Warning

Heh… or a promise. I won’t be posting as much for a little while until I get a new camera because I “talk” more in photos than in text. And I’ll probably get the camera in the USA so I don’t have to Jimmy with changing the language in it to English. And I’m going to find one that takes AA batteries… enough is enough… and has a really good optical zoom. There’s too much in nature that is beautiful at a distance here, and I want to see it and capture it. I won’t demand a viewfinder, too, if I can get those other things, though I do prefer viewfinders. 

Anyway, if I don’t post really regularly between now and March 28th, that’s why. But boy will I ever post a lot of photos when we get back from the USA.

Winter, hobbies, chat

So, today when the sun got high enough to hit the trees across the way from our house, the snow started falling in clumps from the trees. I tried to capture this in video, which I’ve posted on YouTube, but I haven’t even watched the video myself, so if it’s not so great, my apologies.

I’m also posting photos of recent days in the lovely German winter, which are especially nice when the sun is shining. We drove by Berchtesgaden yesterday and the cross-country skiers were out in force, parking lots full of them as they headed out. I’m glad the area is getting good tourist business from other parts of Germany. This is a gorgeous place for cross-country skiing.

I don’t like to sit and do nothing when Heinz and I are just watching tv or talking, but I can’t really do the polymer clay stuff in my living room chair; I need to be at the table in the workroom. So when I AM sitting, I try to do some beading so that I’m getting something done. I’m posting one of my latest, but the photo’s not that good — I need a lightbox!! Heinz is going to build me one… soon, soon. But this necklace has some lovely mother-of-pearl leaves at the bottom whose colors just don’t show up well at all. Nor do the colors of the Swarovski crystals or other beads. Ah well.

Had a great talk with Dad and Shirley (bless Skype) today and learned something wonderful and new about Picasa: combining photos and making collages. Who knew? Well, they did and I didn’t, but now I do, so watch out. I’m gonna be a collaging fool.

Oh, I watched part of the video, and I’m not sure how much falling snow you’ll get to see, as I kept trying to move to areas where it was falling MORE. I should have just held the camera steady in one spot. It was COLD on the balcony, too.

More later.

View looking Northeast from the balcony: frosted trees and snowy slopes.

Balcony view again; I just can’t get enough of this. Sorry you didn’t see it when you were here, Carla!

My New Polymer Clay Links

If you are paying really close attention, you may have noticed that I’ve added a great number of new links under the Polymer Clay category. (If you HAVE been paying that much attention, get a life… heh.) These are links I recommend NOT just to fellow artists but to anyone who wants to get lost in a world of beautiful creations. The links that have names are ones that go to those artists’ web pages, face book pages or photostreams. Other links are to pages of organizations that also have many links to other creative pages that are great to peruse.  WARNING: you may find yourself inspired to take up an all-consuming hobby.

Recent Travels

So, I met my friends Carla and Judy in Venice, then Carla and I came back to Bischofswiesen, then Carla and Heinz and I went to Vienna and now we’re home again. Here are some of the things we saw (in the photos with this post.) The lovely lady with the “Braid hat” is Fiona, our guide in Venice who keeps more facts and interesting information in her head than I’ve ever had in mine in the first place. She’s absolutely wonderful and I’ll be adding a separate post about her so that anyone ever going to Venice can call her up and schedule their own tours.

 

 

Recent Travels

So, I met my friends Carla and Judy in Venice, then Carla and I came back to Bischofswiesen, then Carla and Heinz and I went to Vienna and now we’re home again. Here are some of the things we saw (in the photos with this post.) The lovely lady with the “Braid hat” is Fiona, our guide in Venice who keeps more facts and interesting information in her head than I’ve ever had in mine in the first place. She’s absolutely wonderful and I’ll be adding a separate post about her so that anyone ever going to Venice can call her up and schedule their own tours. (I messed up my posting so now it looks like this was posted on an earlier date than it was, but this is actually being posted on Jan. 9)