Trouble W/ AC & Beef in a Box & Painting

   It's been a long day-well they are all the same hours-haha-but seemed long.

We had a new heating system put in early January this year, and the guys needed to come back out several times to get it working right.  We had replaced the A/C system when we first moved here.

  Yesterday the blowing fan started making loud noises, today it was much worse-our heating system is under warranty for a year for service calls and parts. It took me awhile to locate their phone number-I was never given a card and was not even on the manual. 

     So she was giving me a hard time that the a/c was the issue and I said no it's the blowing fan you put in for the furnace that also is used by the a/c.  So she finally understands but the service call is not until tomorrow late evening. They are booked solid-of course do to the extreme heat. Their service call charges is outrageous-so hoping no issues with that.

  So I had the a/c turned off all day and this evening it is just too hot for us so had to turn it back on always something isn't there?  I was concerned that the loud noise would make things worse but we both need the a/c especially Larry. The high heat plus humidity continues.

   I have been looking for a source to buy quality beef. After talking with the rancher that sells it at the little farmers market nearby I wasn't real impressed on how it was handled.  So  I decided to look into beef boxes as I am very happy with the Alaskan seafood that I have shipped.

 I spent a couple hours looking online. One I really liked a lot but after chatting with them the beef is from Australia and not the USA   So I decided on Good Chop-I liked their cuts-was looking for mostly lean cuts, they did not have free shipping like most do, but it was around $10.00 so not too bad.  Their special today for new subscribers was free shipping, $50.00 off my box and I think my next box too, I also got to choose from a couple free items-I chose the hamburger. The box size I chose--  the smallest-was to pick 6 items and they had many lean cuts to choose from.  The bill ended up at $108.00. Most of the beef packages had two pieces in them, the rib eye is very large. I thought I would get one really nice steak-that will feed us for a couple meals too.  This company represents USA ranchers and they had a high ranking- This company also lets you choose how often to get a box, can change the cuts as well. I could have gotten it next week Wednesday but decided on the second week in July.

 This morning, I found the spiral pad of watercolor papers and found many pieces I did two years ago, with my own made watercolor inks as well as the watercolor paints. Looking at them now-I was too hard on myself  Smiles. I was working out of  a watercolor book in hard cover spiral from Japan-I worked out of that book a lot-It showed you the strokes, and suggested paint colors.  

  This is what I ended up with

Here is the page I was working off of-I will try this again tomorrow as mine is totally different This is an Iris flower. I don't like the green I used either.  It was fun and relaxing-so that's a good thing. I had the a/c situation on my mind too

I also opened up the box of inks I had made two years ago-and I figured as much-they mostly changed to different shades of browns but I like them.  I used the back of the paper of the painting from yesterday for samples. If you  enlarge the photo-click on it-and you can read what I made the inks from. The hibiscus on the far right held it's color the best. I will use these up in paintings-love the muted soft colors.

Some of you may remember this piece-one of my favorites. I used stamps and my handmade inks, along with Winsor and Newton watercolor inks It took me a bit to find the post again-in 2023 This photo cut off Paris--Spring in Paris

Happy mid-week, and stay cool 

Watercolor Painting

   A couple years ago I tried painting with acrylics and also watercolor paints. I like the watercolor paints better. I got discouraged as this needs lots of practice, never took a class, but I have picked up a few books.

  I do like the watercolor book on wildflowers, and today I got the newly published book on making watercolor paints from botanicals and veggies which looks really good. I need to buy a few supplies to get set up though.  This looks like a good beginning for this project. Her You Tube channel is excellent with all sorts of different botanicals to make into the watercolor paints. One needs the book though to know what added ingredients are required to make the watercolor paints.

 I have a little desk top mini easel that is perfect for me. I grabbed a thick piece of paper that was included in some stationary and just played on that-for fun and to get the feel of it again. For me I think painting is a mindset-just be confident and do it haha  well hoping I get better this time of trying.

  So this was just for fun-used one of the flowers as a guide from the book, and added the little bird and birdseed and a little something top and bottom I think my style-if I end up with one-is more folk or country  the photo will enlarge just click on it.