Berries on sale at Albertson's so I am making a Pavlova today. Going to experiment and make a chocolate version. All by myself! Mom will supervise.
I have some fun news about something I submitted for a contest (will tell all later) and am trying to write up a little bio about myself today. And must take a decent hi-res photo of myself, with makeup, hair combed, preferably no in my 'jams or house slippers.
Have so much "real work" to do today that my head is rather aching. Working on that all weekend.
Giving Maggy the "before" tour. I have the trees sitting there, just waiting for lights. Call them papa, mama and baby trees (thanks to Gerrie). Now for the mess that happens to get the ornaments and lights to the trees! Moving and packing up regular decorations for Christmas ... all this work? Kids have all ready bought their presents and I haven't even made my list yet. Well, it will all get done in time, right?
My morning began with a drop-off to the airport ... which had me in the car during Click and Clack on Car Talk on KUOW. I can't explain how much I love this show and never listen to it on Saturday mornings. I laughed so hard that my checks hurt! I am sure other drivers thought I had lost my mind. I had considered stopping at IKEA but realized I still had on house-slippers.
Drove through the Arboretum and look for some fallen or unusual branches for Brantlers. Have I ever mentioned how hard it is to find the perfect branch, sturdy and with an interesting shape? Grabbed some
American beautyberry branches, purple and white. Still high from all the laughing I decided I didn't care if I still had on slippers and stopped by 145th St. Goodwill and see if they had any good hand-thrown vases. Found one. An old, stretch out cotton sweater to paint in, and a pair of men's Italian black loafers that I fell in love with. What a great day so far ;)
I have 3 trees up but not decorated. Have you noticed an unlit tree is like a black hole in a room, sucking up all the light?
We have one massive tree that I plan on getting rid of after Christmas, so why not put that one up this year! Then a tall one. And a delightful 5 ft. that my friend Gerrie gave me.
I got them up, cleaned up that mess but have so much work haven't gotten any further than that. Arghh.
I am dying to know if there a term or something to describe and define why and how the color of the hydrangea petal just looks like it is on a layer, sitting on top of the petal. And during the winter, the color sort of "scratches" off leaving the the petal revealing the skeleton. I don't think I have seen that process on leaves? Or any other flower petal, have you?
I had forgotten about these wallpapers I did for Good Design ... while looking at them I thought, "Design should be as inventive as nature" and thought I should make that a permanent thought.
Nature takes my breath away with its strength and smart design! I pass the Mountain Fire shrub outside my door every day. And sometimes forget to notice just how wonderful this ordinary shrub really is. With its very sturdy little seedpods. Mom has given me all of her tiny perfume bottles for my sand collection. But this has some awesome fumes! More Beautiful Afterlife.
From the curator Caroline Cobb Wright:
"Jonathan Brilliant, incorporates materials associated with commercial coffee consumption-stir sticks, straws, sleeves, cups, and lids-to execute site-specific responsive installations, called Stick, Stack, Show." Via Artist Wanted.
I have know sweet Morran for over 6 years. Watched her grow old in her delight and dignity. Rejoiced in her fabulous vacations. Now there is an amazing portrait tribute to her. She was a beloved dog all over the internet and we will miss her. My heart goes out to Camilla.
I really enjoyed Andy Rooney over the years and was sad for his passing. I knew it wouldn't be long until his death when he gave his final goodbye on 60 Minutes. He always stated he wouldn't retire and I just knew he must be in failing health. The network could give him a proper send-off while he was still on the air. It is sad to see the writing on the wall, but I told mom, Andy Rooney will be dead very soon.
He came across like a real, honorable man with a good sense of humor. I liked that his desk was messier than mine, that he kept everything, that he typed on an old typewriter, that his hair was always unkempt and I especially liked that he was a curmudgeon. I liked it that he hated people who asked for autographs because I think following "famous people" and asking for their autographs is ridiculous. I think idolizing TV personalities or movie stars is one of dumbest things we do as a society. I like to watch someone be real on TV because I think that is a rare sighting.
I don't think it is normal for people to be bright and cheery all the time, which is why I have a hard time with the bouncy, bright, giggling personalities on Today in the morning spooning us advice on money, health, appearance. And I ask myself, can't one of them just be a in bad mood, just once? It makes me feel small the first thing in the morning ... watching so many people perfectly clad and couffed while I am in my tattered PJ's trying to drink my coffee. (PS ... this is mom's choice of morning news show ... although the "news" part is just a small interjection between musical numbers and advice from the experts).
This is why we switch over to The View immediately for the 3rd (4th) hour of Today because I don't want to watch any show that has to rename the days of the week with ridiculous substitutes. I like Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar because are smart and have a sharp, cutting edge sense of humor. I like Whoopi Goldberg's clothing choices, just like Diane Keaton ... she has her own style and sticks with it no matter what the critics have to say.
Thank you to my friend who sent these Andy Rooney quotes this morning, it made my day, read while I sat in my old PJ's drinking my coffee. A man with the gift of saying so much with so few words.
I've learned:
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
That when you're in love, it shows.
That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
That being kind is more important than being right.
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
That money doesn't buy class.
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
That love, not time, heals all wounds.
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
That when you harbour bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness, and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
I have been blogging since 2004 with no particular subject in mind except to save fun and interesting links I found along the way. Then to share my photography, some of illustrations (Illustration Friday and photography - photoshop (Self-Portrait Tuesday) or work. Always loving to post about typography, other artist, technology. In other words, I really don't have a theme ... it is hard to categorize me. I am all over the board.
Sometimes I get carried away with my political views but I try not to go there very often. Lately, I have been a downer about the economy and my close, personal struggles finding my new path. I hate it when I do that and am really trying not to go there. Now, with Pinterest, many of my new internet finds get pinned over there. It seems many folks share more on Facebook than on their blog. There are so many blogs out there blogging about stuff I thought I found 2 years ago, it all feels like a repetitive remix right now. I want to stay fresh, relevant and valid! Fun! Interesting!
So for those of you who read my blog ... I am asking a favor. Tell me the direction I should go with this blog. More of this or that? Less? If there are any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment.
(PS ... I have never used a survey app before ... so I am really interested to see how this works ... or if it does work) ;) xoxoxo and thank you!
For the first time in 30+ years, we are not having Thanksgiving at our house. Relief and a bit strange. Graciously invited to our neighbors. Trying to take some of the pressure off mom. She will be directing me and I will try and cook the turkey ... a chocolate dessert. Dressing? Maybe that is asking too much of my cooking skills.
Mom is in the background, watching recorded 'Castle' and snuggling up with her heating pad, while Pica and Pixel snuggle with her. Sophie won't let me work. When she thinks I paying more attention to the computer than her ... she lets me know about it. Cutest little distraction!
Tara brought me some sand from RODEO BEACH in California for my sand collection. The sand is not grounded into a fine granules, but rather, really, really tiny rocks. A really small version of the ones you would pick up and put in your pocket. I was looking at them with the magnifying glass ... and you can see tiny veins in some of them.
Isn't is fascinating to discover each beach or area has it own sand breakdown and own rocks and shells? There was a beach on the Oregon coast that had the most unusual, really thin, flat, gray rocks because of the constant grinding from the strong surf. I have a jar full of white, thick-outer-shell sea shells from Scotland ... I has assumed they were so thick because of the very cold water there.
I wish now I had collected sand/dirt from all the places I had lived in the world. Like this beautiful golden sand in Gozo or theSilver Sands of Morar, Scotland.I am very surprised not to find a website or some obsessed person that hasn't defined what kind of sand and seashells you would find on every beach in the world. I looked. Or at least a breakdown of a bunch of beaches.
In St. Thomas, there was a beach that was mostly made of Apple Blossom Shells Seashells. I remember not wanting to walk on the beach in fear of crushing them. I didn't take too many, now, I wish I had.
"Caribbean Pink Sand Beaches is the result of the colorful red shells of tiny sea creatures called "foraminifera". These tiny creatures live beneath rocks and inside caves. Their red shells are broken up by the surf into fine, soft pink colored sand."
"Where does white coral sand originate? Believe it or not, from a colorful green fish! The Parrot fish use their beaks to scrape off coral rock. The fish digest algae and expel the algae as fine white sand. One fish can produce tons of soft white sand each year."
David gave me a Victorian Viewing Jar a long time ago. It is filled with tiny black and white seashells. So tiny you can hardly see them with the naked eye. I also keep my treasured little Apple Blossom Shells in there. I think the black and white seashells could be Zebra Shells or Nerites, maybe Bumble Bee Seashells or Black Moon Seashells.
I look for the beauty in nature, patterns, the ordinary. This is my place where I save wonderful discoveries since 2004. Please contact me at kimberlycarney AT hotmail DOTCOM.
