The Corporate Cog

Auntie

2009-03-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am an Auntie.

Little O.

So new.

So soft.

So full of warmth.

So full of hope.

This tiny life has just added a fresh purpose to my own.

So amazing.

So thankful.

Sister

2009-03-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks I have been a guest at my sister's home. It has been wonderful to have such time to hang out with my little sister....doing things like grocery shopping, cooking, watching movies, and waxing poetic about life. In the best and worst of times it is a blessing to have such a sister. It is a bonus that she comes as a package deal with her loving golden retriever Mason Dixie. She brings extra warmth and goofiness into any situation. I love my sister and her furry partner.

A-hoy!

2009-02-25T08:50:00.001-08:00

Ahoy there matey! It seems that I have been a bit lost at sea as of late. And for good reason...my first nephew, Baby O, is on his way. I have had so many ideas running hurry scurry through my head it was tough to batten down the hatches to get the baby shower presents finished on time. Between work and life I could only squeeze so much time into creating all the wonderful odd stuff filed in my silly aunty head for the new baby boy in the family. My goal is to give Baby O a chance to see the world as a beautiful and adventurous place. The presents that made it to the shower included: First Mate P. Bear, a treasure chest full of goodies, and the pirate ship bookends (the matching bookshelf is still in the making....with hopes of a delivery to the nursery before the stork arrives ;).

1260

2009-02-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

1260: how many times a humming bird heart will beat in a minute. My grandmother loved her hummingbirds. Many humid summer days were spent waiting for their arrival on the perch of the feeders that hung from her magnolia tree. We would sit on her glider and drink sun tea out of aluminum cups. My grandmother must be on our minds lately. Last week I doodled the above hummingbird, and then ordered a new necklace from Home Studio. Yesterday in the mail arrived a Valentine from my mother...featuring, yes indeed, another hummingbird. I miss my grandmother and watching for the hummingbirds...

Reading Rainbow

2009-02-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

My friend is such a clever creative girl. She is quite the bookworm, just like me. We both have a slew of books and very very full book shelves. During a recent shindig at her lovely abode I noticed her new arrangement of her books. They were sorted by color. How beautiful! Such a slendid idea made me quite envious. My own library is arranged alphabetically by chaos (the white shelves below her rainbow shelves).

Albert

2009-02-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Morning

2009-02-04T23:08:00.001-08:00

Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance - Celebrity bloopers here

Mark and Marilyn

2009-02-04T07:12:00.000-08:00

There was a glitch on the schedule at work...and miracles of miracles, wonders of wonders...over the next eight days I only work once before I get back in to the routine of the work schedule. What a happy overlooked error on behalf of my manager. I was clueless of this news worthy event until yesterday. Thus I have an open calendar...books to read, drawings to hang, baby shower gifts to be made, a party to attend, brows to be waxed. I am giddy. Above are two new portraits of Mark and Marilyn. For one of my New Year resolutions I vowed to take more pictures of those I love...I believe I am going to make an addendum to that...to include drawing more portraits of people I love and those who inspire me to be more with my life...

The Girls

2009-01-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Golden Girls Necklace from Trashed Clothing. It is currently a new favorite conversation piece at work. Who knew there were so many Golden Girl fans? I guess you have to love them and all their fancy pajamas and midnight cravings for cheese cake. Television inspired me to have a life like Rhoda in my 20's, Kate and Alley in my 30's , Elise from Family Ties in my early 40's, Murphy Brown in my late 40's....and later a life much like the Golden Girls. My new assistant on overnights would like to get one for himself....Which Golden Girl are you ?

Witness

2009-01-21T15:26:00.001-08:00

The metro was crazy.
My toes and nose froze.
After the third hour I was starving.
My scarf was cute and useless.
The port-a-potties were out of toilet paper.
He arrived.
He took his oath.
He spoke to us.
The benediction was great.
The poem kind of sucked.
My nose was still froze.
I gave up on the scarf and feeling my toes.
The stomach growl was fierce.
The metro was even crazier.
When we finally arrived to my friend Jason's home...I fell asleep mid sentence on the couch.
It is the most amazing thing I have ever been a witness to...
I am so thankful.

Self

2009-01-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

It is so hard for me to draw a self portrait...my mother tends to appear on the page before I am done. I thought it only right to apply the memoir assignment to myself and to see what would happen. The words were submissions from my little sister and a dear friend. And I really love how my glasses turned out...so very wicked and nerdy! Just like me...

Mrs. Fruit

2009-01-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

Ah, Mrs. Fruit... ...the older lady that abides in the downstairs half of the our rented house with her daughter Lump.I should pause to say that those are not the real names of my neighbors. They have simple respectable names, such as Edith and Renee.But Lump is kind of loud and oafish. Her bottom is wide and looks as if the potatoes still need mashed when she wears her stretchy pants. And Mrs. Fruit has always been a bit out there with her Einstein hair and matching velor jump suits. She had a tendency to repeat the same story over and over and over again, the little scratched record in her brain was never righted.

We have not always been good neighbors.

They are loud. Sometimes very mean to Mrs. Fruit. The conversations from down stairs are heard quite clear when I am in the bathtub.A few times I had the notion of elder abuse cross my wires.But there was the good daughter that would visit below, often. She was the order to the odd couple chaos. I had trust in her. And she always liked my flowers.

I have a green thumb. When the weather warms up it itches something fierce. My place has a huge yard, but alas, I do rent. There are to be no perennial flower beds, herb coves, or vegetable gardens for the likes of me. Thus my thumb gets a bit bloom crazy for the front porch. It borders on a bit of madness. I will put off food and laundry monies to plant just a few more begonias for the front steps.Two summers ago I decided to give the front porch a fresh coat of paint. And I tacked on to the agenda the picnic table that sat off to the corner. It was a sad table that saw very few fried chicken and watermelon type get togethers due to wobbly benches, a loose plank or two, and the chipped redwood paint.Three gallons of paint later the porch looked spectacular. The picnic table was now officially cute and fixed. I put off the water bill and purchased two white rocking chairs for the front porch and a new American Flag.I knew Mrs. Fruit would love these additions. She would often wonder out to the front porch and prune my flowers all the while the scratched record about her father's garden played and played. Before the rocking chair additions she would sit in the plastic camp fire chairs on the front porch and watch the traffic and the foul mouthed town teens go by. As for the new flag, I knew she would be over the moon. She loved to fix the little grave marker flags I put in the planter for Memorial Day and then would leave out for the rest of the summer so she could move them from planter to planter.

And I was right.Oh, how she loved the big flag and would stand next to it and watch it wave every morning.Oh, how she assumed those rocking chairs were hers all along.Oh, how she rocked her day away.

Then came the note, from Lump.

There was trouble.How dare I have painted the picnic table. HER picnic table. She would not have chosen those colors. How dare I! Our house was a shared house!At this point I could regale you with the rant that all my family and friends had to deal with. I was pretty perturbed.In the end I took a very deep breath and did the following.I wrote a brief letter back. I included an apology. That I had thought the picnic table belonged to the house not to her. That I fixed it so all could use it. That I planted the flowers to share with her mother, that her mother loved the front porch as much as myself, that the rocking chairs were for her...and that I was only trying to be a good neighbor.

I left the note with a new flower box full of pansies and a mini American flag on the back stoop (their main entrance to their half of the house).

A month later I ran into Lump at the mail box.She apologized and hugged me.And then told me all the things going on with her mother's declining health. In the time that has followed Mrs. Fruit came out less and less. And then Lump's yelling at Mrs. Fruit became more and more.

This past spring I was planting marigolds and using THE picnic table as a work space when Mrs. Fruit bolted from the front door. First she went to the corner to inspect the flowers and then to rock in her chair.I tried to start a conversation but her skipping record was playing to loud and she tuned me out.My arms were elbow deep in a manure bag when she went for the stairs. She has never attempted this by herself...I tried to get after her before she took on another step...and thenWOOSH. Renee was there yelling and screaming at her mom.And Mrs. Fruit just kept yelling back that she was sick of her and taking off for the woods and not coming back.

Aye.

What an intense and personal family moment to be witnessed to. Renee took her back inside and came back and explained how her mother has been having mini-strokes and has been very difficult to handle. And that was why she has a day sitter during the week when Renee worked.

Poor Edith. Poor Mrs. Fruit.

This morning as I was making my bagel, there was a knock at the door. The last time there was a knock our pipes had burst and flooded the apartment below. I hate early morning knocks.

But it was Lump, Renee.She came to tell me that Mrs. Fruit died on Monday, that she knew we didn't get the paper, that was why there has been a lot of family coming over, and that there would only be simple services on Saturday.

Before I could say anything, she looked at me and said "...thank you for all the flowers, she really..."and then she broke into tears.I wanted to hug her, but thought better of it and let her get her burst of tears out of the way. I think she was embarrassed and did not see the tears coming in such a manner with me.

As she waddled down our stairs back to her apartment, I felt my own tears coming.

And I let them come.

For a woman who was a bit crazy and drove me a bit crazy too.

I do not believe in much.

But I do hope that where she is there are flowers to prune, an American Flag to admire and rocking chairs to rock...

and that someone has righted her skipping record...

Memoirs

2009-01-13T08:12:00.001-08:00

My second swap this month has to deal with writing five memoirs using only six words for each person. Honestly, I loved this assignment. Even though things took a turn and each memoir ended up with a matching doodle portrait of some of my most favorite people. (Perk up mate!...if your doodle portrait is missing there is an entire batch on the back burner in my dear head :) ). This assignment also revealed that I do indeed need to finally purchase a scanner in order to make my images appear more crisp for your viewing pleasure...What would be your six word memoir for your self? Or yours for me?

List

2009-01-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it can be difficult for a bookworm such as myself to find good recommendations. Over at L's site she recently listed a slew of books that have quickly made it to my reading list this year. Above is a list I compiled as the sun came up this morning. The list is for my current swap...listing one hundred books to pass on to another reading lover. It turned out to be quite the mix...and, I , um noticed that I guess I have a thing for stories with magic...or magical realism. Who knew?

Have a read that changed, challenged, entertained or educated you last year?...please, do share!

Wonder

2009-01-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes nature is such a wonder to behold....from within the coziness of my flannel pajamas inside my home. Such a day stirs my memory. My inner child is pleading to go outside and play...sled...make snow angles...snowballs...attempt a fort... come home an hour later in order to get broomed on the front porch (my mom used to make us stand just outside the front door while she used the broom to remove the snow off our clothes..)...then stand over the heat run for one blow cycle while hot chocolate is being made (with extra marshmallows). I would love to go outside and participate in this day...but, um, I lack adult sized snow bibs.....and I am out of hot coco.

Reincarnation

2009-01-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

267.51

Any guesses?

This is the amount it took to get my windshield washer fixed for my car. I am content with every penny that was spent to get her going again...since this weekend calls for quite the snowing. It also makes me more determined to learn more about the beautiful mystery of my vehicles mechanics. If I happen to have the chance to be reincarnated I am going to stand in the line for the mechanically inclined...until then I plan to sign up for a Mechanic I class at the local adult learning center.

Caution

2009-01-05T07:34:00.000-08:00

This year I will use Caution in my life choices. This year I will throw Caution to the wind. Either way he will greet me each morning of 2009 in my studio. Caution was a holiday gift from my dear friend C....with her psychic friend powers she new exactly what I needed to help me stay on track...or adventure off onto the unbeaten path. And now for the odds and end of my New Year's resolutions...

Keep going to the gym (and add the spinning class once a week). Since July 45 pounds have went MIA...and I am curious what can happen in another six months...
Time to grow up (a bit) and find an entire house to rent.
Remember the birthdays of others...and get the cards purchased or made into the mail on time.
Donate blood.
Get my teeth cleaned and a real physical.
Start my etsy store.
Participate in the Renegade Festival in Chicago.
Finish my short story about Eve in the garden.
Publish my children's book on LuLu or Blurb...and see what happens.
Plan and execute three dinner parities...one per quarter (is that too dorky?)
Learn how to do my own oil change.
Payoff my medical bill (finally!)
Start a real savings account...and leave it alone.
Adopt a dog and a cat.
Grow my own herbs.
Cook more. Eat out way less.
Pay more attention to the needs of my family and friends.
Finish my first felt book before the nephew is born.
Find my Aunt Charlotte and my college friend Yolanda.
Take more pictures of people I love.
Participate in more art swaps.
Post art more often.
Buy my own truck, couch, scanner, and printer...all for my art of course ;)
Go on a canoe trip....and a bike trip.
Ride a horse.

What are your plans?

Paging Dr. Bronner

2009-01-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

First it was Burt and his Bees. And now Dr. Bronner is living in my shower. The label on the packaging is a bit creepy, weird, odd, and way amusing. A few months ago this product was featured in my favorite magazine in the know written universe...BUST. My sister can tell you that we are both suckers for "new-to-us" products, even though we usually resort right back to our toiletry staples that we have been using for, um, decades. Sometimes we hit pay dirt. This liquid soap smells a bit on the hippie side...IE very natural instead of artificial sweet. So far I have scrubbed my face with it, made a bath soak, used it as a shower wash...and used it to wash my sensitive hair. It super cleans the hair, thus I have been using it once a week. It makes my scalp tingle....and so far that is the best thing to happen to me this new year. In other news my schedule changed big time at work (I start a seven day stretch on Tuesday night), a flu bug has found my nose, and the windshield wipers have stopped working in my car (so I am clueless as how to get them fixed over my seven day stretch...). I do have a few resolutions this year and I will reveal them with my next post. ... :)

Gnew

2008-12-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

My new Gnome (a Christmas gift from the in-laws). He looks so calm and collected. As if he would rock back on his heels and start whistling as soon as I would leave the room. Note: He knows not that he is a cookie jar ;)

Rex

2008-12-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

Adam Rex: his work makes me smile. And his little take on the holidays does just that. And for one that is a bit blue this holiday season because her tree stayed in the box in the attic, this illustration helped put things into a lighter perspective.... just a bit. May you find a reason to smile this holiday....

Magic

2008-12-22T08:08:00.001-08:00

There are some little magic things that are helping me get through December so I can start again. Michael Parkes happens to be one of those things. Pictured above is his painting of Tuesday's Child. His work is described as magic surrealism...something I thought I would typically stray from. Alas, his lovely work has eased my troubled brow...just a bit. How I love the light of his skies and the weight of his forms. The other is the joyous writing of my favorite author in the whole wide know world of fiction, Jeanette Winterson. This season she has written a few superb words about her thoughts on Christmas....plus a new short children's story that was featured in Time: The Lion The Unicorn and Me. She is one that I would love to sit in front of a fire, sip tea, and have her read to me the thoughts that roam her mind....

Pledge

2008-12-10T02:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,
This year I am taking the Handmade Pledge. This is my promise to the world of arts and crafts that I will support the creativity in others as well as myself. Trying to budget the time for inspiration is tough this time of year. I feel it will be worth the challenge for you and for me. It is with this hope and promise of art working that I plan to stave off the holiday blues. Wish me luck...Oh, the goodies that await each of you!

My Honey Bee

2008-12-10T00:58:00.000-08:00

Ohio winters crack my hands. Sounds painful, and it is. To boot my skin is uber sensitive to just about everything (from lotions to types of fabric blends in socks...weird, huh?). Lotions for sensitive skins usually induce horrid winces of agony on my flesh...so I would rather have the cracks ache. Until today. I was out on a quick errand to grab The Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory ( an inspiring journaling man) when my poor hands had had enough. I knew the book store sold lotions and I braved the frilly section by the checkouts to seek something for relief....even if it would sting like crazy. What I discovered was Burt's Bees Beeswax Hand Cream. I was doing the I am in pain dance while I waited in the afternoon holiday lines at the checkout. And once I forked over the money...I opened the jar to find a bit a Bee Heaven. OH! It is the best stuff ever! It soothed and conditioned my poor chapped hands. AND it smells like bananas (a scent that I typically believe should be left in bread and ice cream pops). But in this little jar and on my hands the aroma was quite pleasing and calming. Oh, how I love my little honey bees....pray it may be fiction that they are in trouble

Sweet Home

2008-12-09T03:01:00.000-08:00

This is my very first gingerbread house (kit). It looks completely different than the picture on the box. Surprise. I wanted to make my own house from scratch and thought it wise to pop $10 in order to experiment with a kit on the first go around. I was a little disappointed when I opened the box and the house was pre-assembled and only awaited decoration. My favorite things are the gum drop trees and bushes I made to animate the flat space on the house's little acre of snow. Even though the house was pre-assembled this sweet little house took me many many many hours to create. And it is now waiting for tomorrow in order to go outside and get sprayed with glitter and sealant.

Comet

2008-12-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

Many apologies for my break in blogging. Please note that I did meet the November Blogging Challenge---and made posts (big and small) for every day of my birth month. Understand that this is the most hectic and tiring month out of the year for a veteran retailer....thus my post will become more sporadic. For those who read and watched for the entire month----Thank you! Merci! I really do adore being a blogger---and using it as a way to keep in touch with the friends and family while I haunt third shift.

Above is the b-day present from my mom. He was waiting for me on the front porch on the b-day. Officially he is Comet...member of the Krinkle Reindeer club. To me...he is my new Harlem Globe Trotter Reindeer. The sneakers are splendid! (Note: I used to love when the Globe Trotters made a special appearance on Scooby Do...did you?)

Indeed

2008-11-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

Today I am a year older. Mom left a card at the front door---it reminded that I came into the world at 6:08 in the morning and that I arrived with a lot of snow. What a long year it has been. So many changes and challenges. It helped today that I got to share some time reflecting and pontificating about the past year with my dear friend J. He has been a constant friend since we were 10 years old. We sat in every homeroom together and later even attended the same college. He was in my wedding with his cowboy boots. He knows more about me than most. J is my oldest confidant. And I was blessed that he arrived today (visiting his home state and family during his turkey day vacation from his work in D.C.) and treated me to a breakfast brunch...that lasted hours over good conversation. I am lucky to have friends such as this...that time, place, and distance melts away when we get back together...if even for a few hours over hot tea and tasty quiche. How great indeed is the gift of long friendships. I am grateful for each and every friend that shares my journey.

Soak

2008-11-29T15:13:00.000-08:00

Too much. At work I try to do many, many things by myself in order for my people to focus on their primary tasks. So I run around like a crazy person all night trying to get things in order for the morning. Sometimes that involves a lot of physical work. I lift and stack wood pallets and tote around heavy freight all night long. I pull pallets that have thousands of pounds stacked on them. And last night I decided to pull a stack higher than my head of canned milk and cans of pumpkin to the receiving area. I almost made it with ease...until I had to stop short at the door to let an associate pass. With my momentum stopped it was very difficult to move forward again...even though I now had very little distance to travel. I was pulling with all my weight forward...pushing my toes to the limit of their trudge forward. And now I am paying for it. I am soar. Super soar. My mom has always lectured for us to take care of our bodies at work. We only get one you know. My exercise at the gym has helped my stamina and overall strength...I guess I just need to realize the human body does has limits and that asking others for help is not a sign of weakness. Thank goodness for Dr. Teal. His bath salt is luminous and saving. Thus I am off to a very long soak and to contemplate how smart my mom is about things...

Coat

2008-11-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

It has been almost 10 years since my wardrobe has seen a new day-to-day winter coat. The old stand by...one I refer to as my Dead Poet Society Coat... is thread bear, missing buttons, and has a tear in the lining. It is well loved. The DPS coat was the first winter coat I purchased as an adult when I went back to college (the second time around). Until that point my polar bear blood was satisfied with jean jackets and fleece hoodies...and then I returned to academia in the snow belt and began to freeze between the months of October and May. The wind is piercing on campus. My sister and I used to bundle up in toboggans, mittens, sweaters, scarves...looking more like the school kids we once were while we trudged to university classes in the winter months. I have wanted to replace the DPS with something worthy and a bit updated in style. Who would have know I would have walked out of the Bulls Eye with a bright red hip length swing coat and a pink scarf to boot. Yep, I am crazy about the red with the pink. It makes me feel ready for the grey world that awaits outside my front door. (Note 1: My mother informed that my aunt the artist used to love to pair red and pink together when she decorated Note 2: I am ashamed to say...I had a red coat when I was in third grade that I was embarrassed to wear to school. My mom loved me in the coat believing that brunettes looks stunning in red. And of course I wanted a pink and grey puffy coat like the other girls in the class. Now, here I am with a sensible red wool coat...to make my mom proud...and to keep warm and snug all winter).

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

A Thankful Turkey Day to All!

Gingerbread Man

2008-11-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

I woke up early this morning with an urge for a coffee run. And run I did. The baristas at my favorite book store are such decadent masters of sugary goodness....and sweet to boot. Even though I ordered a regular mocha they threw the Ginger Man in out of kindness (and more likely in response to my "ooooh...he is so CUTE!"). In this picture the Gingerbread man looks to be stuck in the melting snow bank of whipped cream and chocolate shavings...is it me, or does his facial expression hint at his impending doom (see the icing tear...)? Oh, he was so scrumptious!

Fierce

2008-11-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

Let me make one thing very clear: when it comes to music I am a fan of a man and his guitar...Johnny Cash, Tom Petty. Neil Young...and a few women like Kaki King and Sarah Harmer. So when I tell you that I am a new fan of Beyonce's album I am sure you are shocked liked me. What won me over was her little video Single Ladies---that I heard on NPR of all places. And if it is interesting enough for NPR to talk about for fifteen minutes then I just had to see the video for myself. What happened next? I have now watched the video numerous times, it is now on the i-pod for the gym, I desire tap shoes and dancing lessons and am asking Santa for a dose of talent in my stocking this holiday morning. Her voice may be kind of flat...and she is void of guitar skills...but yet she plays a part in product that I now admit I like (even the silly publicity photo above)....I want to be Fierce, too. (Note: the feminist part of my soul must be on holiday or something for this new obsession to sneak in...)

Bite

2008-11-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

Bless him. The husband went with me to see the Monday $5 showing of Twilight. As we were waiting for the trailers to begin he was doing a testosterone head count. Out of about one hundred people there was an estimate of about 20 men who came with their dates to watch a vampire love story... I did catch the husband, at times, laughing at some of the things in the movies...and he did stay awake until the end...and even had questions about the future story line and characters. He did so well in a theater filled with teenage girls. For me it was stirring to watch a teen movie in which I now have more in common with the parental characters than with the hormonal teens hogging the screen time....must be a sign of the impending birthday...

The Borrower

2008-11-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

We live in an old house next to the fourth oldest house in the town. Pretty cool, huh? We are only renters. I have yet to grow up and secure my own huge mortgage that will follow me to the next world. So in our rented old house there are issues that our landlord tends to ignore. One being the gutters that needed fixed over a year ago. They are hanging on by grace and overflow with water when it rains. But when it is freezing outside....the gutters create an icicle jeweled house that is just beautiful...and maybe even deadly if you happen to be passing by when they start to melt and fall...(Note: this picture is borrowed from the husband's photo folder). Thank you G!

Captain Mouse

2008-11-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am very peculiar about holiday ornaments. This stems from another Mom tradition...the acquiring of one new ornament a year while we growing under her roof. I remember so clearly being given permission to select a Smurf ornament on the second floor of the JCPenny's in the next town over (my favorite down town store...complete with an elevator, and an attendant, and a sliding gate). A Smurf ornament...I was sure it would make our tree that year perfect in every way. When my sis and I became roommates again in college I started our sibling tradition of getting her an ornament from the specialty artsy store in the university town. I am sure she expects to see the Chinese take out gift box under the tree every Christmas...with a new ornament waiting for her tree (note: she has a cloisonne mermaid and a lizard). This year our new ornament came from a big box retailer. Shame on me. Captain Mouse. His little card ship with a treasure chest of candy canes was too winning for me to resist. He is a bit different from the Donald Drumm and Patience Brewster decorations that usually follow me home this time of year. He is wonderful to me.

Make a Joyous Noise

2008-11-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

The day after turkey day is when it would start...the constant singing of Christmas carols by our family. We had average voices...treding flat...but full of joy. Every car trip it would only be a matter of time before someone would start White Christmas or Here Come's Santa Claus. Most came from my mom...whom I thought knew every holiday song. Even when we were a bit older...as in college age, we still sang in front of my roommate from Japan (who thought that it was great and kind of crazy). My sister and I covet a series of Old Navy Holiday CD's. And when she moved out years ago she took them with her...to my dismay. I was fortunate enough to find a music savvy husband. He has assembled several holiday CD's featuring my favorites...that I listen to over and over and over again. This year I compiled my most favorite holiday songs for a CD SWAP. The only one missing is Adam Sandler's Chanukah Song (I think I may be alone in the anticipation of hearing this song every year). So below is my collection...and if you would like a copy I would love to share this joy with you. Just drop me a line and in the mail it will go!..Note: due to my love of caroling in my semi-flat singing voice the husband request that I wait until December 1st before I start belting out O Holy Night in the car as we run errands....

01 - Christine Lavin & The Mistletones - A Christmas/ Kwanzaa/ Solstice/
Chanukah/ Ramadan/ Boxing Day Song
02 - Weepies - All That I Want
03 - Doris Day & Bing Crosby - Baby, Its Cold Outside
04 - Great Big Sea - Seven Joys of Mary
05 - Smashing Pumpkins - Christmas Time
06 - Sting - I Saw Three Ships
07 - The Muppets - One More Sleep 'Til Christmas
08 - Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Pops - Sleigh Ride
09 - Burl Ives - Holly Jolly Christmas
10 - Paul McCartney & Wings - Wonderful Christmas Time
11 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Christmas all over Again
12 - Madonna - Santa Baby
13 - Blink182 - I Won't Be Home For Christmas
14 - Tracy Chapman - O Holy Night
15 - Dave Matthews Band - Christmas Song
16 - Leon Redbone & Dr. John - Frosty the Snowman
17 - Louis Armstrong - Zat You Santa Claus
18 - Randy Travis - Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
19 - Bing Crosby - White Christmas
20 - Thurl Ravenscroft - You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch
21 - Tony Bennett - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
22 - Appendix Out - The Holly Bears a Berry
23 - Stephen Paulus - Hallelu
24 - Natalie MacMaster and Alison Krauss - Get Me Through December

Bitter Sweet

2008-11-20T14:40:00.000-08:00

Over the next few days I have a big decision I have to make...it could effect numerous things....for the good and for the bad. My store manager approached me about leaving my store for another...she sensed I was unhappy and might do better working for my old store manager. Hitch: the old store manager is in charge of a really tough store...the clientele are rough people. I am shaken by being pulled into the office this morning for such a discussion. The store manager kept saying she wanted me stay and if I wanted to bolt that would be okay too. All this from a person who kicks me around every morning on our tours and wonders why I am stressed out. She is with the day managers for 10 hours during the day...so there is time to talk about cruises, Amish country, kids in college, miles to the gallon, a-silly-thing-happened-to-me-type-of -thing. For an overnight manager such as myself we are drilled for the hour tour on what we did all night and what went wrong. Leaving little time for me to talk about my art or the other manager's interest in hunting. I take responsibility for some of my stress...but somehow she has missed how hard I work every day trying to take care of my store...of my people. I go in on my days off...just to help out (and I do this a bit much). She has known of me for two months. She has yet to know me at all...I may appear serious, tough, disappointed, stressed...but I am loyal and I care a great deal about the work I do. As I get ready for work tonight I am happy to be perplexed at a smaller decision that means much to me....what fantastic new socks to wear to work...from Shauna at The Lemon Drop Studio as part of a sock SWAP...how I love polka-dots....and stripes...and the pretty blue...perhaps I will wear a combination to work...dots on the left foot and stripes on the right?

Tea and Toast

2008-11-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

The weather is doing it's own thing outside. Inside I am trying to keep warm with tea and toast...one of my very favorite things. Others can have the coffee....hand over the tea for me. Mornings like this are linked to so many other chilly day breakfasts. Tea and toast...the taste, the smell, the warmth... put me back in my mother's kitchen praying for a snow day.

Shame

2008-11-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

May fate keep me far from this man...even in his fictional form....I fear I would make a complete and utter fool of myself. We went to see the new Bond flick. What was the plot? *shoulder shrug*. But I do know Mr. Bond looked very nice in his suits...and out of his suits. There is something about this version of Bonds that makes me blush...even giggle. It perplexes my husband. I mean he has a little crumpled face and ears that stick out a bit....but I think that just increases the appeal. Where are the men that can put on a suit and command a room with their presence? And then do the same in a blue brief speedo on the beach...?

Blue Morning

2008-11-18T06:12:00.000-08:00

Snow fell through the night.... transforming our neighborhood into a quiet, still place in the blue light of early morning. I am so glad I had to get out of bed to use the bathroom...or I would have missed this little transcendental moment of the day.

Sundays

2008-11-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

I have two new favorite sites that I arrive to on a regular basis: Post Secret and Word of the Day. On Sunday's Post Secret updates their Sunday Secret sections (picture above is a recent card added this past Sunday). The selected group of postcards make me laugh, cry, and gaff. It makes me rattle my tired brain to think of my own secrets to mail to Frank (the author of the books and site). The other...Word of the Day...is a fantastic vocabulary illustrated site. Note: I adored vocabulary lessons, tests, writing assignments, and even pop quizzes during my school years. Lately I feel my intelligence leaking away and this little site has been trying to seal the fisher created from my work environment (where very simple words and speech are the norm...). My favorite word this past week: Crumpet. Say it out loud and discover what a cute word it is...Assignment : Use "crumpet" in a sentence....and then wonder when and where you can use it in a conversation this week. Now go!

Punch

2008-11-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Pleased as punch I am today with my little side endeavor. To combat the chilly warehouse atmosphere of my work environment...and to push the envelope with my company's bland dress code...I have fallen for arm warmers. I desired long warmers and most places only had ones that barely reached my elbow. At the same time I noticed that colorful and patterned tights have grown in popularity for the coming winter season. I purchased a small pair of ladies footless cable tights with grey and purple stripe (and a tiny trio of buttons)....cut the legs off...and wha-la...the perfect arm warmers for five dollars. I now have my sights on the tights in the little girls department---polka dots abound!

Truckin'

2008-11-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

I dream of trucks. Big, beautiful, boastful trucks from the decade in which I came into the world. A blue tick healer in the bed named Timber, the windows down, and the AM radio providing the soundtrack to my trucking dreams...

Unbelievable

2008-11-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

I share an office at work with nine other members of management. Most of the time my little area of our headquarters is organized. The others tend to let their work mingle in the office. On the cork board above my area of the desk hung various little pieces of inspiration from my life...as a way to keep me going. Pictures of my art, family members, zany birthday cards and postcards of artist I adore often spark conversations with other associates and visitors. Even my market manager thought my holographic image of the Mona Lisa that turns into a skeleton was cool...something different to look at...to think about. I arrive to work after my days off to discover the office has been cleaned. All the miscellaneous manager paperwork is gone. And my inspiration board was taken down and put into a box for me to take home. I was so hurt and angry that someone threw my stuff in a box. I agree the office needed to be more organized...but now we are only allowed to have one picture frame on our shelf, one wire cup for writing utensils and one wire basket for "in" papers. It was apparent that the time to re-arrange the office was more important than cleaning our backroom or taking care of inventory issues that are effecting our current negative sales in the store. As I looked at my box full of stuff I felt really disjointed from the company I have given 13 years of my working life. The world can be such an amazing beautiful place....just not in my store. They pack it into a box and tell you to take it home.

A List

2008-11-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

List 10 things that swirl:

sprouting fern
water down a drain
drill bit
rose blossom
electric stove top
our galaxy
the curl in her hair
this seasons hurricanes
the barber sign
black hole

...this was a tiny insert in a fashion magazine that arrived today in the post....to me it felt like poetry...what would you add to the list? (me?...crown of a newborn)

2008-11-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Max Fisher was waiting for me in the Post this morning. He is the creation of random flickr meeting with a student from Michigan. She does the most amazing collage work...often featuring the characters and details from Wes Anderson films. I asked if she could do one of Rushmore for me... I sent her some prints of my Tenenbaum Pet Portraits and received this in return. I am over the moon with this bit of art...I do love a Max Fisher in his red beret...Stephanie you are amazing!

Survivor

2008-11-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

This somewhat scrawny tropical plant lives on our lilac bathroom. He was a gift to me four years ago from my peers at work. Four years ago I had an emergency appendectomy on the eve before Halloween. I was in the hospital for five days instead of the modern overnight stay. The husband tells stories of how costumed people were hanging out in the waiting room with them as I waited over 13 hours for the hospital people to decide what was my issue. My husband arranged for the League of Woman voters to come to the hospital so I could cast my ballot...and I was still pretty drugged up by the time the husband's birthday rolled around. I remember very little of my life from that November four years ago...other than how great it was to finally take a shower without any help washing my hair. The story goes that my appendix had popped during the week and had turned gang green (I know---yuck). By the time my family drug me to the hospital the infection had started to travel to other body organs---my doctor told me much later how serious the situation actually was. As I forgot to water the little fellow today (again) I am amazed at his tenacity to survive in our little bathroom over these past years...and at all the changes that have come in and out of our lives over these years together. I am happy to greet him every morning....me and my little green survivor.

2008-11-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

The birthday is at the end of this month. Above is a photograph of my parents before my arrival. Below is a short piece I wrote during a different birthday...reflecting on the meaning of it all. (Note: I think my parents are beautiful in this picture...their apparent tenderness caught in a moment of photo booth antics...it has always been my favorite picture of them before other things happened in life...)

The Snapshot

They hopped into a photo booth to capture a flash of their young selves. It’s black, white and a thousand shades of gray. So his eyes are not blue and his hair is not wheat blond. Her rectangle glasses read black instead of tortoiseshell. The true colors of her eyelet blouse and his dark football t-shirt forever in mystery grays. Her long black hippie hair is in their with his bushy mustache before the scissors of responsibility found them both. They’re heads are close together to fit their smiles into the frame. She’s sitting on his lap. They look wrapped in a warm secret of comfortable joy. It was taken a year or so before I was born. It’s my mirror to knowing that my genetic contributors were once happy and truly in love, if even for a moment in a thirty-something year old snapshot of summer romance.

2008-11-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Gnome In a Book: Another literary life changing book. Aimee Bender's The Girl in the Flammable Skirt....a collection of witty and quirky short stories. I wish I wrote these beautiful gems of simple prose. My sanity has been saved this week by this very endearing book.

From the short story Loser:
He went home to his tiny room and thought about the word lonely and how it sounded and looked so lonely, with the two l's in it, each standing tall by itself.

2008-11-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Walt Kuhn

Harrison Fisher

Malvina Hoffman

The Smithsonian has a lovely flickr site featuring arresting and alluring portraits of artists. I adore their beautiful handsome faces and their snazzy sense of style....and of course Malvina's beret...

Glimpse

2008-11-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

Look! It's me when I was a little girl...an inspiring wee nerd. This precious illustration warmed my bookish heart.

Audacity

2008-11-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday made me believe that all the change I need in my life might actually be possible.

I can find a better job.

I can be an artist.

I can relax.

I can be...

H-O-P-E

2008-11-04T22:21:00.000-08:00

Yes we can.

Yes we did.

Yes we will.

V-O-T-E!

2008-11-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

We were up at the crack of dawn this morning in order to get to the VFW early and VOTE! It was such a great sense of community. We saw some of our friends and their family members as we stood in line to perform our civic duty.

So serious I am about this election---as you can see by the expression on my face...actually it is really just a lack of sleep...

And then it was on to the election breakfast with our dear old friend S at the local Bob Evans. Hot tea, politics, and friends----such a great morning.

And 29 years ago the husband was born....what a day. Now we are off to my kindred sister M's house to join in a small election party get together....we are bringing the patriotic cup cakes!

The Passion

2008-11-03T18:26:00.001-08:00

I just finished my end of the 75 question swap. The answers will be in the mail tomorrow morning after we Vote. The question I loved to answer concerned my inner nerd. What is my favorite book and favorite author. Since I spent a little time in the library room of our place I dug out my well loved...well read...well lined copy of The Passion by Jeanette Winterson. This was the first book of fiction I read after I graduated high school and was dwelling in college. It opened a door that has stayed open since. Until this book I had always been a "reader". It was an easy form of escape. Yet everything I read until that point was suggested by peers or the high school English teacher. (IE: Interview With a Vampire, Stephen King books....Lord of the Flies). This type of fiction carried me away. I have read most of J.W. books and adore her writing....her language melts me. I just added her website over there on the Gnome Watch for those who get into literature. She is my book crush. What is The Passion about? It takes place in France and Venice during the reign of Napoleon. The characters serve chicken, gamble, and search for what love is. The following is one of my favorite passages:

Bonaparte, the Corsican. Born in 1769, a Leo.

Short, pale moody, with an eye to the future and a singular ability to concentrate. In 1789 revolution opened a closed world and for a time the meanest street boy had more on his side than any aristocrat. For a young Lieutenant skilled in artillery, the chances were kind and in a few years General Bonaparte was turning Italy into the fields of France.

"What is luck," he said, "but the ability to exploit accidents?"

He believed he was the center of the world and for a long time there was nothing to change him from this belief. Not even John Bull. He was in love with himself and France joined in. It was a romance. Perhaps all romance is like that: not a contrast between equal parties but an explosion of dreams and desires that can find no outlet in everyday life. Only a drama will do and while the fireworks last the sky is a different colour. He became an Emperor. He called the Pope from the Holy City to crown him but at the last second took the crown in his own hands and placed it on his own head. He divorced the only person that understood him, the only person he ever really loved, because she couldn't give him a child. That was the only part of the romance he couldn't control himself.

He is repulsive and fascinating by turns.

What would you do if you were an Emperor? Would soldiers become numbers? Would battles become diagrams? Would intellectuals become a threat? Would you end your days on an island where the food is salty and the company bland?

He was the most powerful man in the world and he couldn't beat Josephine at billiards.

I am telling you stories. Trust me.

To Do

2008-11-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

On my days off I always have a "to do" that I love to make and love to ignore. For example: Today:

Take car in for e-check
Get renewal sticker for car
Dishes
Laundry
Clean the Bathroom
Vacuum
Dust
Mail Swaps
B-day card for the husband
Wax eyebrows
Clean work desk---again!
Clean out fridge.
Work out at Gym

This is all trumped of course for this incredible itch to get in my library and make sense of the book order chaos that has taken over since the room changed four months ago. I mean-- Chuck Klosterman and Peter Beagle are living next door to each other in my library neighborhood at this very moment! The ideal organization in my library is roughly by genre and then alphabetical by author. Right now it is a free for all...and I long to bring my wobbly order back to the literacy anarchy I have ignored for too long. Just that pesky list to ignore....

2008-11-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

I love my mom...as the person who gave me life...and as the great human being that she is everyday. During a recent visit home I mentioned a random thing to my dear mother: I wanted acorns...little real ones for a project. The yards in my neighborhood contain plenty of maples and horse chestnut trees...acorns are scarce. As I slept the day away after my return to work after vacation...I awoke to a string of messages on the answering machine. My mom. She came all the way up here to drop off the husband's b-day present on the front porch...and to leave these two precious acorns for me on the porch railing. She makes me feel so loved...and listened to...

Jack

2008-11-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

I am skeptic about many a thing in our world. There are very few things that I believe in with absolute certainty. One of these steadfast beliefs pertains to the power of the jack-o-lantern. We were down to the wire getting these fellows ready to go on their shift. I kept giving my husband time updates on how soon the sun was going to set. They made it just in time to do their part in keeping our home mischievous spirit free for another year. The husband stayed up until sunrise watching Halloween horror movies...and re-lighting the Jacks---knowing that it gave me a peace of mind to know they were on duty.

Periodicals

2008-10-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Have Courage: Little Landscape Painting 4 is at the library in the next town over. It is hanging out in the periodical section. Note: I have loved going to libraries as a past time since I was a kid. My Aunt C used to take me to the big city library when I visited over summer vacations. In junior and senior high I used to hang out at lunch and after school hours at the town library. When I chose my first college...the traditional mahogany and leather library sealed the deal. I love being surrounded by all the possibilities waiting for me inside all those books...

Alumni

2008-10-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Find Hope: Little Landscape Painting 3 was left nestled in one of my favorite spots to sit and be still on the old college campus. The place is an outdoor sculpture garden of a stone library. Back in the dating days the husband and I used to nightly inspect the site when it was under construction. We love this spot...even when it is a hub of students on the go it is quiet place.

Guido's

2008-10-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

See Beauty: Little Landscape Painting 2 was left behind at our favorite restaurant. Dear Guido's keeps us fed on a regular basis. They have the best green beans (sorry mom). To pass the time I will take to doodling ideas on the paper place mats to illustrate what is going on in my head to the husband. The husband always tells me to take the place mat with me before we leave. I seldom listen. So...one time a sweet waitresse made it a point to come over to our table to see if I had any more doodles on my place mat. She informed us that she had taken one home. I guess it featured some of my ideas for a gnome-bunny hybrid. She loved the doodles. Now they are art to her. I thought it was fitting then to leave the second landscape painting behind for the staff or for the next customer to discover. I hope it brings some joy to their day.

Stash

2008-10-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Who could resist? These arrived in the mail today...as the stash for the future family member continues to grow....

Nervous

2008-10-28T15:27:00.002-07:00

Seek Peace: Left at the local city gym in locker 45. I thought this was going to be easy...only to walk into the gym and find it crawling with a hundred people (swear!). It was get-your-flu-shot-local-health-fair-day. The place was packed. I almost chickened out. The mission had to be done quick. The photo's taken even faster. Ugh. It was somewhat stressful...I just hope that someone finds it and gives it a good home....

Find

2008-10-28T06:35:00.001-07:00

The RAK paintings are ready for their grand adventure. They are each accompanied with a little tag that says either: see beauty, find hope, have courage or seek peace....all daily reminders I could use for my own sanity. The husband and I talked at great length as to where to strategically place these wee treasures. He wants to wait until there is a sunny day...I want to get them out there in the October grey. Either way it is time for them to leave the nest....

Little People

2008-10-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

We have a new member of the family arriving sometime in March. Thus the ultimate gift search has begun. Of course there will be books, books, and books. The new kid is basically guaranteed a personal library to rival any public one out there. And of course there will be plenty of lovely things crafted and made. To add something a little extra to the list I have been looking for something a bit on the retro side---something reminiscent of my siblings' childhood. I stumbled upon a vintage jamboree of Fisher Price's The Little People (1960-s-1970's). Now, I know all our stuff has most likely gone to the trash or charity---who would have known how much I really still wanted to play with the house...and the stair case with the door underneath...oh, and the swing, and the merry-go-round? On ebay there was even the Sesame Street Neighborhood Townhouse. I miss the Little People....

Brunch

2008-10-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Today we did the Sunday Brunch with the in laws. It has been sometime since we have gathered together at our favorite local restaurant. My husband and I have been coming here for a decade now. We love their brunch, hot tea, cheesecake, and the well used dented salt and pepper shakers...and of course the staff that knows us. We exchanged gifts---late for the mother-in-laws birthday(at the beginning of this month) and early for the husband's birthday (next week). While we toasted and ate our share of cozy comfort food goodies...the day drifted by in its October grey. After such a rough couple of weeks at work it was nice to be surrounded by people that actually like me for the person I am. I feel a bit better.

Night Snack

2008-10-26T01:51:00.000-07:00

Um, I suppose I was a wee tired today. I missed the sun. My head was in deep sleep until eleven o'clock in the night. That would be over 12 hours of straight sleep...or a hibernation. So when I arose from the bed the husband was waiting to go and get out of the house. We saw a midnight movie and then headed to the grocery store to get some real food. I had the itch to be a bit domestic. At three in the morning we enjoyed tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches....and of course we enjoyed each other's company. He would tell you that he knows all my cheesy stories of my childhood and my post high school day shenanigans....it is my challenge then to find something new to bring the table every now and then....so to speak.

Missing

2008-10-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

Our grand pumpkin has been abducted. Someone actually swiped him from our front porch. We are very sad and disappointed. My mother told us a story very early on that curtailed any Halloween hijinks's we may have been brewing. When she was a kid she went along with a group of other children to soap someone's windows. When, low and behold, the owner came home...everyone ran...except my mom. She stayed. And of course was caught...and had to clean all the windows herself. So I wonder what kind of Karma is in store for those who steel someone's orange pumpkin joy right of the front step----before he even had the opportunity to become the jack-o-lantern he was meant to be. *sigh* (Note: the above little statement came from Bonnie Hunt....from her talk show...yeah, I admit, I watch it at the gym...)

75

2008-10-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have spent a chunk of time working on the next swap. It is due in the mail in the morning...thus I will be up most of the night. This swap involved sending a list of 75 questions to your partners. They answer them and return them to sender. The initial instruction said it would be simple enough just to type them up and mail them. Where was the fun in that? Instead I opted for making a simple little book of questions. There is enough space for the recipient to write, draw, or paste their answers...Fingers crossed that the partners enjoy this project as much as I did.

B & E

2008-10-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. Looks like there has been a break and entering in the studio....or most likely the other me has been residing in our abode. The one who is prone to bouts of a little of this then a little of that. Which leads to a big mess. And then I come home one day and about pass out from the disaster that awaits me on my first day of October vacation. (Note: I am typically very anal when it comes to my things...everything in its place...and I can tell if someone else moved it an inch from my desired zen location...so when things get this bad it usually means that my head has been a pretty big mess too...bring on the vacation!).

Eye Spy:

How many stamps do I have left in ratio to the bills I have left to pay this month?
How many spools of thread have yet to meet the eye of a needle?
How many vessels sit on the desk full of odds and ends that I think must stay away from the trash can?
How many notices has Border's sent me concerning an un-claimed book?
Do you see the Breathmints (new addiction)?
What flavor are they?
How many tubes of paint?
How old is the water in the cup?
How many gnomes can you find?
Count the chickens cause they have already hatched---can you see the all?
How soon will I get those Halloween cards mailed (remember how many stamps you see in relation to bills)?
And how long will it take me to make order of all this once again?

Best answers, if any, to the above question will receive a little fall landscape painting from yours truly....

Four

2008-10-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the last one.....such a sky I saw the other day. Swear.

Then three

2008-10-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

The third little landscape painting for the RAK swap....these tiny paintings will be out and about in the next couple of days....hoping someone will finds them and give them a new home to roost...

So sweet...

2008-10-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

These roses were on my desk at work. The husband arrived to my workplace before me and left them with a little note. So sweet....just like my husband.

Hide

2008-10-18T02:22:00.000-07:00

This is a quiet and sleepy landscape....and so am I....quiet and sleepy by the time this one was finished...

Seek

2008-10-18T01:37:00.000-07:00

Above is a little landscape I am getting ready for my next swap. This time things are a bit different. The swap is referred to as a RAK---Random Art of Kindness. It works just like the Random Acts of Kindness that Oprah celebrates on her show...only this one focuses on leaving your piece of art in a random location for others to find and enjoy. My role, beyond the art part, is to document when and where the art was left...and hopefully wait for a response from the new patron upon its discovery.

Mi hermano

2008-10-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

My brother is in the Army.

To me he is amazing...and an inspiration. At times I may be very anti-war, anti-government (thanks to a hippie conspiracy theorist father)....but I am very pro-brother. He joined last year at the age of 28 and went to boot camp with a bunch of young pups right out of high school. Since then he has become an officer, a tank commander, finished a type of leadership combat training, and is headed to Ranger School. When I was 28 I was finishing my last year of college and getting married to some goofy guy I met in sculpture class. This November I pray that my vote matters...that the man elected in to office cares about people like my brother. He has yet to see active duty...but I believe there is no better man to protect other soldiers and other civilians in a time of war than my brother. God to me is tricky thing...but I do pray for all those involved in our world with this messy war. I pray for my brother...that his tender heart, physical strength, and intelligence will serve our Army well.

My brother in his beret....his is for the army....mine is for the arts (see that little pic in my profile)...what a family...

My Brother is all the way on the right....the handsome dude sans hair. The other three men are friends of his. The one on the left I have known since his little league and pee-wee football days...

Micro Love

2008-10-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Virgil: I love you. Your micro brewed soda is like something so wonderful. The amber glass bottle makes me feel so adult....the smooth taste, divine. Again, I love you.

Sweet

2008-10-17T02:47:00.000-07:00

Sometime I just ponder why I go into work everyday. Why I care so much....work so hard. At two in the morning the husband and I wondered to the local big grocery store in search of nourishment. And though I am a big fan of house plants and potted flowers...I realized that my soul and confidence was in need of nourishment too...thus the very perky bouquet that followed us home.

Bling

2008-10-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

It's the little things. Here is what I am wearing every day until the election of change. I am so proud of my lil sis---this year she registered to vote. Now I just have to make sure she gets to the polls and makes her mark on our future. The other day I was meandering through some artist blogs that inspire. One for my cherished is Danny Gregory. He is an amazing artist of all sorts...and a swell writer to boot. He wrote a little diddy about the up coming election and what it means to vote---for all of us as citizens of a government. Please check it out...and pass it on.

The Last Sunday

2008-10-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Our excursion to the pumpkin patch was a boost we needed in our relationship. As of today both of our schedules change...and we will see even less of each other over the coming months. Since July we have been able to share one day a week together, Saturdays, and one morning together, Sundays. With his new position at work and a new program I am part of on my shift...everything changes. People joke when I tell them this. Saying "well, all that time apart makes for a good marriage...no fighting." Why do we sacrifice our relationships for work, for money? (Note: he looked so peaceful this morning...my heart told me to let him be).

Pumpkin Porch

2008-10-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here is our little family of pumpkins. As soon as these fellows nested on our front porch the husband began scheming their demise....into jack-o-lanterns. For at least one more week I will enjoy their cheery orange colored happiness when I arrive home in the mornings....until they transform under the husband's carving knife. (Secret: the tall lean one is my favorite.)

Pick Me

2008-10-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

The husband and I traveled to a local farm today to do some pumpkin picking. The day was just gorgeous....and so were all the pumpkins, gourds, corn, cider, honey, garlic, apples, kettle popcorn....autumn harvest overload! I feel blessed to have such a day with the man I adore. He even thought I looked cute in my pre-Halloween wardrobe that combined pink cowboy boots, the new favorite purple striped shirt, an owl messenger bag, green bracelets and a Frankenstein necklace. He must have had a crush on Punky Brewster when he was little. (Note: It was very difficult to pick just one pumpkin to take home....so, um, four came home with us instead.)

Max Fisher

2008-10-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

Max Fisher I adore you. I am a Rushmore Yankee at heart. So much so that my new autumn duds had to include a red beret I discovered while out and about with the husband today. When it is upon my head I feel ready for the world. Note: Also pictured are this season's new fingerless gloves made from recycled sweaters and the like. Now if I could just get directions to Rushmore....or an application.

Frost

2008-10-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

Goodness. Last night I ran around outside like a crazy person in my flannel teddy bear PJ's for all the world to see. What was I doing? Oh, just running around in the dark in a panic to cover all my flowers to save them from the frost monster. What is happening to me............? Oh....I slept through the frost hours and awoke to find everyone still in bloom and ready to go. So far this is the very highlight of my weekend:) I think I need a pet cat or something....

Fever

2008-10-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Next year around this lovely time of year I will have the opportunity to witness a dear friend's wedding. Bless her, she asked me to be part of the party. And bless her again because she said I could pick out my own dress to wear. Dressing up for me is very difficult and usually involves tears and panic attacks. There is some deep buried evil seed that cracks open and begins to grow when there is the expectation to become the prettiest I can be outside the comfort zone of jeans and grey t-shirts. She has a year to organize a wedding....and it will take me the entire year to do some weeding in my fashion soul garden to harvest the confidence I will need to support her on her beautiful day instead of worrying about the trivialities of my hair and nails and what others may think.....and it will probably take the year to find a dress. (Note 1.: I am reading Circle of Friends...and it has been a soul quencher for my plus sized self...long love Benny and her modesty panel! Read it!) (Note 2: pictured above is discovery A...the first of I am sure many many dresses I will find while performing my "research").

...hello October

2008-10-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome dear October. This past week the weather has begun a new dance. The cooler days have made it easier for me to rest during the day....bless the flannel sheet makers of the world over....so cozy. And work turned a bit too...this past week my associates seemed pleasant and worked hard every day (really). One of them said I have been smiling more, I overheard another associate relay to others that I was in a good mood, and then one of my toughest told me to "take care" when he clocked out, and when I said "thank you" he said "your welcome". So simple. The real question...who has been doing the changing...me or them?

Tenenbaum Pets

2008-09-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

This afternoon my husband took off with his brother to attend some B-Movie at the independent movie theatre in the big city. Left with Saturday hours to my self I decided to finish the Tenenbaum Pet Portraits I have been working on for the next post card swap---due this coming Tuesday. I painted Buckley the beagle first and then I was in the zone. I painted for close to six hours straight. When the husband came home with pizza I looked a wreck...paint everywhere, hair a la Einstein, and my eyes could hardly stay open to finish the last one...the turtle. On Monday they will be made into post cards and then off they go....

Mordecai the Falcon
Buckley the Beagle
The Turtle

Dalmatian Mouse

Cheddar Chili Fries

2008-09-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm. So simple. So good. Greasy, gooey, calorie filled goodness. Friday night I met my beautiful friend C at The Hot Dog Shop back home. It was kind of half way for both of us (though I believe she drove a bit further than me....what a good friend). We had a chance to catch up on life, work and stuff--well, actually she patiently listens and laughs as I complain a lot about my life. I am such a great dinner date. (Note: two cheddar chili dogs, two cheddar chili fries and two sodas came to nine dollars and some change....most excellent). You have to love small town food. As much as I loved the food and the company...the trip did have a down side. The Hot Dog Shop is in the city next door to the town I was raised. Back in the day it was the pretty city with a real downtown and everything...like parking meters, multiple red lights, department stores, a working fountain, a YMCA and a movie theatre. Now the downtown is a ghost town---it feels abandoned and neglected. Everyone migrated to the shopping plazas on the outskirts of town. I took some photos and will be adding them to the husband's or my flickr site...because it is important somehow for me to share this city on the river...for me to be reminded of where I came from and how it is always a part of me where ever I travel or how far I move away...

Boo!

2008-09-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

October has yet to arrive and already the monsters are out about and arriving in my mailbox---of all places. Actually the post card is for some cell phone company and how ATT contributed to the GOP for the last two elections. That aside, it creeped me out when I found it in the post this morning. I was afraid that somehow my name and address found its way on a Republican mailing list....scary indeed. (Note: if you would like to read a very well written article on one's opinion about the presidential race go here to the little hands big world blog...scroll to the September 15th entry...good reading for both sides of the party).

Boondoggle

2008-09-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Boondoggle: term for a scheme that waste time and money. What a great word! It so happens to apply to what is happening in my company. A year ago they changed the company's dress code---making it more casual and modern. Just last month I donated all the old button down three quarter shirts and dress pants to Goodwill (there were close to 30-40 dress shirts in a rainbow of colors---I miss them). The old updated dress code was pretty basic (polo shirts and khakis for everyone! I actually felt and looked pretty good when I went in to work----though I could still spike my look with my whimsical socks and various Chuck Taylor's.) I came back from vacation with a memo on my desk....new dress code---this time for management only. Now I must wear a buttoned collared blouse, black or brown dress pants/skirts, brown or black dress shoes---and if I were a dude my hair must be above the collar and my van dyke would have to go (meaning what most people refer to as a goatee with a mustache). So very 1962. I made the comment that soon they be asking that I shave my legs...Two loop holes in the dress code: it fails to mention restrictions on accessories and says that a woman can wear a dress of any color as long as it is professional. I have purchased two dresses thus far...and I am looking forward to stocking up on my overtheknee socks to wear with my skorts when I come back to the day shift in March. (Note: socks pictures above are most adored and below are the two new dresses from b & lu)

Scrub-a-dub-dub

2008-09-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Oh my. This past week at work was pretty rough. There was even a work bathroom crying moment when my toleration of my associates had reached its limit. When I was ten years old I wanted to be something so much different then this when I grew up in the world. I came home and took a very, very long steamy shower. While washing away my troubles I reached for a fresh bar of Biggs and Featherbelle soap...and for a moment or two things felt much improved. These hip bars of all natural soap are just wonderful ( and addictive). The little company is ran by two sisters who left their day jobs to start their own soap cottage industry. My sister and I met them at the craft fair in Chicago. They were friendly and chatty---we discovered that their mom is an investor and free labor. A few minutes with them and you start to get ideas----about getting out of the machine yourself for your own little business with your sister and family. So if you like to smell nice, your skin to be squeaky clean, and things to be natural----get like a few bucks and buy a bar. It can change your morning. (Note: when I was ten years old I wanted to be an artist and a marine biologist....what did you want to be?)

Tenenbaum Mice

2008-09-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the month again. Time for another post card swap! The swap I am participating in this month has a little guideline....every post card sent must contain a favorite quote. For the set I am focusing on lines I cherish from Wes Anderson movies: The Royal Tenebaums, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic, and the Darjeeling Limited. The challenge is to create little fan paintings to accompany each quote. Above are the dalmatian mice from the Royal Tenenbaums. Instead of traps I would set out complimentary cheese snacks for these two dashing mice...And again, anyone that post a comment this week (and a bit beyond) will receive a quote postcard in the mail at the end of the month.

Kindred Sister

2008-09-20T15:14:00.001-07:00

One of the best things about today's fair was the chance to see my tender friend M and her merchant tent. She is just an amazing force in my life. M has inspired me to join the gym, become more stylish, and encourages my art endeavors every chance she can. She herself is an amazing artist with her independent photography business Kindred Spirits. If you visit her site you can see her sensitive and caring photographs...as well a picture of the husband and me taken for our fifth wedding anniversary. Note: We both share an Irish/Slovak heritage and tend to adore the same foods...which always makes for a good friendship! She truly is my Kindred Sister.

Hit Parade

2008-09-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

It seems like every year the husband and I forget about the town parade. The fire truck sirens and marching band drum cadence awake us before we are ready to leave the land of nod. Thus we usually watch the procession from behind our picture window in the studio. Our town has the typical parade affair---bands, tractors, politicians in vintage cars....and it tends to add a few dashes of the unusual. I miss the days of the Shriners in their little zippy cars and way cool fez hats ( as a child I so wanted this honor in a parade when I someday became an adult...)

Portage Frosted Food Float: Complete with menu and faux hams and sausage links.

Square Dancing Troop of Senior Citizens. They are talented enough to dance on a moving float...as well as doing it to the tune of "We're Coming To America".

The Bunny Bus of...Magic. Cute or terrifying? It was hard for us to decide.

The Show Stopper. The best and most bizarre of the day. This float was from a local restaurant featuring a pig with a sign that said "eat chicken", a cow that said "eat pork", a chicken that said to "eat beef"....and some dude in a very cool pot asking that you "eat pasta". It is great to think that these people sat around a table at one point and shared this vision for their float. And I love that the candy-passer-outers were wearing chef hats!

The Huzzah Dress

2008-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Confession: I was very afraid to step on the scale when I came back from our Chicago festivities. Chicago pizza, mac and cheese....a cola with most meals. The daily workout consisted of walking and walking and walking the streets of the Windy city. I try hard to gage how I feel about my health other than what the scale reveals. Above is the prettiest piece of fashion I have ever had the pleasure of purchasing. When it arrived it was about 2 dress sizes too small. Though my pant size has dropped it has been a struggle to drop the dress size...weird. But yesterday I tried the dress on for motivation...and it fit...the zipper went to the top for a snug fit. I could still breathe and move around in it:) It is an overwhelming experience for a curvy woman like myself to fit into something I would have avoided just three months ago. I have yet to convince myself if I should have a public outing in the pretty huzzah dress. For now I am content to sashay around the home feeling lovely...if even for a few minutes of the day....

Mom Mail

2008-09-16T09:01:00.001-07:00

My mom cracks me up. We go on vacation but she is the one that sends us a post card! AND it features our favorite eatery from my home...To note: when the husband and I vacation we skip the post card and souvenir parts of the trip and opt for pictures, great restaurants, and things to do together. Even if that is our plan we still tend to bring a treasure load of odds and ends home from traveling...

09/15: Big Bird, Trees, and Home

2008-09-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

We arrived home to find a bit of a Topsy turvy town. The Giant Eagle was without power for the entire day and then some...
The sounds of power saws perform in the neighborhood as people are still clearing roads and yards from the poor felled trees...
And we arrived home to a bit of sunshine....work awaits me in another seven hours...*sigh*.

09/14: Fish and Cancelations

2008-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

We discovered what families do in Chicago on a rainy Sunday. They go to the Shedd Aquarium---and so did our tired very wet feet. Quack. Quack.

Even though the aquarium was packed it was worth the wait to visit the Wild Reef exhibit. It was a joy to overhear the enthusiastic children pointing out all the "Nemo" and "Dori" sightings to their parents---as if the fish were waiting in the tanks just for them to visit.

At some point my lil sis received a text from our brother asking about the "flooded" Chicago and if we were all right. Of course we were okay. There were no flooded streets or parks that we journeyed through. What flood? We arrived to Union Station with the perfect amount of time to spare for checking in and loading....only to discover that, well, Chicago was flooded and the Amtrak lines for 38 trains (including ours) were under water...and would be for the next 24 hours or so...

At the end of a vacation you usually have enough money to go home, eat and pay the bills waiting for you. Our wallets were thin. How would we get home---soon? We all had different obligations (mostly work related). Renting a car from the airport would have cost $518...one night in a questionable hotel room would have been close to $200...So thanks to the Internet and lil sis's boyfriend C---he ordered our group the last four tickets for a luxurious trip home on the Greyhound. No travel experience can compare to a Greyhound trip...

09/13: Crafters and Celtics

2008-09-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

The rain poured for the Renegade Craft Fair. But we loved it anyway. Of course we loaded up on all the free loot and did some "research" for our trip next year. The vendors were very pleasant and tended to flirt with the husband (who tended to roam away from the group).

Did you know that corn was an Irish Tradition? No? Me either. We came to the Chicago Celtic Festival a little late in the day---and a bit on the soaked side. The vendor food was a bit on the mysterious and strange side---but the free Great Big Sea (G's favorite band in the world) made up for it...

Rain ponchos and Great Big Sea. A medium sized crowd of die-hard fans meant we had a great view of the band and plenty of room to kitchen party in our way cool ponchos in the never ending down pour.

09/12: Groceries, Murals, Cubbies and Wheels

2008-09-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

Our Chicago Greeter took our group to Pilsen. Featured above is the most picturesque grocery store we have ever encountered. This neighborhood grocery specializes in foods such as cactus and stomach.

An interesting little sign in Pilsen.

The neighborhood is filled with endearing eye candy. Just beautiful to behold.

Later we stopped at Wrigley Field so the lil sis could pick up an authentic Cub shirt. This area has been dubbed Wrigleyville by tourists who seek games and beers---but it also has a huge thriving gay community. Rainbow signposts and flags fill the streets and shops. Interesting juxtaposition.

The rains of Hurricane Ike persisted into the night. We went up up up on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel. Another amazing view of the city cloaked in mist and rain. Bonus: Lots of rain = first in line.

09/11 :Zoos, Beans and Sox

2008-09-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

In the morning we visited the Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo (it's free!). A wonderful zoo with great classic architecture. You can feel the love the city has for this zoo. The animals were well taken care of and the grounds were beautiful with flowers and well behaved children.
The afternoon was spent at Millennium Park and introducing it to my sister and her boyfriend....because everyone loves the Bean.

The Chicago White Sox vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox lost 6-4 but Jim Thome hit a 411 ft home run to make things exciting (this is important, I guess, because he once played for the Indians---so says the husband). There was a 9-11 tribute to soldiers of the war...and some fan ran out on the field in the middle of the game and was escorted off the field by a line of very buff looking security guards. G had only four hot dogs. How does his stomach do it?