Crazy Storm Video Downtown Newberg, Oregon June 4, 2009

This was the craziest storm I've ever witnessed in Oregon in my entire 29 years here. It was 80 degrees, I was outside with my friend Cindy's daughter saying 'hi' to the tabby alley cat next to the jewelry studio. The temperature dropped instantly to around 60 degrees outside, the sky grew yellow and black, and an amazing wind with strength that rivals the Columbia Gorge at it's best began to blow. Dust, Bark dust and leaves pelted my camera while I tried to take video. Cindy screamed at me to stay inside. Me?? Yeah right, I never miss the opportunity for a great storm session. Trees were bending, bowing, nearly touching the sidewalks and lawns with their limbs. A tree across the street at the bookstore snapped in half and landed on the awning.

The storm lasted all of about 2 hours. The winds brought the largest raindrops to follow it's act. I left the studio and headed home. The road was littered with heart shaped cottonwood tree foliage, dirt and dust. We had a few trees that fell. One Cottonwood snapped in two life a toothpick. It really was memorable and a testament to the strength of nature.

I am trying to upload the video short I took, hmmmm......I hope I can figure it out.

JEWELRY!!!!

I've been trying to get some jewelry pieces done for the upcoming sale at Camp Cactus. Check out Jane's Blog in my favorites links to get the info on this local artist craft and art sale. My hands are sore but it was sure worth it. It feels good to get something accomplished and to get my minde off of everything going on in IrisLand.


Squared Sterling Silver with Brown Picture Jasper

Sterling Silver and Pink Swvarski Crystal

Sterling and Amber with Black-Eyed Susan Pendant

Congo and the Bandit, Cockers Take over NE Portland Home!!!

This is Congo and Bandit. My parents dogs, my moms babies. Congo is the Black and White, or Party Mix Cocker and Bandit is the miniature St. Bernard. Congo just turned 12 years old!!! I raised him when I was 17. Bandit was really sick with a Thyroid condition for years. He was so miserable. Now that he is on thyroid medication he is a different dog. Happy, loving and overly enthusiastic, as any self respecting spaniel would be. Bandit is hilarious, Congo is too, less so since he went stone cold deaf in the last year. We still talk to him.

Family Dinner, Sun Play, & Flowers, ahhhhh

Never can I pass up warm light sunset rays when I have a camera in hand. Forrest's Mom Stacey lives on Bull Mountain and has these amazing picture windows that look out onto the Oregon Coast Range and lets in the the most amazing light. I spend hours looking out through them when we watch her house. We were over for a belated 30th Birthday Dinner for my man. It was nice and calm. Great Copper River Salmon. mmmmm. Stacey's iris' were still in bloom and gorgeous.

Oh Riley!!

This dog worked her way into our lives and hearts. She is one of the silliest dogs ever and talks to me all the time. She can be such a baby than turn and be so independent you can't break her concentration. Her instincts are very wild. Maybe she has Akita, Husky, or Malamute in her. She sure acts like a hard-headed snow dog. Someone told me a few days ago at a bbq that Riley looks like the healthiest homeless street dog they'd ever seen. A little rough around the edges, maybe.

Planting the Veggie Garden

My friend Roxanne came over and helped me plant seeds last month. Rosie is really good at digging holes for me to plant things in, all I have to do is point where I want it and she digs it out. Pretty cool to have help with that. Good Dog.

My Saga Continues, FOUND: The Cause of My Horrendous Back and Side Pain

SOOOOO...... I have been having horrible, piercing, persistent bi-lateral side pain since last fall. This March my back was so bad I was crawling, non-stop crying, and the symptoms have never fully resided. In February I went into urgent care with really bad side pains in what I thought may have been appendicitis. I was sent home with a diagnosis of chronic constipation, lovely, I know you all wanted to know that. That diagnosis is true enough, what they neglected to tell me was that I still have my Esssure implants in from my sterilization surgery nightmare and it is protruding 1-2millimeters out of my uterine lining. My primary care doctor told me this last week when I went in to have my back checked. As I have said before, I can take pain, even this extreme pain, I was resolved to live with it miserably for the rest of my life. I had surgery in June 2008 to remove the implants and my fallopian tubes. My surgeon felt it was the best option and wanted to be sure I didn't have anymore complications with the Essure Coil Implants. So why are they still in me, floating around, hanging partially out of my uterus causing me untolerable pain? It was such a tough decision to be sterilized, I wanted to have my own biological children with the man I love. We weren't willing to risk my life and Forrest and I made this decision with much thought and counseling. This is one of many complications with this procedure and my emotions emerge again every time something happens. I am scared, worried, and hurting. Surgery was the last thing on my mind, I have had my fill. I find out next week what I have to do, these implanted coils have to come out. Either by themselves, or with my uterus attached. This sucks!!!