for the weekend


It's the weekend! 
And a busy one already... but thankfully, it has rained and cooled things off a bit...
and there are movies to watch from Netflix.

Yesterday I had a great time visiting with some friends of mine; 
and they happen to have some pretty amazing gardens, so as I was walking around
we found these awesome dudes.

Read more about them here
and how you can help them here, here, and here.



And I've got some links to share with you all:
*I've been reading about this, this week... and more here
*which was inspired by this (and more here... and here)
*and on that theme.... this is just too cool.
*how to quick pickle most anything
*great nature finds
*isn't language amazing?
*how to turn lemons into lemonade
*and helping folks out with baked goods
*this is interesting
*there's a new show with Patrick Stewart coming

...and some places from my reading list:
-Katie DiBenedetto
-Gin White
-Robin E. Sandomersky
-Richelle Rae
-Moonlight Muse

8-14-15


Happy Friday everyone~

Today is going to be another very busy day, so I am posting a little earlier than usual.
Heading to the Potter County Farmer's Market... running a bunch of errands...
then off to a demo over at Firestone Forge in Germania, PA.

Lots of goodness all around...
and I will close with some photos I've taken here in the yard.
See you all tomorrow for my weekend post with lots of links.

((If you are interested in astrology, here is a neat link on this new moon.
And this cool bit is from the Farmer's Almanac))




8-13-15




...feeling very anxious for some reason... so I will be brief today...

Hope all is well with all of you... and here are some photos I took this week around the yard.
See you all tomorrow.

8-12-15



It's been an odd week... and all day today I keep forgetting what day it is...
Blue skies one minute... threats of a rain storm the next...
in and out of the house with Brina...
and making some good food from locally sourced organic goodness...
It's a good day... just a little ... off... and a little chaotic.

Last night I stayed up to work on things; and to potentially see the Perseids Meteor shower; 
but it was overcast... so tonight we'll see if we can see anything.

Look at these links:

8-11-15


so yesterday, I mentioned that I loved mandalas.
Specifically... I love how each one can be unique... and still be similar in shape and feel to others.
According to wiki... "a mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe." The term mandala is Sanskrit in origin. In various traditions, they are thought to help a person focus. They are thought to help create a sacred space, and to aid in meditation.

You can read more about mandalas here ... and here ... and here
but this link seemed to have the most (easy to understand) information.
As an artist though... I was curious how to make my own; particularly from photographs.
So the other day, I took a series of photos of a veggie/ fruit mandala I made using produce from the local farmer's market...




and I looked up various programs online that were free and relatively easy to use...
and found this! ... and turned a couple of these photos into the photo at the top, and this one below.


How cool is that?!
So go ahead and play... and I'll see you all tomorrow.

8-10-15


Sometimes, there are so very many wonderful items at the Potter County Farmer's Market...
that I have a hard time deciding on what to feature for Monday's "foodie" posts.
Such was the case this past Friday... as there was a bounty of salad greens, blackberries, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, breads, jams and honey... and several varieties of squash to choose from.
(along with all the wonderful handmade items such as pottery, knitware, wooden toys, alpaca yarn and more).

The photo above, shows a "mandala" of fresh fruits and veggies from Friday's market.
((swiss chard, beans, cucumbers, fingerling potatoes, plums, squash and blackberries))
I love mandalas, and thought it made a really pretty design... but I digress.
Today's feature is on some really interesting beans I was able to get... from the Metzger Heritage Farm.

What I purchased, were Romano bush beans. They are a long, wide, flat-podded Italian style green bean that is bright green in color.
Mine were huge! ... most were about 9 inches long.
Here is a video I found on them. They are apparently excellent in minestrone to polenta, or simply sauteed in butter... and are often used wherever regular green beans are used.
I found this article online... and this one... but I decided to grill them instead.

I trimmed the ends of the beans (although not necessary) and put them in a shallow dish with garlic and olive oil. I got them all "greased" up and let them rest overnight in the fridge with the garlic and coarse sea salt, thyme, marjoram, and a little black pepper.


Then today... I simply put them on the pre-warmed grill.
Each side got about 5 minutes on medium heat... so they were nicely cooked and with a few grill marks.
Tender and juicy... they were the perfect addition to our easy summer meal.



...See you all tomorrow!

for the weekend



It's the weekend!
And although I spent the am in the ER with my hubby (dang kidney stones)...
there is still much to do... not the least of which is... to get some more rest.
So I will leave you with a couple photos I took yesterday... and some links I've gathered this week:

*book I am reading right now, and the one I finished last night.
*two of the most recent movies I've watched are THIS ... and this. Loved the first one... and the music was great! (whole soundtrack here). I didn't like the 2nd one at all... pretty to look at (sometimes) but... difficult to follow... and difficult to watch because of the way it was photographed at times.
*hubby found this article and passed it on to me...
*mushrooms!
*did you know you can order "paint by number" kits of your photos?
*looking forward to making this sometime
*interesting PA history
*food for thought from the Washington Post
*where to "cool off" in all 50 states
*2015 National Geographic photo contest winners
*and just something I thought was cool.

and from my reading list:
-Eco Fashion Talk
-Becky Shander
-Dustin Cohen
-Budding Foodie
-Christine Chitnis

...I hope you all have an awesome weekend...
and I will see you all back here on Monday for my "foodie" post, with produce I was able to get from Friday's Farmer's Market.

8-7-15


...sometimes I have the best of intentions... and poor execution.
I had intended to post early today... and then get stuff done for my Etsy shop.
But then I got to doing things around the house...
(housework, emails, posting things on Facebook to help promote local events and artisans, washing laundry, etc ... which I did get done).

And then I had errands to run... (bank, post office, etc)
and then the farmer's market... ( where I got lots of great food, took some photos, visited with people)
and then a couple more errands... (>>sigh<<)



and then this (!) happened...
(Steak dinners being sold/ fundraiser for the Coudersport Falcon Football team)
... which was AWESOME...


...and I took a dinner to my mom and visited with her for a long while... and helped her with some mail and such...
...and now I am home... (fed the dog, did some dishes, took care of some mail, etc...)
... and I am exhausted.


So ... no. Not much of a blog-post... and certainly posted later than I intended ((sorry)).
Join me tomorrow for my weekend post...

8-6-15


There are so very many beautiful spots all around us... if we but look.
Today I am out and about with some appointments...  but I hope to get to take some photos later on.
...see you all tomorrow...




8-5-15


Mine is going crazy this week...
(( here's a couple more links on growing succulents... here ... and here ))

Today is just a day to catch up on some photo editing,
and some work in the studio.
See you all tomorrow.




8-4-15


...as artists, we must constantly be diligent.
working... researching... learning... experimenting... working some more...
yes, "having a gift" is certainly part of it... but it's also a lot of blood, sweat, and work.



I am constantly impressed with my daughter's work ethic.
She works on her art every.single.day. and for hours and hours.

I think sometimes, it is easy to write off a great piece of art, as being from someone who is talented...
and yes, that is important... and a blessing... but there is certainly so much more to it.
Creativity. Practice. Success... and yes, failure.
We learn and grow from it all.


.we are makers.

((artwork featured on today's post is by my daughter, Kristin Russell.
She has been selling her art since she was 12yrs old;
and since moving to PA has become a PA Wilds (juried) Artisan.
You can see her work at Firestone Forge, and in her Etsy shop.))

8-3-15



Sometimes you do need to "throw all your eggs into one basket"...
or at least... that is true if your basket is a pot... and you are making chili or soup.
>>wink<<
Being a busy weekend, the daughter graciously decided to make a pot of "leftover chili"... no doubt, a tendency born after years and years of seeing me make a soup out of whatever we had on hand. This kind of food... "risen from the ashes" of all the leftovers in the fridge or what-not... is perhaps one of the most scrumptious of dinners.

One of the items we got from Alvie Fourness of Wooleylot Farms this week; was a container of radish seed pods.... which are essentially, the pods you get when radish plants go to seed. They taste like radishes... but somehow, are crisper and a little sweeter. They would be perfect in salads, or even pickled... but the daughter decided to throw some of them in the pot for chili... and worked up from there.

She added at least 6 cups of water as a base.
Fresh from the Farm Market, and chopped into pieces... she added yellow onions, tiny white onions, long green beans, baby "nubbins" potatoes (teeny tiny potatoes of several varieties), garden tomatoes, zucchini squash and yellow crookneck squash. From the freezer, she added peppers (yellow, green, and orange), garlic scapes, and sweet corn -- which was all local produce that we froze for long term use.
From the store... she added spaghetti squash that we had cooked earlier in the week and had some leftover; as well as a can of organic pinto beans and a can of chopped tomatoes with peppers.
She also added some leftover basmati rice we had in the fridge. Why not... it was there.


Cooking in the crock pot, she let it simmer for the entire afternoon... adding salt, pepper and a tiny bit of cumin, some sriracha sauce, and some fresh sage and chives from the herb pots on the patio.
**(on the sriracha... just add a little. As the temp of the dish raises, so does the "heat" factor of this sauce... so you can just use a little; and then add more if you want it. She put about 1 tsp in; and in the end, it had a bit of kick to it)**

This dish is completely vegan.
You could add cheese on top; or some ground sausage into this if you wanted to.

We served it in large bowls, with fresh bread (which was also from the Farmer's Market and the fine folks at Card Creek Trading Post)
... and we couldn't be happier.
See you all tomorrow.


for the weekend


So this weekend, there are a ton of things going on locally...the Potter County Fair...  Upper Seven Bridges Bash...
The Woodsmen's Show.... the Frosty Hollow Herb Fair... and so much more.
The daughter and I spent the day selling our handmade stuff at the Herb Fair... and had an awesome time.
And now that we are home... and spent... and I am late on my post for the weekend...
I will simply wish you all much love and share a few links...

*12 little known laws of Karma
*this photographer has been a big influence on my work lately; and one of the things he is doing right now
...is some work in Africa with this group.
*this looks like an awesome little town (and here in PA)
*... and more quaint places in PA here
*this looks cool
*interesting study on watermelon
*... and speaking of watermelon
*ah Seattle! News and reviews of their Art Fair
*this is interesting
*and then I found this about Van Gogh's art

So... a great (rest of your) weekend!  and I'll see you all back here on Monday for my "foodie" post.

~~~
((the photo for today's post is one I took this afternoon at the Herb Fair))

7-31-15


Happy Friday!
... and happy BLUE MOON.

Today I am getting ready for a show this weekend (look here)...
and making a quick run to the Farmer's Market here in town for something delicious, fresh and local to eat.
But I wanted to share with you all some great links I've been seeing posted on tonight's Blue Moon...

*CNN
*IFL Science
*Space.com
*Elephant Journal here... and here... and here
*Mystic Mamma
*MSN weather
*NPR
*Time and Date
*ABC
*the Marcels ... and the incredible Billie Holiday

((photo isn't the best... need a better lens... but I took this today at 4am))

7-30-15


We live in a pretty amazing place; at a pretty amazing time in history.
I think (for me at least) it can sometimes be overwhelming; and I occasionally lose faith in humanity... But there are times when it is good.
It's good to be reminded then... that even doing a tiny bit...
if lots of folks do a tiny bit... can add up to a lot of really good bits.
And that is how changes are made.

Last night was another "Music on the Square" event at our local courthouse square (sponsored by our local Rotary Club).
It wasn't an overwhelming crowd, but the ones that were there were enthusiastic...
and as I got home I could hear the final refrains of "God Bless America" as performed by the Twin Tiers Community Band (directed by Diane Smith)... and my mom singing that really high note at the end... (yes, even from this distance, her voice carries... or at least I can hear it).
Small town America, yes... but there is something to be said, and treasured.... about these wonderful little bits.




7-29-15




waning light
hot summer night
full moon (almost) in sight
work to my left, work to my right
artist's delight


((see you all tomorrow; perhaps in proper daylight))

7-28-15


...just me
right here
right now
feeling small
but the view is nice ...

see you all tomorrow.



7-27-15


The selections at this past Friday's Potter County Farmer's Market were amazing.
And I must confess, I got probably more than we needed too... but it was all so delicious.

Today's "foodie" post is brought to you by my daughter.
I've been sick; and so she was gracious enough to put together a meal for us; that incorporated fresh elements from the farm market.

So what did she make? She made a dish that I have made many, many times over the years...
but added her own unique twist to it.
For her squash dish, she first made a big batch of basmati rice. We have a rice cooker, and most every single day, we make rice.
She made it plain this time (with no added spices) because she added spice to the dish later on.



Then she chopped up fresh summer (crookneck) squash and green zucchini squash and placed them in a saute pan with a little water, and slowly cooked them. She added fresh chopped onions (including some of the green tops). You could certainly add a little olive oil, and some garlic; but she chose not to this time. She then added some dehydrated mushrooms (we got a bag of these when we went to State College last time, and had stopped at an Asian Market)... that she had soaked overnight in a small bowl of water to re-hydrate them. After they were all nicely cooked a bit; she added a can of black eyed peas that she had rinsed well in a colander. She added salt and fresh ground black pepper, and a spiced/ herb vinegar she keeps in the fridge (which is her twist). The vinegar is a white vinegar that she added marjoram, dill, and rosemary to, and keeps on hand as a splash of tart flavor to add to her food. She also added Kikkoman soy sauce to hers, which is why I included it in the photos... but that is completely optional.

Mix it all together with the rice, and you have an easy, breezy, summer squash dish.
It is completely vegan... but you could also top it with some shredded cheese.
It would also pair nicely with a fresh fish from the grill.


for the weekend




It's the weekend!
And tons! of things are going on... and I am hoping to not do much of anything but concentrate on getting better.
In light of this, I am trying to just "chill" and drink tea.... and watch movies... so today is sort of an abbreviated post.
Carry on! ... Hope all is well with you... and I will see you back here on Monday for my "foodie" post.

But in the meantime; here are some links I've gathered to share with you all:
*I know this girl
*artist Kimberly Heil
*artist Steve Spazuk and here.... and here
*this is awesome
*artist Chloe Giordano
*turmeric and cancer... an interesting link
*who knew?!
*changes in the farm world
*for the love of redheads
*who wouldn't want to live here
*Chuck Jones, and how he mastered his craft
*free fonts for the graphic designer in you
*be an agent of positive change

7-24-15



I feel like all I do sometimes is complain about not feeling well, and that is certainly not my intention.
It's hard sometimes, when you have a chronic illness, and every day is a "new adventure"...
and dependent, in many ways... on how you feel. And I don't want that to be the focus of my blog; or my daily writings...
but sometimes, it is what it is.Today is a bit rough.... and it has been for several weeks... but worse today for some reason...

So for today... I am playing good music... making lots of tea...
the daughter was awesome and went and got us some fresh treasures from the local farm market...
(so I am stuffing myself with artisan bread and freshly picked berries) ...and if I can, I hope to work in the studio a bit.
Perhaps a good book will be on tap for later.
See  you all tomorrow for my weekend post.