“Iris-and-Snowflake”-quilt-Jim Gatling’s Crazy Creative Life-jimgatling.wordpress.com
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Monthly Archives: December 2017
Wonderful Wooden Boxes – Take 1
ebay.com
I try to stay out of stores that sell office supplies, art supplies, baskets, or wooden boxes of any kind. I don’t know what it is about these things that make my mouth water. I want them! So, I try to confine myself to drooling over them via the net, where I can ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ to my heart’s content without knowing the prices or even considering actually trying to buy them. I know that in these cases, enough is never enough – I can always find an excuse to add more….
Filed under Creativity, Wonderful Wooden Boxes
A Beautiful Greeting
“Sunrise on the St. John River” – Mary Lou Lewis
I think – if I had the gift of this most mornings – I might actually get up early enough to wave at it and give it an appreciative smile. As it is, my sister-in-law (and good friend) is enjoying it for all of us and is generous enough to share.
Good morning!
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography
Thread Art – Take 3
kumi_yamashita_bbrad.blogspot.com
pinterest.com
Filed under Creativity, String Art
I Love Your Face! – Take 10
plays-with-needles.blogspot.com
Some faces are truly beautiful – showing lives fully lived, adversities overcome, love and character shining through. I would love to be able to meet these people and would love to see them smile. I
Filed under Faces
“Sunrise on the St. John River”
“Sunrise on the St. John River” – Mary Lou Lewis
My sister-in-law is enjoying a vacation on the St. John River in Florida. She took this picture this morning and shared it with me. The beauty of this takes my breath away!
Our weather here in Greenwood, Arkansas is still nice, as far as during the day goes, with highs in the low 70’s!
This evening, though, storms are forecast for the whole area, with a strong cold front, plunging our temperatures for the rest of the week. I’ll need to start covering my lettuce tonight and will continue for the rest of the week. I’m hoping it will live through this cold snap, as our temperatures are sometimes quite mild in December and even into January.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography
I Love Mums
“Chrysanthemums 1” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Chrysanthemums 2” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Purple Chrysanthemums” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Thread Art – Take 2
Elephant Quilt-Darlene Determan-Sassafras Lane Designs – pinterest.com
Guido Rigotti-pinterest.com
Filed under Creativity, String Art
Composter
We built a composter a couple of years ago. I finally made a good batch of compost this year!
I say this as if I won the lottery because even though I followed directions I found in books and on the net, I ended up with the wrong combination of ingredients and ended up dumping it out (holding my nose) and washing out the inside of the composter with a hose.
I’ve finally learned to add a whole lot more yard waste and much less food waste in order to come up with something that I hope will be a good addition to the composts for the square foot garden.
I cleaned it out today because I don’t want to leave it in there for the winter. In the picture above, you can see that we used a plastic food container type barrel we bought from the hardware store. We poured a concrete pad for the composter to sit on, with stakes coming up out of the concrete. We pounded the legs onto the stakes to make a good, sturdy support for the composter. We cut the opening in the front, making it so it opens wide enough to put new items in easily or use the tool my husband made for scooping the compost out. The barrel is on rollers. We attached handles on three spots around the barrel so you can pull the barrel, rolling it over and mixing the ingredients inside. This way you can be sure everything is mixed well.
This is the tool my husband made. It’s rounded to conform to the inside of the barrel, making emptying it really easy. It has a rubber grip, and the tool is plenty long enough to reach all areas on the inside of the barrel. The tool “lives’ on its side beside the composter.
You can see one of the three handles on the top of the composter. The metal ‘wand’ keeps the latches shut and the door firmly closed. My husband made the handle for it on the mill. The end slides through the parts of the latches, or pulls out if you’re opening it up. The end also helps pry the ends of the latches up.
After cleaning out the composter today, the trash can under it is a little over 1/3 full. We can mix up Mel’s Mix behind the shop, and then wheelbarrow some out to add our own compost to the mix next spring.
Ready for Winter?
We’re pretty much ready for winter now.
I finished mulching the flower planters yesterday – finally.
We cleaned out two square planters in order to plant new Rio Samba rose bushes in the spring. We converted two brick planters to be square foot planters for tomatoes, so four of our brick planters didn’t need mulch. The other 10 did. I feel good that things are cleaned out and protected now.
I dug up the elephant ear plant, potted it, and put it in the greenhouse.
Same for the Purple Passion plant. (I put two starter plants in water beside the big one. It would be fun if I could get those to grow. )
The jugs of water are an attempt to keep the plants warm in the greenhouse during the winter. I’m hoping the water will warm up during the day and keep the plants warm at night.
The Bibb lettuce is still doing well in my square foot garden.
Here is the Simpson lettuce. Both are in the same raised bed box, so when we have a freeze coming, I just have to cover one box with a sheet and clothespins. I’m hoping I can keep these alive for at least another month, if not more, depending on Mother Nature.
I’ve started two celery plants in pots on the window sill. I’ve never tried this before, so it should be fun.
This tomato plant is also on the window sill. I’m hoping I can keep it alive for the winter and replant it in the spring. Fingers crossed!
I still need to clean out the plants on the deck, but these are much easier to handle. They can wait for another day.
Fall Fun
My good friend Stephanie Youmans Wilson took this photo of her grandchildren (and pup) playing in the leaves in her yard. My heart just opened when I saw it. I could almost hear them laughing as they played. It brings back wonderful memories of my own childhood when life was so simple. I’m delighted that she gave me permission to share it with you.
“Playing in the Leaves” – Stephanie Youmans Wilson
Filed under Childlike Fun, Favorite Things
Stay Away
Albert Einstein via NTDLife via Laufrain Taylor
I guess we’ve all met them. I call them, “balloon prickers.” They rain on every parade, poke holes in your happiness and suck the life right out of you, if you allow. I avoid them like the plague. Life is too short. (End of cliches… I think – )
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Amber and the Stick!
I was finally able to get a few pics of Amber playing with her stick –
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Getting in the Mood for Christmas
I have to admit that this year I haven’t been swept up with the Christmas spirit yet, other than making a few things as presents for some of the great people in my life.
My good friend, Jackie Lyons, created a “Snow Village” and posted it on Facebook today. I wrote and asked her if I could share it with you. Happily, she said, “Sure!” Best of all, it gave us a chance to visit and catch up a bit. She’s a beautiful lady I never would have met if it hadn’t been for the Internet and my former website, Creative Artworks.
“Snow Village” by Jackie Lyons
I could feel my spirits soaring when I saw this. Who could be filled with, “Bah, Humbug” when they could see this?
Filed under Creativity, holidays
Amber’s Thumbs Up Toy List – Newest Additions – Dec 2017
Amber will be 9 months old December 7th. She weighs 81 pounds now. To describe her as an “aggressive chewer” just doesn’t do her justice. Like our pit bull, Bambi, before her, she LIVES to destroy.
Example – I gave her a stuffed purple dragon this morning that was supposed to be extra tough for aggressive chewers. She already has gotten the ‘head’ open and is happily spreading stuffing all over the office carpet. I get her one of these every once in a while because she really does love them. I make sure I get them on sale, though, and don’t expect them to last.
We HAVE found some exceptionally good, long-lasting toys to add to “Amber’s Thumbs Up Dog Toy List “-
Mammoth TireBiter Tire and Rope Dog Toy
Before I forget, I bought all of these from Chewy.com
They have an ‘aggressive dog’ toy section. Most of the toys I’ve bought Amber has demolished pretty quickly, even those that are supposed to be ‘tough.’ I’m happy to be able to send on her recommendations for the ones that are worth the money.
The TireBiter above is about 8 inches across. Amber tends to carry it around by the rope, hoping we’ll play tug of war. If we don’t, she still carries it around, trying to break its neck. We have learned not to be in the path of that because we’ve gotten bruises from being hit by the tire. She loves it.
PetSafe Sportsman Bristle Bone Dog Toy
This is the absolutely best toy I’ve found that BOTH our dogs love. It’s got interesting things to chew. There are two “Jerky” type discs in the row of things between the two ‘bone’ ends. They smell good (to the doggies). You can get refills for the jerky type things. Molly basically ‘guards’ it for her turn, rather than aggressively chewing on it. When Amber’s turn comes, she chews on it heavily, sometimes actually unscrewing it. I came in one day to find the pieces all over the room. I just gathered them up, replaced the jerky discs, screwed everything back together tightly and declared it was again Molly’s turn. GREAT toy. (When this one is used up, we’ll definitely get another one.)
JW Pet iSqueak Bouncin’ Bowlin’ Pin Dog Toy
Squeaky, bouncy bowling pin. Amber mainly carries it around, rather than chewing much on it. She wants us to play – you guessed it – tug of war with it. She especially likes when she can make it squeak. She has to work for it some, which is good.
Nylabone DuraChew Ring Original Flavor Dog Toy
This is a good, all around toy. We can throw it for Amber outside in the yard. Both doggies like to chew it, though it isn’t the favorite toy. We’ve had this about 3 weeks and it holding up really well.
We’ll tell you about more toys as they make the list. :0)
Filed under Amazing Animals, Dog Products - Thumbs Up List
Fetch!
I went to the door this morning to get Amber to come back in after some time in the yard. When I opened it, she was standing there, smiling around the humongous “weed tree” in her mouth. I hurried back in to get the camera, but – of COURSE – she had dropped it when I returned.
I took some pics, though, of two sticks Amber brought into the front yard –
Stick # 1 – this is about 3 feet long.
This is Stick # 2 – It’s about 10 feet long. She lost the root ball that used to be on the end of it. As you can see, she did a bit of digging in one of the flower planters we cleaned out to start over with a new Rio Samba rose plant in the spring.
Here’s another view of Stick # 2. I’m really sorry I couldn’t get a picture of her with this in her mouth. She had a great time outside.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Thread Art – Take 1
Debbie Smyth-ego-alterego.com
As you know, I love string art. Just by chance I looked up ‘thread art,’ and got a whole new art form! “Thread Art” or “Thread Painting” seems to be a combination of all things good about working with thread. Some slants more to the string art form. Others go more toward embroidery and quilting. Then, as the one above shows, talented people are working with thread to do portraits! My mind is boggled, and my senses soaring to find something I didn’t know existed. Over the next few days I’ll be sharing what I’ve found with you. I hope you enjoy it, too.
Kitschwerk.blog.de via diyprojectsforteens.com
Filed under Creativity, String Art
Planters are Cleaned Out
brunnersgardening.com
We started the day with Lunch Bunch and good friends, and I’ve spent most of the afternoon outside. What could be better?
I just got the last brick planter cleaned out, the elephant ear and Purple Passion plants, dug up, potted, and put in the greenhouse. Tomorrow I’m planning to spread the rest of the mulch and we’ll be pretty well ready for the colder weather to come.
I found three small hydrangea blooms, so I brought them in and added them to the purple iris I gathered the other day.
I have two more celery plants that are ready to plant. I’m thinking of planting them either in the greenhouse or inside on the window sill. I’ll read and see if I can find out what people think is best.
Starting on Tuesday night we’re supposed to have freezes for at least three nights in a row. I only have the one box of lettuce plants to cover. I’m hoping I can keep them alive to harvest for quite a while longer. Fingers crossed.
I’m going to go have a snack, put my feet up and relax for a while. I hope you’re having an enjoyable day.
Filed under Gardening
Santa is UP
We put our Santa mailbox decoration up this morning. I’m not sure if you can tell it from this picture, but the white of his beard, the snowball and fur on his hat, his eyebrows, mustache, and bands on his mittens are all textured with SnoTex, so they have a 3-D feeling. I like that stuff a lot.
We have a mystery, though.
I asked my husband if he would get the mailbox decoration that has two children on either side of a Christmas tree so that we could put it up today. He came back, saying he couldn’t find that one, but had brought back Santa. I went out to the shop and looked through the decorations and I couldn’t find it, either!
I don’t know if I’m losing my mind or what! I can’t find any pictures of the decoration, so there seems to be no record of our making it. I’ll have to look on the net and see if I can find it again. Could I have DREAMED we cut it out and painted it?
Kind of rattles my confidence a bit…
Filed under holidays, Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations
Beautiful Places to Walk
“Glade” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Old Stairs 1” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Your Awwww for the Day – Take 5
gemslu.blogspot.com
gemslu.blogspot.com
Filed under Amazing Animals, your 'awwww' for the day
creativeartworksblog 