While these are the same plants I showed you weeks ago, they are still kind of spindly looking but are about 4″ tall now. The biggest change I have seen in the last week are the leaves that have now grown out of the top. They fall and bend depending on how they are following the sunlight out of my office window.
I am not an avid gardener. I was always a career person so things like gardening escaped me. While I have somewhat had an interest in seeing things grow, I was never good at making things grow. I’d plant flowers and they’d die. That being said, last year was my first successful garden experience using raised beds.
Now more than ever it is important to grow our own food as both our government and the environment become more unstable. It actually takes very little space. With only two healthy tomato plants you could feed yourself quite nicely through the summer. With six or more you could can or freeze them to get your through the winter months.
I guess I was always intimidated by the amount of time I thought it would take to maintain a garden but it is really doesn’t take as much time as I would have thought. Watering a few minutes morning and evening, keeping weeds out as they grow and wait for the bountiful harvest. I still have squash and cucumbers in my freezer from last year.
A little time, a little patience and you could be eating like a Queen. Happy gardening!
While you may not agree with my views on things, I appreciate each one of my followers.
No it is not finished yet.
I started this painting to represent both the past and the present. Not unlike most Americans I have a number of ancestrial links to the Civil War. Unlike some I am very proud of these ancestors. Most of them lost their lives not fighting for slavery as some are misled to believe but to simply maintain control of their own land.
You need to realize that during that time period they had been fighting for years prior to the war. The slaves benefited from the war but they were not the reason it occurred. In fact most slaves were freed prior to the start of the war.
Now we all know that the act of slavery was something this country should have never gotten involved it. And you can thank not Americans but the British for that! The fact is there was not enough manpower for the large plantations and farms to continue to operate. Slavery was seen as a solution to a problem. They never set out to destroy another race. It became evident very quickly that you were either a slave or a slave owner. Here are a few little known facts… 1. While most people assume that all slaves were black, that also is not true. There were white slaves often referred to in Wills as Indentured Servants. 2. There were black slave owners of black slaves. There were not many but they did exists. 3. Were slaves mistreated….in some cases yes but in other cases they were well respected by their owners. Most earned their freedom on their own. In my family tree there were both white slaves and slave owners and I am not ashamed of either.
The disgust over our monuments being destroyed is warranted. When you erect a statue to a common criminal but destroy monuments to fallen heros that just shows how far our society has fallen from reality.
Every race, every society has the right to celebrate their history. There is always some good and bad in every society. While this country has fallen on its knees it doesn’t mean that we cannot get back up.
It is time to unite our past with our present and allow that knowledge to make us stronger. We do still have an opportunity to make this country great again!
It starts with the simplicity of love and respect for all of mankind.
Well, for more than a week now we have had nothing but rain and more in the forecast. You know what that does for your ability to get in any photography. So, here are more from my archive file.
A rose has long been a symbol of love but its fragrance is equally desirable. It petals can be used for everything from crafts to teas.I am not much of a beach person now, mainly because I spent so much time at the beach when I was younger. This was something I did capture on one of my rare trips.As I have stated many times, I am a waterfall addict. I have shot mere trickles and triple falls. If it has water running through it, I will probably shoot it.As much as I love flowers, I really don’t shoot that many of them. I guess it is the fact that I don’t like the mundane. I really have to get that unique shot for it to appeal to me.Here’s another waterfall. The water itself was not that impressive but it was very high. If you are into waterfalls here are some you should check out: NC – Dupont Forest, Hooker Falls, Triple Falls & High Falls; Kentucky – Cumberland Falls; Virginia – Cranberry Falls.
Thank you for taking this adventure with me. Even if the weather is crappy outside, let the sunshine in your heart. Have a great day.
This rainy afternoon I decided to hide in my studio to do some painting. I am sure some people will say “what were you thinking”? So….I decided to also include what I was thinking at the time. These are not finished pieces.
My main focus today was on my faith so I started the face of Christ.
The Teacher
We are living in such a terrible time….I try to reflect on things more positive.
Waste Art – Baloons
I don’t put a lot of thought into my waste canvas art…I just do! With free flowing movement I ended up with balloons. My pallet is empty now…but these will give me something to finish in my next session.
Painting is a great way to relax, do something positive and make the long days go by faster.
Hope you have enjoyed this afternoon in my studio.
Keep your Bible open….the words within will enlighten you.
As we approach Valentine’s Day I thought the meaning of love would be a good subject to discuss. In Webster’s New World Dictionary the word love is defined as follows: 1) strong affection or liking for someone or something 2) a passionate affection of one person for another 3) the object of such affection; a sweetheart or lover. Now taking that in consideration, in the Bible there are two and a half PAGES of references to the word Love.
As a child if you were raised in a good home you were shown love and taught love. As a teenager and young adult you were seeking the romantic love. As an older adult when the children have left home you begin to search for spiritual love.
Love is not something you can buy! While the Valentine goodies and flowers are nice they cannot come close to the value of love. While it seems at times to be a daily search to find the perfect way to show our love, we fail to simply acknowledge it.
The love of a child is so precious. We give so much of ourselves to show our children we love them and it pains us so much when we have to discipline them. It is funny that we can love our children instantly and unconditionally.
Love however between adults is not as simple. Physical attraction may be what brings two people together, but that is not the glue that keeps them together. Finding common ground and interests begins to build a connection. As a relationship grows you find you begin to give more of yourself. When you can give up enough of yourself to unite you as one then you can say you have found love.
Lastly but most importantly, there is spiritual love. This I really should have put first as the love of God should always be first in your life. God is the giver of life and love. As we all have to sacrifice for love, God gave the ultimate sacrifice when he sent his son to be crucified on the cross.
While we are living in a time of evil, ultimately the power of love and the love of God is the only thing that will see us through this painful period of life. Even on your darkest days, REJOICE because God is that much closer to you!
While my husband and I have been married 34 years, we have had our share of challenges but we still love each other and support each other.
This is the link to my ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=2940162506812. If the link fails the book name is: Once Upon A Mountain Christmas. It is an easy to read novella that takes place in the mountains of North Carolina.
I am quickly learning that publishing is not quite as easy as one might think. The truth is as much as we would like our work to sell itself….that just isn’t the case.
I am quickly realizing I am spending as much time promoting as I did writing. While this is still all relatively new to me, I look forward to the challenges.
In the meantime, I am already working on my next book. Hopefully this will be a full scale novel but I will let the story dictate that.
If any of you established authors have any suggestion, I welcome your comments.
While I have added some sm links below, please note I am not on Facebook that much any more. You can also find me on Gab. Check out my Etsy shop also.
I typically don’t do abstract but today it just kind of fit my mood. Just because I have a type A brain I guess, when I finish a painting session I don’t waste the paint but throw it on another canvas and “see what sticks”!
It doesn’t really represent anything but free movement. In some ways this is the most relaxing mode of painting. There are no lines to be defined or faces to create.
Ironically abstract is kind of the way I feel these days. I want to be able to create that perfect painting but am satisfied with the simple flowing lines and gentle movement.
I guess the lesson in this is I should paint more based on how I am feeling than on replicating something I won’t be satisfied with.
I am very much an advocate for free speech. After all, social media platforms would have never formed or been so successful if there had been censorship before now. The same Big Tech guys like Mark Zukenburg and Bill Gates that made billions on these platforms have failed to recognize this point and yet they still keep doing it.
The First Amendment as we know it was adopted on December 15, 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights. This later became a part of the Constitution! Why would any company suddenly think they had the right to strip our country of one of our most important rights. They don’t!
It apparently is okay for the Media to exercise their right to free speech regardless of how vicious it is, but the person of the street that voices his/her opinion is suddenly inappropriate! That person and/or our President’s words are wiped off of social media platforms for no reason. It is just a vicious attack that hits right to the core of most people.
Call me mad, crazy or whatever you want but I will continue to support free speech. What these platforms don’t realize is once you put anything on the internet and in particularly on a social media platform it becomes written evidence! I have actually sat in on a court case where conversation between people on a social media site was used as evidence. My point being, not only are you held accountable for what you say so is the site that hosts the platform. While if you threaten someone directly or insight a crime directly on social media they still do not have the right to remove that information because it is evidence! These Big Tech guys are getting themselves in deep water daily because of their vengeful tactics and for what reason….just because they don’t like Donald Trump? They are in so deep they don’t even see their own stock dropping daily! That would certainly make me stop any further action because I hate losing money…not these guys!
Anyway, this is not about politics this is about remaining faithful and standing up for our basic rights. It not only affects social media but our future publishing rights and our right to speak publicly.
I have done like a lot of people and made some changes to steer away from the Big Tech guys so that maybe their pocketbook WILL get a little smaller, their client base a lot smaller to more attractive sites that do not restrict free speech.
In fact I have set out on a new venture. Free speech in all forms is important. I have just self-published a novella and it is on the Barnes & Noble website and you can get to it here:
Well….I was in a mood today to get back to the canvas!
I can just hear the comments now…”Looks like kindergarten stuff”. Not to worry. .will post again when its finished.
This painting was inspired from a photo of an actual old store with vintage gas pumps…
Considering the times we are in now….I much prefer the times when this old store was built. I remember walking a quarter mile as a child to a little country store much like the one above to buy a 2 cent sugar cookie and an RC Cola! We didn’t mind the walk. The old store was heated by a large old wood stove. Those were the good old days. As kids we didn’t realize then how much we would come to appreciate those days.
Guess I am old fashioned as far as needlework goes because I love cross stitch. Not so much the printed kind but the kind you work to create pictures.
I either will use a photograph or draft a drawing like this one and then upload it to a cross stitch program (I use KB-Chart which is a free program but you can convert to a profession version if you get really good at it) to convert to a cross stitch pattern. If by now you still don’t know what I am talking about here is what cross stitch is:
You use embroidery thread, preferably DMC brand, and cross stitch fabric (my preference is Aida 14 count because it is easier to see) and cross stitch needles.
Cross stitch on Aida 14 image.
If you can blow the above image up, you will see in the fabric little blocks. Each little block has a hole at each corner. To make the cross you pull your thread to start (I work left to right typically but you can do in either direction) leaving a small lenght and do not knot. Pull your thread up from the bottom and up and across to the right corner and down. Then carry your thread from the back right corner to the left top corner and up and across the top and to the bottom right corner. You have now completed your first cross. Before you begin to work the pattern you will determine your design size and allow at least an 1 inch or more on all sides depending on what you want your frame size to be. Once you have cut your fabric to your determined frame size, find the center of your fabric and then the center of you pattern which is usually parked at the top and left size with a character like a triangle.
Mark the center with a straight pin until you are ready to begin. Looking at the pattern see which character is at the center (this will determine your starting color). Now go to the key (which is the last page of your pattern that list all the different threads by character) and find the character that matches up with the center character of the pattern…across from it is the DMC floss number that you will use. There are six threads to the floss. I typically only use 2 but go by whatever your pattern calls for, separate and thread your needle.
Begin with the stitch instructions above and stitch one color at a time following your pattern.
If you need further instructions or have questions about cross stitching, feel free to email me at sgheath1@hotmail.com
Through My Eyes 