Plein Texas

Grandaughter Scrap Quilt

2010-08-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

I made the first official scrap quilt for my grandaughter with her fabrics. Even my son-in-law's eyes lit up when he recognized the different squares as previous dresses, tote bags, sleeping bags, crib quilts, and lap quilts. My grandaughter had a fit, as we say down south. That is Sassy Sophie modeling the quilt for us. I think I had to get 8 photos to catch her still and looking towards me. I hope she still enjoys this quilt as an adult. It should last for her. I love you my doll.

January Sunset

2010-01-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

Mother Nature was showing out on the way home Monday night. It was quite beautiful. I was able to pull over and get a good photo on my way home from work. I grabbed some giant pinecones for the grandkids to help them make suet bird feeders for Kansas.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

I was able to spend the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 with my daughter and her family. It made me very, very happy. I delivered another homemade quilt to another grandchild. They absolutely glow when looking at it.

December in SE Texas has set weather records. We had a first time ever snowfall. Then while in Kansas a few weeks later I got to experience what a negative degree feels like outside. Dear-God-Have-Mercy. That was shocking. Here are 2 snow pictures.

The old Ford in Texas wet snow.

The new Chevy in Kansas dry snow.

Her Own Blog

2009-07-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it is up and official. I don't have any gadgets and extra's on it yet. I want to make her a personalized header as well. But she is up and posting and here is her link:

http://honeybellebasset.blogspot.com/

Great Slobberfest photos, Tina! I am so glad you were able to attend. I would love to come up next year. Honeybelle would be about 1.5 years old. The contests sound like a lot of fun, especially come when called—ha!!

I cannot get over people that scream, especially over drool. What is the big deal? Glad to hear we are not the only ones suffering from strange family behavior, thanks for the drool share Martha and Bailey! A ceiling contact, that is impressive. Gives HoneyBelle a goal to reach.

Have a safe weekend everyone!

Drool

2009-07-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Honeybelle cut her first real impressive drip. True basset viscocity, nice color, extruding from right side flabber-jabber. I am sure it was a good 4" drool dangler in length. I grabbed the camera to share this impressive first with her fans, but a high pitched scream rattled me. My niece was shreiking like a boa constrictor was coiling around her (maybe she thought the drool would take on a life of its own?). I think she said OHMYGOD real fast about 10 times and each time the pitch increased. "She's drooling!!" Lucky for her Honeybelle did not shake/break and send it flying through the air to land on her. I don't know how this child came from our gene pool. My sister and I are pretty tough birds and this girl needs a cold compress if the wind changes direction too fast. I grabbed the handy drool/mop wrag and wiped my baby's jowls and told the girl to quit scaring my baby. Now that I think about it, I should have taken video of this. On mute.

Might as well...

2009-07-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

give HoneyBelle her own blog. It has turned into that, hasn't it? I will start developing her blog today and work on the graphics. Amazing how we become so devoted to this breed. I have had dogs my entire life and the bassets I get plain stupid over. I have had dogs that did not drool, stink, demand all furniture as their very own property, or boss me. A basset will look you right in the eyes and give you the once over tongue lashing—aaaroooorooooroooo!! Our basset hound rescue is begging for fosters and I have decided to make another kennel beside my existing one, so there will be 2 side by side. I have the room to foster 2 bassets along with Ruby and Honeybelle. But since Honeybelle is a baby we had to postpone bringing anyone in from the shelters until she had her complete puppy shot package. Which she completes this weekend! I will post her personal link probably by this weekend for all her friends. Have a good week Martha and Bailey, Honeydew and Sampson, Clemmie and Blue!

Yard Helper

2009-07-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

My doll is a good helper. Saturday morning we were up early restaking/stringing the tomato plants. She is right there running circles around me. We hoed the garden, fixed plants, watered. I emptied my apron pocket of garden contents on the middle of the bench (that has previously been out of her reach). I went back for the string and the pile had been pilfered. Tossed to the ground and strung about. Could not find the string. "HoneyBelle—momma is looking for you!" Look what I found:
Then she promptly tossed the string and acted like she was busy stretching after a long nap. "What string—I do not see any string!"This is a frequent scenario. My gosh, what she can get into is amazing. We went back to work and she likes to jettison through the sprinkler, becoming a short, long mud ball.We finish outside, I bring her in and bath her complete with the ear and nail job. She is so wore out she has to lay down to eat. I am beginning to drag and it is only 10:00 a.m. We love HoneyBelle.

Venus 11

2009-06-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I brought home my birthday present. A red kayak. I brought it in and placed it on the living room floor so I could look at (we are still having 100 degree heat outside). I took all the paper tags off and went and showered to get ready to drive to San Antonio. Look what I found when I came out of the bathroom.

She has claimed it as hers. If the seat were still on it she would be curled up in it.

Someone TP'ed the house—inside...

2009-06-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Nooooooo, I don't see any paper. Nope, not here.

Noooo, still don't see it. What shoe??

You cannot tell by this view, but she is steadily fussing at me. Aaawwoooowooooo!! I found what was left of the roll under the couch. I was trying not to laugh in front of the child...

Testosterone in the Kitchen

2009-06-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Dale is now canning. His mom comes over on the weekends and they go to the farmers market and bring back loads of vegetables to process and can. Peaches are starting to come in and I have pulled out all my peach recipes, I want to freeze and can several kinds. But anyway, a few weeks back, Dale made Plum Jelly. All by himself. He proudly gave me jar and it had great color, jelled perfect, and tasted fine. As I read his label on the lid, I saw that he left his mark as a man. He spelled plum with a "B".

I have watched Dale "plumb" many things over the years. He is the kind of husband that can fix anything. We have lived as neighbors for 20 years. When my daughter grew up, she measured her future husband next to Dale (my husband left us when the children were small and I have not remarried). Thank you Dale, for being a great husband, father, friend, and man in the kitchen.

Starbucks Friendly

2009-06-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

We are still composting in the heat. A neighbor that manages a Starbucks is bringing coffee grounds home for me. A vegan friend brings her veggie skins over. What started as a 70 model station wagon size mound of leaves has broken down to a Smart car size lump in my yard. I have been shoveling loads into the garden and landscape beds to protect the plant roots from the heat, and to help hold the moisture in the ground. HoneyBelle likes to sneak around in the squash plants, the only thing showing is the tip of her tail like a sailing mast.

Blast Furnace Heat

2009-06-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

We are sweltering down here. I keep checking the 10 day forecast in hopes that a percentage of rain will appear. All I see is a smiling sun picture with no precipitation. I sold all my hens to a woman that had an air conditioned hen house. I have ordered water misters from an on-line company that has commercial quality tubing. The water in the bird bathes has become to hot for birds to visit—and all bathes are located under full canopy tree shade. I turn the sprinkler on low and let the water sprinkle my giant rabbits that are uncomfortable in fur coats. The dogs and wild birds walk into the light jet and cool off. Baby HoneyBelle puts her face right on the jet and lets the water sprinkle all over her honey colored coat. I rush home from work to check on everyone and see how they survived the high heat. Grass is already withered crisp and brown. This is tough. We have had one substantial rain since last fall.

He says "Don't Spoil Her"

2009-06-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

And look at him. She does her herky-jerky tank run through the yard, random ear tripping. And he just gushes "you are just the cutest lil' thang!" People come to the front door and say "Can I hug HoneyBelle?" No wonder we end up with 70 pound lap dogs. I told my grandchildren that bassets were really royalty from long ago, and they are with us now as beautiful bassets, and it is our duty to give them extra special care. I am sure when they get older I will have some explaining to do, but until then we can believe. You can never have too much love.

Some of the HoneyBelle fan club

Hard work being a Baby

2009-06-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

HoneyBelle is a true hound. She is already following scents, digging, treeing rodent squirrels, playing, getting dirty, eating and sleeping. I am landscaping around a dog kennel area to be used for fosters and she in the middle of the job, digging and snorting. She wears herself out and curls up by me, so I place her in an outdoor chair to nap. HoneyBelle has a fan club of all ages. Even grown men become childish and enamoured of her jumbo marshmallow feet and auburn eyelashes.

Glamour Shots has nothing on this...

2009-05-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

I went to my favorite porch/barn spot to take baby pictures for my dear readers, family and friends. I don't think I could be more infatuated than I am right now. I cannot get over her bone structure, the beautiful hound profile and large patty feet, and pooling flesh. She already walks and talks with food and water in her mouth, leaving baby snail trails. The mop has not been put up since she arrived this weekend. HoneyBelle is 9 weeks old today. What a babe! It is hot down here already and I wear cotton dresses because I have gotten too fat for shorts and it is too hot for denim. I am laid out on this porch like a fish on a cutting board, praying that the dress is still down by my knees as I take these photos. She kept trying to crawl on top of me and I am trying to keep her at arms length. My photography assistant got married and moved away (my daughter) so I am winging this on my own. I think my favorite is the top one. I love the bassets profile.

HoneyBelle Home!

2009-05-26T10:40:00.001-07:00

I don't think I have ever seen anything cuter than a litter of basset puppies. My intention was to take more pictures to post on this blog, but that would have required putting puppies down and I simply could not do that. So here are a few. I find myself rocking her in the rocker like a swaddled baby. She is vocal and has all kinds of verbalizations, which I love. We are completely besotted. Ruby took to her right away and they are always together. I had to leave her today and go to work, but she has plenty of company. I cannot wait to get home to hold her. I caught my 260 pound boyfriend on his hands and knees gently stroking her to sleep, whispering endearments to her. Slaves, we are.

Meeting Auntie Ruby.

A well earned nap. We cannot keep our hands off her. I will post some better close ups to share, I have an idea on how to take them.

Memorial Day

2009-05-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

We are a military family. My son-in-law is a Warrant Officer in the Army, my daughter and Army veteran, and my son a Marine Corps veteran. All have served multiple tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a blessing that they are still alive. I cannot be more proud of my children and how they have served their country without question. Sadly, they have lost good friends and been to several burials and wakes. I honor them and all that serve, and understand the sacrifices made by the families at home.

In 2005 I sent all 3 to war at the same time that January and I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown that year. It has been a life changing event. By the time my son was 23 he had served 3 long hard tours, and it shows. He has had 7 concussions and a laundry list of other injuries. His veteran friends are injured as well and they take care of each other. A friend that lost his arms to an RPG is never without help in anything he needs. Another has been pieced together from a mortar blast. He is in his second year of college working on his degree. They work out faithfully to keep his lung capacity growing. Another was lost this year to a fast cancer that killed him within 2 months. The list goes on. They all have nightmares that "Haji" has caught them. While driving, something as simple as litter blowing across the road sends them into a sweat and they are always looking around.

The photo has my son-in-law as a pall bearer. The casket contains a young Army Private from Alabama. God Bless our Soldiers and their families.

One Day Left

2009-05-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

I pick up HoneyBelle from her breeder tomorrow morning. I can't sleep, I don't eat. My friends come bearing gifts (basset shower) and keep announcing how many days until we bring her home. I woke up abruptly about 4 a.m. and thought "I pick up HoneyBelle today" and then realized I had another day of work. But just one. Her pictures are posted on my office wall, refrigerator, in my purse, on my computer screen. I am clean ate up with hound love. I keep telling Ruby "baby sister will be here soon" and she does laps around the yard. She will soon have a 10 pound roll of fur and ears to fuss over and clean. New toys and crate fill the back seat of the truck. I have become friends with her breeder and she teasingly asks if I will be there at sunrise. I asked her how early does she get up. She already has an appoinment with Dr. Campbell to continue her heartworm preventative and puppy pack. I am glad I have a 3 day weekend to spend it with the girls. I will share her new photos with you all as soon as possible. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend.

Eat Local

2009-05-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

My grandaughter loves strawberries. I buy flats to freeze, can and simply eat. We take the hulls and put them in the compost pile. It is just plain good. Here is a before and after the red feast. The second photo she is gorged and pondering her Breyer horse herd. Have a safe weekend.

Angelina Jolie Lips

2009-05-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

I cried tears of joy when I saw this photo. What a gorgeous girl! What a velvet face—and look at those lips! Getting my drool rags ready! And I find it amazing how these long, little ears can slide. My bassets were grown and from rescues, so HoneyBelle is my first run around the block with a baby basset. Her breeder has been sending me photos and keeping me posted with her "firsts". Tonight I go home to make some stuffed, quilted cage liners. You know, the fake fur pads with the tube roll around the edge that fit inside crates and carriers. I got to looking at the ones I had and thought I would try my hand at it. I have plenty of scrap fabric to utilize. She gets to come home Memorial Day weekend—I am counting the days!

Western Swing

2009-05-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to find a vintage 1945 men's western shirt pattern. I put it in a ziploc bag after it was scanned. This photo will get framed and placed on the wall in my studio. Even my son thought this was a pretty cool find. He enjoys wearing western cut, snap shirts when he dresses up. We dress funny like that down here. My overalls are getting thread bare, I need to get 2 more, and sadly, another size larger...

Texas Bar BQ

2009-05-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

I love catching strange signage, and this is no exception. The only thing missing is a neon dancing pig. If I told my Yankee friends about this, they would accuse me of lying. You can't make stuff like this up. This is a BQ joint in North Houston, Texas.

New Digs

2009-05-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ruby is posing with her new collar from Kyra's The Mod Dog Etsy shop. She has the most attractive ribbon and her quality is professional. The collars are custom made for each pet. Ruby is an active girl so her collars get thrown in the wash to brighten them back up. Honeybelle will be sporting a ribbon collar with honeybees on it. She will be to-die-for cute. The bonus is Kyra makes a percentage donation to her local rescue in Georgia. Even more reason to buy from her. Here is her link for your shopping pleasure. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5582173

Dogs on Thursday

2009-04-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

I chose this photo of my little girl, HoneyBelle, giving her big slug of a brother the what-for. Look at her little ears flying. She is going to be a lot of fun. I visited with our local basset rescue on Saturday and told them I should be ready to foster one after she gets finishes all her rounds of puppy shots. I have fostered bassets over 10 years ago, adopting one of my fosters. They make my life whole.

Just Another Day at Work

2009-04-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Not really. This one had us wondering where the storm shelter was (again). This was the front coming at us from the West/Southwest. My dad called to let me know they were getting golf ball size hail and very green clouds at his location, about 30 miles northwest. This system brought us 7 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. This was a very fast moving front.

Around 2 p.m.

This was 2:30 p.m.

Here we are at 3 p.m. in the afternoon. It was midnight dark, with lightening giving us an illuminated glow. Luckily we did not get a tornado touching down.

Toddling for Tina

2009-04-21T15:00:00.001-07:00

What a big girl! She has already toddled out of the whelping box. Good thing I just finished a new fence...

Avion Madness

2009-04-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

All my life I have been attracted to the vintage trailers. Big aircraft aluminum behomeths. My first trailer was a 1950 New Moon, similar to the one trailered by Lucy and Desi in "The Long, Long Trailer". The interior was all mahogany, floor to ceiling. My next was a 1970 turquoise and silver Scotty Hilander that was too cool for school. I pulled it with my 1979 F250 around the country with a 65 pound basset hound taking up most of the entire front seat of the truck. Then this weekend my son went and helped me pick up a 1972 C-11 Cayo/Avion slide-in truck camper. I did not even know they made slide-in's. Well lookee here what I managed to get stuffed into the bed of my Chevy. Now, the interior has to be restored which I am all right with. I enjoy a good project. And the wood flooring has to be replaced. Still ain't scared. What scared me was this big thing possibly catching a wind gust on the bridge over the Port of Houston on the way home. Really, we did fine. Thanks to my son for helping mom drag up with yet another cool/crazy project. They just don't make things like they used too.

My old F250 sitting behind the carnival caravan. We managed to make it safely home. And I did not get pulled over by the police.

HoneyBelle @ 3.5 weeks

2009-04-16T14:51:00.001-07:00

She is just off-the-chart-cuteness. Her ears are starting to get length and I just love the nose wrinkle she has! What a doll.

Baby HoneyBelle

2009-04-09T12:28:00.001-07:00

My baby basset girl at age 2 weeks. She will come home the end of May. I have been busy putting up new privacy fence, installing doggie door, and leaving the old carpet in place. When life starts to make me anxious, I think of getting to come home to her and Ruby in the near future. And I am okay again. Thank you dear Lord.

Beautiful Sunrise April 6, 2009

2009-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

This was quite stunning this morning. I wasn't fast enough to catch the vermilion but it was attractive none the less. One of the things that makes me smile and it is free.I merged 3 shots in Photoshop to capture the panorama.

Cause for Alarm

2009-04-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

Springtime in SE Texas brings volatile weather. We have the rich moisture (100% humidity that can make you feel like you are walking into a wet blanket) that collides with cool weather fronts from up north. In the photo I took today you can see the result. An angry, indigo colored storm that appeared faster than The Weather Service can issue a warning to kiss your ass goodbye. Lucky for us, this fast moving storm had only lightning and bursts of rain. It is an hour later and I am looking at blue sky. But come to think of it, I recall pretty blue skys right after the tornados beat us into submission. I do not have a long fear list, but at the top is tornados. I think it is due to my personal education of growing up in a trailer on the flat plains of Texas and watching that giant barrel down on you. When I was 8 years old I asked my Daddy if he would build me a storm cellar for my birthday. He said no, the water table would fill it with water. I told him I had no problem standing in water to wait out a tornado vacuming the ground above us. Made sense to me. Have a good springtime weekend!

Texas Gardening

2009-03-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

I love to garden. And I can do it all year. In the winter, I will move plants around that may not have done well in the particular spot I planted it. When the plant tag says full sun—does that mean full sun in Ohio, or our incinerator blast furnace heat we have in South Texas. There is a big difference. So I work on doing native and xeriscape planting. If you have been reading my blog you know that I compost like a mad woman. Mulch, too. And boy do the Texas critters enjoy it. I get ravaged by fire ants, stung by wasps, threatened by Palmetto bugs and here is what happened to me when I went to move the Bulbine.

I did not notice anything strange until the plant root flicked its tongue at me. Yes, that is a snake. Baby, albeit.

And lucky for it (and me...) a harmless brown garden snake. I was grabbing for the hoe and jumping backwards at the same time. I am hollering for Sam to bring the camera. Blog material. He is asking "why inthehell do you want me to take a picture of plant roots!?" Sweet Jesus, he says, when he sees the root/snake curl around.

So I toss the snake out in the field, plant the bulbine, refresh my iced tea and call it a day. Hope you all have a good weekend out there.

Me Love You Long Time

2009-03-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

One happy momma dog and her girl.

Family

2009-03-06T12:21:00.001-08:00

We love our hounds, they become part of our family nucleus. I have enjoyed teaching my grandchildren that bassets are special. And they agree. My grandkids can spot a basset faster than our eyes can adjust. I believe it is impossible to be depressed if you have a basset in the home. Or lonely. Or be bored. And you will have basset stories to last a lifetime.

Here is one: I discovered a cluster of children sitting indian style around basset in the yard. They were taking turns using the long ears to rub on their checks. "Look!" "Her ears are just like that velvet stuff!" So I had to sit down and do an ear rub also. Yep, velvet.

Here is another: I have church guests over, we are sitting in the living room visiting. My big KatieBelle saunters in to the middle of the room, gives a brisk shake, and a large globule of saliva goes soaring across (in slow motion) and splats on the front shoulder of the victim. Luckily my good friend works for a veterinarian, so we mop her with a dish towel and all is well.

I have been bassetless for about 4 years now and it is time for me to move forward. I had some wonderful news this week, and I think by the end of May my life will be dominated by a basset. We cannot hardly wait.

"It is Art!"

2009-03-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

I had been eye-balling this chicken crate for about 3 weeks. It sat in front of one of the antique shops by my home. Each night I drove past and it was still there—waiting patiently for me to buy it. As you can see, I had to bring it home. The door still works and even has the patent pending information stamped on it. I Googled the maker, W. J. Carpenter Company and they are still in business over in Virginia. No web site, just old fashioned wooden country goods if you want to drive over there.

My crate is old. I knocked the dust off with a hard jet of water and let it dry in the sun. My boyfriend looked at it and started the "What the Hell..." and my look stopped him right there. I informed him it was "art" and I am going to hang it in my studio. Right next to my cool paper wasp nest still stuck on the branch—minus the wasps.

How Was Your Weekend?

2009-03-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

More leaves I picked up from a neighbor.

It is a polite question that coworkers ask each other on a Monday morning. I am so tired I can hardly walk. My hands are callosing from raking leaves. I had a good weekend. Call me crazy, but the only thing I missed was running out of time for baking the new yeast roll recipe I found.

I have an obsession for composting. I get excited when the worms start showing up in it. It is labor intensive and that is how I get my exercise. Turning compost, adding more nitrogen (Lucy and Lacy's rabbit poop), shuffling in the coffee grinds that I have absconded from work. One friend is a vegetarian and me brings bags of vegetable and fruit peelings. After months of working a pile of leaves you can lose a kindergarten class in, I have Black Gold.

My seed orders have came in and I have started my seed peat pots. My son has a 1980 K5 Chevy Blazer that we keep covered until he can restore it. He doesn't know it—but I have turned it into a greenhouse. There is a row of seed trays geminating on the dash where the sun shines on it. It is working perfectly. Kind of a strange dichotomy though, a gas guzzling Chevy truck being used as a greenhouse for Mom's organic garden. I like it. I also store the rabbits hay in the back of it, he doesn't know that either.

Have a good week, my friends.

Pile of seeds from friends and catalogs.

I will have Purple Coneflowers coming out of my ears. 90% came up from seed. Go Blazer Greenhouse!

I Love You Too, James

2009-02-27T12:57:00.001-08:00

My grandkids and I are separated by states. They are in Alabama, I live in Texas. They have already told me I am not like the other grandmas, which I take as a compliment. When the grands and I are together, we are up at sunrise eating bacon and waffles. Then heading out the door for a long exploratory hike or swim at the beach. They fell in love with my basset hound, KatieBelle. I love to cook for them, and play games in the evening. Our separation is painful for me. I hope to see them soon. I love you more.

V.... Vaughn

2009-02-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

Sunrise

Sunset

Saturday I met Virginia Vaughn. She taught a plein air painting class from sunrise to sunset. Literally. I thought getting up at 4:00 a.m. would get me to Calvert, Texas in time to paint the sunrise. I was late by about 15 minutes. The sun does not wait for anyone. Virginia makes it look easy. She has a beautiful style of impressionism and holds her paint brush like a pallet knife.

Early spring in Texas can be volatile . That day, it was a gorgeous rainbow prism colored sunrise and about 1.5 hours later a front blew in, taking our clouds with it. We were given an ultramarine blue sky and wind gusts of 30 mph. We had to anchor our easels and hold tight to our thumb boxes. We had a great, small adventurous group. No one was afraid of getting up early, crazy weather, and using bright, bold colors on their canvases. I hope to paint with them again.

V, I hope you get picked as our Texas Artist. You are the real deal.

My attempt. Why do I always try to do the hard architectural stuff? Whyyyyy?

Two sisters, Barbara and Cecilia. I enjoyed watching them together, such love!

Valentine Chicks

2009-02-18T07:16:00.000-08:00

This is what I received for Valentines Day. Chickens. And I could not be more pleased. Well, unless I loaded up on Basset Hounds. As soon as you walked in the door of the Post Office you could hear the cacophony of peeps. I love the box, LIVE BABY CHICKS! Peep Peep!!

My birds came from Murray McMurray Rare Bird breeders. Every chick was healthy and rearing to go. Since I ordered the "Rainbow Layer" mix, I do not know what breeds I have—other than 26 baby hens running each other over. I can tell by the coloring there are at least 7 different breeds in my clutch. And one is a crazy Turken.

It is hard work being a chick. Whew—I am tired....

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-13T09:26:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to all my friends out there. This is my first "heart day" with my new family that rescued me. Kerrie named me Ruby, after a beautiful red jewel. We are going to adopt a basset hound girlfriend for me—and for Kerrie. As soon as our new fence gets finished my new sister will come home to us. We cannot wait! Have a wonderful Valentines Day.

Spring in Texas

2009-02-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

The sign is here. My yard filled with Robins this week. And Cedar Waxwings, Goldfinches, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, Purple Finches, Bluebirds and about 10 others. Which brings me to The Great Backyard Birdcount this coming weekend. For 4 days you make a list of all the birds that are seen in your yard. Last year I bingoed with a Greater Roadrunner in the front flowerbed. I was lucky enough to get a photo of him as well. Here is the link: www.birdsource.org

Texas Flood/Texas Rocks

2009-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Think Stevie Ray Vaughn “The Sky is Crying”. Things got pretty dicey during the July 4th celebration in Central Texas, 2002. It poured, and did not stop pouring. That location is a big river tubing area (Horseshoe Bend on the Guadalupe anyone?) and the diehard party people were not giving up their campsites, rain or not. The Corps of Engineer people realized this rainfall was filling up Canyon Lake and threatening to spill over. They evacuated the campers and homeowners along the river. Then it spilled. It roared for six weeks. When it subsided, it had created a new gorge, exposing the Glen Rose limestone formation from 110 million years ago. You can look more information online @ www.canyongorge.org

Richard and I took the guided 3 hour hike and it was fascinating. Acrocanthosaurs tracks in the limestone bed. More fossils than I can describe.

Here is one of the footprints left by the dinosaur.

Just rocks you say? Take a closer look at what I was standing on top of.

This is a large geode formation. Here is a close up photo. Look at the sparkles.

We are glad we hiked this. It is amazing. Also, not one person died in this flood, although many homes were swept away.

More Eggs

2009-01-28T14:40:00.001-08:00

I lost my mind again. Or got it back depending on how you look at this. I placed an order for chicks. Peeps-in-a-box. I cannot remember the last time I was this excited. The men in my family love pickled quail eggs. Pop it in your mouth and go. Which reminds me of the time I was showing my 3 year old granddaughter some finch eggs I had scooped out of their nest. I remember it perfectly, her beautiful little pixie face and big blue eyes listening intently to my description of baby bird eggs. I asked if she wanted to hold one and before I could take a breath, she plucked an egg out my cupped hand and popped it in her mouth like a Tic Tac. I don’t think it even touched her tongue before going down her throat. I never saw that coming, and neither did the egg.

Anyway, I was looking to get 50 quail to put in a hutch and raise for eggs and meat. I find out that the quail I want do not ship until May. So I keep looking at different fun bird things and I discover “The Rainbow Mix”. The breeder selects hen chicks that will lay an assortment of browns, whites, speckled and blue-greens. They jump into my shopping cart button. I click another button and I get a surprise “fancy” chick added to my order. One that will have flowing tail feathers or a gussied top knot. I click more buttons. I end up with a certificate needed if I want to show any of my birds. More buttons clicked and everyone is inoculated against Mareks and coccidiosis. When do you want this shipped? As soon as possible, silly. Click. Click.

You won’t catch me shopping in a mall. I liken that experience to standing in a fire ant bed. I get almost everything I need from Farm and Fleet stores. Which I need to stop at tonight to get a new heat lamp. Got peeps on the way.

Fresh Eggs

2009-01-21T06:12:00.000-08:00

Fresh hens eggs are the only way to go. A happy, free ranging hen will bless you daily with her colored orbs. They also make great companions if you choose to get friendly with your birds. They will follow you around the yard, clucking and purring. You can even scoop one up and sit on the porch rocker, petting a hen. A happy hen will cluck, purr, chirp, growl and cluck loudly when an egg drops. The girls are enterprising. When I would mow the yard, I had several hens that followed, scarfing up on whatever bug that did not make it out of the path of the mower. Gross, you say? That is what makes those egg yolks bright orange and stand tall in the skillet. It makes your pies and cookies rich. People will ask what your secret is. I always admit, “fresh, free range eggs.”

For Bennett

2009-01-13T16:12:00.001-08:00

Sketchcrawl 2009

2009-01-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

I participated in the Sketchcrawl this year. I drove over to Austin, Texas and caught up with other artists at The Great Outdoors plant nursery. Here is my contribution to quick sketching on location. I used a Micron pen and then followed it with Faber Castell watercolor pencils. Enjoy.

Giddings, Texas

2009-01-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

I love small town America. When I drive through these towns, my mind cannot keep up with all the cool things I am seeing. I have to stop and keep making blocks to take more pictures of unique ephemera. I am not talking about places to shop, I am talking about the kitchy, local architecture, cupolas, peeling paint, abandoned buildings with just the right amount of weeds covering it. Or things that you will find only in the South. My poor kids had a helluva time growing up with me. They have experienced what it is like to live with an artist. I am now tormenting the next generation, my grandkids. I have to get them trained right, to see beauty in so much that has been discarded and taken for granted. They are getting it.

Giddings, Texas caught my eye this weekend. Here are some cool shots to share with you.

Lee County Courthouse clock tower.

Nicely illustrated postcard mural.

Magnolia Petrol complete with petroleum Peagasus. I have some good close-ups of the horse to integrate into an art quilt. I need to go back and plein air paint this station.

Where petroleum comes from. I grew up playing around these loud groaning, creaking horse heads. I thought every kid in America had these in their backyard. Alas, my family did not own the rights to the liquid underneath (dammit!).

A good ole' tent rival waiting for you sinners out there. Can you see the trailer behind the tent? Someone dropped it in a hurry. I had a full shot of the listing trailer beside the tent and it was scary. Only thing missing were the Pentecostals and snakes.

Apron Strings

2009-01-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

I have always been a big fan of aprons. Multi-purpose, functional and creative outerwear. As a child growing up in the 70’s, I had 2 terry cloth aprons with silk screened images. One apron had Snoopy dancing with a dog bowl and the other was the classic gold and brown mushroom (so I could match my mother's stoneware mushroom canister set…).

I love to cook for my family. My grandkids have figured out that I am the only grandmother that whips up the meals for them. One early morning while the bacon was frying and the waffles were waffling, the guinea pig was slipped into my apron pocket by my 6 year old granddaughter as she announced “you now have a pig in your pocket!”

Aprons are catch-all’s. I have gathered eggs, wiped faces, kept cooking splats off my day clothes, carried chicks or anything that needed toting. I have one apron used for plein air painting. Generations of women before me have pioneered this piece of fabric. And trust me, I know a woman had to invent it. I have started making old fashioned aprons with left over fabric and notions. Here are a few to share with you. Minus the pocket pig…

Merry Christmas Y'all

2008-12-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

I had to share our Texas style Christmas tree from Uvalde, Texas (about 40 minutes from Mexico). This tree can truly persevere the Texas heat. Yes, that is prickly pear cactus growing out of green painted coffee cans. Who says we don't recycle?

During this rushed and financially tight holiday season, try to enjoy the things you may take for granted. Spend the time to fix your hair, complete with silk flower poinsettas.

Break out the Legos and build what ever cool thing your heart desires.

Enjoy a family meal cooked all from scratch by your grandmother.

Eat so much that you feel like you could not possibly hold another ounce, and retire to the couch.

Be sure to give everyone a hug and say "I Love You".

You may even have to put up with a little BS. Just remember, they love you enough to pick on you. Have a safe holiday season from my family to yours.

Howdy from Texas, Jenna!

2008-12-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

After 2 hours of Houston evening traffic, I pull into the driveway, stagger out of my car, pull myself up the front porch steps, and to my pleasant surprise, find a small kraft box from Amazon.com leaning against my front door.

Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Merry Christmas to me, and I could not be more pleased. It is a pretty book, complete with a gold foil honey bee on the front. I am a book nerd. I become giddy with excitement when I find first editions printed in the 1800's with the engraved plate tissue still intact, protecting the illustration. OR, when I stumble across a 1928 "The Arkansaw Bear Complete" in rough condition. It came home with me, and I treasure it.
Jenna's book is special. It is a memoir based on her young adult years (I think she is 26) in her woman's self discovery, and responsible, sustainable living. Just when I was becoming totally disheartened from seeing what our wars are doing to our young people and their families, God throws me a life-line. Lighten up Kerrie, read this. There is some good out there. As a novelty, I photograph her book sitting on the back bumper of my old farm truck showing the Texas farm truck plates. Kind of like photographing the gnome as he travels the world. I shared this photo with her and it made her smile. I am happy.

Horse Therapy

2008-12-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

This was something I hope I never forget. It was unexpected and beautiful. I saw Sebastian kiss Rudy.

Sebastian may be one of the most beautiful children I have ever seen, although I am partial to dark curls, and he has a lot of them curling out from under his rider's helmet. I think he is between 3–4 years old and my favorite child at the horse therapy program I volunteer at. He wears little cowboy boots and every now and then I can hear a "yee-haw" as I lead his pony. We had a one-day Special Olympics type program on Saturday and I was blessed to have my Rudy and Sebastian team.

Rudy is about 13.5 hands tall and has the softest horse hair I have ever ran my hands across. It could rival the rich softness of an Alpaca. I kneed his hair like a cat and he tolerates me. He also has the tiniest hooves on a horse his size. Like a pony, some nights he tries to drag me in the arena, other nights he is a perfect gentleman. I've been told he nips and to watch out. The closest thing I have felt is a warm tongue sneaking a tiny lick on my arm. It is discrete and quick.

We have some stable snobs and they enjoy making fun of this great guy. He is too slow. His eyes are closed. He is lazy. They shut up instantly when Rudy was chosen as Horse-of-the-Year. This was as close as I would ever come to an award pageant, holding his lead as he stood patiently in the line-up. When his name was announced as the chosen winner, I jumped once with joy and gave him a big hug. I had the urge to do a beauty queen gasp and cry but I acquiesced, and Rudy's neck was draped with a beautiful wreath of flowers. I imagined him as Secretariat winning the Triple Crown.

And for Sebastian, that is what Rudy means to him. Empowerment, freedom, release, pleasure, love. And God chose me to witness that moment between special child and special horse, tiny hands reaching out and grasping that velvet nose, and planting a kiss right on the end of it. It was then I cried.

Felted

2008-11-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

Felting is part of my therapy. I find it relaxing because I can be doing something creative while sitting in hours of stop-and-go traffic, or during my lunch break I can sit outside and knit. I am stuck on making large tote bags of my own design. It is not hard, a bottom with sides. Each one is a little different because I experiment with size each time.

My grown son happened to be visiting one night when I finished knitting the first bag. It was about 18" wide and 3’ tall, with a gauge that made it look like a fishing net. The knitted handles stretched about a foot with the weight of the bag as I held it in front of him. He had a puzzled look and stated “I hope you don’t expect me to wear that”. What!? He thought he was looking at a fishnet tank top that I had just knitted especially for him. In his defense, growing up with an artistic mother, he has been subjected to my oddball creativity and humor.

Leaving him to wonder, I went to my studio/washroom to felt the cast net. I placed the bag on the table with a bc card to give you a scale of it. Here it is pre-washed:

I grabbed his jeans and added them to the wash. My girlfriend Kim said it helps with the agitation (felting process). Bag then comes out like this:

This is only my second felt job. I am concerned. So I proceed to block it. Son is relieved that this is no longer a wearable item. We end up with this:

This bag is a mangle of left over wool skiens, so the colors are impromptu. I thought it might be a bit much, but I have received several complements on it. I sewed my personal dress label (from back when I made custom children's clothing) inside it, it looks like it was meant to be.

I like this stress relief program much better than stuff like Prozac. I dry my son's jeans and he discovers large wads of felted wool in the pockets. I think it keeps him on his toes around me. Those damn artists!