Merry Christmas everyone!

Murphy was getting a little upset as Tanner (foreground) wouldn't pose where I wanted him to. He is just a ham!

I amde this a few years ago. It does have a candle in the middle, but we decided to keep the clock up and the candle just wouldn't work out there.

I hope everyone had a great day (weekend). Ours was good. Family time on both sides. Saw some people that I haven't seen in some time. A little snow on the ground...but tomorrow is suppose to be almost 40 degrees! The irises, daylilies, and scottish broom are very green right now. (this is in WISCONSIN!) They are very confused! But I am not complaining! Hugs, Teresa

Dollhouses. How did you get started with them?

Contest build...Hobby Builder's Supply

Here are some of my houses. My story on how I got started is below. Of course my post is a mess. I don't know what I do wrong. Nothing ever seems to be in order. Maybe I should have started with the pictures and then put the text in. Sorry about that!

Contest build...Hobby Builder's Supply

The house that I worked on from my husband. Lot's of bashing. There is more landscaping behind the fence.

Inside of cabin contest build

Second house. Newburg. Of course we did some bashing. Of course I had to landscape!

Greenleaf contest build. I saw a playhouse in this kit.

I fell in love with them when I went to a museum here and saw the ones on display. One had been built by my great uncle. Grandpa"s brother. A priest. I found one (built but not painted or anything done inside). It came at a good time as my grandpa had just died and it helped me with the sadness. It did fall apart with time as it was put together with hot glue. I was so disappointed that I just got rid of it. Kind of wish I had it back now. Then after I got married my hubby bought me one. It was painted on the outside but we bashed it. Didn't like the cuteness of the stenciling of my obsession hobby. We do work on them together. Jeff likes to build them.  Except the contest ones. Those are all mine. I also love to landscape them. I am working on one now that a friend had built. She painted the outside. I am having trouble with it though as it just isn't talking to me. I have most of the rooms wallpapered/painted and flooring put in. Don't know what my problem with it is (or with me). But that is my story on how I got started with miniatures. What is yours? I think it is interesting to see how everyone got into this obsession hobby (life of minis)! Hugs Teresa

Albino squirrel and tired lawn ornaments

We had seen this guy earlier in the summer. Today he showed up again the feeder. Though maybe he wasn't around anymore. He seems to be the boss. No one is challenging him for the top spot in the feeder! There are 4 squarrils out there. 3 greys and him It is so funny to see them all chasing each other around. Especially him mixed up with them. He is beautiful with the sun shining on him. Hard to tell in the picture as I had to shoot through two dirty windows (patio and sunroom). Nature is wonderful!

I told Jeff that this looks like carnage! This is the neighbors display deflated for the day. Kind of looks sad to me. I don't get to see them inflated as I work evenings/nights when they are standing.
Cold but very sunny today. About 19 degrees F. We do have a windchill. Not sure what the temps are with that. But the sun makes it seem nicer. Glad that it is friday. Tomorrow we will finish the Christmas shopping. Jeff has his knee scoped (tear and ganglion cyst) on tuesday so we want to get the shopping. etc done before then. We don't have many to buy for so it doesn't take us long. Just to figure out what to buy. Can't believe that Christmas is in 16 days! Where has the year gone. Like mom always said...the older you get the faster time goes by.
Have a great day, Teresa

Mini city! This is mind boggling!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACkmg3Y64_s

 

This is something else. All of life is there. From cars, trucks, cities, country, to ambulances, fire trucks, etc. This you must see.

Life is better. Feeling much better. So that makes my mood pick up. :)

Very sunny day today, which also helps. Suppose to rain and snow this weekend. I hope it holds off as we want to get our tree. Then it will really look like Christmas is coming. Jeff was off the other day and he put out a lot of the table, etc decorations. Now just to get the tree!

Went and got fitted for my orthodics yesterday. Hopefully that will help take care of the pain in my feet, hip and knees. Really off balance with my old orthos. Feet change with time. But as they are about 12+ years old they did their job. Really should have gone ALOT sooner, but they worked good until last spring. This should put everything back into alignment. Like I said I had been putting off new ones as they are so expensive and I don't look forward to breaking them in! But there comes a time when you just have to bite the bullet. lol. I will probably kick myself when I feel better for waiting so long. Oh Well such is life.

Not much else new here. FRIDAY! Last day of work for the week. Job is stressful the last couple of months. The new company that manages us now does everything by numbers. So much square feet, this is what you can clean in so much time! I would like to see them do that. Of course I do it as I would rather skip a break then to leave a room not fully cleaned. Luckily 5 of my rooms are offices so I don't have to do much in them each week. But of course they took that into count. :~  Oh well as I said before...such is life.

Well off to work I go. Everyone have a great weekend. Hugs, Teresa

Not my week. But could be worse

I love this picture. It can mean so many things. Hopefulness, hopelessness, courage. Depends on the kind of mood I am in. Today I am seeing it as sad. Teary kind of day.

It has been a hard week. Bad stomach flu, and finding out that my husband needs needs knee surgery. (Kind of a what else can else go wrong kind of week). I stayed away from meeting with my family today so that I didn't get them sick. I was so sick monday and tuesday that I didn't get out of bed for over 24 hours. Just to go (run) to the bathroom. I know TMI. Did read your blogs on my NOOK though between sleeps.  I know my husband's surgery isn't serious, Thank God, but there is 3 things wrong with his knee so 3 surgeries in one. Not sure when it will be as he was suppose to see the dr yesterday and the dr was running late so had to reschedule for monday. He saw the PA who told him that he needed surgery (after the dr read the MRI and told her to tell him this news)  but can't schedule it until he actually sees the dr. Why not schedule the operation and cancel if needed. Don't know why the wait. but at least his knee can be fixed. My birthday is tomorrow. I have to work, but that is o.k. as my Dh has to work also. It WAS his weekend off but.... his monster boss took it. She steals a lot of his weekends. He had made plans on what we were going to do for my birthday, but it will have to wait. At least the places he planned to take me are going on for a few weekends. Festival of Lights, Nutcracker at the Paine Museum. She said that he can have off next saturday...but not holding my breath.
Just have to remember the good things:
A husband who loves me even in the mood I was in today. Crabby and snappy. ( I did apolagize)
Family who loves me.
My dogs who make me laugh and hug.
A good job. Even though frustrating at times :~
No storms like so much of the rest of the country.
Just life in general as so many have it way worse then I do.
Here is to a better tomorrow. Hugs, Teresa

Give me thunder, Give me fireworks, but....

DON'T give me a football game! If we get exited about a Packer football game Tanner jumps on the couch and stares into the corner. Thunder storms don't scare him at all (even though you had to hold his paw if he has to go out in the rain, doesn't like rain in his face at all). Fireworks don't bother him at all. We aren't loud at all during the game...but if we say go, go, go or touchdown he jumps up on the couch and hides his face. After a couple of minutes he stares at Jeff like he is saying enough of that. Then runs over to him to be petted. Until the next play! Just don't lay on that end of the couch as he will sit on you. No matter what body part is there. Head, body etc.  That is his corner when the game is on.  

Last night I made pineapple up-side down cake for Jeff. Gluten Free. Turned out good. I used a gluten free yellow cake mix (man that stuff is expensive) for a start and added from there. Luckily we can find enough for him to eat in regular food. If we had to buy all Gluten Free we would go broke! But sometimes you have to splurge. You would be surprised to see what all has gluten in it. Even some meats if they has solutions added. We buy certain brands of chicken as we know that no solution is added to it. Goes for other kinds of meat also. Then check on the gluten web site often to make sure nothing has changed. But he feels so much better since he was diagnosed and started eating right for him. Of course I can't eat a lot of his kinds of foods as they are high in carbs. Like breads, cookies, etc. Which I shouldn't be eating anyway. I have been kind of lax with my diabetis diet and have to get back on track.

Pretty dark and gloomy today...but it is November in Wisconsin. I can't believe that it is the 20th already! Christmas will be here before we know it!

Chicken veggie soup in the crockpot. I make plenty so that we have some to freeze. Starting to smell really good in here! I freeze a lot of food. Especially things that Jeff can eat. That way we always have something good for the times we are in a hurry. Plus Jeff can pull out abaked chicken breast or something when I have something that he can't have. Better then him having a hot dog when I have pizza.

Well a few things more to do. Hugs, Teresa

Nature in slow motion...WOW!

http://www.youtube.com/v/xHkq1edcbk4?version=3++++

 

I love this one. Really close up shots of birds and bees. Like a ballet!

Not much going on around here. A lot colder then it had been. Guess we have to admit that winter is on it's way. :(  The yard looks so different with all the perennials cut back. When you go from over 300 perennials down to stubs it looks very bare out there! But I did just buy a pray plant that is very colorful. It has pink, white and green stripes. I need to take a picture to show you how pretty it is. It is also a burguny color on the bottom of the leaves. Now to repot it. I really need to have house plants especially in the winter. A little green goes a long way.

They say change is good, but....we are going through so many changes at work now with the new managers that it getting everyone very stressed out. Our hospital brought in an international company to manage us housekeepers. All of our areas have increased. They go by square footage. You should be able to clean so much square footage in so much time. NO MATTER what you run into! O.K. enough whining! I hope you enjoy the video. I did! Hugs, Teresa

Textures and colors

I just love the textures and colors of birds and animals. Can a color be a texture? Sometimes it seems to be.
This picture is of pea hen feathers all fluffed out. (Is pea hen one word or two?) Look how downy they are underneath!

Another pea hen. This one has color which makes me wonder...can color be a texture? Or just make things look textured! 

Look at this giraffs face. If that isn't textured I don't know what is!

Now talk about color and texture! Wouldn't you think that the wattle would just get in the way. No real purpose, just something hanging in front of his beak. Of course maybe it is attractive to the female turkeys. Who knows and how would we ever know.

Turkey feathers all puffed up to impress the female turkey. Interesting view. Pretty even without the tail spread out.

Of course we can't forget the fancy little top knot. 

Look at the difference between the mane and coat.

The pattern is so perfect.

From the hard horn to a soft coat. This guy actually felt more like velvet.
I wonder how God came up with his ideas on how to make each kind of bird and animal different? It just amazes me to see the differences in feathers and fur/hair textures and colors. That is what I enjoy about taking pictures. It makes a person realize the small things in life. Hugs, Teresa

Hiking. Cool places.

This is about the hotel/spa. Interesting place. It was so many things in it's short history. Now it is just a shell. I would have loved to have seen it in all it's glory!

Pictures don't do it justice! It is just beautiful! Even though all that is left is the shell. Interesting history. From Hotel/spa to bar. Haunted? I wouldn't doubt it. So many ledgends attached to this building.

Going down! This staircase brings you down under the bluff/caves and hotel. Lots of caves in the bluffs. Not a lot of sun light gets down there so there is a lot of moss covered rocks. A lot different then other hikes I have been on. This was the last weekend that the park is open for the season. I want to go back next year for the tour when we can go into the big cave.

Interesting tree! There were a lot of deformed trees. But I guess if you had your feet in rocks YOU would be different then if you grew in good soil! But it sure makes for some interesting tree shpes.

A view a long the river. This is in the lowest part of the park. You go from the hotel to caves to mossy rocks, deformed trees to a river. Very diverse area.

Up the road from the hotel and caves we come to Devil River Camp Grounds. Actually the camp is up a steep hill from this "village". Headquarters is in one of these buildings.

The old mill.

Love this picture! Pretty site.

Three of the buildings. Old wagon in the middle building. We had a great time hiking on Saturday. Just think these places are only about 1/2 hour from where we live. Interesting what you find right of a hi-way. It was hard to just pick a few pictures. There were so many interesting things at these places.

This is a picture that I sent into Birds and Blooms years ago of my dog Tiffy ( Tiffany). They are using the picture in a caption contest. I put the link below. It was kind of a shock to see her picture today. Good one...but I do have to admit to a few tears! She has been gone for years already. They had printed her picture in the magazine years ago so they really keep pictures for a long time! I really miss her! I owe her ALOT as she helped keep me keep going  when I was dealing with bad depression. 

Submit your caption in the comments section here: http://bit.ly/u0fIBsSee More

By: Birds & Blooms Magazine

I have to remember this one!

This is so easy to say...doing it can be so hard!

Rest In Peace!

Rest In Peace

Marcia Backstrom. A very talented miniature dollhouse sculpturist.

We bought this doll at the Chicago Internation show in 2010. Right before it was announced that she had cancer. It makes me sad to see another very nice and talented mini artist has passed away. She will be missed!

 It was so hard to pick from all her dolls at the show. But being a Raggetty Ann and Andy lover this one caught my eye the most. But there are so many dolls of hers that I would love to own!

Day trip and favorite park

Cave Point Door County Penninsula Wisconsin

Looking through the trees at my favorite park. Cave Point Door County Wisconsin. I have been going here for years!

Trees twisted by wind and spray over the years.

The rock formations are great at Cave Point!

Sun was starting to go down.

Love this area! Funny how the trees grow out of the rocks!

Lot's of toe snatchers, roots, rocks and fallen trees on the ungroomed part of the trail. Outside park prtoper.

This was on the west side of the penninsula. Very windy today. Opposite ide of penninsula from Cave Point.

Not snow! Foam from the waves and wind. West side of penninsula.

Toe snatchers, (roots), rocks and fallen trees to climb over and under.  Not as young as I use to be. But the views are fantastic! It gets the name Cave Point because the waves have created caves in the rocks over the years. I have been going to this park since I was in my twenties! Winters are also great and the spray coats everything and freezes into shapes.  I hope to get up there this winter! Like usual I got the pictures out of order. I don't know what I do wrong.

Signs of fall

Beautiful mix of orange and yellows.

Leaves of many colors.

Flower bed looking towards suspension bridge

Just like this shot.

Fall colors at our house in this picture.

Bright day to show off the colors!

Looking up the creek.

The rocks in this creek wear leaf hats!

Ducks on the colorful water

Just another shot I like. Don't know why. Just do.

Wouldn't this be a beautiful place to have your wedding! The fall colors just set everything off so nicely.

Except for the mums these were all taken at a park near here. Pamperine Park. It sure has improved since I was a kid. I remember playing there a lot as a kid. Not far from where I grew up. But it was very basic then. But we had fun there. At that time the entrance was a long, steep hill. Our bikes got a real work out! I am so glad that it " grew up"  and people are still enjoying the park. Tomorrow Jeff only has  to work a half day so he gets to check out another place. Covered bridge, mill and small chapel in the woods. Hopefully the colors will be nice there. Have a great sunday everyone. Hugs, Teresa