Labor Day: The Art, the Feds and the Trends

Popular fashion etiquette dictates that white should not be worn after Labor Day.

Couture cops recommend:

blue (as in collars)-

or the ever popular (red-neck & women's favorite) sans collar.

See picture below.... of the hunk in undershirt.

This piece of art is by Lewis Hine, 1920. Power house mechanic working on steam pump. Records of the Work Progress Administration. (69-RH-4L-2)

One of his "work portraits", shows a working class American in an industrial setting. The carefully posed subject, a young man with wrench in hand, is hunched over, surrounded by the machinery that defines his job. But while constrained by the machinery, the man is straining against it—muscles taut, with a determined look—in an iconic representation of masculinity.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics- one of the projected industries with fast growth over the next ten years is independent artists, writers & performers!!

Artists are laborers, too!

Three cheers for artists!! Make that independent artists!! or would that be independent thinking artists?? 

Whichever!

Enjoy the three-day weekend! And be sure and thank your mother for having labored for you on this day, as well as your blue-collared artist/worker.

U.S. Dept of Labor site

Classic Humor

What's the best remedy for the whatever ails you? Even if you're not ailing... a dose of classic humor is necessary for a premium outlook for the day!

Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First" sketch!

Counting Turtles!

Kerplunk!

I heard this guy when he fell off the patio onto the steps leading to the woods behind our house. It was a hollow sound. Not the usual "tree falling in the forest" kind of sound. Not even a branch like sound.

Must be something else.... worthy of checking out!

Ut-ow!




Poor guy!


Gave him a hand upright! and away he went!

The state of Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission is conducting a Citizen Survey of boxturtles!!

Be a pal, whydont'cha and enter your own personal turtle "find" into the database!!

Happy Birthday 2 BARN!!!

This is how I like to envision my guys... happy smiles with sunshine on their shoulders.

Happy Birthday, Byron!

May the Lord Bless You on this, YOUR, special day.

And, a shout-out to Muhner, who birthed this baby.
I think Mothers should be honored on birthdays... they did all the work after all!

Something is just not right.....

Don't get me wrong... I'm not complaining.

It's just that.... it's... "off". Yes. Off is the word.

The weather, I mean. Who ever heard of a wet August in ARkansas? whoever heard of an August with below 95 degree temperatures? Again, I'll say- I'm not complaining! It's just that it kinda messes with my inner timing.

The whole biologic thing.

I have the oddest sensation that I need to go and change out my wardrobe because the season has already changed.

WEIRD.

Other facets of life

The great DAR pre-planning is almost complete. Yeah-hoo-ray! Having to learn as one goes always makes the first year a total drag; but, it's also fun and exciting to anticipate how it will unfold. Much the same as previous years of AWANA ministry- the energy put in before the program year even begins is nerve-wracking at best and mind taxing. Saturday's big meet 'n greet with the State Regent and other chapter Regents should answer a lot of my loose-end questions; and Mom's agreed to go and help me take notes! Good thing as it's her shoes I'm trying to fill and she hadn't really filled those shoes long enough to know how to fill them out.

I'm most excited about my "Hello, Dolly Dimples" reproduction campaign/contest whatever cuz I'll have to do some real creative artwork and won't feel like I'm piddling with my art supplies. Speaking of... I'm also to the half-way point in reorganizing (yes, again!) the studio. Some people (read that certain husbands that shall remain anonymous, but his name begins with a B*Y*R*O*N) think that I just like to move stuff around because I'm crazy!! I keep trying to explain that I move the resources around so that I can better utilize what I have!

And, on that happy note... I found this article (think K*I*S*S) on Haiku Productivity about streamlining in order to create less chaos! Pretty neat in an elegant poetic way, eh?

I'll quit rambling and maybe write shorter blog notes. Concise, brief and to the point. DANG. That sounds boring. But, I like to embellish! Whether it be with language, art or domestic vignettes. Shoot. I need more hours in the day.... or maybe just a steroid shot- I'm not competing in a sport after all! I'd just like to have more time to think pretty thoughts, lay them out and admire them. Oh, gosh. I'll never find zen in an cerebral way.... I have too many random ideas taking up too much of my mind to ever find any peace and harmony. If I can't even unclutter my brain, how on earth am I going to unclutter the workroom?

The Dogs Woke Me Up & I Can't Sleep....

so.... I'm surfing.

... and surfing.

.... and what thaheck is THIS???


Late night internet can be almost as informative as infomercials.

Printing on your toast.

Yeah. Just what the world needs.

I guess if I were more interested in food presentation this idea would be appealing. As it is.... from the graphics standpoint... well... hmmm..... the later it gets, the more appealing it is!

Wonder if I made the dogs some toast they'd settle down?

A hundred little things....

Kellie's post about 100 things- got me to realizing just how similar and different we are!!

I felt compelled to explain to her just why and how! But- it also got me to thinking in another list... a hundred things about the people I love! That link will be posted later... (it takes a while to type these things, ya know??) and I really should be addressing other more critical topics today!

Anyway.... my s'planation to the not-so-similar-or-otherwise to Kell's list!

2- I'm not married to Terry.
3 - Wrigley, Reddie, Sam, Max & Tom would be sad if I traded them for a sweet Dachshund.
4 - I'm an ART fanatic! Scrapbooks are just a teeny part of the big picture!
5 - I like Beth Moore's studies... I just never seem to finish 'em.
12 - I attended but didn't graduate... and should have stuck around and hung out with you!
16 - I have lived in Arkadelphia longer than in Texas.
22 - I appreciate calligraphy and collect it rather than practice it.
26 - I was married at age 20. Sheesh!
28 - I rode motorcycles- but, the p'rents didn't allow racing!
31 - I also have a large derriere but Terry doesn't love it.
41 - Sometimes I need band-aids after I've lashed out with my tongue.
42 - I tried to be a church librarian assistant. I think I misfiled the books.
44 - I am much more organized in my head than I am in actual life.
50 - When I travel, I would rather not come home! I'd be a gypsy if I could.
51 - I live closer to Doylene and haven't heard from her in months. I hope she's ok? Tell her I said "hey"!
55 - I have short hair because the longer it gets- the more stressed I get. When I'm really stressed I want to shave it all off.
66 - I'm not afraid of snakes and have pictures to prove it.
67 - I met a lifeguard once.
70 - I'm always wrong no matter what the issue... the fences around here all have holes in them anyway. So I wander from side to side.
76 - I adore a frosty mug but was ignorant enough that I didn't know they had 'em at Cracker Barrel.
77 - Only 2 cups? I need 2 gallons.
78 - I won a costume contest at Camp Fire Girl camp one year... my costume? I wore a Jaws mask that I made from paper and masking tape.
83 - I like to look for the ruled lines and then see how they far they'll bend.
84- I tripped over a jump rope once.
85 - Mornings begin at 11:59 AM.
86 - Only the monkeys and the trees scared me. My feelings soar when Judy sings!
90 - I've never met Ginger; but, I'm sure I'd love to get to retreat with the three of ya! Maybe next year.
92 - I don't want to hear ANYbody snore if I'm asleep....
93 - I've worn glasses since I was 2 years old and always will. Surgery didn't help.
95 - I massage my fingernails when bored or worried.
96 - I love Fall and Spring.. can never decide which is better. You can cuddle with Terry, I'll take Maggie (or Wrigley, Reddie, Sam, Max, Tom or Katrina.)
100. - No forests? Oh? How do you breathe there? I thought it was absolutely essential to have trees in order to breathe. Maybe that's why I get so short of breath in the dessert.

Oh, the crazy music ear worms!

Ear worms.
You know what I mean when I say that? Not actual WORMS, silly!

Little dittys that get stuck in your head and you just carry them around with you all day or even weeks?

I get them all the time. Sometimes they are ancient tunes, nursery rhymes and even jump-rope poems that run over and over in my mind and just won't leave! And, when I say ancient- I do mean ancient!!

Growing up Keyton was unique in that we listened to Victrola and Edison records and cylinders from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's that belonged to our great-grandparents. There were some really silly songs and then of course the classics and opera.

One of those silly songs that just got stuck today- was Alice.

Alice, where art thou going?
Upstairs to take a bath.
Alice with legs like toothpicks
And a neck like a giraffe.

Alice in the bathtub.
Alice pulled the plug.
Oh my goodness, oh my soul,
There goes Alice down the hole.

Naturally... I had to google it! Turns out... this may have been written about Pres. Teddy Roosevelt's daughter!
Written by: Gumble Heelan, 1906
MP3 sung by Billy Murray & the Columbia Quartet (while I did find other mp3's with credits to a Haydn quartet)

Strangely... the words I recall are to a playground ditty and not the actual words in the song!

oh brother where art though songs
download free music | download free mp3

Notice the strong resemblance of our dog, Wrigley, to Nipper (pictured above!)... maybe that's why we love him so much? Nah.... he's pretty wonderful all on his own!

Peach Season!

To get these... you have to go to the orchard!