These would be gorgeous as paintings. THEY. ARE. QUILTS!
Sandra Mollon Quilts
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art, Sandra Mollon Quilts
“Dog-Mower” Alarm Clock
I usually wake up around 7:15. This morning I was awakened by the double sounds of our dog, Amber, barking and the lawnmower at 6:15. Even though I’ve been awake for a while now, I’m feeling a bit grumpy and tired. My husband will take a mid-morning nap soon, if not already, in his chair in the living room.
He gets up before I do many mornings, does some morning chores and then waits for me to come down. Amber was still barking to come in. I checked on my husband, finding him out mowing again. He came in when I was just finishing up the rest of the morning chores, plus getting a crock pot of chili started for our dinner this evening.
He had finished mowing some areas he hasn’t been able to mow with the old mower. He said he hasn’t had to put the mower in reverse yet. He simply turns the ‘arms’ of the mower and it spins in place (zero-turn) and he continues on. He is enjoying his new toy. I’m glad, AND I’m most happy that he was finished before it’s due to get hot today, even though I’m feeling a bit sleep-deprived.
Last night he spent quite a while online trying to find supplies for the mower, such as oil and air filters, spark plugs, a cover for the mower, the two belts needed, etc. He had a list of what he’d found and then asked me to help him with the ordering. We used his list, then looked for less expensive places to purchase them. We saved about $200 by doing this. We got everything ordered so we’ll have what we need.
The first thing will be an oil change after the first 8 hours of mowing. Oh, he ordered some kind of gadget that keeps a running total of how long the engine has run, so we can perform the maintenance required at certain times.
We have a master log spreadsheet we’ve kept for years, documenting things we want to be able to refer to, such as “when did we buy the new mower?”. We gathered the model and serial numbers and logged them.
I’ll either do more weeding this morning or I’ll weed whack. I’m not sure which yet.
Enjoy your day!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Mower Man
The new mower was delivered about 12:30 today. The man called me and I warned him about the steep, graveled driveway. Happily, he had a really nice forklift type vehicle with a bed where the mower could sit while he came up the driveway from his truck.
We checked it out. It had enough gas in it that we could make sure it started. The man pointed out the grass height choice box, plus the starter, place where you put in gas, etc. My husband filled it up. We signed the paperwork, and the delivery guy was gone. I thanked him profusely for the great delivery and the fact he came within the 4 hour delivery period and called to tell me he was on his way to us.
As soon as he started down the driveway again, my husband was off. I went to the shop to get his hat and glasses.
He mowed quickly. The 46 inch mowing swath really speeded up the process. He said he only had the speed at 1/4 and that was plenty. He said the steering arms made for super-responsive steering, causing him to over-steer much of the time, but he said he thought he would be able to adapt to that quickly.
SO – we have a new lease on our mowing lives now. I noticed I’ll have to get out and do some weed whacking – aiming for tomorrow morning.
Filed under Gardening
Metal Critters
Filed under metal art, scrap metal art
Friday 8-2-2024
Good morning!
We had a ‘cold front’ come through overnight, giving us an overcast sky, and a temperature of 100 this afternoon, with a heat index of only 106. RELIEF! :0)
We’re supposed to have the new riding lawn mower delivered. I finally got a text this morning that the delivery window is 9am-1pm today. (We’re delivery #4). Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed that the delivery truck can get up our driveway.
I had fun in my art room yesterday, making another wood-burned sign –
No ripe tomatoes this morning; one tomato sucker plant doing well, two others are still alive at this point.
Monster Cat (aka Jet) is feeling her oats lately. She is trying to chew on cords, jumps up and tries to ‘snag’ my jeans if I’m walking, or my arm if I’m in my chair. I’m keeping my spray water bottles as handy as possible to discourage this.
I hope you’re doing well and are able to stay comfortable.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Don’t Miss These Watercolors
Filed under Watercolors I Love
More Metal Sculpture
Filed under metal art, scrap metal art, sculpture
Some of This – A Little of That
Our son sent this via our chat program recently. A beautiful double rainbow!
I downloaded “Here Be Darkness” by R. G. Ryan to my Kindle a couple of days ago. It’s a new Jake Moriarity series novel and I can’t wait to dive into it. I’m trying to decide if I want to re-read the other 6 in the series first.
I just finished “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” by J.D. Vance. I found it down to earth, honest, and real. He is proud of his culture in the “Rust Belt” (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin) while being very straightforward about its strengths and weaknesses. I knew a bit, but now feel I understand better the challenges and feelings of the people who feel unseen and forgotten.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Happy August 2024
In Arkansas we’re welcoming August today with a heat index this afternoon of 112. GACK! Happily, I had a productive morning outside yesterday, reprogramming our irrigation units to each run 15 minutes. We monitored the watering yesterday afternoon and all went well.
I didn’t find any ripe tomatoes, but 2 of my tomato suckers plants are still alive, so I’m a bit hopeful now. I started on one end of the house and got 5 flower planters weeded before I got too hot. They were in the shade and the ‘excessive heat warning’ didn’t start until noon. Still, with the outside work, I came in wringing wet. I showered and washed my hair for the second time yesterday before lunch. :0)
My husband took our dog, Amber, to fill up the gas cans in preparation for the new mower to be delivered some time tomorrow. We have four, so we each grabbed two from the back of the truck to take out to the shop.
I haven’t decided if I’ll work outside again this morning or take the day off. Even with working out there in the coolest part of the day – in the shade – it took me a long time to get back to a normal temperature.
I’m going to try to get up to my art room today. I’m starting to ‘wood burn’ in my dreams now, a sure sign I need to get up there and get the new piece started.
Stay cool and enjoy your day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Attitude
I’m beginning to think that having ‘attitude’ may be a survival skill. A good, healthy, non-violent hostility toward things is much better than apathy, which is usually paired with feelings of helplessness.
I laughed aloud when I found this sign. I love the sense of humor of the people who remember this man and his attitude enough to have the plaque created and displayed on the park bench. He made a difference in his way.
Attitude paired with determination eventually gets the job done. I’m currently ‘determined’ about several things right now – trying to get new credit cards sent from a company, trying to get a healthcare company to acknowledge they have been paid, trying to get the phone company to acknowledge I gave them a credit card for auto-payment over a month ago now, etc. It seems like it’s always SOMETHING and I’m the only one around here to fight it.
So, I feel a kind of kinship with “Roger Bucklesby” because his attitude has encouraged ME to ‘stay hostile’ and continue to get the job done.
Filed under Attitude
Exquisite Embroidery
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art
Progress Report – as of July 2024
In the interest of transparency and my promise to be accountable for my efforts to lose the lard, here is my report as of the end of July 2024 –
Poundage Gone (from my heaviest) – 34 pounds
Girth Gone (from my widest) – 36.5 inches
____________
I’m hoping to lose the last pound for my interim goal of 35 off today. If not, I’m still going in the right direction, albeit VERY slowly after a roller coaster of scale readings depending, I think, on how I hold my MOUTH when I step on the scales. I’m being “good” most days, staying under my calorie limit and under my carbs-for-the-day limit. MOST days I’m under my salt limit, though sometimes that sneaks up on me, or I cave at the last minute and have a late night snack of some almonds.
We’re back under ‘excessive heat warnings’ daily now, so, unless I get outside first thing, it’s simply too hot for me to spend much time working in the yard. Today I’m PLANNING to change the time on the watering units and get a bit of weeding done. I also PLAN to check my tomatoes and sucker plants. (I say, “PLAN” because often – even when I’m heading out the door – my husband snafus my intentions and then the cooler part of the day is gone.
He told me yesterday that he feels like a kid waiting for Christmas, waiting for the new mower to be delivered. I got a text from them yesterday, confirming our address and that Friday was still a good day for delivery. There wasn’t a real person attached to the text, though. It said I would get another one Friday morning, telling us morning or afternoon. I’m hoping a person is attached to that one, so that I can warn them about the steep graveled driveway and tell them that having us come down and putting the mower in the back of our truck and leaving US to get it out again is not acceptable, since we’re OLD. Fingers crossed this all works out well.
I hope that you are able to stay cool and comfortable today.
Filed under DIET!, getting the lard off, Thoughts on a ________
Language
William Frank Buckley Jr. (1925 – 2008) was an American conservative writer, public intellectual, and political commentator. – Wikipedia.
I was thinking of him recently (I don’t remember why exactly) and couldn’t remember his name. (I could SEE him in front of my face and HEAR his voice, but couldn’t say his name.) My husband knew who I was talking about, but couldn’t come up with his name, either. My friend Marsha mentioned him a couple of days ago, and I thought, “Ahhhhhhh, yes.”
I have always admired people who can think on their feet and express themselves well. My mom did that, getting up at city council meetings and telling the council and audience members what she thought clearly and well. She had an impressive vocabulary and used it to also express her opinions and her mood. You could tell how passionate (or angry) she was because the higher her emotions, the longer her words. She would tell people off in such an impressive manner, with subtle sarcasm, that the object of her scorn didn’t realize what had happened until they started bleeding from her verbal dressing-down. :0)
I admired William F. Buckley, Jr. because he spoke so WELL. Not being a mental giant, I many times became ‘lost’ in the beauty of his words, not really catching the MEANING of what he was saying until later. I had to look at a transcript so that I could THEN decide if I agreed with his opinion or not.
Insults of the past were an art form, so witty and well thought out – rather than the crude, blunt, knee-jerk pronouncements or labels now – but that’s a subject for another day.
Filed under Favorite People
Terrific Scrap Metal Art
Filed under metal art, scrap metal art
Deborah Shapiro Art
Filed under collage, Deborah Shapiro Art
Tuesday Thoughts 7-30-2024
July JUST started, right? How can it possibly be almost over? I’m truly shocked that August will start Thursday.
We’re back to the more normal “no-rain-and-excessive-heat-warnings” weather here. I’m going to start trying to get outside first thing in the morning to try to get my flower planters under control. The weeds have really enjoyed my negligence and are running rampant. I’m also going to change the duration on the irrigation units from 10 minutes to 15 today, trying to keep all the good plants from croaking in the heat.
I found a ‘table lamp’ I really liked the other day and ordered it for myself, as another thing to sooth myself when my nerves are feeling offended. It came yesterday and I love it. It’s a cut glass-looking cylinder, but it’s battery-powered, changing colors in several different patterns from which you can choose. I have it to the right of my computer screens so I catch it from the corner of my eye as I’m working.
This is the riding mower that is supposed to be delivered, fully assembled, Friday. The distinctive turning arms in the picture show that it’s a zero turn mower, meaning that it will turn on a dime, ensuring good control. It has a nice 22 HP V-Twin Kohler Engine. My husband takes good care of his equipment, so this should outlast both of us. (I had a nightmare recently after he told me that he had adjusted the seat on the old mower so that he could ‘jump off’ (he’s 80) if the thing started to turn over, so I’m super-relieved that we can get him a brand new mower.
This image is very similar to the sink we have in our kitchen, though this faucet is a bit fancier. I read an article in The Daily Meal about using wadded up aluminum foil to clean and polish it. I had never heard that before and was eager to try it. I do so much cleaning of veggies and my hands after working in the yard, etc. that my sink is a real challenge to try to keep free of actual SOIL, and I only ‘polish’ it every 35 years or so….
Anyhow, I decided to try it. It said to ball up about a foot of aluminum foil, hold it under running water and then use the foil as if it were a sponge or scrubber. It’s not the friction, it’s the chemical reaction of the water and the foil that apparently does the cleaning and polishing. The article suggested I use one ball to clean the sinks and then use a fresh one to polish them.
IT WORKED. I’m still amazed. Even my husband, who walks around oblivious, in a daze much of the time, not noticing things for months, NOTICED and MENTIONED it. So, if you’d like, it’s fun thing to do that will actually do a great job. Imagine that. ME – giving YOU a cleaning tip. hahhhahahahahaha :0)
Enjoy your Tuesday, trying to absorb the fact that July is almost gone.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“Steampunk” Metal Sculpture
I found some metal sculpture I really like by Igo Rigo on Etsy. He describes it as ‘steampunk,’ and though I’ve heard the term over at least a couple of years, it didn’t really have much meaning for me.
Steampunk is – “a style of design and fashion that combines historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by science fiction.”
“Steam is a central element of steampunk. The technology featured in this universe is generally just as advanced as that of our modern world, but it uses steam as its energy source instead of electricity, gas or oil. As a result, steampunk technology takes on a retro look reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution era.”
IGO RIGO – IGORIGO on Etsy
Filed under metal art, Steampunk Metal Sculpture
Monster Cat and the Boxes
Monster Cat (aka Jet) loves the two cardboard boxes we plopped in the middle of the living room floor. She walks by, gets distracted – stopping mid-stride to leap into the inside box. Or, like in the pic above, she’ll crouch down or under one side of the box, alert for any ‘prey’ in the area, waiting to pounce. (If you look carefully, the black below the box lid on the front is Jet, with the tip of the white part of her paw showing.)
I apologize for my feet in these pics. I had my phone in my lap, trying to catch some pics of her. Each time I would get into position, she would notice me and stop what she was doing. All of these were taken as fast as I could, trying to capture the action, catching mostly my feet…
Round and round the box, alert for real or imagined adversaries – Jet skulks around the boxes.
The black to the left side of the boxes is Jet, stretched up, looking into the boxes.
And she’s IN! The only thing ‘out’ is the end of her tail. (I tried to get pics of her looking out of the boxes, only her eyes lighting up, but couldn’t get them.)
And she’s OUT again, rolling around on the floor.
Yesterday she was so full of vinegar she then went to the tower in the corner, playing volleyball one handed while dangling from various angles on the flat parts.
She finally jumped up beside my feet on my chair, one of her favorite spots now, to take a well-earned nap.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family
A Thing of Beauty
My new drink holder – lovingly machined from aluminum by my husband over LOTS and LOTS of hours at the lathe so that the cat won’t dump my cold drinks.
(He made one for himself several months ago because HE kept dumping his drinks onto the tray table next to his chair and the carpet. It worked really well, so when Jet (aka Monster Cat) started giving me problems, I asked if he would make ME one. He made mine deeper than his for more stability, he says. Mine weighs 11.3 oz. His 7.8 oz.
Filed under Favorite Things, Lewis Art
It’s Monday 7-29-2024
We’ve had a busy day and a half.
Last night my husband came in from mowing, saying the steering was broken on the riding mower. We found that Sears could send a repairman today, so we made an appointment. When my husband got online to look for repair parts for the mower, we found our age-old problem (if you’ll pardon the expression) that the mower was now SO OLD that NO repair parts or compatible parts were available. I then called Sears back and cancelled the service call for today.
Sears isn’t good about communicating with its employees, so a really nice guy showed up a little after 7 this morning. I told him we had cancelled the appt and apologized for wasting his time and gas. He stayed to chat about my husband’s Vette, and then asked if he could see the mower. I made sure we wouldn’t be charged for a service call and the three of us went out to the shop. He agreed that though the mower was a really good one, it would take someone who would machine the parts needed, and would cost a lot of time and effort. He said HE was too old to tackle it, and he’s 20 years or so younger than we are.
We had researched riding mowers on the net, and went early today to three places in Greenwood who might have something close to what we wanted. We ended up ordering online from a company who will deliver the mower to us FREE Friday, assembled and ready to go. We had to pay more than we wanted, but we should be well set up for the rest of our mowing lives when we get it.
He told me he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. I made sure he knows AGAIN how much he means to me, and that he shouldn’t HAVE to feel obligated to keep taking things apart and making them work anymore, particularly when no parts are available and the project would probably take the rest of the summer or longer. We can bite the financial bullet and DO this.
So, it’s 11:00 here now and we’ve been to three places in town, come back, gathered trash, and driven it down to the bottom of the driveway, gotten our mail, taken a non-service call, ordered the mower, and all before lunch.
Guess who will probably take a nap after lunch…
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Drawings
Filed under drawings
Beautiful Watercolor
Filed under RJ Watercolors - Etsy, Watercolors I Love
Learning to “Deal”
Our world is becoming more and more challenging. I know I’m getting older than dirt and have less patience than I used to have, but I find myself getting hostile often lately.
I listen to the news and get angry. I read articles on my computer that make me mad. I get disgusted by many song lyrics. I have little patience with actions of celebrities and just plain folks, tending to get offended when they step on or scoff at things that mean a lot to me. I’m tired of people being so judgmental, but I guess I’m the SAME.
I spend a lot of time avoiding. In fact, maybe ‘avoiding’ should be included as an Olympic sport. If it were, I would see if I could qualify for the seniors team from the U.S.
I propose the use of two emojis – Emoji ONE – showing a person with hair blowing in the wind. This would mean that YOU are letting bad stuff blow right over you, choosing not to react. It could also be encouragement to others, not to LET all the aggravation get them down.
Emoji TWO – a person with their lips zipped, reminding yourself that your opinion might not be shared by others and that insisting on telling people what you think all the time might be supremely irritating and probably won’t change any minds. It might also be used to quietly ask others to let you go on in your ‘bliss and ignorance,’ rather than trying to loudly tell you that you’re full of it.
Whaddya think?
Filed under Challenges
Sunday 7-28-2024
I love this drawing – and I’m NOT fond of mice.
We missed the hoped-for rain yesterday, and then next 10 days are supposed to be a ‘return-to-the-heat’ and dry. UGH.
Yesterday I checked for ripe tomatoes, but found none. I did find and replant some tomato suckers, though. As you can see here, only ONE of the suckers is doing really well. The rest are just hanging on. I’ll keep trying, though. I keep reminding myself that these are all ‘free’ tomato plants, and if just a couple do well, our chance for ripe tomatoes in an extended season increases.
The experiment of planting the elephant ear bulbs has been really interesting. I planted one large bulb in each of three brick planters. One planter in front of the garage has been a good place for several years. I planted the second bulb in a tall, shaded planter to one side of our front porch, hoping it would really spread out and take over the area. The third I planted in a planter at one end of the front yard, in a shaded, fairly protected place.
This is where I’ve planted elephant ears for several years. Usually I have three bulbs in this planter, but the ones I bought are huge, so I decided to see what one bulb in the middle would do. It seems to be happy here and very healthy.
The bulb in the planter to the side of the front porch is doing well, too, although the plant is not nearly as large as the other.
This is the bulb in the protected, shaded planter at one end of the front yard. It has struggled, but is finally gaining a foot hold. The plant is still very small.
Time got away from me yesterday, but I’ll try to get upstairs to my art room today and get started on a new wood burned sign. I’m really enjoying trying to do this. My dreams are full of what I’d like to do in the future, and all I’m learning daily, as far as techniques, what each of the different tips does, and more. Really FUN. :0)
I hope your Sunday is bright, shiny, and full of pleasure.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Scrap Metal Sculpture
Scrap Metal Sculpture – EngineeringDiscoveries.com – Pinterest
Filed under metal art, scrap metal art
Fabric Art
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art
Addictions
I have to stay out of office supply stores. Also, stores that sell baskets or boxes. Also, food – particularly salty, greasy things and chocolate. And now I’ve found a new addiction – watching military homecoming videos on YouTube.
Yesterday, when my to-do list had filled up the page and was spilling over you could have found me glued to my computer, headphones on, tears in my eyes, watching reunions of military people and their families. They are so touching, and I’m so sorry that they have to go through the separation, but happy for them when they are reunited. They cry. I cry. And then I find and watch another.
I guess I watch them because they are happy endings in our country. Real people having good things happen. A thing that is sorely needed right now. Love spilling out over the top, enveloping all in the area, plus felt vicariously by people needing holes filled.
Just what I needed – another addiction to add to my list. :0)
Saturday 7-27-2024
These are too cute to EAT. I love the creativity some people show with food. Maybe if I find someone who will make things like this for ME, I can lose all the weight I would like because EVERYTHING is simply TOO CUTE TO EAT. :0)
I’m an emotional eater – of course, ANY excuse will do. Yesterday it was because my husband yelled at me – after asking for my help – when I was insisting that he wasn’t giving Microsoft what it was demanding in order to sign in. I left the room, and then proceeded to eat our dinner hot dogs with actual BUNS instead of the Mission tortillas that have no carbs, PLUS I ate potato chips, sabotaging my lose-the-lard efforts for the day.
I’m patting myself on the head a bit this morning that I DID vacuum all the tiled areas on our first floor yesterday – pantry, kitchen, utility room, dining area, walkway to the living room, and two half baths. Today I’ll do the carpeted areas on the first floor, plus our bedroom and master bath upstairs. I’m amazed that Amber isn’t completely bald after vacuuming up the equivalent of at least one dog yesterday.
We had the nicest short rain yesterday afternoon and have a chance for a repeat today. I hope we get it because it looks like we have quite the dry spell after that, with the temperatures soaring again. In a few minutes, I’ll check our tomato plants, fertilize, and see if I can replant any suckers.
I hope that you are able to make today a really nice one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
creativeartworksblog 