The Past is not gone Forever – “What Goes Around Comes Around”

"Americana" 16x20 acrylic on canvas

“Made in the U.S.A.” is a new mantra touted by many upstart entrepreneurs these days. They not only want to feature local artists and their skills, but to keep the money circulating in our own country. This new trend seems to be catching on as citizens watch their jobs and their dollars fly overseas to make some other country rich. 

Yes, the cost of producing products in America is more expensive, especially in light of the big push by the President and some in Congress to raise the minimum wage. This would only add fuel to the “flee America” model. When small business owners and corporations have to increase wages, absorb health care costs, new taxes and over regulation they are more apt to do business where the cost of doing it is less.

But there’s a catch. While I was searching for USA companies, I found that some of them were only assembled here. One dog food manufacturer’s product was considered unsafe because the ingredients were actually obtained in another country, hence, uninspected. So if you’re looking to buy American products, do your research first.

"Star Billing" mixed media on canvas

Still, for the good hearted people who really want to help our country and its people out, it's worthwhile to scout these companies out and take a look at their products. I can say this from experience: “Artist’s who create in America, usually sell their artwork right here in the homeland.” Of course, there may be exceptions. It is up to you to become informed.

With worries about GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), more people are growing their own food. This includes raising chickens and rabbits where zoning allows, growing a vegetable garden, planting fruit trees, strawberries and raspberries. Some brave souls have even left the urban life altogether for life in the country raising goats, llamas, or buffalo. 

I’m not that brave, but I would like to grow some of my own vegetables and fruits. In our gated community, the closest I’ll come is to growing strawberries and tomatoes in appropriate pots on my patio or in my small flower beds.

Watching wildfires burn up precious land in the West, and floods destroy huge swaths of land in the heartland makes you realize that American grown food could also become scarce if crops are either destroyed or not planted in the first place.

It’s reassuring to know that a return to the basics and a simpler way of life could relieve us of short-term famine or hunger. My last blog about painting with food products also provided a solution if your budget makes it difficult to buy art products. Even brushes can be homemade and could add a surprising twist to your finished artistic products. 

The watchword is not to succumb from fear when the going gets rough. Use your creativity to supply your needs and wants and perhaps supplement your income if necessary. The saying “Where there’s a will there’s a way” served our parents and grandparents well. Perhaps it will also save the day for you and your family.

(All artwork is for sale from the artist or at Carol's online Gallery  )

"Sunshine" 11 x 14 acrylic (Sunflowers in a garden can provide nutritious seeds for health!)

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas – Is there any other Kind?

Getting ready for the holidays here in Florida means that we plant flowers. Yes, you got that right! We use Christmas lights at night, but during the day time, our yards send a message of color, fun, and festivity.

Wrapping our palm trees and oak trees in twinkle lights tells everyone “this home is ready to rock!”

Added color in the garden sends the message that we’re “decking the halls” and yards with what we do best: grow things. Freshly mulched beds are planted with pink or red impatiens, silver leafed foliage, red begonias’ and geraniums. Even the acacia and catalpa trees are in bloom to welcome the season. In case you’re wondering, mowing lawns year-round and pruning are the norm here.

Those who don’t go north for the holidays are preparing for winter guests. We want to look our best. Our “winter wonderland” is a walk on our white sandy beaches. Wreaths hang on every light post accented with a red ribbon. The streets are bedecked with green boughs and lights.

My husband and I are participating with our church in a “Live Nativity” that mirrors the town of Bethlehem and recreates the story of old. Costume clad volunteers make the telling come alive through improvisation, scripture, and interaction with the people that come to see the event each year.

The tour guide gives each family a bag of money to pay the tax collector at the gates of the city. In return, the children are given change back in the form of gold coins. Their eyes grow in wonder at the end of their journey when they discover they get to keep them.

A beggar also pleads for money in the streets, and some of the children proffer their gold coins to him as a gift.

An angel is seen floating in the air near the fields where “shepherds watch over their flocks by night.” A few campfires are seen as the shepherds warm themselves and cook their meager meals.

In the streets of Bethlehem a few shop keepers hawk their wares or sweep their porches.

The tour group is turned away by an innkeeper who tells them there is no room. They hear that a young couple was also turned away for the same reason. “The woman was riding on a donkey,” the innkeeper says, and points ahead: “they went that way. Perhaps you’ll find some place to stay down that street.”

A full-size stable, manager, and the Holy Family are the highlight of the evening. Mary sings a lullaby to her baby and then places him in the manger.

As the group continues down the street, they are approached by three wise men dressed in splendor that have come to visit “the King.” They ask where they might find the babe so they may give him their gifts.

At journey’s end the guests are invited to enjoy the live music (a band and carollers) performing inside where they will be given something to eat and drink after their long journey. Fellowship is what it’s all about. The sharing of love and the spirit of Christmas makes a lasting impression.

We have not only attended the Live Nativity, but participated in it each year. We never grow tired of seeing the Biblical story come to life. We look forward to hearing the beloved story retold and the carols sung illuminating the reason for the Season.

One of our late sunsets on Sanibel Island.  Below, some boats at the Sponge Docks in Clearwater on a cloudy day.

Frustration and Outrage over Rising Costs

My last foray into an art store for needed supplies gave me “sticker shock!” I was in need of Turpenoid (odorless turpentine) to use as a paint thinner and brush cleaner. The price had escalated by 50% since my last purchase!  I left empty-handed hoping I could find something cheaper elsewhere.

Mineral oil was my next choice, but it too had gone up in price. The end result when mixed with paint and applied to canvas is also less than satisfying; any suggestions?

For the last two years, I’ve been painting with acrylics to relieve my allergy symptoms, save my lungs from toxic odors, and to keep my skin chemical free. I also use acrylic surgical gloves while painting to protect my skin even further.

My latest project required going back to oils for painting an image on glass. I was also eager to use up some of my long-forgotten oils that are beginning to harden in their metal tubes. I was overwhelmed by the fumes. First, my eyes began to water. And even though I vented the room with a fan, the feel of my lungs suggested that irritation was effecting my breathing as well.

As I grumbled at the price increase in Turpenoid, and ranted at the “Environmentalists” and the cost of added regulations on our profession, I had second thoughts as I used these toxic materials. It was too late to change to water-based oils; I had to begin what I’d started.

In the Government’s efforts to protect us from our own stupidity (and theirs), the cost of food is also increasing at a rapid pace because of additional information required on labels. For example, my favorite “Smart Balance” margarine was for sale in brand new packaging. This is code word for increased pricing. Sure enough, they are selling two ounces less product for the same price as two ounces more in their older packaging.

Manufacturers are really selling us packaging. Packaging that is more expensive than the food it contains. We as consumers continue to buy it up pretending it will make our lives easier, happier, and cleaner ignorantly unaware of this new “shell game.”

People who are more familiar with the land and the process of growing things understand this better than anyone; although, many farmers are also being scammed on the other end by being paid less money for their products. Corporate farmers and landowners are having the last laugh because most are subsidized by the government.

Many families would like to return to the land and grow some of their own produce, but neighborhood restrictions sometime make that impossible. Patio gardening is the next logical step. Growing tomatoes and squash in used tires lined with plastic and filled with potting soil or planting in small spaces is one option. My brother-in-law harvested zucchini, cucumbers, and summer squash all from this method.

I hope we don’t end up like people in many socialist countries: waiting in one long line to buy a loaf of expensive bread, and in another for vegetables, and another for coffee, milk or tea. The only way to prevent this scenario is to remain self sustaining and free from government intrusion and control.

The Nanny State cannot provide us with freedom and independence. When supplies run out, the government will not be able to fill our empty gnawing stomachs. In fact, government bureaucrats may very well become hoarders of the goods and services produced by the few for their own selfish purposes.