Category Archives: Journaling

Jun11

Thursday Time Out For Art

Posted on by
Image
Molly Moo the Free Cow

Molly Moo the Free Cow

Next Up

Next Up

After finishing Molly Moo last week, I’m going to start another abstract painting.

 

 

 

Even though Molly was more realistic, the next painting I’m planning with any luck at all will be more abstract!   I just can’t seem to help myself..

The next canvas is long and narrow, so I’m thinking it will help me create a little more extreme art.   We’ll see! It’s also got at least four paintings underneath, maybe that’s the key!

First the sides,  I hate doing the sides.  I always start shaking and can never get them straight, so they go first.

Inspiration comes from everywhere.  I’d like to suggest checking out a couple of sites that might help with creative energy and inspiration,  Zebra Designs & Destinations, and On the Easel.

 

Jun9

The Journey Continues…

Posted on by
Image

Royal Dutch Airline

8100+ milestone Amsterdam!
Again the stewardess is making her way around the plane! This time to serve dinner. It’s 3:30 pacific time, and even though I’m not hungry, it’s soon to be bedtime, and in 7:45 minutes we will arrive in Amsterdam! This food is better than most airplane food, but if it were to be terrible, few would send it back for fear of starvation!
I need to sleep, or yesterday will be a rough day!
Ground speed. 625mph
Distance. 4740 mi
Altitude. 10683
Outside air temp. 48F. I’m glad I’m not actually flying, it’s too cold out there!

Distance 7180. We’re hitting a little turbulence at the moment. Some would say more than a little. Some would even say, “we’re hitting air pockets!” Well…yes, we are in the air, so technically it’s one big pocket!

A few minutes ago we were flying over Wyoming! I’ve not been to Wyoming, at least not since I was really little. Now we’re over South Carolina.
Are speed is 631 mph, and wasting no time. We should arrive at 8:32 am Amsterdam time….yesterday!
I’ve been trying to sleep for a while, after 1/2 an ambian, and a Coniac, I’m not sleeping, maybe cursing is a better way to put it. I feel relaxed & peaceful while my eyes are closed, listening to Chris Bode on iTunes.

There is less than five hours until we land in Amsterdam, and  the plane is  at an altitude of 35052.   Imagine everyone finishing  ice-cream at 35052 ft in the air,  with everyone buzzing from their sugar high!  It’s a good thing I didn’t partake, or I wouldn’t be able to rest and continue on cruise.

Looks like we’re flying over Montreal, and almost half way to our destination.

A couple of laps around the plane to keep my circulation going, and I’m feeling a little better – so far only a numb butt has been a problem!

Outside air temp is currently -61*F. That’s a bit chilly.

Still over Canada, but rapidly approaching the Atlantic Ocean, the cabin is once again settling down……

Jun5

Fabulous Friday

Posted on by
Image
First Tomatoes

First Tomatoes

Can you look at this…….

Not too long ago Les and I filled a water trough for horses, and filled it with organic soil.  Costco had certified organic plants, and venturing out we purchased three plants.   We really are beginners.

Proudly we returned home with One Cherry tomato, one green pepper, and one cilantro plant.  They were planted in the large container that was to be their new home.  I had no idea how much or how little to water them, and figured once a week was a good choice.  Bad choice!  It soon became clear that once a week was not enough.  The rain brought me to my senses, and quickly realized they needed a great deal more water than they were getting.  Ever since, I’ve been hand watering them every other day.  When it gets hot and sunny, I’m sure they will need water every day.

Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers

 

The other day I looked at the full, bushy plants and found three small bell peppers, and a handful of beautiful red cherry tomatoes.  My husband, Les and I decided that we  now considered ourselves “farmers,” even if it was on a very small-scale!  To actually get something to grow is a very big deal for us.

IMG_0202

I seem to get succulents to grow well, but tomatoes, and peppers are a whole different game.

On the other hand, the cilantro plant is hanging on, trying to keep it together.  I have tried cilantro many times over decades, and for some reason, I can’t seem  to keep them alive.

 

 

Jun4

Thursday Time Out for Art

Posted on by
Image

 

Molly Moo the Free Cow

Molly Moo the Free Cow

Here we are again, it’s a Fabulous Friday, and another weekend is starting.  I always think the weekend starts on a Friday, that way we get longer weekends…..Not that it really matters once we retire!

I finally finished Molly Moo the Free Cow!

She has taken me long enough, but you can’t rush creativity, right?

There are at least four under-paintings that Molly  is sitting on.  Each time I’d get about half way through them,  I’d lose interest.  The painting wouldn’t speak to me, and I’d be lost.  So it would sit there on my easel for months, leaving me feeling down, and uncreative.  Finally I decided that whatever I’d been working on clearly wasn’t my thing, or I’d be inspired to keep going, even finish it.

I realized that if I loved what I was doing, I’d want to do it all the time!

That’s when I decided to do something fun, freely creative, and funky.  I love funky!  I really love Molly Moo with her tea bag, and free spirit.  I had fun doing her, and am going to start another funky painting, so it’s back to the drawing board…

May26

Our First Excursion!

Posted on by
Image

Shortly after we returned home from the hospital, my mother decided to pack me up into the large black English Carriage, and walk into Detroit. Now I haven’t any idea how far that might have been, but it couldn’t have been far for mother to have taken on that day trip on foot. This proud new mother was headed to J.L.Hudsons, a very large and prominent department store of its time, and she was headed there specifically to find her new baby daughter (me), a teddy bear. It’s hard to believe I didn’t already have a teddy Bear, but I guess it just wasn’t the bear she thought I should have as a best friend! Turned out Mother was right!

As the story goes….

Can you even imagine pushing this large black English perambulator into a department store? Can you just see things go flying left, and right as the carriage bumped into racks, and displays? Mother would never admit to any of this, and maybe it never happened, but it’s difficult to believe anyone would be able to negotiate any department store with a carriage this large without incident!

Anyway, that day I was an angel of course, and we went straight up to the toy department. Mother searched for the teddy bear section, scrutinizing each and every bear with very careful eyes. She showed me dozens of bears without any redaction from me at all. So on to the next…..Pink, brown, gray, multicolored bears were shown to me. Mother waited for a reaction, and when I didn’t respond it would very gently go back into its own little pile, and we’d be on to the next bear. Finally, we were about to run out of bears when mother picked up the most gorgeous of bears.

Teddy as I later named him, was the best teddy bear any little girl could have. He was about 18″ tall, his arms, and legs were sewn so he moved freely. His ears were floppy, and they moved freely also. Maybe he wasn’t as floppy as he is now…kind of the opposite of me. I started out floppy, and now I’m stiffening up! But we’re still great friends, he’s been with me my entire life through all those moves, marriages, kids, and surgeries. Oh, I don’t take him to the hospital, but he’s with me anyway. Teddy is all wrapped up, and put away, but he still is dressed in diapers, and a one-sy just like he was when I was little.

You can’t have a friend more dedicated than that, can you? Daisy our dog is pretty dedicated to me, but Teddy is my very, very, very best friend!

There is still more, so stay tuned…..