Thursday, January 7, 2010

Do you think you could paint your skin with craft paint?

The reason I'm asking is I'm thinking about painting myself to look like this. Wouldn't that be cute?

Because honestly, somedays I feel just like a chicken feeder. Don't you?

It's the constant peck, peck, pecking that depletes all my cracked corn, you know?

Is that a weird analogy?

Probably.

So this afternoon instead of painting myself to look like a vintage chicken feeder I decided instead to escape the ringing phones and the knocking at the door and the dog barking and go out to my little herb garden. I snipped and cut and did some of my winter pruning under the pale blue Arizona winter sky.

The air was perfumed with the cuttings of heliotrope and scented geraniums.

And then I sat on the little brick wall and with my lavender, basil and thyme scented hands I peeled a perfect orange picked from the neighbors tree.

That sublime burst of sunny freshness and the warm sun on my upturned face soothed the chaos in my mind. The words of Anne Frank came to mind...“The best remedy for those who are unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.”

I sat for a while longer. A bird rustled in the glossy leaves of the orange trees. Far off I could hear the laugh of a child.

The potential of acrylic body paint was momentarily forgotten.

But just so I can be prepared, what do you think? Would it be safe? And should I paint a chicken on my face or would that really just be too much?

Sigh.

20 comments:

Linda @ A La Carte said...

peck, peck, peck...perfectly describes some days in our life! I like your solution of going outdoors and letting it sooth you much more then the acrylic paint...but hey what ever works for you! But feathers are not 'in' right now so really give it some thought!
Love ya girl!

MrsJenB said...

I am crazy about the gate to your herb garden. Seriously.

Kathy @ Sweet Up-North Mornings... said...

Jenny...Hello, Thanks for stopping by...Loved your post on texing...Laughed out loud!
Fun here...
Happy January!
xoxo~Kathy @ Sweet Up-North Mornings...

Kim said...

I know you had a different point to your story- and I get what you were saying- but can I veer off the path and ask you to please write more about tending to your garden and eating an orange off the neighbor's tree? It is -2 F here in Minnesota this morning and I slipped into a mini trance just putting myself into your garden eating an orange with you today. Thanks for the sunshine for my day-I feel warmer now :)

Busy Bee Suz said...

I think you can paint yourself with acrylic paint, but it will come off with soap and water. So don't shower. Or perhaps you can paint yourself INTO a corner and NO one will find you. BUt if I were you...I would plant myself out in your herb garden. IT looks delightful.
I hope the peckers stop bothering you today. :)

susan said...

I love the expression "pecked to death by a duck"---nothing painful at one time just a steady dull peck! We would all be happier if we could eliminate the ducks pecking! Love the gate on your herb garden! I just stumbled here--enjoyed my visit!

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

Thank you for reminding me that it is warm and sunny somewhere!

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Hey is that really the gate to your herb garden? LOVE IT!

I'm thinking paint the hood of a hoodie with latex paint (it'll work). No acrylic paint on the skin. Some part of that has to be transdermal. Ewww.

I'm all about the perfect orange, or grapefruit, or apple, or banana, or grape..........

Vickie said...

Oh look at your green grass, and I'm imagining your herbs and orange. Jealous I am and ready for spring! Warm sun on one's face is so good for whatever ails ya!

Sarah said...

What a cute expression! When I taught first grade some days I felt like there was always some little one pecking at my heels. LOL Loved my first graders but they did tend to be like baby chicks always near by.

Your herb garden looks to be the most serene spot. I'd love to be there myself, especially since it is in the 20s here in central TX. I hope you'll do a post on your herb garden and show and tell us more.

Enjoy the moment! ~ Sarah

laterg8r said...

glad you had a peaceful moment - i ignore the phone all the time LOL :D

Tina❀ said...

I say do it. Paint yourself just like a chicken and hold up a sign that says "the pecking stops here"!!! LOL.

Terri Steffes said...

I am so annoyed with you right now, describing your beautiful Arizona weather while I sit snowed in here in Missouri. I'll get over it.

Ok, I am over it. Sure, paint yourself. Don't use oil paints but anything water soluble should work.

Trust me?

Unknown said...

Now dang it. There you go... all talkin about warm & sunny. Huummpf
Don't you know we have 6" of snow on the ground here and if I went out for some peace & quiet in my garden, all I'd hear is my teeth chattering. And forget about smelling anything cause when you take a deep breath the nose hairs freeze shut. Maybe I could squeeze that fresh orange into a glass of vodka.((deep breath))((another deep breath))
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh my!! I feel better now! Just a little cabin fever going on there
:0}
Or could I just be jealous??

I think the rooster did it! You know that peck, peck, peck in your head. Only I think my rooster had to poop! I'd be careful painting that rooster on yourself. There could be some weird side effects.

You know I'm just kiddin ya, don't ya??
{{Hugs}}
Judy

Betsy Banks Adams said...

What a wonderful way to get away from the 'pecking' in life, Jenny... Going out and spending time in your herb garden must be a cure-all for most anything.

Hugs,
Betsy

Tolentreasures said...

What a great post and for just a short while I left the pecking all around me and entered your garden world. It was beautiful if only for a moment before I opened my eyes and looked outside and saw all the snow. Just for that brief moment, my cold toes that are surrounded with 800 grams of thinsulate and still freezing, were warm and toasty and wiggling in your grass! Thanks for the daydream...I needed it today!

Cathy

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Jenny, don't try it! Some chicken might just get ideas! LOL! ;-)

XO,

Sheila

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Sometimes those little moments of sunshine are enough to get us through a lot of cold and overcast days! Hang in there!

Unknown said...

yeah I went outside too and fell on the ice in the driveway...can I just come where you are and in return I will paint you just like a chicken...I can paint you know....

Janiece said...

I wanted to close my eyes as I read your post so I could soak up even more of the vivid memories.
I miss the smells of being outside, our winter time doesn't have a "comfort" smell...well not really...there is something peaceful on a full moon night when the snowflakes are large and are quietly floating to the ground.. but that happens about once in a blue moon.