It's Like We Water-Boarded It

We got a Topsy Turvy* tomato plant hanger thingy last year. It wasn't a really successful horticultural experiment then. So we tried again this year with a cherry tomato plant.

I've never seen a cherry tomato plant grow like this. Granted, we did hang it upside down.

It grew straight down for a day or two then decided to turn sharply upward. At this point it began growing at a rate of about three inches a day. I'm not even kidding. It was amazing. Thinking about the rate of cell division going on blew my mind. Just growing up and up and up... but not producing anything even remotely like a tomato flower.

It seemed to be saying, "To heck with you, Gravity. I'm going to grow as big, tall, and gangly as I possibly can under mostly my own support [note some twine we had to add to keep it from falling over and breaking off]. Then and only then will I make tiny tomatoes. Just in time for it to turn cold and my tiny green tomatoes will never ripen. I'll get those jerks back for hanging me upside-down!"

Do you think it was just really stressed by being upside-down? Maybe it freaked out and grew as big as possible trying to get far away from its oppressors reaching out for help in all directions. I have a feeling it just wasn't getting enough sun.

To give you some scale, I can't reach the top tiny red tomato. Erik has to reach and stretch to water it at the top and he is kind of tall. The plant itself, if the bottom of it were on the ground, would be about four and a half feet tall.

I have eaten approximately three tomatoes off this plant all summer. Right now there are a lot of beautiful green cherry tomatoes on it. We had a 90 degree day over the weekend. But the following day was only about 65 degrees so I think our growing season has come to an end. It's getting quite cold at night now.

So a big boo and hiss to the Tomato Fairy this year. Even our right-side up tomato plants didn't do very much. However I shall not complain too loudly as we had more than a bountiful raspberry crop this year to make up for any tomato inadequacies.

* Our tomato plant looks nothing like the plants on their website. I might submit our weird monstrosity to their gallery and ask what we did wrong.

Hand Art Therapy Doodle

Playing with my watercolor crayons has been helping me regain the use of my right hand after the hemiplegic migraine. Still not quite 100%. I would give my arm an 8 out of 10 and my leg a 6. Traveling short distances around the house without a crutch is getting easier.

Watercolor crayons are so much fun. I like to use a brand called Caran d’Ache. They go down smoothly and provide good coverage. You can also lay down a really light amount and still get a nice color wash. They are a little pricey but totally worth it. I bought one size up from the smallest set to get started and then bought them from the a la carte rack individually to choose the colors I wanted. Bought one or two here and there and soon enough I had a nice collection of colors.

I am painting with a little water filled brush. It holds water and squirts it out of the brush tip. No need for a water container. This thing is brilliant!

The details were added last with my Marvy Le Plume II markers.

- Vickie

Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week

Every week the Etsy Twitter Team (ETT) features one of their members’ shops as the Shop of the Week. This week is my week! And with everything that’s been going on I almost forgot!

Even though the process for being Shop of the Week is a first-come first-served sign up it is still a great honor for me. I adore all the members of this Etsy team.

I used to run ETT for about a year and a half. During that time the members and I created a very close knit community of Etsy sellers who use Twitter to make friends and promote their businesses. We have laughed together and cried together. Celebrations for birthdays and for newborn births have occurred. Grief for recent losses have been suffered together as well (RIP Joyce).

When I got the ETT project underway I never expected to make so many new friends! These folks and team duties kept me going with a purpose during some pretty dark times. I am forever grateful to these artists. So to have them help me promote my shop this week means the world to me.

I am no longer running the team. Our very capable Jen from Jenco13 is doing a fabulous job at that. I am still very active behind the scenes helping with blog layout and Team Treasury curation among other things. These artists have given me so much – beyond measure – that I could not just walk away.

Please take a moment to read the lovely words Judy from Wellspring Creations had to say about me and my work on the Etsy Twitter Team blog. Again, I am humbled by the kindness of the arts world.

I hope you will take advantage of my sale this week...

FREE shipping to anywhere from August 16 - 22
at inmyheadstudios.etsy.com

Etsy inmyheadstudios

- Vickie

Etsy Twitter Team: Shop of the Week - inmyheadstudios

Can You Feel This Now?

Yessiree, It has been one heck of a week. But still at the end of last week and as this week begins I am not losing hope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Not losing hope!

I’m having more troubles with these migraines. I had two migraines last week that caused what looked like a stroke. I could not feel or move my right side. My hand was all clenched up and shaking. So was my leg. Totally scary situation. I spent four days confined to a hospital bed because I could not walk. I needed some pain relief and a lot of hydration.

Right now, a full week later, I have limited use of the right side of my body. I’m hobbling around on crutches. I am learning how to walk and write again. My rehab plan for my right hand and arm is to draw and type as much as possible. So far, so good. Thank goodness for Twitter to keep me busy! Such love and support from all my peeps!

My hand and foot occasionally start to cramp, lock up or get really weak. But it’s improving every day. Last week I could not feed myself. Now I can make a pot of coffee! Going up and down stairs is still difficult. I’m going to have quite the buff left leg for all the weight it’s supporting! Lying in bed is strange. If I lie on my right side I can’t feel the bed under me, which causes me to feel like I am falling out of bed.

My Mr. Man has been waiting on me dutifully. He brings me food upstairs so I can hang out here in my studio instead of being bored on the couch. So we have the art studio on the second floor and the food downstairs. Hmmmmm.... which floor did every one think I would choose to stay on? (Both floors have full bathrooms.) We have worked out some details of getting food myself once Mr. M goes back to work. He bought me a big, shiny thermos for my coffee so I can lug it upstairs without splashing it all over! Pre-made things like bowls of cut fruit and PB & J sandwiches will be in the fridge when I want them.

All of my family has rallied around me during this difficult time. Mom went to the store and cooked dinner when I got home from the hospital. She is a nurse so she made sure that I received top-notch care at the hospital. She was there as was Mr. M most of the time. Someone was always near by.

As frightening as this has been I am not going to let this beat me. Even though it seems like everything just got 1000% harder I am maintaining my stubborn goal of thriving – not just surviving. Yes, I will admit I have had several United-Nations-Meeting-scale pity parties. Who wouldn’t? So just call me “Peg Leg” for right now!

Take some time to tell your working arms and legs (if you have them) that you love them unconditionally and you would marry them if you could. You won’t miss them until they are gone.

Buried The Humble Meter

Honestly, I kind of don't even know what to say about this wonderful piece by Jonathan Everitt. My “humility meter” has me wanting to duck under the covers. Yikes! Attention! Run away! The fact that anyone is even remotely interested in what I do amazes me every time. I am go grateful for the community I have around me.

Jonathan’s blog called “Originals: An Occasional Look at Cool Creative People” features local artists. Some of the talent he has written about is utterly unbelievable. To be in this kind of local artistic company is awesome! Happy Dance!

Thank you, Jonathan, for all you do to promote our local artsy peeps! There is “shameless self promotion” and then there is something more miraculous… the coming together of people, community, and “The Right People Who Will Shamelessly Promote Others”. I think The Universe lately is putting my right-people in my path. How cool is that?!

Happy Friday!

- Vickie