I first found string art years ago and was awestruck by the creativity. As in everything else, over the years artists have taken it to a whole new level, almost as if it were a different art form! I love it.
Monthly Archives: April 2024
String Art
Filed under String Art
The Art of Peter Hogarth
“My little dog — a heartbeat at my feet.” – Edith Wharton (novelist)
“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.”― Bill Murray (actor)
“My idea of absolute happiness is to be in bed on a rainy day with my blankie, my cat, and my dog.” – Anne Lamott (novelist)
“Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell.” – Emily Dickinson (poet)
The beautiful, distinctive artwork is by Peter Hogarth. @peterhogarth55 on X.
Filed under animal paintings, Peter Hogarth - Artist
Sunday 4-14-2024
I hope this day is starting well for you.
I’ll go out in a bit and harvest some lettuce for my good friend and miracle-worker-hair-stylist, Michael Remillard, Tangles Hair Salon, Greenwood AR (479) 996-6366 to take to him tomorrow when he once again transforms me from looking like a ‘dandelion-gone-to-seed-in-a-storm’ to ‘someone-has-a-plan’ – a difficult feat to be sure.
We’re supposed to have highs in the 80’s here through Thursday and several chances for rain in the coming week, starting today, so that’s good news and bad news for my veggies. The good news is that I should see some good growth in my tomato plants, and I won’t have to water. I’ll need to make sure the tomato supports are adequate or add more, plus prune the plants for the best tomato production I can. The bad news is that these unseasonably warm temperatures in the early spring may cause my lettuce and spinach some grief. I sure don’t want to be faced with them ‘bolting’ at this point!
We’ve enjoyed the first harvest of leaf lettuce in a big chef salad for dinner one night, several other salads, plus some roast beef sandwiches last night. Such a nice luxury. I’m glad to be able to share some with Michael tomorrow.
I’ve done my 10-minute video with weights from Mike, my Australian senior exercise expert, MoreLifeHealth.com, for 2 days now. I can tell you that my arms are ‘feeling’ the exercise, but not so much I can’t do the next day easily. I’m only using 3-pound weights and will do this for the foreseeable future. Then I’ll switch to 5-pound weights. It feels good to be trying to gain strength in my arms. This should help me in getting up off the floor after my yoga stretches, too! :0)
Have some fun today.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Iris for Debra
My iris started about a month ago. The deep purple iris are my favorites, although I love all of them. We have them around the yard, but in particular down the side of the driveway. My intention was to have the deep purple iris and the bright yellow iris blooming at the same time, but Mother Nature knows best, I guess. The purple ones are mostly finished now, and the yellow ones are blooming their heads off right now, all around the yard.
Amber and Abby ‘walked’ in the yard with me this morning. (Abby was less enthusiastic about all the walking around than Amber (who kept running back and forth), but she luxuriated in the warm and the sunshine just off the driveway pad.)
I have these blooming all over the place right now. My ‘fancier’ ones are just starting to bud and bloom.
The rest of the walk around the yard shows how MUCH weeding and pruning I need to do.
Filed under Gardening
Sally Thursby Mosaics 2
Filed under mosaic, Sally Thursby Mosaics
Saturday 4-13-2024
Karin’s work makes a smile start down at my toes and work all the way up until it simply spews out the top of my head. I can’t look at these without smiling and feeling happy. She truly has a gift.
Yesterday I made “Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese Egg Muffins” from my Simply Keto recipe book by Suzanne Ryan. I ate one this morning. It was really good and is only 2.6 net carbs. :0)
Tonight I’ll fix a roast beef sandwich for my husband and I’ll eat what I call ‘roll-ups’ – with roast beef and cheese rolled up inside Mission Zero Net Carbs Tortillas for me. I’ll finish my ‘splurge’ at lunch with the remaining chicken tender from the deli in town.
We’re due for a really nice weekend weather-wise. I’ll try to spend some time in the yard to celebrate.
Yoga, two 10-minute exercise videos (one with weights and the other stretching) and combo work-in-the-yard and walking around outside will complete my exercise plans for the day.
I’m not sure what else is in store. My husband is trying to write a complicated program on his computer. He finally asked for help from our son via the chat program and then the video conference program. I don’t know whether it helped or not, but he’s busily frowning at his screen. I told him that it was good he reached out because our son really likes to visit with him regardless of the the subject. I was proven right when I read the last line of our son’s reply on chat this morning. “I was happy to see you earlier!”
Make this a wonderful day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Stained Glass Mosaics
These stained glass mosaic pieces were created by Sally Thursby. The only place I’ve been able to find it so far is Pinterest.
Filed under mosaic, Sally Thursby Mosaics
Sonia Lera Preston Fix
Sonia Lera Preston – @Sonia_L_Preston on X
I absolutely love the colors and the FEEL of Sonia Preston’s work. I respond emotionally every time I see one. I think she’s wonderful.
Filed under paintings I love, Sonia Lera Preston
Weighty Friday 4-12-2024
I’m having to shift my exercises once again. My elliptical trainer is flashing a ‘motor error’ message and won’t run, so it’ll have to wait until further notice for me to mention it to my husband. I don’t want him anywhere near heavy, complicated stuff until he’s fully healed. Meanwhile I’m finding some information online that may help when that time comes.
I decided that I would benefit from some guided, timed practice with the weights, so I went back to Mike, a ‘seniors’ exercise specialist online (https://morelifehealth.com/) and found a 10-minute video he leads with exercises with weights and just finished that. I changed from the 5-lb weights I was using to 3-lb for this, since it looked like that was what he was using and I didn’t want to not be able to do it next time due to my arms being too sore. :0)
With that, my 30-minute yoga practice, and either working in the yard or simply walking out to the shop, then back and around the house several times, that will be my exercise for the day.
I’m re-reading Suzanne Ryan’s Simply Keto Recipe Book. I find new information each time I read it, plus renewed motivation to lose the lard. I’m going to fix a chef salad for our dinner tonight with leftover roast beef.
I have also decided that Mission Zero Tortillas may save my life. (Each has 7 carbs. Each also has 7 grams fiber. You start with listed carbs and subtract the fiber count plus alcohol sugars to determine the net carbs. In this case, it’s zero, and there are only 25 calories in each tortilla. I’m using one in place of the dinner roll I used to have with dinner. I use one rolled up to eat a hot dog. I use two for a ‘sandwich.’ Since bread has always been one of my favorite things, I really missed it – so these are a miracle for me.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Delightful Art by Karin de Haas
I found the work of Karin de Haas yesterday on Pinterest, and I’m simply fascinated. Her subjects exude absolute joy and make me feel happy, hopeful – even joyful – looking at them. How can you be sad looking at this wonderful lady and her cat? I want to hug them both.
Filed under Favorite Things
Thursday Thoughts 4-11-2024
This photo makes me happy just looking at it. Just LOVE the happiness of this dog who loves his companion.
The sun came out and it’s supposed to be windy and 69 degrees F. this afternoon. I’ll take it! We have had a lot of rain the past two days. I’m not sure if I can walk in our yard without getting sucked down into the mire, but I’ll try it later to check on my veggie planters.
I made it to a 5-pound increment on my efforts to lose the lard this morning! I have a long way to go, but setting and making it to interim goals helps me keep my focus. I now am down 25 pounds since my heaviest.
I hope your Thursday is wonderful.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Playing with Your Food? YES!
I love these images of people being really creative with food. It frustrates me that I find many of them on Pinterest, and not only do they not list the creator, but most of them don’t have the name of the person who pinned them. I would love to be able to give credit when I find creative things to share with you. I’ll provide all the information I have.
Filed under playing with your food?
Veggie Planter Progress 4-10-2024
As you can see, the lettuce and spinach in this planter seem to be happy so far. I’ll need to do another lettuce harvest soon. :0)
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Wednesday 4-10-2024
I wish I could meet the person who came up with this.
Update: My husband is healing well from his sudden encounter with our brick planter brought about by our dog, Amber, getting excited while on the leash for her last outing of the night. We are now just letting her out now – no leash – and waiting for her to do her business and return. We do learn from our experiences. He reports no pain in either his ear (7 of 8 stitches removed by the nurse practitioner yesterday morning, and the last one ‘snipped’ so it will come out easily over time as the scab finishes healing and falls off.) When I asked him about his previously dislocated little finger, he held up the wrong hand to look at it. :0) Amber is looking quite innocent about all this, just enjoying life.
I just went out to check the veggie planters. All seem to be doing great. I’ll show you some pics in another post this morning. Since we’re supposed to get a lot more rain today, we’ll go down and get our mail and drag our trash can back up the driveway to its resting spot before lunch.
I hope that your Wednesday is a pleasant and happy one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Awe-Inspiring Photos
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography
Drawings I Love
3 Little Piggies – 2 of 3
Tony O Conner – @Tonys_Ponies on X
Filed under drawings
Tuesday Thoughts 4-9-2024
We got up at 0-dark-thirty this morning and were waiting in front of the clinic at 7am, since the lady I talked to yesterday told me it was first come, first served with a limited number of patients accepted, so it was best to get there as early as possible. They opened a bit early. We filled out paperwork and were called after only a few minutes.
The nurse practitioner removed 7 (of 8 (!) stitches) from my husband’s ear. She snipped the last one, saying she didn’t want to disturb it because it was embedded deeply in the rather thick scab there. She said it will now come out on its own as the scab heals and falls off. We are supposed to be careful not to bump it a lot, but it looks like it’s healing well.
We treated ourselves to breakfast at The Dari in town before coming home. As we checked for mail, the mailman drove by and handed our mail to my husband. We are in for the day now, and he’s taking a nap.
I’m still very happy that we got to see the eclipse yesterday. It was different than I expected, in that we didn’t see the whole sun blocked by the whole moon surrounded by a corona, but we saw the sun disappear bit by bit until it was ‘gone’ leaving us in a twilight state for several minutes before starting to appear again, bit by bit. It was the first one we’ve ever seen, and the last one since it won’t happen again for 20 years, so we’re happy that we actually got to see something this time.
Later on today, I’ll check my veggie plants to see if they made it through the night. The forecast said we might get hail. By the time they said that, it was already dark and I decided the heck with it. We’ll see.
I’m feeling pretty groggy since it seems we got up in the middle of the night in order to get to the clinic today. If I do my yoga and my elliptical trainer today, I will decided I have done well.
Have a nice Tuesday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Quick Note 4-9-2024
We’re going to the Walk-in clinic this morning at 0-dark-thirty to get my husband’s stitches out, and then will try to get breakfast at The Dari, one of our favorite restaurants, if he feels like it.
I’ll write when we get home.
Filed under taking care of yourself
Wow
I’m awe-struck. I’ve never seen a solar eclipse before. I set out two chairs in our back yard and got out our glasses. I decided not to try to take pics. I noticed it was getting darker when I looked out the window toward the front yard, so I grabbed the glasses, yelled at my husband, and headed out the back door. It had already started, with a small chunk out of the bottom right side of the sun.
It was amazing to us that even when the sun went completely dark, it was like dusk in our back yard. We could have seen to drive. We didn’t see the corona around the round sun. Our view was such that the crescent kept getting smaller and smaller and then there was just a bit left at the upper left of the circle. Then it was completely gone.
It was dark for several minutes and then a small bit of light showed to the right side of the moon. It’s still getting lighter as I type, but we saw the magnificence of the whole event. My husband is even mowing again right now, being upset that he missed an area on the first mowing.
ALWAYS in the past, when comets are supposed to be giving a showy, showery display, or the planets are in alignment, or something else wonderful is happening, WE get storms or clouds or flying hairballs – SOMETHING that makes it a non-event here.
Today, when we likely won’t be here anymore for the next one, we got to see it. What a sight!
Filed under Delightful Surprises, Mother Nature, WOW
Dreams
This simply makes me drool. I WANT this in my yard. I want it for my own. I want to spend a LOT of time here.
If you’re old enough, you’ll understand this – Close your eyes tightly, hold your breath and wish, “Clap if you believe in Tinkerbelle!”
Maybe it will work on getting this for ME!
Filed under Dreams
Playing With Your Food – Encore
Filed under playing with your food?
Today is the Day 4-8-2024
Here in Greenwood AR we are in the ‘path of the totality.’ We are supposed to see our peak at 1:45 this afternoon. It’s sunny and bright right now, but the forecasters say that clouds are coming in for tonight’s rain. :0( I’m hoping that they hold off until I get to see my first and only eclipse. It’s supposed to start here about 1:45pm. I’ll be out there before that with my glasses and my camera, just in case. All appendages, including my eyes, are crossed that as many people as possible will be able to stare, awestruck, at one of the world’s miracles.
We will stay completely clear from town today. We’ll go to the bottom of the driveway in a while to take our trash down and get our mail, then we’ll turn around and come back up. The news people are ASKING people not to stop their vehicles in the middle of the street, on a dam or bridge, or just sidle to the side of a road in the middle of this. We don’t need to be on the road at ALL, so we won’t be.
Saturday was was a zombie, not doing my exercises or much of anything else after a really poor night of sleep. Yesterday I was a ‘good girl,’ doing 11 minutes on my elliptical trainer in the garage and then my half hour or so of old lady stretching yoga. I put TWO stars on my desk calendar. :0) Today I’ll do my exercises for my arms with my dumbbells and then my yoga.
I bought a beautiful beef roast at the store yesterday and got it in the crock pot a while ago. We haven’t had one in a long time, so this will be a real treat. My husband immediately said he would make the mashed potatoes. I had to tell him that would be fine, but to just make enough for him, since I wouldn’t eat them with my keto eating plan. He looked at me and said, “___ the potatoes. I’ll eat whatever you’re eating.” (He’s definitely a keeper.) So we’ll have a nice tossed salad – with some lettuce included from OUR VEGGIE GARDEN and some steamed broccoli.
I wish you a Happy Eclipse Day. I hope we can all see at least a piece of it.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
creativeartworksblog 