So I tried painting....

This is where things started...

This is where things got messy. Too much 'stuff' to try and do and not enough time to just relax.  Husband kept interrupting and telling me I had a mess.

So I splattered paint on it .. dripped paint on it, then took some black and took a few swipes.

And then decided that my Picasso days were never going to happen....

I turned to digital.

I took this....

And did this.....

Then tried this...ewwwww....

And ...

Then went to a digital program that allowed me to pick some effects and combined that with Painter Essentials that auto painted. I blended the effects and got this.

Yup. I can live with this.

I have no talent with abstract painting or real painting, but sure can have fun with DeepDream, Digital Paint Essentials, and Topaz Impressions!

I like this. I'd even put it on my wall. So cheery and much nicer than the mess I created.

But I am willing to try it again.

I also doodled in fractals and made a Christmas Fractal:

Okay, I made two versions. Mandebulb 3D mixed with Incendia.

I think I'll stick to painting fun and funky chairs instead of canvases!

Happy almost Winter Solstice!

slow down...

So while talking to some of my CrossFit friends one of the other gals turned to me and said.

"Well, maybe this is a sign you should slow down a bit."
So I thought about that for a moment.

She was right. I had been taking on everything with a whirlwind mindset. Summer had been busy with projects that had me going in several different directions at once.

This would be a forced slow down. So I mulled things over in my mind. The winter hay was ordered to be delivered. The yard was under control, I'd taken more than one truckload of junk to the dump this summer. Rebuilt the fence in the woods, and had been taking Rich on the average of 3 to 4 days a week to appointments or PT. I visit MIL in the home at least 3 times a week too.

I was ready for a breather of sorts.

But I argued with myself that winter is for that. The slow down part, right? Who was I kidding. I loved winter especially snow when I could use my snowshoes.

Time to take a breather. Well indeed, that is easy but after 5 days I don't really like the 'sitting' around.  Getting in and out of the car took some effort and was pretty uncomfortable.

I've done a lot of stretching and walking outside on the flat. I just cannot sit still unless I am reading a good book.

I've revised my lists of to do and re-organized it. Next week will be very busy with multiple appointments and drives to Madison. At least Rich's physical therapy will be in town.

Frankly I got pretty bored watching TV. The CSI program Rich is watching now has the same theme as all of the other shows. I can ID what show is coming by the theme music being used as an introduction. Interesting that the music is old rock and roll from my teen years. Oh well, it keeps Rich busy and by good luck I found this program had 15 yrs of episodes.

I'm waiting for The Last Ocean: A Journey Through Memory and Forgetting  to arrive. I was able to read the first 40 pages and was fascinated. I found a used book of poems by Mary Oliver also. Her poetry is incredible. I am not one to just casually read poetry.

In the mean time, I am watching the goldfinches dine on my sunflowers outside the kitchen window. The humming birds are dipping into the 4 o'clocks and sipping nectar from the feeder.
I miss the morning chatter of all of the other summer birds.
That makes me sad.
I guess that is the one reason I don't care for Autumn. The birds leave and it gets too quiet outside.

Slow down.
Well by this morning after days of being 'slower', I feel much better. Amazing as to how the body can heal itself. I'm going to give a nod to CrossFit and working out as to one of the reasons I am feeling better much faster.

I will however have to make sure that feeling good doesn't mean I will go out and start pounding posts or lifting heavy things.
Perhaps it means I can go out for a walk to the woods to check on the fences and pastures.

While I was practicing ... slowing down a bit... I messed around with the Incendia fractals program and came up with some Digital Art which I haven't done in such a long time.

Here is to stopping and smelling the 4 o'clocks and admiring the day.

Fractals and Riding

Really? What on earth do those two things have in common?

Nothing.

Except yesterday early ... early morning while it was still dark, I messed around with JWildfire which is a fractal program. I haven't dabbled in it for a long time so I decided to mix it up with something I 'created' from Incendia.

I felt a bit creative so used Incendia Next along with PSPX7 to create this 'thing' I call *Cosmic Wishes*.

The next one was done in JWildfire using another fractal creation as the backround. This was a tricky one to do, but I love the colors. Basically it is just abstract and color...

And last from yesterday morning...A Mandelbulb with  JWildfire fractal as its back round.

I could see something more interesting in this if I did it over again. However, I never seem to be able to do 'the same' thing over when it comes to art. I always end up changing it and making many versions.

My day fairly went normal as could be. I left my laptop whirring away on a fractal render while I did chores and we did the watering together. I did take a walk and when I got back, Sunshine came to the gate.
Well, that was simple. I grabbed a halter and put on her bridle.

She is 'stump' broke, so I can lead her over to the yard stump and simply step on....gosh, I love short mules!

We rode up to get the mail through the neighbor's woods. I had just remarked the trail so I could see it easier.

I wondered if Sunshine would let me on if I stood her in a ditch after I got the mail.
Nah, that didn't work out well. So I tried an old downed tree. I walked her alongside it while standing on the log.
Perfect.
And we were off again. The mail was safely tucked into my coveralls. The breeze was biting cold, but I was toasty warm on my little Red headed heater.

It is Christmas Eve day and we will take my special 'lasagna' dish to my MIL's to have it with her around noon.
I want to be at home for Christmas Eve.

I think the magic happens this night.