Enjoy These Drawings!
Filed under drawings
Progress in the Yard 9-20-2021
I finished clearing out the tomato plants from the two brick planters and dumped the debris.
It’s almost 100 out there now, according to our thermometer in the SHADE on our deck, so I’m opting to wait to try to use the weed whacker until about 5:00 or so, when hopefully, it will be a bit cooler. :0)
In the meantime. I wanted to share how the elephant ears are doing!
They don’t have too much farther to go until you won’t be able to see the windows in the garage behind them. I’m thrilled.
They are truly happy in this pot, with enough sun, the irrigation system, and a bit of protection from the winds we get up here.
When the weather is such that the leaves are spent after freezing, I’m going to just cut them off level with the soil and then cover them thickly with mulch, hoping to get them through the winter and able to thrive again next year.
Filed under Gardening
If You Haven’t Met Hauser…
Filed under Hauser - Cello, music
The Yard Work Continues
This is the way I feel at times working in our yard. I don’t know how long it would take for things to go back to completely wild if my efforts had to stop, but I don’t think it would be long. We live on top of a ridge line and have left most of our 8 acres wild. We keep a small ‘civilized area’ at the very top, around the house and shop, with space for my square foot garden.
I will go outside soon to try to finish the latest effort – clearing out the two tomato planters and weed whacking around them, plus around the yard. Today is supposedly the last of the really hot weather here, with a cold front, rain, and cooler temperatures forecast for tonight and tomorrow. Hooraaaaaaay! I’m ready.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Change in Philosophy
Filed under Favorite Authors & Books, Favorite Quotes, Poohisms
The Art of Face Painting
Filed under Childlike Fun, Facepainting
Sculptor-Dog Lover
Christine Cummings creates wonderful ceramic sculptures of all kinds of things. They are beautiful, but the thing that got to me was that the poses of the dogs made it clear that Christine loves dogs. I love her work.
Filed under Christine Cummings Ceramics, sculpture
Almost Finished
I’ve just finished my third session in the yard today.
I’m trying to get the two brick tomato planters cleaned up. I’ve collected three wheelbarrow loads of greenery packed down. I’m ALMOST finished with that. I’ll try to finish that tomorrow, and then finally do the weed whacking I need to do around both planters, and then as far as I can reach under the deck.
I got overheated the first two sessions. This last one was better. The sun is starting to ease off for the day, so I’m not huffing and puffing badly this time.
I’m debating with myself about whether to just leave them for the winter, or to haul Mel’s Mix out there, filling up both planters, and then putting tarps on them. Much will depend on the weather over the next weeks.
For now, I’m glugging a big bottle of cold water, putting my feet up, and saying “Ahhhhhh!” :0)
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Glass Art I Love
Filed under Gorgeous Glass
Another Week
That’s only talking of money, though.
I am rich in SO many other ways –
- My husband loves me. We celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary last June. Neither of us is easy to live with, but we have had the great opportunity to build and share our lives – a priceless treasure. I have to tell you that things get more challenging as we age, but the love that brought us together back in the Dark Ages, when I was 14 and he was 17, remains strong. It’s us against the world. We can still make each other laugh, and he can still melt me into a puddle.
- Although we lost our precious daughter, Jade, when she was two months old to SIDS, we won the lottery on sons. There is no greater joy than to see a child grow up, make their own way, be happy, and still be very, very close, respecting each other as people, enjoying whatever time we can spend together. Our son has chosen to live and work in Thailand. We don’t seem him physically very often because it costs a fortune for all the flights and he spent a full 24 hours getting to us the last time. Happily, he arranged a secure chat program that we use on a daily basis, sharing thoughts, questions, pictures, etc. He also arranged a conference call program where we can see each other and talk and laugh real time. I LOVE seeing his face, his smile.
- My husband and I are retired, so we can spend most of our days as we like – a real quality of life issue. We enjoy new found fun of creating yard art together, plus mailbox decorations, plus stained glass together. We are very different people, not even using the same salt – but we truly enjoy ‘fighting’ over what we want to make next, figuring out how to make it happen, what colors to use. and more.
- I can indulge my love of trying to grow flowers and veggies. I love it when the weather is such that I can spend time outside puttering around, celebrating successes, learning from failures.
- I can lose myself playing in my art room – a chance to try new techniques with a large trash can alongside. :0) I have the luxury of showing the better things on my page on Etsy
- The days aren’t long enough to do all I would like to. I’m constantly deciding what I would like to do next, knowing I’ll run out of time or energy before I want to.
- I have the luxury to wile away time enjoying a new thing – for example, I think I’ve told you that I love finding things on Pinterest. I’m a sucker for clips of America’s (or any other country) Got Talent. Today I found Brian Justin Crum. This man can blow you away with his voice.
I didn’t become unexpectedly rich this week in money – but in all other ways, I’m flying high. :0)
Filed under quality of life, Thoughts on a ________
I Love These Paintings
Filed under paintings I love
We All Need Love
Filed under love
The Agony of Defeat
We had carefully scheduled for the garage door technician to come between 12:00 and 2:00 today to install the door seal we couldn’t install ourselves.
JUST as we were getting ready to leave for Lunch Bunch, the tech called, saying he was on his way. My husband said he would stay home to meet him.
When I got home after Lunch Bunch and errands, there was no seal on the garage door. My husband said the tech was unable to install it but said he could order one for us. It would be $354 plus labor plus tax. My husband said, “No,” and paid him the $50 for the service call.
I have now written an email to the online store from which we got the door seal, asking if we can return it.
So we’re wincing a bit from
- the fact we bought the wrong seal from Yeagers and had to return it,
- couldn’t install the seal we ordered on the net,
- may be out the $75 we paid for the Internet seal,
- paid $50 for a service call that had no results
- and have decided that we will try to ignore the fact we have no seal on our garage door.
Definitely a case of one hesitant, but well -meaning step forward and SEVERAL irritating steps back.
Filed under Challenges, Housekeeping - Maintenance
Delightful Art from Found Things
Filed under Art From Found Things
Happy Dog Art
Filed under Amazing Animals
Never Too Many Baby Elephant Photos
Filed under Amazing Animals
End of an Era
Today is Lunch Bunch. I’ve told you before that two friends and I as the core – plus others who have joined us over the years – meet for lunch on Fridays at The Pizza Barn. We have done this for over 20 years now. We catch up on what has happened the past week, what is coming up, have great food, wonderful conversation, laughs and tears.
That remains – thank goodness, but there is a change. Susan, one of our waitresses, has decided to retire. Her last day is NEXT Friday, the 24th. She wants to spend more time with her grandchildren.
We are happy for her and are “crying into our beers” otherwise, selfishly. Susan IS the Pizza Barn. We have shared things every Friday with Susan, too. She brings us our lunches, and has helped us celebrate birthdays and Christmas, has shared good news and bad, and is as much a part of the group as the people sitting at the big table. We have exchanged birthday gifts. She is on my Christmas list. She is a friend.
She – with Mikey (our other wonderful waitress/friend) – gave us her retirement news last Friday. I was talking to another of the Lunch Bunchers this morning, deciding what we would do for the proper send-off next week. We are both really sad. We realize that’s selfish, but it’s a gut level reaction.
We will try to get her to come to Lunch Bunch, bringing the grandkids, but we know that it will be a rare thing, and that Lunch Bunch – one of the truly bright spots of our world each week – won’t be the same.
Filed under Friendship
Acorn Joy
Filed under acorn art, Petr Vaclavek - Dubanci.cz
Pencil and Charcoal Drawings
Filed under drawings
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