simply be

lately i've been wondering about those people who seem to be content to simply be. laid-back and happily content, they don't seem to question their existence or place in the world.  do they secretly yearn to be more? has some light illuminated them to a secret truth i've not yet learned? do they laugh at the constantly buzzing bees like me who can't seem to light on any one thing for any length of time? whereas i scurry to create and learn and plan and scheme and maybe even prove something, they watch quietly from the sidelines.

when i decided to quit my corporate job a few months ago a part of me wanted to simply be.  i was burned out, waaay out.  i felt like i had not let myself simply be for a long time, maybe never. for a month or so i vegged out and did as little as possible. but as soon as the sun warmed the earth my simply be mode rapidly kicked into a new notched-up gear. spading earth, planting veggies, hoeing weeds, building fence, hammering up nesting boxes and roosting poles, mucking the chicken house and much more has consumed me. this week i've silently asked myself -- are you trying to work off some debt? pay a fine? prove something? is your slaving a way to hide from something? where is all of this taking you?

i have only a few glimmers of insight into the answers. work has been a kind of mind-numbing therapy. sore muscles at the end of the day actually feel good. doing it myself, all by myself, can be daunting and frustrating and physically challenging. yelling a few obscenities when the lid of the chicken watering can won't budge is an exhilarating cathartic rush. taking a deep breath and slowing down actually works.  i haven't figured out exactly what i want to do in life; it is easy to know what i will choose not to do again. it's ok to be sad and cry once in a while. mom's (apple or cherry or strawberry cream or butterscotch) pie heals (almost) all wounds. this all just part of the journey. try to enjoy it.

as i'm writing this i promise myself that i will take one day a week to simply be. but even as i'm typing these words i know that i'll need to modify that promise from one day to one hour.

huge BOGO sale in my etsy shop!!!

the suffocating heat has me spending my evenings inside working on my faithful mac, playing in photoshop and dreaming up ways to increase sales in my etsy shop. check it out -- buy two prints and receive one free print of your choice AND/OR buy one original canvas or wooden panel and receive one free print of your choice. simply tell me in the message to the buyer which print you'd like to receive free.

i've also been watching a lot of my old fave movies like you've got mail (i can now recite loooong dialogue exchanges of the movie by heart hee hee), bull durham (still find kevin costner a hot hunk in this one) and runaway bride (i personally think joan cusack is the real star of this movie -- she totally cracks me up!!).

and, i've been dancing along to this tune from the bull durham movie. get up and swing along to this one, gals!!

idle hands create beautiful dishcloths!!

i spend a lot of time watching these days . . . watching the chickens scratch around in the flower beds. watching the zucchini grow (by leaps and bounds overnight!!). watching the sprinkler mist the garden. watching bella and zoe loooove being farm dogs. the serenity and fulfillment i get from these idle moments fills me joy. i've started taking my crochet basket outside with me to my orange year chair where i can sit and crochet while watching. i simply can't let my hands stay idle for long.

next thing i knew i had over a dozen sets of dishcloths done and nesting prettily in my basket. i've listed two sets on etsy. above is faded glory and below is pistachio. click on the name to be whisked off to my etsy shop.

life is good on the farmer chicks farm!!

vintage sheet music destash!!

i've had such good luck selling off my stash of artful blogging, cloth paper scissors and other art books that i've decided to start listing some of my huge collection of vintage sheet music. above is lot no. 10. click here to see it and others in my etsy shop.

hanky panky in the garden

stella scarecrow knew a thing or two about loneliness. all day and all night she kept vigil over the garden, safeguarding the strawberries from pesky crows. she was happy to let her skirt blow freely in the wind. but her heart yearned for more.

one morning a strong northerly wind blew stella around and she spied a newcomer to the garden. oh how rakish he was in his natty red hat. her heart skipped a beat and her skirt lifted in  his direction.

the next morning passersby were shocked to see that stella had discarded her dress and was letting her (unmentionables) freak flag fly. speculation was rampant about what kind of hanky panky had transpired in the garden.

but the mystery was solved with a quick glance to the south which revealed mr. natty scarecrow's ardor being misted down by an early morning cold shower.

fiction is grand fun but the truth is my two oldest brothers took time away from the chore list mom had given them to have a bit of fun with my scarecrow. the owner of the unmentionables shall remain unmentioned but they are not mine!! hint, hint!

late night photoshop fun

i've been playing around in photoshop late at night again. i own several books of old wood cut illustrations and am having fun pairing them up with backgrounds and words. i think these would make cute designs for pillows, tea towels, t shirts, signs, etc. what do you think? i'd love to get some feedback on whether these would sell as jpegs or pdfs that someone would buy and then print as an image transfer to be ironed onto fabric, etc.

thanks for any feedback you'd like to give AND also for your outpouring of love and willingness to send a card to my friend "d". please email me if you'd like to participate int he get well card shower. thanks!

etsy shop update!!!!

a new original in my shop -- 6 x 12 on wood panel. the words read "her gentle wings carried her far".

another 6 x 12 wood panel original. the words read "wings for soaring high". click here to see it in my shop.

pristine condition soft cover book about printmaking in mixed media. a steal at  $6.50 plus shipping. click here to see it in my shop.

still working to sell off my large collection of art magazines at loooow prices. get them while they last!  click here to see it in my shop.

i've been hanging on to this one. i looove it and hate to get rid of it BUT i am serious about reducing the number of totes i have filled with art stuff. it all must go! click here to see it in my shop.

hope you've had a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

prayers and loving support needed

i'm reaching out to all my blog friends to ask for your prayers and loving support for my dear friend "d" who is battling cancer. after fighting breast cancer in 2010 and reaching a healthy level of remission, she is now fighting the good fight again. in addition to being a loving mother and grandmother, "d" is  fun-loving, full of life and can be found most saturday evenings dancing somewhere with her hubby of 41 years. my heart is breaking for what she is going thru right now.

i would love to shower "d" with a boatload of love and support. if you'd be willing to send her a card please email me at juliekingart(at)gmail(dot)com. it would REALLY be appreciated.

((hugs)) and thanks!

julie

lokking out my back door

this was soooo funny!  the girls and the hens are getting along great . . . no fighting and just a tad bit of chasing. mostly they all just ignore each other.

this hen jumped right up on the windowsill and watched us eat supper! now all of them are doing it. i feel like it's feeding time at the zoo. and I"M the one in the cage!

my new finch feeder drew finches the very first day.  loooove watching them out the window.

this little guy was quite the poser!


and now another music video! you just gotta love CCR!

in my room

as adults, we really don't get very many chances to go back. back to our childhoods. back to our youth. back to times of innocence and simplicity. on the rare occasions that we do get the chance, nothing seems the same as we remember. everything looks smaller. or darker. or backwards.

i've moved in with my mom . . . to take care of her and the garden and the chickens. i'm sleeping in the same bedroom i shared with my sister 53 years ago when my parents first built our house. oh the memories of that innocent, naive girl (me!) who spent so many hours dreaming in this room.

that girl was a mischievous tomboy who liked to show off her football throw and do back flips off the diving board. that girl was a shy goody two shoes who didn't question authority or talk back to her elders.  that girl believed everything she was told: when my biology teacher told us he would freeze three mice and bring them back to life at the end of the term, i believed him and argued with my dad about it all year. that girl longed to be julie andrews in the sound of music and practiced singing the hills are alive with the sound of music while dancing around the room.  that girl rarely backed down from a dare!!

i know i appreciated my parents, our house, my life back then but none of that compares to the depth of understanding and gratitude i feel returning as an adult. this (old) girl has lived a wonderful life, loved a lot, lost a bit, raised 2 wonderful children, worked hard to succeed, faced hardships, laughed til i cried, cried till it hurt and perhaps become just a tiny bit cynical.  witnessing what my parents accomplished in their lives if just downright humbling. being there for them has been a privilege. loving them an honor.

 

i suspicion that my mom is telling people that i moved in here so she could help me out while i continue to find myself/go thru this midlife moment. i know that i moved in to watch out for her and take the load off of taking care of this property on her own. honestly, we are helping each other out and it is so good for both of us. living in the country is definitely good for my soul and the hard labor is the best therapy i can imagine.

 life is really just all about perspective, isn't it? how we choose to look at things makes all the difference. i am where i am because of the choices i've made. and i can live with that.

writing this post has me thinking about the beach boys and THIS song!!





now i'm off to my room to practice singing and dancing. you never know when they may decide to do a remake of the sound of music. i need to be ready!! lol