HerbnArts

HerbnArts: In Search of My Garden... : " ...This has not been the best summer for my garden. The constant torrential rains in spring hardly let up long enough for the hot, hu..."

   ...This has not been the best summer for my garden.  The constant torrential rains in spring hardly let up long enough for the hot, humid weather to saute us for the better part of July.  Needless to say, I have had to replace many of my herbs.  Too much water, too much heat!  But I am thrilled to see a few hardy troopers still making their way to success in the garden in spite of the odds.  The purple coneflowers are tall and colorful, the lemon balm just keeps cranking out plenty of fragrant leaves to use for teas and bath goodies, and jellies.  And the Veronica is cranking out its purple blooms.  I miss the basil plants from last year that grew so huge, making it a challenge to use it all in sandwiches and jellies, and plenty of pestos.  Finally, I gave up and bought three sweet basil plants.  They may still manage to give me some tasty treats for the end of the summer.       After visiting a friend of mine who is not a gardener, I felt a bit better about my poor garden.  She

   July 24th, 1969...For those who were around back then, what were you doing when U.S. astronauts first set foot on the moon?  It was a different time, and family protocols were quite different from today.  That summer of '69, I was living at home with my parents and commuting to Kent State.  I was taking my first photography class during summer session and was quite thrilled to be getting on with what would eventually become a bachelor of science in photography. We photo students were the first ones who would be receiving the newly created Photo-Illustration degree at Kent State.  It was a summer of firsts that year. Oddly enough, it was the same kind of a weekend, though not quite so hot.  I was supposed to be shooting specific assignments in black and white film which I would have ready to develop and print in my Monday photo lab class.  Sounds simple enough, but as usual Murphy's Law is always in effect at Johnson House.  My mother's cousin came up from southern Ohio f

HerbnArts: Positive Thoughts On Negativity... : " ...The Fourth of July weekend was a hot one weatherwise. Usually I find myself attending the many art shows throughout the summer months..."

   ...The Fourth of July weekend was a hot one weatherwise.  Usually I find myself attending the many art shows throughout the summer months.  The Boston Mills art show in Peninsula, Ohio is one of the Big Daddy art shows that has been going on for 40 years here in Ohio.  It brings in some of the best artists from all over the United States into the area.  That being said, the economy here is not what it could be.  Supporting the arts grows more and more difficult.  All the shows have suffered in fewer sales of artwork.  People haven't stopped appreciated fine art, they just don't have the extra cash to spend on any non-essentials.  This has led to many artists not coming into the Ohio shows.  That's a good news/bad news scenario.  It has led to more local artists surfacing in the Ohio art show circuit.  Many artists are now having a chance to jury into shows where once they wouldn't have made the cut just because they were local. While that is encouraging, still, the a