Monthly Archives: December 2019

December 20, 2019 · 9:28 am

Thoughts on a Friday – 12-20-2019

Kanno Hisao

Yesterday I had a wonderful massage, exchanging gifts with my massage therapist and friend, Lynn. It was special for a THIRD reason – she had a CD of Christmas music playing.

I have discovered that I have a HUGE pet peeve – jazzed up (screwed up) Christmas music. I want people to just play or sing it the way it was written. I guess that’s limiting for the artists, but it’s my opinion they should be singing for the listeners, not for their own amusement or amazement. The really beautiful thing was that the CD she played was a series of instrumentals, with different instruments used for different verses of the songs, but played straightforwardly, purely, BEAUTIFULLY.

Lynn and I shared that one of our gifts to each other was that we were singing along MENTALLY, rather than aloud. :0)

I enjoyed every minute of the massage – as I always do – but this time was truly special with the absolutely lovely traditional Christmas music. I felt joy in my heart along with the easing in soreness. Those are true gifts.

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December 20, 2019 · 9:15 am

I Smirk for Puns – 27

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December 19, 2019 · 2:58 pm

When Wood Comes Alive – 31

Jurgen Lingl Rebetez

Catawiki

Daniel Popper-Colossal Art and Design

Giuseppe Rumerio

Hercottage

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December 19, 2019 · 2:50 pm

Dieting Woes

Slice of Life

My husband gets kudos – and some hostility from me, I have to admit – because he is maybe 5 lbs from his weight loss goal now. I’M the one who is doing all the choosing, cooking, serving, and cleaning up after our wonderful keto meals, mainly from Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto. He is still eating rolls and bagels, plus a lot of fruit – both ‘no-no’s’ on keto – plus strawberries, dessert cakes and ice cream at night after dinner. He IS mostly watching his sugar – other than the bear claw he HAD to stop for on the way home from getting groceries with me. He is older than I am and doesn’t exercise at all. He just got stellar results on his latest blood tests for our primary doctor, significantly lower in EVERYTHING, except one thing that stayed the same. He DID tell her he just ate what I fixed him…. Our doctor was patting him on the head. I DO have to admit I’m relieved and happy for him.

I – on the other hand – am still on the plateau from Hell. I’ve really been good, with the exception of when I’m up in the middle of the night, having trouble sleeping, and food CALLS to me from the kitchen. Otherwise, I’ve been good. I’m back on my exercise program. I just finished 35 minutes on my elliptical trainer in the garage. I’ll do my yoga when I return from getting my hair cut this afternoon. I’m trying to pay attention to my macros, but too many times ‘stuff happens’ and we end up stopping for a burger, or….

Excuses run rampant and are becoming more and more creative.

I have about 30 pounds to go – stuck at 43 off and 45 inches off. I want to get the rest of the lard off, but it’s hard to keep going when I’m stuck in a rut. That said, it took me awhile to put ON this lard, so it’s only fair it should take me awhile to get it OFF.

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December 19, 2019 · 1:07 pm

“ME” Day

10 Best The Pet Spas Images-Pinterest

I didn’t plan it this way, but it all came together so I’m enjoying a luxurious “ME” day today.

I’m home from a glorious massage. Not only did she find and fix all my sore or bunched-up spots, we exchanged Christmas gifts. I have the best massage therapist/friend in the world. If you’d like to contact her, her name is Lynn Moody, and her phone number is 479-629-7601.

I’m relaxing now with a cup of coffee and enjoying time at my computer.

I have a hair cut this afternoon, so that’s the second part of my “ME” day. There is nothing better than having someone you trust cut your hair. My hair is thin, fine, and generally worthless. It only does bad things on its own. My stylist understands what I’m dealing with, is very tactful about it, and realizes that he has to CUT my hair so it falls into place with a quick wash and blow dry every morning. We enjoy having a miracle worker. (My husband says our stylist ‘heals’ him.) If you’d like to contact him, his name is Michael Remillard. His shop is Tangles, and his phone number is 479-357-9305.

The rest of my ME day includes 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer and then about 30 minutes or so doing yoga stretches.

I may melt into a puddle in my chair when I finish.

AHHHHH!

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December 18, 2019 · 11:35 am

More Felted Animals by Yulia Derevschikova

Yulia Derevschikova, Russian Artist, via Bored Panda

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December 18, 2019 · 11:31 am

Thoughts on a Wednesday 12-18-2019

Kanno Hisao

The gray, rainy days have finally stopped, giving way to sunshine! It really lifts my spirits.

I earned two gold stars yesterday – one for doing 35 minutes on my elliptical trainer and the other for doing about half an hour or so of my yoga stretches. I put the gold stars on my desk calendar as a motivation to get off my rear and actually DO the exercises, rather than simply thinking about them or talking about them. Will try for another 2 stars today.

This afternoon my husband has an appointment with our primary doctor – the first since he suffered the stroke and we saw everyone trying to do whatever was reasonable to keep him from having another. I’ll be interested to hear what she thinks about how he’s doing, if he needs to change any medicines, and what she thinks the prognosis is for the future. From my perspective, seeing him every day, he’s almost completely back to normal now. He gets his words garbled every once in a while, and I type for him if he wants me to.

All is good as we prepare for a quiet Christmas. We will actually celebrate with our various friends between tomorrow and Christmas at different times, leaving only the meal Christmas Day. I’ll make another turkey for us. We’re together. We’re doing fine. That’s all the gift we need.

I hope that you are having a wonderful, sunshine-y day.

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Tagged as exercise, gold stars, taking care of yourself, thoughts on a Wednesday

December 18, 2019 · 9:55 am

I Smirk for Puns – 26

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December 18, 2019 · 9:51 am

Pet Portraits

Niki Firmin – Tosca

Kelly Armitage

Niki Firmin – Bo

Niki Firmin – Buster

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December 17, 2019 · 4:41 pm

Pain

Email from Marsha Koenig

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December 17, 2019 · 4:38 pm

I Smirk for Puns – 25

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December 17, 2019 · 4:32 pm

Worth Your Time

http://www.belcastroagency.com via Quote Master

I just finished “Hillbilly Elegy – A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” by J. D. Vance

I found it fascinating. Vance’s writing style is simple, straight-forward, honest, and compelling. I never expected this to be a book that would be hard to put down.

He puts you inside Appalachia and particularly rural Ohio, allowing you to live in his family with the good things and the bad things right with him. I now have a totally different perspective on poverty, culture, and the ‘solutions’ government and well-intentioned people who wrongly simplify a complex situation throwing money at education.

I strongly recommend this book. I’m very impressed with J.D. Vance. I saw a short interview with him on TV. I was so impressed with him that I ordered his book. I’m glad I did. I’m even more impressed now.

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December 17, 2019 · 3:47 pm

Large Journals

You might be interested in these hand-painted journals for yourself or as gifts. They have heavy cardboard fronts and backs with large spiral. The top design is called “Purple Petals”

The inside has 10 manila type ‘envelopes’ which are great for keeping things organized, saving mementos, pictures, lists, etc. You can write on the back or front side of each ‘envelope.’

This is the plain heavy cardboard back.

This design is called, “Purple Bliss”.

And this one is called, “Swirling Fall.”

If you’re interested, these are $9.99 each. They are available on ArtFire with free shipping to the contiguous United States, or at our booth, “Blasing Bright” at Rags & Roses Collective, 100 North Main Street. Greenwood AR. Hours are Tues – Friday 11:00 – 6:00, Saturday 10:00 – 4:00, and Sunday until Christmas 1:00 – 4:00.

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Tagged as Blasing Bright - Rags & Roses Collective - Greenwood AR, Christmas gift ideas, hand-painted large journals, LindaLewis on ArtFire

December 17, 2019 · 3:21 pm

Felted Animals by Yulia Derevschikova – 3

Yulia Derevschikova, Russia, via Bored Panda

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Tagged as felted wool animals, talent and creativity, Yulia Derevschikova

December 16, 2019 · 4:21 pm

New Note Card Package Designs

“Go Green” Note Cards – Package of 5

“Tangerine Dreams” Note Cards – Package of 5

“Turquoise Treasures” Note Cards – Package of 5

These are packages of 5 different OOAK designs and envelopes. The price for a package is $9.99. You can get them locally in Greenwood, at the Blasing Bright Booth, Rags & Roses Collective, 100 North Main Street, or you can order them online (free shipping) on ArtworthyNoteCards on Etsy.

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December 16, 2019 · 10:51 am

New Clip-On Earrings Designs

My friends were griping, asking why I wasn’t making wooden earrings for people without pierced ears, so I decided I would gather materials and give it a try. The ones in the picture above are 3/4″ in diameter, having clip-on hardware.

These earrings are much larger – 1-1/4″ in diameter.

These are a clip-dangle, with a 1-1/4″ disc at the top with a 3/4″ disc attached. The earring length is 2-1/4″.

This picture shows the comparative sizes of the three designs – 3/4″ – 1-1/4″ and 1-1/4 wide x 2-1/4″ long.

If you would like to see more, I’m adding about 17 pairs to my ArtFire shop today. I also have the pierced earrings displayed there.

Each pair is $9.99 with free shipping to the contiguous U.S.

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December 15, 2019 · 12:05 pm

More Beautiful Paintings

Y W Kim-“The Night the Golden Moon Shines on my Heart”

Benny Norbert Smet-“Bright Eyes”

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Tagged as Benny Norbert Smet, paintings I love, Y. W. Kim

December 15, 2019 · 11:58 am

I Smirk for Puns – 24

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December 15, 2019 · 11:54 am

Thoughts on a Sunday 12-15-2019

Kanno Hisao

It’s 42 degrees F. today – gray, wet and downright depressing outside.

When we left, we stopped at our mailbox to change our decoration.

We were really cold, trying to loosen nuts and change out cold metal decorations in the wind, but I’m glad Santa is up now, maybe waving at folks as they pass our driveway.

We got our groceries for the week. When we got home, I spent the next hour prepping food. My husband saw I had a lot to do, so HE browned the roast to go in the crock pot for tonight. I think that’s the first time in the 50-1/2 years we have been married that he has done that. I tried not to act shocked, and thanked him when he finished, giving him a big hug. :0)

While he was browning the roast, I cut up strawberries for his desserts, plus carrots, radishes, and celery to go with cherry tomatoes as part of my lunches. Now, all is finished and I’m relaxing with a cup of coffee.

I finished painting and spraying the two sizes of discs for the experiment on clip-on earrings. If I get them together today, I’ll post pics and you can tell me what you think.

I made a big push yesterday and am almost finished getting Christmas presents ready. I’m giving all handmade this year, and the Lunch Bunch group is exchanging gifts this coming Friday.

I finally found the large tub of Christmas decorations I’ve been looking for for a couple of WEEKS now. The tub was in the storage space under our stairs. I have the decorations about 2/3 finished now, and am definitely starting to get into the spirit. My husband was able to dictate (while I typed) a Christmas letter to go into the cards of friends and family we don’t see all the time. I may get to the Christmas cards, too.

Definitely a day to enjoy being warm and dry here. I hope that wherever you are, you are able to enjoy the day.

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Filed under Healthy Eating, holidays, Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations, playing in my art room, taking care of yourself, Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as Christmas decorations, food prep, Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox decorations, thoughts on a Sunday

December 14, 2019 · 4:59 pm

Disgusted

I told you earlier this week that my husband and I cleaned out our aquarium, actually taking the gravel out and rinsing it thoroughly before returning it to the tank, putting in fresh water, clean decorations, new filters, etc. The aquarium looked a LOT better, though the fish didn’t rave about it.

Imagine my outrage when we got up this morning to find a tank with water SO cloudy you could hardly see the occupants!

I had ordered new gravel, thinking that the next time I cleaned out the tank I would change it. I didn’t realize it would have to be almost immediately.

So –

I cleaned out the tank again today, removing the old gravel. I rinsed the new gravel, added the treated water, put in fresh clean decorations, another new filter, etc. And now the tank is again clean, though the fish just looked teed off to be forced to wait in a small bowl of water while I toiled.

I have heard that gold fish aren’t very clean fish. I’m beginning to really believe it now. The largest gold fish is now about 4 inches long. He’s too large to be caught easily – or fit into – the net I use.

I have now spoken to the fish, telling them that I don’t want to be in the position of a full tank clean out every week – or – in this case – TWICE in one week. I have told them that they need to clean up their act or be labeled ‘BAD TENANTS.’ (Assuming they care…)

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December 14, 2019 · 10:42 am

Thoughts on a Saturday – 12-14-2019

Dog Lovers Club

We’re having a nice, though gray, fall day here in Arkansas. I found a new sweatshirt/hoodie combination in a pale pink and am wearing it for the first time today. I got it from the exclusive emporium of Walmart, and am pleased to report that I didn’t have to get it in a “wide-load” size! It’s light weight and cozy feeling. This is really welcome since I’ve been sitting under my throw in the living room while watching TV lately, even though our heat works fine. It may be a psychological thing. Anyhow, I’m thinking of buying ANOTHER one!

I told you that I am experimenting on making light weight wooden earrings for people who do NOT have pierced ears. I found some glue and clip-on findings, both without nickel to avoid problems with allergies.

This is the only finished pair so far. The wood is just large enough for the clip-on. I’m also going to try a larger disk and then drill a hole in the bottom of it and append a smaller disk from it, making a dangle. I’ll show you a pic of that when I have one finished. I’m thinking of starting another Etsy shop just for earrings – pierced and clip-on. I’m also checking out opening a shop on Amazon.

Yesterday one of my long time good friends called to tell me one of her dogs had died. Another good friend lost a cat recently. Having been there, and knowing that losing a treasured pet member of the family is one of the worst hurts there is, my heart goes out to to both of them. I also know there is nothing I can do but show I care. I wish I could do more.

I’m not sure what else the day holds, other than the what-I’m-hoping-will-be-the-usual exercise with my elliptical trainer and yoga stretches and working in my art room.

I hope your Saturday is fun.

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December 14, 2019 · 10:05 am

I Smirk for Puns – 23

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December 13, 2019 · 3:05 pm

Older-Than-Dirt Test

email from Marsha

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December 13, 2019 · 10:11 am

I Smirk for Puns – 22

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December 13, 2019 · 10:07 am

Thoughts on a Friday 12-13-2019

Peter Haygarth – Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019

Happy birthday to you. Haapy birrrthday to you. Haaaaaaapy birrrrrrrthdaaaaay, dear Briiiiiiii – annnn, Haaaaaaapy birrrrrrrthdaaaaay, toooooooo yoooooou!

Happy, happy day celebrating YOU, Bri.

Our son is 41 today. There is a 13 hour time difference between our locations, so I wrote to him last night. He had forgotten! I told him he was TOO SPECIAL for anyone, including HIM – to forget his birthday.

We will leave for Lunch Bunch in a bit. Our group was talking about this recently, and we discovered we have been sharing lunch every Friday possible for over 17 years now! Each week we catch up with what has happened, and what is GOING to happen. A lot of laughter, hugs, and tears are shared. It’s a special bond, and a treasured part of our lives.

I am delighted to report that I am FINALLY doing my elliptical trainer (35 minutes) and my yoga stretches (30+ minutes) each day again. I’m really having to push myself, but I’m doing it. Hopefully, I can make it a habit again. :0)

We have lots of errands, so I’m not sure what else I will do today.

Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a fabulous day.

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December 12, 2019 · 1:31 pm

More Art From Found Things by John Lopez

John Lopez, South Dakota, AwesomeJelly.com

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December 12, 2019 · 1:23 pm

Advice

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December 12, 2019 · 1:19 pm

I Smirk for Puns – 21

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December 12, 2019 · 1:16 pm

Thoughts on a Thursday 12/12/2019

Penny Yaffe Krakow-shoebill stork love-photographer unknown

A good, busy day so far.

We took my husband to get a blood test to be read at his doctor appointment next week. Any time either of us has to do this, we ‘celebrate’ by eating breakfast at our favorite place, The Dari, in Greenwood. We got our mail on the way home and I started laundry. We’re on the 3rd load now. We changed sheets on the bed, will fold the laundry later.

I went back to town to get a pair of earrings from the local shop and include them in an order from a good friend from Spain. We discovered that for some unknown reason, it is significantly more expensive to send something from the U.S. to Spain than it costs the other direction. The people at the post office couldn’t give me a reason why. It is still the cheapest way we can send something as small as a package of earrings.

Today I will make a batch of egg/sausage/cheese bake, a recipe from Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto. This has become one of our favorite recipes. Last time I added broccoli. My husband wasn’t as happy with that, but said mushrooms and spinach would be fine.)

I’m in the middle of a grand experiment, trying to make wooden earrings for people who do NOT have pierced ears. I got the small round disks painted on both sides, and today I’ll try to glue the clip-on findings to the backs of the earrings. Then I’ll wear a pair – though I HATE clip-ons – to see if they hold together. I’m also painting yet another tee I stained (sigh), plus working on a set of note cards.

I’m about halfway through my to-do list for the day now, so I’m taking a break to have a cup of coffee and write this blog post.

Our weather is super nice, so I MAY get out and neaten up the yard a bit this afternoon. Yoga and my elliptical trainer are on tap for this afternoon, too.

I hope that you are having a fun, satisfying day.