SOMEONE BOUGHT THIS????

I make stained glass pictures, stones, etc. and sell them at CANDLE SHED. I do take requests and I was asked if there was any way I could make a Day of the Dead type picture. I thought I could take the challenge and do something with it. Because I didn't know much about the Mexican celebration, I thought I would at least *google* it.

It is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place on November 1–2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).

So this was my one attempt. The size is 8x10 and when you hold it up to the light it kind of glows...

Not sure I will make any more, unless someone asks for one... It was a totally different venue for me.... just thought I would share.

IT IS ABOUT TIME I GET BACK TO THIS!!!

I have been away from this site for so long, I really didn't know if I wanted to start it up again. Hmmm,,, the word "lazy" comes to mind!!! But I find myself coming back to my page and reading what everyone has been doing. I still visit my favorites, not every day, but often. So I decided I would start being more loyal to this, give it a go one more time. I decided not to post everyday (I think that is where my burnout came from). But I will try to keep in touch more often.....
So what is new in Altered Glass land.... well, I am still doing glass maybe in a more different way. I have been doing pictures; glass on glass method. A few stepping stones here and there. My big project was this past Spring when I did 18 stepping stones for a fund raiser for the youth group of our church. They raised ALOT of money which helped sponser a few kids to go to Costa Rica.







I also did a stone for a grandma that lost her 7 yr. old granddaughter to brain cancer.... so sad...


We got the kids house finished and they moved in end of October. That house was a wonderful labor of love... new life was breathed into my husbands' parents home. This house was actually built 2 years before his father was born. Dad (in-law) was actually "born in this house" literally! He would have been 93 in November.
Kids these days want everything done all at once as opposed to how we did our house, one room at a time. So they took out a HUGE loan and turned this little ole' farmhouse into the house of their dreams. IT IS GORGEOUS WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES! I will have to post before and after pics someday.

We also had major work done to our kitchen. We ended up completely gutting it after a leak was discovered. I used the same designer and contractor as my kids did and now I have a GORGEOUS KITCHEN TOO!... oh my, so many unexpected changes....
Well, I will start posting pictures and I will kick my butt in gear and start devoting a little time to this site. I miss so many of you and before we are gone for 4-6 weeks in January, I have so much catching up to do.... so see you soon!!!!!

CRAZY WEEK

So I don't understand why when I love my job so much, I have to deal with my age. Ya know, when you are in your 40's you just can do things with ease and then you try to mimic that same activity when you are mid 50's and it just doesn't work so well.

This past week kicked my every-loving gardening rear. I have been working up at the greenhouse now for a full week and "weenie girl" here, is trying to do it like a rock star. I did all this work last year and got by, but this year it feels like I have aged big time. I even worked hard at the gym hoping to combat this very feeling. I'm trying not to complain because this is a chosen job as opposed to a necessary job. In that respect, I am very blessed.

So here are some pics from this year at the greenhouse. I am still one of the geranium people. We take care of 14,000 geraniums. Water, clean and nurture them before heading to the stores.

This is opening weekend and it is rainy, windy and in the 40's, YUCK! But we are toasty in the greenhouse.....COME ON SUNSHINE, WON'T YOU COME OUT TODAY.

Why Yes, I DID FALL OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH

I know I have been gone for so long and thanks all of you that believed I would be back sometime.... I am back.....

Some major changes in things going on here..... AND MY CAMERA BROKE....

Don't know why I thought I couldn't post without pictures, but that is what I like about posting and reading posts is seeing photos that people put up...

Anyway.... I have finished 3 stones in the past few weeks and have 3 more that I am working on so here are the 3 going out the door this week...

I will try real hard not to be gone so long this time....

I am finding out that the older I get, the shorter number of hours in a day....

Just don't seem to get as much done in the 24.

So I just keep on smilin' because I think that is how life goes....

YEA, YEA, YEA.......

Okay, I have been home 12 days and I have been running around with my head cut off every since my feet came down in Illinois. Two stones to make, a newsletter to write, staining doors and painting, starting at the greenhouse, etc.etc.etc.
Yup, back to normal.....

I hope to get caught up with each of my bloggy friends soon.... miss you all!!!!

PICS TO GO WITH THE BLOG BELOW...

I finally got photos to download so these go with the previous blog.....

Alan and I right before takeoff...

See how close my leg is to the opening.... I had a death grip on the bar in front of me until the last 10 minutes of the ride.

A shot when we were about 4500-5000 ft. up. The views were amazing and I took tons of pics.

Coastline..

When we landed, I am actually just glad to be down on the ground. Where the door is is where the pilot sat....

Just one more amazing thing we got to experience in Kauai....

2 DAYS AGO......

Oh my, we are on our last week and we are in Kauai. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L ...... I love this place.... we are actually in an apartment in a gorgeous home. Our hosts Conrad & Karen are just amazing and the apartment is like being in your own home. With amazing landscaping.... she grows orchids right outside in her yard!!!! unreal!!!! I will chat about this place later,,,

I got real brave and went with my husband with the DOORS OFF OF THE HELICOPTER!!!!
I can't even describe how scared, anxious, excited, every emotion imaginable I was!
But it was a chance of a lifetime for me. and I did it!!!!

I HAVE TRIED TO DOWNLOAD PICS 3 TIMES NOW WITHOUT ANY LUCK... SO I WILL POST LATER!!!!

TODAY....

Today, we first drove to Iao Valley State Park. Very beautiful and I won't bore you with a lot of photos that look like the same thing. Pictures do not do this justice. The depth of the valley is amazing...

Then we headed East through Pa'ia to Mama's Fish House.... I had a lobster sandwich and sweet potato chips.... I honestly have never paid so much for a sandwich in my life, but it was delicious and the scenery was just stunning.

The view from our table,,, we sat inside, but outside....

The view below the palm trees in the above picture...

Then we drove up the coast and watched the huge waves roll in...

When driving back, we stopped at another beach, took out the beach chairs and watched the kids on boogie boards and surfers....

All in all, one more gorgeous day!!!! Sorry to all of you who are getting bombarded by the snow storm back home.... 16-20" of snow and 50-60 mph winds.... YIKES!!!

Kaanapali Champions Skins Game....

Went to the Kaanapali Champions Skins game in Maui today! Wow.... it was free to get in and free to park. I have watched Jack Nicklaus since I was a little kid. My dad loved watching golf and I remember sitting and watching it with him. Today, I got to see all these pros I have seen on tv tourney after tourney. I took tons of photos.

Jack Nicklaus

Fred Couples

Today was a fun day in the sun, perfect weather and I am in Maui....PINCH ME!!!

COLD & HOT......

BELOW ZERO..... When calling home to check on things, the kids told us it is going to be -30 possible with windchill.... oh my.... The picture was the day we left for Hawaii, Jan. 12 early morning, Moline International Airport.

FLOWING LAVA...... Yesterday we visited a live lava flow. It had literally taken over the road....moving ever so slowly....

MANY MORE PHOTOS DOWNLOADED ON MY FACEBOOK... JUST GO TO LORI RICKETTS.

FIRSTS..... ON A VOLOCANO....

First time walking across a volcano!
This was a 4 mile walk,,,
.8 mile down in, 2.4 miles across, .8 back up out of the crater....
and I did it!! It took us 2 1/2 hours without much stopping...
The trip back up was a killer. The air is kinda thin up there.

First time ever golfing on a volocano!

Alan golfed as a single (not with anyone) and I got to ride along.

This was so enjoyable, we both got lots of sun, he had fun and I just got to enjoy the scenery.

First time ATV riding on a volocano! We went for a 3 hour ride through forests and over hills.

We went on private property and got a chance to see things

that a lot of the locals have never seen.

The views were absolutely stunning... and I had a blast!!!

Today is our 8th day here and we have kept ourselves busy each day!

There is alot to do and we have so many more things to see...

Tomorrow... we are heading to the other side of the island, 2 hour drive, to Kona...
Oh p.s. Kona is home to many little coffee farms...

THE BEST COFFEE IN THE WORLD!!!

If I could buy this in Illinois,,, whoa.... I would be one happy girl!!!

I love this coffee... gotta figure out a way to get this at home.....

HAWAII,,, cont...

The place we are calling home for a few weeks.

Sunrise out our door....


Day 3 - Went to Waimea and met some friends from home in Illinois.

We also went to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Plantation.

Day 4 - Saturday, We went to the Hilo Farmer's Market... huge,,, got some different fruits and picked up some souvenir t-shirts.

Korean pear, Rambutan, and apple bananas..... YUM!!!!

We also went to Akaka Falls.... This is quite close to where we are staying.

MORE IN A FEW DAYS.....

HAWAII

We got here on Big Island January 12th. Stayed one night at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel because we came in at 7:30pm and there is no way we would have been able to drive to our rental in the dark. We are staying on a 24 acre property outside of Hilo. We are here for 2 weeks. 14 miles to town, Hilo. It is beautiful here. Breath taking....

Day 2 - We couldn't check in until 3pm so we went to the Hawaii Botanical Garden that was on the way to the rental. It was a mile cemented walk through a beautiful forest of native growth. There were many orchids growing in the ground, planted there, but obviously growing on their own, unreal!!!

We drove to our rental.... wow..... is all I can say....

I can only post one picture at a time,,,, I will post more pics later!!