Driftwood Bordered Bathroom

I have decided to show you my secret to making it through the winter. I keep summer with me by having my bathroom decorated with real driftwood and shells and beach glass, etc., that was found along Lake Superior and Lake Huron on one of the many romantic strolls Jeff and I had along the beaches in warmer weather.

Every time I take a bath, I dream of water lapping along the glossy shorelines, white curling waves in the distance, the sun warming my feet in the sand, and beach treasures strewn about to take home and cherish.

I dream of spas and not the snow that has corralled us into our houses where we huddle in front of the woodstove. I dream of snorkeling and sitting on the breakwall to the harbor with my arms outstretched. I dream of seagulls circling, hoping Jeff and I will give them our whole sandwiches. I dream of sparkling sun rays warming the beach stone.

Think I could go on forever. :D I'm a big dreamer. You would be surprised how comfy a glance at driftwood makes you when it's below zero out.

Hugs, JJ

Winter Clouds Pulling Away

The signs of spring are in the air in Northern Michigan. Look at these tufted dark clouds pulling apart like worn quilted batting. By golly, the sky still is blue. It was muted gray forever. It's blue, light blue, full of light and life.

It's been a long time since the sun washed the highway, melting the ice on the side of road, turning it to puddles. It's been a long time since I opened the door and was beckoned outside to enjoy the day without wrapping a scarf around my face.

You should hear the birds singing. Soon the males will turn brighter colors as the mating season begins. I love the goldfinches bright yellow hue the best. Can't wait to watch the baby birds learn how to fly and perch on the birdfeeder, having a meal that wasn't brought to the nest.

My heart has lightened as I find myself dreaming of spring and summer. Jeff's garden seeds have arrived and soon he'll till the garden soil - as soon as the snow melts and we find it again. LOL. I know more snow will fall, but I also know spring has shown herself and we're in for lovely days ahead.

I'm making a pledge to enjoy every breath of spring and summer. To walk lightly and savor the flavor of life. To soak up the carefree seasons and smell the wild roses. If you are leaving winter behind, join me on my journey. :D

Hugs, JJ

The Snow and Whipping Bush Walk LOL

Yesterday I saw a rainbow-hued cloud in the sky and knew that was the signal for spring's arrival. Today, with the glorious sun shining and the snow sparkling, Jeff and I walked along the creek, hunting for signs of the earth's reawakening.

We did find signs of thaw like the gurgle of water under the now thin layer of ice on the creek, but not before I had done some acrobatic limb stepping and was caught on camera right after a bush branch whacked my face.

Jeff said, "See, your Yoga is paying off." ROFL. Now you can see what a walk in the winter woods is like with Jeff. If there is an obstacle, he climbs over it while I hold my breath and hope I can keep up with him. He used to never look back. This photo proves he does take glances now and then. LOL

Hugs, JJ

Photo of Log Building Constructed By Jeff

Here is a photo of the log building Jeff constructed by himself - from digging the holes for the piers, hauling in the poplar trees to scribe and notch, to nailing on the roofing. With his mission completed, the workshop now glows in the sunshine and has a happy place on our land.

This photo was stitched together out of three or four photos because the length of the building was too long to capture in one shot with our camera. The building stands 36 feet by 20 feet and gives Jeff ample room to move around in. It has natural lighting with thirty-six installed windows. Small ones run along the top of the shop. The windows Jeff picked up for free from people who were giving them away.

The nails he had collected for years. Bent nails that he straightened. He said it was hard on the fingers. LOL I can still see him doing that. When Jeff said he needed more nails, he got the hammer out and banged away. He even had bent nails from his grandfather, who for some reason collected them too. :D

Jeff cut most of the wood himself. All he had to buy included the cement blocks, some plywood, the roofing, and the stain/ paint. He doesn't think it cost him more than 1000 dollars to complete, but that was a few years ago.

Dreams can come true if you're inventive and dedicated and have lots of energy. :D Most of all, though, is the fact that you have to take the time to do it.

Jeff built the shop as a means to make another dream come true. He wants to build a twenty foot sailboat and needed a place to do it. :D With the gas prices, windpower is the way to go!

Hugs, JJ

Photo of the Interior of the Log Building

Here is a photo of the interior of the log building after Jeff had installed the woodstove. He still had some work to do, but the roofing was laid, and he was dreaming of brewing hot coffee while he worked on his bird carvings and other woodworking projects as the reinforced cement base of the woodstove dried.

I was soooo happy for Jeff when his dream became reality, when his labor was over and he could enjoy his workshop. I often joke that his doghouse is better than our house. :D Currently he's working on a wooden kayak that's a beauty.

We had more interior photos but Jeff's computer crashed and we lost many of them. He's hoping he can retrieve them. I'm still looking around the house for old floppy disks that may also have photos on them. I loved the floppy disk days and am disappointed newer computers don't have them. Now it's burn a CD or flashdrive time.

Now that Jeff has fulfilled his log building dream and enjoys it to the hilt, let's see if I can fulfill mine and become a published author. I have a children's story written that now is with illustrator and cartoonist, Robbay, whom I met at Blog Catalog. And I continue to work on my mainstream novel which has Northern Michigan as a setting.

Next photo, the completed outside of the log building. :D

Hugs, JJ

Jeff Up the Ginpole - Scaring the Daylights Out of Me

This photo shows Jeff working on the log building ginpole and scaring the daylights out of me. He had three ladders tied together and was hoping they would hold him as he climbed to attach the cable on the ginpole to the boom.

The whole process of the self-manufactured ginpole had me holding my breath. Jeff used geometry to know what length the guy-wires should be. While the ginpole was on the ground, he staked three of the guy-wires into the earth. Then he winched the whole 4o -some-foot trunk(ginpole) into the air and hoped it would stop when it was vertical. It did. After attaching the last guy-wire, he attached the boom and was ready to go. Up until then, Jeff had been using a tripod to lift the logs onto the shop but the building became too high for him to continue doing so.

It took several years for Jeff to complete the log building by himself, so this ginpole needed replacement after it shattered into a few pieces. Jeff took a dive to safety, rebuilt one and kept on working.

Before the roof was nailed on, Jeff had to remove the ginpole and that was another tense time. It had to come down without trashing the log building. I was glad when I didn't have to think of that ginpole anymore. :D

The next photo will be one of the inside of the shop.

Hugs, JJ

Log Building Dreams - Part Two

In this photo, you can see the log building progress Jeff had made on on his workshop. When completed, the building dimensions inside were 36 feet by 20.

In the background, you can see an unstained log has been placed on top of a finished log for the scribing process. After the full log was scribed, it was lowered back down by the ginpole and Jeff notched it, then stained it and set the log in place on top of a finished one. He also drilled holes and drove rerod at four foot intervals on the logs to bind them to one another.

You can see the ginpole, which is at an angle to the building and looks like a fishing pole. Jeff ended up needing two of them to complete the workshop.

The sight of the stained unfinished log building that reminded me of the glow of a sunset never failed to mesmerize me. I knew Jeff was at a special time of his life and it made the building process all the sweeter. I loved to sit on the bottom of the opening of a window and read a book while listening to the lush greenery whisper in the wind.

Hope you're enjoying watching the log building dream happen. :D

Swahilya, a beautiful soul, added this in a reply and I had to share:

"Hi JJ, isn't sunshine wonderful now! You've inspired me to have my own log house in a forest, beside a gurgling river, with snow capped mountains towering over, a tiny Zen garden with a cave in a corner where I meditate, writ, blog and make music - with lots of space to share it with seekers!"

We're in the middle of an ice storm. Spring, can I coax you a little closer?

Hugs, JJ

Log Building Dreams

As a kid, living in a metropolitan area of concrete and busy streets, Jeff dreamt of living in the woods and constructing a log building by himself.

He fulfilled his dream! YAY! Jeff pushed back his work desk chair and accomplished it. When family and friends offered to help, he said no. This was his mission. I see it as man conquering the elements.

I have a series of photos to relive his journey so you can see how he built what is now his workshop. This wasn't without risk. The ginpole he made himself collapsed and he had to take a dive to safety. But he's quick on his feet and all that was needed were some log building repairs. Lesson learned - he should have replaced it sooner.

Jeff decided to build the workshop with poplar trees, because they are abundant on our land. It's not the best choice. Poplar needs quicker maintenance, but that is what we had and could afford. Living simply comes with paying the price of not having the best of everything. That doesn't matter when you're inhaling the beauty of nature and that's the true gift in life.

I enjoyed walking behind the tractor, smelling the upturned earth, as Jeff pulled a chainsawed length of log out of the woods. The putter of the tractor, the log dragging in the old leaves on the trail, the parking of the the tractor by the growing workshop, all enhanced the beauty of the day. And left us both with tranquility.

Several years drifted by before Jeff had the workshop completed. But they are remembered fondly and with a smile. And we have photos to pour over so we can say, remember when....

I'll...remember when...with you. :D

Hugs, JJ

Agawa Canyon Waterfall

This photo of Agawa Canyon shows you one of the falls that cascaded down, whetting our appetites to eat our picnic lunch there and listen to the water's music that soothed our souls. Others milled about, but you could separate yourself from them to enjoy moments of solitude.

I thought how much fun it would be to stay a week or two to explore this canyon but it's primitive and no hotels or motels exist here. Not even campsites. If not for the train, I don't know how people would travel to Agawa Canyon.

Jeff and I once had a dream to live in a cabin on a mountain where we had a cool pond to bathe in and a helicopter for travel. That was a young married dream. Now we wish to stay where we are and build a stone house. Something solid and lasting. We'll celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary soon.

Jeff has built his log building, which was one of his dreams. I'll post photos of the construction of it as I wait for the snow to melt. :D

What are your dreams? Have you accomplished them?

Have a super day!!!

Hugs, JJ

GO! Smell the Flowers Badge and a Winter Photo :D

You can imagine my delight when I became the recipient of the GO! Smell the Flowers Badge! I am now an honorary Flower Smeller. There is more to that imagery than just beautiful blooms. GO! Smell the Flowers "aims to inform, entertain and enlighten people from all over our increasingly smaller world." And they have done so by creating a great, uplifting blog I have visited many times. I always come away smiling. :D What an idea to join together bloggers with similar goals with this badge!

It's an honor they started this award off by naming my blog. I'm delighted and thrilled that they noticed my place in the blogosphere. My main goal is to provide inspiration in this weary world, and hope I have done that with my photos and posts.

After thinking long and hard, I have decided to achieve peace in the world, we first have to learn how to make peace with our inner selves. So here are my five recipients for this award:

1) Carrie from Jabber Jaws because she believes her family life the most important thing in the world. And what a beautiful family she is raising. Well-being starts with loving parents. I know her children will grow up happy and productive because of her continual nourishment.

2) Joderebe, from The Uneasy Supplicant. Joderebe has taken on the mission of figuring himself out and words flow from his pen literary style as he discovers his beautiful soul! He has taken a large step toward inner peace and I know he'll succeed with his endeavors.

3) Merging Point has a blog that has taken me on the road to a better understanding of what inner peace does to help a person make it through this journey of life. I find wisdom and comfort in every post.

4)Peter from
St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst - Male Nurses. Peter is a healer of both the mind and body as he works as a nurse and blogs about ways we can have a great state of mind while we suffer our trials. He's a nurse who cares about the whole human being. He would make a fine doctor. We need more people like Peter in this world.

5)Maverick from Fighters Always Fight. The name of his blog is opposite of Maverick's personality. He takes his viewers on his travels and is the most upbeat person I have met blogging. His personality will take him a long way and will help the world turn without needing grease. :D

Winners, here is a link to rules of the Flower Smeller Badge:

http://www.gosmelltheflowers.com/blog/the-flower-smellers/

Please pass the badge on to other 5 Flower Smellers you have met on your blogs. And bless you for who you are!

Peace, Love, Hope, Understanding...let's go for it!

Thank you, GO! Smell the Flowers!!!

The photo Jeff snapped of the Tahquamenon River by the falls. Winter beauty. :D

Hugs, JJ

The Bridge of Ice and a Prayer for Peace

I'm waiting for the moment when spring pushes winter away from Michigan, leaving beautiful scenery like this bridge of ice on Lake Huron as the winter melts. It was fun watching the water travel underneath this icy structure and lap peacefully upon the shoreline. Nature gives us many delights.

A bridge - where you would least expect it.

Blogging has formed bridges between cultures and my hope is that zillions of friendships form and that this will help bring the world to a state of PEACE.

I offer a PRAYER FOR GLOBAL PEACE today. So the fighting stops, the waste of humanity stops, and the building will not be rebuilding but moving forward to a better day when cultures can wave and smile at each other all around the globe.

Think what we could achieve if we weren't always paying the price of war. Why do we confine ourselves to the devastation that has happened since the beginning of time? Have we not evolved at all?

I choose to see and experience the love and laughter of life. The beautiful world God has given us to play in, the beautiful souls God has given us to relate to, the wondrous gift of life!

Please share my prayer today! Send warmth throughout the universe.

Hugs, JJ

Agawa Canyon Photo and My Bad Luck LOL

Agawa Canyon in Canada rocks as a tourist attraction. I can still say that after our adventure. LOL

Jeff and I and my inlaws took advantage of the train tour that departed from Sault Ste. Marie to arrive there a couple of autumns ago. We chose to travel coach to save some bucks, but before the trip was ended we wished we had paid the extra money to ride in style up top.

The four of us sat at a booth table and ended up with cramped legs as we rocked back and forth like on a western stagecoach. My tummy made flipflops and I appeased it with a whole bag of mints before the 8 hour round trip was over. But traveling by the mirrored lakes and colorful autumn forests on the way to the canyon was enchanting. We didn't want to miss a passing scene! At times we traveled through sheer rock where it looked like you could reach out and touch it.

We were more than glad when we arrived at our destination and found the discomfort of the journey well worth it. Agawa Canyon has more beauty in one spot than I have ever seen. Steep waterfalls cascaded and leaped off the canyon walls. This lake in the photo was at the bottom of the canyon.

We wanted to stay forever!!!

The trip back was much like the beautiful trip there, except we saw the other side of the track. Hours later, when we arrived home, I still heard the train in my head and walked with a little weave. During the night, I awakened and walked in the dark, and ended up dropping a wooden chair on my toe, which needed a trip to the emergency room. LOL

But even after that, Jeff and I will return to Agawa Canyon one day on that train but we'll sit under the glass roofed top in roomy chairs and hope the ride goes smoother. And I won't walk in the dark after we arrive home. :D

Have a super week!

Hugs, JJ

Icy Lake Huron - No Kidding LOL

This iced over portion of the Lake Huron shoreline is where Jeff and I play in the summer, holding hands, letting the warm sand squish through our toes, then take dips in the deep blue water, seeing who will take the plunge first. It feels as cold then as it looks now. LOL

Aren't the built up ice slabs something! It looks as if a card house has come tumbling down. The ice has a blue hue and that makes the ice photos more inviting, but it wasn't safe enough to venture out for closer ones. Jeff said he wouldn't go that far for a blog and neither should I. Rats. But this photo shows you how the ice breaks up and piles on top of each other for long stretches, bestowing beauty as far as the eye can see. How lucky we are to see across the vastness of Lake Huron, which feels as large as an ocean, while standing on the shoreline and watching the freighters pass by. Yes, we do see them in winter.

Have I mentioned I am REALLY ready for spring?

Hugs, JJ

Visiting Tahquamenon Falls in Winter

As you can see in the photo, my cheeks are fighting the windchill as I stood for this photo in front of Tah. Falls a couple of weeks ago.

Are you laughing because I'm wearing a hat AND ear muffs? :D When I feel like a Popsicle I throw fashion to the wind and do what I can to stay warm. I had dressed in layers and the only places I found the frigid weather bothering me were on my face and my fingers. It was worth it for the spectacular experience of visiting the falls in winter. How fun to have something exciting to do in the frozen landscape!

Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has year around campgrounds and snowmobilers zoomed by on the trails when we visited. How they can handle the cold so long on rides I'll never know. Jeff and I love snowshoeing through quiet woods more.

In this photo I have a bandaid on my nose from a premalignant sunspot removal. Please have any unusual markings checked out if you find them. I let this sunspot go a little too long.

Now I'm longing for spring. The snow has its magic moments, but I'm happy to know there are four seasons. :D

This is the last of the Tahquamenon Falls photos.

On another beautiful note, I've been given the A ROAR FOR POWERFUL WORDS! award from Written Whispers and Suzanne Perazinni. Thank you, Spirit and Suzanne, for believing in my blog and writing. :D

Following Spirit's lead, I'll post three points I believe make a powerful writer.

1) Faith. You have to feel your words with your soul before others will believe them.

2) Dedication. You have to take the time or make the time to write if you want to become successful. Sometimes your muse needs a break but you must come back to writing.

3) Belief. You have to believe that you CAN produce a finished piece of work and then set out doing it.

I'll name my five recipients today. This award originates from The Shameless Lions Writing Circle.

My choices for passing this award on are:

1)Donna Michaels, because she was the first one to inspire me to try writing when I joined the E-Harlequin Writing Round Robin contests. We both won at different times. :D Donna is multipublished and going strong.

2)Suzanne Perazzini, my beloved critique partner who knows every inch of my writing and believes in me. :D If I slacken off, she emails. Her writing ROCKS! and she has just signed her first contract. I connect with Suzanne's writing with every cell of my being.

3)Lainey Bancroft, whom I also met at Harlequin and who has gone on to become pubbed. She has a perky, sassy writing voice I love and is recently pubbed.

4)Raine Weaver, who also is pubbed and has a beautiful heart and writing style. I also met her at E-Harlequin. Raine is the Dreamweaver, her writing style literary and beautiful.

5)Liane Gentry Skye, who is just as dear a critique partner to me and has recently signed a contract! She has a voice that enchants the reader. We believe we're twins by the way we have connected.

Most of these authors write romance and I drift toward mainstream, but the bonds I have made with these women will last forever because they are from the heart. :D

Hugs, JJ

Beautiful Upper Tahquamenon Falls in Winter

There was a pureness to the air when Jeff and I stood at the Tah. Falls a week ago, listening to the river's roaring song as the tannin waters shot over the 48 foot drop, pumping 50,000 gallons of water per second in a cascade of foam and mist. A gorgeous winter sight!

Years ago lumbermen used to use the Tahquamenon River to transport logs out to Lake Superior where they would gather them together for shipping to sawmills, etc.

When the logs poured over the Upper Falls in the process, they would sometimes make tremendous log jams that needed extreme measures to dislodge them. It was dangerous work. Those days are behind us when the falls were part of the route for transporting logs, but when I stand there, mesmerized by the foaming waters, I envision the logs tipping over the ledge and falling to the the lower part of the river.

I love that the Tahquamenon Falls area is rich in history. Click on the link to learn even more.

Have a super Saturday. :D

Hugs, JJ