Wordy Wednesday

 

Weekly Roll

 We have a new member in our family - meet Scotty. Yes, we have a new laser. 

this is where I got the name of laser

Linky Love

Easy Meals for Single Guys - I don't know if single guys or gals read my blog, but these seem like really decent meals. I am big fan of Good Cheap Eats

6 Beginner Hobbies for Spring - Yes, pickleball is on the list

Deep Thoughts 

I was talking about the universe giving you sign and hopefully it is the thumbs up and not the middle finger.  It has kind of been a middle finger type of month here for a myriad of reasons. The good thing there is always a chance the universe is going to smile upon you and give you the thumbs up.

Wordy Wednesday

 

What I Read March

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy Quick Lit. Check out what everyone else is reading.

To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn

This is part of the Bridgerton series that has been made into a series on Netflix.  I am a big fan. Eloise is one of my favorite characters.  Her specific love story hasn't made it to the series yet.  I read the book in a day. It is a bodice ripper so if that is not your jam this book isn't for you.  I did not read any other books in the series but have watched the Netflix series.  This was a good palate cleanser from the other nonfiction books I have read.

To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes by Rosie Grant

I have been following along on Instagram Rosie's journey to record all the graves that have recipes on them. She actually visited the graves and brought the recipe.  More than that she met the families and wrote their loved one's story.  I love how food unites us.  It made me think about what recipe I would put on my gravestone.  It probably would be my go-to cookie "World's Best Cookies".  I loved the stories and I can't wait to try these recipes.

Weekly Roll

 

My dog Rhett says HI!

Inappropriate Thoughts

I love how optimistic I am in the Spring about my garden. It seems like spring has come to New Mexico. I like to remind myself I feel quite a bit different when it is 103 degrees and I am trying to keep the garden alive.  

DamaskLove - Lady Gardenton

Maybe I need to channel my inner Lady Gardenton

Linky Love

Are you ready for St Patty's Day? I usually make a Pistachio Bundt Cake   I know I mention this every year.

Shamrock Paper Chain - It seems like paper chains are popular

Got the Gardening Itch

 

Look at the dahlias on the front of the Baker Seed catalog.  They almost look like poinsettias. My garden is starting to wake up. It will be in the 90s next week. I am holding off starting seeds until the end of March.  This is a tool by inputting your zip code you can determine your last frost date.

Clematis

Lasst year, I drew a little plan of my backyard.  I have a hard time remembering all the names of the plants.

Most of my borders are purple/blue plants.  I hope to add more purple and some white to the borders. We have a gutter above the shop door so I hope we can add another water barrel.  Anyway, to conserve water I want to do.  We also need to finish the drip lines to the rest of the border.  

There is something always to do in the garden. I can't wait for the flowers this year.

Wordy Wednesday

 

Recycled Art Show

Adults

 I thought I would give you a glimpse of all the entries. The art show is sponsored by Artesia Clean and Beautiful and held at the Artesia library. The turnout was on the slimmer side. 

Adults

Adults

Kids

I even won a ribbon - 3rd place in one of the adult divisions.

Weekly Roll

Linky Love

Pancakes for Dinner - Lately pancakes have been on repeat. I have been using a mix, but pancakes are simple.

 Inappropriate Thoughts

I got two postcards from Venice on the same day. This made me laugh as it wasn't sent from someone in Italy.  Is this a sign? If it is a someone please tell my bank account.  

Deep Thoughts

I spent the last part of this week taking genealogy classes.  A lot of these classes were focused on AI and DNA.  Yes, AI can be used in genealogy as a tool.  Yes, there are ethical things to consider.  As more and more records are digitized the need to summarize records or interpret handwriting has grown.  I haven't used it as a tool yet but would consider getting familiar with it. DNA is also a tool. This one I have dabbled in but much of it seems overwhelming. I took some more classes to feel more confident in using it. I especially enjoyed the courses that Diahan Southard of Your DNA Guide taught.

Recycled Art Show Entry

recycled art entry

Trash Fish

 I once again entered the Artesia Clean and Beautiful Recycled Art Show at the library. I have been saving bread clips for a year but was uncertain to do with them.  I finally decided to make a fish after finding a gear and screw on the street during our evening walk.  I looked through our treasures collected from the street and found the large metal ring.  I had the perfect eye.  I went through several protypes before I landed on what my fish to look like.

I consider it elevated Preschool Art. I enjoyed testing my creativity even if it included asking questions like, "Does this fish need lips?".

Wordy Wednesday

 

Irish Proverb

Weekly Roll

 

postcard from the Netherlands I received this week

Linky Love

Will Shuster's Lost Paintings of Carlsbad Caverns - The Carlsbad Museum is looking for the lost paintings in time for Carlsbad Caverns centennial in 2030.

Animal Lovers Race to Save Eagles Nesting Grounds 

Inappropriate Thoughts

I spent a lot of time this week working on my recycled art project for the upcoming recycled art show at the local library. 

I have been saving bread clips for about a year.  It makes me think of my friend Dawn who passed who had a bread clip collection she lined up on her window seal. My husband fashioned them into a fish. I did make a fish, but it isn't quite like the one above.  I also spent way too much time trying to figure out if my fish needed lips. That is the kind of person I am.

A quick pre Christmas Trip - San Antonio

I realized I hadn't posted much of a re-cap of visiting of San Antonio, Texas.

Project Life Layout

My husband wanted to take me on a trip for my birthday.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, it was delayed. He had been to San Antonio before, and he thought I would enjoy the riverwalk at Christmas.

We spent a short weekend in San Antonio, and it didn't disappoint.

The River walk is all lit up.  Our hotel was right on the riverwalk.  It is busy on the weekends.  The path is narrow.  People do fall in.  We didn't see anyone fall in. Our trip was a lot of walking and stairs. 

Junk Journal

Of course we visited the ALAMO.  We also visited 2 other Missions. (San Antonio Missions) We also visited the Acequias and the original dam.

original dam

Acequias

There was also a historic tree, Kennedy Memorial Tree near the original dam.

We did make a walk to the Grotto. There is so much to see and do in San Antonio. We also visited the Briscoe Western Art Museum and what a gem.

Junk Journal Page

The river boats are decorated and lit up during Christmas, and we rode on the last day of our trip right as the lights came on the river walk.  There are also caroling boats as well.

Wordy Wednesday

 

I seem to have a JOY theme going on.

Weekly Roll

 

Cake, I made for Nonna's Birthday

Yummy and Easy

Recipe from Senior Center Newsletter

Linky Love

Librarians 45 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time- Some that I have read - Everything is Tuberculosis and Boys in the Boat

Cece Moore and Genetic Genealogy and Nancy Guthrie Case (youtube.com)

Roots Tech 2026 - online and in person genealogy conference is coming up 

52 Ancestors - Clues in the Census

 52 Ancestors in 52 days prompt last week was Clues in the Census. 

I have been researching Joseph Wise Easterday and what intrigued me about him that his occupation in the census was "gardener " specifically in the 1900 Census. 

This piqued my interest. The majority of my family tree has tons of farmers.  I started thinking gilded age gardens etc. (The Blue Garden) This ultimately lead me down some gilded garden rabbit holes. However, when I looked at the 1910 census it says house farm and Joseph Easterday as a gardener. 

This led me to some more research into Gardens in Indianapolis. This led me to discover that Marion County had a large number of greenhouses that grew tomatoes and bib lettuce.  I think most likely Joseph had one of these truck farms. His farm had a green house so he was a gardener not a farmer.

Even his obituary has him employed as a gardener.

German Greenhouses and Truck Farms in Indianapolis

Indianapolis Greenhouse History

Wordy Wednesday

 

What I Read in February

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit. Check out what everyone is reading. 

Wards of the State by Claudia Rowe

Claudia Rowe does a great deep dive of foster care mainly through the lens of Washington State. Claudia discusses in depth why the correlation between foster care and future imprisonment.  That poverty is not neglect and why even with insufficient/neglectful/abusive fair far better staying with their parents. I think this a discussion about foster care that needs to be had. I think there is a prevailing view that children need to be removed but does the state do a good job. This is another broken government system. The statistics are startling.

107 Days by Kamala Harris

This was our book club book.  I probably wouldn't of have read this one on my own. I think what made the most impression on me was first. Kamala was just living her Vice President life when she got the call that she was running. She was getting up to make pancakes for her nieces.  Secondly, civil rights activist Claudette Colvin passed away recently and she gave up her seat on the bus before Rosa Parks. Claudette Colvin, a teenager at the time, did not know she was going to make history. There is nothing that Kamala did that wasn't going to make history. This book is the result that good, bad, indifferent Kamala was going to be making history. I think there is more pressure to get it right. I feel I have a much better idea who Kamala is than I did during the election. When you have only 107 days to run there is almost no time to run successfully. I am looking forward to the discussion and the author meet.

Weekly Roll

 

Going through my old Valentine's I found this gem from my nephew.  I love the handwriting.

Spicy Older Lady Blazers Fan Club

We the OGs (Old Gals) approve of this. It was a glorious win. It was Dame Time!

Deep Thoughts

I love this graphic that Brandi Kincaid made.  The world seems very loud and overwhelming at times. I hope through my chaos my love can be louder.

My Valentine this Year

 Every year I make a homemade valentine and remail it from Loveland, Colorado.  I have been doing this for a very long time. My hometown is Loveland.  This year they are celebrating the 80th year of Valentine Remailing Program.  I was lucky enough to drop off my valentine's there in Loveland.

I usually just mail them in a giant envelope to the Loveland Postmaster. There the volunteers stamp the outside with a special cachet, and the post office cancels with the Loveland postmark. 

Usually, I have a new idea for next year's valentine after I have mailed this year's valentine. I usually go through a few drafts before I settle on an idea. 

1st draft

2nd draft - mainly work with the Cricut

I got a Crayola marker air brush for Christmas.  I was influenced by Kristan at Friendsartlab.  

It is such a blast to play with so below is my design for 2026.