Remember

Thich Nhat Hanh via Lisa Bearnes Richey

Happy Reunion

We have a driveway that is 650+ feet down to the road. It is graveled and STEEP. Happily, we don’t have any trouble getting down our driveway and up again, but some people do. It’s particularly bad when we have had the combination of lots and lots of rain and delivery trucks trying to get up and down.

We’ve been in bad shape now for several months now.

We used to have a wonderful man, Tommy Sandifer,  who came and used his tractor to smooth things out for us. He became very ill and was unable to help us anymore, but his son, Eric, took over for him and helps us from time to time. Eric is extremely busy though, and bringing a tractor out to help us is time-consuming and costly for him.

We called several weeks ago, asking Eric for help again. A combination of his being too busy and our rain storms have caused lots of delays.

We were delighted to hear our driveway alarm going nuts, showing a guy on a tractor there to heal our driveway – but the BEST part was that it was our original man, Tommy, the father! It’s been over 2 years since he felt well enough to help us. My husband and I both shook his hand and told him how happy we were to see him. He said he doesn’t get out much now, but he felt well enough to come and help us this morning.  He proudly showed us the new blade he got to go on the back of the tractor.

My husband and I just went down the driveway to get our mail and test the driveway fix. It is beautiful!

I’m happy our driveway is much easier to negotiate now, but I’m happier that Tommy seems to be doing well. :0)

Announcement

imnotrightinthehead.com via Michael Remillard

Blocked

Shared-Vintage

Perilous Adventure

We got our blood pumping on the way to Lunch Bunch this morning. We wanted to change out the decoration on our mailbox. Usually, this is a very quick thing. We take off the old one, put it in the truck and replace it with the new one.

Today we started to take off the old one and wasps came flying out of the holes in the post that holds up the mailbox and acts as the attachment bar for the decorations. We had this happen once before, but we hosed it with wasp spray and hadn’t seen any wasps since. My husband got ‘grazed’ (but not actually stung badly) before we could get back into the truck. We took the can of wasp spray we now keep in the truck and hosed down the post again before heading for Lunch Bunch and errands.

We checked things out carefully when we returned before getting out and putting up the caterpillar with the Hookah pipe from Alice in Wonderland.  This time, no problem, but we’ll remain wary for awhile.

Wow

Native American Nation

Music

Womenworking.com

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring….

Tail and Fur

“It’s raining, it’s pouring;
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and he
Bumped his head
And he couldn’t get up in the morning.”    ~ Nursery Rhyme

We’ve already reached and broken the record here in Arkansas for rain in August, and it’s raining again. We may get another 2 inches today to add to the over 11 for the month.

My husband has been gritching all summer because USUALLY we get to a point where it’s so hot with no rain that our lawn becomes ‘brown and crunchy’ (his favorite) and doesn’t need mowing. No luck for him this year. Happily, we have a nice used riding mower to make the job as easy as it gets.

I did a good job on weed whacking yesterday, going all the way around our garden, the propane tank for our shop, and behind the shop, plus the front yard, plus the area between the front yard and the driveway pad. I was planning to work on the back – and around the greenhouse today – but it looks like an inside day for us.

We’re getting ready to enjoy eating with our long-time Lunch Bunch friends. I think we decided recently we had been meeting every Friday for at least 17 years. I’m thankful to have such good, long-time friends. We’ve shared laughter and tears through the years, celebrating, or helping each other through hard times. Today our son plans to come with us!

After errands, we’ll settle in, enjoying a dry home, family, and pets.

I hope that you are enjoying your Friday.

 

 

Glorious Pet Portraits

Niki Firmin – Therapy dogs Oliver and Lily

 

Commissioned Portrait – Bethany Kerr

 

Original photo from which portrait was done – Bethany Kerr

 

Kelly Armitage – LinkedIn

 

Kelly Armitage – LinkedIn

 

Niki Firmin – Lily

When

Brian Tracy – MadeWithLovebyRecycleThis.com – pinterest.com

Metal Sculpture by Paul Eppling – Part II

Paul Eppling-Dragon-Pinterest

 

Paul Eppling-Invaluable

 

Paul Eppling-Pinterest

 

Paul Eppling-Tampa Bay Times

The Art of Mario Adornetto

Mario Adornetto – LinkedIn

Ahhhhh!

Getty Images

I used to think that massage was an indulgence.

For 8 years I did the medical transcription and bookkeeping for a busy 8 general surgeons office in Fort Smith. I routinely worked overtime, trying to keep up, sometimes working 10 and 12 hour days. I gradually got to the point that I was so messed up that I was unable to pull my shirt over my head at night. I finally saw a doctor and he recommended several things to help me, one of which was massage. Happily, there was an exercise place very near the medical clinic, so I started going every day after work, and once a week I got a massage. Gradually, I regained my health.

I stopped getting a massage because I told myself I was better, and it was really expensive getting a massage weekly. I had stopped working at the clinic and didn’t want to drive to Fort Smith (45 minutes each way).

I don’t remember how I met Lynn Moody, my miracle working massage therapist here in Greenwood, but I am thankful every day that I did. I now get a massage once a month, and I cannot say enough about how much I get from it. When you find a good massage therapist, you can fully relax, knowing you’re in good, caring hands. You can talk or not talk. I use this time to catch up with Lynn, since I consider her a good friend, as well as a miracle worker. I leave feeling relaxed and able to tackle whatever happens in a much better frame of mind.

A good massage therapist finds all the places that you didn’t even realize were tied in a knot. She listens and focuses on areas you do know about. I definitely need my massage once a month, but I don’t get like a pretzel anymore, so sore I can’t raise my arms, for example.

If you have erroneously considered massage therapy a ‘luxury,’ an ‘indulgence,’ putting it in the category of ‘things-you-can-do-without,’ I hope that you will reconsider.

It is now one of the main things I do to take care of myself –  part of my healthcare. It would be one of the LAST things I would stop doing if I really had to start cutting things due to money difficulties.

If you are in the Fort Smith/Greenwood/Hackett area in Arkansas, thank your lucky stars and call Lynn Moody.  320 South Coker Street, Greenwood AR. 479-629-7601.

If you live elsewhere, ask your friends if they know a good one and get started.  Your body will thank you.

Love Being a Massage Therapist

 

The Ant Murderer Strikes Again

In our short walk around our yard last night, we found many fire ant mounds again. ARRRGH!

Since I am pretty allergic to them, we take them seriously around here. Suddenly, a bunch of hills have popped up.  I mixed up a 2-gallon container of EIGHT bug spray,

Home Depot

that kills the bugs without hurting our pets or veggies, and started out. Suddenly my husband was there, too, wanting to tote the container while I did the spraying! We went all around the yard, out to the greenhouse, then out to the shop, hosing down fire ant hills all over.

We won the round today, so will declare victory, if only for a short time. We also got the benefit of some good walking, too!

The Ingenious Metal Sculpture of Paul Eppling – Part I

Paul Eppling – Aardvark – Live Auctioneers

 

Paul Eppling – armadillo – Green Bench Monthly

 

Paul Eppling – Bruce Herwing-WordPress.com

Exquisite Embroidery

Margh Art – Embroidery via Yolanda Vanveen

I think this is the prettiest embroidery I have ever seen. The texture and 3-dimensional work are breathtaking.

A Nice Wednesday

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Jeff Jett posts these wonderful photos on LinkedIn. He is an avid supporter of wildlife and wants to do what he can to help preserve wild animals and their habitats. I don’t know who took this fabulous photo, but it’s one of the nicest I’ve ever seen.  Great way to start the day, isn’t it?

The high temperature for the day here in Greenwood, Arkansas is forecast to be only 88 and no rain. (Fort Smith, about 9 miles from us, just had the most rain EVER for August, and the month isn’t over! The usual rainfall for the month is 2.59 inches. This month we’ve already had 11.13 inches. Needless to say, this much rain has caused many problems, and is one of the times where it is GOOD to live on top of a ridge line. (We won’t dwell on our getting our electronics fried in June due to being on top of this same ridge line.) We are hoping that the temperatures will continue to ease and that we can again enjoy being outside.

Our son is still with us, after my husband’s health scare. Thank goodness he can work from anywhere, so he is able to keep up with things he needs to do while helping us create the ‘new normal’ around here. One of the things we’re trying to do is walk around our yard after we feed our animals in the evenings. So far, our results are a bit iffy (The first night my husband opted to mow the lawn with the riding mower while our son and I walked. Last night we made it around the yard once, with my husband stopping to pull weeds or fix things every few steps.) We will continue our efforts – the goal being to get him moving, doing at least a bit of exercise each day, and hopefully enjoying the weather while we’re doing it.

While creating a ‘new normal,’ I’m redoubling my efforts to get myself as healthy as I can – and staying that way – so that I can handle whatever challenges the future brings.  I’ve become lax on my exercising (this time using the excuse of my husband’s health challenge), so I’m going to start with a session of yoga today. I will try to do SOMETHING exercise-wise daily, plus try to get my husband to walk in the evenings.  I’ll also try to do something for myself each day – whether it’s playing in my art room, like I did yesterday, painting a tee –

 

 

working outside in my flowers or veggies, enjoying a good book, or – like tomorrow – having my once per month massage.  I’ll continue my efforts to lose the lard.

I hope you’re having a beautiful Wednesday.

 

Every Day Should Be Nat’l Dogs Day

Niki Firmin Pet Portraits

 

Bethany Kerr Fine Arts on Etsy

 

Bethany Kerr Fine Arts on Etsy

 

Gary Wing – LinkedIn

 

Niki Firmin Pet Portraits

 

Niki Firmin Pet Portraits

 

Niki Firmin Pet Portraits

Do It

Kurt Vonnegut via Linda Sweigart via Cathy Ruggiero

 

I am planning to spend time in my art room today. I have yet another tee that is in good shape with the exception of a stain on the front. :0(  :0)  I will see what I can do to give it new life.

I look forward to shutting myself away for a bit, turning on some of my favorite music, and losing myself in the joy of playing with glorious colors.

I hope that you are doing something to grow your soul today, too.

In Life

Lisa Bearnes Richey

 

Shay Day

Email forwarded to me by my good friend, Marsha Koenig. I wanted to share it with you.

Hagi Kids Batting Cage-YouTube

Email forwarded to me by my good friend, Marsha Koenig. I wanted to share it with you.

 

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.   After extolling the school and its Dedicated staff, he offered a question: ‘When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.   Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.  He cannot understand things as other children do.    Where is the natural order of things in my son?’ The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. ‘I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’ Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.  Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’  I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play.  The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..’ Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt.. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart.  The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field.  Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.    At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat.  Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.  However, as Shay stepped up to the Plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.    As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.     Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.  Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first! Run to first!’ Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.    He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’ Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball.  The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.   All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay’ Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third!    Shay, run to third!’ As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home!  Run home!’ Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team ‘That day’, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, ‘the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world’. Shay didn’t make it to another summer.  He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces. If you’re thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you’re probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren’t the ‘appropriate’ ones to receive this type of message.  Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the ‘natural order of things.’ So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process? A wise man once said “Every society is judged by how it treats it’s least fortunate amongst them.”

Fighting Through the System

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Now that we’ve gotten some answers and a plan for my husband’s recent stroke, I’m having to dive into the pool again, trying to get reasonable help, rather than putting up with the runaround.

Our primary doctor and the neurosurgeon said he needs to be seen by a neurologist for circulation questions in his legs and numbness on the bottom of both feet. (He is a Type II diabetic.)  I finally got a call this morning from a neurologist’s office, giving us an appointment. I was simply speechless when she gave us an appointment for the first opening – almost the end of FEBRUARY!  Our son’s reaction was, “you’re kidding, right?” My husband’s reaction was, “I’ll be dead by then.”

We have access to a portal where we can contact the nurse of our primary. I consider this a miracle because the nurse is a true gem. She usually gets back to me by the end of the day I leave the message. She has worked tirelessly for us since my husband’s stroke, trying to help us get us the care he needed. I am hoping that we can get a referral to another neurologist who can see my husband in a more reasonable amount of time.  We are supposed to be getting tested (I think an arteriogram of his legs) very soon.

The reason I’m writing this is to again stress that each of us has to be our own health advocate. 

WE are the ones who care the most, and have the most to gain – or lose – by our attitude and effort. We need to keep pushing wherever we can to fight our way through whatever system is in place to get what we need.

Delectable Drawings

Jane Daniell – Chinchilla on Zinc

 

Jane Daniell – Chinchilla on Sepia

 

Gary Wing – LinkedIn

 

Dena Ackerman – LinkedIn

 

“The Power of Kindness”

Fernanda Valentini – “The Power of Kindness” – LinkedIn

Toward the End of Garden Harvests

I just came in from taking a quick look at the garden, and then to the other end of our house to the tomato planters. This is today’s harvest, but it’s obvious that the super-hot weather lately has brought a halt to most of the harvests now.

We have had a wonderful time this year. We had a LOT of lettuce, radishes, and tomatoes, and were able to share some of each of these with our friends. The zucchini made big plants, and we harvested several zucchini, but I’ll read about how we can do better on these next year. I also want to plant yellow crookneck squash next time.

The cantaloupe was fun, but all we have are either green or yellowish small ones, all hard as a rock with vines spreading everywhere. I have no clue if they’ll actually continue to grow and ripen or not. Another subject for a lot of reading.  The red onions are still looking good. As soon as the weather gets a bit cooler, I’ll start looking to see if any are ready to come out of the ground.

 

Beautiful World

Of course when I was the farthest away from the house, the rain started. I toweled off when I came in, but it’s a very good thing I’m not water-soluble. :0)

More Wonderful Scrap Metal Art

Paul’sScrapCarRemoval.wordpress.com

 

Saatchi Art-Family Sculpture

 

The Bear Chronicles

The Art of Alina Ciuciu

“A Queen for a King” – Alina Ciuciu – LinkedIn

 

“Stay As You Are” – Alina Ciuciu – LinkedIn

Good Morning!

Jeff Jett – Linkedin

Good morning!

I hope today finds you healthy and happy, enjoying a great Sunday.

Our main feeling here is thankful –

• thankful that my husband doesn’t have to have surgery and can concentrate on improving his walking and talking after his stroke;
• thankful that our son is here to help us through this;
• thankful for insurance;
• thankful for good doctors;
• thankful for good test results;
• thankful for caring relatives and friends;
• thankful for good hugs.

We’re hoping that Mother Nature will cooperate with us tonight, allowing us to cook celebration steaks outside on the grill.

I hope your Sunday is filled with wonderful things, too.

Scrap Metal Art – I Love It!

Matt Wilson – Interesting Engineering

 

Matt Wilson – Interesting Engineering

 

Michael – Weeny, Junkyard Dog

Glorious Rain

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

The sky is darkening, the storm is coming.  We – 3 people, 2 dogs, and 2 cats – are dry and happy, looking outside.  (Our goldfish are inside, but not dry. They don’t care about the weather

much.)  Happy Saturday to you!

Good Friends

A Wondering Spirit via Marianna Bellantoni

We just came through a health scare.  Relatives and friends  embraced us, offering care, help, love, and support. How priceless that is!  At times like this, you realize just how very lucky you are, and that you are not alone. Wonderful people helped us through this, and out to the other side. How on earth do you ‘thank’ them?  Other than the obvious, I will try to show each of them how important they are to us and concentrate on being there for THEM whenever they need us.