I'm achieving my goals !

A pictorial update.....

First, a recap....my summer list....

Paint (actual paintings and latex around the house)

Read

Garden

Take day trips and one big trip

Eat

Sleep

Item number one....paint..

The beginnings of a painting of downtown Portland, Maine....Congress St.

A book I just started, to take along on the cruise.....

My gardens......one of them.....

I eat......coffee yogurt....my lunch of choice for over 30 years. (not much else, dieting for the cruise.)

And, of course, I sleep.

It's wonderful making a short list of things to do. Why didn't I think of this before??

Note: I can't get out of my head the comment that Empress Bee left on my last post....you know....the 'cake' part. Might have to add that to the list!

 Empress Bee (of the High Sea)said...

it's summer vacation honey, relax and enjoy, just do what you feel like doing. toss the list. have a little cake, you'll feel better.

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxox

Happy Father's Day, Daddy and Birdman! Love you both more than you'll ever know.

Summer Vacation.....

Today is the first day of Summer Vacation!! This day is golden in my book. This is the day I pen all my lists of what I’m going to do during the summer. Making a list is on my list.

Labor Day is when I throw them in the woodstove to ward off the chill in the air that arrives too soon here in Maine. MAYBE 2 things will be scratched off the list. Maybe.....

Oh well, I don’t know why I bother.

My pathetic goals for this summer: (and I actually don’t need to write them down)

Paint (actual paintings and latex around the house)

Read

Garden

Take day trips and one big trip

Eat

Sleep

That’s it. This is Vacationland officially, you know.

Update: It’s the end of the third day of summer vacation.

I worked in the garden.....only to discover something ate all my precious little baby carrot, basil, beet, spinach, stringbean, and zinnia seedlings. The garden is fenced in so it’s probably not a varmint. Probably bugs. God, I hate bugs.

Took a trip to North Conway, New Hampshire. Had lunch looking at Mount Washington.

I read.

I ate.

I slept.

So far so good,‘cept for the garden....and I did not paint anything.

What to do, what to do...

In a few weeks we will be going on a cruise. I am trying to pick out an excursion for us to participate in on one of the Islands. 

There are so many exciting things to do like going to a place called Butterflies Galore or going on a high speed boat that will get you soaking wet making 180 degree turns thus making you puke. (really)

What to do....what to do.

So upon perusing all the choices, I came across this one....

ZT01 - Scuba Dive With Equipment

PRICE: ADULT: 119.00 / CHILD: 119.00 USD

DURATION: 4 Hours Approx.

OR

ZT02 - Scuba Dive Without Equipment

PRICE: ADULT: 109.00 / CHILD: 109.00 USD

DURATION: 4 Hours Approx.

Now I'm no diving expert, I can't even open my eyes under water, but I do know that in order to Scuba Dive YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF EQUIPMENT!!!

(Don't you?)

WD 40, 50 and 60....

My sister-in-law sent us a list of exactly what WD-40 can do for you. She says that the main ingredient in the stuff is fish oil! Fish oil plus other things, so don't go spraying it in your mouth everyday for extra Omega 3's in your system.

Check this out...

WD-40 uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.

2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.

3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.

4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.

5.. Keeps flies off cows.

6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.

7. Removes lipstick stains.

8.. Loosens stubborn zippers.

9. Untangles jewelry chains.

10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.

11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.

12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.

13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.

14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.

15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.

16. Keeps scissors working smoothly..

17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.

18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.

19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!

20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.

21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...

22.. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.

23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open..

24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.

25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.

26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.

27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans

28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.

29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.

30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.

31. Removes splattered grease on stove.

32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.

33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.

34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).

35. Removes all traces of duct tape.

36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.

37. Florida ’s favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'

38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.

39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.

40. Use it for fire ant bites.. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.

41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.

42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, satur ate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!

43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

Pretty cool, huh. Who knew?

Anyway, after perusing the list, I find that there were some things missing, or maybe things that 'I' think are missing.

Such as....

1. Spray WD-40 on a sink full of dishes and they will wash themselves and dry themselves in 45 seconds or less.

2. Spray it on your tax returns and you will get a larger refund.

3. Use a few spritz's for hairspray and your hair will never frizz up when it's raining out.

4. Spray it around yourself when you are walking in the rain and you will stay dry and not get pissed off.

5. Spray it on your tummy and it will tighten up flat a a board. (or not...)

6. Spray it under your beds and couches and it will keep the dust bunnies out.

7. Spray it on your birth certificate and it will subtract 15 years or so from your birthdate.

And in my book, the best one....8. Spray it on a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait and all the calories will be removed.

But of course, they'd have to rename the stuff to be WD 50 or 60 ....probably.

More Kids' work.....

My blogger friend, Jan, over at Snippetygibbet has inspired me to create this project for my 7th graders. We studied using tempera paint including making color wheels and doing a whole sheet practicing 6 different painting techniques.

We the studied the colors that you find in sunsets or sunrises and used our blending techniques to create some sunsets/sunrises of our own.

Then we studied atmospheric haze and then combined all these skills to create these fabulous cut paper silhouettes. Thank you Jan!













I love my kids!!!

The Magic Kingdom.....follows me everywhere......

I'm not too good at this new camera stuff. When I read directions, they should say, "press button to turn on......press same button to turn off....and it will turn off......if you are lucky."

Right now, Mr. Downeastdoingstuff and I are having a cosmopolitan on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. HE makes the best. (we use 'light' cranberry juice.) (Makes it much healthier.)

So, I did manage to load some photos. Finally, through some technical 'miracle'. (Right? CAM?) About 4,000 photos of Junior Downeastdoingstuff, and a couple of the Disneyworld castle. Since Junior doesn't want his mug on this blog, you are looking at Cinderella's castle.

He and I had the BEST time. It IS the "happiest place in the world." I JUST LOVE IT THERE.

I want to live there.  Heck, I'll even live in the Haunted Mansion, I don't care.

(Actually, truth be told, I wouldn't want to live in the friggin' tea-cups. Vertigo issues.)

Junior loves it there, too.

Mr. Downeast........ stayed home with his mother/father in-law.  (He doesn't quite have the stamina needed, yet, to keep up with Junior and me. Actually, he never will. We are nuts when we get there, what with that Fast Pass stuff and all.)

Lord Bless Him. 

Actually, with 92 degree temps, a Corona or two at the ready, he claimed to be in his own 'Magic Kingdom'. 

Which is usually where you can find him.

My, how time flies....

April 29th....2010......that was the last time I posted on this blog. Today it's May 13th. I think that's the longest I've ever gone between posts. 

I need to get a life. 

I don't have anything to write about that would not bore the eyeballs out of you after reading the second sentence. The most eventful thing recently has been that I have to wear gloves this week while driving to work, not because it's part of my ensemble or anything, but because the month of May didn't get the memo.

Actually, all of the above is not exactly true. I did go to Florida for a long weekend, BUT I just got a new camera and Florida undoubtedly is camera worthy. But, apparently you have to read the directions when you get a new camera so that you can take photos once in a while.

Mr. DEDS: "Where's your new camera?" he asks, after listening to me complain about the fact that I can't turn on my old camera anymore. (I have to use the tip of a ball point pen positioned in just the right place and exert 500 m.p.s.i. to MAYBE turn it on. )

"It's in the box", I reply.

"Well, get the box." my astute husband requests.

So I get the box, take everything out, put it on the table in front of him and walk away.

Pretty pathetic, since I'm the one in the family that actually CAN read directions AND follow them without too many four letter words.

Mr. DEDS calmy inserts the battery and proceeds to charge the camera.

In no time at all, it is charged and apparently ready to shoot.

I shove all the assorted wires, parts and pamphlets into a ziplock bag and cram them into my backpack to take on the plane. (Next to my miniscule bottle of hand sanitizer lovingly placed into a required quart sized ziplock bag so the authorities could scrutinize it via an xray machine.)

In Florida, it's hit or miss as to whether I can figure out where to turn the knobs to to take a photo, but I can turn it ON. So I take some pictures, I think.

After about 3 1/2 photos I get an important message. NO MORE MEMORY.

No amount of Ginkgo Biloba will help this thing, so I hand it over the Mr. DEDS and tell him there's no more memory. I toss him the ziplock bag with the assorted paraphernalia in it and walk away.

Somewhere he found a larger memory card than was originally in the camera and stuck it in. 

All set.

It was still 50/50 as to whether I could figure out what buttons to turn to actually take a photo.

So I took some. I think.

When, and if he helps me figure out which wire to use to put the photos onto my laptop, I will finally be able to enter a post that might be somewhat amusing. And maybe if I even bothered to look at the wires, I could figure it out myself....

Nah.

Update on the crime scene......

Growing up in the New York City metropolitan area, I was used to the police blotter containing reports of criminal activity, serious stuff, in the newspapers. Murders, robberies, assaults etc., all the makings of a good book or TV series.

When there was a monkey loose in the apple tree in our backyard, it did not make the police blotter. In Maine it would have been in the headlines. 

So to illustrate, in Maine, well, things are different......

Documented in the local Police Blotter a couple of weeks ago: (all true....with my personal commentary, of course.)

"Lake Road caller reported that four occupants of a vehicle with duct tape on the door locks were asking residents if they wanted their trees trimmed."

(Duct tape on the locks...a very sticky situation. Call the cops.)

"Ray Road caller requested to speak to an officer regarding a domestic situation that occurred last year."

(After giving it some thought, someone's wife  just couldn't get over hubby not putting the cover back on the toothpaste. It was just eating at her day after day until finally, she couldn't take it anymore and snapped.)

"Annex Road caller reported that their neighbor had been harassing them by intentionally running their dogs up and down the road in front of the caller's house, making their dogs bark."

(This is why I have cats.)

"Pine Road caller requested to speak with an officer, as a group of their chickens were missing."

(Come to find out they were dressed in dog costumes running up and down a road in front of their neighbor's house, making the dogs bark.)

(OK, OK I know the image is not a chicken in a dog costume...there's only so much I can do.)

 And finally, this one may make you lose sleep lest this should happen to you....

"Osher Road caller reported that someone pulled into their driveway, and looked at the trailer that was for sale. Caller thought that this was suspicious."

(Everyone knows, a For Sale sign actually means Keep Out!)

Am buying a taser.....there's trouble afoot.

Lil pooch, God rest his soul.....

A woman I work with had me do this portrait for her son. The dog has recently passed away.

This is a pastel piece done from a photo they took on her son's wedding day. That is the bride's bouquet that the dog is munching on. Sweet.

I have often done portraits of people/pets that are no longer with us. The saddest one I did was of a young father and his 2 year old son sitting on his lap. The father was murdered in a drive by-shooting while at a McDonalds in California many years ago.

My mind raced into many scenerios behind that portrait the entire time I worked on it.

The second saddest was a portrait of a grown son that had committed suicide.

I hope my work brought some sense of peace to the people I did it for.

35 years! Egads!

I've been away for a few days....

It's school vacation!

AND I've been celebrating my 35th Wedding Anniversary!  Actually, two of us have been celebrating it because because that's what a wedding is. A pair. And this pair got hitched 35 years ago. BEST THING THAT COULD'VE HAPPENED TO ME !! Seems like just yesterday... 

And the only difference between then and now is that I now weigh 10 lbs more. Other than that, we look exactly  the same. (That is, of course, if I don't look in  the mirror...)

Nevertheless, we celebrated by taking a mini-trip to the Live Free or DIE state, New Hampshire. 

Mount Washington still has snow on it, this is the view of it from North Conway. I like Mount Washington because that is the exact spot that Birdman, aka Mr. Downeastdoingstuff, asked me to be his wife. One quarter of the way down  from the hike to the top of Mount Washington, he popped the question. And I said yes.

So, to commemorate, we booked a mini vacation at the White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, New Hampshire. The Romance package! Oooo La La!

Here is a view of the Dining Room windows, with a view of the White Mountains.
It's situated at the edge of a massive cliff. The parking lot is just a narrow patch of trees away from this foreboding precipice. This is not a place of respite for anyone with rock slideaphobia.

It has a year-round heated pool and hot tub. We've been here before for lunch in the winter and have seen  people swimming around as if it was the fourth of July, surrounded by drifting steam.

On our last day there, I took a dip in the morning after my workout. It was 48 degrees outside, but the pool was heavenly. Then a soak in the hot tub, which got me so hot that I was able to walk around in the cold air in just my bathing suit and not feel it. That, my friend, is perfect.

(Mr. DEDS wimped out....)

The main lobby. If you can biggify this photo, look at the fabulous painting of the hotel over the mantle. 

Another shot of the lobby.

As part of our Romance Package, we got 6 chocolate covered gargantuan strawberries and a bottle of champagne delivered at around 4 pm. (Yeah, we got 6 of them. Being in a Romantic mood, I ate 3 of them before I took the shot.) (In the end, Birdman ate ONE.......) (He did beat me in the champagne department, though.) With Romance in the air, I promptly fell asleep after a couple of glasses of the bubbly. 

Oh well.....

The night was still young.....
The view from our dining room table. The evening meal was absolutely wonderful. Salad, entree, and dessert.....delish.

After checkout, we took a ride on the Kancamagus Highway, a 28 mile winding road right through the middle of the White Mountains.
At the highest point on our route, there was still plenty of snow.

Ah, but no hot tub. So we got some ice cream in Lincoln, New Hampshire and then headed home.

A spectacular three days.

Thank you, Birdman......for everything.

Happy Birthday Donna....

Happy Birthday to a lovely lady and a good friend. Love ya.

SAY IT AIN'T SO......

My beautiful forsythia blooms.....;-(

Keep your heads up little tulip and iris sprouts, it'll get better.

Welcome to my first day of spring school vacation.