Sonoma County California

I'm going South tomorrow morning to Santa Rosa California to visit my friends and family. I haven't been back for 2-1/2 years and it is a vacation long over due. I'm going to stay with my friend April and hang out with her two daughters. I've got many other people I'm planning to see and lots of shopping - and I mean lots of shopping.

This is my favorite place along River Road heading towards the coast. The mustard grass grows in every year in Spring. This is a scan I did off of a card I bought years ago. The photographer is is Robert Janover taken in 1993. He calls it "Before the Vines."

This is a view from the house I use to live in before moving to Oregon. The fog rolls in every night and cools things off in the Summer. This is a picture of the fog in the morning before it burned off. This is a Western view looking towards Guerneville and Jenner.

This is a picture after the fog burned off. You are looking at the Korbel valley. Their vineyards are below all through the valley.

Another view looking further to the South West. Lots of Douglas Fir, some Oaks, Redwoods and many other varieties of trees. I do miss the smell of the trees but I don't miss the poison oak I had for 9 months out of the year.

I'm not sure if I will be able to post until I get back on Monday. I'll take my camera with me and who knows maybe I will be able to share the adventure with you.

Until Next Time

Kathleen

Bandon Wild Game Park

The Bandon Wild Game Park http://www.gameparksafari.com/ is certainly a highlight to any visit to Bandon. I've been there a couple of times. I feel like a little kid when I walk through the gift shop into the park outside. You are greeted with varying sizes of goats, deer and a donkey that my friend Kris calls Shrek. You can purchase food for the animals inside the gift shop but you should be careful with giving little kids or anyone scared of animals one of the cones filled with food. When you walk in the park the little wandering animals smell the food and sometimes they are a little pushy trying to get their share. Don't let that deter you from coming though. It is an experience you will cherish for the rest of your life. I'm always trying to fit in a visit. You can check out the website to see what small animals they will have for petting such as Salton below.



The first time Kris and I saw Salton he was so little. About the size of a spaniel dog. They allowed us into a pen with him and one of us kept his mouth busy with a toy while the other one got to pet him. We traded off in order to experience what touching a small white Bengal tiger was like. In this photo Salton was too big to touch anymore but they would bring him into the pen and allow you get close to take pictures.

Another one of Salton. He has such a sweet disposition. He will always hold a special place in my heart since I touched him when he was little. You can go to the park website (see link above) and see photos of Salton when he was little. They always have little ones to touch. You can find out from the website what animals will be available for petting. I've also touched a small black bear once. The fur on the bear was real coarse - nothing like I thought it would be.

Another one of Salton.

And another one. This one he is playing with a log. He was about the size of a Lab in this photo.

This is a mountain lion cub that we were able to pet. These animals are amazing to see up close. I actually had a mountain lion growl at me when I lived in the country here in Oregon several years back. That was the last straw of country life for me and I begged Damian to move into the city area. We compromised and we are on the edge of the city where the country begins here in Ashland.

Another one of the mountain lion cub.

You can hear this big guy sometimes making this loud sort of huffing/baying noise all the way from the parking lot. The thought of hearing that in the wild is enough to stand your hair on ends. He mostly just lays around though.

The female. She kept looking at the little goat who was scratching his head on the chain link fencing. I'm sure she was thinking, "Come on deary just a little closer and you will be lunch." You can see the electric wiring which is in two layers around the inside of each chain link fence cage.

The female tiger was a little restless when we were there and she kept pacing up and down her cage. They walk so close to you. It is something to be that close. Of course, as you can tell from other postings - I am a cat person.

This black panther shot shows more of the chain link fencing which they call home. Sad I know but no matter how much I like cats I wouldn't want to be there without the fence.

And I saved this shot for last because Kris is going to kill me when she finds out I posted this. My friend Kris is holding a little baby wallaby. It was so cute. They have various animals that they will let you hold. On this particular visit one of them was a wallaby. They had the little fellow in a baby pen with a little pouch for him to sleep in. His mother either died or abandoned him I can't remember which. So when you are in Bandon, Oregon you must consider the Wild Game Park as a must see!

Until Next Time

Kathleen

Little Bandon Bathroom Project

This little shelf had gold accents where it is now painted white. I wanted it to be white to match the other white accents in the bathroom such as the handles on the faucet. I wasn't sure how it would work as the accents were metal. I took the whole shelf holder apart and sanded the metal pieces then I used a Krylon Spray paint primer for metal. Then I spray painted the pieces with Krylon White Spray paint for metal. I'm happy with the way it turned out.

This is what the shelf looked like before I painted the gold pieces white. I really couldn't beat the price of the shelf. It was $5.00 at the Goodwill store in Phoenix Oregon. It still had the original price tag of $45.99. I don't have anything in the bathroom which is gold but I couldn't pass us the shelf as I had been pricing them. With the pedestal sink there is no storage so we needed something to hold you know your bathroom stuff like the toothbrush etc.



Take a look at the window curtain to the right of the sink. This is actually an old embroidered pillow case. I've got some new fabric to use for the shower & window curtains. It turned out so well though that I may use them in the kitchen.

This is what the shelf looks like with the sink. I had too much in the bathroom to get a full shot to include the mirror. I will do that soon though.

Until Next Time

Kathleen

For the Love of Hankies - For the Love of My Father

Happy Father's Day Dad - I Miss You!

A picture of me and my Dad outside of our house in Odessa, Texas in 1961. I was four years old.

As a child one of my chores was ironing my Dad's hankies. It was a chore I really enjoyed. I would take a freshly washed hankie and spray it with a bottle of water and iron each one out flat, fold it in- half, iron it again and fold it in-half again. I'd run the iron over both sides of the now eighth size hankie and ta da a freshly ironed hankie. I'd make a big pile and stack them on top of my Dad's side of the dresser. Sometimes there would be an initial of a J for my father's first name of John or C for his last name of Crawford. I remember a couple of subdued plaid border hankies and the occasional bandanna (which I believe he used when he wore his overalls) but mostly they were white. Of course my favorite Father's Day gift to give my dad as a child was more hankies.

My parents and I often would go to flea markets, garage sales and antique stores. I have fond memories of roaming around for hours looking for treasures. I remember I was at a flea market when I purchased my first hankie. It was a "Goldie Locks and the Three Bears" print and I paid 25 cents for it (a quarter could buy you a lot back then.) My second one was a Pinocchio print with a yellow border. I would put the hankies in the little purse I'd sometimes carry around. It wasn't until I got to be in my teens that I really expanded my collection though. I favored flower prints and again I would carry them in my purse or pocket. I never actually used them for blowing my nose. They were useful wiping mascara off the corner of my eye. As an adult my collection grew quite large and I began tying them onto the strap of my purses. I have actually lost many hankies this way as they tend to work their way free if I don't keep an eye on them.

Not long after my Father died I asked my Mother if I could have one of my Dad's hankies. She told me that she had already gotten rid of them and wondered why I would want an old hankie any way. Not long after she gave me three hankies she had crocheted lace around the edge. When my Aunt Ora heard the story about me wanting one of my Dad's hankies she gave me two of my Uncle Mike's white hankies. She told me she knew they could not replace the memories and comfort my Father's hankies could give me but she wanted me to have some which had a deep family connection. A couple of years later I found a hankie in an antique store which had the word "Father" embroidered on it. I purchased it because it looked like one my Father would have owned.

When I had my antique booth I sold many of the hankies I had purchased over the years. I kept 10 which I considered very special. That didn't last long though and I now have a small collection of 25 hankies. I'm still partial to flower prints and I still enjoy ironing them. Every time I look at the one tied onto my purse strap or the ones hanging in the window of the guest room, they remind me of a small connection I have with my Father and a reminder that I was loved by a very adventurous soul - My Father.

Father hankie I found in an antique store with a photo of my Dad aboard one of the ships he was stationed on during WWII. He served on the USS Pennsylvania and the USS North Carolina.

The hankies my mother gave me.

Some of my printed hankies.

Another flower print hankie.

One of my favorites.

White hankies. The one with my initial was given to me as a gift.

The white hankies in the window of my guest room in Ashland.

Until Next Time

Kathleen

Oh Boy - I've been Tagged!!!

I've been tagged by Laura at Laura Bruen photography blog http://www.shoot-scoop.com/ I couldn't be more thrilled! This is my first tagging and for me it is a rite of passage into the blogging world. Thank you Laura!!

So here it goes:

1) Where were you 10 years ago? I was living in Forestville, California in Sonoma County. My husband and I owned and operated a photocopy shop called Advanced Reproduction Center (ARC) in Santa Rosa, California. Damian wanted to be first in the phonebook so that is how he came up with the name. We were both getting burned out so we were already thinking of selling the business. The business is still around. We sold it to one of our employees and he has done a great job in expanding it. Ten years ago both of my parents were still alive. Boy it is hard to believe so much has happened in th last ten years.

2) Five items on your to-do list today.

1. Update Blog
2. Meet with Kris
3. Start packing for trip to Sonoma County (trip next weekend)
4. Call April
5. Laundry

3) Snacks I enjoy - Fresh Fruit, Dill Pickles - those are the good healthy things but I also enjoy cookies and plain m&m's. I also like toast and tea.

4) What would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. I'd go back to school and become a professional student. I'd get a degree in Asian studies, screen writing, some kind of art degree, and take many foreign language courses.
2. I'd purchase houses/condo's in London, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco, Santa Rosa (I still like the place), Hong Kong, New York City and rent some of them out for vacation rentals and visit whenever I like. I'd still keep my Bandon house and I would purchase at least one other house there.
3. I'd purchase a house for my sister Becky.
4. I'd purchase an old VW beetle for my sister Suzy.
5. I'd take my sisters on a vacation.
6. I'd help out various family members.

5) Places I would live: I suppose you could get the answer to this in question 4. Out of all the places I listed above Hong Kong is the only one I haven't visited. If I had to narrow it down though I suppose San Francisco would be top on my list. Even though I was born in Texas and my family says, "Once a Texsan always a Texsan," we moved to California when I was eight. I lived most of my young life in Southern California and moved to Northern California when I was 21. I'm really a Northern California girl at heart no matter where I live. Sonoma County was a nice place to live and close to San Francisco. So we were able to visit often. I worked for a time in San Francisco and loved the energy there.

6) 5 Bloggers I'm passing the challenge onto:

1. Lisa http://coastalnest.blogspot.com/
2. Connie http://namesconnie.blogspot.com/
3. http://www.novembersbreeze.blogspot.com/
4. Angel who is a new blogger and could use some encouragement from us http://www.themanylivesofangel.blogspot.com/
5. Okay I'm one short but maybe I'll find someone else to add later.

I Saw Red Day Four

I want to thank everyone leaving comments. I can't believe how much fun I'm having meeting so many new people. I'll have more time to get back to everyone at the weekend - so please leave me your site or email address. If I've been on your site I'll know how to find you. There are some incredible sites out there and I enjoy visiting them.

Flowers outside my house in Ashland.

Okay, yes this is a different Eiffel Tower Soap Dispenser which is in the master bathroom. This one I got at TJ Maxx in Eugene, Oregon. I have a small collection and many pictures of the Eiffel Tower in my home. I've only hiked to the top once and it was an experience I will never forgot.

My little pepper mill

I also have a small collection of flower pins made of china. I see my last two pictures are a bit fuzzy. Anyone, have suggest on getting good pictures. I'm not sure if it is because I don't have enough light or if I just need a better camera or what.

Until Tomorrow when . . . .

"I Saw Red"

Kathleen

I Saw Red Day Three

And the Red continues. . . . This is the picture that is on my desktop. I wish I could take credit for it but I can't. I don't even know who took it (sooo bad.) I downloaded it off of google images. This is San Francisco Chinatown at night. I love it because it makes me feel like I'm there.

My mouse pad which has a bit of red in it.

On my bulletin board above my laptop at home is this little ornament of my family crest. I've got some Scottish on both my mother and father's side. Crawford is my maiden name. Sometime I will share more of my Scottish history and recipes. I apologize for the fuzzy picture. The little tag is from a fortune cookie held on by the red flower push pin it reads "The key to success is making dreams come true." Oh how I believe that. I hope you are having lots of success in your life.

My friend Patty gave this to me. She was always saying, "Oh bless their heart," or "Oh bless your heart etc." I always laughed when she said it so when she found this little Raggedy Ann doll she couldn't resist getting it for me.

Until Tomorrow with more. . . .

"I Saw Red"

Kathleen

I Saw Red Day Two

"I Saw Red" day two - yes this is another red step stool. This one I keep in the master closet to reach those high up places. This stool was in my mother's kitchen for years. It was painted green then and I use to sit on it when I talked on the telephone (for what probably seemed like hours to my parents). On top is my new work bag that I got at a garage sale on Saturday.

Up close of the new work bag. You got to just love this power red color. One of my neighbors is moving out of state and had this bag in her garage sale for $5.00. I'd actually been looking for a new bag just that day at the Goodwill store. I attached a little red rose hankie to one of the straps. I actually have lost many hankies doing this but I can't resist the way they looked tied onto the strap of a purse or work bag.

If you haven't guessed by now I love almost anything to do with Paris. I found this years ago at a thrift store in Santa Rosa. I can't even remember which one it has been that long ago. It looks like a receipt book (I really don't know what the real name of it is) that a restaurant would present you with your bill inside. I always like to think it came from the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a movie fanatic. I haven't been set up with cable or satellite for about four years. I watch movies about 4 times a week. It use to be more like 5 or 6 nights a week but I'm cutting down. We watch many foreign movies. My husbands favorites are . . . well yes French ones. I like all kinds of movies. I do tend to watch a lot of Chinese movies. Not necessarily the fighting ones although I like some of those too. The ones which are my favorites are comedies. My favorite Chinese actors are Sammi Cheng, Andy Lau, Daniel Wu, and Jay Chou to name a few. At work I listen to music by Sammi Cheng and the soundtrack to "Initial D." I wish you could learn Chinese that way. I have picked up some Chinese but not enough to be worth much.

Until Tomorrow with another day of

"I Saw Red"

Kathleen

I Saw Red In The Kitchen

I hope you are playing Sara's "I saw red." You can view all the detail of the game by clicking on the link on my side bar. This is so much fun. I love the color red. As a wee child it was my favorite color. My mother gave each child a color when I was growing up. I don't remember what the boys colors were but I remember Becky was lavender, Suzy was blue and I was red. It was my mother's way of keeping six kids organized. I had a red towel, red toothbrush, lots of red clothes my mother sewed etc. Anyway, here are some red things I found in the kitchen.

My Eiffel tower bottle which I keep the red dish soap in. I like to keep it on this cake plate I found at the thrift store years ago. The crochet dish cloths my mother made me years ago.

The red and yellow tea cozy my mother-in-law Veronica crocheted for me. This is my favorite mug for drinking my tea in. It is a Chagall art mug. Also there is a PG Tips tea tin in the back.

The red scoop in the sugar container.

My red stool in the pantry. You won't believe I got this great stool at the Ashland Goodwill years ago for $2.00. I couldn't believe my luck. I still can't believe it.

Until Tomorrow with More ... "I Saw Red"

Kathleen

Here is the Bandon Table & The Blanket (Toy) Chest

I got many comments on painting an oak table white. It seems everyone thought I was making a mistake. You see I have longed for those white tables in many of the decorating magazines. I'm really happy with the way the table turned out. It is nice having a nice solid table to eat on out at the coast. I hope you will all agree it turned out great.

Remember this is what it use to look like. It had some chew marks along the base so that would had made refinishing it to the wood finish a bit more difficult. As it is I just did lots of sanding and now you can't tell where some dog chewed on the base.

The blanket (toy) chest turned out amazing. See I love to get pieces that make a drastic change when you redo them. I painted the chest inside and out with the ICI Swiss Mocha (as I did with the table). I was able to store many blankets and pillows inside. The cottage doesn't have much storage space so this was a major piece to add. I lucked out too because it fit perfectly where I wanted it to go. I added new silver hinges which look better than the original black ones. I'm going to make a cushion and some little pillows for it now.

Can you believe it use to look like this? I have this in the little guest room at the cottage. It will make a good spot for guest to put their suit case or using as a little seat once I get those pillows and cushion made.

A picture of the table during the process. See the old door in the back ground that use to be the front door to the cottage. I'm trying to think of ways to reuse it. Any suggestions?

Another picture during the process. The base has just the primer on it. The tub in the back ground will be going back into the cottage once I'm done with the refinishing (should be done during June). The outside of the tub and the feet use to be painted purple.

Tools of the trade. The first step in refinishing was to wiped down the table and the toy chest with this gloss remover. I had forgotten how much easier it makes the paint stick. I also sanded a bit to rough up the surface.

I had a can of this in my stash of goodies so I decided to use it for my primer as I was running low on white flat paint. I actually liked the way this went on and it seemed to cover really well. I used two coats of this on the table and chest before applying the ICI Swiss Mocha paint. I think I may use this stuff on all my new projects as well.

Okay now this was my original inspiration for the white table. Wouldn't it be great to find chairs like this. This is a page from a recent Pottery Barn catalog I received in the mail.

Until Next Time

Kathleen