Mellow Migrant

Bob worked day shift last week and after work, we got to spend some daylight time together on the couch. While watching the birds at the feeder on this chilly spring day, we delighted in seeing this colorful visitor. "The rose-breasted grosbeak was traveling north. When a spring storm struck, it spent a night nearby and fueled at our feeder. It's song resembles a Robin's, but is mellower, "as if a Robin had taken voice lessons". We're glad he was here, if only a moment. April 2012

The digital frame "notes" is from the Cottage Arts Scrap Edges 3 collection. I embossed the painted chippie border to complement the bird's feathers.

This is my 495th post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

Examiner

Their wedding is only 3 weeks away. Today's layout features a precious photo of Michelle. Thanks to her Mother, Janet, for sending me photos of her as a child. "A young Michelle studying small things now engineers big things." Michelle is an electrical engineer working in research and design.

To make the frame for the photo, I opened a digital journaling block from Basic Grey and pasted the photo scan of Michelle onto the frame before printing it out. This is my 494th post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

Kids

Greg & Michelle both sent me pictures from the "Baby Farm Animal" Exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo. April 2012 I loved the pictures of the grown "kids" with big smiles on their faces. It reminded me of a fall day in 1999 when the llamas and goats at a local Game Farm got a little rowdy with a younger Greg and his brother Chris. Here's the pictures:

This is my 493rd post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

Reflecting

We do not have friends or family killed in combat, yet we are thankful to all those who served. Bob always takes pictures of flags and we both study the memorials. This war memorial in Webster Springs, WV, was eloquent and our reflection in the four panels reminds me of the special times we shared as a couple in 2012.

This is my 492nd post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

He Paints

The poem is by Marcia Leaser as published in the Ideals Easter book. "He paints the sun a golden hue, paints joy where sorrows grew, paints the crystal mountain streams, paints our lonely lives with dreams, paints love. . . on you and me."

Pictures from Summersville and Webster Springs, WV. Good Friday, 2012

This is my 491st post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

Benches

I love pictures of benches in the scenic places we visit but rarely sit on them. I always get photos of the view from the bench which I enjoy in any type of weather.

Pictures of benches from Summersville Lake overlook, UVA, and Webster Springs with accompanying views.

This is my 490th post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

Special

The sign at Summersville Dam was titled "A Special Place". I shortened it to "Special", as any time with Bob is special.

On Good Friday, we went back to Summersville (WV) dam, an earthen dam we had visited in 2005. The hydroelectric dam has a spill way and fishermen delight in casting their lines there. The picture at bottom right was taken in 2005. We were there at a different time of day and year so were able to do the self timer with the spillway in the background. I was back lit in the picture at the left, so I added a photoshop filter to it for effects. ("Filter", "Render Lighting Effects", "Omni")

I first cut a frame for the layout, but wasn't that happy with it, so I'll keep the cutout frame for later.

This is my 489th post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

My Wild Irish Rose

My Mom and Dad met their second great grandchild, Freya Rose, when some of the family met on Easter Sunday. My sister Amy sent this adorable photo. She said the baby loved Mom. My Mom wrote "My Wild Irish Rose" on a birth photo print out. Mom's side of the family has Irish heritage. This page is for her. Freya is my sister Terry's second grandchild, daughter to Steve and Laura Michael. April 2012

For the "corner" I cut a Making Memories "Sabrina" frame in half (thus I still have another beautiful "corner" to use!)

This is my 488th post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

Offshore

It didn't matter that the Summersville Lake had not been filled. The chained docks lying on the dry mud at the bottom of the poles made a neat design. The driftwood and beer bottles, once on the lake bottom, were visible. The early boaters were happy just to get out. Bob and I had plenty to photograph. April 2012

I chained the brown "poles" to my background, just as the brown poles in the lake were chained to the dock. When the dam is opened and the lake fills, the docks rise with the water yet stay chained to the poles so as to not drift away. Here is my detail:

This is my 487th post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! I appreciate your visits!

Bank Menu

This Summersville restaurant location was unique. Located in the former Nicholas County Bank, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. We enjoyed our lunch in the balcony overlooking the tables below. Good Friday getaway. April 2012.

For this layout I made a 12 X 12 inch digital print of the restaurant interior and used it as the background for my layout.

I added appliqued tulips to match the live ones in the restaurant vases.

The pink dogwood border matched the trees outside the restaurant. I added some splatters of paint.

This is my 486th post. At post 500, I will select a winner for a nice giveaway. Any comments left until then is a chance to win! My thanks for the visits!

Happy Easter and a Giveaway

He paints the sun a golden hue, paints joy where sorrows grew.

Paints the crystal mountain streams, paints our lonely lives with dreams.

Paints love on you and me.

The words are from the Ideals Easter, "He Paints" by Marcia Leaser.

It was 4 years ago on Memorial Day 2008 that I started by blog. Soon I will be on my 500th post. At that time, I will choose 1 random winner for either a scrapbook.com gift certificate or I will shop for you at the Great American Scrapbook Convention. Each time you comment on a future post, I will enter your name in the drawing. Thanks for all your support and Happy Easter!

The Best Girl Scout Leader Ever

Gertie Grove, Nancy's mother, was our girl scout leader throughout the 10 years we were in scouts. . . and she had her hands full! We were an ornery bunch! Gert didn't miss much and led us through our activities--memorable to this day. Nancy is shown here during the Skyline Caverns trip sneaking a pose on the cop's motorcycle in 1966.

Little Ms.

This is little me at our old house with my friend Debbie. I don't remember Debbie, but I do remember the yard and the swing and my Mom whose accessories I adorn probably pretending to be her. 1956