And It Was Today

I said yesterday that I was sure I'd be painting other sticks before I was through with the current art book and today was the day. The big difference was that this stick had blossoms on it so it looks less like a stick and more like a branch. In looking at my efforts I see that my blossoms get smaller from left to right. When I get home I plan to tackle this one again and see if I can't make them bigger or at least the same size.

It's time for the daily Oriole. Both of them came to the jelly today but the female took off before I could snap a picture. I grabbed my phone thinking that it'd be a faster shot but even that was too slow for her. She was off. Things to do, I suppose. He, or more than one he, showed up a few times and each time I grabbed the camera and took a couple shots. I just can't resist.

But first thing this morning I was pleased to see a Downy Woodpecker on the suet cakes. It's been quite a while since I've seen one of those. Welcome back!

The first iris is fully open today and I thought you might like seeing the whole line of iris buds just waiting to open. Hopefully some will wait until I get back next Saturday. I'd like to see the whole line of flowers. Aunt B commented that Grandma Gerst called them "flags," so did Grandma Angermeier. Must be a Southern Indiana thing.

The blue ice plants all have buds on them. They look like little stand-up grape clusters. When they open each little bud will be a tiny blue star. Kind of pretty even if they are blue. It still gripes me that I asked the landscaper for red, orange, and yellow flowers so he brought blue and purple. Even the little tufts of grass are blue. *sigh* Boys.

It got hot this afternoon, 84 degrees and sunny, and this squirrel obviously got hot because it's spreadeagled on the cool cement of the patio. It did not have demon red eyes like it looks in the picture. For some reason the flash went off and reflected off its retina.

Today's Gratitude Journal page was easy to fill. It was sunny; I'm always grateful for a sunny day. I saw a Hummingbird for the first time this year! Naturally it was too fast for a picture but I saw it. Then I worked on packing for going to The Clearing TOMORROW! (Who's excited?) And I spent some time on a stock photo site looking for a cover photo for my manuscript that's almost finished. A writing friend who has just had to re-cover and re-publish her first novel asked if I had a cover in mind and it occurred to me that I hadn't really given it a thought. I found two images that I like and I even found one for what might be my next novel, which could be another sequel to The Seaview. (God help me.)

 

Late in the afternoon I broke down and filled all the birdfeeders. I know they'll be mostly empty by the end of tomorrow but I love seeing the birdies. And I cleaned the birdbath and refilled it. Man, that thing gets swampy fast when it's warm outside. I should make fresh birdie juice in the morning and clean and refill the Hummingbird feeder too. I should have thought of that sooner.

I went up to the last winter Market on Military this morning to talk to the Director about when applications for next winter's market will be accepted. She looked at me like I was nuts (I don't blame her) and asked if I was interested in doing the summer market but I said no, because none of us have a canopy or weights to keep one from flying away, and every week is a big commitment in the summer. She also said she was surprised not to see us this last winter because there were open spots. *double sigh* If I'd felt better in the winter I'd probably have contacted her myself instead of relying on another writer. Ah well, water under the bridge. I did get a double handful of fresh picked asparagus for supper though. Yum. And I sent her an email so she'll have my email address when time comes for winter applications.

I also cleared out the crap that lives in my car--shopping bags, books, car seat, random toys--so that someone besides me can get in there if I drive when we go to supper on Thursday. And I located the bottle of mostly-unscented bug spray I knew used to be in there.

Sorry I'm so long-winded tonight. Just a reminder that I won't be blogging until next Saturday night but I'll try to remember to post pictures on Facebook during the week.

--Barbara

What Did You Paint Today, Barbara?

A stick. I painted a stick. The book calls it a branch but it's really just a stick. I kind of enjoyed it. Making it look like a real branch/stick was a good challenge and then keeping the paint in the narrow lines that I drew was another challenge. The only goof was dropping my brush in the middle, making a few splotches that I couldn't get rid of. Oh well, I'm sure I'll paint another stick before this book is finished.

The Cardinal showed up this morning on the platform feeder. He took his time pecking around in the safflower seeds and evidently found some because he stayed a bit.

I've been watching the iris buds up on the retaining wall and the first one started blooming today. It's not fully open yet but it's coming and you can see all of the buds below it on the stalk. There'll be a lot of irises up there in no time.

It was pretty easy to find things to put on today's Gratitude Journal. It was really foggy when I woke up and I was planning to mow in the morning but no dice, not with wet grass. But the sun came out around 10 o'clock so mowing was saved. Then just before lunch the appliance fixit guy came, looked at my ice maker and declared that I needed a new one. It wasn't cheap but it was a heck of a lot cheaper than a whole new fridge and a lot less annoying than having to go buy or find ice cube trays.

After lunch I changed into different clothes and went out to mow. The arrival time for the fixit guy was between 10 and 12 so I couldn't be out mowing when he came. That would be rude. Plus I wanted the sun to have time to dry the grass. I got the backyard mowed and even had time to shower before my afternoon writing Zoom with my women friends so I wasn't disgustingly sweaty and with hat hair.

Then I spent a couple hours reading through my manuscript, making small changes, and sent off my next submission to the Novel critique group. I also dug out my packing list for The Clearing so tomorrow I won't have to wonder what to pack. I got all my art supplies packed this afternoon. Tomorrow morning I'm going up to the last indoor Farmer's Market hoping to talk to the organizer to find out when applications for booths are accepted. I want to be back there next winter. That was a good little money maker.

I've had a big red splotch on my upper arm where I got one of the vaccinations last Monday (I think it was probably the COVID one). It's hot and it hurt like the dickens for a couple days but today it's started being itchy. I think that's a good sign.

Today is DS and DIL1's 16th anniversary. I can't believe that it's been that long they've been married.

--Barbara

Unlucky

This was not my week for appliances. First I turned on the ice maker in the fridge freezer day before yesterday wanting it to make ice for me. When I woke up yesterday it was making groaning noises but no ice was forthcoming. So I got out the hair dryer thinking that maybe a chunk of ice was preventing something from moving. No luck. So I pushed the switch/bar to the OFF position and left it alone thinking I'd get it taken care of after I got back from the watercolor workshop. Well, when I woke up today it was still making the groaning noise even though it was switched off so I thought that maybe leaving it until I get back was a bad idea so I called the appliance fixit place and they're sending a guy tomorrow. Meanwhile I noticed that it was rather chilly in here, checked the thermostat and it said 67, not 70 like it was supposed to. So I pushed the UP button, the furnace hummed a bit, but didn't blow any heat. Called the heating company where I have a "care club" membership so I got a break on the trip charge. That guy, my favorite furnace/AC guy, came just after lunch and spent an hour examining the furnace only to discover that the drain line was clogged so the furnace kept turning off. He cleared the drain line and now I have heat but less money.

I had Orioles all day, males and females. The females are very skittish and don't stay for long. This female hopped around from the crook to another crook to the orange half and finally made it to the jelly dish. Then the female flew away from the jelly when the male arrived. I don't know if he wasn't her mate but she took off like a shot.

Then much to my pleasure I saw a nice Bluejay up on the retaining wall. I took a chance and snapped a few shots and got a couple that aren't too blurry. I like the Bluejays, I just wish they'd hold still longer. Or maybe came closer for a bath or a drink.

This rabbit spent quite a bit of time on the patio step this afternoon. First it was looking in the patio door but hopped off when I lifted the camera. A bit later it was back on the step facing the other way so I got this picture of it scratching its face. Probably has fleas, but I thought it was kinda cute.

I decided to try my hand at painting the tulips I got from DS for Mother's Day. I've been thinking about doing it since Monday and figured out a way to paint them without making a mess of it. I used some of my notes from previous watercolor workshops and took my time. I'm very pleased with the results. I also started gathering supplies to take along. Packing is part of the fun.

I spent most of the afternoon finishing a book by LL who is the facilitator of my Novel critique group. It was pretty good, easy reading. It's her first published book so I'm anxious to read a later one to see how she's grown as a writer. I'll have to ask her for a recommendation.

And not knowing that I was going to be spending money on appliances this week, I splurged on a Zoom license today so that we can Zoom for our critique group without having to limit ourselves to 40 minute chunks.

--Barbara

Better

Well, the chills and aches are mostly gone. My knees are still a little achy but that seems normal now at my age. So 36 hours is about the length of the post-vaccination malaise. Such a relief. Sorry to be a whiner but I felt purely awful yesterday and even though I expected it I felt pretty sorry for myself.

You remember that I filled the birdfeeders a couple days ago, right? Well, the Starlings and the Sparrows have managed to empty them all, especially the Starlings. They're too big to sit comfortably on the perches of the feeder and they're almost too heavy for the perches not to throw them off. This one is madly flapping its wing to stay in position to root through the seed tossing all of the millet out onto the ground to get to the sunflower seeds and peanuts.

The chipmunks and the Mourning Doves reap the benefits of the Starlings' litter. You see how the ground is covered by little white seeds? The Doves and the chipmunk have a field day hoovering up those little seeds. I can watch the cheek pouches of the chippie bulge more and more as it eats.

Here's the other variety of fern that's opening in the back bed. It's kind of hard to see in front of the day lily leaves. I don't remember its name but I like the color of its stems and the delicate fronds.

And the Oriole came to visit a couple times today. I am enthralled by the dramatic orange and black color of the males. He even came this evening so that JB could admire him.

Today's watercolor is a bird feeder. How appropriate is that? This is out of my new book, Ink & Wash, that DD sent me for Mother's Day.

Then I pulled out my sketchbook and a pen to draw out of 20 Ways to Draw a Butterfly. Just a few winged creatures. Although I kind of like the vulture in the lower left. I think it looks like a Dr. Seuss drawing.

I had two fun writing Zooms today. One was my regular every-two-weeks Novel critique group and the other one was with two friends to organize a three-person critique group. I'm excited for the new group. I'm hoping that it works out and we can help each other get our books tidied up and ready for publication.

--Barbara

A Day Full of Aches

Every time I go get a vaccine I spend a couple days shivering and aching. It's my standard reaction to the shots so I should be used to it by now. And it didn't help that I scurried around yesterday making my back hurt and my knees ache. I've taken Tylenol every few hours and it hasn't really helped. What helped the most was sitting in my car waiting for school to let out and nearly falling asleep. Oops! I have no memory how long this malaise hangs on so I'll have to scroll back to September of 2022 when I got the last booster and see what I said. Nothing. I said nothing so I have no info or timeline to help me get over this achy-ness.

I decided that I was over No Mow May. My lawn was about 8" tall and growing and I just couldn't put up with it another day. I managed to mow the front and side yards this afternoon before my knees gave out and I'll mow the back yard one day later this week so it's mowed before I go to The Clearing on Sunday.

The next page in Ink & Wash was a picket fence that she had us draw with pencil, then outline with a skinny liner pen, erase the pencil lines, and then fill in with watercolor. Well, sort of fill it in. I like the white spaces on the boards.

My cleaner, MB, came today and she was excited to see a female Oriole on the jelly. Too bad that it wasn't a male as they're much brighter orange than the female but she was thrilled to see it.

And the Gratitude Journal for today was pretty simple to draw. I did not draw anything about my achy knees or shivers which were my main attention getting symptoms today. I managed to swap my winter socks for my summer socks but that didn't make it on the journal page mostly because I just thought of it now. Climbing up and down the basement stairs wasn't fun.

MB said that she had a cardigan that has holes in the pockets and under one arm. She said that it's coming apart at the seams so I went downstairs and dug out a ball of lime green wool that she said was pretty close to the color of her sweater. We discussed how she should sew it up (overcast) and she went away happy. I hope it works for her.

Tomorrow I have the 4th meeting of the Novel critique group and the first meeting of LL, cda, and me meeting on Zoom to see if we can't put together a friends critique group so that LL gets critiques too. I hope we can work it out. It promises to be an interesting afternoon.

Okay. I'm going to stick some pictures on here, post it to the blog, and go to bed. I woke up at 4am this morning to go to the bathroom and never really got back to sleep. Very frustrating. I can't sleep on my right side because my arm hurts. Thank heavens that my left arm doesn't hurt much so I can sleep on that side. Good night.

--Barbara

A Day Full of Doctoring

My day was filled with health-related errands. In the morning I went to the pharmacy for a Covid booster and a second pneumonia shot. I got tired of getting reminder notes from the pharmacist every time I picked up a prescription so I put on a short-sleeved shirt and got it over with. Then in the afternoon I had a visit with my doctor's PA to check my meds which is required either by Medicare or my insurance. She ordered a blood test so I went straight from there to the lab in the hospital across the street for that. While I was waiting for the lab tech I got a text that the prescriptions that the PA had renewed for me were ready so I went from the hospital to the pharmacy and finally home. Whew.  All that doctoring took up a lot of my day.

After I filled the bird feeders I cut up 4 cups of rhubarb and made another batch of rhubarb sauce. I use Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener instead of sugar so that a serving costs zero points. I'm loving it over my breakfast Greek yogurt with a little granola sprinkled over it all. I put in less sweetener this time so that I still taste the tang of the rhubarb. The last batch was a little too sweet.

I had to fill all of the feeders, even the grape jelly and the suet cakes. The Starlings have discovered every tasty morsel out there and cleaned it all up. I left the feeders empty for a few days hoping that the Starlings would go elsewhere but they haven't so I caved in and filled them all. Even before I filled the grape jelly an Oriole male came to have a snack and look around. I hope he keeps coming all summer. In past years he's come early in the season and then not the rest of the summer, much to my disappointment.

I turned to the next page in my new Ink & Wash art book. All there was on that page was bird eyes, beaks, and legs so that's what I drew today.

The ferns are unfurling. I love the way they look as they get taller with their tight curls at the tops and the bright green color of them. Around them the lilies of the valley are starting to open. Can't wait for those to bloom because they smell so wonderful.

I ended up with a page full of things I was grateful for today. Way more than I usually have but then today was way busier than usual days. I think the oddest chore on my to-do list was to sew shut the pockets on two pairs of OJ's shorts. He's playing soccer this summer and they can't have pockets in their shorts. I don't know why but it was an easy fix. DIL1 said that if they have pockets not sewn shut the coach duct tapes the pockets! Crazy. But I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation.

I did yoga this morning and took a shower. That was the end of my quiet day. The rest of the time I was running around like a crazed weasel trying to get on top of my extra-long to-do list. Swapped my summer shoes for my winter shoes. Organized my capris and put away my long pants. Put the long-sleeved tee shirts in the guest room closet and swapped out the short-sleeved tees. Tomorrow I'll get out my summer socks and put away my knitted and winter socks (which means I have to fold a basket of clean laundry, ugh). I'm thinking about what clothes I'm going to pack to take to The Clearing on Sunday. Is it going to be warm? Cool? Rainy? It's always cooler up there between the bay and Lake Michigan so I'll be taking a hoodie, shoes and socks, and maybe a long-sleeved denim shirt for layering. I can't wait.

--Barbara

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

I hadn't been out of bed for 10 minutes when I hurried to open the gifts that DD sent me. They arrived on Tuesday and have been staring at me since then daring me to cave in and open them. The curiosity was killing me but I was strong and waited to open them until today. The early part of today but today nevertheless. She got me some Micron liner pens and a book on Ink & Wash drawing with ink and watercolors. I couldn't wait to try it.

 

So I pulled out my liner pens and turned to the first "practice" drawing page in my new book and drew some birds, some insects, and a butterfly. I think I'm too deliberate and hold my pen too tight according to what I read in the intro of the book but I'm willing to practice and hopefully get better.

I got cards, two handmade and one store-bought, all three wonderful.

DS invited me over for pizza on the grill and presents. He and DIL1 gave me a lovely luxurious robe from the spa at Lodge Kohler and a beautiful bouquet of red and yellow tulips.

I spent most of the day doing critiques for next Wednesday's Novel online group but I took some time and did a little research on offering my eBooks for free for 5 days to get people to read them. I set up 3 of the titles to be offered this coming week, the last week of May, and the first week of June. The fourth title won't be eligible for that promotion until after May 21st so I'll get that one set up after I get back from The Clearing a week from next Saturday.

When I was watching TV last night I saw a commercial for Viking Cruise Lines. One of the things it said was "no children and no casinos" which are evidently big selling points. I can see how that would set them apart from the "party" boats that most cruise ships look like. I don't think I'd like a cruise. The ships are too big and too crowded and too confining. We went on one cruise that Durwood won in a sales contest and we both pretty much hated it. Luckily we took our dive gear along and I contacted a dive operation in our ports of call and arranged to be picked up and carted off to dive instead of prowling the straw markets or whatever non-divers did on those islands.

Ever since I got home from supper at DS's thunder has been rolling across the sky and now it sounds like it's raining. I probably should have mowed the lawn today but I just wasn't in the mood. I'll get to it one day this week, cross my heart.

--Barbara