Fun in the Sun at the Derby

This past Sunday, I gave up going to a art and craft show to please my husband and son and go to a Demolition Derby. I've never gone to one and didn't really understand why people want to take these cars that run and crash them into each other, but I went anyway. Well, my 3 year old Asher was so excited that I thought he would pee in his newly potty trained pants when we got there. The sounds of the motors and the smells of the cars as we walked past the "pit" to get in. We were late and had to park a football field away it seemed. This was the last event for Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana and it was crowded. As we walked past the cars and people getting in line and working on the their derby cars last minute I looked at the bright colors they had painted on them. There was artwork on every car and every car was different. Granted some had a few lewd remarks, but clever, still. I was still seeing art to my surprise and thrill. A little different than what would be at an art and crafts show, but art none the less. It opened up new ideas in my head to create when the time shown itself to be available. I actually enjoyed myself and got into it screaming with gusto and laughter hit after hit. I now understand the fun of it and will go again next year, but I still don't understand these guys pouring all this hard work and sweat into a car only to crash it into another, but I kinda liked watching it ;)

Gotta Love a Graveyard

It's getting to be that time of year that makes me giddy. Don't get me wrong, I adore spring and summer, but there is something about the leaves rustling and the ever so cooler wind caressing your cheeks that make me want to get out and walk through a graveyard and of course take picutres. Preferably an old one. I really find them relaxing and peaceful. I remember reading as a kid a book about a young girl who finds refuge in a graveyard, a glowing gravestone statue and a ghostly friend. Something about Benjamin... I can't remember the title right now, but it was an Omar Book. I think my fascination may have started around then, I may have been 9 or so. I still have that book in my childhood memory box, also known as scattered about the house. :)

I lose track of all my worries in a graveyard and time ceases to exist for me there. I love to photograph the beautiful headstones or even just a vignette that captures my eye. I go through reading the stones and imagine what kind of life that person may have lead. I've often thought of trying my hand at rubbings, but haven't done it yet. I would love to take a tour of the famous graveyards in New Orleans. My husband, Daryl, thinks I'm nuts.

This photo is one I took from a graveyard very close to my house called Old Beech Cemetery. It gets wickedly creepy this time of year as the fog loves to accumulate around this area. I just love it. Delicious, spooky fun. My best friend, Kelly, says she practically closes her eyes as she drives past this graveyard as it is too spooky for her. I have yet to get her to walk around a cemetery with me. But I'm still working on her.

Wednesday is for whinning

Since I'm back from Florida and having missed a whole week of being with my mom and helping my dad out, I'm feeling quite guilty. I've gotten back into my schedule of being there with Mom everyday now in the afternoons from about 2:30 til 8 or so. She really can't be by herself now. Somedays are better than others. She is having a hard time walking. She can't pick up her feet so she shuffles along with a cane if at all. I was looking at some pictures taken just 2 months ago and I'm amazed at what the cancer and steroids have done to her. The steroids have given her a moon face and there are days that I don't "see or hear" my mom at all. Like she isn't there. The tumors in her brain make her forget quickly and stay confused most of the time. So much so, that somedays she makes my 93 year old grandma seem better off. Which really she is. But sometimes a sparkle comes back in her eyes and we laugh. Cancer is so cruel.

I don't write about my mom's cancer much, I sometimes act as if nothing is wrong, but I guess I'm coming to terms that my life has to change right now. I am needed and will give as much as I can. I don't want for her to be alone, I want to be with her. It is hard to accept what is going on and all the while, life around us goes on. People get cancer and die everyday. Constant reminders. While I was in Florida, I learned that Patrick Swayze succumbed from cancer. Even my birth father has it right now. Stage 4 colon cancer. We are estranged, but it makes me wonder what my future and my sons future holds. Everyday I hear of people having cancer or dying from it and I feel that eventually we all will get it. It will just depend on if you catch it in time or maybe it just comes down to genes or chance or fate or whatever you want to call it. It is easy to feel defeated, like what's the point? But I have hope still. Some days more than others. I still pray everyday for a miracle. That's all I can do. Please join me.

spinning my wheels

Have you ever had one of those days where you are trying to get something in particular accomplished and keep getting interrupted or sidetracked by something else? That has been what my day earlier was all about. I get my "me" time early in the day, around 10am-noon. Asher is usually happily playing outside or hanging out with his daddy in his workshop, so I get some things done inside (or outside) that I can't really get done with Asher around. Well today I had it in my mind that I was going to get so more pots painted in order to have for the Funk in the City Art Show this Saturday. Well, I got myself upstairs to my art room and that's where it ended. I moved a couple lights and the phone rang. After three different conversations and some tears later, it was 11:15 and my inspiration was gone. So I cleaned the fish tank to get my mind off things and then ran the vacuum with attachments, something that doesn't get done often enough. By then it was noon. Times up. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

The picture of Asher and me is from a lazy day at the beach.

Back from Florida!

We got home late Friday night and I've managed to just get two loads of laundry done and put two frozen pizza's in the oven. I tossed the housework aside to take a short trip to town in New Harmony to check out the Kunstfest. Asher (my boy) and I split a German Bologna sandwich, kettle chips and a Diet Coke. We walked around enjoying the sounds of music everywhere and the delicious smells of the german food like kuchens and others while looking at all the stuff people were selling from artwork to flea market junk. Of course I did all this only after bribing my 3 year old with many a lollypops and a long trip to the playground afterwards. He did really well and I'm proud to announce that he peed in his first porta potty ever today with success. We have been potty training for about two weeks now and he's doing great. He thinks it's great to pee in the new sink as he calls it (the men's urinal).

Our annual trip to New Smyrna was great but as always, too short. It took us 14 hours from our home in Indiana to get there and surprisingly the same back. We always leave for Florida at night. We trade off driving most of the time. This time my husband drove most of the way and got caught in Atlanta doing 79 in a 55. ouch. That is gonna hurt. I'm not sure what it's gonna cost, but I'm sure it will about make me cry. Not to mention once the insurance company finds out. The motorcycle cop that pulled us over looked like he belonged with the Village People. He sported a black tight cap on his head and his uniform was extremely tight. I had to laugh a little when I saw him. Of course I wasn't laughing after I saw him leave. Those GA cops don't play around. They also don't give out warnings. :(

We ate at a little local place that is new this summer called That's Amore. It was fantastic. We tried the Philly Cheese Pizza for something new and it was great. It is one of those brick oven joints opened by a local kid named Chad I was told by our friendly waitress that was from New Hamphire. I hope they make it, we intend on trying something different next time. We also attended one of those "one hour seminars" to try to sell you a time share. After about 3 hours we finally made it through 5 people trying to sell us on the idea but did walk out with $100 gift card and no Vacation Voyages. Can you believe they had Jane Seymore as their spokesperson? They also tried to tell us that she is a member and bought the package so her family could stay in nice places as she traveled for shoots and stuff. Yeah, right. She's got to be loaded and she can't afford to pay for family to stay at a 5 star place? Puuleeeze.

I've got an art show this next Saturday in Evansville, Indiana called Funk in the City. I'm no where near ready, but plan to attend anyway. I'll be booth #127. Maybe I'll be a creative super hero this week. Somebody light the fire.

A quick note about the picture with Asher and the head gear. When he falls asleep in the car seat, his head is always slung low and seems to be cutting off some oxygen. So I stuck my travel pillow on top of his head to keep it up and steady! Genius, right?! ha ha. He will hate me later for this picture.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly!

Ooooo Eeeeee! I Chee Wa Wa!! that is what I can say about making this jalapeno pepper jelly. While I was chopping up the jalapenos with my Pampered Chef food chopper (because I don't have a food processor!) I took in a deep breath. Big mistake. I started coughing and choking, it was like I breathed all that hotness in. I was smart enough to use gloves though while chopping and scraping. Unfortunately there was a hole in one of the fingers and I quickly found that.

Now I was following a recipe, but you know me.... I like to improvise! So I followed it for the most part, but I decided to not seed the peppers or remove the pulp by straining. I do believe this made for a hotter jelly. It is really sticky too. But it gelled up great! Now I just need to get the courage to try it! I wanted to put it on Ritz crackers with a little cream cheese and I haven't got the crackers yet. But from licking my fingers, I can tell that it is gonna be pretty hot. I made just 8 half pints and won't make any more until I know I like it.

Happy Tuesday!!

More pics, they only allow 5 at a time, who knew?

Pictures

Well I don't have a lot to say today, so I thought I'd share some pictures of my yard. My flowers are really nice right now (most of them). My zinnias are gorgeous and who doesn't like zinnias? As soon as that Goldenrod in back blooms... Ah!

We've lived here now for five years and it is getting closer to what I want it to look like. I still have a lot of work to do, but it is shaping up nicely. Everything takes money. I must say my ferns are doing fabulous this year hanging on my porch. Some years they are straggley by now, but I started to dunk them in water this year instead of watering through a hose and that has made a world of difference. We have a ton of humidity here in the summers so they like that as well. In fact, I'm sporting my Brillo pad hairdo again today :)

I am going for a look that I made up in my head. In my mind, it's a bit of a Bavarian Black Forest cottagey look, almost fairy tale like. But really I have no clue what their cottages look like there or if they even have cottages. Isn't that in Germany? Or is there a Bavaria? Maybe Romania? They all sound really romantic though... I could use a lesson. My geography is not that great and I'm too busy right now to google it. Wish I had paid more attention in school. Anyway, each year I get a little bit more to add to my made up look. This year it was the planters that put on the cedar siding next to the windows. That really made me feel like my Bavarian Black Forest Fairy Tale was coming to life. I wish they were a little bit bigger, but hey. We also added some more flag stones in front. It is fun to see where this is going.

technorati sign up & The Fall season tv lineup

I'm trying to figure out what this technorati.com thing is. I've already made an account because I saw it recommended in an Etsy newsletter, but can't quite figure out what to do next. Anybody know out there?

It looks like a beautiful day! I think I will go pick some peppers and make some Jalapeno Pepper Jelly tonight when I get home from Mom's. I got a recipe from allrecipes.com and can't wait to try it. Hopefully it will turn out better than the tomato pie, that was awful.

Some of the fall season line up for new series look promising. I was a fan of the movie "The Witches of Eastwick" with Cher, Michelle Pfiefer and Susan Sarandon so the new series looks interesting to me, it's called "Eastwick". Also Cougars looks funny and a few others that I can't remember the names of right now.

Oh and the oh so gorgeous princess of a kitty is my baby girl... Glove.

Yay! Tomato Pie!... Ewwwww...Tomato Pie.

Well my mom has been asking for a tomato pie all summer and last summer, too. She raves about this tomato pie her friend Tresa makes. So, this year being the dutiful daughter I am, made her one. Yesterday to be exact. I planned to take it to her for supper. First it took a lot longer than I thought it would. After looking for the perfect recipe online for who knows how long I settled on a Paula Deen recipe from recipezaar.com. Now I consider myself a competent cook and felt like I could improvise a little on this, I mean come on how can you screw up tomatoes, cheese and spice? So I got fancy and added sauteed onions that I made from the grease of the bacon I fried up to add to it. I was quite pleased with myself. I let the tomatoes drain in the colanders all in my sink and on plates for a couple hours determined to not have a soggy crust like the others had complained about on the reviews. I even dabbed them with a bunch of paper towels, these were really juicy tomatoes! It just was coming together beautifully. I finally got it in the oven and anxiously awaited. While I could smell the pungent smell of maybe just a little too much italian seasoning I began to let a little doubt creep in. My son, walked in and asked me what I was making and I told him Tomato Pie! He just wrinkled up his 3 year old nose and said "Yucky! I like apple and nanna pie, Mom". I didn't let his negativity get to me. But by the time the timer went off and the smell did not get any better, I was wondering if I had just wasted 4 of my prized tomatoes. But oh my! How pretty! I took many pictures. I wanted to be prepared to brag about it here and on facebook, you know. After all this, it was late and I didn't go to my mom's with her supper. I thought well, it'll just be even better tomorrow, all the juices and flavors will meld together and I'll be a hero on Thursday! So all day I waited until I could take it to her and prove what a fabulous cook I had become. Oh hurray! My uncle was there, I could show off for him too, as I knew he too loved tomatoes. I re-heated the pie for what seemed an eternity and finally after checking umpteen times pulled it out after I thought the crust was starting to burn. My doubts were kicking in again as I smelled burnt crust and the now extremely strong scent of italian seasoning. But... it was a beauty to behold! I sliced into it for the first serving to my uncle. Ok... a little runny, I'll admit. Then I plate up Mom's and mine. I'm looking in anticipation at my uncle, awaiting my praise. Well? Do you like it? I got a very un-hyped up "yeah, it's alright, it's a little doughy". Ugh. The "alright" answer. That's as good as my husband calling my food "filler" when I try a new dish and asked him how he liked it. This was not going as I had envisioned it. My mom was silent in the living room. I couldn't see her. I start to eat mine... ewwww is all I can say. No wait, I can say ewwww... what nasty foul smelling muck.

So my friends, learn from my mistakes and please don't try this one at home. If you notice half the pie is missing. That is because I was just so sure that everyone would just scarf this stuff down that I handed out very generous portions to the three of us. As for the rest of the pie, it will sit in the fridge awaiting my mother in law this weekend. She can't stand to throw food out, so I know she'll at least eat it ;)

Is this really Tuesday?

I am not getting a lot accomplished it seems. I did get a few practice sketches made today though, while I stayed with my mom. So here is a little peek of my Frankenstein. I am trying to get some good ideas down on paper for some ACEO's I'm hoping to have finished either by the time Funk in the City (an art show in Evansville, IN in a few weeks) is here or at least in time to offer on Etsy for Halloween. I think I'll end up doing what I usually do and that is just jump in head first and go for it. None of this practice nonsense that I'm attempting... ha ha