Street Art by Pierrot (SCAF) – article by Hidreley – BoredPanda.com
Monthly Archives: October 2022
Amazing Paper Sculpture
1stdibs.com
Emma Fleurot Parker on Twitter
madhippoart.com
madhippoart.com
Filed under paper art
Thoughts on a Halloween Monday 10-31-2022
otterhound-nickievet.worpress.com
I want to HUG this dog! And then hug him again.
I’m really hoping that we have a nice day today, particularly this afternoon. I’m going to tackle cleaning up what I call the ‘trio planters’ that run between the front yard and the top of the driveway. At this point they are completely overrun with weeds, Bermuda grass, and overgrown plants.
This is the first of the three 8 foot long brick planters. As you can see, it’s a mess. There are two more adjoining this one, creating a demarcation line between the front yard and the top of the driveway. When it’s tended, there are roses, lilies, iris, and phlox. I’ll do a bit at a time until it’s more under control.
This is the second planter, and the overgrown bush covers the third.
If the weather is cooperative, I’m planning to take my gardening stool out and get started today.
Wish me luck?
Filed under Gardening
Happy Halloween 2022!
Even though the world has essentially ruined Halloween for me, I still love seeing Ray Villaphane’s pumpkin carving, wonderfully creative handmade children’s costumes, and terrific displays with skeletons. I have wonderful memories of Halloweens as a child, and that will have to suffice.
We don’t have trick-or-treaters at our house because we live on the top of a ridge line up a steep gravelly driveway. The few kids that DO trick or treat nowadays are smart enough to go to the wonderful neighborhoods where the houses are closer together and most people have their porch lights on in welcome, enabling them to quickly gather goodies.
Dierk Schaefer photo-flickr.com
The ‘goody’ I wanted when I was a kid was a chocolate bar. When I got home from the gathering, I quickly went though everything to see if I had been lucky enough to get one.
historymaniacmegan.com
The only thing we were warned about was the possibility of a razor blade being imbedded in the middle of an apple. I didn’t worry, even if I DID get an apple, because to be honest, fruit was the furthest thing from my mind on Halloween.
Ray Villafane-m.imgur.com
Have a wonderful celebration tonight!
Keepin’ Movin’
melsanie.tumblr.com – boredpanda.com
DAY 107 on daily yoga practice today.
Now that my practice is becoming a routine part of my afternoons, I’m trying to add to it a bit. Recently I added the cobra pose (above), and another that I call, “The Basket” where I’m on my back with my feet up in the air. I hold onto my legs with my knees bent, then hold my ankles and try to hold it. I’m doing a pose called, “Downward Dog,” where I’m on my stomach, then push up to an inverted “V” and hold it, trying to push my heels down toward the floor.
I’ve added some abdomen exercises – one where I’m on my back. my arms are on the floor stretched out behind my head while I do a modified bicycle motion with my legs for as long as my back doesn’t hurt. The other is where I’m again on my back, arms beside me, legs bent. I push the middle of my body up using my legs and abdomen, kind of like a push up, pushing my abdomen up as high as possible and then letting it back down again as many times as I can.
When I was at Lunch Bunch recently, my friend Patty (Linda’s daughter) was talking about her exercise. She looks GREAT, so I was eagerly listening. She said the biggest thing she did three times a week was THE PLANK. She said she held the position for 4 MINUTES! My mouth dropped open. That’s impossible.
lifestyle.livemint.com
I’m now doing two versions of this – one with my arms like those above, but knees down (that’s the easiest form of it you can do), and then a second version, as you see above. Remember, I’m old, so I hold the positions as long as I can, but it’s laughable. I can hold the version with the knees down for about 1 minute. The position above I can hold 12 SECONDS. I KNOW, but at least I’m TRYING – every day. Also remember, I’M the lady who used to congratulate myself for getting down on the floor, AND back up again!
Filed under exercise
Street Art – Kids
mobile.twitter.com
Murais-Outubro-ArteSemFronteiras.com
Smates-Bart Smeets-Twitter.com
Smite-Akshay Kumar Mangla
Filed under paintings of children
Thoughts on a Sunday 10-30-2022
fluffy-u-zezoro
Pretty little thing, isn’t it?
The rain has stopped now. It’s very gray outside and 56 degrees. Quiet and hushed.
My husband and I were both up in the middle of the night reading. No real problems – just a bit of trouble sleeping. I tried to take a nap yesterday afternoon to make up for sleep the previous night, but it just wasn’t happening. I don’t feel alert yet. I’m very thankful for the nice cup of coffee beside me.
It was cool and rainy all day yesterday, so the beef stew I made in the crock pot felt very comforting at dinner last night.
I wish you a calm, comforting Sunday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“Cat” Street Art
Street Art-by-Stamatis-Laskos-in-Volos-Greece-Caturday
cheezburger.com
cheezburger.com
cheezburger.com
cheezburger.com
cheezburger.com
cheezburger.com
Filed under Art on Buildings
Ahhhh – Rain
Quora
It’s cloudy and drizzle-y here today. The rain started overnight and is due to continue through tomorrow. We sure can use the moisture. We’re under a burn ban and Arkansas suffered several wildfires yesterday.
I’m feeling good about my work in the yard yesterday. I was hurrying, trying to get at least SOME of my list done before the rain started. I finished spreading the potting soil in the planters, planted some iris in the niche planter by the house, and cut off the dead stuff from the elephant ear plants. Last night I had some complaints from my body about my activity, but I’m much better today. I’ll probably catch a nap later to try to make up for the bad night’s rest. :0)
The Chunky Chef
When I finish this post, I’m going in to get beef stew going in the crock pot for tonight. It’s cool, cloudy, drizzle-y and rainy, the perfect time for a comfort meal. We’ll have a bit of garlic bread with it.
shesaidbeauty.com – boredpanda.com
Yesterday I was doing my daily yoga practice. (DAY 105) My husband was in his recliner, eating some fritos and dip, reading on his Kindle. I was stretched out on my back, arms behind my head, eyes closed, breathing into my stretch and trying to relax when Amber, our 95-pound yellow lab, started nuzzling me, got on her back beside me, feet in the air, chewing on her front foot, trying to get me to play. I started to laugh and roll over toward her, and suddenly Abby, our cat, jumped up on my side! I laughed out loud at that point, and even my husband started laughing – before trying to help me.
Stay safe, warm, and dry today. I’ve got to go get the beef stew in the crockpot.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Dog Art I Love
Pomah Koposbkob
Christina Schulte-borzoi-art-uljanow.eu
Twitter.com
Filed under animal paintings, drawings
Different Beginning for a Friday 10-28-2022
Ron Magill-totallythebomb.com
I’m typing this from the puddle into which I melted after seeing this photograph. Isn’t he SWEET?
Today has been a different Friday than usual for us.
First, everyone else is gone, so no Lunch Bunch today. Hopefully, we can all be there next Friday.
Second, we have a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) in the office for our computers. It started making weird noises this morning and then a red LED light came on. We looked it up and found that that is what it does when it needs new batteries. We shut everything down. My husband opened up the UPS and found it has FOUR large heavy batteries (picture small bricks). He was able to order more, so they’re on the way, but now we don’t have our usual backup. Hopefully, nothing will interrupt our power at a bad time when we’re on our computers until we can get the new batteries into the UPS and everything plugged into it again.
Third, Since I had to shut off my computer, I decided to get some of the stuff done outside. I stored our onion harvest, and then cleaned up the elephant ear planter a bit, cutting off LOTS of dead or battered leaves.
I moved seven 40-lb. bags of soil to the three planters near the house yesterday. I got the soil spread in the long tomato planter (above) and what will be the new iris planter (below).
I’ll save the spreading of the soil in the new tomato planter for later today.
I also plan to start weeding in the trio of brick planters that run between our front yard and the driveway area. Rain starts late tonight and will continue all day tomorrow, according to the forecasts.
Happy Friday!
Filed under Gardening
Friday Love 10-28-2022
Dominykas Niaura – boredpanda.com
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography, love
Racing the Coming Rain Again
Plant Addicts
Slow Progress in the yard work so far. I’m wheelbarrowing 40-lbs bags of potting soil from one end of the yard to where the new tomato planter, old iris planter, and second tomato planter are. I’ve moved three bags so far, loaded the last 4 bags we had on the pallet into the wheelbarrow, and have cleaned up the pallet area, gathering up the used-up tarp, some leaf bag covers, plastic covering that came with the pallet of soil, the now-rotted wood pallet, plus bricks, logs and bungie cords that were holding everything down. I’m now resting and gulping water.
I would LIKE to finish moving and spreading the bags of soil, trimming the elephant ear plants, and planting more iris before we’re due for rain starting tomorrow evening and raining all day Saturday. This is the type of project where I would be very happy if I were as tall as a basketball player, strong as a weight lifter, and had the stamina of a long distance runner. This old lady poops out pretty quickly. I CAN do several sessions, though, between now and tomorrow evening, so I’m hoping that will get it done.
Filed under Gardening
Teak Art
teak-ram-modishstore.com
I love this. I want this. Isn’t he wonderful?
Filed under When Wood Comes Alive
More Amazing Ray Villafane Halloween Pumpkins
Ray Villafane Pumpkins – dailymail.co.uk – Tara Brady – Barcroft Media
Street Art by Seth
Filed under drawings, Seth - Paris Street Art
Thursday Thoughts 10-27-2022
NeoGAF
I managed NOT to come downstairs in the middle of the night and read while stuffing my face last night. I woke up like someone had nudged me about about 3am, but firmly laid there with my eyes shut, avoiding temptation. I’m NOT overeating at lunch and dinner, but I AM having to convince myself I’m not starving to death between meals and in the middle of the night. I know. I’m certainly old enough to know better.
I can’t believe how beautiful our weather has been since the two days of storms we had. It’s 57 degrees F. right now and the high is supposed to be 70 today. I’m planning to get outside after lunch and work in the yard. My onions still need to be stored, my elephant ears got pretty battered during the storm and I need to clean up what’s left as much as I can. I’m still working on replanting the iris I dug up when I converted the planter from an iris planter to a tomato planter for the spring. I’m not even THINKING of making a list of all I need to do outside because it’s overwhelming. I’ll just plod along and do what I can for now.
DAY 104 for daily yoga practice. I wish I looked as nice as this lion when I practiced. I bet he’d be impressed with all the cracking and popping my body does as I move into the positions and stretches.
I hope that you’re enjoying a beautiful day, too. Make it a happy one. :0)
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Bryony Rose Jennings Fabric Art 4
Bryony Rose Jennings Fabric Art – Article by Margherita Cole, MyModernMet.com
I Voted!
We had a nice outing this morning, running a few errands, voting early, and then hitting the grocery store.
Arkansas is not the most forward-thinking state, but I have to say that it has the best voting setup I personally have ever seen. Voting is always in a central location with easy access. They publicize it, so it never catches you by surprise.
We were expecting it to be at City Hall, but there was a sign there pointing us to the fairgrounds. We spent less than 5 minutes there, I think. Lots of parking. There were others voting and signing in, but they had lots of volunteers at several sign in stations. I presented my drivers license as a photo ID, answered questions the answers to which were on record, and I signed a screen for signature comparison and was handed a ballot.
The screens were easy to read and mark. There was a chance to review what I had marked, then I hit “print” and my ballot was created. I took the printed ballot to the counting machine at the front and put it in personally. I feel confident in the system here.
You don’t have to jump through hoops, but the sign-in process makes it clear that you are who you say you are, that you’ve registered to vote, that signatures can be compared (though that’s lenient because they ask you to sign a screen with a crayon type electronic marker, not touching the screen with your fingers or hands, at a weird slant). I don’t think someone could fraud the system, though I guess if you REALLY worked at it, it can always be done.
The only thing I wish were different is that, since we live outside the city limits, we don’t get to vote for local officials, such as the mayor, city council people, etc. We pay taxes, though, and live with the rules made by these officials. It won’t change, so I live with that. I can still stick a sign in my yard, donate to campaigns, and talk to my friends about people I hope will win, though, attend City Council meetings, etc. That’ll have to be enough.
Early voting started here last Monday and continues almost right up until voting day. Makes it really civilized and a pleasure to vote. :0)
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup
Book Delight!
I preordered a paperback of one of the Nora Roberts’ trilogy The Dragonheart Legacy books SEVERAL months ago.
I had the first one, The Awakening, and loved it. I had preordered the paperback of the second one – The Becoming.
I received it yesterday. I will re-read the first one before I dive into the second.
The third one – The Choice – won’t even be available in hardback until November. I’ll check in December or early next year to see if I can preorder that paperback.
I feel very lucky to be able to look forward to continuing this adventure.
Note: Speaking of lucky – I think I have another J.D. Robb IN DEATH series paperback book arriving at the end of December!
Filed under Favorite Authors & Books, Hobbies, Reading is FUNdamental
Dose of Love on a Wednesday
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography, love
Cool, Sunny Wednesday 10-26-2022
I just LOVE this painting. I’ve found more of her work and will share some with you soon.
Today is cool (43 degrees F.) right now and we have bright sunshine. We’re supposed to get to 65 this afternoon. A beautiful day! We’re planning to do some errands and vote early.
Though it might not sound earth-shaking to YOU, I’m relieved that our trash was picked up early yesterday, no mess for us to re-gather, no grousing from my husband about when we leave the trash can for them to pick up. Just like normal people! :0)
Though we had more wind and rain yesterday, we had no more trees across the driveway. I think that Mother Nature has finally decided the roller coaster isn’t amusing anymore and has calmed down to this being ‘fall.’ I hope we have a good, long fall this year. That would be really nice.
My husband bought a new watch and received it yesterday. He spent half the evening getting it set up, the band fixed to his liking, etc. In the middle of the night, he hit the light button so he could see what time it was. There was a really low level light that only illuminated one corner of the watch face, so he couldn’t read it. I’ve just spent 10 minutes typing for him on his computer with a person on chat, trying to arrange for us to return it for a refund. Happily, the man was helpful, and my doing the typing eased the process on this end.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
DAY 102
As I look back to when I first started my old lady yoga stretches, trying to build a ‘habit,’ I see several improvements –
When I started, I –
- Had trouble getting on the floor on the mat
- had to wait a full minute or so for lying on my back to quit hurting
- could not put my arms behind me over my head
- could not bring my knees up high enough to grab them
- could not even THINK about touching my toes
- could not lift the front of my body up on my arms while lying on my stomach
- had trouble balancing while on hands and knees for any stretching
Et cetera,. Et cetera, Et cetera. (Like Yul Brenner in “The King and I.”
I’m still old – even older now, but I have made a lot of progress. Each day I feel I’m a bit looser than I was the previous practice. It’s not a miracle, but it makes me feel better – more flexible, with less pain, able to balance much better. Some of my muscles are getting stronger. It has started to offset any overdoing I do in other things, bringing me back to being able to relax.
Daily yoga is not a habit – yet. I seem to be one of the harder nuts to crack about how long it takes to make something a habit. But I’m definitely seeing a difference and determined to keep going.
Time to go practice!
Filed under exercise, taking care of yourself
Shot in the Dark?
Well –
I reached the wonderful guy who said he would fix our driveway. It’s been several months now and I hadn’t heard from him, so I called to find out if he 1) had been sucked into the void, 2) was still alive, 3) remembered us.
The good news is that he HADN’T been sucked into the void, IS still alive, and remembers us.
The bad news is that the second man, who was actually going to do the work with his equipment which was more suited to the job, has a problem. His rig burned up! Completely. It’s dead and gone.
So –
Our guy needs to find someone else who has a rig suitable for our job. I asked if he would call me when he finds someone. He said he would.
So –
I’m not really sure where we are now. We’re still waiting for the driveway to be healed. I WAS able to reach our guy, but I have no clue why he hadn’t bothered to call and let us know what had happened and that we were still on the list. I guess I’m a dinosaur, expecting common courtesy. I expect people to act as “I” would act, and I guess that shows how old I’ve gotten. People don’t seem to come, call, write, send carrier pigeons or smoke signals anymore. People say things just for form’s sake, not really feeling obligated to follow up.
When I sold a pair of earrings on my Etsy site recently, I messaged my customer, acknowledging the order and thanking her, telling her I planned to mail her earrings the next day and that I would let her know the tracking number when I had it. I messaged the next day giving her the tracking number and the expected delivery date. I got on the USPS site, entered the tracking number and entered the information needed so they would let me know when it was delivered. When I got the notice, I messaged my customer, asking if the earrings had arrived safely and if she was pleased with them. When she answered, telling me she was delighted with them, I wrote back, thanking her again for the order inviting her to return in the future. That’s just common courtesy.
So –
I guess one of my pet peeves is people making me feel hostile and unimportant when they don’t do what they say they will do. My list is growing.
Filed under Attitude, Pet Peeves
creativeartworksblog 