Tomatoes and a Trying Day

Heirloom Tomatoes in our Garden ©CindyRippe2013 - quote by Robert Louis Stevenson

Had a few moments of that "feeling of failure" today.  Just couldn't seem to make the right decisions as a caregiver. Thankfully, I took a few minutes to walk out to the garden and picked some tomatoes.  We chose to plant only heirloom vegetables, not knowing what to expect, and are having fun tasting each one as it ripens. They aren't as large or as "pretty" as the hybrid plants but they are delicious!

The quote above by Robert Louis Stevenson said it all for me this afternoon.  Just as our choice of using heirloom vegetables in the spring gave us a wonderful variety of foods to eat now, my choice to keep trying, have patience, and to do my best as a caregiver will create a better day for us all...... I hope!!  :)

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  2 Corinthians 9:6

The Heirloom Tomato Project

Planting Heirloom Tomatoes this year ©CindyRippe2013

It all started when I read about a local fundraiser.  Several gardeners, that grow heirloom tomatoes from the seeds they've saved, donated plants to raise money for the Community Garden project this year.  The announcement said all plants would be $1.00 each.  Sounded like a good idea.  I've been worried about chemicals and GMO foods in our diet and it's been about 10 years since we've had a vegetable garden.  Couldn't hurt to grow a few tomatoes...right?  I spent $5.00 and started planning.

Well, if you've read my blog before you know how much I love my flowers in the yard.  So, there had to be a plan to add the vegetables.  We don't have much land that gets full sun but I managed to find a perfect spot.  I thought it would be best to frame out a slightly raised bed to make it easier for Lee to cut the grass around it. (well, yes... I figured it would look nicer too).  I mentioned this to Lee and we decided on an 8 X 4 foot bed.  It would only cost about $15.00 to build it.  Then I asked him to build a frame to tie the plants onto instead of those metal cages that never work.  He added 5 - 2 X 2 inch boards that were 8 ft long to the pile.  More money... Once we set things up it didn't take him long to build the raised bed the ladder-like trellis down the center of the frame.

It was at that point we had to dig up the grass inside the frame.  Of course, it's in one of the sunniest areas of the yard and is the best patch of grass we probably own.  Lots of patience on his part as he sat and shook the dirt off of pieces of the sod after we dug them up.  I used those pieces to fill in a few bare spots around the rest of the yard as he worked.  Finally, I started emptying the soil from 5 really large flower pots I had saved from last year.  (the pots were falling apart and so big I had to use a dolly to move them around) I emptied two huge bags of organic garden soil (oops, a little more money spent here) that I bought into the bed and found a few half empty bags from earlier projects in the shed.  Dang!  We still needed more soil for the plants.  One more trip to the garden center (2 more bags of soil and two patio tomatoes that they had on sale) and I finished the project the next day.  I'm so thankful for Lee's support and patience.  I don't think I could have done this project without him!

Those $5.00 plants from the fundraiser sure added up to an expensive project, but I'm sure it will be worth it when we taste those delicious tomatoes!  I still have room for a few pepper plants and want to add marigolds around the edge of that garden if I can ....   my Grandpa would be so proud!

The best place to seek God is in a garden.  You can dig for him there. George Bernard Shaw

All art requires Courage

Autumn Harvest - my first Charcoal Still Life ('96) - ©CindyRippe2013

All art requires courage. ~Anne Tucker

I've started working on my interactive online Botanical classes again.  I've been teaching drawing/design/technique classes for over 20 years.  If you've followed me at all (or read the name of this blog) you know that I'm inspired to create images of flowers and botanicals.  Most of them have an inspirational theme but it's always about nature.

Last year about this time I recorded two online classes with Interactive Artist Magazine with the intention of launching my own online classes immediately after that.  I had already planned to take my business in that direction and have so much experience in the creative industries as a national teacher, professional demonstrator, author, consultant and even a stint as a guest on QVC.  I figured it would be "a piece of cake" and allow me to work from my home studio more.  The travel across the United States was getting harder while caring for my family (and myself) so I thought was a great idea. Well, here we are.  It's almost a year later and I've been working on my classes VERY slowly.  I've let life and all of it's chaos take center stage and put my art business on the side. I'm still teaching at a few national conventions but I've become an expert at excuses.

This morning, as I walked past the china cabinet, my charcoal sketch caught my attention.  I don't usually look at it because I can see all of my mistakes, but today I could almost hear it saying, "Last year you made the choice to change things in your life to allow you to focus on your art business.  This year it's about accomplishments. What are you afraid of?  Get busy and share your knowledge with other artists that want to grow too."  A powerful thought for a 16 year old charcoal sketch to inspire!  I guess all artists are growing in one way or another.  Either by brushing up on their skills, learning new techniques or getting over the fear that nobody will be interested.  I've decided to do it for myself, with hopes that thousands of artists will come along for the ride, and I hope that I'll be able to get them past their own art fears. 

“For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. (He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.)”  Romans 11:29 (Amplified Bible)

Food can look Beautiful

Found this purple cabbage in the garden at a restaurant last week.  As part of their late autumn landscape they included kale, cabbages and mums.  It was a nice greeting as we walked up to the door and made me hungry for the salad I planned to eat as part of a healthy diet.

Lately I've been craving chocolate, ice cream and chips.  I think I need to plant these all over my own kitchen or at the very least look at the pictures more often!

Can you think of ways to decorate the table with beautiful foods and flowers that will make your friends and family anticipate a wonderful meal or just feel welcome in your home?     

"Food...can look beautiful, taste exquisite, smell wonderful, make people feel good, bring them together, inspire romantic feelings....At its most basic, it is fuel for a hungry machine;...."
Rosamond Richardson, English cookery author