Animal Wednesday - Salamander

We saw this fella when we were kayaking recently. He was a bit more brown thru the water, but I like the red tinge with yellow spots. There were hundreds of them around that day, slipping and wrigging thru the old leaves and twigs. Fun to watch, impossible to catch, cool to draw.

HAW all!

Photos from a gorgeous New England fall day

Gorgeous warm weather for what might be one of the last off pavement bike rides of the year for us. When it starts to get slippery we stay on the rail trails.

It was fun to be outside, breathing in that slightly cool, pine scented air. Lot's of horses being ridden on the trails, dogs being walked, bicycles ridden. 8 miles off road, lots of heat forming up hills, and terrifically fun speedy downhills.

Photo's 5, 6 and 7 are my faves today.

Enjoy the scenery.

900 posts

This is my 901 post - I can't believe it. What a blabbermouth (or blabber typer) I am. But also, what a wonderful journey.

I can't get too maudlin, cause DH and I are going bike riding on a beautiful Sunday, and I hear him getting ready - but I am going to do a giveaway related to this 900 milepost.

The Giveaway Grab-bag

Vintage and antique books waiting to be altered, or old pages torn out for use in other projects. Mostly from the 40's and 50's - along with old magazines, vintage papers, some watercolor pens, some embellishments etc, etc, etc. Some fabric and ribbons. Some buttons and things of that nature. A mix of things that will be near and dear to your creative hearts.

Leave your name in the message post area and this fun grab-bag is yours. I'll pull names at the end of the week.

Have a wonderful Sunday (by the way, I had a ball with the girlfriends! - woo hoo!!)

Illustration Friday - Blur

Caption for this something like "Lizzy took off her glasses so that the world would be a blur". Do you blame her? Having a family like that I'd want to take off my glasses also.



While I was going thru some folders on my computer, I found the photo below from last winter. If you enlarge it, you can see that it's blurry - I was fooling around with the camera or with photoshop - I can't remember which - but I liked the effect.



It's all one big Blur sometimes

Friday morning - SO tired

I got back late last night from PEI, had a good trip there and worked hard. More work today, a full day, and this weekend I have an overnight trip with 3 longtime, loved girlfriends. Last year the 4 of us spend the weekend on Martha's vineyard - and we had a great time. This year, because none of us had time to plan, or money to spend, we are spending the weekend in NH at one girlfriends house. But we are going to go to the Quilt museum in Lowell, eat and drink and talk and maybe watch a movie. I'm going to look up how to get supplies for Fish Printing - and maybe we'll buy a whole fish and give it a try.

The problem is that I am exhausted, not so much physically as mentally. This year, which is coming to a close, has been tough. Dad died, watching over mom and her shenanigans, working with lawyers, MIL getting sick, just found out that my Brother in law has cancer, and no time for vacation for DH and I....which we need. We haven't been able to prioritize ourselves. Personal space and time is on the backburner, hence I have become less social, more introverted - to try to get the time I need to recharge...at least halfway...my batteries. Yes, we have done alot of great bike rides, but they have been rather desperate ones and are squeezed into any space that we have.

Believe me, I know that I have tremendous blessings. DH is healthy, BIG blessing. I'm healthy, so is most of my family - much to be thankful for. But honestly, we need time away together, without family obligations or worries. I guess that's asking for the moon when you have elderly parents - isn't it?

So, instead, I am off with my girls - will have a great time, but there is a piece of me that will be home, wishing I was lying in bed on a Sunday morning, the two of us home alone.


PostScript: Odd thing just happened. I got an apology and 25000 miles from Delta Airlines for a delayed trip. I don't even remember the circumstances! But, maybe this is a message - 25K miles is a free trip - if DH and I can find someplace we'd want to go via commercial options - this makes it cheaper. WooHoo!

Animal Wednesday - a summer turtle

We saw this turtle on a bike path this summer, he was crossing the trail and almost got slammed by me - but I stopped and "rescued" him (or her). Since I love turtle shells, and am traveling this week - hence plenty of time in a hotel room and on an airplane, I will attempt a turtle drawing sometime this week.


Yup - off to Prince Edward Island again for work - should be interesting. Last time I was there, I dashed home and dashed off again to Florida to MIL's surgery. I am hoping for little excitement this time. MIL is now home, and hopefully happier than when in the rehab.

I think what I love about turtles so much is their inclination to pull their head and feet inside - what a lovely trick.

He/she finally got up the courage to walk away into the brush.


Don't you just love these little tanks?

Ya'll seemed to like the last one so...

These are little study- pieces that I did about over a year ago, when I was starting to play with paints. I thought you might like them - I've posted them before but it was a long time ago. I still need to figure our perspective as I would like some depth. I know that smaller things are further away, and darker things are closer but it all still eludes me. Either way, I enjoy my little funny world and hope you do too!