Notes from Abilene

This past weekend was the

Big Country Balloon Festival

and my sister, Nancy, her dh, Derral, and their dog, Diego, went!! I recall one of their early first dates in Las Cruces was a balloon ride! While I can't lay hands on those pics right away.... I do have these she snapped from this w/e and links from the events!




The photos from the two links above are enticement enough to make that trip next year for the event!

There was also a synchronized kite exhibit.... visit that site.

and.... a local band, Homer Hilccolm and the Rocket Boys were in concert!

Inspired by a spider lilly!

ahhh..... Fall!

This is the first time in years that I can recall that the leaves weren't already crispy when the solstice arrived.

It's also the first time in several months (or is it years) that I feel like all my family is in the right geographical location. Lo and behold- I also find myself alone!!

Don't get me wrong- I love them and miss them (the menfolk in my life); but, they tend to eclipse all my energy and passion for what's important to me.

I found this on the DIMW site and while I don't know who the poster WJC is- it os said almost perfectly. I substitute the words "making art" for photography in my own experience.

Life does sometimes get in the way of photography. We’ve had a few dramas and distractions here over the last month. Some of these are continuing but the end is, I think, in sight. The rest are resolved.

The thing is, some of these issues and the people involved have been quite emotionally draining. It is hard to get motivated for creativity sometimes when that is going on, though when you can make it happen the creativity really does help you to get past things. This is the key, somehow you have to make good, positive things happen and keep your focus on them. Eventually the other stuff doesn’t seem so importan

So-- I'm redefining passions. Resetting goals. Recommitting to vital issues that had been laid aside.

First- gotta address the weight loss. While I've not gained back quite half of the original loss- it can't go any further. The buck stops here. Or rather that should be- the muck stops here. No more junk food. Comfort food must be ingested in the smallest of portions and evaluation of just WHY comfort food is craved is to be dealt with in writing before a morsel can pass the lips. Whine, whine, whine instead of wine, wine, wine. And for the record-- I'm not a wine-o. *cheezy grin*

Second. Put the house in order... a domestic goddess must have domestic bliss!

Third. Focus, focus, focus on the art.

Find a great idea or inspiration? It goes immediately into the "Getcher Creative Juices Flowing Book". Yeah, I know.. sounds as if I'm on a wine binge!!

Start what will be finished. Finish what's been started. Order the stuffs to finish those things that are in the almost-but-not-quite stages

Make lists and more lists. If it's written down it's much more likely to be accomplished. That's why I'm starting it here. Putting it in public as it were...

Oh. Happiness. Oh, Joy! I do love the change of seasons... a fresh perspective on old opportunity.
Seasonal resolutions are much more attainable than yearly ones... or so it seems.

Beyond the Environment.... the front fell off...

I'm tired of politics. I'm tired of economic and financial swings and the Dow Jones being the news headline. I'm really not wanting to know about the weather-- if I venture to look sure as the world there will be another hurricane heading at us!

So... I surfed You-tube for a bright laff.
Ohmigoodness.
This guy took political correctness too far!!
Oh. Wait. He's playing a politician!!
Yikes!! I should just go shopping and stimulate the economy!!
Yeah. right.
Enjoy some Aussie humor.

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!

Another day... another cat & some birds

These two designs are for some needlework that Mae has in mind... I just love the Adobe Illustrator program to draw them!

Name that Cat! CONTEST!

Okay, gulls & gals-

Name this cat!

I wanted to load it onto CafePress and see how it prints out- just needed a name! or clever saying.... "tish tosh" was just the first thing that came to mind and since I'm having a brain-drain this week, figured I could count on you guys!

Email me or leave as a comment.

Thanks!

Disclaimer: No cats were harmed in the production of this image. No humans either-- just in case you thought I'd ended up on the wrong end of some claws. Nor is this patterned from the attitude of any of my cats, if it's anyone's attitude I reckon it's closest to mine. Frazzled, frenzied and afraid of what's to come.

Berry delicious!

The other day- we were talking with Nancy and she challenged us to name 12 different types of berries.

I think it was 12- anyway it was hard for the four of us to actually name 12....

Today when I was perusing an 1916 children's book titled: "The Junior Instructor, Volume 2" (initially purchased to alter, but will have to just scan a lot of it as it's soooo cute!) I ran across the subject: "How to Give A Party" and there were suggested contests!!

So... here's a Berry Contest for you to figure out!! Answers below!

1. What berry is a favorite flavoring?
2. What berry is red when it's green?
3. What berry is much used for a fabric, much loved by ladies?
4. What berry was made famous by Mark Twain?
5. What berry is found on the grass?
6. What is the most irritating berry?
7. What berry is used in stables?
8. What is the berry always in evidence at a great winter festival?
9. What is the oldest of all berries?
10. What berry always comes with the king of birds?
11. What is the most melancholy berry?
12. What berry is an indentation on the coast?
13. What berry is often used in a favorite game?
14. What berry is a help in making things clean?
15. What berry is nearly always found with the arbutus?
16. What berry is a dunce?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

HERE BE SPOILERS!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
1. Wintergreen berry (picture left).
2. Blackberry.
3. Mulberry
4. Huckleberry
5. Dewberry
6. Raspberry
7. Strawberry, haha- had to really concentrate on that one for a second!
8. Hollyberry
9. Elderberry, duh!
10. Cranberry- (No, I don't get it!)
11. Blueberry
12. Bayberry (groan)
13. Checkerberry (nope, never heard of it and it's apparently another name for the wintergreen or partridge or what I've heard them called- turkeyberrys. See the photo for number 1)
14. Soapberry (this was a new one to me! and they grow in TX??) That's the berry featured at the top of the page.
15. Squawberry. What's an arbutus anyway?? Oh. See link.
16. Gooseberry- you silly goose!!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

Happy Birthday, dearest Son!

YOU made it a happy day! and my dreams come true! Our miracle!

May you have a very blessed and peaceful 22nd year!

Just another complaint...

Aggravation and more aggravations.

I'll be so glad when this year is over. At the end of the calendar year, I can give ATT/WildBlue the boot. And, I will most willingly do so. I'd rather live without any internet service than have to put up with this any longer. Which I may very well do. 

Today- I got this warning from them:

Service Notice: Hurricane Dolly may affect your WildBlue connection

Dear WildBlue Subscriber,

Hurricane Dolly is moving towards the South Texas coastline and may make landfall soon.

Your WildBlue connection communicates with the Internet through our gateway in Laredo, inland from Brownsville where the hurricane is expected to hit first. This means that your WildBlue service may be affected, even if your local weather is mild. Even if your home or business is many miles away from the storm, you may experience a loss of service if the hurricane hits the Laredo area.

Usually, your WildBlue service is only minimally affected by inclement weather. However, a hurricane is a severe weather condition, which may result in a total loss of connectivity. If Hurricane Dolly does make it to the Laredo area, during this time there is a significant chance you will be unable to use your WildBlue connection during the storm. Once the hurricane has passed or the severity has dropped, your connection should be restored unless your WildBlue equipment has been damaged in the storm.

We hope that you remain safe through this storm, and we appreciate your business.

Thank you,
WildBlue Communications

I guess they don't even realize that if a shadow of a cloud passes anywhere between Dallas and St Louis that our service lags. Grrr...... guess I'll have to wait for it all to blow right over. Yeah. Looking for me online? You won't find me-- I'm twiddling my thumbs and grumbling.

BTW.... Laredo is 700 miles away. You would THINK that we could get service a little closer.

Ninety-nine

The Birthday Week!!

Our Grandmother, Mae, is turning 99 this week!!
This is she out for a little evening walk.

And, this is what a birthday girl does after that little walk!

These are some of the garden pretties she had to admire!!

Be an EGGhead like me!!

If'n you're already my friend... won't you be a pal and add* the Hatchlings App so I can find more eggs?

I wasn't gonna do this...
I wasn't gonna get so darned addicted to F/B and all the little apps... and here I am.
Addicted.

Well- at least it's not dope, right?
Oh. Wait... maybe it's related to meth? MethEGGphetamines? Nah. Couldn't be related.

But, I was going to wean off this... until I talked to Mshell this afternoon. DARN IT. I got her to not only open a F/B account but to add the app, too!! ARGH. Then... yes, we were talking on the phone and computing together (silly, I know!) and before I know what she's done- she's incubated nine of the eggs!

NINE!! Good grief! I never EVER keep more than five! The problem is- I agreed to help her feed all the critters while she's off line... which is the biggest part of the time since she's not gotten the internet hooked up since their last move and only is online when she goes to Hastings and hooks up on their Xanadu or whatever.

Oh, NO!! I can't have all those little critters starving because of me!! And, when they first hatch out you have to feed them FIVE eggs each just to get them filled up! Ohmi!!

Before I know it... I've collected over 100 in ONE DAY!! Ohmigosh! And, two Special Edition eggs and two elusive ones to boot! Good GRIEF!

I've been EGGwinked! Where, oh, WHERE can I get EGGstra eggs?? Please add hatclings if you haven't already.. and add Mshell to your friends (link off of me) so you can help me feed her dang-blasted eggs.

ROFL. I need to get a life. Oh, wait. I already HAVE A LIFE!! I need to LIVE IT! and walk the dawgs. Right after I get through feeding the Hatchling critters.

Cheezy grin... like my new eggcelent portrait!? Art students will be interested to know that I didn't use real egg tempra like the old masters on the frescos.. but, I thought of it!

Disclaimer: No eggs were harmed in the writing of this post. Yolk, yolk, yolk.




*If you haven't done so already?