Category Archives: art

Apr2

Sea Shells

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My stepson visited the South Padre Islands during his spring break.  He shared this lovely photo.   These sea shells have so many different designs, arranged in the sand based on species, time, water, sun, the whole life system.  Below is a poem sparked by the photo …

Our lives are like sea shells in the sand. 

Arranged on a palette, seemingly haphazardly.  

A beautiful seascape with the ocean, sun, wind,

and sparkling sands highlighting.

Small, significant, striped, or speckled shells.

Ridged, in the rough, raw, reckless, and ruffled.

Omnipresent, opaque, oval, and an oyster’s home.

 Is your life smooth sailing right now? 

Or does it feel hollow echoing sounds,  

reminders of voices from the past? 

Storms interrupting life?

There  is a Pearl awaiting discovery.

Mar30

Happy Harvest Day of My Arugula

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Have you ever tried arugula?  I highly encourage partaking in this green, grown organically, of course.  It has a peppery flavor and is used as an herb, vegetable, or salad green.  Arugula is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, manganese, calcium, and magnesium; a very good source of riboflavin, potassium, copper, and iron; and a good source of zinc. It is an awesome herb, vegetable, and salad green.  I planted a flat of seeds, and love the fragance it permeated throughout the greenhouse as it grew this month of March.  This leafy green eluded to a fresh salad sometime soon.  Well, today I had my first arugula salad for this spring season.  Sliced a boiled egg, sprinkled some shredded cheddar, and lightly tossed with a simple buttermilk dressing. Yummy!!!  And baby arugula is mighty tasty on a pizza or in pasta.  Plans are made already for this weekend’s menu in this culinaire’s kitchen.

 

 

Mar23

Through Art Only

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 Oscar Wilde once said,  “It is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection.”  Art forms are many, and more is the artist in each of us.  The contrast of a black and white landscape captured through the camera, the colored palette made from a weaver’s loom,  the Gothic design of an architect’s arched door, a foodie’s crisp salad greens garnished with red nasturtium, artisan apricot beer accompanied with the baker’s cracked wheat bread, the wind sounds slowly dancing from a flute, the flow of a poet’s words; these all are the artist’s perfection.  I find journaling and blogging the avenue to keep my artistic mind going.  Time is an element for most of us, but I encourage all to take time to at least journal your thoughts.  You never know what inspiration will come to you …  Relic stepping stones for the garden are my next artist’s project.  I cannot wait to mix up some concrete and artistically arrange my “finds” into a one-of-a-kind design. 

Below is the gothic doorway of the Carmo Church in Lisbon, Portugal.   I found the photo on the internet.  It emphasizes the gothic arch.  Accompanying it is a photo of my home parish All Saints Church in St. Peters, Missouri, a gothic style church.  The parish was founded in 1823. 

 

Mar20

Unusual To Some

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Spring is officially here!  Though the signs of spring have been around for a few days now!  (Take a look at my previous post!) Gorgeous blooms, whipping winds, green grass, and gardens popping with new growth.  Farm friends of Dean & I’s are growing hops in their garden.  They started their local organic beer crop last year, and it has returned.  What may seem unusual to some is this grain comes from  a vine that grows very tall.  These recycled utility poles will hold twine which the hops vine grows on.  Best of everything to the LaBeaume Chateau!

Mar12

Contrasting Weather

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I watch the weather like a farmer.  I grew up with this ritual, and continue.   Spring seems to bring the storm fronts, but its started early this year.  Above normal warm one day, and then comes that front bringing clouds and rain followed by cooler air.  This cycle continues.  St. Louis’ record high for today is 84 degrees set in 1990, and record low is 1 degree in 1948.  The norms are 54 and 35, yet today we are currently at a sunny, clear sky 71 degrees.  It is gorgeous!  I took a stroll around the block during my lunch break.  The crab apple and bradford pear blossoms are busting out today!   A walk to the indoor pool after work will be refreshing, though still too cool for an outdoor pool!  The next front is due in on Wednesday.  This contrasting weather creates a beautiful palette for us to behold.  Clouds, storms, rains, sunshine, and rainbows …  Is not this a picture of life?

Mar5

Thoughts

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The brain can distort your thoughts if you have an acute infection, fever, tumor, Alzheimer’s, lacking certain vitamins and minerals, or severely dehydrated. Non-prescription and prescription drugs and anesthesia can distort things in the brain as well.  I have a colorful picture of the brain I found on Photobucket, a bit of art if you will in hopes for brighter days to come.   Yet life is not too colorful these days, a gray palette.  My father has a brain tumor, and underwent surgery this past Friday.  His thoughts are distorted right now.  Words come out wrong or no words at all. Previously, we know his distortion has been caused by the tumor, but now we are not sure if it is post-surgerical swelling that is causing the distortions, or other things now.  Prayers are requested for my father’s full recovery, and strength for my mother and family.

Mar1

March Into Spring

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“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
–  Charles Dickens 

March has such turbulent weather conditions, storms, tornados, and floods.  Yet there is a knowing of what is to come after the ruckus.   Baby birds chirping, wild violets showing purple,  green grass glowing after the rains, and a rainbow’s  promise of that pot of gold.  For me the pot of gold is garden growth, showy dogwood blooms, the birth  of a new thought, the memories of my child laughing in a swing, capturing a walk in the middle of my day …  “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” –  Hal Borland .   March into spring …

Feb6

Dinner Bell Ready

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Ready to Eat?!

The dinner bell has rung!  Are you ready to eat?!  I know I am with all these scrumptious dishes laden with vegetables of tantalizing flavors and texture combinations at a EarthDance Farms potluck.  Another potluck coming up this Sunday to welcome the freshman farmies.
Jan20

Slow Is Simple

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Life in the eyes of a child … simple.

A child’s life moves in slow motion though they run and play with full speed.  My granddaughter Ella wants to experience life to the fullest, yet slows down to view upclose a green frog hopping in the garden.  Life is simple as a child.  Slow is simple.  Simply said …

Green frog in the garden, a child’s bauble, maybe prince charming, a fairy tale in the making …

Jan15

Leafy Green Cravings

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So I am salivating while planting a micro green mix and red sails leaf lettuce seeds at the greenhouse … I think viewing this July vacation photo of a salad made by my longtime Minnesota friend, Tamie Jensen started it! 

Is it not a palette to behold?!  I am craving leafy greens … like fresh spinach, pac choy, arugula, leaf lettuce, borage, you name it!  Some of these items can be purchased at most local grocery stores, and fewer even have the organic variety.  And how far did these items have to travel to my local Schnucks or Dierbergs? And how much did that price tag say??? I am not willing to pay $5.99  for a pound “fresh” spinach that was grown 2,000 miles away!  I have become “spoiled” or a better word “selective” in my grocery purchases after farming with EarthDance Farms this past year.  Organic and local are the way to go for optimum health.  I froze several bags of spinach, swiss chard, and kale from my field labors this past growing season.  I just want fresh right now! Deanna Greens and Garden Art  recently bought this 1300 square foot greenhouse full of houseplants and flowering plants.  And it now makes way for my leafy greens!  Not quite the same as spring or autumn sunshine…  but it is organically grown, local, and cost pennies to those dollars! In 4 – 6 weeks I will be satisfied when a few of our nasturium blossoms and leaves are married with Deanna Greens and Garden Art’s very own leafy greens …