30 of 29 Faces and More

Today I got another 18 tomato plants in the earth, 18 cucumber plants too. I still have more tomatoes and tomatillos and peppers to get to, and more basil and parsley too. And onions and leeks. And still some seeds.

I did more preparation for the lecture I'm offering at this Saturday's HerbFest Country Fair, harvested a boatload of rhubarb and did some grocery shopping.

I inventoried my 29 Faces and realized I missed posting the little face at the top of this post, a tiny entry in a multi-day spread. The green-eye flower girl and the three (possibly unfinished) sisters from these past couple of days catch me up and actually surpass the 29 Faces in May commitment by one.

These faces filled up my Book of Days, titled, "Connections." So today I finished the cover for my next Book of Days art journal, and it pretty much continues the theme, only … different. Sorta.

The Boy has the next few days off, and we're sure to get a lot done, what with the magic of synergy and all. Saturday I'll be at Holcomb Farm in Granby, Connecticut celebrating and enjoying the HerbFest Country Fair. I sure to see some of you there! 

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Flowers, Butterfly and Face #25

Today, among a host of other garden tasks, I caught up on yesterday's intention of harvesting the sage flowers and giving my sage bush a nice May trim.

While I was photographing the basket of sage blossoms I spotted this lovely swallowtail butterfly fluttering and feeding. Like an angel, it is.

And I did get a batch of infused sage flower vinegar started. But take a look at that chive flower vinegar I started yesterday. How 'bout that color? Gorgeous, isn't it?

And I managed a quick sketch in my Book of Days to get another face created for 29 Faces in May. Four more to go!

That's what I made today. You?

Peace.

Chive Flower Vinegar and Face #24

Today I did something I haven't done for years. I can't remember the last time I used white distilled vinegar, other than for cleaning and weed maintenance, that is. I don't think I've used white vinegar for any culinary use in something like 20 years. But today I harvested the chive flowers, remembered the beautiful pink, fragrant and flavorful vinegar that I used to make in my first 10 years of organic gardening and thought, "What the heck." 

Infused vinegars are simple to make. Just fill a jar with a delicious or nutritious botanical, cover it with vinegar (I usually use apple cider), cap it, and let it macerate for several weeks, then strain, bottle, label and enjoy.

As I made the infusion I recalled friends, loved ones, old and new, and found myself organically offering love and gratitude to the process. I have some clear bottles in the ready, and they're sure to make a nice gift or two. I think I'll do the same with the sage flowers I'm about to harvest. Sage flower vinegar rocks a meat marinade or homemade barbecue sauce.

I made face number 24 for 29 Faces in May. She's in my BoD journal, offering the observation of the annual incessant whine of a neighbor's pool filter.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Face Number 23

Today HerbFest was on my mind and in my heart, so I added an update on the Connecticut Herb Association blog, did some networking about the event, created some biz cards, and labels for my lecture take-away. I'll be continuing this theme tomorrow.

I made time and art in my Book of Days and created yet another Face for 29 Faces in May. I worked on other artful projects too.

Dinner is prepped, so now I think I'll head to the gardens before dinnertime creeps in and see about getting more plants into the earth, where they will be happy … and I will too.

Peace.

Face Number 22

Today I puttered in the gardens in between and with the raindrops. There's something magical about harvesting dinner bits in a light spring rain, with thunder and lightening happening somewhere in the backdrop. I finished some new mini journals, started others and played in my Book of Days and filled a page with another face for 29 Faces in May. I'm still listening to hear what she's saying. Can you hear?

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Face Number 21

I invested my morning in arting … creating this face in my BoD along with some other artful projects. I'll be adding journal aspects to this image and possibly other embellishments and adjustments, but for now she satisfies my commitment to 29 Faces in May.

Now … the sun is shining and it's garden time. Later!

Peace.

Another 2-fer, Faces 19 & 20

Today's entry in my Book of Days also fulfilled an additional two faces for 29 Faces in May. I am leveraging many aspects of life these days, mindfully multitasking and bending time respectfully. In addition to garden tasks, I made some herbal balms, began altering a book and prepping pages for a new Book of Days, as well as working on other journal pages and on a canvas. And the day's not even half over.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

A Mother Daughter Doodle - Faces 17 & 18

This little image was started on Mother's Day … a vague representation of my mom and me … gazing at each other … wondering who that odd and beautiful stranger could be … really be …

I'm sure we both do it. I know I do. In any event, I filled in the background today and thought I'd snag two faces in one for 29 Faces.

I also planted more broccoli and onions, tidied one of the flower gardens. More in the gardens tomorrow too! That's what I made today.

Peace.

Faces Catch Up 10 - 16

I've been traveling these past several days. I've missed my gardens, my greenhouse, my art materials, my little hut … my dog and my spouse too. But I had journals with me, and pens, so I was able to keep up with 29 Faces in May.

Today I re-ground and re-center, rest and restore, and in doing so make my way back, fully, to the space I call home. That's what I made today.

Peace.

29 Faces, 8 & 9

Today I planned and plotted. I picked up the Mother's Day Herb Garden Containers from Dineberg's Farm. I made a little art - including today's diablo face for 29 Faces … did some cooking, hemmed some pants, ate dinner and posted this blog.

It was all busier than it sounds, but just as pleasant. That's what I made today.

Peace.

A Commitment to Process - 29 Faces #7

Today I prepped a number of pages in a few art journals. I like to do that so I can express an image or some words at a moment's notice. I can be impatient like that, so … I plan ahead. Besides, I groove on building backgrounds, it's such an active meditation.

I prepped more garden today too, and planted about 60 baby onion plants, Bianca Di Maggio, an Italian heirloom. Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates (and maybe even if it doesn't) I'll get in another 60 or so of Yellow of Parma, another Italian heirloom. Both will be next winter's onions. I have another flat going of both as well. Onions and garlic, can you ever grow too many?

I started another sketch for my 29 Faces challenge, again to practice drawing with paint. I will choose to be a bit braver with this one, and take it further … to add and correct light and shadow, and more. Enjoy the image now, because you may never see it again. That's what's awesome about such exercises - I'm committed to the process, where lessons are gleaned, and not to the outcome.

That's what living is.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

29 Faces #6

Today I made my face for the 29 Faces challenge in my BoD journal, along with Effy Wild's live stream. She provided inspiration to add to my prepared background, as well the face, and now I'll add words to go along with the image. Maybe. The image may say it all today.

Other than that, I played a wee bit in the gardens and got some of my tomatoes transplanted to larger containers.

All in all, it was a pretty laid back kind of day.

Peace.

29 Faces #5

The sun has just popped out and I've got to get outdoors. So I'm posting today's 29 Faces image and heading out to the gardens. This image was such fun to create. I'm a notorious doodler and for years have worked exclusively with pen. This past winter has really awakened a love of paint and all the ways it can be used, applied, worked. So this exercise involved using paint and brush to create the image, from start to finish, atop a mixed media surface. I had never done that before, drawn with paint. It was refreshing. I learned. And I will be doing it again.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

29 Faces #4

Today I made a half gallon batch of yogurt. I bottled the weekly kombucha and started a fresh batch. I planted some brassicas in the garden. I grabbed my pens to make a quick entry in my Book of Days. I just drew the goofy face I saw peeking through the prepared background and, as serendipity would have it, the odd image suited the day's entry and satisfied my 29 Faces challenge too.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

29 Faces #3

Today I made a little order from a lot of chaos. But, I do that a lot. My art materials were scattered and piled and had reached that point where I wasn't finding what I was looking for, so it was time regroup and reorganize.

I did the same in the dispensary. Sorta. I have some balms to make in the coming days, so I'm glad I (kinda) tidied that space too.

I made time for other practical matters too, and the time flew by. I didn't get everything done I had planned, and with a friendly discussion group converging at my little hut this evening, I'm left with little time for arting. But I sketched a quick face for the 29 Faces challenge in my art BoD journal. Later this evening I'll finish the journaling aspect for today's entry.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

29 Faces #2

Some days feel intense. They fly by. Like Today. I'm not really sure what I made, other than this face for 29 Faces in May.

I better go retrace my steps. Peace.

29 Faces #1

Merry May Day! This is a month of challenges for me, make no mistake. The way I see it, if I don't push myself to expand, no one else will. Today starts the 29 Faces in May, and while I first chose to forgo it, I knew I would still choose to focus on faces, so I said, "What the hell?"

This morning, with eyes closed, I pondered the differences between fears and challenges. I'm a pretty fearless person, yet a couple of fears have recently surfaced for me, and I'm grappling with them. As I sat with these musings, I realized that, for me, the fear is born of potential consequences that may come from accepting a challenge. While the two fear-born challenges I currently face are very different, I saw that the fears are both rooted in injury. Potential injury.

Nobody likes to be hurt. Well, most folks don't. I don't. In any event, I was reminded of my longstanding relationship with risk … if we never take a risk, we never allow ourselves the opportunity to stretch, expand, grow. And if injury is only a possibility, why let it freeze us?

Drawing and painting faces is new to me (in my adult life), and it's a joyous challenge to take on this month, for there is no risk of injury in it … so this challenge will serve to temper the other challenges I face.

That's what I made today. Peace.