Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

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Every Monday, I post a painting “inspiration.” Every Thursday, I post how I interpreted the inspiration. I decided to do this to keep myself painting, to strengthen how I go from an idea to a painting, and to give myself permission to play and try new things.

This week’s inspiration was JOY.

If you’re looking at this picture thinking, “What does this have to do with joy?” I have no answer. In my head, I had a more “joyful” face in mind, but this is the face that turned up.

How to be HAPPY!

Every Thursday, Jay of The Depp Effect, posts something that makes her happy, and I’m playing along. She encourages us to look around and notice the things that make us happy. I enjoy this challenge because it makes me consider the things that make me happy, but are easily overlooked. It’s a wonderful exercise in attention and gratitude. Please grab the badge and join in.

Here’s something that makes me happy…MY COUNTRY.

Since today is July 4th, Independence Day, I must say that being an American makes me happy.

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I’m going to spend the next few weeks (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) writing about the road trip I took with my mom and one of my sisters. I love going to different destinations, and it’s also fun stopping along the way.

One of my favorite stops along the way is Cracker Barrel.

Cracker Barrel is always a treat because they not only offer country cookin’…they all have a cool gift shop.

The first Cracker Barrel opened in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Today, there are over 600 stores in 42 states.

Another roadside stop that I remember as a kid was Stuckey’s. I didn’t think Stuckey’s was around any more, so when I saw this sign in Pelham, Tennessee, I had to check it out.

From the late 1930’s to the early 1970’s, Stuckey’s was a popular stopping place known for souvenirs, cold drinks, hot snacks, and pecan candy.

In the late 1970’s, Stuckey’s was purchased by a large corporation and of the 350-plus locations operating in their heyday, the number dropped to fewer than 75.

It looks like Stuckey’s may be coming back. They currently have over 200 locations spanning 19 states.

What is your favorite place to stop when you’re traveling?

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Freedom, Casper and Nikki were very excited to be asked by Chewy.com to review Orijen Free Range Bison Dog Treats. So, pups, what did you all think about them?

Freedom: These treats are made in Canada and are 100% pure bison treats… no additives, no preservatives and no hormones. They are only 7 tiny calories, so I can eat them and maintain my lovely figure. I give them an A+.

Casper: I like that they are grain-free and are a single-ingredient treat that is great for dogs with food-related allergies. When I eat them, I pretend like I took the bison down myself. It makes the treats taste even yummier. A+ from me too.

Nikki: I like how they are good for all stages of an adult dog’s life and are good for all breeds. Oh, and the resealable bag that keeps the treats fresh is super nice too. My first choice of a treat would be that sneaky rabbit that keeps coming in our backyard, but my second choice of a treat is definitely the Orijen Free Range Bison Dog Treats. I give them an A+ too.

It’s unanimous…Orijen Free Range Bison Dog Treats get the Freedom, Casper and Nikki stamp of approval.

Thank you, Chewy.com for asking us to do this review. Freedom, Casper and Nikki received a free bag of Orijen Free Range Bison Dog Treats for doing this review, but the opinions expressed are strictly Freedom, Casper and Nikki’s.

You can follow Chewy.com on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Here’s what’s happening in my studio:

This Week’s Inspiration

In 2013, I’m doing Inspiration Mondays and Results Thursdays. Every Monday, I’ll post a painting “inspiration” and then on Thursdays, I’ll post how I’m interpreting that inspiration.

Last week’s inspiration was from The Typist (Georgia’s momma) of Little Dogs On Long Leashes…SCHOOL DAYS.

This week’s inspiration is…JOY.

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I working my way through the book, SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life by Julie Morgenstern.

The idea behind the book is that “SHED is a transformative process for letting go of things that represent the past so you can grow and move forward. The four steps of SHED (Separate the Treasures, Heave the Trash, Embrace Your Identity, Drive Yourself Forward) provide a framework for proactively managing change, transition, and the feeling of being stuck and unsure. By releasing the defunct, extraneous, and burdensome objects and obligations that are weighing you down, you create the space to discover what’s next and gather the energy and courage to move forward.”

Last week, I came up with my theme. The theme is a “broad goal or feeling; an overarching simple expression of the adventure you’d like to be on.” My theme is Caring, Artistic & Free.

This week, my “assignment” was to examine three areas of my life and decide where to start the SHED process. The first area was my physical space; the second area was my time; the third area was bad habits.

You can begin in any area, but Julie recommends starting with your physical space because it is tangible and by clearing physical clutter, you give yourself a good foundation for navigating the trickier areas of time and bad habits. I’m going to take that advice.

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Every Saturday, I share my weekly Artist Date.

I mentioned last Saturday that I was on a road trip with my mom and one of my sisters. We had a wonderful time, so I’m going to take the next few Saturdays to tell you about some of the places we visited. I decided to write about these stops as Artist Dates because they were very inspiring.

Our first stop was Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, located less than 30 miles from Lexington, Kentucky.

The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, also known as the Shakers because of their ecstatic worship style, formed in 18th-century England.

In 1774, Ann Lee, a leader in the Shaker movement, and eight other members emigrated to America. The Shakers saw themselves as preparing the way for the new era when God’s will was done on earth. As such, the Shakers believed in no boundaries of gender, social class, or education, Christ-like deportment, simplicity, utility, perfection, communal property and celibacy

The Shakers built 19 settlements in America from Maine to Kentucky and attracted just under 17,000 members. Shakers acquired new members through conversion and the adoption of orphans. Pleasant Hill was the third largest community with 500 members.

The Pleasant Hill settlement began in 1805. Over a 105 year span, the Shakers of Pleasant Hill constructed more than 260 structures and their land holding reached approximately 4500 acres. By 1910, the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill closed its doors as an active religious society. The last Shaker of Pleasant Hill, Sister Mary Settles, died in 1923. Pleasant Hill became a small country town called Shakertown until historic restoration began in 1961. 34 of the original 260 buildings remain.

We started by touring the Centre Family Dwelling. Guides and craftsmen and craftswomen are available all over the village to tell you about the Shakers, the village and Shaker life.

We saw demonstrations of weaving, woodworking and broommaking.

We had lunch at the Trustees’ Office Dining Room. It was elegant, beautiful and delicious.

Our visit was a short one, so we just got a taste of Shaker Village. I would love to go back and spend a few days there.

Today, only one community exists with Shakers in residence. It is near Lewiston, Maine, at Sabbathday Lake and has four remaining residents.

If you’d like to read more about the Shakers, the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill website has some great reading.

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Every Friday, I share a poem. Friday is also the day I post a prompt of something you can do to make the world a kinder place. I call this the Kind is Kool challenge.

I offer both the poem and the kindness challenge without any obligation, so “Comments” are turned off every Friday. Enjoy.

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Sleep

Come to me soft-eyed sleep,
With your ermine sandalled feet;
Press the pain from my troubled brow
With your kisses cool and sweet;
Lull me with slumbrous song,
Song of your clime, the blest,
While on my heavy eyelids
Your dewy fingers rest.

Come with your native flowers,
Heartsease and lotus bloom,
Enwrap my weary senses
With the cloud of their perfume;
For the whispers of thought tire me,
Their constant, dull repeat,
Like low waves throbbing, sobbing,
With endless, endless beat.

Marietta Holley

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Kind is Kool Challenge

Week 25 Challenge – Donate to an organization or cause you’ve never donated to before.

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Every Monday, I post a painting “inspiration.” Every Thursday, I post how I interpreted the inspiration. I decided to do this to keep myself painting, to strengthen how I go from an idea to a painting, and to give myself permission to play and try new things. For the next several weeks, I’m taking my inspiration from the great ideas you sent me.

This week’s inspiration comes from The Typist (Georgia’s momma) of Little Dogs On Long Leashes…SCHOOL DAYS.

Some changes I have in mind…lighter hair color, some embellishment(s) on the dress (pockets, buttons, etc.) and highlights on the branches and balls.

How to be HAPPY!

Every Thursday, Jay of The Depp Effect, posts something that makes her happy, and I’m playing along. She encourages us to look around and notice the things that make us happy. I enjoy this challenge because it makes me consider the things that make me happy, but are easily overlooked. It’s a wonderful exercise in attention and gratitude. Please grab the badge and join in.

Here’s something that makes me happy…MYSTERY STORIES.

My first introduction to mystery stories was Nancy Drew. I pretty much love them all…cozies, police procedurals, hard boiled, soft boiled, gothic…all of them. Do you have a favorite mystery book or author? If so, I’d love to hear about them. I’m always looking for something new to love.

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Here’s what I read the last three months:

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

This is the first Kate Morton book I’ve read, and it was her debut novel. The main story is set in England between the wars, but the story is told in flashbacks by a woman who witnessed the action and kept a secret all her life. I enjoyed this story immensely and will read more of Kate Morton’s books. If you are intrigued by this era, are a fan of Downton Abbey or enjoy the upstairs/downstairs way of life, you would most likely enjoy this book. I know I did.

Tinkers by Paul Harding

Tinkers won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2010. It’s a short book at 191 pages, and if you liked the books you read in English Literature classes, you will probably enjoy it. George Washington Crosby is dying. As he drifts in and out of consciousness, his memories intertwine with those of his father and his mother. The language is beautiful and often poetic as it explores the themes of life and death and what lies in between. This is not an easy read. It has a disjointed quality as it follows George’s dreams and hallucinations, but the images and ideas are vivid and thought-provoking. I imagine this is a book that is even better with every reading. I enjoyed it very much.

A Fine Place for Death by Ann Granger

I listened to this book on audio. When two young girls are brutally slain in the English market town of Bamford, one the heiress to one of Bamford’s oldest aristocratic families, Inspector Alan Markby and his pal Meredith Mitchel search for the murderer. A Fine Place for Death is the sixth book in the Markby & Mitchell Village Whodunit Series. I loved the characters and the setting, but the “mystery” was not satisfying. Perhaps if I started with the first book and read through to this one, I would have enjoyed it more.

Conversations with Woo by Meg Trafford

I haven’t read many pet books. I have mixed emotions about them. On the one hand, I enjoy reading about another person’s special relationship with their pets, something I can relate to since I have pets I love dearly. On the other hand, I always feel slightly uneasy because just like with kids, pet parents have strong opinions about the way they raise and care for their pets. If you completely align with a particular author, I imagine you feel great about the book. If you hold different opinions, you feel a bit uncomfortable.

That being said, I enjoyed reading Conversations with Woo. Meg speaks openly and honestly about her life and the part pets have played in it. Her relationship with her pups, particularly Woo, chronicles a beautiful love story and she shares many of the life lessons they taught her. I read this book very quickly, which is a testament to the author’s writing and not to my reading speed. If you like to read pet books, this is a wonderful pick.

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This week, I lost two Blogville friends.

Maggie made frequent appearances on Sue’s blog, Graceful Greyhounds. Maggie was Sue’s dad’s Staffie and faithful friend to Song and Polly. I fell in love the first time I saw her sweet, dear face.

Blueberry was one of the first Greyhounds I met in Blogville when I started reading Tales and Tails. She was sister to Bunny, Morgan and Kuster.

If you would like to leave a condolence message, you may do so here for Maggie and here for Blueberry.

Heaven is richer and we are poorer with the passing of these two darlings. Rest in peace, Maggie and Blueberry.

I ONLY WANTED YOU

They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.

A million times I needed you,
a million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.

If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I’d walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.

Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same.
But as we are called one by one,
the chain will link again.

Author Unknown