Dream a Little Dream 4" x 4" Collage, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I don’t think I’ll miss the heat and humidity as the last of the summer holidays ends today. Not to say it won’t get warm again (maybe 90 for a few days in the middle of the week), but it’s not the same kind of heat as July. And I know I won’t forget the heat that we are endured at the Phillies baseball game on the 26th of July.
I made a picnic dinner-potato salad, sliced tomatoes, green beans, strawberries, biscuits and grilled chicken-very yummy.
For my collage-I had saved this page for a 1957 Childrens’ music book and added pretty scrapbook paper for the back, some homemade paper from me where the ants are and some very modern puffy stickers.
I’m a bit bummed as the cross stitch piece I am working on wasn’t measured correctly and there is too much space on the top and not enough on the bottom. I will probably have to rework a bit of the chart there. I am so mad at myself for not checking it better and that’s after I’ve done almost half of it. I never cut fabric big enough as I hate wasting fabric which is a bad idea. The fabric I am using tends to unravel and I have to sew around the edge. So frustrating. And to boot, it’s for my mom who isn’t bothering with me. : (
This will be a short week for most people. So much is going on this weekend coming up it has my head spinning! The Mushroom Festival starts on Friday and lasts until Sunday.

I’m a Lonely Little Petunia 4"x 4" Collage, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I saw my 1943 ‘Garden Flowers in Color’ book lying there and I started to thumb through it for collage ideas. I liked this raspberry color petunia and then remembered a song from my childhood, ‘I’m a Lonely Little Petunia in an Onion Patch’. It was originally sung by Arthur Godfrey. I read also that Captain Kangaroo would use parts of it. And by joe, didn’t a favorite singer of my brother’s, Imogen Heap sing it for ‘Six Feet Under’ the HBO Series! I remember my grandmom singing it, so she probably got it from Arthur Godfrey.
The onions are from a seed catalog and their tops are some Mylar pieces I have.

The Archie Knowles Campground, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Someday I hope to see my family ‘homesteads’. They settled in New Hampshire from the 1600s to 1850s. Some went on to Minnesota before finally settling in Oregon. My gr.grandfather was one of the first forest rangers out there. His wife Margie wrote a book about their experiences called ‘Honeymoon on Horseback’. I think I have shared this before. What is neat is what I found in the big photo genealogy book that my cousin Ann compiled back in 2004-the Siuslaw National Forest Campground that was named for my gr.grandfather.
I’ve only met my cousin Shirley and her husband when I was a little girl. Ann is her sister. I did correspond off and on with their mom, my great aunt Dessa. Now I correspond with Ann. I haven’t heard from her lately, but her husband has a Flickr account. They built a half circle home (best way to describe it) in Colorado on their son’s property over the last year or so, guess that is keeping her busy.
Why am I taking an interest in all this? Partly because of the summer show ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ where they researched some celebrities family history and we really enjoyed it. And also because my middle brother opened an Ancestry.com account.
Need to work on my collage soon! Just having a lazy day. The auction is next weekend and it looks like mostly high priced stuff, but we can go to the preview and leave.

Join Your Hands 4" x 4" Collage, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

We were out tonight as I am trying to salvage the plants for at least another month. The winds must have kicked up and knocked one of my best Coleus on the ground which broke many of the large branches of it. I do root many of them and I am pretty sure I have a few babies of plant that took a beating. I need to find a shelf that attaches to a window, maybe a couple of tiers for the baby coleus to overwinter on. I tried my front window and it was too cool there and they perished. The garden window in the kitchen was better, but only a couple made it there. The one I have saved from last year is big and bushy and I will try and save it again. I think 3-4 years is the limit for Coleus. The air felt so good as it kicked the humidity in the butt for a few days. Probably the hurricane’s effects too.
Bri and I went to a Farmer’s Market today about 25 minutes from here. It’s one I know my mom likes to go to. Sure enough, there she was when we were checking out at a variety store with her nose in a box of marked down make-up, oblivious to anything or anyone. I didn’t go over to her as she isn’t calling me. It’s been since Monday morning when she got mad that Sean and I weren’t coming down to take her out. This was after a day I tried to call her a number of times and no one picked up. Then after a while I figured she was at my Uncle’s house, yet she didn’t call me. She hasn’t been the same since she didn’t go on our beach trip in June. Maybe my brother who is living there will get closer to her now. I am hoping this may be the case.
Bri and I got some yummy sticky cinnamon buns, Aunt Annie’s pretzels, a caramel chocolate chip bar and a bag of praline pecans! Diet food to be eaten in small quantities. : )
My collage came about because of the Shakespeare quote someone had sent me. I think the lady and child go perfectly with it. If I find a stamp of Shakespeare, the lovely English lady will be pasted over.
Tomorrow there is an estate sale in nearby Hockessin, De. I asked if we could go, not necessarily for the big things-you know how much I like paper goods. : ) I’ll let you know if we sniff out any bargains.

Asian Treasure 4" x 4" Collage card, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

People think we live closer to the coast then we do. I say we live a good 90 miles from Rehoboth Beach, DE and about 80 some miles heading toward the Jersey shore area. Sometimes those blasted hurricanes make landfall and we get really walloped like Agnes in 1972. There was a ton of flooding further up in the state around Harrisburg, but it was a nasty hurricane. I think it took down a tulip tree of mom’s that happen to have a speaker hooked up to it (my older brother did that) and it blew out the stereo and tv if I remember correctly.
Back in 1997, a hurricane went through New Garden township where I live and it knocked down several power lines along our road. I believe a big branch is still stuck in the top of the Chestnut tree from that one. I also contracted Lyme disease as we didn’t have power for 3 or so days. I made the mistake of not changing my clothes one night and the tick got up and under a sports bra in the elastic band and got me good. (We were able to shower at a friend’s house). The photo of the bulls eye is in the ‘me stuff’ link above. I was very sick with a 104 fever and had to be on antibiotics for 3 weeks. As you know I still get funny aches and pains and have elevated liver enzymes once in a while. Mother Nature is wonderful, but it can also play tricks on us!
My collage was inspired by my scrapbook. I like how the background came together to compliment my Asian lady. The vase is a 3D sticker.
We are expecting somewhat cooler temps. Have a great weekend!

VanGogh Zetti 4"x4" Collage, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I love sunflowers and try to grow some every year. This year half of what I planted were eaten by the deer. I also like VanGogh and have a few of his paintings in my family room-Sunflowers and Starry Nights. He did some other amazing work too. This is his self-portrait that I had used before in a card for a swap ) I always print out a couple of them in case I make a mistake. Zetti is a form of art where you use-guess what-squiggly lines (and pointy hats). I don’t know if Mr. V. would like the silvery letters, but they match the paper on the bottom.

I went to the dentist for a check up and have to get a chip repaired and some special treatment where my teeth are sensitive. I’m doing that next week. The young (and cute) dentist saw me, though I was a bit mad at him for messing up a crown that the other dentist had to fix in February. He was very sweet today. ; )

We’re going down to Jake’s Burgers for dinner. They are like Five Guys (not as good and smaller), but it’s near where Sean works, so maybe he’ll meet us there.

Ben for the PO 4"x4" Collage, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I can’t believe it’s September already. I love September and October as I guess I’m ready for a change. We are having the heatwave-full blast, but the house is nice and cool, I think due in large part because Bri got the attic fan to run again. I just had to turn the a/c off and it’s 72 degrees inside-perfect.
I’m not turning on the computer until later in the day now and I am getting more accomplished. One thing was the Ben Franklin collage above. I get the junk mail from Amer. Express almost every month-that’s the background paper. I had old stamp stickers and also used newer canceled ones of flags. He was our first postmaster and we saw the statue of him down in DC in April.
We have a few things planned for the month. Sean is taking me and maybe my mom (who is giving me the silent treatment right now) to Atlantic City for the day-a gift for her birthday. That’s the middle of the month. We got invited to dinner by a couple we use to hang out with a few days before that. I found the lady on Facebook. It’s so nice to get in touch with people again. My high school class is having a beach get-together in Ocean City, NJ at the end of the month. Not sure if we are going, but how nice is one of our class mates for opening his home to us after over 33 years. Incidentally, a number of years ago, the guy hosting the get-together installed one of those big satellite dishes for us (which is long gone now).
I can’t wait for the change in weather! I hear Hurricane Earl is stirring up trouble down south. It’s that time of year again too.

Inspired at Home 4"x4" Collage, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I will probably be making lots of houses over the course of the next year. I think this turned out cute. If you recall, I made a house for our Christmas card last year.
I can’t believe how sore my back and upper chest are today! I hadn’t watered things for a while and that may have stirred things up (also walking close to 2 miles on Friday). I also have a purse that’s too heavy which I was carrying around Kohl’s last night for a long time. Using my back massage cushion a bunch today! Had to water again plus run the vacuum. I’m in the process of deep cleaning the bathroom in hopes of getting a new toilet and tub soon. We have the original 50 year old tub and toidy. And we could stand a new sink and vanity too!