My book manuscript is back

for final edits. I need to make sure every instruction is clear, the descriptions flow, the introductions entice - my purpose is to unleash creativity in my reader, not to push my own onto her. Beaded Colorways is all about color and freeform beadweaving and I want to encourage the reader to follow her own path.

I love the way my editor, Julie Hollyday, designer, Geoff Raker and I are working as a team. Right now the book is in black and white, and in a rigid template - I am so excited to see how Geoff (and his team) pulls all of the elements: bead soups, color wheels, inspirational photos together into each page and brings the book to life!

Close up of my water glass - another hand blown piece my Aunt Carolyn gave me!

I'm off to edit, pull together final photos and diagrams - I will be hibernating for awhile, so please excuse me if we don't see much of each other.

How do I love you?

Let me count the ways...

Creative
Generous
Brilliant
Resourceful
Builder, creator
Adventurer
Reader
Engineer
Architect
Writer
Musician
Cook
Handsome
Wonderful Dad
Story teller
High integrity

Hard working
Camper, hiker
Impossible is nothing

It's been 14 years - and yes, my dear

I (still) do

It's summer time

and Kendalee has invited us to a Midsummer Picnic! Knowing her, I imagine there will be water, perhaps the ocean, or a stream or a fountain...

The veggies are fresh so I made some gazpacho (recipe at the bottom of the page)

and picked a posy of herbs for our beautiful hostess.

I am wearing my new skirt with a long scarf around my waist - as the day turns to evening I will put it around my shoulders.

We were asked to bring a flower for the bouquet, but I couldn't resist and picked 3 (to match my skirt of course!)

and just had to tuck in some jasmine to scent the evening air - I'm sure we will be going well into the night.

I hope you will join us for a wonderful picnic!

**Gazpacho (from the kitchen of Gwen Ash - my mother's recipe)**

4 large very ripe tomatoes - peeled and chopped
1 large cucumber - peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet onion - finely minced
1 green pepper - chopped
3 cups tomato juice
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic - mashed or minced
salt, pepper, Cayenne to taste

chill overnight to allow flavors to meld
serve cold with avocado, chives, can also add shrimp

Give kids some tape and plastic cups...

and they create drip irrigation systems and weather stations and terrariums and...

San Juan Islands

What better way to spend a weekend? We boated from Anacortes into the San Juan islands with some dear friends. As we meandered through the islands, stressed poured off our shoulders and flowed away with the tide.

We moored in gorgeous Roche Harbor, hotels, markets, gardens of surreal perfection.

The sun went down and spun the water into gold.


We are back home now and I'm swaying a little still, but am revived and ready to dive into the multitude of class proposals for next year.

It is finally raining again!

The air smells crisp and clean
Flowers droop under the weight of a hundred tiny jewels
Trees, grass, shrubs drink their fill
I throw open the windows to breathe it all in

We almost set a record today for the longest run of dry days in May/June. In fact, Seattle is usually rainy at this time of year and we were only 11 minutes shy of the record! I love rain, the smell, feel, the way the world looks so fresh and green and have so many wonderful memories sitting round the fire with my family reading, talking, classical music on the stereo, my parents sipping wine... rainy days are cozy days.

I ran outside early this morning and looked behind to find my 8 year old with his camera at the ready!

Roses and Grandma

Grandma loved roses so much that my mother would gather bouquets for her birthday, one rose for each year. Imagine 90, 91, 92, 93 roses... Out in my garden beside my roses, I'm with my grandma.

Black & White

Sandy K shared beautiful black & white photos over the weekend and posed the question: what is the difference between taking a b&w photo versus converting a color photo on the computer? Thought I would play around... can you tell which are taken in B&W and which are converted?
A 'real' photographer would probably choose the purist approach and take the original in B&W. However, for me the option of having a saturated, unsaturated and B&W is too tempting.

Perhaps the real advantage in shooting in B&W is the enhanced attention to 'value'.


If you love black and white, take a peek at Lick Creek Photo - Howard Hamilton was my graduate professor in Materials Engineering. He and his wife retired from academia to pursue their incredible talents in photography and are featured in various galleries in McCall Idaho. His b&w photos are wonderful.