Having Something And Yet Nothing To Say

 I've given up trying to share things with people. There is just too much hate in this world. To much death, too much apathy. Too little empathy. Too few boundaries and too little humanity or kindness. Too many half truths, out right lies and disinformation that is intentional. I want no part of it so I am silenced and enjoying the peace. 

Why I Haven't Been Blogging

Questions, I Have Some

I am ready for green grass and warmer temperatures. 

It's snowing today. 

I know it is said that all good things must come to an end, but is snow a good thing?

Painting For The Fun Of It

I've spent more time in the craft room lately than I have online. I'm working with colors I don't usually use on paper instead of wood or slate. I'm going to be framing these for my own home decor. 

The Ups And Downs Of Blog Life

Blog life gets so confusing. What do you do when you find that someone unfollowed your blog without telling you they no longer choose to be blog friends? Did I do something wrong? Am I still welcome to comment on their blog? Is the reason they aren't responding to my comments because they want me to go away? I wonder if they think I'm a waste of time because I don't blog here enough? Oh well.

Over the years, 12 to be exact, I've conversed with probably a hundred or more different people online. I must say I didn't appreciate all of them,  but those I did appreciate have a special place in my memories. Some of them died, others are still around in one place or other, but most of them simply vanished without a word of goodbye. Do I miss them? Yes. Do they care? No. I say that with certainty since if it mattered to them, they'd have provided a keep in touch email or something.

Many of them keep in touch through Facebook and either I've changed or they have because some I simply don't recognize as their former selves. This is not a bad thing, it means we've grown as humans and found some measure of comfort with ourselves. We have real offline lives in which we are blessed with family, neighbors, pets that need care and friends that keep in touch.

It's nice to share our opinions and experiences with people all over the world and to get a glimpse into the lives of others. When it comes right down to it, I prefer the love found inside the 4 walls of my home. This joy is not something that can be shared completely with people I speak with online. It is something that words aren't capable of conveying in a manner that draws another person into the warmth and comfort that is my life. It's one of those things about which someone might say you kinda had to be there.

Some of my Facebook friends are here, they're my family and those I've known for a lifetime. More than one of them I've known for more than 50 years. They deserve a medal for having put up with me that long. As for the rest of them, they are the ones I call blog buds and friendly acquaintances even though I've never actually met them. They have a value to me and will always have a place in my memories. Even when they disappear without saying goodbye.

Pampering Myself

I have no idea why I have so much jewelry. It has spent much of my life stored in various jewel boxes because I seldom wear it. I suppose I have it because I'm female and we're supposed to have jewelry. I just keep forgetting about the part where we're supposed to have it to wear it.

My other half got sick of having my jewel boxes all over his dresser, so he purchased one of those jewelry armoires for me this Christmas. During the locating and transferring of my jewels to this fine piece of furniture from Walmart, I found my silver and onyx slave bracelet. I almost wish I hadn't because when he bought it for me back in 88 or 89, the ring actually fit my ring finger. *sigh*

The last time I wore it was at a family get together and someone accused me of wanting to pretend I was a biker chick. I remember laughing and saying I was a wannabe biker babe. Which of course isn't what it is. The bracelet is styled after the silver and onyx work of a Navaho silver jewelry artist. The 80s was my Southwestern Native American phase. If it had the southwestern motif or was made from silver, turquoise and onyx, I had it.

During the filling of the armoire I discovered I am missing a diamond and sapphire tennis bracelet. It was a birthday gift to me from my step-father who, despite his desire to put on the ritz, usually bought the bling he gave as gifts from Montgomery Wards. Tennis bracelets are very scratchy so I probably took it off and stuffed it in a pocket of some article of clothing that I eventually gave away to the Salvation Army. I knew I hadn't seen it for quite awhile, but I wasn't as upset over it as I was when I couldn't find the slave bracelet.

I was overjoyed to find the slave bracelet mixed in with the jewelry that belonged to my Mom and Grandma. Not so overjoyed about not being able to fit the ring on the ring finger. Since I need to lose weight, I've decided that instead of buying an outfit that is snug and then working on fitting into it, I'll use the ring from that bracelet as the goal. In the meantime, I have all kinds of other necklaces, bracelets, rings and brooches that I will remind myself to wear.

More Truth Than Fiction In That Book

I'm having a great laugh about this book "Fire And Fury". I don't believe all of it but there's enough truth in it to confirm my belief that Trump supporters are just plain stupid. The people who voted for him because he wasn't Hillary I understood, up until they became consistently verbal supporters of everything he did. Granted, some of them began to support him simply because the dreaded Democrats were against him and they got tired of hearing it, but how do you look yourself in the mirror when you do this?

Back before Trump in the White House became a reality, someone said to me "How do you go bankrupt running a casino?" Yeah, how do you?

I had to answer that question so I sat down one day and did the research.

First off, you lie to the New Jersey Gaming Commission about your financing. You convince them you have reputable financial institutions backing your plans and would never use junk bonds when you know the banks have said no and junk bonds with their usurious rates of interest are your financing.

Then you contract to smaller businessmen for the materials you need to create your vision, but you contract for more than you have to spend. If that's not bad enough, you change your mind so many times about what you want that it becomes impossible to complete the casino and open on time. Opening on time is the only way you'll make the payment for those junk bonds. The initial payment is coming due, you can't open because of your own decisions so you stop payments to your suppliers claiming they overcharge.

Without those regular payments, your suppliers fall farther and farther behind because they have to lay people off due to lack of funds for payroll or because they need to pay for materials to build the items you ordered and you are no longer paying them.

Some of these businessmen lost everything, including their homes. They didn't have all the dummy corporations that allowed them to go bankrupt and still make a personal profit. You do this 4 times all the while making a profit while the little guy who trusted you loses everything, but people convince themselves you're a Champion of the Middle Class.

I don't know on what planet destroying the lives of smaller businessmen to line your own pocket equals a fitness to govern the country I am proud to live in, but the people spoke and a spoiled brat born with a silver spoon in his mouth sits in the Oval Office.

I just wish someone could explain to me how, with a history of destroying smaller middle class businesses to line his own pockets, people think he's there to help the middle class?

Pampering Myself

For the past few days I have been thinking about some things I want to do. These are things that will require nothing except an investment of my time. Some of my time will be spent on practicing floral arrangements and painting. First though, I need to dismantle Christmas at home and rearrange my possessions to make room for the new ones.

I'm older, don't move as fast as I used to and if I continue to spend so much time on the internet I won't get done all the things I want to get done.

At the hairdressers this past Friday, she asked me what kind of things do I do for myself. She believes that my new hair color should be considered something I'm treating myself to and I need to think about having it done again, when the time comes. One thing I know is that it's made my hair far more manageable than it ever has been and I like that. She also mentioned it makes me look younger, but that doesn't matter to me. I apparently don't have much of the Vanity genetics. However, pampering myself isn't necessarily vain. I just have no idea what I do feel is pampering myself.

I dislike being touched by strangers so I doubt massages or mani-pedis will be a thing with me. Maybe a Reiki session since that's a vibrational thing. I'd like to learn more about aromatherapy so I need to find out where I can seek assistance locally for that. I'd like to find a Tai Chi class for beginners sometime after it warms up. This cold spell is making a hibernating bear out of me. This cold is also drying my skin out so I'll be spending time with the moisturizers trying to cure the alligator that appears to have grafted itself onto my skin.

Something happened this Christmas that allowed me to connect in a joyful way with the spirit of the season. Yes, life is harsh and people are inhumane. I'm no Pollyanna when it comes to the real world, it's just that in the middle of chaos I connected with something positive and I liked it. Now that I know it's there, I feel the need to take time off the internet and nurture it.

I'm just going to keep trying new ideas until I see what works best for me.

Sometimes The Best Gifts Are The Ones You Didn't Know You Wanted

This is the newest addition to our menagerie. Her name is Miss Kitty and she lived here before we did. She actually lived here with my niece and her boyfriend in the home that we tore down and replaced.

The 4 neighbors to the right of me are her aunts and uncles on the maternal side of the family, we represent the paternal side. We knew nothing about this cat when she showed up at our door wanting to come in. They did and they weren't kind enough to tell us.

They knew she was abandoned, one of them caught her and took her to my niece's home where they felt she belonged. How she got back here is pure speculation but she arrived the first week we lived here. We thought she was a barn cat from across the street and so we ignored her. I feel guilty for that because she spent the first winter we lived here outside in the snow and cold without someone to love her..

From Thanksgiving 2016 to March 2017 we have no idea where she was, but we didn't see her. By the time we did see her again, my sister-in-law had called me to tell me about the cat and give me her name.

With the fact that we have 2 cats to start out with, we made the effort to find her a home. When we couldn't find anyone to take her we brought her into the house, had a visit with the vet to bring her and the others up to date on their shots. She's healthy and hasn't tried to leave the house since she came in. Even with the stress of being not very welcomed by the 2 neutered males that live here, she doesn't run out the door even when there is an opportunity to do so.

Our niece claimed the cat won't stay in the house. Our closest neighbor mentioned to my husband that it's too bad such a sweet cat won't stay in the house. All I know is that she came inside in October and despite the fact that our other cats eat her food, use her litter box, torment and bully her every chance they get, she shows no sign of leaving.

She shares my craft room and stays out of whatever I'm doing unless she wants attention. She's content to play with her toys, look out the window and snooze in my chair. When out in the house she likes the couch and the attentions of my husband. She seems happy to be here and although I never really wanted a multiple cat home, I'm happy to have her. She's a little sweetheart and she's ours.

I'll Get Right On That, Tomorrow

I have a habit of walking through my home a few times in the morning to limber up my joints. After doing that and grabbing a cup of coffee I sat down here and looked around. I realized that I just spent 5 or 10 minutes walking past things that need to be picked up and disposed of in the recycling container. For a minute here I thought that combining the two activities would be a great timesaver except, I'm retired and saving time isn't my priority. If I did both together I'd have more time to sit, which isn't as healthy for anyone as moving is.

While thinking about the upcoming Christmas Eve gathering with my family, I remembered a remark my Uncle made last year. He said I was stronger than my Mom was at the same age. There's no magic involved in that. I simply move more than she did.

Somehow she had the idea that because she was of a certain age, she didn't have the strength to accomplish the things she hated doing. She was lazy to start out with and aging gave her an excuse. Older equaled weaker. She'd whine about not being able to do things until she found the receptive ear attached to someone who would do it for her. When faced with something I don't really want to do, I look around and somehow there isn't anyone here to do it except me. I'd whine about life not being fair, however, I suspect that's why I'm healthier than she was. Without someone to con into doing it for me, I get to do it myself.

When it comes to lazy, I have my days. I just spend a day or two getting a grip on myself and then I get up and git er done. I do need to be doing more of the git er done and less of the lazy, which gives me a goal to work on in the new year.

Today I need to go grocery shopping, wrap the rest of the gifts and I probably should do some housekeeping since the maid appears to have quit. Maybe I'll do the housekeeping tomorrow since the other tasks I have planned involve enough movement for the day.

Christmas At My House

I created the wreath, garland and the floral arrangements on the divider shelf. I even made the bows.  My friend of 20 plus years who always took care of whatever florals I wanted, sold her home and moved to the Asheville N. Carolina area. She has a sister and her family living there. She gave me some pieces to work on, some ribbons and flowers, but I used Dollar Tree items because I wanted to save the quality items she gave me until I learn what I'm doing and can make florals for gifts. 

It may very well have been the loss of my friend to another state or a need to shake myself out of a rut, but on December 1, I had my hair dyed plum.

At first it was something I planned for Christmas and once it had faded away or whatever it does, I wasn't going to do it again. Well, as soon as I saw it I loved it and I'm going to keep it for awhile. The desire to do it came out of nowhere. I was looking at a Facebook post that showed different colors of purple that one could have their hair dyed. I saw the Plum and there it is. 

My hair is resistant to perms so we aren't sure how long this will last. With that in mind I'm trying not to wash it more than once a week. The first wash nearly caused me a heart attack when the suds that rinsed off were plum colored. I thought it was all gone, but it wasn't. I'm just not willing to take any chances since I want it as vibrant a plum color for Christmas as I can have it. 

When I get tired of this color, who knows? I just might try Teal. Then again, I might just let it return to it's normal salt and pepper state and let the memory of plum dancing in my hair put a smile on my face. 

Playing Favorites Is OK When It's Furbabies, Right?

There are 2 adults in this house and 2 cats. Until this past weekend this allowed both adults to have a lap full of fur whenever we kicked back to relax. Precious made it his life's work to follow my husband around the house like a shadow. Except, of course, at mealtimes. Then he would join Butterscotch in seeing how many ways they could trip me up in order to get the food down to their level quicker. Never works, but they do seem to enjoy trying.

Friday, Hubby was on the couch and I chose to join him in the living room in the recliner. As soon as I sat down, Precious jumped up into my lap and proceeded to make his furry self at home. Well, once Butterscotch got over the shock of seeing HIS lap get stolen out from under him, he saw the spot that Precious wasn't occupying and boosted himself up to claim it. In order to occupy that spot he had to sit his butt onto the chair arm but he didn't seem to care. Neither did I. It was during this lovefest on Friday night that I fully understood how much those cats own us. Neither one of us will disturb a sleeping cat unless we absolutely have to. A situation which forced my husband to get up and get his own snacks instead of asking me to do it. Poor baby.

Oddly, since Friday night and my acquisition of a fur lap blanket, both cats have attached themselves to me instead of dividing and giving us one of our own. This is leading to me not having just one but 2 cats accompanying me if I nap, or go to bed earlier than my husband. I now must cook with 2 cats underfoot and my days of having a chance at going to the bathroom without companionship are gone. With only one cat following me in there I stood a chance, once in awhile, of privacy.

Precious is enamored, for some reason, with moving water. He likes to sit on the dividing shelf while I do dishes and bob up and down trying to figure out why the faucet is running. In the bathroom it's the toilet flushing that he has to see. I'm not sure what happens when my husband attends to his need to urinate. Not sure I care to know since at almost 70 his aim ain't what it used to be. Not even going to think about that since Precious chooses to stand on his hind legs at the bowl to watch. All I know is he waits patiently until I stand and turn to face the flush lever when he's with me, which is now almost all the time. Butterscotch was never interested in that part. For him the important thing is petting.

Rather than being an annoyance to me, this is a new situation that makes me feel a little guilty. I am not bonded to Precious in the same way I am to Butterscotch. We only have the pleasure of his company because his prior human neglected him and he got sick. He wasn't going to do anything about it so we stepped in and took him to the vet. Precious spent much of his life locked out of the house in all kinds of weather. He was loaded with ticks and fleas, had tape worms and ear mites. The end result of the vet visit was that $700 was spent getting him well. Dave had agreed to pay it back a little at a time and then changed his mind. At that point I insisted on taking him. I made sure Dave notified the vet that he was giving him away to us and we will be caring for him.

I insisted that he become ours and yet I lack that warm fuzzy feeling for him that I have for Butterscotch. He's a good boy. Goofy, sweet and endearing when he's active. Loves to play and cuddle. Has manners and greets all our company as if they're his best friends. From the beginning he showed himself to be Daddy's Baby and I was happy with that. Selfishly I think. I didn't have to bother too much with him since he seemed to prefer the company of males. It appears that is changing and I guess I'm just going to have to see if I can change with it.

Taking Care Of Myself

The internet steals my positive energy.

If I were the kind of person who is only interested in sharing recipes, pictures of grandchildren, my cats and other mundane stuff, it wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately it is also my way of staying informed. Informed on what I haven't yet figured out, since everyone lies, but at least I'm informed about that.

Another thing I'm informed about is just how nasty people are when mine or anyone else's opinion doesn't agree with theirs. Heaven forbid if you supply them with facts that call into suggestion the veracity of their opinion. It can get really ugly then. If you can't refute the facts provided with a fact or two of your own, you must kill the messenger. Of course, you can't literally kill the messenger so you just malign the reputation of said messenger and then you brag about how you won. I'm apparently stupid since that tactic won't change the facts, but whatever floats their boats. I haven't yet lowered myself to asking if they're a special kind of stupid but I'm guilty of thinking it.

After realizing that some of the programs used by seniors to stay comfortable in their own homes will be given some fairly harsh cuts in funding and being unable to make certain older Americans understand they're screwing themselves with their support of this impending budget, I quit speaking to them. I'm in hiding, in the real world where my cats can replenish my supply of positive energy. It's a good thing they do that since it helps me figure out what I'm going to be able to do in my old age.

We had figured out that once my husband decides to quit working that we might need to apply for some assistance from HEAP to pay our heating fuel bills in winter. That's being cut entirely in this budget. Along with Weatherization and Community Block Grants which help provide assistance to seniors and disabled veterans so they can live independently in their own homes.

I also figured out that should something happen to my husband I might need HEAP and food stamps to stay in my own home. I live a ways out in the country so I will have to have transportation and that might be an issue, but the bills on the home should be paid without HEAP on my income.

It appears that my Uncle's estate is on the verge of settlement finally. The check I am getting isn't as large as it would have been since we chose not to fight my Uncle's step-children's claim. I'm going to lose $2000 from it as will my surviving Uncle but my share will be placed in a money market fund and added to as much as I can while both my husband and I are in good shape health wise. That should provide a bit of a cushion should the necessary programs be cut off entirely.

I can only do so much, but at least I'm doing something so I can meet my own needs with a minimum of trouble. I just can't help but feel sorry for those who, for one reason or another, can't find a way to help themselves, either because they're too ill and have lived for so long on next to nothing.

Monday Musings About Storms

Someone said to me last night that "this country will survive Trump because he's not a king". I'm thinking someone forgot to send that memo to Trump. I'd laugh but there's too much at stake. There's a part of me that thinks those who voted for him deserve the reality check of actually having to live with the consequences. On the other hand, those who will be hurt by the changes don't deserve what I think will happen. I simply do not understand how people can blame their struggles on those with lower income than they have when the income inequality gap is so wide and under Trump will widen more. I don't understand people and I don't think I ever will.

We had a few warmer days up here in the frozen North and many people started their Spring cleaning. I haven't and don't plan on doing so for at least 2 more weeks. I see no reason to expend that much effort to thoroughly clean when the weather isn't conducive to open windows and Spring breezes. I fail to grasp how one can open windows in the midst of a 2 day Nor'easter. I live where it isn't at all unusual to have a snowfall on Mother's Day which is close to the middle of May. Cleaning will be done by Easter and maybe it will be nice enough to actually open windows then. However, with a Nor'easter on it's way here, this week would not lend itself to open windows. Spring cleaning will have to wait until closer to actual Spring.

While making sure we had what we needed in case of a power outage during this upcoming storm, we've discovered that we can't find Hubby's Coleman propane lantern. We do have those headlight type flashlights but not one that can be held in our hands. The storm is going to start tonight and it's predicted to bring some very heavy snowfall. Today I will round up some containers in which to keep water for flushing the toilet. I can sit them in the bathtubs in both bathrooms although we'll probably only use the master bath since it's in the part of our home that will benefit some from the propane heater. Without power I have no running water since we have a well with an electric pump.

I have 3 large blankets plus the down comforter which works so beautifully to keep us warm at night. I have sandwich makings, milk and cereal so we won't go hungry and plenty of water in gallon jugs in the kitchen. Without power I will have no way of cooking anything hot since my stove is electric but we won't starve or dehydrate. Should the power be out for a few days we might have a frozen pipe issue but there are steps we can take to minimize that. I have never experienced a power outage here for more than a few hours at any time. However it's best to be prepared for one just in case. Especially since we now live where we are responsible for maintaining our water and sewer systems.

The weather report is saying we should get somewhere between a foot and 20 inches of snow Tuesday and Wednesday. That's a normal snowfall total for this region so I feel comfortable that life this week will go on as it normally does. I planned on staying home until Friday this week so a couple of days of snowfall won't force me to change any plans. I love retired life.

Honey, I'm HOME!

On Sunday March 19, my Aunt and Uncle will be coming for a Sunday dinner. I'm making Lasagna and a salad. I haven't decided on a dessert yet, but there will be one. I haven't had the ability to invite more than 1 other person for dinner in my home in at least a decade, maybe more. We were lacking in space in our old home due to having each room serve us in more than one capacity. There was absolutely no way to move our small table around to accommodate more than 1 other person.

In our living room there were 2 computer desks with computer chairs, filing cabinets, a large coffee table and a couch. The bathroom was both bath and laundry room and our bedroom also served as a place to sleep and cramped into a corner was my art table. I had 2 plastic drawer stacks underneath to house all my materials and a stack of boxes with the other things I use in them. Trying to keep that place neat and clean was an undertaking, yet it felt like home.

Then we bought this place. A home of our own that didn't sit on someone else's property. It is bigger, with a dream kitchen, a utility room for laundry. Three bedrooms, 2 baths and the rooms are big. Clean and uncluttered. A space that I could have the fun of decorating and spending money on to make it home. For 4 months I unpacked, found places to put the things that I need and still have uncluttered surfaces that would be easier to keep clean. I had space and enough income to do what I wanted in it.

After the first round of unpacking was almost completed, I realized I would need a new dining set in order to invite people into my home for a meal. I mentioned that to my Aunt at Christmas time as I was opening her gift to us of a brand new set of dishes for 8 people.. She responded by telling me she would look forward to my acquisition and an invite to have a meal with us on the new dishes she bought.

I said it would be a bit before the invite happened since we had depleted our bank account and needed time to pad it up some. We chuckled and went on with our lives after Christmas. A couple of weeks ago she called me to ask if I was still looking for a dining set because she had one that wouldn't cost me anything if I wanted it.

It's probably 30 years old since it was her Mom's. I love it. It isn't just the fact that I got this for nothing, it's the knowledge that something she treasured because of who it belonged to, has been entrusted to my care. This is not just a dining set, it's proof of how well I am loved. 

The dining set was the last of the more costly things I wanted to help me make my house a home. It wasn't until just a couple of days ago that I realized I was thinking like that. I don't know how it happened but my attitude seems to have been that I wasn't home until this was purchased or that was taken care of. It wasn't something I was even conscious of so I'm not sure what it was that caused the adjustment to my attitude. All I know for sure is that I walked into this house on Tuesday and felt that it was no longer this big empty space that I had to keep filling up, it was HOME.

HOME is not a picture in a House Beautiful magazine. HOME is not someplace where life doesn't happen. HOME is not a place where someone feels they can't put their feet on the coffee table, or spill something on the floor. Today HOME is a place that my husband entered and found his mess exactly where he left it because HOME means having enough mess to feel lived in. HOME was something I lost sight of while trying to make this house feel like HOME.

The Paintbrushes Won't Leave Me Alone

From the standpoint of design elements that go awry, the following picture has more than it's share. However, despite the oh so many wrongs, I love it.

What I need to do is paint out the center tulip and bring it up higher on the piece, then I need to lower the bud on the left side of the picture. It's dreary out so that's a good job for today.

I've also begun a kitten in a teacup picture on the wood plaque that I had prepped for work. I've positioned the kitten and teacup and begun the wash of background color. 

Kitten will be gray and I'm planning a white teacup with light pink rose motif.  Behind the kitten will be stems of leaves and flowers in light blue and lavender. That is metallic gold painted framing and I plan on adding gold trim to the teacup. 

These will be the two pieces to work on this week and when I'm waiting for paint to dry on these pieces I will be working on the glass bowls and I'm going to try my hand at upcycling tin cans into Easter/Spring floral containers. Another idea I had for the tin cans is summer containers for picnic items like plastic dinnerware and napkins. A tip to Dollar Tree for flowers and plant pokes for the floral containers and whatever else I can find to put in them is on the schedule for this week.. I probably should also price shrink wrap and ribbon for the containers used for things other than florals. 

I still need to seal these pieces but they look so nice on my shelf without varnish that I'm loathe to go and varnish them. I need to do that so they're easier to dust, maybe sometime this weekend when the paint has cured to the clay. We'll see. 

Creative Works Final Edition

  All that is left for me to do now is to let them cure for a few days and then seal them.

I haven't made up my mind exactly what resin figures I will be buying to place around these items on the shelf. I've seen some very colorful owls which are a possibility. I've seen some small resin birds with a channel under them that appears to clip down onto a flower pot edge. Those I saw at Dollar General. I still want to look at Family Dollar, Big Lots and Dollar Tree before I make up my mind.

Big Lots has some really cute fairy garden motifs that I saw in their weekly ad. Not sure how they look actually which is why I need to go there.DG and Family Dollar have the frogs and other garden motifs which also would work with the fairy motif pieces from Big Lots. With the careful purchase of a few dollar store items I can have a really interesting indoor garden idea happening on the shelf. 

I also need to check the craft stores for something to put in the pots. I don't think I want flowers, I'm hoping to find artificial greenery, maybe faux succulents for that. The pots are colorful enough without the addition of flowers. I'd have something that was too busy if I placed flowers in them.

So, I stopped to smell the roses and then I sowed pansies and reaped smiles. While doing these pieces I also found that the winter that returned this week after some really gorgeous spring days didn't give me a case of the winter blues. I need to remember when something bothers me that I can control the dreary with a paintbrush, a surface to work on and my own creativity. 

Creative Work In Progress Part 2

With the exception of the sealant on the pot, I have the rose motif on moss/cashew pot completed. 

I didn't start work on the second pot yesterday because I couldn't decide whether I wanted hydrangeas or pansies. This morning I decided on pansies so as soon as it's light enough, I'm heading in to complete that pot. 

The rose motif is painted on both sides of the pot but the sentence "Stop and smell the roses." is only on one side. I may add it to the other side today or I might not. It would be on both sides if I planned on selling it and because the shelf it will go on when finished makes the front and back of the pot visible all the time, I probably will add it to the opposite side of the pot as well.

I did the lettering with a Sharpie fine point pen. I'm finding it easier to work with than trying to brush the lettering onto the pot. I do think I'll see about paint pens or at least medium point Sharpies. Some of the brush control is returning, but not enough to letter pieces I plan on selling. 

Yesterday after I finished the pot I sat in the living room with my husband and watched a little TV before getting supper. I had Butterscotch on my lap, he had Precious on his. At one point I looked over at him and he was scratching behind the kitty's ear and smiling. I don't remember a bit of what was said on TV, but the feeling of peace I experienced while watching him is with me still. 

Looking at the picture I see I could stand to straighten up the line between the two colors I used to base the pot. Somehow it just doesn't seem all that important to me. Nothing in life needs to be perfect, it just needs to...well...be.

Creative Works In Progress

I don't converse much with other people who do artwork except for my friend Jeannie who does florals. I usually have a number of projects in various stages of progress because it makes sense to me to use the paint when I have it out.

If I'm using tube acrylics I'm mixing colors and tend to wind up with a fairly decent supply of whatever I've mixed and unless I'm going to use it on something else it gets discarded. If I'm using bottled or chalk paint from a jar, it's open which allows air to dry it out so why not use as much of it as I can before the air dries it out beyond the point of use? Even if I reseal the bottle, the air has already begun it's work.

What I do is grab whatever surfaces I think I have enough paint for and base them up.

The finished tin sign is still here because I finally realized I strung the jute backwards. The framed tin piece that was based with moss green is waiting for me to decide how I want to treat the framing. The wooden piece is waiting for it's frame treatment as well. 

I think the framed tin will be given a metallic finish, maybe copper or I might try a faux copper verdigris. I'm thinking gold leaf on the wood piece or metallic gold paint. Actually, I may just antique the whole piece as is and paint a wolf or something on it. Walking on the wild side these days.

The glass ivy bowls will receive roses and either hydrangeas or pansies. That will depend on what colors of the enamel paints I have that are workable. The glass bowl will be a reverse paint watermelon. reverse paint means I start by painting the seeds and the white rind section on the outside of the piece and then paint the outside of the bowl green with the watermelon striping on top of that. Once done looking inside the bowl will show whoever is looking the watermelon slice complete with seeds and rind. Doing something that way also allows the items to be used. 

If I don't have what I need, I can make a trip to Walmart to pick out some different colors. The paints I use on glassware are durable because they're baked in a 350 degree oven once their dry. 

I normally paint seasonal items for holidays and while I will continue to do that for Christmas items, my main focus will be on creating handpainted gifts that aren't always seasonal. Maybe things like glasses, coffee mugs and vases with silk flowers added that are originally glass jars we get with jellies, salsa, peanut butter, etc. 

This will all happen after I get the 3 pieces I want to do for myself done. 

Clay pots for the shelf between the kitchen and living room. I decided on 2 pots and 1 birdhouse. The completely based pot is Moss and Cashew. The one I'm working on is Celery and the upper band will be Ivory. The birdhouse is a 6 sided roundish shape so I'll use the Cashew/Ivory colors on the body of the piece and the 2 greens on the roof. 

I originally planned on doing 3 pots and 2 birdhouses but I got to thinking about all the cute little fairy garden motif items available at the Dollar Stores. Some of the bigger items would add whimsey if mixed in with the pots and the birdhouse. I decide to go that route. 

All this creativity will keep me off the internet where some of my web pals have gone off the deep end with their politics. Misplaced anger and truly unreasonable attitudes makes conversation about anything meaningful totally impossible. When someone I've conversed with for 11 years tells me I'm stupid for not believing in Conservative values when I've witnessed first hand those values deprive our nation's veterans, senior citizens and low income children of some of the help they desperately need, it's time to minimize contact with those who have that attitude. Painting is much more fun.

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait?

I found myself in need of a new vacuum cleaner. My old one was used by someone to vacuum up construction debris. It wouldn't have been much of a problem had they emptied the cup instead of allowing so much to be sucked up that it totally clogged the filters and then they kept trying to use it. It was a 12 year old cheap Bissell upright and it now no longer functions. It was left sitting next to a wet/dry canister vac that was designed to do the job the Bissell was forced to do, but it was missing the wands. Those non flexible pipes of plastic that allow one to stand upright when using a vacuum cleaner seem to be easy to misplace. At least for a man they seem to be.

During the time I waited for the perpetrator of the crime to take the Bissell apart and clean all of the debris out of everything, I read a Consumer Report on vacuum cleaners. The vacuum cleaner that was rated #1 was one of the Dyson Ball models that will set one back by $500 or so. I admit, after reading how efficient it is at cleaning all manners of flooring I was yearning. Then I read about the #2 rated vacuum. That one fits the pocketbook amount without robbing anyone to pay anyone else.

I looked at Walmart and they didn't have the exact model I wanted. Neither did Target. I've been around the block a time or more and have learned that a ranking on 1 model manufactured by a company does not apply to all models manufactured by a company, so I came home and went online. Not only did Walmart have it online, it also was on sale and instead of free shipping to store, I qualified for free 2 day shipping to home. On Wednesday the information was it would be delivered today. Do I really believe that? Ummm...no.

When I ordered it, I received a confirmation of my order that stated they were processing the order and I would receive an email when it shipped. The confirmation did say the delivery date was 2-24-17. I haven't received the shipment email yet. As far as I understand the shipping date is 2 days after you receive that email, not 2 days after you place the order. Since I haven't received the email, I'll probably not get the cleaner until sometime next week,

I only have carpet in 2 rooms which are not heavily trafficked. They can wait and I can continue to use broom and dust mop on the other floors. The reason I bought this particular vacuum was because it was rated highly on bare floors and when the hose attachments were used. I have 2 cats with fur that sheds. Using a lint brush to remove the fur from furniture doesn't work so well. The Bissell didn't work too well either. If this one does, once I get it, I won't have to work as hard to keep the cat hairs off my visitors. That strikes me as being a good thing. I just wish I really could have it today.