home grounds

One of the best things I did all week was see and try to get photos of an endangered shore bird, the Western snowy plover. It's a tiny little thing, about the size of a sparrow, the chick's impossibly small and cute. The snowy plovers habitat is disappearing and they won't survive without our help. The most important thing is to be aware of breeding areas and be respectful of their space. These are the best photos I could get, so I tried painting them on this sand colored rock to show them better.

The number of snowy plovers on our beaches who reside, nest and fledge their young is an indicator of the health of our sandy beaches and coastal ecosystem. Western snowy plovers will survive as a species as long as they have small, protected nesting islands and habitat. The snowy plover is an important part of the interconnected web of life on the shore. Plovers have lived on California beaches for thousands of years, but today human use of their remaining beach habitat seriously threatens their survival.

I hope you nest in peace little snowy. And I hope you have a great week where ever it is you call home.

♥ lori

just add blueberries

Our weekend=
Mother + daughter at a farm,
blueberry picking, secret sharing.
In the kitchen, baking.
At home, daughter + Mother visiting, holding hands,
= sweet.

This recipe could add some sweetness to your days too...

Healthy Blueberry Scones

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons applesause (you can use oil instead)
1 egg white
1 cup blueberries



Directions
Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, stir together milk, applesause and egg white. Add liquid mixture and blueberries to dry mixture and stir until just moistened.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 10 times. Roll dough to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut dough into twelve pieces and transfer to baking sheet.

Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack and serve warm. Makes 12 servings.

♥ lori

trying

...would you like a peek at what i've been doing? taking the advice of a friend much wiser than me, i said yes to a job (a very small one) and let go of fear. i also found out my finger is not broken (are you sure?? it's sure hurts like it!) so i've decided to just watch it for a while and baby it too (instead of cortisone and the hand dr... ) and thank you for all your sweet thoughts and wishes they went a long way towards helping me to feel better...








this is the start, there's more to do for each paddle. i agreed to paint something on these paddles for the city i live in. my first paid art job! i only have watercolors, colored pencils and pen and ink, which i don't think would have taken to the wood. so i bought some inexpensive acrylics in a dozen colors and have found them SO much fun! they blend really well, dry quickly and are very forgiving. why has it taken me so long to discover these? i guess i worried about toxic fumes, is there any reason to worry?

the paddles are going to this city program, the carpinteria jr. lifeguards! they need to be done by friday when the kids have their first competition, these will be awarded to the first, second and third place teams. i'll take a photo of the paddles when their finished ( if i like them) hehe...

♥ lori

wanted

nine pounds

of mischief

...caught red handed

i really wonder...

♥ lori

p.s. the doctor wants to see me on wednesday to discuss what he found in the xray, hopefully it's just a formality and nothing after all. crossing fingers (just not the pinky one). it's another work week for me but for those of you on holiday and heading out this way, it's super foggy at the beach so you might want to wear warm clothes over your bathing suit. and there have been shark warnings, great whites are in the area, we have been advised to enter the water at your own risk (which is why i haven't been swimming, that's good advice i think). more on this later...

have a great week everyone!

my sweet embraceable you

sorting through the farmer's market bounty i bought last night after work, i needed some carrots to add to a cauliflower bisque i was planning to make for dinner, when i spotted this...

heehee

embracing carrots

carrot tango

which just goes to prove...every living thing needs love. even carrots.

i hope you get your hug on this weekend :)

xoxo

lori