I'm not a fan of upgrades. I think they're a waste of my time and a waste of resources. I don't like new phones, new computers, and I don't even like shopping for new clothes. But these days one must ultimately give in to all the new and shiny things or risk becoming a luddite. In my profession that's a label I can't afford. So in search of a new ( Read more... )

Time for another shaky, dizzying garden tour, this time with hot-afternoon-sun-high-contrast-overexposure. Enjoy!

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One of these days I'll get a better camera. Until then I apologize for any dizziness that may occur when viewing these virtual garden tours.

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The second installment in my new monthly garden tour series. Friends who visit know that I usually do garden tours with a glass of wine in hand. So pour yourself a chilled california chardonnay and follow me.

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I've been thinking about making a video of my garden for awhile. Mostly for family who don't visit during the growing season (or, ahem, at all), and for friends who don't have the time or money to make the trek to the Hill (my bank account and schedule sympathize). So I made one this morning and figured I might as well share it with the world ( Read more... )

Whatever the reason, Spring came early to the Hill this year. Some years we get hard freezes in late April. This year I had to take the frost protection off the tomatoes in late April because they were wilting in the heat. Some years I don't direct-seed the corn until early June. This year it's already in the ground as of last weekend. Judging by ( Read more... )

Identity is a touchy subject in my profession. It's a generally accepted rule that you don't call yourself a Librarian unless you have a Master's degree in some sort of information studies. Just like a Nurse wouldn't call herself a Doctor, the terminology matters to us. When I use the word "farm" to describe my humble abode, it's tongue-in-cheek, ( Read more... )

Even though this challenge kicked my ass towards the end, and I'm utterly exhausted and I miss my couch and my magazines and my kitties (except Studiocat, who's been thrilled with my recent habits), it was totally worth it. Lessons learned ( Read more... )

Each week seems to get harder than the last. With each successful drawing my standards grow ever higher, and the difference between the sketchy sketches I started out doing and the fully considered works I'm doing now grows larger. They say that if you work without regard for the final product, the final product is your style. So I guess finicky ( Read more... )

This week was more challenging than last. I was more motivated to pull weeds than to pick up my pastels. My work grew more and more finicky despite my attempts to stay loose, and I even threw away a drawing last night after overworking it. Haven't done that in years, preferring instead to keep a portfolio of failures for perspective. But I'm really ( Read more... )