Police office put handcuffs on, linking himself to the would-be jumper
New Tires for Truck
Monthly Archives: December 2016
Beautiful Baskets – Take 6
Talia Magazine Basket
West Elm
Zulu Liala Palm African Basket – FairTradeGifts
Filed under Beautiful Baskets, Creativity
“Joy on the Lake”
“Joy on the Lake” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Think Life Differently – Take 6
Seth Godin via Higher Perspective via Bill Lites
Thanks to Higher Perspective via Bill Lites
Filed under Think Life Differently
Getting the Lard Off Progress Report 12/15/2016
AnimalWallpapers – DesktopNexus
I’m finally getting my eating after dinner until better control, though I have to admit it’s a fight, one night after the next.
I’m doing a combination of
- re-reading the books that got me motivated in the first place
- finding better low carb snacks to eat
- finding more active things to do to distract me before bed
- drinking more water after dinner
My scale is beginning to show a downward movement again, although I’m still re-losing the weight I thought was gone.
I’m feeling good about my yoga practice.
Bajiroo.com
Most every day I’m doing two 1/2 hour sections of the DVD set “Gentle Yoga.” Today I just finished “Legs,” and “Overall Flow.” I’m beginning to feel looser. I’m beginning to be able to sit with my knees bent, feet under me, without my feet cramping so much, and without the tops of my thighs screaming. I may never be able to bend over and touch my fingers to the floor, but I’m stretching the right muscles to do so. When my back is hurting, I now know that doing yoga will make it feel better. I’m also learning to relax at the end of the sections for 5 minutes, something I feel REALLY hard to do at the beginning. AND, I can now lie on my back on the floor and put my hands over my head and touch the floor behind me – something that was impossible in the beginning.
I’m pairing the yoga practice with some exercises for my abdomen. I’m hoping all this will come together gradually to impress my tape measure, too.
Today I made a new recipe for dinner – Low Carb Minestrone. My husband came in while I was avidly chopping up veggies and said he thought it was good I was making Beef Stew. I told him it was Minestrone. He said, “But it has beef in it, doesn’t it?” I told him it didn’t have ANY meat in it. He looked disappointed, and asked, “But COULD it have some beef in it?” At that point I relented and added some leftover roast beef to the mix. I’ll let you know what we think tomorrow.
I hope your day has been fun.
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise
New Santa Mailbox Decoration is UP!
“HO, HO, HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Filed under holidays, Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations
Painting and Drawing Fun
I had a fun afternoon painting.
I did some hand-painted note cards for 8 of my friends. (Those are drying overnight.). Then I went out to the shop to work on the Taylor’s shovel bird again. (I can’t remember WHAT, but something fell on him and broke his head off. We put him – and his head – in the car after we took the Taylors home from bowling Monday night.
Yesterday my husband was able to weld his head back on. Today I touched up the paint and replaced one eye that had fallen off in transport. (It’s drying overnight.) We’ll hope to return him to his new home NEXT Monday evening.
I got a huge surprise in the mail today. My husband took one look at the box and began to grin.
I opened the box to find a HUGE, glorious drawing set!
The set comes in a nice box.
I’m beyond thrilled. There are regular colored pencils, pastel pencils, watercolor pencils, then pastel chalks, charcoal, erasers, a sharpener, and more. When things finally tame down around here, I’m really looking forward to trying things out! YIPPEEEEEE!
Filed under Delightful Surprises
I’m Getting There
This is the really crazy time of the year when I meet myself coming and going, feel guilty when I’m doing one thing when I should be doing another…
Last night I couldn’t sleep. I really tried, and then came downstairs. Usually I read awhile, but last night – since I couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t turn my brain off – running through what I needed to be doing, I got our Christmas cards ready to mail. I finished about 3a.m.
Yesterday I spent all afternoon cleaning off the deck and front porch and putting trash bags over the planters in preparation for winter. I’m happy that that chore is now done, but it put me behind on all the rest of the stuff I NEED to do!
Now I can put a check mark beside –
- Clean off front porch and deck and prep for winter
- Get Christmas cards ready to mail.
I’m ALMOST to the point after working this morning where I can check off getting Christmas presents ready for my good friends. (I’m going to paint 24 note cards today and tomorrow to finish up the group.)
I’m also continuing to work on clearing off my desk and reorganizing the office shelves.
I’m heading up to my art room to get started on the note cards.
Are YOU having a good day?
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, holidays, Housekeeping - Maintenance
You’re as Young as You Feel
Viral Spell
I feel as if I’m 108 years old right now!
I’ve just come in from getting the front porch and deck ready for winter.
The last freeze we had killed the impatiens on the front porch and all the remaining plants on the deck. We’re supposed to have rain tomorrow (much needed) along with a cold front and much cooler weather, then a couple of days in the 40s followed by another, stronger cold front. I decided to use this last remaining day of temperatures in the 50s to get the last things taken care of.
I moved the deck furniture onto our screened back porch where they’ll avoid the worst of the weather. I emptied all the planters. I moved the smaller ones onto the porch and covered the rest with trash bags and duct tape. It now looks kind of forlorn on the porches and the deck, but I’m hoping that I’ve protected things enough they’ll come through the winter without harm.
I’m going to go put my feet up after starting another pot of coffee. When I get rested, I’ll put a meatloaf and salad together and call it a day.
I hope YOUR day was productive and fun.
Gingerbread House
GifAbyss-AlphaCoders
I’ve always wanted to make a gingerbread house. I tried to get my mom to make one with me when I was a child. She had no interest in it.
When I got married, I thought I would make one just for myself and our visitors at Christmas, but somehow, it never happened.
When I was a teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I thought about making a gingerbread house with my 1st grade students. It never happened because (1) it was logistically difficult since essentially everything had to be baked my me at my home and then the gingerbread and all the supplies for making the house would have had to be transported to the school. I was already getting in trouble for playing my guitar at school to teach my kids phonics (I was told, “Ms. Lewis, this is NOT a music class!) plus other reasons…
When our son was old enough to be counting the days ’til Christmas, I thought he and I might make one together. I discovered that HE had no interest in the project…
THIS YEAR –
Being a Friend
Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero
Being a friend means a lot more than sharing fun times.
Sometimes it means saying, “No,” when you think the favor asked is a big mistake, even when it might end the friendship.
Sometimes it means being determined to celebrate a birthday even when they’ve told you they don’t want you to remember it.
Sometimes it means dropping everything and being there.
Being a friend is a 24/7 thing, complete with big hugs, laughs and tears.
If you’re lucky enough to have special friends, do everything in your power to cherish them.
Filed under Friendship
Best Advice
AuntyAcid via Ged Backland 2016 via Stephanie Youmans Wilson
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
“Puppy at Play – 7”
“Puppy at Play – 7” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Beautiful Baskets – Take 5
Halton Basket – Crate & Barrel
Moses Basket – Overstock.com
Filed under Beautiful Baskets, Creativity
Great Idea
AwakeningPeople.com via Josh Mortensen via Laufrain Taylor
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Ordering from Creative Artworks Note
Mirror
If you want to order a product for Christmas giving, please email me at linda@creativeartworks.cc before ordering so I can be sure that the products can be created and delivered before Christmas. A lot of my artists have hit their deadlines for Christmas – particularly if the product is made after it is ordered.
Things that have already been created may still be able to reach their destination by Christmas, so a quick email to me will result in happy results for everyone.
We wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Filed under holidays
Christmas Cookies
Wallpaper Safari
I’m a bit disappointed that I’m not going to try to make sugar cookies for the first time this year. I have what a I think is a really good recipe from a friend, plus cookie cutters I had ordered online, plus some icing in different colors. THEN we learned my husband has diabetes…
Neither of us NEEDS sugar cookies, so I’ll wait and try the cookies at another time when we can split ONE and then give the rest away.
Meanwhile, I found some pictures of some online that I absolutely love and wanted to share them with you.
I know a company who makes flat wooden designs. I’m thinking I’ll try to order some of their Christmas designs and then try to paint them to look like cookies for next year. I’m also thinking it would be fun to create some Christmas cards and other things using these ideas!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Filed under Creativity
Making a Difference – Take 6
This man gave the shoes off his feet to a homeless girl
Man missed his train helping a lady with her bags.
Motorcyclist helped man cross the street.
Filed under Uncategorized
I Love Christmas Trees – Take 2
FreeChristmasWallpapers.net via http://www.northplattepost.com
Filed under holidays
My Favorite Christmases as a Child
Natural Image
Two Christmases in my childhood stand WAAAAAY out from the others –
ONE – I was a young teenager and wanted clothes. I particularly wanted feminine, pretty things to wear. My parents gave me the most beautiful pink pullover sweater I had ever seen. It was a very pale pink with long sleeves. It wasn’t only ‘fuzzy,’ it was SUPER fuzzy Angora or Mohair, with long, pale pinks wisps all over it. I felt like a princess in that sweater. (My husband even remembers it from when we started dating (I was 14).
This is very similar –
EXTRAVAGANTZA
TWO – The second Christmas that will always stand out vividly in my memory is the year my parents got my brother and me English 3-Speed Racing bicycles. I will never know how they kept the secret. We had no clue we would get such glorious bicycles. We had opened the presents under the tree and were relaxing. Then my parents said they thought they heard a noise in the garage. We all got up to see what was happening. There, where one of my parent’s cars usually was, were the two most glorious bicycles we had ever seen. We got on the bikes immediately and rode down the street, whooping with joy. We rode them until we left home, supposedly adults.
This is similar –
Filed under holidays
Button Art – Take 8
CraftGawker
Customs by Cristina
Elephant Love
Filed under Button Art, Creativity
Is There Such a Thing as Too Many Books?
Goodwill Librarian via Cathy Ruggiero
I think I’m about halfway finished with my moving books project. I moved most of the books I had in the office up to the built-in shelves in the guest room. I put some up for sale on Amazon. I piled some on the table in the foyer to bag up to donate to our local library next week for their next fundraiser.
Today I’m moving art books into the guest room shelves. This will free up shelves in the living room, art room, and master bedroom. (I know. I have a lot of books.)
The problem with the art books is that when I try to go through them, I get hooked, wanting to take my time, savor the artwork, or put the book in a special place so that – when I can make the time – I can try a new technique I found. :0)
So, for this run-through, I’m just going to concentrate on getting the books into their new homes.
The NEXT part of the project will be reorganizing things so they’re more accessible on clean shelves.
If I can get these two things done in the coming week or so, I’ll chalk this down as a ‘win.’
Filed under Reading is FUNdamental
Christmas Memory
My Space Christmas Animated Gifs
We moved from Long Island, New York, to Tulsa, Oklahoma when I was about 5 years old – a hundred years or so ago. My parents had a house built in what was called, “Johannsen Acres,” a neighborhood of two mile-long streets (24th Street and 25th Place between Sheridan Avenue and Memorial Drive) which each house sitting on an acre and a quarter. A lot of people wanted to live there in order to have a horse. In fact, my husband-to-be lived on 24th Street and DID have a horse named Cinnamon, “the fastest horse in the neighborhood.” :0)
One of my favorite things in the world is Christmas Carols. I arrange to listen to them as much as possible every year. I like the traditional, sung without frills – just voices lifted in beautiful song. They fill my heart with hope for the coming year.
I don’t know who came up with the idea that we should walk around the neighborhood singing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve, but it’s one of my fondest memories of my childhood.
We froze to death while we walked around, stopping at each house and singing a carol or two, and then inviting the people to come join us. By the time we got back to my parents’ home, in a group of 50 or more, we were happy blocks of ice. My mom had hot chocolate ready for the kids and adults who wanted it, plus drinks for those who preferred that, plus some cookies or other desserts. We had a house-full of noisy, happy people each year, catching up on the latest events, many times welcoming new people to the neighborhood.
It was a wonderful tradition. We all looked forward to it every year. I still miss it.
Filed under holidays
“Old Peasant Houses”
“Old Peasant Houses 1” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Old Peasant Houses 5” – Paul Militaru Photography
I love both of these! I would love to be able to see the insides.
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
creativeartworksblog 