Monster ATC Trade

On Monday ArtDay ATC, we have been doing a   theme trade, using the letters of the alphabet.  I'm hosting "Monsters" and here are some of the ATC's that I've received so far - rather fun eh?  Everyone sends in 3 cards, and get's 3 back.  You get great stuff. 

Happy Animal Wednesday

I really like Animal Wednesday - do I post a crazy drawing?,  a whimsical one?  or a plain animal one"?

Today I'm going with whimsical - strange fishy creatures with decorated fins - gliding thru the sea.  There's a little house for someone to live in, but perhaps she's riding off on her footed bicycle. 

The Seven Deadly Sins (or random facts)

Sarah gave a challenge to list 7 Random or wierd things about yourself.  (I thought a title of "Deadly Sins" would be eyecatching, but I can't think of 7 deadly things).  So here are my random/weird facts. 

1) One foot is about 1 shoe size bigger than the other.  I either have to have one shoe falling off or one tight as a bell, as I am too cheap to buy 2 pairs of shoes in different sizes. 

2) I loved my teddy bear, Timothy, and slept with him until I was about 20 - when a new dog chewed off his face. 

3) I love plants, and love to garden but actually have a black thumb

4) I am scared to death of the telephone and will go to great lengths to stay off it except with mom, who I talk to every day

5) I can only sleep on my left side...not on my back and not on my right side.  Just doesn't work! 

6) Sidewalks are the only natural places to walk in my book.  

7) A good cup of coffee is better than sex, drugs or rock and roll! 

Tag yourselves and see what you come up with - let me know! 

Poem challenge from HB.

I have never been much of a poetry lover, takes a bit too much brain power to understand the meaning behind the words in most cases but I've always liked this Emily Dickinson poem.  HB sent out a little challenge to change the words for your own poem, so I decided to give it a try.  Follow the links in the blogs to get to the initial challenge. 

The Original Version

I'm nobody! Who are you? 

Are you nobody, too? 

Then there's a pair of us = don't tell!

They"d banish us, you know

How dreary to be somebody

How public, like a frog

To tell your name the livelong day

To an admiring bog!

The Mim Version

I'm a Noodle!  Who are you? 

Are you a pasta, too? 

Then there's a big bowl of us - don't tell!

They'd eat us up, you know

How nice to be a noodle

How steamy, with a haze

You show your carbs the livelong day

To a hungry gaze! 

Silly, but fun

My FIRST successful scan on Ms. Mac

Had to download different drivers for my scanner - hope it stays working.  Little airplane doodle drawing. 

Sunday - reflections

Being on planes for about 20 hours in the last two weeks gives me time to listen to books and to doodle.  I got this great new sketchbook that I bought on line at Etsy, and have been taking it with me everywhere. It's so great, lots of different kinds of paper in one book, handy size, interesting looking with little pockets in the front and back and an elastic band.  

Anyway, I started doodling after being in Florida last week with my folks and just let my mind go where it wanted to.  I ended up with my little line drawing people, with entwined arms.  Working on it yesterday on the plane home I realized how much this is about my mom and dad - together for almost 60 years - maybe a handful of nights apart in that time.  Devoted, yet real human emotions always showing thru.     Determined to bring up their kids with good educations and give them great starts in life, and they did what they had to do to get us there. Always lived in apartments until they bought their own house 15 years ago, - all in all, a very loving, and quite lively, couple. 

I think that Mom still hopes that Dad will "get better" but don't think he will this time.  His looks remind me of a post that Ellis did on IFN - an old man in a hospital -  minus the tube so far, but very similar.   To give him his due, the man has survived polio, diptheria, three types of cancer, broken hip and back,  and is 94 years old.  He's had his innings, but as I said to FY - it doesn't matter if he is old, young or whatever - he's still my dad - and when he goes I will mourn and miss him terrible. 

But until then...he will happily have his scotch every afternoon and enjoy that as long as he can. 

Illustration Friday - Wrinkles

Oh boy - what a topic.  My hands...my face... 

But I choose to show how "wrinkled" my clothes get when I travel.  This suitcase has seen alot of miles and with good rolled packing, can get me thru two weeks of travel.  

I am still scanning on one computer and then uploading to the second one, and the colors are coming out different between the two.  Not sure why the background is coming out so grey, and don't know enough about the programs on this computer to fix it. This is where those "for dummies" books will come in handy.