“Through the Fence” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Since today is the first day of August, I’ve been dashing around doing lots of ‘stuff,’ like cleaning out the aquarium, washing and re-filling hummingbird feeders, using Rid-x, giving our animals their monthly meds, etc. I did manage to get the bird tracing transferred to my sketch book.
Filed under Childlike Fun
I’m having so much FUN this afternoon! About two months ago I saw an ad on Facebook (I know, but there it was) for a “light box” or “LED tracing board.” Since I’m currently trying to learn new techniques for adding fur and feathers to animals, being able to trace a few outlines and distinctive features of drawings or pictures I like and then being able to concentrate on the techniques for making feathers and fur more realistic in various media seems like a wonderful idea.
It doesn’t mean that I won’t continue to try to draw the animals and birds from scratch as time goes on, but – to be honest – I’m intimidated and it will take a while to work through that. With the light box or tracing board, I can bypass my insecurities, learn, and have fun!
This gives you an idea of what I ordered. It came today and I’m like a kid in a candy shop. It’s ultra thin and you plug it into your computer. There are three intensities of LED light settings.
I hooked it up, then ran upstairs to get my sketch book, tracing paper, carbon paper, pencils, plus my “Keys to Painting Fur & Feathers” edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf, and plopped down in front of my computer. I’ve now traced a bird and am now using carbon paper to transfer it to my sketch book. I have the outlines of two drawings I did years ago already in the sketch book. When I get several sketches (tracings) added, I can then concentrate on the suggestions for adding feathers to these beautiful creatures in colored pencils, watercolor, pastels, acrylics, pen & ink, and mixed media.
Here is my drawing of a kingfisher
And my drawing of a parrot
and this is the first step in the tracing of another bird I found that I like. This is being transferred to my sketch book using carbon paper.
I know this isn’t easy to see, but you can get the idea of what I’m doing.
I have to stop and get lunch for us now, but I’ll get back to this ASAP. :0)
Filed under Creativity, Watercolors I Love
tia-www.pinterest.com
I had a bit of trouble reading Tia’s writing, but she’s saying what I’m feeling – “I feel comfortable & empowered & strong. It’s encouraged me to work out – a pretty incredible feat. And it’s helping me lose weight & feel better.” – Tia.
It’s a day early for my progress report, but I’m feeling like I’m finally making a difference with the help of Nutrisystem and exercise. My husband and I went for blood tests this morning and our quarterly appointment with our primary doctor is next Monday. I’m hoping that those tests will also show we’re serious about trying to get healthier.
I’m down almost 19 pounds this morning. And down almost 18 inches.
I don’t think I’ll ever be a ‘workout person,’ but I AM trying to do the abdominal exercises for pear-shaped people (0-6 Pack Abs DVD) every other day, yoga stretching every day, and either the elliptical trainer or the ‘annoying Leslie’ walking DVD the days I’m not doing the ab exercises. When I get comfortable with these, I’ll see what else I want to add to the mix.
taolife.com
Filed under DIET!, exercise, taking care of yourself
“Beyond the Trees” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
I got six of these fabric bins so that I could do a better job of storing Afghans, blankets, throws, and quilts. I have shelves upstairs, but I want these to stay clean. Living up on top of a ridge line means that whenever doors are opened (50+ times a day letting doggies, cats, or people in and out) dust blows in. No matter what I do, I’m always finding dust all over everything. I refuse to dust and vacuum more than a couple of times a week, so we live with both dust and animal hair.
These bins seem like a good way to store my extras dust-free. They have zippered tops and open up nice and wide. They have a plastic ‘stripe’ down the front so you can easily see what is inside. I’m hopeful that these will be at least part of a solution to my storage challenges.
Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob
Amber is a big lab with small brain – at least, that’s how it seems to US sometimes. I can’t say much for her owners, either, though, because we SHOULD be smart enough to stay ahead of her.
The latest challenge happened this morning. I was in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast when I heard the distinct sound of her tearing something up. I hurried into the living room to find her chewing up my sandal!
The fact that she had access to my sandals is MY fault. I love to toe off my shoes any time I’m in my chair. If I get up, I slide into my sandals. They have bumps on the inner soles that stimulate my feet and feel good. I’ve gotten lazy, since she has shown no interest in them, leaving them on the floor beside my chair. Apparently, today was the day she WAS interested and decided to chew one up.
I showed her in no uncertain terms that I didn’t appreciate her eating my shoe when there were wonderful toys to play with here and there all over the place. She looked contrite for about 5 seconds, then bounded across the floor to get one of the ”TOYS” I was talking about.
I THINK I might be able to still wear this. I shouldn’t have been careless, but I really didn’t need this regression in Amber’s training this morning.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Challenges, Family
“Exotic Purple Flower” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
“A World of Fear” by_Plana Risu.deviantart.com
Filed under Creativity, drawings
I told you yesterday that a scorpion casually waltzed up from the drain hole in the sink and mooned me night before last while I was sleepily washing my face getting ready for bed.
I won’t have it! Today I’m concentrating on the second floor, getting stuff up off the floor, vacuuming thoroughly, and then spraying all around the baseboards, windows and doorways with our good bug sprayer. One of the bug companies years ago said, “The only good bug is a dead bug.” I basically agree – emotionally – since I know that bugs are good for something in our ecology. I just don’t want them to be good for the ecology in my house!
We’re in the awkward stage for the commercial bug sprayers to come back here. They spray, and for two weeks afterwards, if you see a live bug, you call and they’ll come back and spray again at no extra charge. We’re about halfway between the no charge respray and them coming again for the contracted quarterly treatment. I’m trying not to have to pay an extra charge, if I can knock these out myself in-between.
So far, I’ve finished our master bedroom and the master bath, plus our two closets. I’ll rest a bit and then go up and tackle the next section. Hopefully, I’ll finish the second floor before the end of the day.
I hope it’s not buggy where you are.
Filed under Arkansas, Challenges, Greenwood, Housekeeping - Maintenance
“Blue Hydrangea” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Hydrangea” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
pinterest.com
Things are getting a bit soggy out here and we’re loving it. We don’t have to worry about one of the bad things that can happen to people – flooding – because we’re on top of a ridge line. Happily, too, the rain is JUST rain – not severe weather – just beautiful, soaking rain we really need.
My husband is a bit teed off, though. The lack of rain was bringing out his favorite kind of grass – “brown and crunchy,” and the grass will revive now and shoot up when the sun comes out tomorrow, as will the weeds I’ve been trying to get out of the flower planters.
When things have had a chance to dry out tomorrow, I’ll go out in my new “armor.” – jeans, long socks, my husband’s long-sleeved shirt, and a hat – trying NOT to get stung again by whatever red wasps are around. I’ll spray the bug killer first. The swelling from the recent sting is mostly gone now. Only a bit of itchiness remains. The bruise on the back of my hand – obtained when I threw my hands out, bashing one against a palette of bricks trying to get the wasp off, is now just a conversation starter with people who haven’t seen it at its finest – really black and swollen.
Living outside the city limits is wonderful for so many reasons. We’re close enough to town that we can ride in and get things several times a day, if needed, but far enough away – and up on top of the ridge line – so we have privacy. We aren’t in a ‘neighborhood’ where the tallness of the grass is an issue. We had room up here to build the shop my husband and I love so much. We had room to put up his ham radio tower. And room to build my greenhouse. We can pretend we own all we can see as we look out from our back yard, watching the seasons change amid the ridge lines. (We can see two others.) I could go on and on.
One of the bad things is that it’s not as civilized as it would be if we were living in town. We pay for a company to come quarterly and spray for everything – including stray elephants – inside and out. They came about a month ago when I was stung by a scorpion in our bed. I was freaked out for a long time about that. We HAVE scorpions, and other critters I don’t like around here, but usually they stay outside. You have to pay attention, though, and you can’t walk around barefooted without tempting the fates. Most of the critters around here don’t leap at you, so I can handle that.
Last night we were getting ready for bed. I was washing my face when a scorpion walked up out of the sink drain into my sink! I screeched for my husband to come with the forceps we keep around for such things. He took it and flushed it. I was still freaked, though, so went back downstairs for a while. Today I’ll clean upstairs and then bring the bug spray and spray all around our room, the guest room, the art room, the hallway, and the two bathrooms. Then I’ll be able to fully relax again. The company is scheduled to come quarterly. That’s expensive enough without having to call them in-between.
Today will be a nice ‘inside day’ – as we used to call it when I taught elementary school. If I get antsy, I’ll go outside and play in the glorious rain!
Filed under Mother Nature
Kwan Yeuk Pang – via David Raskin – http://www.hankermag.com
Filed under Creativity, Watercolors I Love
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor, lost in translation
“To the Secret Place” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
tailandfur.com
We finally enjoyed a beautiful rain this morning!
It was overcast when we awoke, and the sky continued to darken as we ate breakfast. By the time we were in the office, it was like night! Of COURSE the doggies wanted to go out. As we did that, we decided that maybe we ought to pay attention and close the garage door for what was coming. It was MUCH cooler, so we opened the front and back doors and went out on the porch to welcome the storm.
We ended up with the doggies out there with us, watching the clouds move past us from west to east, erasing the one band of lighter sky as we watched. Then wave after wave of hard rain followed. It was coming straight down, so we didn’t get wet. Amber played with my husband, trying to drop a really heavy toy on his socked toes in his sandals, then switching to a basketball, then back to the heavy toy over and over. Every once in a while, if lightning flashed or thunder rolled, she would look out the screen, wag her tail, and then continue the joy of her play.
We sat out there about 15 minutes or so. It was WONDERFUL. The weather people say that it should clear sometime this afternoon and then we could get more this evening. HOOORAAAAAAY!
Filed under Mother Nature
I’ve been trying to do two things each day: my yoga stretches and the 0-6 Pack Abs DVD abdominal exercises.
I did the twelve exercises on the DVD first, then rested a bit on my mat before starting my yoga stretches. I use a really good cervical pillow that my massage therapist showed me that allows me to really relax – after concentrating hard.
I went through my routine, slowly stretching, breathing into the positions and trying to get my poor stiff body to let go. I ended it with simply bending over with my arms hanging down. And that’s when it happened. I felt my body letting go, letting go, and I TOUCHED THE FLOOR WITH MY FINGERTIPS!
You may not think this is all that great, but for an old broad who couldn’t lie on her back and put her arms over her head onto the floor at ALL, and then, for a long time, without causing spasms in her back, this is HUGE!
I can’t remember the last time I bent over and touched the floor. I’ve been bending over, trying to relax, trying to breathe into it, with my fingertips about 6 inches or so from the floor for a really, really long time. The yoga DVD instructor, Cat Kabira, said that even if we couldn’t really get into the position, if we tried as much as we could and held it, trying to breathe into it, eventually our bodies would give. I think she’s a wonderful teacher, but I really didn’t believe I would EVER touch the floor.
I’m beyond happy. I’m making progress!
Filed under Challenges, exercise
“Cornflowers” – Janice Trane Jones – http://www.etsy.com
Filed under Creativity, Watercolors I Love
creativeartworksblog 