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Monthly Archives: September 2023
Nice Day
Imgflip.com
Well, I left the house, retrieved my delivery of three boxes of Fiber One Cereal from a box UPS left on the Robot at the bottom of our driveway, got our mail, went for my haircut, and made a quick stop at the local grocery before heading back. When I got home, I checked to see if the barricades were still up on the road that is our usual route to town. They were, so the bridge is not open yet.
It was past time for lunch, so my husband and I hurriedly got things together and ate. He wanted to watch a football game after lunch and I fell asleep in my chair. When I awoke, I finished the book I was reading, and now I’m here, trying to catch up on my computer stuff. And that is the sum total of my accomplishments today. Zilch – nada – nothing.
I’m going to finish up here and then see if I can sneak up to my art room for a few minutes, but no promises. My husband has needed my attention a lot lately. Example: He wanted to buy a book for his Kindle. Amazon sent him a code. He forgot how to get it, and so brought the phone to me, angry because Amazon had ‘hidden’ the code from him. I showed him again to use messages and there was the code….
I’m looking forward to tomorrow, where there is nothing on our list for errands. Hopefully, I can catch up on at least SOME of the stuff that has piled up, waiting for my attention.
I hope your Saturday has been a fun one. :0)
Filed under Challenges
Saturday 9-9-2023
Healthline
I’m leaving in half an hour to get a haircut and run a couple of errands. Otherwise, we’re expecting a quiet day around here. The weather is nice right now. It’ll be hot today and tomorrow, but then the highs are supposed to be in the 80s. Can you believe it? I am sooooo ready!
Britannica
I’ve been a sloth the last couple of days – playing on the computer, reading, relaxing, napping. My to-do list isn’t getting any shorter, but I’m feeling better. :0)
Pikes Peak Artist Collective
I might get energized to spend some time in my art room this afternoon.
My husband said the asphalt has been poured/laid on the new bridge between us and town. They still need to finish up details, take away the huge concrete blocks they used to block the road, the barricades, signs, equipment, plus do something, I guess, about the detour road they made for their vehicles, but soon the barricades at the end of our road should come down – showing we can travel our old, normal route to town soon. That will be really nice!
Make this a great Saturday!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Neil Buchanan 2
Filed under Neil Buchanan, paintings of children
Rainy Friday Morning 9-8-2023
Wallpaper Flare
As I type, it’s raining! Real raindrops falling from the sky. I think it will stop before we need to leave for Lunch Bunch and errands, but I’ll just get into the mood to enjoy being drowned if it doesn’t. :0)
6×6 – Living with Gusto Series – “Chance to Fly” – $12.99 with FREE SHIPPING to contiguous U.S. HandmadeHavenByLinda On Etsy
I’m practicing every day, trying to get the feel of my new engraving pen. It’s a good thing that Christmas is still several months away. I’ll need a lot of practice…
I hope that you have a safe enjoyable day.
Yannick Ibanez Juniot Art
Yannick Ibanez Juniot (Yarno84 on Pinterest)
(There is supposed to be a ~ over the ‘n’ in Ibanez, but after fiddling with my computer, looking it up, and trying the directions over and over, I gave up.)
Filed under mosaic
Thursday 9-7-2023
The Dalbo Dog-@Dalbodog on X
This picture makes me smile EVERY. TIME. I. SEE. IT. :0)
NEW THING –
6X6 Hand-Painted Affirmation/Encouragement Sign
$12.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.
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I spent some time yesterday playing with my new engraver. It seems very sensitive to me. As a beginner, I’m finding it challenging to press down on the pen hard enough to make a solid line, but not TOO hard so it stops. Seems a bit hair trigger to me, reacting to my bumbling. I’m glad I have time and scrap glass on which to practice until my technique improves.
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We have a quiet day today – a very welcome thing. I hope that things are good with you in your day today, too.
Hostility
Popsugar
I’m feeling hostile and angry this morning. Yeah. Bummer.
I noticed the other day that the descriptions on my items on my Etsy page weren’t showing. I assumed it was a glitch and wrote a reminder to myself to check it out again later.
I put some new stuff on Etsy yesterday and discovered that my descriptions were still missing. The page on the right was simply empty. I had a picture, price and then reviews by customers underneath.
Sometimes my computer is wonky and things will show one way on one browser and another way on another browser. I use Firefox, so I checked my Etsy site using Chrome. Same problem. I tried rebooting my computer. Same problem.
I went through a long process and finally found a way to contact a real person on Etsy. I got on chat. She immediately wanted me to send her a screenshot of the page. I tried, but due to being inept on computer stuff, I was having trouble. So while she was checking on her end, I was trying various stuff trying to send her a picture. I finally managed to send her something, emphasizing that all the pages had the same problem.
After a bit, she came back on and told me that Etsy was ‘experimenting’ with moving the descriptions down on the page under the reviews. I checked my page and did, indeed, find the description. I checked several other pages and found the same thing. So the descriptions are THERE, just not where the shop owners or customers are expecting them to be. I asked if this would magically heal itself when the experiment was over. She couldn’t tell me.
So, part of me is relieved that the descriptions didn’t just go to LaLa Land, but the other part is hostile because
- I think Etsy should have told the shop owners involved that the experiment was being done and what that entailed, how long it would last, etc. rather than causing me panic.
- I think the experimenters should also have told the people on chat so that they would be in the know and could have told me what was going on right away, just in case the above notice had been ignored, saving THEM a bunch of hassle.
- I think they should be putting a notice on Etsy about the change so that customers aren’t inconvenienced. They want to get in and out quickly. If they can’t find information reasonably quickly, they go elsewhere.
- I’m still feeling stupid I had such a bad time trying to GET a Screenshot and then put it where the chat person could SEE it.
Not a happy start to my day. I’m old enough that I should be USED to feeling stupid by this point, but I still avoid it when I can…
Filed under Challenges, Changes, Pet Peeves
The Art of Thomas W Schaller
Thomas W Schaller-Paul Bowles – @twschaller on X
Thomas W Schaller-Up in the Air – @twschaller on X
A Dog Drawing is a Beautiful Thing
Annick Wauthy – samedi 12septembre2020-mosannick.blogspot.com
Bella-Sarah Eden Portraits – @EdenPortraits on X
Molly_by_Grimley Fiendish_deviantart.com
Nicky Litchfield
dimanche 14mars2021-mosannick.blogspot.com
Filed under animal paintings, drawings
While I’m Trying NOT to Eat…
Vishma Maharaj-Pinterest
I think these cakes are fabulous. The fact that I consider them MUCH to pretty to eat is helpful to my diet.
cakesdecor.com
I almost expect this giraffe to lift his head! If this cake were mine, I wouldn’t let anyone eat the head.
cakewrecks.com
Gina Henry Realtor-Pinterest
Filed under playing with your food?
Thoughts on a Wednesday 9-6-2023
Michael Tamoszus Art
I find it difficult to talk about this piece. It’s hard to believe it’s made of WOOD. It’s even harder to think about it being done with a chainsaw! Let’s just be happy that Michael Tamoszus created it. I am sitting here looking at the details over and over. I’m beyond impressed.
Mom.com
I had fun in my art room yesterday. I finished three pieces that I’ll add to my Etsy site today, plus I started experimenting with the new engraver I received that I’m hoping I can use on the glassware presents I’m making for my friends this year for Christmas.
Paul Felix – Pixels
So far, I’m glad I have a lot of extra jars on which I can practice. The engraving pen requires a super-light touch. If you push too hard, it simply stops. I’ll keep practicing until I hopefully get a good ‘feel’ for the pressure needed to control the etching. It would take years – if not forever – to get ‘good.’ I’m just hoping to get passable so I can create something I hope my friends will enjoy.
Jim Wheaton
Today would have been my dad’s 104th birthday. He was born on Labor Day in 1919. I’m honored to have shared part of his life. He gave me two great gifts –
- he told my class he was proud of me when I was getting my Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist from the University of Tulsa. He was my guest speaker on my project of teaching kids to intelligently look at advertisements. (My dad was a ‘personality’ in Tulsa from his radio advertising, in which he used humor to sell the products he represented.) The radio people still play his commercials from time to time because he was so unique. This was the first and only time he said this and it meant a lot to me.
- He taught me to stand back and try to see the humor in any given situation. This has long been one of my survival skills, allowing me to see things from a different perspective, diffuse explosive situations, and more. Plus, I just am able to enjoy every day more when I can laugh at myself.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Ugh
Bright Side
Getting rained on for the 5 minutes it rained yesterday turned out to be a blessing. We redoubled our efforts to get our yard work done. I got the back rock bed weeded and my husband sprayed around the deck with KillzAll weed killer.
I say it was a blessing because we’re under a heat advisory again today, with ‘feels like’ temperature of 108 this afternoon. Since my comfort zone stops in the high 80’s, this is uncivilized, in my opinion. If it hadn’t rained, we might have been more lackadaisical about getting our work done outside. Since we were teed off when we came in the house dripping yesterday, this is definitely a case of time bringing better perspective. :0)
Raising Children Network
I also got our first floor carpeting vacuumed yesterday, so I’m giving myself permission to play in my art room after lunch. I have three things in various stages of completion, plus I want to try out my new engraver on a scrap glass jar to see what I’m able to do with it. :0)
Women’s Health
Shout – Out to Cathy, who is in Week 6 of her chemo and radiation treatment. Sending her a gentle hug and lots of love and wishing her the very best there is in this world. Love you bunches.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Fantastic Fotography
GH Holt Photography – @ghholton on X
Jeff’s Wildlife Photography – @sykesjeff on X
“Light on the Journey” photo – Thomas R Fletcher
Mark Gray – @GrayMarker99 on X
Pet Peeve #?
Madeleine Jacobs
I’ve lost track of how many things pet my peeves, but there are more and more as I get more ‘mature.’
This time, the rant is about pet medicine. We have a really good vet. We got Sentinel (a heartworm+med) from him for Amber and have been giving her one tablet a month for a long time. We also need to save money where we can, so we have been getting the refills from Chewy.com for several years now.
I tried to order a new supply for Amber last week. On checkout, I discovered a new rule: you have to provide your vet’s information so that Chewy can get the vet’s okay before the medicine is shipped. I gave the information and paid for my purchase. At the end of last week I got a phone call from Chewy that my vet said he would rather we go through HIM, rather than buy the medicine from Chewy.
So now I have had to
- go through Chewy and Paypal in order to get the order cancelled and the money I paid refunded.
- go to my vet’s office to buy the medication now, costing us quite a bit more money and time.
I guess this is yet another example of our government ‘protecting us.’ That’s one of my pet peeves. I just want to
- do what I want to do without interference.
- The other peeve I will try to solve when we see our vet at the end of the week. If he did, in fact, deny my ability to go through Chewy when he highly recommended Sentinel for Amber, I want to know WHY.
End of rant.
Filed under Pet Peeves
Beautiful Watercolor
Filed under Watercolors I Love
Law of the Rain
Jae Margal on Twitter
My husband said he was taking the dog and they were going to get the mail. I reminded him that this was Labor Day, so no mail. I told him I was going to mix up some KillzALL and was going to weed the rocks in the back bed. He decided to go with me – an unusual, but welcome thing.
I mixed up the spray container of KillzALL and brought my knee pad and gloves. I started weeding the rock bed and he started to spray the weed killer around the deck.
The skies opened up and POURED on us with no warning whatsoever. We dashed – as fast as old people can – into the garage and laughed as we dripped. We closed the garage door and came in. I’m still dripping a bit as I type this. We both have a cup of coffee and will probably try to work again after lunch.
Murphy’s Law – Finagle’s Law of Dynamic Negatives – whichever or both – says that particularly when the TWO of us agree to work in the yard, we will get summarily drowned.
Mother Nature has a keen sense of humor.
Filed under Gardening
Parade of Etchers
This is an etcher that belongs to my husband. He’s had it in the shop for years. He doesn’t use it much anymore, so he gave it to me. It’s a good tool, but it’s too bulky and heavy for my old hands to handle for the glassware I’m trying to etch.
I got this new one. It’s much lighter, but it only has grinding attachments, rather than etching ones, so I chose wrong when I ordered.
My brother-in-law suggested that I use the search term ‘engraver’ rather than etcher. I ordered this one, and it arrived yesterday. You use it like a pencil. It’s cordless, and hopefully good for my needs. My friend Marsha suggested that I use a jar to practice on, and I’ll do that. I’ll try it later today and let you know how it goes. :0)
A bit of yard work and some vacuuming first, though.
Filed under playing in my art room
Keith Proctor Art
Filed under Keith Proctor, paintings of children
Labor Day 2023
MemmesBams
“Observed each year on the first Monday of September, Labor Day is at heart a celebration of the hard-won achievements of America’s labor movement and a recognition of what workers have contributed to the nation’s prosperity.”
My dad loved the fact that he was born on Labor Day of 1919 and felt the celebration was also of his birthday. :0)
My opinion is split on the idea of labor unions. I’m delighted that people had the guts to band together to fight the powers that be for better working conditions, pay, healthcare, and more. There is power in numbers and standing up for what you need is important.
On the other hand, I have seen workers who will ‘demand’ even in the face of companies having to go out of business because they cannot meet these demands. This is counterproductive. The owners of the companies are not the ‘enemies’ some workers act like they are.
End of opinion. :0)
A lot of people nowadays are too young to realize why we celebrate the holiday. To them, it’s just a long weekend, a chance to cook out, take a short vacation, or see relatives. (This is always a good thing – we just shouldn’t lose the reason for the holiday in the shuffle.)
Today we honor the workers who make our country run the best it can these days, despite the many challenges they face. May they be happy, healthy, and prosperous.
Filed under holidays
Stayin’ Young – A Review
Stayin’ Young – Routines for a Healthy Lifestyle by Norah Halstead
We are older before we know it. Do you have a plan for facing your ‘more mature’ senior years feeling healthy and able to stay active? Neither do I. I just kind of slid into my dotage, doing whatever each day, denying that I might need to actually have a ‘plan.’
Norah Halstead puts the parts you should be considering into one place. There are other books on specifics as to which exercises, or particular nutrition facts to meet your particular needs, but this is a ‘standing-back’ over-all starter book for the areas you need to concentrate on so that you don’t fall victim to the ‘use it or lose it’ syndrome. She covers nutrition, exercise, the importance of social interaction, mental exercises, relaxation and more.
There were two things I particularly liked in her book:
1) there is a section on her suggestions for good sources of experts on particular areas if you want to learn more.
2) There is also a section on relaxation techniques – an area that I’m dealing with on a daily basis right now.
So, if you’re like me, and have basically ignored the whole idea of planning to age gracefully – just hoping for the best – this is a book that can get you started on at least THINKING about having a plan, with the areas that will become more and more important to you.
I’ve included a link above to her book on Amazon.
Filed under aging, Book - Movie - TV Reviews
Iridescent Art
AllDDArtsCreations-Etsy
displate-etsy
GF5Bucks-Etsy PinkyBean.com NoSkill.art2023
Filed under Iridescent Art
Dog Mosaics
Teckel Nain-mosannick.blogspot.com
mosaicmentoring.com
Solange Piffer – Pinterest
Filed under mosaic
Pretty Sunday 9-3-2-23
Lensball-https-digital-photography-school.com
It’s 80 and sunny this morning. It’s supposed to be in the 90s – but no excessive heat warnings, flying hair balls, or anything else, so I can’t complain. I WILL be happy when the weather is more fall-like, though. :0)
The only chore I’m recognizing today is vacuuming – and that only because there is already a whole dog’s worth of hair trying to grab you by the ankles as you walk by. My husband is taking a nap now, though, so it’ll need to wait until later in the day.
I’m planning to head up to my art room soon. I didn’t get there yesterday because of the chili making, changing the sheets on the bed, and doing 4 loads of laundry. By the time I finished these, I was pooped and no longer in the mood to play. I have three things started upstairs, though, so hopefully I can make some progress.
Do you have plans for Labor Day? Are you traveling for a last vacation or to see relatives? Cooking out? Watching sports on TV? I hope you’re having time away from work and enjoying the long weekend.
Filed under holidays, Thoughts on a ________
Coming Along
Freepik
The Cookie Rookie
The chili is now in the crock pot and the kitchen is cleaned up, ready for lunch in about an hour.
Getty Images – Southern Living
The 2nd load of laundry is in, the bed is stripped, ready for clean sheets.
I have my 2nd cup of coffee in hand, ready to catch up on my computer.
It’s NICE to not have a heavy to-do list for the day, and it’s a PRETTY day – 83 degrees, reasonable humidity, and sunny. Ahhhh!
Hope you’re enjoying your day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Saturday 9-2-2023
Boys’ and Girls’ Names Signs – Made to Order – $5.75 with FREE SHIPPING to contiguous U.S. HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy
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My husband got some stuff in the mail yesterday he ordered online. As he opened the package, he pushed one small package in my direction and said, “This one’s for you.” Inside were 2 dozen cut-out wooden blank signs designed to be used in your garden. He and I haven’t talked about my garden much this year since it was such a bust, and I guess he was trying to quietly encourage me regarding NEXT year. He’s a keeper. :0)
I also got the new dremel type tool I ordered. On looking at it and the attachments closely, the parts are all for grinding, rather than etching. I ordered the wrong thing. :0( My brother-in-law suggested that I use the term “engraver” rather than ‘etcher,’ in my search and I think I was successful.
This is light weight, used like a pencil, and is cordless. It has several different diamond bit tips. Best of all, since Amazon is having some kind of special thing going on for Labor Day, it is supposed to be delivered TOMORROW – SUNDAY!
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I’m about to go in and get the makings of chili into a crock pot for tonight. I’m also doing several loads of laundry, changing our sheets, and other exciting things. The one I’m looking forward to, other than writing some more blog posts, is playing in my art room. :0)
So a happy day here. I hope that you are having one, as well.
creativeartworksblog 