2007 Indulgences

The amazing Jennifer Crusie said "I've got the serious resolutions coming up next weekend, the ones where I promise to cook more and take a yoga class and do all that stuff, but it's Christmas and I want to be good to myself, so what if tonight I made kind resolutions, the things I really, really want to do but never get to, the stuff that I'd kill to do but never get to because it's too ridiculous and I have to be Serious About My Life and Career, what if I made my Five Indulgences of 2007?" (And if you haven't read any Jennifer Crusie, run to the bookstore and get you some! She is extraordinary, as are her fans, the Cherries!)
What a neat idea! So naturally, I'm going to give it a try...
Renee's Five Indulgences of 2007
Indulgence #1: A week's vacation in Seattle or California, where I will visit my friends in each place and do touristy things if they appeal. Preferably during a season where the weather there is better than the weather here.
Indulgence #2: a 90 minute, full body massage by Carla's former masseuse. He is part of the reason she went to massage therapy school, and she has nothing but good things to say about him. The last time I visited a masseuse, I found one who spent more time working on my vibrational harmonies than on my aching body. Nice guy, but I was disappointed because what I really needed was a massage.
Indulgence #3: A teacher for digital imaging. Whether it is a college credit class, or just some one-on-one time with someone who really knows the program inside and out, I am tired of trying to teach myself in my spare time.
Indulgence #4: I will take time to paint this year. It horrifies me that I haven't made a painting in more than FIVE years. I will spend the money to update my supplies, and use the canvases my mom got me for Christmas last year. And perhaps I will find a group of artists to work with... I am in envy of the Drawing Club, where every week they hire a model to wear a character costume and draw or paint. Or figure drawing would be good, too.
Indulgence #5: I will adopt two cats this year. Living without cats is a horrible and unnatural existence for me, and when I get my new apartment I will fix this!

You know, this does not seem all that extravagant. It's rather encouraging that overall, I can see myself actually accomplishing these things :)

Happy Holidays

Well, clearly it was time for another picture... I'd offered Doug a holiday greeting (20 days ago! Better late than never, I guess. At least there are boobs...) Erin got naked again, glorious and gorgeous as ever (by the way, it's never a "self absorbed narcissistic existence" when dozens of people are begging for the pictures. Take off all the clothes you want, and post pictures. I promise to enjoy all of them!)

My apologies to George, who inspired the original idea... After seeing my mutant marshmallow snowmen, he was reminded of Krugy, and I tried to get a good picture of a snowman on my cleavage. It just didn't work out; if it was a good picture of me, it was a bad snowman picture and vice versa. (*Note to me - Buy a remote for the digital camera*)

So, here's a pic of just the snowman :)

My Virtues

Heeheehee. I cannot type that without feeling smug and self centered. Still, I'm going to give this a try...

From SxKitten (who added to it from Dean) (also at Doug's)
"The Holiday Challenge: Post your 4 virtues - 4 things you like about yourself.

The Hard Part: No qualifiers, no but’s, no apologies, no back-handed put-downs. You have to give yourself 4 solid, undiluted compliments."

1. I'm Bright. Dean's list scholar in college, top ten percent of graduating class, learn new concepts quickly, read very fast with good retention...

2. I'm Enthusiastic and Enjoy Many Things. Also known as easily amused. Really, I love Broadway musicals and camping, fine art and comics, "great literature" and Stephen King. I'm not a snob, and I try to never be close-minded.

3. I'm Creative. I love to paint, draw, take photos, make ceramics, make jewelry, play with Photoshop, journal, write poetry, and try to write fiction. I'm even good at most of them :)

4. I'm a Great Boss and Friend. And I don't believe that the two are mutually exclusive. My people are very sad that I'm leaving the job (although they understand my reasons.) I'm loyal, sincere, honest, and I always have your back. (I'm even honest if it's not what you want to hear...)

Many thanks to Dean, for originating this; SxKitten, for continuing it; and Doug, for just being wonderful. Also, love to Paul, who helped me replace "I've got great hair" with something relevant ;)

Winter Solstice, Global Orgasm & A Contest!

Today, December 22nd, is the Winter Solstice. According to Wikipedia, "In pre-Christian Europe, the winter solstice festival was a time for feasting, Yule-Joy, and dancing, and has been resurrected in our time in parts of the world often where Europeans or people of European ancestry now reside. Contemporary Winter solstice gatherings are non-commercial, humble, mirthful and reverent affairs."

It is also Global Orgasm day. "Peace Through Collective Ecstasy" is the tagline, and "WHY? To effect positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible surge of human energy a Synchronized Global Orgasm. There are two more US fleets heading for the Persian Gulf with anti-submarine equipment that can only be for use against Iran, so the time to change EarthÂ’s energy is NOW!" I think every day is a good day for an orgasm, but I really like the idea of as many people as possible having an orgasm on the same day. The skeptics say it won't change anything, but I think that at least the participants will be more relaxed and less likely to add to anyone's load of angst and I'm an advocate of the Hippocratic philosophy "If you can do no good, at least do no harm." They have T-Shirts and a Bumper Sticker for sale over here (and may I say I'm very sorry they don't have Global Orgasm panties? Maybe next year).

This gorgeous image is from Baring Witness, an affiliate of Global Orgasm. Would you like to see a video? There is one on YouTube and another link to Argon's Awareness, where you can indeed get GlobalO panties (Yay!) While you are on Argon's page, be sure to watch the Beautiful Agony video.

Matter of fact, it's about time I had a competition here, so whoever posts the best orgasm story either in my comments or on their own blog with a link in my comments will win your choice of these (in the size your request):

Since it's nearly Christmas and I'm sure everyone is busy, I'll give you a week (until midnight on December 29th) to submit your story. Have fun!

MIA

So, I've been missing from my blog, and mostly from the whole internet, for a little while. Thanks to everyone who checked in, I appreciate your concern!
Let's see... news of the last couple weeks.
I went on the Metabolic Research Center Diet with my mom for about two weeks. The protein drinks had artificial sweeteners in them, which make me grumpy, achy, and all around bad company. The guys at work threatened to stage an intervention, saying I had gotten downright mean. This was an eye opener for me, since we have been through some really bad times together and they have all been supportive and wonderful. After trying to come up with a workable compromise with the diet, having some negative experiences with one of the employees, and Carla threatening to kick my ass, I quit. There are other ways for me to get healthier, without becoming the bitch-from-no-carb-land.
I am still in pre-process on the bankruptcy, although I am very close now to filing. I took a week off without pay and spent most of the time cleaning, inventorying, and packing. The last four days of my vacation, I holed up in a hotel room in Indianapolis without an internet connection to work on the blue million pictures I need to correct.
The last day of my vacation, this past Monday, my uncle's girlfriend died. My poor uncle! I did not know her well, just saw her two to three times a year for family gatherings. Nearly the entire daddy-side of the family showed up for the funeral.
Also, my brother and his wife (whose basement I live in) have asked me to move out as soon as possible for various reasons. I have lived with them for three years, and they have helped me out a lot. Sadly, this means I'm going to use my savings to get an apartment, and so my move to Austin is postponed for a while. I have to stay in state until the bankruptcy hearing, and a friend of a friend wants to sublease her apartment in Indianapolis. So the plan for the moment is to move to Indy and commute to work until I find another job. Which means updating my resume and cover letter. There is a bookstore hiring two full time people, and I would love to give that a try as my next job.
All of which has added up to less time on the internet. I'm hoping to have things more settled by January, and will try to post a bit between now and then...

Oops, Bra & Boobs, and Quiz

THIRD TIME NOT SO LUCKY: Oops

Okay, so November is not yet over, but I think I can safely say that I've failed at NaNoWriMo again :( Still, valuable lessons learned, and all that. Next November, I will find a nice sequestered cave and take a month's vacation from work. Or just have a job that doesn't involve out of control overtime.

DILEMMA: The Bra & Boobs



Erin and Carla both want my bra. What's a girl to do? I should mention that, like all my underwire bras, the wires started trying to escape, so I liberated them... Hmmm. Something for me to ponder for, sure. They would both look very tempting in the bra... or out of it ;)

(The above photo shamelessly stolen from Erin, hopefully she'll understand!)

Since I never ask my friends to do anything I won't do, here's a similar picture of my boobs:


Frankly, I think we all have great boobs, in a bra, out of a bra, or any way you look at it :)

WHICH DISCWORLD CHARACTER ARE YOU?: Quiz

And, because I adore Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, this quiz:

Discworld: Which Ankh-Morpork City Watch Character are YOU?

Her Grace Lady Sybil Ramkin-Vimes, Duchess of Ankh
Take this quiz!








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I like Lady Sybil a great deal, so I'm happy with this result. Now, if only I could find my Sam...

And, as usual, I get more random the later it gets. Definitely time to go to bed!

Creating & Quoting

I've decided to coin a new term - portragasm. I've taken about 800 pictures of my friend Brian, who is as fascinating as he is gorgeous, and looking at them... wow. Just, wow. Which helps explain why I've been too busy to post lately, I'm sure ;) Sadly, that is more truthfully due to the fact that I've been working crazy hours and sick. I'm finally feeling better, and will hopefully have more free time that I don't spend sleeping.

"I feel very rich when I have time to write and very poor when I get a regular paycheck and no time to work at my real work." ~ Natalie Goldberg

"The only thing I know is that if I get to my studio, that means I'm alive today." ~ Robert Farber

Is It a Pearl Necklace?

Yay! I received my Krugy from Doug, and I wanted to assure everyone that he's got a nice new home...

My Sins

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Low
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	High
Envy:	Low
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	Very Low

Discover Your Sins - Click Here

Does it really surprise anyone that I'm Sloth & Lust? Although I would say I'm not so much lazy as committed to too many different projects... Carla, darling, I swear I'm working on the wedding pictures, and should actually finish some soon!

The Five Truths Meme

Doug, how does it feel to be a constant source of inspiration?
List five truths. Five things that are on your mind. Good, bad, it matters not. Lift some weight off.
1. Doug effen rules. Who knew I needed a muse who is sometimes Walnut, sometimes Snape, and occasionally something else entirely? And he's started a whole chain... Through him I found Erin, and ~d, and Dean, and SxKitten, and Jesus Toast, and others... plus, he got me to blog nekkid.
2. I am addicted to Veronica Mars. (and, if you care, I'm absolutely a Logan & Veronica advocate.)
3. I consider Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie to be the best romance novel ever. And her Yahoo! Group, JenniferCrusieFans (AKA the Cherries; I am Cherry Boogie) is an incredible group of people, and the Cherries do indeed know everything!
4. I'm a believer in positive mental energy... For example, I read somewhere (mind you, I read all the time and rarely can put my finger on the source of an idea in a reasonable span of time) that jewelry decorated with cats attracts love. I love cats, and so began to look for the perfect cat charm. Eight months later, here it is:

Finally! I found it at the Feast of the Hunter's Moon, which is a fun way to spend an afternoon and a bit of money... Anyway, do I believe this charm will attract love? Sort of. I think it reminds me in a tangible way of my desire to find love, even when I'm not consciously thinking about it. Sort of a magic subconscious prod. (and, sort of related-ly, I love my Canon Rebel XT, and the ability to instantly take a picture of something and post it to my blog.)
5. The longer I've been awake, the more I ramble. Not that I am ever a model of concise thought, it's just the thought process gets more and more random as the night/early morning rolls on. So, since I got up and noon on Monday, and it is now 4:16 am Tuesday morning, I'm pretty non-linear. "Five truths" was a nicely broad subject, however.

And tagging people for memes? How about anyone who feels inclined, go ahead. If you don't have a blog, I'd be honored to host you in my comments.

Pseudonyms?

So, a few people have given me grief for not blogging under my given name... First, Renee is my middle name, and the nieces and nephews have called me Aunt Nee since day one. Even my youngest sister (who is the same age as my oldest niece) calls me Aunt Nee... Then, there is this:

HowManyOfMe.com

There is: 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

My mother is still convinced that someone may track me through one of my dating profiles, or this blog, and axe murder me, and a pseudonym makes her happier. Overall, I'm alright with it; besides, anyone who knows me irl can tell you the name's the only fake thing here, it's all Renee, baby :)
So, how about you all? Do you use your real name, or a pseudonym? Does it bother you, that I (or anyone) don't use my real name here?

Bone Idol: Starlet

I love Halloween, and designing kooky characters, so this flash game was perfect :)
Try it out for yourself, and be sure to check out the gallery.
Link (via Neatorama)

More Nekkid Blogging: Meet ~d (tilde)

Hey darling - thank god you tried again. I am honored to have contributed, and a poem comes to mind when I look at you:

"attendant upon you

shaken by your beauty

shaken by your beauty

shaken"

- William Carlos Williams, Paterson, book 3

The husband must be a rare and wonderful man, and I'm so glad you chose to share this.
(And how could I forget to include a link to your page? Some days, being a flibbertigibbet is not such a great thing...)

Nekkid Blogging

Doug started it. This little idea in my head... And I thought, maybe if I have time while I'm on vacation. And the idea grew and grew, and took over my mind. Erin O'Brien posted a wonderful pic of herself, and several other bloggers, as well as some famous naked people in chairs.Mom, I know you're too proud for words. Just remember, in the immortal words of Erin O'Brien, "No girl is nekkid, or even half nekkid, as long as she's got her lipstick on. And I have my lipstick on in the pic!"
Eternal gratitude to Brandi, for her encouragement. Also to Christine, my beloved sister-in-law, who assisted with the actual picture taking. And didn't freak out when I said, "Hey Chris! Will you come take naked pictures of me? I can't get a good camera angle."
For Laura, whose "I Am" shook everything I believed, and inspired me with the courage to actually go through with this.

October 3rd - Day Against DRM

Other people have said it better than I can...
Defective By Design
Googlebomb DRM
I heard about this, and most of my tech info from one site:
BoingBoing

Abused Books (Banned Book Week)

Well, it's banned books week. In honor of that, I made a list of 100 books that I've read that have been banned, censored, or challenged. There are a few (notably The Awakening, Grendel, and One Hundred Years of Solitude) that I thoroughly disliked; however, I am against banning them. Oddly, most of the classics listed were not required reading for school, but things I picked up because of their reputation as "Great Books" (Catcher in the Rye, Madame Bovary, Catch 22, and We, for example.)
As usual, I've got a quote that sums up my view quite nicely:
"I would just say to you as students who are supposed to be learning, that as soon as the book is gone from the library, do not walk -- run to your nearest public library or bookseller and find out what your elders don't want you to know, because that's what you need to know!
Don't let them bullshit you and don't let them guide your mind, because once it starts, it never stops. Some of our most famous leaders have been book-banners, like Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin."
Stephen King, from the speech "Banned Books and Other Concerns: the Virginia Beach Lecture" 9-22-86, as published in Secret Windows
(For those who haven't met me, I adore quotes. At times, I'm quite like Mrs. Who from A Wrinkle in Time that way...)
And, without further ado, my list:

A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)	Beauty's Punishment
A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)	Beauty's Release
A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)	The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty
Aldous Huxley	Brave New World
Alex Comfort	The Joy of Sex
Alice Seybold	Lucky: A Memoir
Allen Ginsberg	Howl
Anna Sewell	Black Beauty
Anne Frank	Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl
Anonymous	Go Ask Alice
Arthur Miller	The Crucible
Bill Watterson	Calvin & Hobbes
C.S. Lewis	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Chuck Palahniuk	Fight Club
D.H. Lawrence	Lady Chatterly's Lover
Daniel Keyes	Flowers for Algernon
Dr. Suess	The Lorax
E.B. White	Charlotte's Web
Elizabeth George Spears	The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Gabriel Garcia Marquez	One Hundred Years of Solitude
George Eliot	Silas Marner
George Orwell	1984
George Orwell	Animal Farm
Grace Metalious	Peyton Place
Gustav Flaubert	Madame Bovary
Harper Lee	To Kill a Mockingbird
Henrik Ibsen	A Doll's House
Homer	The Odyssey
Hugh Lofting	The Story of Doctor Dolittle
J.D. Salinger	Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger	Franny and Zooey
J.K. Rowling	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K. Rowling	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J.K. Rowling	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J.K. Rowling	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.M. Barrie	Peter Pan
Jack London	Call of the Wild
Jacob and Wilhelm K. Grimm	The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
Jean Auel	Clan of the Cave Bear
John C. Gardner	Grendel
John Cleland	Fanny Hill
Joseph Conrad	Heart of Darkness
Joseph Heller	Catch 22
Judy Blume	Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
Judy Blume	Blubber
Judy Blume	Deenie
Judy Blume	Then Again, Maybe I Won't
Kate Chopin	The Awakening
Kathleen Winsor	Forever Amber
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.	Cat's Cradle
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.	Welcome to the Monkey House
L. Frank Baum	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Laura Ingalls Wilder	Little House in the Big Woods
Laura Ingalls Wilder	Little House on the Prairie
Lewis Carroll	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lois Duncan	Daughters of Eve
Lois Duncan	Killing Mr. Griffin
Lorraine Hansberry	A Raisin in the Sun
Madeleine L'Engle	A Wrinkle in Time
Mark Twain	Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain	Tom Sawyer
Mary O'Hara	My Friend Flicka
Mary Rodgers	Freaky Friday
Mary Shelley	Frankenstein
Maya Angelou	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Nathaniel Hawthorne	The Scarlet Letter
Ray Bradbury	Fahrenheit 451
Roald Dahl	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl	James & the Giant Peach
Robert A. Heinlein	Stranger in a Strange Land
Robert Cormier	I Am the Cheese
Robert Cormier	The Chocolate War
Robert Lipsyte	One Fat Summer
S.E. Hinton	The Outsiders
Shel Silverstein	A Light in the Attic
Shel Silverstein	Where the Sidewalk Ends
Sinclair Lewis	Babbitt
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle	Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Stephen King	Carrie
Stephen King	Christine
Stephen King	Cujo
Stephen King	Different Seasons
Stephen King	It
Stephen King	The Dead Zone
Stephen King	The Shining
Stephen King	The Stand
Susanna Kaysen	Girl, Interrupted
Sylvia Plath	The Bell Jar
Theodore Dreiser	Sister Carrie
Thomas J. Craughwell	Alligators in the Sewer
Thomas Rockwell	How to Eat Fried Worms
Toni Morrison	Beloved
V.C. Andrews	Flowers in the Attic
Victor Hugo	Les Miserables
Walt Whitman	Leaves of Grass
William Golding	Lord of the Flies
William S. Burroughs	Naked Lunch
Yevgeny Zamyatin	We
	The Bible

So, what are your favorite banned books?

Work In Progress 3

So, I accomplished next to nothing over my four day weekend, except a lot of playing around in Photoshop. I've made some progress, and found a way to trace my lines over all the transparent color layers (which is probably not the technical way to describe it.) Now, I dream about drawing directly on the screen - which doesn't mean I don't love my Wacom Graphire, just that I'm still not as good drawing with it as I am with real pencil and paper.

Work In Progress 2

So, I have too many irons in the fire right now, and I'm working on a lot of different projects a little bit at a time. One of the things I'm continuing to work on is learning Photoshop.
Sleeping at night could be very exciting, as well. This is what I liked enough to post after four hours of working with layers, the airbrush tool, and the dodge/burn tool.

PersonalDNA Test

Advocating Artist

This was amusing, and only took about 15 minutes. Hover your mouse over the colors to see highs / lows represented.

Wendy vs. Peter Pan? @#$% It, I'll be Tiger Lily

Everywhere I turn lately is a reminder that I have yet to decide what to be... you know, when I grow up. Now, many people (my mom, for example) think that 33 is grown up, and I should reconcile myself to the fact that I cannot be: Tina Turner, Veronica Mars, Stephen King, Robin McKinley, Cleopatra, the Baroness Tamara de Lempicka, Vincent van Gogh, e.e. cummings, Johnette Napolitano, Joan Jett, Christopher Moore, Marilyn Monroe, Bill Watterson, Berke Breathed, Georgia O'Keefe, Annie Leibovitz, Jennifer Crusie, or a character in the Harry Potter novels, let alone all of them at the same time. (If you don'tknow who any of these individuals are, check them out. Because I also want to be someone who constantly introduces people to cool artists, writers, musicians, and so on.) My dad claims that he & I both have adult attention deficit disorder, and I think there is some merit in the suggestion. Not in the we-need-medication sense, mind you. More the "I'm a dilettante" fashion.
What did/do you want to be when you grow up?

Can't Fly

Everyone knows that you simply cannot fly without happy thoughts. The thoughts in my head tonight make me want to curl up under my desk, so please, leave a girl a little love and / or a happy thought by way of the comments.

From the Glory Days

You know, back when I actually painted and drew on a regular basis.

So, the first one is Elaine, a color silkscreen. This is what I actually earned my degree in, printmaking.

This is one of many self-portaits, and probably my favorite.

This is an oil painting, of my friend Caleb.

A sketch from life drawing.

A longer pose from life class.

Work In Progress

I am a magpie with a love of costumes, and so have been working on a lot of little images. Currently, I am imitating Les Toil, using his gorgeous big beautiful pinups, adjusting them to look a little more like me, and drawing in costumes.

So, after I have the basic form, I make a copy to draw on. Then, I put one of my fantasy costumes on the drawing (these are the ones I would buy and/or have made if I had an obscene amount of money, and more self confidence than I actually have...)

So, here is my jester, just a sketch so far. I want to color these, and layer the costumes over the base (two skills that are taking me some time to learn. When you hear that Photoshop has a learning curve, it's true.)

Too Many Irons in the Fire

So, I'm clearly getting worse at posting regularly... It's not for lack of ideas. I have about seven projects that I'm working on currently, as well as working 52 or more hours this week, as well as planning my move to Texas this fall. After this week, things should slow down to nearly a stop :) (At least on the work end, where I should just be working 40 hours again most weeks. Really. There's only about three weeks out of the next eight that I've picked up extra hours so far.)
Plus, I'm working on gathering paperwork for bankruptcy, scheduling the lower jaw surgery I've been putting off, and helping the nieces with their photography 4H projects.
In the meantime, I'd like to point you toward some artists who are currently influencing me:
Les Toil (I wanna be a Toil Girl!)
Ruben Esq (the happiest little sexy big girls ever)
Kristen's Sketch Blog (wow. just - wow.) (Sharp eyes will spot my magpie nature at work here. One of her sketches was so delightful, I had to imitate it, exaggerating it to look like me)
Leigh Young (adorable & amazing)

There are a lot of others, but I need to go to bed. Going in to work four hours early for five straight days is kicking my ass :(

Quickie (Quiz, *sigh*) but Amusing

Found this one over at Doug's blog the other day, but had to wait to take it because of Websense :(

Which of Henry VIII's wives are you?
this quiz was made by Lori Fury

13 Days?!? Now for Poetry & Art

Hopeless - Lichtenstein

Alright, thirteen days between posts is ridiculous, even if I'm suffering from a bruised heart. (Courtesy of Mr. Be Charming and Pursue You Relentlessly and then Silently Decamp to Explore Feelings For Someone Else, grrr. But, he always wanted me to mention him on the blog *innocent smile*)

One for Mr. Bruised my heart:
The Flower
I think I grow tensions
like flowers
in a wood where
nobody goes.

Each wound is perfect,
encloses itself in a tiny
imperceptible blossom,
making pain.

Pain is a flower like that one,
like this one,
like that one,
like this one.
~Robert Creeley

Black Iris - O'Keefe

One for all of you who understand my sense of humor ;)
XXVI
Good creatures, do you love your lives
And have you ears for sense?
Here is a knife like other knives,
That cost me eighteen pence.

I need but stick it in my heart
And down will come the sky,
And earth's foundations will depart
And all you folk will die.
~A. E. Housman

Pepper No. 30 - Weston

And some love poems, because I still want to find it...
i carry your heart with me
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
~e. e. cummings

Rose and Driftwood - Adams

SOMEWHERE ON THE WAY
I wanted to say a lot of things:
I wanted to say how often lately
Your bright image has wandered through
The dark rooms of my mind;
I wanted to say how good it is
To wake up every morning
Knowing that the day contains
Something that is you.

I wanted to say a lot of things:
I wanted to talk about
The changing colours of moments,
The silent secret language
Of bodies making love.
I wanted to say that you
Are always only as far from me
As thoughts are from thinking.

I wanted to say I love you
In fourteen foreign languages
But most of all (most
Difficult of all) in English.

I wanted to say a lot of things.
But they all seem to have lost themselves
Somewhere on the way. And now I’m here
There’s nothing I can say except
Hello, and Yes I’d like some coffee, and
What shall we find to talk about
Before the night burns out?
~Peter Roche

(I don't know who did this sculpture)

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite a new thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like,, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh . . . . And eyes big Love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill

of under me you quite so new

~e.e. cummings

Mischief and Repose - Godward

Now, just because I love them so much:
Pursuit
Each thing I do I rush through so I can do
something else. In such a way do the days pass -
a blend of stock car racing and the never
ending building of a gothic cathedral.
Through the windows of my speeding car, I see
all that I love falling away: books unread,
jokes untold, landscapes unvisited. And why?
What treasure do I expect in my future?
Rather it is the confusion of childhood
loping behind me, the chaos in the mind,
the failure chipping away at each success.
Glancing over my shoulder I see its shape
and so move forward, as someone in the woods
at night might hear the sound of approaching feet
and stop to listen, then, instead of silence
he hears some creature trying to be silent.
What else can he do but run? Rushing blindly
down the path, stumbling, struck in the face by sticks;
the other ever closer, yet not really
hurrying or out of breath, teasing its kill.
~Stephen Dobyns

Starry Night over the Rhone at Arlis - van Gogh

Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
~Mary Oliver

Bewitched Mill - Marc

More Fun: Two of My Favorite Guys

Okay, these are more of the altered manga-esque transformations, this time of two of my favorite guys. First is Billy, who keeps me sane, and saves me from myself over and over. Next is Brian, one of the most amazing people I've ever met.