So this girl walk into the shop this afternoon…

 

She’s probably in her 20s, dyed pink hair, baseball cap, coat way too big, chunky high heel booties and no socks (it’s 23F and blowing at around 14mph so me, I’d opt for socks on a day like this). She’s got a tattoo around her neck, and some stars by one eye. She’s high on something or maybe coming down, very soft-spoken, and weepy. She talks to herself a lot.

I am simultaneously repulsed and sorrowful. Repulsed because she’s so out of it, so not here, and who knows what she’ll do? Steal stuff? Freak out? Sorrowful because whatever road brought her to where she is has not been a happy one.

She has keys and a car she can’t drive because she doesn’t have a license. Her friends left her. One of her boyfriends beat her so bad she has brain damage. She has a son. She likes the fake gold snake belt and matching bracelet, the samurai sword with the leopard sheath, and a gold plate necklace. She trades a knife for the sword.

She was still there when I left, freaking out over the fact she was much further away from home than she thought (she didn’t even know what town she was in), and I wonder what will happen to her. Where will she go? There are no homeless shelters in rural Maine. How will she get home? What kind of friends leave someone under those conditions? Did they just ditch her because she’s a pain in the ass? I mean, I didn’t enjoy having her about so I can’t imagine anyone else would. But still, pretty shitty.

Then there’s the car. Who drove if she didn’t? Did they leave on foot? Because it wasn’t nice weather to be out in for any length of time unless you were dressed for it. She sure wasn’t. But I didn’t see who (if anyone) she came in with.

Now, why am I telling you this sad story?

Two reasons. One, something about her made me think about her and her story and how shitty it is right now and I needed to share it. Two, because maybe we can think of a happier ending for her. Does group positive thinking/prayer work? No idea, but it can’t hurt so that’s my challenge. Think of a happy ending for this girl. A way off that road and onto a better one.

In my perfect world, there would be someone to call to help, or at least offer help if she needs it, a ride home maybe. Sometimes it only takes a small act of kindness to make a change and it never hurt anyone to be kind. Anyway, I hope she can find her way out to a happier place, and I sure hope she finds some better friends.

***

 In other news, I’ve read three books this year so far:

 

The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu – winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel – hard scifi and over my head at times, no characters to care about, but I couldn’t put it down

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt – Horror. Imagine living in a town with a witch and a vow of secrecy.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune – fantasy starring a very unlikely hero who works for The Department of Magical Youth and the magical youth he’s sent to investigate. Among them, Lucy, aka Lucifer, a six-year old boy, a boy-creature whose dream is to become a bellhop, a gnome, and some locals who don’t particularly like have an island full of potentially dangerous magical youth next door.

Currently reading The Death of Jane Lawrence, watched The Witcher and am so bummed I have who knows how long before another season *sigh* also watching Star Trek: Discovery, Killing Eve, and The Great.

 ***

Finally, an amazing chalk drawing my sister did, preserved in digital form only since it was for school and every week or so she erases the old and puts up a new one.

 

Books and underwear

First the books I have to tell you about, both MG (yes, I read all over the place):

If you like ghosts and hauntings and all the contraptions needed for avoiding them, this is the book for you: Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts by Dianne K. Salerni. Here you will find Eleanor Roosevelt as a young girl, living with her cheap-ass grandmother and a ghost that climbs the stairs every day at the same time. This ghost is not to be feared, however, because as he's an 'unaware.' Unaware ghosts do not understand that they are dead and generally don't interact with the living. Friendly ghosts interact with the living in harmless ways. And then there are vengeful ghosts...

Needless to say that is exactly the kind of ghost that erupts at Eleanor's aunt's house where Alice has come to visit, and soon the two girls, at odds to start, will have to join forces before the ghost does more than stack chairs on the dining room table.

I LOVED this book and all the ghostly things in it, like the Manhattan Ghost Diagnostics Guild, The New York Supernatural Registry, the different types of ghosts, and the ghostly advertisements, like for the Edison Lamp: Get out fast and get out safely!

In A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher a young wizard named Mona has only the power of sourdough. And yet, she manages to save an entire city. How does she do it? Well, you'll have to read to find out but I will say it involves gingerbread men, a thief, and Bob (the immense blob of sourdough Mona keeps in the basement. And fyi, Bob is in the basement for a good reason...). I adored this book so much! I loved Mona and her sassy attitude and her love of baking. Bob was pretty cool, too :) 

 

Now to discuss (briefly, pun intended) Underwear. Most of us wear them but I'd be willing to wager that I'm not the only one who has a hard time finding a decent pair of underwear. Here's what I want: bikini style, fun colors or patterns, 100% cotton, and NO RIDE UP!!! Is that really so hard?

Last but not least, Wednesday Art -

 

A bookmark that took a rather long time. I used pen (micron black .005) , white Gelly Roll, watercolor, and colored pencil. It measures approximately 2.5" x 6" - I'm guessing but it's basically bookmark size, maybe a little shorter and wider. Anyway. It took so long because I had to plot out the spaces evenly, which required a ruler and lots of measuring. Nevertheless, I'm pretty happy with the way it came out and am thinking of doing a larger version to matte and frame. Wednesday is art day so we'll see...

 

Have a happy week with as little stress as possible.

Sunday Pics - Leu Gardens and my new favorite artist

I recently went to Florida to visit my mom and while there we went to Leu Gardens (one of our favorite places), and the Museum of Art in Orlando where I discovered my new favorite artist. But first the gardens. Because, well, flowers.

If you haven't noticed it by now, let me make it clear. I adore flowers and gardens. I could take pictures of them forever, because even a bad picture of a flower can be beautiful. And the colors...oh my! Flowers stun me with their fabulous colors. If only I had a green thumb to go along with my love...

Anyway. Leu Gardens, which was exceedingly hot and humid, but still lovely...

This is a darling little cottage on the property where a black cat was being fed on the front step.

The roses had long since gone by for the most part, but I did manage to find a few that were blooming

Love this cool bird house, though I don't think it's actually a bird house. My boss said butterfly house which makes sense since this was in the 'butterfly garden' but I never knew butterflies needed houses.

No idea what this flower is but wow. Is it not fabulously gorgeous?!

My new favorite artist. Jon Muth. I love him.

Dust Devils.

This is not Jon Muth. I recognized it immediately as a Ralph Blakelock because we have one of his paintings at the pawn shop where I work. I love him, too.

There was more, as you can imagine, but the only other artist I'll tell you about is Nick Cave. Some of his 'sound suits' were on display, and there was a video of a person in one of his suits, moving. The image was then doubled, or mirrored, creating a 42 minute film. I couldn't find a link to what I saw, which was mesmerizing, but this short clip gives you an idea and there are a few brief bits showing parts of the video. It's the black and white one, a bit like a Rorschach image.



So. Wow, right? Lot's of cool stuff to digest. I also read FOUR books, which I will be telling you about in future posts, and saw a movie I can't review without giving anything away but must recommend: A Simple Favor. That's all I'll say.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Since I've been gone...

A lot has happened since I last posted. I had to make an unexpected trip to Florida to help my mom (who has NO WiFi!!!) who had surgery. It was very good to see her though I wish it had been under better circumstances. Usually we go out and do stuff and I take lots of pics. But there wasn't much of that since she wasn't up to it. I did however manage to take two pics I will share.

I saw this guy on one of my mom's plants. He was LARGE. Way bigger than the grasshoppers we have in Maine. She wanted me to kill it because he would eat an entire plant in no time. I couldn't. I did have a talk with him and didn't see him again.

 This is a wild flower growing on my mom's porch. We tried to identify it but couldn't. Anyone out there know what this flower is?

I also saw a rainbow on my way back from seeing Blade Runner 2049 a few weeks previous.

 Blade Runner was awesome, by the way, and I highly recommend it though you do really need to see the first one.

Finally, I completed this, a 'copy' of a work done by Edward Gorey.  

It took me a while but I'm fairly pleased with the way it came out.

The weather is still nice here, thankfully, though very very dry. We've had almost no rain in months it seems. It rained more in Florida in the week I was there so I have to hope we'll get some soon though it will be dreary.

Still working on my new WIP, 23K, and I read three books, one of which I will be telling you about on Friday for the Cephalopod Coffeehouse.

Now, tell me what's up with you. Something interesting must've happened in the last few weeks.

Today is art day

Yesterday I went to my sister's for art day. Art day is a day when you hang out with a friend or two and create art. I've been doing this with my friend Lori off an on for the past few months and I thought I'd share the major piece I was working on as well as a few others.

My major project has been Red (Riding Hood), who I think I spent more time on than any other piece of art ever. Here's an early incarnation, which prompted the full blown Red...

 

I think I spent over 15 hours on her. Of course, she'd look better if I could take a proper pic but art work is hard to photograph well unless it's small.

This was a quickie, which I did in an hour or so

I want to do a more a more elaborate/detailed version of this (Sleeping Beauty, of course). I seem to like her for some reason...

But I don't always draw fairy tale characters. Sometimes I do trees...

This one isn't quite finished yet but I think he'll be pretty when he's done.

And this is a card I'll send to someone. I've done this design on bookmarks and other cards as well. I call it Island in the Sun.

And now I'll add another goal to my list: learn to take better pics of my art!

Hope you all have a a fabulous week :)

ps 14 days til spring...even though its been miserably cold these last few days.

You tell me

As some of you may remember, I posted at the beginning of the summer how I was trying to sell my wicked cute little house. It is now almost November, and I've had quite a few lookers, but no takers. I'm considering the idea of renting my house out, which would allow to me to move in with my sister, but I wonder how having renters in the house might affect selling. I'm also hoping some of you are landlords and can advise me of all the things to beware of, should I decide to rent. Certainly I'll check any potential tenants out, but beyond that, what should I know before committing to the idea? Maybe it's more of a headache than I want.

What do you think?

I'll leave you with the hope for a wonderful week and a few more pumpkin pics from past years...

Happy Halloween :)

The biggest and a small story

Finally the last of this year's pumpkin pics - or, at least the last of the pics I deem worthy to share. There were a bunch I didn't include because they didn't make 'the grade' (only B+ pumpkins and better make it into my pumpkin pics).

Outside Maine Coast Bookshop - our local bookstore

Look closely at this one...

This pumpkin looks a little tipsy.

The biggest...

HOLY COW!!!!

And finally, a small story...

By the time this happened I had made my circuit of the town and was just before the bridge, taking the last pics before crossing and heading up the hill back home. So maybe I was a little tired. And I had to go to the bathroom. Anyway I was trying to take a picture of this pumpkin which wasn't even all that spectacular and the only reason he gets a place is because of these people.

And let me say right off that I wouldn't have taken this pic if they hadn't been standing there FOREVER. I was waiting and waiting and waiting and they kept talking and flirting and he was telling some story about how he woke up naked in bed and blah blah blah CAN YOU NOT SEE I'M TRYING TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS DAMN PUMPKIN HERE?!!! But no. They did not see me. They just kept talking and then this other girl joined them...you know, to talk some more.

Mind you, I'm still waiting with my camera poised and ready and I've already taken a couple pics of them, like, hello? Hint, hint. And then what do they do? The girls get the guy to take some pictures of THEM, posing by the river with the foliage. And not just one picture. And then the girls had to look at the pictures and make sure they were okay. OMG.

And sweatpants? Dude. Really?

And all for this...

Like I said. Not the most impressive pumpkin in the patch. But I finally got the picture.

See how much fun Pumpkinfest is? And I didn't even go to the Regatta which is like standing room only. But you can read about it and see pics of it here. Seriously, if you live in New England, it might be worth the drive next year plus there's Biscay Orchards nearby and they have the best apples and these killer pumpkin donuts.

Okay. Enough said. Have an awesome weekend :)

But wait...there's more...

Pumpkins of course!

And more foliage...This tree is especially beautiful every year.

See you on Friday with a last batch of pumpkin pics and a story :)