Valentine's Day

I decided to put together some gift bags for a nearby nursing home. I found these bags in my studio and painted the hearts with acrylic paint. Putter watched as I stuffed them with lotion, chapstick, tissue, slippers, candy and stuffed animals. Alice and Rosalind visited each resident as they delivered the bags. This is how I decided to "show the love" on Valentine's Day.

Snow Day for Putter

I decided to adorn Putter with a few colorful hearts and let him romp through the snow.

Salem Cemetery

Recently I spent the afternoon at Salem Cemetery in Winston-Salem. I was taking photographs for a swap with Swap-Bot. Here are a couple of my favorites.

I am loving my new boots!

Made of soft leather, the Kiele Boot features embroidered cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms have symbolic meaning both in Chinese and Japanese cultures; in China the blossoms are a symbol of feminine power, and beauty. Japanese culture associates the cherry blossom with impermanence, because it is a delicate flower that blooms for a very short time. It’s as if to say not to get too attached to a particular outcome or become emotional because “this too shall pass” in time.

Wishing you a...

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, and Happy Festivus!

Recycle Your Pumpkin

Every year, one billion pounds of pumpkins are produced in the U.S. and many end up in landfills shortly after Halloween. A pumpkin is 100% natural and there are several ways to recycle or reuse your jack-o-lantern. Here are 4 ways to recycle your pumpkin.

1. Make a bird or squirrel feeder with your pumpkin. Fill it with corn, seeds, nuts, and fruit pieces.

2. Pumpkins make great planters for flowers.

3. Convert your pumpkin into compost. A compost pile can be as simple as a shallow hole, or you can build or buy a compost bin. You mix in kitchen waste, like fruit and veggie scraps, with yard waste, like grass clippings and dead leaves. Add water, give it some time and you will be rewarded with a rich compost. Here is a simple bucket method of composting. Cut the bottom out of the bucket. Dig a hole larger than the bucket to a depth that allows the cover to go on close to ground level. Put kitchen waste in the bucket, keeping the lid closed while the waste digests. The lid is important to keep moisture in the materials. After about 10 weeks pull the bucket and start another one in the garden.

4. One favorite in our household is roasting the pumpkin seeds. Separate the seeds from the membrane and rinse. Soak in salt water overnight. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable oil. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, turning once. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Check out these fabulous flavors from UnassumingFoodie.com:

Italian Style Pumpkin Seeds: Italian Seasoning Blend, Parmesan Cheese, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin Seeds: Cinnamon, Ground Ginger and Pinch of Nutmeg, Butter

Greek Style Pumpkin Seeds: Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend, Oregano, Salt, Olive Oil

The Distant Drummer

Here is a story from my book "Farm House Hauntings." This one takes place at a farm located on Fraternity Church Road in Winston-Salem.
Brandon wanted a set of drums and plagued his parents with consent requests for a set. They knew Brandon had drifted through the harmonica, keyboard, bass, and finally the guitar stage and thought a set of drums would not be a wise investment. Finally they agreed on a compromise. They would purchase Brandon a snare drum and after he mastered playing it they would give him a full set of drums.

He had only had the drum for a few weeks and as his parents anticipated his interest disappeared. He moved the drum downstairs into the recreation room. Late one night his mother was awakened by a faint drumming sound. She looked at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed and saw that it was 3:00 am. What in the world was Brandon doing she thought. After a short while the drumming stopped.

The next morning, when she questioned Brandon about his early morning drumming he claimed he was sound asleep at 3:00 am. A couple of days later the same thing happened. This time Brandon’s mother decided to catch him in the act and went downstairs. As she opened the door the drumming stopped. She let out a small gasp when she saw the drum sitting in the corner. She ran back upstairs woke up her husband and told him what had happened. He told her she was more than likely dreaming and to go back to sleep. A few nights later the drumming started again and this time Brandon heard it. He jumped out of bed and ran to his parent’s room. He woke them both up and they all three heard the faint sound of drumming. As they descended the stairs the drumming suddenly stopped. Brandon’s father checked the doors and they were all locked.

The next day Brandon decided to take and hide the drumsticks. A few days went by and nothing happened. The third night the drumming started up again and Brandon ran downstairs. He opened the door and saw the drumsticks on the floor next to the drum.

This activity went on for weeks and the family decided to investigate the history of the farmhouse they had purchased. They were shocked to learn that a young 14-fourteen year old boy named Alan had committed suicide in the basement. In fact he had died in the very room that they had turned into a rec room. After talking with Alan’s surviving relatives they were surprised to find out that he owned a drum set and would spend hours in the basement practicing. They said that he was always depressed and that the only time he really seemed happy was when he was playing the drums.

The drum playing went on for several weeks and then stopped. Although the family does not hear the drums they claim that often they find the drumsticks placed on top of or near the snare drum. Brandon thinks its “kind of cool,” but is a little disappointed that the phantom drummer is a lot better drummer than he is.