Lady in Squirrel Tail Hat

Here she is, wearing her squirrel tail hat!

Here's how I first saw her...

And the snow-burrowing squirrel who made it all possible! 

I have been so envious of everyone's snow, until this unusually late snow storm which has dumped over 14 inches into the Independence Vortex!  I am SOOOOOoooo happy!

Have a lovely, lovely day!

Missing Sketchbook--My Heart is Broken

Wednesday evening some friends we hadn't see in years took us to an early dinner at Red Lobster in Salem, Oregon.  I brought my sketchbook along.  I don't know how I could have been so forgetful, but I left my sketchbook in the booth where we were sitting--we left at 5 p.m., just before the evening rush.

By the time I realized I had left it behind, it was too late.  When we called Red Lobster, no one had turned it in and my sketchbook was gone.  My name wasn't in the book.  I'm praying my "logo," BLN, which is included in each drawing, will give enough of a clue that the person who found my sketchbook will be able to find me.

This sketchbook is filled with notes on life and drawings of people I love--including a brave young lady, who has been very ill.  I have also been working on a cartoon of my cat.  I had scanned in every one of those drawings, except, somehow I missed the most important one--a drawing of the brave girl I wrote of at the beginning of this paragraph.  How I missed scanning it in, I don't know.  The finished piece was to be a gift.

If you are the person who picked up my sketchbook, perhaps you are trying to find me--please write to me at beth @ niquette. net.  The reward for the return of my sketchbook is an original drawing to express my gratefulness.  The art would be of anything you like.

I would be eternally and ever grateful to you--would likely hug you to bits should you return my sketchbook.  I can't tell you how much this would mean to me.

My offer is a long shot, I know.  Like a finding needle in a haystack.  I don't know if I ever will hear from the person who took my sketchbook.  If this person contacts me, it would be a miracle. 

Toez in a Roze is one of the sketches in my sketchbook, as is the dear brave girl above.  I'm praying for a miracle.

Face of Light - Weekend Reflections

This is the first time I've entered one of my organic art pieces in Weekend Reflections.  This was so special, I wanted to share it.

We were getting ready to work on an addition to the back of my parent's home.  Chilly raindrops tumbled through the air in pockets of splashing cold.  Then suddenly the sun came out.  It peeked at us from between the branches of the trees.  Later I realized there was a face--a face made of light...perhaps an angel watching over us, as we worked.

Above you see this lovely shining face, with delicate fir needle earrings, as I first glimpsed her through the lens of my camera.

For more wonderful reflections from around the world, be sure to visit James at Weekend Reflections.

Fireworx Maiden

The fireworks on the Fourth of July were the best I'd ever seen--I was able to catch a few with my camera.  I actually saw the Maiden's face just before I clicked the camera.

Above you see the Fireworx Maiden as I first glimpsed her--she seems to be smiling!

Floatin' Face

The sun came out to play for a few days.  What fun to see this fellow's funny face floating over the backyard fence!

Above you see this Floatin' Face as he first appeared.

Face Man

Most of us have seen faces in the clouds. As a very young girl, I remember days when my brothers, sisters, cousins and I, would lie on our backs in the middle of a summer field of tall grass, watching the clouds form overhead.

As an adult I still love to watch clouds. I never tire of looking.  One late summer day as I walked along the mint fields near where I live, I was amazed to photograph this vividly shaped face wafting over the gentle green hills.

Above you see this Face Man as I first saw him.  I sure didn't have to do a lot of work to enhance what was already in place!

I was thinking of the faces of all the people I know. Each person has a special identity--their own face through which they see the world. As we live our lives, our faces change with time. As time passes, our faces reflect the lives we live.

God longs to shine His face of beauty and glory into the lives of those who love Him. As our hearts glow with inner radiance, the ravages of life, or age seem to soften and slough away, leaving the only His beauteous peace beaming from our faces.

So, my special gift to you on this lovely Spring morning is this verse: The Lord bless you, and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace. [The Bible, Numbers 6:24-29]

Garland of Birds

My husband and I were having lunch with our dear friend Vern, when through the windows, I noticed the exquisite profile of a woman silhouetted against the darkness of the clouds. I hastily took my camera out of its bag to click the picture--as I did so, a garland of birds encircled her hair.

Above you can see the original untouched photograph I took through those wonderful big glass windows at Eola Inn Restaurant!