Glorious Red Onions

Today, I'm going to tell the story backwards, starting with a recipe featuring red onions.  Then, we'll look at how and when to plant them, what kind of soil additives to use, etc. There are lots of uses for red onions; we like them in tuna salad, potato salad, cole slaw,  pasta salads - all the typical Summer salads...  They taste and look great!   Red onions are milder and sweeter than their yellow or white counterparts.  I don't like to use them for cooking - they don't give cooked foods nearly as much flavor as white or yellow onions do.  (You CAN use them in a pinch, but you'll need to use more - nearly twice as many as you would white or yellow.) 

Here is a nice Summer salad recipe, using  fresh produce as well as canned and dried products.  This salad is simple to prepare, a delight to the eye and the taste buds!

               12 ounces washed baby spinach

•                6 ounces sliced white mushrooms
•                6 ounces mandarin oranges, drained
•                1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
•                1/4 cup dried cranberries or Goji berries
•                1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or  toasted (unsalted) sunflower seeds

     Drizzle with a simple vinegar and oil dressing; or, use the dressing of your choice.  Add a  nice loaf of French bread, and you have a very nice light lunch or supper.

Harvest onions when their tops begin to turn yellow.  Dig carefully around each onion to remove it from the earth.  You really don't want to damage the outside of the onion, because this will cause it to rot much more quickly. After you harvest onions, they need to be stored in a cool, dry place. One storage trick is to put them in pantyhose.  You put one onion in, tie a knot; put in another onion; tie another knot; keep going until both legs of the pantyhose are filled; then, this can be hung in a cool, dry place, such as a root cellar or basement.

Lil Bit, standing in the onion patch

So, today, I planted red onions. About 150  of 'em. These particular onion sets were "Red Candy Apple" onions from Henry Fields Seed & Nursery.  Y'all know the drill... You get this seed catalog in the dead of Winter, and, oh, the stuff looks so good!  So, you order it, not fully realizing that the time will come when the plants need to be planted.  Oh, but that's alright.  God provided us with a glorious day today - clear, sunny, high of 72 or 74 - perfect for gardening.  And I had help!I  Both Moxie and Lil Bit stayed  VERY close at hand, assisting and supervising their hapless human with her gardening chores...  I planted these onion sets up close to the house.  Although it looks a bit bleak now, once I plant morning glories behind them to climb up the latticework, and something short and colorful in front of the bottom terrace - maybe marigolds - it will perk up.

And, here is a picture of what we received in the mail - two bunches of red onions.  Isn't it marvelous how God created all this stuff for us to grow, and cook, and preserve... and enjoy!

                                                     Are they ready yet?


    SHALOM  Y'ALL  
        
         TWYLA

Febru-ugly Is Almost Over

Febru-ugly. That's what my Hubby calls this month. And, I must say, today is a fairly ugly day.  It rained last night; we need the rain, but I am tired of the gray skies, the gray trees, the gray state of my spirit. Will there ever be another day at the beach, feeding the fish, floating on my raft, soaking up that Vitamin D?

chimney still standing after homestead burned many years ago

I didn't get much sleep again last night. I could blog  about that subject alone and have something to say 'most every day... But, who would want to read a blog about chronic pain, financial worries, and sleeplessness?  No, I will keep that to myself. Suffice to say, lack of sleep does not make a happy combination with gray skies.
Most of life is mundane for most people. Whatever  joy one finds, one must find alone with God - nobody else can provide this for you with some sort of magic pixie dust - it just ain't gonna' happen!

I am so-o-o-o ready for Spring. For a flower or two to poke through the earth and open into bloom. For the trees to have lime green leaves and various blossoms of pink and white and purple.
But, for now, I will plod on through my chores... And, as always, the sun will peek through eventually.

a dusting of snow on the nearby mountains...

SHALOM   Y'ALL -


     TWYLA

A Day In the Life of...

Two baby goats spent the night with us last night - Lil Bit (of course!), and a baby billy that I have dubbed "Toby".  (I can't help myself; everybody gets a name around here... Gosh, even my Jeep has a name - Elvis!)

Lil Bit on the linoleum... and, Oh my gosh, where is her diaper?

So, Lil Bit and Toby were pretty good house guests.  Toby was overwhelmed at first, and just stood like a statue.  Poor thing.  He became much more relaxed after a long session wrapped in a big towel, and sitting on my lap.  Lil Bit recognized "home" immediately, and she ran up and down the hall, jumped around, did every cute goat trick imaginable.  She LOVES to click her little hoofs on the linoleum in the kitchen.  I told Moshe she is practicing the River Dance.  I wish I knew how to take a video of her with my phone - it is hilarious to watch!



 Both  babies (almost incredibly!) settled down in the designated goat area of the bed.  And, except for one brief and unsuccessful attempt by Lil Bit to get the bottle,  they slept all night.  Alas, CassPurr  got on the bed at 4AM,  wanting his kibble. When I spoke to CassPurr, Moxie came around to my side of the bed, whining to go out.  Then, the goats were up,  "Ma-a-a- ing" like an operatic duet. Such powerful voices these little creatures have!  So, we were all up.  Changing goat diapers. Warming goat bottles.  Cuddling and talking to the precious babies... Fed cat. Fed dog. Fed people.  Fed chickens.

CassPurr - the most patient kitty, ever!

Toby went back to the farm, but Lil Bit is staying with me today.  Lil Bit is snuggled at my feet under my desk, happy to lay on the edge of the heating pad, amidst the tangle of computer cords, extension cords, etc.  Meanwhile, CassPurr is ensconced on "his" sofa.  He came into the office, inspected Lil Bit, ate some kibble, and went back to the couch. He is - without a doubt - the most patient kitty ever.  He has tolerated, even welcomes, dogs, cats, chickens, and now goats!  What a nice boy!



One of Lil Bit's sisters will come and spend the night tonight.  The owner of the farm where the baby goats were born wants to start a petting zoo, so the more socialized the goats are, the better. So, the babies are being rotated... all spending the night here to get human contact. It's okay with me as long as the diapers work and the babies don't start chewing up sundry items such as clothing, furniture, important documents... minor detail...you get the picture.






It's overcast and cool today.  I'm going to make barbecue sauce; going to make some BBQ chicken with some of it; can or freeze the rest.  I already baked dog biscuits for Moxie and Beau, as well as cornbread for us people this morning. Since I have a bunch of cooked chicken on hand, I will probably also make chicken salad and/or chicken pot pie. Some days are just designed for lots of cooking.



It would be a nice gesture on my part to sweep, mop, and vacuum as well. Then, if there is any energy left, I'd like to paint.  I have two or three ideas floating around in my head... would like to get them on paper before they dissolve.  We'll see...

Shalom  Y'all - Twyla

Lil Bit

me, in bed, feeding Lil Bit

My hubby wrote about this very same topic last night on his blog, TheCompostFiles. But, I couldn't help myself; she's just so darn cute!  "Lil Bit" was born last week, was very tiny (still is), at less than half the size of the other baby goats.  She is bright-eyed, affectionate, and as cute as pie. Because her mother rejected her, Lil Bit depends on us people to feed her, keep her warm, etc.  Out at the farm (where she was born; and, where Moshe works), she gets bottle-fed a couple times a day, but that's really about it.  Here, she gets her bottle every couple hours; and, she also gets catered to, hugged, talked to, kissed. Loved.  Ahhh... it's a goat's life!


The only problem was...well...she's a goat...  and, even more to the point, she's a baby. This created the challenge of what-to-do-about-the-pee-pee...  Lil Bit has been coming home with Moshe after work, spending the night here, going back to work again with Moshe in the mornings.  All along, my biggest concern has been preventing her from peeing on everything - and, particularly, the bed!  I put a giant trash bag down in the center of the bed, covered with layers of towels, and topped with a soft blanket that Lil Bit seems to appreciate. (Maybe it feels likes another animal?  I don't know.) So far, this had worked well - no bed-wetting - praise God!  Bless her little heart, she stays right there in the center of the bed, warm and secure with "Mommy and Daddy" petting her, and talking to her, and hugging her.  Although she is friends with Moxie and CassPurr,  I think Lil Bit believes she is a "person", belonging with us.

the first attempt at a diaper... a bit too loose around the legs

But, I know that as she gets older and bolder, she is more likely to move to other parts of the bed - and other parts of the house!  So, I kept looking for a solution... Yesterday I found just the right thing.- adult incontinence products - the pads that hook onto a belt.. Moshe and I experimented on poor Lil Bit.  The first try worked okay, but it was really too big; it was loose enough around her legs that if she lay down, the wet would come out the sides.   The second try worked great; by cutting the incontinence pad in half, it folded "just right" on Lil Bit's tiny body to make a perfect diaper.  We secured it with - what else - good ol' duct tape!  So, the baby goat is now in a diaper!  It's so nice to hold her in my lap without having to change clothes afterwards!

a grown Nubian goat

Lil Bit is a Nubian goat. Some say that the Nubian goat is the best to purchase for milking purposes... their milk is abundant, creamy, and smooth.  A Nubian goat will produce between 2 quarts and a gallon of milk per day!  Nubian milk contains more butter fat than other goat mil - you can make butter and cottage cheese with Nubian goat milk. Internet sites also state that Nubian goats make good pets... but, then, WE already knew that, didn't we?

Shalom  Y'all - Twyla

What is Important, Really?

I received this in my email this morning.  I remember Erma Bombeck; she was so funny!  And, what a courageous and wonderful thing to write when she knew her condition was terminal.  The email I received was filled with little cartoons and such; but, I have added my own photos and artwork, plus, of course, a quote from the Scriptures.  Hope you will enjoy...

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).



I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.




I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
 


I would have sat on the lawn and got grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.




When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love yous; More 'I'm sorrys.

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it ... live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock... therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD(
 (Psalm 27:4-6 KJV)

Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Make New Friends, Keep the Old

  

yours truly, in "full dress" tea party garb

Generally speaking, when someone answers the door dressed like this, something "unusual" is going on...

Moshe, also in "full dress"

Yesterday we had another of our "tea party" dinner parties.  This time,  I didn't even tell Moshe I was making it a "tea party" until the morning of the event.  Obviously, none of the guests was expecting it...  One couple, John and Kay, had never met us before!  They came up with our friends, Pat and Teresa, for the purpose of meeting us.  Little did they know how much laughter they were in for.
 

New friends, John and Kay

 Turns out, Teresa had been telling them about my tea parties.   Teresa admitted that she wished I was throwing a tea party - as opposed to a "normal" dinner - but, she didn't want to ask me to do it, because of the extra work.  She almost called and asked, but decided not to... So, she was AMAZED when they arrived to find us greeting them at the door "in full dress"... Teresa's arm shot up in the air, and she hollered, "Praise the Lord, It's a tea party!"

John, Kay, Pat, Teresa, and Twyla

    
     We had lots of fun, but lots of serious conversation, too.  John and Kay are ordained ministers, and are the founders of "Save Our Kids Outreach".  Based in Wilmington, N.C., this ministry is a local, national, and international outreach program.  This ministry, which started in 1993 as a puppet ministry, has grown into a world-wide evangelical ministry, taking the message of the Gospel to people of all ages. Over spaghetti dinner, we heard of their experiences in Israel, where doors were miraculously opened for them to teach and minister in that country.  Truly amazing experiences!


The hours sped by way too quickly.  We had a Havdallah service, and prayer time, and it was time for all the company to go;  everyone had a busy schedule the following day - today!

SHALOM  Y'ALL - Twyla

Lions n Chickens n Goats, Oh My!

Okay, my last two or three posts have been pretty much singin' the blues, so today's will be a refreshing change...  As many of you know, we were given a baby goat - little Chestnut - but, he died within eight hours of our receiving him.  I was more than a little heartbroken.  And very, very tired.  Moshe tried to cheer me up by bringing home another baby goat Monday evening "to spend the night".  We dubbed her "Ellie", and she was cute and funny and everything one might expect a little kid goat to be.  But, as I mentioned, I was tired. And, Ellie was rambunctious! Even though she was only a few days old, she was an active little critter.  She slept for about two hours;  from thereafter, the only way to keep her from roaming the  house was for me to camp out on the office floor and keep her company.  Moxie and CassPurr assisted, and there we spent the night... Ellie, Moxie, and CassPurr, and me...  all scrunched together atop a couple of old quilts, with garbage bags under the "designated goat area", to at least attempt to protect the carpet.  I somehow had the foresight to put a plastic bag over the heating pad, then cover it with a pillow case.  Once Ellie discovered the heating pad, she pretty much stayed in one place. Meanwhile, I was on the floor - cold, tired, and not terribly thrilled with goat duty... Let's just suffice to say that Ellie's kidneys worked. And worked . And worked.

Me, holding the rambunctious Ellie

Tuesday morning I got up, looking like a "before" ad  for an insomnia medication; feeling like murder.  I barely coped with the morning chores, got my shower etc., and went into town to run errands.  I think I sleepwalked through most of the day. Ugh.  Bone tired. It'll work on your mind, sleeplessness... Fortunately Moshe realized that it would not be wise to bring home orphans of any sort Tuesday evening.  I got a good night's sleep, and  managed to get lots and lots of stuff done yesterday.

Lil Bit , between another newborn and a Momma Goat - TINY!

Then, yesterday evening, in walks Moshe with yet another baby goat! This one was even tinier than poor little Chestnut. Her Momma had given birth to three kids - a set of twins, and then, this little runt who is not quite half the size of the twins.  Momma goat rejected the runt, so Moshe and his coworkers bottle-fed her and held her throughout the day.  Then, she came home with Moshe...
Oh, tiny, but NOT sickly!  She had bright little eyes, and she wagged her tail crazily like Moxie does when she sees something that makes her happy.  Moshe dubbed her "Lil Bit".  Lil Bit and I hit it off from the first second. She tried to nurse my chin, then my nose, then my T shirt.  She took to the bottle like an old pro.  When she is hungry, she has a voice that sounds EXACTLY like a clown's horn on a unicycle! A LOUD clown's horn! I thought I'd laugh myself silly over the enormous noise coming from this tiny creature.  She sat in my lap all evening, very graciously wetting onto the towel/plastic provided for such a purpose.

Lil Bit has a good appetite

Not wanting to go back into sleep deprivation, I decided to try fixing the bed so that Lil Bit could sleep with us. I put a layer of plastic, then two or three layers of towels, then a nice soft baby blanket in the center of the bed.  As if she already knew the routine, she snuggled in and slept through the night. Oh, I woke up a few times and checked on her, like any adoptive mother would; and, every time she would awaken when I touched her , softly ma-a-a, then, go back to sleep.  Good baby.







Meanwhile, there ARE other animals here on our little farm...  Moxie got me up around midnight, wanting to go out.  I staggered down the hall and opened the back door for her.  It's almost a full moon, so the back yard was pretty well lit... and, what do I see, but one of the Peeps perched on top of the doll house on the back porch! "Okay", I think,  "One of the Peeps must have not made it inside the little coop before we closed it up for the night."   We have seen a mountain lion in our back yard twice now.  Once, I saw it; the second time Moshe and I both saw it.  So, of course, I couldn't just leave the little bird out there!
So, I go back up the hall, put my shoes on, grab a sweatshirt, walk back down the hall, and go outside to put the bird to bed... I picked up whichever Peep it was and carried it over to the little coop.  I opened the coop door. And it was empty! Oh my gosh!  I looked back around, and ALL the Peeps, plus Pretty Face, were perched on the back porch... on the back of the doll house, in flower pots, on the boot cleaner mat (GREAT, huh?), etc.  We had closed up the coop before ANY of them got the chance to go in for the night!  Eleven trips I made, carrying each chicken over to the safety of the coop.  Each of them squawked and put up a fight, then, immediately went quiet once they realized they were safely "home".  Moxie, of course, thought it was great sport!  Wow!  We get to play with the Peeps tonight!  Hooray!!! There's always one in every crowd... Last night it was Blondie... Blondie is one of the Peeps who is now a rooster.  Apparently he felt the need to act  "roosterly", so he crowed and flew, crowed and ducked under the Jeep, crowed and ran alongside the house.  Moxie herded him back toward me, and I got him and carried him to the coop. where he - like all the others.- immediately went into the trance-like sleep that only another chicken owner recognizes.

CassPurr and Lil Bit on the couch 

Thankfully, I too was able to go back to sleep, and woke up to a pile of happy animals - and a dry bed.  Lil Bit  - ever the gracious house guest - waited until after her morning bottle to wet. The chickens are happy to be back in their groove.  Moxie has spent most of the day outside cavorting with Beau.  And, CassPurr is the smartest one of all... With the exception of meal times, he has napped on the couch all day...
 Lil Bit is coming back to spend the night again this evening.  This time I am better-prepared, and, hopefully, we can all sleep the sound slumber of contentment.

 SHALOM  Y'ALL - TWYLA

The Peacock Necklace

 I am wearing "the peacock necklace" today.  The necklace doesn't really look like a peacock;  it's a large pendant, strung on several strands of black and crystal beads.  The pendant has the fluorescent blues and greens of a peacock. It is handmade, a one-of-a-kind, special. Someone I once knew gave it to me... a girly gift from one girly-girl to another... When my friend gave me the necklace, she wrapped it in a long thin box, and included a peacock feather along with a note that read something like this: "Hi.  I am a peacock necklace. Wear me whenever you are feeling a bit low or when you are lacking in self-confidence.  I will be a reminder to you that you are more beautiful than a peacock, and that you are loved by the one who gave me to you."





Now, years later, I can't find that  narrow box; nor, can I locate the feather or the note... Perhaps they are packed away in some obscure drawer or perched on a high closet shelf amongst other sentimental treasures..








I can't seem to find the friend who gave me the necklace, either.  How sad  that we have come to this - having known and loved each other, only to lose track of tine, allow miles and schedules and miscellany to all but erase a friendship. Even so, I am wearing the peacock necklace today.  A reminder that deep down I am pretty, even if not another soul on earth vocalizes it.  A reminder that I am valuable, even when it doesn't seem so.  A reminder that another day will dawn, and that "this too shall pass."


.
     Shalom y'all-
        Twyla

Tears on My Pillow

Life is fragile and so am I.  Friday God sent us Chestnut, the brand new baby goat.  I briefly posted about him that evening, showing pictures of Moshe holding him, Moxie bathing him, etc.  But, by 5 AM Saturday morning, little Chessie had "gone to goat heaven".  I got up with him several times during the night, concerned because he wasn't interested in drinking the goats milk Moshe brought from the farm. Finally, at 3 AM I got up and took him into the office to better inspect him, see what I could do for him.  It was pretty clear at that point that Chessie wasn't going to make it.  I fixed a pallet of quilts and pillows on the office floor.  Moxie and Casper immediately joined me in my vigil on the floor, with little Chestnut curled up in my right arm, the other animals nuzzling him. Moxie whined softly;  she - like me - is constantly wanting to mother whatever creature enters her life... I prayed one of those selfish prayers, "Lord, please let this little baby goat live. Please don't make me have to tell Moshe that his sweet little baby goat has died."  I immediately recognized the presumptuousness  of such a prayer, and contritely added, "Nevertheless Thy will be done... I know that You know better than I do."

Moxie greeting Chestnut

So, I cried when little Chessie died.  And I cried when, indeed, I had to tell Moshe of our loss.  And I cried again when Moshe carried that precious little body, wrapped in a white towel, and took Chessie outside to be buried.  We had a quiet day.  My Mom called in the afternoon, having read Moshe's addendum to his blog in which he tersely wrote that Chestnut had not lived through the night.   Mom and I agreed that there was most likely something physically wrong with Chestnut to start with... and, that's why his mother abandoned him.  Nature seems cruel, but, somehow animals have more sense than we people do.

Last night I awakened around midnight, thought of our precious little Chessie, and cried for all the mothers and fathers out there who have lost an infant child..  I can not begin to fathom the pain one must feel, having anticipated the birth of a baby all those months only to lose him in infancy.  Much as we hurt when we lose a pet, it is not even noteworthy in comparison.  I do think, though, that losing animals prepares us for the loss of friends and family... a  "trial run" of grief.

This morning I washed all the towels that had been Chestnuts' bedding in the basket that served as his bed.  When I carried the basket to set it by the back door, Moxie got excited.  She stood up,  pranced like she does  when she's happy, and wagged her tail crazily.  I realized that she must have thought Chestnut was "back", and I had to show her that the basket was empty.  Very empty.

I have no doubt that my little family and I will have other babies to nurse throughout the years. It's just a matter of Gods' timing.  It may be tomorrow; it may be sometime far away. This experience with Chestnut taught me several things, the first one being that I need to have pet/animal supplies on hand... preemie diapers, syringes  and/or doll bottles for feeding, a spare heating pad or two...soft white towels or small blankets.  Next time I will be better prepared. Although I realize that preparedness would not have helped Chessie,  I will nevertheless be more prepared.  Next time.
SHALOM  Y'all - Twyla

Chestnut

S  

Aren't they both adorable?

  Moshe brought home a baby goat this evening.  He named him Chestnut; I call him "Chessie". Chessie is only about 12 hours old as I write this post...  Right after Chessie was born, one of the adult goats stepped on him, so he has an injured hind leg.  I just changed the dressing on his leg and created a diaper for him.  He is drinking his mother's milk from a latex glove.
Moshe and I are both so sentimental and soft-hearted... We keep holding Chessie, hugging him, kissing him.  Moxie bathed him and wagged her tail so hard that I thought she would fall over!  CassPurr gave Chessie a nice welcome, too - he purred and inspected his new little brother; then, asked for some food in his bowl... after all, entertaining a baby goat requires good nutrition, right?
Between the two of us, we have taken 40 or 50 photos. I'm going to share some of them here on my blog.

"I think you need a bath"

 

Baby's first Shabbat

Proud Poppa...

Shalom  Y'all - Twyla

Thanks, Mr Obama

Oh, there's a lot of talk these days about being prepared. "Google" emergency preparedness, and you will find many, MANY websites addressing the idea of what to have on hand in case of a local or national disaster...  But for cold weather emergencies I just get out my trusty snow plow.  I  was  going to buy a regular one, but, thanks to Mr Obama's lack of concern for senior citizens, I'll just use the one he recommended for people such as myself...

            Yup.  Thanks, Mr Obama.       SHALOM  Y'ALL - 
                                       TWYLA

Just a Light Dusting, Please...

As predicted, we got some snow during the night... just an inch or so... a light dusting.  Enough to make everything pretty this morning, yet it has nearly disappeared even as I write this at noon.  I am still recovering from inner ear/vertigo, which got the best of me this past weekend.  Went to one of those walk-in clinics Monday, and they fixed me up pretty darn good!   Other than fatigue from the insomnia (from the Decadron injection), I'm doing well.  Got a lot accomplished yesterday; not as much today, but that's okay.

Moxie, visiting the Peeps cage; Peeps one week old

This morning, when I first saw the snow, Pretty Face and the Peeps were all peeking out of their little coop just opposite the back door. And, I realized that while the Peeps had seen snow, they had never been out walking in it.  So, of course, we had to see what they would do... It's always amusing to see animals walk in the snow, especially the first time.  They don't want their little feet to touch that weird, white, cold stuff, but there is no other way to ambulate than to ambulate!  They stood around a big dog bowl, eating cracked corn, then herded themselves up the back steps and onto the porch. So, there they were... ten chickens standing on the porch, staring in through the sliding glass door, and knocking on the glass with their little beaks.  ("Let me in... Let me in...")  Cute.  Too cute.  These are the Peeps that lived in the big cages in our office until they were about two months old.  They KNOW what wondrous pleasures lurk in every corner of the Ben-David household.  They remember us holding them, hand-feeding them, playing with them.  They remember falling asleep on our laps... with Moxie next to them, washing them like a mother cat and her kittens.  They know.

the back of the doll house

I have this old doll house on the back porch.  I originally had it as a "safe house" for my cats before I moved up to the mountains.  The three cats would get in the three rooms  and be protected from the elements.  Since I don't have three cats anymore, and the one I do have hardly ever goes outside, we had filled the rooms of the doll house with spare wood for the wood stove. But, this morning, I said, "What if..."  You see, the Peeps were all hanging out on the porch, on top of the doll house, atop flower pots next to the doll house... Even perching on pieces of wood that jutted out of the doll house rooms. What if I took the wood out of the rooms?                     Would they get in like the cats used to do?

Where's that "No Vacancy" sign???

So I carried the wood inside and have been using it for the fire all day.  Meanwhile, Pretty Face was the first to find a spot - left lower bunk, thank you very much!  Since then, various birds have been spotted in various parts of the house.  It's been another of those quirky little amusements to see who is where from time to time as the morning progressed.






Last I looked there were no chickens on the back porch.  They have a daily routine, which involves nap time.
I kid you not!  They all go back into the coop, hunker together in a big mound of  feathers, beaks, and feet, and sleep for about an hour.  They will be back out in a little while, ready to investigate the yards once again.

Meanwhile, Moxie and Beau are "guarding" the Peeps' chicken house.  They have stationed themselves on the hillside, just above the coop. Moxie, of course, considers herself their mother... But, Beau - bless his timid heart - is actually afraid of the chickens.  Yesterday I spotted them following him across the back yard, the way they would follow Moxie. Or me. Or Moshe.  Poor ol' Beau would  walk a little faster, and the Peeps would speed up, too.  Finally, he ran around the corner, apparently overwhelmed with the entourage.

Yes, I am easily amused.  I live a simple life.  But, it's a good life.  I laugh more deeply and more often than anyone I know.  The animals are a big part of that laughter. So, thanks be to God for giving us that light dusting of snow and providing me with a light dusting of laughter as well...

A Work in Progress

Through no one's fault but my own,  I lost myself for a while.  For several months I spent all my time cooking,  cleaning, redecorating - all good things to do; but, also all things that can never be completely done... And so, each day I would think I could finish my "to do" list, only to find that I had added even more to the list.
Finally, Sunday morning I woke up refreshed after the Sabbath day's rest, quickly got as many chores done as I could, and got my paints out.  I hadn't painted in so long that it took me a lot of time to find all the supplies I needed.  There were a few moments of frustration when I wanted to forget the idea and go back to the laundry, the dishes, the dusting...  But, no!  I persevered, and, with great encouragement from my Hubby,  got all my watercolor paraphernalia together on the big dining room table. (Covered, of course, with waterproof pads!)
I worked on four projects simultaneously, which is my usual habit. With watercolors, one has to wait for layers of paint to dry, etc., and it makes no sense to sit around waiting.  So, I work on at least two projects, alternating time between them to get the most out of the chunk of time I've allotted myself.

Project #1: My favorite flowers are daisies.  I decided to paint daisies kind of free form, with the background defining the flower shapes more than the subtle painting of the petals.  As usual, my impression/expression of white is that white isn't white! So, the "white" daisy petals are various shades of blue, teal, lavender and yellow. I poured the dark greens and browns to give the impression of stems and leaves, allowing the paint and water to  create the organic shapes through gravity and the chemical reactions of the paints with each other.  I added a bit of "lace" to one side for textural interest. I temporarily have this painting in a black matte, but think it would look better in a brown or green one... will experiment with that today or tomorrow...

Project #2: I made a collage of several paintings, chopped and rearranged until I felt they were pleasing to the eye.  I titled this one "Dreams of Summer Recitals".   It took me back to when I lived in my big ol' house and taught piano and singing lessons to a handful of boys and girls.  The two main paintings are impressions of my old living room with the baby grand piano, where many a recital was held.  I added other dreamlike shapes and forms - a big open Hibiscus to represent Summer in the South,  pieces of architectural columns to commemorate the old house.  I don't know if anybody else does watercolor collage, but I enjoy it.  If a painting sits around long enough, it becomes fodder for "the chop shop".  The first time some of my former art students saw me chopping up paintings, they were mortified,  AND, piecing things together "just right" takes a lot more time and patience than one might think, but the results are pretty cool.

Project #3:  Another chop shop project.  I love chopping up old paintings into squares, then putting the squares together in and interesting and balanced manner.  Again, this takes a lot more time than you would expect.  It's like finding just exactly the right puzzle pieces to fit together, but the puzzle doesn't have "edges" and doesn't form any certain image. It's all about balance.  In this case, a completely different background made this piece very exciting to me.

Project #4:  This is a little painting in progress.  I decided to show something incomplete in this posting, to show the steps of working on a painting.  First, I took the photo; then cropped it and sketched it on the watercolor paper.  I wanted the painting to look cold and Wintery... haven't decided yet whether or not I've accomplished this, but, hey, it's not completed!   So far this painting has a couple coats of paint, with a salting of the water in the stream between coats.  Salt on watercolors created certain textures, depending on which paint the salt is sprinkled on. Watercolor painting is really chemistry and physics as much as it is having an eye for color, balance, and composition... perfect for me with my medical background.


Hope y'all enjoyed this glimpse into my viewpoint on creating art.  Some time soon I will be creating yet another blog - focusing solely on my art. (Or, should I say "soul-ly" on my art?)  A psychologist I  once knew said that the only difference between pain and paint is one letter... He was right.  Looking at that blank white sheet of paper is always painful. At first.  But, then... ohhhhh.. the escape into creativity.

Shalom  Y'all - Twyla