living in January, but these beauties stopped me in my tracks! (I will find another day to go photo her house.) Hope these make all of you smile!

aRt iN tHe yArD - The Movie is Here! Grab Your Popcorn!

aRt iN tHe yArD - THE MOVIE is here!
You have two ways to enjoy it -
1) press the following link: www.photoshow.com/watch/XT9td8Hn
or,
2) Turn up the volume to the music of "I Can't Sit Still" (it will take a couple of seconds), cursor down to the Post for April 29th on the left side of this blog at the bottom and you will see the Photoshow running! You can play it on full screen by pressing the 5th button from the left at the bottom of the movie. To get back to the regular screen, just press your ESC button.

Either way you choose, hope you enjoy the memories of the first Art in the Yard!

Thanks again for coming and we hope you enjoy the show!

aRt iN tHe yArD - What fun!

It is Sunday evening, and Jeri and I have just finished (10:28 pm) going through all of the wonderful digital photos that we had just enough time to take at our first Art in the Yard event, and they are absolutely wonderful! We can't wait to share them with all of you who came to our art event. It will be just one more way for us to give you our sincere thanks for being the most important part of Art in the Yard. We truly thank you for loving our art the way that you do, and none of this fun would be possible without you! We were able to enjoy time with treasured friends and we made many new friends, too! I wish we had pictures of everyone who attended, but the day just got away from us. We will be putting together a slide show of the day for you to enjoy and hopefully share with others. (There will be a link on this website, as well as, my other one and Jeri's). We are also so excited to tell you that because of the success of this event (and because you asked), we already have another event planned to help you with your holiday shopping! So, mark your calendars for Saturday, November 29th! That is Thanksgiving weekend. You will have plenty of time to eat your turkey and visit with family and friends on Thursday and Friday, and then head to Midway(with a carload of buddies) on Saturday for a day of fall fun and festivities! Friends, fun, food, and art - what could be better!
Thank you, again!

aPriL 24, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHurSdaY

"Writing the last page of the first draft is the most enjoyable moment in writing. It is one of the most enjoyable moments in life, period."
Nicholas Sparks

I love his works. I actually found the movie that was made based on one of his books, "Message in a Bottle". Of course, then I read the book. I adored the movie and have watched and cried more times than I want to say. I almost have that script memorized (all parts) to be honest with you. I have also read the book - which is great. I also have and read his book, "The Notebook". I did like the book better than the movie.

And it was because of Nicholas Sparks and "Message in a Bottle", that I actually finished my first draft of my very own fiction novel. I probably will be the only one to ever read it, but it had been a life of goal of mine to do it, and I did. That is why I hold this quote so close to my heart - besides being a really great quote, I found it to be especially true for me.
Thanks, Mr. Sparks.

Cowgirls & Mermaids at Tybee Island, GA

In the above picture, you will see one of the "treasures" I happened upon while visiting the Cowgirl Caravan with the group, Sisters on the Fly this past weekend at Tybee Island, GA. For all of those who know me, you KNOW I love mermaids! And who would have thought that I would have found a cowgirl mermaid lounging on the shelf of one of the Sisters on the Fly vintage trailers! She was purchased in downtown Savannah.

Be sure and check out all of the other pictures in their archives. www.sistersonthefly.com.

Cowgirls, Bingo, Midnight Letterboxing Friends, Bachelorettes, Mystery Cake, Vols, & 88 Degrees!

Are you curious? Just the least bit curious? Got to start somewhere, so I will start. I will try to go in order with all of that I just put in the title.

Can't do that last sentence. Got to start with the best of friends. This was the weekend of a great scholarship fundraiser for St. Michael's School on Tybee Island, Georgia. Four (Gloria, Jeri, Laura, and I) of us "used" the excuse of supporting the school in order to attend the Cowgirl Caravan(much more about that later) and spending the night at Gloria Gould's awesome condo on Friday night. Now, on every Friday night at Tybee they have old-fashioned Bingo at the American Legion - if you are ever there, you have gotta go. It is tons of fun & you might win some cash. Laura was the big winner last time, but this time we won "zero", "nada", nothing, but still had a great time. On the night before, Jeri had a vision of six great numbers, so we stopped on the way home from Bingo to buy her and Gloria a Lotto ticket - we haven't heard from them yet as to how many millions they won - but I will let you know when I know. Wll, after we returned to the condo, Jeri and I wanted to talking about "fitting in" a letterboxing excursion the next day. The more we talked, the more we decided, why not just go then. Of course, it was about 11:30 pm, but Gloria went and rounded up 2 flashlights, I gathered the letterboxing clues, and we piled into her car and drove to the Jaycee Memorial Park. It was really dark and later we learned that the park probably closed at 10 pm, but we were on a mission. As we tried to find the location we were looking for, we also tried to put together a story that a police officer would believe as to why we were in the park at that time of night digging at the base of a park bench. Fortunately, no police officer came to check us out, but sadly, the letterbox we were looking for could not be found. But, I can say that we all had fun in the search.

Now, I have to mention at this place in the story that right next door to us were some wonderful young women taking part in a weekend bachelorette party that was being hosted by Gloria's beautifully sweet daughter (actually daughter-in-law). Let me also say, they were wonderful, but we really never saw or heard much from them. But, Katie was preparing one of the meals for them when we arrived, and on her menu is what she and her Mother, Trudi, call Mystery Cake - oh my goodness, this going to be my selection for recipe of the week. So, look for it! If you are watching your diet, don't read it or copy it down, because you CAN'T have it and you WILL want it! At least make this one time in your life, because it is incredible!

Saturday was the perfect day! It was a record-breaking 88 degrees on Tybee. The island was beautiful, the beach was breathtaking, an the activities were so much fun. We decided as a treat to ourselves that we would just bike everywhere we went that day. So, we got all of the tires filled with air and off we went. We stayed off Butler Avenue (actually Hwy. 80) and rode the small streets that have so many of the cute cottages that are for rent. You can see many of them on Diane Kaufman's website, http://www.mermaidcottages.com/
Seriously, check them out if you are ever planning on visiting Tybee. You can rent them by the day, week, month, whatever, and they are whimsical and charming. They all have different themes and are decorated with the handiwork of local artists.

Our main goal of the day was to attend the fundraiser for St. Michael's School at Riverside Campground at Tybee. This is just one of the most fun and creative fundraisers I have ever seen. There are these incredible women from all over the country who have these vintage trailers that they have purchased, refitted, and adorably decorated. They hook them up to their cars, pickup trucks, or whatever, and pull them to destinations all over the US. They do all kinds of activities like: learning to flyfish, sightseeing, being beachbums, and being fundraisers. You can find out much more by visiting their website: http://www.sistersonthefly.com/ They have been featured on the Travel Channel and in Country Living Magazine. While on Tybee they allowed folks to buy tickets (ALL of the proceeds going to St. Michael's) that would let you tour the trailers, meet & spend time with the "sisters", and give you a Cowgirl Lunch that was all tied-up in a charming red Cowgirl Bandana. The Cowgirls were all so welcoming and charming. Everyone had from 11-2 to ooh and ahh, and chat and smile. We, that supported the cause, have Susan Kelleher of Seaside Sisters to thank for arranging the event. Above this article I have some pictures I took of the day. Please enjoy them. The best place to see all of the vintage trailers are at the http://www.sistersonthefly.com/ website - they are truly wonderful - guess I have to work at getting one of these now! Also, visit Diane Kaufman's blog on her website: http://www.mermaidcottages.com/ - she also has a great story about them. It would just make you smile to see this parked in your own yard!

Now, to put the "icing on the cake". What I am about to tell you has actually become a joke between Jeri and me. First, you must realize that I am one of the greatest University of Tennessee fans that has ever walked this planet. That being understood, it seems as though no matter where I go, I run into or meet another UT fan. Just when a day goes by and Jeri starts to believe that it will not happen, it does. She really can't believe that it happens. Well, it happened again on Saturday. I was visiting one of the vintage trailers at the Cowgirl Caravan and I was wearing a vintage UT teeshirt. (I am still celebrating the 8th NCAA Women's National Basketball Championship just won by UT!) Another visitor at the trailer came up and asked me if I was a Tennessee fan - of course, an immediate conversation began - I found out that not only was she a fan, but she was a graduate of the great university. Her name is Judy Stech. I had asked if I could take her picture for my blog and I gave her one of my business cards. Now, what makes this story more amazing is this. On my way home, I was checking phone messages of the day and I received one from Diane Kaufman (mentioned above). She had an amazing story to tell me about one of the people I had met during the day. Apparently, Judy and Diane are dear friends (from Atlanta)and she had told Diane the UT story and asked if she knew who I was - Diane could not believe it! Diane told her that she couldn't believe we had met. Diane and I have also been very dear friends for many years and I have done a lot of art work for her and for her cottages. Just goes to prove to you, "it's a small, small world," indeed!

Anyway, it has been a great weekend! Hope you will check out all of the above pictures and websites! And go see the Cowgirl Caravan if it ever comes to a town near you!

Cowgirls are Coming to Tybee Island, Georgia!

Don't forget that the Cowgirls are coming to Tybee Island, GA with their Vintage Trailers! You can tour them with the price of a ticket ($12) that goes to a great cause - the scholarship program at St. Michael's! The event takes place on Saturday, April 10, 2008 from 11-2 at the Tybee Island Campground. The price of the ticket also includes a Cowgirl Lunch (not sure what that is, but I will let you know when I next blog about it). You can get a ticket at the Tybee Island Campground or at Seaside Sisters! Hope to see you there!

Lots Happening on this Date in History

On April 10th, lots of good things have happened throughout history. Did you know the the Association for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was established on this date in 1866 by Mr. Harry Bergh on New York. Just a thought - in his honor and memory, make a donation (food, bedding, money, whatever) to your local Humane Society - or better yet, if you are ready and able, adopt a little furry family member.

O. Henry second short story collection was published on this date. It includes a favorite story of mine - I think I first read it in 8th grade. Loved it then and love it now. It is called Gift of the Magi. It is great to read around Christmastime. But it is special anytime.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. It gave jobs to many young men across the country during a very difficult time in our country's history. The men were paid a modest salary. Most of it was sent home to the family and the young men were allowed to keep the rest of it. It is recognized by history to be one of the most successful government training and employment projects. My Daddy participated in this program and completed his service time in Georgia.

University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers Repeat National Championship Win!

Okay, if you know me, you know that my blood runs deep orange - Yes! I am the ultimate University of Tennessee fan. Have been since I was born. Even living in Georgia where Bulldogs run rampant, I have made a space for UT. Now, if by chance you were off the planet last night, the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers won their second National Championship in a row - they have won it 8 times in all! Pretty good run for Coach Pat Summit, wouldn't you agree! Anyway, I am very happy for them. And I must say, the sunrise was a really beautiful ORANGE this morning!
Go Vols!

Cowgirl Caravan - We're going to be Cowgirls (at least for 3 hours)!

Lots of folks 'round these parts are getting really excited about Sisters on the Fly coming to the Tybee Island Campground this Saturday, April 12th! They have been on television and in print, and now they are coming to visit with us. From 11-2, at River's End Campground at Tybee Island, Georgia, we will get to tour their colorful vintage trailers, meet the cowgirls, and even eat a "cowgirl lunch" with them! The tickets are $12 (lunch included), and the money raised benefits St. Michael's School Scholarship Fund. Hope to see you there! Look for Jeri, Laura, Gloria, and me.

To get more information about these cowgirls, check out their website: http://www.sisteronthefly.com/

aRt iN tHe yArD - Save The Date!!!!

Jeri Gale and I are excited to announce that we will be hosting a really fun art event at my studio in Midway, Georgia on April 26, 2008! Please come help us celebrate our good fortune of being selected as two of the artists for the upcoming (7th) season of the HGTV and DIY show called, 'That's Clever!" We decided to call the event, Art in the Yard, because that is exactly what you can expect! We will have your favorite creations hanging on the trees, on the deck, on the bushes, on the dock, in the yard, on the walls of the studio - in other words, just about anywhere you look you will see great, fun, whimsical art. We are sending you mailings, email blasts, blog blasts, anything we can send you to get you down to Midway. We want you to have a great time! Many of you have asked about classes, so we have some great ideas that you may want to talk about. We look forward to visiting with you, so please come down to our "Backyard Boutique", bring friends, and be all means, dress comfy! Can't wait to see ya'll!

Recipe of the Week - Asian Slaw

This is an absolutely awesome slaw recipe. It is easy to make, it keeps well for picnics and events during the summer months, and best of all, it is YUMMY! I first enjoyed this dish at an oyster roast at Linda and CJ Stickle's home on the coast. Not sure who actually brough it (it was a covered dish event), but I worked for weeks to get it from Linda. Then, as of late, I "discovered" that it is on the Ramen Chicken Noodle - Super 6-Pack. Try it. Just in case, I am adding the recipe below. I have altered and added a couple of things.

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded cabbage
4 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup slivered almonds (toasted)
3 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
3 TBSP toasted sunflower seeds
2 pkgs of the Ramen noodles crushed

Dressing:
6 TBSP rice vinegar
2 packages Maruchan Ramen Chicken Flavor Packets
2 tsps. dijon mustard
4 TBSP Regular Splenda
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix dressing ingredients together and set aside.
Mix Slaw ingredients in large bowl and then add dressing and toss.
Cover and refrigerate.
Right before serving, toss in the crushed Ramen noodles to give extra crunch.

Change in Plans & I am going to be a Cowgirl

There were lots of great things to do today happening around the area, but the bad weather made me step back and regroup. The two that I had plans to do included meeting up with Letterboxers I had never met at the Skidaway Island State Park, along with my golden retriever, Cobaka, to go on a find/plant mission, and to go to the first-Saturday-of-the-Month yard sale at our local and wonderful POJO's, located on Hwy 17 in Midway. But the day will be great anyway.

I think POJO's will have put there raindate into effect next Saturday. I will miss that because I will be a "cowgirl" next weekend at Tybee! More of that a little later!

Here is How I Spent My Lunch Hour Today

I had some business in Richmond Hill, GA today, so when I worked out my schedule, I planned it around lunchtime. And I am so glad I did. If you have not been to J.F. Gregory Park in Richmond Hill, you have really missed something! Gary and Judy Walker told me about it, and it is so beautiful. It is about a 3 mile walk if you conquer the whole trail, but you will never know it because there is something wonderful to see with every step you take. If you just want to walk and then sit and look at all of the visual treats, they have observation decks and plenty of benches. This was a great way to spend an hour. So, I hope to see you on the trail someday. For all of you "letterboxers" and you know who you are, the path is laden with "letterboxing treasures"!

Lisa Hom Included Me in a JAM

Wow! This week, I was so excited when I went to our mailbox and found a beautifully addressed envelope from a stamping friend, Lisa Hom. Lisa is a premiere, veteran rubber stamper, and if she includes you in something, you know it will be better than wonderful!

When I opened the envelope, I immediately recognized it as a JAM. Now, for those of you who are not rubber stampers and/or ATC (artist trading card) enthusiasts, this is what a JAM is and how it works:

It usually involves 3 people.
1st person makes 3 similar backgrounds for an ATC, and sends them to a 2nd person.
2nd person adds something (usually the focal image) and sends them to the 3rd person.
3rd person - is the "finisher" - she adds something, but also evaluates the card and puts the finishing touches on it. Then, it is her responsibility to keep one and return each of the other two cards to their owners. That's it! Easy and fun! I hope you will be "jammed" soon!

Thanks, Lisa!

52 Blessings Project - Week 13 - Friends

Can't think of anything much better than great friends! This week we had the pleasure of seeing some special friends that moved away last June to return to their other home in Dover, Tennessee. Bob and Marlys had been visiting another former home in Florida, and stopped by for an afternoon and evening of visiting. We had a small surprise dinner for them on Tuesday evening with other good friends from the island. We had an evening of great food (a full-spread barbecue with pecan pie and chocolate trifle for dessert!) and lots and lots of conversation. The only problem was that we only had them with us for a very short time. We will be looking forward to their next visit!

April & Scott, Jeri, Letterboxing, "Finds", "Hitchhikers", Bonuses, & More!

Okay, yes, I admit it, I am totally adicted to Letterboxing (and if by chance you have missed it, please read the blog AGAIN and go to two websited: http://www.letterboxing.org/ and http://www.atlasquest.com/. You will love this and meet wonderful people, too!

After we left the Savannah Morning News Garage Sale, I was so excited about taking Jeri on her first Letterboxing quest. We were close to Richmond Hill, GA, and I had printed out clues for 3 Letterboxing sites. These are all "planted" in J.F. Gregory Park, which is a wonderful place to enjoy even if you are not Letterboxing. Anyway, one of the rules of Letterboxing is to try to find and replace the box without "others" noticing. Well, unbeknown to us, the ASPCA was having a fund-raiser on the trail today, so there were lots of people and pooches. There were also residents enjoying the nature walk and visitors to the area, too. Well, Jeri and I thought we were being very discreet, but there was another young, adorable couple in the area where we were "hunting". We now know them to be April and Scott Still of Lawrenceberg, GA. As we learned later, one of them thought we were birdwatchers, but the other one just knew we were letterboxers. April approached us and asked if indeed we were letterboxing - of course, we said yes, and Jeri and I immediately had 2 new friends. They helped us and we helped them, ad we found 2 out of the 3 that were on the national register. But, it gets better! April asked if we could exchange stamp images, and of course we said yes. Then, when we opened one they had just completed, there was a "hitchhiker" inside the box (that is letterbox lingo, for a letterbox that does not have a home and travels from letterbox to letterbox.) We have it now, and it will be finding it's way to Tennessee in the near future. In addition, there was a "bonus" stamp in the letterbox. These are just placed in them as "little extras". So, we went on a quest, found 2/3 of our objects, found a "hitchhiker", got a "bonus" and met our first other letterboxers who were just adorable and sweet as they could be.

Now, the story goes on and gets better. As our day progressed, we found ourselves going to Midway, GA where I live. We also had on our list of "things-to-do-today" that we were going to draw as part of the International Sketchcrawl Day. The Midway (Historical) Cemetery is so beautiful and and tons of subjects for drawing. Well, there are also 2 letterboxes in the cemetery. As I told you before, Joe, Cobaka, and I have already found them, but I wanted Jeri to be able to add them to her "finds". As we again were trying to discreetly find and return them, there were many visitors to the site. We kept waiting on them to leave, but we found out later that they were waiting for us to leave - Why? They were letterboxing to, if you can believe that! Yep! They were on the same quest. I even forgot to capture their photo, because I was still not believing that all of these people were doing the same thing!

4th Annual Savannah Morning News Garage Sale

It has gotten to be kind of a joke - it seems like they "try" to find us each year looking our very "worst" so they can add our picture to their website. They present you with a card that says, "you've been spotted!" and then they do ask permission to take your picture. We are just silly enough to say, "yes!" We were there in the dark and having had NO coffee. But, we really are having a great time! If you dare, scan down on this blog and you will see our delightful photo from last year - oh goodness!

The Day Started at the Savannah Morning News Garage Sale

"I think I mentioned yesterday that today (Saturday, March 29th) was going to quite an event-filled day - and I did not exaggerate - I think this day in itself could be a blog! That much really happened. Read and see for yourself! The day began at 5:15 a.m. - (no, I am not kidding). Our first event of the day was the Spring Savannah Morning News Garage Sale off Chatham Parkway. It is growing bigger and bigger every year! We did find wonderful treasures! I found 3 tiny "things" to use in my artwork, a book of quotes (for 25 cents - got it specifically for my blog entries), and a new "old" Monopoly set with the metal pieces - the board will be turned into wall art and the playing pieces will become a bracelet, and the money will become ATCs, and a box of Dominoes for more jewelry. Jeri found treats, too, but you will have to check out her blogs to see her list (www.veryjeri.blogspot.com) She has 3 blogs - go to that one first.

Just Got Back from another Letterboxing Quest!

It is Friday evening and we just returned from another Letterboxing quest! Letterboxing is addicting and so much fun! Here are the two links to go to just in case you missed the post the other day: www.letterboxing.org and www.atlasquest.com
Please, check out these sites! Great family and friend stuff. We have now found all three letterbox sites in Liberty County, Georgia and the one letterbox site in McIntosh County, Georgia. Hope to find some in Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia tomorrow after the big yard sale at the Savannah Morning News! Should have lots to share tomorrow!

SMN - Savannah Morning News Garage Sale - This Saturday! March 29, 2008!

It's that time again! It happens twice a year! It is getting bigger and better every time we go! It is the Savannah Morning News Garage Sale!
Where: Savannah Morning News Parking Lots (right off I-16)
When: Early
Why: It is fun!

Jeri and I are usually the ones to get up really early, drive in the dark, not drink enough coffee, to go find treasures. But, Gloria DID go with us to the one in the fall and this time Jeri, Laura (Jeri's sister and fellow junker), Gloria, and & I are going! I think Laura is the only one with a specific item in mind. I am always looking forward wonderful art, stuff to make jewelry and charms from, things I will work into my Artist Trading Cards and Collage pieces, and anything that jumps at me and just has to go home with me. This year, if I find some great treasures, when I make something from them, I will try to remember to post to the blog - that would be fun!

Come join us!

As far as the picture below - hope it did not scare anyone. Jeri will kill me when she finds it on my blog. It was the first picture taken by the photographer at the Savannah Morning News - obviously, before SHE had coffee and her glasses on! I put it there to prove how much great stuff we found!

11th Annual International Sketchcrawl on Saturday, March 29, 2008

Beginning this Saturday (3/29/08) at 12:01 a.m. people (and maybe pets) young and old, professional and amateur, tall and short, whatever... will be picking up a pencil, pen, crayons, whatever, and grabbing an art pad, back of a receipt, a napkin, whatever and DRAWING! Yep! Just drawing. Drawing anything. You can do this alone or better yet, find a friend. Now, if you really want to get adventurous, draw en plein aire (a little French term meaning "out in the open") (sounds fancier doesn't it?) You will make new friends, because people love to watch other people draw or paint. You can draw for a couple of minutes or all day. Just draw and don't say you can't draw. Put a couple of marks on some paper and make something out of it. There are no mistakes; just fun. My friend, Jeri Gale, of www.veryjeri.blogspot.com and www.sockmonkeyart.blogspot.com, and www.veryjeri.etsy.com fame will be out there drawing somewhere! I will be posting our contributions to world of drawing when I get home. You can see them here at www.pamelamartin20fourseven.blogspot.com & www.pamelamartindesigns.com. We would also love to see your drawings, so please post and share!

52 Blessings - Letterboxing - Week 12

Oh my gosh, where have I been?! Fortunately, through one of my yahoo groups which led me to a wonderful blog called www.atomicknits.com I found out about letterboxing. I am going to give you the short of it, but believe me, there is so much to learn (but it is all user-friendly and EASY), and so many different ways to do this. Of course, I just jumped in, and called everyone I know to join me. To put it as simply as I can - throughout the world, and especially right here in the good old USA, there are people who put clues on a website that lead you to a public place and there you will find a box of some type that has a rubber stamp (handcarved or purchased), some kind of log book, and anything else the author wants to include. You are to take with you four basic things, your own rubber stamp, a stamp pad, some type of logbook, and a pen. When you find the box, you stamp the image of their stamp in your logbook with information you want to include, ie. date you went there, etc. Then, you stamp their book and put any other info you want in there. Of course, you want to do this with no one else seeing you do it, so the box will remain safe once you have put it back in its secret place. Now, just how wonderful is that!?!? I think that it is just amazing that this has been going on all around people, and they had no idea.

A friend of mine, Diane Kaufman from Tybee Island, went with me for the first find - which turned out to be in the historic Midway Cemetery. She was so excited, she called her sister in California and before we knew it, she was on the internet finding out where she could go to find one!

I told husband, Joe, about it, and he went with me last evening to find one, and then we were back on the road today to find another one in our area. Our golden retriever also enjoyed the trip. All of ours have been found in historic sites, so you get to learn a lot along the way. I encourage you to grab someone because you should never letterbox alone, and go letterbox. Check out www.letterbox.org and www.atlasquest.com for much more details and info. It is free to join and you get to be involved with a mysterious modern day quest! Maybe we will meet up on a path some day! Good luck!

A Lucky Day, Indeed!

Most folks that celebrate St. Patrick's Day in and around Savannah, Georgia probably have given or received a live shamrock plant around March 17th. They are readily available at the florists, nurseries, even the grocery store. I have the remnants of one that has taken its residence under the back stairway to our home. Even after you think the freezing weather probably killed it, it comes back every spring. So, we just let it live where it wants to live. Well, on Saturday, while doing some spring yardwork, I noticed (from a distance) a very green clump of "something" growing under one of the large pampas grass plants. When I walked over for a closer inspection (to my amazement), I realized we had one of the biggest and most beautiful shamrock plants growing voluntarily! It really is beautiful. Not sure the pictures do it justice, but it truly was a special Irish gift sent for St. Patrick's Day! Sure hope this means we will get an extra helping of Irish Luck!

I Think the Leprechauns Are Playing Tricks with My Blog!

Bear with me, one and all who are kind enough to visit my blog. I think the Irish Leprechauns are moving things around on my blog. We, who use Blogger (and love it!) are experiencing a problem with being able to place items exactly where we want them to be. So, just to let you know, March 9th is not missing - it is at the very bottom of the blog. I promised a post-a-day for 2008 and all of the posts are all here so far - just not exactly where I would like them to be. Hoping to solve the dilemma soon.

Recipe of the Week - Champ (Irish Mashed Potatoes)

You will LOVE this recipe whether you are Irish or not, and it is a great excuse for putting cream and butter into a recipe.

Champ

Ingredients
2 pounds of new potatoes
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cups of green onions (Spring onions)

Directions:
Slice potatoes into chunks and boil in salted water until done.
In another pan, bring to a simmer the whipping cream and butter. While simmering, toss in finely sliced onions.
Drain potatoes and pour cream mixture over them and mash.
Salt and pepper to taste.
You can serve immediately or leave covered on the stove.
Don't worry. There go really quickly and there are never any leftovers. (You might want to double that recipe if you are having a crowd.)

mArCh 17- 2008 - qUoTes-oF-tHe-dAy - mOnDaY

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day! At least, that is what we believe in our little corner of the world. We have quite the Irish history and traditions that surround us in this area of Georgia. Thought I would pass on some wonderful Irish toasts that have been handed down from family-to-family over the years. The authors are unknown, but their words live forever. Hope some of these become your favorites and traditions for you.

"May your fire burn as warm as the weather is cold."
May God bring good health to your enemies' enemies."

"There are many good reasons for drinking.
One has just entered my head.
If a man doesn't drink while he's living,
How can he drink when he's dead?"

"May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future."

"Here's to your coffin. May it be built of 100 year old oaks of which I will plant tomorrow."

"May the sons of your daughters smile in your face."

"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that gorw and may trouble avoid you wherever you go."

"May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten."

"May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door."

Slainte!

It's St. Patrick's Day in Savannah!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I know, I know. It is officially March 14th and St. Patty's Day is not until March 17th, but this year is a little different. The official St. Patrick's Day falls on the first day of Holy Week, and there should be no "celebrations" in the Cathedral, so the Diocese, declared that the festivities for the Patron Saint would take place on Friday, the 14th. Hope you are following all of this. Anyway, we wish you a very Happy St. Patrick's Day from this area of the world where we even dye our historic fountains green! Erin Go Brah!

52 Blessings Project - Dr. Kyle Christianson - Cobaka's Vet - Week 11

This week's addition to this project has to be Dr. Kyle Christianson - our golden retriever's vet! He is located in Richmond Hill, Georgia at Cedar Animal Hospital. If you meet him once, you will love him. We truly consider him part of our family. He has a love of animals and people that is so genuine and easy. His smile and laugh are contagious. We love our Cobaka so very much and would only trust her to his care - he is that special. He likes to have his picture taken just about as much as I do (which is never), but we twisted his arm to get this one with Miss Cobaka Mille Jo Martin. Thanks, Dr. Kyle!

Shuttle Launch - Endeavour

The Shuttle Endeavour is in a launch sequence as I write this blog entry. Go to http://www.nasa.gov/ and you can watch and listen to everything going on - it is a great site! So, this event is actually happening on March 10th and 11th. It will officially launch at 2:28 am EST. Yep, I have the alarm set so I will not miss it. We are so lucky to live where we live because we get to view all of the shuttle launches right at our home! Not only can we see it, but you can actually hear it with the wind coming out of the south. I will do my best to photo it - don't know how it will turn out tonight! Good Luck, Endeavour! This is your last mission.

PostCrossing Project

Nine days ago I posted a site on this blog called: www.postcrossing.com
It is a "snail mail" project where you send postcards to randomly selected individuals around the world. For those of you who enjoyed pen-pals a few decades ago, you will love this!
Well, just got an email saying that my first of five that I was allowed to send just arrived 7, 298 kms from my little island in Georgia to Ana Paulo in Rio de Janiero, Brazil! Wow! This really is fun. Now, since my first has arrived safely to its destination, I should start receiving some of my very own. I will keep you posted. But, hopefully, you will join in the fun. Check it out for yourself!

Very Jeri Opens a New Store!

I know you have been waiting for it and now it is here! And you do not have to leave your warm and comfy abode. You will find Jeri Gale's (of course, she is known as the "Princess of Paste") whimsical papier mache designs at www.veryjeri.etsy.com.
Be sure and visit soon. She just "opened her doors" on the site last night, and there you will find an array of her delightful, three-dimensional creations - large and small! She will also be accepting custom orders as usual. Tell her, Pam sent you.
Enjoy!

Old Man & the Sea

On this date in 1952, Ernest Hemingway completed one of my favorite novellas, Old Man and the Sea. It was his last novel before committing suicide in 1961, and he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for it. He had told his publisher, when he made the call that it was complete, that it was his best writing he had ever done. I have loved all of his works since they were first introduced to me by my Dad when I was in junior high school looking for something "new" to read.
You know how sometimes people ask the question, if you could sit down and have lunch and talk with anyone in the world, who would you choose? Well, he would definitely be at the top of my list.

52 Blessings Project - Snail Mail - Week 10

Snail Mail - you know, the mail you put in your mailbox with a stamp on it - or what you retrieve from the box when open the door? There are so many wonderful things about email - it get's there really quickly, you don't have to do a whole bunch of preparation to get your message out there, etc. But Snail Mail is still really special to me - probably more so than ever. Why? Well, if you are sending it, you tend to make or search for the really wonderful card or paper to write your message on. You tend to really think about what you are sending - you don't want to misspell, you want to use your best handwriting, you just really want it to be special and wonderful. Usually, when you send someone something special, they write back or they call and talk with you - that's pretty wonderful, too. I think that we love to get mail - I think it started in our childhood - I know my love for it did - My grandmother and my godparents would send me cards and I always loved that the little rectangular envelope had MY name on it - it was for ME! So, this week, go send some Snail Mail - I think you will enjoy doing so. I send Snail Mail all of the time, but this week I have started on a new journey of Snail Mail that will go all over the world. Hopefully, my mailbox will be rewarded with postcards from other places, too. You might want to check out the project - It is really pretty neat. It marries Snail Mail with the Internet - which is really wonderful I think. The web address is below. Check it out. I will keep you posted as to how the project paid off for me.
www.postcrossing.com

THE Penguin Sweater

I want you to know that before I tell this story, I do have a witness, and one that has observed this on a least one other occasion. The story is about THE Penguin Sweater. This Penguin Sweater has an incredible power that is attached to it, and I am not kidding. Every time that I wear it, all kinds of people find it necessary to come up to me, want to tell me how cute it is, where did I get it, how much they love penguins, that their daughters are teachers and that HAVE to get one, they put slips of paper in my hand with email addresses on them so that I can tell them where to get it, they want to talk, they want to rub the penguins or pull on the pompoms - it is very bizarre! A friend and I were in St. Helena's and Beaufort, South Carolina today, and the phenomenon happened again and again - to the point, that even when Jeri was in the other room, I was just hoping that she would not have to endure the conversation one more time. It really got to be unbelievable. She advised me that if I really did not want attention or I chose to be shy one day, not to wear THAT sweater. She even insisted on taking the photograph in the parking lot of the Greenbriar Spa in Savannah, so that I could attach it to this story.

I will let you know that my mother purchased this sweater as a Christmas gift to me this last year. Normally, I fuss about her spending money on me, and often return presents so that she will spend her money on herself. But, she was pretty set on me not doing that this year. She said she wanted me to have it and would not tell me where she got it. So, I guess that just adds to the drama and the charm. Now, whimsical sweaters are not unusual items for a teacher to have in her wardrobe, but this one "takes the cake." I have always loved black and white checkerboard detail (in fact, our kitchen floor is made of huge black and white square tiles and I use checkerboards in a lot of my art designs. Secondly, I have always LOVED penguins. I have such a huge collection of them that I had to ask people not to buy me anymore.

Because I live in the southeast United States, we usually do not have a long season that we can be in warm, wonderful sweaters, but this year I have gotten to wear this new addition to the wardrobe several times. I really do love it, and so do all the people that see it. It's power seems to make young and old alike smile with delight and find it impossible not to come up and talk to me about it. So, it also has the powers to make people communicate and smile. Maybe I should consider sending one to all of the world leaders - that might just be the answer! Thanks, Mom!

Junkin' Day - Take 2!

SCAD Had a Zine Fair

Jeri Gale and I had a great "artist day" visiting zine artists and shopping their wares at Savannah College of Art & Design Zine Fair. It took a while to find, but once we did, we met some of the most wonderful student artists - it was quite a privilege for both of us.

For those of you not familiar with "zines", let me try to define them for you. They are self-published, any size, any subject, any length, hand-drawn or printed, black & white or colored, one-of-a-kind or one-of-many, funny, sad, bad, weird, fun. Do you understand or does that further cloud the issue? It is a simple form of a magazine. You probably made them when you were a kid, and until now, they have never been officially named. You can find elaborately published ones in bookstores, but you can also find them at local zine fairs like this one. The students charged pennies for these, (25 cents - $4 (that was the most expensive one I saw.) or they traded with one another. Now, as always, I wish I had purchased more.

The ones I purchased were from three different artists:
Robin - "20 Questions"
Dani - "hi mom."
David Allen Duncan - "one cloud gets lonely."

Zines are everywhere - one source you can check out is Goggle - for ArtZine alerts - or better yet, just make your own!

You are only limited by your imagination. Let yourself go with these and just have fun!

52 Blessings Project - Lost - Week 8

Okay, I am only about 3 years behind, but this is one of the absolute BEST television shows ever produced. I know this sounds like a strange "blessing" to list, but it is one of those shows that takes you away and completely makes you unaware (for an hour) of other "stuff" going on in your life and in the world. To get caught up, I found that I could go to the ABC Television website and be able to download ever segment in order to catch up. Check it out if you haven't already - I do not think you will be sorry!

Great Day for Kayakking and the Running of the 50th Daytona 500!

February 17th looks like a grand day for a long kayak ride before returning to watch the 50th running the most famous automobile race in the world - the Daytona 500. The weather here is south Georgia is unbelievably wonderful, so I will be taking the digital camera to capture anything along the way I think you would enjoy. It is a perfect tide - tide going out in the morning, and returning in the middle afternoon - that means no need to watch the clock to plan a return row. Water temperaure is cold, but the air temperature is going to be around 72-74 degrees. Perfect! I hope to snap lots of photos to share.

Valentine Tidbits!

It Valentine's Day! - and one of my favorite days of the year! I love all of the mushy gushy sentiments that surface on this day! I hope all of you receive many. My Golden Retriever, Cobaka, got all dressed up for a photo shoot so that she could send everyone a very special Valentine. Hope you enjoy her pictures. There are so many wonderful websites that have so much trivia about Valentine's Day, and I gathered a few to share:

Written Valentines appeared in 1400.
85% of Valentines are purchased by women.
Most Valentines are bought 6 days before February 14th.
There are currently 904 dating services available in the U.S.
Americans average eating 25.7 pounds of candy a year.

Galileo Faced the Inquisition on This Date in 1633

There is an absolutely wonderful website you should add to your favorites if you love history. It belongs to the History Channel and the web address is: www.History.com. It has a daily newsletter that you can opt to belong to, and each day you are sent snippets of history happenings throughout the ages. I love it. Today, one of the events that was mentioned was that one of my favorite scientists of all times, Galileo, was brought before the Inquisition for his belief that the Earth revolved around the sun in 1633. He actually died at the hands of the Inquisitors late that year for being found guilty of being a heretic. What I found even more interesting, it took until 1992 (359 years later!), for the Vatican to formally acknowledge their "mistake" in condemning him!

2 Days and Counting!

Out on the Water, Again!

Couldn't stand it! Just had to get that kayak back out on the water again. On may way out of the Gress River, met up with a flock of seagulls who usually park themselves on a mudbar in front of Jim and Marie Tucker's home. I headed out from there to go from Liberty County into Bryan County to row near Waterford Landing. To do that you can row through a passage we call, Dynamite Cut. It was at that point I knew it was going to be a rough and windy ride - winds finally reached around 20-25 knots at some places in the river, before I gave up the good fight. I was colder and wetter than I really wanted to be. (I really am pushing the season - it is only February after all.) Fortunately, I had Team Kayak (more affectionately known as Joe and Cobaka in the Party Barge) to let me catch a ride back with them, or else, I would not have gotten back until tomorrow. Joe built me a kayak rack on the back of the boat so that when I and other kayakkers go out and want to row for long distances and not have to do a return ride, we can call him for a ride home. Pretty nifty, huh?

Patrick's Pelican

Sadness in Savannah

There is such sadness over Savannah, Georgia today. About 7:30 pm last night, a most horrible incident occurred in an area near Savannah which is called Port Wentworth. There was a horrific explosion and fire that has injured dozens, and now we know of at least 6 deaths. A sugar refinery is located there, right on the water of the Savannah River, known now as Imperial Sugar - but to all of us around here, it is known as Dixie Crystal or the Sugar Refinery. I doubt there is anyone in this area that doesn't know someone who works or has worked there. When you shop for sugar at your local grocery store, I bet you have seen the label, "Dixie Crystal Sugar". The authorities believe that the fine sugar dust may have been ignited by a spark, which, in turn, caused the explosion. Besides the deaths and injuries, the plant is shut down and has received extensive damage - this is affecting many. We will need to keep all involved: from the employees to the rescue workers, the families to the friends - in our thoughts and prayers.

pAmELa mArTin 20 fOuR 7

mArCh 8, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sAtUrDaY

mArCh 7, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRiDaY

mArCh 6, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHuRsDaY

mArCh 5, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - wEdnEsdAy

mArCh 4, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tUesDaY

mArCh 3, 2005 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - mOnDaY

mArcH 2, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sUndAy

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Cat in the Hat

mArCh 1, 2008 - qUotE-oF-tHe-dAy - sAtuRdAy

fEbrUaRy 29, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRidAy

fEbrUarY 28, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHursDaY

fEbrUarY 27, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - wEdnEsdAy

fEbrUarY 26, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tUesDaY

fEbrUarY 25, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - mOnDaY

fEbrUarY 24, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sUndAy

fEbrUarY 23, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sAtuRdAy

A Junkin' Kind of Day

fEbrUaRy 22, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRidAy

Robin & Dani - 2 SCAD Zine Fair Artists

3 Zines I Bought at the SCAD Zine Fair

Storm System Going to the Ocean

Stormy Weather

fEbrUarY 21, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHurSdAy

fEbrUarY 20, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - wEdnEsdAy

Ansel Adams

More Neat Stuff that Happened on this Date in History

Recipe-of-the-Week - Horseradish Sauce - Week 8

fEbrUarY 19, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tUesDaY

fEbRuaRy 18, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - mOnDaY

fEbrUarY 17, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sUnDay

fEbRuaRy 16, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sAtuRdAy

fEbrUaRy 15, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRidAy

fEbrUaRy 14, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHurSdAy

fEbrUaRy 13, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - wEdnEsdAy

fEbrUaRy 12, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAY - tUesDay

Happy Birthday, Abe!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln - It is February 12th - your REAL birthday!

fEbrUaRy 11, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - mOnDay

Okay, I am posting this a little early, but...

Joe's Kickin' Shrimp & Cheese Dip - Recipe of the Week - Week 7

fEbrUaRy 10, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sUndAy

Blue Boat

Crab Float in the Marsh - What a Treasure!

fEbrUaRy 9, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sAtuRdAy

fEbrUaRy 8, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRidAy

fEbRuAry 7, 2008 - aUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHurSdAy

fEbrUaRy 6, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - wEdnEsdAy

King Cake - Happy Mardi Gras!

It's Mardi Gras! - Time to Make a King Cake!

fEbrUaRy 4, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - mOndAy

fEbRuaRy 3, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sUndAy

3 Recipes of the Week!

feBrUaRy 2, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sAtuRdAy

Groundhog Day! - February 2nd

feBrUaRy 1, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRidAy

Great stuff for ATC (Artist Trading Card) and Collage Artists

jAnuArY 31, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRidAy

Polka Dots & Palm Trees

Earthquake Stars

jAnuArY 30, 2008 - qUoTe -oF-tHe-dAy - wEdnEsdAy

Star Garland

Star Garland

jAnuArY 29, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tUeSdAy

"Star" Fish

"Star"fish Plate

jAnuArY 28, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy- mOndAy

Thanking My Lucky Stars!

"Star" Mold

52 Blessings - #4 - Week 5 - Stars

"Star"Fish in the Window

Star Struck!

jAnuArY 28, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sUndAy

jAnuArY 26, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - sAtuRdAy

How Does An Artist Make Valentines?

Valentine Production

jAnuArY 25,2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - fRidAy

jAnuArY 24, 2008 - qUoTe-oF-tHe-dAy - tHurSdAy