Happy Halloween

 

Herself and Ink

This is my last entry for the Inktober and Fright-Fall 2021 challenges. I swapped the 7th day prompts Fan and Black Cat so I would be able to post the Black Cat Fan on Halloween. Halloween was the date chosen for Ink's birthday, and he would have turned 24 years old today. He loved sitting on my shoulder.

This piece was done by cartoonizing a photograph. The cartoonized photographed was printed, traced, and transferred into my Inktober journal. Micron Pigma pen and watercolor pencil.

Saturday Morning at the Library

 

When I was 5 years old, I was forced to take dancing lessons while the Brother was forced to take accordion lessons. I hated dancing class. The Knights of Columbus Hall where the classes were given had no heat or it wasn't turned on. I hated wearing the pink beginner tights. I liked clacking around in the tap shoes, but Ma wouldn't let me practice inside the house on the wood floors. I spent most of my time in class being miserable and crying. Eventually, I was taken out of class.

While the Brother still had to endure accordion lessons, Dad took me to the library. He would leave me upstairs in the children's library where I could look at the books and choose to take some books home with my own library card. As I got older, I would go downstairs to the adult library and wander among the stacks enjoying the scent of the books before going to find Dad in the reference area consulting the law books and catching up on his work.

So for the next several weeks, a list of my favorite books, some I have read as a child, others as an adult and some  I have read more than once.

This week, The Canterbury Tales  by Geoffrey Chaucer.  Written between 1387 and 1400, The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories and the first work to be written in vernacular English. A group of 28 pilgrims on their way to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral, entertain themselves by telling stories as a contest. The winner determined by Harry Bailey, the proprietor of the Tabard Inn, will receive a free meal. Each pilgrim was supposed to tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two stories on the way back to London. The work was never completed.

 If you haven't read this book, you can find read it for free online at The Gutenberg Project or find it at your public library or at your favorite bookstore.

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. My "Cousin" sent the kitties a ball track toy from Chewy. Confused me as I had ordered some things from Chewy but no toys in that particular order. Quill really loves the new toy.

2. Calli screamed at me Mama Mama Mama Mama early in the morning as she wanted the wet food and not the dry kibble. 

3. Watched "Unholy" a movie on Netflix. Parts of the movie were filmed at the Martha Mary Chapel, Grist Mill, and the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. It was so fun to recognize the settings.

4. I  found the Raspberry Chocolate coffee that the Eldest likes and a cute, black cat Halloween mug. They were delivered to her in time for Halloween.

5.  Had lunch and a genealogy outing with my friend, Teague.

How was your week?

Inktober and FrightFall 2021

For this year's challenge I decided to combine two October drawing challenges. Inktober 2021 and Fright-Fall 2021 with the Inktober challenge prompt followed by the Fright-Fall prompt

10/21 Challenge prompts: Fuzzy, Autumn leaves.

A fuzzy leaf is a feather

Micron Pigma pen, watercolor pencil

10/22 Challenge prompts: Open, Bat

Micron Pigma pen, watercolor pencil

10/23 Challenge prompts:  Leak, Seance. I took some liberty with this prompt and used Leek instead.

Micron Pigma Pen, watercolor pencil, Gold Metallic Gelly Roll pen

10/24 Challenge prompt: Extinct, Spider

Micron Pigma Pen, watercolor pencil

10/25 Challenge Prompt Splat, Graveyard

Micron Pigma Pen, graphite, and Dr. P. H. Martin's Bleed Proof White

10/26 Challenge prompts: Connect Frankenstein

Sharpie Pen, watercolor pencil

10/27 Challenge prompts: Spark, Witch or Witch Spark

Sharpie Pen, watercolor pencil, White Gelly Roll pen

Whatcha Doin?

 

With rainy and windy weather, it doesn't look like Vincent and I will be getting out to harvest Morning Glory seeds. Looks like a good day to stay in and make art, watch movies, and play with the kitties.

Whatcha doin?

T Stands For Missed Adventure

 

Himself forwarded me an email. FW: Foliage Forecast Update, Apple Cider Doughnut Whoopie Pies & 85 Best Things to Do in New England. I thought it meant we would be going on an adventure some leaf peeping and then finding these amazing sounding Apple Cider Doughnut Whoopie Pies.

Turns out, Himself wasn't taking me out for Apple Cider Doughnut Whoopie Pies. He had forwarded me a link to a recipe and wanted me to bake Apple Cider Doughnut Whoopies.  So I did. That's the kind of wife I am. Hey Kid, as I'm saying this my wrist is velcroed to my forehead. 🎃 The whoopie pies were a bit of work, but so goood!

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Happy Mail

All the way from Sacramento, California, Happy Mail from my friend, MB

She drew a fun spider and used one of the new Raven stamps. Unfortunately, I couldn't get rid of the glare.

This is a better image of the stamp and based on the design of the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest

Bostonian geography ends at the city limits. Anything beyond that area would  appear on an old map as Hic sunt Dracones. Here there be dragons.  MB made me my own sign with wonderful lettering and two intertwined dragons.

She also included a drawing of an Anglo-Saxon, full face helmet in silver and gold from the treasure trove found at Sutton Hoo in 1939. The Sutton Hoo dig was an astonishing find as it wasn't just artifacts that were found, but an entire Anglo-Saxon ship with a burial chamber buried in a mound near Woodbridge, England.

The site was found an unearthed by archeologist, Basil Brown. (He's credited as an amateur archaeologist, but only because he didn't have any academic credentials.) You can read more about this incredible find at The British Museum page of  The Anglo-Saxon Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo

You can also watch a dramatization of the dig in the movie, The Dig, starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes. The movie is on Netflix.

Thank you, MB, it's always a pleasure to hear from you.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Lower stairs installed. Path centered and leveled with crushed stone. Waiting for the mason to arrive and set the pavers.

The old footing still needs to be removed.

Normal temperatures for this time of year. Brrrr, too chilly for me, but a bonus of three 42s!

The granite steps waiting for their wrought iron rails.

Dedo at his new guard station.

The walk, loam, and grass seed

The Japanese maple turning color and a rainbow

Still Spring at the mailbox

A blustery day and one of the panels blew out from the greenhouse. This doesn't bode well for surviving the Winter.

Little, green peppers

Milkweed seeds waiting for the winds to send them onto their next adventure

A morning glory blooms in the grass

Trees in the woods turning yellow and orange

Lots of acorns in the grass

I almost forgot about the October Welcome mat.

50 shades of grey in a simple 3 block pattern.

Flamingo races. Bones holding the pole position while Skelly comes up fast on the inside. Wait. Something isn't right. It looks like Skelly got thrown. Let's see that from another angle.

Yup, he's down and sitting on his laurels.

Too bad.

Saturday Morning at the Library

When I was 5 years old, I was forced to take dancing lessons while the Brother was forced to take accordion lessons. I hated dancing class. The Knights of Columbus Hall where the classes were given had no heat or it wasn't turned on. I hated wearing the pink beginner tights. I liked clacking around in the tap shoes, but Ma wouldn't let me practice inside the house on the wood floors. I spent most of my time in class being miserable and crying. Eventually, I was taken out of class.

While the Brother still had to endure accordion lessons, Dad took me to the library. He would leave me upstairs in the children's library where I could look at the books and choose to take some books home with my own library card. As I got older, I would go downstairs to the adult library and wander among the stacks enjoying the scent of the books before going to find Dad in the reference area consulting the law books and catching up on his work.

So for the next several weeks, a list of my favorite books, some I have read as a child, others as an adult and some  I have read more than once.

This week, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c. 1400) attributed to the Pearl Poet. Newly minted knight, Gawain, nephew to King Arthur, accepts a challenge from the Green Knight for the honor of the King and Camelot.

If you haven't read this Arthurian romance, you can find read it for free online at The Gutenberg Project or find it at your public library or at your favorite bookstore.

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Quill and Calli

 Five good things that happened this week.

 1. Bought a new storm door with retractable screen. No   more trying to get the storm glass out to put the screen   in the door.

 2. Work started on the stairs and walk

 3. We adopted two adorable kitties. Calli and Quill

4. The Eldest is planning on coming home for Christmas. She hasn't been back home in 3 years

5. Quill had his first vet appointment to check for mites in his ears. So very calm and good through the exam and treatment.

How was your week?

Inktober and Fright-Fall 2021

For this year's challenge I decided to combine two October drawing challenges. Inktober 2021 and Fright-Fall 2021 with the Inktober challenge prompt followed by the Fright-Fall prompt

10/13 Challenge prompts: Roof, Bad Luck

Sharpie pen, watercolor pencils

10/14 Challenge prompts: Tick, Chainsaw. 

Sharpie pen, watercolor pencils

"Cut through quick with a Tick"

10/15 Challenge prompts: Helmet, Spell

Sharpie pen, gold Gelly roll pen

"Shiny helmet on my head

Protect me from becoming dead"

10/16 Challenge prompts: Compass, Death or Death Compass

Micron Pigma pen

10/17 Challenge prompts: Collide, Clown or Clown Collid

Micron Pigma Pen, watercolor pencil

10/18, Challenge prompts: Moon, Bones

Micron Pigma pen, watercolor pencils

10/19 Challenge prompts: Loop, Local Legend

Spider Gates Cemetery

Leominster, Massachusetts

Micron Pigma pen, watercolor pencils

10/20, Challenge prompts, Sprout, Shrunken Head

Micron Pigma pen, watercolor pencil

Whatcha Doin?

 We are getting used to two, new family members. Say hello to

Calli (female)

and 

Quill (male)

They were adopted through Willy's Kitties Angels Rescue The adoption agency isn't sure if they are siblings though they did live together and came all the way from Alabama. They are 7 months old and seem to get along well together. It's nice to have the patter of little feet again. Though the jury is still out if the nice feeling lasts if they get the zoomies in the wee hours of the morning.

Whatcha doin?

T Stands For Construction

Hey, Boo! What's going on?

Dunno, but there's a lot of big construction vehicles in the driveway

Ah. The guys are here to install a new set of steps by the post lantern, and a new walkway. The front walk was the first DIY project Himself and I did 30 some odd years ago. For two kids who didn't really know what we were doing, we did a pretty good job of it. The walk held up all that time. The pavers are shifted all higgledy-piggledy now making the walk unsafe. There are so many places to catch a toe or roll an ankle.

Trucks

Digging out the old pavers. New pavers ready to be laid down.

Cute, little forklift

Stairs and walk removed

No room on the truck for the cement footing

The construction crew were really good about trying to save the hydrangea bush and to relocate it out of the way. The hydrangea was a Mother's Day gift from the girlies when they were little. I'm hoping it survives the transplant and the Winter.

Caution cones in place

Looks like another job in the future.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.