PaintPartyFriday #16 with MARTHA AS HEAD HONCHA

Welcome to Paint Party Friday #16

Today it's cut out and paste day and I do believe I've been doing that quite a bit. I drew in all the little houses in the backgroud, the sky, the tent and other little odds and ends, but there's a lot of cutting out and pasting on this journal page. Ink Pens, Pitt pens, watercolor, and gloss sealer were used.

 Why even Martha decided to pay a visit to my page and she's made it
HER OWN PAGE, and now she is inviting YOU to come on in. She says:

My House is Your House or as I would say Mi Casa Tu Casa.

Oh peoples,  please do visit. Come in, come in. We're having a plant party and as you can see everyone has brought their family pet members, please bring yours too. Why if I'm not mistaken, I see Chow Chow sitting on the grass at the front, oh how I miss my Chow Chow. I'm glad he is here if even for a moment. As I said, please come in, it's all about relaxing and looking at the plants in the tent. The whole village has been invited. There are herbs galore and we'll plant some in pots that you can take home.  We can also trade seeds and plants. I can even show you how to do a bouquet.

There are dancers here and some are even on my roof as you can see the woman dancing. Ninja men are jumping from the sky to join in the fun. Why there's birds on the roof, flowers galore and cupcakes for you to enjoy. I'll even make some of my peppermint tea for you to sip. Yes please make yourselves at home fellow PPF'ers and have a good time. I'm happy that Gloria has allowed me to participate in your Paint Party Friday,

(It's a lot of fun to make believe. I feel like I just turned 13 years old and play acted out a scene of sorts.

HOW FUN!! Happy Paint Party Friday. Don't forget to stop by the other PPFers blogs. Just click on the link above. Thanks for stopping by and hope you liked my little houses.)

*******************

Oh, before I go, here are the two paintings in the form of pictures that I submitted to an art contest going on over these parts of the world.. These two ladies are part of my series called:

Just Faces Unibrowed 2010 (c)

The first one is called Viva La Vida #23

and the second one is 

#2 of the series who is called Jocasta/Silence Is Golden

They are both from the series I mentioned and they are on their way to the

Valley Art Association in Riverbank, CA.

I can only hope.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND AND PLEASE LET'S HONOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROTECT US AND THOSE THAT ARE GONE.

Here's To You, Stanley.

I did something I haven't done in a long time and that is to go to a cemetery and look at plots. I decided I would take a picture of the stone and do a short post about it. Why? I don't know, it's feels good posting  about this gentleman that once lived,  and it is a public domain as is the information that pertains to that persons record on the census. So it's not a question of morbid curiosity, it's just that I somewhat care.

Plus  it would be nice to pay tribute to someone I never knew. In this case the person was only 29 years of age when he passed. He passed on Christmas Eve which must have been a very sad time for the parents.

His name was Stanley E. Wallis.

This stone has the parents names inscribed and a few words of one of the songs or Psalms he loved best. The census indicates he was a single man. You wonder about this person, his life and what it was about.  That will never really be known. Why did he die so young, and what type of work did he do? His father was born in Wisconsin, mother in England and he still lived with his parents when he passed.  According to the census, he had 3 brothers and a sister. He lived here in the county of Stanislaus when he died. This October he would have been 129 years of age.

We didn't know you Stanley E. Wallis, but today the world knows you if but for just a minute you are once again reaching out.

Rest In Peace



I feel like dancing, dancing, dancing. No, I.......

....think I'll listen and eat a creme cheese stuffed jalapeno and tap my feet and lick my chops.:DD



2 follower's dropped me-who are you, why? tee hee

Hi you all. How you doing? It's raining over here. I wasn't going to do another post till Friday because I've already submitted my blog to print from Jan 1-2011 to June 28-2011, but that's okay. I'm breaking up the books and doing in sections so it doesn't get to expensive. The next one will be for July 1 to December 31st.  I saved the cash for this section of book  and got a 15% discount so it wasn't really expensive, and now it's in the process of being made.

The reason I decided to post was that I took off my blog list from my visible blog to  make things move a little faster. My blog has been slow and I was thinking that would speed things up a little. I just added the list to my profile page so everyone is still here with me. What struck me as weird is that I think I lost two followers in the process.

I'm not sure who left me but I didn't leave them. They are still with me here and now. :)) That's okay. It just kind of makes one wonder why they would drop you. I don't think I did anything wrong? I thought about it and then remembered I have done that because you are only allowed to follow 300 peoples so I had started going through my list and people that hadn't posted for over 6 months or more, well I did drop so that I could add more of the ones I wanted to follow.

In any event, I just wanted to say that I haven't dropped anyone by taking the list off my visible blog. Two people are now gone from my list, God Bless You both and I will still go to your blog if I figure out who you were. Tee Hee. Okay have a great rest of the week and I'll see you on Friday. I'm going to spend time visiting and commenting on blogs because as of late, I've been limited. Take care.

The Dumpster

Just thought this might interest you. I find it sad to think that we as a people throw so much food away.

I found this video at maggie's garden and just had to share it. The video is just under 3 minutes or so,  and It's just so unreal,  but it is REAL!

Have a great day. I know that I'm going to take this day and try not to waste any food. I've caught myself overcooking at times and then realize that we are not going to eat it all, so I've started cooking lesser portions so as not to waste.

Short post on gifts, etc.

I haven't had time to do a post on gifts and or ordered gifts I've received and this will be a short post because I have to go take veggies to some ladies.

This beautiful journal I won at Georgina's  giveaway and it will be used  faithfully. She did a great job of painting the front and adding a Frida embellishment to it. Great colors Georgina. Love it!! Thank you very much!

This is the back part of the journal and I've gone ahead and embellished the back with the date received, who sent it, and what I will use it for.

Very nice, love it and look forward to filling those pages.

This is the beautiful gift card she sent too and her blog is just awesome.

I love this Release My Heart that Dawn Elliot made for the Children of Oaxaca from a week or so ago. I knew I had to bid on it when first I saw. There were other bids but I waited till the last day, last minute and put in my final bid and won. Woo Hoo. It's awesome Dawn. Great work. Dawn has a beautiful blog with pictures of her excellent work.

These are Hollyhock seeds from a very old garden in Winslow, AZ that I will definitely plant next early spring. I want to be sure I have a good spot for them and in fact there is time to still plant them. I'll have to check online for planting times for Hollyhocks. Thanks so much Dawn, truth is, Hollyhocks are one of my favorite  flowering plants. Commonly known as hollyhocks, is a genus of about 60 species flowering plants and I got that paragraph from Wikepedia

Then Mely sent me these 4 place mats that are just so colorful and beautiful that I feel like painting them on a canvas. They are so wonderful Mely and I thank you so much. Mely has a great cooking blog and her food is to die for. Yummo!!

I'm almost afraid of using them and have to decide if I will or not. Out of the kindness of her heart she took it upon herself to just send me these place mats because she said they reminded her of how I painted so colorful. Is that not so kind of her to say that. Mely, you are a treasure. God Bless You and all of you great women of talent.

Thanks everyone for such great treasures, I promise to be a good girl, er old lady  from now on. Tee hee, as I sip tequila. NOT! :))



Sorry you couldn't see the pix.

Just a quick post to apoligize for my last post and your not being able to see the beautiful pictures. I forgot about the password and I tried copying the kitchen to post and the picture is just too big. Sorry about that. I don't have time right now to post anything but I'll be back this afternoon or evening. We are just getting so many string beans, chili's and lots of cucumbers, the long ones and I was getting them ready to package and take to some ladies tomorrow.

Have a great Sunday.

Enjoying life to the fullest

Thank you for stopping by my PPF and leaving me comments. So very appreciated, back at cha.

If you haven't been to this blog, by all means please go by there and see how these beautiful women/men  of age are getting their due. I recently started following Ari Seth Cohen the creator of Advanced Stylet  and have found it an enjoyable and learning experience blog. I just love it!

I can't remember whose blog it was where I found this blog, and am sorry I can't give them credit for introducing me to Advanced Stylet,  but thank you. I am enjoying patronizing this blog. If you get a chance stop by. It's basically about the older folk who look good, dress good, feel good, and enjoy life to the fullest no matter what age they are. It's amazing. Ari interviews them for a magazine if I'm not mistaken and there are also videos to watch of these mostly women, but sometimes men as well.

Me well I'm tired and am going to bed in just a few. I'm not doing anything at ALL this weekend but staying in bed late, relaxing all day, watching movies, eating, loafing and giving myself a pampering session of lavender oil rubbed feet. Have a great weekend. Take care.

PaintPartyFriday #15

Paint Party Friday #15


"Thinking of Summer"

No matter which way I look at it, a two piece seems a little far fetched for me, or does it?

Ah, but I can dream.

Ready for the sun

This one looks like it would fit perfectly.

Happy Paint Friday. Just having a blast,  and that's why it's so much fun to share on PPF. We do what we do and share with one another. We accept each others comments, good, informative, critiquing, no matter what. It's better than not getting a comment. TEE HEE. 

We learn from each other. Hooray for that!! I do have to say that I am all painted out for now and hopefully it will come back soon. In the meantime, just little tidbits to share.  I don't want to miss a Friday. It'd be like I was missing WORK. Who said work, no way jay.

Tee Hee again.:))

Be sure to stop by the other PPFer's to view their awesome work. Thanks for stopping by and I shall reciprocate. Have a great weekend! 

Julia and Paul Child

Hot hot hot day today, indoors all day except for this morning at 6:30 to water plants. I got bored so I started a collage of Julia and Paul. I guess that's what it is. Cut out pictures and glued them and painted some color around the canvas. Isn't their old home at 103 Irving Street in Cambridge, Ma a clapboard Victorian beauty. These are cutout pictures so they don't do the home justice. This home was built in 1889. I can just see her behind those walls. I always say if walls could only talk.

I'm not very good at this collage stuff. I just cut out some of Julia's and Paul's quotes and glued them on but they can't even be seen. What a bummer. I did one in b/w  and the other in color.

If you could call this color.

Look here, Julia kneading bread a la fresco. Tee Hee. Julia was a beautiful woman who opened doors for women in more ways than one. The reason I'm thinking so much of her is because these past couple of days I've loafed around and watched Julie and Julia movie at least another 3 times and it always inspires me in one form or another, plus in August on the 13th, Julia will have been gone 7 years. She was born August 15th, 1912 and died a couple of days before her birthday in 2004. August was my son's birthday as well and he also passed in 2004 so I guess you could say I've been thinking a lot.



I don't dwell though and continue to live on as I should. I may be having to go to San Jose for a few days a week. I'm trying to figure out how to take the train over there. I've never done that so there's a first for everything. I have to look into it on the net first and then just go over there to Amtrak and see how it works.

To those of you who wanted the wisteria seeds, I promise I will get them to you first chance I get. I've got a few items that I want to post about soon, the beautiful heart I received from Dawn, a gift from Mely that I really love and the journal that I won that I should be receiving tomorrow and that's from Georgina. I better go, I've got to do some research on the trains and their schedules. Take care and be well.

String beans, squash and they keep coming...

Just wanted to say that I've been very busy so my posting and visiting time has been limited and will be for just a while longer. Thought I would do this quick post.

Sorry about the "foggy" pictures, but it has been so hot over here, 102 and that is too hot for me. I only went outside to do the necessary. The garden is giving really good. Lots of Zucchini, tons of green beans and the tomatoes, as well as the chili's, egg plants, and other,  are plenty on the vine.

sorry about the blurry pix.



We've gotten 3 weigh ins of theses beans and they keep coming. My husband just came in a little while ago with a huge plastic bag filled with more beans and squash. I'm going to parboil the beans, and freeze for later use. There will be some given away as well. Have to go, this heat is taking over me. Have a great rest of the week. Be back on Friday, I think.

Bringing in the harvest

Thanks for stopping by my Paint Party Friday post and for your comments. Much appreciated.


It's that time of year-Apricot Jam, Apricot Barbecue Sauce ,Apricot Tart, Stewed Apricots, Apricot Pie, Apricot Salsa and the list goes on. I though, won't be making all that. Apricot jam and sauce is all I'll make. I love the way the house smells when the pot is on the stove simmering away. It envelops the house with the floral fragrant aroma.

 3 jars is good and more than enough and I just heard the lids go "POP."

Cultural aspects

In Europe, apricots were long considered an aphrodisiac, and is used in this context in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. Dreaming of apricots, in English folklore, is said to be good luck, though the Chinese believe the fruit is a symbol of cowardice.

From: Wikpedia

Thought I would toss the nutritional values in as an afterthought. Of course this is for raw/fresh  apricots, not cooked.

Have a great weekend everyone. I'm spending it doing what makes me happy and that's being home enjoying  our yard, home, and everything that goes with being at peace.

PAINT PARTY FRIDAY #14....

.....and painting the masters

My version of Van Gogh sitting at his easel. Oil

                     the REAL master----->
....my days trying to paint the masters with oils as in this one of Van Gogh in front of his easel. For a couple of years I was really into copying the masters. It was a lot of fun experimenting with oils,  and pastels with Picasso's work. I was actually quite proud of myself and of course it would never be close to the real painting on the right but I satisified the urge to work with oils and study the masters.

                                                                          

The master------>

I painted Van Gogh's mom, and that was a great experience. Acrylics. I do believe this painting on the left was done a little over a year ago for a contest here on blogland on "Copying The Masters."

 

 
 

I also got into pastels and started painting Picasso's work and the pastels were a learning experience. My pastel work has started to fade away. I had to darken my version since it had lost some of it's color. This was "The Old Guitarist" and during Picasso's blue period. For some reason, I didn't do it in blue.

The Ironing Lady and I did mine in pink. Oh well, guess I was in a pink mood.

Pastels

I didn't have time to do painting this week although I did do a small painting at the beginning of the week but it's not complete. Just wanted to share another part of my love for painting. Enjoy your PPF and don't forget to stop by here to visit the other participants. Thanks for stopping by and thanks to Eva and Kristin.

HAPPY PPF.



I'll be back on Friday

I feel colorful today, so I'll type in beautiful green. I went to bed early last night and today woke with a feeling of "Getting something done!" Something as in housework, planning, watering the garden, and of course cleaning and airing out my getaway-the studio. Sooooooo I've decided to be off for a couple of days. I'll be back on Friday in time for what else but PAINT PARTY FRIDAY. The painting below is called:

I'll be back, one way or another.

Don't ask me why I called it that because I don't know. She seems to be fading away to nothingness and guilt has set in because there is dust here and there,  but she wants you to know that she will be back.

She says that when she comes back she wants to be as colorful as she was in life:

Told you, I'd be baaaaaaaaack

I shall be back on Friday when the sun sets. I bid you peace and goodwill.

Seriously though, have a great rest of the week and I'll see you on Friday.

I'm happy to say that..........

.....I was lucky enough to win what I bid on at  Rebecca's Auction to Benefit Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots  and this is what I won. A beautiful piece by Dawn Elliot  called "Release My Heart" and it will be coming my way soon. I look forward to receiving it.  I love it and have plans on hanging it outside my studio. Yay for me! Dawn does some really great work, she's also a very nice person, as is Rebecca.

Just wanted to share my latest venture so to speak. Don't you just love this!! It's just well....EXCELLENT!



(License plate hearts have been attached to a rusty wand, with a santo hand reaching up, beckoning the heart of humanity for its love and support. The key remains in the lock, so it can release to the generosity and benevolence of the world.
Dimensions are as follow:

Height - 18"

Width - 7"

Depth - 2 1/2")

THIS DESCRIPTION COMES FROM DAWN'S words in her DESCRIPTION about

Release My Heart

I love what Dawn says about WHY the key remains in the lock. So intense.

Georgina's GiveAway

Georgina my amiga is having a giveaway. Please stop by her blog for a chance to win. She has a great blog and much artistic talent. She makes me laugh a lot. She is giving away this journal/sketch book and who of us couldn't use a sketch book. Try to stop by, you'll love her blog. It ends on Sunday June 18th. Just click on her name to go to her blog.



No Taxes Day today at Orchard Supply

I've got a lot of catching up on comments at lots of blogger buddy's blogs. I've been so busy today and haven't had time to go leave comments. It's about 6:30 here and I will get to blogs later this evening and also answer whatever comments were left on my blog. I don't want to be rude,  and just in case you came back and didn't see a response from me, it was because I was outside most of the day. We were actually gone all morning and the rest of the day was spent...you know where it was spent...

IN THE GARDEN OF PARADISE.

Actually there are a couple more additions to our yard and that is one angel statue that they had at Orchard Supply and today was NO TAXES DAY, plus 10 percent off. So we got this beautiful addition that we put right by my studio.

Then we were driving to the nursery and there was a moving sale going on and of course my hubber's isn't one for yard sales, etc but he agreed to stop, and I found this little statue of a Chinese Buddha for $1.00 and I put it right next to my pal Renee's floribunda rose. I like it and I think that's what it is.

I also cut lots of herbs like sage, thyme, Greek oregano, plain oregano and  some berries from the berry garden.

I took some seeds off the Wisteria plant and they will finish drying. If there are any of you out there who would like a few seeds, let me know and I'll mail them to you as long as it's in the US. Don't want to get in trouble mailing out of the country.



So that was today's events. Oh yes I almost forgot, I won what I bid on at

The Auction to Benefit Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots. I am so happy to have been the winner. Rebecca just notified me and I'll post on that another day. For now, I've got to tend to a few duties and then it will be time to read Tasha Tudor's Cookbook. Have a great book.

OVER AND OUT...for now that is.