HAPPY SPRING!  I am ready for spring to begin.  You can see the color of the sky and early morning clouds change this time of year.  They seem soft and fresh...What is it about spring that brings us renewed hope?   Oh and the smell.  The rains wash over that dirty snow as it melts away and new life pushes up with promises of colors and fragrances blessing the earth.  I have already taken the grandboys to see the chicks and ducklings at the farm store.  All fluff and no feathers they PEEP the sound of spring.


Song of Solomon 2
10My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

11For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

OK I give up on trying to arrange these pictures.  You will get the idea. This is the doll in Art Doll Quarterly.  I tried to scan the pictures from the magazine but  they didn't turn out. Then I tried to use my camera...still no luck.  I feel so priveledged to have her in there.   I am famous now...and am expecting a call from Oprah anyday to be on her show! (this is the place you are supposed to be laughing)  The submission was for a doll made from recycled materials.  The new term is to upcycle.  All of my dolls are from recycled materials so it was a simple request.  Jane Desrosier was the one who organized the doll group I am in to do a group submission.  I had never looked at the magazine before.    It is filled with all kinds of dolls...some I love and others not so much.  But I love the creativity and just the love of making dolls.  They come alive as you work on them and whisper stories in your ear, if you have the heart to listen....

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.  Helen Keller

I've been off on a new trail these past 5 weeks.  I needed to make some changes, lots of big ones, in my life.  One change is my eating choices.  I decided to try the vegan path for a while and see what kind of changes that will bring about for my body, mind, and spirit.  It takes a lot of thinking to make a change in how you look at and use food.  One change is the loss of 18 pounds.  My brain fog is gone.  I feel great...but that could be because spring is just days away.  Oh happy day.  I am finding that you can eat healthy and enjoy the food you are eating.  Quinoa is a tiny grain that is packed with goodness.  Today for breakfast I had 1/2 cup of quinoa (pronounced keenwah) with 1/2 cup of soymilk that I had blended 3 strawberries into.  YUM..serious.  I have also learned to make these delicious cookies that are totally healthy (as long as you use organic ingredients.)  To get started you need to soak two cups of nuts for a day or two ( I use 1 c. almonds and I take the skins off after soaking.  If the skins are difficult I blanch them for just a few seconds and then the skins pop right off. I use walnuts for the other cup.  After they are soaked they need to be drained.  OK so now you need to get your food processor with the s blade and put your 2 cups of nuts, one cup of raisins, 1 teaspoon Vanilla flavoring, + one teaspoon orange flavoring (or any flavoring you like)+ 1 tablespoon organic cocoa.  (I have also used carob)  Mix this in the processor until it forms into a dough ball.  Take it by the tablespoonful and roll it into balls , then roll those in dried shredded coconut.  Store in the refrigerator.  ENJOY!