Don't Be a Pickle Bump

The Art of Vegetable Gardening

Head Pickle — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:16:28 +0000

Over the past two years, I’ve fallen in love with vegetable gardening. It’s a great way to destress after a day of work. I save money on my food budget. It’s fun to cook or can what you grow. And it’s even more fun to share what you grow with people.

Getting a few goodies from last summer's harvest ready for some friends of mine.

The last few weeks have not been kind to the garden overall due to the high temps. Most of the vines withered due to the heat. Luffa sponge vines and sweet potato vines are thriving despite my ignoring them along the weeds that were blossoming. Currently I have luffa vines sprawling all over the place and the sweet potato vines have taken over their plot.

With the break in the temperatures and the long weekend, I decided to work on the garden. I went to the store this afternoon to pick up the plants for my fall garden and some soil for my cold plants (broccoli, spinach, and lettuce) which I will start from seed. When I got over to Mrs B’s, I was overwhelmed at first, but slowly I found my rhythm. Frustration melted away as piles of weeds grew. Locked up muscles loosened as I prepared the ground. And stress melted away as I moved my fingers through the dirt, transplanting what I purchased. There is more work to do tomorrow.

And while this summer hasn’t been as bountiful as I expected. I look forward to the fall and the early morning light that lets me peek into the world of plants, take pictures of the stunning beauty of nature and share it with you all.

Editing Yourself as a Part of Your Art

Head Pickle — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:44:20 +0000

When I started writing blogs, I don’t think I was as careful about what I put out there as I am now. It was when I first encountered bloggers Dooce and The Pioneer Woman that I realized that it may be possible to put out too much information about your life online. Dooce’s about message and subsequent messages which mention lawsuits from a past employer, made me realize that it is possible to lose your job because of what you write. So I am very careful in that regard. I don’t ever talk about the specifics of what I am doing, nor do I mention co-workers and good or bad situations I may be experiencing.

And while I admire them both for parlaying their writing/photography skills into something that pays the bills, I’m not such a fan of the exposure their kids get on the blog. Being a kid is hard enough without your parent exposing your good and bad days to the world. Adults have the ability to speak up and say, please don’t write about this or post pictures of me. Kids, particularly babies, don’t have this ability because the parent is the power person in the relationship.

R. often ribs me about the fact that something we joke about or talk about is going to end up “on the internet.” I could share a lot with you about R but I don’t because it makes him uncomfortable. So when I write blog posts, they relate to things that I think about or am contemplating. I choose not to air any fights or drama between myself and the people I am involved with because I take the old fashioned stance that it’s between them and me. Instead I focus on current issues that are important to me, the good things in my life, and my mad skills as a photographer. There’s enough negativity edited into the news media. Time to edit some positiveness in this world.

Purple Flower

Head Pickle — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:28:15 +0000

I think this might be a Cosmo or a Nasturtium

Playing with Fire

Head Pickle — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:03:55 +0000

Egyptian Artifacts

Head Pickle — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:01:35 +0000

Something Utterly Frivolous

Head Pickle — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:06:35 +0000

My cousin Kris posted the link to this on facebook this morning. I thought video was pretty awesome. Iowa State University’s Carillonuer plays “Bad Romance” on the Campanile.

Ready for Round 2

Head Pickle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:50:39 +0000

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be working my way through The Artist’s Way again. I’m looking forward to it because I’ll have a few of my friends and my niece Amelia working along side me on their own journeys.

My creativity and my willingness to try new things has blossomed and I finally feel like ME again. I spent much of the first round clearing the decks for this round. There’s still a lot of clearing to do. But this time I think I can put some of the “stuff” behind me and really delve into some of the questions raised by the exercises in the book. I’m hoping that not only will my photography continue to grow, but my writing skills expand. I’m looking foward to seeing what happens by the end of the year.

Nashville #3 – Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop Sign

Head Pickle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:20:31 +0000

Nashville Neon #2 – The District

Head Pickle — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:28:52 +0000

Nashville Neon #1

Head Pickle — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:52:11 +0000