These are the two owls I was talking about in my post about Fritz the Cat as our current mailbox decoration. Each is about 2-1/2 feet tall and about 18 inches wide. We put them on top of posts on either side of the driveway toward the bottom, where we have a bar we can use to close the driveway.
This is the picture I SHOULD have posted, where you can see one of the owls and just a hint of the one on the other post.
I hope you’ve been having a wonderful day, Sweet Irene!
Filed under Lewis Art, Lewis yard art
The Age of Enlightenment via Janet Melendez – LinkedIn
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Encouragement
Thomas Moran via Elena (Livia) D – LinkedIn
Filed under Mother Nature, Oil Paintings I Love
I’ve been working on our garden, trying to get it cleaned up after I had to neglect it for about a week. My husband came out there with me today – a rare and delightful thing – and we did a good amount to prune and clean up. I have another session to do out there, but it will wait.
There is always more to do in the garden, but we improved things a lot today. I pulled up my radishes a couple of days ago, the last time I was out there. For some reason, they didn’t make successfully this time. I was disappointed, because I got spoiled with a really super crop with the last batch I planted in the spring, having enough to give to my friends and having lots for me to enjoy. I’ll concentrate on trying not to be greedy. I’ll plant another group soon.
The zucchini plants are still looking healthy, although I’m having to read everything I can get my hands on to figure out what I’m doing.
We have lots of these small cantaloupes! I didn’t know they start out green, but we made sure each one is now sitting in a plastic bowl to keep it out of the dirt, as I read they like. Fingers crossed that they actually grow into something delicious to eat!
Red onions.
Our weather has been really different this year. Our tomato plants are looking pretty sad right now. I have no clue whether we’ll get more or not. We’ve had such a good crop this year. I hope I can extend the season some. I took bags of ripe tomatoes to our friends at Lunch Bunch this morning, and then another bag to our hairdresser on the way home. I love it when we can share the wealth!
Obvious Fun
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Fritz the Cat is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a “supercity” of anthropomorphic animals, the strip focused on Fritz, a feline con artist who frequently went on wild adventures that sometimes involved sexual escapades. Crumb began drawing this character in homemade comic books when he was a child. ~ Wikipedia.
This is one of my husband’s favorite comic strips and characters. This decoration will stay up until the middle of August.
We cut the outline out of sheet metal using our CNC machine. My husband did the computer coding that makes it so the computer can ‘see’ the design we’re trying to make and can guide the torch. This was a difficult one for me because it was mainly just bare sheet metal with the mailbox mounting on it. I did a lot of work with our overhead projector marking the metal so I could then try to paint the design on both sides of the piece. We sprayed the finished piece with polyurethane to protect the paint as much as possible.
You can also see our ‘welcome’ robot and one of the two owls on either side of our driveway.
It’s easy to see that you are passing a weird place as you drive by. :0)
Filed under Hobbies, Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations, metal art
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Because of life getting in the way lately, I’ve gotten behind on my responsibilities around the house. Yesterday I finally vacuumed our first floor – first the tiled areas and then the carpeted ones. I have a very nice vacuum. The only thing it could do better would be for it to run itself. (We actually HAD one of the round turn-it-on-and-it-runs-around type thingies at one time. It would regularly get stuck under something or wedge itself into a corner, or choke itself to death on the dog and cat hair, so we gave it up.)
Another thing I had neglected was the aquarium. I finally cleaned that out yesterday, putting in different decorations, clean water, new filters, etc. The fish didn’t say anything, but breathed sighs of relief when I put them back in their now clean home.
Here you can see all four of the fish. We have one that has gotten huge – they were all about the same size when I bought them – about an inch long. The largest one is now at least three inches long in the body, and then has a long tail. All seem to be doing fine.
Somehow, the girl-in-the-bathtub’s feet broke off quite a while back. I glued them back on and the fish don’t seem to mind it that she isn’t perfect.
I’m not sure if the weather will cooperate and I can finish getting the garden back in control or if I’ll have to tackle more projects in the house today.
The best thing is that we have Lunch Bunch – our every Friday meal with long time good friends in about an hour. Our son will go with us today, and it’s been years since our friends have seen him. I look forward to the reunion.
Have a happy day!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family, Friendship, Housekeeping - Maintenance
Shlreline Primitives via Carol Auclair Daly
Filed under aging, Challenges, Changes, Encouragement, taking care of yourself
Eunice I – LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography
Our son is giving me some lessons on how to get the most out of my iPhone. I have access to a tutorial, but I never seem to give it first priority. Last night we sat down together and he showed me about six different things I didn’t know I COULD do –
We’re going to continue my lessons, and I have to say I am feeling empowered!
Besides my phone lessons, I’m getting my hugs bucket filled. I’m laughing so much my stomach hurts at times. He makes me feel calm and better able to deal with a health issue our family is facing. My husband and I are SO lucky to have a wonderful, caring son. We treasure every minute with him.
Filed under empowerment, Family, kindness, taking care of yourself
artmajeur.com
marketplace.zibbet.com
shoppingzoneplus.com
Filed under Art From Found Things, metal art
“Golden Light” – Graham Colthorpe
“Sunburst” – Graham Colthorpe
Filed under Acrylic Paintings I Love, Oil Paintings I Love
Sometimes we aren’t sure which way to jump, which path to take, what is in our future.
One of the many things my dad taught me was to stand back and try to see the humor in any situation. He had a bad accident, falling off a horse when he was three, leaving him with a shortened left arm with an almost useless hand. He learned to use humor to keep kids from bullying him. He would make them laugh so hard they forgot his ‘disability’ and took him into their group. He used jokes and sarcasm to make his views known. An example of this was he would say, “Nice skirt” to me – when he actually thought it was too short and I needed to change my clothes. Whenever he was in a group, you would soon hear laughing. He passed his ability to see humor in most situations on to me. Just before he died, he scrawled on a napkin, “Remember me laughing.” Though it took me awhile, I do. What a strong, smart man he was!
I have used his lessons many times over the years. I can never win an argument, for example, because I can either easily see the other person’s point of view, or I ‘see’ us having a ‘discussion,’ see the humor in the situation – or the fact that what we are ‘discussing’ has little priority in what is important in life, and the tension dissolves.
Many times life throws us curves that challenge us on seeing the humor.
We’re in the middle of one right now, and things have been difficult. Our son is now home with us, helping with the situation. He brings CALM, caring, good sense, a healthy sense of the ridiculous, love, and lots of hugs. He has had us laughing several times already and he’s only been home a day.
I found this on the net this morning, and it made me smirk. A good reminder to keep my head on straight and be extremely glad my two guys are together. Together we will figure out in which direction we should go.
I Need Real Help
Filed under Challenges, Changes, Family, taking care of yourself
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography
It’s been about a week since I’ve been able to get out to the garden. Needless to say, there is a LOT to do out there now.
I did some weeding and harvested this zucchini and some tomatoes. I’ll go back out there later and prune a bunch of stuff and do more weeding.
We have some cantaloupe! I used several plastic ‘bowls’ with holes in them that allow the cantaloupe to grow while keeping them off the soil. I have no clue if we’ll actually get anything edible, but I’m like a kid waiting for Christmas watching them grow!
I’ll try to get some pics of the garden later to share.
Filed under Gardening, Healthy Eating, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
We are having a bit of a confrontation at our house. WE want Amber to FETCH the ball. SHE wants US to play TUG OF WAR….
Amber truly loves a ball. She will tolerate the really hard ones, but prefers the soft, squishy ones. She doesn’t seem to have a color preference, but it’s obvious that her true love is one that squeaks loudly.
She squeaks the ball as she brings it to us, hopeful that THIS TIME we’ll grab the slimy ball and give it a vicious tug. She has a strong grip, so we can never take it from her. Finally, after we have failed to play her game correctly over and over, she drops the ball at our feet. We throw it, she leaps to get it, and brings it back – not to GIVE it to us – but to offer it again for a great game of Tug of War….
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
The Cincinnati Zoo Blog
Mainly my plateau continues.
I can be upset about that, or I can compare myself now and about a year ago. I choose to spotlight the good things, of which there are many –
My goal remains the same –
taolife.com
I hope that in another year I can look back and be able to say the same thing – with higher lard loss and inches loss – and minus the plateau…
Filed under DIET!, exercise, taking care of yourself
Bookish Buzz via Cathy Ruggiero
We got an email that the newest Nora Roberts’ In Death series paperback will be delivered tomorrow.
I decided to celebrate its coming by re-reading all the books in the series – 48 to be exact – before I allow myself to read the latest. I’m on book 7 right now, deep in Eve Dallas’ and Roarke’s world in New York City in the future.
Due to a health issue in our family, our son came home last night from Thailand. We picked him up at the airport about midnight, getting home about 1am this morning.
Two huge reasons to celebrate!
Filed under Family, Reading is FUNdamental
Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art
Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art
Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art
Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art
Filed under Art From Found Things, metal art
Glencar Ireland – Stephen McGuinness
Norfolk Sky – Stephen McGuinness
Filed under paintings I love
“Greenwood AR” – Jimmy N Carey
Filed under Arkansas, Awe-Inspiring Photography, Greenwood
Captain Safety – Yard Bird
Design You Trust
Sad and Useless
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Family, Funny Signs - Humor
Aleksei V – via Ana Loreta Baicu – LinkedIn
Anwar Haq – LinkedIn – “Nature Surprises”
“Blue Rain” – Benny Norbert Smet- LinkedIn
Filed under paintings I love
BethanyKerrFineArt on Etsy
BethanyKerrFineArt on Etsy
BethanyKerrFineArt on Etsy
Filed under Bethany Kerr, Watercolors I Love
The Muse via Stephanie Youmans Wilson
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, kindness
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
creativeartworksblog 