Though I am still a Northwesterner at heart (I lived in Oregon for 20 years), I now make my home in beautiful, historic, semi-rural New England. Not far from Boston, I am able to partake of big city life, as well. I do love the Northeast, but still miss the Northwest. I moved here for love, so I am staying. I earned a Master's degree in art with a concentration in drawing and have taught art at the university and college level as well as to young children and seniors. ... http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/njg Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:55:03 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.squidoo.com/fairyhouses Creating whimsical fairy houses in the woods is somewhat of a tradition in the Northeast, especially Maine and Vermont. Using tree stumps, mosses, twigs, acorns and other natural materials, children (and adults, too) fashion little dwellings, hoping the fairies will appreciate and use their gift to them. Learn a bit about these fairy houses and more as you explore this lens about fairies. education Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:37:28 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bekind "Be kind to everyone you meet. They all carry a heavy load." -- Elton Graham, my grandfather. I learned a lot about kindness from my grandparents. Grandpa Graham was the sweetest man. Chickadees would land on his arms and shoulders while he was outside in his gardens. Here is a lens about kindness, in honor of my grandfather. Please rate this lens. And, if you have suggestions for improvements, please let me know. Thank you. people Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:51:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/oregoncoast So much of the Oregon coastline is public property. There are high, basalt rock cliffs, long sandy beaches and awesome tide pools. You will see colonies of Sea Lions on the rocks, whales spouting off and breaching in the distance and beautiful sunsets. It is magical. I lived in Oregon for 20 years and visited the coast frequently. (In Oregon we call it the coast, not the beach). I once spent an entire week by myself camping on the coast from Florence to Astoria. It was wonderful. My favorite section of the Oregon Coast is the CENTRAL COAST between Florence and Lincoln City. Here are my favorite things to do and see while there, as well as places to stay and eat. travel Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:39:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/maplesyrup When the weather starts to warm up in the spring in New England and Canada, and the nights remain cold, its time to collect sap from the Sugar Maple trees. Once collected, it is boiled down into "liquid gold". Maple Syrup has a unique taste and having lived in both Michigan and New Hampshire, I am a big maple syrup fan. That fake stuff will just NEVER do. If you don't live in the northeastern states or Canada, you may not know how maple syrup is made. Check out all the info here on the sweet liquor of the Maple tree, plus recipes and even spa treatments. food Fri, 16 May 2008 20:07:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/usvirginislands_5 With white sandy beaches, aqua blue water and a low-key pace, the US Virgin Islands (USVI) are a great place to visit to wind down and rejuvenate. With US citizenship, travel to the islands is easy (no passport required) and if you are on the East Coast, its a quick trip down. This is a photo I took looking over Trunk Bay on St. John, USVI. people Fri, 16 May 2008 19:16:01 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/floraldesign For many years I worked in a flower shop where our customers were able to walk through the design room as we were working. It was exciting for them to see what we were doing and we frequently heard comments like, "That must be so much fun." "You are so lucky to be doing this work." "It must be so relaxing." "I would love to do that too."  It is my goal to help you understand the day to day work of a floral designer. It is not as easy as you may think and is frequently very stressful. But, it is wonderful to be able to combine creativity and nature.   In third grade I took an apptitude test and the conclusion was that I would be a good landscape designer. Well...I think floral design is a mini-version of that.  I hope you enjoy learning about floral design as a career.  arts Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:43:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/weddingandevents_2 An experienced wedding flower consultant, I offer "insider" suggestions for choosing your flowers and working with a professional florist. Ordering wedding flowers is not something one does frequently and even a little bit of knowledge and prep work can make the experience so much more successful and enjoyable. Read on for tips on selecting wedding flowers and working with a florist or wedding consultant. Quite often I will make a sketch for the bride as we talk. Here is one I did for a bride who wanted a simple long-stemmed bouquet. arts Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:10:56 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/EugeneOregon Do you ever feel like going back to the 60's? Well you can do that in Eugene. Sort of. Of course, there is more to this Northwest city than that, but it is part of what makes it so charming. Do you wonder about the raindrop photo? Well...it rains almost the whole Winter and into the Spring, but it is usually a light rain and most locals don't bother with umbrellas. Everything stays really green! I lived there for 20 years and I miss it. Here are my favorite things about Eugene. travel Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:49:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/oregon_17 Having lived in the beautiful and varied state of Oregon for 20 years, I have many favorite places. Here I talk about some of them in the McKENZIE RIVER area, CENTRAL OREGON and SOUTHEASTERN OREGON. From where I lived in Eugene, I could drive up the McKenzie River, through Central Oregon and on into the southeastern corner of the state. Its a fabulous trip, but any one of the areas on its own is worth a visit. The photo here is of the Painted Hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument area, an absolutely gorgeous place. travel Sun, 20 May 2007 15:02:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/PortlandOregon Portland, Oregon is a very hip city. Located on the Columbia River, which divides Oregon and Washington, it comes up frequently on the "best places to live" lists, most recently as #1 in the Men's Journal. Friendly, laid-back people, healthy living, a burgeoning arts scene, innovative transportation and moderate temperatures are just a few of the wonderful things about Portland. For 20 years I made frequent trips to Portland when I lived to the south in Eugene. Now that I've moved across the country, I appreciate it even more. I'm fortunate to still be able to travel there occasionally. So....here are some tips about one of my favorite cities: Portland, Oregon. arts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:28:12 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/Oregonfoods Oregon has a wealth of some pretty fabulous regional foods. The Mediterranean-like climate with moderate year-round temperatures and the health conscious population of many Oregon communities combine for yummy results. Here are some of my favorite Oregon foods along with restaurant suggestions and a bit on James Beard, the most famous cook to come out of Oregon. food Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:47:24 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/njgartist Welcome! I am a practicing artist and a teacher with a Master's degree in drawing & painting. Here is a sampling of the art which I create. It is my hope that this work will move you, inspire you or communicate with you in some positive way. The pieces you will see here are part of a series which is currently in process. This series has been inspired by my love of nature and my work as a floral designer. I hope you enjoy. Keep checking back for new work. arts Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:34:03 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/everythingflowery I am always looking for unique and interesting flower-themed items. As a floral designer, you might think I would tire of it, but when I travel I am always checking out other flower shops for ideas. If I am in a large city--Montreal is one of my favorites--I visit the fancy hotels to see the flower arrangements in the lobbies. Try it when you are in your favorite big city. Here are some of my favorite flower-themed finds: things to wear, eat, look at, read and just enjoy. diy Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:49:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/migrainesyndrome Migraine is an often misunderstood disease. It is not a headache, but a whole-body disease which may not even include a headache. A neurological disease, migraine can make it difficult to follow through on daily activities and can even increase your chances of having a stroke. If you do not have migraine attacks, you may be tempted to compare it to your worst headache, but there is much more to the picture than that. Migraine runs in my family, as it often does. Compared to the options available to my Grandfather and mother, I am very lucky. Research has allowed for the development of a new class of drugs for the treatment of migraine. I'm so grateful. Having dealt with migraine for many years, I've gathered quite a bit of information. I've tried just about everything from preventative drugs to special diets and biofeedback. Cured? No. I'm still living with Migraine, but I know I am not alone. Read on for a summary of resources and stories about migraine. I hope this will help you in your own search. health Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:19:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/selectingflowers Are you getting ready to order some flowers? Over 10 years of experience as a high-end floral designer has helped me to put these suggestions together for you. Read on for some tips to make sure you receive high-quality, beautiful flowers every time you order. The arrangement shown here was designed for a wedding where the bride and her mother wanted something unique and colorful for the reception tables. Using a variety of exotic orchids in purple, yellow, green and pink, I created these centerpieces for all their guests to enjoy. diy Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:36:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/myfavoritethings..xoxoxo As an artist, there are many things that have inspired me in my work and in my life. Here are a few. This is a picture of one of my favorite inspirations: my beautiful, little niece, Ellie. Thanks for stopping by the lens I have created which, along with many others, will help support Room to Read. All royalties from this lens go to Room to Read to build libraries and schools for kids in Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam. arts Sun, 02 Sep 2007 18:53:52 -0600