Hot here by the Bay

Hot weather calls for a salad.  I think I will draw one for myself.  I'll start with a radish.

Watercolor crayon on water color paper

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 9/26/17

Every Tuesday it is time for tea at Elizabeth's blog.  I'm a little late to the party this morning.  I'll be around to catch up with everyone though.

I made a pot of tea for us.  It is a wonderful red color, the picture doesn't do it justice.  I found some loose tea called "Jamaican Tea" at a local store.  I know it as Hibiscus Tea.  Have you tried it?

While at the store I bought some mushrooms.  Dinner last night was mushroom burgers.  Mushrooms fried with onions, cheddar cheese and some romaine lettuce.

Put a few Bread and Butter pickles on the plate and I'm happy.  I'm not a vegetarian but I find myself eating less and less meat and more and more vegetables.  

My tastes have changed over the years, have yours?

Neighborhood walk - 9/25/17

Even though I haven't blogged about it for quite some time, I continue to go for my morning walks.  My routes haven't changed much but there is a whole lot of street and water pipe repair going on and it seems like construction everywhere.  The views haven't been very attractive.

The 4th Street area remains quite nice.

Planters all along the sidewalks.

It is obvious that a landscaper is on duty keeping everything clean and fresh.

Did you spot the bench?  Sometimes I take a little break there.  I like to sit and people watch for a few minutes.

The weather here in the morning is perfect for walking.  Have you been out and about lately?

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 9/19/17

Good morning.  I've invited a fairy to our tea gathering this morning.  I'm getting ready to fill my cup with tea.

I recently found this fairy in a thrift shop.  I have a friend who is an avid collector of fairies and this will be a gift to her..  You can't really see it in this photo but the statuary has a typical fairy style cap (a cap of leaves) and fairy wings - not angel wings.  I've been educated about these things by my friend.  

Won't you bring your favorite drink and join us at Elizabeths blog for our Tuesday get together?

Socks in September

I've been knitting.  Not knitting as much as last couple of years when I was making lots of Christmas presents.  Still, I usually have a pair of socks on the needles.  Something easy to carry, easy to pick up when the mood strikes.

DH is a great fan of hand knit socks.  This is his latest pair.  It is rewarding to knit something that gets lots of use. 

Now that this pair is done, I have the fun of choosing yarn for the next pair.  Fortunately he isn't conservative so I can go with any color or design I want.

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 9/12/17

Time to grab my coffee and visit with my Tuesday Tea friends at Altered Book Lover.  Everyone is welcome as long as they bring their drink of choice.

There is just a suggestion of fall in the air.  These blossoms are from Sun Chokes or often called Jerusalem Artichokes.  They grow quite easily here.  My cup, a gift from a friend, is ready to be filled.

Here is what I've been busy with lately.  (PS yesterday's post shows another recent piece)

mixed media

8x8 box canvas

I used a number of papers in the background and acrylic paint.  The square format of the canvas was unusual for me, I usually paint or sketch on rectangles.

While you sip your morning drink it is time for you to tell me a secret. 

Wet canvas

This a recent work.  I finished it a couple of weeks ago.  

acrylic on canvas board

8" x 10"

I have a few other ideas for paintings along this style.  Maybe like a small series.  Or maybe not.  It did feel good to finally get out the supplies and create something.

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 9/5/17

Good morning friends.  I have internet connection this Tuesday so I'm happy to join our hostess Elizabeth and all the tea gang for a visit.  You can find us HERE.

I've been exploring an idea.  I'm decorating bottles that I would otherwise discard.  My bottle of water is hiding there in the background, I would rather not get paint on that.

First I spray painted a bottle with gloss white.  The florals are from napkins. I decoupaged them onto the bottle using Golden's mat medium and then added some acrylic paint dots to give some connection to the florals and a sense of movement to the design.

You can see the details here.  Did you notice the lid is still on the bottle and there is a cup hook on the lid?  Yep.  I had something else in mind when I spray painted the bottles.  I will have to unscrew the cap and then touch up the white paint in that area.

I had fun playing with this idea.  Have you tried anything new lately?  A new paint?  A new crochet or knit stitch?  A new recipe?  

Zero Waste Week - Sept 4 -

Happy Labor Day to my U.S. friends.  Hope you are enjoying your long weekend.  Meanwhile here is something to think about.

I don't think I have heard of Zero Waste Week before.  Now that it has come to my attention I'm seeing it everywhere.  Here is one of many links.

At this point I don't think it is possible for me to have absolutely ZERO waste.  We compost and we separate our garbage for recycling - but we do have garbage.  It is a big subject.  Tons of donated clothing goes into the landfill every year so donating isn't exactly the answer.

My contribution is repairing instead of tossing.   I'm learning to darn hand knit socks.  Here's my first try.

darning the heel

And a second try.

another heel darned

You can see the purple yarn where I darned the heel is a bit lighter.  Funny, both pair had red and purple.  Coincidence?  Maybe that color combo is DH's favorite, they are his socks.

Knitting socks takes awhile, nice yarn is not inexpensive.  I was really driven by curiosity though.  I simply wanted to know how to darn them.  DH has worn them since darned and says he can't feel the patch.  I was concerned about that.

That's my Zero Waste for today.  I will have to see if I come up with something else this week.  Something we don't do to eliminate waste already.

What about you?  Any good ideas?

Thoughts on Friday

In quiet moments, usually early morning, I enjoy reading a bit of poetry.  Alison Luterman is a local writer.  I've shared this poem elsewhere but since it is a favorite of mine thought I would share it here.

part of my Scrap Dolly series created

several years ago

 CONFESS

Alison Luterman

I stalked her
in the grocery store: her crown
of snowy braids held in place by a great silver clip,
her erect bearing, radiating tenderness,
the way she placed yogurt and avocados in her basket,
beaming peace like the North Star.
I wanted to ask "What aisle did you find
your serenity in, do you know
how to be married for fifty years, or how to live alone,
excuse me for interrupting, but you seem to possess
some knowledge that makes the earth burn and turn on its axis—"
but we don't request such things from strangers
nowadays. So I said, "I love your hair."