Can You Tell?

I Love Hibiscus!!! LOL!

Thank you so much for dropping by. Please come visit again, soon.

Passion Flower Buds!!!

Hi all!

Here's that passion flower I grew from seed. Gonna flower soon and I have been watching these flowers develop for the past few weeks. Now that we are going to CT for a few days, I fear the first flowers will bloom while the girls and I are gone!!! Good thing there are 11 other plants, all starting to show some flowers, so if I miss these two, I might still have more chances.

Thank you so much for dropping by. Please come visit again, soon.

Blue By You

Exercise Quick Study

Hi everyone!

The other morning, I was trying to think of a quick painting subject I could do; a painting to paint under 4 hours. (I trying to paint a little, every day to get back into "shape".) Then I remembered all the photos I took the past couple months and found this one. Here's the reference photo I took this past Spring.

Here's the painting...

I think I REALLY need practice; especially simplifying backgrounds a bit more. But that is why I'm doing these quick pieces.

Growing Old With You

Hello again!

Don't these guys look like they are so comfortable together? Years of togetherness and unconditional support and partnership...

This painting is something a little different for me. It's a study of light and simple brushstrokes. The reference photo came from the Wetcanvas' Reference Library (the most wonderful copyright free library, available for artists)

I really enjoyed doing this piece and would like to try another study. Quick little 6x6 piece.

The Three Hydrangeas

Shade Garden

Well here's a garden that I never show and tend to neglect with the watering, because it's so shady.

Thank you so much for dropping by. Please come visit again, soon.

Growing on Tom...

Lookin' good, huh? There are a few of these clusters on Big Tom, the tomato plant.

It was a early and unexpected long ride back up to camp at Winthrop, Maine but it was worth it. I am glad to have Meredith home and I can stop worrying.

AND as a bonus, it was such a great treat to sneak a hug and kiss with Laura. She's having a great time at camp and I could see it all over her face. I swear she looked older and her beautiful hair looked longer, trailing behind her as she ran up to us. She's definitely staying at camp for the full two weeks! Sigh.......

Bloooooomin' Tropics!

More tropical hibiscus to go with the tropical heatwave we're havin'!

I love the duel colors on the hibiscus with the braided trunk :D .

Tom and Me - We've Gotten So Close!!!

In height, that is!

Thought it would be interesting to show how big Tom is, the tomato plant from the windowsill! He is almost 5ft tall!!! (Remember the picture I posted a few days ago?)

Here's a better idea of how big he actually is. I am 5'10"... He's up to my chin!

Remember the passion flower seeds from a few months ago? I was lucky and grew more than 10 plants! Most of them are planted in the backyard. I plopped this one and another one into flower pots so I can bring them inside, this fall. Hoping the ones planted in the ground survive the brutal cold weather this winter but incase they don't, I will have a couple saved inside for next year.

These pictures were taken while doing some weeding, early this morning. Already sweaty, yucky and hot.

Grew 'Em, Painted 'Em, And Then Ate 'Em!

These are the tomatoes that I started growing last spring, on the windowsill!!!

I had started this painting a couple weeks ago but then things got a little crazy. Am very glad to finish it up because I have another still life ready to go and eager to do.

I sincerely hope my monitor didn't handicap me too badly as I uploaded the images from my cell to my computer. Most times the pic doesn't need adjusting and I hoped the same for this one (because anything I do to the contrasts or color on this computer isn't a real representation of what is really seen. Sometimes such adjustments are needed, even if minor).

Thanks for looking. I hope you liked the painting.

Four O'Clocks! Do You Know Where Your Bloomin' Flowers Are?

They bloomed! These pretty little trumpet flowers are only the diameter of about a quarter. These are just a couple plants. Waiting for the rest to bloom; colors from hot pink to white should also bloom.

Thank you for dropping by!

Bright And Early

Hello!

Sleep was hard to come by, last night. After trying and trying I finally got up and headed outside to work in the gardens. Have had so much rain, the weeds (oops, wildflowers) have really grown. Nice doing it before the heat set in. Sitting with a cup of java, it was such a wonderful way of relaxing and starting the day.

Here are some pictures I took as I worked my way around the yard. Not the best time of the season for flowering; hottest time of the year, plants tend to take a break from doing their stressful and hard work, but I did get photos of the flowers that LOVE this weather.

FYI - Seems my monitor has blown something and the color, balance, and brightness (blah blah blah) is wicked off. I can't tell how these pics look until I can hit another monitor.... :(

This one of a few tropical hibiscus plants. This one LOVES to bloom. Only one plant other has granted flowers, so far. However, there are buds on all of the plants and soon there will be tropical hibiscus bursting all over the back stoop. (This flower's color is very hard to photograph, to begin with. Now it REALLY looks strange, for me).

I have several hardy hibiscus plants which I started from seed, in the yard, but they are not flowering yet - some were germinated this spring so they won't flower but I am eagerly awaiting the others to show (they should... I hope).

The tall structure in the back of the next photo is covered with Morning Glory. Unbelievable all that started with small seeds, several months ago. We sunk a mix of seeds and eager to see what colors are in this cluster. There are clusters all over the yard...

Right in front of the Morning Glory is another plant started from seed; a Four O'Clock plant (also planted a bunch, all over the yard's gardens). Thinkin' this one will flower by 4:00 this evening! I'll be out there with the iphone, ready and waiting.

Here's one of the tomato plants. It's HUGE! As you can tell, it tends to flop over so it needed to be supported by the large arch. (Good thing I planted it there, to start).

Also poking out around the tomato plant are some poppies and more Four O'Clocks which also are lookin' like they're about to burst at 4:00. The freshly germinated poppy seeds will definitely flower next year.

No garden's complete without some sunflowers. These are miniature ones that once they get going they keep flowering for the rest of the summer. Also grown from seeds.

I found this near the end of the driveway (nope, I didn't grow this one from seed. :D ). Ever wonder what the inside of a wasp's nest looks like?

Still really feel blue without my girls home but being out in the garden helps. Fun stuff along the way and a peaceful time putzin' around in the dirt. Good therapy. I hope you liked the photos.

Some Silver Linings!!!

Got my car back from the service center. Boy was she one sick little car but still trying so hard to be good. No wonder the gas was going through her like water. Took a little over a week and repairs to things that really should not have been a problem. All fixed now! :) . I really missed my BROOM.

We also won our case with Honda (for the van's transmission)! Interesting having them go from not being interested in helping and hanging up to full financial compensation!!! Solid what a couple court papers can do.

I hope calling and making doctor appointments will be as easy!!! Arranging the other appointments for Meredith has definitely been less than that; with so many obstacles. The effort to get this next appointment is very worth it and very important; it's to have her brain mapped. She's such a good girl and wonderful person, kind, loving and caring. She has been dealing with everything and not knowing what's wrong, for so long and doesn't deserve any of it.

...Especially after what we went through with her father's "idiopathic" adult on-set grand mal seizures for 5 solid years; thankfully those are finally medically controlled (for the last 2 years). He had to have EIGHT in one morning, that final day, for us to get the real help we needed for him. It was so hard finding him many times on the floor with his head split wide open or with grossly distorted, black and blue eyes, or near broken back. We were very lucky he only has very little permanent damage (although it stinks to not be able to smell or taste anymore). And again now he is the strongest man in my girls' lives and not the scariest man, anymore.

Off to Camp Day

Today the girls leave for camp and will not be home for two weeks. What's mama gonna do without her girls the whole time?

The hardest part is Meredith has just come home after staying the past little over a week with her grandmother. Feel like I have hardly seen her this summer but am glad she had her time with her to always remember. Hopefully Meredith's health will allow her to stay the entire time, at camp.

Two weeks and then it's back to doctor appointments and waiting rooms. And just when all the same finally ended with their father and his (now under control) condition.

I hope they have a great time. That will make missing them worth it.

Laura's First Swim Meet of the Season

Baboosic Lakers did well at Jasper Valley Swim and Tennis against several other swim teams.

Laura did great and Freestyle is her best.

Baboosic is definitely the Bad News Bears to watch out for. I think their hearts are gonna bring them to great things. They did GREAT today!

I am just so sorry that Laura is going to miss so much the next few weeks with all the summer vacation plans.

Thanks for visiting!

Rain Boots!

Had these on yesterday evening while I was turning soil and doing a little gardening and forgot them on the back porch, when I was done. Normally, this is not a problem.

Sudden rain, today, and for once instead of being the only town in NH to NOT get the rain, we were one of the only towns on the map that WAS getting this DeLuGe! This amount of rain came from out of now where (could watch it on the map forming literally over head) and dumped this much in much less than a 1/2 hour!

Gives a whole new meaning to "Rain Boots", wouldn't you say?!

PURPLE GARLIC IN THE MORNING LIGHT

Aaah, I cannot imagine life without garlic. Purple garlic is the best for baking and after roasting in tin foil for a little while, nothing is yummier. Shamefully, I don't bother with the bread and other stuff, garlic's good all alone - popping out of it's clove. Tragically, no one will be looking for any up-closes with me, anytime soon! :O

This is an 11x14 acrylic painting on gallery wrapped canvas, with the sides painted.

Here are some WIPs pics of the painting. My computer died not too long after posting the 4th's picture. Slowly, it's being restored. It's a good thing I kept pictures of the painting on my cellphone and didn't delete them, they were my only copies! I hope you enjoy seeing these Work In Progress pictures of the purple garlic.

In this picture, you can see my painting and the reference photo I set up for this painting. And of course, the finished pic, again.

Happy 4th Of July!

Lots of Garden Surprises!

Hello again!

I was walking around the back-back-back-most part of the (rain drenched, mosquito infested, much in need of my mowing) yard and I noticed this tiny foxglove (which if I had mowed I would have plowed right over this....) just barely peeking out over the grass. I planted some foxgloves about 3 or 4 years ago and still I find little ones randomly popping up, all over the back yard. These little bi-annuals really reseed themselves! I planted more seeds this year for flowers next year and I am really glad I did
(and I am glad I didn't mow o.O )!

This is an early sprout in my hydrangea bushes. The other flowers are far from ready to bloom. I love this bush. It's my favorite of all my roses. Here's another cluster from my favorite rose bush. And here are the tomatoes!

Lots of goodies in the garden and still more to come! Hope the weather keeps on doing all the good stuff it's been doing. This area hasn't seen so much rain!

July 1 and House's A Little Emptier

Hi

Well sadly, Meredith's off for a few weeks in Maine. Staying a week with her grandmother and back home briefly (to pack some more) and then heading off to camp with Laura.

Meanwhile, Laura's having a great time swimming at the lake with her friends, swim team practices, racing around the village and believe it or not - enjoying her summer reading.

Here's a rainless moment in between storms. Just enough time for a quick swim at Baboosic.

Thank you so much for dropping by. Please come visit again, soon.