Monday Music, on a Tuesday.... "Wide Open Arms"... Marc Scibilia + Tuesday Tails...

Kudos to SuziQz  (with many smiles) for a beautiful love song for all you Valentine's lovers who share a work a day world....

Enjoy this beautiful song.....




Tuesday Tails...

The birds are nesting!  The doves are back, and the House Wren,

IMAGE Source

the beautiful Golden Headed one, is singing from the tip top of the Cape Honeysuckle.  I put out pieces of yarn for them yesterday.  The birds I've seen in my garden have all had full golden heads.

Be sure to read the explanation of why this color arises in House Finch.  Though, I have seen only three or four birds of this color, they have all been on the Pacific Flyway.  That's about as West as it gets.   They have come to feed on the ground in the rose bed when we had Jemima, our Peking Duck, and there is one here, off and on, this Spring.  I'll try to get a decent picture of it.

Adult Torts will be out as soon as the last frost date at the end of February.  Tiny torts are still eating and sleeping under their grow lights and their warming lamp.  All is well.

Wolfie is slowing down a little, not quite so manic.  He's still a love bug and wants to cuddle up, or maybe to sleep in Mr. Z's lap while the Mr. does crossword puzzles or shares a nap in the evening with his "son" in his lap.

Wolfie sneaks a peek at that dratted camera

Organizing report, with a wee homeless rant:

I have three bags that are ready to go out to the Goodwill, and now I'm into the recycled corduroys.

 I'm trying to remember (within my manic self)  that I'm making three, and only 3, ugly quilts. I'll make another semi ugly one for me to keep.  The one I'm keeping can have street value, because it won't get stolen.  Isn't it a shame that an ugly quilt could get stolen?  But, that is the  truth of life on the streets.
Begin rant:
If ever I had a wish granted, it would be that, in this rich country, enough people cared that people were going hungry and living on the streets in every corner of the lower 48 to END that disparity and disgrace.
end rant.

I'm going to go do a little more work.  Then hopefully I will have the time to come back and do some Blog overdue visits and also answer comments.  Thank you for your patience, dear readers.

LIttle Wren Drawing; Basket of Pens; organizing chit chat; Saturday Komeekz; Maeve's "last book", and the movie "Clue"

I know, two posts in a day... *sighs*  But I hope you will forgive me my little brain fart in not doing these two Saturdays together.

Sketch for today:

House Wren: Isn't she sweet?

I did the quick sketch from a photo by Brian L. Sullivan, who is just amazing!  His photo is on the Cornell Site from my phone.  You can see that after I drew the outline I wanted to fill in with these pens:

Next to try are the colored pencils

They are nice pens, the black is really a thick felt tip that gives amazing control for it's size, almost like the tip of a Sumi-e Brush.  But they're just not the same as a water wash.  Since I've just started this enterprise, I realize it's best to have your own photos so that you have a multi sense memory as well.  There is something about drawing from life that can't be duplicated as the eye sees so much more when watching something that is alive and hopping around doing it's "thing".  If you don't believe me, just try to draw a Passenger Pigeon from the last photograph.

Organizing:

I'm keeping the bins but the yarn is going to the Craft Co-op in Santa Cruz, along with all the cone yarns (except for the big gray one that is a blend for socks).  This activity will free up some space in my sewing/card making/catchall of a studio in the front of the house.  The one in the back remains semi organized but is for another time and story.......whatwasithinking?

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Saturday Komeekz:

Dear little kitty, you won't like camping.  The only cats I've seen "camping" were in motorhomes, which they did NOT have to drive, and in which they had their own pull out food trays and beds!

The movie "Clue"



This thing is a literal scream!  I laughed myself sick and will most likely watch it again on Halloween!

I am reading a book that is a compilation of Maeve Binchy's  writings, her hubbie's and her publisher's.  You can tell the difference, but the book is still interesting and well written.  Parts have already been published elsewhere, and those are hers, as well as things she was compiling for a book she wanted to write about Chestnut Street.  I'm enjoying it, though it's sad to think she is already gone so long.   Chestnut Street


I have a migraine and plantar fasciitis at the moment so I'm just going to go rest awhile.  LOL!  Woohoo!  Trouble from Top to Bottom, er, the Foot Bottom that is.  Have a great Sunday!

Something Beautiful on Monday, Tort, Knitting,and Organizing Reports.

Talk about gorgeous stuff!   The last time I saw this sort of carving was at Cabrillo College at the Saturday Farmer's Market.

From  HERE which I just found!
This carved melon is just one of the many Objet d'Art that are at this gorgeous site!

I found color pens yesterday, a whole box of them.  Some are actually still good- So Shocking to find that they are!  Usually they die within weeks of being purchased!

Elle, I will start making some sort of art with them. There is so little I can sketch quickly that's just laying around; perhaps I'll sketch clothes pins or something -Bottles of Bleach, Dish Detergent?  Maybe your Dad?  Anyway,  I've been so indoctrinated into realism that it's terribly hard for me to do the beautiful things that come out of your imagination, though I have in the past done semi-abstract oils.  In another life, that is.

*Sighs and looks into the distance.*  I regret nothing; I just see the income stream flowing away from me. hehehe

Organizing report:  Today I mean to get down some storage bins, each stuffed with snippets of sorted-by-color fabrics for quilt making.  I cannot fit more things into that room but still want to put away and organize the waxworks - a costco flat box of the stuff I make wax hearts and fire starters with. Getting that little eyesore stowed away - but plainly labeled - will give my self esteem a big boost! 

Knitting Report:  I got out the sweaters and shook out the moths.  Just kidding!  There are none.  Happily this is true - so far.  The Manly Sweater is through up to the shoulder shaping on two needles, which I fear.  I don't know what to do if the twists for the multitudinous blasted CABLES fall the the wrong side.  I'm suffering agonies over trying to insure that THAT can of worms does not pop open on me.  The little pink silk sweater for Elle should give me no problems.  I know, I'm asking for trouble just saying this!

Tort report:  Speaking of Watermelon:  The babies, Milagro and Dusty,  were introduced to watermelon, and do they love it.  Their parents, Poko Ono and Churchy, and their big brother, Lucky, all chase us down in hopes of having more, more, more! 

The big torts have had some rinds nearly every summer since we've had them around.   We got another melon the other day, and they will, indeed, get more before summer is through.  This time I'll get pictures of chowtime with the Torts.  Otherwise all of them subsist on grasses, dried grasses, and elm leaves from "The Tree That Will Not Die", a root of an Elm we once enjoyed the shade of.  We've kept said root around just for the torts, a healthy big sprout near the fence that bursts forth every spring with long, willowy stems filled with leaf buds. 

Elm leaves are better than lettuce to the torts.  We do, however, keep all tortoises out of range of the tomato plants which have a habit of languidly reaching down over the giant tub and tempting passing herbivores.  Well, our herbivores cannot eat them without going toe up.  So, tomato plants are a no no, tomatoes they CAN eat.  In fact, sometimes the adults mistake my painted nails for tomatoes.

All you readers out there who have read this far, thank you!  I hope that you have a calm, reflective, and restorative week of evenings, days,  and "walking with beauty all around you"  moments.  May your happiest memories flood into your mind and give you Peace.    Blessings!

Tuesday Tails - National Dog Day was today...

I found this out at Ellen's Blog, HERE.  So  to all the happy dog lovers out there, Happy National Dog Day!

The little Dog of Many Colors

Just home from the groomers and very proud!

Since I'm reconstructing this post, I'll just briefly tell you of a new Netflix we've been watching.  It's about a vet named Dr. Pol.  If you look for it, I think it's called The Amazing Dr. Pol.
Since I was raised on a small farm with only small animals, but had to kill some of them for dinner, I'm used to blood and some muck.  It doesn't bother me a lot.  Be aware that this is a large and small animal practice so you will see some big animals giving birth, and some other things unpleasant to the sensitive and to children.  Everyone in this show is just amazing.  Such kind and true hearts.

The film crew, or perhaps the edit master, did an excellent job of cutting or blurring images so as to assuage the feelings of viewers and lower the impact of those images at times.  Having given this warning, or proviso, if you will, I'll say that this is worth watching.  Also, you don't hear very many bad words, and the ones that you do hear are mild.  These vets are thoroughly wonderful.  They love animals and do everything they can to help them.

I haven't knit a stitch, but I did do some Organizing.  The trunk in the photos is a bit of a wreck but I love it.  It's older than I am, and that says something.  It's also had a hard life.  It's called a bride's trunk, but it looks like it took some across country trips in a buckboard or two.  I'm sure it must have fallen off the back of a Model T Ford, even, during the dust bowl.  Anyway, I do love it, DH is warming to it, and it is a great organizer for the flotsam and jetsam of Christmas decorations heretofore stuck in various nooks and crannies of the Z family habitat.

This holds a LOT.  Angels, ceramic snowmen families
and tinsel, Oh My!

Rain today, then Sun and a little Heat

I'm still not truly good at making collages.  I need a tripod that springs out of the ends of my fingers!  Or, maybe I can have a telescoping tripod installed in my knee while they are replacing other parts?  Would that be cool or what?

While out looking at clouds I chanced to look beneath my feet and there was this beautiful thing.  It fit into the general "theme".  Another wonder from Mother Earth.

Another version of blue and white, the clouds over water.  The little people arranged the stalks and seed head.  I didn't do that.  They like to surprise Human Beings sometimes with skills that are beyond our ken.

Organization report:

I've made a little more progress in the sewing room (actually it is a studio but it sounds like a brag now that I don't sew like in days of Yore) and recycled a couple more big pieces of fabric.  Doll patterns made my heart catch.  I can't seem to let them go just yet.  I want to see the wall decor again, though!  Is it really true that one should not pile rubbermaid containers any higher than five high?  We are talking the big honkers, not the petite ones, my friends.

Oh joy, the new smaller me can wear some of the jeans that were awaiting execution as bits and pieces of quilts or tote bags for friends and family. 

 Sister's day:

Yesterday my sister came over to spend the afternoon, and though we didn't go to the greenware store, which was the plan, we did watch  "Hoarders".   She can't get it on her many channels.   My sister is a neat freak, and I'm sure she would, if she could, be one of those organizers like the ones on the program.  I don't think she could handle the smells and the crawly things but she might surprise me. 

We don't watch television but adore The Netflix, just as long as it doesn't do anything else REALLY STUPID, that is.  I am sure this is the best of all possible worlds, TV shows without the blinking commercials!  DH made us some of his famous sandwiches for supper.  Lovely!