Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

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All this week I’ve been posting about our vacation to Greyhounds Reach the Beach in Dewey Beach, Delaware.  A big part of this vacation was…the beach.  Here are a few photos of the beautiful beach:

There was an entrance to the beach at the end of our road.

Beach grass forms a barrier behind the fence.

Miles of beautiful beach…

for lovely houndie walking…

and discovering interesting creatures. 

This was the sunrise on the last morning of our vacation.  So beautiful.

Our sweet friends

 (Photo by Balance Photography)

Thank you to our friends Tyler and Amy for the last two photos.  We had a great vacation with you.

Daily Inspiration

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One of the fun things about Greyhounds Reach the Beach are the all the wonderful vendors.  Here’s what I picked up:

 

Tag Collars – I like this idea and wanted to give it a try.  A tag collar is slipped over the head and holds an identification tag.  They’re designed to be break-away.  I want to try them because sometimes I like to let the hounds go “naked” around the house, but I still want them to wear an identification tag.  These are from LongDog Leather Works.

Hedgehog Toys – Freedom’s hedgehog is lookin’ mighty rough, so I picked up these so she’ll have plenty of her favorite size hedgehog.

Union Jack Poop Bag Holder – Couldn’t resist this for Casper.

Greyhound Notecards – So pretty.  These are from Gryffin Designs.

Greyhound Jewelry – The “Love Greyhounds” piece is from Anne & Jane.  This was the first time I had seen their work.  The round pendant is cast from an antique button and is the lovely work of Shannon O’Reilly.

Fleece Top – This was an impulse buy, but I’m sure I’ll get a lot of wear out of it, especially during the cold months ahead.

Butterfly Gourd – I love decorative gourds.  I saw this little beauty in a shop in Rehobeth and added it to my collection.

Our most special purchase…an urn for our beloved Paloma.  Paloma was our first greyhound and we lost her much too early.  Last year, we saw these beautiful urns from The Barking Tree.  My husband loved the beautiful wood and admired the skill and artistry of Pete Wade, their creator.  This year, we selected one for Paloma.

Daily Inspiration

 

All God’s angels come to us disguised.

James Russell Lowell

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Greyhounds Reach the Beach started in 1994 when 3 couples wanted to “find a fun place to go with [their] dogs” and got together for a weekend get-away.  From that simple start, the event continued to grow year after year.  Last year was our first year attending the event and I am told that currently, it is much smaller and more loosely organized than in the past.  So what is at Dewey Beach…

All manner of greyhound merchandise is available. 

Vendors sell out of their hotels or condos, a few in rented storefronts and some at the fire station.

There are a few organized get-togethers.

For instance, an ice cream social.

The last day was a little rainy, but don’t worry…greyhounds have wardrobes.  

Daily Inspiration

 

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

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We just finished up a wonderful vacation in Dewey Beach, Delaware with our friends.

We rented a vacation home that would accommodate 4 two-leggers and 6 four-leggers.

This is the same house we rented last year.

This year, we added four days to our vacation so we could enjoy the area and get in a little more rest and relaxation.

There was plenty of room for us.

And it was “pet-friendly.”

We especially appreciated a fenced backyard for the pups’ bathroom breaks.

Being there made me think about how nice it is to live with less.

It was a lovely place.

Daily Inspiration

 

Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself inside your own head. You’ll find what you need to furnish it – memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you wherever you journey.

Tad Williams

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Following our friends

Last Thursday, we returned from our vacation in Dewey Beach with our friends, Tyler and Amy, and their 3 greyhounds.  Dewey Beach, Delaware is a little over 700 miles from our home in Indiana, traveling through Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

“Are we there yet?”

Last year, we rented a 15-passenger van and drove together.  This year, our friends took their vehicle with their 3 houndies and we took our vehicle with our 3 houndies.

Sometimes we switch positions

Fortunately, the hounds travel very well.  They settle in and spend most of the time sleeping.

Following our friends through the tunnel

During the trip, we traverse two engineering marvels.  We get to travel through the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel which was constructed in 1939.  The Alleghenies comprise the rugged western-central portion of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

Aerial photo of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, from a post card from the 1970s (source)

And travel over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

What a bridge!

Opened in 1952, the bridge is 4.3 miles, shore-to-shore.

Following our friends over the bridge.

Incredible!

Daily Inspiration

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We just returned from eight glorious days in Dewey Beach, Delaware.  We went on vacation with our friends, Tyler and Amy, and their houndies.  Our main objective was Greyhounds Reach the Beach, a greyhound get-together October 3-6, and we stayed for a few extra days of rest and relaxation.

Casper:  Uhm, mom?

Mom:  Yes, Casper?

Casper:  Can I tell everyone about my friends?

Mom:  Well, okay.  Everyone, here is Casper to tell you who was with us on vacation.

The Lohmeyer Pack – Nikki, Casper & Freedom

Casper:  Hello everyone.  Casper here to tell you about my friends who I took a vacation with.  You’ll notice that there are a lot of parallels between the Lohmeyer pack and the Cross pack.

Miura – Head of the Cross pack

Casper:  This is Miura.  Miura, like Freedom, is the head dog in the Cross pack.  I think Miura is a lot and I mean A LOT nicer than Freedom, but she gets lumped into the category “dark brindle girl” which is usually our parents’ code for “headstrong,” “bossy” and “dominant.”  One thing I don’t like about Miura…she puts down “marking” pees.  This makes it hard for me because I already have to mark over all the girls’ pee and then Miura marks and then I have to go back and mark over Miura’s pee all over again.  Stop it, Miura!  I’ve got it covered.

Zonda – The “Casper” of the Cross pack

Casper:  This is Zonda.  Zonda is a merry prankster, like ME!  She acts sweet, but she can give Miura headaches just like I give Freedom headaches.  It’s our job.

Eva – My future girlfriend

Casper:  This is Eva.  Eva is just like Nikki…sweet, blah, blah, blah, perfect, blah, blah, blah, never-does-anything-wrong blah, blah, blah.  Shhhh…I have a secret.  I love Eva.  I want her to be my girlfriend.  I think we’d be a perfect pair.

Mom:  Thank you, Casper.  I think you introduced everyone nicely.  I’m suspending my regular blogging schedule for the next week in order to tell you about our GREYT vacation.

Special Note:  With the exception of the “Daily Inspiration” picture, all pictures in this post were taken by Balance Photography.

Daily Inspiration

  

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I’m putting together a “School Memories” album.

This week, I cut out my background papers.  I’m using a coordinated paper pack from Stampin’ Up! called “Storytime.”

I spent time “auditioning” my photos against the different backgrounds to see which colors I liked.

It’s interesting to see how the photos look against different colors.

I’m not sure if this is the best way to go about putting an album together.

If anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears.

Daily Inspiration

 

Too often we… enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

John F. Kennedy 

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I’m gearing up for next month’s Art Every Day Month.  I plan to paint one girl a day during the month of November, so I’m preparing my background canvases this month.  This week’s background is a redo.

This was one of the paintings I did when I took Juliette Crane’s How to Paint an Owl e-Course.  I never felt good about this painting, so I decided to start again.

I painted wide bands of color.

Then sprayed the canvas with water.

I dabbed, sprayed and let it drip down until I had a new background.

Daily Inspiration

  

Never apologize for showing feeling.  When you do so, you apologize for the truth.

Benjamin Disraeli

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We speak a common language, but not every American can appreciate British comedy.  I am one that can and does.  These are five British sitcoms that I love.  This is not an all-inclusive list, just a little snapshot of some shows that have made me laugh…a lot.

“Are You Being Served?”

This  show was my introduction to the brand of humor that is uniquely British.  The show ran from 1972 to 1985 and is set in the ladies’ and gentlemen’s clothing departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store.

Fawlty Towers

Fawlty Towers was broadcast in 1975 and 1979 and only had 12 episodes.  The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay.  The show centers on the tense, rude and put-upon owner Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) who also co-wrote the series.

Waiting for God

Waiting for God ran from 1990 to 1994 and focuses on two lively resident of a retirement home who spend their time butting up against the home’s oppressive management and their own families.

Keeping Up Appearances

Keeping Up Appearances centers around Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet, according to Hyacinth) an eccentric, social-climbing snob whose working-class family is a constant source on embarrassment (and laughs).  Keeping Up Appearances ran from 1990 to 1995.

The Vicar Of Dibley

I love Dawn French who plays Geraldine Granger, a female vicar who is assigned to a small Oxfordshire village called Dibley.  Fun-loving and outrageous, the vicar has her hands full with the Parish Council.  The show ran from 1994 to 2007.

I first enjoyed these British sitcoms thanks to my local PBS station.  Do you have a favorite British sitcom?

Daily Inspiration

 

At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.

Jean Houston

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Here’s what’s been happening in my studio:

I prepared a canvas using a fingerpainting technique.  I’m focusing on canvases again in October because I’m preparing for the Art Every Day Month challenge in November.  I plan to paint a “girl” everyday in November and I want to have the background canvases pre-prepared.

It’s been slow-going in my studio that last two weeks, but I know that’s part of journey.

Daily Inspiration

 

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

Socrates