HerbnArts

   ...Azure skies shone as the bright sun made everything sparkle.  It was making February in Ohio seem as though spring had already arrived with uncommonly mild weather.  What an odd winter we have had this year as everywhere around us was slammed  with snow and ice storms, as we hardly knew what happened around our protective bubble of weather.  Local lawnmowers have been tuning up in anticipation of the green grass season soon to come.  The groundhog was highly confused as he had no sun shining on his big day. ”You woke me up for this?!!!",  he seemed to say.  No shadow for Punxatawny Phil this year. Everyone other than Phil was of course thrilled.  In reality, I saw neighborhood groundhogs searching for food last week and slipping under my neighbor's porch.  Even the birds are a bit confused as to whether it is spring or not.  Last week I had an Alfred Hitchcock moment when the noise of large flocks of birds drew my attention to my kitchen window.  What I saw stunned me as

Colors of autumn      ...Today is wet. It is the kind of soggy wet that tends to stay for days.  On and off it has rained, keeping one from doing much outside work.  This has been a frustrating summer with unbearable heat, little rain, and no real joy of gardening for me.  My faithful lavender plant has managed to give me a wonderful yield of aromatic wands, in spite of the brutal weather conditions.  I'm afraid Le Petit Jardin has suffered from neglect this season.  Finally, there is rain and cooler temperatures, but it is a little late to make much of the garden.  Fall is coming much too soon.  The weeds are almost insurmountable as I contemplate garden clean-up to shape Le Petit Jardin.  Maybe munching a cookie will help the cause...      Recently I was asked if I had created any new art.  Sadly, I had not.  With the miserable heat, accompanied by a temporary foot injury, I was both immobile and discouraged.  But cooler temperatures have made a major reset in my mental attitude.

Hens & chicks jumping out of a broken pot   ...Riding the weather rollercoaster here in Ohio is never dull.  We have had heavy rain with high winds and cold temperatures.  Now we are experiencing hot, dry days of 86 degrees.  All the trees are spouting leaves and the bulbs are proudly displaying their brilliant blooms.  Everyone's lawns are greening up, and the first sounds of lawnmowers has filled the air.  Inspiration for art is everywhere.  My neighbor's tree has always made me want to create a mixed media piece entitled POM POMS IN SPRING.  When the leaf buds begin to explode in their chartreuse green, they look like bright green pom poms scattered along the tree branches.  This is the year I am creating that piece of art.  It is no wonder that the creative urges begin to stir as the sunlight finally bursts forth with the ushering in of springtime promise. All of nature has been eager to get on with the program after the grayness and dreary half-light of winter.  This p

A civilized cookie with a cup of tea       . ... Cookie Deficit... The psychological condition of a lack of cookies in one's diet or routine, causing one to not function well or up to usual operating mode...                                                                                                       ...March skipped in like a warm and sunny spring day.  What could be wrong with that?  But wait, if March should come in like a lion and out like a lamb, we are headed for trouble.  We would pay dearly for all that sunshine and balmy temperatures.  And so, we in Barberton did pay.  Icy winds and spits of snow followed those first warm days.  Eventually we experienced monsoons of rain followed by fog and flooding.  The rollercoaster of temperatures showed no mercy.  But today, though beginning with gray skies, eventually there were blue skies with beaucoup sunshine and no rain.  At this point we were only a week away from the daylight-saving time change when we would be cheated

HerbnArts: Year of the Rabbit... :      ...Though the day began a bit gray, eventually blue skies and glorious sunshine became the most appreciated gift of the day as it beam...

     ...Though the day began a bit gray, eventually blue skies and glorious sunshine became the most appreciated gift of the day as it beamed in through my windows.  I knew the temperature was mild when I saw the mail carrier making his rounds not wearing a coat or hat.  Another spring teaser was blowing through the area as the winds kicked up, stirring the naked tree branches of January in Barberton.  So far, everyone has been grateful not to have to shovel snow.  Murmurings of having to mow grass soon if it gets any warmer were sneaking into conversations everywhere.  This just isn't Ohio in January.  With so much sunshine flooding into my apartment, all I can think of is gardening.  The projects bouncing around in my brain have been keeping me up nights.  I so want to start getting e Petit Jardin up and ready for spring planting!  Realistically, I know it is just too early for plants.  But I can get my containers ready, and perhaps some new plant markers would be doable.  Decid