An award, and 10 new things about myself!

I recieved an award today from my blog pal, Martha at Marthanns Musings! I am so happy to have been chosen by her...a wonderful artist, and retired art teacher! She inspires me because she is working (after retiring) at Petsmart, and learned to do dog training! She seems to be someone who is just so pleased to learn something new and to be of service to people. She hasn't heard this yet, but I am considering working at Petsmart (We have a brand new one opening right near my house)...after 30 years as an RN. How's that for a change? I just have given her choice in doing something like this a lot of thought, and I like it! I am only 53 and have a few years yet to give! My biggest problem would be if they would want me to handle either reptiles of any sort, or RATS!!!!! So, I might have to make that clear before I could work there!!! LOL!

Anyway...back to the award...

I am going to ask any of my regular readers to please help themselves to the award because I think you are all just the best and that is why I follow you and want to read your stuff. So please take the award and know that it comes to you from my heart!!!

I am supposed to list 10 things about myself. I have done this before, and I'm sure I cannot remember what I have told you before, but will try and come up with something new and fun. Please do a list on your blogs too and let me know if you do, so I can come and read! It's always fun!

1. According to my husband, when I asked him for some ideas, he said "Your hair is strange"!!! Ha ha ha...I asked him what was it about my hair and he indicated that it was wild. It does have frizz...I used to have curly hair, and since it has started going gray it is straighter, but dry and frizzy! LOL. I suppose, I must look a sight!!! I wear a headband to keep it down some, and add conditioners, etc. to moisurize and decrease the frizz, but it just stays that way down here in hot, humid south Florida!!!

2. I, too (like Martha) used to do a lot of crossstitch, and gave every single thing I made away except my victorian Welcome sign.

3. My favorite job of all times was when I was 16 and actually landed a job as a maid (term used back then) at a Holiday Inn. That was a job where I worked independantly, and enjoyed TV as I went. I liked the feeling of making something messy all straight again, and loved whenever a tip came my way. That was big doings at 16!

4. I attended a private Christian college after high school, but flunked out of the Bible classes!!! LOLOL! Well, secretly that wasn't all I flunked out of, but don't tell my Mom! I did have a good time partying there with all the boys who came from Christian homes and had preachers for daddies!!!

5. I feel I have always keep extra weight on me because I have never liked having attentions from men. True.

6. I cheated when I was a young girl taking swimming lessons at the Country Club...in order to pass my final swimming test, I had to swim the length of the pool without touching bottom, and I did touch bottom just once, but no one knew and I wasn't tellin! That is a big secret I have kept for more that 40 years! LOL.

7. Are you sleeping yet??? These are pretty lame! OK...here's one for you...I like to eat whole round things...like brussel sprouts, tiny round beets in a jar, green peas, lentils, or fresh grape tomatos right out of the fridge (I am talking about just eating one of these things for a meal or snack, by itself!!! YUM!

8. Nothing gives me more happiness (other than my family) than being in nature and observing, smelling, touching.

9. I enjoy making art, but am lacking in time at this point in my life...so will do something here and again, but think maybe in another 10 years I will be able to take a watercolor class, etc., and generally devote more time to art. It is so important to me.

10. As soon as I can, I am going to try making gelatin prints! If you wonder what in the heck it is...do a search on You Tube and you will be able to see how it is done. It seriously looks like it would be so fun to try!!! I know anyone who reads my blog would enjoy trying it. If you do, I would love to see it!!!

THE END!

Super Opuntia on Cactus Monday!!!

Well, how do you like this? My Mom had taken a few pads off of a thornless opuntia (prickly pear cactus) a few months ago, and had thrown them into an old shoebox and tossed them to the side when she got home (planning to plant them)...kinda into the edge of her garden near the front door. Forgetting about them, she sudenly came to the realization that not only had they had put out roots, but they were thriving and putting on new pads, and just in general, looking quite amazing! There is no way to kill these things, it seems...they will grown right in a cardboard box!!! WOWZERS!!!
Happy Cactus Monday everyone!!!
Julie

Drawing Day- June 5

I was alerted to this by a fellow blogger, and wanted to pass along the info to all my talented artist pals!!! I may be the last to know, but it will be fun. I will give it a go...will you??? Click on pic to see more.

A pot of flowers for Soulbrush!

A pot of homegrown zinnias for Soulbrush! I hope you are feeling chipper soon, girlfriend!

And a nice sized caterpiller that will soon, I believe, become a beautiful Monarch butterfly! I saw these on some milkweed plants at Lowes and had to take a picture!

Succulent rearranging done! YEAH!

Went out this morning to rearrange the screenroom to make more room for people when barbequing. My succulents used to run lengthwise around the edge of the room, but with the kids here, I felt I needed to open up more space and consolidate the plants somewhat. The sun seems to fall in on them quite nicely even this way for a few hours in the morning...that is about all they can handle anyway! There are a few (like the two Claude sent me) that are gonna get moved to the tires in full sun...as soon as I can. I promise, Claude!!! Really...I do.


Ms. Beary is a wooden thing I bought about 5 years ago for outside. I went through a BEAR phase. I still love them. The kids love to color her with chalk, so brought her in so they can be in there playing where I can keep an eye on them. At least for now. Pretty soon, it will be too hot for any living creature to be in there. At least the succulents are happy in there! Thank God. What else would I do with all these temperamental bitches! :0


The bottom shelves are just where I place dead ones or empty pots to re-use. It looks kinda messy and I am thinking of making a very lightweight sheet-weight sort of straight cover to wrap around in festive colors and attaching with velcro to cover. I will be having this project on my mind and see what I can come up with!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!
xoxo- Julie

Donovan graduates from VPK (Voluntary Pre-K) tonight!!!

Here he is with his Mom. Emily June wanted to get in on the fun as well!!! Donovan is all ready now to start Kindergarten in the fall. You go, Donovan!!! Awesome!!! Love you!!!

Pinks and Purples!

It wasn't until I uploaded photos that I realized I had two pink and purple subjects!!! I noticed the tillandsia (air plant) had turned pink, and then I saw the purple bloom in the middle! How sweet. Little Emily had to put on my sandals this afternoon. Even sweeter! (Sorry so blurry...she would not hold still for one second)!!!

A walk through my yard this morning!

Fun in the south Florida sun!

Hi again!!! I found my largest eggplant starting to touch the ground yesterday and slid a giant seagrape leaf under the area to keep it off the dirt! I know I need to mulch, but I am just not getting it done due to time constraints and lack of funds! My neighbor had a ton of these seagrape leaves, so I try adn put them to use as I ee fit! They make a wonderful palette to paint on also (acrylics or oils). I will post a pic I have where a friend painted a lighthouse for me, and my Mom has a floral one I painted her in acrylics about 5 years ago. But back to the subject...below is my eggplant, Mr. Big Dude!!!

Another view of my flower tires! They sure are gorgeous to see out my kithen window.

And here is the funniest looking flower on my pink-eyed peas! I suppose it will open up more...not sure as this is the first time I have grown these! Isn't it interesting looking???

Here are my lovies playing tetherball and blowing bubbles outside in the sunshine!!! Life is good!!! Thank God!


Happy hump day! Half way through the week already!

Planted flower tire gardens!

Well, I accomplished my goal of planting my tires this morning!!! Yeah!!! I got all the flowers at Lowes...cheating I suppose...but I wanted instant gratification! No time for seeds...

In random order (cause I am lazy)...are a few views. The flowers are yellow and orange (mmmmm...my favorite color) orange zinnias, white and red vincas, variegated coleus, and a red coleus, and purple salvia! The actual nursery guy helped me with a taller purple plant that could take full sun all summer and keep blooming. I sure hope it holds true! I know the zinnias will not last the whole summer, but my hope is that all the other plants will be much fuller by then and I won't have any worries.

I really like the taller purple salvia! I put the taller plants in the backs of the tires in relation to my view out the kitchen window...

Do you think the butterlies will be attracted to the red vinca and the salvia??? Please continue to ignore the horrid condition of the grass on this side of the house...it is slowly filling in with more reguar water and fertilizer! I had moved things around, too, so you see bare spots from where things had been sitting...like Buddha and my strewberry pot! Weeds will be slowly worked on as well in these areas, and another application of Weed and Feed very soon!!!

I adore coleus!!! All of these plants with three days of water from my sprinklers should do OK. I will be watching closely each morning when I go out to water the all of the vegie gardens too!!!

Donovan art and summer gardens...

Donovan and I decided to create houses yesterday from construction paper, and added stuff as we saw fit. Here he is with his house. He is looking kinda tired in this photo. (The other things he did yesterday were PLAYED BALL, HIT THE TETHERBALL WITH HIS DAD, RAN AROUND OUTSIDE, JUMPED ON A BIG MATTRESS EXPECIALLY FOR THAT, DANCED AND JUMPED WHILE PLAYING WIII, AND MORE! No wonder he looks so worn out here...he wore me out!!!
I'm glad he also likes to sit sometimes (rare), and a little more quietly, do art. He loves to cut and paste...just like Grandma Julie!!!

Getting ready for summer in the front garden. Here is my cactus that started from one pad from a tree cut down a year or so ago in my neighborhood...it is really growing now that our watering restrictions have gone from 2 up to 3 days a week that we CAN water now. Yeah. Things are looking so much happier!!!

I finally pulled out all my dead old collards from the tires they were in, and now I have dirt ready for flowers. Nothing can take the summer heat but Vincas, so I am thinking of just filling them with these until October, when the heat fades and I can change to some lovely flowers...all different kinds...OR maybe just a lot of mixed seeds...and have a cutting garden! That would be so fun! You know how I like my fun!!! LOL.
Happy summer!
xoxo-Julie

Red zinnia!

Here is the next zinnia to open in Donovans pot. Red center with red petals! The inner petals are still closed somewhat, which is why you see white there, but by tomorrow it should be fully opened! I couldn't wait to take a pic! LOL! You can see all of Donovan's zinnias HERE, HERE, and HERE if you missed any, and are interested. It has been fun!

Donovan's newest zinnias!

Here is #4...a much smaller pink one...very simple and sweet. And we got two of these white ones that are fairly large as #'s 5 and 6.

#7 is gonna be a solid red one! Just waiting for it to open a little more...

A new mug and a few new eggplants!

I found this really neat ceramic mug at a Kitty Cat Thrift the other day...for ONE DOLLAR! The owl is recessed back into the "wood" of the tree. My daughter and I both love owls, so I bought it for her. If not to drink from, to store pens, pencils. On the bottom of the mug, it says "Handpainted by Otagiri". I Googled the name and found it was the name of a Japanese Manufacturing company, and I found many peices from mugs, vases, piggy banks,teapots, etc. done by them. Not particularly expensive, but none online can match my 1 dollar price tag! This guy just makes me happy! Right now he is sitting in the kitchen window just following his deep dishwasher cleansing!

I went out in the dark (first chance I had today) to take pics of my new little eggplants! They are just to cute! I hate for them to grow up! Does anyone know if I should place something between the ground and the eggplant to prevent any damages to it by letting it set in the dirt. The plant is kinda short still, and this largest eggplant is really low to the ground! What would you do? I keep thinking maybe a peice of fabric???????

Above is my largest one! (About 4 inches long).

Here are all three on one plant. My other plant has one small eggplant as well, and both have a ton more flowers! I fertilized with Miracle Gro water soluable...everything...the black-eyed peas, eggplants and Bush Tomatos, which just look devine, BTW!!!

Have a happy Sunday! My grandson is spending the night tonight and I see he has fallen asleep. He just suddenly drifts off like that. So tired after a busy, and active day...so why am I not tired yet??? Hmmmmm.

Larva... cute or nasty???

This is what I do when I am upset...draw bugs and what really helps me feel better is to draw the ugliest (and yet maybe the cutest, says my daughter) LARVA (plus one worm) in the world! I found these in the full color photo section of the Natural Insect and Disease Control book my SIL gave me, and except for the gross sliminess that you can't see here, I used Sharpie, and my watercolor pencils, and a few other misc. things laying around here to make them. I think I will paint them with clear shiny fingernail polish now so they can look true to themselves!!! Nasty!
Oh well...I feel slightly better now. Tomorrow should look brighter! Just a few worries up my sleeve. Gotta stop worrying and take action. I will. For sure. You know, it really bothers me that the Wireworm has no eye...I should dot one in there...might make me feel even better!!! :)