Beaded Converse

B for Beads

While my kids take lessons at the Joslyn Art Museum, 

I often find myself wandering around the galleries. 

Pictures are not allowed in some exhibits,

 but in the exhibit where this pair of  beaded converse shoes 

were on display, pictures were allowed.  

I thought they were very unique and just had to snap a pic for my daughter 

(Proud owner of 4 pairs of chucks). 

These Converse  were beaded by renown bead work artist Terri Greeves.

All Nighter

Skill

Patience

Love of beads

 Hours pass

Fingers ache

Night comes

Pushing bodies

past their limit

aching backs

bend over

Fingers pricked

It does not hurt,

not enough

to stop.

Clean it up,

ignore the pain,

back to work.

Dawn breaks

Exhausted

Time realized

Where did the hours go?

Inspiration does not wait

The time is right

Working

Working

Through the night.

Poem by  Suzanne Cooper      

Linking to ABC Wednesday


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More about Terri Greeves  here with some You Tube Videos.

At The Santa Fe Reporter.

Interview here and here

Planting Cedars

Some Cedar trees have a bluish-gray look from far away,
this is because of the hundreds of berries on their branches.

 Only female cedars produce berries. 

These berries not only look gorgeous on the trees, but they are also an important food source for the birds.

Here is a funny fact about the cedar trees and birds relationship: 

Since these berries don't taste good, 

we can see birds just gobbling them down without savoring them. 

These seeds pass on through the bird's gut unharmed. 

And that's how cedar trees get "planted" around!

I took these pictures at the Platte River State Park.

Cedar trees are one of  the few green plants in the winter landscape of Nebraska.

Linking to Blue Monday

Patterns of Spines

If you think seing Cacti from a distance is beautiful, just wait to you get up close.

I used to have a big garden, most of my plants were perennials and local plants.
It was easy to take care of those plants. I never had to cancel any travel plans because of them.
My way of gardening!

But then I had to live in an apartment.

At the beginning I had not intention of being tied up to any easy or needy indoor plant.

But the gardener inside me started to miss getting her hands in the dirt, 

watching plants grow and simply just taking care of green living things was not only a want, but a need.

The first time these plants caught my attention was at a fashion blogger's office. 

That lady travels a lot, but her little plants were alive! Cacti are very easy to take care of.
And is it just me, or 2013 was the year of the succulent?

I didn't want to be left out, so I bought me some of these babies.
Here is how they looked like when I got them.

The tallest cacti of all of them, is this last one, only a little bit more than 2 1/2 inches!

Linking to I Heart Macro

Borage

Borraja: Spanish name for Borage, or Starflower.

I'm surprised of all the medicinal plats my Mom has now!
She has many plants  that I only had heard about it.
But now I seen them, have touch them and even taken a picture of them!  

One of those plant  is borage.
I only have memories about this plant.
I Remember when I was a kid and got a cold my mom would say:
"Te voy a hacer un tee de borraga, mija." (I will make a tea of borage, my daughter.)
I forgot if it worked that was a loong time ago.  :)

I did some goggling on it, and found out that it's a medicinal plant also used for
inflammation, eczema, and arthritis.
And that is edible. It can be used in salads, it will taste like cucumber. Who knew! 

I like how blue flowers look among the summer blooming plants,
that's why I have grown a plant called Balloon Flower.
I will try to find borage for my garden too. I also found out that it attracts bees and humming birds.

Pictures taken on December 2013, at El Estado de Mexico, Mexico.


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Linking to Blue Monday

Guagolota and Pipilitos

Guagolota: Spanish name for a female turkey.

Pipillito: Spanish name for a baby turkey. 

When I found out we were going to Mexico for Christmas 

I wanted to ask my family down in Mexico to buy some type of baby animal for my kids, 

they love baby animals. 

But I got all busy preparing for the trip that I forgot to ask.

 Then when we got there, among the many news my Mom told me was that, 

her guagolota was waiting for her eggs to hatch! 

I asked her when the pipillitos were going to hatch, but she had no clue. 

But  the next day we got there, I heard them chirping! 

Mom quickly came to see if the pipilitos were hatched, and they were! 

My kids were thrilled to see and hold baby turkeys! 

Five facts about turkeys.

1. Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey, not the Bald Eagle, the national bird of the United States!
2. A female turkey lays 4 to 18 eggs.
3. Males take no role in the care of young turkeys
4. Males turkey gather in clearings to perform courtships display, they puff up their body feathers, flare their tails into a vertical fan and strut slowly while giving a characteristic gobbling call. 
5. Only males gobble. They gobble with a distinctive sound that can be heard a mile away!

Linking to Random 5 Friday and Saturday's Critters

Missing My Garden

Found this pictures from 2012.

 I currently live in an apartment, but in some months ahead I will be back to my little house, 

where I have a garden. 

Can't wait!

 It's hard for me to pick a plant as my favorite. 

But Lenten Rose takes a special place in my heart.

 It's the first plant to bloom in my garden!

Anybody out there has Lenten Rose blooming at your garden?

Linking to Floral Friday Fotos

New Year!

I finally get a chance to post something!

For the Christmas holiday we went to Mexico. It's been a long time since I had been down there! 

Too many things have  changed. It makes me happy and sad at the same time.

Just to name some of  these things, the technology and transportation are so much 

better than they were years ago. But there are some traditions that slowly are banishing away.  

I didn't see people traveling on horses any more. 

I guess we can't have it both ways.

We had the fortune to eat some very delicious foods, and a bunch of fresh fruits.

On of my favorite fruit  I eat was guayaba. I payed only 13 pesos for a kilo!! 

The above picture, is at the Tianguis. 

Tianguis happens on an appointed day of  the week in almost every town of Mexico.

 That day vendors take over the streets to sell goods, an open day market.

I also got to eat my very favorite food, mole. 

 I love mole! My Mom has cooked  it for me since I was a baby.

 It has been a long time since I've eaten it. More than 6 years! 

I know we can go to Walmart or some other store and get a jar of mole, but trust me, it will never taste as good as the one made with all these ingredients. 

                                           It's THE LITTLE THINGS that make it taste soo good.

I don't have the recipe. I only will tell you some of the ingredients my Mom puts in it: Fried tortilla,
almonds, fried cookies named Galletas Marias, onion, peanuts, 

chocolate named Chocolate Aguelita, clove, raisins, fried bread, garlic, 

and sesame seeds are some of the ingredients in mole. 

I'm very grateful for the chance of finally going to visit my Mexico after a long time ago. 

I couldn't ask for anything better to finish 2012!

Linking to Little Things Thursday