Coffee gives me a jump

I have to have coffee in the morning, sometimes I have two cups, sometimes one cup. This morning I had two cups and was wired up and raring to go. I enjoy drinking coffee from this very old cup with scenery of the cowboy riding off. It's a Tepco cup and I only have two of these cups, but they are my favorite. Heavy, thick cups like they had in restaurants back in the day.

So after drinking coffee and just kicking back with the art journal, she appeared. She seems to have dark skin, coffee like and actually has eyes that look as though she is wired up. Maybe she drank my coffee. I decided to call this painting in my art journal:

"WIRED"

I took another picture of her and then adjusted the skin color with my software program and then changed my mind and just gave it the sunset look with the scene effects on my Kodak software program.

HAVE A GREAT WEDNESDAY!

Some Pix from Lavender Farm

Hi EveryOne! Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and once again we thank our men and women who protect us and our country. God Bless Them! I meant to post this earlier but have been gone all day.

In any event here are some of the pix from the Lavender Farm. It's only 17 pix. I took too many pictures and  just couldn't upload them all. So I guess you could call this slide a "teaser." Tee Hee! Have a great week.

Shopping for "Stuff" On Wednesday

Like I said on Wednesday, when husband is home we go out to eat and shop. He likes to buy "things," whether for himself or me, he just likes to spend money. Well he works, so he has a right to treat himself.

I try hard to stay within our budget and do, but when he is home, temptation sets in and I become him.

Tee Hee.

He bought himself what he needed for yard work and I bought him a rose bush. A very nice one. I wanted to take a pix of it but I'm not sure where he took it to. It might be out in back some where. He hasn't planted it yet.

This is my latest "binge." Statues for the garden.

I plan on painting this one. Not sure when,  but it will come to fruition.

This one is already painted so I will paint the white one,  the same colors this statue is.

Then I had to get a Buddha. Seems like all my blogger buddies have one and so a Buddha will now reside out in back as soon as the right place is found.

He is called the "Laughing Buddha" as a nickname,  but is Budai as Wikpedia explains.

Not sure where this happy go lucky creature who was happy with his meager possessions will go, but wherever he goes, I'm sure the garden will feel his laughter, as I will.

I did find a place for him.

This is my latest statue. She is beautiful

I have lots of pictures of the Lavender Farm and it was excellent. We were there for about 4 hours and I came home with about 6 pots of lavender. All were culinary and different types and two were not for culinary purposes although it won't hurt you if you do make a tea. The two are just a tad bit bitter according to the grower. I'll upload pix during the week. Have a great week!

Just fine except for......

Just to let everyone know that I am fine after my fall. Thank you for asking, I appreciate it. My wrists are sore, that's about all.  The only thing I need is to lose weight after viewing this picture taken this morning. I mean look at me, at least 10 to 15 pounds overweight. I've been eating too darn much. Time to lose it. Help me, help me, help me!! Tee Hee. I'll start riding my bike, going on the treadmill, exercising more than half an hour, I promise, I promise.

Hey, can I have some of your candy?? I like licorice, do you?

The Lavender Farm in Escalon

Thank you very much for your very nice comments on my PPF post. I appreciate it and it's always fun.


We've been at this farm before but it's so much fun to go when the season opens. It's a short season and only runs till the end of June 26 or 29th., I believe. So we plan in advance to make the 30/45 min trip. It's all country on the way over there so that makes it very nice. I do plan on bringing some lavender home with me and whatever else looks good.


Lunch at the farm this coming weekend with lavender surrounding us. On the menu will be:

On Sunday’s 11am until 2pm in cooperation with Leonardo’s Café of Escalon we will be serving a Lavender catered Lunch while supplies last. Lunch will include: Lavender Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast, Field Greens with a Lavender Vinaigrette and Feta, Roll with Lavender Butter, Lavender Lemon Bar and Lavender Iced Tea or Bottled Water

This is where we will be this coming Sunday the 29th. So looking forward to it.

Pictures are by Lavender Hollow Farm

Ah the scent fills the air::sniff::sniff::
HAVE A WONDERFUL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, TAKE CARE. 5/27

Paint Party Friday #11

I'm posting my PPF early so I can go to bed. I was outside right now watching someone using a tractor on the field across the street,  and I turned around to come back in, tripped and fell down. Ouch!! I'm taking a hot shower and going to bed. I'll get to your PPF posts tomorrow.
*************
I'm sure we have all painted on a journal page and have it seep through where the image is visible on the other side. That's what happened here.

Journal page with a lady whose page happens to have another lady on the other side. It so happened that the lady on the previous page, one on the left with the black hair and unibrow,  transferred it's image onto the page on the the other side, so I just painted it again but with a slightly different look. I didn't add much water to the paint so as to avoid seeping through again.

 

I don't believe I was ever supposed to really be introduced to this world. Did she, the other side,  just "rub" off on me? I didn't ask to be on the other side and I certainly didn't want her "seeping" through the wet paper and having her image come through. Perhaps I should be happy I am here now and on the other hand, am I just an "afterthought" because

I'm....

"On The Other Side"

Well maybe I'm not an afterthought after all, because she has named me:

"VALENTINA"

Have a great Paint Party Friday and don't forget to click on the link to go back to PPF to  visit others blogs. I have to add that I am not able to leave comments in the embedded below post comments section. I can only leave comments in the full page or pop up window. So if you don't see a comment from me it's not because I didn't try visiting and leaving a comment. Sorry.

There is more than one Saint of the kitchen....

...This link is very interesting as far as Cooking Saints are concerned. There is more than one Cooking Saint  If you click on the link you can see the pictures of the Saints.

Cooking Saints

by Richard Bergquist

Sta. Elizabeth- is patron of

bakers because she gave food,

especially bread to the poor.

After the death of her husband

she devoted the rest of

her like to helping the sick,

orphaned and poor. Feast day

November 17.

San Pascual - is patron of
cooks, especially New Mexican

cooking, the kitchen and

domestic animals ( and finding

lost animals). He was a lay

Franciscan who happily worked

in the kitchen.

 

St. Michael - patron of grocery

stores. Saint Michael, one of the Arc

Angels is patron of groceries because

he is patron of the police and they

protect grocery stores, which used to

be robbed quite often.

 

Santa Marta - patron of cooks, she

was the sister of Mary Magdalena.

She happily cooked for Christ. She

is also patron of entertaining, Inn

Keepers, and probably Bed and
Breakfasts.

 

San Lorenzo- is patron of boiled

foods ( because of his martyrdom),

pasta cooks, candy makers, diets, and

graciousness.

St. Urban - patron of wines.

Santa Margarita - patron of a good Margarita ( a tequila drink made with line and salt) because of her goodness and repulsing the devil in the "old stories" this drink was named in her honor.

Kitchen Saints are an interesting lot. Their acquired patronage seems to be more from popular (secular)

interpretation than actual religious intervention. Urban probably replaced a "local wine deity", Pascual

was interpreted though the exvotos pictures from Mexico, Margarita from her folk story, Lorenzo from

the relationship and oxymoron of his death. Not at all the usual patronage fair, definitely because of

popular use.



The blesser of cooks and their kitchens

San Pasqual Bailon is how I've seen and knew of  the name but after checking a few pages it is actually:

St. Paschal Baylon, Blesser of Cooks and Their Kitchens

When I was growing up, it was all about the kitchen. That's where everyone congregated and where every so often you would hear the name of this Saint. I think that our hopes, dreams, and lots of love were served up along with the tamales, mole, and menudo. In this day and age,  the kitchen seems to be losing its importance, but as of late,  I'm so happy to see that more families are "hanging out" in  the kitchen, Like the garden that has been planted to provide food for the table, the "kitchen" I think is a place that sustains us in more ways than one.

There isn't much written about him, but there are many paintings of him. Some are on wood, canvas, paper. I'm looking to find a wooden painted saint. I have a painting of him in my kitchen but it's just been downloaded from the Internet. I glued it on wood and sealed it with gloss. I hope to paint him one day. I'm still trying to figure out how he got to be the saint of the kitchen. Perhaps by the time I'm done with this post, I'll have found something....and I did noted in the next column.

Son of the pious peasants Martin Baylon and Elizabeth Jubera. From youth he displayed great devotion to the Eucharist. Worked as a shepherd from ages 7 to 24, and was a good influence on his shepherd friends, an often rowdy group. Franciscan lay brother with friars of the Alcantarine Reform, often serving as cook or doorkeeper. His charity to the poor and afflicted, his unfailing courtesy and humility were remarkable even by Franciscan standards. While travelling in France, he defended the Real Presence against the blasphemies of a Calvinist preacher, and narrowly escaped death at the hands of a Huguenot mob. Poorly educated, he was still a counselor sought by rich and poor alike. His cultus is especially strong in Spain and southern Italy, in Central and South America.

(excerpts from Saints.SQPN.com)

Wikpedia has more info on his birth, etc.

Interesting words about him. I like the idea of having a saint in the kitchen watching over you and your food. Have a great Thursday. Husband was home today so when he is home we are usually out spending money. I bought a couple of statues and a Buddha. That's for a later post. I've been having problems with Blogger as far as comment leaving on peoples blogs. Take care.

Can't Leave Comments

Just wanted to say that I have tried leaving comments and cannot leave comments on most blogs. I keep having to sign in and then when I go to leave the comments I get sent right back to the sign in box. Just thought I would let you know. Hopefully tomorrow it will be better.
I just found that I can't leave comments on the pop up window type and the embedded below post. On the Full Page comment form placement, it's fine.

Eating Leaves, Healthy Leaves

I'm headed out the door right now, but I thought I would do a post before I leave. Hope everyone has a great day. It's a beautiful day, by the way.


I learned something new yesterday when we were working the garden. We have grown beets in the past, but this year there are a lot of beets coming up.

 Their beet leaves  are just so beautiful. I kept looking at them and thought that these could be edible. I shared this with my husband and he agreed and asked me to look it up in the computer. I then found out that not only can they be eaten but you can puree the root and make a juice. The benefits are many as they have so many nutrients. 
 Live and learn. Henceforth, the leaves too shall be eaten.

So it was sauteed beet leaves with  sliced beets, white rice and oven baked chicken w/o the skin, at least for me.

Here are a few pix of the leaves. They were delish. I added onions, garlic, s/p and sauteed them in oil/butter for taste. Excellent.

Sauteed the onions, garlic and beets

Added the beet leaves

I spooned mine on a scoop of white rice.

I just love being able to eat veggies from the garden. Enjoy your week.

Comfort and Inspiration

Always someone watching over us in our getaway garden.

Feeling safe and secure.

Latest project with the smaller cactus in pots. Putting them all together so they can sing happy.

The sound of water in front of the studio is mellow and the scent of herbs enticing.

Who could want more.

Inspiration from Eva who has been inspired to paint like George Seurat - Impressionist,  and in doing so has inspired me to try the "dot" thingy. I did a dot painting sometime ago, but the inspiration hit me after I seen her painting. Stop by to see her "Pointillism" tree. I believe that's what it's called. Can't think of a name for this yet, needs further studying.

So the inspiration kicked in and now it's time to go do work outside again. It's a great day. Be back later.

Baking and Herb Oil.

Baking bread in my bread maker is always fun. The machine does everything. Just load up the ingredients and let her ride.



Comes out great in no time at all.

Slices of freshly baked bread.

Here is some olive oil that's waiting for more oil to be poured inside the jar and then the lavender which will soak in the oil for a few weeks. The lavender is outside and has dried.

 

I made some Rosemary oil and will strain the oil out or just pull out the Rosemary when it has gotten the full flavor. It will be used for roasts, etc. My husband has to have meat so it will be for him.

Right now I'm heading to the Farmer's Market to walk around and look. We don't really need anything but something might pop up. I really should just go tend to our own garden but I need to get out for a while. Husband is at work and no one else is around. Everyone is out of town or vacationing or just off on their own. So it's me, myself, and I for today. Have a great weekend.

A gift from Donna (Woodwife)

First and foremost, thank you for the  comments on my Paint Party Friday post. You know that it is always appreciated. Bravo to YOU!!



My blog friend Donna was one of the winner's on my giveaway a week or so ago. She decided that she wanted to do something for me and she did. She hadn't painted in a long time but she said she wanted to do this for me. It's a great piece. She's used canvas and  added Frida's pic to it as well as Our Lady of Guadalupe and then hand painted the roses and plants. She also added a skirt, earrings, and the crown. The skirt is glued on and hangs from the canvas.  She said she got the idea for the flowers from the pictures of my flower gardens. Great idea. I want to do this too.

This is a  gift from the heart. Totally awesome. I love it! Thank you very much Donna.

...and then guess what? This morning after making my husbands lunch and sitting at the table to drink my coffee, I was gazing at the beautiful work Donna did for me. There was a "light" where the Lady of Guadalupe was situated.

I jumped up to get my camera and by that time the light had moved a little. I had my thoughts on where that light was "really" coming from.  I knew it was the sun coming in from the windows, but it was a little scary at first. Donna blessed it for me before she mailed it and well I thought maybe, just maybe someone was watching over me.:))

This light here does look a little odd, don't you think?

Thanks Donna, I love it!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Paint Party Friday 10

Happy Paint Friday #10. Started out with a journal page again. I'm not able to get away from this journal book. Watercolor, acrylics, pens, gesso-the usual stuff. Tried painting angel wings on Frida and this is the first time I've added angel wings to anything. I don't know how to draw wings, so I winged it. Get it? Tee hee.

 Also some buttons, etc. on her vest. The writing in the journal came through on her face, I kind of like it. Then it was cutouts of Diego being pasted here and there. Sealed the pages with clear gloss. The journal book is getting thick and it's looking great. Truth is, I'm not really very happy with the outcome of this page, but I'll share it since I've already uploaded the pix.  So here's the latest  PPF, and it's titled:

"LOOKING FOR DIEGO"

I'm looking for my love Diego. Have you seen him? I'm lost without him, I need him.
En donde estas mi amor?

Start of the painting, then added some embellishments to her blouse.

I feel him looking at me, as if he is right in front of me. Diego, where are you my love?

I know he is here, I can feel him.  Mi Amor, come to me.

I'm here my love Fridushca. I have never left your side.

Te amo con todo mi corazon.

I knew you were here, I felt you, your love, your very being. Oh Diego, como te quero!

Happy PPF (you can click on the PPF to visit other PPF'ers.:))