Under a Copper Sky

Progress

I've managed to put a huge dent in the massive mulch pile.

This week I was able to finally finish mulching

the beds in the back of the house

and that spurred a little Izzy dance.

Since things are looking decent

I thought I'd share some pictures.

This is the butterfly garden.

It's quite apparent that it's a deciduous garden

and a bit too blank during the winter

so I plan to fix that this spring.

Moose is thrilled to be hanging out with me today,

can't you tell?

Oh, and excuse the white thing.

It's a table pesdestal.

I'm painting all the furniture on our screened porch white.

Sorry, it's still wet or I would have moved it.

As you can see of the left side of this photo

we still have a bit of flagstsone to get settled.

This guy is the new "guardian of the small deck".

Gooba, the black cat, likes him because he's quiet.

This guy used to be inside, but he's now been assigned

"guardian of the walkway" duties.

More mulch down.

Brand new bed with baby plants.

And yes, more flagstone that needs to be dug in.

We keep hoping some magic fairy will come take care of that for us.

And Hollie is still up there.

Sitting patiently on those little eggs.

Another two weeks and she should have a baby or two.

Well, thanks for tagging along.

Sorry the pictures are a little on the dim side,

as soon as I walked out the sun went into hiding.

Happy Thursday

almost Friday

almost weekend!

Compassion

I watched Farm to Fridge yesterday.  Please let me stop you here before you run off to find it on youtube.  As much as I would like to, I really can't advocate watching this documentary.  Scenes from the film are still raw in my head and my heart breaks each time it runs through my memory.  I found myself sobbing, unable at times to breathe.

I told Robin last night that I can not fathom how upper management of these factory farms can do what they do.  But moreover I can't figure out how people can work at these places.  You would truly have to have no soul to be as abusive to these animals as what I witnessed.  How do those people go home, sit down at the dinner table and have a normal conversation with spouse and children.  I would have to hope they don't.  I would have to hope that at some point karma stepped in and gave them nights riddled with nightmares.  If they treat animals in this manner and go deaf to the screams of torture, how do they treat their family?  We lock up humans who kill humans and give them a tv, gym and free food.  Why should we even bother with those who mistreat animals?

Robin and I, after much deliberation, have decided to make many changes regarding the welfare of farm animals.  Our diet of meat, even though it hasn't been much, will decrease more.  We have joined a local CSA with animal farms deemed Animal Welfare Approved, for those few occasions when we want to add more protein to our plates.  I have gone onto as many websites as possible, Mercy for Animals, American Humane Certified, The Center for Food Integrity, The Humane Society, etc and educated myself on the horrific dangers to animals and humans caused by factory farming.  I have signed petition after petition.  But I want to do more.  I want it to stop and I want it to stop now.  I can not live knowing that each and every day that amount of suffering is happening to creatures who do not deserve it.  I can not live knowing that we as a society are still so barbaric.

But how do I, one little Izzy voice, get the word out?  All the intelligent people want to turn away.  If they don't see it, surely it's not happening. It hurts them to know.  And how do you educate the "dumb" America?  Those obese who waddle to the nearest fast food restaurant to get their super sized cheeseburger, those who jack up medical insurance prices and complain that they can't afford "good" foods because they are lining the pockets of crooked pharmaceutical companies and giants like Monsanto who are in turn lining the pockets of crooked politicians.  How do I, one little Izzy voice, get heard over all that crap?  Most people just don't want to know.  I post information on FB and it goes completely ignored, just as this post will be disregarded. People don't want to know that their morning bowl of corn flakes is really genetically engineered, pesticide drenched "corn", so how do you tell them that the damn milk they pour on top of it came from a steroid pumped, abused milking cow who spends her life being tormented, tortured and milked to death?  Oh dear...  they don't want to know.  How does one little Izzy voice help.  What do I do to help stop this?  How do I go from just practicing compassion to making it contagious?

Duck poop...

There are people in this world who

eat all clean, healthy food and do "soft" exercising.

There are people in this world who go all out

hard core exercising

and eat whatever they want.

I wish I could find a happy medium between the two.

Our new and permanent way of eating has been easy.

I really do enjoy eating clean.

But exercising is about as much fun as

sitting on duck poop.

I used to run when I was younger.

I loved running.

It kept me out of the house for hours,

I got to be in my own little world for a while.

But my knees eventually said "enough"

and I had to stop.

It was the only form of exercise I enjoyed.

Since then I've tried a little of this and a little of that.

Nothing really made me happy.

But now I've seriously had to revisit the whole

idea of being healthy through movement.

I've reached my plateau.

Those 30 pounds dripped off like butter,

then came to an abrupt stop.

Hiking on the weekends just isn't enough.

So my personal trainer, uhm, err, husband

has come up with an exercise regimen.

And it's about as much fun as sitting on duck poop.

The other day, after working out legs

then picking up and rearranging flagstone for two days,

I seriously could not walk.

Duck poop.

But I have to get over my griping,

moaning,

complaining

and just embrace it.

I've changed my eating habits because I want to

live longer, 

be healthier,

be happier.

That means I gotta do the exercise thing too.

Happy medium.

Embrace.

Duck poop.

=)

 

Happy Tuesday

 

Don't forget about my auction for RUFF.

If you don't want to participate but

know of someone who might, please pass it along.

It's for a very good cause.

Auction time

I've never done an auction so I'm quite excited about today.

RUFF is one of our favorite organizations on the planet.

Every year, a few times a year,

Robin and I try to give the cute, furry creatures,

waiting for adoption,

a bit of food, blankets and whatever else they may need.

It warms our hearts knowing we can feed a few little bellies.

Help just a bit.

So today I'm auctioning off this necklace.

(Sodalite encased in copper, with a small piece of linen.  Top layer

of copper has been fused with Sterling Silver.  Recycled, black, silk sari

runs up both sides and into the copper chain.  18" in length.)

All proceeds from the auction will go to RUFF.

I'm going to start the bidding at $25 because I know that will buy

a big bag of dog food and a big bag of cat food.

Yummy!

If you want to participate,

the actually bidding will take place in the comments section below.

First comment should be the bid of $25,

second comment will be the second bid.

Got it?

Easy peasy.

Bidding starts now and will run until

Friday, March 2nd at 12:00 pm est.

Let's see how much we can raise for these folks - 

these wonderfully kind souls

who have enormous hearts.

They are the foster families to

sweet creatures who need a temporary home.

They are good, good people.

Go visit the RUFF website here.

If you don't like the necklace but want to help

you can find their list of needs here.

If you can foster, find details for that here.

Or, even better, if you want some cute, little

fuzzy creature of your own,

you can find them every weekend at their

adoption events.

Let the games begin.

 

**Just a side note, I do not work for, 

nor am I affiliated with RUFF.

If you have any questions about the auction

please don't hesitate to shoot me an email.**

Not a slacker

I know most of you think I've lost my way to my studio...

You'll be happy to know that I have not.

Should have these on Etsy next week.

Stop back by here on Monday.

I'm having a very special auction.

Happy Friday!

Home

Robin and I have been living in this house for 2.5 years now.

We moved in 1 month after my birth mom passed away.

Since then we've gone non-stop updating, adding to,

and embracing this place with a lot of love.

When we were in search of a new home we did a drive by of this place.

And even though I couldn't even see the big guy through the trees,

so far off the road,

I knew this was my home.

He called to me.

And the first time I stepped foot through the front door

this house had my heart.

Within the first two months we had replaced the

pink toned builders beige with

dessert camel,

winter mood,

blue fox,

grey porpoise,

and marina isle.

Wallpaper ripped down and replaced with color.

Touches of us added.

This house was twelve years old and none of the

four former owners ever made changes.

None.

Nada.

Never showed this big guy the attention he deserved.

Until we came along.

Floors were replaced, box-woods ripped out, stone mulch replaced,

decks built, plants added.

We aren't pretentious and, in fact,

we painted over the marble fireplace.

No fancy smancy here, only cozy warmth.

We are quite proud of this place.

I have thrown my gypsy ways out the window.

Here I have planted my roots.

This is our home.

There is still so much we plan to do.

The house will go from white to grey, roof from shingles to steel,

more and more landscaping.

The kitchen will be completely renovated,

complete with new appliances and concrete countertops.

All bathrooms will get a facelift.

The attic will be finished and made into a proper Izzy studio.

And a new shed will be built out back.

Bit by bit.

By bit.

For now we are busy with this.

This, my friends, is 40 cubic yards of mulch, pine straw

and two pallets of flagstone.

Still trying to finish off the beds around the deck built last year.

Slowly we go.

Loving every minute of this job.

Happily showing this big guy all the love it has shown to us.

Our home.

 

Visit from Felix

Felix lives in Pennsylvania, but has come here

to Fuquay Varina for a short visit.

With the warm weather

he has preferred to hang out here on the couch

on the screened porch.

We took Felix hiking.

Tucked him in at night.

He made friends with Moose.

Took naps on the day bed with Sammie.

Since Felix is leaving tomorrow, he won't be able to help

with all this mulch and rock

that was just delivered today.

Tomorrow Felix will head on down to Texas.

We will miss Felix.

Thanks to Staci and her daughter Julia

for letting Felix visit.

Jumping the gun...

It's February 20th and we got our first snow.

I'm also going to assume our last.

And when I say snow, I mean a very light dusting.

I do mean light.

But I'm grateful that old man winter dropped in, 

if only briefly.

 

Owl update.

I guess you could say we were "jumping the gun" a bit

when we assumed Hollie was already in the nest with eggs.

I snapped these shots of her this morning.

I guess she's just "nesting",

getting ready to lay those precious eggs.

She's definitely "plumped up".

Much bigger than when we saw her last.

Still very cute.

You can tell a big difference between her and Ollie.

She is short, plump, and her front feathers are much lighter.

Ollie is tall, thin, and his front feathers are much darker.

(Isn't it amazing what a difference a cloudy day

vs. sunny day can do to a photo.)

I will continue to keep you updated

as the love story unfolds.

 

 

Here we go...

Looks like Hollie is in the old tree

hanging out on the nest

with her precious eggs.

And Ollie (sleeping with one eye open)

is in the tree just behind the nest

keeping watch.

Another 28-33 days and the little babies

should be hatching.

After that, we wait another 35-40 days

to see them start leaving the nest.

Here we go...

Bigger than the house...

If I don't reign in my husband's

grandiose plans for a garden shed,

this is what will exist in our back yard...

(doodle by Andre Jordan)