Stephanie Quayle Sculpture
Filed under ceramics, Clay Art, Stephanie Quayle
Friday 4-26-2024
We’re under a ‘flood advisory’ on one of my weather sources, and 91% chance of “heavy rain” from now until midnight with maybe a couple of short breaks in-between storms. The sky is quite dark. The branches were whipping around earlier, but now it’s ominously still…
I’ll aim for a combination laundry/office cleanup/and art room day.
A lot of activity started our day. My husband took the last of his diabetes medicine. He didn’t have more in the drawer like he should have had, and didn’t seem to care. I went upstairs to see if it had been inadvertently put up there, but nothing.
I ended up posing as him, calling Humana to find out it had been removed, somehow, from the auto-renew list, getting a refill in the works to be sent ASAP, and an okay for a ‘prescription override’ where we can get a short supply from a local pharmacy to tide him over until the prescription arrives. I posed as him again on our portal to our doc, asking for them to call that in to the local pharmacy we use. I’ll check later to see the status on that, and see if we can go get the tide-over meds. WHEW. He did have the good grace to thank me for my efforts.
Now I’m finally having my first cup of coffee. I feel lucky to have a strong, warm house in which we can weather the storms. If we can zip out and get his meds later today, it will be perfect.
I hope that you are safe, dry, and warm today.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
More Thursday Thoughts 4-25-2024
I had a WONDERFUL massage this morning. I had no trouble finding the new place where Lynn is doing her massages now. I got there a bit early. There was NO rain! It was really dark and looked like it was going to storm, but didn’t. Lynn was waiting for me in the foyer area when I walked in. When I finished, I took Lynn back to meet my friend Linda. Two such beautiful people should know each other.
I had a great visit with Linda, with lots of hugs and a few tears. It’s sad when life gets in the way and makes it almost impossible to see people. I basically am with my husband 24/7 except for my once a month haircut and once a month massage. Linda understands my situation now, but it’s still hard.
I’m thinking of gifting her a 30-minute massage, since it is right in the retirement place where Linda lives now. I think she would enjoy it, and Lynn would help her with the physical needs, I know. I’ll see if I make this happen.
It didn’t rain on me on the way back from the massage, either, and in fact seems to be clearing up. I may be able to work on another planter today.
Before
I also took the loppers and cut low-hanging branches that were making it so you had to bend over to walk on the sidewalk past it to the front door.
I should have enough time – if the weather holds – to at least tackle another planter today. We’ll see.
Filed under Gardening
Thursday Thoughts 4-25-2024
I leave shortly for my massage. I’m really looking forward to it. The first reason is that I really enjoy how I feel when Lynn Moody, my wonderful massage therapist and friend, finishes wielding her magic. She finds and gets rid of the areas I KNEW were hurting as well as those I hadn’t realized yet.
Second, this will be the first time I’ve seen her new place! The city is demolishing (or may have already demolished) the house she was using for massage sessions. She had to be out by April 1st. She is now working out of a really nice retirement place in Greenwood. It also happens that my good friend, Linda, from the former Lunch Bunch, LIVES there. So, I’m going to see if I can find Linda when I finish my massage. :0)
The skies are really dark, with coming “heavy rain and thunderstorms” this morning. I’ve already had my shower this morning, but I may get two more – one getting from my truck to the front door of the retirement place, and another when I leave. Good thing I spent so many summer teaching swimming lessons. I may need them today.
I got another planter weeded and pruned yesterday. I’ll write more blog posts after lunch and show a picture or two – unless we’re being blown away by the possibly severe weather.
Stay safe, dry, and warm wherever you are.
Filed under taking care of yourself
Playing with Your Food? Always!
Filed under playing with your food?
Anna’s Bronze Sculptures
Anna Tolgyesi Poos creates beautiful bronze sculptures of Vizslas that capture the personality of the breed.
Filed under Anna's Sculptures, sculpture
Paul Miller Wildlife Art
As you can see, Paul Miller also does ‘milder’ pet portraits as well as wildlife. He is self taught and prefers pastels and pastel pencils.
Paul Miller Wildlife Art – @Paulmillerart on X
Pink Moon 2024
“The name pink moon comes from the April full moon’s seasonal association, appearing in spring around the blossom time for flowers, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. The full moon aligns with the blooming of Phlox subulata, a pink wildflower native to eastern North America.” ~ Google. (And I missed the whole thing – although I’ll check to see remnants this evening, if it’s not raining yet.)
I weeded another planter yesterday.
TODAY’S PROJECT –
My weather people are now saying it may start raining today around 6pm today, so I may get more time in the yard than I thought. :0) We built 14 planters around the yard over several years. I’m now using 3 for square foot garden veggies, and I still have 6 to go on weeding and pruning.
I made this yesterday. My husband said it smelled good as it was cooking in the crock pot during the day, and said it was “yummy,” not realizing it was different from the regular full-of-starchy-high-carb stew I’ve made for years. It was satisfying, good, comfort-food beef stew without guilt. I sprinkled Xanthan Gum in at the beginning so the liquid would thicken a bit and that turned out well, too. I’ll get more recipes from this source.
The weather report is telling me that I’ll drown getting to my massage tomorrow morning. We’re in a new place, having had to move because the place my massage therapist was using is being torn down for the Greenwood Bypass. The good thing is that she is now using a room in the retirement place where my good friend, Linda, lives, and hopefully I can see Linda after my massage. :0)
I hope this day is a great one for you.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Need a “Sonia Fix?”
Sonia Lera Preston – @Sonia_L_Preston on X
Filed under paintings I love, Sonia Lera Preston
“Dog Days” of Spring?
“Beware! Dog can’t hold its licker.” – Unknown
“What I like most about people is their dogs.” – Unknown
“I don’t who care who dies in the movie, as long as the dog lives.” – Unknown
Nice Tuesday 4-23-2024
It’s a really pretty morning here in Arkansas. It’s supposed to get to 80 today. I’ll spend as much time as my body will allow outside, trying to get at least one more planter weeded. As I said in my previous post, the rains are due to start overnight. One of my weather sources is showing the rain tomorrow not beginning until about 5 in the afternoon, so maybe I have a bit more time than I thought. :0)
I have been making beef stew in my crock pot for a hundred years or so – using mostly the same ingredients. Today I’m trying a KETO beef stew recipe for the first time. It’s from Peace, Love and Low Carb and it has 4 net carbs per serving. The only starchy veggie included is one carrot, mainly for color, I think. The picture here is showing some green onion tops, so I’ll include those as part of the onion included. I hope that it’s a good substitute for the beef stew we’ve always loved. I’ll let you know.
I’m working on two wood burning projects in my art room (when I can make the time to be up there) – that hopefully will be presents for two of my favorite people. Shhhhhhhh! I should be able to make some time with the coming rains.
If I’m suddenly ‘gone,’ I hope I’ve escaped to this dream! I absolutely LOVE this place. I’m going to keep this photo so I can continue to dream….
Time to get the beef stew into the crock pot –
Make this a wonderful Tuesday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Planter Progress 4-23-2024
This was the ‘before’ on the 3rd of the trio planters I’ve been weeding and pruning.
Now that the weeds are out and the wisteria/forsythia greenery has been pruned back, my husband will be able to easily mow and I can plant some annuals.
It looks like someone lives here now. Today I’ll try to do at least one more planter in the yard. We built 14 brick planters around the yard, so I still have several to do, but things are beginning to look a bit better now.
The ‘rains’ are supposed to start overnight and continue intermittently – plus the chance of severe weather this weekend – until further notice. It will be a challenge to get outside between storms to continue to get things under better control.
Filed under Gardening
It’s Monday 4-22-2024
Happy Earth Day. I hope that the weather is such that you can get outside and enjoy our planet today. In that vein, I wanted to share a magnificent photo by J. Picot via Anthony Sider – @BudgetDude on X – that celebrates our Earth.
Yesterday’s yard project was weeding and pruning the middle 8-foot brick planter in a trio that runs between our front yard and the top of our driveway.
Today I’ll tackle the 3rd of the trio of planters, trying to make it look like ‘someone cares’ instead of ‘the people moved away,’ as it looks now.
Enjoy your day.
Filed under Gardening, holidays, Mother Nature
My Heart is in a Puddle Now
Thanks to Enez Ozen on X
Filed under Blog Repost - Wonderful Posts, video
Celebrating the Elephant
“The End”
Filed under Nick Mackman Animal Sculpture, sculpture
The World of David Zinn
When I see a yard, I imagine what it would look like with lots of flowers blooming all around, bringing color, wonderful scents, and joy. When David Zinn sees a sidewalk or a concrete wall, he sees characters telling their stories. I love spending time in his world.
Filed under drawings, David Zinn - Street Artist
Weeds vs Flowers
This is a line of three 8-foot-brick planters that divide the top of our driveway area from the front yard. There are lot of perennials in there, but they are in a death fight right now with the weeds that have exploded in the last few weeks.
My husband always looks at things, throws up his hands and announces the weeds have won, there is NO way the flowers can have survived, we might as well just burn it all and start over. (This is only ONE of the reasons that HE mows the grass and I handle the flowers.)
Yesterday I weeded the first of the three planters. I cut back the rose bushes, cut out a lot of dead stuff, weeded, and then cut the overgrown greenery from the irises and the Stella de Oro flowers at the opposite end of the planter from the taller rose bush. Things are much better now. In fact, when I insisted my husband come and ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ last night, he was ‘astonished’ (his word) at the difference. :0)
Here’s another view of that planter.
Here is today’s project – the middle 8-foot planter.
A little daunting at the moment, but I’ll tackle this as soon as I finish writing the blog posts for the day.
I hope that your weather is such that you can spend time outside, soaking up a bit of sunshine, breathing in the air, and enjoying life.
Filed under Gardening
Veggie Garden Update 4-21-2024
So far, things are good. Something was eating my spinach and lettuce, so I mixed and sprayed EIGHT on all the veggie plants earlier this week. I love that stuff because it’s safe for humans and our pets, but kills the pests.
Here you can see the holes in the spinach leaves. Hopefully, I’ve now stopped the pests at least for a while.
I’ll probably do some harvesting of spinach and lettuce later today.
Here are 4 tomato plants along with a few more spinach and lettuce plants. I’m see several yellow blossoms on the tomato plants now.
This is the other tomato planter with another 4 plants. I nipped off suckers and cut off branches that touched the ground earlier. I need to make sure all the branches are supported well. This can change from day to day, and growth can happen quite suddenly, so I want to stay on top of things before I can’t manipulate the branches through the cages anymore.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Sunny Sunday 4-21-2024
I’m having a small “moan-and-whine” session over our coming weather. I got outside yesterday when the light rain stopped and managed to weed one brick planter. The weather was PERFECT for weeding – cool with a light breeze and cloudy. Today through Tuesday of next week is supposed to be nice, as well, so I’m really happy about that. I need to spend a lot of time in the yard trying to get things weeded and pruned, plus tending our veggie garden.
Wednesday, though, things fall apart big time. Showers and thunderstorms start then and continue through Sunday, May 5th, with only one day showing sunny. ONE!
UGH. Hopefully this rain won’t be non-stop, and I’ll be able to get out there and get things done in-between, but the forecast as a whole is pretty grim.
I’ll try to work around the weather, getting things as under control as possible. I’m going to walk around the yard now and take some pics to share with you.
Happy Sunny Sunday!
Filed under Mother Nature
Warren King’s Cardboard Sculptures
“Sculptor Warren King has been recreating residents of a small village in China, where his grandparents grew up, for several years now.” – ERICA, author of article at HonestlyWTF.com
He uses only cardboard and glue to make these life-size sculptures. His goal is to re-create and honor 200 people.
Warren King’s Cardboard Sculptures – article by Erica, HonestlyWTF.com
Saturday 4-20-2024
Hahahahahaha! I don’t really feel like this, but I LOVE the artwork and the sentiment. :0)
It’s dark and rainy here in my part of Arkansas this morning, so I’m switching to inside activities. I was planning to weed at least one flower planter, but Mother Nature has decided that we need rain. And the week ahead looks particularly rainy, with chances for rain starting Wednesday and continuing through the following Monday, the 29th. We may need a boat!
I may spend today with a combination of laundry and wood burning, a nice combination of ‘should’ and ‘want to’ for the day. I have ideas for a couple of plaques I would like to make for some good friends. I’m still experimenting with what tip does what with the wood burning tool, so progress is very slow, but it’s fun to be trying to do something completely out of my comfort zone.
I hope that you have a happy Saturday in store.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
This n That
Filed under Favorite Things
creativeartworksblog 