cleanin up the back 40

-----------------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

We've been working on it most of the weekend, and the weeds are GONE. This coming week we are planning on fixing up the fire pit area, and trimming a couple more of the trees. We still need to patch some stucco on the wall in spots. And.. there are alot of stuff that needs to go as far as yard waste... and there's just no room at the moment.

But... it is looking pretty dang good.
The puppies are happy... more room to romp without weedage.
AND-- I planted seeds in the garden, so we'll see if they decide to come up.

In the meantime.. here is a photo of a very happy Buffy. It was a good time for "men at work."

It's yard sale day

----------------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

It's 4am. I can't sleep. I get this insane idea to have a yard sale once a year....and I have it scheduled to start at 0800. I've been working for a couple weeks gathering stuff.
If you are brave.. come on out !
I will be the harried looking lady with a coffee cup.

UPDATE 0800: people were coming at 7am. Good thing I was awake and setting up early.
UPDATE 0900am: Why is it that 95% of the people coming speak very little english.. and yet still want to try to haggle with you down to the last penny >
UPDATE 10am: no traffic. no sales. depressed. It's just me, a bunch of stuff, and some cold coffee.
UPDATE 11am: hubby reprieved me, and I got a shower. Only customer while I was gone was a lady who gave my hubby a WATCHTOWER pamphlet. I'm thinking this is not a good sign.
UPDATE 12noon: thinking about packing it in. Posting offers on Freecycle. Making a list of items going for Charity donations. oooh.. but wait... there's a last little "rush" on stuff !
UPDATE 1pm: all done. Stuff (for the most part) has been loaded in the car and gone to charity. One lady is picking up some items for a local shelter, and one lady is picking up a bunch of craft items and supplies, and some quilting frames for a local Senior Center. Hubby is retrieving my sale signs.
~~~~~~
On the whole... I think I just suck at having yard sales. I am much more inclined to just give stuff away, and yet I am perturbed by people who want everything for a quarter.
In the end, I made about $100.
The lesson in all this though, is that I should just give to charity organizations, friends, family, whatever.. and not worry about selling stuff. I'm just not very good at it... not when it comes to my own stuff. I'm great at selling stuff for other people :)

the problem with neighbors

----------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

...is that you never see eye to eye.

Since moving here in 1995, we have always had that "one special" neighbor who can be a pain. Now.. that particular title has changed from neighbor to neighbor over the years.. and for the most part, my neighbors have been pretty good.
For the past 2 years we have had a new neighbor adjacent to our back yard. He has had this never ending quest for us to remove all our trees. In particular, this huge clump of cottonwood trees that is shading his back yard. Little does he know that if we were to take out these trees.. he would never be able to even use his back yard for the sun.

All the trees in our yard were here when we bought the house in 95. In fact, we removed about 10 trees and bushes that were left for dead from the previous owner. The ones we kept, we have kept clean and healthy. Our yard is the biggest in the neighborhood, and everyone comments on how nice it is that we have so many mature trees in the area.

Well. Last year we spent over $4000 rebuilding most of the concrete wall that goes between our houses. The old wall was cracked; and he was convinced it was going to fall. (the contractor dis-agreed). But.. we re-built most of the wall and re-did the stucco so that it mostly matched. We leveled our yard, trimmed some of the trees, etc.

Now, mind you. That was improvement for our yard in general as well. But we did it to make him happy.
NOW. Said neighbor is saying that another part of the wall is cracked ( and it is... but it is not structural) .. and he wants the trees removed NOW. Why ? Because the trees occasionally drop twigs that "ruin" his yard, and the roots of the trees won't allow him to properly grow grass in his back yard. Now... of course, his inability to grow grass has nothing to do with the fact that he has a dead pine tree in his yard, or the fact that this is a desert... and the dirt in our yards over here are SAND. naw.....argh.
I know. Long rant. I just wish everyone understood how important trees are here in the desert. .. and not focused so much on some imaginary, perfect lawn with perfectly green water-sucking grass. I love grass... but sometimes it just isn't meant to be.

cake in a cup

---------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

Did you know that you can make a chocolate cake inside a coffee cup-- in the microwave-- in about 5 minutes? I know. I am shocked too. It's not a crusty dry cake, but an ooey gooey kind of cake. Great with ice cream on top.

You take:
4 tbsp of flour
4 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp of cocoa (I used nutella and peanut butter in mine cuz I didn't have any cocoa)
*mix all the dry ingredients in the cup.

Then add:
1 egg
3 tbsp of milk
3 tbsp of oil
splash of vanilla extract
Choc chips (optional)
*mix that all in your cup with the dry stuff.

Cook in your microwave at 1000 watts for 3 minutes.
When it's cooking, it will rise above your mug.. don't freak out.

(I used a pretty big cup.. and had enough for 2 people)
Just let it cool for a couple minutes after cooking.

(in ANIMAL voice) ...cleaning !

-----------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

haven't slept in 2 nights. I think it's my birthday curse. Every year I get into this horrible slump and I am just no good for human interaction. I doubt everything. I feel horrible. I feel like such a waste of protoplasm. I worry too much.. and about everything.

On the plus side.. I am usually so frustrated that I clean and organize stuff.
I am amassing a HUGE pile of stuff to potentially sell. If it doesn't sell, I will no doubt give it all to charity.. or divide it up amongst charities.

I had forgotten we had this stuffed "ANIMAL" from the Muppet Show. He is so cool. I may just have to keep him....


10 things I worry about most...in no particluar order

---------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

1. I feel like I am never going to pay off all my debt
2. I worry that my hubby will leave me for someone else.. ie: prettier, smarter, whatever
3. I worry about my kids -- I want them to be happy in life
4. I feel like I will never be as good an artist as I want to be
5. I worry that I am wasting time, money, energy on the wrong stuff
6. ... and that I am a drain to my family
7. I worry about my judge of character. I seem to overly trust people that are unworthy of that trust
8. I am afraid of going blind
9. I am afraid of losing my mind
10. I am afraid I will have spent my whole life and not really seen the world, or done something creative.. or not done something of benefit to the rest of the world

It's so CSI

---------------------image from "CSI Images" on the internet.

------------photo by Elaine A. Russell



I love the show CSI... the one in Las Vegas with Grissom. I absolutely adore his character.... as well as alot of the other characters on that particular show. I think it is awesome. Some day... I will have to get all the episodes and have a marathon. Wouldn't that be cool ?
Bring on the popcorn baby.

In other news... I have discovered that (like duh)... it has influenced my work/art life. I have included a photo that I did not too long ago... very CSI (don't worry.. it's just pomegrant juice). I also had started a complete jewelry line dedicated to aspects of CSI with some steampunk thrown in... but then I discovered someone had copied the entire line (someone I know).
Ah well. I will probably do it anyway. Damn bastards.

But then -- what would Grissom do ? I guess I will take it as a compliment and move on.


it's been an odd day

-------photo of the Satellite Cafe on Central by Elaine A. Russell

First of all.. I didn't sleep well. This is a longstanding problem of mine. As a kid... I loved to sleep in; but was never allowed to. I started working at a fairly young age.. and my hours were often messed up. Along the way I was diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). As a nurse, I worked night shift for almost 17 years. So -- needless to say, my sleep can sometimes be erratic, and I have taken medication at times to help me sleep.

So -- today I was still asleep when the "door to door" religious people decided to chat about how we need to go to church for Easter at their services. yah.
Somehow I managed to get through that one and head back off to a light doze... when the dogs went absolutely ape and the doorbell rang again.

This time, it was 2 --what appeared to be Bounty Hunters -- looking for 2 "persons of interest" that they were told were in my neighborhood. Specifically, at a certain house. I asked for ID. I'm like that.
Now. You have to understand me. I am not a nosey neighbor. That said. I am one of those old-fashioned types that bring coffee and cookies to new people moving in. I pick up people's mail for them when they are out of town. I watch their pets. Their pets come to my house automatically for treats when they get "out".. and I take them in. I know all my neighbors. I know essentially where they work, and an emergency phone contact for them. I am NOT a watchdog... but I am home alot, and my neighbors all trust me to sorta keep an eye on things.
To sum it all up ... there is NO WAY that my neighbors were caught up in a "situation" such as this.

It was almost like a surreal scene from a movie. I gotta say.
So -- I am off for coffee... and the dogs are all in guard dog mode and are routinely "patrolling the area."

...my smart car

----------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

I love my car. I had researched it on-line and signed up to reserve one ---and it took me 18 months to receive it. That was last July. And now, having driven it for almost a year... I still think it's the best car ever for me. I love the looks of classic cars like the Ghia and the Mustang...but this is fun, economical, and extremely safe.
This is the first car I have ever bought brand new from a dealer... and I am so glad that I did.

Just a short rant... but I love my car.

http://www.smartusa.com/