a little barn love






for our farms that are slowly becoming extinct. the land that surrounds this farm will soon become a shopping mall.

and so i ask you, how many dry cleaners and nail salons do we actually need in this world, anyhow?



during the month of december, this book is always on my bedside table. if you haven't read david sedaris' "holiday on ice", then please go here and listen to him read "santaland diaries" -one of the funniest essays in this book.






this weekend, i pulled out my favorite and most treasured christmas ornaments. about ten years ago, i was lucky enough to pick up this box of shiny brite ornaments at a garage sale for 15 cents. just one of those rare finds when you know you love them, but don't really know much about them. here is what i found out

By 1940 Corning was making about 300,000 ornaments a day, compared with the perhaps 600 for a skilled German glassblower, and sending them to other companies for decoration.The largest customer was Max Eckhardt who by now had established an All-American company known as Shiny Brite. Initially Shiny Brite Ornaments were lacquered by machine on the outside and then decorated by hand.
the following year the ornaments were silvered on the inside so they would remain “shiny bright” for longer periods, but WWII intervened and material shortages caused the company to decorate the clear glass balls with simple thin stripes in pastel colors which didn’t require as much metallic oxide pigment. Corning, moreover, was able to alter its machines to produce a greater variety of shapes and sizes of glass ball without using scarce war material.


i love christmas ornaments. they are tangible memories in a box.
what are your favorite ornaments?

self portrait tuesday

in
december's challenge is "slow"




gawd...is there a shortage of traffic signs that say "slow"? i couldn't find one anywhere.... not even in the school zones.
and not even a "slow children" sign and i love that sign.

so, i just had to make one myself. which is a good thing.
everyone needs a slow sign in their life.

and look at my happy fella



he really liked me taking his picture with the slow sign too....
yep, he's a good sport that guy of mine.
i'll probably keep him.
if he'll keep letting me take pictures of him with the slow sign.....

you know it's winter when


1. your medicine cabinet is well stocked with zicam, nyquil and robitussin
2. you walk around with a sock stuck to the back of your sweater
3. you want to carb load like it's your job
4. you accessorize according to which scarf, hat and gloves you're wearing that day
5. you start stuffing tissues up your sleeve like a grandma so you don't have to walk to the box to get another one
6. your husband thinks you look sexy in fuzzy slippers, flannel pajamas and a sweatshirt
7. you think you look sexy in fuzzy slippers, flannel pajamas and a sweatshirt
8. you seriously consider paying the neighbor kid to ride with you to the gas station so he can stand out in the cold and fill your tank
9. you keep fifteen chapsticks on your person at all times
10. you refer to your legs as the "alligator sticks"
11. you dream in green

warholized


mr. ntm and i went to the andy warhol retrospective. it was so nice to see a wide variety of his work and i came away appreciating him all over again. his colors are so vibrant, especially when he mixed diamond dust into his printing inks. the images literally float on the backgrounds. he epitomized our american popular culture.
i loved the way he incorporated everyday life into art and art into everyday life.

a couple of his insightful quotes:

"an artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he-for some reason-thinks it would be a good idea to give them."

"isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?"

some of the icons he depicted were santa claus, mammy, the wicked witch, greta garbo, sigmund freud and martin buber.
timeless.
today, t i think he'd of added obama.

nephew

in

when you play the piano, your entire body plays as well.
and when you sing, your heart sings too.

remember these feelings.
it's easy to forget them.
i had forgotten them.
but you took me back there.
so i could enjoy them once again.

ode to trixie



oh let me count the ways that i love thee
from the moment mr. ntm first gave you to me
from the poppies in your vase
that put a smile on my face
to the bottom of your clutch
i knew i would love you so very much
and whenever i place my hands on your steering wheel
happiness is all i can ever feel
and even now, when you're old and falling apart
forever and ever you will hold a place in my heart

oh how i love to hug
my little green bug

in
a cold and rainy weekend.... the perfect time to detox from all the turkey and make some christmas ornaments to give to friends this year.




these were just painted red and then painted again with glitter paint for some shine. i laced them with silver threading and a snowflake charm at the top and stuck a small white map tack into the bottom to add a little something to the bottom as well. the words were done in different alphabet stickers.
simple and fun.
now go make some too....

happy monday!

in



our molly girl sleeps like this. it's pretty funny but also not a rarity for welsh corgis...most of them sleep like this.
and like most living things that sleep on their back, she snores too.

here's the legend of the corgi and how they came to be.

queen mab clapped her hands, "I am bored" she cried. "Let us take our steeds and go for a ride."

Instantly before the fairy queen, appeared a small red and white dog wearing a gold collar and bell. on his back was a tiny saddle made of the finest leather and chased in silver. similar dogs appeared to the other members of the fairy court. they each mounted their enchanted dogs, and led by queen mab, they rode out of the hollow hills. by the light of the moon, they flew through the forests of wales.

suddenly, one of the fairies gave a cry. his steed had brushed against a trap that was set by poachers. made of iron, its touch was deadly to fairy folk, and the little dog and his courtier were laid low by its power. "what shall we do?" said queen mab.

a small voice broke the silence and a human boy peered from behind a tree. "if you please your majesty, i can move the trap away so that it won't be touching them anymore and my sister knows herbs. she may be able to ease their pain."

"what are you doing out at this time of night, boy?" the queen demanded. "do you not know that the night holds many dangers for mortals?"

"my father is a shepherd and our best ewe is lost and without her we will surely starve."

"heal my friends and i shall repay you many times over." queen mab replied.

the boy tugged at the heavy trap and his sister made a soothing compress of blackberry leaves. with their rapid healing powers, the fairy and his dog were soon well again.

"i promised you a reward, boy" queen mab said. twice she rang the golden bell that hung around her dog's neck. two red and white puppies appeared. "these are fairy dogs" queen mab said. they are swift and clever and true, and they can herd cattle as well as sheep. treat them well, and you shall never lose your livestock again."

the shepherd's family prospered and the fairy dogs gave birth to puppies. the corgis as they became known-from the welsh words cor meaning "dwarf" and gi meaning "dog" were highly prized for their herding ability.

as a mark of their fairy steed origin, they all bore saddle or harness marks behind their shoulders. and on midsummer's day if the dogs were a little tired for once- the shepherds simply nodded their heads wisely. they knew that every midsummer's eve the fairies returned to ride the corgis so they would never forget their heritage.




i think christmas tree lots for christmas trees are like runway shows for fashion.

p.s. does anyone know some serious interventions for people like me who are compulsive blog header changers?

blessings to...




the people in my life whom i love.
you nurture me.

the people in my life who i have lost.
you have taught me.

the sun upon my face.
you soothe me.

laughter.
you ease me.

good health.
you keep me independent.

my eyes.
you allow me to see beauty.

this day.
you offer me something new to experience.

the divine in me.
it keeps me purposeful.

and thank you for reading this. your support strengthens me.

i wish you a very happy thanksgiving.

creatively speaking

my friend jenica suggested to me that we each document our creative weekends and post them today. a brilliant idea and honored that she asked me.

here's my creative weekend countdown:

1. because i'm one who can't leave well enough alone, i had to change my blog header yet again (see above). i'm certain that this is probably the 53rd time i've changed it, but i could have worse obsessions. right?

2. i am hosting thanksgiving dinner at my house this year (how did that happen?) and i was trying to figure out centerpieces for the table. i think i will be settling on this one. any other suggestions will be gratefully appreciated...



3. and then i had to take mr. camera out for a little spin seeing as how i have been neglecting him lately. he was appreciative of the fresh air and chance to exercise his shutter blades.




jenica, i think we should do this on a regular basis. it was fun!