Want to play?
Study this photograph and finish this line…
“I spy, with my little eye…”
Here’s another hint:
Taba wins it! Click to see what was in that crazy mess!
Keep reading »
Life, Love, and Critters – of course!
A Game of I Spy
April
21
2007
Want to play?
Study this photograph and finish this line…
Creatively Speaking
April
20
2007
These are the lengths that I will go to to be sure that the ideas in my head are absolutely as original as they can possibly be. If I want something to look a certain way, I’ll create my own reference photo and start from scratch. That’s what it’s all about, right?
That photo, that idea – it represents something to come, something like a rebirth. A new energy, a new outlook, another step forward. It’s a work in progress, and it won’t be too long before you know what I mean.
There’s a part of me that changes every spring, I think when I get outside and spend some time with my gardening gloves on, I grow right along with the beautiful plants and flowers I mother on a daily basis. When I saw my new stargazer lilies peeking up through the mound of dirt and mulched leaves this morning, it was almost a zen moment. Then my nose filled with the smell of a beautiful sherbet hyacinth, and my ears were ringing with the sounds of multiple birds chirping and chatting.
I’ve been working on blog design projects for EW, so I’ll show you those once they’re up in the official portfolio. For me and my own portfolio – I’ll be finishing up that monochromatic cat painting today, I’ll be back later to update you on that one.
Happy Friday – don’t forget to stop and smell the roses – or whatever you’ve got blooming near you!
Squirrels in Action
April
18
2007
The three squirooges.
I had 8 at one time, but these three were a hoot.
Don’t bother getting up. No, really. Just lay there and eat.
Because a little nibble of bread isn’t enough when you have to share with 7 other squirrels. Fend for yourself!
(Especially while the other guy is lying in all the other food.)
Did you just throw PEANUTS out the window?!?!?!?
(why yes, I did!)
Not again, not so soon!
April
14
2007
It happened again. Lastnight my Chickeymonkey lost the other bottom front tooth – in her pizza. Bawling that she couldn’t find it, terrified that she lost it or swallowed it, we found it on her plate next to her slice of pizza. (:phew:)
It’s happening too fast. Why couldn’t it wait a couple of weeks? Why couldn’t I get to see one adult tooth before a new one popped up? Now, now my babies face is going to change dramatically, and it’s going to happen much too fast for me.
I learned my lesson the hard way with Catybug. We were all excited when she’d lose another tooth – and then I’d have a look at her school pictures and think – holy cow. What is happening to my baby girl? With every new tooth, her face changes and becomes more mature. With every empty space, she’s growing further away from “my little girl”.
It’s a little heartbreaking, I have to admit. Especially with the Chick, since once she outgrows her baby face, I’ll just have to envy all of the other baby faces I see. Then I’ll get that yearning for a baby again – yeah I know it’s going to happen. The smell, the snuggling, the unawkward and “don’t stop tickling me” behavior.
Slowly, things have changed around here. The girls are more sensitive, and need to be tended to in a different more emotional way. You can’t tease and have fun as much, it’s become a little more serious. You can tickle, but not right now, because if she’s not in “the mood” you get “that face” and you’ll be sorry, beacuse now they hold a grudge for more than ten seconds.
One more tooth – it’s just a reminder of how much further away I am from my sweet silly little girls, and how much closer I am to not getting to pick up the phone on a whim – since it’s in use by a pre-teen. The earnestly seeking guidance in their innocent and pure faces slowly turning into “doh mom, I already knew that.”
It won’t be long before I’m carting them both to the mall and movies with their girlfriends, before I’m forbidden from listening or joining in on conversations they’re having with their friends. Before they’re embarassed when I hug ’em or kiss them when I drop them off or pick them up from school.
It’s hard to start that whole backing off and letting go process. I can only hope I’ve already given them the information and tools they need to start really developing their individual opinions and character. Catybug is well on her way – but Chick – this is new territory for her and she’s such a mini-me. My heart is already aching for her, knowing her mind works just like mine – and knowing those “if I could change one thing about what I did when I was a kid…” talks will probably not make much of an impact on her, since nothing my mom told me made me change what I was about to do. Still, I’ve got to try, right?
Sigh. Yeah, mom, you got your wish. I’ve got a kid just like me. I also have a kid who is a good mix between Aunt S. and Aunt T., so I’m a lot less worried about the fine young woman she’s turning into.
Chickeymonkey. Ah, my sweet, mini-me Chickeymonkey. It’s going to be a long bumpy twisty-turney ride. I’ve just fastened my safety harness, it’s locked into position, so just cover your ears when you hear me screaming through the loop-de-loops.
Kids & An Artsy Rant
April
12
2007
The other night while Chickeymonkey was brushing her teeth, I noticed how loose her bottom right front tooth was. It flipped back & forth so loose, I told her she better yank that puppy out of there or she’d swallow it with her PB&J and wind up not even getting any cash. No tooth, no tooth fairy, you know what I’m sayin?
She grimaced. And winced, and whimpered. That’s pretty standard.
The next night, we were eating dinner and she held out her hand to me and said “my toof!” Yep, there it was, and how giddy was she? I think she was more proud of herself for not swallowing it. Then it was all about the tooth fairy, “maybe she’ll give me A HUNDRED DOLLARS!” – heh! Yeah, dream on, kiddo. When she’s big, she can pay someone a hundred dollars to take her teeth, but no tooth fairy in her right mind is going to give that for a measly little baby tooth, even if it is the first one. (No tooth fairy that I know of, anyway.)
[/disappointment]
I’m really glad I have other successful venues to make my work available.
You call that a fortune?
April
10
2007
How many of you have been disappointed lately with these so-called “fortunes” found in fortune cookies? This isn’t a fortune, it’s more predictive – or insightful. That’s it. Insightful. They should rename these “insightful cookies that teach you how to speak chinese on the back.” And they should have a warning, “Lucky numbers may not be lucky. They’re selected totally at random.” I mean really, if they’re going to take the fortune out of a fortune cookie, how can they claim the numbers are lucky? Well, I suppose they might be lucky to the guy writing the little insightful verse, but who really cares about that?
Honestly, I thought it was pretty karmic or something that this was in my “Insightful Cookie”. But it kindof stirred the negative emotion in me, you know? Is this insight telling me I’m an artist, or that I’m still an amateur? Why is this thing leaving me hanging? Am I supposed to guess? Is the insight dependent on the recipient having a huge amount of self-esteem, or what? Dang.
Blech! (Sorta, Kinda.)
April
9
2007
You know what I’m talking about?
We went to dinner lastnight, and half of us are sick today. The half that’s sick used different oils in our (Mongolian) food than the other half, and it’s my best guess that the oil may have been a little rancid.
Easter was wonderful. Church services were moving, our biggest little one played three songs on piano before services began and I was so proud of her, she played so well. Our baby quaker parrot birdy boy was just adorable this weekend (see our little pocket pal?), and we had a couple of slumber parties that left us all sleeping on our ginormous sectional.
One of the highlights for me was seeing and id’ing a new backyard bird. Meet Jeepers, our new brown creeper. (Jeepers, creepers. Easy to remember, yes?)
I’ll end my Monday on that note, since going off into tangent-land would probably cause my fingers and wrists to ache, and I’ll be using them in the studio later.
Quintin the Funny Flapper
April
5
2007
(don’t have your volume up too loud, you’ll be plugging your ears when you hear my “talk to the cute little birdie” voice!)
Yes I’m finally figuring out how to use my dang movie maker thing. Yahoo!
