Ding Dong Doggy

Charlie loves loves loves his toy that he got from Rich's daughter! It is the first toy he has not destroyed in 7 years. It has lasted more than 3 days which is a record!

He loves it so much, he lays it down on the carpet next to his master and rolls on it. What a goof! We laugh so hard when he does this. Oh yeah, the oxygen tubing? You should have heard my hubby get excited when Charlie got caught in the tubing and dragged it away. 

Ouch. Says Rich. That hurts my ear!

But really, can you get angry at this funny pooch? I think not.

I think I'm getting close to go back to the Princess Sara stories. I have so many things I want to do and enjoy the process of a story. I often go off in tangents to other places. But still, the story should be about Princess Sara and her quest to save the world.

Don't we all need heroes or heroines these days?

The Twin Sister warriors converse 
with the Jungle Dragon.
They hear about Princess Sara's
Quest
and decide to join her and
offer their assistance against 
the rock monsters.

No worries if you don't get what's going on either. Sometimes I don't even know.

But it is getting close to spring and that is when I believe things will start happening again with Princess Sara.

In every fantasy tale there is always a quest isn't there? 

I have to check in soon with the Princess and see what she has been up to!

With so much weighing heavily on my mind, I do need these beautiful distractions. This weekend will be busy both Ariel and Dennis will be coming on different days to spend the weekend.

I wonder if the kids will be impressed by the desk in my spare 'toy' room.

I took the whole day and washed walls, dusted, and organized the spare room. It was in desperate need of picking things up. Good that the kids both decided to visit so I could get this job [I've been putting off] done. 

There is a Futon Bed in this room for surprise visits. It folds up to make a nice little couch when not in use. But it isn't for the faint hearted to sleep on as it lays right on the floor.

However in years past it has made an awesome bed for company and kids.

Birds and Stuff

Meanwhile during the snowstorm. 

We spotted a bluebird!

The bird never turned around for me and I had to get this hind end shot.

I couldn't help myself.  I had to go out and mess around looking for some fun in the bright white snow.

I thought the guy who plows would have showed up, but he didn't. The snow was supposed to melt quickly. Under the white snow, we had dirty slush from the dust in TX I think. This is the second time we've had dust and dirt in our snow/rain.

I decided the driveway might be too iffy for the visiting Home Health person to go up and down, so we cancelled that for this week.  My 'Ru could handle the hill and the snow, but maybe not the cars they have for Hospice workers. Though, I did notice that three of them drive Subaru CrossTreks. 

While I let Charlie wander the yard looking for mice or voles, I thought it would be fun to 'shoot' this Pegasus on a snow covered stump in the yard. White on white.

The hood of the Subaru provided a nice ski slope for my minifigs. They enjoyed using it over and over again!
I wish I had their energy.

While my minifigs were playing, I heard a 'goose' like sound in the sky east of me. I looked up and saw swans! I've missed many opportunities this year to go watch the Eagles on the Mississippi or hunt for Sandhill Cranes and Swans at the KVR.

So, I was quite tickled to watch these guys fly overhead.

With nothing on my schedule, I waited for hubby's afternoon nap to take a walk.  Charlie is being such a good boy, but he does need some hiking time too to keep up his musculature and health.

We went east through my favorite woods and ended up in a round about way in the valley and then followed the creek back up to our land and up different trails to get back to the house.

~~~~

So the day before the storm we had this going on in our yard! I never really saw until I shot this series ... that Robins actually get airborne to dive into the ground! Like a fox catching a mouse under the snow!

Such a common bird, but still so great to see them appear to let us know spring is near...

The snow melted quickly and when I went out to check the meadow and the fence, I came across dozens of Cedar Waxwings.

The photo isn't great, but I didn't have a long lens ... but there you go. Birds are moving about and it is so pleasing to hear all of their songs again.

....

I still have to get to the rest of the fun photos I am doing for the new minifigs that arrived from Aurora!

Here is a taste...

Princess Sara, the Dragon Quest

I'm thoroughly enjoying the process of following my toys and conjuring up a quest for Princess Sara. 

The greatest part is the absence of rules, allowing me to invent as I proceed. Do you recall the freedom of play as a child? We would take our toys and spontaneously craft stories without needing a structured plot.

I remember the trolls my sister and I cherished in our youth. We'd bring them outdoors, where they might be found constructing sandcastles one day or aboard my grandmother's boat the next, leaping from one escapade to another without a final destination.

The narratives didn't need to be logical; we were immersed in the play of the moment.

Adults always want a definitive beginning and a logical outline for a story. But the child's play is more inventive and creative with no bounds.

I find this holds true for Princess Sara's Quest. The Quest can veer in any direction, entwining countless subplots. I certainly didn't intend for it to be that way. But I follow where inspiration and imagination takes me without constraints.

The concept is to not dwell on the little details, but to relish the journey.

Below, the Rock Monsters have absconded with the Magical Dragon Egg and are concealing it.

Emerald, the Forest Dragon, confers with a clan member, stressing the imperative to retrieve the Dragon Egg at all costs. The egg is believed to contain a dragon destined to bring peace to their kind and ensure their survival. However, not all clan members are persuaded.

Emerald is aware of the Rock Monsters' formidable magic and their merciless leader. Rumors suggest that the Little People hold the key to vanquishing the Rock Monsters.

Yet, trust in the Little People is scarce among Dragons, who have been hunted by them for ages.

Despite this, Emerald is certain of the legend's authenticity and thus seeks counsel from the wise ancient Dragon sage, Sago. [LOL, think Yoda??]

Sago summons the Wise Old Frog.

Together they will find the Little People and speak to them.

And so the Quest goes....

why not?

The magic of a child...

This was originally published in 2008. 

I was curious as to when exactly I started messing around with Toy Photography. This may have been the first time I picked up my Point and Shoot camera to take my dog's toys and create a story for my Grandchildren.

It eventually morphed into 5 books that I wrote and photographed for the kids. When Morris died I  put his story away and looked for other things.

If there is a toy....it can have a story in it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My father always impressed upon me the fact that having an imagination was a very important thing...he said, *Don't ever lose your imagination.*
Of course at the time I had no idea what he was talking about. I was a kid, of course I had an imagination.
Probably one that was a bit large anyway.

I recall laying in bed at night and wondering what my collection of stuffed animals did during the day while I was at school.
Of course any adult in their right minds would tell you that stuffed animals didn't do anything, after all they were stuffed right?
Well not in my imagination.
Stuffed animals could talk, walk, and have adventures.
I mean I knew that for a fact because sometimes I'd come home from school and go change into my 'everyday' clothes and notice that the six foot long orange snake on my bed wasn't in the exact place I'd left it.
Kanga and Roo were a bit lopsided.
I swear Winnie the Pooh had a smirk on his face.
My sister's stuffed horse looked wind blown, as if it had been running.
Sure, I knew it.
Stuffed animals led an adventurous life while I was at school or sleeping.
I tried often to pretend to be asleep and catch them in the act.
No such luck.

So then I began to *imagine* what they were doing while I was unaware. That was fun. The animals [stuffed] could go on grand adventures and never leave my bedroom. And I could go with them.

Now I am a grown up.
When my husband caught me outside with a camera and my dog's stuffed animals, he raised a brow.
I said, *Gosh, wouldn't it be such fun to create some books with a story for our grandkids?*
He guessed so.
I held the stuffed animals and tried to explain how they could go on 'farm adventures' and that I could write about it and make it into a little story book the grandkids could relate to~~~ using things they were familiar with to make it fun.
He guessed so.

So I put a photo-story book together and read it out loud to him.
He gave me a huge smile and said the grandkids would love it.

See, I'm not so crazy after all.

I recall one more thing Dad told me about writing and his characters he used. He said sometimes they took on a life of their own. Yeah, I see that.
Crazy Squirrel and Happy HedgeHog take on a life of their own while I'm writing about them.
Sometimes their story takes an unexpected turn when I'm not expecting it.

I guess that is the Magic. I still have the magic of a child, an imagination.
Or maybe I'm just crazy.

Still Life Challenges

Photography

I do enjoy Toy Photography as much as Still Life. I don't have to wait for perfect weather or perfect light. With a little effort and fun, one can create any world they wish too.

I took an on line class to learn and force myself to do Still Life years ago. I was pretty sure I'd hate it, but I also thought it would be an interesting way to spend time learning a new skill. 

I found out that I really did enjoy it. The class I took was in 2014.

I should do some more of this. Still Life is beautiful and always open to any interpretation. 

I don't want to be stuck in any one genre of photography.  I will say that I am not comfortable with Portrait Photography though. Weddings and portraits are tough and I am very uncomfortable with that genre. 

I have done portraits but mostly those just of my grand kids and a few other little ones. Kids are naturals and fun to follow around with a camera.

Maybe it is time to refocus during these cold, wet, and nasty days.  I might  put the toys aside for a little bit or just mix things up more.

My regret is that I didn't pick up any flowers at the store yesterday!

But I did have some time to make an effort at something much different anyway:

Glass Heart 
&
Pearls

Glass Heart
Pearls
Old Silk Rose

Below: Old Thank You Card I made when I was making all of my own cards to send out in the mail. Remember sending things in the mail???

Anyway. 

It is a good challenge on a dreary wet and nasty day!

Meanwhile at the tree

Here is another shot of my Christmas Chair and tree. 

It is the light that I really love. Oh and of course all of the toys that are running about.

These are carousel horses that were given to me years ago. Funny that three different people purchased these and gave them to me. The horses match. I've always thought that was amazing. 

The horses were on the chair and I guess that made them vulnerable to the Star Wars Storm Troopers who thought they'd go for a joy ride. I don't mind, it looks like they were having a great time.

I hope my 'chair shenanigans' don't bore anyone. After all, I do it for me and not really anyone else. 

During those cold, damp, dreary, and grey December days with longer nights and shorter days...I generally need something to distract me.

On the chair. Miss LaFleur and Yvette rearrange ribbons and add an ornament to the tree. They are so happy that the chair allows them access to the branches!

Oh my! It looks like the Dinosaurs are back giving Santa a hard time. 

I wouldn't worry too much. Santa usually has these things under control. He just keeps some of Charlie's dog treats handy....

I've heard this year that the dragons wanted in on having fun at Christmas.  I also heard that they took over the space under the chair.

I understand that they are not exactly happy about the color of the string of beads.

I heard one grumble:

I thought you said there'd be gold under this place! I want gold!

Behind the scenes, the Lego elves are getting involved. This one is busy feeding one of the unicorns who jumped off the tree for a treat.

....

and not on the chair we find Rabbit and Bear. Rabbit is always kind to Bear trying to find ways to cheer him up and make him feel better.

Rabbit to Bear:

Here you go Bear, this small box represents all my love and caring for you. 

this time of the year is not easy

for everyone

remember kindness

and

love....

Under construction ...

This year the decorations will be about toys. I have to admit, I like toys.
My toys will have a chance to come out and play.

A lot of my toys and some of the decorations are items that have fond memories associated with them. I'm sure this is true for most of us who have had children and who've seen them grow up.

The red jointed teddy bear is one I made many years ago while making many teddy bears and other toys. I couldn't afford the price of a Care Bear when the boys wanted one for Christmas so I tried my hand at making toys. I found out that I couldn't sew a dress or pants, but could certainly whip together a difficult toy! 

The Christmas Teddy bear is sitting on a Turtle stool.

The stool was made by a man named Orlando Potts who was an uncle or grand uncle to Rich's daughter. He handmade that turtle stool. It is dated.... and signed. I found it in the garage years ago. It was under a pile of junk and it was very dirty. Rich commented that his daughter no longer had a use for it and he didn't know why he saved it, he just did.

I cleaned the Turtle up and put it in our house. The Turtle has a story and a history. Besides, when little people play at my house, they always drag out the Turtle to sit on!

The nesting box for chickens was an item used as a coffee table in my mother in laws house as long as I could recall.

My father in law knew I loved it and promised to build me a replica. He cut up all the boards and was set to do the woodworking when he died.

I coveted this odd piece of furniture for years. When it came up for auction at my mother in law's estate sale I went for it. I probably paid too much money for it. But I wanted it. It suits my house in all seasons.

The boxes on top of the stack are actually drawers from old fancy pedal sewing machines. I found most of them in the shed or garage filled with rusty nails and bolts. I spent a lot of time cleaning them up. I found ones like them for sale at an antique store for a ridiculous amount of money.

Below the drawers is a bolt shipping crate.

On the bottom is a Dynamite box. I'd love to know more about who got a box of dynamite and how it was shipped! The tiny button bears I made live there right now with a cowboy snowman and a felt needled snowman I'd used to decorate my MIL's nursing home room.

I suspect that those toys will move around. The tiny teddy bears will no doubt get into things when I am not looking.

Those gnomes sound like they are plotting against their nemesis: The Elf on the Shelf.

The Lego people are just waiting until I turn my back.

I saw this just before I went to bed!

Santa! It isn't time yet.

He yelled out that he was just taking the reindeer out for a spin to get them warmed up for the big night...

What surprises will the toys have for me? 

When in doubt, make up stories...

I spent the warm rainy day making apple sauce. One of my earlier experiments to make apple butter turned out awful. It was a slow cooker recipe and I must have done something quite awful to make it so bad.

In between cooking, cleaning, and being quiet so the other half could have his naps, I decided to experiment with shooting...what else? Toys. I can be quiet while stuck indoors and my brain is distracted from stressful things.

I used a digital back drop for these shots just for experimenting. Basically, I set the Lego folks on blocks in front of my Smart TV and put up some selected pictures on the screen.

They didn't turn out quite the way I wanted, but still, it was fun to try. There were some miserable failures involved. But that is what I like about photography. Try it, adjust, try it again, and perhaps improve.

I was sure at one time that the only true photography was of landscapes, wide open vistas of mountains, lakes, skies, and forests. I don't have open vistas in this area unless I am standing on crop land or a bluff. I turned my attention to the small things in the forest. 

I took a Still Life class on line and discovered the fun of being able to do photography indoors. I didn't find all the subjects I tried exhilarating. But I did discover new ways of enjoying photography.

My first Lego person presented himself in 2017. A child I was babysitting gave me a Lego minifigure. I used it in a Still Life as a joke:

The photo made absolutely no sense what so ever. A cup of coffee with a flower and a Lego person in it and rose petals and baubles tossed around the cup? I really got a kick out of it never the less. My husband thought I'd gone over to the Looney Bin.

Small things in the forest interest me also. The world of tiny is so often missed by those of us looking for the beauty of large.

So I decided to take some time in between rains to run out into the woods by the house and have some fun.

I decided to continue the story of Squatch and Big Foot. They'd heard that they had a brother that was a Yeti and they went searching to find him. Yeti was trying to build a fire. Contrary to popular belief, Yeti does NOT like the cold at all. He'd rather be warm and cuddly near a fire.

Squatch and Big Foot invited them back to Squatch's little stick house.

Yeti was so relieved to have found a fire and his long lost brothers at the same time. As the boys talked, Yeti asked them if they recalled their oldest half brother that was shunned from the family. 

This was new to them, but they said they did recall the family having some arguments when they were little Squatches. They grew up and went their separate ways with their own unique identities.

There was something said about a half brother from another mother that behaved strangely and didn't conform to their standards.

The Three odd brothers decided that they would look for their half brother who had gone missing.

Meanwhile in the forest...
Wait, What?

A space ship?

Chewie crash lands in a forest with his little space cruiser. He sets out to fix the cruiser when something strikes him as very familiar. This feels like a forest he knew long ago.

He finds mushrooms to eat which remind him of the food he used to eat with his little funny Half Brothers. It reminds him of the joyful times he had before the elders found him 'different' and threw him out of the clan.

Chewie takes a bath in the cold creek of his Squatchhood. He is now pretty sure that his space cruiser crash landed in the forest of his youth.

.......

Yep, that's what happens when you decide to let the imagination play out.

I did make some great applesauce without messing it up. Washed windows, did laundry and started to clear warm weather stuff off the porch.

I guess I divide my days between all my chores/farm stuff and daydreaming of what could be...

Not Weather

I intended to complain about the heat and humidity again, but decided that we all know what was going on and how nasty it was. I was entertained by the posts on FB regarding the temperatures. 

How many people took photos of the temperature reading in their cars??? Lots! Others took photos of their weather station thingies. One even posted a photo of herself with an outdoor thermometer on a tree. Hmmm.

Well.

Me? I got up early and went to CrossFit. I know. Nuts, right? But it was the coolest part of the second day of the heat dome. It was a rowing and burpee work out. Who doesn't love burpees? 

When I got home I decided to put together my fun little 'story'. 

These are the Kenner toy versions which are not very posable but very suitable for kids [or in my case??? Big kids.] 

They came from another second hand shop a good find for a couple of dollars....

I have taken an instant liking to them. Last week I carried them around on my hikes and adventures so I could look for spontaneous fun with them.

This blue one is called PZ-C4O or Peazy. I looked up what this droid was supposed to be and found out that it was a 'she' droid and she handled communications and other difficult tasks. She seems charming in a way.

I thought she should meet the other Droid I had called NED-B. Or NED for short. Apparently he worked moving shipments and off loading and loading things to ships. He also like to Bonk bad guys on the head. 
What a great Droid!

NED meets Peazy in the forest and hands her an Oak Gall. A romance ensues. I mean come on! Who saw that coming?

I'm going to explain something here. I have a very vivid imagination which I suppose one day will get me into a lot of trouble. At my age, should I have such an imagination? I don't really know.

Imagine me telling my caregiver that I want to play with my Legos or that my stuffed animals on the bed are talking to me. Right? That is when they carry me off to another ward.

~~~

The toys develop their own stories, I rarely have to think up the next progression. It just seemed natural ... that they would become good friends.

And they'd go on hikes...

And spend time quietly together talking about being droids and other droid things like ... well, who knows?

And then this happened...

Hmmm, they seem to be making a story of their own and I just am along for the ride.

Regarding 'play'.

and creativity in older adults---

I see those who are creative with cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, baking, drawing, singing, gardening...., just to name a few things. Anything in my mind is better than sitting and channel surfing on the couch. [These activities along with being sociable seem to keep a person younger at heart perhaps??]

I find strange joy in using my imagination in what may be called Childish Play. But my love of photography always leads me to make a story even if it is very short story.

--- It started with Morris and his toys years ago. 

The stories were written for my Grandkids. When they visited, they usually took a walk in the woods with me. On the walks they'd name parts of the forest. The Big Woods, The Big Creek, and so forth. So I revisited our walks with Morris and his toys and let an adventure happen.

The kids loved it and I wrote a few short books about what happened on their walks. The joy of making up the stories stuck with me. I used photos of Morris with his toys. Sometimes it was impossible to get a shot I wanted and sometimes more interesting things happened when Morris did his own thing and didn't follow the script.

In other words, we just let things happen and had a LOT of fun.

When Morris died, I couldn't bring myself to try anything like that again. His toys were dormant, they wouldn't 'speak' to me. 

Give me cast off toys and things seem to happen.

I go with the flow and don't think too hard about it. 
It just happens.

Our adventures were always fun and we never knew what was going to happen!

Enjoy the next few days if the heat has passed!