Lyndylou5

2024 Focus: SLOW DOWN! KEEP LIFE SIMPLE!

UPDATE: My 2023 challenge goal was to learn how to play a wind instrument, but I had a hard time deciding which one. I finally chose the Aerophone. My 2024 challenge goal is to purchase one, and learn how to play it.

Hello hello!

I live in a small coastal city in Washington state, USA. It’s a beautiful place and I love, love, love living here! Lots of snow-capped mountains with ginormous trees, spectacular waterfalls, and endless hiking trails. Salt water, lakes, rivers, it's all here. Being a person who loves to be outdoors, this is the perfect place for me! Evening waterfront strolls and chronically gorgeous sunsets are icing on the cake.

I love postcards! ALL postcards will be appreciated and enjoyed. The message is the part I enjoy most. The longer the better!

If you make homemade postcards, I would LOVE to have one! These make my heart sing!

I'm a paper addict. I love to look at it, touch it, smell it; you get the idea. All things paper thrill me! I recently discovered the world of gel press plates, and it's downright addicting! Right now I'm hooked on ATCs, inchies, and twinchies. I'm also into altered playing cards and handmade postcards. There are so many fun ways to decorate them! Mine sometimes include interesting and colorful postage stamps that were on mail I've received.

I enjoy swapping individual playing cards. In most swap groups the purpose is to build Franken-decks, where each of the 52 cards is from a different deck. But my purpose is to use them in collages, and to make altered playing cards for swapping. I especially like shaped and mini playing cards, ones that have a picture on the # side, and unusual jokers. I'm amazed at how many different kinds of playing cards are out there!

One of my favorite things to do is dragon boating. My team participated in two festivals last summer; it was my first time racing, and I loved it! We practice year round 3x a week rain or shine, dark or daylight. Dark starry nights are especially magical! My dream is to be out on the water on a snowy night, when the snowflakes are big and chunky. It doesn't snow very much here. But it COULD happen!

I enjoy reading, a lot! It's a great way to go someplace without leaving the house. I mostly read historical fiction. I also like non-fiction war stories, memoirs, and all things maritime. Occasionally a good psychological thriller finds its way into my library bag.

I play the ukulele. Jugband songs from the 1920-1930s, and bluegrass tunes are my favorites to play. I also play piano. Classical music (especially sonatinas & waltzes), and broadway show tunes are my favorites. I can have the most stressful day ever, and if I sit down at the piano and play a classical piece for even just five minutes, all the negative energy vanishes instantly. I can literally feel it flowing out of my body. I close my eyes and I smile big.

I've loved writing letters ever since I was a kid, and I've always had lots of penpals. For anybody who's old enough to remember the personal ads in the back of magazines, that's where I found my first pen pals! In the last couple of years I've acquired pen pals in various assisted living facilities, and it's a real hoot getting to know them through letters. They are rich with life experiences, and have a lot to share.

Now that winter is here one of my favorite ways to spend an evening is to cozy up in a window seat, read a book, and sip hot cocoa. This is also the time of year when I do lots of jigsaw puzzles. The more pieces the better!

Extras & Hearts:

Please don’t feel you must include extras with your swap to earn a heart. My ratings and hearts are given based on the swap itself, not on extras. The creativity and originality you put into your art is enough to earn a heart! I have such a stockpile of art supplies, and I really don't need any extras.

Notables:

I strongly dislike glitter, unless it's sealed.

I'd rather not receive anything related to Christmas, but I love winter woodland creatures, and snowy scenes.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading my profile!

Updated 1/8/24