My Lemonade Stand

Hortencia Mata murdered in 1982

2010-02-06T17:22:00.006-05:00

I was married to Jesse for 2 years. His mother caused our divorce in 1970.

Recently I found out she died in 1982. She was murdered.

Her nude beaten body was found under a bridge in Corpus Christ, Texas.

I finally found a copy of the obituary proving it was her.

Now, all this is a bit awful. Well, a lot more than a bit. It is terrifyingly, strangely bizzare.

I cannot imagine my own mother beaten and killed and her body dumped under a bridge.

In 2005, it was still considered an unsolved crime and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times profiled it in one sentence:

"Hortencia Obregon Mata, 53, was found beaten and nude under the south end of the Harbor Bridge on April 21, 1982."

My sadness is for Jesse, Lydia, and the other 4 children. Apparently, Jesse Sr. was living in Madera, Ca.

I would contact Jesse, but for what reason? He deserted me in 1970 to go live with Mother and left me for her. And, of course, there was the drinking and womanizing.
I hitchhiked all the way to Sinton, Texas to see him. His sister showed up at the pool hall where I found him and told me to get the hell out of town.

Thankfully, his cousin took me in to stay with her and her mother, Virginia, and grandmother. Hortenica retaliated by hiring a witch to put a curse on me. Virginia had hired another witch to take the spell off me.

I woke up one morning with a witch dancing around my head. That was the one taking the curse off.

Curiously, I have never figured out for sure whether Hortencia was a witch herself. I know I considered her the word that rhymes with it.

She broke me and her son up because I was white and he was Mexican. She could not see us together because I had been married before I married her boy.

Well, time moves on and witches who hire people to curse others end up dead - their nude beaten bodies abandoned beneath a bridge.

I quickly ask God to forgive me for any ill feelings I harbor or any wrong doing on my part. I don't want curses to follow me or be brought down on my house or loved ones because of all this evil so many, many years ago.

And, truly, may you rest in peace, Mrs. Hortencia Mata.

The picture is of me in 1970 holding my niece. Jesse and I had just divorced.

Daddy

2009-06-21T14:24:00.001-04:00

My husband's cousin's baby

2009-06-17T13:13:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T14:30:00.000-04:00

Bootleggers - Airing the Dirty Family Laundry

2009-05-28T09:57:00.001-04:00

Apparently in the 1920's sometime, Dr. F. B. and Bedford were involved in killing a "revenuer". My nephew, John III, told me about it and I went and asked Dad. He said Bedford actually killed the man, but F. B. ended up moving to Cuba for about three years until the heat was off and they were able to pay off the Feds. F. B. would come home now and then and he and grandma Elsie would go "sleep in the woods" overnight, then he'd leave again.

Later, of course, F. B. and Arno visited Uncle Bill when he was stationed at Guantanamo in Cuba. So, I had asked my Dad how many times was F. B. in Cuba and Dad said, "Maybe once or twice", then I told him what my nephew said and he told us the story. Mama was furious "John, we've been married 50 years and you never told me this before!". He said "Well, it just never came up!".

F. B. and Bedford ran a very profitable bootlegging operation. Daddy and Uncle Charles used to watch where Bedford hid his stash in quart jars in an old hollowed out stump. They'd wait until he left and go pour some into a jar and add water back to the original jar. When they'd stolen enough to fill a quart jar, they'd sell it themselves. They were about 9-10 years old, so that would be about 1924-1925.

What's good about being "older"

2009-05-19T21:27:00.003-04:00

This is not a young face I see staring back at me in the mirror. Sometimes, I don't recognize myself. The skin sags, the lines are there, the tone is not resilient.

Yet, I will not spends thousands, or even hundreds, of dollars on preservatives or potions or creams or facelifts. I will spend enough to put on a decent base of sunscreen-moisturizer once each day when I think about it.

I will not, except on rare occasion, wear makeup anymore. I never liked it and always felt I was clownish. I tried the whole Mary Kay bit, have had my facials, had my makeovers and bought a couple hundred dollars worth now and then of cosmetics that were "hand picked" by a consultant in a white coat.

My skin could use a facial. So what? Grab the loofah and gentle soap and give myself a light dermabrasion.

See, I know all the words. Have read hundreds of hours of "self improvement" magazines, blogs, books. Could probably write one if I cared to.

But, here's the good part about growing "older". I don't have to do this anymore. I can just let my face be what my face is: me. Unadorned, but not unloved. Simple and plain, like it's always been.

I've been around men who wanted me to wear a lot of makeup and a specific type. Perhaps, I think now, they wanted me to be someone else. So, now my man could care less if I ever wore anything other than me on my face.

Ah, another pleasure of growing older. Having a man, finally, who just IS, too!

My dream about a suffragette

2009-04-11T21:19:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning thinking "Cady Stanton". She was a great suffragette and much, much more. It has been over 20 years since I first heard her name.

Whatever made me dream "Cady Stanton"?

Around the House

2009-04-08T11:57:00.002-04:00

Mouse Ear Cactus

2009-04-06T21:11:00.001-04:00

This is called a "mouse ear" cactus, at least by the lady who sold it to us. It bloomed this winter on our south-facing window planter shelf.

Bark Face

2009-04-05T19:40:00.004-04:00

This tree is behind our storage house. I think it's a "Bark Face". What do you think?

Oh and just because - here are some spring flowers, too!

Textures - Tree Bark

2009-04-02T21:05:00.005-04:00

I look for interesting textures in nature, which never disappoints. Here is a study of tree bark textures. Endless possibilities, beautiful colorations, varying to many degrees!

Waiting for the world to end

2009-03-31T21:18:00.002-04:00

So, now in addition to monetary crisis du jour, we are waiting to see if the internet implodes tomorrow.

I hope not. I would miss my morning MSN run to check emails.

I'd miss eBay and Etsy and blogger and just random reading of junk here and there.

I hope to see the internet alive on April 1.

wordless wednesday

2009-03-18T09:01:00.002-04:00

Not a shamrock

2009-03-17T16:11:00.002-04:00

I don't have any pictures of Shamrock's to post, but I am named after St. Patrick. Most "Patricia"'s are, anyway.

So happy St. Patrick's day. Plus, my father and sister were both born on March 17, one in 1915 and the other in 1944.

So happy birthday, Dad and Sissy. They're celebrating together in Heaven!

The blackout

2009-03-16T14:05:00.001-04:00

Put up new blackout curtains in the bedroom last weekend that coincide with the DST spring forward, so I'm not sure why it's so hard to get up lately.

It could also be the rain. We've had clouds and rain for a week.

The bedroom is much cozier at night. Not everyone would like black curtains, but I think they add a certain chic to the room.

Thoughts on funerals

2009-03-14T16:09:00.002-04:00

I've been to too many funerals the last few years.

Leo's sweet cousin, Angela, died this week in Kentucky. She was only 40 and it was a horrific ordeal. She was burned over 55% of her body and put up a brave fight to live seven weeks after being burned. Finally, after rounds of surgery, infection, kidney shut down and lung collapse, she died in relative peace this week with family and friends around her.

The funeral was at 2 pm today in Hindman, but we didn't go due to health complications and some other reasons. The main one being, for me, that I hate funerals of people who die "before their time".

One of my earliest memories was being told about my sister who died before I was born. She ate a bottle of my Granmother's heart medicine and they didn't pump the stomach completely. I was born 9 1/2 months after her death.

It was repeatedly made clear to me that I was "Sissy's replacement". God sent us a little girl to take Sissy's place.

Well, I feel great sorrow for the loss. My Mom's life was never the same. She grieved that little baby for the rest of her life. One of the first things I thought, as I held her hand when she died, was "She'll be with Sissy today".

I, of course, was not at her funeral, but I think I lived it a bit every day. I don't like funerals of young people. My friend, Deanie, and I were in second grade when Deanie's brother, Ted, was killed in a car wreck. They brought in his widow down the aisle and she was screaming and kicking and they practically had to drag her to a seat.

I came list a lot of names of young people who died when I was in high school: Rose Bustle, David Huffman, Susan Hicks. Many, many others. I never went to any of their funerals.

Also, when I was pre-teen, three of my grandparents died and I went to all the funerals. I still cannot really abide the scent of roses in a house. They smell like funerals.

Well, enough of me being morbid. But, I don't like funerals of young people.

Say the Secret Woid and ...

2009-03-12T20:19:00.003-04:00

When I was a kid, we used to watch the Groucho Mark show "You Bet Your Life". One of the things he would do at the start of the show was look straight into the camera and say "Say the Secret Woid and win $100". No, he didn't say WORD, he said WOID!

He was always chewing on a cigar. That, together with his eyebrows and glasses was his trademark.

I took this picture today of Pickles chewing on the end of a piece of rawhide. The first thing that came to mind was how much she reminded me of Groucho: "Say the Secret Woid and ....".

What a funny goof-ball dog!

Recipe - Hotdogs and Taters - SUPER EASY!

2009-03-11T17:12:00.003-04:00

Well, here is a simple one I made up some time ago:

1 Pkg shredded hashbrowns (the ones from the dairy case)
4 cut up hot dogs (I like chicken dogs)
2 TBS cooking oil

Pour 1 TBS oil in a frying pan. Spread the hash browns all over the bottom. Put the cut up hot dogs on top. Sprinkle the other TBS oil over the top of the potatoes. Cook on medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Turn potatoes over. Cook another 6-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4-6.

I usually serve this on top of a bed of torn up lettuce. It tastes really good. You can add cheese if you want or onion, too!

Entrecard Drop Speed Test on Firefox, IE & Opera

2009-03-06T16:22:00.004-05:00

I decided to do a speed test using the three browsers I use.

First of all, I set a 10-minute limit per browser. I'd drop on as many sites as I could in that time frame to see which was quicker at loading.

The results are:

1) Opera wins with 28 drops.
2) Firefox = 22 drops.
3) Internet Explorer = 20 drops.

Now, I usually don't spend more than 10 minutes dropping a few times a week. So, I'll definitely use Opera for my dropping from now on to get the most done in the shortest time.

Opera's not usable for everything I do, unfortunately. But the pages do seem to load quicker for most apps.

wordless wednesday

2009-03-04T16:54:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T15:26:00.002-05:00

How much do I love Thee?

2009-02-14T14:42:00.002-05:00

We've been carrying around this old carved Indian Thunderbird from shop to shop, apartment to house since August, 2006. I decided to paint numbers on it and give it to my darling for his Valentine's day gift.

It is outside on a post on the side of our driveway coming down towards the house.

Hopefully, it will be good luck and greetings to all who enter.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-11T11:26:00.001-05:00

Lethargy

2009-02-05T16:50:00.003-05:00

Mid-winter is one of the worst seasons (or part of a season). Just out walking the dog and I can start smelling spring.

Of all the times of the year, I love spring the best. I know it's there, just waiting under the layers of winter frost.

The moss has a very beautiful color still. Our bamboos are still green.

It's just a few weeks away. I know it, I know it!

writer's block and then some

2009-02-04T21:21:00.001-05:00

I understand those folks who say, "oh, it's been a month and I've been too busy to blog". But, really, I just find it hard to want to commit anything to the internet lately.

Writer's block or phobia?

I don't know, but I just start with ideas and then get too timid to follow through.

Maybe it's the cold weather.

Why don't they answer back?

2009-01-30T09:16:00.002-05:00

I recently decided to get in touch with a few former co-workers.

These were both women who I worked with for over a year. I travelled to Asia with one 3 different times, loaned her money, shared numerous adventures. The other was also very close while we were working through thorny security issues on a large project.

What really amazes me is this: I sent each an email saying hello, how are you after all these years (5 or 3 respectively).

Each answered affirmatively within a day or two. Hi, glad to hear from you, I miss you, too! Wonderful, warm responses!

So, I write back. Send a few snaps of the new house and hubby and dog.

Then ... NOTHING! A big old blank. I wait days and weeks expecting to hear something back and I never do.

Which tells me, we weren't THAT into each other to begin with. It was a work thing. They're too busy to keep up... etc. etc. etc.

But, I guess it just hurts a bit. I made the effort, reached out, and then I'm just dropped. Feels a bit like being a teenager.

This also happened with at least three other former friends, too. These were not from the work arena - but from church and social settings.

I guess I'm just not a part of the scene anymore and am expendable.

Sigh!

wordless wednesday

2009-01-14T16:46:00.002-05:00

2009-01-13T17:37:00.000-05:00

Worldless Wednesday

2009-01-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hopes and fears

2009-01-06T15:23:00.004-05:00

When I was younger, I lived a very turbulent life for a number of years. I don't think that's necessarily the way I wanted to live - a lot of it was self-induced, but a lot was family induced, if there is such a phrase.

Now, as I approach late middle age (I hesitate to call it "old" age yet), I want my life to be on a more even keel. I have made difficult choices and taken some financial risks to ensure that it remains so.

I listen to the nightly news and read the blogs of those who call this the "worst financial crisis since the Gread Depression". Am I supposed to be scared?

Hopefully, my resources will last me until I die. What if they don't? Will society, or what's left of it, step in to care for an elderly person who is without funds, etc.? Isn't that what Social Security and Medicare should provide?

I don't personally know of anyone who died due to malnutrition or homelessness. So, my expectation should be that that will not happen to me.

Yet, how does this all end? What brings us back to a great time of prosperity and well-being? I think it is internal. I don't think any external monetary or social events will give me peace or take it from me.

Courtship at the Graveyard

2009-01-03T10:21:00.007-05:00

These are pictures from our courting days. He took me there to woo me!

Emmanuel (Baust) Church is a United Church of Christ congregation located half- way between Westminster and Taneytown, Maryland on Route 832.

It worked - well, that's not the only place he took me. We both love graveyards.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-31T08:49:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-24T12:51:00.002-05:00

Yes, Spring will come back

2008-12-21T13:13:00.002-05:00

Christmas is slow around my house

2008-12-18T15:32:00.001-05:00

I hear about all the stressed people at this time of year, and am joyfully reflecting on how peaceful it is at my house.

We've made the family visits and mailed the gifts. Now, it's just a regular routine kind of thing for us.

I like this peaceful, calm attitude. It allows me to remember that Christmas is about Christ - not parties, food, rushing around buying things.

Wordless Wednesday - My Grand Canyon 2004

2008-12-17T14:41:00.002-05:00

Small Things Worth Seeing

2008-12-16T20:48:00.001-05:00

I took this picture several years ago and finally edited it today. The little spiders were so happy on the bright yellow pansy.

A Foggy Day

2008-12-11T10:22:00.001-05:00

Ellen - Your Website Sucks!

2008-12-09T15:19:00.002-05:00

No, I won't post a link to Ellen Degeneres' website. You can Google it to find out what I'm saying is true.

I never tried it before the holidays, so maybe it's just with her giving away $3,000 to each studio audience member that has created such a frenzy.

But, I waited over four minutes to leave an irate email on her site complaining about the wait!

I was a professional programmer for many years. If we designed a screen with a 4-second wait, it was considered okay. Even better was 2 seconds.

Four minutes! Unacceptable. Shame on them!

I'll still watch the show at times, but never go back to the website!

The Valdese Christmas parade

2008-12-06T08:17:00.004-05:00

The parade was at 10 am this morning. The temperature hovered around freezing and it was overcast. No wind, though.

I chose two pictures to represent the parade.

One is a little girl with "Princess" on the back of her coat watching a big girl beauty queen. Who knows what hopes and expectations this fosters?

The other is a part of the Civil War Re-Enactors group with the Flag of the South out front. I love it - it's still such a part of our heritage here in the South.

It was a fun parade this year. And a long one at that. Almost an hour for a small town is a rather remarkable and long parade.

Tiny Porcelain Japanese Girl Period Costume Made in Japan Figurine

2008-11-28T09:30:00.003-05:00

For sale is a little Japanese girl lying on a tatami wearing pants and top.

She appears to be made of porcelain. The painting is exquisite! Her expression is so serene.

This little doll of a girl is lying on a mat that is 3 1/2" X 2". She is 2 1/2" tall at the most. The figurine is stamped in blue on the bottom with an S in a circle and "Japan" below that. As far as age, the word "Japan" can be found on items after 1921 - until? To all appearances, this is vintage - at least 20 years old.

Click on the title (above) to see the little figurine in my Etsy shop.

Wordless Wednesday - Sort Of

2008-11-26T11:44:00.002-05:00

Flowers

2008-11-24T20:47:00.003-05:00

Patti Anne's Corn Salad Recipe

2008-11-21T16:50:00.003-05:00

PATTI ANNE'S CORN SALAD
1/2 head torn lettuce
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 T salad oil or other dressing
Salt
Pepper

This is so simple. Just pour the drained corn on top of the torn lettuce. Add walnuts, dressing, salt, pepper. Toss well.

Now, I know this doesn't sound fancy or particularly gourmet. You can jazz it up with chopped green and red peppers, chopped dried tomatoes, etc., etc., but then it becomes something other than corn salad.

I developed this one day when I was out of garbanzo beans, and it has become my salad of choice. It is simple, inexpensive and full of healthy fiber. The nuts add Omega-3. So, why not try it - you might be surprised how good it is!

This is NOT what God told me to worry about

2008-11-20T21:13:00.001-05:00

In fact, God tells us to cast all our cares on Him, for He cares for us.

So, why is the stock market any different? Well, it's not.

In all things, I am to rejoice and be grateful.

I go through this many times a day. Did God tell me to worry about this? NO. Or this? NO.

Well, what should I worry about? Not one single thing.

I take on the care and burden and FORGET not to worry, and then I get caught up again in the worry. THen suddenly - OH, that's right! I don't need to worry - God says to cast it all on Him!

What a walk this is at times! Constantly giving it up and taking it back.

Living within our means

2008-11-18T11:40:00.002-05:00

We bought a house last year at 2007 prices and I've no idea what it's worth now. When we bought it, we thought the price was reasonable.

And we love our place here. A similar place in Maryland, where we moved from, would have been $300,000 - $500,000 more than this one. So, it was a good deal for us.

I don't worry too much about what it's worth, because I have no intention of selling anytime soon. The mortgage is within our means.

We both live very frugal, GREEN lives. We don't spend outrageously on anything. Our entertainment is home-based. We don't buy many clothes at all.

Even with that, I'd cut back if I could, but I can't think of how possibly I could. Maybe dropping TV! But, that's our entertainment!

This economy and the continued bad news about it take an emotional toll just hearing about it; and they say it will get worse. We'll just sit tight and see!

Winterizing

2008-11-17T12:38:00.002-05:00

I lived in a very, very cold state for over 28 years - Minnesota.

And I counted time by how many winters passed. I didn't like winter, but learned to live through it.

Now, North Carolina winters are much milder, but then I'm older. It seems winter is still six month's long.

We've been winterizing, what little we can do, this past week. Bringing down the storm part of the windows and cleaning the deck and front porch of anything that will blow away or around.

It's getting much, much colder and I don't enjoy it exactly.

But "I have learned to be content in whatsoever state I am ... ". That one got me through a lot of cold Minnesota winters.

The ghost on the front porch

2008-11-15T15:48:00.004-05:00

First of all, that's not the ghost in the picture - that's Leo and Nick and Pickles sometime in April 2008.

My office is in the front room of the house, what used to be a bedroom. There are windows on three sides of the room, with the fourth the wall adjoining the room to the rest of the house.

When I turn and look over my left shoulder, I can see the edge of the old rocking chair on the front porch. Today it is very, very windy with the wind coming due west from the Great Smoky Mountains.

I glanced over a few seconds ago and saw the rocking chair going for all its worth. Rock, rock, rock.

But, there's no one on it. Just the wind pushing it? Maybe.

Yet, it's strange. The chair has no seat; it was "rescued" next to a dumpster. I cleaned it and waxed it and it sits on the front porch, a mute sentinel guarding and protecting us from whatever might come onto the porch.

Today it's guarding us from the wind. And whatever else ... makes an old rocking chair CREAK, ROCK, MOVE by itself on the porch.

These mountains are old and have many, many secrets.

WordLess WedNesday

2008-11-12T20:44:00.003-05:00

Runaway Dog

2008-11-11T16:13:00.005-05:00

Pickles took off on a wild run today trying to catch Leo in his truck. Of course, that was after bolting away from me as I tried to slip the leash over her head.

Man, can that dog run! Up the road and out of sight in about 2.2 seconds.

Then, she came running back in hot pursuit of the little brown and white dog who lives who knows where. They ran and ran.

I tried to coax her back by going up the road in my car, to no avail.

Went back and parked the car, shaking my head. Suddenly, she comes tearing around the side of the house making a bee line for me. Pulls up, grabs her treat and pants like a wild horse.

I collared her and we went and sat on the porch and waited for Leo, just like two little ladies.

Bottles in Sunlight

2008-11-10T21:10:00.001-05:00

Visible Results - What Fall Really Means

2008-11-08T20:07:00.003-05:00

The barn five days apart - all the leaves have fallen the last two days.

Yard work should be hired out!

2008-11-07T10:26:00.003-05:00

What do you think?

If you can't do it yourself, is it better to hire someone to do it?

Or just let nature take its course and let the whole thing grow over?

Oh, you poor sick baby!

2008-11-06T10:23:00.002-05:00

Don't you hate when someone you love is sick and you can't DO something for them?

Hot tea? Nope. Tuck in your blanket? Nope. Backrub? Nope.

Sometimes all you can do is leave them alone to MEND and hope it's soon.

Poor baby!

My email from Barack

2008-11-05T08:05:00.001-05:00

Pat --

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history.

And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.

We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...

All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

My new Ebid Store

2008-11-02T09:08:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this on all three of my blogs today, as a bit of much-needed promotion.

Click on the title "Our new Ebid Store" to see our newest Ritchie's Enterprises, LLC creation - our Ebid Store.

I looked at Alexa ratings last night and eBay has gone from 3 two months ago to 18. So, we decided to find some new venues.

Etsy has earned a respectable amount for us, but nowhere near what eBay has done. So, we're going to branch out to several other venues.

Ebid's no listing fee for a lifetime, plus very small final value fee (depending on options we buy for the auction) make it attractive.

It's hard setting up a new store again, but I'm zipping through it.

Wish us luck!

Where have eBay sellers gone?

2008-11-01T14:21:00.002-04:00

We've been on eBay for over 3 years now, and have steadily built up a respectable small income. Not nearly enough to pay all our bills, but enough that it makes a good dent.

Now, with eBay's switch to paperless payments, for the first time ever, we have zero bids on any items.

This is partly to blame on the economy, but more eBay's fault. It's really interesting to watch all the big changes that have been made on eBay in the last year that have antagonized the sellers by the thousands - maybe hundreds of thousands.

You'd think a company would want to GROW rather than shrink. But most of the increased fees, feedback changes and now this paperless payments fiasco have made people leave for other venues. I'd like to find out where they're going.

If you have left eBay for another site, please let me know!

Thanks!

Why I dislike Halloween

2008-10-31T11:45:00.005-04:00

Two years ago, when we had our brick-and-mortar stop on Main Street in Valdese, we participated in giving out candy to kids. Around 400 of them, if I remember. Now, I'm not a curmudgeon about giving out candy. It's not that at all.

It's just that every year when I was a kid, I got sick at Halloween. Ill. Puky. Fevers. Chills. The whole thing - and I couldn't go out trick or treating. Sometimes I missed the party at school.

As an adult, I don't get sick. Heck, last year we had one little kid make her way down the long, dark road to our house. She lived next door at the time.

I just don't like the idea that kids go begging for candy in a society so full of eating disorders and overweight kids. Kids get candy all the time now. It's no longer a treat.

It's BIG BUSINESS! People on average spend $59 per person on Halloween! (2006 figures). Wonder if it'll be that high this year with the economy in the dumps?

Most of that goes for costumes. Not for candy. Well, my costume cost me nothing in 2006, but we did spend $30 on candy to bring customers into the store. It didn't work. We folded the store in December 2006, and never came close to making the monthly rent.

Finding time to create

2008-10-30T15:16:00.003-04:00

I haven't done nearly as much in the avenue of creating art as I've wanted. Here is a picture of a mural I did on the landing of my stairs at my house in Apple Valley, MN. This was all done with acrylics straight onto the wall.

When I put the house up for sale, I painted over it.

Now, I'd like to paint more often, but I honestly don't know when to do my work. The dog goes to bed early these days, but unfortunately, I am out of energy. Creatively, the best time would be in the morning. That's when we do our eBay and Etsy work, however.

Well, inspiration will strike and I'll get an answer.

Surreal Pokeweed Berries

2008-10-29T11:24:00.004-04:00

We have these weeds called pokeweed that pop up at various places. They get around 5-6 feet tall and have long strands of deep purple berries. Birds love to eat them and poop them, so they get spread quite prolifically. I think they're pretty in their own way. These growing in front of our compost pile merged quite beautifully with the trees changing colors in the background.

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is a robust perennial potherb native to the eastern United States. It belongs to the pokeweed family (Phytolaccaceae), a small family found mostly in Africa and the New World. In addition to pokeweed, it also includes several enormous South American trees and some unusual serpentine vines of the tropics. Poke is derived from the Algonquian Indian word "pakon" or "puccoon," referring to a dye plant used for staining. It is sometimes spelled polk and the leaves were reportedly worn by enthusiastic supporters during the campaign of James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States. The generic name Phytolacca is derived from the Greek word phyton (plant) and the French lac (lake--a dark red pigment), referring to the crimson juice of ripe berries. Pokeweed may grow to nine feet tall, with large, alternate leaves and a carrotlike taproot. It may become a very invasive weed in southern California gardens and is difficult to eradicate when it becomes well-established. Greenish-white flowers are produced in long clusters (racemes) that droop due to the weight of ripening fruit. The flattened berries change from green to shiny purplish-black. Ripe berries yield a crimson juice that was used as a substitute for red ink and to enhance the color of pale wines. The coloring of wine with pokeweed berries has been discouraged because they are very poisonous.

The Orchard on Orchard Street

2008-10-27T10:01:00.005-04:00

From my neighboorhood - Orchard Street

2008-10-26T17:03:00.001-04:00

Friday Picture

2008-10-24T09:33:00.002-04:00

Wordless Wednesday 10-22-2008

2008-10-22T17:01:00.003-04:00

Walking the dog

2008-10-20T21:09:00.003-04:00

I like walking the dog now that the weather is cooler. It's kind of a zen thing after awhile. If she's not a total jerk about pulling too hard, we settle into a nice pace and keep moving.

Of course, half the time she has to stop and smell everything new. Maybe it's new from the last time we went down Orchard Street anyway.

Today we visited Buffy at her fence gate. She ran like crazy over to us and didn't bark at all. I think she was lonesome. We just stayed a few seconds; Pickles had to go back to sniffing the road.

Overall, we enjoy our walk together. Both of us are always glad to get back home. She can't wait for her biscuit; I'm always glad to see my Leo again.

Amazing Grace

2008-10-19T21:54:00.000-04:00

I went to church today for a total of 4 1/2 hours. And I loved it! This from the original restless one who found it hard to sit in church for an hour.

This is a small, small church. I don't think we have more than 20 people, and half of them are the band - four guitars, one slide guitar, a drummer, a piano/organ/keyboard player, and three singers.

What appeals to me about this church is the honesty, the love shown there and the fact that it is straight Bible preaching.

Well, I'm tired, but in a good way. A lot of that 4 1/2 hours was on my feet, clapping and singing and praising the Lord Jesus!

What ever I want

2008-10-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

This is my new venue for blogging about whatever I want. I really don't have that on my other blogs. So the only "advertising" will be my Lemonade Stands. Hopefully, this will load quicker, too.