And yet another stunning piece

There are no words.  This is simply stunning.

Quilling finds

I am constantly coming across amazing quilled pieces or maybe I am unconsciously seeking them out.  Either way I have found some gorgeous colorful works by some amazing artists.  Now, I would like to be able to tell you more about this artist but if you check her blog she is from the Ukraine and unfortunately it isn't in English, but then her quilled pieces speak for themselves.

Projects delay

I have been trying to work on a really big quilling project lately, without much success.  Just when I seem to get caught up around here there is another round of hospital visits that appears on the horizon.  Of course they are THE most important parts of my schedule and always will be.  I did do some orchids for my mother-in-law since she used to breed and grow them, but they were smaller pieces. 
The other project is going to take a very long time and it also has to travel to the UK.  So I have been experimenting with different preservation techniques to try and make sure it arrives intact. 
Why do I always have this go big or go home attitude?  LOL

Scottish Marriage Humor

Funny for the day. 

Recipe for a Healthy Life
Dugald was getting on in years and went in for his annual physical exam. The doctor said, "You're in incredible shape. How old are you again?" Dugald replied, "I'm 78." The doctor exclaimed, "Wow, 78. How do you stay so healthy? You look like a 60 year old." Dugald explained, "Well, my wife and I made a pact when we got married that whenever she got mad she would go into the kitchen and cool off and I would go outside to calm down." The doctor was puzzled by this explanation and asked "What does that have to do with being so fit and healthy?" Duncan sighed, "I've pretty much lived an outdoor life..."

Amazing Quilling Works

I love to wander around the web looking at the various sites and blogs of folks who are amazing at quilling.  I love paper and I think it stems from the very first job I had as a bookbinder with a top UK printing company.  Wages were spent on books sold at the little shop we had especially for employees.  Books that were rejected for one reason or another and which we were able to buy at drastically reduced costs.  I had known about quilling many, many years ago and had always thought I need to tackle this craft one day and never seemed to get there.  Now I am older and the body has slowed down, my interest has been resurrected.  I have found some amazing pieces during my search and it continues to grow.  There are some sites to the right that are some of my favorites and that list will increase I am sure as time goes on.

Humor for the day

So now I know what I've been doing wrong LOL

Healthy Living
At long last Donald responded to all the government propaganda about losing weight and exercising. So he joined a health club, believing that the annual fee of £400 would be well worth it. Six months later he was talking to one of his drinking buddies (he had cut down on that to just four times a week) and commented that he hadn't lost a pound. His friend, who knew the background, shook his head and observed: "But Donald, you actually have to go there - paying £400 only lightens your wallet."

Stormy day

Today we were hit with yet another storm.  I wonder about weathermen sometimes and their predictions.  Last year we had a really bad drought and over 100 degree temps for long periods of time and they said that this would probably last until about April of this year.  Um, it hasn't worked out this way.  This is the second time I though I was living on a houseboat lol.  But when I looked out into my backyard today, it gave a whole new meaning to duck weather when I saw these in the bird feeder lol.

Happy St. Patricks Day

This is a good one to keep in mind to tell the judge, especially today :)

"Alcohol is your trouble," said the judge to the drunk. "Alcohol alone is responsible for your present predicament." The drunk looked pleased as he said "Thank you, judge. Everyone else says it's my fault!"

Quilling

When I started quilling, not to be confused with quilting, I showed my attempts to my mother-in-law and she loved it so much that she asked me to make her a piece to hang on the wall outside her retirement apartment.  She loved it and now I think I have standing orders to make pieces for all the holidays :)

Past works

Although I don't make jewelry very much anymore I still make myself some pieces since I am on a budget.  When friends see them sometimes they ask me to make one for them or a friend.  These two were made for a dear friend in the blue and silver colors to match her motorcycle and the other for her friend who is known as the Queen Bee :)

Keeping the hands busy

I used to have a little shop on Etsy where I handmade and sold jewelry.  It was a lot of fun but I wasn't able to devote the time that I really wanted in the upkeep.  Then because of my husbands cancer diagnosis last year all jewelry making was put on hold.  All monies had to go towards his care and buying the best of supplies can be very expensive.
Lately I have gotten into quilling or paper filigree which is something I can take with me to the hospital and do while waiting for hubby to have his treatments.
It has fast become an addiction and mainly because it is easy and works up really fast so you can see the finished product quickly.
There are amazing artists in this field out there and I will be posting some links to my favorites. 

Today's Scottish humor

I've just washed my kilt and can't do a fling with it :)

The Blog Picture

The picture at the top of my blog is of two Scottish icons.  The most photographed castle in Scotland which is Eilean Donan Castle with 800 years of history and featured in numerous documentaries and films.  I know you've heard of Highlander.  More and more visitors flock to see her every year and the number of weddings held there are also increasing.  Visit their Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/#!/Eileandonancastle1  and Blog http://eileandonan.wordpress.com/ for amazing pictures, history and hear what fans and visitors have to say.  Tell the castle keeper Dave I sent you.
The other icon is the PS Waverley the last seagoing passenger carrying paddle steamer in the world, who also has numerous claims to fame, including an appearance in the 2011 Sherlock Holmes movie A Game of Shadows.  She also has quite a history.
Scots try their best to preserve or rebuild our history as the 20 year reconstruction of Eilean Donan Castle from 1912 to 1932, after being all but destroyed in 1719, will attest.

Men who procrastinate..........listen up.

I chose this as my first serious subject because it's close to home.  I want all men and their supportive spouses to pay attention to this health issue, because it can be a silent killer.
Until about a year ago when life was plodding along with it's usual mundane normalcy and then it suddenly slaps you in the face to wake you up and let you know that there are bumps in the road and this one is Mount Everest. 
Your husband is having back pain and after constant nagging he finally drags himself to the doctor.  Why is this task so abhorrent to men?  He has x-rays and is told basically you're getting old.  That arthritis is setting in and the old discs are starting to wear out.  A few months down the road the pain has intensified and is constantly there and a new problem of paralysis is setting in down one leg.  Again the procrastination about going back to the doctor.  Not this time buddy, you're going!!  So it's MRI time. 
What the MRI shows devastates you and your world collapses around you.  The dreaded "C" word is staring you in the face and stuns you into silence.  When the shock wears off then comes the tears then the anger and finally the fight in you comes to the surface.
Any man, no matter their age or family history should demand a PSA test, even though this test is not definitive, it is at least a starting point.  Prostate cancer can be (and I won't mince words) a killer.  It can spread to other parts of your body without discrimination and at great speed.
We are thankful for the doctors, nurses and administration at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Hospital for all that they are doing for my husband during his fight against Stage IV Bone Metastatic Cancer.  I am also grateful to Bob at the Prostate Cancer Foundation for his insight, information and also his humor.  Thank you Bob. 
Spouses play a very important part in the treatment process.  Research, ask questions, treat the whole body while the doctors do their part.  I have found a mountain of information by doing research.  Even bringing information to doctors that they didn't know about, to the point of being annoying I'm sure.  But I will do what I have to do to fight right along side him.

Off we go...........................

I never seemed to find the time to Blog.  Between working, making jewelry, cooking, cleaning etc and besides who would possibly read what I have to write about. 
Here you will find ramblings about everything.  Things I love, things I dislike, things that make me laugh or cry.  People and things that inspire. 
You will find Scottish humor.  We always seem to be able to laugh at ourselves.