New Picture and Links!!

I am excited......I finally learned how to post a picture at the top of my blog!!! The picture I used turned out a little larger than I wanted but I am so excited to finally have a picture there with my title. I still am trying to figure out how to add a slide show to my blog, though. Can anyone tell me how to put a slideshow on my blog?? I also added lots of new, wonderful links to my blog, so I hope you will all have fun visiting those!

The pictures here are so fun. I guess I am in a childlike mood today, wishing I was back in my childhood, when life was so silly and fun and exciting!! Here's where I found these photos:

1. little mouse.....Lauri Faggioni

2. paper assemblage......Jade Peglar

3. little dog......?

4. scene.......Glass Orthodoxy

5. little animal......Endicott Studio

6. toy piano......off ebay

7. little doll......(I'm sorry, I cannot remember)

8. tiny book on bigger book......Abelardo Morrel

9. sad little girl......?

10. little girl holding dolls.......?

11. funny little boy with box hat......tous les jours dimanche

12. scene with many people.......?

13. girl with little stuffed animal on her head.......?

14. toy horse jumping.......?

15. cute little doll.......off ebay

16. adorable little elves.......off ebay

I am so sorry that I don't have all the names for all the pictures. I am trying to do better about that. Thanks for being patient. I am trying to start posting the actual links for these pictures, too. I just get in too big of a hurry sometimes when I'm looking for wonderful things on the net.

Today, I feel so tired. We have been trying to become vegetarians for several months and lately it just seems like sometimes I get so tired. I probably am not getting enough vitamins or something. I decided that I wanted to become a vegetarian because after several experiences, I felt it was extremely important to think more about the animals in the world. When you think about what they go through, it is a terrible, unbelievable thing. The terror, the suffering, the shock must be beyond belief. I just think we need to think about them and their lives.

Mike and I saw a film several years ago called "Juliet of the Herbs" and we were so touched by that film. Juliet was an older woman from England, I think, who was living in Greece at the time the movie was made. She must have been in her 80's but was so energetic and enthusiastic about life. She was a vegetarian and also knew so much about caring for animals, in a holistic, natural......vegetarian way. She used herbs to treat them and was so knowledgeable about the natural way of healing and living. It is a wonderful, beautiful film if you can try to find a copy of it. I would actually love to see it again.

One part of the film, she talked about what happens to animals in the processing plants. I can't even begin to think about it. She showed part of that terrible experience.......mostly emphasizing the animals horrendous expressions of terror and fear and sadness. I have not forgotten that at all. I feel it is up to us to show more respect and love for animals than that. Do we really NEED to eat meat??? I am still learning about being a vegetarian and actually feel so much better about myself since I've tried to stop eating meat.......that I know it is the right thing to do. It's funny, but about a month ago, we went to a wonderful favorite place of mine......a doll hospital in Salt Lake City and we had such a special time there. We were talking to the owner, (a very interesting man), about vegetarianism and he was a vegetarian. Just then, his cat walked into the room......a beautiful orange cat. He just stood there and looked at us, like he sensed that we were being more sensitive to animals! It was amazing. We told the owner that we noticed that and he said that would happen to us more and more as we lived more of a vegetarian life. I felt so good about myself......a comforting feeling of thoughtfulness and happiness came over me.

Aside from that, we are still working on our little children's film. It's taking much longer than we thought. Some days, we just don't seem very energetic about all the work ahead of us. I know our movie will be wonderful when it is done, but it takes so much time, I wish were just finished with it. We are having fun working on the story with our son Matthew. He is such a character and has so much energy......we always feel better after being with him. I think the problem is that we are home so much, working on our art and the film and other things. We love that and are so grateful to have all this time to be creative, but we miss being with other people so much!!

We want so much to open our own little shop!!! That is the biggest dream we have, (right now, anyway, other than finishing our movie!) We have been trying to decide where we want to live though. We like Utah but just cannot deal with the harsh winters and the hot, miserable summers here. I feel bad about that, but just have such a hard time here, in that way. I love it otherwise. Also, we miss the beauty of the Northwest, where we are from. The beautiful green trees and mountains, the fresh air and the lushness of that area. We would love to have a shop back in Washington or even in Oregon. We have thought about going back to California, too, though because we like the weather there. We would especially LOVE to be somewhere along the California coast......have a cute little shop there and sell all kinds of wonderful things. Go for long walks on the beach and collect driftwood and shells and seaweed form the ocean......what a dream for us! (That we would be thrilled to have come true!)

So, I thought I would ask......if anyone knows of a shop space that we could rent or lease!!! Please let us know! We are just so, so , so anxious to have our own shop!! We could even buy something if it was affordable! Please let me know if you know of something! We would be so grateful! We have been looking and looking and just have not found the right place yet!!

I hope you have a wonderful day. I am so grateful for everyone who visits my blog!! God bless you all! You are such sweet people!

Have fun!

Debbie