Rainy Day Tuesday stuff

Rainy drizzly day and was not a good one for working in the yard.  Inside Lasagna was for dinner tonight. Béchamel sauce with parmesan cheese to layer along with grated mozzarella cheese.  Big pot of sauce that cooked almost all day.  I will have to post picture later. 

 I am working on another beaded picture. Will need a new prescription of eyeglass when I finish with this one. 

 If you click on picture it will enlarge. 

Easy to follow but I decided I do not like the square beads.  Harder to place at first, gets easier but I like the round better and the look.

Lot of beads but it wouldn't be enjoyable if I could get it done right away. 

I did this one about two years ago.   I posted about it. Round beads used in this one.

I like Leonid Afremov's art.  The colors and the scenes he painted are appealing to me, especially the rainy street and nature scenes.  

Beautiful color.  Even the beaded picture captures really well the reflections and mood.  

yesterday in the sun I took a picture of some of my roses.  This one is so bright and pretty.  I cut off the little buds on either side of it sometimes to get a bigger bloom.  It's works.

Of all of the flowers, I love the roses best of all,  

They are prettiest in Spring and Fall.

 I didn't think of this being a rhyme, but I guess it is.  

Petunias and Dracaena go together well as they both need to stay watered and not dry out.  

I have planted before without thinking in pots flowers that looked pretty together but one didn't need as much water or feed as the other and I always ended up killing one or one didn't look as great alongside others in pot. 

Holly hock near garage

this red cabbage looks like a giant flower.  hope it will head o.k. in the pot. 

til next time, Betsy

Framed it

A watercolor class  I took at Agecroft Hall Richmond Virginia.  We did a simple picture with a quote we would like.  It was fun chatting and being with others. 

this was weeks back so all of these gorgeous tulips are gone.

Sunken garden

Tulips in this garden as follows.

Pink with pollen 

Poppy

Needless to say, my picture didn't look like any of these. 

Out instructor was very helpful, and I learned quite a bit in the class.

It was supposed to be 2 hours but turned into 3 hrs.  Time flies when having fun.

sketching out.  

Edges taped with painters' tape to keep even line and a sheet of paper sized for the lettering area taped in the middle while I finished my flowers and border. 

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin " A natural trait, Common humanity.   I like the quote and I guess it means different things to different people.   I will have to read Shakespeare's play, Troilus and Cressida. Third act, speech by Ulysses, not quoted here in the same way he used it.   But I think it fits what I am using it for. 

I used my word document and a font from that to size and then print.   I turned over, shaded with pencil, then traced.  I used black permanent marker to fill in the penciled letters. 

I am not going to keep it in this frame.  I think I will get one with a yellow or green mat with darker frame.

Now off to dabble with some other water color pictures that pops in my head.

Here is one I am working on.  It's just fun and relaxing.  I really don't know much about mixing paints or drawing but I am willing to learn, a little anyway. I think of nothing else other that what I am doing with my paints and paper. So relaxing and it's fun. 

A good tip we were given was to draw with our mechanical pencils. Much better to use than a wooden one because it doesn't mark as dark or thick on the paper. After painting erase over to remove pencil lines.  Can always put color back if need be.  Sometimes erasing some color gives a whole new look and I leave it.  

If the paper curls, from watercolor.   Spray the back lightly with fine mist of water and put flat under a book to let dry.  It comes out nice and flat when I do this.  No more curling.  

Thunderstorm in the making here.  I hear it.  Will sleep great tonight.

😁 Betsy

Flowers and other growing things. Happy Mother's Day!

Rainy day here and before heading out to run a few errands, some pictures outside of the past week.

Friday was Steves Birthday.  I cooked smash burgers on the  Brookstone griddle.  I like cooking wth  it outside when I want things a little fast and it's fun.  Oil has to be used so I have to be careful using it too much.   It cooks things like peppers, onions and potatoes that taste so good.

Publix makes the best ice cream cake

Both grand girls made Opa cards

Adalyns

Genevieve's card.  She made a tri fold

Variety of foods that the girls picked out to eat.

Our strawberries are coming in.  I moved quite a few to pots to make room in beds. Will have to make even larger beds for next year I see.  Easiest plants ever to grow.

What I have on table before going out to pick a few

After and not too bad. 

 More to ripen in coming week. 

I try to keep covered from birds

Strawberries in this planter are a total surprise.  I planted pineberries last year and they did not a thing.   I thought they were just a loss.   I have some June bearers in here also, I pulled the runners and put in pots.  Had no idea the ones that came back this year were pineberries.  Total surprise. A cross between the Virginia common strawberry and Fragaria Chiloensis.  It is ripe when almost completely white and seeds are reddish color.   Taste like a strawberry pineapple to me.  Very tart.

I plan on making a large bed of these for next season.  One thing to note is that the Pineberry must have a regular strawberry as a pollinator nearby, at least one for every four pineberries.   The fruits are soft so better to eat sooner rather than later and no problem here.  I would freeze them for smoothies but will barely make it from the vine before they are eaten by grandchildren. 

A little read on this site below

strawberryplants.org/pineberry-pineberries/#growing-pineberries

-Strawberry plants. Org-

Cabbage in pots are doing well.  I sprayed with Neem oil to keep off those little bugs.  I purchased a netting for them to see if it would help with worms or bugs.  I wrapped base with foil as I heard it helps keep worms off.  Will see. 

Planning on placing these pots somewhere else and get the patio more presentable for summer. 

A little cuke in the orange pot coming up.

My head lettuce I sprayed with Neem oil which is safe to use, or I wouldn't use it.  I washed them off and decided to bring in to keep the bugs or flies off and less tending.  They do well inside with plenty of light. 

 

I have several hanging plants on the sunroom. All faux.  

I have these to plant.

Put a few in pots on table next to sliding door where I sit and have coffee some mornings]

A cutting from a basil plant I purchased last year.  Good to see it has lived through some cold days. 

Can never go wrong with Petunias.  They give plenty of summer color and when they get a little too leggy, I cut them back and more beautiful flowers come for the rest of the summer into fall. 

Flowers of Sweet William are such a pretty color.  I planted some snap dragons in the bed also the same color.  The yellow snap dragon didn't die all the way back this past winter.  It's the first time this has happened.  Usually, it just reseeds and comes back.  

Hollyhock third summer in pot.  I know I am pushing it.  Can't last much longer this way

Rose that I have trimmed several times already is blooming profusely.  I take off several buds on one stem so the flower will be larger and I think it works.

Roses and Peonies for my table

this one with rain drops 

Mock orange was just beautiful this year!  I love how it scents the yard but the seeds that drop can root and has done so several places in the yard.   I keep digging them up.  I don't want them all over. 

Below, my Peonies and Mock orange arrangement

Grand daughter was one of three chosen from her class to have her art hanging at a High School display along with other schools in the county.  

 Dill.  May have to make some potato salad

I took this picture outside before dark a few evenings ago.

To all moms 

Happy Mother's Day