I made two designs for Christmas cards and threw them both away today. I tried a third idea and it might work!
Princeton Brush Company
I’ve started 10 cards now, and they are drying. I’m using a background of ‘bleeding tissue paper,’ and that requires a lot of water, so I look a bit like this child – every bit as happy and excited, but not nearly as cute, with bleeding tissue paper ink (?) all over the tips of the fingers of both hands.
I’ll see what I think later, when the backgrounds have fully dried, but I THINK I may have a start now.
This is one of my many faults. I’m aware of it, though, and work on it constantly. My mom did it, too. It was much easier for me to recognize it when SHE did it, than to acknowledge that ‘I’ did the same thing for many years. I try to stay CONSCIOUS of my tendency. If I find myself jumping up and down inside to say something, I know I’m doing it again.
Yes, you want to share. When someone is saying something to which you relate because of your own experiences, you want to tell them that you understand. But if you DO jump to tell them, some people even interrupting the other to share, you miss out on so much of life.
When I was in my ‘holier-than-thou’ period of teenage years, I would try to get my mom to change, to make her aware of what she was doing. When she would visit with someone, she dominated the conversation. She would be so eager to talk she would interrupt the person who was talking to tell her story, using the very same words she used the LAST time she related the story. I was very critical as a teenager – being perfect myself :0) – and would ask my mom what the person she had just visited had said about 1), 2), and 3). My mom looked startled, and then said she didn’t know. (I found out many years later – when I had finally quit being ‘perfect,’ that she actually knew quite a lot about her friends. She just found out details at different times than when I was listening.)
I found myself doing the same thing and was horrified. Yes, I wanted to share if I thought something we were doing might interest my friends, but I wanted to know what was happening to THEM, too.
The way I finally got my own attention about this problem was that I wanted to be able to tell myself what was new in each of my friend’s lives and how they felt about it after we had visited. I wanted to come away with a feeling of closeness and understanding – maybe even an idea of their hopes. If they weren’t forthcoming, I would ask questions, showing I really was interested, and LISTENED to their answers, and then responded to what they had said, or asked another question.
It’s a work in progress, but it’s one at which I really want to be successful. My friends are wonderful and deserve my ears and attention.
We just had what MAY have been 5 minutes of a good rain. I TRIED to take some pics, but I couldn’t capture the ‘glorious-ness ‘ of it. By the time I had snapped 3 pics and walked to the front door, the rain had stopped.
Since I’m a greedy person, I want MORE. It’s so comfortable in the office right now. Amber is sitting beside me, moving every couple of seconds, wanting a cookie. The ceiling fan is moving the cooler air around nicely.
You can see that my husband has the ‘brown and crunchy’ lawn that is his favorite, but there are a few patches of green here and there. I don’t want him to have to mow, but I DO want more rain…
I’m a happy camper this morning. The doors are open. The ceiling fan is on, spreading fresh, cooler air all through the house. It’s only supposed to get to 89 today, with a chance of some good rain. Yea!!!!
Ben Grantham-Getty Images-iStock Photos
Today is Day 16 of my attempt to make daily yoga practice a habit. Yesterday I was running out of time and chose to do yoga practice over spending time in my art room – an amazing decision for me! I ended up making a smaller-than-normal space in the office because my husband was watching a rented movie in the living room where I normally practice. The practice went well and I was happy to add my sparkly star to my desk calendar. :0)
Today is the last day of July. My only ‘accomplishments’ for the month are
the decision to try to get into a ‘yoga habit’, plus 16 days of yoga practice so far, increasing the time
I made 8 Christmas presents for my friends
I changed to the Mediterranean style of eating, deciding to significantly increase veggies and fruit
My thyroid hormone is under control again (actually took 8 weeks)
One of the packages that I told you the UPS driver left on our robot on Wednesday to spend the night outside before we found it and another package before the rain started Thursday was the “Abandoned in Death” book by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) that I pre-ordered in February for when it was available in paperback.
I was in the middle of another book, but dived into my much-anticipated book as soon as I could. Once I started it, I found it very hard to put it down. Life and obligations kept getting in the way, so I found myself last night reading in the living room until early this morning to finish it.
It was like a reunion with old friends you feel as if you haven’t seen in forever. As usual, the ‘crime’ was all encompassing. I can never figure out who the perpetrator is, no matter how much I think about it.
The next book in the series, “Desperation in Death” will come out in paperback in December of this year, and I’ve pre-ordered it. There is another – #56 – “Encore in Death” – that will come out in hardback in February of 2023, and will probably be available in paperback sometime late in the year.
I always feel a bit sad when I’ve read all available paperbacks for awhile. It’s good that she’s such a prolific writer that I have something to look forward to.
I made only messes in my art room yesterday in my effort to create a Christmas card design. I’ll try again today. I have an idea rattling around, but I don’t know whether it will turn out to be complete trash, as my two ideas did yesterday. “Hope springs eternal” ~ Alexander Pope.
There is so much I like about this artist. She does beautiful large ceramic rabbits in positions you never see in sculpture, showing she has studied and loves rabbits. These sculptures of children are so wonderful in the details. They are playful and show REAL kids. She also has a sense of humor with the dog peeing on the brick wall. One girl’s foot is turned, overlapping her other. Just wonderful.
We got rained out (hooray!) yesterday on grocery shopping. We’re supposed to get more today (HOORAY – AGAIN!) so we’ll leave soon to see if we can get our mail and replenish our food supply before the rain starts. We actually have the doors open this morning and the a/c turned off! This won’t last, but I’ll sure take it right now. :0)
americasbestpics.com
We tried three places yesterday to buy Mega Millions tickets. One place didn’t sell them at all. The two places where I’ve bought them before have changed ownership recently. They have applied for their licenses, but don’t have them yet. I was disappointed, then learned this morning the winning ticket was sold in Illinois….
Free Arts
I had fun experimenting in my art room yesterday afternoon, but only made messes. I have another idea to try today…
I’m gradually deciding that I’m going to concentrate on ‘eating healthy’ rather than ‘losing weight.’
We’ve been feeling better – and our systems are working better – since I started adding more fruit and veggies to our diet – while watching my husband’s blood sugar readings carefully. As long as his numbers look good, and he’s feeling good, I’ve decided I’m not going to worry about anything else.
Technically, since he’s a Type II diabetic, he’s supposed to avoid all sugar, including fruit. I’ve just decided to change from ‘low carb’ to a more Mediterranean style of eating, although it’s my own form, since I’m having trouble finding recipes that he will eat. He looks at me in horror when I mention most veggies, and does things like stop me when I’m serving veggies at dinner. He DOES agree that he’s feeling better since I’m concentrating on serving him more veggies. As long as his numbers are good, I’m serving fruit, too.
As far as my dieting goes, I’m trying to either not eat at all between meals, or be very careful what I’m snacking on, watch my portions at meal times, and exercise.
I love having a ‘colorful’ plate of food. It lifts my spirits. Hopefully, all this will come together to give us the results we would like. :0)
I finally found a place to email UPS yesterday, after getting totally frustrated trying to call and actually talk to a real person. Their phone ‘trees’ only allow you to say certain things and the default is to frustrate you to the point you give up.
UPS used to deliver things to us all the time. Yes, our driveway is steep and sometimes bumpy, but they delivered and we were appreciative.
Fedex delivers to us all the time, smiling and really nice on this same driveway.
I checked on a couple of deliveries online yesterday and found that UPS said they had been delivered – “left at the front door on WEDNESDAY.” I checked again, just to make sure, and also checked on both side of the garage. Nothing.
I told my husband that I was going to check around the bottom of the driveway, though I hadn’t noticed anything when I went to get my massage. We drove down, and sure enough, there were TWO packages sitting on the back of the robot we built at the bottom of the driveway right off the street.
The packages had been there all night where anyone could have taken them. Since we were forecast to get rain, it was particularly frustrating.
I guess the driver who serves us has decided that he is not going to drive up our driveway anymore. If this is the case, it would be NICE if he would call us and tell us he has left a package, emailed us, sent us a text, left a flag on the robot, a note in the mailbox, a carrier pigeon – SOMETHING.
I wrote to UPS, just as a formality, really. The last time I wrote was when they left a humongous box (70+ pounds) containing my husband’s new over $2000 heavy computer. My husband and I practically killed ourselves trying to get the box into the back of the truck and then out again at the house, in the house, and into place in our office. UPS didn’t even bother to answer my email, so I’m not expecting much this time, over two ‘inexpensive’ items. I just refuse not to say ANYTHING when people don’t do what they say they will do.
I went for my monthly massage this morning. Lynn, my therapist, performed a miracle, making me feel WONDERFUL by the time she finished. Bonus – she asked me what I was doing exercise-wise. She NOTICED a difference! I’m still shocked. :0)
I came home, made lunch, and then dozed a bit in my recliner.
We’re having bacon-wrapped hamburger patties, steamed veggies (carrots, pea pods, broccoli, and celery) and cut up ripe tomatoes for dinner with fresh sliced peaches and no-added-sugar vanilla ice cream for dessert. I just finished getting the prep done for that.
I’m going to go up to my art room and play, experimenting – trying to see if the design in my head for handmade Christmas cards will work.
Day 13 on my daily yoga practice. My husband is being really supportive of my efforts. He also noticed I was exercising longer, mentioning it yesterday. I told him that I was adding a few more poses and exercises and had increased the time from 30 minutes to about 45 minutes. I’m taking my time and increasing the time I’m stretching, plus increasing the number of repetitions of some of my exercises. I feel good when I finish.
With the massage this morning and yoga this afternoon, my husband may have to cook dinner!
Isn’t this sweet? My heart just melted when I found it.
I’m leaving for a massage in about 20 minutes and I’m READY for it. I have a bunch of sore and tight places all over me, just crying out for Lynn’s expertise. Between the massage this morning and my yoga practice this afternoon, my body should be smiling.
We actually have a chance for some isolated showers today into Monday! I’m ready for THAT, too. Everything is really stressed, even with our daily watering. If we DO get some rain, don’t be surprised if you hear a big, “AHHHHHHHH!” from Arkansas.
If things work out as I plan, I’ll start making some Christmas cards this afternoon. I have an idea for what I’d like to do, but I have no idea if it will actually come together or not. I love being able to experiment in my art room.
I told you I would share the Christmas gifts I’ve been working on in my art room for the past month. I still need to make Christmas cards, bag them all up, and then store them until the proper time.
Carla – front (she and her son have built and run a race car.)Carla back
________________________________
Kay – front – (Lunch Bunch friend who loves word search puzzles)Kay – backLinda – front – (Lunch Bunch friend – loves jigsaw puzzles)Linda – backMikey – front – (our waitress at Lunch Bunch – is going to have a granddaughter soon)Mikey – backNora – front – long time friend – pastel artistNora – backPatty – front – (Lunch Bunch Friend – has pontoon boat, is very active)Patty – back
There are two other totes, but I’m not showing them here. They are for dear friends who read my blog. :0)
I pre-ordered this paperback in February, (#54 of the J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts In Death series) knowing I would have to wait until the end of July before it was delivered. Since I wanted it for my permanent collection, it would be worth the wait.
Yesterday I got an email from Amazon – “We’re encountering a delay in shipping your order. We’ll send a confirmation as soon as it ships and communicate the expected delivery date. We apologize for the inconvenience.“
Today I will earn sparkly star # 12 in my efforts to build a habit/regimen/routine of doing a session of yoga every day. My husband noticed yesterday I’ve added straight leg and bent leg crunches and a thing I don’t have a name for, where you’re on your back with your knees bent, arms on the floor beside you. You lift up your torso, so only your shoulders and feet are on the floor, then come back down over and over. I’ve built up to 12 repetitions so far. I’m also doing a ‘bicycle’ (I think it’s called) exercise. I’m trying to build up my core doing both more regular exercises plus the yoga stretches.
The main thing so far is that I feel a lot ‘looser’ when I finish. I’m trying to drink a big glass of water after my practice as part of my exercise.
Gradually, Amber (our 90 lb yellow lab) and Abby (our cat) are accepting that I will be on the mat in the middle of the living room floor on (hopefully) a daily basis and that their ‘help’ is not required. Both of them thought I wanted to play when I first started and dive-bombed me. Then they wanted to nuzzle. Now both come over to check on me, seem to be happy with a quick pat and kiss, and then Amber gets on her bed (unless the cat takes up residence first) and Abby goes to sit on the arm of my husband’s recliner.
Doing my practice mid to late afternoon is good for me. If I’ve been working in the yard or doing heavy cleaning in the house, I get sore and stiff. The yoga is a good way to undo the tight, protesting muscles I’ve tied in knots during the day. Drinking water and then resting gets me ready for a nice evening.
Amber and I are having a recurring ‘discussion’ about whether or not I have dog biscuits in my jeans pocket. Since I usually do, Amber is convinced I’m lying when I tell her I don’t have anything. She is doing a combination of lying down just to the left of my office chair, staring at me, moving every few seconds so I don’t ‘forget’ she’s there. If I make eye contact, she is up and climbing up into my chair with me before I can get out the words, “Get Down!” She has had breakfast, but she thinks she should get cookies on demand. I’ve decided to fill my pocket with dog cookies when I go to refill my coffee cup…
Heat index of 111 today. Wonderful, right? We may get some rain toward the end of the week. I won’t believe it until I see it, but there is hope. I’ll check for tomatoes in a minute, but I think the plants are simply giving up with the heat.
The big planter of tomato plants is almost completely done now. The niche planter (in the corner formed by the back of the house and the deck) is still okay, and produced these two tomatoes. The top side of each has deep grooves, again pointing to water issues, but the plants ARE producing slowly.
No big plans for us today. I couldn’t sleep, so I’m happy we have a quiet day. I did the finishing touches on the last two Christmas presents this morning. As soon as they are dry, the next step is spraying all of them with a protective spray to prevent stains as much as possible. Next, tissue paper, gift bags and the making of handmade Christmas cards – (I have an idea for them) then pack them away until the holiday.
creativeartworksblog 