I found some things I think are wonderful this week and wanted to share them with you –
Treasures
Filed under Favorite Things
Thoughts on a Saturday 3-12-2022
We had what I consider to be the perfect snow yesterday. It started about 10:30 in the morning, got heavier and heavier as the day wore on, reaching the pinnacle of heavy, fluffy, gorgeous flakes like we were in the middle of a snow globe before gradually easing off by around dinner time last night. My husband told me the driveway was clear, but I have to admit I had to check for myself. It is!! There are tracks for the tires to use all the way to the bottom (I walked down about half way so I could see.) Amazing. Since spring is here officially on the 20th, I’m hoping this is the last we’ll see of the white stuff until next year.
I really wish that Daylight Savings Time would be done away with. I don’t care which way (spring forward or fall back) is chosen, just make a decision and I’ll live with it. I just HATE changing twice a year and then dealing with my reaction to it. End of rant. (I THINK)
We have a large air compressor in our shop, similar in appearance to this one, except ours is almost an antique and seems larger in circumference than this one. Anyway, it developed a problem after serving us for many years. My husband was able to isolate the problem and removed the piece that is causing the problem. He was able to find what he THINKS is a replacement part and ordered it. If it works, we’re back in business again. If not, we have to weigh other options. There is a huge difference in cost between replacing the part and having to buy another, smaller compressor, so our appendages are crossed that my husband can fix it. The main thing we need it for in the near future is changing from snow tires back to regular tires on our truck. If we can’t get the compressor working soon enough, we can throw the regular tires into the truck and I can take the truck in to have the tires changed and aired up commercially.
I’m amazed by how hard it is to find out the truth of what’s going on in the world today. I read a lot of different news sources each day, truly baffled by the differences in the information provided on the same subject depending on the source of the information. I read a bunch of different reports and then try to sort out ANY agreement on what happened, trying to ignore all the opinion and ‘slant’ of the sources. Sometimes it just makes me tired. It used to be easy. I could almost listen to the news with half an ear, my mind on the myriad of concerns in my life otherwise. Now, I have trouble making sense of things really concentrating.
Enjoy your Saturday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Winter Wonderland Not Welcome
Our ‘Winter Wonderland’ is forming, just as our weather experts forecast. The snow seems to be coming down faster as I watch.
At least Amber is enjoying it. She actually stopped in the yard and put her face up, seeming to taste it as it fell.
Sabotage Can Be Fun
My husband is watching a rented movie right now. He has decided that we should be in full survival/comfort-food-mode since it’s snowing, and asked for chili mac with cheese and onions for dinner tonight.
Since I have absolutely no willpower, and wasn’t aware we HAD any chili left, that’s what we’ll have. I can now say – and no one can dispute my veracity :0) – my PLANS to eat right just went out the window for the day – ALL because of my husband. (That’s my story and I’m trying to keep a straight face as I type it.)
It WILL be much easier for me to be good when I can concentrate on planting my early spring garden, play in my planters around the yard and more. For now, I WILL be a good girl and do my yoga this afternoon, but it won’t begin to offset the chili….
Filed under .gifs I Love, DIET!
Well, Okay…
Some wise person said, ‘If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” or words to that effect. I just checked outside again, and the white stuff is clearly falling now. No accumulation on the ground yet, but you can easily see it’s snowing. Oh, joy.
Grudgingly this time, I’m sharing some more snow creations from really creative folks who obviously enjoy the snow more than I do right now. I truly love the imagination and humor shown, and delight when I find new examples. :0)
Filed under Seasons, snow people
Weather Resentment Syndrome
I’m in a whine-and-cheese frame of mind this morning as I watch our weather deteriorate. I’ve been so happy seeing signs of spring, shoots coming up through the debris of the winter, daffodils blooming, our tulip tree full of buds and starting to bloom. All this comes to an end now – at least for awhile – as the temperatures fall and LITTLE BITTY white pellets start to fall.
I was just outside for several minutes, taking pics and realizing that the white stuff the weather people predicted has begun. I had to really concentrate, holding my head very still to SEE it. I FELT it falling on me, though. The wind has picked up and the temperature is really BRISK out there!
I really love our tulip tree. It’s quite fragile, though, and so you have to keep an eye out for the buds and then blooms because they don’t last long in the best of weather. They really lift my spirits, though, for however long I can enjoy them.
Usually it doesn’t snow here after my birthday (March 9), so I’m fully into ‘weather resentment syndrome’ considering this a personal insult to my embrace of spring.
Hopefully, this will be a really quick last gasp of winter that will melt quickly and won’t kill everything. All appendages are crossed.
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons, weather
Overflowing Lapful of Dog
I was here at the computer reading the news of the day when Amber, our 85-pound-ish yellow lab decided she HAD to have some love and proceeded to flip my arm up with her nose and try to climb up in my office chair with me. We both started rolling around with me laughing my head off as she tried to kiss my ear and bring her back legs up into the chair with me at the same time.
We didn’t dump the chair, but it seemed close. I hugged and petted her until she finally got enough for the moment and started listening to my requests for her to ‘get down.’
An overflowing lapful of dog is a great cure for any worries you’re having.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Mouthwatering Gourd Art
Filed under Gorgeous Gourd Art, Gorgeous Gourds
Richness
About the only thing I don’t mind about being snowed and iced in again is that I have plenty of good books to enjoy.
I’m on book #50 Golden in Death from J.D. Robb’s (Nora Roberts’) In Death series. I’m re-reading the whole series in preparation for enjoying my newest paperback addition, #53 Forgotten in Death. I’ve pre-ordered the next one, #54 Abandoned in Death, which comes out in paperback in July.
The thing I’m particularly enjoying this time through is all the ‘extras’ that wind their way through the series, the poignant things people say and do that define their strength, humanity, vulnerability, love, and more. They make me tear up, adding so much richness to the series.
If we get all the rain/wind/sleet/freezing rain/snow forecast tomorrow, picture me, curled up in my recliner, heat pad on low under me, throw over me, coffee on my warmer beside me, cat in my lap, book in hand, appreciating the luxury of my life.
What!?!?!
My friend Kay called yesterday to ask if we wanted to do Lunch Bunch today, instead of tomorrow, because we’re due for a ‘wintry mix’ tomorrow – WHAT!?!?!? We were happy to do Lunch Bunch anytime the group wants to, but I’m bummed by the idea of more snow and ice. I’m embracing spring. Our daffodils and tulip tree are blooming! Hopefully the bad weather will be over very soon and we can start making active plans for our garden and working in the yard.
Under the category of ‘too many changes for old people’ – our son told me yesterday that the conference call program we use to communicate, actually being able to see each other and talk in real time is going to start charging for their services. When I told my husband, he got upset, wanting to keep the program we’re using, even though there are several other options available. I talked to our son briefly this morning, telling him that we wanted to continue the program and that we wanted to pay for all of us to use it. He’s going to check it out and will get back to me.
‘glow-y’ inside when we finished. It was really nice of her to think of me.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Filed under .gifs I Love, aging, Family, Friendship, Thoughts on a ________
Julie Rhodes Wildlife Art
Filed under Amazing Animals, drawings, Julie Rhodes
Jarrett Dahl Chainsaw Art
Filed under Chainsaw Art, When Wood Comes Alive
Reveling Abounds at 75
“To me old age is always fifteen years older than I am!” — Bernard Baruch
To be honest, I’m delighted to BE here, still able to annoy or entertain a bit without a lot of drama. My husband is sleeping in this morning. Our son is happy and doing well. Our animals are happy and healthy. Things are good in our own little world.
In the ‘I ain’t dead yet’ category, I’m enjoying ‘birthday greetings’ from my newest lust, Alan Ritchson, a luscious actor who plays the Reacher character on TV (Amazon Prime Video) from Lee Child’s (one of our favorite authors) books. We watched Season 1 the other day and are actively anticipating Season 2.
No huge festivities are planned for the day. My husband asked last night, “Hey. Do you want to go out or something?” (I swooned at the romance of it :0) ) A happy day is perfectly sufficient to my needs, so I’ll let him off the hook. Besides, he gets to all the birthdays first, so they don’t sting as much when I reach them – a thing I’ll always cherish.
It is lovely to meet an old person whose face is deeply lined, a face that has been deeply inhabited, to look in the eyes and find light there.”
— John O-Donohue
“As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning.”
— Criss Jami
Wisdom is the reward for surviving our own stupidity.”
— Brian Rathbone
“I’ve enjoyed every age I’ve been and each has had its own individual merit. Every laugh line, every scar, is a badge I wear to show I’ve been present, the inner rings of my personal tree trunk that I display proudly for all to see. Nowadays, I don’t want a “perfect” face and body; I want to wear the life I’ve lived.”
— Pat Benatar
“When I grow up I want to be an old woman.”
— Michelle Shocked
‘Happy as a clam’ birthday to me!
Filed under aging, Attitude, Cause for Celebration
Tremendous Topiary
“Stoned” in the Best Way :0)
Filed under Stone/Pebble Art
Wonderful Painted Glassware
Filed under painted glass
Confusion
It seems to me that our world is a mass of mixed signals and confusion. It’s hard to know what to think, what to feel, which way to jump.
I’m kind of like a deer frozen in the headlights, concentrating on one day at a time, trying to do what I can, when I can, one careful step at a time, with a lot of trying to escape thrown in, too, since there is so much happening that I can’t do anything about.
The only thing I can come up with is to try to personally stay as strong as I can, continuing to look for any ways to try to make things better wherever I can find.
I wish I were a fairy godmother, able to wave my wand, think good thoughts, and save the world.
Filed under Attitude, caring, Challenges, Changes, character-building exercises, coping mechanisms
Awe-Inspiring Photography
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography
Pebble Art
Filed under Stone/Pebble Art
Thoughts on a Mild Monday 3-7-2022
We came through the night – with threatened severe storms – just fine. The cold front came through and now it’s 31 degrees F. We have another chance at a ‘wintry mix’ Friday, but I’m really hoping the back of winter has been broken and that we’re moving on to spring. I’m also hopeful that Mother Nature receives the memo and acknowledges the official beginning of spring on the 20th, if not unofficially, before.
My spring garden of veggies is still only a bright spark in my mind. I’ve decided to wait out this week and see what happens Friday. I want to uncover at least some of my raised bed square foot planters and fill them with early spring plants of spinach, lettuce, and broccoli, if not more. (Ours looks much like those in this photo, except we built them up at my chest level, on metal table-like supports, so I don’t have to bend over double or get up and down from my knees.
I’m definitely starting to have ideas rattling around about playing in my art room. I’ve been finding artwork all over the net that is getting my juices flowing, particularly involving mixed media stuff.
Have a safe, happy beginning to your brand, spanking-new week.
YUM
I was doing pretty well on my efforts to ONLY eat the right things until early this morning.
At 1:30 a.m. my husband woke me up. When I asked him what he wanted, he said that I had awakened HIM. I tried to talk to him again, but he was already snoring.
I was pretty angry, so I came downstairs to read my way back to being able to try to sleep again. THAT started a whole ‘eat-everything-possible’ binge for which I make no excuses, and it was two hours before I could go back upstairs.
So today I’m trying to wipe the slate clean and eat what I SHOULD the rest of the day. (My husband is taking a nap in his chair in the living room as I type this.) GRRRRRRR….
Filed under DIET!
I’m Diggin’ It!
I’m itching to start working in the yard, cleaning up, and planting early spring veggie plants in our square foot garden. I just walked around the yard between sessions of rain and was so excited to see more daffodils blooming here and there.
Then, as I was getting ready to come in, I saw our tulip tree has a gazillion buds plus some that are showing color!
We’ll still get more freezes before we can officially say goodbye to winter, but it really brings up my spirits to see the plants bursting forth.
I’m keeping an eye on the 10-day forecasts to see when I can get serious about looking for early spring veggie plants. All I need to do is pull off the tarps and grab my trowel! (If you’ll pardon the expression…) :0)
CAN’T WAIT!
Filed under Gardening, Seasons, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
creativeartworksblog 