Bugs in my yard

Is that enough pollen?


I found out this is a red-banded leafhopper. Remember the treehopper I found last July?
Am loving my macro lens!

Milkweed and caterpillars!

Rememeber last year? I think these ones are monarchs!Here's my post about black swallowtails in case you missed it.

Birthday Boy, Bunnies, and Bands

Yes, there was another birthday in the family(and even another with only ice cream);
this time a nephew...







and here is our "white ball of fur" chasing rabbits...


Also had a late night out and got to see our friends who play in bands.






Here are some links: Urban John and Vehicles.

I thought we'd be the oldest ones at the gig, but were pleasantly surprised! Remember, my profile says I'm closer to 40 than 30 and I'm usually at home by 9:30 or I turn into spaghetti squash.

By the way, did you know Taylor Martin from Vehicles also has a bluegrass album? Check it out here: Taylor Martin if you like that kind of music. I think it's awesome!

From the pottery standpoint, classes are going to start up late next week. I have a teapot on the shelf waiting to be glazed, so will have it done hopefully in a couple of weeks. Am thinking of doing some more bowls with legs and also pondering on the idea of making my very own chai pet... and of course Vertigo III. Also, my instructor will probably come up with a class project and then I will have too many ideas and not enough time. Maybe I should sign up for three classes a week? Nah...guess I have to work, too. Someone has to pay for all that clay.

Have a Safe Memorial Day!

What's growin'

Dill...



Money(have to figure out which bank will take this kind)...







Beards...
...oh yeah, and my husband's growing older (but we all are, aren't we?).


I DID NOT decorate the cake, nor do I want a cake in any way resembling this when I turn said age! Love you, Honey!!!

Dyck Arboretum

Last Friday, I went to the Dyck Arboretum. It was during one of the two times a year when they hold FloraKansas: The Great Plains Plant Bazaar. They sell a large variety native plants...which means if you put them in the right spot you don't have to water them when they're established. I have a lot of natives in my front flowerbed.


Neff Family Farm was also there. They have a wonderful variety of herbs! I bought English thyme and chocolate mint, as I only had a $5 bill left.



While I was there, this plane kept passing by. At first I thought it was a student pilot from Hesston College...
But then I saw the crop duster paraphernalia on it.

p.s.Are any of you North Dakota readers pleasantly reminded of the lovely remake of Ghostriders In the Sky by Mylo Hatzenbuhler?

Quick post

Am still alive...Here are some pictures from Sunday at Botanica.

Check back in a day or two for pictures from the Dyck Arboretum.

Happy May Day and other things...

Thanks to my lovely neighbor friends who "May Day'd" me with the lovely flowers!









Here are some pictures from a couple of weeks ago from the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.


Finally got to walk the sculpture walk, and here is one of the "thinker" statues. Guess there are 20 of them around the world according to Wikipedia.






For some reason, the grounds and Nelson-Atkins Building remind me of the N.D. State Capitol. The steps face south with a big lawn,there is a revolving door with brass, the art-deco or romanesque architecture and stone steps...but instead of a statue of Sacagawea it's "The Thinker", instead of various tree specimens they have bronze bulbous sculptures along the walk, and instead of the garden of petunias spelling out North Dakota there are giant-sized shuttlecocks.

Now that reminds me, I think I need to go back again, as I missed the big pool of water that is shown in all the commercials. Where is that big pool of water?










p.s.Click here for some funny pictures.

Mini-daffodil and Vertigo II

I used Coyote Crazed Coyote glaze on top of Black/Brown Duncan Covercoat. It's interesting that it turned out navy and kind of ran. This is the good side, since there is an area on the other side where the glaze didn't cover--either too much glaze or not enough.

Overland Park Arboretum

Easter '09

Here's a quick glimpse of last Sunday--an Easter bunny and candy, etc.(thanks, Kansas Mom!), 2-1/2 church services including the sunrise service, Easter hat, bells and trumpets and choir, nephews, old friends, pancakes, boy scouts, wearing new Easter jeans instead of dress, rain, baptisms, more food including steak and Thai food, more rain, etc.

Oh yeah, and a long afternoon nap!

Photoshop effects

Yes, it's been over a week since I posted. This is what I've been doing. Aren't these cousins cute?!!!

They are my friends' lovely children and their cousins.

Recent creations

A few weeks ago, I made a few sprigs or stamps out of clay and made a couple of mugs using them. The first one is definitely my mug, and I'm not giving it away. Why? It has my name on it. That's the Chinese symbol for "Kim". A Korean lady in my pottery class showed me how to make it. The second symbol is something I revised from the book Ceramics from Islamic Lands from the library.












And this is a luminary with a large tealight.
















This is a photo from last summer that I revised in photoshop, making the background black and white. That's my husband's finger. Am still deciding if I like this look.











Click here if you're new to my blog and don't know about my "Butterfly Rescue Mission".

One week ago...

Am also taking a Photoshop class to help get me more familiar with my PS Elements software. I usually only use it to crop and tweak the colors.

Here is my before and after picture using a technique reminiscent of something called the Orton Effect (originally with film). It's supposed to give it a dreamy effect. Can you tell the difference?


Am also traveling vicariously through my friend, Kelly, who is in Germany right now. You can go to her blog here.

Happy April Fool's Day (the Beanboozled post)!!!

Have you been Beanboozled yet? Check out the link and then come back. You will understand all the weird faces. These are available at Super Target in case you want to get in on the fun.

Buz didn't much like the baby wipes flavor!



Chanda ate four assorted beans for $5.

Ty also had a little trouble with the baby wipes flavor.

And the champion is....JASON!!! He tried ALL OF THEM!!!

If you ask him, the worst one was the rotten egg flavor.

The box says this is the first edition. I have a good idea for second edition--chicken fat.