Matt Pinner Photography – @Matt_Pinner on X
Paper Mache’ Art
Elena’s paper mache’ makes me smile – a wonderful thing, to my mind, in this world of ours these days. What HAPPY art work!
Elena Morozyuk – MyLovinCrafts on Etsy
Filed under paper art, paper mache
Nancy Standlee Art
Nancy Standlee – NancyStandlee.blogspot.com
Filed under collage, Nancy Standlee Torn Paper Art, paper art
Happy Mother’s Day 2024
Happy Mother’s Day! Hats off to all of you ‘moms’ – a more-than-full-time, never-ending job chock full of all possible emotions and dedication. A testimony to survival of on-the-job training without a manual where you do the best you can with what you have at the time and hope for the best. May you be celebrated not only today, but EVERY day.
The image above for Mother’s Day was drawn by Hal Thomsen, one half of the husband and wife friends of our family as I was growing up. They both did art that sold commercially to make a living, but we had a whole wall of images Hal drew to commemorate events and milestones in our family. My parents devoted a whole wall in the living room to his beautiful images. Mary Ellen did sculpture and painted, as well as doing artwork that became iconic as beautiful artwork for a fashion store in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Mothers are never truly appreciated until we are adults. Maybe we’re lucky enough to be parents ourselves, trying to be everything to everyone day after day, well or sick, confident or flying by the seat of our pants. This is a role that brings forth every emotion known – some at the worst possible time, teaching us to be less selfish than we were, our hearts on our sleeves, our focus on something larger.
If we’re very lucky, our children grow up, liking and enjoying us as people, rather than ‘just mothers.’ :0)
Happy, happy day to you. I hope you’re surrounded by love and appreciation today.
Help is on the Way!
This image gives you an ‘idea’ of our driveway, though this one only shows what amounts to 1/4 of the length and steepness of ours. Ours also doesn’t have any of the egg crate stuff shown here. Ours is STEEP, 650+ feet, gravel, rutted from all the rain, worse and worse as you get closer to the street, etc.
Last year we got an estimate for repair. We had a couple of people who worked together. The guy who would have done the work had his equipment burn up – down to the ground. So the project was essentially delayed until further notice. Well, further notice never happened, so we have started over.
At the beginning of the week a friend of ours recommended a guy and his dad. He said the younger man did the hauling of materials and his dad did the actual work. I called and left a message on his home phone – the only number I could find for him.
Today he called my cell and left a message that he had just gotten the message. I now have his cell phone number, the one he uses all the time. :0)
He and his dad – BOTH named Joe Comer (they are called “Joe” and “Little Joe” in Greenwood) texted me that they could come today. They have just left.
It looks like they can help us! We accepted the estimate for the materials and the work. They will try to be here next Friday, May 17th, (weather permitting) or the following Monday to do the work. HELP IS ON THE WAY!!!!!
Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance
The Art of Matt Pearce
Matt Pearce Art – @MattPearceArt on X
Filed under Matt Pearce Art, paintings I love
Saturday 5-11-2024
I’m feeling really good this morning. It took me a while to wake up, but I’m feeling better and better as I do.
I again hit the ’25-pounds-off-my-heaviest’ mark this morning, so that makes me feel as if the changes I’m making gradually are helping me get on a steady pathway now. I’m still eating from a package of deli turkey (the worst culprit on my ‘too-much-salt-included-in-my-food list’), and some salami, but I won’t buy more once I finish those. The low-carb Mexican chicken and veggies frozen dinner from Stu’s Clean Cookin’ was too ‘hot’ for me (I’m a wuss gastronomically) so I will choose something else next time. The young man who helped us with our purchases there is really nice. It’s so pleasant to find a person who takes pride in his job and makes shopping such a pleasure.
SPRING YARD PROJECT – I think I finished the spring project of the main pruning and weeding of our brick planters around the yard – plus the pots on our deck – yesterday. I plan to concentrate on the veggie planters today, taking care of tomato plants, harvesting a bit more (my lettuce is starting to bolt with the high afternoon temperatures now). I sprinkled some zinnia seeds in a couple of planters yesterday. I’ll start buying some flowers next week. It looks like someone cares in our yard now. My husband was complimentary about my weed whacking efforts a couple of days ago, saying I had made it easier for him to mow, and, due to his good efforts, the yard is freshly mowed. :0)
PROJECT REFURB – Every couple of years I try to do some refurbishment of some of the yard critters we’ve made. Being outside is really tough on them. Cloth disintegrates, googly eyes fall off, the critters get dirty, sometimes moldy, paint fades or peels, etc. I either try to repaint them where they are in the yard or bring them one at a time into the shop, give them a makeover, and then put them back out.
This is a critter we made years ago. It seems especially apt these days, as pigs are flying all around, with things we never thought would happen in the world. We spent a long time suspending the flying pig from a big branch over the driveway several years ago. It did really well up there, but finally was down in the driveway one day as we were trying to leave for errands.
He needs a full makeover. I have him in the shop now, where he has been sitting on my work table for several months. I need to clean him up, unbend parts that were damaged when he fell, give him a total repaint, replace his eyes, etc. I’m planning to ask my husband to drill holes in a boulder beside the driveway toward the top where we can attach him to the boulder. He’ll look like he’s ready to take off, and we won’t have to stand on ladders trying to find a good strong branch and try to hang him from a line again. I’ll post pictures as I work on him.
Our weather here is beautiful now, with lots of sun and a bit less humidity. It’s a great day to be outside working in the yard or in the shop, working on the flying pig. Enjoy your day!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Getting My Act Together
My new electric meat slicer was delivered yesterday. I reorganized part of my kitchen counter so the slicer is now on an easily moveable place mat so I can slide the slicer out a bit for use, with a NON-slide place mat on top of THAT so the slicer won’t slide when I’m using it. :0) I just ordered a cover that’s made for this particular slicer, rather than the towel I’m using now. I’ll read the manual for this later today.
Here’s the cover.
I’m set up now so I can cook and slice most any meat to eat for my lunches, taking the place of the deli turkey I THOUGHT was healthy, but turned out to be sky high in sodium. (Same with salami. )
I did find some lunch meat that’s half the sodium or less than what I’m finishing up now while I’m gearing up to do all my own.
I also found some low carb, much-lower-sodium frozen dinners at Stu’s Clean Cookin’ in Greenwood. I will try all of these, but some are higher sodium than I would like for the long run. It will depend on how the food changes come together (shown clearly on MyFitnessPal.com) before I make long term decisions.
Meanwhile, my doc has increased my thyroid hormone dosage, so that should help, as well, though it will probably take several 6-week trials before we zero in on my new good dosage.
I’m finally getting my act together on eating healthier, plus I’m working in the yard most every day and doing a session of yoga stretching in the afternoons at least 3 times a week if not every day. Hopefully, the lard will start coming off in a more steady manner and my next routine blood tests in October will show significant improvement. :0)
Filed under DIET!, Changes, Challenges, exercise, taking care of yourself
Yesterday’s Harvest
Lettuce
Spinach
Head Lettuce
It looks like my lettuce is coming to an end. I’m seeing signs of bolting already, due to the temperature getting up into the 80s most afternoons now. Lettuce is a cool weather crop, and we have about 4 days of spring between too cold to plant with overnight freezes to too hot for lettuce…
I’m going to work in the veggies today, pruning, weeding, tweaking, and I’m hoping to finish the last two brick planters.
We have a stunningly beautiful morning here, and I’m looking forward to working outside for several sessions.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Peter Hogarth Pet Portraits
Peter Hogarth – @peterhogarth55 on X
I just love Peter Hogarth’s portraits. I almost expect them to react to my wanting to touch and pet them. Beautiful, distinctive art work.
Filed under animal paintings, Peter Hogarth - Artist
Childhood Memory
This reminded me of a song we used to sing a hundred years ago or so –
“Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Merry merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be!” (Except for some reason, we sang, “That’s not a monkey, that’s me. Ha. Ha!“
I’ve never actually HEARD the sound the Kookaburra makes, so I looked it up. (Isn’t the Internet wonderful?)
Filed under memories
SUNNY Thursday 5-9-2024
It’s almost like a ‘wonder-of-the-world’ thing to see the SUN shining this morning. It’s BEAUTIFUL. We came through some really pervasive yellow and red blobs on the TV screen weather warnings of ‘severe thunderstorm warning’ and ‘tornado watch’ with some heavy rain and LOTS of lightning last night, but no damage we’ve found yet. We’re very lucky and very thankful.
Since my energy level has been really low lately, I was happy when our doc saw that my blood test showed that my thyroid replacement hormone dosage was too low. She increased it, so I’ll get another blood test in 6 weeks and we’ll decide if any further increases are needed.
I was expecting my electric meat slicer to be delivered tomorrow. It was just delivered by our wonderful mailwoman today! She is a really nice lady and drives up our driveway as if it isn’t a mess. AND she brought the slicer! I’m going to rearrange things on my counter so it can live and be well-used on a regular basis there. I’m thinking I’ll see if I can order a cover for it, as well.
I MAY have a line on a father/son team who can repair our driveway. I got their name from a friend, plus the name of the chat that is used on streets that my friend said we should put on the driveway.
Today we’ll go to Stu’s Clean Cookin’ in Greenwood to get some frozen dinners. My husband has always liked their dinners, but they didn’t meet our needs a while back, so we stopped going. I discovered last night that they have new low carb offerings that are also quite reasonable on sodium. HOORAY! Soon I’ll be able to cut my intake of salt in my food by at least half, if not more.
I plan to harvest lettuce and spinach from the garden and finish cleaning up in two brick planters today. Then I THINK I’ll be ready to go buy some flowers to plant. :0)
I hope you’re doing well and can make this a very enjoyable day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Weather Wednesday 5-8-2024
My weather sources are not in agreement today. One says we’ll get some light rain this afternoon. Another says we’ll be under a severe weather watch from 2 till 10 with hail 2-3 inches in diameter and 60-80 mph winds. I would LIKE to be able to choose…. if we’ll have wind and hail of this degree, there is no point trying to spread SHEETS over my garden plants. They just won’t do the job.
We have a routine doctor appointment today at 1, and then we’d LIKE to shop afterwards, weather permitting. We’ll see what Mother Nature has to say.
Yesterday I weeded the pots on the deck.
Soon I need to find some flowers to plant here, and in various pots around the yard.
I also need to refurbish some of the critters we’ve made that are dotted around the yard and on the deck. These need to be cleaned and then a freshening of the paint.
Here’s another that needs to be refurbished. (I still have the flying pig in the shop, though, and that will be the first redo.)
I hope this will be a fun day for you, no matter what the weather.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________, weather
Happy Sight
When I got up to let Amber out, I saw a roadrunner in the front yard! He was skittering along some rocks that divide our ‘civilized’ front yard from the ‘wild woods’ beyond.
As I watched, he crossed the whole front yard and then went into the side yard. He was just beautiful.
I love the way they run, head down and body straight, and then suddenly stop – head up and completely still for a second – and then flatten out and run again.
Filed under Amazing Animals
Grateful to Make It Through
What is a ‘tornado emergency’?
“Back in 1999, a destructive tornado (eventually rated F5) was bearing down on the Oklahoma City, OK area on May 3rd. Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Norman, OK had a Tornado Warning in effect, but felt that it was not enough. They needed to enhance the wording in the warning somehow to catch the attention of people in the path of this monster. That is when the Tornado Emergency was hatched.”
The whole central part of the U.S. was under weather alerts yesterday and all night. This was the first time I have heard the term, “tornado emergency.” I don’t really want to ever hear it again.
We were only under a tornado WATCH here – and we are most of the spring and summer, so I could just keep a watchful eye and ear. I watched a couple of real time weather websites and found out that others around us were really in imminent danger.
It turned out that a small city in Oklahoma – Barnsdall – not far from Tulsa, where I used to live, was hit really hard. Bartlesville, OK had damage, too. One person was killed. I’m still researching to find out more, but that’s what I’ve learned so far.
I checked on ‘my people,’ and all are okay, thank goodness. I haven’t found any damage here, so far. Apparently lots of people north of here are without power.
We’re supposed to have a good day today with another chance of severe weather tomorrow. I would be really happy if things tame down soon.
I hope you are safe.
Filed under Mother Nature, weather
Three Authors I “Know”
“Ghosts, after all, cannot mount daring rescue missions, they cannot pilot spaceships, they cannot fight, and they cannot save their loved ones, no matter how badly they may want to.
But I could, Ellie will say, if you show me how…”
“Her story is not about a chair. Her story is about her strengths and how they rose out of her instinctive vulnerabilities.“
“Jake Moriarity…a lost soul in a desperate search to find this lost girl. Moriarity can save her, but first, he has to find her. And the only thing he has to go on is like a watercolor painting that has been left out in the rain with all the colors running together.“
___________
I’m an avid reader. I love to get lost in a book – a world different from mine – a place to escape and live in another’s shoes for a while. I have several favorite authors and a good collection of a bunch of their books. I re-read them in an ongoing basis, adding to my collection if my favorites are still with me and writing, treasuring the worlds and characters they created if they’re not.
Rarely I find new authors who speak to me. Somehow in the past year I’ve found THREE – Simon Panneton, Ryan Rae Harbuck, and R. G. Ryan. I found them on X and follow them – and have actually exchanged messages with them. I’ve found them to be caring and interesting people, in addition to writing books I love. Isn’t that amazing and wonderful?
I’ve read the three books I’ve listed above and highly recommend each of them to you. I’ve provided a link to each book so you can find them easily on Amazon. Each will touch you and leave you changed – enriched – MORE.
Go ahead – dive in!
AI – Opinion
I’m of two minds regarding the use of AI.
MIND ONE – I’m violently against the use of AI to misrepresent, like generating images that are supposed to be that of an artist of any type, writer, painter, musician, singer, etc. and setting things up to profit from it. It will be very difficult very soon to tell whether something is real or AI. Many creative people will be hurt because of this, losing income, having to file lawsuits, worrying about their reputation, body of work, etc. This is theft and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
It may be used to create fake images to sway opinions on important issues, misrepresent what is happening in the world. I’m violently against that, as well.
MIND TWO – many times I find something I like on the net and then find a comment, “This is AI”. My purpose in perusing the net is to find wonderful things to share on my blog. It may be a cute video that makes me laugh. It may be a painting or sculpture or other artwork that has no credit listed, like too many things I find on Pinterest or elsewhere.
If I like what I’ve found, I find I don’t really care if it’s AI. If it looks like pebble art and I find out that it’s AI and not done with real pebbles, I still like it. As long as someone is not trying to palm it off as their own work when it was actually created by someone else, that’s okay with me.
Some people make a huge distinction between paintings created digitally on the computer and paintings created uses brushes, or palette knives. I don’t care where it was created and what materials were used. I’m looking at the result. I’m certainly not in a position to consider one is superior to the other.
What is your opinion?
Filed under Opinion
More Textured Fabric Birds
Jennifer Lambein – TexturedHome on Etsy
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art