The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?"
Jeremy Bentham
A Tree Story
5 years ago
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A little Sheltie memory
I ran across this picture of Sissy when she was just a puppy sleeping in her toy box. Sheltie puppies are just sooo cute!
Friday, January 15, 2010
A little jewel that I received in the mail today!
I am so excited! I won this wonderful primitive candle keep on eBay, and received it in the mail today. The artist that painted this candle keep, paints excellent Sheltie and Greyhound items on eBay under the name of sheltie_blessings1 and her me page is here:
If you are interested in unique, hand painted, one of a kind Sheltie or Greyhound items, this is an awesome seller to follow. She takes great care with all her paintings and you will be totally thrilled with the results. She is a seller that goes above and beyond what is expected.
This little candle keep is a Terrye French design.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
I love this saying.
Someone sent me this saying today, and I don't know who originally said it but I believe it is so true.
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Playing with a new birthday toy in the snow!
Sissy really seems to enjoy her new Toss N' Tug toy. Chet will latch on to it once in awhile, but Sissy always wins in a Tug of War with him. He graciously "lets" her win that is. If he is in a Tug of War with me, forget it. He never lets me win! In this picture he is going for his trusty soft Frisbee. Both of them love to play Frisbee every day!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
It is Sissy's birthday today!
Happy Birthday my gentle, loving little girl. You turned two years old today and have enriched my life so much. Your strongest bond is with me and you are never far from my side. Waking up in the mornings to your little kisses starts every day joyfully. You are such a blessing.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Chet's Birthday today!
Happy Birthday my noble, loyal little boy. I can't believe you are four years old already. I wish time would slow down because I can't imagine a day without you. I am so grateful I was given the gift of having you in my life.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A fun little bit of history!
I found the article below and thought it would be fun to share. When I was little, the park was fenced off and the person that owned it then had a herd of buffalo roaming in the park. I would always try to get a peek of the buffalo when we would drive by. I am glad it is well taken care of now and open to the public. The following pictures were taken there and several are featured in my calendar.
McCourtie Park Information
Garden creates fantasy out of cement!
SOMERSET CENTER -- As dusk approaches and the winds ruffle the autumn leaves, their shades of gold and red casting a kaleidoscope of colors in the bubbling brook that winds its way through McCourtie Park, you might catch a glimpse of a woman dressed in a long blue gown moving quietly across a bridge. Or is she wearing black? Ghost hunters disagree on the color of her dress, but the suggestion of a gentle ghostly presence is just one of the unique features of this roadside park in the tiny hamlet of Somerset Center, just east of Lenawee County’s Irish Hills.W.H.L. McCourtie, owner of the now-defunct Trinity Portland Cement Co., in Cement City, along Highway 127, had a fondness for concrete and whimsy. His estate, known as Aiden Lair, was the perfect place to create a fantastical garden. It looks like a fairy tale run amok. Cement chimneys created to look like tree trunks rise out of an underground rathskeller built into the side of a hill where McCourtie (known as Herb to his friends) played poker with such Detroit bigwigs as auto baron Henry Ford.Local lore says tunnels ran underground here, perfect for bootleggers to smuggle liquor for those all-night poker games. A total of 17 cement folk art-style bridges cross the meandering stream on the 42-acre property.These unique sculptures, called El Trabejo Rustico, Spanish for rustic work, were created by Mexican artisans Dionicio Rodriquez and Ralph Corona of Texas. McCourtie had made it rich as a Texas oil man before returning home to Somerset. Also known by the French term, faux bois, or fake wood, it's a complex process of shaping, molding, staining and adding texture to the concrete so it looks real.For years almost a forgotten technique, this early- to mid-20th century folk art is now enjoying a resurgence in interest.Built in the early 1930s, each bridge is unique and beckons walkers to cross over and into wooded glades which, in the fall, are ablaze with color. One bridge, surely a home for hobbits, has the look of a thatched cottage, albeit a cement one.A simpler bridge is designed to resemble an old-fashioned swinging bridge, the cement scored to replicate ropes and wood; planked seats, also out of cement, invite visitors to stop halfway across and rest.Weeping willows crowd the sides of the stream, dripping long, feathery branches onto the waters. Secret glens offer seating and elaborate birdhouses, including several tall purple martin houses that can shelter more than 200 birds.Interestingly, this place of enchantment, located just off Highway 127, on historic US 12, now designated as a Heritage Trail, often is empty, though it is just off the highway. Maybe gnomes have stolen the signs marking it as a park, so look for street signs. It is on the northwest corner of US 12 and South Jackson Road. After turning north off of US 12, take the unmarked road on your left.There is no admission fee, and, if you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the wandering ghost, referred to, affectionately, as The Lady in Blue.
McCourtie Park Information
Garden creates fantasy out of cement!
SOMERSET CENTER -- As dusk approaches and the winds ruffle the autumn leaves, their shades of gold and red casting a kaleidoscope of colors in the bubbling brook that winds its way through McCourtie Park, you might catch a glimpse of a woman dressed in a long blue gown moving quietly across a bridge. Or is she wearing black? Ghost hunters disagree on the color of her dress, but the suggestion of a gentle ghostly presence is just one of the unique features of this roadside park in the tiny hamlet of Somerset Center, just east of Lenawee County’s Irish Hills.W.H.L. McCourtie, owner of the now-defunct Trinity Portland Cement Co., in Cement City, along Highway 127, had a fondness for concrete and whimsy. His estate, known as Aiden Lair, was the perfect place to create a fantastical garden. It looks like a fairy tale run amok. Cement chimneys created to look like tree trunks rise out of an underground rathskeller built into the side of a hill where McCourtie (known as Herb to his friends) played poker with such Detroit bigwigs as auto baron Henry Ford.Local lore says tunnels ran underground here, perfect for bootleggers to smuggle liquor for those all-night poker games. A total of 17 cement folk art-style bridges cross the meandering stream on the 42-acre property.These unique sculptures, called El Trabejo Rustico, Spanish for rustic work, were created by Mexican artisans Dionicio Rodriquez and Ralph Corona of Texas. McCourtie had made it rich as a Texas oil man before returning home to Somerset. Also known by the French term, faux bois, or fake wood, it's a complex process of shaping, molding, staining and adding texture to the concrete so it looks real.For years almost a forgotten technique, this early- to mid-20th century folk art is now enjoying a resurgence in interest.Built in the early 1930s, each bridge is unique and beckons walkers to cross over and into wooded glades which, in the fall, are ablaze with color. One bridge, surely a home for hobbits, has the look of a thatched cottage, albeit a cement one.A simpler bridge is designed to resemble an old-fashioned swinging bridge, the cement scored to replicate ropes and wood; planked seats, also out of cement, invite visitors to stop halfway across and rest.Weeping willows crowd the sides of the stream, dripping long, feathery branches onto the waters. Secret glens offer seating and elaborate birdhouses, including several tall purple martin houses that can shelter more than 200 birds.Interestingly, this place of enchantment, located just off Highway 127, on historic US 12, now designated as a Heritage Trail, often is empty, though it is just off the highway. Maybe gnomes have stolen the signs marking it as a park, so look for street signs. It is on the northwest corner of US 12 and South Jackson Road. After turning north off of US 12, take the unmarked road on your left.There is no admission fee, and, if you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the wandering ghost, referred to, affectionately, as The Lady in Blue.
Jane Ammeson is a freelance writer based in southwestern MichiganPress News Service - Grand Rapids PressSunday, September 16, 2007
Sunday, January 3, 2010
This is a beautiful and easy crocheted necklace!
This is a beautiful and easy crocheted necklace made with ladder yarn. I found the yarn easily on eBay, ordered it and had it within a week. The brand of yarn I used was EROS. I used a crochet needle the size of 7 or 8.
Leave a tail of yarn about 12" long then start a chain about 60 chains long. Leave about a 12" tail of yarn at the end and cut and pull through the last chain. Do this a total of 5 times.
You then simply tie the five strands together where the chains end and then tie the end of both tails of the necklace together. The length of the tail of yarn or the number of chains could be changed to suit your taste.
Beads could be slid over the two knots at the end of the chains and fasteners could be added to the ends of the tails of the necklace if you want to make them a bit fancier or adjustable.
This necklace was made with 3 strands of chains and a pendant added. The sky is the limit with all the different colors and styles you could make with this type of pattern and it is so quick and easy. Have fun!
Colleen
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Ice Skates too!
I also painted a pair of skates using the gingerbread man from the Feather Tree Angel design.
My Feather Tree Angel!
It was fun painting this design with lots of glitter on the halo and snowflakes!
Friday, January 1, 2010
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