I'm going to be blogging here from now on. Come on over!
October 24, 2009
October 21, 2009
October 20, 2009
Zinnias
We had our first frost yesterday, and it took my zinnias. L's domain is the vegetable garden, and my teeny tiny domain was the little hummingbird garden just to the left out our front door. I planted scarlet runner beans, nasturtiums and zinnias, plus a few marigolds leftover from a planting project at school, a dahlia and a few other miscellaneous plants. Everything was lovely - the beans wound their way up the branches I set up for them, the nasturtiums spread out in wide webs, and the marigolds quickly grew taller than the toddler who planted them - but the zinnias were the stars of the show, shooting up to great heights of 5 or 6 feet, and still going strong until the frost hit. Ah well, we did enjoy them - and I predict next year will hold many more zinnias.
October 13, 2009
Make 'Em Laugh
When I think about the many reasons I stopped blogging, I realize that the biggest reason of all is that I lost my sense of humor. I mean, if you knew me in real life, you'd know that I like a good laugh, but after a certain point I just could not maintain a sense of humor online. I got overwhelmed with life for a while - you know, serious, grown-up, living and dying, big issues, big decisions life. I just couldn't manage to write about it without sounding like a big fucking drag.
Lately too, I've found myself wanting to engage in conversation online and in real life that is generally angsty, personal-yet-theoretical, and just plain humorless. Honestly, I've been trying hard to figure things out in a really sloppy way, and that never makes for a very readable blogger - or conversationalist. But see, in real life, I can mix these types of conversations with jokes and wine and smiles and a little smattering of self deprecation (because I roll like that), and it all balances out into . . . well, me.
On a good day I am perhaps equal combinations of serious and light-hearted, depressed and ecstatic, complaining and rejoicing. What can I say? I am a Libra.
But, I have figured things out to some extent. And I'm ready to move on to some new avenues. I started this blog several months ago, and you can see that didn't go very far so I don't think I'll be continuing there. What exactly will my new venture be? Stay tuned. But what it will have is a little more levity than I've been able to put out there these past many months. For my own sanity, if no one else's!
May 04, 2009
Flea Market Finds
I am really a sucker for old photographs. I can't pass by them at flea markets or antique stores without looking through them and invariably, finding a few I must have. I've been like this since I was a young teenager. They give me the same melancholy feeling I have when I read a novel about characters that span ages. I look at the faces in the photographs and I feel like I know who the people are. I don't think about their stories in a narrative way, but there's some sort of simultaneous familiarity and mystery - and it all makes me think about the passing of time, about family, about hopes and dreams, about life. I guess. I've never really tried to pinpoint what it is that draws me to these photos, these faces. But drawn to them I am, in a big way. I feel an almost physical pull toward certain photographs that make me need to claim them and return to them. I sound like a nut! Oh, fuck it, I am a nut.
Here are a few photos I found this weekend.
Liberty St School. 1a. Spring of 1924
Myrtle Smith 6 yrs old
I have a thing for photos of "unattractive" women. I love love love this series, a page torn from a photo album. I love that dour, fat little girl with the parasol.
Grace Mother Harmon William Earl B Harmon
August 21st 1923
I love the look on William's face.
May 03, 2009
Today
Today after breakfast, we drove to the farmer's market, stopping at the flea market along the way (I'm the only one in the family who likes the flea market, but the others indulge me). The farmer's market is only just getting started and didn't really have any produce except for asparagus, so we picked up a few more things at a nearby food co-op before heading home.
L and I worked in the garden. I finished planting a hummingbird garden around an old tree stump out front. I made a tripod to support the scarlet runner beans, and also planted zinnias and nasturtiums. There are still spots for two bee balms that we'll get at a nursery sometime next week. We had a few hummingbirds last year, so we're hoping we'll coax them back with some bright colors.
L worked in our big vegetable garden. He planted snap peas and strawberries today, and we've already planted spinach, arugula, chard, mixed greens and carrots. Next up is zucchini and maybe eggplant and loads and loads of tomatoes. I also planted an herb garden with a nice variety of herbs. Though, duh, novice gardener that I am, I totally planted the basil and cilantro too early and they died, so that'll go in later.
After lunch, the girls and I drove out to meet up with a woman who is "rehoming" her guinea pig with us. We have one already - the incomparable Kevin! - but I've lately gotten it into my head that we need another, so we began a search for a piggie in need of a home. We ended up with "Precious," a three year old male who we've renamed "Lucky." He seems a little depressed - I don't think he got much attention and his cage is too small for him. I'm planning to build (build? really? am I?) a big cage for the two of them, assuming they get along. For now they are here in our kitchen in their separate cages.
Kevin
Lucky
Speaking of animals, we also have tadpoles in a little tadpole habitat outside. We got them from some standing water in the field across the street. They're growing like crazy! And look like little frog heads swimming around. Still no legs. Ping was very excited about this, and really created their habitat. She has said several times, "I have always wanted to observe the life cycle of the frog!"
In the afternoon, I made a rhubarb crumble from fresh rhubarb I bought from some old lesbian artists at their barn sale yesterday. And then I went for a walk in the nearby woods. As I walked, I thought about my career goals, about the garden, about the kids, about not getting enough exercise, about this and that. Suddenly, I noticed a little red newt on the path before me and stopped to look at it. I became really concerned as I walked on that I not step on one, should another one be on the path. Sure enough, there was another - and then another. My feet felt so huge, and I focused on the ground before each step. I walked slowly along and indeed did encounter several more of these little efts before cutting my walk off a little early due to newt crossing. (Read that link - fascinating!)
Then we all had dinner and L and I put the kiddos to bed. And I decided to start up the same old blog again. What a different life we live now.
March 29, 2009
January 26, 2009
I hate to go and leave this pretty site
Hey! Happy New Year!!! Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!! The Fucking Year of the Shithead Rat is finally OVER! Bring on the Year of the Ox, baby. Everything's coming up roses!
So, I've been feeling for a while now that the time has come to change things up around here. This past year has drained almost the last drop of inspiration out of my blogging mojo - and even now that things have settled in a lot, I still seem to find a lot to complaing and kvetch about. And frankly, that's not much fun to write.
(Oh, my fucking god, am I the only person who finds Yo Gabba Gabba to be worse than nails on a chalkboard????? It's on right now and my girls are riveted but it makes me want to run screaming from the house into the cold cold cold snowy evening. My heart is palpatating. Shut upppppp freaky robot monster things!!!!!)
I need to figure some things out about career and creativity and I think I need to do it out of the public eye. I'm also ready to focus in on other projects - perhaps some might be online, but some I need to make room and time for in real life. I've had this blog for nearly five years, and I feel like it has been my most constant source of creative output, and I have to change that pattern. I think it's appropriate to make this change to celebrate a new year.
I'll still be on Facebook (sorry, I know, I know) so if you wanna keep up with me there, let me know. I'll keep my art blog going for now as well, and I'll still be around for emailing as long as my hard drive holds up!
Thanks a hundred million times over for following my follies for the last several years, and for all the kindness and support especially this past year. Love and kisses to you all. So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye.
The end . . . for now
January 24, 2009
New works
New (and old) works for purchase and a plug for Valentine's Day portraits on my art blog.
