Busy Doin' Nothin'

I assure you, that title has nothing to do with me right now, nor does it have anything to do with the photo. But I'll get to that in a minute. It's a very stormy morning here as I write this. When I stepped outside earlier I was surprised at how warm it was. That's not a good sign here in the South. The warmth this close to winter tends to breed tornadoes but they say they don't see any popping up today. Just some strong, straight wind that tends to cull out any slightly less than healthy trees. That's okay. As long as it is not a softwood it'll be good firewood for me.

As I have been busy in the studio these past few days, I've thought a lot of what I wrote about last time. I wonder why things are so different than when I was a child. Now, I never have considered that I had an idyllic childhood, although it wasn't bad, but we always made a point to get together with family back then and we seemed to enjoy it. Honestly, I think. Or maybe that is just how I remember it but we had large gatherings with all our cousins and aunts and uncles. We had the holidays in the winter and family reunions for the summer. Huge affairs so much so that we constructed tables outside under the enormous, ancient canopy of oaks that stand between Mama's house and my grandmother's old house. It offered some relief from our heat. Or, if it wasn't that, we had Sunday afternoon. That was the day for visiting friends or them visiting us. We would all pile in the car and just take off and this was a common practise for everybody. Generally if you rode by someone's house you'd see them outside if they were home (and not out visiting someone else) because back then, people went outside and did stuff. Or they'd just be sittin' on the the porch drinking ice tea and relaxing. We'd stay and talk for a while, usually the kids playing in the yard and everybody enjoyed it. I remember I always enjoyed visiting my Aunt Minnie and Uncle Leonard from my Dad's side of the family. Leonard was Daddy's stepbrother. They had a very neat little farm house with a crystal clear, albeit shallow, creek that ran right alongside the driveway. I thought it was wonderful. Usually, if we went on Sunday, their son Sonny and his wife Sharon would be there too. They were two of those immensely irritating people that just smiled and laughed all time. They never seemed down. And Minnie and Leonard were kind people who would share the fruit from the trees in their back yard and anything else they had if you needed it. They've been gone for some time now and the last time I saw Sonny and Sharon was at my Daddy's funeral seven years ago. They were still smiling.
Of course, much of the reason that these things have faded into the past is simply logistics. Most of my family is dead. I have two uncles left and one aunt. The cousins are mostly all still there but they are spread all over. I have had several 'friend' me on Facebook but then they won't speak to me unless I ask them. I guess they just wanted to see if I was in prison yet. It seems to me that it is more than just not having stuff in common. It seems people's whole attitude has changed. I thought for a while that maybe my family began unraveling after my oldest brother decided to punch his own ticket but I'm not sure that's it. I don't believe we blame each other for that. Maybe our family just wasn't as close as we would have liked to believe. And actually, I do have several things in common with my siblings. My sister and I agree wholeheartedly on natural living and all that. They have chickens and raise a big garden and she makes lots of their stuff. In fact, Rosemary usually gives me several quarts of tomatoes she has canned each year because I haven't gotten that far yet. My brother and I both enjoy art and writing. He has published several books. Yet, they scoff at my refusal to take prescription drugs. They can't for the life of them seem to understand why I won't throw myself into a boatload of debt to finish this house all at once. When my BIL found out I don't shop at Wal-Mart he actually became incensed. I had never seen him get so mad. And of course, Rosemary is pissed that I am seeing Jack. Now, that is no indication of anything wrong with Jack. Rosemary generally despises anyone I date. She finds some flaw in virtually everyone so I just brush it off.
But all of that aside, it just seems that there is a pervading shadow of inconvenience when we get together. It's just all going through the motions and when everybody feels they have done the family thing for long enough we all take off for our respective houses. I wonder is it like that for others? Has technology and our society's attitude changed so much? You know, they have these stupid Wii things now where people can play tennis on TV, inside, instead of actually going outside and actually playing tennis. For real. We substitute a fake game for something that would be fairly easy to do for real. Has all our life become the same way? We email or text or post on Facebook and convince ourselves that we are 'keeping in touch', maintaining a real relationship with our loved ones but find it near to impossible to actually make time to go see them in the flesh. Has a plastic, simulated online persona become preferable to actually standing in front of the person? We peep at each other through the computer screen but shy away from actually seeing the person in the flesh. And people say, oh, we are so busy. I use that excuse myself. Busy doing what? When I was a child and in my region, people often had to raise a garden and animals to get by. It wasn't a fashionable thing or a social statement. Hell, they needed to eat and there is not much that is more important than feeding your family. And yet, we made time to go see people and we seemed to enjoy it.
Now, I enjoy the Internet as much as the next person and I will readily admit to working too much at times and the good ol' days weren't always good as I heard Billy Joel sing once. But I can't help but wonder why, in this time when we have so many technological advantages at our disposal, designed to get and keep us in contact with other people, that we seem to fall further and further out of real contact. Have we swallowed the bilge that advertisers and corporate America has been feeding us for so long, that we actually believe that we need their cellphones, their Ipads, their whatever, in order to have a life? Or is it just me?

The Lucky One

Yes, I do consider myself the 'lucky one' and have reflected on that a bit this Thanksgiving weekend. Most of all I consider myself to be so lucky to be in the position of personal freedom that I have. Free to choose whatever road I might like to travel down and free to use my resources as I choose. I am so grateful to be able to live the natural, self-sufficient life that I am embarking on. And I am grateful to have good friends that share my views, at least to a point, and help me or encourage me when needed.

I hope everyone out there had a great holiday and got to enjoy it with those of your choosing. Of course, I went up to visit family. That went about like normal. Not really much interaction with anybody but Mama. I wonder sometimes why we really get together but I guess everybody feels obligated. I did get to visit with my niece Katie and her boyfriend, who just recently graduated from firefighter school.
Since we were at Mama's house I took a lot of my tools and did some remodeling on her back porch and installed a new screen door. Jack came over and reworked her raised bed that she grows veggies in and installed new edging along the back walkway. He was a great help and we got a lot done. I just find that I have fewer and fewer things in common lately with my family. And they seem to find my lifestyle completely bizarre and unnecessary. Oh well, whatcha going to do? I just go on about my business and have a good time. And it makes me even more grateful I have such a nice place to come home to and to have found someone who sees things the way I do for the most part.


*Allison Kraus and Union Station

The Warmth Of The Sun

Wow, I didn't mean to shock ya'll into speechlessness with that price list! lol! Would you believe I actually discounted those items some to account for shipping charges? My pieces have always been on the more affordable end of the spectrum over the years as I have compared my stuff with other potters. I know one regional potter that is pretty well known here that gets $36 for one mug. One. I don't know but to me, that kinda borders on pretentiousness . I want most people, not just the very wealthy, to be able to enjoy using my work if they like it. And me to still be able to earn a decent wage at it. But that is why I put that disclaimer in there: I know that a lot of people cannot afford or are not willing to pay those prices and that's okay with me.

So, anyway, Jack finished the cold frame and got it in place and on it's foundation. He had the idea to put it up on block or stone in order to save the wood from having a lot of contact with the ground. I just happen to have all these bluestone curbs that came off an old job and they worked out perfect. I had been trying to find some use for them for about 3 years now. Now, I know there are gaps between the stones and those will be filled with concrete. I wasn't so lucky that they worked out to the same dimension as the frame and I didn't want to cut any of them, but it won't take much to dry pack some mortar in the holes and seal it up.

This is a shot of the inside and as you can see, I haven't filled it with soil yet. Hope to do that soon. The soil level will come up just above the stone. That will give me about 6 inches of fresh dirt and we also tilled the ground before we set the frame, so it will be good and loose down to around 12 inches. After the dirt is in I think I will have a bout 12 inches of head space in the back. The frame is 8 feet by about 2 feet. I couldn't find any suitable old storm doors or windows to make the top out of, so I just broke down and bought this piece of clear polycarbonate. It seems sturdy. That was the only thing that cost me a little money. All of the lumber, hinges etc. I or Jack had already. Well, he did also go buy these little metal plates you hammer onto joints. He felt it needed some reinforcement so, since it was his project, I let him go to it and make it the way he wanted. As a result, I think I could also use the coldframe as a bomb shelter. lol! But at least it is sturdy.

I hope everyone here in the States has a great Thanksgiving and that we all truly see all we have to be thankful for. I hope you are able to thoroughly enjoy the bounty brought forth by the earth in your area.

Across the gathering stillness
simply this: "For all that we have received,
dear God, make us truly grateful."

~ Lynn Ungar ~

The Price You Pay

Now, I am only making this post because I have had a few readers request this information. I certainly do not expect my readers to buy all my artwork; that's what websites are for and I am looking into setting up such. But anyway, as I said, a few people wanted this info so I am going to present it for you but I am in no way going to be upset if no one wants to make a purchase. After this post I will just move this page to a link over on the sidebar so it can be accessed easily. Of course, you can click on this photo to enlarge it and get a better view of the stuff.
So, the prices are as follows, although what I have shown here is not all of the pieces that I produce. For example, I don't have any current photos of my casserole dishes.
Starting at the top left and going clockwise are; pie plates, dinnerware set w/ plates and bowls, vase, dessert bowls, serving (left) and mixing (right) bowls, mugs and small condiment bowls.

• dinner plate (9.5” dia.) $24. ea.

• lunch plate (7.5” dia.) 12.

• soup bowl (2.5” x 5.5”) 12.

• salad bowl (1.75” x 8.5”) 14.

• dessert bowl (2.5”x 4.5”) 9.

• mug (10 oz.) 12.

• large mug (14 oz.) 15.

• sm. condiment bowl (2-3” dia.) 3.

• serving or mixing bowls / 3 sizes

1 qt., 1.75 qt. & 2.5 qt. $16., 24. & 40.

• casserole with lid / 3 sizes

1 qt., 1.75 qt. & 2.5 qt. $30., 45. & 70.

• pie plate (10” dia. @ top rim) $27.

I have included a couple of close-ups so you can see some of the little impressions and details I put in the pieces. You can request certain impressions (like this shell) but please allow for some variations in placement and size.
All dimensions given in the list are approximate but I do tend to follow them rather closely. All work is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe, although you must be aware that stoneware will become very hot in a microwave, so handle with care. Do NOT, however, place any piece on the eye of a stove or place frozen food in it and then put the piece in a hot oven.

These are some of the colors available, starting from the top left and going clockwise, Earth Red, Robin's Egg Blue, Oatmeal and Slate Blue. The Slate is a satin finish and the Robin's Egg is a gloss. I do also have a dark brown and black.

This is an example of the seashell detail and oatmeal splashed on the interior of the Earth Red. I will add to this list as I get photos of the other stuff I make.
Thanks for all the interest. I also usually offer two-fer deals and or a small discount for sets of things: like if you wanted a set of 6 dessert bowls. And I will ship according to what you tell me, either Parcel Post or Priority. Usually the Priority Flat Rate is the best deal.

Boogie Oogie Ooogie!!

The firing was a great success!!! Yea!! I'm very happy. Not one bad piece in the bunch. Well, actually I did have one mug that I kinda discarded but not because of an actual fault. I had mixed up a test glaze and it came out fine, technically, but was absolutely one of the ugliest colors I have ever seen. Blecccc!
But the rest came out very nice and so I am encouraged and looking forward to creating more work.

Beatrice (one of my readers) had mentioned having great difficulty finding handmade mugs with good handles and I find I must brag on my handles just a little. I am constantly amazed at some of the god-awful, uncomfortable, awkward mugs and handles some potter produce and some even seem to think the more elaborate the handle, the better it is. I find that to be just the opposite. A mug must feel right, be comfortable in the hand and not harbor any more weight than is necessary in order to be a really good mug. I think most potters just don't want to take the time to learn how to pull a good handle basically, and so create these monstrosities that end up being way too big to fit right. The handle must fit close to the body in order for the mug to be balanced correctly. And I really hate these stupid handles sculpted to look like tree limbs or some asinine crap like that. If you can't pull a decent handle just leave the damn thing off and don't try to cover up that fact with some artsy-fartsy tentacle sticking out there.

Okay, so I'm off my soap box for now. So, ya'll tell me what ya'll think of this glaze. It is a new one I have mixed up but I think it is a little too much on it's own. I used a tan, ash glaze on the exterior and I think the two colors go well together; I guess. I think a slightly darker brown on the outside would look better. Oh, I realize the picture here does not really show the outside well but you can see a little of the color on the rim.

Now I just need to throw like hell and try to produce a good bit of stuff for Christmas. I believe I may try to have a Studio Open House for Christmas and invite some of my former customers and all.

Homegrown

I think Jack and I have been making some progress, albeit small steps, towards producing more food here. He has been experimenting with sprouting seeds, which is pretty cool, and can be done by even apartment dwellers. He came up with this little set-up that fits under the countertop and will hold about 6 quart jars, or 4 quarts and 2 gallons. I like the neat little trays for the water to drain into. The lids have mesh or cheesecloth so the water can pass through easily. The jar closest to this end has alfalfa sprouts, then radish, winter wheat and fenugreek and broccoli. So far, the alfalfa and radish have done the best. In fact, we ate those on salads tonight along with stroganoff I made with deer meat, which I killed last year. We also had homegrown tomatoes and local onions in the stroganoff. The sprouts were very tasty and they are really healthy for you. They can also be added to soups and slaw and the larger sprouts can be used in stir-frys.
Do any of you sprout seeds and if so, which are your favorites??

The cabbage and broccoli are doing good. This is cabbage in the front, broccoli in the background. If all my cabbage plants do well I may try my hand at some homemade kraut this year.

I finally got around to planting my garlic today but it's still regularly in the 60's and 70's here, so I think they will be fine. I believe I planted somewhere around 50-60 cloves. These are planted on about 4-6 inch centers, which some might say is a little close, but hey, what the heck. I need to pack stuff in where I can. I added some bone meal and more compost to the area so I'm hoping these really do well. I go through a good bit of garlic with cooking and pickling, especially with Jack here now.

We also discovered a bit of a surprise in the garden today. We were out there prepping the area for the cold frame and Jack asked me why I had not picked all the fruit before the last cold spell. I said what??? There wasn't any fruit growing in the garden. Oh, yes there was too. He went over to this one overgrown little spot, which I thought was the remnants of a cucumber vine. He pulled back the dead grass and low and behold, there were scads of these things on the ground!

I had to laugh in amazement. Back in the summer I had bought an African Horned Melon from the grocery store and upon getting it home, discovered it really wasn't that good. So, I ditched the remains in the garden for compost. I never thought about it seeding itself. But wow, did it ever! There were probably a dozen or more of these bizarre and very prickly fruits. Unfortunately, they really are not very good. Mostly seed and a rather bland taste. They are cool to look at though. However, they do turn bright yellow when ripe and I thought they would be good for self defense. You sock somebody in the head with one of these babies and it would probably get their attention. The thorns on them are very sharp.

So, tomorrow morning I get to open the kiln on a glaze firing, so ya'll keep your fingers crossed for me. It would really be nice to have a great firing.


*Neil Young

Stuck

Gaaaaaaackkkkk! Ugh, I feel like I am stuck in the worst combination of writers' block and just mental disorganization. I guess I've got so many projects going on at once around here that I literally can't think straight, much less form any kind of sensible writing. I have at least, been trying to focus on my studio and the goings on there this week and I have limited my gardening to after 'work' hours or the weekends. I am trying to maintain actual studio hours like it's a job. Because it kinda is, if I am going to try to make any money at it. So, one project is to lay up this small block wall in the basement. I may not have shown many photos of my basement/ studio but it is not a full basement. The concrete floor exists only in half of the space. The rest is storage over dirt floor. Anyway, this little knee wall will divide these spaces and give me a clean, defined edge for the working area. I am going to backfill with gravel and then pour a little concrete pad on top, which I then will install metal shelving on top of. I am in great need of shelving to organize my tools and hardware. This will also give me a little more space because now those shelves sit out on the concrete floor. Now, I ain't no block mason, so don't be dissing on my block work. It is functional but it ain't purty. It is fairly straight though. After I laid the first course I drilled the floor about every other cell and drove in rebar to anchor the wall. I then laid the next course and will fill each cell with concrete.

I have also been throwing as regularly as I can, in between all the other stuff I've been doing. This is the bisque load that came out this morning. I spent most all day today glazing and getting ready to fire again tomorrow. I felt like I was really making some progress but as I was cleaning up this evening and putting the glazes away, I came to a very discouraging realization. I have two glazes, a slate blue and an oatmeal, that look almost identical in their liquid states and.....yes, I had mixed them up, thinking that I had glazed certain pieces in one color when in fact, it was the other color. Now, had these only been glazed in that one color, it wouldn't be much of a big deal. But no, I like to mix colors and double dip some stuff for effect. So, the secondary colors I used, that go well with one glaze, don't necessarily go with the other glaze. And it goes on and on. One glaze must be applied thinly etc. Blah, blah, blah. Bottom line, I get to wash all that glaze off the pieces in question and start over. Damn.

So, anyway, other things are going well. Jack is experimenting with sprouting seeds for eating and I'll show that soon. He is also building the coldframe for me. He kinda fusses about actually building anything for me because I think, he thinks, I'm going to criticize his work, seeing that I am a carpenter, but as long as it holds together and looks halfway reasonable, I am okay with it.
And I think he came up with a good idea for the foundation of the coldframe.

Too Soon To Tell

There's a lot more pottery back in the shadows that you can't see; I've been trying to turn out a fair amount this past week. I've been fairly pleased with what I've been making but am still unsure how this is going to go.
I read today that one of Birmingham's oldest and best known art galleries, that specialized in Alabama artists, is going out of business citing the worsening economy. This will be the second one this year as another well-known and long time gallery went out months ago. Several artists I know personally that used to be able to support themselves solely on their art, have had to pick up other jobs this year. And these are really talented people, not half-ass 'artists' painting ducks with ribbons around their necks or some crap. Helluva time to be launching a new art business. Of course, mine isn't all new. I still have something of a clientele. And the Internet lets artists reach many, many more people. But....things are still very shaky and all reports I read indicate things may get worse with food costs going way up. I went grocery shopping today and was shocked to see what coffee is now going for.
I guess I'm still going to give it a try though. If I can get my garden in full production mode that will help a lot, to produce much of my own food. Heck, I might could grow enough of some things to sell a little and getting some chickens will help a great deal also. Jack cut down a couple of damaged trees for me to make way for a chicken coop and yard and even cleaned up the area, taking the wood to the splitting area and hauling off the limbs. For a city boy not used to such work, he sure is working awfully hard. He's taken to the chainsaw and axe very well, even though he loves to complain that I'm a slave driver. We've been looking over some coop designs lately and now I need to go through my accumulated materials and just see what I've got that could be used for the chickens. Let me just say their coop is probably going to be quite 'eclectic'. But fun!
Well, off to bed now. It's rainy and cool here tonight, so perfect snugly sleeping weather.


*Bonnie Raitt

How Bizzare

I have been meaning to put this photo up for some time as I found this about a month ago. Right before Jack and I went out to Arizona, I noticed this yellow jacket nest in the ground one day as we were experimenting with putting up his tent. It seemed large as there were lots of the little buggers going in and out of the hole but thankfully, they did not bother us. I made a mental note to dispose of them when we got back because they had built right near the clothes line and it would be my luck to get them riled up just hanging out clothes. Well, after we got back I was out doing a little yard work one day and noticed this big hole in the ground. Upon investigation I surmised that armadillos had dug the nest up and eaten most of it. I don't know of any other critter that could have managed that without being stung so bad they would have run away. I had noticed in the previous months that armadillos had been digging here and there in the yard but I don't bother them. They are only after grubs, which turn into Japanese beetles among other things, so I let them have at it. Well, apparently they like grubs of all kinds because they had completely decimated this yellow jacket nest. I found pieces of it strewn all over the yard. I guess they picked it apart to get out the larvae. There were also lots of dead adult yellowjackets lying in the hole.
I know many people despise the ol' dillers but I don't mind them; same with the moles that lots of people drive themselves crazy trying to run off. They do make little holes or mounds here and there but I've never had them destroy many plants like a lot of people claim they do. An occasional veggie victim here and there but to me, the pests they eat are worth a few uprooted plants on a rare occasion. Most everyone else around me has horrible problems with Japanese beetles and such but I rarely see more than a handful around my house and I can pick them off by hand and squash them. And now that I know the 'dillers eat yellowjacket nests, well, they are greatly welcome to root around a little. I had a heckuva time trying to eradicate one nest last year the the bees had dug right in the middle of a trail I frequent to the spring. I tried several bombs and sprays and don't know that I really succeeded but these ol' possums on a half shell made short work of them it seems! Saves me money and aggravation. The only thing better would be if they would eat fire ants too! I think Nature itself will often provide for it's own control and management if we would just let it, no chemicals needed.

Get It While You Can

Ya'll know I don't care much for the Big Box stores but I do shop at Lowe's at times and the one near me is having a clearance sale on a lot of their trees and such and I thought some of you might be interested. I was kinda shocked to see they had all their fruit trees marked 50% off, so I snapped up 2 plum trees and another apple. Now, of course, I'm sure it depends on the store in your area. Many of them might not even have plants but I thought if this one did, maybe some in your area might. These are healthy, 3 gal. trees, over 6 feet tall and I got them for $9.95 each. I thought it was a good deal. When I planted them I was happy to see that they were not root bound also, so these trees appear in good health and will not be stunted.

I also got 3 perennial flowers (the yellow ones, upper right) for $2.00 each and 6" mums for $.25. Yes, twenty-five cents each. Now, yes, these look kinda ragged and the flowers are faded but I plant them and mulch them good for the winter and next year they come up fine. The red one in the front is one I got on special last year. It grew well over the summer and bloomed like crazy this fall. Now, I know you can't eat mums and a lot of people prefer to focus on food-producing crops right now but I think we all need some pretty things to look at too.

The rest of this is just a few more gratuitous fall foliage shots. Some of the maples around here are so beautiful this year. This is one right off from the deck and I can't wait until it's bigger.

I'm still throwing and trying to be productive around here and hopefully I will have more to show ya'll lately. It seems like I have 20 million projects going on and just need to finish one! Well, time to get going. Hope the weather is as great for you all as it is here.


*Janis Joplin

Summer Moved On

And with it have come some changes to things around here. The frost bitten tomatoes and peppers have been pulled up and cabbage and broccoli planted. I believe the cabbage should do well, the broccoli I'm not so sure of. Never really grown that before so I don't really know what I'm doing. I hope to get some spinach planted soon also and a cold frame built in order to have lettuce and maybe some green onions through the winter.

The figs have been mulched heavily and put to bed. They had fruit this year but it never ripened. I hope that changes next year. I love fresh figs.

The lavender has been weeded, given a haircut and new starts transplanted. The two plants on the far left are the cuttings I took off the first plant and sprouted using the willow water. I would have had three more had I not been lazy and made sure they didn't dry out when they were just getting started.

Much produce has been dried and put up. Here is apples, if I can stop munching on them, onions, lemon zest and more of those dang cayenne peppers. Oh, and some new lavender cuttings soaking in new willow water.

And I even started throwing again. Not a huge start but I am making progress. It's getting time to really kick it in high gear though.
I am feeling better at times but am still having down times. Last night was rough but I am optimistic that things will continue to improve overall.

Winner

I have not forgotten about the drawing we were supposed to have! I'm still not feeling real sporty but I am doing better and have been meaning to post a little anyway. So, my niece and her boyfriend came down over the weekend and I remembered that I needed to have this drawing. Drew is real outgoing kinda guy so he graciously volunteered to do the honors and have his photo put up here showing the results. So....drumroll please!........

And the winner is Hermit Jim!!! And yes, in case anybody is wondering, Jim's name only went in the pot once, just like everybody else! So, email me at edificerex@hotmail.com Jim with your info and address and I'll send the CDs on to you. Congratulations!

In other news I have been getting a little done around here and hope to have some pictures to show of it soon. I've been doing some major organizing and working in my clay studio in order to get that stuff going again. I should be able to start throwing again this week.
I've also gotten some work done in the garden with a few crops planted for fall and winter. Jack has been a great help around here chopping wood and doing the worst of the clean up in the garden, amongst other things. It really makes a big difference to have a second pair of hands I'll tell you. It makes the day go more enjoyable and you can often actually tell you got some stuff done at the end of the day.

Ain't Nothin' But A She Thing

So I went in today and had that small procedure done that I told ya'll about last week. I certainly hope that it helps my back and other pain I was having. I'm not going to go into details about what they did because all the women will cringe and draw up and ya'll guys might run away and never come back! Anyway, it was supposed to go quickly and easily, so they don't normally give you anything for pain. So, it didn't go so quickly or easily. The doctor had a little trouble completing the procedure and was afraid he was really going to hurt me, given I had not been numbed. I told him I was okay (well, I lied a little but I wanted to get it over with) so he tried for a third time and was able, thank God!, to finish. Had he not, he said we would have had to go up to surgery and let them put me under.
So, all of that to say that I might lay low for a day or two. I had to take some pain meds and I always get loopy and sleepy when I take something like that. But if I don't answer comments or so I'm still okay...just sleeping or resting.
However, "I'll be back." I said that with my best Arnold voice. And hopefully I'll be back better than ever and really show ya'll some work getting done!


*Salt-N-Pepa

Spooky

I guess you can tell by the look on Grendal's face that she was not really happy about posing for this Halloween photo. I'm not sure why...she normally gets a kick out of pictures but maybe she was mad because I didn't get her a good costume! lol! I had to bribe her with kitty treats to get just a few photos.

Anyhoo, I hope you all have a nice All Hallow's Eve, however you choose to observe it, if at all. If nothing else it's a good time to enjoy this harvest time with warm, comforting food and friends.


*there have been several versions of this song.

Fight For Your Right

I recently ran across this article over at Homesteading Neophyte's and was disturbed enough to want to share this. Our government is apparently on a mission to control all of our food and destroy all small, local farmers. Please check this article and information out and contribute if you are able and feel inclined. They will not stop unless we resist. I, for one, refuse to get my food from nasty, drug-laden factory farms anymore and these small dairies and farms are increasingly becoming a major target for the FDA. Money talks you know, and Corp. Food and Big Pharma yell the loudest apparently.
Please share this and get involved before they take away all our rights to even feed ourselves.

*The Beastie Boys

Life In Technicolor

I realized very late last night that the title of the last post I made was appearing on several of ya'lls blogrolls, depending on how you have your settings. (For some just the title of the blogs appear.) I didn't think about that when I made the post and immediately chastised myself for doing that. I know I have several religious people that read and link to my blog and you probably don't want such language appearing on your page. I apologize for this oversight and will try not to let that happen again. Sorry.
It did however, cause referral hits to my blog to almost double. lol! Maybe next time I'll title one "Great Big Knockers" or some such! Ha! just kidding....

As is usually the case, things have improved and I am not in such a horrible mood. You know how it often is that when things seem to be going really well, something else will come in and try to cause it all to go straight down the crapper. But, like I said, things are better now.


*Coldplay

Crazy Bitch

Well, this is certainly a night for the Halloween season. Storms moved in this afternoon, reflecting the overall mood that pervades this place. At one point lightning illuminated the house on regular intervals. A light show specific to solar houses; especially those that don't have curtains. Even with many of the windows open, the air is still thick and heavy. Not much of a breeze blowing despite the foul weather.
I think I shall name this land The Valley Of Misfit Things (a homage to The Isle Of Misfit Toys) and I will be Queen MoonRacer. Queen of all Fucked Up Things. I will scour all of the local animal shelters and only take in creatures that are deformed like me. You know, 3-legged dogs, 3-legged chickens.... beings that no one else wants. And I will take care of them and give them a full life. Well, the chickens might eventually go in the freezer but they will be happy up until then. Makes sense to me. We can relate to each other. You know, animals seem to understand things about people even though they can't speak. It won't matter to them the way I am. They will be my children since I can't have my own. They will be my companions since I don't know how to maintain such a human relationship.
And Grendal can be Second-in-Command! I may even make her a little hat to wear! She would probably get a kick out of that. Now I must go and ready the projectile turtles and man-eating goats*. (long time readers know) Even I have sense enough to know when I'm whipped.

Quiet Times

Hey folks! I'm still around. Things have been a little slow around here but I have managed to get a few things done. Jack and I worked in the garden some more (mostly Jack) clearing overgrowth and brambles and have actually got it in pretty good shape. I have started the new layout and sectioning for the area but don't have any pics for you as I misplaced my camera. I think I left it in Jack's truck but I will get some new photos up when I get the camera back. I also planted cabbage and broccoli after amending the soil a bit more. That seems a never-ending chore. I may ask my next door neighbor, who rents her pasture out for cattle, if I can do some poop scooping around the barn. Aged cow manure is great for the garden and yes, I will make sure it is well aged.
I am installing a gravel walkway around the perimeter of the garden with the planting area sectioned up into quarters. I believe this will help me keep it in better order and make it easier to control weeds.
Lately though, I have been in kind of a funk again, due to a great extent to having some real issues with my back. It's not so much my back but another internal problem that is causing pressure on my back. Long time readers know I have an abnormality with an organ and an issue with this is causing some severe lower inflammation, which is affecting my back. I went to the doctor this past week and have decided to have a small procedure next week that I believe will relieve the problem. For now, regular doses of a prescription anti-inflammatory are keeping it manageable but I abhor such drug use and don't want to continue doing that.
It may be quiet around here until I get to feeling better but I will try to continue to post some. I have been feeling quite isolated here lately also, so I don't want to disappear all together. I enjoy the contact with my readers, distant though it is. So many people my age, or thereabouts, have families and are super busy with them, so it's hard for a single person to socialize with them. Of course, I'm rather used to spending time alone though, so it's not a great hardship.
I'll be back soon.

I Shoulda Known

Ha! The office called today about me coming back to work. Seems they have something of an 'artsy' type project they feel would be something just for me. Actually, it sounds interesting and possibly something that would be fun. The general superintendent also mentioned that after I complete that project, one of the other supers has been asking about getting me on his newly started job. Blah. And to top it off, the job is in downtown Birmingham. Not a fun place to work. But, we'll see. None of it may come to be anyway.
In other, more important news, I have almost completed the clerestory area. Just a tad more touch up on the paint and install a little metal trim on the roof.

This shot better shows the newly sided end, although that bright spot blocks out how well the siding matched up between sides. Oh well, you get the idea. I did a real good cleaning on the windows also and removed the screens, which are on the inside of this type window. They are dark colored screens and I thought it might possibly give me a slight bit more solar gain if they were not there. The sunshine does seem brighter inside the house and those windows won't be open now anyway, so no screens are needed.


The local farmers' market is closing this week so I made one run there yesterday and picked up a few things to put up for the winter. I am drying some onions now, per Karl's example, and will probably get some more. You are right Karl, dried, those things are like candy! I also put up some green beans and have several pounds of apples to dry or put up some other way. From what I have been reading lately I believe we may experience some really high food prices this winter in the grocery stores, so I am trying to stock up on some stuff now, while the prices are good. There were so many problems with many countries wheat and corn harvests this year that many things could be affected. You have to keep in mind that much grain is used for livestock feed, not just our consumption as bread products, so the price of meat, milk and eggs, etc. could go way up.
While I was putting up food and cooking a really nice dinner, Mouser Jack cleaned the garden up for me. I know, it still looks like shit but that is because I let it go so long, not because he didn't do a better job. I actually have two tomato plants that are still producing and two cayenne pepper plants that may never stop! Those things are the most prolific plants I have ever seen. As a matter of fact, if anyone would like some seeds from these cayenne just email me with your address and I'd be happy to send you some. I'm not sure the exact variety but they are very robust to say the least.
My blueberries and raspberries are still doing well it seems although I had one of my best apple trees to die suddenly a couple of weeks ago. Not sure what happened there but I need to replace it pronto. I really want to have some producing fruit trees as soon as possible. The garden needs some major work soon because I have some cabbage and broccoli starts that need planting, along with maybe some spinach and lettuce. I really want to try to keep some crops going all year around and with our relatively mild winters I believe I should be able to. If I can keep my brain focused on it.
Well, I didn't mean to babble on this much but anyway, that's the deal! lol! There town is having it's annual Covered Bridge Festival tomorrow so Jack and I are going to hit that for a while and see what's up and maybe roam around looking for some yard sales.

Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?

Alright folks, ya''ll can be honest with me....I know my posts lately have been just absolutely boring as hell. I know it, I know it. *sigh* I've just seem to have had a lot on my mind since returning from out west and I've had a heckuva time trying to put those thoughts into words. There are many things that concern me right now and many things that I feel may not need to be put off much longer.
Of course, work is a concern but that may have answered itself. I have heard through the grapevine that the company has gotten a couple of new jobs but whether or not I will be called back remains to be seen. It doesn't look real promising and the issues with my back may help persuade me to seek another way to make a living. In the past I have made a decent living off my art and this may be possible again. Maybe. The economy was in much better shape back then but, on the other hand, the exposure of the Internet was not as available either. I have just seen so many people put off living their life the way they really wanted to in order to work some other job just a little longer, or until they had a certain number of years or whatever and then right about the time they achieved whatever, they dropped dead or something else came up and they never got to do what they really wanted to.
Perhaps I have always fallen back to construction because I fear I will not succeed as an artist or fear the amount of self-promotion that will require. There is a certain amount of comfort in what you already know.
However, I really feel this 'now or never' kinda mood over me. I'm no spring chicken as Daddy Rabbit has reminded me. How long am I going to justify putting off what I claim to be what I want? Did that make sense?

I am thinking more and more these days also, that a more self-sufficient life may be quite prudent. Things are not going well for our country, I don't care what the government or media keeps telling us. Now, I do not consider myself to be a 'doomer' or some such but I do consider myself realistic. The repeated incidents of food supply contamination along with the mounting power of Corp. Food and Big Pharma leaves me a little more than wary of store-bought food and any other industry that claims to have our best interests in mind. I don't want those people dictating what I eat and I don't want to participate in the continuing suffering of animals raised under big corporation standards. Or lack of standards I should say. I've bitched and ranted about all kinds of stuff on here and feel that it is way past time to make a concerted effort to live out what I talk about. I have the resources and I can do better than what I have been doing. Things will not change for us socially or economically until we get involved and quit allowing ourselves to be herded like sheeple to the slaughter. Big Corp. owns our country now and I don't want any part of it. It's going to be a tremendous amount of work for me to turn this place into a working farm but I feel that is what I need to do. Perhaps I will have some help; perhaps not, but it doesn't really matter. As many of us who can need to work against what is happening to our food, our health and happiness.