Never Grow Up...

Dear friends Rick and Deb Sarre from Australia were with us this week. We hiked, laughed, swam, cooked, picked berries, shared stories, crossed bridges, drank lots of tea, ate Hudson's Hamburgers, cruised through art galleries, visited Boo Radley's, climbed up in a Red Wagon, fed trash to a goat, and STRETCHED ourselves in the silly mirrors. I hope none of us ever really grows up too much... :)

A Bali Bowl of Flowers

Thanks Mark and Jen for the idea of floating flowers in a shallow bowl. After seeing a lovely Bali Bowl on their kitchen table, I came right home and made my own. The petals have lasted a week and I'm about to restock the dish. This has been a summer of flower adventures!  The owner of The Mason Jar can't wait for me to bring in a fresh new bunch of 20 Cheney Bloom mugs tomorrow. I really don't know what I am doing, but they are pretty cool.

Our New Favorite Little Family!

It was such a fun surprise to reconnect with a long lost "second generation cousin."  Stephanie, Josh, and adorable Oliver stopped by for an evening of chickens and walks and sandboxes and freshly picked kale and salmon and cherry pie. They are taking a long and winding road trip to their new "home" in Iowa City after seven years in California. Their visit just left us smiling and 22 month old Oliver was a true joy to behold.  SO glad they squeezed us into their trip and can't wait to hear about the new "chickens" that Oliver will soon insist upon :)

I love having a grown up girl :)

I enjoyed my babies just as much as anyone else did...but I really love having a grown up girl. No fru fru coffee tastes better, no outing to Value Village is more fun, no swim at the pool is as energizing, no berry picking is as productive, no craft/hobby is as messy and creative, and no Monopoly game is as good...as when Sydney is here! And even though you might look taller in these photos...you are not :)

Succulent MUGS with my Sweet Sis-in-Law :)

I'm attempting to decorate and design a few flower mugs for Cheney's own Mason Jar Coffee Shop each week. My sis-in-law Jennifer and I had a blast making them tonight. Thanks Jen for your expert advice and plants! Come on down to Mason Jar and walk away a Cheney Blooms Mug for only $5. All profits go to Feed Cheney's monthly dinner :)

Pink Baby Shoe in the Blue Butterfly Skywalk

Once a week, I pop between 3rd and 9th floors at the Sacred Heart NICU between the very needy babies and not-so-needy babies. To get to the 9th floor, I have to walk through a Bright Blue Hallway with butterflies hanging from the ceiling. Many butterflies are inscribed with special memorial messages and I read them each time I walk through. Today, there was a tiny little pink shoe on the window sill. I try not to read too much sorrow into that little shoe, but it's always a reminder that very few people WANT to be in a hospital...

Delightful Pacific Northwest Blackberries!

Oh how awesome to fill a bucket in a few minutes with these shiny gorgeous delights - and the season here in Spokane is just beginning! On the west side of our state, the ditches are LINED with these invasive bushes so many locals stop picking them. Well, I grew up LOVING to stain my fingers picking fruit, any kind of fruit, so it's still amazing to me :)

An Onion almost Like My Dad's!

I've ALWAYS had a garden...even when it was one row of green beans beside the sidewalk when we were in grad school at Washington State University!?! Over the years, I've been a great planter...but not such a good harvester - getting ready for my classes took a toll on the time spent in the fall. The garden is nowhere near perfect, but I am having so much more fun experimenting with different veggies. Onions generally don't do well in my garden, but for some reason, this year is a great one. Dad used to have onions that weighed 1.5 pounds and though this one was only 1 pound, I am THRILLED.