9-6-16

It's been a full week now since starting the new meds, and all I can say is that I feel like I have lost a week.
I've gotten lots of sleep, which is awesome... but am in a major brain fog most all the rest of the time.
I will say, however, that the nausea and profound dizziness has abated for the moment... and for that, I am truly grateful.

I'm afraid not much else is happening... my wonderful daughter and hubby have been picking up the slack
 and running all my errands and such for me... I cannot thank them enough.
It's like time has momentarily stood still... while I was a lump in my bed.
See you all tomorrow.


9-5-16


It's "Maker Monday" here... my weekly post where I show something the daughter or I have been working on;
and encourage the maker lifestyle.

Today is the first day I've been mostly upright, since starting some new meds.
It's been rough.... and consequently, I haven't gotten much of anything done.
That said.... the daughter built some make-shift bookshelves in our kitchen this week, with a little direction from me... and it is awesome. We have about 26 boxes of books that we have never unpacked from moving here; and they've been languishing in our basement. They've survived a couple floods down there; a chipmunk invasion, a nesting of snakes... and well... who knows what else. And we've decided that be it good or bad, it's time to go through them... keep what we absolutely love, and unload the rest.

We've unpacked about half of the boxes. Most are on the shelves you see here; and then there are 2 boxes of books that are already designated to go... and 2 more of office books that Jim needs to go through. In the meantime though, most of the books on the new shelves are art books that the daughter and I need to go through.

The other thing we did this week, was harvest our squash from the garden.
We picked about 10 or so turban squash (some of them are really small) and about 10 or so acorn squash... hence the basket in the top photo. It's amazing, really, how much produce we've gotten from a relatively small garden. And it is good.

See you all tomorrow.



for the weekend


I feel as though there is a great shifting of gears. Not sure if it's the more fall-like weather, 
or the fact that I have slept more this week, than probably the past several weeks combined. 
I am not sure if that is good or not, but it is what it is. 
I find in general, that my chronic pain is not quite as bad... but also
I feel deep in a fog... and somewhat out-of-body all the time, light-headed and nauseous. 
Ah, the wonderful world of meds. 

But hey... it's the weekend... and per my usual routine, I've some links to share with you all:

here's an interesting blog by the Penn State Extension
ever hear of black-out tattoos?
before and after dog grooming make-overs

I hope you all have an awesome weekend, 
and I will see you all back here on Monday.

9-2-16




I am trying to be good... taking my meds... trying to rest.
Subsequently, I decided to edit these photos from a couple weeks ago to share with you for today's post. 
I hope you are all well... and I will see you tomorrow for my weekend blog post.

9-1-16


And so it begins.
I love fall... it is my favorite time of year.
It's cooler, it's colorful... it's crisp and clean and welcoming.

I was finally able to to go a doctor this week (the first in several years)... and he has started me on a new medication for my Lupus (SLE).
I am not happy about it.... but I understand why he has put me on it. Since starting it however, I have had a plethora of potential side effects... and I am trying to decide if I can stick it out until (hopefully) things settle down after a week or so of being on it.... and/ or if I m just more focused on these side effects because I don't want to take the meds (which I don't think is the case... but ... I am trying to be fair).
In the meantime though, very little is getting done.
Or at least in my mind.... I am so very far behind on things that I need to be doing. .. and behind on obligations I committed myself to doing... and struggling with keeping up the things I want to be doing.

So, for today at least... I will do what I can, and hope that is enough.
See you all tomorrow.

8-31-16


There is a song called "Who Knows Where the Time Goes."
The version I love, is by Eva Cassidy, although lots of folks have sung it. It was written by Sandy Denny...
and it is a soulful, almost mournful song. Anyway, it seems appropriate today as we leave August behind and stomp in towards September.
September is going to be a very busy month for me... with events and such... and in a way, I am not looking forward to it.
I have been longing for a more relaxed pace, and things just aren't panning out that way.... which means I am going to have to make some changes in order for that to happen.

As much as I hate to admit it, I think I am much more competitive than I would like... even if it's only being in competition with myself... and the drive to always do better than I did the day before. But there comes a time when we all need to put it in perspective a bit.
Yes, we want to improve. Yes we want to learn something new every day.... but there is also beauty in just being. Soaking it in.
Sometimes, we need just a little more of that, to balance things out.

See you all tomorrow...


8-30-16



So. I apologize that I am so late in posting today.
On the plus side, my husband passed a significant sized, heart shaped kidney stone today.
Thank you for understanding... See you all tomorrow.

8-29-16


It's "Maker Monday!" My ongoing series of posts where I talk about something the daughter or I have made, 
and encourage the maker lifestyle.

If you've been following along, you know that I've been making mandala designs from my original photographs. 
I haven't made one in awhile... and decided to go back through some photos and see what I could do. 

The mandala at the top of this post (believe it or not), started out as a color version of the photo below. 
But with my "secret process"  >>wink<<  of using a couple different programs... the mandala above is the end result. 
I think it's pretty cool... and it reminds me of tie-dye projects from the 60s and early 70s.
Hippie cool. Gypsy. BoHo chic.... groovy man...
... see you all tomorrow.

(you can click on the bottom photo if you want to see it larger)


for the weekend


ah... the weekend.
And somehow, I managed to miss most all of today because I slept until 4pm.
Now, even though I am technically awake.... I can't seem to get it together.
Such is life.
Fortunately, because of living with lupus all these years... I take into account days when I will not be able to get as much done
 as I would like... or feel like I should do... and am rather used to this type of situation. And in the whole scheme of things... 
I am just grateful I got some (apparently much needed) rest.

But alas, I am late posting my weekend post.
Per my usual routine, I've some links to share with you all:

*Dee Adams -- never heard of her, but she is coming to a local venue here, and she sounds pretty cool.
*photographer Irma Haselberger
*replica Titanic? Set to sale in 2018
*new work from Patti Smith
*I love sea glass... and have collected it for years
*I think I might have shared this before... it's still awesome
*meals from your favorite works of fiction
*I had the divine pleasure of meeting this famous poet this week, thanks to a friend. See this link too.
*super awesome fabric collage
*a new take on tintype photography
*for my hubby.... who knows how much I love 2001:Space Odyssey (ie: NOT AT ALL). This is an interesting re-do.
*and of course, this is just cool

I hope you have a great (remainder) of your weekend, and I will see you all back here on Monday.

((the photo for today's post is of a turtle the daughter and I saw a few weeks ago on a ride in the jeep)).

8-26-16


You never know what life is about to teach you.

I always thought that I was not one to hang on to lots of things. My grandmother, in polite society, would be considered a hoarder. In fact, our family is full of them. No judgments, it is, what it is... and lots of the things saved are in actuality... pretty darn cool.

When I was in high school and college, I actually worked for folks doing cooking, cleaning, and organizing...
helping folks get rid of things and organizing what they wanted to keep.
So to be clear, I haven't fallen victim to the disease of packing it all to the rafters...
But, that said... there are always things to be let go of, if one is inclined to think about it.

When I left nursing in 2003, and we started home-schooling the kids... I started unloading things on a regular basis. There were several years where we gave away an item/ group of items... for every day of the year on Freecycle.org.... and it was awesome (I think we did it for 5yrs straight).
In 2013, when we knew that we were planning on moving back to PA, we unloaded about half of our belongings so that we would be moving with a single truck cross country. However, since moving back to PA... we have been gathering more stuff... projects to work on, art and craft supplies, things to fix up and sell... and it's all my doing. And while it is a great thing to have work and stuff to resell.... the studio is looking a wee bit overcrowded these days. So I've got to "kick it in gear"... and get some things moving.

The lesson therefor, is -- that having stuff is sort of like the ebb and flow of the tides.
Sometimes it's a time of gathering in... and sometimes it is a time of letting it go.
And it's all abundance and enough, either way.

8-25-16


Today I am taking a day trip with a friend... and taking a much needed break.
See you all tomorrow.



8-24-16


Several weeks ago, I started a new "series" of posts... if you will... 
And so on Wednesdays; I intend to post an old photograph to inspire your creativity.
Write a poem!  Plot out a short story!
   Have inspiration for a piece of art or composition.... let your artistic soul shine.     
(you can click on the photos in this post to make it larger to see).

A year or so ago, I bought an old family photo album.
One of those little 5x7 size ones with black paper, chock full of photographs.
I believe they were from a family in a nearby county,
as there is at least one photo that shows the sign to the McKean County Fair.

But what's the story?
So... do you think this happy couple was walking their prize bull to the fair?
Perhaps their younger son or daughter entered him in the contest,
and is now taking his parent's photograph with their very dapper bull?
At any rate, they sure look like they are having fun.

See you all tomorrow.

8-23-16


Last week I was talking about a couple of articles I had read on the "disease of being busy."
In one article, the author had referred to the Muslim practice of asking "Kayf haal-ik? Haal-e shomaa chetoreh?" ... which translates to: How is your haal? .. with haal meaning the transient state of one's heart. In other words, when people ask how you are doing... they are really wanting to know.. how are you feeling. Are you feeling fulfilled? joyous? happy? aching? in misery?
The distinction being... not so much what you are doing... ie: running errands. But how are you feeling as a fellow human being?

It is a thing to ponder. So many times we (I) get so caught up in the things that need to be done, that I fail to experience the day. We are so busy doing.... we forget to do the things that make us happy and cause us to feel fulfilled.

Sort of like the old adage to "take time to smell the roses."
One of the reasons why I love photography so very much, is that it makes me slow down. It makes me take in the details. Appreciate what it is I am photographing. To think about what it is about my subject that I want to convey to whomever sees the photo. Do I want to convey it's softness? it's starkness? the heat? the damp? ... and how do I take that photograph to make this quality more noticeable?

It is also true for me in the studio. If I have too much "clutter" .. or projects at hand, it is far too easy to get wrapped up in the doing... and not the end result. And so... one of the things I am hoping to concentrate on these next couple of weeks, is to sort out some of the things in the studio space to sell either online or locally. Cleaning out is good.

See you all tomorrow.

8-22-16


It's "Maker Monday!" .. my series of posts where I feature something the daughter or I are working on, and encourage the maker lifestyle.

This weekend, I led a class on making collaged art pieces. We talked briefly about glues, boards, archival sprays, tools... themes, color combinations, composition... and of course, had lots of fun.

I love collage. I think most people can say they've done a collage or two in elementary school, girl scouts or some such function.... but not many folks pick it up later in adulthood. To me, collage is one of those very "forgive-able" art forms. There are no wrong ways to do it. All kinds of supplies and ephemera and such are great fodder for the craft, and because there is no fear of doing it wrong... it opens you up to some fun exploration and emotional release.

These whole past couple of years, with it's profound up and downs... has had me itching to  make more. 
And so I shall. But... seeing as it's "Maker Monday"... I thought I would show a few pieces from the class.

See you all tomorrow...





for the weekend


This is the dill in our small garden. I think it's stunning.
There is just something amazing about the color, and the way it forms into these little "satellites" of seed, that just make me smile.

According to one source, dill belongs in the celery family, and is native to Southern Russia, Western African and the Mediterranean areas of Europe. As such, it is a featured element in many dishes... from soups and borscht, to pickles and additions to yogurt... and more. I think most people (or at least folks I know) think of dill in terms of it's use in pickling.
Here are some links that offer more information on this fantastic herb:

*National Gardening Association
*World's Healthiest Foods
*Old Farmer's Almanac
*Organic Facts
*Wiki

And of course, there are tons of fabulous recipes out there that incorporate dill in the dishes. I think one of the most interesting ones I saw, was for a dish from Serbia... where they use lots of dill with roasted potatoes or french fries. Sounds yummy to me ♥ 

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.
Yesterday, I led a class on collage at my friend's place - Firestone Forge.
It was fun! I love collage, and it was great to be able to share my experiences making it with a few folks.
So... not my "usual" weekend post... but I will see you all back here on Monday for my "Maker Monday" post with some photos and such.


8-19-16



Summer is going by so very quickly.

Yesterday the daughter and I were able to get more things for our upcycle projects.
We also came across a fantastic easel and a drafting table, so we need to make room in the studio space for these vintage, worn (but very useful) pieces of furniture.
And along the way, we also picked up lots of items for future sales and such... so today is going to be a day to try to sort through some of the studio space, organize it better.. and begin to take "inventory" of what we have and what we need to do with it all.

And, of course, it's Friday... which means we have our fabulous Farmer's Market to go to.
We also have some work to do in our garden. Even though it's a small garden... we've somehow managed to have quite a few squash growing out there... so we need to tend to it this weekend and see what all is coming ripe soon. 

The flowers for today's post were growing near a friend's house. 
When I was a kid, we called them "Butter and Eggs." Apparently, it's Latin name is Linaria vulgaris.
It seems to be commonly thought of as a weed. But according to folklore, it was medicinally used in a tea as a laxative, and used as a treatment for jaundice and other skin diseases.
Historically, they were used in children's gardens as they reminded folks of snapdragons.
I just think they are pretty.

See you all tomorrow for my weekend post.

8-18-16


The other day, I mentioned I had read an article about "the addiction of being busy." 
Possibly a dramatic interpretation... but interesting nonetheless. 
I think we are all busy. Sometimes, we are too busy.
We get caught up in obligations, responsibilities.... trying to live up to expectations (either put on us by ourselves, or others)
... and it just gets to be too much. We tread water.... we sink... sometimes... we drown. 

This has been an interesting summer. If I think about it, the whole past 5yrs or so has really been trying. I know it will get better.
I believe it will get better. We are all striving for it to get better... and it will. It's just.... the getting there that can be so difficult.
And so we run around, trying to fix it... trying to make do... trying to work hard to stay afloat.... and well... that is exhausting too. 
The worry of it all.
The endless cycle of getting to the next day... the next week...
...the next round of bills.. the next task at hand... the next project due... 
I know you all understand.

I think for me, I often take on too much because I sincerely want to help, and am deluded enough to think I can make a difference.
But... there also comes a time when we all have to take a step back, and reflect ... and see how things are working. 
And if they aren't... to see how to fix that.

At any rate... those are some of my thoughts this week.
Hope you are all doing well.
See you all tomorrow.

8-17-16


Several weeks ago, I started a new "series" of posts... if you will...    
 And so on Wednesdays; I intend to post an old photograph to inspire your creativity.  Write a poem!  Plot out a short story! 
Have inspiration for a piece of art or composition.... let your artistic soul shine.  
 (you can click on the photos in this post to make it larger to see).

To me, this feels like a college party photo.
I imagine this was a great escape off campus... perhaps in the early or mid 20s?
I think of my grandmother, who would have set out for college in 1926, at the age of 16;
having graduated with honors early... what was she thinking?
Could these have been some of her contemporaries?
What were they up to?
Do you think they had an inkling that the great depression would soon hit?
That perhaps for them, the hard times were ahead?
Or do you think... they were just enjoying this brief moment in time;
and not thinking beyond the morning ahead?

...see you all tomorrow.

8-16-16



busy busy bee...

I was going to write about this very concept... and when I went to look on the internet for similar ideas
... this came up... and well, they said it better than I ever could. 

... and then I found this. If you have the time... please read it.
..interesting... thought provoking...

I'll see you all tomorrow.

8-15-16


It's "Maker Monday!" .. my series of posts where I feature something the daughter or I are working on, and encourage the maker lifestyle.

So much to do... and I've been sick. First food poisoning.. and then 3 days of miserable allergies followed. I'm still having problems... but alas. Unfortunately, it does mean that I haven't been quite as productive as I would like.

What I have been doing though... is cooking and freezing.
The daughter and I have been helping out at a friend's farm, and one of the "perks" is that we get to bring home some of the fresh veggies that are ready to be picked. We've had a few beans, cucumbers, an eggplant or two, onions, a pepper or two... but mostly... tomatoes!
Lots and lots of tomatoes. So, we have eaten them fresh with a little salt and pepper, on salads, stewed, in chili, and ... because there are just so many... we've been making spaghetti sauce.

I don't have the proper equipment to can things, so I am freezing them instead. Which is probably just as well, as tomatoes can be a fussy thing... and the last thing I need is to mess up a complete batch of tomatoes.



I'd show you a photo of the sauce, but it's already in the freezer, and that would not be an interesting photo at all. We have also discovered that you can freeze cucumbers! specifically, we were looking to see if there was such a beast as a freezer pickle, and the answer is yes. So we've tried it. Look here and here.

I also finished up a complete rack of $5 earrings that I listed on the yard sale page here as well.
60 pair in total... all kinds of findings and beads, in simple drop designs. (you can click on this photos to make it larger)


Oh! ... and I almost forgot. We ordered more plants, and I fixed up a bunch of "plants in cute containers" to sell. (see the top photo).
We had a total of 9 succulent plants, and 5 air plants that we listed... and now have 3 of them left.

... and it seems there is always more to get done.
See you all tomorrow! ... and keep creating folks ♥