Thursday, May 16, 2024

I Like Thursday #402

 

welcome to this week's list of likes... it's still Spring and the pollen is high. 

I like seeing trees and shrubs in bloom, just not the allergies they cause

I am watching a video on sketchbook painting ideas  and this was one...

The simplest brushes of color, and a black pen create a scene... 

a lawn ornament made of cutlery purchased back in Maryland

the bugs are back

Birds are trying to build a nest in the shallow window well above our back sliding door. The bits they'd collected blew off and we shooed them off. Location location location y'all. The constant opening and closing of that door will wake the baby birds!!!

Well the mama came back, I shooed her off, this repeated about 15 times, til daddy showed up, peered inside our house down at me sitting at the table next to the door. Our eyes met, an understanding was reached. 

I thought... then later he came back, looked down at me seemed to accept reality, turned around and flew off.. I hope they chose a different plot in which to build, and think it may be the bush next to the porch. I know it's hard to find a good home.

Videos for laughter  Bohemian Catsody   The creativity of cats is astounding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXezLv_5RaY
https://youtube.com/shorts/WIregp5hPuQ?si=YK3RTGkit6MrVq_6

made some egg muffins like these https://www.wellplated.com/healthy-breakfast-egg-muffins/

 by putting some thawed spinach, some diced bell pepper and diced tomatoes in muffin tin (forgot to grease them and it wasn't needed) sprinkled with some spices (onion and garlic powder, paprika, marjaram) sprinkled some feta and shredded cheddar cheese, poured on the egg whites we had on hand baked for 25-28 min at 350. SO good. 

 We only had enough for 6 muffins but if you made a dozen, you'd have leftovers for breakfast for a few days. They are a bit like an omelet

I'll have all of mine now thank you mama

Milo had one more plain one, we ate 1 1/2 each, and had two left for tomorrow. 

It was a birthday cake making weekend...Judy asked what kind of cake I'd make. My favorite is Black Forest Cake so... I made up a recipe of sorts.

our chocolate cake recipe is moist because of buttermilk
we make an outstanding chocolate cake for dh's birthday so I started with that. We made a half recipe and cut it into two layers. I soaked cherries (cut up) in cherry liqueur, and made cream cheese/buttercream icing instead of the traditional whipped cream since we knew we'd have this all week. 

On bottom layer place half the cherries, and the juice, then some icing, top with next layer, more cherries, more icing, pretty crystaline pink sugar dusted on top. some ice cream, a few candles, a few wishes, singing, and dh claimed it to be the best cake we ever made. Maybe the best cake we ever bought and this one without the long list of chemicals store bought cakes have. 

I don't like to cook but like to eat. I share things here that are easy and you might enjoy too. Afterall we'd rather be quilting or painting right?

waterproof zip bag holds art supplies

Prompt this week: what lessons from your childhood have most impacted your world view? 

two come to mind: 

1. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.... I learned we are all important, we all have needs. We must give to get. We must care about others to be cared for. Life is a balance of give and take and all have the same rights to respect. Want a friend? be a friend.

2. Our needs and concerns are more important to us than they are to others. Everyone has needs, and a person can't expect everyone to cater to them. If you are given something you must be grateful not expect it to be given. 

3. learn to entertain yourself...

4. If you're quiet you can hear more than if you're loud and demanding. I spent many an evening quietly playing while my parents played cards with their siblings, laughing, talking, forgetting a little girl was listening. 

5. Kindness and grace are a sign of strength, not weakness. 

6. character matters. Integrity and honesty show character. It's better to have peace than be right sometimes. Don't expect anyone to agree with you, be happy if they do but people have the right to their own opinions. 

Milo's moment

Milo here, hiya! Well it feels like summertime now, so I've moved the center of operations to the back porch. As snoopervisor and chief protector around here, my work is almost never done. 

What's that??? Is a neighbor out of their house??? They are always coming out of their houses, walking right by my yard with some random dog, sniffing around that little box by their driveways (mailbox) or getting in a loud fast driving car that disturbs my holy peace. 

If I didn't run to the fence to bark them away, they might even try to come up to the door. Critters even come right into my yard with no invitation. They have no sense of common courtesy 

well you can ALL relax for a bit, I cleaned up the 'hood for now. Rest assured I'm on the job

now please visit these folks to read their lists of likes and prompt responses. I'd love to read your prompt responses too... 

https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/  

https://comfortspiral.blogspot.com/


 
taking a break:
 
   LINKING WITH 

https://brianshomeblog.com/ 

http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/   

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com

https://llbinourbackyard.blogspot.com/

               friday smiles



 


Saturday, May 11, 2024

My creaative week in pink and paint

 

For rainbow scrap challenge this week, using pink fabric scraps, I made a block with english paper piecing. This means for my non quilt making friends, that you cut the exact shape you want, from paper, then sew the fabric around the shape and later remove the paper. 

I did that then laid out the pieces on my portable design board, the way they'll be sewn together into a whole.


so I can carry it around and try out background fabrics to applique it to... I cut the pieces a bit big when cutting the kit to carry downstairs to baste watching tv. It bugged me to waste that 3/8 in of fabric so I took the cut offs and made the tiny 6" square at the top. It is a rosebud... and will become another piece soon

 

the colors so far, pattern : https://thecraftycreek.com/2023/07/16/owl-and-hare-hollow-hqal-2/.


Nature was calling to me this week. I didn't have much concentration or stamina but I painted a bit. 

the little morning painting lying atop my watercolor set (Kuretake)

My friend Sonja and I exchange painting videos with each other, and she sent this one...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/y8TQmPRNQ54

mine didn't come out like I wanted but it was good to see paint dance across the paper

the technique couldn't be easier, it plays with transparency, and I suspect mine would have come out better if I'd used watercolor paper, a larger brush, and diluted my paint more. Note transparency, layers, colors
 

Joy's table scraps challenge this month is to use pink scraps and interpret the prompt Kentucky Derby. I saw this t shirt on the internet

Kentucky Derby Horse T-shirt, Talk Derby To Me Tees, Gift For Horse Ra –  Famhose 

I don't love the idea of running horses around in circles but I know artists always do inventive posters and tshirts for an event, so I googled that and saw the cute image above

 

again, just on my little mixed media notebook, but I like her...

my snooper-visor

Milo: hiya! I have an important job. Mama disappears into her hidey hole 

Mama: my art studio

Milo: whatever. I check on her ever so often, I keep her alert by barking loudly from the next door bedroom window

Mama: I jump out of my skin

Milo: glad to help. I come up when Daddy is done with work for the day, to get her downstairs to make dinner and start our play time, or she'd forget and stay up there even longer. 

Linking with


design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

https://songbirddesigns.blog/

finished or not

https://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

https://beadwright.blogspot.com/

art for fun Fridays 





Thursday, May 9, 2024

I Like Thursday #401 Birthday celebrations, good food, and a list of likes

 

Welcome to this week's list of likes... and Milo is illustrating the prompt for this week

no it's not my birthday month, but a poodle can celebrate anyway
More about that later

talking to friends

I was lucky enough this week to chat with Cindy, Lane, Diane in Texas, and Joy. It makes such a difference, being with friends.  Zoom and FT are fine ways to visit... almost like being there

TV and streaming

Brokenwood is back, Murdoch is back (ACORN) we're watching Midwives on PBS, and I'm enjoying Traitors (on Peacock) Australia

The Amazing Race season is coming to a finish this week, so what will replace this as a must see show for us? 

Want to learn

I want to learn how to sing harmony. I like to sing, but have an alto voice. I haven't found a good lesson on how to harmonize, they all say, sing a third or fifth note up. I can't just know what a third sounds like til I go up a note, then another and by then the song is in the middle! Crikey!

I also want to learn to roll my R's in Italian. Not one decent instructional video for that either. 

Grateful

DH went with me to urgent care twice and to an emergency visit with an ENT at UCHealth in the last two weeks. I am phobic of hospitals and doctors and rubbish in an emergency. He was steadfast. 

 watching on youtube

OMG   I wish humans were as welcoming as these sheep... 

https://youtube.com/shorts/zbXX58W7gK4?si=tD1Kz6dcjp5cfWRM

Fine Dining

tried this recipe, dividing it in half because we had one can of beets, and it was like old time good...

note we don't like cornstarch and use arrowroot to thicken... delish but not photogenic

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/92773/grandmas-harvard-beets/ 


 

made a new to us recipe for thumbprint cookies... very buttery shortbread texture and so good

https://www.loveandlemons.com/thumbprint-cookies/
 Made some garbanzo bean soup, and homemade bread too this week. Don't like to cook, DO like to eat

 


recipe from Jenny Can Cook

60 Funny Birthday Wishes For All Your ...

The prompt this week is : how do you celebrate your birthday? 

Growing up, I always had some kind of party... at home of course, with pin the tail on the donkey kind of games and 25 cent prizes for the winners. A store bought cake with decorations sat on the dining room table from that morning... it was considered fancy rather than a home made cake that would taste better! I always blew out candles, and asked for one of those greasy icing flowers of course. 

As I aged I had sleep over parties, and when I turned 13 I think, I had a movie party with three girlfriends. I wore a mini skirt and fishnet stockings for the first time, where my fat squeezed through the squares and gave me a rash! I had a newsboy corderoy hat, my hair was bobbed, I wore blue eyeshadow and white lipstick. 

Vintage 1950s For The Birthday Girl ...

I was engaged before I met my husband, to a lovely man who made a lot of effort for my birthdays. Once he set up for me to have time off work, bought us plane tickets and a hotel stay in NYC to go to a major wholesale craft show. Once he set up a surprise party, and it was one of two I've had in my life. 

My Canadian boyfriend set up the other surprise party, and for the first time, I had intuition hit me full on while I showered I saw lots of friends gathering and laughing. Unmistakable. I was stunned, got ready didn't say anything on the way to the friend's house for dinner. Surprise! I often now have those intuition moments and do not discount them. 

My husband and I always took a trip, or did something special we'd never done, on my birthday weekend. A trip to NYC with show, shopping, carriage ride, dinner at Tavern on the Green. Trip to Newport RI, Poconos, Mystic Seaport. 

Biggest Lie: Hysterical Belated Birthday Card with a Retro Image of a  Woman, with Envelope. C6956BDG: Greeting Cards: Amazon.com.au

Now that I can't leave the house safely because of allergy to vaccines, I make my own cake. If I'm lucky my generous but gift impaired husband might have purchased a gift. Life is what you make it, but sometimes you can't make it into what you want. It's my birthday in a few days, and I'm glad I'm able to make something of the day. 

When I was born, my birth mother gave me to the adopted mother. The doctor told Mary not to get attached to me as I wouldn't make it. I was teeny at 4 lbs, my liver didn't function, I was too weak to eat. Then I grew...  As the story goes my birth mother wanted the best for me, and she felt as a single mother she couldn't provide that. Sad. (the placement wasn't a nice one as it turns out) but one day, I'd like to meet her family, maybe even my birth father (who was Italian) family, and belong somewhere. 

So birthdays... where you celebrate the fact that this glorious person was born in the same time period as you were... are special to me, how about you? I don't think, I'm so old, I save that for when the body fails throughout the year lol. I think, well, here I am. Why am I here and how can I add goodness to the earth's family. 

 

Milo's moment

well y'all I dodged a bullet this weekend.

Grrrr you will not win hooman
 First daddy tried to poison me with some kind of medicne 

(Daddy: a heartworm pill is to keep you safe, we have early summers here now)

Milo: whatever. Then Daddy tried to drown me in the shower

(Daddy: it was just a bath, Drama King! You smelled like pee)

Milo: it's my signature fragrance... not worth manhandling me and putting soap all over me just to rinse it off with a power hose

Daddy: it's the same shower we use... oh my dog

Milo: then Mama tried to skin me alive with that noisy machine

Mama: The shaver. Just the shaver, just like I use on Daddy's hair. Scissors and a shaver. Same. 

Milo: just because you pin him to the chair with that cloth over him and vibrate his head the same way doesn't make it right. Haven't you noticed when you shave him, I am always there to supervise? In case you cut off an ear? sheesh, my worries are many.

Mama: well you smell much nicer, I can now see your eyes, your fluffy hair isn't tangled, and you're cooler. Isn't that good? 

 Milo: oh don't try to get out of it... I made it out alive this time... 

well, I admit I'm cooler, but  I also look more Blue
Mama: love you and you're so handsome

Please visit these peeps to see what they liked this week

https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/  

https://comfortspiral.blogspot.com/


 
   LINKING WITH 

               friday smi