Harvested from My Garden Today–on My Screened Porch. Heirloom Cucumbers, Better Boy Tomatoes, Kentucky Wonder Green Beans, and California Giant Zinnias. i did not plant the cucumbers or the beans. They are returns from dropped seeds last summer. This morning I went out to my garden and loaded the tale of my t-shirt with some…
Month: June 2025
Excerpts from the Book Lord, Teach Us to Pray by Andrew Murray
Lord, Teach Us To Pray By Rev. Andrew Murray Copyright 1896 LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY OR THE ONLY TEACHER. “The disciples had been with Christ, and seen Him pray. They had learnt to understand something of the connection between His wondrous life in public, and His secret life of prayer. They had learnt to…
Thoughts about Using the Bible in Prayer – Excerpts from the Book Subconscious Religion
Today, I stumbled upon the following book by Russell N. Cronwell, Subconscious Religion, Copyright, 1921, by Harper & Brothers. Chapter VI Use of the Bible in Prayer “IT will be useful to any seeker after God to examine the agencies which have helped those whose prayers have been conspicuously answered. Among the many helps which, seemingly,…
In Writing and Painting, Be Specific – Learn to See the Differences with Contour Drawing
Learning to Write and Paint Is Dependent on a Person’s Ability to Dig Deep and to Be Specific. When I start new writing an painting students, I always tell them that having previous experience is not necessary. Sometimes, a person’s previous training is more detrimental than helpful because my approach to teaching is different. Regardless…
Help, Thanks, Wow – Quotes from Anne Lamott’s Book about Prayer
“If we stay where we are, where we’re stuck, where we’re comfortable and safe, we die there. We become like mushrooms, living in the dark, with poop up to our chins. If you want to know only what you already know, you’re dying. You’re saying: Leave me alone; I don’t mind this little rathole. It’s…
The Empty Lot of My Childhood – Mow It – Make A Path – Weed to Find the Way – Joy Comes in the Morning
On one scorching hot summer morning, I heard the ratcheting sound of lawn mowers firing up. I hoped the sound was coming from my yard. For days, feather-tufted spikes of Johnson Grass had been waving jubilantly in the wind. I rushed to the door to be sure that my ears were not deceiving me, and…
My Summer of Zinnias
Purple Zinnia – Jacki Kellum Watercolor Painting June 13, 2025 The summer of 2025 is my summer of painting zinnias. I love zinnias, and they are relatively easy to draw. I decided painting zinnias would be the least painful way for me to teach myself to paint again. Therefore, I am trying to paint zinnias…
Contour Drawing Helps Me to Better See What I Want to Paint – Frederick Franck on Zen Drawing
Zinnia Jacki Kellum Contour Drawing June 20, 2025 Contour Drawing is a type of meditation that strips away all the illusions of what I think are there and allows me to see what is actually there. I start every painting session with the act of contour drawing. I consider it a great fortune that I…
Goldfinches in My Garden – They Love Eating the Sunflower Seeds from the Live Plants
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)gun I have begun my third year of gardening in my current Mississippi garden, and I am thrilled the American Goldfinches have finally found me. What a difference two years of gardening have made. The first year I was here, I saw very few birds. But for years before that time, my…
A List of Jewelry Pliers and How to Use Each Tool
Newacalcox Set of Jewelry Pliers in Wooden Pallet Sold on Amazon Essential Pliers: Round Nose Pliers: These have tapered, rounded jaws, ideal for creating loops, curves, and spirals in wire, especially helpful for making jump rings, eye pins, and wire wrapping Google ai Chain Nose Pliers (also called Snipe Nose or Needle Nose): These have…