A GAME OF PHOTO TAG

                                            

Ouch! Jodi said it was only a tag, but it felt more like the kind of slapping she gave Ari. Hrmpf!

Yes, Jodi had busy hands and tagged me, along with some others, to participate in a meme Ari created. The rules are:

Once you are tagged, you must go around your house taking pictures of things. Then, you post the pictures in your blogs/journals for all to see. The subject categories for the pictures are as follows:

 

One picture of something you made;

One picture of a gift someone gave you;

One picture of something strange;

One picture of something with a pig (Why a pig? Why not?); and

One picture of something unique.

 

I had no difficulties with any of the subjects except for the pig one. I really had to hunt. Oh, and I did not choose only one picture per category. I have a tendency to play games my own way. ::grin::

 

Onward ho.

 

SOMETHING I MADE:

 

These are flowers from my garden that I pressed, calligraphied the words on heavy paper, glued on the flowers, and framed. Since it is near my front door, It serves as a reminder to all who leave my home to try to live by the words written. They are, "Dance as if no one were watching, sing as if no one were listening, and live every day as if it were your last."

 

               

 

Now, this is something that makes me smile. It is my handprint when I was four years old. The old plaster of paris in a pie tin way of preserving a handprint. I made it for my mother when I was in preschool. It was her Mother's Day gift. She gave it to me not long ago, and I have it in the upstairs hallway.

 

                                             

 

Ah, I made this when my son was a couple months shy of two years old. I cross-stitched the bottom portion. It reads: "Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small and always leave my fingerprints on furniture and walls. But every day I'mgrowing up and soon will be so tall that all those little handprints will be hard to recall. So here's a final handprint just so that you can say, this is how my fingers looked upon this very day." This hangs in his bedroom.

 

                                          

 

A GIFT SOMEONE GAVE ME:

 

My late mother-in-law gave me this chair. I adore it. It was quite hideous when she gave it to me, and she was unsure I would even want it. It was painted black, and it had a ripped leather seat with decorative nails edging the leather. It had been a wedding gift her parents had received, and it was not new then. We never did determine just how old it was. At least 100 years, for sure. I knew behind the black paint was a gorgeous wood. I could not imagine anything but a solid, pretty wood. I stripped off the paint and replaced the worn leather with fabric. My mother-in-law was stunned when she saw it finished. She was thrilled.

 

                                    

                         

 

This shadow box was a gift to me from a friend of mine who has since passed away. He was a good man, and he died when he was 50. Having married later in life, he left behind a young wife and two young children. He is missed. He was one of the people who encouraged me to explore the world of painting. You will see why he chose this particular shadow box for me.

 

                            

 

SOMETHING STRANGE:

 

Hubby suggested I insert a picture of myself. Eh, I could have done that, and it would have been appropriate. But, I am sparing you. ::grin:: These are some old tools that are strange to me. We know what the first one is...an old tube cutter. The second one is verrrry old, and we have no idea its purpose or what it is. If anyone knows, feel free to tell us...please! I will not let him throw it away, because it came from my late great aunt's garage.

 

                        

 Top and side views of the unknown tool:

 

                         

 

                        

 

SOMETHING WITH A PIG:

 

This is where I had problems. I am not a "pig" person. With some major roaming and digging around, I found pigs. In this Noah's Ark stencil picture, you will have to look to find the pigs. There is a pair of them just to the right of the horses.

 

                                     

 

And the discovery of this book made me light up like a Christmas tree! I taught my daughter to count to ten with the aid of this book. Good ol' Pudge Pig!

 

                                  

 

SOMETHING UNIQUE:

 

This is my favorite piece of furniture. My parents bought it for me for Christmas one year. It is very unique. It was made in Vienna in the early 1800s.

 

                         

 

                                       

 

I am pretty darn sure that no one has the following item. It is the toy surprise from inside a box of Cracker Jacks. It resides in the printer's drawer that hangs here in my study. Why is it so unique? Well, there are a series of questions on the card testing your knowledge about sports. The answers cannot be seen until the red film is placed over the card. My father is one of the answers. ::proud smile::

 

                                 

 

Time to tag others to play along, or you can elect to join in and just touch yourselves. ::grin:: I am tagging Marlene (Purely Poetry), Rob (Lord I Was Born A Ramblin Sam), Jackie (Waiting to Exhale), Nancy (Nancy Luvs Pix), Terra (8 Is Enough), Sie (Persnickety Pfft), and Celeste (The Dailies).

 

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." ~George Bernard Shaw

FIRSTS

      

 

This painting is a first for me in a few ways. It is my very first acrylic painting. My first time ever painting on canvas. (When painting with watercolors, a special paper is used...not canvas.) My first time painting only flowers that had no vase or were not part of a larger scene.

 

I look at this and can honestly say I am not embarrassed by it. I like it! I really like it! ::giggle:: However, I am sharp enough to know it is not a work of art that will leave anyone breathless. But, that is okay. It is, after all, a first attempt. ::smile::

 

Firsts. They occur all the time and in all manners. Some are momentous occasions. Others are quickly forgotten. Sometimes we wish we had never had a particular first. And as this busy brain o'mine gave thought to this, I came up with a few firsts I have had in my life.

 

First kiss: This was too cute. I received it from a boy named Mark Jacobs in grade school. I believe I was in fourth grade. Recess was over, the rush of kids was ascending the steps to the second floor of the school, and Mark turned around and plastered a kiss on my lips. He was immediately seen by a teacher, and he got in a lot of trouble. ::grin:: Geez, the kid had already given me a heart necklace with little rhinestones on one side of it and had gone to the trouble of having it engraved with my name. His little smooch hardly seemed like a big deal to me. That teacher felt differently about it.

 

First time driving a car: I was with my mother. I almost mowed down the neighbor's tree in their front yard. Yes, it was that bad.

 

First sexual experience: It was pretty tame. Unfortunately, it was with a guy who suddenly began wearing Hush Puppies. ICK. End of relationship. I could not get past the shoes issue. Mind you, "sexual experience" does not mean who ran off with my cherry. I can remember that in extreme detail, and I am not sharing the specifics except to say he was gorgeous, hot, very tall, built to beat the band, and a stereotypical jerk of a jock. LOL!

 

First apartment: Ugh. That arrangement lasted only a few months. I moved in with a girlfriend who had been living there by herself. My arrival just happened to coincide with the explosion of fleas her dog had so thoughtfully deposited all over the place. Throw in that this gal was more interested in picking debris out of her baggies of pot than she was about ridding the apartment of the fleas clinging to our bodies and furniture, so I beat a hasty retreat back to Mom and Dad's to live.

 

First border search: Oh, this was a joy. Five of us in a red Firebird (we took turns sitting on that damn hump in the middle of the back seat) traveling to Toronto, with a stop planned at Niagara Falls. As we were approaching the border from the United States into Canada, the girl mentioned in the above "first" said, "I sure hope they don't stop us for a search, or they might find my pot." ::blink:: The ding brought POT with her? And as Lady Luck stepped aside to see to it that we all battled the overwhelming urge to soil our panties out of fear, the border guard asked us questions and decided he did not like our answers. Would we please pull over to the building to our right for a search? While our purses were being rifled through by a couple of security guards, the car was being searched by two more. In my head I was rehearsing what I would say to my parents from jail when allowed my one phone call. The pot went undiscovered, and we were back on the road to Toronto. And we did not speak one single word to that dumb chick for two days. Good thing for her she had brought along a friend, because she was the only one who would talk to her.  

 

First person I was involved with to whom I said "I love you": My hubby! I was a wreck. I was nervous. I was scared. I think it helped that he had already said he loved me...and that he kept badgering me to reciprocate. ::chuckle::

 

First child: Our precious son born on Easter Sunday.

 

First dog I owned as an adult: Our now one-eyed poochie. The diabetic dog who requires two insulin shots per day. The dog who had her hysterectomy (okay, she was spayed) and became so out of control afterward that she had to be put on hormone replacement therapy. I am serious!

 

First event that shattered my heart into a million pieces: Daddy's passing on January 6, 2002. Still trying to piece it back together.

 

I could go on with this list forever. It is already longer than I anticipated. Oops. My bad. But, I bet you pause and think of a few firsts of your own!

 

"Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you." ~Mardy Grothe

SOMEONE

                 

I want someone to paint me a rainbow using every color there is,

to sing me a song that sounds like the whispering wind,

to read me tales about magic and enchantment,

to dance with me and lift me into the nite sky,

to capture a star for me and make it my very own,

to tell me about destiny and soul mates finding one another,

to feel everything that I do and then understand,

to build me a stone castle full of turrets and spires,

and to steal into my dreams and bring back long, long ago.

 

PARENTS

               

 

I spent a good chunk of my Thursday with my mother. We went to her cardiologist appointment, made a brief stop at Daddy's grave, and on to the grocery store. I have talked about my parents often in this journal. I am not embellishing the truth when I say they were/are incredible people, and I am more than blessed to have them be my parents. While I might be the black sheep among their four daughters, I think I turned out pretty darn well. They are the reason why. I could not care less if anyone believes me to be a not-so-swell person. I know differently. And so do my loved ones. 

 

With that said, here is something I received via one of my graphics groups. It was a writing instead of a graphic, and it sums up beautifully my relationship with my parents.

 

"When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.' "

 

...and I am thankful I told my father countless times how much he meant to me and that I loved him. Just as I still tell my mother those same things.

 

"It's not only children who grow.  Parents do too.  As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours.  I can't tell my children to reach for the sun.  All I can do is reach for it, myself."  ~Joyce Maynard

HUMP DAY MUSINGS

                                     

                                     

If you think about it, Wednesdays get a bad rap. First, there is the "Wednesday's child is full of woe" saying for those unfortunate enough to be born on that day of the week. Then, to the work force, Wednesday is known as "hump day." Like if you can just make it through a Wednesday, the weekend is close at hand. Neither one of those is particularly an upbeat thought.

Of course, I like to think we could switch the meaning of HUMP DAY to something far more pleasurable. ::wicked grin:: But, alas, I best not go into the details here.

 

Sooooo, I painted a couple of pictures recently. Yes, I am still putzing around trying new things with watercolors. During March Madness, I got so wound up watching the extremely close games that I needed to have some outlet for the tightness I felt. (I get so into the games!) I sat in front of the television while a game was being played and whipped off a sketch of a woman. After I got the sketch roughly drawn, I painted her in watercolors. Oh, the entire painting is only 3" x 5". I am still in miniature mode, I guess. Do I even know who the heck the chick is? Nope. But, I want to look like her! LOL! I was attempting to depict a provocative woman. Even I will admit that she has some great cleavage going on in the painting. ::grin::

 

Along came April, the basketball games were over, and spring had sprung. I got all mushy with the colors creeping into the landscape throughout my city, and I decided to paint a picture with flowers in it. So, picture #2 is the result of those feelings. It, too, is only 3" x 5". I think I like painting tiny pictures.

 

Now, I am going to attempt to paint using acrylics. I have all the supplies thanks to my sister who bought them for me for Christmas. We shall see how I do with that medium. I have no idea what the subject matter will be. Probably whatever pops into my mind after I lay out the canvas and supplies. Wish me luck, please. I think I will need it. ::smile::

 

AND today is my daughter's birthday! Yay for her! She is a jewel with a smile that is the kiss of sunshine. April certainly is a big month for my family. Both kids' birthdays and my wedding anniversary and Easter (usually) occur during April. Geez. It makes me not want to shop for the rest of the year.

 

If you believe that last sentence, you do not know me at all. ::chuckle::

 

Happy hump day to you!

 

"Many years ago in a period commonly known as Next Friday Afternoon, there lived a King who was very gloomy on Tuesday mornings because he was so sad thinking about how unhappy he had been on Monday and how completely mournful he would be on Wednesday." ~Unknown

PEEKS

                                    

I promised peeks of my bedroom and bathroom that I have recently redecorated. I can honor part of that promise right now. I slipped in an additional color, by the way. When it was only gold and blue, it looked unfinished to me. I decided on maroon as the third color, and I am pleased with the choice. I still have more things I need to do with the room, but the bulk of what I had wanted to accomplish is done.

There are no photographs of the bathroom...yet. Up came the new rugs and down came the new towels when an area of drywall needed patched. (That is a story in and of itself!) No way was I going to let white dust settle on them. Plus, there are a few cracks in the grout around the tile in the shower that must be repaired. Until those two jobs are finished, I am going to withhold putting out anything pretty in there.

 

Hubby arrived home from his fishing trip, and I had not told him I was pulling a decorating surprise on him. In fact, when he would call, I would tell him I was just kicking back and relaxing. He was home for maybe five minutes when I lured him upstairs to take a bath with me. (Hey! I had been without a man for SIX days!) He opened the bedroom door, stepped just inside, and his eyes flew wide open...as did his mouth. He looooved the new look. Yay!

 

                     

 

And Easter Day was quite perfect in all respects. Count me as one individual who feels blessed. ::smile::

 

"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." ~Andy Warhol     

HELLO, EASTER!

The timing is impeccable. My yard erupted in a riot of blooms just in time to greet Easter Day. And that makes me smile.                         

                                

 

 

                  

                                

                         

                       

                         

                        

To you and yours from me and mine, have a blessed and............

                                    

 

"It is the hour to rend thy chains, the blossom time of souls." ~Katherine Lee Bates

WIKIPEDIA MEME

                            

Chuck, who wears see-through raincoats and clown shoes, has this Wikipedia meme in his blog, Separation Anxiety. It requires you to choose three historical events, two births, and one death that occurred on your birthday and post them in your journal. Aside from being a fun meme, I also think it is interesting. I have always thought dates and numbers often oddly connect in our lives.

Anywhooooo, here are the ones that pertain to my date of my birth:

 

THREE HISTORICAL EVENTS:

1307 William Tell shot an apple off his son's head.

1894 1st newspaper Sunday color comic section published (NY World).

1949 Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers, was named NL's MVP.

 

TWO BIRTHS:

1789 Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre, who went on to develop a method of photography

1928 Mickey Mouse, who made his debut in Steamboat Willie.

 

ONE DEATH:

1969 Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, at age 81.

 

Curious information, isn't it? It is to me. Each particular listing made me pause and think about the person/cartoon character. Take for instance, William Tell. Who doesn't automatically equate his name with shooting that apple? Then, there is Jackie Robinson. History has told us all he went through to be accepted into the baseball world as a person and not as a color. Mickey Mouse? He made many people laugh and smile. He entertained the young and the old. Joseph Kennedy is not someone I admire in any way. When I discovered he died on my date of birth, I immediately thought of some of the very ugly things he did during his lifetime. At least I found something positive about him in that he fathered President Kennedy who married Jackie Bouvier. Now, SHE is someone I admired. And Daguerre? WOW. What an impact his invention (in conjunction with three other men) continues to make on the entire world.

 

History. Gotta love it.

 

"History is the ship carrying living memories to the future." ~ Stephen Spender

SURPRISE!

                             

My better half left Friday morning (our wedding anniversary!) to go on a fishing trip to North Carolina. Fishing is not one of his favorite things to do; he would much rather be golfing. However, he went with his father and brothers. All of them live out of town, so it is a treat when they can be together like this.

 

And as I tend to do whenever he is off gallivanting across the country on trips, I decided to "change" something. Mmhmm...he has arrived home many a time to discover I was a busy little lady while he was gone. Not all of the things I alter are major. Some are.

 

One time he pulled into the driveway to notice that I had completely redesigned the front flower beds. Gone were some flowering bushes which I felt obstructed the view of the door (I transplanted them to the large flower bed in the back yard). I widened sections. The harsh angles of the beds were replaced with curves. I planted grass to fill in areas where there were once some plants. He laughed and shook his head.

 

As his mother was nearing death, he went alone to spend a few days with her. To help me chase away the sadness, I wallpapered the dining room. Never mind that my previous wallpapering experiences consisted only of putting up wall borders. But, I am willing to try darn near anything. So, I did floor to ceiling wallpaper. It was gorgeous. ::huffing on my fingernails and buffing them on my shirt::

 

I had decorated our den/study for him to make into "his" room. He never used it. He preferred the family room. Off he went on a trip, and I painted the room and put up a wall border. I took out the television. I dragged out the recliner and replaced it with an overstuffed chair. Up went a new valance. I moved the desk to a different spot. I brought in some feminine knickknacks and candles. It was now MY den/study.

 

Another time I ripped down the wall border that lined the entire kitchen. Then, I painted...an entirely new and vivid color. The bay window area I painted to match the family room walls.

 

Those are just a few of the ways I have greeted his returns. ::smile::

 

Now he is in North Carolina. Until Thursday. What have I done this time? I am redoing our bedroom and master bathroom. No painting, though. I prefer the ecru walls we have. It sets off our cherry furniture nicely. I bought a beautiful overstuffed and oversized jacquard comforter and bedskirt (but it is not jacquard, just tone on tone stripes). In a burnished gold. It plays well with the drawer pulls on the dressers and night stands. The valances are the same jacquard/stripes with cording. The accent pillows are trimmed with cording or fringe. I brought navy blue into the scene via a couple of throw pillows. The navy goes well with the new navy towels and bath rugs. The window above the bathtub has the same gold valance that is in the bedroom. Everything looks SO FABULOUS. And it is one heckuva change from the previous colors. It looks slightly decadent, yet romantic. I am more than eager to see the hubster's reaction.    

 

Get the idea I like changes? Surprise changes? Impulsive changes? Yep. I do. I have never regretted any of the redecorating I have done. Looks like this time will be no different. ::wide smile:: 

 

"But there's always a creative side to me; even when it's quiet musically, it comes out in some other direction, like painting or decorating or planting a garden or writing a children's book or putting on make-up like a Kabuki artist." ~Carly Simon

SAILS

     

          (Thank you, Rob, for the use of this lovely photograph you took.)

 

How do you fix what you perceive to be a flaw in yourself? A flaw you have had as long as you can remember. Or does it even need to be changed? Do you accept that it is how you are and leave it at that?

 

I can be sailing smoothly across the water and enjoying the beautiful view and the breeze tousling my hair when suddenly one thing goes wrong. The wind leaves my sails, and I am left slumped over. Gone are the previous moments of relaxation and quiet joy. Replaced with a melancholy that clouds all the positives leading up to that one thing gone wrong.

 

For example, say that you had a wonderful day. That there were many laughs and smiles and feel-good happenings. You felt genuinely content and even somewhat giddy. Happiness surrounded you. Nite approached, and you were still riding the high the day brought to you. Then, in the blink of an eye, someone said something to upset you or hurt you or anger you. And BOOM. Wiped out was all of the day's happiness. It could be a big or little "something" and it would not make a difference. The fact is your mood is shot.

 

Well, I am that way. I am the one who lets go of the 99 pluses of the day and gets mired in the one minus. I hate it. I have tried very, very hard not to let anyone affect me to such an extent. As a general rule, it is only those I care about who can cause me to react in this manner. I suppose that is very telling in itself.

 

I do know that when morning comes, I will return to my former state of feeling upbeat and looking forward to a day of delight and smooth sailing with the wind once again nudging my sails.

 

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

EROTIC...OR NOT?

This painting may or may not be the final version. I need to look at it later. Usually, when I finish one, I step away from it for a time. When I return to it, something that is missing or needs adjusted sticks out like a sore thumb. Then there are those frustrating moments when a painting I thought I liked suddenly looks terrible to me. Time will tell how I feel about this one.

The main point of this entry is eroticism. I found a black and white photograph of this couple and was immediately taken by how erotic it was. My mind conjured up all sorts of scenarios that led up to the image I recreated (with some artistic license) here. Without the slightest bit of prodding, my thoughts took it further. To the end. To the climax, so to speak. ::smile::

 

Maybe it is only I who finds pictures like this to be highly erotic. Much more so than your run-of-the-mill nude couple. I suppose part of the appeal is because it leaves something to the imagination. And I do love my imagination. Part of it could also be the way the man and woman are positioned. Another very erotic aspect of it is that they are kissing. I do not think anything is more intimate than a passionate kiss. The joining of lips tells so much about the depth of feelings and the intensity of the passion.

 

This was a very fun painting for me to paint. I am quite happy I attempted it. Now, I just have to decide if I genuinely like it enough to keep it.

 

"What is erotic, like taste in art, is subjective." ~Kelly Borsheim

MONTANA, BASKETBALL & A BIRTHDAY

                                 

Who says you have to leave the United States to see glorious sights? Certainly not I. I think we have some gorgeous places right here to be appreciated. The above photos of Montana prove my point. They were taken during the trip my husband and kids went on without me.

I loaded these photos from the hubster's camera onto my computer very late Saturday nite. My worn-out husband and children were fast asleep when I did it. I transferred the pictures to a CD, and I sat here viewing them as a full-screen slide show. Wow! What fabulous sights they saw and adventures they had.

 

Yes, the guilt bug bit me. The "should have gone with them" insect would not let go. It took some doing for me to pry it from me, and only then after repeatedly telling myself that I NEEDED the solitude I found during their absence. Besides, the end result was a happier me and a family that met me with lots and lots of smiles, tight hugs, and kissssssses. It was evident they had missed me, as I had them.

 

The one photo displayed here is a close up shot of an elk. Hubby had told me he had gotten very near it to take its picture. He had also mentioned that it charged him! He ran, and it finally stopped its chase. After they arrived home, I asked my daughter if "Daddy had screamed like a woman while the elk was charging him." She said he had not. Pffft. I could have had some fun with that had he been a wussy.

 

Some of the other photos are of the entrance to Yellowstone Park, Boiling River, Big Sky mountains, the $1.6 million house they stayed in, and dog sledding. There were other places they visited, but far too many for me to put in here. They kept VERY busy. No wonder they were exhausted after they made it home.

 

NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: I do not want either of the teams to win the championship game tonite. I dislike the coaching style of Florida's coach. He is far too Pitino-esque and foaming at the mouth during games. And I dislike UCLA for reasons that pertain to the highly-questionable <insert illegal> acquisitions of the players that led the school to their lengthy string of past championship titles.

 

Because it is practically impossible for me to watch any sporting event without choosing someone to cheer, I guess I have to go with Florida. The LONE reason I will be rooting for them is because I have the hots for Joakim Noah. ::swooooooon:: That is one fine looking young man. All 6' 11" of him. For a big man, he moves with a grace that is seldom seen in someone his size. (I would imagine that comes from his father, Yannick Noah.) His face is almost pretty, and his ponytail is sexy. Mmmm, he is hottttt.

 

Geez, I guess broads in their forties can be considered dirty old women. ::grin::

 

BEST NEWS OF THE DAY: My son's birthday is today! Yay for him! I am 100% proud of the young adult he has become. He is incredible. I could not have handpicked a more terrific son. I have been blessed.

 

"The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land."  ~G.K. Chesterton

 

AND

 

"Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time." ~Jean Paul Richter