Happy 4th of July!

Just wanted to pop in to wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday weekend. I hope it will be filled with feasting and festivities.

And that you manage to get some rest and relaxation too.

It was a Wonderful Week

It started out by gathering the family at Sunriver

We went fishing

and boating

And just floating around the lake.

We also went golfing

And then we did some running (which has become a family tradition) at the Pacific Crest sports weekend

And when we were finished with our run, we celebrated with . . . .

And then we watched others finish their races and cheered them on

All-in-all it was a wonderful week

How to Make Alcohol Ink

You can make alcohol ink with cool aid and rubbing alcohol. If you want to find out how to do it, check out this website here.

I'm going to make some of this alcohol ink and try my hand at a few crafting projects. After I finish the projects I'll post them.

But, if you've ever done any crafts with alcohol ink, please post your tips in the comments.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - REVIEW

So, my family all went to see How To Train Your Dragon 2 and there were a couple things I didn't like, like the fact that all the Vikings had Scottish accents...okay I know there might have been some Celtic Vikings but, when you think of a Viking, you should be thinking Norsemen and women from Scandinavia not Scotland!

And I didn't like how the Mom got off so easily...I mean come on! They could have thought of a better reason for her not to return home...like she couldn't find her way, she was lost, she had amnesia...something for crying out loud!

And then I was totally surprised (maybe even a little shocked) when the Dad didn't get back up, even as the boat sailed out and the arrow soared up into the air...I kept expecting him to recover.

So, I wanted to see what a couple of kids would think of the show and I had a friend ask her kids: Everett and Emma (pictured up above) and here are my questions and their answers.

1) What did you think of How To Train Your Dragon2:

EVERETT: It was AWESOME!

EMMA: I loved it.

2) What was your favorite dragon:

EVERETT: Toothless

EMMA: Stormfly

3) What did you think about when the Dad died?

EVERETT: I thought it was so sad. He also cried.

EMMA: He didn’t die, he got up later.

EVERETT: No he didn’t, he died.

EMMA: Does that mean he’s in Heaven

4) What was the favorite part of the movie:

EVERETT: When the two Alphas fought.

EMMA: When when Hiccup got to meet his mommy!

So, there you have it...How to Train Your Dragon2 from an adult's perspective and a couple of kids' perspectives.

Now, go watch the movie and let me know what you thought of it. 

Can You See Me Now by Estela Bernal

Can You See Me Now by Estela Bernal is on the shelves now at Powell's and she will have a book opening on June 30th at the Cedar Hills at 7:00 p.m.

Published by Arte Publico, Can You See Me Now is an emotional story of a young girl's loss and her ways of coping with tragedy.

The cover was designed by Gigi and you can read about her creative process here.

If you're going to be in the Portland area on June 30th, go to Powell's and listen to Estela tell you all about the story.

4th of July Fingernails

I love to decorate for every holiday and the 4th of July is no exception. So, today I went to get my nails done and thought why not have something playful?

Now, with my pillows on my benches and the flowers out in the yard, I even have my fingers done for the occasion.

How bout you? Any 4th of July decorations?

Willamette Writers Meeting July 1st

On Tuesday, July 1st, at the Old Church in downtown Portland, Willamette Writers Stevan Allred, will talk about his collection of linked stories, A Simplified Map of the Real World.

 Meetings start at 7:00 pm, and the doors open at 6:30.