Yard Art by Sue

08/30/2026

And Mt. Rainier has how many—27 — glaciers?

We have the proof!

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

Dolly Parton spent her life proving that kindness is not passive—it is a choice, backed by action, money, and the willingness to stand with people this country too often tells to stay quiet.

A woman from rural East Tennessee became a global icon without abandoning the people pushed to the margins. Dolly said, “Of course Black lives matter,” defending protesters’ right to be seen and heard when far too many white celebrities were busy protecting their brands. She championed Black artists, treated LGBTQ+ people with dignity, and made clear that everyone deserves respect. She famously said that if she had not been born a girl, she probably would have been a drag queen—and she collaborated with drag performer Nina West on a charity-minded collection.

While politicians in Tennessee tried to police drag and scapegoat q***r people, Dolly’s message was simple: love people. Full stop. The poor. Immigrants. Disabled people. LGBTQ+ people. Black communities. Kids whose parents cannot afford books. People who lost everything in a fire. People trying to survive a pandemic.

And she did not just sing about compassion. She built it.

Her Imagination Library has mailed more than 325 million free books to children, starting with the kids in her home region—the children society routinely expects least from. After the Gatlinburg wildfires, her My People Fund provided $9 million to families whose homes were destroyed. She gave $1 million to COVID-19 research at Vanderbilt, funding critical early work connected to Moderna’s vaccine.

Dolly Parton shattered every narrow expectation placed on a poor Southern woman: be grateful, stay quiet, do not get political, do not stand with “those people.” Instead, she used extraordinary success to make the world more livable for people with the least power.

She is an exceptionally rare example of someone who had every opportunity to become detached from ordinary people and chose solidarity instead.

An angel among us, sequins and all.

08/25/2026

This beautiful hanging was made by one of the ladies in my crafting class at the Sno-Valley Senior Center last week. 💕

08/24/2026

Mt. Si Senior Center in North Bend is having me out for a wine bottle wind chime class Tuesday, August 25th at 1PM. If you want to participate you should give them a call as they don't have online registration. Note that the bottles will NOT look like this.

08/24/2026

These drought-resistant "flowers" are for sale at the Blue Iris Vintage Co. in Carnation.

08/23/2026

Sunday morning thoughts…

08/08/2026

I will have a booth here with discounted plates!