GRANDMA IN THE DESERT!

So, I guess I am going to have to change the name of my blog. (Once Laurel shows me how!)

We have been loving the beauty we see as we go 

for rides every afternoon.

Sometimes we don't even have to

leave home to see a beautiful

vista!  This is from our front porch.

This is what we see almost every evening!

We feel so blessed to be here.

The highlight of our few months

here in Oracle was when we had some 

VERY SPECIAL VISITORS!

Our girsl love being together!

This is my favorite!!!

Someone come visit soon

and share the beauty!!!

'"LOCAL ARTIST", WHO ME?

 

There is a new coffee shop in our little town

called "ONE LUMP OR TWO".

The "proprietors" came to look at our house

when they were  house hunting.

Thankfully they chose another house to call "home".

 

They are a really nice couple that I must say the

second impression was much better than the first!

The first time we met they looked at Dad's office and said

"This would be a perfect room for the reptiles!"

I thought they were kidding, they weren't!

 

So, the second time I met them was in their new little shop.

My walking friend and I steped in  early one morning, and

then a few days later I took them one of my

driftwood "creations"as a welcome gift.

They asked if I had more of these little driftwood houses

and I told them I make those and birdhouses.

They said...

 "WE WILL SELL THEM FOR YOU.

WE WANT LOCAL ARTISTS IN OUR SHOP"!

 

LOCAL ARTIST, WHO ME?!!!!!

 

 

I just make things with driftwood in my dining room!

(Dad calls it my "STUDIO".)

Driftwood from our beautiful beaches and glue sticks from Walmart,

and voila...I'm a LOCAL ARTIST?

Perhaps I am!

What do you think?  Artist or Grandma by the Sea

playing with driftwood from the beach?

 

I like this one!

The writing says...

"You never know how many friends you have,

until you have a beach house."!

 

NOW MY PIECE DE RESISTANCE

Joan gave me this beautiful piece of wood. 

This picture does not really show how very beautiful the wood is!

Or how cute the little houses are.

 

"Near the beach we forget to count the days"!

Isn't that the truth?

Especially when you are a "LOCAL ARTIST"!

 

Driftwood collecting anyone?

 

I forgot to mention that the little coffee shop

has sold three of my "pieces of art"!

Brings a whole new meaning to "I love the beach"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



AUTUMN COLORS!

 

 

Sometimes it is difficult to see the autumn colors

on the coast.  However, today I noticed a little.

 

 

ORANGE

(Our fiberoptic pumpkin)

 

YELLOW

(The only color in our yard.)

 

GOLD

(and brown and yellow and orange and green!)

(I simply love getting out these pumpkins that Julie made for me!)

 

BROWN

(Incidentally, we bought this couch from our friends the "Browns"!)

 

O.K. so this is not exactly and autumn specticle,

but I wanted to show it off anyway.  It is really much

prettier in person than it looks in pictures!

 

It's comfy too!  So, who will be the first to come

and try it out?  Actually R. J. was the first and his

comment was..."Finally, a couch I can get out of !"

 

BLUE

(Who says blue is not an autumn color?)

 

IT IS AROUND HERE!

(I always like to include a picture of the beach

to remind myself why I am here!!!)

 

 

 

 

 



BEACH "NUT" CREATIONS!

 

I have a NEW HOBBY!  It is a perfect one for me

because I love going to the beach and this

hobby involves DRIFTWOOD!

 

The  first step was to collect driftwood

and set up my "studio".

(A small spot in the dining room would suffice.)
Dad has been encouraging me and we go to the
beach about once a week to do our collecting.

 



 

 I began by making baskets and wreaths.

 This one is now in Mike and Amy's "nautical" bathroom.

I forgot to take a picture of one I made for John and Tiffany.

 

Our "nautical" bathroom.

 

 

Then I discoved making birdhouses!
I found little birdhouses when I was
in Portland shopping with Sarah at Michael's.



 

Birdhouses take alot of time, but I love the finished

look and love to give these as gifts!!!

 

This one went to Tim and Katy for their new house.

 

These were for friends here in Port Orford.

One says "quilt shop" for my quilting friend

and one was for Little Bear's dogsitter.

The one on the left is made out of a little box.

The one on the right is a canister that Shaklee fiber comes in.

 

 

This one is in an old one I covered and kept for myself.

 

Our Library was having a silent auction.

We donated this one and hope someone buys it!

 

I actually made a little birdhouse out of stones from

the beach.  I forgot again to take a picture, but a lady

from the library bought it for $25.00!!! 

I WAS SHOCKED!!!

Then her sister bought a basket for $10.00

Have I found a new career?

 

Nope just a HOBBY and I will enjoy every minute of it.

 

I have plans for something special for Christmas gifts!

WHAT COULD THAT BE?

Perhaps something FROM THE BEACH.....

 

(Emma loves the beach too!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PERSPECTIVE!

This morning I was standing in my yard

and I noticed something.

We have a little tree growing and as I looked at it

from where I was standing it looked like this.



However, when I look at it out of my dining room window

it looks like this.

So I began thinking about the things I see each day

in this little town of Port Orford.

Sometimes I see something like this...

...and sometimes I see things like this...

...or this...

(The van is full of rusty junk and has an

old refrigerator sitting on top.)

...or even this .(Our shed after a storm last winter!)

I cannot see this side of the shed unless I choose to.

So I began thinking this morning that I can choose to

focus on whatever I want.

The UGLY or the BEAUTIFUL!

It's all a matter of

P-E-R-S-P-E-C-T-I-V-E!

(One problem is that I have to drive or walk to see

the beautiful, the ugly is right outside my door!

Oh well, life is full of challenges!)

A GRAND c-h-i-l-d-r-e-n FOURTH OF JULY

The Fourth of July in Port Orford is truly the most fun day of the year!

Not only do we have beautiful beaches to enjoy . . .

but we also have beautiful people to enjoy them with!

Our Maricela came to spend a few weeks with us and then

to be here for the Fourth activities and fun.

On Sat. June 30th Sarah and her family came to have some fun too.

These girl cousins just love spending time together!

Grandpa loved taking pictures of these three together!

Some serious game playing going on here.

(Look at those beautiful faces!)

Then there is THE LITTLE SISTER!

Blanket and boots ...all set for whatever comes her way!

Then on Tues. July 3rd Mike and John and their families

arrived for the fun on the 4th!

Our town has many activities such as a sand building contest,

dingey races, chalk drawing contest, a quilt show and many places

have a pancake breakfast for a small fee.

Our favorite activity is the 4th of July P-A-R-A-D-E.

(Actually the fireworks are the best thing, but we don't have pictures!)

Patiently waiting for the parade to begin.

Jace was not too interested!

He just loves his cousin Cory!

It's never a dull moment with this young man around.

(What a smile!!!)

CANDY-CANDY-CANDY!

The people in the parade throw candy.

The kids had little cloth bags that my friend made

for them to collect as much as possible.

More girl time.

Our other favorite 4th activity...

N-A-P-T-I-M-E!

The house is quiet again now. Just us and Little Bear.

Our time with everyone was too short.

Hopefully, the beach will be calling someone again soon!

THE BEACH IS STILL HERE AND SO ARE WE!