Cara Zucca

It's almost Christmas!

2010-12-18T20:24:00.001-08:00

I'm taking a breath after finishing card orders for the season. Working on reorganizing and feeling even more nostalgic this December having spent time with many of my cousins and talking and reminiscing about when we were young. The two photos above are ones with my daughter, Melanie with two cousins and Santa Claus. In the one with Santa, she is wearing her brown patent leather boots. She loved those boots so much that when she grew out of them she continued begging to wear them and she would cry. I finally had to hide them from her. In the photo above that, she is holding my sister's daughter, Camilla. It was a while ago because Camilla is now 17 and wouldn't fit so nicely on Melanie's lap! I have boxes of family photos to scan and many to repair and archive for our family. It takes time. I will keep working on it because I think it's a gift for future generations.
Have a peaceful, joyful Christmas!

New Felted Flower Pins

2010-11-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

Felted Flower Pins/Brooches - they have a sterling silver hand-forged pin on the back. They look great on clothing, handbags, hats and more!

I've been away too long!

2010-11-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

Haven't had a chance to post anything here for a long time and there are so many things I'd like to share that I don't know where to start!

Went on a short trip to visit with my cousins (which was wonderful) and got home just in time to leave for San Francisco with John to go on a two week cruise through the Panama Canal (also a great experience, minus the gash on my ankle and stitiches I received on the first day aboard ship).

This was immediately after working hard but thoroughly enjoying participating in the annual El Dorado County Art Studio Tour for two weekends preceded by a show and get-together at my sweet daughter's home. Melanie was a perfect hostess and I enjoyed meeting some of her friends. Thank you!

It's no wonder I'm tired :)

So, now I am working to catch up on everything at home - housework, organizing, getting my potted plants ready for winter, and lots of knitting and jewelry making projects (much more fun than housework).

Above are a few photos of some of the projects I'm working on right now. A shawl, a hat, a small ribbon yarn purse, and a crocheted bath mat.

Rufus Wainwright - Zebulon

2010-09-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon

2010-09-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Posing for the Camera

2010-09-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Two of my beautiful grandchildren , Aaron and Kaitlyn - they love to have their pictures taken - Daddy took this one

2010-09-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

My mantra for today from the Dalai Lama: "My true religion, my simple faith is in love and compassion. There is no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine, or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple. The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and dignity, no matter who or what they are - these are ultimately all we need." Peace be with you, Cheri

2010-09-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

One of the photographs I took on the first of September at Schoolhouse Beach. It was early in the morning and the colors and shadows were so nice. This piece of seaweed reminds me of a dancing ghost. And the rocks can keep me fascinated for hours. I love the feel of them, the shapes, textures and colors. Each one is a little different.

2010-09-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

I love this new piece by my friend Mina Andujar! And the photo is nice and clear and bright so you can really see it well. Get a link to her work on my links page.

2010-09-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

John at Schoolhouse Beach - September 1, 2010

Half Full

2010-08-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

Continuing down (or up) memory road. In 1982 John and I hiked with my two daughters, Cynthia and Melanie to Pyramid Peak. It's memorable because it was the first (but not last) time I got really angry with him. The hike took about 12 hours and by the end of it I was certain he had tried to kill all 3 of us. He kept telling me I could rest and wait for them to come back down. So, I would find a spot I liked and sit down to enjoy the wild flowers and lovely breeze. He would sit, too and wait patiently until I gave in and kept hiking. In retrospect, I'm glad he challenged me like that, but I didn't see it that way back then. The views were incredible and I never would have done it on my own. We all survived, but it was difficult and I lost the entire back of my jeans and developed severe blisters on my feet from ill-fitting boots. John beat us to the end of the trail and we could see him blowing kisses and making love signs. I really wanted to choke him (if Carmen reads this she will understand). I think it made me a stronger person. I hope my daughters forgave him, too. I felt very close to God on top of that mountain. Next installment will be the proposal at Half Dome. Stay tuned.

My 20th Wedding Anniversary

2010-08-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Memories flooding my head and heart today. On September 1st my husband, John and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Seems like yesterday but also seems like long ago. The house I lived in when I first starting "seeing" John is for sale in our town. They had an Open House today and I went to see it. Most of it looked exactly like it did 29 years ago, but I didn't remember the fireplace being there. When I got home, I told John about it and he said he remembered the fireplace. He didn't live there, but he has a much better memory for some things than I do. I remembered cooking vegetable lasagne and hanging clothes on the line outside and my oldest daughter and my son and dogs my daughter loved. John would come visit and tell me long jokes and we would watch television. He walked to see me because he didn't have a car then. He lived on the other side of town near where our home is now. The pictures I'm using here were taken at various times and different places. John as a boy on the East coast (left coast as they call it), our wedding with our two sons James and Kai at Saint Patrick's Church in Placerville, John and Kai and I at my Mom's in Clearlake, me and my daughter, Melanie on my wedding day - Melanie sang at our wedding and it was so meaningful to us, John in a field of poppies on the way to my Mom's (my favorite picture of him - I took it and I love the smile he is giving me). We had planned a trip this week to go to San Francisco and then up to School House Beach to collect pebbles. We have done that before, so it's kind of a tradition. I started kindergarten in San Francisco when I was 4 years old. It looks like we won't be going, though. That makes me sad. I was really looking forward to the trip.

SOS Children's Villages

2010-08-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Help Children in the Wake of Tragedy
To the millions of children around the world who have lost everything and everyone due to earthquakes, floods, HIV/AIDS and other disasters - SOS means hope. With your support, we will continue to provide stable homes, meals, an education and medical care to children who are victims of floods or earthquakes in Pakistan, Haiti and Chile, just as we continue to nurture victims of other disasters.
SOS Children's Villages operates 500 Children's Villages worldwide where we provide loving homes to orphaned and abandoned children. Through our Family Strengthening Programs, we provide support to those who are struggling to keep their families together.
Thank you for making a difference in the world.
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SOS Children's Villages - USA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with EIN Tax ID# 13-6188433. SOS Children's Villages - USA is the U.S. headquarters of SOS Children's Villages International.
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite #1250, Washington, DC 20036
202.347.7920
888.SOS-4KIDS
info@sos-usa.org

2010-08-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Follow Me
I hope I don’t forget all this before I type it down - it just entered my head that if I do a bit of blogging every day, it could eventually become a “book” or some sort of opinionated family history based on just my view of things (may or may not be what really happened because much of it was so long ago and I was much younger then). I think the first time I decided I wanted to be a writer was when I was in third grade. Back then I imagined I would be a clever newspaper reporter, traveling around and writing about things that seemed interesting to me. Like? Governor Brown, Kruschev, Steve who was very cute and had freckles and ran very fast. My friend Barbara Brown. I often wondered if she were related to the governor. I was too shy to ask. My Grandmother Ada was a Christian Scientist and took me to Sunday School. The most impressive thing I learned was that “there is no sensation in matter”. I tried hard to say that when I scraped my knee, but it wasn’t an easy thing for me. My knee still hurt and needed a band-aid. My Mom would braid my hair. Two straight pigtails down my back and cut my bangs very short across my forehead. I had blond hair then and black, thick eyebrows shaped like upside down v’s. Sometimes she would give my sister and I Tonette permanents. They were smelly, but Mom said “it’s the price of beauty”. My Dad was in the navy for 6 years so we didn’t see him much. He was so handsome when he’d come home on leave dressed in his navy blues or dress whites. They were very young and both loved to sing and dance. I loved watching them together. My Dad was artistic everyone said. He could draw anything. He loved poetry. He loved making things from wood. He really loved to go fishing. We had to be careful where we sat because we might end up with a hook. Ouch! Mom was extraordinarily beautiful. We didn’t know she was so young then because everyone seemed old to us. She told us that when she went to register me for kindergarten the school thought she was there to attend for herself. She completed through 10th grade but finally earned a high school equivalency when she was an adult. Dad, too. They always talked about the importance of education and I followed their advice. But I know they were well educated by life experience and hard work and that those are the most valuable lessons. This is very rambly, but I least I’m getting some things down and will be able to revisit and make changes; or not.

A short Bio

2010-08-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

My mother was 16 when I was born and she named me Cheri. I was much smaller then (and younger). Cheri is a French name that she liked and she put an accent on the i so people would pronounce it correctly. It didn’t help. So, I grew up (and older)., married several times and had three beautiful children of my own. They are my pride and joy and have given me wonderful Grandchildren and Granddogs, too. I like baby drool much better than dog slobber. But enough about me...........hope you will like the things I make. I love making them.
Cheri

2010-08-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

A question in the Etsy Forums and my response:

The question:
Here's the thing: I watch a lot of HGTV, and I've learned that when you stage a house for sale, you're supposed to take away all of the personal items so that potential buyers can picture themselves in your house. No family photos, nothing too "taste specific" and definitely nothing with any sort of ethnic slant.So, I was wondering, do you think that the same thing could apply to one's Etsy shop? Do people really want to know the person behind the craft? Is it more mass-appealing to model your bracelets on a wrist the color of the majority (by which, I mean white)? Is there the risk of alienating buyers by only using models who match your skin-tone?On the other hand, I happen to be a 'crafter of color' and I know that for me, when I can tell that the seller is also a 'crafter of color' I try and support them in one way or another. Perhaps that personalization could be helpful? We all like to pretend that ethnicity and race are not factors here, particularly in this open-minded community of artists, but reality is what it is. Just check out the difference in advertising during 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and 'Everybody Hates Chris'

My Response:
"I personally like to know the seller and support people who are most like me - vegetarian, elderly, pacifists :) but I have an open mind "

2010-08-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Dalai Lama "Developing genuine compassion for our loved ones is the obvious and appropriate place to start in our spiritual practice. The impact our actions have on our close ones will generally be much greater than on others, and therefore our responsibilities toward them are greater. Yet we need to recognize that, ultimately, there are no grounds for discriminating in their favor: all beings equally deserve our compassion."

I love this site! A great place to help me stay focused on the beauty of life.

http://www.facebook.com/DalaiLama

2010-08-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

2010-08-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

I just designed a new birth announcement. This is a folded card with a black and white image on the front of the card and the birth information. It's a custom design - the photo you wish to use can be emailed to me (deosn't have to be in black and white) along with the other information for the front of the card and the inside message. This is a picture of my son. His name is Kai, but he wasn't born this year :)

2010-08-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Continuing to work on art for my Art Studio tour in September and October. Having so much fun and so many ideas.

So many things to make!!

2010-08-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

I have been working continuously on so many different projects and have notebooks full of ideas. Wish there were more hours in each day. Knitting, jewelry making, photography, paper and book arts, and more. Here are a few of my most recent completed pieces.

Craft show on June 12th in Placerville

2010-06-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

My newest felted bowl will be there on Saturday, June 12th from 9 to 3 on Broadway in the shopping center where Rite Aid, Starbuck's and Snap Fitness are located. Hope to see you!

Keep posted for updates on Etsy Craft Party on June 18th!!

2010-05-29T19:31:00.001-07:00

Remodeled felted bag

2010-05-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

I finished this bag some months ago and I liked it, but I just kept getting an urge to make some small changes to the design - so after looking and thinking, I took it apart and sewed it back together in a little smaller shape. I removed the hemp straps and made softer knitted I cord straps and added a felted swirled stylistic flower with a gold button to give the bag more interest. I think it's much cuter now!

2010-05-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

View my profile

Create your own travel map or travel blog

Find the best vacation rentals at TripAdvisor

Dan Hicks sings "The Buzzard Was Their Friend"

2010-05-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Ethan's Playoff Game

2010-05-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

My Grandson , Ethan playing last Saturday. His team won! The next game is on Thursday evening. Morgan was there, too. It was wonderful to see them.

My Granddaughter

2010-05-25T03:41:00.000-07:00

Trailer Art

2010-05-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

I love this little trailer!!! Handpainted by the owner. And the Airstream trailer to the left belongs to Kristiana Spaulding. Silver Sisters.

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips - Page 1 - Summer's Smartest Choices - MSN Health & Fitness - Nutrition

2010-05-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips - Page 1 - Summer's Smartest Choices - MSN Health & Fitness - Nutrition

Croatia on Mother's Day

2010-05-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2010 - went ashore from the Norwegian Gem today in Split, Croatia. I walked over to a Franciscan Church to attend Mass. Had to stand in the very back of the church since it was crowded. There was a flower show that day and many people (and their pets) out buying Mother's Day flowers and strolling along the shore and park area with their families. These are a few of the images I captured.

People Watching

2010-04-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving Assisi on the 29th - taking the train to Venice. Wanted to capture some images today to help me remember the people here. Many are tourists, but even most tourists are Italians traveling with their families to this special place. The language is full of life as are the people who live here -walking, riding bikes or scooters - lots of cars zipping through the crowds on tight, narrow streets. You get used to ducking into a shop doorway to keep from getting hit. When business is slow, the shop keepers often sit in chairs outside to read or sew or visit with their neighbors. I was walking toward the Basilica of San Francesco following a postal deliveryman (he was smoking a cigarette). On the way back up the same street, a woman stepped out her door to look at the mail she had just received. There's an image of school children on the steps of Santa Chiara having their packed lunches. Probably on a field trip. It's quite normal for the local women here to dress very stylishly and to wear high heeled shoes. It amazes me since the streets are so hilly and uneven. The styles are often flamboyant - glittery, metallic colors on shoes and belts. When in Church here you can tell this is not Placerville!

Links and Reviews of Sites I Like

2010-04-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Just added a page to the blog with a few of the sites I think might be of interest to some of you. I'll be continuing to add to the list. A day of continual rain in Assisi - many colorful umbrellas, birds contimuing to sing despite the weather, anticipation of the sun's return and more growth from the rain! A good day for knitting. I completed a facecloth yesterday for John and am continuing to work on the drop-stitch scarf and a linen table runner. Also completed the pieces for a baby sweater that will have to wait to be finished until I get home and get the ball of yarn that is being held for me at my local yarn shop. Am reading a novel on my iphone kindle by Tom Rachman called The Imperfectionists. Seems to get better with each chapter. I'm reading slowly so I won't finish too quickly. Peace be with you!

Peace

2010-04-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Away from home, without a car or a long list of "things" to do, it's easier to be outdoors walking in all kinds of weather. Just breathing it all in. Rain, the wind, scents of food cooking and flowers blooming. Listening to bird song and smatterings of conversation in Italian, German, English and more. Young families out with their baby strollers. Moms picking up their children from school. It's interesting to sit on a stone wall and watch people going about their day. I like to try to guess which are tourists and which are local residents and wonder about what their lives are like and who they are. When we were sitting in Pizzeria Otello this evening waiting for our vegetarian kabobs and green pasta, a family came in to eat. Looked like a Grandfather, a mother dressed in a business suit and a rosy cheeked little girl with very curly hair tamed into two fat braids. A happy family. Italians eat dinner much later than we are used to, and John is always hungry, so we are usually the first customers in the restaurant and need to wait a bit until the staff is ready to get started. The restaurant is open at lunch time then closes for a few hours until 7 pm. And finally, a few of the photos I've been taking the past couple of days. Flowers that give beauty, peace and serenity.

Food and Photo Art

2010-04-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

John has been making some tantalizing pasta dishes and posting them on his blog, so I thought I would share a photo of a salad I made the other night and a picture of "the best coffee bar in Assisi" according to our hosts here. I've had cappucino and a croissant (cornetto crema) on three occasions and even though I haven't tried any of the other cafes, I'm sure it's true. I don't want to take chances!

And here's another image I've been working on in Photoshop. Wall/door/window detail. Interesting colors, shapes and textures, I think.

Assisi Update

2010-04-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

It is so peaceful here that time has expanded and I don't feel so driven to "accomplish" things every day. Just sitting on a stone wall and listening to the birds and watching the sun's rays piercing the clouds seems perfect. A full day can include a long, warm bath, preparing a simple salad or pasta meal (had some delicious potato/spinach pasta topped with spicy red sauce and freshly grated parmesan for lunch), meandering through the streets and alleyways and a trip to the market to pick up a loaf of freshly baked bread.

John and I are on different sleep and eat schedules, which is not much different from how things are at home. I have insomnia so stay up very late while he likes to go to bed early and get up before dawn to set out for several hours of intense hiking and exploring. We are each having a great experience here in our own eccentric ways.

Last evening at church, John had a good conversation with Sister Sue from St. Anthony's guest home (where we stayed last year). She invited us to come visit them and asked about our trip so far.

The photograph below is one I took a few days ago in a lovely garden near here. I did some digital work in Photoshop and this is the result. I'm not used to working in Photoshop on the little Netbook we have with us, so am not sure how it will print compared to the monitor view. It will be interesting to see how that goes when we get home and I have access to my printers.

Knitting Projects

2010-04-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

I started knitting this organic cotton facecloth on the train between Florence and Assisi. It is so soft!

Now I'm working on a scarf using a drop stitch pattern that is really very simple now that I have lots of practice by starting it and unraveling the yarn 3 or 4 times before I got the hang of it. I love the way the pattern waves across the scarf. The yarn is a wool and rayon blend and tends to untwist a bit so little strings show up in the open spaces, but I like the way it feels.

An afternoon walk.

2010-04-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

John the photographer. He is taking some excellent shots!

It was a beautiful sunny day today in Assisi. John climbed Mt. Subasio this morning and then we went for a more leisurely walk this afternoon.

2010-04-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Images in Assisi

2010-04-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

A lovely Spring day in Assisi. We walked in the sun and enjoyed looking at everything.

2010-04-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

View from Assisi

2010-04-02T09:31:00.000-07:00