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Summer Heat - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
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With the summer solstice rapidly approaching, I decided it was time to feature hot, hot, HOT colored artisan handmade items in oranges, reds and yellow. But before I do, (since I am a huge science geek), I thought I’d share a bit of about sunrises, sunsets and the summer solstice. The solstice here in the Texas Borderlands will take place on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 10:24 pm MDT. Most people think that, because the solstice signifies the longest day of the year (or the shortest, in the southern hemisphere), the earliest sunrise and the latest sunset happens on that day. But that is not true. The exact date of earliest sunrises and latest sunsets varies with latitude. At mid-northern latitudes (say Philadelphia at 40 degrees north latitude), the earliest sunrises of the year happens on June 14 and the latest sunset on June 27. The farther south you go in latitude, the earlier the earliest sunrises become and the later the latest sunset are. For instance, the earliest sunrise here in El Paso has already passed - on June 11 - and the latest sunset isn’t until June 30.
Monday Twitter Tree - Handmade and Vintage - June 12, 2017
Please share your tweets and links on the host blog: CHRISTIE COTTAGE
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Circles of Our Lives - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Sometimes the most mundane of things in life suddenly captures my imagination. The other day, when I was outside with Seamus, the very handsome Shadow Dog, I started thinking about circles (yes, my brain does shoot off on a tangent sometimes!). You see circles everywhere: most door knobs, most coins, the sun and moon, the pupil of most animal's eyes and the wheel, just to name a few. Most people don't give them a second thought unless you're a mathematician, an architect or an artist. As a gardener and an avid observer of nature, I daily feel the circle of life all around me on a more cosmological scale: day/night, phases of the moon, seasons, life/death. And then I remembered a Wendell Berry poem, called "Circles of Our Lives", which I will share at the end of this post. This led me to do some reading about circles (inquiring minds want to know!) and copious note taking.
Monday Twitter Tree - Handmade and Vintage - June 4, 2017
Please share your tweets and links with the host blog: CHRISTIE COTTAGE
New Handmade Earrings and One Necklace by Shadow Dog Designs - Jewelry Gift Ideas
It has been a month since the last time my newest handmade jewelry was shared. A week stay in Dallas at the beginning of the month and then a glorious week stay in Oregon last week definitely cut into my creative time. But I came back filled with all sorts of new jewelry ideas - I just hope the Muses are inspired, as well!
The Ocean Stirs the Heart - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul - Robert Wyland (marine life artist)
This past week, I was able to reconnect with the ocean when visiting the Coos Bay / Bandon, Oregon area. While my husband golfed, I explored the amazing land that is southwest Oregon. From huge trees to craggy cliffs by the sea; from the multitudes of birds to the fog interlaced with sunshine, I was taken with the landscape . . . and the very friendly people. And I was actually able to meet a long-time artist friend face-to-face for the first time. What a lovely person Sue is!
Monday Twitter Tree - Handmade and Vintage - May 29, 2017
Please share your tweets and links on the host blog: CHRISTIE COTTAGE
Botanical Beauties - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
BOTANICAL: pertaining to plants
Many people think that the desert is nothing but prickly plants and blowing sand. Believe me, there are plenty of prickly plants here in the Chihuahuan Desert, and, at times, plenty of blowing sand. But there are a whole host of other plants that bloom beautifully and are much more friendly to the skin. The Chihuahuan Desert is termed a "cold desert" since temperatures often drop below freezing during the winter with occasional snowfall. It is, on average, higher in altitude (El Paso is at 3800 ft / 1200 m) than the neighboring “hot” Sonoran Desert around Tucson (2643 ft / 806 m) which rarely experiences freezing temperatures. While Tucson and Phoenix bake for several months with triple digits, summer temperatures in the Chihuahuan desert are more moderate, our hottest month being June. Triple digits, yes, but for only a few weeks. Rainfall averages less than 10" per year, most of that coming during the monsoon season, normally July through mid-September. Amazingly, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature has indicated that the Chihuahuan Desert may be the most biologically diverse desert in the world! Our plants just tend to be built on a smaller scale than those found in the Sonoran Desert.
Monday Twitter Tree - Handmade and Vintage - May 22, 2017
Please share your tweets and links on the host blog: CHRISTIE COTTAGE
Peaceful - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Peaceful: untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion. Synonyms: tranquil, calm, restful, quiet, still, relaxing, soothing, undisturbed, untroubled
I have to admit: I am a news and political junkie. And what is coming out in the news these days just makes my head spin, whether it is local, state, national or international. Because of being constantly bombarded with unending news alerts, I really am appreciative of what I have learned in my three-day a week yoga class: how to breathe, how to control the monkey mind (or at least calm it to a dull roar), how to be in the moment, how to be mindful and, above all, to add more empathy, compassion, love and peace to each day.
