“Exotic Flowers” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Pink Little Flowers” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Purple Gerbera” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Purple” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Washing the Dog….”
“Washing the dog…. Just washing the dog….”
Molly is going through her awkward time of the year, where the weather is prime for digging up critters who hide under the grass in the yard and where she has needed the warmth of her fuzzy fur. Next week, instead of “Fuzzy Molly” we’ll have “Sleek Molly” who will have been sheared like a sheep. When she is sleek, she is much easier to keep clean, plus it’s very easy to grab any fleas and ticks who try to come into the house riding on her back.
She was SO awful, though, that I couldn’t stand it any longer. I put her in the sink and scrubbed her all over with tearless puppy shampoo (even though she’s 14 years old now.) I always use puppy shampoo because I hate the idea of it stinging if the soap happens to get near her eyes.
She is thoroughly teed off with me now – first because I lessened her dignity by putting her in the sink and scrubbing her, and second, because even after three bath towels and my hair dryer, she’s still wet enough that I don’t want to take her out so she can roll in the grass.
She finally realized that she’s lost this round, so breathed a huge, dramatic sigh and is now trying to sleep in her bed.
Now we both have dog hair all over us, but we she looks better and we both definitely smell better.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Hams Helping Hams
YouTube
My husband got an email two days ago about a man in Van Buren, Arkansas needing help taking down his ham radio tower. My husband said he’d be glad to help. This morning he’s on the way to Van Buren to do what he can to help. The Vette is packed with tools. He has cell phone, cap, kleenex, chapstick, bottles of water, more tools than you can imagine (just in case), and the GPS is programmed with the man’s address. The man has hired a guy with a crane for the heavy part of the job.
Even though many of these people don’t know each other well, and, in some cases, have never met each other, there is a bond between them because of their interest in ham radios. Some are really into it and have been for years. Others, like my husband, like the idea and want to be able to find out what is happening in case of emergency. No matter the degree of expertise or why they’re interested, they tend to help each other. I’m happy that my husband is trying to help his fellow hams; but, I have to admit, I’ll breathe a sigh of relief when he’s home again in one piece. He tends to act as if he’s still a young man, rather than a man who’s a bit long in the tooth these days, and pays for it later.
Teeth and Roses
We devoted 3 hours today to driving to Fort Smith, each of us getting teeth cleaned, and driving home. On the way home, though, we stopped at a local plant nursery, looking for the Rio Samba rose bushes we wanted. We FOUND some! We got three of them and stopped to grab some lunch to bring home
This planting was HARD. We had a yellow forsythia bush that had been here for years. It grew like a mad thing, spreading branches and rooting in all directions. It produced fewer and fewer yellow blooms for a shorter amount of time each year. I spent a lot of time trying to keep it from taking over everything in the planter. I finally got tired of it and asked my husband to take it out and replace it with one of the three rose bushes. He used a shovel, an axe, and a pry bar, then got a come-along from the shop and attached it to the trailer hitch on the truck to pull the plant out. We still had to cut back roots and keep digging, but we finally declared victory and planted the rose bush in its place.
Unless I was needed to help get the forsythia out, I was digging holes and planting the other two Rio Sambas. It was a straight forward job, but I had to dig all the way down to the concrete floor to get the hole deep enough for the gorgeous plant’s roots. This one is beside the top of the driveway, beside the garage.
This planter is off the front porch. It was a fairly easy job, too, except that this old broad doesn’t dig a lot of deep holes these days…
I think I told you recently that my friend, Kay, from Lunch Bunch, got me a Joseph’s Coat climbing rose for my birthday. We planted it today right next to a wisteria at the far end of the house. The wisteria is pretty much a bust, not having produced like the one in the front yard, but hopefully it’ll be a dandy thing for the rose to climb on. I can’t wait to see all the roses bloom!
Filed under Favorite Things, Gardening
One Reason
I got up to refresh my coffee a minute ago. My husband was asleep in his chair, probably not remembering we need to leave for the dentist in about 10 minutes. This is what I found on the divider between the dining area and the kitchen. He had taken the doggies out and cut these to bring in while they were out. He’s definitely a keeper, and this is only one of the many reasons why.
Filed under Delightful Surprises, Family, Favorite Things, giving
Black and White
“Black Ladies” – Paul Militaru Photography
“The Lady” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Together
Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero
Filed under Attitude, Bright Ideas, Encouragement, opportunities
Open Wide…
care.com
I’m a wuss about going to the dentist. In fact, for many years my husband or I took our son to the dentist, and my husband went, but I didn’t. Finally my husband got frustrated with me. He got me to go by threatening to NOT wear his motorcycle helmet if I didn’t. Nasty tactic – but effective. I went.
My husband has had to have a LOT of work on his teeth. He learned to avoid really awful problems by going to the dentist religiously, even while in the Marine Corps. There they seem to specialize in people who get the job done, but are not known for their bedside manner or being gentle with their patients. When he got out, he has always searched very carefully to find the best dentist he can.
He had to change when his dentist of many years retired. He asked him who he would recommend – who HE would go to. Dr. Wesley Moore, DDS was the one he recommended. We have gone to him for many years now and felt we were given a gift. Not only is HE a great dentist, he has a very carefully picked staff. Shannon was our hygienist for many years. She got me over my not-being-able-to-sleep the night before jitters and tense appointments by being a very gentle lady sensitive to the needs of her clients. When she heard my mom died of oral cancer and that I’m scared to death I’ll get it, too, she did my cancer exam first so I could relax more for the rest of the cleaning care. Very sadly, she and her husband died in a plane crash last year. We were all devastated.
Alesha was a substitute for both of the hygienists at Dr. Moore’s office. She was still in school to be a hygienist. Dr. Moore was happy with her, and so hired her, working with her so she could finish her certification and work for the clinic at the same time. I think she graduated at the end of December. Our first visit with her was hard. We were full of the loss of Shannon. Alesha knew her, was close to her, and well understood what her clients were feeling. She handled herself very well. Again Dr. Moore has chosen one of the best.
I still don’t like going to the dentist. I determinedly waved at Dr. Moore each time we went, speaking to him, but letting him know I liked him as a person, but didn’t want to EVER need to actually GO to him. Last year I had a tooth go bad suddenly. I’ve never had a cavity, much less had a tooth pulled. I was in terrible pain when I saw him, desperate for relief. He said he had an anesthesia where I was awake and could be cooperative with the procedure, but would take away the pain and I wouldn’t remember any details afterward. HEAVEN! He was right, too. I couldn’t be more grateful.
We go for our semi-annual teeth cleaning this morning. I still don’t want to go, but I didn’t have nightmares last night and didn’t have any trouble falling asleep. Finding good people on whom you can depend is one of the most wonderful things you can have.
Filed under Challenges, Changes, taking care of yourself
The Spring Garden is Started!
I got my plants in this afternoon. This picture gives you an idea of where the garden is in relation to our shop.
We have six 4’x4’x8″ raised bed boxes in our garden. It is surrounded by fencing, with chicken wire also around the bottom. I’ll run some bright surveyor’s tape around the perimeter about chest high and also down each of the guy wires at the corners to warn critters that there is a structure here.
I’m planting fewer things this year, with wider spacing. I planted 12 broccoli plants, 12 romaine plants, 12 spinach plants, and 12 iceburg lettuce plants. I had already planted two bunches of onion sets. I have several empty squares. I’ll plant some radishes, plus celery transplanted from plants started in the house later. I’m going to play with growing some gourds because my friend Kay brought some seeds to Lunch Bunch recently. :0) I also have a six pack of tomato plants still in the greenhouse. I’ll wait a couple of weeks to plant them.
Last year I lost some produce because the plants got too large and crowded each other out in the squares. This year I’m only planting one plant per square (other than the onions) and we’ll see how that works.
In this picture you can see the line of trash cans along the back of the shop, plus the blue tarp, etc. The light gray trash cans are filled with the components of Mel’s Mix (peat moss, vermiculite, mushroom compost, barnyard compost, and cotton burr compost.) I have our personal composter toward the house. The darker gray trash cans hold supplies for planting.
I had some trouble with the end of one of the irrigation hoses being messed up. My good husband came out and replaced the messed up end of hose with a new end and then we could water the garden! We won’t put the system on a timer until we’re sure all chance of frost and freezing are past.
Filed under DIET!, Healthy Eating, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Fun with English
I love puns and plays on words. It’s a very special form of humor. I don’t know if this is done with other languages or not, but I sure enjoy what people do, playing with ours.
The source of the following “Books” is
I Am Not A Grammar Cope. I Am an English Language Enthusiast
It was posted on Facebook by my friend, Michael Remillard
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I Am Not a Grammar Cop. I Am An English-language Enthusiast via Michael Remillard
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Big Dog in Little Bed
We have a small dog bed at my feet under my computer counter area for Molly, so she can get some protection and rest from Amber when she needs it Molly spends a good bit of time here, lying down with a big sigh and going right to sleep.
Today while I was typing, my chair was jostled and almost dumped (with me in it). When I recovered my balance, Amber was in Molly’s bed. I managed to get a couple of pictures before she decided to come out again (repeating the bull-in-a-china-shop move).
Amber doesn’t seem to realize (or care) that she is too big for this bed. She has one just across the room that is large enough for both dogs. Just a moment ago Molly was asleep in the bed and Amber pre-empted her, barging in and lying down on the bed, oblivious to the fact that Molly was sprawled out in it, asleep. Molly leaped up and left, and is now beside my feet on the floor, sleeping… Amber’s back half is in the bed and her front is all the way out beside the back wheels of my chair. I have to be careful not to move or I’ll run over Amber’s ear!
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
Taking the Plunge
Belgian Nursery
My husband goes outside when the weather forecasters tell him it’s raining in Greenwood – on the Lewis’ house – right now. I have a bit more faith in their abilities, though we both realize that trying to forecast the weather is a complicated task. I just looked up the 10-day forecast for Greenwood on the net and see that today was the last forecast freeze through the 23rd. I’ve decided to go ahead and take the plunge, planting the veggies we are holding in the greenhouse.
Gardening Know How
I have iceburg lettuce, spinach, romaine, and broccoli plants, two six-packs of each.
I have my raised bed planters filled with Mel’s Mix and the string stretched across in two directions, creating the squares for planting. My planters are at about chest level so I can just walk up and plant things without having to bend over, get down on my knees or back up again.
I planted Texas Sweet Onion sets a couple of days ago. It’s such a pleasure! I’ll take pictures when I get the plants in. I’m excited to be starting a brand new spring crop!
I’ll watch the weather carefully, leaping up to put sheets over the plants if they say it’s going to get near freezing for the rest of the month.
“Thumbelina” Stationery
I’m listing the new “Thumbelina” stationery in my Etsy and ArtFire stores this morning.
Included in the package are 5 hand painted sheets with different designs, 5 blank sheets for longer letters, and 5 correspondingly painted envelopes.
If you like, each painted sheet and envelope may be personalized at no extra charge.
Fun for reaching out to friends, family, and co-workers, bringing smiles to their faces. Nice for a gift, too!
Also available in note cards, thank you notes, “Thumbys” (Thank you notes for boys) and “Thinking of You” Cards very soon!
Filed under Uncategorized
What is Happiness?
No Sidebar via Stephanie Youmans Wilson
Filed under Encouragement, Favorite Quotes
Traffic Director
lovecatsworld.com via Cathy Ruggiero
We definitely have a challenge in the Lewis household: going through doors.
It doesn’t SEEM as if it should be that difficult, does it?
Yesterday Molly barked to come inside.
Fuzzy Molly
I held the front porch door open for her.
(She is about 14 now. She has some trouble getting around and is mostly deaf, though she can hear me when I clap my hands or if she happens to be looking at me when I speak. She had trouble accepting Amber even when Amber only weighed 16 pounds when we first brought her home. Now Amber is 91 pounds (at last weigh-in) and is definitely a jealous, bumbling big, doofus puppy of little brain who wants to be in on all the action. )
So – I held the door open for Molly and invited her in. She didn’t hear me, but Amber did.
Amber at 1 year.
Amber trotted over to the door, bumping into me and wanting to go out. I said ‘no,’ and tried to get Molly in again. Molly heard me this time, but was intimidated to try to come IN while Amber was again trying to go OUT.
Combine this with two cats!
Smoke
Smoke was outside, deciding she wanted to come in, ahead of Molly, but didn’t want to deal with Amber.
Abby decided that she wanted to go OUT, but didn’t want to deal with anyone, so sat there meowing loudly….
Molly wouldn’t come in. Amber wouldn’t go to her place. Smoke wouldn’t come in. Abby wouldn’t go out. I’m standing at the door – a now IRATE traffic director – totally frustrated with the lot of them. Only the fish escaped my wrath, since they didn’t say anything.
I finally shut the door and stormed into the living room where my husband sat placidly reading his kindle in his recliner, oblivious to the whole situation. I just sat down, asking him if he would let Molly in…. :0)
Filed under Amazing Animals, Challenges, Family
“Thumbelina” Thank You Cards
This is a sample of one of the envelopes.
This is a sample of the back of the cards.
There are five cards and envelopes in the package. Each card has a different design.
The designs are enhanced with a bit of pastel.
A happy way to say, “Thank You!”
The cards are blank on the inside for your message.
These will be available later today in my shops on ArtFire and Etsy.
Filed under Uncategorized
Has Spring Sprung?
We’re still due for some freezes before spring officially starts, but it sure LOOKS like spring in my yard and flower planters!
My husband and I are going to go to town in a few minutes to see if we can find some veggie plants. It’s too soon to plant them, but I’ll put them in the greenhouse to hold over until it’s time to plant. I also need to see if I need to start spinach seeds.
My heart goes out to those suffering through the series of nor’easters and power outages. I’ll try to send some spring in your direction. Stay safe and warm.
Filed under Mother Nature
“Forever Country”
“Forever Country”
“In honor of the 50th annual CMA Awards, the CMA Country Music Association released one amazing video. They brought together 30 most famous and award winning superstars to sing a mashup of country music classics.” It’s called “Forever Country.”
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
If the link above doesn’t work for you, please paste this into your browser – http://www.viralmirror.com/30-country-singers-song/
Source: ViralMirrow.com via Carla Morton on Facebook
Filed under music
Playing in my Art Room
Mairtown Kindergarten
I added the “Thumbelina” note card package added to my ArtFire and Etsy shops a few minutes ago.
Now I’m going to go upstairs and play in my art room, working on the stationery and the thank you notes in the same theme.
My good friend, Marsha, suggested I do some thank you notes for boys – “Thumbys.” Please tell me what you think of the idea. I could add a bow tie instead of the hair bow, and lose the eyelashes.
Yea or Nay?
Filed under Uncategorized
Giving
3xM-International
Sharing what you have makes you feel good.
Years ago my husband and I gave monthly donations to two organizations. Sadly, we discovered that WAAAAAY too much of the money being donated went to the top leadership and other administrative costs, rather than to the people who needed the donations. We became cynical.
Lately I’ve found some tools that allow you to check out charities, illuminating their worth either by grades, by accreditation, or by stars. You can find out what percentage of the money received goes to the actual people for which the charity was founded, as opposed to salary for the leader of the organization and other administrative costs. I found three of these services on the net: Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, and BBB Wise Giving Alliance. I personally found Charity Navigator the easiest to use, providing a list of 4 Star Charities. Charity Watch was second. It looked like you had to join the site at first, but after looking around, I found a list that provided ‘grades’ for many of the charities I was researching. BBB Wise Giving Alliance ranked third, as far as I’m concerned. I only found one of the charities I was interested in that was ‘accredited.’ Mostly, they said that the charity hadn’t filled out the paperwork to be listed.
If you try to choose charities by name, you’re likely to be disappointed, as we were years ago, by the money not being used wisely, or being used to line someone’s pocket, or even an actual scam. If the charity is considered good by two of the three services, you can be sure that your money is going to the people you’d like to help.
I spent some time researching this morning, coming up with 5 charities I thought deserved our money. I took the list and talked them over with my husband. He chose two, and I arranged for monthly donations to each of them. Locally we do what we can to help our local library and the Veterans Thrift Store – formally called Disabled Veterans Town. We love to choose a child each year from the Salvation Army Christmas Tree, taking their list and buying as many things from it as we can, imagining a sweet, delighted child on Christmas morning. :0) We contribute on a sporadic basis to political organizations and candidates, but mainly give them a piece of our minds….
You Tube
Filed under giving
“Thumbelina” Note Cards
I’ve had great fun working on these “Thumbelina” note cards. They come in a set of 5 cards with corresponding envelopes. This is the front of one. The inside, of course, is blank for your message.
Here is the back of the card.
Here is the envelope.
Each card is different, and the colors of the note cards will be different for each set.
These can be used for special occasions, holidays, or ‘just because.’
They make me smile when I look at them.
These will be listed on LindaLewis on ArtFire
These will also be available as stationery and thank you notes. Pics to follow.
Filed under Uncategorized
Getting Older
Evergreen Choice
“Old age is always fifteen years older than I am” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Funnyjunk
“Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Don’t let aging get you down. It’s too hard to get back up” – John Wagner
Mari Chris – Deviantart
“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm” – Henry David Thoreau
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Source of quotes – Holidappy.com
Lessons Learned in Life via Jennifer Mitchell Carroll
“A stockbroker urged me to buy a stock that would triple its value every year. I told him, ‘At my age, I don’t even buy green bananas.'”
– Claude Pepper
Filed under Are YOU also older than Dirt?
Thank You!
AmazingPict.com
Thank you for all the birthday wishes yesterday. I had SUCH a nice day. You made me feel special and I’m truly grateful. I had lunch with my long time good friends and my husband, we finished getting the veggie planters ready, I planted onions, I ate some mashed potatoes with my dinner (YES! I DID! And I enjoyed every mouthful! :0) ) The only thing I didn’t do was get up to play in my art room. With any luck, I can make that happen today. THANK YOU for my special day!
Filed under Family, Favorite Things, Friendship
creativeartworksblog 