Great News! Another Load of Totes

From the storage unit are back home. These were all filled with books from my four bookcases in my old workroom. The smaller white one and the medium sized black one will be removed from the “office” part of the work in progress art studio, while the two large bookcases will remain. They double as the wall between the large former family room section and my former workroom.

Laurie had a great suggestion. By placing totes of my art supplies around the outside of my new workspace-as if they were in cupboards-I can determine the best locations for them. Prior to moving into the space.

Having my treasured books back in the house has really improved my mood.

Training Treats-Recipes

When training a new dog or puppy, it’s a good idea to have delicious treats to reward them. I’m a firm believer in positive reinforcement as a training method. Check out my new favorite YouTuber, found by Laurie and shared with me, Victoria Stilwell.

The first thing you have to do is find out what your dog best responds to. Does he like a game of fetch? Does he like to tug? Or is he food motivated? If food’s his thing, these recipes have delighted our dog Chewy. He’s my taste tester and, wow, he loves them both!

Tuna Training Treats

2 cups flour. I used what I had on hand

2 eggs

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

2 cans tuna and liquid

Water to add if it’s to dry

Mix ingredients together well. It should make a ball of dough. Roll out dough or press flat into greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. If you prefer crumbly/crunchy treats, lower oven temperature to 200 degrees. Let the treats dry out in the oven for a couple hours.

When done, remove from pan to cutting board. Dice into very tiny pieces. If you can’t cut them small enough, break them apart as you’re using them.

Mine are hard. I will likely spritz them with either water or chicken broth prior to using them. Puppies have a difficult time with hard and crispy stuff. In retrospect I regret drying them out. Next time I’ll check to make sure they’re done, then remove from oven.

***WARNING*** These things stink while baking. While that’s exactly what you want for dog training, you don’t want it if you have health stuff made worse by smells.

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

1 cup (approximately) smooth peanut butter-make sure it doesn’t have xylitol in it. Xylitol is a sweetener and very bad for dogs.

2 cups flour

2 eggs

Water-enough for dough to form

Press into a sprayed 9×13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes or until done. Once cool, dice into tiny pieces.

Treats from both recipes will last in the freezer for 6 to 8 weeks. Put into freezer bags or containers, label and date. You don’t want humans eating them, although they are perfectly edible. Each recipe makes 1/2 of a gallon sized Ziplock.

If you prefer, roll out the dough and use dog-related cookie cutters to make dog treat cookies. This will work for either recipe. A cheap, easy Christmas gift for the dog lover in your life.

Bullet Journaling, Part 2

Part 1

As is my usual habit, I have been researching bullet journaling. While there are many YouTubers with their own “take” on bullet journals, I wanted to begin very simply. Pretty much the bare-bones basics for beginner bullet journalers. Exactly what is essential in bullet journaling?

Paper (loose leaf or in book form) and something to write with. These two things are the essentials. They are all you need to start your journey into the world of bullet journaling.

Since there are no rules for how you create or use a bullet journal (bujo), there is an overwhelming number of options. So the first thing we need to do is decided what we want our bullet journals to do for us. For example, you can make a bullet journal which is a planner of sorts. With a future log which seems to be a goals for the year sort of page, monthly, weekly and daily logs you fill in with your appointments, important dates, kids practice schedules, etc. It’s a very efficient way to organize your life.

In addition to these “standard” pages, you can add others like charts and graphs to track specific things that are important to you. For example, how your garden is doing; which plants did well, which plants need to be moved to a different location, what tasks need to be completed and when…You can add other pages for menu planning, housekeeping, car maintenance, books you want to read, holiday shopping, or home remodeling. The options are truly endless and whatever is important to you can be included.

My first “bullet journal” isn’t a bullet journal at all. It’s a composition notebook, which you can pick up cheap right now as school is starting. I began with a “Key”, this is the legend showing my symbols which will be used throughout the journal. These symbols are supposed to make bullet journaling easier and quicker. My key is a fold out on the inside cover. I used white card stock and covered the interior cover, then added a fold out page to that. This page can be opened and is easily seen no matter what page I’m working on in the journal.

The first three pages are my index pages. I wrote Index at the top and will add the page names and numbers in the journal as I make them. This particular journal is for puppy training, as we’re adopting two puppies on September 3rd, 2022. I have a detailed list of training based upon the age of the puppy, so this list will be included on the interior cover of this training journal. I have included a monthly log, a weekly log, and a daily log. These are two pages each. I also included a double spread for training notes.

These pages will continue for each month of the puppy’s first year. I may include pages with evaluation of each dog’s progress in accomplishing their training, what we’re working on and when, their vet visits, growth charts, visits to the groomer, socialization with other dogs, homemade training treats recipes and how they liked them, feeding times and amounts, favorite toys; again-anything and everything can be included.

Now there is also a large group of bullet journalers who create art in their journals. It’s not just an information and organizational tool, it’s an artistic expression. I love that. If this is the first step people are taking into artistic freedom of expression-that’s fantastic! For others, the most minimal pages possible are the most effective for them. Since I have many other ways I express my creativity, I expect this first journal will be primarily for recording information. Although I’m still setting the journal up, so that may change.

The favorite journals for avid bullet journalers seems to be those with dot grid pages. These are easy to customize, the dots are pale so there’s no difficulty reading what you’ve written in the journal, and some of these journals have thicker paper which can handle a wider selection of art supplies without bleed through or ghosting.

The composition notebooks have thin paper, but a lot of it. This is another consideration when picking a journal. Do you want the journal to hold an entire year? Do you want to have several pages for a specific topic? (These sections are called “collections”. A collection can be one page or several, entirely up to you.) In my own puppy training journal, recipes for homemade dog treats and how the boys like them will be a “collection”. Mental and physical exercise, how often, what we’re doing and how the boys respond to these might be another collection. Personally, I find this a bit of a pretentious way to say subject, topic, section, chapter, etc. But collection is the word bujo’ers use.

One of the attractions of this type of journal is the freedom to decorate it any way you like. For example, I might use simple symbols like a puppy foot print, a bone, a collar, leash, puppy face…very quick and easy to draw and understand as my key or legend. I could decorate the pages with washi tape, cartoon images of dogs, types of dogs and their characteristics, anything dog related. Or I could go minimally and use only black and white-white pages and a black pen, using doodles and hand drawn lettering for interest.

The point is, if you feel your life is chaotic and you can’t seem to get on top of things-try using a bullet journal. I’ve read because the pages are made by hand, you will retain the information longer as you’re writing it out. This also disengages us from technology which can be very stressful and often eats up huge amounts of time. I’m just beginning my puppy training journal, so I’ll update on it’s effectiveness after using it awhile.

Transitional Capsule Wardrobe

Fall is around the corner. Which means we’re heading into a transitional season. There will be warm days when summer clothes are appropriate, and there will be cooler days when something more substantial is needed. So, how do we handle this season of change?

Well, we combine both our summer capsule and our winter capsule. This, if we’ve given careful thought to our basics, should take us easily through Fall. Using my own capsules as an example, let’s review:

My winter capsule has three main colors; black, white and gray. My summer capsule has three main colors; navy, tan and orange. Now, these colors will work interchangeably. I also have prints-tops, skirts, dresses-with some combination of these colors. This was a deliberate decision, because I knew they’d work with my winter items.

My Summer Capsule:

Black leggings-cropped

Orange leggings-cropped

A variety of very inexpensive cropped leggings (found in a packed tote removed from the storage unit)

Army green skinny cropped pants

A sleeveless top-black, white, pink and orange print

A short-sleeved top-pink, tan, white, black “mod” print

A sleeveless tunic-orange, white, army green, gray, tan print

A short dress- white, gray, blue, orange and green print

A black skirt

A red print tiered skirt

A blue with white pattern skirt

A red cover-up/dress

A white cover-up/dress

Jean shorts-to the knee

Blue jeans

The Winter Capsule includes:

Black slacks

Dark denim jeans

A variety of full-length leggings

A black cardigan

A tan cardigan

A gray cardigan

Turtlenecks- black, white, gray, navy

Long sleeved, scoop necked tops- black, white, navy

Short sleeved tees- black, white, navy, gray, army green

Sleeveless tanks- black, white, navy, orange, red

White blouses- one 3/4 length sleeve button down, one full length sleeve button down, one sheer full length sleeve

A blue jean jacket

Now most of the tops will work in either fall or spring. They all work beneath a sweater or jacket. They could also go over turtlenecks and long sleeved tops-but I won’t do that. All, no matter how you combine them, work with skirts, jeans, pants and leggings.

Not all combinations are to my taste, and that’s alright. There are many using both the summer and winter capsules which do work for me. This is important to understand; just because it could be worn together doesn’t mean you have to.

Accessories; your shoes, purses, jewelry, scarves, etc. provide even more variety. I have several “statement” pieces of jewelry which add tremendous punch to a simple outfit. I have purses which work with each capsule-orange for summer, purple for spring and I plan to purchase a gray or tan purse for fall. I bought boots for less than 8 bucks at a huge clearance sale earlier this summer. These will look great with all the skirts and dresses. I have a pair of black, lower heeled pumps-also purchased on clearance-which work for dressier outings. I have black work boots, brown cowboy boots, and red cowboy boots for everyday wear.

My scarf collection is extensive. I have scarves in every color of the rainbow, in prints and solids, from exotic locations and second hand stores. Although I confess, I rarely wear them, they bring me joy just looking at them…

Remember, the purpose of a capsule is to give you a versatile basic wardrobe. The winter tops are, in my case, usually a solid color which can be worn beneath something or on it’s own. I chose print tops in the summer capsule to combine with solid bottoms. These also work on their own or beneath something. Now, by combining the capsules, I have a huge variety of options for fall.

14 Inches Later

This morning my hair was far past my waist.

Now it’s short.

Bouncy.

And all one color.

It’s been somewhere near 20 years since my hair’s been this length. My cosmetologist Julie, who is fantastic, cut my hair into a layered bob. It’s longer on the top and front, shorter in the back. Then she used a curling iron to show me just one of the options I have with this cut.

All I can say is I feel 20 pounds lighter and 10 years younger.

Covid caused a problem with my hair dye availability. I was forced to use another color, simply because I could get it. So now my hair is no longer two-toned, but all one strawberry blond color!

The reason I hadn’t cut my hair before now was for my son’s wedding. I wanted to be able to wear it in an appropriate “Mother-of-the-Groom” style. As it turns out, Julie did such a fantastic job on my wedding hair I’m still receiving compliments on it! I was thrilled with what she did, including her willingness to add my purple dragon brooch into my up-do.

However, after having very thick, very long hair for so long-I was sick of the struggle I have with it. It was absolutely a burden and trial for me. Washing it was very challenging, as I could only keep my arms up to wash it for short periods of time. They went numb and I would become lightheaded from the effort. It took four or five times, taking breaks to get the feeling back in my arms, to get it fully washed.

Believe me, “the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze”.

But now I can easily take care of it without triggering my arm problems. And it’ll take much less time to do it.

Julie surprised me when she said I’d be able to donate my hair. I had been told charities would only take “virgin” hair; that which has not been bleached, dyed or had any other type of chemical processing. This particular charity- Children with Hair Loss– is willing to take hair that’s been altered chemically. So I have my hair, 14 inches in length and a lot of it, ready to send off to them. I’m thrilled my hair can be used to help a child in need.

Bullet Journaling? Part 1

Here is a post I wrote about bullet journaling.

As most of you know, I do all sorts of arting. My primary medium is acrylics, but I also use mixed media and found objects, watercolors, pastels, alcohol markers, colored pencil, pen and ink, etc. to make my art pieces. Before we packed my workroom up, I was making art journals of all kinds. My preferred materials were recycled items; cereal boxes, junk mail, packing materials, packages kids toys come in, wrapping paper, pretty much anything and everything most people get rid of…

Since Covid, and our efforts to re-do our house and sell it to move to Arizona-which by the way, we aren’t doing anymore-I’ve had to do other things to be creative. This has included writing a book, taking on-line courses, and organizing my research. This means I have a vast collection of notebooks filled with a variety of stuff.

If you read my last post, you saw that my physical health has changed a bit. Which has resulted in some occasional issues with memory and cognition. While these symptoms are temporary, they do cause some “lost time” problems. During these periods of lost time, I do not know or remember what happened. If I made a doctor’s appointment, for example, I won’t remember that. If I made plans with someone-that’s gone too. This is always a frustration, but since my health has changed recently these episodes are more frequent.

And it drives me bat-sh*t crazy. I absolutely HATE it!

While working on a project, I had YouTube going. It plays whatever’s next up and I like it for “white noise” in the background as I work. Anyway, a Bullet Journalist came on. She described her chaotic life with all her kids, a job and charity work. She said her bullet journal changed her life. It has turned her life of confusion into a life of peace. I started to pay attention…

And then I began searching for people who use this system in their everyday lives. Let me tell you, friends, this is apparently the best thing since sliced bread! Now, because I’m me and I research things to death, I haven’t started my own bullet journal yet. I have, however, created a notebook filled with ideas and suggestions for creating a first-time bullet journal.

For some reason, the thought of using a purchased notebook for the beginner bullet journal scares me. I’m sure it’s my fear of messing up something I actually paid good money for. When I make my own journals they are essentially garbage and cost me nothing. If I mess them up-who cares? They’re made of stuff people dump or recycle anyway- it only costs me my time. But for some reason using a 7 dollar journal is paralyzing me…So I’m practicing in a composition notebook (.50 cents) until I get the hang of this.

So far, I’ve been having fun doing this. I’m sure my bullet journal would make “real” bullet journalists break out in hives, but that’s part of the appeal of these types of journals. You can do whatever you want in them.

Of course, this “do whatever you want” can be both a blessing and a curse. You have absolute freedom to do what you want, but then you have no “absolute” way to begin. Some of us thrive on no rules, others of us prefer freedom within a recognized structure. Whichever type of person you are, a bullet journal can be a wonderful addition to your life. In fact, it (apparently) can be a life changing addition.

Hey, Friends, Let’s Catch Up!

I’ve been rather quiet these last couple of months, so let’s chat.

First, things are alright with me. Nothing major has happened, so if you were concerned- I apologize. There have been some changes but, truthfully, I have felt very limited in my ability to share useful or interesting content about budget art creation. This is due to my lack of workspace, stored supplies and materials, and a general sense of frustration due to my own inability to make my art.

Health-wise, things have changed for me. If you think of it like a staircase, beginning at the top and moving downward, I’ve taken another permanent step down. Which means I have a “new normal”. These steps down occur periodically, but it’s been a few years since I had a noticeable-to others-change in my usual stuff. Well, I’ve had a significant change. This means an adjustment both physically and mentally and I’ve been struggling with both.

The daily pain has increased. By that I mean my base level-the all day everyday level-is worse. The tremors have also made an alarming jump. I’d been able to “hide” them from people, but this is not going to be possible now. Which means those who don’t know anything is wrong with me (I have “invisible” problems) will be able to see something is…And I think that has been the most difficult part for me to accept. I do everything possible to present myself as a normal, healthy person. It’s devastating to realize I won’t be able to hide it anymore…

And I dread the questions I’ll get. No matter what I say, I am forced to listen to unsolicited advice and suggestions. These are not only useless for my health problems, most are down-right stupid. When I respond with a polite thank you, the advice-giver becomes irritated. I mean, they shared their “wisdom” and I should be grateful and shower them with compliments and praise…Now you know why I try so hard to hide my health stuff.

We are getting a puppy over Labor Day weekend. He’s one of eleven rescued in Texas, and the lady running that rescue is bringing the puppies up. I’ve talked with her several times, and she makes a run to the mid-west about once a month. I was stunned. She lives in Texas bordering two different states. Those areas are very rural and poor. The folks there cannot afford to spay or neuter their pets, so they end up with puppies and kittens galore. This lady runs a free spay and neuter organization, but is often called on to care for unwanted critters. She works out of her home, so she currently has two litters of puppies she’s trying to re-home. The lady is a saint, in my opinion…

It’s been two years since our precious Yoshi passed. We feel it would be very good for Chewy to have companionship and we’re ready to open our hearts and home to another furry family member. While a lab mix (with border collie, lab or blue healer, I can’t remember right now) is a larger dog than we’ve had in recent years, his size won’t be nearly as large as some of our past beloved dogs.

Of course, it’s been some time since I’ve trained a puppy. I’m watching YouTube videos to refresh my memory. I’m also embarking on puppy-izing our home. I’ve gathered the old baby gates, am putting everything up and away from a curious bundle of fur, am gathering the appropriate toys and blankets, have cleaned the crates for his nighttime bed, and am ordering spill proof bowls, his current puppy food, training treats, tags for his collar, toys, collars, leashes and puppy “pen”, a large circular fence which can be set up for puppy freedom of movement without possibility of getting into anything. These are used often with puppies, because sometimes humans need to take showers, etc.

The obvious advantage is I don’t go places very often, which means Pickles will have constant supervision. I will crate train him, as I do leave the house on occasion, but he will very rarely be home alone. And if he is, it will only be for short periods of time. I’ve made his vet appointment, but since I don’t know his age I’m not sure if he’ll be neutered then or not.

The name Pickles is sort of an interesting story…Shortly after Yoshi died, Chewy was really struggling with depression (as were we), and I thought a companion would help him adjust. While searching, Scott put some possible pet names into his phone. We decided, after much discussion between ourselves and our vet, none of us were ready for a new pet at that time.

Yesterday we were talking about names and I suggested three: Bristol, Ranger and Pickles. He started to laugh. I thought is was because he thought the name ridiculous and I wouldn’t be having a puppy named Pickles…Turns out that was the name on the top of his original list from the last time we searched for an adoptable dog…So we both came up with that name out of millions of possibilities. Blew my mind…