Saturday Garden

 Hi Everyone!

 

This is NOT the year to NOT have a garden. OMG! I made a quick drive over to the store yesterday morning to get a few veggies. 

Ice burg lettuce was $3.49 a pound. Are they effin kidding me?

I have lettuce, spinach and beets starting to show up in my big garden but that doesn't help me today. No, I did NOT pay that price.

We know who to thank for this.

 

 On a happier note, today is my Son's birthday. He is 57. Last year I wrote that he was 57 but I was a year off. EEKKK!!! 

My Son and DIL at the fair 

Yumm corn dogs

 

Back to gardening 

Just starting to come up.

Spinach 

 

Beets 

  

I have several types of lettuce.

 

In our natural area I noticed foxglove blooming. 

 

and in the back Salvia is starting to bloom I'm very happy because it's been storming, cold and windy.

I did get some romaine at the other store in town. I washed and dried it then put it into quart size mason jars. 

 

I've showed this trick before with my food saver, but that has bit the dust. Last year  I got a hand held sealer. 

 

place a new or used canning jar lid on the jar. Then push the sealer on, press the button and watch the air get removed from the jar. When the sealer is done it makes a pufff sound.

 

Screw on  the ring, label and place in the fridg. This lettuce will last about 3 months. I use small canning jars to preserve herbs this way. They last so much longer.

 

To end this post here is a little guy that comes to visit everyday. He turned his head just as I snapped the shot.

 

Have a nice Saturday

Nicole 

  

FFO too much going on

Welcome To Friday Face OFF (FFO)

This is the place to show off your face art.

You know, ANY type of face, nature, the face of a flower, photography, drawings, paintings, AI. There just needs to be a face in your blog post, a link back to my blog and please use the image below. 

Thank you.

 

 

There is a lot going on right now. One thing we needed a new mattress for awhile now. Without knowing about it we drove over to The mattress store. To our surprise it's closing and everything is VERY inexpensive. So we were able to get a mattress. I'm sorry that the store is closing. Just one more place that can't make it in my town. 

More going on but I just can't speak of it right now. So let's play with AI.

 

Here are a few features.

Heidrun 

Roentar 

Erika N

 

That's it for now.

Be sure to join in for 

Sunday in the Art Room  

 

Joining with Gillena

Now it's time to show me your face.

Nicole

Lupus awareness month

 Hi Everyone!

 

I've been neglecting lupus awareness month. 

Image made by Margaret 

 

Over the years I have explained what lupus is. For those of you who are new.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system becomes over active and attacks healthy tissues and organs. This causes widespread inflammation that can also settle in different parts of the body.  That's the simple explanation. 

 

These are the everyday things. 

The deep horrible things are 

Did you know that people with lupus can have seizures? 3 kinds, Tonic Clonic which are grand mall and the most common type.  It involves two phases: the tonic phase (muscles suddenly stiffen, causing the person to collapse) followed by the clonic phase (rhythmic, uncontrollable shaking of the limbs).

Absence Seizure Petit Mall. These look like an absent stare. Stopping whatever they are doing.  

The other rare generalized seizures include myoclonic seizures. These are brief shock like muscle jerks and atonic where sudden loss of muscle ton causing the person to drop to the floor. 

I have experienced the first two.  

 

The most common types of heart disease for people with lupus are; Accelerated atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease), pericarditis (inflammation of the heart linning), Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), and various heart valve abnormalities.

 

If you would like to read more info on lupus and heart disease click here. Johns Hopkins Lupus center.

 

People with lupus can have one or all of the above symptoms. They can come and go making it difficult for doctors.

As for me, I keep moving, I keep my mind busy, I try not to think of what is wrong, rather what is working on any particular day. Because as you all know.

and

Nicole
 

Wednesday

 Hi Everyone!

 

I slept in today, didn't get up until 8:45 That is unheard of for me. I was having the best dreams though. For me a sign of a good sleep. :)

 

With that, I'm off my normal routine. I decide to watch some of the art videos that are accumulating in my email inbox.

 After viewing them I thought I would share with you these two.

I've been watching this guy for sometime and he has some great advice and he is easy to comprehend. 

The first one is on colored pencils

 

and the second is on graphite powder. 

I have made my own graphite and charcoal powders. I find both quite messy and wasteful. If you have used either what are your thought on the powders?

 

Have a great day 

Nicole 

T Stands for Pretty AI

 Hi Everyone!

 

Today I'm joining Elizabeth and Bleubeard 

Not much gong on today. It has been storming all day long so it's just been quite for us. Yesterday I made homemade chili from beans and meat that I canned last year. OMG good.

 

I made chili burgers without the bread for dinner. Topped with cheese, onions and lettuce and then some chili.

 

On another night for dinner I made veggies in a butter sauce mixed with noodles. I topped it with dill.

 

Here is an AI piece I created last night. 

For my drink, it's clean clear water from my zerowater filter machine

That's it for now.

Have a great day today.
 Nicole

 

Monster Monday

 Welcome to

 As we all know there are a lot of monsters in this world. Non more monstrous than war. Today is the day that we remember those who have fallen and those who still serve. To all we give thanks.

 

Now for my monsters

You all know how much I love bones.

 

 

 

Now here are a few pretties. 

 

 

 

That's it for now. Have a fabulous Monday.

Nicole