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Here's a place to find photographs to use for reference or whatever. It appears to be free for public use... I hope I read that right. Its called MorgueFile.
PS... upon closer look it may be that some are free for public use and some are not. Please check for availability before using. Thank you.
I love them, don't you? I think I've only ever received one and that was over three decades ago. There might have been two, but surely no more than that. And I've just stumbled across a bevy of them. Be still my heart!
I was crawling through my bookmarks and got to Karen Winters' blog. She's the one who directed me to Danny Gregory's blog. Now I have his site bookmarked, but its in an older folder and I don't always get to it. (I'm moving it to my 'favorite blogs' folder today.) And I know gobs and gobs of people already know about Danny's site, but perhaps not everyone, so I'm pointing you in that direction.
On the odd chance that someone might go through my archives here is where you will find Danny's illustrated letters post. He held a "contest" and people from all over the world entered. Just click on "VISIT THE ILLUSTRATED LETTERS HERE" link. They're great!!
Crusty's Morsels
1. I don't like it when comedians take cheap shots just for a laugh...Prince Charles and Carmilla can't help what their physical appearance looks like. And I don't think the jokes are funny. And I don't think Carmilla is ugly. (my apologies if I spelled her name wrong.)
2. I keep having dreams of intimidation.
3. I'm marking off the days on the calendar until the 22nd of January. That's when my deranged neighbor is suppose to be out of her apartment. She's been quiet the last three nights.
4. I will often have images of people's faces flash through my mind when I'm waiting for sleep to come. Last night one of the images was the back side of two hairy legs of a man. Huh?
5. I tried to do some sketches, but its been so long I'm going to have to 'warm up' to it. I don't seem to have patience. Or focus.
6. If I could change who I am, my personality, I would.
7. I've been feeling depressed over all the violence in the world. Lack of sunshine and constant rain may be contributing to it.
8. We are having a break in the rain right now (a whole day, yahoo) and I must get my butt to the store this morning. Rain is forecasted for early afternoon. Since my windshield wipers don't work, timing is everything.
9. I'm not going to see about fixing the wiper arms until after the neighbor is gone. I don't want to give her something to break again.
10. My son called last night to ask me what my maiden name was... he was getting his birth certificate. I'm thinking he might be going for a passport.
11. I will be jumping into the shower when I finish this list.
12. A friend gave me a subscription to Vanity Fair magazine. Its got the best horoscopes that I've ever read. Guess I'll be able to read the articles now, but boy, does it ever have gobs of ads! Actually, I think that's all it is... a catalog of advertisements.
13. Hackers and virus creators suck and I hope they all get physical infections.
I have no title. How will I know what to write about if I have no title. Dilemma dilemma. And isn't that an odd looking word dilemma. Odd, indeed.
Sigh.
It feels like all my illustions about the world and about life are popping... popping like corn. Perhaps that is why old crones are bitter. The fantasies have all died to be replaced with reality.
The justice system exists to protect the criminal. (Can you say "OJ") Law and Order exists only when everyone buys into it. And money is what makes the world go around. Some would argue it is the love of money that does it, and I wouldn't debate that detail... but money, whether that equates to power or not, seems to be what motivates people.
Oh sure... there are exceptions, but I'm talking generalities here. I use to deride the police and the number of people they kill. Now I am more inclined to say Kill the MFs... save the county some money and get the f**kers off the street. They're just a pain in the ass!
So many things turn out to be deceptions. Tooth Fairies, Santa Claus, government intregity, religion, the list can go on and on.
Where's that chill-pill?
Guess what... Its still raining! There are low-lying areas around the city that are flooding but most of the city and suburbs are not affected. That doesn't diminish the problems that some folks are having to deal with... its just that the whole area is not affected. We are suppose to be getting a 24+ hour period of no rain, which will be gratefully accepted. I have a mildew/mold problem here in the apartment and it seems to be directly related to the rain, smell wise anyway. I've reported to the manager and will see what can be done.
Yesterday the children's program Reading Rainbow featured a book written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco titled Rechenka's Eggs. Loved the illustrations and the story. They also showed the author making beautiful dyed eggs. (I don't know the term used for these eggs. I think its a Russian art form. My ignorance is showing.) What a process... makes one appreciate the art even more.
If you want to check out her illustrations, go here. If you go to her home page (see link above) and scroll down just a little, there's "author info" and you can see where she lives and works... and you can even see her with her pygmi goats.
Our local public channel has started a new art series on drawing. Its good. I've gotten a lot of information and I've only watched it twice. He's a very good technician.... but... you knew there was a 'but' coming, didn't you. Well, my 'but' is that the portraits/drawings look great and are done so quickly, its amazing, but they don't look like the models. The portrait of the little girl looks like a blonde haired little girl, but it doesn't look like the person. Today he did a man and wife. The wife's face was on the long side, but he made it short. Her nose was just a tad long, which matches the shape of her face, but he made it short. Is that what happens when you get a lot of technical training? Traditional training? The drawings looked great... just didn't look like the person/people. I don't want to put his name down here because he may google himself to see what the buzz is and I don't feel like being exposed. Oh... and let me say I really like how the video was done. You can see the model and the drawing at the same time. Did I mention I am NOT a pillar of integrity?
January 22nd is the grand finale... that is the date the crazy neighbor is suppose to be out. I've started marking off the calendar.
What was I thinking? I didn't feel like making my crazy neighbor's life any more difficult than it already was, after all she was given notice to move in 30 days. When she attacked my car the property manager said if I filed a complaint and got a copy of it she could be removed in three days. I wavered. That damned "niceness" gets in the way some times. I asked the Universe (with a capital U) to give me an answer... do I follow through on the complaint or not. I just got my answer.
The woman has been drinking all night. People coming and going from her apartment. Music playing, but not quite as loud as usual. I just stepped out on my porch area to have a cigarette. Its raining so I had my umbrella. I noticed the outdoor safety light bulbs were missing again. All of a sudden someone tries to grab my umbrella. The drunken crazy lady... trying to start something, running her mouth although its hard to understand her. "There's no witnesses now." "I'll get you. And I want your son, too." And she spit at me as I was going in my apartment.
The Universe answered my question. Her crazy ass needs to get out of here. The sooner the better. Her actions are causing her all her problems and she seems to relish it.
(note to me: 6:50am phone call)
Crusty's Morsels
1. I missed doing TT13 last week. I'm not sure I will get thirteen listed... I live a very boring life.
2. I've been in a strange place lately. No, not my apartment. I mean emotionally. BORING.
3. I saw my deranged neighbor take in a supply of moving boxes yesterday. I wish I knew if she would be staying until her time is up or if she will try to be out by the first of the month. I doubt the first is her goal... that's only two+ days. She has a load of stuff to move. Her apt. is crammed with stuff.
4. I don't truly hold any ill will towards my neighbor, although I've been trying to. Maybe that's why I've been in a strange place lately.
5. I don't 'get' a lot of the art that is out there. And I'm not saying its necessarily the art work. It may be more a problem of my own restricted thinking... but my gawd, you mean you actually paid money for that piece of crap?! See. I'm such a pedestrian sometimes. Holy Crap, Batman... you mean they devoted a full gallery for displaying that bullshit?! Yet at the same time there have been a painting here and there that I could relate too. Sigh. Such a pedestrian!
6. I'm babysitting one of my grandsons this New Year's Eve.... until the following evening. I can't do both at once so 'mom' has to line up two babysitters. I wish I was a better grandma, but I'm not so suck it up and move on with your life.
7. I'm gonna be chopping off my hair in the next few days. The only reason its as long as it is is because I didn't have any scissors that would cut hair. Fortunately, it doesn't make any difference what it looks like when done so no pressure there.
8. I've discovered a new coffee house fairly close to my place. Not a big deal, I know, but I discovered it by reading a blog and following a link. Gotta love those blogs.
9. I seldom get commercial coffee drinks anymore. I can take the money spent on one cup and buy some flavoring of my own that will last several days... and I like it better.
10. I'm impressed that Leanne can actually get through all her TT13 partners (reading the entries). That takes dogged determination. Its particularly impressive since she has family to care for and paintings to paint.
11. So, how much money do you make from selling your art?
12. Its interesting to see how many people feel their situation is "special" when in fact there are gazillion others going through the same thing. The big picture is illuminating.
13. Buggar buggar puddin' tain... Ask me again and I'll tell you the same. Huh?
"Naughty Mommy"... I just know I've seen that name on a link somewhere... on a blog or two, but can I find it now? Noooooo, of course not. I can't even find the blog using google or the google blog search.
The Today Show had yet another author who bloomed first in a blog. Confessions of a Naughty Mommy. Her first book began as a blog. I wanted to check out her blog, but no luck. I guess I should have clicked on the link when I saw it, but since I'm no longer a young 'mommy' I didn't.
I think it is so marvelous how the blogging community is sprouting all these wonderful authors. Sometimes I wonder if some people would have written books if the web and blogging did not exist. Gotta love the technology, gotta hate the hackers. Green? No... no... I'm not green. That's just the light from the window.
Another entry goes under the "completed" side of the Christmas ledger. Although today is the actual Christmas holiday, for me it is complete... done and over. Our family gets together on Christmas Eve and then the individual units can get together with the other side of the families on Christmas day.
Several years ago we stopped gift-giving for the adults. There were too many kids and it put a strain on the bank accounts. We now only get presents for the kids. And when you hit 18 you are no longer considered a child. We did something a little differently this time. We did not "assign" gifts to any particular person. The gifts were identified as to appropriateness based on age and gender ("toddler/boy" for example). Then the kids took turns picking their own presents. Got a dumb gift... well, you picked it.
Oh... and I have another new grandchild. Surprise! My son and his wife were expecting and her due date was December 28th. I walked into the house and there sat my daughter Candace holding an infant. Huh? Whose baby is that?! Come on brain, kick in any time here.
Apparently the babe decided to come a few days early. The wife's water broke and labor was induced... and the baby joined us on December 22nd. This is the wife's fourth child and my son's fifth child... but it is their first child together. Big family, huh. Eight kids now, but not all live on a continous bases with my son. He shares custody of his kids with the mothers (yes, pural). The wife has three children and she has sole custody. They are very well mannered children, too, especially when you consider their ages, 11, 13, and 16.
My son is the only one who has a house big enough to hold us all so most get togethers are done at his place. (Plus that means they don't have to form a caravan to drive anywhere since its hard to fit eight kids and two adults into a single SUV. Maybe they need to get a small school bus, huh.)
We ate first and then each child took a turn opening a present.
My little guy Darius got to pick the first gift.
No one in the family really knows how charming he can be because he always seems to be very cranky which is blamed on no naps. This night was no different. Both of the boys (Candace's off spring) were cranky.
Some of the gifts were "KEWL!!" Most of mine were duds, darn it.
(Got three orbs in this photo... two might be hard to see.)
A good time was had by all and to all a good night nurse!
And a minor update on my deranged neighbor... this morning I noticed my door mat is missing. I think I was being kind when I said she had the emotional maturity of a ten yr old. My apologies to the ten yr olds. Its more like a two yr old. This morning I was not feeling so hostile towards her... that is until I noticed the mat was missing. Its interesting to watch how she brings all this drama onto herself. She is, indeed, creating her own world... her own miserable, victimized world. And I am a blue-eyed evil devil.
Here I sit... 4am... hammer sits beside me. And I'm seething. The drunken neighbor attacked my car with a hammer. But let me back up four hours.
I was awakened about 11:30pm... another cop at my door. (Why do they knock on my door? I'm not the one calling them. A coward must be using my apartment number to complain.) The neighbor's music is blasting. The cop is telling me she won't open the door and there's nothing he can do about it. Again. Okay.
I've been up since then, listening to her go out and back in, out and back inside again. When I went out for a smoke, the last safety lightbulb was missing, my chair was missing, and my tin for my cigarette butts was missing. There was a pile of soaked newspaper right in front of my door. Yes, ladies and gentlement, this is an excellent example of the level of maturity that I, and the other tenants, have to deal with regarding this neighbor.
This neighbor is angry because she was given notice that she would have to move. Since my son is the property manager, she's taking her anger out on me. And she is drunk tonight. And she went too far.
About 3am I hear some banging outside. I start to let it go but then I remembered my car out there. 'And hey, don't forget the neighbor is drunk and angry!' I jumped to the door... and there she was screaming as she came up the porch steps... with a hammer in her hand. And since I'm so clever and smart as a whip, it takes me several minutes to finally realized that she must have been beating on my car. You say you have a bridge to sell??
The windshield wipers are completely mangled... the whole arm... both of them. Both license plates were all mangled up as well. It was dark and I didn't see anything else. Do you know how to spell FUMING? Well, that's where I was, but just not at the point of insanity.
So I called the police to report it. How fruitless. The neighbor simply refuses to open the door and there's nothing the cops can do. (And you will note this is the second time they have been out here because of this neighbor.) I could have signed a complaint and had to go to court. My bet would be that she wouldn't show up anyway... and there's not much that can be done.
So here I sit trying to listen so if she goes back outside, me and my hammer follow her. I don't intend to use the hammer, but the neighbor needs to know she is in danger.
And none of it will ever be her fault.
Well, maybe not technically done. The "gift procurements" are done, as is my bank account. Funny how that seems to happen a lot, both going belly up at the same time. The wrapping hasn't started though. I always under-estimate how long wrapping actually takes, too. Especially for someone who is easily distracted. "What... what did that commercial say? Now I'm going to have to watch the whole program to see if the commercial is played again. oh well."
I'm tired of rain. I'm tired of moisture. I'm tired of dampness.
Rain, Rain
Go Away.
Come again
Another day.
Little Johnny
Wants to Play.
The neighbor received a notice of termination... terminating the rental agreement "without cause", but she knows why. Her music. Her very loud music in the middle of the night. She came to me asking me if I would talk to my son about it. I had to remind her that I do not interfer in my son's business.
Her usual way of reacting to anyone who asked her to turn the music down was to ignore them. That's what she did when the police knocked on her door... she just didn't open it. She talked to me about it. What she really tries to do is rationalize it. She has a lot of justifications. And she shares them often.
I hope she finds a place that is even better suited to her needs.
Everywhere, blessings are there if we are able to take note of them. And sometimes they just come up to you and slap you in the face. You don't have to worry about taking note of those kind.
Someone sent me a totally unexpected gift... a wonderful gift... one of those gifts that fit everyone perfectly. It goes with everything, fits everyone, and matches with every decor. It came with a lovely Christmas card, too. What a blessing. And what a treasure the sender is... a treasure that blesses the world. And it was a complete surprise. Santa? Is that you, Santa?
More blessings. Remember my 'car situation'? I think the burning smell has actually turned out to be just a plastic bag caught up around the muffler or hot tailpipe. One of my daughters came by yesterday and we did a little shopping. (What a mad house it is out there!!) I was telling her about the car smell and she said she had the same thing happen to her... and, indeed, it turned out to be a plastic bag melting. She took a look under the car and spotted the bag so YAHOO! BIG CHEER!! Fear of the unknown dissipated immediately.
Its a clear sunshiny day... the kind that makes you hunch over and wear ten layers of clothing... but the sun is out. Time to stock up today in preparation for the possible ice storm tonight. All I know is that if you spit, its gonna freeze. brrrrr I feel so cozy and warm in my apartment. And speaking of 'warm'... I got my first electric bill today and look.... I'm still sitting upright. It didn't knock me over or anything. Its totally do-able. (I feel badly for those who have to heat large houses with an oil furnace.)
What a great day! I hope some holiday cheer spills all over you today.
