“David Zinn has been creating original artwork in and around Ann Arbor, Michigan since 1987. For more than twenty years, he freelanced for a wide variety of commercial clients while simultaneously sneaking “pointless” art into the world at large.”
Sigh
Weather Station Advisor
Mother Nature has her rain song on loop replay this week. The rain is supposed to be harder today, with thunderstorms.
We’re in Greenwood, just southeast of Fort Smith, the name almost hidden by the green blobs on this radar image. Those are to be replaced by some yellow blobs later today, but hopefully, NOT the orange or red ones.
We haven’t gotten any more hail. I’m hoping that my tomato plants and veggie plants in my garden boxes are doing okay. We arranged for a lot of drainage, so hopefully they’ll be all right.
All this rain makes me lazy (as if I needed any excuse :0) ) I’ve just been concentrating on taking care of my husband and staying warm and dry.
We’ve been force-ably reminded yet again that we are back in a previous century with our tastes. We’ve been members of Netflix for a long time. We opted for the DVDs since our rural Internet wasn’t up to the task of streaming. They again gave us that option, and though we are able now to stream, we still prefer the DVDs. Now they’ve taken that option away, discontinuing the DVD service, so we HAVE to go for the streaming option or simply stop the service.
Yesterday we spent half the day trying to make the switchover. They added insult to injury telling us how ‘easy’ it was to make the switch. My husband had cancelled our previous service in a huff over them stopping the DVD shipments, so it made the process less than ‘easy.’ He also got confused about them sending code. I finally took over most of the process, getting it to show on his computer. We needed to also have it on our TV, and that was a whole ‘nother’ process, but my husband was finally able to enter our password in the living room and actually watch a movie last night. So, we continue kicking, screaming and dragging our feet into the new century.
I hope YOU don’t need to kick and scream to enjoy your day. Stay warm and dry.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Celia Allen Sculpture 2
Celia Allen’s Studio
The thing I love about Celia Allen’s work is that she doesn’t just sculpt a ‘dog,’ she captures the love of ‘dogdom,’ with playful poses and interactions between two pieces. It shows her love and understanding of dogs. It would be fun to be a dog at her house. :0)
Filed under Celia Allen Sculpture, sculpture
Wednesday Thoughts 4-26-2023
“Dorky Dogs” – BoredPanda.com – Liucija Adomaite and Justinas Keturka
We’re having a quiet, wet day here, and apparently the off and on sogginess (is that a word?) will continue through tomorrow, at least. Sigh. It was raining fairly heavily when we got back from errands yesterday, so we just left the trash can at the road at the bottom of the driveway. The next time we go out we’ll see if we can get it re-tethered at the pole up the driveway a bit.
I wouldn’t describe myself as a “country-music-aholic,” but I’ve been listening to a lot of artists I’ve never heard before through the reaction channels on YouTube and I’ve found some incredibly moving songs and terrific voices. I’ve also discovered the kindness of some of the country singers that restores my faith in humanity. I get overwhelmed by ugliness in the world around us occasionally, and I’m turning to music more and more to show me there is a “good-bit-of-good” in the world yet. :0)
We just started April and it’s almost gone. It used to be that writing checks for bills kept me straight on the day of the week, month of the year, and which year we were in. Now that I pay almost everything electronically, I can’t get used to the month and I’m into the next. My hair blows with the time whizzing past.
Lately Amber, our yellow lab, celebrates our turning the TV off by going to the corner of the room where her toys lie in a basket and bringing out one at a time, presenting it to each of us, ACTING like she wants us to throw it, but ACTUALLY wanting to play tug-o-war. By the time the evening is over, ALL of the toys are strewn over the living room carpet. I’m getting a bit of exercise as I have to bend over to retrieve each one and take it to the basket. (Do you supposed she might be trying to send me a message?)
I hope that your Wednesday, April 26th, 2023 is a nice one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Feeling Lethargic
“Dorky Dogs” – BoredPanda.com – Liucija Adomaite and Justinas Keturka
We’re leaving in a bit for my husband’s haircut. We may go for some supplies, but it’ll depend on how my husband is feeling after sitting for the haircut. His back is still an issue.
We’ll get our mail and re-tether our trash can to the pole up our steep driveway. We’re due for rain starting sometime this afternoon and continuing off and on through Thursday.
I hope that wherever you are, you’re safe from the wrath of Mother Nature, somewhere warm and dry and cozy.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Tuesday 4-25-2023
April 19, 1968 a tornado ripped through the town of Greenwood, Arkansas and pretty much leveled it, killing 13 people and injuring at least 200 others.
My husband and I moved here in 1987, but there is a definite “before the tornado” and “after the tornado” feeling here. There was a piece on the local news about the 55 year anniversary of that tornado yesterday.
It was an F4 tornado and came up in the middle of the afternoon when school was letting out. In 4 minutes, the town was leveled.
“GREENWOOD, Ark. — On April 19, 1968, one of the deadliest tornadoes to strike Arkansas tore through Greenwood, killing 13 people and injuring more than 200. The tornado was rated an F4. Around 3:15 p.m., the tornado touched down in the southern section of Greenwood for four minutes.”
The town was rebuilt and was totally intact when we moved here in 1987. The people here are resilient, hard-working, with a lot of heart. The square in the center of town was pretty much wiped off the map, but once again has a charm that drew me the minute I saw it. It reminds me of Nevada, Missouri, where my mom’s parents lived. I visited in the summers and could walk to the square and ‘shop,’ just like a real person, rather than having to wait on someone to take me somewhere. I could walk to the library, buy a cherry coke from the counter in the local drug store, window shop, and more. I have wonderful memories of that time.
KFSM
Filed under Mother Nature
I Love These
Filed under sculpture
A Perfect Morning?
“Dorky Dogs” – BoredPanda.com – Liucija Adomaite and Justinas Keturka
I feel that chewing on the edge of a table might help me deal with the frustration I’m feeling this morning.
Madeleine Jacobs
One of my pet peeves is medicine ‘protected’ by child-proof caps. I understand that this is necessary if you have young children, grandchildren, etc. who might gain access. I try to avoid this and get the ‘unsafe’ version when I can, but sometimes they don’t MAKE one.
This morning I was trying to open a new bottle of Miralax. The top says, “Push Down and Turn” with an arrow. I did that and DID that and it wouldn’t open. I gave the bottle to my husband, who did that and DID that and it wouldn’t open. He finally took his knife to it and got it open, demolishing the top, which you’re supposed to use as a measuring instrument. I tried to use the top that was left and the stuff dumped onto the dining area table. We ended up brushing off the table into the glass…. Oh, well.
My husband is having a more difficult day with his back hurting this morning. He is insisting he will help me gather the trash and take it down to the bottom of the driveway. “I” have a hard time on the gravel, trying to move the humongous trash can down from where we tether it down to the road where it is emptied tomorrow. I’m trying to figure out how to deal with my husband, with his injured back, not skidding on the gravel…
kazu91-Deviant art
Enough griping. The sun is shining. It’s 52 degrees with a lot of sunshine. We ate a ‘main meal salad’ last night made from the 1st harvest of our spring veggie garden with fresh head lettuce leaves and fresh spinach leaves in a chef-type salad. Delicious! :0)
ALS News
I got a notification on Twitter where I tweet about featured products from my Etsy site and my blog posts are posted, saying that they had placed a warning on my tweet due to ‘suggestive content,’ etc. They did that once before on a post titled, “Wet Wednesday.” This time they thought “Stuffing My Face” needed a warning. Hahahahahahahah. I told them it was about overeating, and suggested that they READ the post before slapping a warning on it.
Not sure what the day will hold, but it HAS to be better than it started.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Vivi K. Crandall Art 4
Filed under animal paintings, Vivi K. Crandall
1st Harvest – Spring 2023!
Spinach
Head Lettuce Leaves
Full Harvest – I’ll fix a ‘main meal salad’ this evening. :0)
I finished weeding the veggie boxes this morning before the harvest. This shows you the huge amount of little bitty weeds that I’ve been working on.
There is an equal amount of spinach and head lettuce plants in the garden so far. The tomato plants are in two brick planters on the other side of the house.
I have four of the six planter boxes planted so far. I’m hoping to get more plants in the coming week. Not sure what will be available, but I’m looking forward to it.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Foxy
Bozhena Fuchs
Mephisto-Design-Society6
Red Fox-Elina Birzkalne-DukeJacobArt-Etsy
Tracey Earl Art
Olga Shvartsur
Filed under animal paintings
A Hug to Start a Sunday
I Can Has Cheezburger
Today is chilly, though beautiful, and we have rain chances Tuesday-Thursday this week. I’ll take it.
hayneedle.com
Yesterday I got three of the four planted veggie garden boxes weeded. I’m planning to finish today. It looks like I might be able to actually do my first spring harvest today!!!!
My husband’s back is a bit better. He got up before I did this morning and did some light, start-the-morning chores. He’s resting in his chair, reading now, and looks perkier today.
I told you awhile back that I’m enjoying ‘music-reaction’ videos on YouTube lately. People have started channels where they take suggestions on what they should listen and react to. The video shows both them and what they’re reacting to.
I have subscribed to ‘Sebs Duran’ where Sebs and his wife Ali are exploring country music together. He came from only listening to heavy metal type music and she has more eclectic tastes, though neither had much experience with the whole country genre. As they react to videos suggested by their subscribers, “I” am hearing several that are new to me, as well. I’m becoming much more of a country fan than I used to be. I’m amazed at the lyrics, the real expertise on the instruments, and the quality of voices I’m hearing. A delightful way to spend some time.
My favorite ‘reactor’ is The World Upside Right I don’t know his name, but I have subscribed and made sure that when he reacts to something, I’m notified so I don’t miss it. He has a really expressive face that lights up the room with joy. He also isn’t afraid to show that something really gets to him. His reactions are honest, real and raw. He takes the time to research, really wanting to know who he is listening to. Right now he and I (and probably several other people) are rooting for Iam Tongi to win the American Idol competition. :0) If you’re interested in this type of thing, you should check out his channel.
Enjoy your day!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Happy Earth Day 2023
Just Energy
I’m planning to prune and weed my veggie boxes and tomatoes today. I hope your weather is such that you can enjoy being outside, too.
Happy Earth Day!
Filed under Gardening, holidays, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Rick Stevens Art
Filed under Landscapes I Like
Hahahahahahaha
sun-gazing.com
Yesterday I got up from my computer, intending to go pee and get a cup of coffee.
I got up, got my husband some Tylenol and water, cleaned up the kitchen some, and went back to the office. I started to reach for my coffee, and saw I didn’t have any. I still needed to pee. I got up again.
My husband asked if I could bring him a cold drink. I fixed that, took it to him, then changed the wash to the dryer, peed, and came back. I started looking at things again and reached for my coffee cup….
I FINALLY got some coffee – but really, it was embarrassing by the time things finally clicked and I accomplished my initial task.
deepsthots.tumblr.com
Filed under Challenges
Stuffing My Face
ebaums world
I did well on eating yesterday, plus getting lots of exercise doing 7 total loads of laundry, cleaning up the sheets I used protecting plants from the hail storm, folding them and putting them away for next time. I did the 7th load because my husband had trouble with the bacon cheeseburger I brought him from Lunch Bunch, dumping it on his robe. I finally went to sleep after getting that in the dryer, about 1:30 or so this morning. The problem is that when my husband went to bed, I was ravenous, eating everything except the fridge.
It’s been a bit stressful around here. My husband hurt his back about a week ago. He was pulling on something in the shop and heard a ‘pop’ in his back. He wouldn’t let me take him to a doctor. He’s been using the heat pad (won’t switch off with ice), and taking Tylenol.
After about half an hour of my massage therapist’s expertise Thursday, he spent the first day since he hurt himself pain-free. He is still better than he was, but is having trouble when he has to change position. she said he should get x-rays and probably go to a chiropractor. (Of course, that went in one ear and out the other.)
Last night he came downstairs about 2 a.m. and went to sleep in his chair. About 4 a.m. for some reason his recliner went over backwards, dumping him on the floor. His feet knocked his tray table over. He managed to get the chair back upright and slept the rest of the night.
This morning I picked up the tray table and put it back together again, retrieved all the stuff that fell off of it, etc. Thankfully, the glass that was on the rug was plastic, and was empty at the time everything dumped. He seems to be doing fine right now, but I’m checking on him on a regular basis.
Until we can get his pain and movement under better control, I’m afraid I’m destined to look like the sweet critter at the top of this post. I’ll try again today, and hopefully won’t be still doing laundry at 1 a.m. and will be upstairs with my husband – both of us resting quietly tonight.
Filed under Challenges
Dog Gone!
“Dorky Dogs” – BoredPanda.com – Liucija Adomaite and Justinas Keturka
I just love this photo. For some reason it makes me smile and feel happy.
Our tomato plants and veggie boxes came through the last storm intact, thank goodness. I don’t remember having much hail, except for maybe a small amount of hail you could hardly see or hear, in the past. The last two storms have really gotten our attention.
We watched in amazement as the hail came down storm before last, bouncing all over the yard. It looked like each hail ball bounced up about a foot after it hit initially.
The last storm the sound was so loud I almost had to cover my ears with my hands, and we heard a few loud cracks as big pieces hit. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it broke a window.
I’ll call on Monday to see if our insurance agent will come out and check us out for any damage, but I’ll make sure he knows that we aren’t priority. We can’t see any damage, but we can’t get up on the roof and check things out more closely as we used to.
Today it’s much cooler – the reason for the storms. We’re only supposed to have a high in the low 60’s, rather than the low 80’s we’ve been having. The sun is shining its face off. You’d never know Mother Nature has been so angry.
I spent all day and into the evening washing all the king-sized sheets I used to try to protect the plants. All are in a trash bag now, ready to be stored in the garage for the next storm. I really hope we’re getting to the end of all this. I’ll try not to gripe when the heat settles in for the summer, baking us, with no rain in sight. :0)
I’ll take some time later today to see more closely how the veggie planters are doing. I know I need to do some pruning and weeding – and might be able to bring in some lettuce and spinach leaves!
I hope you’re having a beautiful Saturday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Vivi K. Crandall Art 3
Filed under animal paintings, Vivi K. Crandall
Good Lunch Bunch
Lunch Bunch was good, even though it was only Kay, Bud, and I. They were talking about their new way of gardening, in buckets, and wanted me to see what they were doing. So we went back to their house after we ate. They showed me a whole series of buckets for growing veggies, plus new roses bushes they had planted along their chain link fence. I was very impressed, and happy for them that they had figured out a way to do what they wanted and make it easier on themselves.
At lunch, Bud told me about a hail storm in 1965 or 66 where a really bad hail storm had killed a bunch of cattle and horses. One man brought a piece of hail to a weigh station. It had melted some during the trip, of course, but it still weighed 11 pounds!!!!! I really can’t imagine that. He also told me about working one day in a shop at a construction site. Suddenly, the garage door was blown in to the point it bowed out into the shop, then it went completely the other way and was gone. He got down on his hands and knees behind some barrels. The top blew off the shop and most of it was destroyed around him. Thankfully, he was JUST scared and wasn’t injured. I’ve lived in “Tornado Alley” most of my life, but (knock on wood) I’ve never actually seen one. I hope that continues.
I brought lunch home to my husband, and caught him up on the news and our friends’ flowers and garden.
Filed under Friendship
Daiga Dimza Art
Tufted Titmouse-Daiga Dimza-Etsy-Duke Jacob Art
Bumblebee-Daiga Dimza-Duke Jacob ART-Etsy
Filed under paintings I love
Today’s Exercise
This gives you an idea of what the threat of hail does around here. My first exercise of the morning was gathering the sheets I had spread on our two tomato planters on one side of the house plus the garden veggie boxes on the other side of our property. The sheets are really a challenge to spread over the plants when the wind is gusting. This morning I used the wheelbarrow to gather the heavy, wet sheets and clothespins.
Six loads of wash, folding the sheets into a trash bag, and then storing them with the clothespins for next time will be my next exercise for the day.
BoredPanda.com – “Dorky Dogs” – Liucija Adomaite and Justinas Keturka
Lastly, I’ll do a session of yoga this afternoon. Since I didn’t get my massage yesterday, my poor old body is telling me I really need to spread out, stretch, and relax into several poses so I don’t creak when I move. :0)
Filed under exercise
Another ‘Morning After’
When this shows up on Twitter later, the censors will probably flag it for ‘inappropriate content’ and I’ll have to again speak to the fact that they should READ the content before deciding it’s questionable. (The last time was ‘Wet Wednesday’ where I was again speaking of storms and rain. :0) )
Tenor.gif
The morning after – The severe weather we were expecting finally showed up yesterday evening. All of a sudden it was like being in the middle of a humongous, rushing waterfall, the hardest rain I can remember seeing, and then we had about 10 minutes or so of large hail. I’ll call our insurance agent later to see if we should be checked, but I’ll tell him that we can’t see any damage and to put us at the bottom of the list on getting to people.
I had spread clothes-pinned sheets over our tomato plants and the veggie boxes before the storms were due, so I had protected things as well as I was able and hoped for the best. I’ve just finished using the wheelbarrow to gather the clothespins and the heavy, wet sheets. Six loads of laundry later, I will fold the sheets up to be used again (though I hope not soon!)
DIY Value Picture
Today is Lunch Bunch. I’m hoping my husband will feel like going with me. I gave him my massage spot yesterday after contacting Lynn Moody, my wonderful massage therapist, to see if she thought she might be able to give him some relief. I’m delighted and relieved to report that she brought him the first almost pain-free day he’s had since he hurt himself. She did tell us that she thought he should get x-rays and see a chiropractor since the pain was in the middle of his lower back. (MAYBE he’ll listen). We’ll never be able to thank her enough.
I hope you have a great Friday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Massage and Storms
Quotir
Good morning!
We’re due for some possibly severe storms today, starting around noon and lasting throughout the evening. (We’re in Greenwood, which is southeast of Fort Smith on this weather map.) I just read that there will probably be hail again, so as soon as we get back from my husband’s massage, I’ll get the sheets out for the tomato plants and veggie boxes. Covering my plants with sheets, then taking them off, bringing them in, and washing them for next time is becoming my main exercise these days.
Best Accredited Colleges
We’ll leave soon for my husband’s massage. I’m sure hoping Lynn can give him some needed relief from the pain from his back injury. My main concern at the moment is helping him get up on the massage table and off again without too much pain. (He said our dog, Amber, went upstairs and lay down on the floor beside his side of the bed to wait for him to wake up this morning.)
I hope you stay safe from any bad stuff today.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Cookies
Forwarded by my friend Marsha
She and I are trying to encourage each other in our efforts to lose the lard and exercise.
She has lost a pound or two already recently and purchased a peddler that she can use several times a day, rain or shine, to try to build muscle and stamina. Huge kudos!
I, on the other hand, am a dismal failure. I do pretty well, and then my husband, trying to be nice, brings me a dish of ice cream with chocolate syrup. Or, failing that excuse, I decide I’m starving to death mid afternoon and have some pretzels, even after drinking a bottle of water first and waiting to try to curb my hunger. I’ve also been using my meager yard work as a substitute for my yoga practice. Bah. Humbug.
I’m trying to do one day at a time – even one morning at a time. I’ll try to get my act together VERY SOON – if not TODAY…
taolife.com
Filed under DIET!, exercise, taking care of yourself
Checking the Garden 4-19-2023
1st tomato blossom
Spinach and Lettuce
Head Lettuce
Spinach
I’ll try to get out in the next few days and get the weeds under control and the wilted/dead parts pruned, but things are looking good so far.
I think the severe weather is JUST supposed to be wind and rain tomorrow. One can hope.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Dan Bullock Art
Filed under Dan Bullock Art, paintings I love
Windy Wednesday 4-19-2023
Cesar’s Way
We’re under a wind advisory today with possibly severe weather tomorrow afternoon and evening. The roller coaster ride continues. I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually rained a bit today, even though it’s not in the forecast. It looks rainy outside.
Yesterday I poured the ‘worm castings tea’ on our tomato plants, plus the lettuce and spinach in the square foot garden.
When I researched how often I should use this, I found “You can’t do it too often. Every few months you add a handful of worm castings to the base of the plant. Every time it rains, or when you water the plant, a tiny bit of worm castings goes down into the soil, and your plant gets a delivery of organic vitamins and minerals. It’s that simple!”
Sprinkling the granules once a month, rather than making and steeping the tea for 24 hours, then laboriously hauling the buckets around, sounds wonderful. Win/win. We’ll see how it goes.
My husband is still suffering from hurting his back. He’s better each day, but improving excruciatingly slowly. I’ve contacted Lynn, my wonderful massage therapist, to see if a massage might help him. She has agreed to see what she can do tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes and hope she is able to give him some relief. Hooray!
Have a nice day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
creativeartworksblog 