Wood & Bone Figures – Andrey Sagalov – designyoutrust.com
Happiness
I believe, more than ever, attitude is all.
You can choose to be mired down, despairing over the state of the world, Covid and its aftermath, personal problems, etc., or you can CHOOSE to concentrate on what is inspiring, hopeful, and uplifting. You can live in fear or you can CHOOSE to slug on, doing the best you can at any given time, and deal with what happens.
This doesn’t mean you live with your head in the sand, ignoring the important things happening around you. It means you work to change what you can and handle what you can’t change in the best way you can.
I choose to concentrate on what is RIGHT in the world – what is BEAUTIFUL – what is hopeful, and what fills my heart.
Filed under Attitude
Rock Painting
Filed under Roberto Rizzo, Rock Art
Never Enough Funny Signs
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Thoughts on a Monday 7-26-2021
Isn’t this bird wonderful? I want to try to cheer him up.
We are having a quiet day so far today, and I am grateful.
Summer is definitely here now with an afternoon actual temperature of 96 and a heat index at 100+. Little or no rain in the forecast until further notice. UGH
The wonderful news is that my husband got the repaired part back in the Corvette yesterday and the vehicle is now sitting in our garage! WOO HOOOOO! After paying the service department at the Chevrolet place in Ft. Smith $85.00 to look at it and tell us the part we needed had been discontinued, we spent $10 for a tool. We didn’t need to buy the replacement part we found on the net – though it was good to know we could have. My husband got the part out, pried the top off the ‘module,’ soldered 4 wires, put it back in the car to test it, and IT WORKED. He took it back out, sealed the top back on, put it back in again (able to get 5 of the 6 screws in) and all the warning lights disappeared.
We were going to take it out for a test run, but he’s going to call the shots on that. He is really sore – particularly the rib muscles on his left side – from lying on the car, stretched as far as he could to reach and fight with recalcitrant parts for HOURS over a three-day period. He has bruises bungs, gouges and scrapes over the backs of both hands and one arm. I’m trying to get him to rest as much as possible over the next several days.
Since he’s like the Energizer Bunny, even when he’s hurting, he got out right before dark and used the riding mower to mow the back yard. Then it was too dark for him to see. He’ll probably finish the yard today, but I’m HOPING he’ll wait until right before dark again. I’ll get out and do the weed whacking today.
The “refurbishing-of-the-critters” project is ongoing. I’ve cleaned and repainted 12 yard critters so far, and am currently repainting a pair of critters we call “Mama Snail and Her Baby” in the shop. I should finish those in the next day or two and will post a picture. The next larger critter is a “peacock” I’ll start after that.
I’m considering shaving Amber, our 95-pound yellow lab. Yesterday I vacuumed the tiled area on our first floor (utility room, dining area, kitchen, pantry, and two half-baths) and easily got an entire dog’s worth of hair in the vacuum canister. I’m due to vacuum the carpeted areas today (foyer, office, and living room) and will probably get another complete dog’s worth. Her hair, as you can see, is short. It amazes me that she can shed that much and still be covered with the normal complement of hair!
It is SO hot here now, that it doesn’t matter that we have an irrigation system on our raised bed, square foot garden. The only thing doing well out there right now is our onions. This has been a really weird growing season. We still have our planters of tomatoes. They aren’t pretty this year, but they are really delicious. I’m going to start trying to pull the onions, spreading them out to dry on a trailer we have with a grilled bed on it, perfect for lots of drainage. I’ll then clean out the garden bit by bit, trying to work in the morning or just before dark to avoid a heat stroke. :0) Right now it looks like no one cares about it. I’ll take pics when it’s more under control.
Happy day to you!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“Found” Fun
Filed under Art From Found Things
A Door is a Door – Right?
WRONG!
Filed under doors, When Wood Comes Alive
Olympics
This is the time I’m proud to live on the same planet as the magnificent Olympians from all over the world. Yesterday I caught some gymnastics, soccer, bicycling, archery, skateboarding and more. What a joy to watch people who have put all they are into their sport, trying to be the best they can be. I will try to catch more today, but we’ve been busy this morning. So far –
- My husband is out in the shop, trying to get the Vette back together. He SAYS it will be easier, but it looks like a lot of struggling to me. My fingers – and all my other parts are crossed that he is successful, without TOO many more ‘ouchies’ to add to his collection.
- I have the last load of laundry in the dryer, and will put clean sheets on the bed soon.
- I have gathered ripe tomatoes.
- I have cleaned “Mama” and “baby” snail yard critters and the first coat of the ‘re-paint’ is drying.
- I have vacuumed the tiled areas of our first floor (pantry, kitchen, dining area, 2 half baths, foyer, and utility room.)
Not sure what the rest of the day will hold. We have a nice, though very hot day, with a heat index of 100+. Thank GOODNESS for good a/c. :0)
Happy Sunday!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________, vicarious enjoyment
Shovel Bird is Back
I brought out the second finished shovel bird and put him in place last night before dark. He is at one edge of the top of our driveway, ready to greet all comers.
It feels good to be getting our yard critters cleaned up and re-painted. Things were beginning to look at bit sad around here.
I hope he brings a smile to someone’s face.
Filed under Lewis Art, Lewis projects, Lewis yard art
Mini-Purse Designs
I just finished adding some new mini-purses to my Etsy website HandmadeHavenByLinda
They are 5″ x 7″, hand-painted one-of-a-kind designs on canvas. The purses have zipper closures, so your valuables remain secure while your hands remain free.
You can hang them from your shoulder, wear them cross-body, or tie them to your belt, or the belt loop on your jeans.
Fun to use, make your life easier, and just might make you smile.
Please come visit my shop and see these, plus some other things. :0)
Filed under HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy
I Love Nailia Schwarz Art
Peanuts & Photography – Nailia Schwarz – DailyMail.com
Paper Art I Love
Filed under paper art, paper mache
Owl Wisdom
“A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?”
“He respects Owl, because you can’t help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn’t spell it right.” A.A. Milne – Winnie the Pooh
“The owl,” he was saying, “is one of the most curious creatures. A bird that stays awake when the rest of the world sleeps. They can see in the dark. I find that so interesting, to be mired in reality when the rest of the world is dreaming. What does he see and what does he know that the rest of the world is missing?”
~M.J. Rose
Horns and Eyes – http://owlpoems.tumblr.com/
Two feathery tufts rise off a building
Next to an open park.
Powerful large eyes sight-fully gliding
Over the grass and dark.
These striking yellows gaze,
This view they take.
Dusk has left its haze.
It is good to be awake.
Filed under Amazing Animals
Hooray!!!!!!!
We are in celebration and rest mode here today.
Yesterday my husband triumphed over the problem we were having with the Vette. (The Service Department at the Chevrolet place had quoted a price of $450 plus tax for the new part and then $500 for the labor of putting it in. THEN they told us, after keeping the Vette there for two weeks, they couldn’t get the part. It had been discontinued.)
My husband found the part we needed on the net, if we needed to order it, and bookmarked the page. He also found a video, with lots of positive comments, on how to get the part out, rewire it, and fix the problem. He has worked all day for three days, ending up with two hands and one arm totally bruised, bashed, gouged, and a bit swollen, plus really sore ribs from trying to hang over one side of the Vette and work to try to remove 6 screws holding the part in. Once the part was finally out, the factory had sealed it. He finally was able to pry the top off and clean up the inside. He soldered the 4 wires, put the part back together temporarily, installed it in the Vette (NO problem going back IN) and tested. IT WORKED!!!!!!
Now that he is over the hump on the problem, (knowing it is solved, and for a total of $10,) my husband can relax a bit from his “do it or die” mode of the past 3 days. I convinced him to take today off and REST. He is so sore that he seems happy to do that. He’s in the living room, drinking coffee and watching TV now. :0)
He will need to get the part out, seal the box again, then reinstall it. He’ll need to reconnect the things he had to disconnect to get to the part. But none of this will be the pressure-filled, impossible position, HARD work he’s been doing. Then he’ll be able to move the Vette from the shop to our garage.
He told me again how much he loves that car. (We bought it years ago when finances were really tight. I really wanted him to have his dream car. The smile on his face made it worth whatever we had to do to get it.) He’s still smiling. :0)
Filed under Challenges, Lewis projects
Creativity of the “Found” Artists
Filed under Art From Found Things
“And the Beat Goes On”
I’m managing to do a bit of exercising while also running out to the shop several times a day to check on my husband as he works on his beloved ‘Vette, armed with bottles of water, bandaids, etc.
I’m happy to be able to tell you that he has finished the hardest part of the project. He has the part out, after making no progress at all the first day. The part is out now. He will pry off the top (the manufacturers didn’t intend for someone to take it out and actually try to fix it) solder 4 wires, put it back in (he says this won’t be difficult) and test it. If it doesn’t work, he’ll order the replacement part he found on the net. If it works, he’ll zip things up and we’ll celebrate.
Service dept – two weeks – one call – if they could get the part – $1000+. They told us the part had been discontinued and they couldn’t get it. So we paid them $85.00 for them looking and the information.
My husband – three days. Either $0 or $148 plus shipping and tax. Quite a difference.
The only downside – my husband’s ‘fix it or die’ attitude, no matter what he promises. He is going to Lunch Bunch with me in about an hour. Both of his hands and one arm are really bruised, scraped, gouged, and pinched from his hard work to get the part out. It looks like he was in a bad accident or ran into spousal abuse. I’m glad we’re almost to the end of this.
Meanwhile, to maintain sanity, I have managed to do a session of yoga each day. I didn’t do my weights. I’ll pick them up again on Monday and see if I can do the exercises I found Monday, Wednesday, and Friday along with the yoga.
Filed under exercise, Lewis projects
More Dog Advice
“Take time to indulge yourself every once in awhile. You deserve it!”
“Don’t be afraid to try something different.”
“Take naps whenever you can.”
“Make sure the people you care about know it.”
“Be yourself. It doesn’t matter if you don’t fit in!”
Filed under Amazing Animals, Favorite Quotes
He Lied
You would THINK that after living with my husband for over 52 YEARS now, I would learn.
My husband promised me that he would take the ‘working on the Vette’ project as a PROJECT – with no time limit, no pressure, a little bit of work each day until the problem was solved. He promised me he would stay hydrated, make things as comfortable as possible in the shop, with a/c, etc. That he would take breaks and not work himself to exhaustion. He lied.
There’s no way to soften it. He got into the ‘fix-it-or-die’ mode yesterday. I went to check on him, taking a bottle of water. He didn’t have one out there, of course. He DID have the a/c on, but he just moved the mower out of the way, further into the shop, instead of moving it out and THEN the ‘Vette in – so mowing the lawn will just have to wait until the ‘Vette is running again – causing him to put pressure on himself even more than he usually does.
I went out at noon to insist that he take a break and eat some lunch. He did, but got right back out there when he finished eating. (At least I got him to eat a bit and drink some iced tea.)
I spent time out there yesterday afternoon to keep him company, plus get him to at least to sit down a few minutes and drink some water. He had scraped his arm badly, so I went back inside to get a cloth, water, and bandages to fix him up.
When I finished cleaning the shovel bird and had painted a bit, I convinced him that he had spent enough time out there and to call it a day. Happily, he did. He then fell asleep in his chair under a throw at dinner time. I did the prep, fed our animals, but waited to fix our meal until he woke up again.
He woke early this morning and was already out in the shop when our alarm went off. He has watched the video again and thinks he saw something that might be causing his problems.
I’ll get the mail, shop for some frozen dinners at Real Food, and then insist he come in and eat some lunch soon.
And so the ‘hobby – non-stressful project’ goes…
Filed under Lewis projects
Robot Art by Matt Dixon
Matt Dixon – illustrator – gaming industry
Transmissions 4 is his new book of robot art.
Filed under Matt Dixon, Robot Paintings
Good in the World 2
These wonderful examples of good in the world were sent to me by my dear friend.
Filed under Good in the World
More Peanut Joy from Nailia Schwarz
Nailia Schwarz – Peanut Art & Photography – DailyMail.com
The Internet is a Wonderful Thing
Several years ago my husband bought our 2003 Corvette on eBay. Yeah, that’s right. Nuts, huh?
He flew to Kansas City with a cashier’s check, a letter from the lady at the bank, and her phone number, in case it was needed. He drove it home.
He has smiled ever since.
He LOVES this car.
Recently, we started having messages pop up on the dash, indicating all kinds of problems, including “check engine,” for which we called, made an appointment for the Chevrolet Service Department in Fort Smith to look at it. Two weeks later, they finally called, said we needed a new ‘whatever module,’ and it would be $450 plus labor, but they couldn’t get one. The part had been discontinued.
We brought the Vette back home yesterday. My husband got on the net and was able to FIND the part we needed – $148.00 – but even BETTER – found a video by a guy who showed how to FIX the module we had! My husband had the tools needed, and he decided he would try to follow the video. There were about 100 comments from people thanking the man for making such a good video and helping them fix the problem.
So the Vette is in our shop now. This is a fix that does NOT require the whole front end be taken off, but my husband said it may take some time. I made him PROMISE to take lots of breaks, drink water, plus come in and rest from time to time.
Even with that promise, having lived with the man for 52 years now (and loving him longer than that) I know he’ll decide to act like he’s still in his 20’s working himself into exhaustion unless I play bad guy.
I will go out and keep checking on him. I’ve taken him a bottle of water this morning and watched as he turned on the a/c in the shop. I will check on him again in about an hour before I leave to get a haircut, and then I’ll insist he come in for lunch and a rest. Then I’ll go out there with him and start cleaning another yard critter.
I’ve told him that he gets no rewards for how quickly he finishes the job. HOPEFULLY, he will do this fix as if it were a hobby, rather than a matter of life and death…
He bought several Chevrolet manuals when he bought the car, but they weren’t much help this time. We’re grateful that he found the part, if needed, and hopefully a way to fix the problem – thanks to the wonderful man on the Internet.
Filed under Challenges, Changes, Lewis projects
Paper Art
Filed under paper art, paper mache
creativeartworksblog 