 John F. Francis ~ Still Life with Yellow Apples ~ 1858 A dear friend of mine has two gnarled hundred year old apple trees on her property. brought to Upstate NY from Scotland as seedlings. They look very much like these. The apples are super hard and sturdy, yellow with brown spots and an occasional blush. Thankfully, she never sprays them and they yield abundant disease free fruit every October. The skins are thin but strong, and when they drop, they retain their shape and are not marred. They're crisp and snap when bitten into; luscious sweet, somewhat spicy and tart and nothing at all like any store bought apple. This variety is considered a rarity... an heirloom once popular in the Catskill Region where Cider Mills used to dot the valleys, known as The CHAMPAGNE of APPLES.  © Champagne Apple Seeds ~ Undine DeFilippo 2015 / CLICK to ENLARGE We've used these apples in every conceivable way with excellent results; our second favorite being apple sauce. It was when we juiced them that we understood just how special they really are ! This rare cultivar deserves to live on. I harvested seed from two apples in October 2014 and placed them between sheets of dampened paper towel in a covered airtight container stored in the fridge.  © Sprouted Champagne Apple Seeds ~ Undine DeFilippo 2015 / CLICK to ENLARGE According to Apple Tree Propagating Experts, if the seed doesn't sprout in two weeks time, they should be considered discardable duds.
I almost followed that advice when a month had gone by with no changes and again when two months showed nothing. Patience paid off well after the third month with a 60% sprout ! I'm so excited about planting them all, watching that first set of leaves form and giving trees away to good homes ! WANT ONE ?
9 Comments
 © Sunrise over the Ridge ~ 2014 Undine DeFilippo  © Sunrise over the Church ~ 2014 Undine DeFilippo " Dearly beloved , avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, VENGEANCE IS MINE. I WILL REPAY, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him ; if he thirsts, give him drink : for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. " Romans 12: 19 ~ 21  ©In Honour of the Lost Lives of Charlie Hebdo~ Undine DeFilippo 2015 In support of ALL adversely affected and in HONOUR of the DOZEN LIVES that were foolishly massacred in Paris yesterday, I display my cartoon in solidarity with the decision to keep our pencils sharpened, ever ready to exercise our FREEDOM of expression through the creativity of our choice, which remains our GOD GIVEN RIGHT and DUTY and urge ALL to have the HEART to do the same.  © Charlie Hebdo Tragedy ~ Undine DeFilippo 2015 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
HERE IT IS ! The perfectly thoughtful, practical and reasonably priced gift your friends and relatives will be using more often than not. Now, please know that absolutely NO ONE asked me to write this on NINJA's behalf. This NINJA EXPRESS CHOP came last week as a credit card points trade and these pics were taken in my kitchen today. You can buy yours at TARGET K~MART AMAZON Originally, I wasn't at all happy about any of the redemption items, but my plan was to cash in on accumulated points and cancel the card. I was also disgusted that 4,000 points afforded me a mere $ 20.00 item. I certainly wasn't expecting much from this appliance. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP PARTS ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
The beautifully designed compact top holds the motor with electrical cord and feels secure in one hand. The Tupperware style lid has a capped hole, preventing dirt from affecting the motor housing and doubling as a food storage cover. The blade body sits on a stainless steel pin and easily lifts straight up and off without me being concerned about slicing a finger. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP LOADED ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
I loaded the sturdy plastic container with one rib CELERY cut into 3 inch lengths, the YELLOW PEPPER, a slice of GINGER, a quartered CLEMENTINE with a slice of peel, half a TOMATOE quartered, some fresh CILANTRO, a teaspoon of BRAGG's organic APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and a splash of EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP with LID ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
. . . and put on the lid as instructed. 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Ready to GO ! ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
I placed the motor housing on top, which easily connected to the blade through the open hole in the lid, pushed down on the silver "switch" to the count of ONE ~ TWO ~ THREE 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Salad in Three Seconds ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
If you look close, you'll notice two pepper seeds at the bottom of the base. The base stayed sturdy and stationary as it chopped, never slipping or sliding ! 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Opened ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
. . . grabbed the white blade stem and lifted it straight up ~ off ~ and out ! 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Blade Removed ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
Could've put on the fitted storage lid and refridgerated... But . . . 
© NINJA EXPRESS CHOP ~ Finished ! ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
It was SO DELICIOUS . . .
didn't even need salt . . . devoured the entire thing ! YUM !!! Anyway, I LOVE this thing and hope it lasts awhile. It seems like it will. Your comments are most appreciated and your personal info remains private. HAPPY CHANUKKAH MERRY CHRISTMAS 
© Home in the Hills ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
"I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD; AND HE INCLINED UNTO ME AND HEARD MY CRY. HE BROUGHT ME UP ALSO OUT OF A HORRIBLE PIT, OUT OF THE MIRY CLAY AND SET MY FEET UPON A ROCK AND ESTABLISHED MY GOINGS. AND HE HAS PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH, EVEN PRAISE UNTO OUR GOD: MANY SHALL SEE IT, AND FEAR, AND SHALL TRUST IN THE LORD; BLESSED IS THAT MAN THAT MAKES THE LORD HIS TRUST, AND RESPECTS NOT THE PROUD, NOR SUCH AS TURN ASIDE TO LIES." Excerpted from A Psalm of David to the chief Musician PSALM 40 HAPPY THANKSGIVING  © Trojan Lake ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 According to Agnes de Mille Choreographer Niece of Cecil B. de Mille { CLICK on her name to learn more } it was 1943 that Martha Graham known as the Picasso of Dance { CLICK on her name to learn more } gave her this GOLDEN NUGGET which will FOREVER hold true for ALL creatives in ALL medias: " There is a VITALITY ~ a LIFE FORCE ~ a QUICKENING that is translated THROUGH YOU into action . . . and . . .  © Cherry Ridge Wild Forest ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 . . . if you block it ~ it will NEVER exist through another medium and be LOST . The world will NEVER have it .  © Callicoon Center Road ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 It is NOT your business to determine how good it is ~ nor how valuable it is ~ nor how it compares with other expressions. IT IS YOUR BUSINESS to keep it YOURS clearly and directly ~ to keep the channel OPEN ! You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to KEEP OPEN and AWARE DIRECTLY to the urges that motivate you . KEEP the channel OPEN ~ NO Artist is EVER pleased . . .  © East Branch ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 There is NO SATISFACTION WHATEVER AT ANY TIME . There is ONLY QUEER DIVINE DISSATISFACTION a BLESSED unrest that keeps us marching and makes us MORE alive than the others. " YOUR comments are ALWAYS welcome and your privacy RESPECTED ! THANK YOU for viewing my latest sketches ! CLICK HERE TO SEE THEM ALL or SCROLL UP and CLICK on SKETCHBOOK FAUX PAINTING ~ Brick, Stone, Oak, Pine, Green Marble, Red Marble, White Marble and Yellow Marble9/29/2014  © Faux Brick and Stone ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 I hand painted this life size Faux Brick and Stone on a Masonite panel. For the sake of realism, I added a round seep hole, which bricklayers install for water drainage.  © Faux Oak Veneer and Knotty Pine Boards ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 This Faux Oak Veneer and 6 inch Knotty Pine Board was also hand painted by me ... life size on Masonite Panel. For those who don't know, 6 inch Pine really measures 5 1/2 inches wide.  © Faux Green Marble ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 I created all the following Marble samples on more Masonite. These samples are also life size and measure approximately 15 x 15 inches.  © Faux Red Marble ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 TWO MORE TO SEE ~ CONTINUE SCROLLING !  © Faux White Marble ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 ... Just ONE more below !  © Faux Yellow Marble ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 Thank you for viewing my work ! Your comments and suggestions are a GREAT pleasure to read and your personal info remains PRIVATE !!! Contact me for your special project using my e-mail above or simply CLICK HERE  Montauk Shark ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 What exactly is the Beast that steals purpose from you ?
Are you believing the LIE that you are NOT as important as you really are ...That your life is NOT as important as it REALLY IS ? Do you believe the LIE that you are ONLY a by~product of a moment's passion or lust ? If you believe the dark, ugly, deceptive, insane, hateful and evil things of this world exist ... then also BELIEVE and KNOW that LIGHT ~ BEAUTY ~ HONESTY ~ GOODNESS and LOVE ALSO EXIST and ARE FAR MORE POWERFUL !!! Choose your affiliation wisely or become victim to the LIES. BELIEVE INSTEAD THE TRUTH : YOUR LIFE IS IMPORTANT TO THE ENTIRE WORLD ... TO THOSE YOU LOVE ... TO THOSE YOU KNOW ... TO THOSE YOU WILL LOVE IN THE FUTURE ... TO THOSE YOU MIGHT NEVER KNOW ... YOU HAVE A PURPOSE THAT NO ~ ONE CAN FULFILL THE WAY THAT YOU CAN FULFILL IT !!! GET BUSY BELIEVING THE TRUTH !  © Montauk Catamaran ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 Being out in the fresh air with a sketchbook and watercolors for an hour of escape into a meditative state is incredibly REFRESHING and RENEWING. Hopefully the seven new images added to my online sketchbook will invoke similar feelings of PEACE within you. CLICK HERE to SEE THEM or SCROLL to the TOP of this page and CLICK ON THE SKETCHBOOK TAB THANK YOU for making the time ! 
©Cracked Concrete ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
I have really enjoyed reading all your comments ! It has helped me make up my mind as to what to write about next. Your comments have encouraged me to share things of a positive nature. Anyhow, I'm grateful for your comments and hope you understand that NONE of your info is used or sold... You can always contact me via e-mail... just click on the link at the upper right corner. The winter of 2013/2014 was especially damaging in the Northeast USA. The severely cold temperatures caused heaving and consequent cracking of five inch thick aggregated concrete on my walkway and needed to be replaced ! SO ? WHAT's a WOMAN to do ? IF I CAN DO THIS, SO CAN YOU !!!  ©Underground Electric Line ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 See that RED ARROW ? Well...that's pointing out a LIVE electric line running underground from the house to the garage. Hmmm... GET TO WORK !!! { here we go again ! } BUT DON'T GET ZAPPED OR WRECK ANYTHING HERE !!!  At first I was careful cracking and lifting out the concrete around the electric line... then I became impatient and used the large sledgehammer to make it break faster. GO AHEAD ! JUST GET ANGRY AND SLAM IT HARD !!! Concrete is HEAVIER than I imagined !  I dug out several buckets of dirt, embedded a few pavers vertically in cement to keep my project from shifting... poured in SEVEN FIFTY pound bags of gravel which is supposed to wisk moisture away and prevent winter's heave... Laid a double thickness of landscape fabric over the gravel... poured sand over that and started to lay pavers on a slant for rain water run off...  I used my handy dandy rotary cutter and custom cut pavers to fit odd spaces... trimmed the landscaping fabric... and filled in all the seams with more sand.  I know it's eclectic...
that some would say, "ya shoulda used GRAY colored pavers to match the remaining concrete" ... butt ... y'know what ? I'm HAPPY ! I did it MYSELF and it's works for me ! IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT so...GO AHEAD and tackle that project of yours and know YOU CAN DO IT !!! |
 Undine DeFilippo
Categories
All
Archives
May 2019
|
RSS Feed