Slobbish Confessions

Well I started rearranging my art studio/sewing room. I'm giving up on trying to paint and draw down here in the kitchen. Like that works anyway. My supplies sitting there on the bar, sending me disappointed thoughts from under the papers, boxes, canning stuff, toys and a barrage of other things. See it there? No? I don't know why! Ha ha... I'm showing you all this picture to shame myself into cleaning it off. I will proudly display it again when it is cleared. And my art box is there in the middle with the handle on it. Beyond that a little is a Lipton Tea box with brushes, pencils, etc. waiting to be used.

Back to my art room. I've had it set up for way too many tasks and none of them get done properly. When I sew, the sewing stuff takes over. Since I can't seem to actually finish anything (I have a really cute sleeveless top that I started making 2 summers ago, and yes it's still there. I just push it to the side if I need to make something, like my Halloween costume for last year. Orange feathers and black satin still liter the floor. So I've decided to move the sewing stuff out, give it its own little nook in another area of the house and give myself the place to create that I desperately need. I started on Friday and my back still hurts. But it's getting there. I need a little more motivation. It's hard to make myself do that especially with the fabulous weather we've been having. But I've got some art shows coming up and really need to accomplish some more things before they are here. I wish I could mentally make the visions I see in my head. Wouldn't that be cool? I could send blog entries telepathically and answer emails and paint these fantastic huge pieces all while sitting in the comfort of my well worn leather couch. Ahhh... I can dream can't I?

Summer is almost gone!

I cannot believe that summer is almost over! Where has it gone? Just like so many things in my life... it passes too quickly. While I adore fall I am sad to see the carefree days of summer gone. I loathe winter. I hate being cold. I already miss my outdoor flowers, the ones that need a drink as I write this... It's like I get in a rush to get all kinds of things done. Like the end of summer means the end of everything. Not really, but I feel a certain melancholy to the last days of August. Even though summer really isn't over until Sept. 20th or so, to me September means fall. Even though I can still pick tomatoes into October if we don't have an early frost or the blight kills them all.

Fall ushers in arts and crafts shows, the great West Side Nut Club's Fall Festival, crisper nights, brighter stars and with the soon to be changing leaves a bit of an exciting and mysterious feel to its days. The smell of fall is wonderful and I just relish the thought of the fog sweeping in and out around the low spots where I live. It's so deliciously spooky. One great thing I always look forward to is Halloween and the great feel that comes with it. Call me weird, but I love to wander through old graveyards in the fall and take pictures and just listen to the sounds. Maybe pick up some pretty leaves or strange rocks and pebbles. Listen to the wind whisper through the drying leaves. It makes me feel alive (pardon the pun). Alive with a sense of one day too, I will be just another scrawling on a rock adding to the history. Alive with a sense that I need to try to leave more of a mark in this world than I have. Or, perhaps not. Maybe just being alive and here now is enough. The best I can do it is leave a mark on the hearts of the people I love. That's all I really need to do. Isn't that what's truly important?

First I want to say I finally put my terra cotta pots on my etsy shop, now how do I get people to view them??? I'm not having a lot of luck with etsy. But I'll keep on trying.

Now ladies and gentlemen... (dum dat duh dum) for the highlight of the evening, I want to pass on the Blog Lovin' Award to the following recipients: (drum roll, please!)

1. Little Pink Houses - for making me laugh a little each time I read her off the wall posts
2. Folk Art by Campbell Jane - for inspiring me to pick up a brush and paint again with her lovely paintings
3. Notes From the Voodoo Cafe - for also making me laugh with her Candy the Squirrel escapades and everyday happenings.
4. Designs By CK - for giving me such great music to hear and fun Halloween art to look at on his blog. He makes it his mission to see you're entertained while browsing.
5. Art Journal---A Creative Journey - for being a friend and just a great artist mentor and helping me keep the faith.

You all deserve it! Now go... and pay it forward :)

Exciting Cyber Day!

I am so excited today for two reasons. First: My friend and fellow blogger, Carole (ArtPlus) has passed on a Blog Lovin' Award! Which I am enthusiastically accepting! Thank you Carole!! ArtPlus is a great blog. She is always sharing her writing and creativeness with everyone and always has an uplifting message on commenting. She is very multi-talented. Make sure you check her blog and soon.

I think I am supposed to pass this award on to someone, so I will do that Wed. evening.

Secondly: I found another really witty, creative and fun blogger (A Fanciful Twist) that I am going to follow and join in on what I can only think to call a Blog Party! A Halloween Blog Party! Held October 17th. See the cool link on the right and click on it for all the details, WAIT! first continue to read mine :) I am already drooling at the thought of what I'll do and blog about for it. I think it's kind of like a pub-crawl, so it's a Web-Crawl! :D You visit everyone on the party list to see what they have blogged about for this special event! Get in on the action! From what I've read already on the comments, they sound like a fun bunch of forever young at hearts that love Halloween (like me!).

Now, I have to say that even though I said I wouldn't mention making salsa again, I lied. Yes people, I have made more stinkin salsa. This time it's Pineapple salsa and a milder salsa with cilantro this time. Two more batches. Did I ever mention that I still haven't eaten all the salsa I made last summer? Now I have more. Last night at 12:15 am I pulled the last of the jars out of the water bath and delcared NO MORE SALSA! Then today, the hubby came in with another 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes. Oh dear. I really am tired of making this stuff. It seems to take longer and longer each time I make it. I don't know how all these Mexican Restaurants do it everyday. My hands reek of garlic and onions. I keep getting burned from the jalapeno's even though I wear gloves to cut them up (my skin is hyper-sensitive). I have to STOP THE MADNESS! well, maybe just one more batch won't kill me... ;)

Can't Catch Me!!

I think I'm raising a soon to be speed demon. My kid has this Gator, a battery powered miniature version of the real John Deere Gator. This thing goes 9 mph! I'm not sure I can even run 9 mph! Well, I guess I can because he's already got brave once and headed too close to the lake we've got in the back so I threw down the shovel and ran to him all the while screaming like a banshee about the dangers of the lake. "Stop! Don't go that way! ASHER!! I said stop!!" He then looked at me, sighed and drove away. I could swear he rolled his eyes as me too, but I can't be sure. Do 3 year olds roll their eyes?

Where was I? Ah yes running. But I don't like to... I don't like to run if at all possible. A nice leisurely stroll is fine by me. Unless there is a fire or something really mean looking chasing me or of course my son is in danger. Sometime between my late 20's and now things have started to shall I say... have a delayed reaction while my body is in motion. I'm not sure what has happened, but my derriere feels like it's banging the ground when I run. Also, I seem to have grown more flesh on my back that has its own wiggle jiggle thing when I run. So I don't. I'm not even gonna mention the girls in front that try to trip me up either. I'm thinking getting older is a body awareness lesson that Mother Nature pulls on us.

Well hey, at least I didn't talk about the new double batch of salsa I made today!! Does it ever end? I'm now out of jars and either have to stop canning or buy more. Ah the perils of an overzealous gardener with not enough time on her hands. I have a feeling Rural King will see me this evening ;)

Morning glory evening

Yesterday I made yet another batch of salsa. Holy cow, I've got tomatoes coming out of my ears and this didn't even make a dent in what I've got in buckets and on the counter. I can't bear to let any go to waste and I'm getting those acid sores on the inside of my mouth from eating so many. Even with all the freezing, canning and eating sadly, I still have some rotting and ugh... leaking.. on my counter. Enter the knats or fruit flies, whatever they're called, they are annoying and about to push my dh over the edge. Dare I say it... I think I planted too many tomato plants. Hi my name is Jaime and I'm a tomato plant addict. all together now... "Hi Jaime..."

On another note, I got out and snaped shots of my garden in the evening after salsa was done and Asher made pies in the humidity. Humidity pies, you know, you grab the air push it around make a nice dough out of it. Make sure to ring it out... ha ha.. My hair was nice and curly then I went outside and now I have a giant fuzz ball on my head living up to the nickname my husband gave me "Bush woman". oyi. In the winter I'll be complaining that my curls now are flat hanging pieces of rope from my head. I can't win. But I still try :)

Salsa Saturday

Well it's actually Sunday, but I made salsa on Saturday but was too tired to write about it. I made a double batch of my DEE-Licious homemade salsa, medium heat, that made 15 pints plus two half pints. I guess it's med. heat. I put in 2 cups of jalapeno's, isn't that med? My mother in law took a taste and nearly fell on the floor, but she's got a whimpy heat-o-meter. My kid on the other hand is like me and slurps up the hot stuff. I usually just freeze it, but the old freezer is full from my ever-producing garden! So I canned it. Probably will be better this way, cause I can eat it whenever and not have to remember to lug myself down to the basement to get a jar and then wait forever for it to thaw to get the yummy goodness. If you have never made salsa and you like salsa, DO IT! It is easy and soooo much better than store bought. I will never buy another jar again. I'm willing to share my recipe if anyone is interested. I actually have two favorite recipes, but I can't seem to find one of them. I think my clutter is procreating behind my back, literally.

I've also tossed in a picture of my baby's first black eye! He actually got it at church last Sunday, he said a little girl pushed him. I told him that he had better get used to women pushing him around ;)

Jalapeno Heaven

Just look at all these jalapeno' s I just picked from my garden. Not bad for my first haul, huh? Now if my bell peppers would just get a little bigger and I'll be ready to make some salsa! My zucchini plants are huge but not putting out what they should, which really isn't a problem cause what would I do with all that zucchini?

I can spend so much time looking at other people's blogs! Time I don't have... haha. But it is nice to veg in front of the computer even if it is for only 30 minutes or so every now and again. I wish I had some paintings or sketches to show, but I've been so busy with my mom and the garden and canning before my food goes bad that my art projects have taken a backseat. My latest dilemma is whether to cancel an art show I've already paid to be in for September. It's called the Kunstfest in New Harmony and it's a 2 day show. I'm so disappointed I can't make it but I won't be able to attend on the first day! and I haven't even asked if I could just be there Sunday, so I may be out anyway. With all that has been going on I don't have much to show right now either. I hate asking for my money back. But I hate to lose it too. Any suggestions? I'd love to hear from someone.

Asher and the pillow incident part 2 (see pt 1 first)

Here is the 2nd video I took, it is only a minute long and continues the conversation a bit. See part one to get the full effect. Asher thought this was absolutely hilarious and loves to watch it. Of course he likes to watch himself anytime, in a video or camera or in the mirror... ha ha.

Ahhhh the joys of mommyhood. I wouldn't trade em for nothing :)

Asher and the pillow incident part 1

This happened the other night while I was finishing eating my spaghetti and foolishly let my 3 year old go in the other room... unsupervised. At the time I was not at all amused, but watching it again, it is kinda funny. I took this video from my phone, so the quality is not great, you can't see the stuffing very well on the floor, but it was EVERYWHERE! All the while he's having a blast and running through it over and over. I have another video of it called part 2 that just continues another minute. I know that I will cherish these memories when he is grown and Mommy isn't the most important person in his life, so that is why I decided to capture this video. Time is going so fast already. He will be three and a half in Sept and I can hardly believe it.

Veggie Garden Mayhem

First, I gotta say I have nearly eaten this whole box of Grippos by myself (in less than a week), not a hard thing to do btw... they are soooo good. Hot and spicy and a little sweetness to them... yummmmmm! My favorite chip. If you have never had them, do yourself a favor and buy a bag or do one better and get a box. I think they are regional to my area, but I'll bet you can order them online from their website which is www.grippos.com I tell ya, summer just ain't the same without BBQ Grippos, homegrown tomatoes and iced tea! Add some fried potatoes with onions and I am in heaven!

Whew! I've been busy lately!! I haven't had time lately to create any art or to blog. I've got lots of ideas, but no time to do them. I'm trying to finish up a Memory Book I'm doing for my high school reunion and that was LAST August in spare time!! I'm only about a year late. the rest of the time I'm too tired to drag my stuff out. My house is in ruins. I've got a "studio" upstairs, but it is packed with stuff and all my sewing stuff is out. Someday, I'll have it to where I can go up there and do something and leave it there if I need to and not worry about Asher stealing it or something getting put on it. My kitchen bar has all kinds of canning stuff on it along with tons of tomatoes from the garden, some art supplies, mail, crap, etc. and I have to cook on it too! It's all I can do to keep up. Holy Cow! Canning and having a veggie garden is a lot of work. We've been picking green beans 2 or 3 times a week. All from just 2 little 20 foot rows of beans! I've bought countless jars and spent countless hours snapping beans and canning! and freezing tomatoes and corn and zucchini! oyi! I get tired just typing about it! I haven't even had time to make salsa yet! My jalapeno's are going rot on the plant if I don't pick them soon! My bell peppers haven't come in yet. Dag gone Blight is taking over my toms, hope they keep going.