SOooo Busted!

Let's file this under the many are called, but few are chosen file....
better yet how about the old "What was he thinking???" bin....

(click on the "Special Police" bage to get a gist of the story)

Roast Beef! Really?

Ironically,

I was just thinking TODAY,

about popping a "Thank you" into the post for those dear folks that invited me to Supper with them a couple weeks ago...

Then I spotted this on msnbc...

{shudders!}

I watched 'Capote' over the weekend - a film highlighting both the processes of Truman Capote and the era in which he conceived his most famous literary work: In Cold Blood.

I guess it's still on my mind... along with the questions he (& we) repeatedly ask over such chilling events... you know? The simplest question that sometimes has the most evasive and disturbing answer, should you ever get an answer at all... "Why?"

07/07/07

Not much time for posting...
I'm up to my elbows in buttercream - literally! =)
Friends are getting married today & I'm doing up their wedding cakes!
A couple of Harley Davidson enthusiasts and she's a Native American, I love these 2!
So in love.
She's had me make a birthday cake for him for the last couple of years running, I think I've got him 'hooked' on my style of cake. ;-)
Warm colors, soft peach, soft yellow, I've made the base layers of the 3 tier cake a light-light peachy- more like an Ivory color. The lower border will have yellow roses with eagles feathers hanging down from them... I'll do maybe 7 of those, to echo the date.
She wants words that have meaning for their relationship piped in and around the top and sides of the layers.
Words like: family, love & joy, trust, hope, honor, respect, romance, laughter... you get the idea. I got really excited about it when she said that's what she'd wanted - because I've been doing just this sort of thing on other cake projects lately & the words she was coming up with reflect that favored scripture in Galatians 5:22-23... the one that lists the fruits of the spirit - surely they have this blessing in their lives - and that's a wonderful thing.
The groom's cake is German chocolate with a flaming Harley Davidson motif piped on top to resemble silver studs on black leather.
I better get crackin'
May good fortune and love, sweet love, find you this weekend -
God bless...
D.~

Passion...

The Daily Gazette is seeking a few good bloggers from our area of Nebraska:

What's your passion?

Well, now... that was the question they dropped into the classified ad section of the McCook Daily Gazette and, now, hereby decreed, to be the topic of conversation for this here blog.

What's your passion?

I've got a list of things I feel passionately about:

• The Arts and entertainment.
• People, in general, and good men, more specifically. (um-hum!)
• The written word, quotable quotes and doing things my way - especially when I am right!
• Really good food, made even better, for me, if it comes from some cheap, fast and easy recipe.
• Truly funny stories and inspirational tales.
• Science and the natural world.
• Family ties.
• The furthering development of my own spirituality...
• Education in America... and ...
• Good Design in everything!
• I feel passionate about this country and that building block of pure Ameri-cana gold we all refer to as Hometown, U.S.A. ...
  

Now...

What about you? What's your top 10 list of things that you feel passionately about?

(C'mon! Tell me, even if it is all about 'Fuzzy Posters' for you.... ;-)

Disclaimer: My real 'number one' thing I feel passionate about is, well, passion. I didn't wanna come off as all slutty or redundant... or redundantly slutty... you know? You know, you know...

In other, totally unrelated news, I mowed down a small stand of marijauna plants today. There they were, growing freely and strong out by the foundations of an old shed that was recently raised to the ground and hauled off. I scared up a baby bunny who, thankfully, hightailed it outta there before those mower blades got too, too close. ...

50th / past / blast

I attended yet another "family affair" this past weekend.

A 50th wedding anniversary.

I wasn't feeling too well so I missed the big part where they renewed their vows.

(Curse you McDonald's! I know it was something I ate and I ate YOU! ...shakes her fist, wildly, in the air! ...considers stirring clear of Micky D's from here on out...)

I was at the shindig just long enough to: fork over the congratulatory card I'd thought to bring, grab a slice of cake and a shot of punch (A wonderful soothe for an upset tummy, btw - hahaha!) and ferret out a story or 2 from a childhood crony of my Uncle's.... which means... he also knew my Dad..... hummm... ;-)

The curious thing about the old man and family history is that he claims to remember "nothing". I've asked him, periodically for stories, family information, bla, bla, bla...

He'll look me straight in the eye, get a bit of an up curl going on around the corner of his mouth, open, said mouth, and say just that,

"I remember nothing."

And then he smiles.

('The end.')

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SOooOO... Hehehee, I probed his boyhood buddy, for a little info at the party.

His family name was "Fuller".

I've been wondering ever since, if that aint just about as apropos as it gets... but I digress!

(ahem)

My storyteller perked right up!

"Your Uncle and I used to hang out all the time and I knew your Daddy too."

I nod-in; indicating that he's got my full on attention.

"Me and your Uncle had a place we built down by the river. "

(that would be the Republican River, for reference sake)

"Oh, a little dug-out?" I prod on.

(I knew early settlers had dug outs along the river, including members of this family line.)

"No. A cabin. We had everything. We even had a cook stove."

He makes hand gestures, indicating a camp-size version, of such.

"Wow! That must have been a cool fort!"

"CABIN," He corrects me, again, "We dug into the ground and went up to McCook Ice - so we'd had ICE down there, we had food - we hung out there all the time.

Then one time, I remember, I was hanging out with your Uncle down there and we heard your Dad was coming down too.

Your Uncle didn't want him to hang out with us, So HE GETS HIS RIFLE, (emphasis added by me, now, hello!?) and goes out to keep him from coming on down. When he sees him, he starts shooting at him, about this far away from his head," Mr. Fuller holds his hands up, about a foot apart from each other, to indicate the approximate closeness of the shot from the head. "Boy! Ol' (my dad's name) hit the ground and he started belly crawlin'. And your Uncle kept shooting, and your dad kept belly crawlin' - all the way back home!" Yes. It seemed like my storyteller had been momentarily transformed and transported back to boyhood himself and at just that particular point in time - he looked rather gleeful - for the record - I felt a bit horrified and a whole lot dismayed! Just as I was about to express a big fat "Yeowza!?" ... Mr. Fuller pressed on...

"Well," he said, "It wasn't very long after that, maybe the next day, even or a day or two later, that me and your Uncle found out 'somebody' had blown our cabin up with a stick of dynamite. We always thought it was your Dad but we could never prove it."

LOL!

"Well, humm, he might have done it. I wouldn't put it past him, or blame him too bad if he did - under those circumstances! The only 'boyhood memory' he's ever claimed to have 'surfaced' involved dynamite. Only that was a story about him and my Uncle blowing up a tree stump with the stuff! Who knows huh?"

"Yah. We could never prove it. We always thought it. We could never prove it, though."

(Big smile, from Mr. Fuller to me.)

SO...TP?

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From the one picture is worth 1,000 words file...
Hummm.
Run right through this... (then count how many that other motorist has to say)... lol!

Family Ties...

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Ah.
Family. =)
My Mother has been all a flutter over the approach of this past weekend for quite sometime.
The youngest of my living, Great-Aunts was coming to town for a visit, with her daughter, over this 'Father's Day' weekend.
Quite a remarkable few of the extenuating family members were also gathering.
Several of us have been murmering for some time that we've been long over due for a "reunion".
I warmed slowly to the concept - because I've been so busy collecting my thoughts and all the needful data for what's next for me. (a shot at my Bachelor's degree) not because I don't love my family - believe me, I've been blessed! Most especially by the ones that went the distance and attended this time - all good natured souls - they are great people! Funny, without having to try too hard to be.... you know? Once I got there - I had a wonderful time! Yesterday especially, watching over some old slides put onto VHS tape and narrated by this Great-Aunt was a 'whoot'! She did an excellent job (amazing, really when it came to remembering names!) and those side story narrations - some of those were just a kill. Most especially because, she wasn't necessarily trying to be funny, however, I laughed and laughed - at just the way some of it came together for her, and for those of us, watching it through this time.
We all laugh so easily... we all like the idea of sharing a good meal together, (o.my.golly. there was a ton of food there!).
There's a growing interest in the gathering of the family geneology, too.
We're thinking in terms of both stories and photos, both historical, and the latest information on 'new arrivals', and archiving as much as we can in 'IT formats' to share universally.
Several have been seriously working on it and doing an astounding job.
(I did my best to straighten out the mis-information on just who my brother-in-law is, lol! Information on one family group sheet had my sister married off to one of her former boyfriends... hehehee.)
I'm not prepared just now for this, but one day....
I have visions of "story boarding" on the foundations already laid and making DVDs and or manuscripts/books that put the photos and stories in to contextes that generations not yet conceived will be able to have and enjoy having - I'd love to capture a little bit of the magic that is our good family fellowship - that which my generation has enjoyed and send it on... up the ol' DNA ladder.

Love and love s'more people....
D.

Opie Outlaw

Peace... Be Still. . .

I have many, many thoughts - yet don't quite know what to say, so I'm praying that the spirit directs my commentary here...

The blogosphere lost a tenacious "cut and paste man" with a true artist's heart...

... and a whole lot of "sparkle" (or was that "Sass"?) for me, at last week's end, with the passing of Opie Outlaw, also known as Op, or you could call him Opie... aka: Locusx1y2... aka Ricky D.... etc... etc... etc... ;-)

I loved this man.

He was a self designated "Huckleberry" to me & I loved him even more for that.

I was wishing & hoping the reason I'd not heard from him over the weekend was that he'd been down to a favorite spot of his, with family and special friend(s) in tow... Harker's Island.

Sadly, I received an e-mail this past Monday evening, sent from his cousin Tony (Saturday the 26 th) - Rick had died the night before.

He was letting me know. He said he had remembered my internet name from an earlier visit with Rick. He wanted me to let all the people on the blogs know. I've caught up with some of you - some other's will see this - some, I feel, I'll just need to track down yet and send a more private message to...

It is pure trial for me, these past few days - my psyche stretched out and purely grieved over all that I'd yet hoped to share with this rare man in my life and... yet joyful, thankful even, that I'd dared to pour out every loving bit that I could - while I could - all over him. . . Thank you God, for your wise direction and... for always, and in all ways, being the well spring between Ricky and me.

You know by now that the portrait here is one I did of Rick. It was a part of my portfolio art showing and also part of a package of items I was gathering to send to him - I have indeed sent those gifts on - to his family... and I've purposely uploaded this picture at a large imaging size (8x11.5 300 dpi) ...it may make my blog slower to load - however any extenuating family member, or friend of Rick's, who'd like to download it for keeps - should be able to get a nice print off of it - Rick never wanted a current photograph of himself posted on the internet. His sister said posting a drawn portrait, now, would be ok.

Reminders of Rick ...and his love - are every where in the world to me right now... Ironically his obituary posted on my birthday ... May 29th... and, that declairs (in part) these things:

He passed away at his home on Saturday, May 26, 2007. Rick was a retired independent trucker who spent the last fourteen years devoted to his father and battling Crohn's Disease. During this time, his spiritual life bloomed and has followed him to journey's end. He was loved and will be missed. The funeral services were to be held today (May 31, 2007).

I opened up my Hymnal this morning. Looking for some solace. . . It opened to this Hymn:

Each Life that Touches Ours for Good

...and even though I don't recall ever placing it there...
There was the scrap of paper I'd jotted down -all the "important information" on. It was all the ways to "contact" Rick, everything he thought I'd ever really need to know and to have to reach him... he insisted I write it all down, the very first time he ever talked to me about going to Harker's Island. ....

Now, I know without a shadow of doubt, nor tunring, that his spirit is only a prayer away from mine... it always has been.

Yes. Indeed, he was loved and will be missed...

God Bless all who pass this way...
Love,
D.

~

Liberty Remembers...

I got this amazing e-mail forward from an Artist friend a couple of months ago... (truth be told I have several hundred e-mails I need to look over and answer - all piled up from this past Semester - which was a "doosy").
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Anywhoo... here, we see a couple before and an astounding after photo of the guy's work.




I thought the artist, subject matter and 'canvas' were extraordinary... I'm sure the photos only give you a pint-size idea and the real deal is more mind-blowing than what mere pix can convey.
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Anyway... I couldn't leave it be, myself... HAD to beat the search engines up and track down his web page(s) ...so the artist, Eric Grohe, is now a side bar link, for me and for the Memorial Day / Weekend coming up, I thought you'd appreciate, every bit as much as I did, a look at this short movie tribute, with the title and honor of: 'Liberty Remembers'
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I, along with 'Liberty', will be remembering and keeping that flame alive for all those that have served before us, right along with all those who do so now - they deserve our respect, faith and every prayer we can spare!
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Wishing everyone a safe, happy, loving 'decoration day'!
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Cheerios,
D

How Does Her Garden Grow?

... by the square foot!

My sister sent Me and our Mom on a shopping spree to the "Common Scents" gardening place (handy location - just across the highway from my house) as a special treat for my graduation and for her Mother's Day gift.
We had a good time looking over the beautiful hanging planters - in splendid full bloom, etc..., etc..., etc... plus there was a fussy little ladies "Tea tasting" going on Sunday which we enjoyed, too!

I so wanted one of the full bloom hanging plants - however decided to spare that in favor of some more practicle fare, like strawberry plants (Yep. Got them hanging NOW - lol!) and Tomatoes - which I still ended up splitting out with Mom - and some Purple Sage (2)... I got pleanty of full sun and well drained soil for those bad boys to root around in!

Just as I went to planting I noticed that my trusty trowel had some how made it to the drive and had been totally destroyed by driveway traffic. grrr... miner set back so the strawberries and 1 tomatoe got planted the old, old, old fashioned way - bare handed digging!

Well, sheesh, ya gotta sieze them moments when they're red hot - don't ya?

(I've since been to 'the Wal' and bought another cheepy)

I am hooked on the square foot gardener's philosophy when it comes down to digging in and then watching my garden turn out big dividens! I saw a feature in Better Homes and Garden's magazine a while back that had raised beds - I mean really raised beds - like up 3, 4 feet off the ground that looked like the ideal way to:
1 - foil those rascally rabbits
and
2 - save my aching back and legs from weed "tremmers" ha!

I'm just going to have to condition this back and those legs to endure as raised beds are an investment best made by a home owner - I'm not putting in all that time and expense out just yet - I need to bite the bullet and become the home owner 1st.

Anywhoo... back to my excitement in planting stuff - I wanna get most of it in by the end of the month - I'm already getting a late start by the standards of many more seriously minded area gardeners. The big bonus is the satisfaction and taste of "home grown" aint nothing like it in the
market place, IMHO, and I get the peace of mind factor, knowing that my lettuce is not going to be subject to "recall" because it may be harboring deadly microbes! It's good to know what you're getting - same reason I'm excited about getting back into a regular schedule of sorts - I'm cooking up those fresh meals at home, something I dearly love to do but was too, too pressed for time to enjoy in this last semester's push to graduate! Only thing better than THAT is cooking it up with a special someone in that there kitchen or grill pit with ya... and believe me... I'll be working on that this summer too! =)

Ah!
"Summer"..... "Summmer time, time, time" .... "and the livin's eee easy"........

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On these summer mornings .... I'mma gonna rise up, rise up, singing - gonna stretch m' wings - and FLY!".... matter of fact, I already am!

(Which explains why I haven't been around the blogosphere much, y'all! Heheheee)

BTW: The 'secret garden' picture is a link to some other coolio garden pix...

Enjoy!

and

Cheerios 2U all!

D.

Graduation Day...

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- at long last...

Accomplishment...

I've always wanted to go to school to further my creativity and my skills in 'art'.
Now, I'm graduating with my associates of applied science degree in graphic design.
Hoo-rah!
One down, 99 more 'life-time goals' still on the wall...

(I should write out that list of 100 here someday, shouldn't I?)

No time to say "Hello" "Good-bye"....

Something beautiful in the e-mail files from a beloved friend o' mine...
I saw 'em at the Art Exhibit today, in fact.
I was escorting a (surprize!) visitor - from way, way, way out of town.
I've been busy beyond belief, but - I'm none too busy, to squeeze out every moment I can in "visiting" with him and to have my Breakfast with the man, too - come sunrise, at least, that's what he suggested to me this morning. *sighs* It has been such a long time.....
More details...
forthcoming...
as I get...
through
these
last
few
d
a
y
s
=)
(Meanwhile, for those of you that just can't wait for your gardens to grow... try: this link! Just start clicking away or try a click and drag technique... Kinda fun...)

Something from Cinema4d...

A "Still shot" compostion (plus a detail from it)
-all rudimentary creations using the Cinema 4d program...
Thank you Opie, once again, for the inspiration.

=)

Gentle thoughts for today (from my e-mail friendlies)...

• The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
• When I'm feeling down, I like to whistle. It makes the neighbor's dog run to the end of his chain and gag himself.
• The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.
• The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
• He who hesitates is probably right.
• Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are " XL." If you think there is good in everybody, you haven't met everybody.
• If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.
• The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.
• There's always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it. For example I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt
• A penny saved is a government oversight.
• Did you ever notice: When you put the 2 words "The" and "IRS" together it spells "Theirs."
  

"The Pestige" 2006

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With little time to watch such and no time to explain it to them, my brother and nieces dropped a load of rental DVDs into my hands and sped off towards the established child exchange point – a day early, trying to out drive the storm – before the storm even hit us.

Smart move on anyone’s part, let alone, anyone living in Nebraska, facing such severe weather forecasts which always mark these, our magnificent, turbulent, jubilant springs!

I heard one niece is expressing interest in a career in the FBI – and this is the one that couldn’t say enough good things recommending the above movie, “The Prestige”, to me a minimum of, like, 3 times…. =)

A bit of my heart went with them… as it normally does, each time I must face off the departure of dear ones. I was at once disappointed that our ‘Girl’s Luncheon’ had been pre-empted by the incoming menacing weather and happy they’d been able to come at all. We’d almost had ‘an even dozen’ at my place for the holiday last weekend…. Love, laughter, a little bit of learning, and a bunch of good food – adding strength to those family ties.

I was so tired, finishing up a double run of reports last night, at work. I am desperate over the thought of any hindrance to the schoolwork I need to complete right now. I am truly hoping I am not coming down with a light case of walking pneumonia. (<- this is my mantra of the day today!) and thinking back to last night…. I was thanking my lucky stars on the drive home, that the snow fall, which had been as near perfect as any I’d ever witnessed, with it’s large fluffy flakes, falling lazy-like, down from the sky… that this terrible storm had steadily depreciated in estimates in each sequential forecast throughout the day (1st: 10 to 12 inches!, Next: 8 to 10 inches! Thereafter: up to 6 – 7 inches! 4-6! So on and so forth… reminded me of a rather raunchy comedy bit I’d seen one time out on the California coast, butt… that would be a whole ‘nuther post! heh.) By my late, drive time home, last night, we’d seen a bunch of moisture – another desperate, needful thing in these parts – and absolutely no accumulation. Magical.


Which brings me back to “The Prestige” – it was an interesting film. (yep. Watched it. Tired. Spent, really. Not feeling too good. I reasoned that the movie would be a welcome deviation and momentary escape – my gamble paid off, too.) I liked it. Magic, trickery, mystery, artistry, and some science, with ending twists I certainly enjoyed.


Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine play out well, here and I scarcely recognized David Bowie in his portrayal of Nikola Tesla…

Not for the 13 and under crowd, (there’s a couple death scenes not good for little kids, I think) however, if you’ve an interest in something thought provoking and a bit twisty and haven’t viewed this one yet – you might give it a spin in the ol’ DVD player.

I’ll not be posting much between now and graduation.
Nevertheless...
Cheerios 2U - all!
=)
D.~

FAITH

A late 'Easter' post - concerning faith...
love these scriptures from the Book of Mormon:

….By faith all things are fulfilled…
Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
(Ether 12: 3-4)

… I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith….

For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.

But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.

Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.

Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God.

Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
(Ether 12: 6-11)

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
(Moroni 7:37)

Dear Lord,

Strengthen my faith - that I might serve thee continually, and well!

Amen!

Don't know what she's complaining about... LOVE a hard workin' fellow with a creative vibe....
Good luck with all your dye jobs!
;-)

Tracks...

Ah! The tracks of a certain cottontail...

I'm not convinced snowfall at Easter time is an Easter Bunnie's best friend!?
2 things:
1 - Proof, for kids ... "Easter Bunny" lives!

2 - My little Easter bunny has got himself a friend...
;-)

April Fool's & still together ...

Happy anniversary to the Queen of Panic and her handsome hubby the Arch Nappster!

You were so in love (& still are!) it made my heart glad to be there with you - on your wedding day!

Thanks for all the love the 2 of you have brought... to each other, to your families, and into the world - through the uncountable kindnesses and gentle encouragements you've served up to your friends, neighbors, and the occasional, wayfaring soul.
My universe is a better place through the addition of your 2 sons - what noble princes lie beneath their roughish smiles and amiable characters!!!
Yes, I'm in love with them - I LOVE you all, and can't hardly wait to see and visti with you again.... looking forward to that day, praying "safe travels" for you - always and all ways!
=)
Love and Hugs,
D.
PS- This post was no hoax, however if you're in a foolish mood today you can click to the Museum of Hoax's quiz made up especially for April Fool's!

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Hey. This one's for that friend "out there" struggling for strength and for balance. Actually, I know a couple of you that are....
My prayers are with you through this time of uncertainty and change. Take courage, and take inventory.... what is it you are learning from this? YOU are not alone, there IS love in the world for you...
I love you.

Have a sweet weekend and try not to get all caught up...
in
the
Landslide...
.
I took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
'til the landslide brought it down

Oh, mirror in the sky -What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin'...ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
I don't know.....I don't know

Well I've been afraid of changin'
because I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I'm getting older too....

So, take my love...take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
and if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills...
well the landslide will bring it down
The landslide will bring it down

Line Rider

Reviewed as the Etch-o-Sketch for the U-Tube generation, you can find "Line Rider"
by using those key words in any good search engine... or just click the link ^ there!
"Top Line Rider" is a site that has some pretty inventive road trips already outlined (yep. pun intended) for the little rider dude. Check it out if you've got another spare moment or 3.
Special thanks to the "Bipanator" for turning me on to this cool and groovy site!

Trashball

NPR comes up with some crazy stuff - (exactly why I like it)!
I found this interesting tid bit under their Arts & Culture tab this past weekend. (CLICK the link and you can listen to the story)
Christopher Goodwin's blog can be found here:
TRASHBALL! A SUBSIDIARY OF EX-COMMUNICATED COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
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Made me slow down a bit to think: how fascinating, how ironic, too!
Oh, to revisit & really examine what we've throw away -and/or- see something we've deemed useless, close up, from another's perspective - someone like Mr. Good win perhaps...

My packrat Mother once told me to toss an unopened letter from an insurance carrier -she'd let the policy lapse... I pointed out that she'd not even opened the darn thing! She maintained it was trash and of 'no interest' at all, until I torn it open - [saying I was at least going to see what they'd had to say to her]. It was one a good time to be a disobedient child! I found a $230.00 check enclosed. They had refunded her premiums! Boy Howdy! Did her tune change then! Talk about one person's trash being another's treasure! lol! That was cold cash there, people!

Then... the other side of the "coin", so to speak... what kind of garbage do we hang on to - in our homes, and in our lives, that we should really, really pitch?
I mean, I've had ugly little items in my house - even moved them with me (!!?) - from one place to another - that I've absolutely hated. Couldn't stand to even look at them... why then did I keep them?
I've resolved a few years back to stop that. Boy, does it feel good to toss an ugly! I've been working on being "ruthless", when it comes to weeding out bricker-brack & with a packrat Mom, God knows I need to be! (She handed me a sack of "stuff" the other day - that I didn't need, but now have to go through, before I pitch it... because, YOU KNOW, If I try to pitch it before going through it, I'll have that mental flashback to the $230 check incident! LOL!!!)

Humm, some of us maybe inspired to do some Spring Cleaning...
so...
What about you?
You ever trash something you wish you could get back?
or...
You got anything you've been hanging on to - that has absolutely no use or value to you?

=)

Spring Fevers...

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OK. I confess. I pop over to Cathcy Color's Photo Blog every now and again - mainly to de-stress...
I may have spent too many hours in the laboratory, though, because, I do believe there's something... um, "sexy" about this tulip photo. . .
lol!
(Golly. I hope I still respect that flower and this post come morning!)
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(Go ahead. Click it. Enlarge it. so... you can get a reeeally good look at it. you know you want to... lol!)

Author Unknown

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1st things first! "Happy Birthday" to my sister! Love & LOVE s'more! Hope your day was everything you needed it to be!
Now then...
I had this drafted for a ArtZ Friday post. I just couldn't get to an honest internet connection to load it up last night...
I did this work in my first semester Photoshop class.
It was an assignment in photo composition.
It has undergone quite the transition since I first began it.
I plan on displaying the original photographs I used and the one or 2 'earlier' versions I have saved - before I arrived at this final piece, when I put up my work in the gallery, here at the Wrightstone, at semester's end.
(That's the last thing. to display/show our portfolio pieces.)
And I am at peace with the piece. lol! check the phrase-ology, I crack myself up sometimes!
I really liked the way it turned out.
I have shown finished prints to a few people already and they have asked me for copies.
I did give one to my boss for her husband - she said she wanted to make a gift out of it, to him.
She said the text, "Take with you words...."
Have a special meaning for him and between the 2 of them.

How cool is that?

=)
Dig it.

Cheerios (and nothing but good words) to you all!
dP

PS: You can click on it to enlarge, however because of the layers I had to reduce the image and so lost quite a bit from the original in order to post it on the web - so I don't believe any copy will print too well... e-mail me directly if you'd like a decent print.

Happy Spring!

Sushi Ya-Ya: I

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Take a look at these 2 web site home page designs and ... tell me what you think, 'K?
The imanginary "client" is a restaurant named: Sushi Ya-Ya.
The assignment is to come up with 2 rough designs for a web site.
This is design 1.
The site concept and metephor is "A Beachcomber's treasure"
Navigation will be through the thumbnails on the left.
Supporting pages include:
• About us
• Locations
• Menus
• Contact us
• Novelty Shop

Primary target end users would be young professionals -

Sushi Ya-Ya: II

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OK.
This is the 2nd design. I know. Same concept and site metaphor - this time the focus is more on the collectables as objects of art, themselves.
Same entry into the site navigation. I envisioned mapping the images to make them the hyperlinks to the various pages - once in the site the colors soften up and mute a bit and the icons reduce to smaller, ever present, buttons lined up horizontally along the upper right of each view pane.

Tell me,
Which one do you like better and why?

Fire Rainbow

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Rainbow's are special in my world.
A personal reminder to me, that: "God keeps his promises"

A true friend sent this picture and I thought...

"This IS too cool not to share."


THIS IS A FIRE RAINBOW - The Rarest of all naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena.

The picture was captured this week on the Idaho/Washington border. The event lasted about (1) hour.

Clouds have to be cirrus, at least 20K feet in the air, with just the right amount of ice crystals and the sun has to hit the clouds at precisely (58) degrees. .... or at least that's what the e-mail said!

Dig it.
=)

Gettin' snapy

Ok...
maybe it's the stress I"ve been under...
But...
Monday.
Driving back to work at the end of a nice lunch break.
Beautiful day!
Happy & healthy... =)
I am the only car on the road.
'The road' happens to be a wide, pleasant, paved residential street that rolls into a school zone and then stretches on down to business district and McCook's fabled cobblestones (the bricks).
I'm behaving my self respectably behind the wheel - speed limit - watching side street intersections (even though I'm on a 'through' street & all cross traffic would have stop signs...)
2 blocks from school zone it happens.
A behemoth SUV backs out of a driveway right in front of me!
It's almost like they waited for me to get up close and then at just the right second to screw me up - "I Own The Road" backeds right on out, onto the street.
Ou............
[I was So NOT impressed!]
Slam brakes!
Get a good, tight grip on that stearing wheel!
Then I get a clear looksie at the driver.
Some woman with a cel phone cocked up to her ear!
Ou............!!!!
NOW I WAS impressed! ...and not in a good way, mind you!
I mean what the heck is up with that???
If you've dialed the number .... in your drive way.... why not just finish the flippin' call while sitting in your flippin drive way, huh?????
Why, oh, why do we need you to back out in to traffic, at such a time as that???
Hey! Never mind the fact that I was the only one out there & headed her way - I still get counted as traffic!
Or, maybe we should give a little more thought to that - I was the ONLY vehicle heading that way - couldn't she have just let me get on by before she backed her big ol' boat out onto the road???
Heaven's to mergatroid!
I'm thinkin' this other driver, 'Ms Cell-lo Lame-brain' is just dang lucky I'm not a sociopath with a shotgun.
Otherwise, I might have just blasted away at her!
C'mon people!
A little common sense, please!?
*sheesh!*

!?

From my e-mail land...

"A wish for the more difficult people in your life... "

(Glad these inventive minds are on my side!)

=)

An exercise: composition with typography.
I actually did this last Spring, but can't find my original files so I had to replacate it.
That was a bit of a process, however I like this new one much better than the original.
(the quilted effect with the patterned Q over the pattern background... much more interesting than the plain yellow I had going before.)
This will be a portfolio piece.
I'll try to post them all by 'show time'
Hugs!
D.~

1 Corinthians 12:1...

There are powers inside of you which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dream or imagined you could become.
~ Orson Swett Marden

Just wait... (lol!)

Somethin' to think about...

Mind set matters....
I was watching a late night show that took some e-mail tom-foolery out to the ''average Joes" on the streets of some big city. They got the least likely to be cyber savvy people to read some stuff out loud for their cameras. One lady (accompanied by a sweet looking gentleman I took to be her husband) stood out for me. When they came to a 'lol' abbreviation - she obviously didn't know what it meant, moments later, feeling the pressures of that rolling camera, she interpreted it to mean: Lot of Love... isn't that sweet?


"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."
-- Mark Twain

"Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."
-- Former Governor of Texas, the Late Ann Richards (9/1/33 - 9/13/06)

"You can't be truly rude until you understand good manners."
-- Rita Mae Brown, novelist

"My mother always told me I wouldn't amount to anything because I procrastinate. I said, 'Just wait.'"
-- Judy Tenuta in Early To Rise, 4/14/06

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."
-- Dale Carnegie as quoted in Early To Rise, 1/18/07

LoL, ya'll!
D.~

Peter Max...

Do you remember him?
C'mon! Remember the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine"?
Ifn you don't know don't remember... here's a bio-link to Peter Max.
and...
Here's a link to his official Home Page .
I loved theAnimated Scene (found under the fun button)

Note to self: When pulling together my new web page(s)... always include a "FUN" button. . . lol!

Cheerios!
D.~

When words fail...

“Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meaning can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.”

-- Martin Luther King, Jr. ~


Happy weekend!
D.~

This is a snowflake

This is a snowflake.

There are lots and lots of snowflakes flying around outside right now.

Flying because gail force winds began huffing and puffing before the dawn.

(yep. I was up that early. lol!)

It's not so bad.

I see they're mostly swirling about.

Bad is when they all head one direction: sideways.

I'm gonna heat up some herbal teas, snuggle down, and work out some art.

If you'd like to see some groovy pictures of snowflakes and ice crystals just click the link: SnowCrystals . com

The Snowflake Man
"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."
Wilson A "Snowflake" Bentley 1925

(ahem) Try not to think too deeply about the lowly snowflake...

Have a great weekend everyone!

=) D.~

Artist Philosophy...

I am building & on the edge of expressing my personal Artistic Philosophy for portfolio.

In terms of all things ART I can so identify with this:

I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction.
— Ayn Rand, Anthem

So...
A nod to - Ayn Rand (Feb 2, 1905 - Mar 6, 1982) today!

Paperwork...

Reminder to self: Get it done!!!

Ah... the Eternities...

We sang this Hymn Sunday.
It's one of my favorites and if I was to pass away tomorrow I'd want it sung at my grave side service - becasue it speaks of the mysteries of God and lists the things that have no end...
...and it just gives you an awesome vibe, when you stand and sing it with a friend...

It's called:

"If you Could Hie to Kolob "

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1. If you could hie to Kolob

In the twinkling of an eye,

And then continue onward

With that same speed to fly,

Do you think that you could ever,

Through all eternity,

Find out the generation

Where Gods began to be?

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2. Or see the grand beginning,

Where space did not extend?

Or view the last creation,

Where Gods and matter end?

Methinks the Spirit whispers,

"No man has found 'pure space,'

Nor seen the outside curtains,

Where nothing has a place."

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3. The works of God continue,

And worlds and lives abound;

Improvement and progression

Have one eternal round.

There is no end to matter;

There is no end to space;

There is no end to spirit;

There is no end to race.

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4. There is no end to virtue;

There is no end to might;

There is no end to wisdom;

There is no end to light.

There is no end to union;

There is no end to youth;

There is no end to priesthood;

There is no end to truth.

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5. There is no end to glory;

There is no end to love;

There is no end to being;

There is no death above.

There is no end to glory;

There is no end to love;

There is no end to being;

There is no death above.

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Text: William W. Phelps, 1792-1872

A Surprise, a Special DVD

Big smiles and hugs - some more - to Alekx and Burfica for sending that special DVD to me.
I was excitedly surprised.
I cried.
I laughed.
I cried (again).
I played it.
I paused it.
I rewound it for the "who was that?" factor... =)
and I'm fixin on playin' it again.
Maybe tonight.
Brought back so many memories.
Brought up a regret or 2...
But mostly brought up how very, very special your Mother was to me, right along with the 2 of YOU!
Thank you so very much - for all!
Love you,
all ways and always
D.~

Ball & jacks

Yep.
Changed the profile pix again!
lol
didja ever noticed the background...?
(whispers -> this scene was set in "the little freak's room")

Identity packages

We are building our identity packages in portfolio:
the letter head, business card, envelope design, resume... and yes... more.
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Our choices of basic design elements telling just as much, if not more about 'the symbolic self', as what any content of text ever could.
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At the same time Ethics and Moral Development are the topics in our on-line leadership classes.
... practically speaking, the 3 most important influences on character formation are:
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• Associations. Family, friends, and role models help shape our future lives. The example & encouragement of some people may improve us, while that of others may pull us down.
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• Books. The printed page and other media can poison us with wrong accounts and harmful thoughts, or can enlighten and lift up our lives with reason and spirit fundamental to a healthy person.
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• Self Concept. We do what we do to be consistent with who we think we are. Our primary motivation is not self-preservation, but preservation of the symbolic self. Whosoever considers him- or herself to be honest, brave, and worthy is likely to be so, s our oute lives are first decided in our inner hearts.
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1. Associations - Who in your life has influenced your character development?
2. Books - What books, films, and other media have helped you become a better person?
3. Self-Concept - What image of yourself has shaped your values and guided your life?

Ah.
Homework.
Happy weekend everyone!
=)

Love is...

Outside the scriptures this is the best quote I've ever seen on LOVE:

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained”
C.S. Lewis quotes (British Scholar and Novelist. 1898-1963)

Happy Valentine's Day to all who pass this way...

Love and love some more!
D.~

Valentine recipe

Several people have asked me for this recipe.

Once upon a time ago - it was one of my Dad's favorites & since his birthday is the day before Valentine's Day I have a tendency to associate it with the holiday...

It is fairly cheap, fast & easy and has a big "yum" factor to it too...

Cherry Nut Bars

2 egg whites - slightly beaten
2 T Maraschino cherry juice
6 T Water
4 T Oil
1 Pkg. white cake mix
1/2 C sparsly chopped walnuts
1/2 C drained chopped Maraschino cherries

Combine ingredients in order listed.
Makes a thick batter
Spread in a 9x13 pan
Bake 350 15-20 minutes - until set

Frosting 1 -
butter
chopped cherries
cherry juice
powdered sugar
heavy whipping cream


Frosting 2 -
softened cream cheese
powdered sugar
cherry juice
whipped topping

(Sorry about the no measurements on the frosting choices, my family just does this by feel & to taste)

Baptizing a Miracle...

I felt the Holy Spirit very strongly in church today.
Yesterday, the elders baptized a Miracle.
=)
That was the boy’s family name. … but really… aren’t we all miracles?
He looked so very handsome dressed all in white.
I had the pleasure and the privilege of speaking at his service.
Today, he was confirmed a member where upon the brethren conferred upon him a blessing and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We were also privileged to be witness to the blessing of a baby – so sweet.

It’s long been rumored among the faithful that when over come by emotion in the singing of a sacred hymn,

(…that heartfelt swelling of the breast that bares testimony of the Holy spirit drawing most near – that which sometimes renders humankind tearful & speechless…)

…it’s said that in those moments the angelic host can and does carry your part forward…

I thought I heard them singing with the congregation today – and this is the hymn:

Redeemer of Israel

Redeemer of Israel, Our only delight, On whom for a blessing we call,
Our shadow by day And our Pillar by night, Our King, our Deliverer, our all!

We know he is coming To gather his sheep And lead them to Zion in love,
For why in the valley Of death should they weep Or in the lone wilderness rove?

How long we have wandered As strangers in sin And cried in the dessert for thee!
Our foes have rejoiced When our sorrows they’ve seen, But Israel will shortly be free.

As children of Zion, Good tidings for us. The tokens already appear.
Fear not, and be just, For the kingdom is ours. The hour of redemption is near.

Restore, my dear Savior, The light of thy face; Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet longing For thy holy place Bring hope to my desolate heart.

He looks! And ten thousands Of angels rejoice, And myriads wait for his word;
He speaks! And eternity, Filled with his voice, Re-echoes the praise of the Lord.

A very short story

Blame it on my little e-mail friends...


A Very Short Story



Man driving down road
Woman driving up same road
They pass each other.
The woman yells out the window, PIG!
Man yells out window, B * T C H!
Man rounds next curve.
Crashes into a HUGE PIG in middle of road and dies.

Thought For the Day: If only men would listen

Why I Need the Birds

I grabbed up the rare luxury of sleeping in this morning - hushing over the harpy voice in my head with its endless "to do" listings...
and I was blessed with this little treasure.
A poem by Lisel Mueller which was featured on today's Writer's Almanac, and given deep favor by Garrison Keillor's bartone reading.... you could listen to it here: The Writer's Almanac or just read it through, below...

Why I Need the Birds

When I hear them call
in the morning, before
I am quite awake,
my bed is already traveling
the daily rainbow,
the arc toward evening;
and the birds, leading
their own discreet lives
of hunger and watchfulness,
are with me all the way,
always a little ahead of me
in the long-practiced manner
of unobtrusive guides.

By the time I arrive at evening,
they have just settled down to rest;
already invisible, they are turning
into the dreamwork of trees;
and all of us together —
myself and the purple finches,
the rusty blackbirds,
the ruby cardinals,
and the white-throated sparrows
with their liquid voices —
ride the dark curve of the earth
toward daylight, which they announce
from their high lookouts
before dawn has quite broken for me.

Shapeshifter Burfica!

I was visiting Burfica's site this morning and saw this:
"...I pick teams I like the way girls do. If it's an animal I'll always cheer for it. If it's two animals I pick the cuter one. hehehehehee"
... and I wondered...
So, if Burfica was to magically become a shapeshifter... what animals would be her favorite ones to switch off to?
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You tell me yours I'll tell you mine!

QUOTATION:	A man’s character is his fate.
ATTRIBUTION:	Heraclitus (c. 535–c. 475 BC), Greek philosopher. . .On The Universe

- Oscar Wilde -

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
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"The Great and Wonderful Love"
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;-)