Thanks for all your hard work Karen! Can't wait to read it in its entirety. Jodi-

I have been spending my pennies at yard sales and estate sales to add to my garden and come home with some treasures! I almost feel the need to stop , almost! Haha i picked up this swan this weekend . Here's the rest of my treasure . It's not all where I want it but I'll be working on that soon Gonna be a petunia planter .. Flea market gold ! Got this feeder , it will go on top of a rickety wood ladder and support my honeysuckle vine .

OK, after I saw MagdalenaLee's shower curtain I don't feel so bad about my insect themed bathroom. This is kind of my "reveal" from another post. I was looking for a small bathroom rug because my space is too small for most of the over-the-counter rugs out there. I was initially thinking of a "northwoods" theme but found this rug below, loved it, and decided to go with it. It was PERFECT (except for when it wasn't) Really toned down the blue/pink vibe in the room from the flooring that has to stay for now. BUT, once I washed it, it faded, and now won't lay flat, ends curl. Color variation not due to lighting, due to fading. Big disappointment. But the colors and general aquatic insect theme are working for me, so I'm just going to wait until the next good rug comes along. The picture below is of a little stream called the Weise, in our town's sister city in Germany. I have hiked along the stream, and the picture was a gift from some exchange visitors my folks hosted many years back. Not great art but meaningful. It doesn't have a searing hole in the middle, that's just my bad photo lighting. My mom went to the photo exhibit for the caddisfly picture and brought me back a poster which I framed. I have another picture of a spider web but don't have a photo of it yet.

I'm not inclined to put art on the wall just to decorate. I prefer to live with objects that have meaning to me. When I was in college, I saw drawings by a local artist and fell in love. A year later when I got a job in my field, I tracked down the artist. She she still had 3 40" x 60" pieces from the exhibit. This is Witch Tree VIII. The materials are paper, lead, tobacco juice and vermillion, which are traditional gifts to the tree. The image is what Hazel saw lying one her back and looking up through Manidoo-giizhikens (aka Witch Tree, Little Cedar Spirit Tree). I'm fortunate to know a framer who is excellent in framing to enhance the art. It hangs in my dining room. Here's a link to a local TV new story on the tree. Finding MN - WCCO about the tree.