Google+ What I Made Today: July 2009

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Sail


Today, as the morning mists relinquish their power to a fierce summer sunrise, and the sunflowers bloom in my gardens, I set sail west down the Erie canal. Well, the New York thruway ... but the day feels so surreal, that a dream of sailing to lakes great is the gentler dream within my reach ... and so it is the one I conjure.

I will see you in a week-or-more (or less). Ciao!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Ready


Today I reviewed, revised and made news lists. I hemmed a new pair of jeans. I did laundry and paid bills. I organized and pre-packed. I paused for the briefest of early-afternoon visits from an 88-year-old friend who was out-n-about and thought she'd drop by. I picked up a rental car, a companion chair, and ran pre-travel errands. I sipped a blueberry lager and made a simple dinner. I negotiated for the puter while traveling this week. And now, I sleep.


Sunday, July 26, 2009

An Expression


I am amused and perplexed at how often I find myself in places where I feel I belong, and yet don't. It's not that fish-out-of-water feeling, rather it's a feeling of being a goldfish in open seas, or a marlin in a 100 gallon tank. It's knowing that you're in your element and yet ... something is seriously dis-harmonic. Such feelings have been on the rise for me these past several days.

This feeling is not unfamiliar to me. It is one I have nurtured intimacy with for as long as I can remember, and when I stand dead center in the core of the feeling - in my Truth - and Express myself from that place, I'm often judged - and not with kindness. As a little girl I learned to keep such expression to myself. As I grew I learned to express the feelings in subjective ways, ways that were somehow abstract and more acceptable. As I grew older still, I realized the value in both of these means ...

Keeping such feelings in my pocket and holding back the expression of them has offered me opportunity to get very close and intimate with my Truth, closer perhaps than others ever do. It has also taught me the power of witnessing in silence. Keeping such feelings in my pocket and holding back has also taught me to never shy away from creative expression.

Folks who know me well may be perplexed in reading this, for I am often perceived as candid and direct, and this is true - especially when I am asked. There are times when I speak my truth forthrightly, yet there are far more times when I hold it in my pocket and quietly witness the occurrences around me.

As I grow older still, into the place that I am now, skirting the threshold of cronehood, I feel my lifeforce, my truths, my very spirit swelling within me ... and lacking the method of escape - dare I say Expression - it and I have grown accustomed to for almost forty years, and I wonder.

And I smile. And I feel for the people I share this life with. For they will love me. Or they will not. And I'm ready.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Who Won a Whimsy?

I want to thank every single one of you who left a comment - or several. We had 127 eligible Whimsical entries and this morning number 28 was selected by the Random Number Generator. I like the way both numbers add up. I notice silly things like that. Anyway ...

I'd like to ask you all to give a great big congratulations to Shelly of Rose Garden Fibers, for today she crowned number 28 and our very own Win a Whimsey Winner!

Congratulations Shelly!!!
::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Breakfast

This morning I made up for last night's exhaustion and made a Breakfast of Lesser Champions!

So, two batches are made and I'm hopeful that I can get at least one more in over the weekend. My morning plans have been waylaid and I am attempting to leverage that now. Even so, I still have errands, three gallons of sage ale to bottle and a river to get to ...

... and today is it - the final day to post our comments to be entered to Win a Whimsy! Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments and for playing. Really - it delights me! The winner will be drawn and announced first this tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Mom Preparations


I have tasks and errands I thought I'd better get started on today before next week's travels commence. So I did.

Next week I'm visiting my elderly mom and schlepping her around central NY state so that she may visit her brother in one place, and then get her to my cousin's for their barn party at another place, and then back to her little home again. Then, of course, I'll have to get myself back home to my little hut ... only to load up the van and head to Forest Folk Pi ... a camping event that will involve friends, food, fire, libation, love and ... ::DRUMROLL PLEASE:: ... reLAXation. I plan on doing very little then.

Tonight, after dinner, I'm making cookies. Probably a couple batches. The Boy and I will enjoy some, sure - but these will be for mom. She loves homemade cookies - with lots of chocolate and nuts. Maybe a nightcap will follow this evening's efforts.

Tomorrow I head out again for more mom-shopping, and come evening I will float on the Connecticut River with old friends from my Corporate days. And somewhere in-between I hope to post a Wednesday blog reminding you all that it's your last day to "enter" to Win a Whimsy!

And by the way, with all these upcoming personal activities combined with our 48 hours for Larry Radiothon and silent auction coming up this Friday on Blockhead Radio, it will be a few weeks before you'll find me In the Garden again. I'll let you know!

But ... for now ... dinner ... cookies ... and a night cap ...

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Time Outdoors


Today was one of those days that was a very relaxing yet felt rather busy. I did a little of this and a little of that and with near-perfect weather I invested most of my time and energy outdoors. That's all I got. And it's plenty.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

A Little Fun in the Sun

I set myself up outside on the deck on this glorious sun-filled day t0 complete some "Impressions of Nature" pins. I also put the next-to-the-last touches on the latest round of angels and demons, and started work on some special requests. I puttered in the gardens and in my art journal too.

Then I popped open an ale and made dinner.

That's what I made today. How about you?

Friday, July 17, 2009

Spirals

I made my way to the gardens before the rains returned this afternoon and was greeted by one of the ever-present reminders of the spiral of life. I paused in the drama of the moment to take in the stage, the costume, the story ... And I filled up. So did the skies.

As the drizzle increased I hunkered down in my little hut and made my way to a piece of my own spiral of life. There I continued some started projects and began others ...

I'm looking forward to creating my nature-inspired ACEO work again, here in the growing heat of summer's expansion.

Ashe. Ashe.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Bread from Mead

I have an electrical storm ... so all you get is the title and photo today! Even so, your comment gets you an entry in Win a Whimsy!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

A Delectable Blend


We had some elderberry wine left from last night, so I mixed it with a fresh bottle of rhubarb mead and ... it ... is ... delectable! I think it will complement the Muckies ever so nicely. So while I made several things today - not the least being a return of Win a Whimsy! - this is all I'm sharing at the moment, because I have a fire to light, weenie sticks to gather and other assorted fireside activities to manage! See ya!

A Return to Win a Whimsy!


Remember Win a Whimsy Wednesday? Well ... it is returning, though in new form ...

I am giving away the Impression of Nature Wall Plaque pictured here, a $25 value, and all you need to do is leave a comment anywhere on my blog to be entered.

It's that simple.

Now, this give-away will run from this Wednesday (July 15 - that's today - just in case you're a time traveler) to next Wednesday (July 22) and every comment you leave between now and then will be an entry! One comment = one entry. Ten comments = ten entries. You get the idea! Any comment counts. No matter where it falls on this blog. Past posts ... and every post made between now and next week! Again - you get the idea!

The winner will be drawn and announced next Thursday morning, July 23!

So - get commenting and play Win a Whimsy!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Kitties, More Kitties


I invested the afternoon in applying layers of paint to the Figures of love that had dried from the other day - mine as well as a few that The Boy had made. I got out the clay and made few more little felines too.

I listed the last of the three new Impressions of Nature annnnnnnnd I started my campaign to win this weeks BHR Face Off. If you want to help me win (and you know you do), simply go vote for Anita Inverarity's "Gothica Lolita" at BHR's Face Off page! Tell you're friends to do the same. And if you're wondering what it's all about, you can learn more here.

That's what I made today. Now go vote!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Magic & Wisdom



I worked with bee balm blossoms to make a little magic. Magic that will see a future similar to this ...

Two little batches of sacred herbal ales were bottled today. One is called "Green Rain" and is made with rain water collected on the summer solstice and green tea. I feel this will likely taste more like a cider than an ale. The other is a Sage Wise Ale and this is - without doubt or question - going to be awesome! It is very likely that I will be brewing a larger batch of this - and soon. Wisdom can be demanding and impatient that way. Slainte!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

A Little This, A little That


Today, among other things, I made progress on the next three "Impressions of Nature" ACEO and made three new feline "Figures of Love." There was more ... and still more to be ...

Friday, July 10, 2009

Mostly Silence






I forgot about a scheduled one-on-one workshop. Thankfully, I have loving and forgiving students. Especially this one. Not only that, she brought me gifts of fresh Artemisia absinthium and a sweet woodruff transplant. I racked two gallons of mead. Still one to go. And three gallons of ale to bottle and more to get brewing. I made a really nice grilled dinner on the deck, preceded by a delectable cocktail hour. Stirred, not shaken, with three olives.

That's what I made today.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

New Impressions


Along with some other arty projects, I finished these new little "Impressions of Nature" ACEOs. I have a few more I hope to complete tomorrow. I'll be listing them in my ArtFire studio soon.

Monday, July 6, 2009

I Dunno ...

... You tell me.

Really. Tell me!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Ghosts


A few more little demons (or are they angels?) made manifest today. I followed up on an inspiration that came to me in the gardens yesterday - "Impressions of Nature" ACEOs. So now the demons and ACEOs will dry in their own time, and they'll tell me when they're ready for paint.

I was working on these on the deck and heard a woman's voice from in the hut (or the front door). She wasn't calling me by name, but she was calling for me. She got my attention and she still has it. I'm still waiting to know who it is and what I can do for them, or what I need to know, or whatever.

That's what I made today.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Putterings


Today I puttered in my art journal, in my hut and in the gardens and harvested some black and red currants.I harvested some insight and inspiration too. I rearranged my kitchen/dining space a bit. After dinner I foraged for dessert in the fading strawberry patch. Before dinner I listed those "Figures of Love" mentioned in yesterday's post. Other than that, I'm not really sure. In any event, it was a nice puttering sort of day, complete with more sunshine than I've seen in days. Dig it.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Figures of Love


I finished the final layers, signed and sealed my latest little angels and demons. It seems they took forever to complete, eh? I am happy with the outcome and thank The Boy for the inspiration to create the little demons. I 'll be listing them in my ArtFire studio over the coming days.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

A Mess & A Dent

Tired of seeing brewing images? Yeah? Too bad. Because I'm in the throes of a brewing frenzy, having way too much fun trying "new" old herbal "recipes" and other spirited experiments. And so it is that such messes are made ...
... the Sage Ale that I started yesterday turned vivaciously active overnight and I awoke to a mess on the brew table, though was reminded of the value of the trays that I use! I had to remove the airlock, clean it well and then just covered the carboy with a glass bowl for most of the day to keep it relatively safe from invaders while it worked out its fits ...

... not before loosing a good 8-10 ounces of the nectar. Such is life, eh? Of course, I tasted it and can tell that I'm gonna like it. The airlock is back on now and I hope that the yeasties find their rightful balance in the realm of this wise and lively brew!

Aside from making this mess (well, the yeasties did it, but I was working in collusion with them), I made a respectable dent in "paper" work of several sorts. Oh, this included the routine bills, but also bookkeeping, filing, perusing files and binders to purge that which no longer adds value. And even though this dent is but a (never-ending) beginning, one which will be attacked again tomorrow, it felt GOOD.

That's what I made. And for now, I will enjoy a nice bowl of simple homemade chicken soup (to celebrate the 1st of July???), and invest some time adding layers to my Figures of Love, and watching "Death at a Funeral." Caio!