sony nex5r

looks to be my replacement camera for shooting artworks
i have rewards points, and it's on sale at bestbuys.com
i have been saving gift cards.... so this won't cost me much out of pocket at all and i am hoping that by monday i can start to upload files to the copyright office for my batch copyrights
then.....
i will start to submit directly to manufacturers
and continue to submit to agents


if bernie is ok...we'll pick it up tomorrow
he's not feeling too good right now
he seems to have gotten a rotovirus

i was on my way downstairs and he was moaning in agony in the bathroom
i dropped EVERYTHING
he wouldn't let me call 911
he wouldn't let me take him to the hospital or the emergency clinic....he really was in that much pain-
so i gave him a huge barf bag and put him back to bed with pedialyte
and checked on him every hour
he's got to get up and leave for work soon
i am making him broth with rice

in neighbor news they had the line 'surveyed'
i called their surveyor who admitted that his crew did it
i called both the surveyors who did our surveys and told them that this surveyor disagreed with them

that is thanks to a surveyor in town that told me to let the surveyors fight it out first
then if that wasn't satisfactory ......get a third one and take them all to court

oye

guardedly optimistic

today it is raining..... pretty steady out
ok so the laundry is getting rewashed and i don't have cat towels so they get a reprieve from the twice weekly baths-- although in a way i think they like them as i get to hug and cuddle them for a while
one on one
then they get fancy feast

anyway......
humidity makes fleas hatch along with vibrations and heat
i have been walking around in the humid house
not too many fleas on me so far
for which i am grateful

i had planned on spraying down here again today and doing the bedroom after bernie left for work but due to the rain i can't (no cat towels- as the house and them need to all be done pretty much at once)

so tomorrow

i am guardedly optimistic that we are through the worst of this- i still feel crawly though
i called bayer, which makes advantage topical flea control for cats (and dogs but i am talking about cats)
they weren't too helpful however.....
so i still don't know if i can use that stuff on mine safely
i think if we can use it.....we are done with the fleas then

just in case we are going to bomb over the weekend and spray around the house outside
i still can't figure out how three indoor only house cats got this much fleas

up next.....i got the research for the batch copyrights done
all i need to finish is a good enough camera to take the photos
mine is old and 3.2 mp
copyright office says at least 5mp
online sources say 12 mp for art reproduction
so i am left with a dilemma........... which involves a new camera
but which one there are slr and dslr
and what features do i need?
oye
i would imagine image stabilization ........
also a way to photograph the wild birds i paint .....from a distance
and then again.....real close ups to shoot the plants i am painting
plus whatever i absolutely need to shoot the paintings
really what you all see of the paintings online here is soooooooooooo much less that what they look like IRL
the differences are incredible

meanwhile
it's pouring out now and i have to be getting the ducks out in it....
they will give me a really hard time as they hate rain
but then the lure of fresh worms just lying around will have them dawdling all over the back while i try to get them into the pens before i am totally soaking wet

random thoughts and phrases

yesterday i make meatballs.....big vat of meatballs... some plain some in sauces
all for the freezer for later
today i'll make enchiladas, maybe sloppy joe meat- possibly more plain bags of chopmeat
then i am done with that for a while

the flea-ness here seems to be lessening ......... i will keep up the regiment though

fall is in the air

i need to bake

the roof needs to be fixed

the chimney cleaned

paintings desperately need to be painted....(they are stacking up in my brain)


the ducks need to be put out right now and the cats need their canned food for the day


like i said....random thoughts and phrases-brought to you by a not quite caffeinated enough vi

fall is definitely in the air

today, i want to talk about fall preparations,
bulk cooking
and the rest.....

it's been blessedly cool.....
(thank goodness cause when it was stinking hot and the fleas.....i was seriously contemplating drastic measures.)
so without realizing it, i am getting ready for winter.
i got a great buy on chopmeat, and some chicken parts
so i am again going to be bulk cooking
today i did just two meals ahead .......beef and veggie enchiladas (i will be making more for the freezer though in the next few days)
i am going to also be making meat loaf
meat balls in three different sauces, tomato, mushroom, and brown gravy (yes all from scratch)
and probably more stuffed peppers and salisbury steaks
i got about 30 # this time so with the bulk raw i put away and some raw patties for fast burgers
i should be ok for beef type stuff for a while
i did the raw chick parts in bulk figuring when i do get to them i am going to do a tray and possibly freeze them cooked
since bernie starts his permanent shift this week
i want to make sure while we are transitioning i have stuff ready to go for him
i still need the potatoes, and bulk chicken but i think we're going to be ok

the other stuff is the woodstove, roof and basement
which is going to start happening in about two weeks
i still need more wood but i can wait a month to get the last of it in
we also have a tree to get down so when the guy comes with the wood he'll most likely do the tree

we are still seeing fleas...... i am so sick of fleas i can't tell you
but i keep on with everything, this week i am going to get more spray and spray again
and then get the precor and do the overspraying so that we are covered with the insect growth regulator

in painting news, i'm not
i did work on a client portal (agent) website
i also fought fleas
i would love to be knitting but i am afraid to get fleas in the knitting
there are still fleas....did i mention that? OMG it's a horror movie
the fleas are so tiny now that they are barely visible
but they bite HARD

what else?
next week we have to go car shopping.... we've settled on a VW diesel....for bernie
we were going to trade in the van but we've decided not to.....
we need the backup with him driving so far

so anyway...that's what's going on here
i really wanted to post about my bulk cooking..... to remind me-
i don't know WHY i like having the pantry and freezers stocked, and why i want us prepped for emergencies and winter and such...but i know i feel so ....... warm and secure when i am
i just DO better mentally when i know we've got stuff to fall back on
(and that did save us while bernie was laid off- all that preparedness and stocking up paid off)

so happy sunday to you folks....
i hope you are all well and i hope if it's almost fall by yous that you are all getting ready

take good care

Fleas-notes on how we are dealing with them

this is what i have noticed with fleas
vacuuming helps big time
BIG TIME
and when you first enter a room they are going to jump on you....... even if you are (maybe) winning the battle
take the time to pick the damn things off and drown them suckers in soapy water
vacuuming helps
if you know it's going to rain, vacuum a LOT ............. and then spray the knockout spray with the insect growth regulator
they are going to hatch with the humidity...... be ready for them little bloodsuckers
gray or light colored pants/socks help see them while they climb you ew.
some are so tiny you can't really see them.......but you see their movement
don't open your fingers to see if you got them.....do it WAY under soapy water cause them suckers are going to jump
you haven't lived until you get one in your bra ...............or worse

the funny rusty looking spots and such in your socks etc........ yup blood
for really tiny insects they do bite a lot
really a lot

allergy meds help with the itching and the crusts and swelling, the welts and white dots i keep getting with these damn bits
nothing helps too much with the burning from the bites

and most importantly
the SECOND you see one flea
call the vet

much going ons

first off, we lost dulcette.
i went down one morning and she was dead.
she'd been slowing down for a while, and it looked like she just peacefully drifted away in the night
bernie took her out
she was the last of our pure orpingtons, and the very first chicken i got as an adult
the three we have left are speckled sussex orpington crosses
when they go ........no more chickens


i am working on my bio and artist statement
and i am putting together a blog for a portfolio, i was looking at website host companies and there are a few reasonable ones
the free ones i didn't like at all
let me tell you, doing an artist statement and bio is NOT easy
not without sounds like........... well....... an arteest......
and i would rather not do that
when i was writing for money, i wrote non-fiction, and how to or historical stuff,
so writing a bio/statement should be easy right???
yeah......right

we had a productive weekend, bernie got a lot of odds and ends done, as did i,
we had to replace the posted signs on our property line as the petty childish neighbors spray painted them BLACK! so they trespassed and vandalized AGAIN......

bernie told me not to worry as when the fence goes up....they won't be bothering us anymore (he actually called me from work on his break to tell me not to worry-and that if i was afraid to go out we were moving right away into an apartment)
he's right as i have way too much going on with my life right now (and usually always) to waste time on stupidity like this

the fleas are still with us..... not as many, and apparently smaller but still there
the IGR i think is starting to make a dent
i gave the cats the capstar and baths saturday but i wasn't able to vacuum the bedroom

in 'prep for winter' stuff, i got a great deal on chopmeat which i didn't expect but it's in the freezer, i am going to go back and get more, this time with the intention of making more meatloaf for tv dinners, meatballs, burger patties, and maybe stuffed cabbage all for the freezer.
i had also gotten chicken thighs, but when we got home and i went to break down the large 5 pound pack we found out that they were rancid! we returned them and got double our money back.
i still would like to get the chicken thighs for the freezer, but i am afraid to now
i still need to get in the 120# of chicken breast, 3 more cords of wood, and 150 pounds of potatoes
(i could also use 4 pork loins to cut up for the freezer)
bernie has the woodstove to clean and the roof to fix but next weekend he's got work stuff to do
the weekend after i suppose we will be going car shopping for him....
a little diesel car, it will go forever on very little fuel
we are hoping for a used or year end...i would rather not buy a brand new car at the moment

bernie being home daily plus two days a week has made a huge difference already in our lives-
he likes this new company
i was told by someone that knows this company that 'they work them hard, but they give them a lot of paid time off, and a lot of other benefits, such as profit sharing'

in painting news, i have a layout waiting..
i hope to be back at the board soon
the fleas have a lot to do with me not being back there

the other thing which doesn't sound like much but is actually huge, is sunday bernie and i went out!
just to the pet store and the grocery store, but it wasn't a rush rush rush.....
no stress involved. we had whole wheat pancakes for breakfast, i made the batter and he cooked them (which reminds me i have to grind flour this week and make bread)
it's amazing what two full days off and a dependable schedule will do for your life

i will say though, with bernie on second shift for a bit, i don't eat! ......i cook for him but it's too early for me-- which reminds me......i haven't eaten anything besides a small plain hamburger - and that was like 1pm! it's almost 9pm now
i did have a weird craving for generic cheese doodles last week, bernie got me a small bag and it took me three days to finish it-what was that about?

now my friend lotta in sweden posted a quote that struck home with me- i put it below,

As you begin to move into a higher frequency and live in the light of your true spirit, sometimes lower frequencies that have been in your life will sense this and try to drag you back down. This may show up in the relationships, past or present that do not operate in love or serve your spirit's growth, or just people behaving badly when around you. When this happens you might feel assaulted or attacked. Rather than react, fill yourself with love and extend it toward all people in your life, and especially those who cause you pain. Ask your guides to assist you in raising and holding the vibration to unconditional love for all. The negative others will either rise up and feel their own heart and transition into love, or retreat and leave you in peace. We must all do this now. As a race, we are being asked to respond to everything with love. This is our highest purpose in life.

~ Sonia Choquette
www.soniachoquette.com

and i think i am going to listen to my friend lotta in sweden...... (who is a knitting sister to boot)
as seriously i am too busy working with the current series of paintings and looking forward to the next,....if i want to get them finished i don't have time to divert to stupidity

so thank you so much lotta.... i owe you big time

ok now
i am going to post this and investigate if blogger has a template for artists
take good care you guys
(for the 7 people that still follow me)

fleas, rain, buses and dreams

first off on monday bernie started his new job, he's got a week of orientation and then he has his crew and shop and works nights.
i am trying to find a way to get his tool box down there for him, as he's got no time right now

in flea news......we still have them in every room except it would seem, the bedroom....
so as of this morning the cats were still clear of fleas since monday--yeah!

me not so much
also a moth of some sort laid eggs on my sleep tee! ewwwwww and we won't go there

it's all this damn rain
i just retreated the living room/stairs
i also did a dumbass thing this morning....i vacuumed without putting a bag in the vacuum..... well i wasn't awake
i had a plan..... vacuum the upstairs, the stairs, and the livingroom/kitchen
spray.....
retreat into the studio.... vacuum that
when living area spray was safe..move birds into living room and spray studio
and saturday or sunday rebath the cats and capstar them again..... to make sure they stay clear of fleas
now i am afraid to use the vacuum as i am afraid it will cause a fire
although i did clean it best i could
i have three hours until bernie is going to call home (after work- he is so happy to leave his cell in the van for now)
so i have to wait to ask him

i also treated an old urine stain from calpurrnia ....... so that should also be fine by the weekend


now onto dreams
i dreamt that we built me a mega studio
OMG
40X60 and two stories..... with floor to ceiling windows on the north side, HUGE barn doors of glass that rolled out of the way to get big stuff in and out
two sinks
a bank of flat files for paper and painting storage..... plus a paper cutting area, print shipping area,
a loft for books and office space,  display space........be still my heart!
three separate painting areas, an etching press and a book binding press
and a small kitchenette, as well as a half bath with shower
it opened onto the house kitchen (up two stairs and through glass doors)

i dream good don't you know......i also dream BIG

for the record....i hate fleas

and how, i ask you, on earth do three house cats get fleas
that then explode into a plague worth of moses in eygpt (i was told it was from the rain)
how?

and now i look like i have a cross between chemical burns and impetigo
with a bit of poison ivy looking stuff thrown in for good measure
and it's all from flea bites

!
now the vet gave us capstar and knockout es
but yesterday we got the knockout bombs and bombed the crap out of the house
all the birds including budgies were outside in the days pens
the cats in crates in the van with us
(we also bombed the van)

today i am still getting a few bites here and there......as the stragglers i suppose die
meanwhile it's raining
so yup that means more fleas
meanwhile
i am exhausted with about 2 hours a night of sleep
and itchy
really really itchy
to the point of bleeding itchy

have i mentioned i hate fleas?

homemade 'tv' dinners revisited

yesterday, i spent the day in the kitchen
i got a surprise sale on chopmeat so i put up a bunch of stuff
sauce for spaghetti and sauce for pizza
salisbury steak
meatloaf
stuffed peppers
hamburgers
smothered pork chops (got a deal on boneless pork chops too)
today i took out a pork loin roast so i am going to do 'tv' dinners with pork loin,
brown rice pilaf and mixed veggies
i am not sure yet how i am going to cook the pork loin for this but i will by the time it defrosts

i've been looking for the divided foil trays and found them on amazon (250 for 87)- i only want about 50 of the trays though

anyway, i am tired from cooking but it's a wonderful feeling to have all that in the freezer

in other news..we are thinking of trading our kia in for a vw diesel
most likely in about another month or so
i'll miss the kia but we need something much better on fuel
i plan on another van....most likely another dodge caravan.....
i liked the kia for the amount of time i actually got to drive it but the problem with the warranty and the dealership soured me a bit on kia

now for those of yous that have pets....and those pets have accidents....
nature's miracle urine destroyer....

no i don't get paid for this
and oh boy does it work!

ok  i have to run now
i am treating the main floor for fleas (which we still can't figure out how we got since the cats don't go out)

yarn, paint, fleas, cats.....oh my

 okey dokey, first off.....here is the yarn i dyed yesterday- i am casting on a metalouse from stephen west (free pattern on knitty) in a KAL with luann
margaret had sent me a cone of fingering/lace a bit ago and this was off that cone...i dyed the multi one first
first off yellow while the skein was still twisted
then a deep wine color after retwisting the skein...
then adding literally two drops of blue to the remaining wine color on top of a knotted skein
the leftover purple was for the second semi solid skein (which somehow manages to have a tiny couple of dots of bronzy red on it anyway)               you can see it here while i was first drying the dyed skeins and then caked-- none of the pictures show accurate colors though but i swear, you could walk into a room full of hand dyed and pick out my skeins as my am so very loyal (or set in my ways?) to my favorite colors ---- my knitting sister lotta in sweden was so sweet comparing my skein to malabrigo's archangel-- she sure knows how to make someone feel good huh?

next up...painting- i finished the second reindeer herder and then did an inuit story about a woman and her son the polar bear- i have to cut paper again then start on a few more........

the fleas? well my INDOOR only cats who have NEVER had fleas in their entire lives......have fleas
so every other day we bath the cats and try to vacuum the floors
meanwhile it is exhausting me
i can't quite get them to the vet atm......so we are bathing cats
i have one more cat to go yet today...... i will say however that i am seeing less and less fleas, and they are smaller so i guess we are making slow progress

bernie had a day off yesterday, they still owe him another day off so i told him.......'hold the one they owe you in reserve and just take weekly days off.... '

meanwhile he put the ducks out for me yesterday and cleaned crates too!
we need to stock up on hay again and two new bales of bedding for the ducks.......
we still have enough to the end of the month though

well right now i am tired and still have one more cat to do
til next time

who EXACTLY does 'lawncare' in the middle of the night?

apparently people who don't want to be video-d while they are vandalizing an adjacent property!

ok a friend sent me this following funny by email
and boy is it apt to me--- i hate lawns

God and Lawn Care...

GOD:

Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets,  milkweeds  and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

St. FRANCIS:

It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD:

The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS:

Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.

GOD:

They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:

Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:

They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS:

No, sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD:

Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS:

Yes, Sir.

GOD:

These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:

You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD:

What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS:

You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:

No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:

After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD:

And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS:

They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD:

Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:

Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....

GOD:

Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.  

we have discovered the joy of enchiladas

AND experiments with tortillas will follow....................

actually bernie and i talked about how much the enchiladas i made last night tasted like pot pie!
so i'm thinking...... WHAT IF????

what if i use tortilla for the 'pastry' of a pot pie?
i'm thinking it's worth a try no?

lately i'm doing total dinners to freeze, in addition to all the other stuff we have raw or partly cooked in the freezer
it's helping when he has to be gone on a two day trip.
he can take it and just reheat it at whatever terminal he lands at
and days when either i am not doing too well or i am painting a lot etc...... we can just heat up supper

i used to do things like this when i was working outside the house, because i never knew what time i would be getting in, so it was easy for bernie to throw something in the oven and eat, saving me a plate.

with his new schedule, we never know from one day to the next what is going on so this will work well for us too.

meanwhile i am working on the reindeer herder, she's almost done, i am not liking her as much as the last one....but we'll see when i am finished with her
i may redo her
originally i saw her with a tattooed face! but i didn't want to paint her that way, sometimes i think she's gotten back at me for not doing that by giving me a hard time painting her

i am considering the next in the series as well

and that is our little corner of the world right now......(yeah i know--- abrupt change of pace but hey)

muffins

i bake muffins at least every other day or so, in this pan-
bernie takes two of them a night and has them for his 'breakfast' at about 6am or so, when he's delivered his last load-
(i pack him sandwitches, a banana, and two muffins along with his thermos of tea every day)

today's muffin is banana oatmeal, with cinnamon and allspice
sometimes i make him blueberry orange, or carrot pineapple, strawberry etc........
all of them include oatmeal, along with freshly ground whole grain flour, two duck eggs (thank you my beloved muscovies) and sometimes coconut, granola, and 85% cacao chips....
depending

his favorites are the blueberry, the banana and occasionally the carrot ones.......
i experiment a lot, and when i have apples he'll get apple in there, or apricots, in the fall he gets fresh pumpkin ( i get small pie pumpkins that i bake ahead)

i feel a bit better about him eating them since they have oatmeal, whole grain flour, cinnamon, olive oil and fresh fruits in there - i am not crazy about the sugar in there but he wouldn't eat them without it
i tried

anyway, i am trying to find some other different muffins for him... stuff that is fast for me to bake as i throw this batter together in two bowls and in ten minutes then bake for 20 minutes

it has to be fast cause it's in between everything else i do
so i have a bit of time to paint around chores.

i am considering sweet potato muffins in the fall...... we'll see
i didn't plant zucchini so they are out

really i would like a rotating roster of maybe 10 or 15 different ones
and then i plan on a baking week to stock them into the freezer

any ideas?

ok here is the basic muffin recipe
now mind i don't actually measure

1.5 cups of flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
oatmeal..... about 1.5 cups ( i grind it up a bit too)
cinnamon ......i use vietnamese and i use about a tablespoon or so (probably more)
dash of allspice
dash of ginger occasionally (usually with the carrot muffins)

mix that all up in a bowl really well-- if you are adding granola or chips or nuts or raisins add them here

in a separate bowl
1 cup or so of milk ( never measure) to which you added tablespoon or so of lemon juice to curdle the milk
 2 duck eggs beat the daylights out of them before you add them to the wet stuff
(or two HUGE chicken eggs but the duck eggs are much better)
1/2 cup of oil (we use olive oil)

then the fruits
3 bananas mashed well
or about 1.5 cups of grated carrots mixed with 1/2 a cup of crushed or chopped pineapple
or 2 cups of blueberries with about 1/8 a cup of fresh orange zest/juice
if you want to use molasses throw in about a tablespoon or so here

mix the wet ingredients thoroughly--- seriously do all your mixing here
the put the oven on at 350

now mix the dry into the wet until JUST combined....don't over mix
there will be flecks of dried stuff here and there
that's ok
fill your muffin pan and bake for about 20 minutes
test with a toothpick - if it comes out clean- take them out of the oven and let cool a bit
then cool on a rack

these are wonderful ............ and bernie loves them (so do i but i don't usually eat them, preferring to save them for him)
he said with a bit of cream cheese he's in heaven

so there you go
let me know if you make them ok? and if you experiment let me know what you did

i hate lawns

 if you look carefully in the center of the photos there is a baby fawn... out back.
see the baby?
it's momma was browsing out in the second backyard and left the fawn safely in our care.

then bernie mowed the front and side yards
and disturbed a nest of baby bunnies... i didn't see if he'd gotten any but we did have scared bunnies running around like crazy and now they have no weed cover......or food

needless to say i am upset
i am upset that the asshole neighbor got away with forcing bernie to mow- at least while the baby season is upon us
here i have tall weeds, that are alive with bugs, birds, frogs, toads, bunnies, fawns and other living creatures ............ no chemicals are dumped..... mother nature rules as she should

it's so worth seeing a tiny new born fawn still wet struggling to stand
or watching a cardinal pair raise their little babies in the rhododendron right outside the front windows

now if i had a say, the lawn would so be jettisoned and just stands of native wild plants would be there.... i may reserve a small patch for beans or something like that..... but really i can't see the sense in a lawn. trees........yes absolutely even dead ones.... our native animals get short shifted these days by stupid developers, even stupider homeowners, invasive non-native species, and overly aggressive application of chemicals- to control our native plants!
and then people get mad at me!

the neighbor said our property was a 'shithole'
i don't understand that....it's alive with all sorts of wonderful life...... see that baby fawn???
does this mean that all these birds, and animals should be killed? that their habitats should be annihilated? because one uneducated person thinks that i need to listen to their opinion of what MY property needs to look like?

this is america?

just some odds and ends

first some observations:
karma is the universe's loving way of allowing you a second (or third or fourth) way to get it right

we all are learning..... but i suspect while we're at it..... we are teaching and setting examples-and some of that at times could be divinely inspired (or whatever your world view of the universe is)

watching ducks bath quietly in the dappled sunlight on a day that is not too hot, and not too cold is one of the good times, even if you get splashed a little - or splashed a LOT

sometimes, you really need to come down on the side of kindness, even though you get shit on for it,
because, you understand the deeper problem. that doesn't mean you are a victim, you can defend yourself...it just means that you don't go any further then that.....no retaliation, no 'teach them a lesson they will never forget' .............

destruction seems to always be followed by CONSTRUCTION, both in housing, nature and human experience
i didn't say any of that was easy, or pleasant, or fun-- although it could be

now:
i am back painting, when i paint, my brain goes into some odd sort of meditative mode, sometimes it's 'out there' seeing the universe from a different vantage point, sometimes it's asking some 'big' questions, and getting some interesting answers.....
i think that's why i keep painting too, because for me it's very healing to be 'out there'
i really do feel better after a few hours of painting
i also find my world gets into a better (most of the time anyway) balance
unless of course the painting is not going well

i've started the reindeer herder/ elen of the ways in earnest now
and let me tell you every part of this has given me a hard time
studies for the aurora borealis (which i also learned to spell properly during the research) took a while
finding her face took a while (the face she kept showing me kept changing)
researching reindeer took a while
then i dreamt the process
which actually worked out a bit better then i thought .....(with the exception of too much 'starry' maskoid)

i am actually on to her face now

i found myself scrubbing the watercolor just like i used to scrub the oil paints.....
adding hazes of transparent color not washes..... but hazes
i'm thinking that may not be a traditional way of doing watercolors........
don't get me wrong, i also use washes...... some very wet juicy ones......but i let them dry a bit then i've been scrubbing over them with color
i'm thinking that is probably part of who i am as an artist, since it's something i've done with oils, acrylics and now watercolors

in addition i've been listening to audio books lent me by a friend.
the only time i can listen and hear them is while painting!
not while knitting or doing housework or in bed.....
and i'm not in a car much so not there

at this point...... this is about it for this post, if i think of something else later, i'll update (most likely in the observations part)

just a fly by posting

since that incident yesterday, roland the dove hasn't been back
we fear something has happened to him
but we still put out some bird seed for him
i didn't sleep at all
so bernie is putting the AC in the bedroom today
he didn't sleep at all yesterday either so maybe this will help him

i decided that due to the extreme hot weather.....i would make sure all the animals are kept in and cool

in painting news.... i am closer to the layout of the reindeer herder
i still mourn the loss of that thistle as i have that second goldfinch painting for susan to do

it's so hot here
the heat is way too much for may/june......it's more like august heat
i also noticed that another big maple is dying
i am thinking that it's in the water that fed that one and the 300 year old one that died already
we need to get the well checked

and a filter on the drinking water i suppose
it's all a bit overwhelming at the moment

again with the neighbors........

i was going to call the police.....they saved me the trouble!

i was threatened by the 'landscape guy'
who told me that since i posted signs on MY property..... and upset the neighbor
he was not only going to take the fence down but take the signs down

bernie got into it
the owner of the property came out to yell at me
said HI BERNIE
and bernie went off...... he was yelling to keep their low life friends off our property

the cops did come

i showed the cop the survey and he asked where the line was.....i explained to him and showed him the marker and the poles...all clear on the survey and right in front of him
i told him that they had threatened me with taking the fence and the signs down
the cop said that they couldn't do that

i said..... yup that's what i said!

the fence has been up since 2009!
they are going to 'trim the trees'
i said fine do it on their side
(actually that is a great idea for them to do........... )

i do realize that the neighbor told this guy to do this....he admitted that he did do it to the cop (he had told me that she told him to go right up to the driveway)she screamed at me that our property was a shit hole anyway
(we leave it wild for the animals)
  i don't think this 'friend' of theirs realises yet that this woman played him........ we've lived here since 87 and we've seen these people use 'friends' over and over
this from the women who would be the FIRST to tell anyone if it was done to her that it was her property and she could do what she liked on it

the guy who threatened me will find out..... cause they will do something that will get him... they always do it
when we first moved in the across the street neighbor told me that this particular neighbor was trouble after a while... too bad she's not still alive (she was 80 when we moved in)

i still can't believe it
but then i have always had a hard time believing it when people are hypocrites-

the cop took my name etc but not bernie's so this should be interesting

ironically i was going to call the police on that guy but bernie said not to- i am sorry i didn't

i still can't believe how upset bernie was

hot, cold, hot, cold, mother nature is having hot flashes

so it's cold today again, during the past week it was over 90 degrees then crashed down into the low 40's WITH RAIN

meanwhile i realized that i was getting ready for hurricane season! i didn't know that until i started making 'we need to replenish the water storage' noises
i am bugging bernie to check/service/run the generator too
and i am cooking full meals to be just reheated or for making salads with
into the freezer they are going.

meanwhile today i baked hamburger buns, and banana muffins so far
this is my new favorite pan- (note i don't get any compensation for this, i am just telling you all cause i love this pan)
 it's made in america, in PA no less, and in a few minutes i am again going to use it today for mini meatloafs for the freezer!
and possibly mini pot pies too
it cost 22.00 and was worth every single penny..... i am thinking of getting another one so i can double stuff
i started making the larger muffins for bernie as he is eating one a day for his 'breakfast' on the road. so the muffins always include something like either oatmeal, or granola, and fruits.... nuts, all with our freshly ground whole wheat flour. (and two duck eggs per batch so each muffin has about 1/3 a duck egg....1duck egg= 2 large chicken eggs)

i also have a loaf pan from this company USA PANS, and i love that too...
another pan i would like is their mini cheesecake pan with the bottoms that pop out

so back to the kitchen news, so far i have baked ziti, chicken enchiladas, and i am about to do meatloafs, london broil (in marinades) and some chicken casseroles, plus packs of cooked chopped chicken for salads
if i have time, calzones too.
i still have a large full turkey to roast in the freezer, it's 25# so i want to pick a day bernie will be home
i want to slice that for meals plus make stock and can the stock
when i get done with the bulk of all this i will hopefully be able to relax for a bit
i've been so very sick lately that in addition to making sure that we'll have stuff in case of hurricane power outages, i'll have meals when i'm having a really bad day

in other news, that dove i now call roland is still hanging around, he is afraid of bernie but he appears to be getting used to me
i am trying to get him approachable so i can get him in the house at night
i also want to look at him cause he looks like he's got a bad foot

in idiot neighbor news.... it appears that the threats i got from them were idle
i didn't see a surveyor out there so i am assuming they looked at their old survey and realized i was well within my rights

i still can't believe that these idiots expected me to back off because THEY were upset......wtf? when did their lives become more important to me then MINE ........wait that's right, it isn't!
but apparently they expected me to put their interests over my own!

ok in painting news, i got my art supplies only to realize the one blue i was purposely ordering FOR.....i forgot to order!
well a lot has been going on here lately
we're living in a bubble with bernie's schedule
so maybe next time

again with crazy neighbors? this time uphill?

this time it was the uphill neighbor that took it into her head to tell her 'landscaper' to clear cut the property to the driveway...... unfortunately it was OUR property that is a strip on the other side of the drive that was clear cut
i lost daffodils, mayflowers, barberry and a scottish thistle i have been anxiously awaiting flower for the goldfinches ( you remember my goldfinch paintings? well the next one was going to be with thistle when it came into bloom and then went to seed.....i've been watching that plant every damn day-

so i posted the line....... as i asked the guy about it and he said 'tilly said to clear it out to the driveway' (little vicky was on the phone and heard that) OBVIOUSLY the neighbor has forgotten her lines no?
well she threatened me! she sent the granddaughter over first to threaten me- claiming it was a misunderstanding! then SHE threatened me..... wtf? i posted signs on MY PROPERTY
i am a half a step away from calling the cops, and if those signs come down i will
and i'll press charges as well- you should have heard them cursing at me! i didn't bother to curse or answer them......... it's not worth it, as this is my property and my right to post signs if i want to.
i remember this one's indignation when she THOUGHT that an uphill neighbor had encroached on her land....here she's doing it to me
one of their excuses for her was that her husband just died in february, yes i do know that.....
which is why i didn't file charges already and just posted the lines
i don't bother ANYONE- i never trespass  i don't even go when invited over to someone's house- i leave them alone and i expect my property rights to be respected

meanwhile poor bernie is exhausted and was asleep when this all was going on...at least i hope he didn't hear it, as it was just under the bedroom window.............

he only had about 4 hours sleep yesterday, he had an early run......tonight he's got a lighter run and he leaves later so he can sleep until 7 i think-
he did sleep in the truck this morning for a few hours, which only delayed him getting back to the distribution center.
tomorrow we get the van back again..... we had gotten it back and there was another problem that the dealership caused......so i had to argue with them and back it went
do not buy anything from OUTTEN KIA in hamburg....... they don't honor the warranty that they assured me was bumper to bumper
i got them to give us a loaner twice which they were going to charge for
and by arguing with them got them to fix their mistake again
i am not happy with them at all.......we'd told them that there was a problem with the front end from the first day we bought that van home

it's been one thing after another lately huh?
in painting news i laid down washes for northern lights again.......
i'm getting closer i think i need to do them with an atomizer though.
once i get a good idea of how they work, (and i am working with clear glazes and staining vs non staining pigments) through the studies, i can layout the next painting

it's true, (one of my friends  * from TX * said this to me today) i do live in my own little world- it's getting smaller and smaller cause i can't handle these low lives
as i get older i just want peace to paint and cook and garden and enjoy the animals
i expect that since i don't bother anyone .....no one should bother me

roland

(i don't mean friends i mean neighbors and strangers)

anyway that's what's all going on from up here....
oh and the dove is back
i thought the kestrel got him...... there were feathers but apparently not so i named him roland
cause he reminds me of the knights in the disney movie 'sword in the stone'
tiny head big body...... and a bit slow on the uptake there is a picture of him out back

what a day..............

first off happy mothers day to you moms out there

what a day...bernie broke down with the van.....out near pottsville
beings it's sunday he couldn't get a tow
finally got a tow (350.00 later)
to get the van to the dealer.....then couldn't get a ride either home or to work
everything is closed!
taxi companies
car rentals
the dealership

everything is closed
right now he's sleeping in the van as he's due to drive a route tonight
i am not sure how as he's now stuck in hamburg!

supposedly the company was sending one of the truckers that was out that way to try and get him in to the distribution center

i am needless to say....beside myself with worry

i guess this pretty much settles it....we need a second car huh?
and he needs a closer job no?

now me, i had a rough night.....the overall body pain kept me up
tylenol isn't working anymore
so when the van is back on the road again i need to get to a doctor
i don't want pain killers but i am hoping that adjusting my thyroid meds will help