Felted Animals – StockDesign.shop – Patreon.com
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art, Felted Wool Art
A. A. Milne – Winnie the Pooh – Illustration by E. H. Shepard
Filed under Favorite Quotes, Poohisms
Nahar Shamsun – Sew Beautiful – Article by Margherita Cole, MyModernMet.com
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art, Nahar Shamsun - Sew Beautiful
Good morning!
Yesterday I was finishing up things on my computer, getting ready to leave for my husband’s haircut when the sky changed from normal summer morning to BLACK. I knew we were under a ‘heavy thunderstorm warning,’ but this got my attention.
It turned out that we had to use our lights to get to town, got a bit wet when we got out of the truck, but otherwise the big storm was a non-event, for which I’m grateful. Our plants got a good watering, we saw evidence of wind, but no damage in town, on the way home, or in our yard. Just a bunch of leaves blown around. Whew!
There was actual steam coming up from the road, our driveway and our yard. By the time it dried up, the afternoon was almost gone. Today we’re back to normal summer.
We’re waiting for the generator repair/electrician to come sometime today. He said we’re ‘on his schedule,’ though we’re not sure when he will be here. We’ll just stick close to home and I’ll keep checking my phone to see if he has called. Hopefully, he can get things working correctly again without too much time or money.
I researched planting tomato suckers yesterday. I’m going to harvest ripe tomatoes today, then hopefully find and plant some suckers. We’ll see how the day goes.
Lately I have a lot of good intentions, but few actual results. I’m not sure what’s up with that….
Make this a great day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Shut My Mouth
123RF
It’s all my husband’s fault for being so nice last week. He asked me out to lunch on Friday. I was good, eating only part of my carefully chosen lunch and bringing home the rest. But then it was as if the dam broke.
Shorter story – I gained 3 pounds over the next several days. :0( Now I’ve finally stopped the binge and am back to following my low carb plan and doing yoga – and yard work if Mother Nature isn’t being cruel – each day. I hope to be back to where I was very soon, and then will tackle the next 5 lbs.
I don’t know if my husband was just trying to encourage me to lose more lard, just being nice, or what, but he said last night that he ‘thought I was losing weight.’ He’s never been particularly quick to notice things (and, in some cases, that’s good) but it would SEEM that 30 pounds less of me would be a little more noticeable… But – he sees me daily, so I guess we both probably miss ‘details.’
Onward and downward.
Filed under DIET!, exercise, getting the lard off, taking care of yourself
We’re forecast to get a heavy thunderstorm mid morning – JUST at the time we’re out for a haircut appointment for my husband. No other rain today or for the next several days – JUST when we need to be out. I feel as if something may be hanging over our heads. Good thing we’re not water-soluble. :0)
I’ve decided to collect suckers from my tomato plants and plant them in the brick planter I used for lettuce and spinach that is vacant now. I’ve never tried it before, but the ‘directions’ online are very straight-forward: snip the sucker, plonk it into the ground, feed, and water. I can DO that. It won’t hurt if it’s a complete failure, and it would be great to prolong our ripe tomatoes for the season.
I’ll also make the ‘Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bake’ by Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto for dinner tonight. We haven’t had that in a while and it makes enough for another couple of dinners for us. That and a salad with our fresh tomatoes will make a nice meal.
Enjoy your day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Linda is one of my long-time favorite people. She, Kay Nelson and I made up the core of ‘The Lunch Bunch’ – a group who met every possible Friday at The Pizza Barn to share what had happened the past week for more than 20 years.
Things change, though, and Lunch Bunch is no longer meeting. Linda moved to a really nice retirement place. Her daughter contacts me occasionally, asking if we want to meet her and Linda for lunch, but she wears many, many hats and has a too-full plate to do it often.
My massage therapist, Lynn Moody (479-629-7601), moved her massage center to Linda’s retirement place, so now I visit Linda after I get a massage once a month.
Linda THINKS she will be 85, but wasn’t sure. She is one of the sweetest people you would ever meet and my life has been so much richer knowing her. We had a good talk today, with lots of hugs. She is very much ‘in the moment’ now, having trouble with memory, but she seems to be finding fun things to do by herself and with others at the retirement place. I told her I was so pleased with her attitude about the changes to which she is adapting. We talked about the fact that ‘attitude is all,’ and that happiness is where we, ourselves, create it.
I’m lucky to call her friend. If you happen to think of it, send mental ‘happy birthday’ wishes in her direction Saturday. :0)
Filed under Friendship
Filed under playing with your food?
I love Mark Gray’s photography.
I had my magnificent massage this morning. My friend Linda really liked her birthday present. She loves turtles, so I got her this one –
It’s solar powered, so it acts like a super night light. I wish you could have seen her face. She is such a beautiful lady.
I did my other errands, fixed lunch, and then took a really great nap. I’m a really spoiled lady. I feel good now.
It looks like we’ll have a record-breaking summer. Usually it’s hot, but dangerous heat indices are not regularly a daily occurrence. Today the temperature is forecast for 98 with a heat index of 109. I’m super grateful we have good a/c.
When I was on my way to town the square was starting to decorate for the 4th of July. My hair was blowing as I realized how FAST the time is going.
We are not feeling the least bit industrious around here in this heat – just moving slowly inside – trying to conserve energy. Amber is spreading out on the cooler tiles in the bathroom between the living room and the dining area, and even the wonky cat, Jet, is stretching out, sleeping a lot.
I hope that your day is going well.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
I’m leaving soon for a much-needed massage. My body is whimpering with joy in anticipation. Will write more when I’m home again.
Filed under taking care of yourself
Filed under Favorite Quotes, Poohisms
Filed under Watercolors I Love
As with the probable A.I. orange critters, I’ve found that I treasure the creativity shown when people create decals that LOOK like stained glass and can be enjoyed by normal folks at affordable prices. Here are some examples – some ‘real’ stained glass – some decals –
I’m still limping around a bit after having a Charley Horse this morning about 4am. My sweet husband massaged my calf again when I came downstairs, rubbing some pain cream in. The pain is easing and I’m loosening up some now. I’ll drink more water today and do more mindful stretching in my yoga practice this afternoon.
We’ll do exciting stuff today, such as gathering the trash and driving it down to the bottom of the driveway, getting our mail, and grocery shopping before spending the rest of the day inside, since the temperature is supposed to get to 100 degrees F. today with a heat index of 111. That’s insane.
Thankfully, the programming I did on our two water timers (we now have one of each of the above) for our irrigation system yesterday WORKED, so the planters for the flowers and tomatoes will get the water they need mid-afternoon. If this weather continues, though, I’ll probably lengthen the time of watering from each unit.
I’ll work on clearing off my drafting table in my art room this afternoon in preparation for trying out my new wood burning kit. I’m really hopeful that the lighter, different tool design and wire tips will allow me to practice enough to be able to create some things. I have all I need now, except for the skill…. :0)
Stay cool!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Filed under Watercolors I Love
These may be ‘real’ playing with your food art, or it has been pointed out to me that it may be A.I. I don’t really care. I think the creativity shown in these is wonderful. I celebrate however it was created and am glad to share it with you. :0)
Filed under playing with your food?
I’m feeling lazy and stupid right now.
I just went out to the well house to see when our two irrigation system water timers are set to begin today so I can monitor the watering.
We have two different models of the same brand, so the directions on creating the settings are different. I couldn’t tell when they were set to start, so I came back in, got the the directions for each, plus my glasses, and went out again.
I saw that the two units had two different ‘current times’ on them, so I tackled that first. I looked at the new system, trying to scroll through the different settings, and that was confusing. I then noticed that by scrolling through, some of the settings had changed, so I started over.
I now THINK I have the new system for the back set to start at 3pm. I THINK I have the system in the front set to start at 3:20pm, each of them running for 10 minutes automatically, every day.
I now have an alarm set so I’ll go out to check the watering starting at 3pm. WHEW!
I feel lazy because I have always depended on my husband to install and program stuff around here. Our situation has changed now. He installed the new system yesterday for the back, but didn’t think to check the batteries in the old system. It turns out that the old system was fine and just needed new batteries. So that’s the first lesson for me – check to see if there ARE batteries and see if changing them causes the system to work again.
We put the old unit in the well house on the shelf as a back up if we need it.
If I haven’t programmed the systems right, I’ll find out at 3pm and I can try again. If they DO work, I’ll monitor to make sure the water is going to the right places with no kinks in the hoses, breaks in the system, etc.
I’m feeling humble and stupid because what should probably be intuitive – (our son can look at something and start ‘messing’ with it, figuring how to program it faster than I can find the directions in the file cabinet) – ISN’T intuitive for ME. I have to read the directions carefully, taking them out there with me (remembering my glasses) and then painfully work my way through the settings.
I’m getting quite a few character-building exercises on how to be a functioning adult these past few days. I’m working on my attitude about it, trying to find a ‘can-do’ person in there somewhere, and the determination to make this work as it should. Fingers crossed!
Filed under Challenges, Changes, character-building exercises
Our heat index is forecast to be 104 degrees F. this afternoon. UGH. Yesterday we replaced a water timer in the well house that controls the back yard irrigation system. We THINK all is functional now. I’ll go out in a minute to check what time the two systems are supposed to start and I’ll monitor that today to see if 1) each of the two systems is turning on and 2) if we are, in fact, getting water everywhere we need it. The rest of the day will be spent – I HOPE – inside where it’s cool. :0)
I received my new wood burning kit yesterday. I’m going to clear a space for it upstairs on my drafting table as soon as possible and start playing with it. I’m embarrassed that I’ve been intimidated by the other type of system I have that I’ve had trouble using it, due to its weight and my hand arthritis. I’m hopeful I’ll be more successful with this different style.
On Friday my husband asked me out to lunch. We went to the Pizza Barn, one of our favorite places. My husband had a cheeseburger “with everything,” and I had chicken fingers/strips with honey mustard, eating my fill there and bringing home a box with enough for another lunch for me. All well and good, but that started a ‘binge’ for me. I ended up eating some chips from my husband’s stash for the first time in a year or so, followed by no sugar added ice cream and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. Then I had the 2nd half of my chicken fingers/strips as part of my lunch yesterday.
As you can imagine, it was as if I had eaten lead. I gained 2 and a half pounds. I’m back on track today, but it’s a bit sad to have to lose the SAME pounds over and over…
I wish you an enjoyable day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art, quilts
We’re going to buy a new water timer for the irrigation system in the back yard this morning. Hopefully, that will finally get our systems up and running. My husband is happy that we’re not getting all the rain that we’ve had this spring now. He wants our grass to get to the ‘brown and crunchy’ stage so he doesn’t have to mow. I can’t really blame him. I do want our flowers to get water, though, and it’s getting so hot and humid (heat index in the 100s this weekend) that I would like to be able to stop having to water things with the hose and the water sprinkler containers. Fingers crossed.
I got my new wood burning kit yesterday, so I’m hoping to make the time and energy to try it out.
Things are quiet around here today for the most part. I’m hoping they stay that way. I wish you a happy, cool day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
I love finding art that makes me smile. These watercolor birds are free, whimsical, and clever. When I grow up, I hope I can paint like this. :0)
Filed under Watercolors I Love
“There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it.” — Mindy Kaling, Is Everybody Hanging Without Me?
“I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything till noon. That’s when it’s time for my nap.” — Bob Hope, British-American Comedian
“I’m so good at sleeping that I can do it with my eyes closed.” — Anonymous
“Happiness is waking up, looking at the clock and finding that you still have two hours left to sleep.” — Charles M. Schulz, American Cartoonist
“Sleep is like a cat: It only comes to you if you ignore it.” -— Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
Filed under Favorite Quotes
My husband slept in this morning. He said he had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Once he did fall asleep, though, he slept okay. We’re getting to the point where any time, anywhere, we can get some rest is good, so we don’t worry about having to take naps or keep weird hours.
I finally ordered a different style of wood burning tool, since the equipment I have –
As you can see from the image above, this one has WIRE tips, rather than metal shaped pieces. I’ve read some really good reviews from both beginners, like me, and seasoned pros, who all seem to be happy with this one. Fingers crossed this will get me over the obstacle of intimidation and into trying to actually make something more than the earrings I’ve done so far.
My husband invited me to eat lunch out today! We haven’t been to the Pizza Barn in a long time. My Lunch Bunch group of over 20 years has faded away. One of my friends now lives in a retirement place and is only available when her daughter can bring her. The other has been ‘too busy,’ for a long time and so the group and shared lunches is in the past now. It will be nice to see the owner and our favorite waitress today. We’ll do several quick errands after and then be home for the rest of a hot day.
We’re trying to get our irrigation system going for the flower beds. We got the front working yesterday, though the water pressure is low for some reason. We’ll tweak that, plus test the back one today. THEN I’ll try to program them so that when one stops, the other goes on for a timed period each day. I’m still using hoses and water sprinkler containers right now until we get things going and settled.
Try to stay cool!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
creativeartworksblog 