Salty Pumpkin Studio

An Average Day

Ring Necked Plover 2018
Dead Creek, Addison, Vermont

Up, wash, dress and make coffee is how my day begins. I journal, computer, online, and then have a restful prayer or ponder moment before I move to do anything. There are days I make breakfast, and days I don't eat until lunch time. Counting my errands' stops, there are about eleven places with an average of 3 or 4 on one day. There are days when I go nowhere. I live a small life in reality, and a medium global life online.

When I'm home from food shopping, if there isn't something sweet (fruit, soda, chips, baked goods) or crispy greasy to have, then I feel like I didn't buy anything to eat. I rarely buy those things. Thus, I often have a hungry vibe going on for what to eat.

Forage style eating is how I consume food. Whatever is the easiest to access for a nice chomping moment, that is what I will grab first. For that reason, I put a ban on my buying peanut butter (to stop myself from snacking on big spoons of peanut butter).

Here's the kicker. I think my average days are normal, like lots of other folks. I don't engage in anything unusual, except maybe sometimes hours of sitting in a chair depressed and napping.

The depression slump I've posted about is finally lifting. I increased my vitamin intake; and, get more sleep more often.

August at Dead Creek
Addison, Vermont
2018

This morning I went through photograph folders for 2018. The bird pictured here didn't have a name. Searching the area online, I found a page with the bird under a different name, Baird's Sandpiper. It took a few searches from remembering it as a plover, to find the right identification. If I am wrong, then please leave a comment.

Don't Need What?

The vintage 1950-60s decorative metal platter that I told myself I don't need, is now hanging on my wall by the front door. I went back and bought it this week. The $2.50 plus tax, it is worth the smiles.

Day 208 of Week 30 July 2024

Summer On Lake Champlain

As the days near the end of July, holding onto the Summer grows stronger. August may prove to have hot days with a hint of autumn blending into the night hours.

Please, let's not rush into fall foliage fever. Already I'm eyeing my comfy socks like they're the last cannoli on the shelf.

What else has been catching my attention? Cargo pants! The more pockets and zippers the more Me I feel. I've always fancied a rugged outdoors look. Sandals this year are another struggle between fashion favorite and arthritis.

About sandals. The first pair of sandals of un-named brand that I bought on sale lasted forever. I bought another pair in a different color. This 2nd season of wearing the 2nd pair, they are not holding up well. This has also happened in knit garments, and other brands. Quality varies.

About Blogging. The decision is to continue this blog on a weekly basis, one or two posts per week. The thought is that if I slow down posting when I'm in a slump, then I can post more when I've feeling better.

Have a Lovely Summer Weekend!

Read about rowboats

Bake a peach pie

Tell an umbrella a silly story

Draw a seagull

Sing to a houseplant

Write a poem about smiling

Change Can Be Difficult

Nail Polish Removal
after using non-acetone remover

Complaining about products here doesn't happen often. This time, though, I speak up.

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails 520 Walk the Plank, nail polish is a soft shimmery light coral. I love the color.

What I do not love is that the removal of that nail polish using the same old remover I've used for decades, doesn't work as it does on other brands!

Scrub and scrub, the polish just does not come off until it has set for a while or I scrape it off with a fingernail or edge of my metal tweezers. Note here, scrubbing with the nail remover exposes my skin to a harsh chemical. Also, wearing it doesn't mean it doesn't wear away. One dish washing will leave the tips bare of polish. When the bottle if finished, I won't buy it again.

I searched on line about the problem. Guess what I learned? Sally Hansen also sells a nail polish remover. To the brand's credit, the prices are very reasonable. Other brands are very expensive.

Town Beach Area
Lake Champlain

Another difficult issue to deal with is depression. I've been digging out of a slump for months. This blog shows it as my absences are more frequent, comments fewer, and posts less interesting.

I am considering another blog hiatus because things, when looking at the big picture, aren't the same as past slumps. Things I did to keep my spirits up, televison shows, blog reading, and such, have tanked. I rarely watch TV. The daily computer games I play continue with a get it over with attitude. I rarely watch Facebook reels. And, the sinker, watching YouTube videos has also lost its ability to help me relax. I'm concerned about the dip in what I usually manage to enjoy.

I'm giving it a week to decide. Meanwhile, I've been scouting out plein air paint and picnic locations. I have 3 so far on my list.

Adding, not far from downtown, the Town Beach in Ferrisburgh, Vermont is well kept. It is beautiful place to have a nice picnic.

The turn after Town Beach is Kingsland Bay State Park. That is another beautiful location with more acreage to explore for landscapes.

Vermont is a beautiful state. I'm hoping getting out and about as well as returning to painting will help ease up this depression episode I'm having.

How is your summer been?

Thoughts About Patience

Shy Sunflower

This summer is very much into the season with heat, humidity, rain and thunderstorms taking the stage every week. There are times when the National Weather Service radar indicates rain in this area when none has fallen.

Spotty is the word to describe rain this year. It falls from rain clouds that aren't always over the location where I live. The waterfalls tell a different story. They will be running faster from rain farther south.

Not always matching is a part of life that feels more a bother than a process to enjoy.

On the home front, I'm not anxious to make the leap to a new laptop as yet. My patience with tech things is low. The old laptop has quirks. And now the old camera is joining in. I use the photo editing program, Irfanview. For a reason I don't know, photos will be so large they don't fit the computer screen. I have to decrease the size, and then Lock Zoom in the View section.. Add that to the text is always light gray instead of black, and all I want to do is turn the computer off and read a book. The camera's zoom feature has decided close enough is the new rule. It is one Ugh! after another. It is no wonder my patience is thin nowadays.

What about patience? Other emotional conditions don't change, but that one seems to be eroding with me. How do I smooth that developing rough edge? I step away from whatever bothers me. There are many projects for me to select instead of sacrificing a good mood to not having things match up to my expectations.

The walks I planned for this summer are on hold. My feet feel like bricks some days. The arthritis in my toe has taken to sharp unexpected pains. Having meals al fresco, however, is not on hold. I regularly have a meal outdoors sitting on the deck. Yesterday in the heat, I pushed myself to finish the gardening I wanted to do by taking numerous breaks in the air conditioned indoors.

How is your summer going?

The Deck Garden

The faux buoys need to be sealed where the string

goes into the bottle cap in order to keep out the rain.

Painting a rock to blend in with the garden decor

can add a bit of brightness.

Please note,

I'm still having issues with leaving comments on other blogs.

The Lake, Aches, Sofa & the Firefly

Lake Champlain in July

Last Sunday was a perfect day for being out and about to enjoy the sunshine. Despite the wind, it was a lovely afternoon.

My fribromyalgia is acting up. There are days when I'm thinking time to use my cane. The problem is, I'll probably leave it somewhere. Moving around more, (week 2 of back to the exercise bike), will help decrease the aches and pain.

Gardening, laundry, and puttering still make up most of my days. I finally tried Murphy's Oil Soap on the floors. It is an improvement over a pine cleaner.

The sofa recovering is progressing. I went to Joann's Fabric store recently. I was overwhelmed at the size of the place. They took over the store space that closed next door. I didn't look around much as I'm keen on shopping for what I need, check out and leave. I was so intent on leaving, I bought the wrong kind of batting. I want the fluffy polyester. Instead, I have the thin cotton blend. Oh well.

On the interesting events front:

lights out, I see streaks of green light about 3 or 4 inches long going across the dark towards the top of a storage cabinet. Once it stops, I see the blinking green light of a firefly.

Sad story somewhat. The lone firefly circles the smoke detector...with the little green light. Then the lone firefly goes over to land on the cabinet. I figure, it got its way in, then it can find its way out. Besides, I like the company.

I haven't seen it since.

Lovely Yarrow

Wild White Yarrow in June

Not far from the milkweed at the Dead Creek Visitor's Center on Route 17 in Addison, Vermont are small patches of wild yarrow,

In my planter I have Pink Grapefruit yarrow. A flower bed out front has red yarrow. Yarrow is a wonderful perennial. The older I become, the more I love easy to care for perennials.

The Last Weekend of June 2024

Otter Creek Falls, Vergennes, Vermont

Another landscape added to my paintings' queue.

Have a Fun Summer Weekend!

Bake something spicy

Browse camp shirts online

Read a funny book

Think about 2025

Create a sculpture from a soda bottle

Write a letter to your front door

Research image versus truth

Sing to your computer

Recite and record a poem

A comment from moi:

Society is saturated with embracing image. What we see, in reality or photographs, how we process the truth,

need not be swayed with our romance with beauty.

An old man can have more truth and beauty in him,

than any liar ever will.