Fun with Friends - Logging Boom Days of Northern Idaho Photos Discovered

Me, ready for a tour of Potlatch, circa 1993

This was going to be a Throwback Thursday post. But I have a thankful project going on Thursday's. So we will call this Throwback Friday.

On Wednesday, I blogged about taking classes with my fellow teacher and friend. The class topic was Logging Boom Days of Northern Idaho. After the post went live, guess who discovered photos from the same trip?

Me. Amazing. If only you could see how many actual real live photographs I have. Boxes. Albums. Drawers.

Thousands. And that is a conservative estimate.

So here, to celebrate a miracle, are photos from our famous (in our minds) class about the Logging Boom Days of Northern Idaho.

1993 - Logging Boom Days of Northern Idaho

Alyson and I, in the midst of the class, posing by old wood (presumably logged during the logging boom days of northern Idaho)

First night out, camping in Idaho. This was the place I locked the keys in the van, hours from AAA, leaving us stranded and late for class. We definitely made an impression on that instructor!

Hiking uphill through beautiful forests

Here I come, walking down the street, get the funniest looks from, everyone she meets . . . (The first one to name that tune gets a free forest map from Idaho - comment below)

One of us is a goof off. Just saying . . . at Potlatch tour. Beware of falling logs and metal structures!

Our lovely 3-person cabins along the St. Joe's River. It really was a beautiful spot. The river was right across the gravel road.

Bats! Told you there were bats. In the previous picture you can see how easily they could inhabit the space between the tin and wooden roof.

Lovely bat-free zone accommodations.

Log-perching. The perfect place for inspiration. This is where I penned some of my poem for the class. The only downfall was that the time allowed for log-perching was too short.


Angie Quantrell loves getting out into nature. The forests of northern Idaho are indeed worth the dust, travel, sweat, and bats. I think I need a return trip!

Thankful Thursday - Thanks for Things Beginning with the Letter C

It's Thankful Thursday! Today, I am thankful that I remembered!

Things for which I am thankful that start with the letter C:

~ Christ

~ Creation

~ cream (frozen with chocolate on top)

~ cheese

~ chocolate (this may appear more than once)

~ cabbage, cauliflower, corn, carrots

~ cooking (I adore cooking meals for captive crowds)

~ creating (creating is curiously captivating)

~ cornflower blue

~ cats (though I would give you the one that just brought delivered a headless rat - into the bedroom)

~ climbing roses

~ crocheting warm cozies

~ cradles with babies

~ cuddling

~ cabins

~ contacts (I can see ever so much better with contacts than glasses, unless I am writing or reading)

~ camping

~ cameras

~ Christmas

~ computers

~ crayons (oh, yeah)

~ cantaloupe

~ Cape Cod

~ coffee (whew, almost forgot it!)

~ caramel

~ C.S. Lewis - Chronicles of Narnia

~ children (especially grand-children)

~ cars (so much easier to get around)

~ chorizo (Mmm!)

~ church

~ Cross (as in THE Cross)

~ chrysalids (butterflies be coming soon)


Certainly not a comprehensive compendium of C-related things, but allow me to complete this post with a few more cognitive contemplations: camels, complex carbohydrates, caresses, concerts, and compliments.

How creative can you be in sharing items for which you are thankful that begin with C? Comment below.

Thanks!

Angie Quantrell loves to play with words and was accused of luring fellow classmates to her groups with her love of quickly solving confusing puzzles. Mostly, her husband is the one who complains about competing with her enjoyment of consonants and vowels. Cela vie!

Old Forest & Fun With Friends - Logging Boom Days of Northern Idaho

Years ago, I mean years, my friend Alyson and I took a field-trip type class called "Logging Boom Days of Northern Idaho."

Papers in my file say 1993, so 22 years ago to be exact. This summer. That was one of our killing-two-birds-with-one-stone plans. Each summer we would take a class, as teachers were (and still are) required to take continuing education courses. The multiple day courses we chose allowed us to travel, visit, camp and/or sleep in a cabin, experience a new adventure, and fulfill our school requirements.

Speaking of adventures, this course was the one where I locked the keys in the van at our campground en route to the class site. On the first day of class. We were late because we had to wait for AAA to show up and unlock the van. In the middle of the wilderness of northern Idaho. That was fun.

Together with our fellow classmates, we traveled over hill and dale, climbed up hill (many times) and downhill (again, many times). The cabin we stayed in during the class had bats living between the metal roof and the wooden roof. Our nights were filled with scritches and scratches as they climbed in and out for night flight hunting. I was positive they were inside the cabin, so I slept with my sleeping bag over my head. Regardless of the heat.

A beautiful river ran right in front of our cabins, so several of us enjoyed mini-floats. We toured sites of lumber industries, hiked down log chutes, and traipsed throughout the forests, kicking up dust and making it stick to our sweaty bodies. I recall pulling off my shirt at one point, once the coast was clear, to dunk it in the cool water. Such was air conditioning in the mountains.

Not only did we hoof it, but we also car-pooled and hit back country roads to get to many of our logging boom day historic sites. After starting the course in St. Maries, Idaho, we journeyed by dirt road over mountains and ended up in Wallace, Idaho. Just for fun, Alyson and I, as soon as class was over, hit the road east so we could count Montana as one of our states for the class. After which we had to turn west and drive late to make it home to central Washington.

Course number H1493hs93 was a three-state class - Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Dare I wax poetic? Here is small portion of the poem I composed after being inspired by the beauty of the old forests.

OLD FOREST

Wandering trail, dwarfed,
Serene, cool, shade . . .
Shadows of majestic cedar trees.

Breeze gently ruffling the crowns
of the age old monarchs . . .
Untouched by loggers' blades, untainted by pest or flame,
Triumphant over man and nature.

(From "Old Forest" by Angie Quantrell, 1993)

The memories are worth the cost of the course. If you get a chance, take a travel class with a friend.

Angie Quantrell loves to travel and learn new things. Exploring old things is one of her favorite past-times.

Bird Envy

This lovely guy met us in the zoo parking lot a few years ago. He was quite the greeter.

I'm in love with blue.

turquoise, aqua, teal, blue, azure, aquamarine, blue-green

If only we could capture that color and make it into clothes, paint, eye shadow, fingernail polish...

Oh, wait. I think it's been done. But nothing is as good as the real deal. Nature really rocks blue.

Thanks, Mr. Peacock, for the beauty.

What is your favorite color?

Angie Quantrell is racing the clock to make several deadlines. She thought it would be fun to share some of her favorite photos.

Hot Flashes Make Me Thirsty

The first hint I notice when a hot flash is about to encompass my 50-something body is the urge to get a drink of water. NOW.

That rush to the faucet is quickly followed by searing heat, red-hot skin, and drippy sweat. And flying clothes.

Seriously. My new wardrobe of this life stage is pants (for now, until spring is upon us, then shorts or capris), tank tops, and the one-same Goodwill sweater that I match - or maybe not - with every outfit. That is all I plan on wearing for the next few years. The sweater is easily tossed on the floor once the sweat descends. Sleeveless tops cool my neck and arms much quicker than even short-sleeves. The house slippers join discarded items until the heat thermostat that is my body drops back to the normal zone. Whereupon I get dressed. Again.

One day, as that thirst hit . . . Interesting. Just writing about a hot flash has encouraged one to visit me. There go the clothes and the sweaty keyboard. Need a drink.

Back. Sorry. Goes with the territory.

Now, as I was saying, I realized that the sudden and demanding urge to quench my thirst at the onset of a hot flash was in fact, very similar to that same thirst I experienced each time I began to nurse my babies. Simultaneously, they began to suck, my milk let-down, and I needed a drink. All at the same time. I learned to prepare to feed the babies by first placing a big glass of water on the table beside me. It worked.

I'm guessing, though I could be way off target, that hormones are at play here. Back then, pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing stimulated the hormones that made me thirst as I produced and delivered milk to the babies. Now I am not nursing, but my hormones are doing something to make me thirsty. Maybe it is the last dying gasp of estrogen floating out of my body, no longer needed to maintain the body for reproduction.

Someone out there knows. Maybe a female scientist could take this one on and let me know. One thing I am sure of. I am very thankful that I did not have hot flashes while I was nursing! And I am thankful that I am not a nursing mommy now.

Another thought I had was that the thirst I experienced, a (seemingly) life-threatening thirst, must be what the Lord was talking about in the Sermon on the Mount as He spoke with His disciples and the gathered crowds.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

Spiritual hunger and thirst is a life-threatening situation. We thirst and we hunger for the Savior, the Son of God, and His righteousness. But do we let ourselves be filled?

It's as easy as my placing a glass of water at my side or going to the sink to fill a cup. We just have to ask. And we will be filled with exactly what we need.

What are you hungry and thirsty for?


Angie Quantrell regularly disrobes and puts clothes back on as she hot flashes throughout her days. Writing about life and connecting with spiritual truths gives her purpose. Angie lets the Lord quench her thirst.

World Hunger 101 Now Available in Spanish - Hambre Mundial 101

I just discovered that World Hunger 101 is now available in Spanish! How exciting is that?

I was thumbing through the 2014-2015 WMU Catalog and chanced upon this new item. Though it may seem that I speak Spanish, I don't. The wonderful people at WMU have translated this resource for Spanish speaking audiences.

World Hunger 101 - World Hunger Event Promotion Pack, Teaching Preschoolers About Hunger, and the World Hunger Break Bank are great resources for staging a hunger event for church groups, community groups, or other groups of people interested in learning about and being challenged to do something about world hunger.

Now, with the release of Hambre Mundial 101 (World Hunger 101, Spanish Translation) new audiences can join the fight against hunger.

This is so cool!

With the exception of the World Hunger Break Bank, the other three items are immediately downloadable.

World Hunger Day usually occurs in October. But hunger does not happen only in the fall. Throughout the year, families - children, teens, adults, seniors - and many other individuals face meal times without food. I know I love eating regularly. I pains me to consider how hungry these sometimes unseen ones must get.

Check out these excellent resources. Join the fight against hunger.

Call: 1-800-968-7301
Online: www.wmustore.com

Hambre Mundial 101 (World Hunger 101, Spanish Translation) - E144101
World Hunger 101, World Hunger Event Promotion Pack - E113103
Teaching Preschoolers About Hunger - E118102
World Hunger Break Bank (pkg. 50) - W094103


Angie Quantrell is overjoyed to see World Hunger 101 translated for Spanish speakers. She can't wait to see how the Lord uses these resources to feed the hungry.

Thankful Thursday - Thankful for Things that Begin with B

Wow. Last Thursday for me was Thoughtless Thursday! I totally forgot to be thankful until Friday. Hello, wake up brain!

So, back to the regularly scheduled Thankful Thursday. Onward and upward!

Today, I am going to list things beginning with the letter B for which I am thankful.

~ Bible (best book)

~ babies (can't wait to meet new Baby Gage in June)

~ brothers

~ boys

~ bananas

~ bread

~ bikes (bicycles and motorcycles)

~ broccoli

~ books (I can't believe it took me this long into the list to think of books!)

~ best friends

~ Border collies (though I am not smart enough to have one, I mean I don't have enough time for both of us to be trained)

~ believers

~ beaches

~ balconies

~ brownies

~ basking

~ bacon (anything with bacon!)

~ barns, barns, barns

~ birds

~ bras (gotta hold up the girls)

~ bees

~ birthdays

~ buds (the plant kind, you know, the ones that mean spring is coming and the garden is growing)

~ blankies

~ buddies


What about you? What are you thankful for that begins with B?

A fun game involving balancing pirate penguins on a boat


Angie Quantrell strives to live a thankful life. She forgets sometimes, but that is only because her burners are full. Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall - Reflections of Self

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who's the fairest of them all?

We all know that the evil Stepmother in Snow White uttered those words as she contemplated her own beauty. Dare I say that her self-absorption plus basic evil were two of the causes for her downfall?

I'm not going to suggest, "Don't look in mirrors." This is not that kind of post.

Early today, I read a devotional that mentioned that we humans look into the mirror 8-10 times a day or 60-70 times a day counting electronic mirrors on phones and such. That is quite a bit of self-gazing. Enough for anyone. I know I look that many times just to see which way the hair is sticking up.

Thoughts about mirrors continued as I self-reflected. (Pun intended.)

I really don't like to look at myself in the mirror. Especially when clothes are not present. Eek! Things are headed south that should just stay where they are and winter white gets a new definition. All of me, scars, wrinkles, and sags are hanging out in plain sight. Let's just not go there!

And then the Holy Spirit nudged me deeper. I realized that I don't like God to look at me in my nothings. I don't mind so much when I have my 'spiritual' clothes on, the ones that make me look presentable. But when He starts asking to see the real me, the naked self, He will have a clear view of all of my shortcomings, failures, and downright sins. The not-so-pretty stuff. Wrinkles, bags, dimples, and scars of past choices will be on display. Disobedience, unkindness, selfishness, gossip - the list is really quite long of opportunities for icky things He would see. Should I allow Him into my very deepest self, He will see me for what I truly am.

Sinful.

Imperfect.

I cringe at the thought.

But the truth is, He sees it all anyway. It's like the little children who think they can hide from God in the bedroom closet and then He won't be able to see the naughty things they've done.

I can hide it all (like with Spanx) but the reality is still there. I'm not a size 2 with perfectly toned, well, anything. I'm not an admirable person who reacts and lives in perfection. Called to holiness, yes, but no way possible can that happen without the Holy Spirit.

I need to get real. And get naked. I'm talking about my heart. He knows every little piece of me already, so let's just open wide the doors and invite Him in, mess and all.

Only then can He deal with the gunk and create a new reflection. Of Him.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (Ephesians 5:1).

Rephrased, be reflections of God . . .


Angie Quantrell wants to be honestly transparent to Him and lovingly reflective of Him.

Great Sunday Afternoon Motorcycle Ride in the Yakima Valley

We took our 2nd motorcycle ride of the new year. 2nd. In Washington state. Is that amazing or what? February 15 and we are out on the bike. With lots of other people on their bikes.

The first trip of the year was last Friday, February 13. Just a nice loop through the Wenas Valley, down the grade to Naches, and back around to Yakima.

Today we headed south. All of you on the ground probably didn't notice the breeze, but once we hit 55-60 mph, the wind chill, well, got chilly. But we were dressed for cold. It was great.

The amazing thing about riding a motorcycle, besides the numbing of your backside so that you think you have lost it somewhere, is how much you experience with your senses. I will say 4 senses, as the sense of taste, number 5, only happens occasionally when my visor is up and a bug drops in my mouth and becomes a tasty snack.

But the other 4. Wow.

Of course, one reason we go out is to see things. Sight. Other than the huge helmet head directly in front of my face (my honey is the front seat driver), I have a wonderful view of all that is passing, dare I say, whizzing by. Everything.

Sight. Some things I saw today ~

two bald eagles, sparrow hawk, blue heron, various farm animals, a gopher atop a fence post, wild horses (though not as many as usual), Mt. Adams, pine trees, the valley spread out before me, the sun-bleached white fan fingers of wild horse ribs and bones (once you figure out what you are seeing, one sees bones everywhere), rivers, puddles, mud, the greens of sprouting winter wheat, and so much more.

Smell. Uhm. Today we scented some very interesting odors ~

skunk (numerous), cow poop (it's not all roses on the back of a bike), rotten stuff, the fresh breeze, pine trees, recently tilled dirt, exhaust, and the great outdoors.

Touch. This sense is mostly related to what runs into us (bugs) and the feel of wind and weather hitting our skin. Cold air and very cold air were in abundance. The freedom of hanging out on the back of a motorcycle, flying through the air, is exhilarating. And then later, painful. We are not in motorcycle shape. The buttsy and back were done way before we got home.

Hearing. This one gets a little challenging, but oh, what a treat.

~ the motorcycle engine, the tiny bell that tinks as we go, other vehicles, the rushing wind past our helmets, and once, when we stopped and turned off the motor at the end of the road, complete silence. That was my favorite part.

Motorcycle riding is a multi-sensory experience, one of adventure, and a certain amount of risk. Believe me, we pray all the time. My man is super watchful. Being on the motorcycle is our special time together. Couple time.

Sunday Afternoon Yakama Reservation Route

(The end of the road where we turned around was 46 miles from our home in Yakima.)

~ Head south on I-90.

~ Turn on Lateral A. Follow to West Wapato Road.

~ Head west on W. Wapato Road until it ends.

~ Turn left on Stephenson. Follow through White Swan. (For bathrooms or a snack, this is it.)

~ Turn right on Ft. Road Extension (goes past the high school baseball fields).

~ Turn left. Can't remember this road's name. But you have to either turn left or right. Turn left. Stay on this road for a long time.

~ Follow the road. It becomes Signal Peak Road. There will be a stop sign. Turn left and stay on this road.

~ When you get up into the hills, you will come to a stop sign with some buildings. This is the beginning of the Tribal Land. We can't go there unless we have a host. This is also 46 miles from home and the place where we turn around.


Enjoy the ride.

Angie Quantrell writes from the great northwest where possibilities for beautiful motorcycle rides abound in God's backyard.

Dreams of Living Small - The Small House Movement

We have a very big dream of living small.

What does that mean?

For us ~

~ reducing the amount of belongings we own and have to care for

~ recycling, reusing, repurposing

~ condensing our lifestyle so that we use less, need less, and spend less

~ use the extra time, money, energy on what's important to us - family, friends, faith, travel, time together, motorcycle rides, gardening

~ building a smaller home to fulfill all of the above

I have long been reading and following those who already live in the movement known as tiny living (or small homes or simple living or minimalistic lifestyle). I'm fascinated with the super tiny living spaces, but realize that it won't work for us. This movement is ripe with ideas and ingenuity. I love reading what others have done. Perhaps future vacations will involve staying in some of those tiny spaces.

We are aiming for a 900 square foot (give or take) home. That would just about do it.

For now, we are juggling ideas, information, and expert opinions. Looking at possible property sites (one aspect of our dream is to get out of town and have more space for nature and outdoor projects like bigger gardens and quiet living) took us out on our first motorcycle ride of the year. I know. February. In Washington state. FEBRUARY. It's been so mild and nice, everything is budding and springing forth with green. Perfect for motorcycle rides. A little brisk, but wonderful.

Interested? Check out my two Pinterest boards - Les Petite Maisons and Our Tiny Home. Both have pins of some things we really like. I also follow the Tiny House Talk newsletter (tinyhousetalk.com). It is a wealth of examples and information about living small (or tiny).

Simple living. Ahhh.

Angie Quantrell and her husband are seeking ways to live small and simple. She just wonders how to contain two wild kitties who will undoubtedly destroy or race crazily through whatever size of space they find.

Valentine's Day Ideas - Missions Mosaic Article

I love that little surprise when I flip through my new Missions Mosaic magazine and find something I've written. Once I send in work, I put it out of my mind and go on to the next thing. So it's just like Christmas! Except for this month, it's Valentine's Day.

I had the pleasure of writing valentine ideas for the For the Family feature in the February 2015 Missions Mosaic. Fun! I love brainstorming and planning activities, especially if the whole family is involved. Actually, my enjoyment of that type of writing just came up in a phone conversation with my editor. She said that she knew I liked that sort of stuff. She is a wise woman.

I relish reading the entire Missions Mosaic magazine, from front cover to back cover. It's filled with so many neat, challenging, educational, inspirational, and spiritual articles and features that it is hard to know which I love best (to read). So today, I share with you a great resource. (And that is not just because I write for this organization, though Woman's Missionary Union does an excellent job of missions education and involvement).

Check it out. You can subscribe through www.wmustore.com or by calling 1-800-968-7301.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Angie Quantrell loves her job as a wife, mother, Nana, and writer. This is especially easy in the month of love, February.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

~ Franklin P. Jones

Have a wonderful day with those you love. XOXO


The best Valentine I ever received? John 3:16

Memory - How Far Back Can We Remember?

That's me, front and center, drinking my favorite soda back then, 7-UP. I remember being fascinated that with a drink that had all of those delicious bubbles yet was see-through at the same time. This was back when I had straight hair. I have no idea how that happened, because it is now forever unruly, frizzy, and curly in all whichever directions it wants to go. I think I was in 1st or 2nd grade during the time of this photo.

I do remember trips like this. Maybe not necessarily this exact trip, but the fact that our family loved to head out on the weekends to explore the great and very hot state of Arizona are firmly stuck in my book of childhood memories.

Six of us, station wagon with fold up kid seats in the way back, sometimes a dog or two, mandatory stops at a convenience store for snacks and drinks, and dust. Lots of dust. It was the desert, after all. What else was there but cactus and dust?

My memories go back further than this trip.

Kindergarten for me was in Cle Elum. Before that, I remember living in Yakima. Vague glimpses of a house over on 11th Avenue are in my mind, along with a special friend across the backyard fence. I loved going to her house because she had a play kitchen. Her name was Zoe. I had to have been 3 or 4. My brother was a baby in that house. There are pictures of us dressed up for church on Easter. And there is another picture of me on my birthday. I remember the flooring, of all things.

Memories can amaze or confuse us, clear things up or muddy the past. Some of the things I remember are recalled with different details by my siblings (and my parents). That goes with the territory, since all people live through life events while wearing their own set of rose colored glasses.

I am glad to have my memories. Enlightening is the pastime of gazing back in time, digging deeper and deeper, to find those earliest of memories. Bittersweet, nostalgic, funny, sad, and all sorts of feelings dwell between then and now.

But those are my memories, a part of me. It's who I am.

How far back can you remember? What is your earliest memory?

I'd like to know.

Baby me, about six months old, crying on cue for the photographer. Mom says I would make facial expressions on command. My photo sits on the mantle between my bronzed baby shoes.

Angie Quantrell is thankful that the Lord has blessed her over the many years of her life. He has kept her through thick and thicker. Angie's life journey continues to be a new adventure every morning.

On Living Small and Simply

Mt. Rainier, Washington State

"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness."

~ Attrib. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)


To live simply is to deny at least some of my wants.

I won't have a place to put them. I don't need everything I want. Some things I just want.

And then I won't have to take care of them. After I'm gone, no one else will have to take care of my things. So much easier. Less to care for is equivalent to a simple life - living small.

That's a great plan for a little hobbit such as myself.

Enjoying nature and the simple life.

Go Ahead, Touch My Groceries - I Dare You

It's nice to have someone notice that you are a healthy eater. It's even okay to share cooking and eating tips with others when you are standing in line.

But I don't really think it's alright to pick up someone else's chosen food (from their nicely boxed-in-with-dividers grocery pile) and consider the contents.

That actually happened. Now, while it's not that bad of an intrusion into the realm of personal property, as the groceries have not yet been purchased, still, one would think that talking about chocies an allowable pastime, but picking up the goods of others? Not really.

My honey and I were waiting in line after placing our selections on the electronic black plastic walkway for shopping goods. The lady in front of us was waiting her turn as well. Suddenly, she turned sideways and began to visually inspect our choices. With extreme focus and attention to detail.

And then she did it. She grabbed a jar of pickled peppercini peppers (say that three times in a row). And proceeded to ask us questions about how to use them and what to do with them while she was reading the label and handling our pepper jar.

What do you do? Slightly annoyed, partially amused...maybe it is a regional thing. Is it okay in different parts of the country or world to handle the groceries of other people (not talking about the box person or cashier here) when standing in line to pay?

Anyway. She finally put down our jar. And stood there, calmly perusing our groceries. After contemplating and passing judgment, she turned and said, "You eat pretty healthy, don't you?"

Like I said. It's great to have someone agree with your diet.

On the shelves? Go for it. In the produce bins? All yours. Freezer? Dairy case? Help yourself. But once I touch it, grab it, and put it in my cart, that means I have every intention of purchasing said items and taking them home. For my family. You are welcome to get the same things. But not off of check stand belt.

Interesting. Thanks for the odd encounter. And should we stand in line together again sometime in the future? Ask your questions. Share your comments. Just use your eyes, not your hands. Isn't that something we teach our children? Look, don't touch.

Don't touch my food. You will make me very happy.

Angie Quantrell doesn't think she has food issues, but the jury is still out. Willing to share food and ideas with others. But let's leave the groceries on the conveyer belt, okay?

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award - And the Nominees Are . . .

This year is the first school year that I have not been involved in full-time teaching (for a long time). One of my goals has been to be more regular with blog posts on my blogs. I love sharing life events - the good, the bad, and the ugly, or at least the funny - with readers and fellow writers and bloggers. I also like to point readers towards great books. At this time, my book blog is focusing on great picture books to which I add KID KANDY - an activity that goes along with each book.

I am honored that Sally Cronin has nominated me for this Very Inspiring Blog Award. Thank you so much, Sally! This is a totally new experience for me, one that I will treasure.

I met Sally in Blog Land. Our friendship began when I read a request she put out about guest posting healthy recipes on her blog. I had just created a very yummy mostly healthy dish and was quite happy to share it with her. She made my first guest blogger adventure virtually (pun intended) painless. I have quite enjoyed getting to know Sally through our conversations and posts about all sorts of things. She really does a great job of reaching out to people from all walks of life.

You can find Sally's blog at http://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com. Go ahead and check it out!

Very Inspiring Blogger Award and Nominations

I am honored to be nominated for this award by Sally Cronin. Check her out at https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/


The rules for accepting this award are as follows:

1.Thank the person who nominated you, and link to their blog.

2.Display the award logo.

3.Nominate at least 15 other blogs (more or less) and provide a link where they may be found. Then, go to their blog, leave a comment to let them know they have been nominated, and where to find the information they need to accept (rules).

4.Mention three things that inspired you the most during the past few weeks.

Congratulations to those I’ve nominated!

Kristen Lamb's Blog - http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/
Mary Vee - http://maryvee.com/
The Seriously Write Team - http://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/
Tric - http://mythoughtsonapage.wordpress.com/
Bryan Davis - http://theauthorschair.wordpress.com/
Mandy - http://enjoyandembracelearning.blogspot.com/
Robin Lee Hatcher - http://robinleehatcher.com/_blog/
Susan Branch - http://susanbranch.com/
Edie Wadsworth - http://lifeingraceblog.com/


Now for the three things that have inspired me recently – tough as there are so many of you…..

1. I love to read a wide variety of blogs. I usually subscribe to them so they come into my email inbox. I love checking out what is going on. Sometimes it's like Christmas. I receive the gift of inspiration or encouragement.

2. I follow blogs to learn something or gain information or keep abreast of a subject. I appreciate so much the writers that challenge me to continue on the writing, teaching, or life in general path that I am on.

3. I laugh, gasp, cry, and talk to the blog writers as if they are right here at my computer. Can you hear me? I am responding, though I might not always jot down a comment. Thank you for enriching my life!

Lady in the Tree - Watercolor Painting

"Lady in the Tree," by Angie Quantrell
(Based on a wooden sculpture/carving in the middle of a tree in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico)

"Imitation is not inspiration, and inspiration only can give birth
to a work of art. The least of man's original emanation is
better than the best of a borrowed thought."

~ Albert Pinkham Ryder, Quoted in Albert Pinkham Ryder (John Sherman; 1920)

Here I thought imitation was the sincerest form of flattery.

This is a watercolor painting I did that was based on a wooden sculpture/carving that is found in the middle of a burned out tree in Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was fascinated by the carving and the paint that was applied after the lady was carved. It sits hidden behind a church in the old part of the city, the oldest Catholic parish in Albuquerque.

The intriguing artwork is called the Cottonwood Madonna - Virgin of the Tree.

One can guess, but I still wonder what inspired the parishioner to carve the lady?


Angie Quantrell enjoys dabbling in watercolor painting when she is not busily typing at the computer. She is fascinated with the look of watercolor paints and dreams of having time to really pursue that hobby.

Savant vs Gardener - Photo Blog

"Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I'm convinced of the opposite."

~ Attrib. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

Should I ever have a gardener (besides myself) I would hope that happiness is a strong possibility. Gardens make me happy.