Now, where was I? Oh, yes, the next sister, and her flamingo suitcase, Bobbie.
You might notice that Bobbie likes Flamingos.
She likes them A LOT.
This is just a few from her vast collection. And she shared with us too, I also own a flamingo coozie. And that solar powered dancing bird?? Mine! She even found a bottle brush Christmas flamingo for me. I've had to arm wrestle Dewdrop for it, she wants it for her own Xmas tree.
This pretty cup was a gift from her too. It is black when empty, then turns colorful when filled with hot coffee.
Bobbie is a genealogist and loves lots of photos to document events. She has a great camera and makes sure she gets a ton of photos. So, in the cartoon, her camera is around her neck.
And the hat? Inspired by this lampshade.
The creepy clown was someone we encountered while shopping.
(The colorful costume I am wearing? That is a mermaid tale that Bobbie gave to me, I was showing off my walking skills in it. The hat is a mermaid bag that I repurposed.)
And the ice cream? Well lets just say that there might have been some frozen deliciousness consumed on the trip…
When I make a travel book, I like to draw cartoons of funny or memorable things that happened on the trip. This one was inspired by Bobbie telling me that I looked good in my "Suitcase"… she meant Swimsuit…
It is probably one of those, 'you had to be there' stories, like the rest of the cartoon, but I'll explain the picture anyway.
The mermaid holding up Tarot cards is from going to this angel card reader in Treasure Island.
We've been to her before and she is really something.
Hmm, you might be wondering about the guy behind me? I'm in the purple suitcase holding the arm.
Yes, an arm.
A saleslady made the mistake of taking the arms off of a mannequin to remove her dress, as I was sitting on a bench outside the shop.
Of course, I had to pick it up and wave hello with the arm!!!
And of course, my eyes are closed in the photo Bobbie took.
But back to the odd guy with the blood dripping off of a screwdriver…
The reason we go to Sarasota is because our Grandma used to live in Bee Ridge Trailer Park and we went to that area on vacations in our youth. Every time we return, we try to find Grandma's trailer and the park has changed so much, that we never felt like we could pin it down. This time, I was sure I'd found the right one, but that the cool, silver trailer had been painted white. The newest owner (grandma hadn't lived there since the 70s) saw us eyeing the place and came out to find out why.
I asked if I could go inside to see if it looked familiar. He said ok, but needed to get his screwdriver?
Didn't faze me at all, I traipsed in and started to explore.
Apparently, the screwdriver was to open a stuck door, not to kill me. But my sister had 911 ready to dial.
AND IT WAS GRANDMA SMITH'S TRAILER!!!!!!!! 50 years older, repainted a few times, a bit run down, but yep, I recognized it. And we were rewarded for finding it with a beautiful rainbow.
The crying flamingo?
There were two of them in the courtyard of our condo and I decided to bring one along with us on a day trip. When I got her out of the back of the car, there was a puddle under her head, it looked like she was crying.
Maybe because she missed her sister? Or because she thought she'd been kidnapped and was scared?
At least no one threatened her with a screwdriver.
Rosey and Pinky, also came out to play together sometimes. Seriously, she had nothing to cry about.
The little, fairy is my sea shell sprite with a crab shell pinafore.
I'll explain some of the other inside jokes in my next post.
There is a 50% off sale in the Boutique!!! To access the bargain prices, type in
LABORDAYSALE
at the checkout, and hit "recalculate" and watch the amount drop in half.
I'll be out of town and away from my computer and out of touch for a few days, so shipping will be next week. Please remember that the postage prices will be adjusted when I get the actual total from the USPS as I box the goodies up to send to you and I will refund excesses.
www.karlascottage.com
At the Darkening of the Sun festival my kids performed at, I was asked to help with the face painting.
The theme was tribal that night, and they didn't want to appropriate native designs, so we went with an Avatar/tribal look, with lots of blue.
I probably painted a dozen or so faces, and am afraid it was done so fast, I barely got photos. I thought I'd get them after the show, but the light was bad and people were busy.
(that is our Hippy Chic in the background, doing hair for the show, she is a master braider)
Here is one of our practice looks before the show and I had more time to do it, plus had white. I didn't have any white with me for the performance, which I think made the designs not as vibrant from the crowd.
But the troupe has asked me to do butterfly faces in the future for an act Sugarwings has in mind, where the aerialists start out as eggs, and morph from caterpillars to cocoons to butterflies.
I'm excited about that, I love butterflies. And it is nice that they are asking me to help again. I loved doing it, even with the rush with less than perfect results, they were ok with what I did.
I was afraid I'd let them down.
We used eye shadow for the shading and eye liner for the designs. I think I'll have to throw in some white paint too for more distinction.
The makeup help up well, so much so that with no hot water, a lot of the performers woke up in their tents the next morning with the look intact.
I was curious about how that effected the sun screen situation…. When they went up on the hilltop in the bright sun to watch the eclipse, did they end up with a sunburn in a tribal pattern?
I've got plenty of shots of Sugarwings in her makeup, since she hangs around on our laps as much as she can.
And Sylvan's face was done first, so the light was good and the line of performers hadn't gathered yet for me to work on them, so I took some of her.
Avahni was the only other picture that I took.
I gave Sugarwings my leftover paints and she has been face painting everyone who will sit still for her. Maybe she and I will go into business together.
There is a 50% off sale in the Boutique!!! To access the bargain prices, type in
LABORDAYSALE
at the checkout, and hit "recalculate" and watch the amount drop in half.
I'll be out of town and away from my computer and out of touch for a few days, so shipping will be next week. Please remember that the postage prices will be adjusted when I get the actual total from the USPS as I box the goodies up to send to you and I will refund excesses.
www.karlascottage.com
Our kids were performing in Missouri, inside the path of the full eclipse.
We love watching their performances, and hanging out with the grand fairies, so we packed up our little camper (I call it the world's biggest rolling suitcase, instead of the world's smallest camper) and headed toward the Darkening of the Sun.
Most of the family goes early to set up the village and rigs. So we had little ones all week, for back to school and Sugarwings' birthday too.
Which was pretty nice for us.
There is a ton of work to be done, this group doesn't just show up, do some tricks and leave, they set up an entire world of their own inside the music festival. They've got two 23' high rigs, that get covered in parachutes for shade, and multi colored lights for rainbow fun. There is a geodesic dome for sound therapy, and another big tent for workshops and then there is a vending area too.
It is all done artistically, and comes out quite beautiful when they are done.
As I walked through the venue, I realized that these guys had transformed the entire event into something really spectacular.
I'd been to festivals they throw themselves, so had seen their set up before, but had not really seen just how much they do at other people's events. (this photo is just part of the set up)
Of course, they also bring some great entertainment to fill those tents!
The show just gets bigger and more exciting every time I see it.
They have the two rigs with aerialists in each, fire dancers, hula hoopers, a guy on stilts, and dancers floating about, as well as my son spinning his songs.
Plus, there are workshops all weekend for attendees of the festival, who get to show off what they learned on the last night. It is adorable to see they little ones up there feeling proud of their accomplishments and being part of the circus.
All of the parents and grand parents out in the audience, enjoy that showcase as much as I do, I'm sure.
Well, it is all great to watch!
Next to the Sacred Circus was the main stage, and my husband spent a lot of time there. His favorite performer was the headliner, so he was pretty happy. Even happier when he had a fairy to perch on his shoulders to watch with him.
Of course, times without a kiddo climbing on him over the weekend were few and far between.
I'll leave you with some more photos from the parties. This is my son with his crystal singing bowls. (I'd love to sneak one away and fill it with water, fish, and a fountain for my back yard, these bowls are beautiful up close)
Summer has snuck out on me somehow and I feel like I've missed most of it. It simply went by too fast.
Don't ask me what happened to my days. Besides what I've already posted about, trips, painting, raising pups, I made a few things here and there.
Like this collage with hand painted flowers, modeling paste, and very old papers.
Many Thursdays were spent at craft day with friends.
After a long time of not getting to see him, my little buddy, Fin was around again for a couple of visits, and we went to the KC and Topeka zoos, and got to hang a bit.
I didn't get to spend nearly the amount of time I wanted to on getting ready for A Snowbird's Song. Some things got done, but I still have a set of kits to make.
I spent quite a bit of time in the garden and tending to flowers.
This silly doodle might have kept me hopping too.
As a matter of fact, I have a feeling that raising puppies and then keeping this girl is why I feel like summer slipped away. Those babies ate up a lot of my time.
As well as a rocking chair, some shoes, the cords to the strings of lights on the gazebo, multiple flower beds, and much, much more.
Now, the kids are back in school, and summer is winding down.
But I am not ready to call it over. Pumpkin lattes are being advertised, autumn decor is popping up everywhere, but seriously, it is still August, it is not fall yet. I'm not giving up on my favorite season, just because the kids are in classes again. There is still some fun to be had!
Our town was not completely in the path of the totality, but was close. I'd have been happy with that, but my family's Sacred Circus troop was playing at a festival that was dead center of the darkness. So we packed up the camper and headed out to enjoy the shows on the arial rigs and in the afternoon sky.
This event was built around the eclipse, and there were huge parties on Monday in honor of it. Drum circles, dancing, Native American ceremonies. I'd fully planned on attending the Cherokee one, but after three days of heat, the idea of walking a 1/4 mile up to a bare hilltop in the mid day sun wasn't ideal. Our air conditioner didn't work in the camper, and neither did the outlets, so we had no fan.
The nights cooled off, and there was a breeze, but I was still worn out from getting very few breaks from the Missouri summer. (Although it could have been worse, I'd expected bugs and there wasn't any problem with them at all! Thank goodness for that break, yay!)
While thousands of happy hippies headed up the hill to go dance in the sun as it disappeared behind the moon, I joined some of my family who decided to take advantage of this Roots in Bliss Village that my boy had erected for the aerialists. The place was pretty much deserted while everyone climbed up the road to the hilltop, so we sat under the shady tents and waited for the eclipse, enjoying our private time. There was howling at the moon, some dancing, lots of relaxing.
There was even a fan. And chairs. And shade.
There were a few others about, but the field was large, and our group still had an intimate feel to it.
I was thankful that these guys also decided to stay behind and not go with the crowds, they serenaded the moon as it covered the sun and I felt like I was being serenaded myself.
After the lively days we'd spent at the overflowing festival, watching the sun from this spot with a handful of people felt even more special.
I'd been more worried about everyone's eyesight than I was about looking forward to seeing the solar event myself, and wasn't expecting to be so moved by seeing first little bite of sun go away.
When the air started to change and the light eerily began to have that glow, I was hooked.
Of course, I was still worried about eyesight. And kept watching the girls as much as the sun, making sure everyone was following proper glasses etiquette. And since bright lights lead to migraines for me, I peeked up in small doses.
But there is much more to watching one of these than just looking up. Looking around, feeling the shifts, and thinking about the magic of nature was more important to me than watching the entire sun get swallowed up.
I'm glad to know there will be another one to watch in my own lifetime.
We celebrated on Thursday, kind of low key, but nice. We went to a favorite restaurant for happy hour, then came home and watched Ozark on Netflix. Hey, when you get hooked on a series and only want to binge watch, that is a pretty exciting evening!!
We debated getting food to go and eating in front of the TV, so I'm proud of us for having a nice dinner with a glass of wine before we sped home to see what was happening next on our newest obsession. Plus, I had already put on makeup, so DANG IT, we were going out!
Part of being married for so long is knowing that you don't have to spend a lot of money on an occasion to make it special. Being together and doing something we both enjoy, was quite a nice way to celebrate the anniversary.
My husband's mom turned 85 in July and we all gathered at a lake house in Wyoming, generously loaned to us by brothers of a family member. The home had beautiful views from every angle, some looked over the lake, others to the mountains. This is the sunrise I saw from my bedroom window!
The lake house was spacious, with two kitchens and a gazillion beds. Still, we were worried about our hermit-ish son, Ryan and hauled the camper across country so he would have a private space to hangout in and get away if crowds made him nervous. We called it the world's biggest rolling suitcase, and filled it with belongings from all eleven of us who were coming from Kansas.
My husband was firm in making Ryan come on the trip, even though he doesn't like to travel or be in crowds. Ryan has a sensory processing disorder that makes him shy away from noise and gatherings. Two years ago, we cajoled him into flying to Florida with us too, and while there were moments that he wasn't thrilled with it, he had a good time, and ended up being my rock when there were some issues I was having trouble with and could always be counted on for a smile or a joke.
And once again, my husband was right to insist that Ryan join us, because that guy spent the whole week grinning and having fun. (We were at the lake house 3 nights, then off to Colorado to spend a few days with just our branch of the family)
How could anyone do anything but have a ton of fun when surrounded by these people??? I am blessed to not only be married to Rich, but also to be a part of his loving, and fun loving family.
I consider his siblings, my sibs too.
(Terry is a big time, Birdsong helper and is donating this hand woven shawl as a door prize at Snowbird's Song in November)
Joan's 85th birthday was an excellent excuse to come together from every part of the country. We spent time sitting on the rooftop deck, watching clouds and rainbows…
exploring the hills behind the house….
(see the tiny people up on the ridgeline?)
going through and laughing over stacks of photo albums…
hula hooping…
competing in a day long, ping pong challenge…
(which ended up being so much fun that we didn't even go down to the lake that day, the first two days, most of the group were out on jet skis and boats)
learning some circus tricks…
(my kids brought their rig for a grand performance, and gave lessons to anyone who wanted to learn)
lots of circus fun…
being serenaded by a professional actress and songstress…
(Aunt Carol gave a lovely performance of Joan's favorite songs as well as baking the best carrot cake ever)
collecting pretty rocks….
hanging out in a Wyoming style playhouse…
crafting with cousins…
being goofy…
relaxing…
super relaxing…
getting hugs…
lots of hugs…
more hugs…
did I mention hugs?…
yes, there was hugging…
laughing…
loving…
coloring…
(The house was newly renovated, we were the first to stay in it. Many of the frames on the wall were straight from the store, not filled in yet, so one sister added her coloring page to a frame. I'd brought a tub full of craft supplies and others brought colored pens, we had a craft table covered in art work of various stages, it was left up to drop in and work on when the whim struck)
and cooking, cooking, cooking….
(each branch of the family had a meal to be in charge of, but we all pitched in to help each other)
Everything that an ideal family reunion should be.
Did I mention that I was blessed to be a part of this group?
This spring, my husband started a new hobby. He is now a beekeeper. It made me a bit nervous due to the investment to set it up and our total lack of knowledge and skills. I might have been less than enthusiastic, as a matter of fact… But soon, he'd read up on it, asked other beekeepers for hints and seemed to know everything he needed to know.
I should not have doubted him, because he sure came through with a ton of honey (which we didn't expect for the first year, but these busy bees worked overtime, and with this wetter than average summer we have had a lot of beautiful blooms to feed the bees and create a bounty of sweetness!). And he loved every minute of it. He keeps a chair out by the hive so he can sit and watch them come and go, and visits them throughout the day. It has become a very entertaining thing for him.
The lure of watching the bugs fly around eludes me, but there is something mesmerizing about it for him, so I am happy that he is happy. And very glad that he loves it so much, that he does all of the work. I can safely say, "Not my hobby" and step away while he happily scrapes stuff off, or blows smoke at the insects to make them drowsy, or any of the other beyond my understanding tasks that have to be done.
Also, I was lucky that the family came together to help with the harvest, and everyone had jobs that they did enthusiastically, even with zeal. It is a huge and sticky undertaking, if my husband and I had to do it alone, it could have been rough. Instead, it was a blast with this group helping.
The grandfairies offered to make labels for all of the jars, as well as stirring the pots as needed and helping drain honey from the wax. Later on, we will make beauty products with the wax. (any tips are appreciated!)
Looking at the growing level of honey in the bottom of the pot was endlessly fascinating.
All of us had our moments of honey gazing at some point or another.
While there were a lot of steps involved, the whole process was surprisingly easy to do. I was dreading getting started, but once we were rolling, all went well. My kitchen might never be back to its nonsticky self again, but some tacky spots here and there were well worth it. We ended up with the equivalent of about 4 dozen bear bottles. Plus, there is still a giant chunk of wax sitting in a cheesecloth draining, I think we will get at least a couple more bottles out of that.
Along the way, I figured out some tips to make things easier next summer when we (hopefully) have a larger batch from this hive and some honey also from a second hive we will be starting. One thing I didn't expect, was that the wax was almost impossible to get off of the pans I'd used for setting down knives in, holding piles of wax, draining the wax, and stacking the frames in.
Oh my!
I tried washing it off, then worried about the sink drain, or if it made it past that, the septic tank.
So, the big girls took them outside to spray off with a power washer.
That helped, but there were still bits of wax that needed scraped off before the pans and bowls could go into the dishwasher. Next time? I'll use disposable aluminum foil pans. Hopefully I can wipe them down and reuse them for future honey harvests and not worry about a little wax here and there.
As everyone was busy as a bee draining, spinning, and bottling the golden goodness, I baked fresh bread to eat it on. Next time, I'll think of that ahead of time, so I'm not trying to bake while the extraction is going on. Because we decided that having a fresh loaf of bread hot out of the oven is a very important part of gathering honey! Next time, I'll be letting the dough rise while my husband is brushing the bees off the frames and bringing them in to scrape and extract.
He learned that heavy, leather gloves are important, because this is as angry as his bees have ever been, and he was stung through his regular gloves.
The table should probably be covered in a disposable table cloth too. I have washed and washed it, with soap and vinegar, but am still finding sticky spots.
The doorknobs aren't any better….even though I was smart enough to have a sink full of soapy water in the kitchen for hand washing throughout the day so people wouldn't have to touch the faucet or go into the bathroom and touch that doorknob.
Another thing we will do next time is have a wet towel on the floor for foot wiping. That might help with the sticky footprints. I'd laid out cardboard to catch drips, which helped, but still got walked through and spread throughout the house.
But hey, like I said, a little sticky ickiness is worth it! Look at this waterfall of honey!!!!
