**** As the sun begins it's slow descent into the haze and cloud cover, I realized it's been a couple days since I've been here... maybe the fun & games of my car deciding to do something other than cooperate with me jus' made me more tired and BLAH than I thot. That is not to say that I've jus' been sittin' still ~~

When the temperature cooled down over the weekend, to something under 90 degrees, I found the humidity also went lower, giving me a chance to get some work done in the Sunroom/Studio ~~ This was such a GREAT thing for me ~~ I hated that I couldn't sit out at my table and get any work done, because it was just too darn hot -- I have such a low tolerance for high humidity and temps. ~~ so if it gets too miserable, I can only work in the room for a very short time. I would go by the french doors and look longingly into the room, wishing I could sit for more than 10 minutes and get some painting done. I only had some beads and fibers to attach to one piece to complete it....but found I couldn't sit that long in the 04 degree room. BLAST!!

So ~~ Once it got comfortable enuf, I got the fibers and goodies attached to my last collage...got the coat of matte medium on it and have it set with the other pieces in my storage chest. Quite relieved to have that one done. It wasn't a big piece, but it was just getting the time to complete it that was a pain....Saturday gave me the time to FINISH -- whatta good good feeling. And, since the MUSE was sittin' on my shoulder tellin' me "AHEM...AHEM!!!" -- I decided to get some other pieces of paper ~~ find some beads and little plastic "toy" pieces to collect for the next piece...I'd been thinking of a Baby under water....having the time of her/his life. So -- with that I'm off to the next project. Colors within it will be mostly pale blues..pale turquoise ... maybe some light lavenders. Most of the time spent on this one seems to be finding just the right color combinations of papers...the paints for the border seemed to come along fast ~~ but the papers have been a little more deliberate. Don't understand why...but will just go with it for now.

And ~~ For the first time since probably early spring, I found that last evening was cool and comfortable enuf to get some sponge work done with tissue paper I rediscovered in one of my wicker baskets. It's so loaded with manila file folders of odds and ends of paper (s) ~~ so pawing thru them can s0metimes be quite the ordeal. But ~~ Then I think, that if the Muse is in charge and wants to have something that hasn't been used before.. or wants to be used in a different way, then what the Muse wants...the Muse gets. And the wonderful breeze coming thru the windows was just too fine to let go of ... Before it got too dark to see what I was doint (I didn't want to use any other light...just the receeding sunlight thru the West windows...) I sponged paint and more paint...listening to some good Bluegrass and feeling quite happy. Sometimes the work gets a bit boring...seems to take forever...or just doesn't come together in a way that feels comfortable...doesn't make me feel that the end result will be worth the effort ~~~but that fortunately wasn't the case last evening. All the paint combinations came together in a pleasing manner...the paper wasn't tearing and making me want to tear out my hair either. All in all a good work time. The Muse was somewhat sad, tho, because the daylight was literally gone by the time the last piece of tissue was painted...but if the Muse is saying to me what I think she's/he's saying...then tomorrow will also be good for me.

This morning also was good for some work...but just when I got going...the youngest reminded me of gardening that needed to be taken care of ~~ The pepper plants needed to have more light to them...so a batch of the overtaking-the-garden-space four-O'Clocks had to be thinned out. Some of the nasturtiums also had to be cut back...but they'll grow back soon enough, giving the peppers good growing time. The green beans, tho they are still showing signs of heat stress, are nevertheless producing a good start of beans. The biggest kicker in the garden are the wonderful Black-Eye-Peas. We've been picking lots and lots of them...all good and ripe. The pods easily pull apart, and those fantastic lil' peas just pop out and fall into the bowl. Ahhh....just thinking of how wonderful they'll taste come fall when the weather gets cold...an' just a small dinner of Black-Eye-Peas and Rice...cornbread and maybe a desert...ahhh...that's when all the sweat and mud from summer come to a final end. So -- any work in the garden now is soooo worth the effort. It was good too, to get some weeds pulled...pour a batch of compost tea on the tomatoes and beans, too ~~ All in all a good morning. Then the errands to the hardware...grocery store...an' now the day is coming to an end. But a Quite productive one.

Maybe it's time to sit and have a chilled bottle of water and rest....sound's like a good idea to me. I shall post later in the week...the Muse is muttering somethin' to me so I best go see what it is...

~~~ Lady of The Tulips ~~~