Sunday is for Spoiling Myself

I woke up this morning early enough the moon was still out in full force. I had made up my mind that I was going to have a full day of spoiling myself. What better way than to start with my morning coffee and some doodles. Sipping my coffee I began to work on some sketches and ideas for my next few projects. "Rooted in Wishful Thinking" has been the quote that has been echoing in my head for the last few days and has been the main focus of my sketches. I came up with a concept I liked enough to draw the outline of it to be colored in later.

"Rooted in Wishful Thinking"

It has been starting to get really hot here and I wanted to go for a bike ride before the sun was blazing. I gathered my things and headed out. I love running errands on my bike rather than driving in my car. It is much more freeing and relaxing somehow. I also had a lot of fun exploring some places I had never been. I reached the top of a mountain and sat back to catch my breath while listening to the trees hum with bees and the birds singing back and forth. My travels were nearing an end when my belly said I needed to refill. So I decided to treat myself to a picnic in a secluded little pocket of trees I found. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the quail while I sat in the cool grass eating my lunch.

"listening to the trees hum with bees and the birds singing back and forth"

I'm home now and ready to wash the dust off and take a nap. That will give me time to decide if I want to indulge in reading a book or finishing my drawing I started this morning. Who knows, maybe both?!

Fish Saga: Part 2

I have more baby fish than I can count in my tank now. They blend in so well and are so numerous, it is ridiculous. The gravel floor seems to be alive with all the fish surging through the cracks and crevices.

I set up my old 5 gallon tank and moved the daddy fish into that one. I was also able to move 2 of the babies with him. I am going to have to wait till the fish grow bigger before I can try and capture more to transplant them into their new home. I am trying sand rather than gravel this time for the ground cover. I read that cory like it better, so I am giving it a go. (Wish me luck!)

I'll try to post pictures soon!

UPDATE!

Daddy fish is now living in banishment with 9 of his off spring, Sparty and Triton keeping him company amongst those. This morning I was feeling it was the equivalent to the cone of shame being banished. After I got home from work today, I added more babies and changed the tank decorations and am feeling much better about the tank. It was feeling very cold and alien, but it feels very welcoming and I quite like it now.

Baby Cory Catfish Explosion!

Momma and Dadda fish.

Back in July I wrote a post about upgrading my tank. I'm very excited to share that my Julii Corydoras have been laying eggs and producing babies. I have babies in a wide range of sizes and ages. It is an exhilarating experience to raise babies from an egg and see the development and growth as the fish progress from what looks like a tadpole to an adult fish. The biggest of the fish are developing their back fins and coloring and looking less like eyeballs with a tale. The smallest are recently hatched and only a few days old.

The first time I noticed eggs in the tank this summer, there were only four that I was able to find. I ran out and bought a fry tank, but sadly none of the eggs worked out. The next time she laid eggs (Sept. 6th), I was able to rescue 25 eggs (as shown below), Of those a few weren't fertilized, some of the fry died, etc. At one point I was able to count about 15-18 fry that hatched.

One morning I found one of my guppies managed to get in the fry tank. Not sure if some escaped or the guppy might have eaten some. I did start seeing other free swimming fry in the tank though. That is when I discovered 2 larger fry that I had never seen before who had been growing successfully all on their own in the tank with the other fish! I'm not sure if they are from the previous time when I found 4 eggs or from a time prior to that, that I hadn't known about. The largest of the two I have named Triton. He recently developed a heart shape on his dorsal fin as the  pigment cells are moving and developing. Just when I didn't think I could love him anymore, he goes and grows a heart pattern! The other large fry, I have named Sparty which is short for Spartacus. There are 2 other medium fry in the general public that are half as big as Triton and Sparty, but twice the size of the fry still in the fry tank. And just so we are clear, I did have the thought that Sparty would be teased at school for being Sparty Farty. I haven't been able to think of a better name yet.

Update: Seeing that no one was getting eaten, I decided to release the fry into the tank last night. We'll see how it turns out. I just measured Triton and Sparty and they are almost 2 cm long! The eggs are 2mm wide, they are getting so big! There are so many babies! This whole experience has just been so amazing from start to finish. I can't wait to see how they continue to grow and evolve into adult fish!

Eggs that I moved to fry tank.

One week old.

3 weeks old? Found a baby in the tank I didn't know about.

Triton with his fading heart on his dorsal fin.

Good Reads - Great Resource

As it is summer and I have more time and want to read, I have been in search for books to occupy my time. Sadly, I have had the worst time getting my hands on the books I want to read since they are all on hold till eternity at the library. This has forced my to go on search for other books to feed my starving brain and hunger for good story telling. I took to scouring the internet for websites that might help me to find the next book, in doing so I found GoodReads.com. So far it has been a lot of fun and reminds me of being a kid with a nook challenge at school. I've never been an avid reader and only started reading for enjoyment about 5 years ago. The reason for this is a story for another time. I wanted to write this post as a celebration of reading and to be able to advocate for a great resource. I've added a link button in the left column of my blog so that you can easily access the site as well as become my friend if you're interested.

Happy reading!

Chicken Salad Recipe

With the temperatures being well into the triple digits this doesn't inspire cooking. I've been hungering for chicken salad and now that I began making it again, I can't get enough! Chicken salad tastes great with blue corn chips or little baby pitas I bought at Trader Joe's. I change it up and make tuna salad and instead of eating it with chips or bread, I simply add more celery to make it more salad like. By the way, grapes compliment the meal perfectly!

I like my salad pretty basic, but here are the ingredients I use:

canned chicken (or tuna)
mayonnaise
chopped celery
small amount of finely diced red onion
ground pepper
tsp of pickle relish or finely chopped pickle

I don't usually eat pickles or relish, but it does add a little bit of a bite. I will pick the pickle off my food when I go out to eat and save it for making chicken salad. Not sure why else they put it on my plate, when I never ask for it and it is certainty never listed on the menu. Asking my friends for a pickle is good too!

Great for a meal or served as a party snack!
I hope you enjoy!

Thanks,

Turning Off and Unplugging

Sorry I haven't written in awhile. I was feeling like technology and the internet were sucking the life out of me. I needed to get out and be free of the shackles of social media, and the choke hold my computer had on me.

I recently invested in a new bike and have been going on daily rides as the sun comes up. This is the best time because it is before it is too unbearably hot. My bike is a cute little cruiser with a bell, a wicker basket, and I added an odometer to help me track the distances I have been traveling. I am having the best time going on adventures cruising along on my new bike. I decided to upgrade from my previous one since I live on the top of a steep hill (half way up a mountain) and the single speed bike wasn't cutting it anymore. I have also been trying my best to keep active in an effort to lose weight.

I was also feeling like I had been hiding behind a false sense of productivity with my painting and knitting. In essence, I was running away and hiding. i declared, No more pity party and have been having the best time being out and about. I've lost 4 pounds this week and have a much better outlook lately.

Yesterday, I upgraded my 10 year old fish tank to a larger one, going from a 5 gallon to a 15 gallon. Later today when the stores open I will be going to finish buying the accessories and figuring out what other fish to add to my tank.

This here is Big Daddy. Based on the character from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  Yes,  his companion is Sister Woman.

Last but not least, I started teaching a knitting class. A few of my friends were interested in learning and I had already had it in my head to get my friends together for some sort of crafting time. I love to make things, but it is incredibly lonely doing so all by myself. This way I get to be creative, share my passion, and socialize with my friends. Not sure how it could get any better!

Thanks for letting me share!

Reading Marathon - Hunger Games

I just went on a Hunger Game reading marathon. Finished all three books in three days. I suffered from really bad sinus headaches for the past two days so in between drug induced naps I read the books. I even stayed up till 4am to finish book two since I was unable to put it down. Sadly, I hated book three, but that it because I disagree with the direction the story went not because of bad story telling.

I have to confess that Hunger Games is my new motivation for working out and helps my endurance. Since I awoke with no headache this morning, I took the opportunity to go for a bike ride. I just bought a new bike a few days ago and because of the headaches have been unable to ride. I live on the top of a really steep hill, so the first part of my ride is always far too easy (deceivingly so), but the ride home is all punishment. The whole time I am struggling up the hill, in 90 degree heat, and pretty sure my body is going to give out on me, I just keep telling myself, "If Katniss can endure all that, then I can make it up this hill!" and I did. I look forward to trying it again tomorrow.

Victory is mine!

Visit to Pacific Grove, California

I just back from my vacation to California to visit my family. I had the most amazing visit! I did not want to come back to the heat of Vegas. Visiting Pacific Grove is always a refreshing treat and escape. I so enjoy the greens and blues as well as the beautiful architecture of the area. Out here in Vegas, it's nothing but stucco and beiges and browns. Each house has a unique style to it rather than the tract homes and commercial development that I am currently surrounded by. I thought I'd share some photos I took of foliage and such that caught my eye while I was there.

Thanks,

Marina and the Diamonds

I haven't been able to stop listening to Marina and the Diamonds since I was introduced via itunes offering a free video this week (6/26-7/3/2012). Cleaning my house this morning was so much fun being serenaded to with the sweet sounds of Marina. She is a lot of fun. What also caught my eye watching her videos was that she has an amazing figure which she flaunts in cute dresses. What is so amazing about that? Well to be honest, she is very well endowed and doesn't have it all hanging out, which I commend her for. It would have been very easy for her to go down that road and be known for what she looks like and not what she sounds like. She definitely won brownie points for that! 


This is my favorite video at the moment so please check it out! I'd love to hear what you think and/or what your favorite song of hers is!

Thanks,

Fire Aftermath - Recovery

There was a fire two buildings up from me last week and I've been dealing with the after effects since. Seeing the building with the blackened remnants of the roof's frame is a constant reminder of your own mortality. I was down wind from the blaze and have been doing a lot of cleaning to feet rid of the stench of smoke. I have also been suffering with sinus issues that have been causing me to lose my balance and come close to passing out multiple times. I have so much pressure in my ears and eyes that it has made it difficult to knit, paint or read: all the things I love to do on summer vacation. Hard to go for a walk when I can't stop falling over and its hard to  do any work when the pressure behind my eyes makes my nauseous. So, I've been sleeping a lot and taking lots of sinus medication. I hope it clears up soon.

Thanks,

Weekend Update - Art Explosion and The Smith Center

I had the most amazing weekend! I have been painting and drawing from sun up to sun down and loving every minute of it!

I also spent the weekend with my family celebrating Father's Day and just hanging out. I had the opportunity to go see Million Dollar Quartet at the new Smith Center here in Las Vegas. I loved the art deco style architecture and design elements they used to create The Smith Center. As luck would have it we got box seats dead center to the stage! My favorite part was when Scott Moreau sang as Johnny Cash. He sounded spot on and to my surprise was the understudy.

Box Seats Section M

The train was parked right outside The Smith Center!

Thank you,

Handwritten Letters and Snail Mail

I confess that I spend far too much time on the computer wasting my life away. Email, Facebook, Twitter, texting, and the long list of technology based ways that we communicate have become so impersonal. At least once a month I sit down and hand write cards to my friends and family. I let them know I am thinking about them, that they are in my heart, and ask them how they are doing. Pretty simple. I only get junk mail and bills routinely and when I do get that card in the mail from my sisters or grandparents it makes my day. So I try to do the same to those that are close to me. I wish you join me and do the same.

Another reason for my love of letter writing is an excuse to buy more stationary. This also allows me to practice my letter writing skills and newly acquired obsession, calligraphy for addressing the envelope.


Here is your homework:

Hand write and mail a letter to some one close to that has nothing to do with a holiday, just a simple "I was thinking of you" card or letter. It will make their day and their response will make yours.

If you're interested in becoming a pen pal, email me at constantly.connieart@gmail.com.

Roller Skating continued

My dad over the years has shared with me his fond memories of roller skating with his dad at the Rollercade in Cleveland. Due to my recent post he forwarded some information regarding where he used to skate. Low and behold my dad had the honor of roller skating in the largest roller rink in America. The floor was the size of a football field! If it was even possible, my dad's cool points just went through the roof!

Before disco balls and leg warmers there was the Wurlitzer organ, which supplied the soundtrack for all the fun times and indelible memories. I've had the privilege of experienceing a Wurlitzer at Pizza and Pipes in Santa Clara (before it was replaced with a big screen tv). It was amazing how it controlled the whole room full of musical instruments and animatronics.

I did some digging and found this video of skating to the sounds of the Wurlitzer which is awe inspiring. 2 min. 30 sec into the video there are couples skating together as if they are dancing on a ballroom floor. When we think of "couples skate" you grab a partner and skate in a circle. *yawn* Oh how I wish it could be like it was, like in the video as they glide in unison across the room.

Please check it out.

Still drinking bottled water? Here are a few reasons to stop.

Still drinking bottled water? Here are a few reasons to stop.