Daingean
3 Little Piggies – 1
3 Little Piggies – 2
3 Little Piggies – 3
I absolutely LOVE this set of 3 Little Piggies!
The Little Donkey
Tony O’Connor Equine Art – @Tonys_Ponies on X
Beautiful Fall Day
“Autumn Glow” – Erika Kocsi – @kocsi_erika on X
I’ve been playing on the computer this afternoon, seeing some beautiful and funny things. I’m planning to go up and spend some time etching the glasses I’m decorating when I finish here.
When I went to our local grocery store, they didn’t have the lunch bowls today. I talked to a lady at the deli, and she said she would make two of them for me while I waited. They have macaroni and cheese at the bottom, then chunks of chicken tenders, then some cheese on the top. We pop them into the microwave to melt the cheese on top. YUM!
My husband finished creating his stainless steel cup holder in the shop. I have to admit it’s quite impressive. It’s heavy and, of course, fits the bottom of the double-walled tall glass perfectly. He showed me by jostling the TV tray the glass usually falls off of. The liquid inside the glass sloshed a bit, but the glass stayed right where it was. There is hope that this is a solution to our problem.
It’s already starting to get dark outside, so no work in the yard today.
I hope your day has been a fun one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Saturday 11-25-2023
Tenor
A quick “hi” before I leave for a much-needed haircut. After, I’m HOPING to get two macaroni-and-cheese-with-chicken-chunks bowls from the deli/bakery at our local Harps. This is my new favorite thing, so fingers, and all other appendages, are crossed that they have some today.
I’m hoping the stars will align so that I will get outside to do a bit of work this afternoon. A cold front is coming in, so the high will drop about 10 degrees tomorrow.
My husband is making a stainless steel cup holder to go on his TV tray in the living room. This is because he has become a MASTER at spilling whatever drink he has at the time. I warn him – he says he’s being careful – and then down the drink goes – all over the carpet – AGAIN. It’s not cute anymore. He worked most of the afternoon yesterday on it and thinks he can finish it today. I don’t know if the plan is to anchor something to the tray table or just put the glass in it. We’ll see and hope for the best.
I hope that today is a beautiful one for you, too.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Cats, Books, and Love
Gregorio Catarino – @gregcatarino1 on X
Filed under cats, Greg Catarino, paintings I love
The Friday after -2023
Conky Animals-r/midjourney-Reddit
Here I am, up almost 2 lbs since yesterday. UGH. The worst part is that it will take me a week or so to get the regained weight off again. (Sigh. Whine) :0(
That said, we had a really nice dinner and my husband was quite complimentary. He was serious about getting ‘his share’ of the deviled eggs before we were even technically ready to get the plates out. One would think he NEVER gets them. It’s reminiscent of our dog seriously telling everyone who will listen that there has been a HUGE mistake – that she hasn’t been fed in a month!
I was pleased that, when I got up and started to clear, he actually came and helped me put things away and clean up the kitchen – another thing for which I am truly thankful. :0)
I FINALLY got out and weed whacked around the house and under the deck yesterday – something I’ve been flapping my lips about for several days now. I followed that up with the leaf blower, so now we look pretty civilized, for the Lewises. I’ll watch to see if it gets warm enough for me to do some weed whacking in the area behind our shop and beside the garden this afternoon.
Otherwise, I’m planning to just do a bit of this and that today, moving from one thing to the other as the mood moves me. I LOVE days like this, where I don’t have any ‘have-to’s.’ It doesn’t happen often and I cherish them.
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and are enjoying a nice, long weekend off now.
Filed under holidays, Thoughts on a ________
Thankful
Pro Church Media
“Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise… then you will discover the fullness of your life.” ~ Brother David Steindl-Rast
dreamies.de
“Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.” ~Robert Caspar Lintner
Tenor
“The thing I’m most thankful for right now is elastic waistbands.” ~Author Unknown
The Emily Post Institute
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward
Filed under holidays
Toby Martin Sculpture
Filed under sculpture, Toby Megaw Sculpture
Happy Thanksgiving 2023
Giphy
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you spend time with people who mean a lot to you this holiday.
We enjoyed a quick message from our son, who lives across the world from us. He is 12 hours ahead of us (or maybe 13 with Daylight Savings), so it’s a bit difficult to actually talk real time. He said he enjoyed a good Thanksgiving dinner with his friends. One of the nannies who takes care of their toddler told him about a place that houses children who need a place to live. He checked it out and decided to sponsor a child there, sending a monthly donation.
I’m thinking I’ll get out and see if I can get some weed whacking done this morning. It’s a bit cool, at 52 degrees, but the sun is shining and I’ll be working hard enough I think I’ll be okay. I would love to get things neatened up around the house and under the deck.
Have a wonderful day, filled with food and family!
Filed under holidays
Sculpture that Makes My Heart Melt
Philippefaraut.com
Twinkelijintje
Filed under Phillipe Faraut Sculpture, sculpture
Sarah Eden Portraits 5
Don’t Worry, Buddy
Focus
Molly
Sarah Eden Portraits – @EdenPortraits on X
Wednesday 11-22-2023
I’m pleased that a lot of people are getting at least a long weekend, if not even more days off for Thanksgiving. THAT gives folks a good thing for which to be thankful, if nothing else. :0)
We’re having a quiet day today. We go for a routine doctor appointment today, but that’s it for errands. I’m going to work on my Etsy site some more, making what I hope are changes that bring more people, and that they like what they see when they get there.
I’m also still working on the glass etching project in my art room, doing a bit each day. I’m now zeroing in on the ones I need to finish first.
Since my husband and I prefer the leftovers AFTER the main Thanksgiving dinner, and we’re by ourselves this year, I went ahead and cooked our turkey yesterday and served it with corn and homemade macaroni and cheese. I have finally learned to trust the instructions on the turkey, plus using a meat thermometer, so I didn’t overcook it, making it come out too dry. My husband proclaimed it, “perfect.” :0) We have plenty left for the traditional dinner with the fixings tomorrow, plus turkey sandwiches, our favorite thing, for several days.
My husband and I have never ‘fought’ about traditional things that married people do. We ‘fight’ over what design to cut out as a mailbox decoration next, or what colors to use in painting it. Lately, we have been ‘discussing strongly’ whether to have the heat or the air conditioner on upstairs. Right now it’s 43 degrees F. and we have the heat on downstairs. We have had the air conditioning on upstairs since my husband sleeps better when the air temperature is cold. We finally compromised on the upstairs – turning on the heat, but setting the thermostat at 68. We’ll see how that goes.
Hope you get through Hump Day well!
Filed under holidays, Thoughts on a ________
Tuesday 11-21-2023
It’s a great day to stay inside today. It’s 49, cloudy, windy, gray and wet outside. My husband and Amber just left to drive down to the bottom of the driveway to get our mail and hopefully retrieve what is now an empty trash can and drag it back up to where it lives.
I told you I have been working on my Etsy site, basically redoing it from the bottom up.
- I started by lowering my prices as much as I can.
- I’ve been having technical issues on trying to design a banner to go across the top, plus a logo. The last couple of days I painted what I hoped would work as a banner, and then this morning I designed a new logo.
Banner
Handmade Haven By Linda logo
Here’s screen shot – HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy
Example of price lowering –
- small wooden post or clip-on hand-painted lightweight wooden earrings are $8.00. All others $10 – all with free shipping to the contiguous U.S.
- Custom Hand-Painted Christmas Cards – Package of 6 with envelopes $19.99 with free shipping to the contiguous U.S.
Next on the list is trying to change the name and position of some of my shop sections, as well as spruce up the listings themselves.
I have my slogging shoes on, and I would like to make it the best website I can, so it’s well worth the effort.
Filed under Challenges, Changes, HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy
Thunderstorms and Hair Balls
500px.com
It was raining when we got up this morning. Raining when we went out for errands, and raining a bit ago when we drove our trash down to the bottom of the driveway. The forecast is for “Scattered (80%) showers and thunder – the top threats are pockets of damaging hail and gusty winds.” Sounds like the perfect day to stay inside, safe and warm.
Filed under Mother Nature, Seasons
Monday 11-20-2023
We got up and left this morning – in the cooler, rainy weather we’re having – immediately after feeding animals to get lab work done for our 6 month routine doctor appointment Wednesday afternoon. We like to treat ourselves to a Dari Restaurant breakfast afterwards.
They called us back to the lab part of the clinic, but then told us, after taking some of my blood, that we weren’t due for any more lab tests. I explained that it had been six months since we last saw the doctor and that we ALWAYS got fresh lab work done so that she could see how we were doing and could make recommendations for what we should do until we saw her again. They checked the records again and said it was ‘too soon’ for our lab tests. I was too shocked to ask when we WERE due for the tests, and we left.
We went ahead and enjoyed our breakfast out, but I’m still at a loss. If we don’t have the test results for the doc, all we can tell HER is that we’re still old. All she can tell US is that we seem to still be alive, and then give us another appointment.
It seems like there is a lack of communication somewhere. With my luck, our doc will want us to get lab work some other day after Thanksgiving, and my husband will probably get ugly about having to go to the doc 3 times…
Filed under Challenges, Changes, taking care of yourself
Never Enough David Zinn
Filed under David Zinn - Street Artist, drawings
Fall Sunday 11-19-2023
Gregorio Catarino Artist – @gregcatarino1 on X
We’re having a nice ‘day-after-quiet-birthday-celebration’ here today. The weather is nice. It’s supposed to rain late this afternoon into tomorrow, but right now it’s a beautiful fall Sunday. I plan to do some weed whacking before the rain starts.
I just had the NICEST phone talk with a good relative/but, more importantly, FRIEND. We haven’t talked in awhile, so I feel as if I’ve been verbally hugged.
We don’t have any big plans for Thanksgiving. If you’re traveling, I hope you have safe travels that go as smoothly as possible so that you can see/hug the people who mean the world to you.
Hope your Sunday is a nice one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Is My Head Flat Yet?
tenor
I am working on rejuvenating my Etsy site. I try for awhile, give up in frustration, go do something else, then come back and try again.
The project right now is trying to rearrange the images for my products to change the look and focus of my shop. It’s taken me a week of looking, saying a few (or more) bad words, and messing around, but I FINALLY found the way that I can move my images around – just the first step in a lot of things I would like to do.
For now, I’m going to cut off work on that and switch to birthday dinner mode.
Filed under Challenges, HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy
Peter Hogarth Dog Portraits
Peter Hogarth – Artist @PeterHogarth55 on X
Filed under drawings, Peter Hogarth - Artist
Birthday Saturday 11-18-2023
Gfycat
Happy Birthday to my husband. I’m delighted with his attitude. Yesterday he was “old and 79.” Today he’s “80 with cache’!”
He checked with me this morning first thing, to confirm I’m cooking ‘chicken chunks with onions, mushrooms, and soup over rice’ for his birthday dinner. I was planning to bake a pineapple upside down cake, as well, but he decided that was ‘too much sugar.’ (This from the man who denies he has Type II Diabetes – he just has a ‘sugar problem’)
_______________
I told you that I’m trying to give my Etsy site a face lift. This is proving to be a real character-building exercise. I’ve been working on a banner to go across the top, a new logo, and lots of other changes and – I hope – improvements, but I’ve been beating my head against a lot of obstacles so far.
I finally decided that I could at least do one thing reasonably quickly, and that was to lower my prices. People are at least thinking about buying presents for everyone on their list for Christmas, and I think prices are particularly important when the economy is so challenging. So all of my prices have been lowered – some really significantly – and I’m still offering free shipping to anyone living in the contiguous U.S.
I lowered my prices yesterday and woke up to a sale this morning. Maybe a coincidence, but it was really nice, nonetheless. I just got home from a trip to town to the post office to get it in the mail. :0)
Have a wonderful Saturday!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Flower Power
I’m lucky to have discovered how flowers – real or painted or photographed – can lift my spirits. The delicacy of the actual flowers and the richness of the colors fills me up, leaving little place for any negative thoughts or sadness.
Beth Charles-Pinterest
Helen Workman Art
flowers-les-iris-du-grand-barbue.com
rusgallery2020
Filed under paintings I love
Question-Challenge-Joy 11-17-2023
cutigers – @cutigs1 on X
Unwritten
The question of the day is whether our friends will be at Lunch Bunch in a little over an hour. Why don’t I call them, you ask? Both of them HAVE phones, but neither one answers. I leave a voice mail on one of them, but she says she doesn’t get it. The other doesn’t have any kind of messages set up on her phone, and doesn’t wear her hearing aids much of the time, anyway.
So – we’ll go and see if anyone is there, eat – or not eat – and then get some groceries on the way home. “The times – they are a’changin.'”
Dengarden
My challenge for the day is changing the wire holder on my weed whacker so I can continue neatening up around the house. I may have to break down and enlist my husband’s help, but I would RATHER prevail by myself.
Fox & Spice – Fall – Tumblr
My joy for the day is the truly beautiful fall weather we’ve been enjoying. Usually it’s in the 90s one day – then we have 3 days of fall – followed by snow, ice, and winter. It has been such a nice thing to almost take the beautiful afternoons for granted!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Just in Time for Lunch…
StorAmerica Self Storage
I have about 10 minutes to relax with a cup of coffee before it’s time to make our lunch. Just in time – after getting the beef stew ingredients in the crock pot for our dinner and just after I’ve pretty much gotten the kitchen clean. The crock pot is going. The dishwasher is going. And now, after lunch, I’ll need to do what I can to clean it up again. This is why I’m such a slob. When things are clean, I just want to stand and admire them. When things are not, I want to ignore them and do something else.
The pest spray guy will be here between 3 and 5 this afternoon. He usually hits the earlier part of the time frame, so I’ll have until about 3 to try to move things off the floor so that he can have a chance to do a good job spraying for us. We’ve been doing pretty well on bugs this year, but I REALLY don’t want to ever worry about scorpions in the house again after being stung by one in our bed several years ago. It still gives me nightmares and makes my skin crawl.
HighlandLakes.com
Added to this, I saw an article about a “Red-Headed Centipede” that really got my attention. When we first moved here, about a hundred years or so ago now, I was sitting in my recliner watching TV. All of a sudden I detected movement on the wall next to me. A CENTIPEDE was crawling up the wall! EEEEWWWWWW! I don’t remember if it was red-headed, blond, brunette, or what, but I freaked out. I insisted the pest people come out the next day and spray for EVERYTHING, including elephants, and have had them come quarterly ever since. Since they’re really good, we hardly ever have bugs that we can see in the house. Every once in awhile, we’ll find a dead one in the paper traps the man leaves in good places.
Got to run fix lunch. Hope you’re having a fine day!
Filed under Challenges, Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob
Happy Thursday 11-16-2023
Lovethispic.com via Deborah Ann – Pinterest
I’ve decided to overhaul my Etsy site and my brain is scrambled. Some of the changes I would like to make are cosmetic (considering new name, banner, logo, etc.) Some changes I would like to make the Etsy site doesn’t allow.
I’m reading articles on describing my items. I have followed the Etsy forms on listing my stuff. When I go to ‘Etsy.com’ and type in a search term that I HOPE will make my stuff pop up, it doesn’t. I have NOW read articles that say I should be putting my key words into my title spot, rather than down where Etsy says to put them. I’m seeing in my research that a lot of the people on Etsy are doing this. I’ve decided that today the only thing I’m doing is lowering my prices and letting my head rest. :0)
The stress continues because I couldn’t change the thingie that holds the weed whacking line yesterday. I’ll tackle that problem again later. I THINK I’m smarter than the weed whacker, but the jury is still out….
The pest spraying people called and are coming between 3 and 5 this afternoon for the last spray of the year. I’m trying to get ready for them, clearing the floor areas as much as possible. It amazes me how MANY things are on our floors! I’ll just do what I can.
Before I do anything else, I’m putting the makings of beef stew into the crock pot for our dinner tonight.
I hope that you are having a fine day so far and that many things bring a smile to your face.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“Squirreling” As An Art Form
Jeff’s Wildlife Photography – @sykesjeff on X
We are starting to stock up for the winter. Arkansas isn’t terrible in the winter, but it doesn’t do winter well. We almost never have just really pretty snows that cover everything with a beautiful white blanket and then melt away. We have ice, THEN snow, which makes it almost impossible to drive or walk or….
Lisa Wellwood – @studio22artz on X
Compounding that, we have a 650+ foot driveway on the north side of our property – long and steep and just perfect as a ski slope, if you were wanting one. Any snow or ice storm causes the trees on either side of the driveway to droop down or break off into the driveway, forcing us to chainsaw our way out.
I once sledded down our driveway with our son, pushing off at the top and ending up across the street that runs in front of our house, in the ditch, against the barbed wire fence, with my jeans jammed full of the snow I had gathered on the way down. Once was entirely enough, though our son thought it was wonderful and wanted to do it again…
G H Holt Photography – @ghholt on X
As a result, we already have our snow tires on our truck – just in case. We will stock up on food and supplies so that we can ‘hole up’ up here on top of our ridge line if we get snowed or iced in. The worst time ever was when we lost access to both public power and public water for 14 days. Thankfully, we have a generator powered by propane, and a well we can switch to, if needed.
Squirreling away things that will help us through the winter has begun.
Filed under Seasons
The Art of James McGairy 2
First Frost
Water Falls
A Frosty Morning, River Esk
Filed under Acrylic Paintings I Love, James McGairy Art
Beautiful Fall Wednesday 11-15-2023
Gregorio Catarino – @gregcatarino1 on X
We’re having a glorious fall day here in Arkansas. It’s 54 degrees F. now, and it’s supposed to get to 73 this afternoon. The sun is shining, our dog is smiling and trying to climb up into my lap as I type. (She forgets that she weighs 97 pounds and thinks she’s a lap dog.) Things are good and I have absolutely no complaints. :0) The weather folks are saying cooler weather is coming, so I’ll enjoy today with even more awareness and appreciation.
Better Homes & Gardens
I’ve been flapping my mouth about weed whacking, but haven’t actually DONE more than flap. Laziness and other priorities have been sucking up my time and energy, but I’m going to force myself to get outside and start neatening up around the house – the first session this morning. I’m feeling especially guilty because my husband got out yesterday, mowed the grass in front of the garden, and then ran the gas out of the mower to store it for the winter. He also changed another of the 8 foot fluorescent light fixtures in the shop to the new LED bulb configuration. I feel like a slug. :0( I’ll try to make up for that today.
Freepik
I told you that I’m thinking of changing the name and look of my Etsy shop. You would be surprised how difficult it is to (1) think of a name that is no more than 20 characters – no punctuation allowed – that hasn’t been used on Etsy before. And then, if you finally figure one out, ideas for banners to go across the top of the site and a logo that shows the idea of the shop, catches the eye, etc. I may die of old age before all of that comes together.
SO – I’ll share a few more things with you here on the blog and then get outside. :0)
Filed under Greg Catarino, paintings I love, Thoughts on a ________
creativeartworksblog 