RJ Bennett – LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography, R.J. Bennett
Wetellyouhow
Wetellyouhow
YouTube
Filed under Creativity, playing with your food?
I think I first learned about Journalist Marie Colvin on 60 Minutes. My husband and I watched the movie yesterday. It is based on an article in Vanity Fair by Arash Amel titled “Marie Colvin’s Private War.”
This was a really well-done movie, allowing you to get to know her as a driven, gutsy journalist whose personal mission was to tell you the stories of the real cost of war to individuals.
We ended up feeling an overwhelming respect for her and her team, being proud to live on the same planet. She died covering the war in Homs, Syria in 2012.
The movie stars Rosamond Pike as Marie Colvin, and Jamie Dornan as Paul Conroy.
I highly recommend this movie.
Filed under Book - Movie - TV Reviews
This is Fuzzy Molly. She’s a Cocker Spaniel/Schnauzer cross. She’s getting old now, but holds her own with rambunctious Amber. (94-pound yellow lab ‘puppy’, plus our two cats, Smoke and Abby.) She doesn’t communicate much with our four fish in the aquarium.
In the winter we let her hair grow. It’s kind of a mess, particularly when the weather is wet, because Molly comes in covered in mud, having stuck her nose way down deep into some hole or other she’s found in the yard. We got her some 13 years ago now, to be a sweet little lap dog for me. What we actually GOT was a fun-loving 25 pound dog who thinks she’s a mastiff. I put her in the kitchen sink to get her clean and fluffy, at least until she goes out again…
I’ve told you that we live on top of a ridge line outside of the town of Greenwood, Arkansas. We have about 8 acres of scrubby woods where we live close enough to town to go every day, but enjoy our privacy, pretending we own all we can see. :0) With this comes the ‘perks’ of lots of burrs, fleas and ticks – as well as other critters like raccoons, possums, deer, skunks, rabbits, and more.
Wednesday we took Molly to our vet’s office to be sheared like a sheep and get her annual shots.
The groomer would like to give her a mustache, beard, long eyebrows, and other stuff, but we ask for ‘short all over.’ SHE isn’t the one who has to deal with Molly after she’s gone out for a run with a face full of little bitty burrs tangled in all the cutesy-pie long hair on her face. Poor Molly HATES having me comb them out. I know it hurts her, so ‘short all over’ allows her to run through the brush as she likes without bringing it all home with her. It also makes it easy to see any ticks walking on her, and treat her for any fleas easily and quickly.
I look at it this way – we get TWO Mollys for the price of one – Fuzzy Molly and Sleek Molly. I love them both to pieces.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
My brother on left – his oldest son on right
My older brother died of complications from Parkinson’s Disease last night. He was 74. We were not close. He said that I ‘wasn’t worth knowing.’ I’m still very sad that he’s gone. I am the last of my original family. It’s amazing how complicated emotions and relationships are.
Filed under Family
I planted sweet red onions in this planter about a week ago. I had to cover it with a sheet because of a cold snap, but they seem to be doing fine.
This picture is taken from the other side of the garden. You see the onions, plus most of the other raised bed boxes, plus the area behind the shop where the cement mixer is covered by a tarp to protect it from sun and rain, plus the covered trash cans containing the ingredients of Mel’s Mix.
A little different view.
I bought 18 head lettuce plants yesterday and planted them in the garden. It’s really hard to see the wire marking the squares, but if you look carefully, you can see I planted one lettuce plant per square. Mel Bartholomew of Square Foot Gardening says you can plant 4 plants in one square, but my experience is that our garden does better much more spread out. I planted the plants in every other square. This is the way we ‘rotate’ our crops in Square Foot Gardening. I keep track of where I planted everything last year, and plant them in different squares this year. I also plant something different in every other square – I’m hoping to find spinach plants, so that any problems (bugs, disease, etc) don’t spread as badly from plant to plant.
If we have a cold snap, I can cover these three planters in a row with king-sized sheets, hopefully helping them survive to the next morning.
I have a call in to our wonderful co-op about spinach plants. There is a chance that the plant guy will bring some before the weekend, so I’ll call on Monday of next week. In the interim, I’m starting over planting spinach seeds in the greenhouse. Fingers crossed!
Our son was accepted to go to a meditation center in Nepal. He had to jump through a lot of hoops, answering lots of questions several times before he was accepted for a three-week period. This could be extended with the permission of the teacher.
He entered the center on February 1st. He wrote us a note the night before that he would be turning off his laptop and phone, not communicating with anyone during his stay there out of respect for the center and what he was trying to accomplish there.
He is a great communicator, even though he is across the world from us. Usually we chat several times each day on a secure program. Often we chat face to face in real time on another secure conference call type program. We have been in withdrawal with no communication for almost two months now.
Today he left a message for us:
“hey, guys. i’m doing great. i’m making arrangements to leave the retreat in about a week. we can talk more then. i love you!”
Filed under Family
Messy Motherhood
I filled up all the rest of the wooden raised planters, and then my husband came out and helped me stretch wire across in two directions to designate the planting ‘squares.’
You have to look carefully to see the wire in the picture above.
We have two rows of three planters each. You can see the onion sets already planted in the far planter.
This photo shows the faucets to which the hoses are attached. When we start irrigation, we’ll attach the hoses that run from the garden all the way up past the shop and attach to the outdoor faucet. We’ll have a timer on that faucet so the garden will be watered each day for a specified amount of time.
The picture above shows my cement mixer. I measure out the ingredients for Mel’s Mix into the mixer, then mix for several minutes and dump it into a trash can propped under it. We have now put a tarp over the mixer and the motor so the sun and rain won’t cause damage to it.
These are my trash cans that hold the ingredients for Mel’s Mix: vermiculite, peat moss, mushroom compost, barnyard compost, and cotton burr compost.
Here you can see the garden as a whole, with the exception of the brick planters on the other side of the house where we grow tomatoes. You can see the garden is surrounded by fence, with a layer of chicken wire around the bottom to keep critters out. When I get things planted, I’ll string some surveyor’s tape around the garden to help the deer see it. To the right in this picture is our shop, and to the left is a shooting target we made, called, “Falling Plates” where we practice shooting pistols a couple of times a year. I can kill a plate quite well with a bit of practice. :0)
I’ll take pics again when I get some plants in.
“The Art of Composition” – Paul Militaru Photography
Bored Panda
I started topping off the six 4 foot x 4 foot wooden raised planters in our garden the other day and ran out of one of the ingredients, so had to stop.
Mel’s Mix is a creation of Mel Bartholomew, author of Square Foot Gardening. He has created a mixture that plants love, allowing people like me to bypass my poor, almost non-existent soil on top of our ridge line and grow veggies.
We took his suggestions to the next level, since I’m getting long-in-the-tooth, and built planter boxes at my chest level, filling them with the mix so I don’t have to bend over or get down on my hands and knees. Ahhhh!
Mel’s Mix is a combination of peat moss, Vermiculite, and several different types of compost. I’m using cotton burr, barnyard, and mushroom – plus the compost we make ourselves, from time to time.
I was going to try to finish getting my planters ready yesterday after we replenished our supply of Vermiculite. Amber, our 94-pound lab ‘puppy’ changed my plans by running into me full speed, knocking me flat on my back into the gravel and grass between our house and the shop. Since we were going bowling last night with friends, all I did yesterday was put one of the bags of Vermiculite in the lidded trash can and then nurse my wounds and rest.
I’m going out now to make more Mel’s Mix and see if I can finish the additions to each of the six planter boxes that make up our raised bed square foot garden. Our newest tool addition is a very used portable concrete mixer. I dump all the ingredients into the mixer, then turn it on and let it mix everything up, then dump the mix into a trash can to take to the garden and put into one of the planters. I used to put everything in a wheelbarrow and use a hoe to try to mix it up, but it didn’t work nearly as well as the new system.
When I finish adding the Mel’s Mix, I’ll stretch wire in two directions to make the ‘squares’ for planting. I’ll try to get some pics then to share with you before I start buying and planting plants.
I still hold the name “Serial Seed Killer.” My efforts at getting seeds to sprout were unsuccessful. I’m going to start over, only trying to grow spinach, since I have real trouble finding any spinach plants at the local stores. Fingers crossed.
We got some Vermiculite for the Mel’s Mix in the garden this morning. I took things inside, and then came out to help my husband with the two large bags that were going out to the garden. My hoodie zipper was messed up, so I was looking down, trying to fix it.
Amber (our 94-pound two-year-old ‘puppy’ hit me at top speed, having run from the shop to where I was, half way between our house and shop. Usually, I turn to the side, move, or brace for impact. This time I was completely vulnerable.
I was knocked backwards onto the gravel and grass-covered ground. I fell flat whapping the back of my head hard and having the wind knocked out of me. My hands got stuck by some small gravel, particularly on one hand, but also on the back of the other. I’ll probably have some great-looking bruises soon. The back of my other hand hit the ground so hard the strap of my watch broke. As I got up, I retrieved my watch and Amber’s collar, which somehow had come off.
I’ve taken some Tylenol now and am having a cup of coffee as I type this. My hands are stinging, but I’ve washed them and put on some antibiotic ointment. My backside is sore on the right side, the side of my left calf, and my right shoulder. (Makes you wonder what in the world I did as I fell!)
Falls are no fun any time, but can be worse as you get older. I lucked out this time, mainly injuring my dignity, and reminding me AGAIN that no matter what is happening with my hoodie (or anything else), I need to pay more attention to my surroundings!
I’m going to rest awhile, and then I’ll go out and empty the bag of Vermiculite into the lidded trash can where it will live.
The rest of this day HAS to be better!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family, stupidity, taking care of yourself
Rebloggy
I’m tired now, and am finished trying to be productive today – other than cooking fish for dinner later.
It’s a gorgeous day – 67 degrees F. and sunshine-y. I WISH I could finish prepping our square foot garden for planting, but I ran out of some of the ingredients for Mel’s Mix. I’ll try to get them tomorrow.
I decided to continue trying to clean out, declutter, and reorganize our office supply shelves. In the process, I’m finding several things I think others can use, so I’m bagging them up to donate to the Disabled Vets Thrift Store. I’ve thrown out a bunch (it’s a good thing our trash pickup is soon :0) ), and I’ve cleaned shelves. I’m trying to make FINDING and ACCESS paramount, since my husband gripes when he can’t find the extra staples, for example.
I ended up with a couple of bins for things we want to be able to find and use quickly. I put extras in a larger bin, but out of the way a bit. Throwing out enabled consolidation, so we actually have a bit of shelf empty now! HAH! :0)
I’ll work on the shelves again, but I made good progress today.
Now the rewards of my book, a cup of coffee, and my recliner. AHHHHH!
Du Hua Liu – LinkedIn
Roland Imhof – LinkedIn
San Rafael Fralls – Ecuador – Jeff Jett
Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, California – Jeff Jett – Linkedin
Filed under Favorite Things, Jeff Jett Photography, Waterfall gifs
tvoydosug.com
I’ve told you in the past that my husband and I are learning more and more about healthy eating while trying to get the lard off.
We have been on NutriSystem, but are now on hiatus from the program, trying to eat our way through the rest of the items they have sent. We’re eating more and more on our own, using techniques and ideas gleaned through the Leaf section of the website, rather than only eating ‘flex meals’ once a week. The weight is coming off slower, but we feel we need to learn to live in the real world.
My husband really loved their pulled pork entree. Of course, they then cancelled that offering, resulting in my husband deciding he would stop the program. I got him to reconsider, making our own pulled pork from a recipe I found. (You can find the recipe in the “NutriSystem Flex Meals We Like” category on the blog. ) He really liked that. Between their BBQ chicken and ‘my’ pulled pork, he was a happy camper.
Since we read a book called, The Longevity Code, we have decided to eat little or no red meat and no pork, opting for chicken and fish.
My husband ate the last of the pulled pork sadly and was again threatening mutiny. Yesterday I tried an experiment – substituting chicken breasts for the pork loin – all other parts of the recipe the same. My husband helped ‘pull’ the chicken and then we measure 3 oz in each of several containers. He ate one of these last night with a salad. His comment after eating a bite was, “This is YUMMY!”
I’m finding more and more healthy recipes online that we like. We laugh at the ones that aren’t really our cup of tea, tossing the recipe, add changes to some of the ones we keep. I feel good that we ARE learning to cut out MOST added sugar and salt (adding less than called for in recipes that are otherwise good for us), white rice, most bread (other than a slice here and there of oatmeal bread), potatoes, and pasta.
We are eating more veggies – raw and cooked, more fruit, and some nuts.
Little by little we’re shedding a lot of bad habits and building new, better ones. Hopefully, our efforts to lose the lard will get us to our goals.
Filed under DIET!
Imagefully.com
“Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter
Lullabies, dreams, and love ever after.
Poems and songs with pipes and drums
A thousand welcomes when anyone comes.”
~Author Unknown
“For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way –
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.”
~Author Unknown
“There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were.” ~ Unknown
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
Filed under holidays
BrittasDreamDesigns-Etsy
Rustic Wall Art-MumMumsPetals-Etsy
Wall Art-Zen 3D-Harmony in Black and Orange -FeniksArtDeco-Etsy
Filed under Creativity, String Art
snappypixels.com
taazatadka.com
toxel.com
Filed under Creativity, playing with your food?
This gives you a rough idea of how my raised bed garden planters look. This picture was taken when the planters were new, though, and not all finished.
There are now six 4 foot x 4 foot planters in two rows of three. They are tied together by hoses, with a sprinkler in the middle of each box, for irrigation.
Right now ONE planter is planted with sweet red onions. I went ahead and used the whole planter for the onions, and basically will leave them as they are, other than watering them, until it’s time to harvest them at the end of the summer or into the fall.
The current project is topping off each box with Mel’s Mix – a combination of peat moss, vermiculite, and as many different kinds of compost as can be found or made. (I’m using mushroom, cotton burr, and barnyard, as well as adding compost we make from time to time.) I keep the ingredients in covered trash cans behind our shop, between the shop and the garden. I also have an extremely used portable cement mixer that I use to combine the ingredients.
I don’t know where the mix ‘goes,’ during the winter, but all the planters need more mix to get them ready for planting.
Today is a beautiful day with a high of almost 60!
I mixed up several loads of mix and put them into the planters. I ran out of vermiculite and the co-op is closed until Monday, so my progress stops here. I’ll make a list of things to get when we go Monday. I’m hoping they actually HAVE the vermiculite, rather than having to order it.
After topping off the planters, I’ll string wire across each planter in two directions to make planting ‘squares.’ Then I’ll be ready to find some plants!
(My seeds in the greenhouse still haven’t done anything. I’m about to give up on them for now, other than checking on progress – and try a different technique next time.)
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Getty Images via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography
Charity Sparrow via Stephanie Youmans Wilson
You have to have a certain amount of confidence in order to accept this.
I don’t know why, but as a child, I felt I had to ‘master’ something – at least be reasonably good at something – before I did it in public. I definitely wanted to AVOID stumbling at all costs. I keenly felt in competition with my older brother, never measuring up.
An example would be an invitation to go bowling. Instead of just going, learning the best way I could and having FUN with it, I would accept the invitation, then go a few days ahead of time and bowl several games in order to try to avoid looking like an idiot. It was almost a panicky thing for me.
Now that I’m older than dirt, I no longer feel embarrassment at not having done something before. I won’t say I embrace completely new things with wide open arms yet, but I openly say I’ve never done something before and don’t agonize over looking silly or inept. Life is too short for that. I accept that all of us have strengths and weaknesses and that we are NOT competing – and that no one CARES if I suck at something or not. The point is learning something I didn’t know before and enjoying the experience of learning, sticking my neck out and trying something new – just for the joy of it.
Even though I may stumble a lot these days :0) – I’m having more and more fun dancing!
Filed under empowerment, Encouragement
Heather A. Stillufsen – via Christine Malone – LinkedIn
Filed under Attitude, empowerment, Encouragement
It’s cold outside, even though we have a lot of pretty sunshine today. The wind is really gusty and rips right through you. We felt like we would freeze while trying to put this up.
The picture doesn’t show it, but the gold coins in the bucket sparkle in the sunshine. He is about 2-1/2 feet tall.
I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!
Filed under Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations
G-Eternity via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Elena Schumilova via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
“Bella” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Oscar” -Niki Firmin – LinkedIn
“RPD Axel” -Niki Firmin – LinkedIn
“Treacle” -Niki Firmin – LinkedIn
If you’d like to contact Niki about a portrait, go to NikiFirmin.com
Filed under Amazing Animals, drawings, Niki Firmin - Pet Portraits
Scrap Sculptures-Alien Sculpture-MINSet-2
Two Metal Roses – Metal Relic – Etsy
Filed under Art From Found Things, Creativity
creativeartworksblog 