Snow Photography

I love to LOOK at snow. I think it’s absolutely beautiful. I like to make snow people or snow animals, make snow angels, have snowball fights.

Ever since we built our home here in Greenwood AR on top of a ridge line with a steep 650′ driveway on the north side of our property, my enthusiasm for winter – driving in it, getting up and down our driveway in one piece, and getting snowed or iced in up here, having to chainsaw our way down the driveway when we are older than dirt – has waned.

I am finding some wonderful photos of the beauty of the season though, from the photographers on X and Blue Sky. I wanted to share them with you.

@Matt_Pinner on X
@adventuresofnature.bsky.social-RT-@mersana1100_Good Morning
@keithboone.bsky.social

These are SO good they almost make me forget I really don’t enjoy winter anymore!

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Saturday 1-4-2025

Katia M – @artcartbydiksha

I just love the artwork on this journal. The ‘light’ brings it from ‘good artwork’ to ‘wonderful!’ in my eyes. :0)

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LingoKids

I got to spend a bit of time in my art room yesterday, working on etching a glass vase I started a long time ago. I had done the outline of a floral design on the vase, but then got intimidated, so I put it aside while I concentrated on Christmas things. When I finally cleared off my drafting table,

I found the vase again and decided I would try to overcome my feelings of inadequacy and give it another shot. I actually had fun working on it yesterday. I have NO clue whether it will turn out anything like what I hoped for, but I have shed my ego and have just jumped into it, having fun and hoping for the best. I’m hoping to spend more time on it today.

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Horizon Education

We’re having a dreary-looking day here, but the temperature hasn’t dropped yet. It looks like the really cold weather is coming to us soon, and I’ll need to remember to open a few cabinets and drip water overnight in the next few nights. Did I tell you that I much prefer warmer weather?

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Cartoon Stock

My scales had to swallow a LITTLE bit of snark this morning. I will be happy if I can meet my interim goal of 50 pounds off in the near future. This morning I’m down 46.6.

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My husband is trying to add a gadget to our TV. After trying and failing to get it to work, he dumped the project on ME – his technically-challenged spouse. It was a challenging afternoon, but I got a couple of the issues solved by unplugging the new gadget. :0) He was talking about plugging it in again, though, today…..

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I wish you a wonderful day. I hope you do something fun today!

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More Michele Clamp Art

Michele Clamp Art

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Huh?

BoredPanda.com

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Cat Meme 4

Cat Memes – BoredPanda.com – Rokas Laurinavicius and Leva Pediulyte

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Friday 1-3-2025

Mary-Lou Fricke-Neal – Pinterest

I don’t know if Mary Lou created this or pinned it on Pinterest because she loved it, too. Either way, I just loved it when I found it. Such gorgeous layers and 3-D-ness!

We’re going to shop for supplies after lunch today because the possibility of wintry precipitation is in the forecast. We live on top of a ridge line outside of town, up a 650′ plus steep driveway, so we take forecasts of possible ice and snow really seriously.

One year, I think it was 2000 or 2001, we had a really bad ice storm. Public water wasn’t available. Public power wasn’t, either. Our son was home then. We were stuck up here for 14 days. We could hear the loud cracking of our trees losing branches. It sounded like guns were being shot. We had MANY branches and whole trees that fell into the driveway from both sides, blocking us from getting out.

We have well water, so we were able to switch to that. We had a Chinese diesel generator in the well house. That was good and was enough for us to have some light, but no heat. We have a wood burning fireplace. We have propane for our stove.

Shortly after the storm, the generator blew its gasket. In order to keep it from overheating, my husband and son filled a large trash can with snow and dumped it on top of the generator every half hour.

It took us three days to chainsaw our way down the driveway to the road that runs in front of our house.

Ever since, we take prep for winter seriously. We now have a generator wired into the house. We stock up on food and water getting what is reasonable to keep us as comfortable as possible if we get iced in. Do you see why winter is not my favorite season? :0)

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Golden Road Arts

I never got up to my art room yesterday. I ended up finishing tax spreadsheets for the year. Hopefully, I’ll get some time this afternoon after we shop to try some glass etching. I’m trying to do my own floral design by hand with a Dremel.

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I hope that January is starting well for you and that 2025 is a terrific year for you and your family.

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Our Indian Hills Fix

Indian Hills Signs – Vince, the Sign Guy

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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor, Indian Hills Signs, punny, Word Play

Cat Meme 3

BoredPanda.com – Cat Memes – Rokas Laurinavicius and Leva Peciulyte

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Thursday 1-2-2025

Arindam Raha-Pexels

The sun is shining and it’s almost 9am here, but I’m still fighting the ‘sleepies.’ My coffee is helping, but I may need toothpicks to keep my eyes open. It’s just now getting to 32 degrees F. so my instinct is to go find someplace really warm, cover up my head, snuggle down and go back to sleep.

I’m leaving in just under half an hour to get my hair cut. My wonderful stylist, Michael Remillard of Tangles in Greenwood, understands that my hair is thin and fine and won’t do anything except stick up and look funny on it’s own – making me look like a dandelion gone to seed at the moment. He knows to cut my hair so that I can simply stick my head in the kitchen sink in the morning, wash it, and blow it dry and be fixed for the day, mostly looking as if ‘someone had a plan.’

Yesterday I finally spent time in my art room, starting with a bulldozer, trying to clean off my drafting table. It’s now ready for the next project, which at the moment is to work on a glass vase I started awhile back that has been waiting for me. I’m trying to etch some designs in it by hand. We have a glass blaster in our shop, and I’ve used it in the past to blast the glass after I mask the parts I want to stay clear, but this is more satisfying. I was dreaming about it last night, so maybe I can finish it this time.

Otherwise, we have a quiet day here, hopefully.

You might laugh or think it’s pathetic to have watched me try to type “2025” this morning. Enjoy your day. :0)

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My Wish for You in 2025

“My Wish for you in 2025:

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires.

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words …….

May 2025 be the best year of your life!!!”

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I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.” ~ Neil Gaiman, British author

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Cat Meme 2

Cat Memes – BoredPanda.com – Rokas Laurinavicius and Leva Peciulyte

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Happy ‘This-es’ and ‘Thats’

I have some things I’ve found that haven’t fit in my posts lately, but I think they’re wonderful and wanted to share them with you –

Anela Nikolik-Pinterest – I just LOVE the texture on this happy dog painting!
Ania Obaid-@afra_art56 on X Isn’t this wonderful? The HOURS and care it took for him to create this! I hope he has grandchildren – plus their friends – who can come an enjoy this, and I would LOVE to see his face when they do!
boar-Displate-prints on metal – I’m not sure where these people get the artwork, but it’s always special and it is always printed on metal, which apparently enhances the effect. I just love it.
Cathy Debatisse-Pinterest I laughed when I saw this, loving the humor, as well as the obvious expertise.
mama weir-Pinterest – beautiful work. It’s hard to believe it’s done with a chainsaw.

I have more, but I’ll share them at another time. I hope you enjoyed seeing these.

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Resolutions

Muckle Up

I used to make all the ‘normal’ resolutions – losing weight, exercising, being a better person, keeping my house clean, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

Since I’m older than dirt, I have changed the idea of resolutions for myself. I don’t know if it’s an ‘improvement’ or not, but it works for me.

My new resolutions –

  • I will live in the moment, trying to make every day as joyful as I can.
  • I will try to tell and show people how much I love them, how much they mean to me in every way I possible.
  • I will take more time to do things that give me joy – hopefully at least once a day.
  • I will be more forgiving of myself, because even though I fall short, I AM trying
  • AND I’ll be more forgiving of others, trying to be less judgmental. I’ve been noticing ‘judgmental’ in my husband more and more as we age. I’ve got to realize it’s probably inside ME, too, and I’d like to work on getting rid of it.
  • I resolve to laugh more -not just a smirk, smile, or grin – but full belly laughs.
  • I also resolve to cry when I need to, trying to let go of the reasons behind them – but to get it out, not shove it down inside.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions?

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New Year’s Day 2025!

Pinterest

I hope that 2025 is a fabulous year for you, full of all the good things there are.

We had a quiet celebration here. I was hoping our backyard neighbors might shoot off some fireworks, but it was too cold, even for them this year. I’m glad they stayed warm.

Brenda Beaudet – scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net

My to-do list is long today, but I’m still yawning and drinking coffee, trying to fully wake up. Our weather is definitely turning toward winter now, with freezing almost every morning and the ‘highs’ gradually getting lower each week. I really wish I could just LOOK at pretty snow pictures, photos of creative snow people and animals folks have made, watch videos of snowball fights, snow angels, and more – rather than to. actually. be. IN. it.

Deep Space Sparkle

My aim for the day is to clean off my drafting table in my art room in preparation for whatever comes next as a project. I almost need a bulldozer right now, but hope I can make good progress if I can just get up there.

CNN

I’m on strike as far as cooking today. We’ll have our regular low carb lunch and hot dogs for dinner. YEA!

Pixabay

Have a wonderful day. I hope that you’re off for the day from work and that you find fun ways to spend your day. Happy 2025!

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Criminally Cute

Puppies @Puppieslover on X

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Cat Meme

Cat Memes – BoredPanda.com – Rokas Laurinavicius and Leva Peciulyte

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Who Doesn’t Love Foxes?

Fox Daily-@foxdailys.bsky.social

“For a good life: Work like a dog. Eat like a horse. Think like a fox. And play like a rabbit.” – George Allen

Only Fox-@onlyfoxlover.bsky.social

“Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat.”
– Erin Hunter

The Fox Daily-@thefoxdaily.bsky.social

“A fox is a wolf who sends flowers.”
– Ruth Brown

chainsaw-Ron Williams-Cox-Pinterest

Once upon a time there were three little foxes
Who didn’t wear stockings, and they didn’t wear sockses,
But they all had handkerchiefs to blow their noses,
And they kept their handkerchiefs in cardboard boxes.

A. A. Milne

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Sloth-ing

cuteness.com

If only I looked this criminally cute when I relaxed! The best I can do is burrow down into my recliner, my heat pad under me and my throw above me, making kind of a ‘Linda Sandwich.’ I try to do this a couple of times a week – a rare, but much appreciated pleasure!

In typical Arkansas fashion, we went from spring yesterday to winter this morning. The skies are really cloudy and grim-looking. The temperature isn’t that bad, but there is a strong wind that blows right through you. I had my coat, but I should have worn a cap and gloves. It feels COLD!!! Very thankful today for a warm, dry house.

I’m going to make one of our favorite recipes from Suzanne Ryan’s book, “Simply Keto,” called, “Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bake”. We like it for dinner, and I throw in a veggie, like broccoli or spinach. It’s a nice comfort food for a cold night.

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I’m feeling really slothful this afternoon. I have a lot of things I could, or should, be doing, but I’m ignoring them, at least for now. It’s New Year’s Eve. I’m hoping to see fireworks in the valley behind our house tonight, ringing in a brand new year with bright colors, noise and happy displays, and hope.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

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New Year’s Eve 2024

Her Zindagl

Happy New Year’s Eve! Whether you have wonderful plans for a big party, a ball drop, fireworks, or will have a quiet celebration at home like us, I wish you a happy day of anticipation of a bright new year. The end of a year should bring shedding of old ‘baggage,’ a lightening of your load, a filling of your spirit. Enjoy remembering the good things about 2024 today, then wish it well and welcome 2025.

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Accountability – If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’m trying to lose my lard and get stronger and more flexible. I promised to report to you – as a way of trying to keep my goal active and hopefully reachable one day. As of today, I have lost 46 pounds and there are 48 fewer inches of me. I’m yo-yo-ing around in a 3-pound range these past few days, but I’m inching toward my interim goal and hope to meet it soon. The scales still smirk at me most days, but I will win.

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GeniCook

I told you my nice husband got us two rectangular stainless steel containers with glass lids recently. I always try to cook for more than one meal and we store the leftovers in individual portion containers in the freezer. These are large enough to hold TWO portions of the leftovers, so when I cooked recently, I put double portions into the two containers, snapped on the lids, and put them in the freezer. Yesterday I took one out and put it in the regular fridge. Last night I took the lid off, put the container in the microwave with a paper towel over it, closed the door, and held my breath. The food heated up just fine. No explosions or damage to the container or the microwave! I did use my hot pads to remove the container from the microwave. Last night the lid and the container went into the dishwasher. Sparkling clean and ready to use this morning! This is a really nice thing – to be able to use it so it saves us effort and time. I really didn’t believe what they advertised could be true, but I was wrong.

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This is my latest wood burned and hand-painted piece from the art room. I’m delighted to tell you he has been adopted! He will be mailed to his new home today. I couldn’t be happier. It was joyful to make him, and he will live on their front porch, hopefully bring good luck to his new owners for many many years. :0)

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We are running errands on this, the last day of 2024. When we get home, I’ll write more posts for the blog and may even get up to my art room this afternoon.

I wish you a happy day, full of fun, family, and celebration!

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Filed under HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy, Thoughts on a ________

Be Decisive

2nd Nature By Hand – Etsy

My mom used to say, “It’s better to do any reasonable quickly than to reach hesitantly for the ideal.” This was a more lofty manner of trying to get me off my duff and moving, instead of telling me to do just that.

I’ve finally learned that jumping into something I’m interested in is a good thing for me, whether it’s trying to change – or build – a habit, trying to improve myself, trying to learn a new style of art, or whatever. Whatever the subject is, the biggest hurdle is getting started. I can always adjust later.

I really don’t want to become a flat squirrel…

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More Awe-Inspiring Photos

@ArmandSarlangue.bsky.social
Pascal- @rtenpassants.bsky.social.
Paul Eric Scannell- @pauleric70.bsky.social
Paul Willson- @pauljwillson.bsky.social
S. Michael – @shawnmichaelphoto.bsky.social.

I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy the posts of these talented photographers on Blue Sky Social.

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More Todd Gladfelter

Todd Gladfelter Chainsaw Art

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Penultimate Day of 2024

pixabay

“Penultimate” means the last but one in a series of things. My husband really got my attention talking about the ‘prepenultimate’ something or other a while back, and today gives me a chance to USE a form of it. :0)

Why do I care? you ask. Well, to ME it means changing my wall calendars tomorrow and redoing my wipe-off kitchen calendar today in order to keep things flowing around here. Otherwise, you can chalk it up to “Linda being weird again….”

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Tenor

We’re supposed to have a really nice day today – quite spring-like, with temperatures this afternoon in the low to mid 60’s, and NO RAIN – actual sunshine! Woo HOOOO! It’s been a long time. I will make SURE I get outside to give my thanks today.

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I THINK my frog piece is finished. I’ll check it again and then will list it in my ETSY shop later today. It was a fun piece to work on. I’ll post a picture here tomorrow.

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2nd Nature By Hand – Etsy

I hope you will feel hope in the new year.

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Final Thought

OsteoPithy-Pinterest

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Amazing Elephant Sculpture

Blissful Sojourn-Bill Evans-Pinterest
Murray Breen-Pinterest
Nick Mackman via Ginny Baker-Pinterest
RSC-Pinterest
Pinterest – no attribution

I’ve always been fascinated by elephants. My mom loved them, too. She particularly liked BABY elephants. She would express her fantasies of having some baby animals from time to time, although she only actually had chihuahuas, three of them at a time, who all sat in her chair with her.

She saw a cute monkey one day, and in the next week, my dad had gone to a pet store and brought one home for her! The monkey got out of his cage and went on a rampage around our house. He jumped into the sink, grabbed a head of lettuce my mom was soaking, running all over the house, up and down the draperies, with the streaming veggie. My dad finally caught him using a towel. I still remember seeing the monkey’s teeth biting through that towel. The monkey went back to the pet shop for re-adoption.

So, one day when my mom started ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ over a baby elephant, she looked at my dad and said, “BUT I DON’T WANT ONE!”

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Intentions to Action

2nd Nature by Hand – Etsy

I display awards in my home for my procrastination skills. Well, not really, but I SHOULD have them. I am a master-class procrastinator and have honed my skills to a fine art.

I’m am trying to improve this, though, by tackling things that are difficult or downright intimidating at times. I think of this as a character-building exercise, and I can always use more of that.

I love the plaque above. (This Etsy site has all kinds of good signs you might like.) This one particular sign resonates with me, as I always have an excuse (or a whole list!) as to WHY I haven’t started things I would like to do or SHOULD do. The “Begin Anywhere” message says to me, start wherever you are and DO something toward the goal. No excuses. Just BEGIN. Today.

One of the things I ‘began’ on is trying to lose my lard and exercise to get healthier. I don’t remember now exactly when I started, but I’m finally making steady (though excruciatingly slow) progress toward my goal. I’ll be posting an accountability report for December on the 31st).

Another thing was to quit putting myself last. I would work like a nut daily trying to accomplish my hugely long and never-ending to-do list before I would give myself ‘permission’ to go upstairs and play in my art room. I would try to accomplish a certain amount before I allowed myself to write a blog post, something I truly love. I decided I didn’t need my ‘permission,’ and didn’t need to have accomplished a certain amount before allowing myself joy. Now I do the joyful FIRST, working in as many of the have-to’s and should-do’s from my list as I have time and energy for each day. Works for me…

I hope that you will embrace the idea of ‘beginning anywhere’ and make your own list. I think you will feel better as a person, be happier, and feel more in control of your life. :0)

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Filed under Challenges, Changes, character-building exercises, empowerment, Encouragement

Sunday, 12-29-2024

Freepik

For some reason I’m having trouble waking up this morning. I can’t use the rainy weather as an excuse, though, because we have finally gotten a reprieve. It’s cloudy, but it’s warm for December and it is NOT raining. HOORAY! I slept well, I think, so I’m hoping my trusty cup of coffee will do the trick. Can I blame my “sleepies” for any typos in this post?

Freepik

We’re about to put December to bed, as well as 2024. My hair hasn’t quit blowing as the time sprinted by all year. I only write a few actual checks these days, but when I do, I still have to THINK to write 2024. 2025 may be a problem…

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Pinterest

My husband is sleeping in this morning. He is having trouble sleeping at the ‘proper’ time lately. He either has trouble getting to sleep or wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t get BACK to sleep. He sleeps a lot in his chair during the day. Since we are retired, it makes no difference at all when he can get his rest, and for that we’re grateful. I just adjust what I’m doing to be quiet when he’s sleeping, wherever he is, happy that he’s getting the rest he needs.

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Generation Mindful

I’ve started a new piece in my art room. It’s a frog, and I’m having a great time with it. I’m working on the wood burning part now. I love it that I learn so much with each piece I try. I learn more about what I can do with the burning tips, a bit more on how to shade the drawings, have a slightly better ‘FEEL’ for what I’m trying to do. I just love it!

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103.9 – The Fish

I hope that you have something fun planned for the day, spending time with family or friends, doing something special that brings you joy.

Enjoy your Sunday!

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This Will Make Your Day

Amazing Pandolph

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Lighter Thoughts

Indian Hills Signs – Vince, the Sign Guy

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My Idea of Heaven 2

HMG – HomemadeGraceful.com – fence, gate, and garden ideas.

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