Marie Bernadette

These guys live up on the mesa above our village.  They looked to be great friends......one very curious and one very shy!



The time is getting nearer! we will be leaving in two weeks......I have been packing for 4 months off and on, and moving for three years......it is time to settle down. I am growing weary of it.........

RIght beside our new home in New Mexico is the remains of a WPA Public School. I am pretty sure the date on the building is 1935.



Work Projects Administration: the former federal agency (1935–43) charged with instituting and administering public works in order to relieve national unemployment.

My understanding is that the building was occupied up until the 1970's, when it was a home.  It caught fire , which gutted it and has since slowly fallen into ruins.  It really is a shame, the walls are still good.  Problem is that the roof is gone and once the cap along the top of the walls goes the adobes will start to melt.  The village tried to get a grant to fix it up, but the funding is not there.  Right now it would take someone with lots of money to get it back to what it was. I really wish that would happen.  I could totally see it as an arts center, a place for retreats etc....its huge and has so much potential and is in such a beautiful place.......I hate to see history literally crumble......

I will get more pictures once we get moved.......I am sure you will see it turn up as the background for lots of art projects.

i just can't wait to get my chickens



actually we are going to make part of this a temporary greenhouse.......the rest of it will be for the chickens.....and the lucky birds get to roam free range  in the orchard......to eat all the bloody grasshoppers that were there in july...........oh my gods i just cant wait to be back in NM.........am i so excited i do not make sense....YES........

I can't believe it has been four months since I last blogged!

So much has happened and is still going on that I would be here all day filling you in.  To make a very long story short, we are moving again! Finally back home to the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico.  We have found a home in a tiny Spanish village, population 25, a quiet magical green place.  Surrounded by organic vineyards, lavender fields, orchards, farms........sigh.......and all like minded folks.

When we are settled in, which will be late October I plan on starting a sustainable blog about bringing our property back to life.  In the mean time I can share a few photos, but not many because my computer is packed.

Our home was once the merchantile in the village.  It is an old adobe,  over 100 years old, thus filling my long time dream of owning a historical property.



I will do my best to post a bit more often.

Gardening has taken over my life!

Actually, this is a really good thing because I have not had a garden in 4 or 5 years and realize now that I really missed it.  I will start taking pictures of what I am doing as I go along.  My garden beds are a big experiment for me this year because I have never done no dig gardening and it seems strange not to dig and till and generally destroy the soil. 

I am running just a little late on getting in some greens, but should be OK.....we are still having some pretty cold nights.  Hopefully I will get those in today. I did get one flat planted yesterday of 3 each of many different plants.  this is also an experiment,  one in patience and  one in faith , faith that those three tiny seeds will grow, and patience since I used to like to just toss seeds in flats.  Will do the same next week.

We got a cute greenhouse, which is actually called a growing rack.  Every greenhouse that I looked at that I liked was 1200.00-1500.00 dollars!!!......yicks......the idea is to save money on food, and it would take many years to get a return on that much money. Plus, when we did have a 8 X 12 green house we always over planted.  The grow rack was 70.00 and holds 8 flats and will also hold some small pots.  It is perfect.  I am also trying to learn about spacing out the seeding for a continuous yield.

I think I have mentioned before that I am so inspired by the "Path to Freedom" family.  They raise enough food and make a living off of something like eigth of an acre or less!  and thats for 4 adults, in the middle of the city.  I told Richard yesterday that we can do the same with our yard......"grass be gone"......is my new motto.

Can you tell I am excited......pictures soon, promise.....in the mean time here is one of my "gardening" yarns!


I like this photo.....a white rose riding a wave!

Off to Lowes......I know.....I wish I never had to set foot in there, but I need pipe for trellises......

Love and flowers, Bernadette

I got a new haircut! I always let it get really long, down to my waist or so and then hack it off.  I have been very sad sometimes and hated it shorter. This time I like it!!!  But its not really that short.  I have done this in stages.....about 6 inches, then another 4 inches and we added the layers in the front.....now I am going back for more layers.  My hair grows so fast it drives me crazy and my grey hair grows faster then the brown hair, so it constantly needs trimming.



I even curled it......

and my friend Charlene has new baby goats.  I have a fondness for goats......since we are both Capricorns!  And I love, love, love mohair. I thought for awhile I wanted goats, but now she has them and I can visit.....haha.....


They are so cute but really hard to photograph. They never stay still!!!

Today is plant greens day. One bed in the garden is ready!  My lawn is becoming garden.....I plan on growing food on every inch of it.  We have a good start and I will continue to add beds and edible bushes etc.  The neighbors drive by pretty slow.....funny!!!....of course when your yard looks like a giant compost bin all winter it give them reason to be curious.

Love, Bernadette

Hey everyone, go check out the great interview on the "Fiber Artists United For Peace Blog" . It is the site first of many interviews with all the great fiber artists that have joined the group.  The interview is a very insightful and personal with Lynn "Yarnwench" Wigell.


Here is a great photo of Lynn and there are some wonderful shots of her work on the blog!!!!

http://fiber-artists.livejournal.com/

Love, Bernadette

This is Moms new puppy "Andy". Yes, he is as sweet as he looks. Andy is a very happy, playful pup and has a powerful wagging tail.

Andy when he was just 9 weeks old. Tired puppy! Look at that pink puppy belly, nothing like it. This is right before Christmas.
 
"What is this stuff Momma?" Andy at about 6 months old, still adorable.

Good night all, Love, Bernadette

You have all seen Alice.....well, we just discovered these pictures on my Moms camera from over a year ago.


the determined posture for the painting of my wheel. Rio Grande in front is either Moms or Mine, not sure which!

advice to any and all that decide to paint your wheel. (not that many would venture into this territory.....ummmm......1960's style!) make sure you paint your wheel before you put it together!

Happiness = Alice......note to myself.....when you smile this wide Bernadette, your one gold crown twinkles in a flash picture. That is not food in my teeth on the left hand side......all I can think is "BLING"......in the sun it just might blind someone!
What a goofy picture!!!!

lovely day today, visited a dear friend that is 80 and has more energy then most of us all put together.  She calls herself a rebel over and over.....and is so cute! She had just bought Peeps and Chocolate bunnies for her bridge mates.  So imagine them sitting around playing bridge eating Peeps and drinking Bourbon! Life is good!!!!

Got my hair cut for the second time in two weeks.....hair gone....about 10 inches.

love, Bernadette "Bling"

My Houses of the Holy album is warped on the edge! How could this happen......me the guardian of all things vinyl!

and a Led Zeppelin album on top of it......Thats right folks, was spinning the vinyl today, at a fairly high volume. Started with Pink Floyd, then discovered the Zep fatality, on to Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton.......and had out my Boston album, and get this "Frampton Comes Alive"....eeekkkssss......



"She's gonna buy, she's gonna buy, she's gonna buy......" .............oh never mind..........

anyway, this is a sad day indeed. Anyone that knows me knows my complete and total devotion to Led Zeppelin. After all, I grew up with "Stairway to Heaven" at the time when every band did a very bad job of covering it.....but none-the-less......it was a very, very long song and most of it a slow dance, then a little fast, impossible to dance to part. And to lose an album.....to have to.....buy it on CD!!!!!! drats!!!



album art!!!! how I miss album art.....you had something to hang on to, to ponder, to open up, and words big enough to be able to read them without a magnifying glass.....and sometimes you even got posters, stickers, books.......down load that!  haha.....


The Rain Song....one of the most beautiful songs ever written.....a spring song. My heart is just pitter pattering away reading this.....

the most wonderful sound in the world, the stylus touching down, snap, crackle, snap, snap.....in my lifetime I wore out 3 Harmon Kardon lateral arm turntables....wore them completely out!

I have hauled around almost 500 albums for 30 years. Each one holds a million memories! Nothing will ever compare to an album. The idea of listening to music plugged into my ear just doesn't do it for me. I want live.....stacks of Marshalls......and screaming Les Pauls......and beautiful people with long hair, pre glam, pre being cool.........pre retro.....oh please I am over the use of that term, because I guess I am retro.

So the boys may tour this year in the fall. Robert was hemming and hawing until Page said they would addition for a singer. Then....bam....he was onboard!.....yes, I know I have seen them a bunch of times.....but this could be the last time. And the idea of seeing Jimmy with white hair.....how cool!

OK.....I think I'll go listen to Jeff Beck now......

love, Bernadette.....its 75.....


 

For all my fiber friends, this is my latest project! I am very excited about it.  I copied the shop announcement because it says it all. 

FiberArtistsUnited's Shop Announcement

The idea for Fiber Artists United For Peace came directly from the Tibetan Prayer Wheel. While spinning yarn the wheel going around is the perfect way to send out good wishes, with the steady movement and meditative qualities of the wheel. Then the idea grew with the realization of how fiber artists all use repetitive motions. Knitting, crochet, needle felting, wet felting, sewing, paper making, woodworking and the list goes on, all lend themselves to sending out good vibes and energy. So why not concentrate some of that energy as a group. There is power in numbers. Let's use this time spent on our art to send love and happiness to all the corners of the earth. Each one of us makes a difference individually, united we are powerful and positive! Your purchase of a "Fiber Artists United For Peace" medallion will help our numbers grow. The back of your medallion reads "Sending Out Love To All The Corners Of The Earth". Hang your medallion somewhere where you can see it as a constant reminder to send out those positive thoughts and all that love. It is even cute enough to wear! As our numbers grow there will be announcements for synchronized times where we will do our art together. Lets have this grow into public displays of peace and love. Lets have it grow worldwide! We can make it happen, we CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Look forward to our blog and interviews with artists. Watch as our numbers grow and the power of our art takes on more meaning to us individually and collectively. Check back often as new members names and shops are listed in the profile section of this store. JOIN NOW FOR ALL THE FUN, PEACE AND LOVE!

the medallion are available at

www.fiberartistsunited.etsy.com

Already some wonderful people have joined and are also very excited about this!!!!  You can read their names in the profile section of the shop. Here is what the medallion looks like, it is a cute little reminder for us!







While working on this project I have typed the words Peace and Love so many times, and just the simple act has made me feel lighter, happier.  I so totally believe in the power of positive thought and this has proven it to me once again. Oh, and here is the description of the medallion so you know. And the plans for this as it grows.

♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥

This is a sweet little wooden medallion. It measures an inch and a quarter across. I have attached a jump ring at the top so you can hang it in a place you will always see it, or wear it as a necklace! Use it as a constant reminder to be positive. It is very light and the graphics are so cute and happy.

With the purchase of this medallion you become a member of this group. Your Etsy store will be listed in the profile section of this store.

There is a blog in the making and will be announced shortly. Here there will be interviews with our members, pictures of your work and announcements.

Thanks for looking and becoming a member of "Fiber Artists United For Peace" a powerful place to be!!!

♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥~•~♥

Going to be warmer today, I hope, Love, Bernadette
 

When the squirrels first started eating all my seeds I would go out and chase them away.  Now I find them pretty amusing and there is no denying that they are the cutest things.  My Grandfather Bennie loved squirrels and could train them to take a peanut from his hand.  He was very patient!......I have not gone that far, but if the little guys want a few sunflower seeds then so be it.

Mr. Squirrel....they are all Mr. Squirrel to me, that is what I call them.  Look at those cute feet.

when you grow to love squirrels, you really grow to love their ever twitching tails!


I just wish Mr. Squirrel would learn to stay out of the road.  Or better yet humans learn to slow down on the roads.  Our main road in to where I live is 30 mph......there is no reason Mr. Squirrel shouldn't be able to get across the street. But many times he does not make it.......

We have one more day of sunshine and then it looks like rainy again for a few days. Why does it seem like it is taking so long for spring to get here this year?!?!

have a squirrelly nutty day, love , Bernadette

I recently discovered www.PoppyFlowerFibers.etsy.com for her hand painted rovings and they are fantastic.  The colors are so bright and never muddy up with spinning. Her rovings make up my 60's pop style flower yarns, lots of fun and happiness. ALso, it is the thrill of the hunt to get her rovings quick enough as she list them.  You better have a fast clicking finger!!! they dissapear in front of your eyes!

I always considered the yarns I spin from Lynn, www.yarnwench.com to be a bit more serious.  Her colors are very dramatic , and bring out a serious side in me.  Her rovings are very earthy, very painterly......like old masterpieces in a museum.  The rose yarns I spin from them seem to take on a more "Victorian Garden" look. Even with a colorway called "June Cleaver Vacuuming" which cracked me up.....I see something totally different.....I see a trellis with faded roses! more June in the garden....then with the Hoover! (Lynn you dont mind do you?!?)

I have been buying rovings from my friend Martie from www.TaosSunflowerToo.etsy.com since I first started spinning.  Martie is a master at handpainting rovings and assisted by Monte the two of them come up with some very pretty rovings.  Some of the rovings have very soft colors and also very unique.  They are my lilac and violets yarns, my old fashioned flowers. The ones you see around little cottages with picket fences......probably totally not what Martie and Monte see....but that is the joy in this.

Another dyer I recently found is www.ForestFiberWorks.com.  She just does some of the prettiest rovings with lots of variety and colors.  I find myself glancing in the direction of the ones I have gotten from her all the time and seeing all sorts of possibilities! She strikes me as a dyer that must wake up in the middle of the night thinking of colors to dye and every night it is different.  She is my Crayon box!!!!

And a fairly new dyer in the world of roving is www.woolyhands.etsy.com she bright pastel colors that I love for the spring time. Very cheerful!!! Totally different from anything else I have seen!

Everyone knows that I can't be without dyed mohair locks from Lisa ant Kai Ranch. Yummmmmyyy.....I need flowers after all!!!!

I have cruised etsy many nights and see so many wonderful dyed goodies! It makes me crazy that I can't just ordered every single roving that I see that I fall in love with.  Lately I just look for things with a project in mind. 

My next step is to learn to make these myself.  I have some wonderful roving on hand, in particular some BFL I got local that is organic and incredible.  I also decided that about 100 pounds of wool that I have is going to Maryland Wool and Sheep with me for Zellwinger (spelling?) to turn into roving .  All from my wool I get from my good friend Sara.  I am very excited about this idea.  I thought I wanted to just dye locks but now I realize I need to eliminate steps in my production.  I also have some Coopworth left and some greys that I am going to have made into rovings also.....by then it will be warm enough that I am going to stop talking about dyeing and finally do some. I have no desire to sell rovings but just to have one more way of expressing myself with my spinning art!!!!


roving from poppy flower and flowers from Kai.....So Happy Yarn! more pics on flickr

But......I know I will always see something by other people that I will want......who can resist getting those packages and the surprises!!! not to mention the inspiration.

its going to be 60 today....PLEASE.....love, Bernadette

I would like to introduce my readers to my friend Monte and her Etsy shop www.MyMixMix.etsy.com . Monte is a very talented designer, artist, knitter, spinner.....you name it!  From a previous life and business she collected an incredible amount of vintage buttons, actually many are antiques and one of a kind.  I saw them once and it was like a treasure box!!! 

Monte now is breathing new life into her collection by designing the most unique jewelry from them. She really has a way with color and design.



GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT PENDANT Reminds me of a Worthers candy. Montes quote!

PINK FLYING SAUCER PENDANT Two vintage buttons with a beaded flower. (of course when you live in Taos you have to do flying saucer jewelry) Don't you love the little beaded flower....how cute!

PLEASE BELIEVE ME PIN Polymer clay pink roses in victorian-style vase.

So if these lovelies weren't enough, she opened a second store!!!!  www.cecilemarie.etsy.com! In this shop she is selling her felted brooches. These are little sculptures if you ask me!!  They are whimsical but also serious, and some of the most creative things I have ever seen.  A totally different look then the button jewels.  Many are made from her own handspun, needle felted and wet felted,  this first series is inspired by the flowers Monte sees in New Mexico.  I don't know how she is getting all this done!!! it is her passion, that's how!


Hand felted pin. Winter's End Series  This is "Red Willow" isn't it fascinating!

So go have a looksee at all her wonderful art and if you are an Etsian heart her shop while you are there. We all love getting those hearts! 

she is on flickr under MyMixMix.etsy and will be adding more photos soon.

Have a bright sunshine tree blooming day, XOXOXO Bernadette

If you are wondering why I changed my journal style it is because the old one always cropped my photos on the right hand side.  I was getting tired of that and plus....change is always good!

I photographed some new yarn today and got it listed in the shop.....phew!!!....now if I can just get 15 or 20 more made. Then I could start my second Etsy store!

I just love this picture! the way the silk and angelina stems sparkle.....it seems magical to me. The roses are white kid mohair, so shiny and so soft, they worked perfectly.








I found someone that makes a tiny spindle wheel. Oh my.....just what I need another wheel. Well....actually I do need it because the Rio Grande is not at all portable and I love spinning on a spindle. And I want to go places and spin this spring and summer.....I have always wanted to sit at the water and spin or in the middle of a field.  I just need to sell my Country Spinner and I can justify the purchase of another wheel.

This yarn and a few others are in  my shop   www.mariebernadette.etsy.com
and a few more pictures on my flickr page.....mariebernadette.etsy

See you soon.....love, Bernadette

St. Francis Xavier Church and Newtown Manor House Historic District is a national historic district in Compton, St. Mary's County, Maryland. The church was built about 1766, and is a frame, rectangular building with two octagonally shaped brick additions. It has simple Federal woodwork and a mid-18th century reredos.


This is such a lovely church and looked so pretty in the snow. The grounds keeper had just beat me there and messed up the snow so I had to crop in tight.

Love the ice! This was sucha pretty day, cold but look at the sky!

Detail of the steeple. I really like photographing steeples, I dont know why, I think it is the angles and looking to the sky.

I asked my friends to send me some special dreams.  Everyone was dreaming about butterflies for a while it seems. Me I was dreaming Richard and I went to the Clapton show on the wrong night and it was basketball instead......actually, this would be in the nightmare category for me.....

So, thanks to all those good vibes I had a dream that I was riding in my Dads 1955 Chevy with him! We were in my old neighborhood and went by our old house and he was laughing at how no one took care of the lawns anymore like he did.  Then he was playing with some fancy radio (that is not in the car) trying to find a station and heading off the road. We were happy and laughing and I was just so glad to see him. I firmly believe that the visits in dreams are real. It was a short dream but so wonderful!

This dream meant a lot because my Dad always was asking me to ride in his Hot Rod with him and I wouldn't always take the time, plus his driving wasn't what it was. He was always an excellent driver, but his reaction time was a bit slower with age. He still liked to squeal tires, catch gears and generally scare anyone that rode with him. He would turn to people and say "Did I scare you!" and smile.

I dont know how I went from the church to a dream. It is all a dream really, now isn't it?!?!...... and to remind everyone to always take the time with the ones you love. I wish now I could be in my Dads stinky, messy garage with him holding a bolt fearing for my life!!!! It never failed he would ask me to do that, usually when I had a dress or skirt on......all you had to do was walk in that garage and you would get grease on you. I miss that grease now and how he always smelled like gasoline!!!!

love and hopefully sunshine to everyone today, Bernadette

 

I so want to paint a smile on this scary yellow bar!

It cracks me up every time I see it.  This day it had ice eyelashes and its keno sign nose.  Just one can of black spray paint.....might do the trick!!!......hmmmmm.......

Its a new week, lots of art to get done!
Love, Bernadette

'Lets all get along together, because we are all hungry.  So lets share these sunflowers!"

(had to take this through the door but i still think its cute)

"Oh YES, the snow really does show off my gorgeous color" said Mr. Red Bird.

I finished another yarn today so had a good day! I am so happy to be spinning again. The flowers on the one today look like Irises. I had some dyed locks from Lynn www.yarnwench.com and a new roving from Lisa  www.PoppyFlowerFibers.etsy.com and they just went together perfect. I love how things work out that way. It is pure joy for me to work with all these talented womens creations to make my own............ Pictures soon!

Love from my and the critters, Bernadette

 

My latest flower yarn.



Lots of dainty delicate mohair Forget Me Nots

I really love these colors. This is a superwash merino and tencel roving dyed by ForestFiberWorks.etsy.com
There are so many incredible dyers on etsy making such beautiful rovings.

Detail of the flowers.

Since spring seems to want to wait awhile I will spin my own flowers!!!

love to everyone, Bernadette

This is one of my favorites houses ever.  Almost everyone I know, knows this house and loves it.  It just has a charm about it.  The charm of simplicity and function.  It is unoccupied and it seems to be cared for just enough to keep it from falling down.  Shows that even though just clap board the strength of a simply built home of long ago will last. I am sure the tin roof has kept it up to a degree.

Each section has it own crocked door! and a fireplace or wood stove.

I don't thing there is a straight board on this house anywhere now! That back room (maybe the kitchen) is just hanging on!!!!

This is why they had chamber pots........brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

and then the day came that they got electricity. I bet it was pretty exciting. These wires swing very low. I suspect it was not built with electric but could be wrong, I am not sure of the age. I like to think of it not having power.

Right directly through that little stand of woods is a neighborhood of McMansions.  I would take this house over anyone of the 5000sq ft behemoths that are there. (Yes, I am obsessed when it comes to my disdain of huge houses with huge footprints but because keep my journal lighthearted I will spare you the details.....). 

This old house is just another part of my homeland that I am coming to appreciate and love. Soon as the weather breaks I am going to start a project of photographing falling down barns and houses to paint. 

Chilly here this morning but is going to warm up! PLEASE.....
Love and hugs, Bernadette
ps.....many of you know that I can not spell at all (by way of my Father) because of spell check you are saved many laughs.  The funniest most frustrating thing for me is when I spell a word so wrong that spell check doesn't know what I am spelling!!!! Thought I would share that since it just happened on a couple of my words.

more photo on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32301108@N04/
my journal cuts of the edges of my photos....