The 'Creek's 2014 Year In Reverse (& a trick chicken...)

Hello!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  It's time for that annual bit of reflecting, so I thought I would do it backward like most other things I do:)  If you don't know my family personally, you might want to drop to the end to the chicken!

This was a busy month for the kids.  Taylor finished up his first semester at University of Cincinnati, but had to go back Christmas day to hop on a bus with the band to DC as the Bearcats got into the Military Bowl.  After their star quarterback got hurt, he said everyone knew it was over.  They had to use a wide receiver (Munchie) to fill in--though the same thing happened against the same team in the same bowl a few years ago and Munchie won the game.  (Sort of reminds me of Ohio St. this year going through quarterbacks like water.  Go Bucks! Beat Alabama on New Year's day and go to the national championships!)

Audra now has one semester left before she graduates from Ohio Wesleyan and will have to find a real job.  She is catching up on cooking shows and Netflix as I type.

This Fall Audra had her senior recital and did a great job.  It's hard to play the French Horn for a half hour alone!  Audra and I went to Cincinnati to visit Taylor and take in a UC home game (they won.)  My sis-in-law Mary and I went to the Ohio St.-UC game to see Taylor play in the 'Shoe (which is now closed-in and not really a shoe anymore...)

The ladies (hens) had a nice summer that wasn't too hot, but they had a hard moult and quit laying in August or so.  I was afraid they had gone into early "henopause," but found out everyone's hens did the same thing around here.  Weird.

This Summer I changed from Appliance Sales Specialist to Kitchen Specialist at Lowe's.  It is nice to be able to be creative (and nicer to deal less with appliances...)  I design kitchens, craft rooms, laundry rooms, the occasional bathroom and even a basement!

Taylor graduated from high school and worked for his dad in construction.  He sure got hot and dirty!

Not much happened last Spring aside from dealing with the yard in the aftermath of that never-ending awful Winter.

Truly and Carrie are doing fine and look forward to their daily chewy treat we like to call bamboo because that's how Truly eats it between her feet.

It was an all-round nice year here at the 'Creek.  I plan to do more crafting and blogging next year (though I should be doing more cleaning!)  If there is a question or topic you would like me to address, just let me know!

One thing I was finally able to get captured on video is Henrietta the Americauna hen (brown with a beard and ear muffs who is more like a dog than a hen) catching treats in the backyard.  She has caught up to 8 in a row, but this day was windy and she only got 2... the other hens let the treats bounce off their beaks or heads or whatever.... the bottom video is easier to see.

Wishing you Health, Wealth and Happiness in 2015!

Gale

P.S.  Audra did finally decorate the tree Christmas Eve.  Even undecorated, the tree was pretty and it smells unusually nice!

From Our Homes To Yours... Merry Christmas From The 'Creek!

From the birds...

and the bees...






down to our undecorated tree...

Merry Christmas from All from Us at the 'Creek!

Love, The Thompson Family

Gale's Gallery XV: Holiday Greeting Cards

Hi everyone!

This year it just doesn't feel like Christmas yet.  I really think when you work in retail you become immune.  There are still only lights and a star on our tree (which is at least real because Taylor was willing to bring one home and set it up.)  Audra says she likes it the way it is because she doesn't want to decorate it either.  I am on watering detail and have wrapped some gifts, even made a few this year!  Well, maybe I will feel like doing more next year... in my defense I have been working overtime the last few weeks!

I did, however, start in October and made a few cards!  I watch lots of demos on You Tube and got inspired.  There are loads of channels full of information and techniques if you are interested as I'm not really going into that today.

Some good ones are:  Jennifer McGuire Ink (all cards/stamping), Hero Arts, Tim Holtz/Ranger Ink, Split Coast Stamping (other crafts as well) and The Frugal Crafter (who makes all kinds of things and is always enthusiastic and fun!)  I know I am leaving out several others, but you can flip through for what looks interesting to you.

Here is this year's attempt.  Please forgive the photo quality.  Natural light in Ohio in December is tough to get!

This was just stamped on white cardstock in Staz-On Jet Black Permanent Ink and colored in with Copic Alcohol Markers, then highlighted with a white Inktense pencil.  Brushed lightly with clear Wink of Stella glitter pen and a tiny bit of Stickles glitter glue to finish.

The interior was splattered with green and white ink.  Boy, did I make a mess!

This was from the first stamping class I attended.  Sadly, most of the places in our area are gone, so you almost have to go online for new techniques.  We used to have a group of gals that met on Tuesdays and that was fun and inspiring.  Try it!  This is simply a gold heat embossed stamp colored in with water-based markers.  The border is a small stamp that is repeated.

This stained glass card was from the same workshop.  It is so easy!  You stamp and heat emboss vellum, then color on the inside!  No need to worry much about staying in lines!  Then you tie the vellum to a gold edged notecard.

Received this the other day from good friend Karen Boggs.   Very elegant!  Note how she staggered the trees  on the slope and let one hang over the frame for added dimension.  I think she used pre-glittered cardstock for the background.

Karen sent this a few years ago.  I can't bear to throw away a handmade card.  This looks like a lot of layers, but the cardstock is edged with a gold leaf pen.

I made this card years ago.  Really easy.  Just stamp, heat emboss and cut out tree, add rhinestones, then place on cardstock that's been run through a corrugator.

Even this simple card is cute and warm... This is just stamped and colored in with pencil by Mercedes McPherson, who has made lovely cards for many years.

This came from the Netherlands and is by Weis Van Der Sloat (I think I am spelling last name correctly.)  She used a metal template and a craft knife to peel back and glue down to give the appearance it's all connected.  She also used some thick metallic stickers.

This simple greeting is harder than it looks!  Those are two small postage rubber stamps that are masked off to appear like they are in front of each other.  The center greeting was masked off until the rest was stamped.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!  I have some time off and am planning to be back here much sooner than usual, so stay tuned!

Until next time, Feliz Navidad!

Gale

'Tis The Season...

So far I've only hung the hen's wreath!

Greetings!

I hope you are more in the season's spirit than me!  I guess it hasn't hit me yet, but that could be because working retail numbs you...stuff was out the first of October.

In order to help get in the spirit, I've linked posts from Christmas pasts that you might enjoy:
(if you have issues with the link, you can go to the index of topics page link at upper right corner)

Our Quick Trip to Clifton Mill's "Legendary Light Display" 
Happy New Year!  Our Trip To See The Trans-Siberian Railroad 
The "Dreaded" Christmas Letter!
Merry Christmas 2013!  
What We Did During Winter Break... 
Christmas Greetings From The 'Creek
The Day After Christmas (a poem--sort of)  

Merry Christmas From The 'Creek Everyone!

Deck'n The 'Hood 

Gale's Gallery: Christmas 2012, Part Two  
Gale's Gallery: Christmas 2012, Part One 
Gale's Gallery IX:  It Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This! --Ornaments
The 'Creeks 2013 Year In Review 

I plan to have a new post for you soon!  

Until then,

Gale

Audra and Gale's Aquatic and Gastronomic Adventure!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Wishing you safe travels and good memories like we enjoyed today.  Audra and I went to Cincinnati to bring Taylor home for his brief break and figured we'd do a little something on the way...

So off to the Newport Aquarium just across the river from downtown Cincy.  Little did we know it was attached to sort of a mall (kinda like a mini-Easton if you are in Columbus, Ohio area.)  Cool!  The parking garage was close (and free if you are there between 11-2 p.m.!)  We thought there would be a crowd, but just a nice amount of folks milling around.  It's not cheap to get in--$23 for adults, but it's interesting and very entertaining/educational for children.

They had blue and silver Christmas decorations and many tanks had holiday props such as lounging or scuba reindeer, a sleigh pulled by sea horses, etc.  They have seasonal shows featuring "Scuba Santa" and others. They play gentle holiday favorite songs throughout the unguided tour.  We missed the "march of the penguins" as it was from 10 to 10:45 a.m.  The aquarium is open 365 days a year (all indoors) and normal hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Below is an "album" of the tour... then scroll on down for our kind of weird lunch!  You can click on the photos to make them bigger.

Wish I would've written down the names of the fish... sorry!

These weird little guys are baby eels!

This is cute for an alligator!

There are many tunnels that give you the feel of being "under the sea."

This guy came right up to visit, too bad the reflection ruins a cool pic, but I wanted you to see it anyway!

An "under the sea" moment in an acrylic tunnel.

This guy is a camera ham... he made several passes to greet visitors.

Snowflake and Snowball are a couple of only a handful of white alligators know to exist.  My photos of  "Mighty Mike" the 14 ft alligator just aren't attractive enough to publish.  He was in a corner.

This guy is an 85 year old Galapagos Tortoise and in no hurry to do anything.

Hard to be scared of this fellow, but I'm sure he has teeth!

This shark looks a bit menacing....

There are several areas where you can pet the marine life.  They always say "touch with 1 or 2 fingers."  If I were announcing, I would say "touch with the 1 or 2 fingers you think you can live without...."  LOL

 

The little penguins played around.  There is theatre seating to watch them.  The large penguins pretty much stood around.

Here are some gorgeous jelly fish photos.  They have a really nice exhibit for them:  

Of course the exit takes you through the gift shop.  Audra got some neat artwork, but not this hat.... 

Here is the view from the aquarium's entrance (this spot is known as the Newport Levee.)

In this little shopping center there are loads of restaurants and bars.  (Unpolitically-correct, I think, to have a seafood restaurant right across from the aquarium...:)  We weren't hungry, but decided we had to try out this cuisine from Tom+Chee, a comfort food place with no regard to nutrition or calories!

The place was packed, especially with little kids.  The menu has all manner of grilled cheese or in this case, grilled mac 'n cheese.  We split a sandwich and it was good, but won't be a staple in our lives...

 and neither will this grilled s'more donut!  This was one of many choices.  We split this as well.  Glad I saved calories with the Diet Coke!

Hope you enjoyed our little trip and will come back to visit 'the Creek soon for some holiday cheer!

Warmest regards for a wonderful and safe holiday season from my family to yours....

Gale

P.S.--Go Buckeyes!  Beat Michigan this Saturday!

The Accidental Expert: "P****d-Off" Pooch Photography

Greetings!

Ivy wasn't much for costumes...

Some dogs have no sense of humor!  As I was going through some photos, I noticed a recurring "mad" dog photo theme.  (Note:  Taking dog photos can make people mad as well.  This can be the case in front of or behind the camera.  Almost every Jack Russell Terrier breeder- couple I knew are now divorced, no doubt in some part because they had to photograph their dogs to register them. Once, I took 3 rolls of 36 photos of a dog and opted to buy doubles thinking there had to be some decent ones.  There wasn't one keeper.  Since we had to pay to get them developed back then, it was an expensive pile tossed in the trash.)  I seem to have a gift for taking even the most attractive dogs and taking perfectly awful photos!


Check these "mad" dog photos out: (Note: When you can't see their lips, they are mad.)  BTW, my Facebook photo is of an annoyed Truly who did not want to pose!

.

Gee.  I wonder why Bailey doesn't enjoy being strangled?

Colette wasn't fond of dog shows....

Not sure what Windi's problem is here...

Taylor holding poor Minnie

.

Now,  I was just talking about regular photos.  If you really want nasty looks, dress them up!  The only dog I never dressed was Tucker and he was just too cool to embarrass that way.  (Plus, I could make him mad without dressing him up...)  Everyone else was fair game.  No matter what you may think, no dog wants to be dressed up.  Trust me.

Bailey never did smile much, but she definitely isn't digging the Monica Lewinsky "Blue Dress Look"

Windi not liking the glasses

Minnie wanted out of those panties.... We were at the Mardi Growl Ball in New Orleans.

Windi was usually a sport.  But not this time.  She hated the reindeer antlers worse though!

Well, I am sure I can find many more, but you get the idea!  I would say that I'd be better off having a professional take the pics, but...

Normally,  Goldens are happy-go-lucky.  I never showed Bailey in obedience because she wasn't, well, obedient!  Here, she kept jumping off the table.  I picked her up the 3rd time and had had it (and let her know it!)  I am getting "the stink eye" as I stood glaring at her.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this and can relate!  Feel free to post your "mad" dog pics in the comments!

Warmest regards!

Gale

Gale's Gallery XIV: Easy, Peasy Pumpkin Project...

or at least it probably can be.  It sure did look simple in a Marie's Candies display.  I have a house full of supplies, but every time I get a hankering to make something, it takes several trips to the store to complete (and of course more money than I planned.)

The pumpkin from h#@l.  Nosey "Martha Stewart" polish hen coming up to see if this was a treat.

Here are the instructions, along with my tale of woe:

I didn't bother getting instructions because it didn't look like anything but a pile of painted lids and some cinnamon sticks.  I also didn't count how many lids because I didn't think that mattered either... However, all my Ball jar lids are attached to jars, so I would have to get some.  If you happen to have 24 of those puppies laying around, good for you!

I paid $5 for a box of 12 thinking that was kinda high, but I didn't want to drive all over.  Since I work at Lowe's,  I picked up a can of Valspar dark orange flat spray paint.  Krylon didn't have the right color, but I sure wish they'd make it.

I sprayed the 12 lid rings to the point I have an orange deep freeze and possibly, Jeep.  The paint said it was primer/paint for wood/metal/plastic.  My Aunt Fannie!  Every time you would touch them, the paint chipped off.  It was a real mess.  I was going for the "rustic" look, but this was ridiculous!  So, I decided to make the pumpkin and repaint it whole, then spray on several coats of satin sealer.

I have long strips of colored wire, but a long pipe cleaner or even ribbon would do (but something stiff is easier for one person to handle.)  I string up the lids and it looks like crap, flaking all the while.  How could I screw this up???  I got online and immediately saw the problem.  But they said theirs were only $2.50 a box at Dollar General, so off I go.  Not so, mine were bigger lids and I spent another $5.  Then another $5 on the cinnamon.  Whatever...there was no turning back now!

I finally finished and strung them, then used the tail of my long orange wires and hung it.  (It takes some doing to shape and tie it, but with a little finagling it will be fine.)   I sprayed it again with the orange because I refused to buy yet another can of paint, then two coats of sealer, throwing away the first can because it clogged up- but at least I had a spare.

Add a couple sticks of cinnamon and you're done!  I still don't trust it to not flake, but it is kinda cute!  Would also be cheap if you already had the lids and paint!  Except for the spray paint, kids could do it.  I guess one could also paint these with a brush and acrylic, but I am way to instant gratification-oriented to do that!

Until next time --Keep on crafting!

Gale

Buck-cat or Bear-keye?: When You Can't Be True To Your School

Well, it was a win-win, lose-lose proposition!  Last weekend, my Alma mater Ohio State hosted my son's school the University of Cincinnati and boy was I conflicted!  Taylor is in the Bearcat band so my sis-in-law (and also OSU grad) Mary and I wouldn't miss the chance to go see him.  She had no problem with cheering for the Bucks, but I felt like a turncoat!  (Though we both wore OSU t-shirts, Taylor gave me a UC button to even me out a bit.)

It was a perfect day to be outside, an easy trip in and out (amazing because there was a new record crowd of more than 108K), we had great seats on the west side of the field (no sun), high enough to see what the bands' formations were and not too far from where the UC band sat.  All was perfect except I'd fallen a week or so before and my knees didn't like the climb to C-Deck (for that matter, none of me liked it, but there were thinner, younger people wearing out as well!)  If I didn't have a heart attack then, it was more of a surprise I didn't at the top of the stairs when I was charged $13 for a bottle of water and a Diet Coke!  Found out later I was overcharged (scary when I was waited on by a college kid with a calculator) and it should have been $11, but still!

Things were going great until mid first quarter when two large fellows took the empty seats next to me and instantly folded me in half, while guy sat forward and blocked my view of half the field.  To add to the fun, he slobbered on my glasses as he sat down...I am still grossed out!  Fortunately, they left at halftime and never returned.

I cheered for both sides and since the last I heard Cincinnati is still part of Ohio, I could freely clap during "Script Ohio!"

The Bearcat band did a pre-game show where the sousas come running out (at their home games, the band runs down the bleachers and nearly always someone wipes out...) and then a post game show which I wish more folks would've stayed to see.

It was a close game until the last quarter when OSU pulled away.  The final score was 50-28.  Those poor ROTC folks had to do a zillion sets of push ups.  Every time we (ummm OSU) score, they do the whole total!  At the end of the game, Brutus Buckeye comes out and does one set, but he did 50 with no problem.

A drunken kid ran out on the field and got tackled by a coach, which watching it was no big deal, but it became a media-frenzy.  So much better stuff to report, but whatever.... We'd never heard of Ezekiel Elliott either, but I'm sure we will from now on!

Here is Taylor--boy was he hard to find among 16 Sousas!

Mary and I!

My view for the whole game!

The half-time show was great!  It was TBDITL's take on the Wizard of Oz (with a Block O!)  Click here to watch: http://bit.ly/1uRTjxC

If you want to read more about OSU football traditions, please check out my previous post "OH-IO!:  A Buck-eye's View of the Scarlet & Gray Craze"

Not to be outdone.... Audra performed her Ohio Wesleyan Senior Recital the next day on the horn.  I will report on that in a future post.  Needless to say, I'm proud of my kids and pooped from a wonderful weekend!

Until next time, enjoy the leaves as they turn!

Gale

P.S.- After all that "suffering," Taylor told me that it was fine to just cheer for the Buckeyes!  LOL.  Audra and I will be traveling to Paul Brown Stadium in Cincy in a few weeks to watch a UC home game.  What a relief to cheer for just one team!  (But I still haven't seen an actual bearcat...)