Sedona

Log ride with the grandkids. They both ducked!

giant water turtle

This turtle including its long tail was bigger than my 7 year old granddaughter and surely weighed more.

It looked like it could benefit from a few scavenger friends to help keep it clean of algae though.

Petting Sting Rays

This was so much fun. You put 2 fingers in the water (more scares them into thinking you'll hit their eyes) and they come up to you and rub against your fingers.

They are soft and silky to the touch. The have the appearance of any pet wanting to be petted as they come around the tank lifting up their flaps to your fingers to rub against you.

Serenity

Dear Brother

I can't stop thinking of you lately.
I always miss you.
I think of calling Dad to hear your voice.
I hope you can't see me as I am now.
I felt good when I shaved my head and I want to do it again.... it scares people though.
I am trying to do better but there is such a weight.
I have secrets meant only for you.

Cactus Hot Air Balloon

This is the sight I woke up to this morning, looking out my front door.

It felt like something special was going to happen today.

Green Purse

Green Miyazaki inspired purse

soot sprite and kodama dangles

goofy writing pen

Kodama and Spirited Away pins

Pink Purse

Pink Miyazaki inspired purse.

I sometimes miss my other families....

I haven't played with my SIMS in a loooong time. I have most of the extra packs, excepts Seasons and Fashion Show. I changed everything when I added Pets. Because I play with mods... it's more fun that way for me so I can maintain Utopia! And thus my husband calls me the Golden Goddess because I don't let anything bad happen to anyone if I can help it.
But animals run around in and out of your home, which is fine except if you want them to behave normally you can't be modding at the time. It's a good way to get them trained well right away but luckily only one bachelor got a dog so far. I have so many families it isn't even funny and they've all had tons of kids, twins a lot... you mod force twins an in the interest of time and my fascination with twins, I make a lot of them. This is Pansy and Lang when they were kids. They're teens now and if I would ever get back into playing them, they would be grown by now. I take a lot of pictures of my Sims... or did. Now not so much. Just several at each stage. I moved onto the game SPORE also a SIM game going from microbe to exploring space in various stages. It is a harder SIM for me as I'm not playing with any mods. My grandson is farther along in the game on his planet than I am. My husband says its cause I'm too much of a perfectionist and my grandson just plays for fun. Makes sense.

I haven't snapped a good pic of my dog yet and I have had her 6 months already.

She is so black that the lighting has to be just right or you have to be far away and not disturbing her and try zooming in. She has the most beautiful hazel eyes and you can't even see them in this pic.

She is sitting in front a dog sized sofa HOLE she has dug for herself in the back yard. She started digging it one day when she wasn't feeling well and we just let her, anything to distract her from how she was feeling that day (which we did end up at the vet's office anyway). She'll be 6 years old in July(which is a guess because she was a shelter dog when she was little) We are going to celebrate her in August because that is when we got her last year. She's a great dog and I don't know what I'd do without her. I still miss my Charlie Bear Lee who passed last May but she has helped me move on.

More Superbowl pics

The coin toss.



















Our seats highlighted in yellow.

Every seat had a cushion with a zippered pouch on it. Inside the pouch were Superbowl coins, a mini flashlight for the half-time show and other advertisements. We brought our cushions home but i have no idea what we need them for.

Water birds at Crystal and Honeymoon beaches

They like peanuts... a lot. And I had extra from the plane trip. In the video my husband took they are swarming around me all in the air like something from the movie 'The Birds'.











Patiently waiting birds.


Crystal Beach where we saw I believe to be a Heron. I tried to walk up to it but it just kept moving the closer I got.

It wasn't like I thought I'd get to pet it, I just wanted to take a picture with it.

Landlocked No More

This is the view out of the plane on the way to Tampa Bay. I live in the desert and have been landlocked for nearly 25 years.

It scares me to fly and even more so over water but I was so happy to finally be getting to go to a BEACH.

So, here I am gazing at the waters of Honeymoon Beach in Tampa Bay. I took the time to pick up shells and a rock, feed the birds, take pictures and just absorb the whole experience.
It was too cold to go in the water but being there was just enough this time. There is something so serene about rolling waves of water.

The lines, oh my!

This is a line that snakes back and forth to the first check point to get in the stadium. There are just as many people zig zaging their way behind us.

Keep in mind this is all the people we could get in the shot, there are more to the left and right as well.

Palomalu jumps

http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=101502
My favorite player on the Steelers, Troy Palomalu jumps into the crowd at the Pittsburgh Superbowl parade. Lucky crowd!

Been There ~ Won That!

Yes! I was in Tampa this weekend for the Superbowl.
This is right when they won and the teams rushed the field to get ready for the trophy presentation.
A kind Cardinals fan offered to take our photo. We had access to the Club Lounge with our tickets.

Which means I ran into Cuba Gooding Jr. and he was nice enough to stop what he was doing and take a photo with me.
Jessee Jackson came by right before him but was practically running back to his seat. Apparently before they both went in the bathroom(where I stalked and waited for them to come out) they did a bunch of posing together for people.
This isn't a great photo quality but the moment was fun!

We got razzed really bad on the plane both on the way there and back, since we're from Arizona and we are obviously Steeler fans. I took a deep breath in while we were seated and said to my husband, guess what I just did.......I just breathed the same air as Troy Palomalu! What a night. I have tons of photos, so maybe I'll post some more later. These are the two I like the best.

One World ~ One Heart

I used the Random Integer Generator and the winner is: Dreamrogue
The winner has made contact. Congratulations!

POSTING COMMENTS IS CLOSED AT 178.
I will be back with the winning number shortly.

One World ~ One Heart Giveaway!
The title link will take you back to the list of participants and the creators event blog.

I'm late to the game but better late than never.

I'm offering this knit purse in funky polka dot and striped colors.

It comes with a pen keychain.

So you'll never be without a pen.

And the inside is lined with polka dots as well.

To enter just leave a comment on THIS post with a way to reach you. This is open to any country as it is light weight enough to ship around the world. So everyone is welcomed to enter, even if you don't have a blog. Just be sure to leave your email address in the comments section.

This is the first time I've gotten in on the fun. So good luck every one. I will use a random generator to pick the winner or depending on how many names i get I might just put them in a hat and pull. The purse will not come empty there will be some sort of surprise inside.

The contest will end Feb. 11 and I will announce the winner Feb. 12.

NOTICE: This Friday late evening through Tuesday late evening I will be away from my computer doing the SUPERBOWL thing. So all comments left during that time WILL BE published when I return on Tuesday evening. So no worries if you don't see it show up during that time period. It WILL.

This was my first digital collage, a number of years ago and it remains one of my favorites.

The quote is mine inspired by Taoist sayings.

It is the nature of this quote that i'm trying to utilize more of this year.

I HATE food with a face

Do you realize how many companies put 'faces' on their food, have it talk to you and then it gets eaten? A lot.

I hate it. I don't think it is good advertising and I say that nearly everytime one of those kinds of commercials are on t.v.

The most recent one is the IHOP commercial where the plate of eggs(eyes) and bacon(mouth) are telling you about the deals at IHOP when just before the end of the commercial a hand sticks a slice of toast in the yoke(of the eye) and the food screams. It's just not funny.

Just a peeve of mine.

What do you all think? Do you like these kinds of commercials? What do you think it says to kids? Food is fun to chase down and eat? We don't go around showing how cheeseburgers are made on commercials and that is food that really HAD a face.

Rare request for skull caps/chemo wraps

I don't usually ask people for things, esp. strangers on the net. But a dear friend of mine has just went through a double mastectomy and will be having chemo and radiation for 7 months, very soon. She was told to expect to be bald for at least 9 months.

I have gone to the store and picked 8 yarns and have begun to crochet skull caps for her but I'd love for her to have different styles to choose from what I can make. Knit caps, chemo wraps that are fabric, that sort of thing. You can crochet too.

Her favorite colors are Earth tones and darker spice colors. She doesn't really wear bright colors or cutesy patterns. If you have a little time and some extra supplies please contact me at: launchvipers@yahoo.com my name is Stevie. I will provide an address they can be shipped to as I do not wish to give out her address and want this to be a big surprise for her.

Thank you in advance.

Doll Accessories

Check out my daughter's ETSY shop.

You can't see me now

I haven't got a thing to talk about here.

When I have something worth posting, I'll be back.

Unfinished Dylan

I've been wanting to finish this painting of Bob Dylan but I can't find it anywhere. Which means it is probably lost in the mess that is the garage.

I couldn't sell it though. It is from a cover of a now defunct CITY magazine that used to be in this town. I just like it so much that I had to reproduce it and somehow I got side tracked and didn't get it done. It's almost there too.

oh so close. I hope to find it because it would make a great gift or I wouldn't mind hanging it on my wall either.

I'm still going through things, trying to keep 'finish this up' in my mind. It's working so far to keep me on some form of task oriented motion.

I'm Tired

I'm so tired. I have resolved to just go with the flow the best I can and pray. Just when you think you can't take any more, more comes. So, I'm not going to think that. I will take whatever comes next, like I always do.

Surrender Final

*click to enlarge*

the final version of Surrender.

I don't think I'll change or add anything else but sometimes after sitting with a painting for a while, things change.

Nun Having Fun

*click to enlarge*
This is still very wet and it's oils, so it will be a couple of weeks before I paint the edges in acrylics. But it is finally done.

Finished it this morning. On a roll. Finished the abstract 'Surrender' painting this morining too. Just a matter of an eyeball there.

This is a 20x24 2 inch deep gallery wrapped canvas and will go up for sale in my ETSY shop when it is hand dry enough for shipping. If you like it and want to put a deposit on it, let me know at my email address in my profile or on my sidebar links. Or leave me a comment.

It will sell for $75.00 plus shipping, depending on where it is being shipped to but I estimate about $20.00 for shipping, maybe a little more with a surcharge for an oversized box. It will be signed on the back.

Polymer clay sculpting

It's time for a second baking of this creature. I'm not sure if I'll make a grassy stand for her yet or not. Perhaps after I see how her tulle cape works out. I'm going to work on the cape while she is baking.

I wish I had finished her all in one baking instead of going for a second round. It was harder to get more clay how I wanted it the second time around. But she was getting heavy in places and I needed to handle her better to sculpt certain areas.

I'm going to glue jewels on her for her eyes and do some painting on at least her face. Maybe all over depending on the color she comes out of the oven this time.


Back view. She has a foil and wire armature foundation. I have better wire for amatures now and so my art dolls will have better beginnings than all the work I had to do to get this figure the way I wanted it to sit.

Film Buff

I made this design a while ago for t-shirts as my husband and I are really into films. All kinds. Well, I don't watch many horror movies anymore, too much horror in my head to add anymore. But I will watch suspense/drama style movies like "Sixth Sense" and I don't consider those horror even though there may be eerie aspects to them. We love foreign films a lot too. Has anyone got any favorites they've watched that they'd like to share. We're always looking for something new to check out. Even the hard to find ones can sometimes be found at the library, of all places.

drawing with points

*click to enlarge*
I've been thinking about a larger drawing done in points again. I did this one some time ago as an exercise in natural materials in random patterns.

I want to do a themed drawing though that will lend itself well to tens of thousands of tiny dots. I'll do it over a period of time, this time though, as doing this one in one night through out my shoulder muscle from bending my neck down to work on it for so long. I think something with a tree and fairies and elves may work.

Phoenix Cactus Comicon

UPDATE: He wanted it!! He really loves it and I got to talk to him on the phone to hear him personally thank me. How hawsome is that?!!!

The Phoenix Comicon starts tonight. And one of the guests is going to be Wil Wheaton one of my favorite bloggers.

A couple of years ago, I got permission to create this painting from a personal photograph of Wil in Vegas with his monkey Darwin. Wil loves poker and struck me as the King of Hearts. Thus the theme of the painting. It was a creative commons permission, meaning I could make no profit from the work. I really wanted to give it to him, but how? Well, my daughter and son-in-law work at the Comicon and since I have acid on my foot and can not walk well right now.... they said they would take the painting to him, to see if he wants it. I hope he does. But if not, I asked them to get his permission to put it in the art auction that supports HERO, a program that supports benefits to comic artists in their 'golden age' due to lack of normal job-related insurance benefits. I wouldn't personally profit from the painting this way, but it would support a good cause, IMHO. So... we'll see, I'm hoping Wil takes it home for his family to enjoy as much as I enjoyed creating it. Sure wish I could be there to give it to him myself. I'll have to settle for a photo this time and maybe if Wil likes the Phoenix Con, he'll return for another year and I can meet him then.

cherry blossoms

I originally planned to fill the pink space full of blossoms but as i painted it seemed to me more like the end of a season feel to the painting and i decided to make them sparce instead.

I'll let it sit with me a while as I can always add more but I like it the way it is for now.

It reminded me of the prologues in the james cagney movie 'Footlights' where they were hugely elaborate for the imagination but what was really taking place on the stage could be nothing so grand and be actually done. The work filled up itself in the viewer's eyes.

It's 16x16, 2in. deep gallery wrapped canvas.

Hope

My next art exchange page.

I tried this idea many ways but think I like this one the best. I might change it before I send it but for now, I like it in this mixed medium.

It is originally colored in pencils and then digitally enhanced.
*click to enlarge*

ART FRIENDS

My friend painted this wonderful gift for me for Christmas. I LOVE it.

It is hanging in my living room in a prominent place. I'm proud to have it.

I got other goodies too that I'll show in another post. But this deserves a post of its own.

Thanks so much K!!!!!!!

Holiday Desserts

*click for larger image*

The dessert table at a Holiday party.

I have close ups public on my flickr (check the sidebar for link). The big candies were cakes, the candy canes and gum drops too. The M&M's were chocolate filled to dip the biscotti in. The trees were chocolate covered strawberries with cake at the base. Sugar cookies and other marvels throughout the table.

VACATION by Jeremy Shipp ~ My review

"When I first saw the cover of 'Vacation' by Jeremy Shipp, I couldn't decide if I read it, would I go on a grand vacation, having a good time or would he show me places I possibly wish I'd never seen.

I read with a highlighter when I feel something grand is going to happen when I open to the first page and a sentence jumps at me that makes me feel smarter and stronger for having chosen to take the journey. I realized when I was done reading 'Vacation', the publisher would have done well by me to print the entire book on highlighter pink paper because there isn't a word, phrase, paragraph or page I don't want to remember.

'Vacation' is so cleverly written and so intelligently unveiled, as Jeremy Shipp punctures the line between dream and madness so vividly, you aren't sure which direction he is coming from. You do know you have gladly woken up on the side of his pen that surely wrote this tale before his feet hit the floor in the mornings."
Stephanie Curry ~ CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK!

Happy HOWL-O-WEEN!

Charlie Bear Lee's first HOME bath and haircut

my dog

shopping pictures

I loved the shapes on these fruit.

Most of my pictures ended up being people pictures so, I am just putting up a few of the food ones. I was so busy figuring out what else new I was going to try to cook, that I didn't take as many pictures as I intended.

No one cared how many pictures I took it was great.


dizzying array of choices of everything, isle after isle... and this is just the packaged food. The fresh food was the same way.

I thought California rolls were good. They were nothing compared to the Korean sushi rolls. Except, I really don't think they had sushi in them. This is what we sat in the store and ate.

Along with the red bean rice cakes below. By then, I was so full.... I had to take the rest home of course. She kept telling me they don't keep a long time, you must eat them today. Oh my!

I bought frozen ones. Because it is my favorite treat. But it was really different eating these little pretty fresh ones.

Emotions ~ Art Journal Exchange page

Top of my Laptop

So many mixed messages....I know!
*as always, click to enlarge*

Finished Painting

Not sure what I'll paint next. Think I'll go back to my Manga practice for the day.
*click to enlarge*

more facial expressions

Okay, so I am tiring of redrawing the rest of this face and it shows.

But it is the changes in expressions I'm really targeting.

My brain draws things dixlexic sometimes. Well, it happens in my paintings quite often and I can only tell that I did it when I take a photo and look at it on the computer. Most of the time it is something i have to go back and fix. I do not know how my painting/drawing brain can do things like see vertical lines as horizontal ones, but it does. Next is body practice. Think I might be done practicing this for today.

facial expressions

Since I'm not using a light box and re-doing the entire head exactly each time, the heads are not perfect.

Really, this exercise I was more concerned with getting some facial expressions down than duplicating the head and hair perfect.

Neutral, Serious, Mad, Psycho Mad. *click image for much larger view*

Manga practice

I'm literally tethered to my dog for three more weeks. It is stifling for both of us no matter how much we love each other.

So, I decided to work on changing some of my drawing style and work on some Manga style practicing.

I want to eventually draw the characters for my novel (in progress) as a graphic novel or series, so what better time to do the tedious task of drawing the same things over and over, until the get better and better.

I didn't lighten any of the these photos or adjust the contrast, so they may be hard to see. Try clicking on them for a larger image if you can see from here.

I'm used to doing this a much different way. This has been a nice way to spend some time quietly.

Front and side view eyes. Some of what I am practicing falls into more adult realistic Manga and some into the many other categories of Manga. There are no less than a dozen different classifications.

I want to incorporate the style to resemble a teen to adult type characters. I think I will sketch out my protagonist first. But that won't be until much more feature practice, much less working on body parts and clothing. I wish Manga school would knock on my door and say, "The car is waiting for you, are you ready to leave for Manga school yet?" I'd love to learn this in a class setting but I am happy enough reading along through books and trying out the exercises.

I've just got to back it up a bit...

i'm getting way off track and being too personal for my own liking. Art, dolls, plushies, paintings, writings, that is what this is all about right now. I do NOT feel better venting or revealing my private life here for now.

Vintage Skeleton Keys ~ four lacquered lots

I have lacquered vintage rusted skeleton keys to keep them in their current state.

I am offering 4 lots of 5 keys per lot on my ETSY.

Two Sided Zombie listed on my ETSY

Halloween is fast approaching. If you are into monsters, then this is the perfect art doll for you!

It is a two sided Zombie with complete heads for each side so the zombie does not look flat but like a full fledged doll on either side you choose to pose.

The bottom and hands and feet are filled with non-toxic pellets for sitting and posing. The zombie shirt is removable with a red button snap, if you want to dress it in other clothing.

Both sides have an empty socket and a dangling eyeball.

I am listing this 18 inch art doll for $22 at my ETSY store.

Voo Doo Dreams.... done

*click for large image*
i'm done. still too wet for better photo.
i'm taking it to the Zombie walk.
It is called, "Voo Doo Dreams".
I will put it up on ETSY next week if no one buys it during the Zombie walk.
I'd have to check but I believe this is a 24x20 inch painting, on gallery wrapped canvas. The right side is a mix of blue and crimson. This dosen't come through in the side view shot. Hope to be dry enough soon to take head on photo.

If you are interested in it before Friday and wish to purchase it, let me know and with payment I will not exhibit it on the art walk. It will take time to hand dry enough to ship.

Dazzling Joy ACEO

If it isn't immediately obvious, this is an ACEO that is meant to have an ironic message. A caged bird and a potted flower.... conditions humans submit nature to.

Tickled Pink

food photos... just because

I just finished eating some crackers.

It felt like food pic posting time again.

The salt & pepper shakers don't really count as 'food' but it's a theme.... go with it.

basket ball painting in reclining pose

I have finally finished the basketball painting.

this is head on view in not very good light.

and the following photo is the side view so you can get a feel for how large this painting really is.

Okay back to more art for me.

I haven't done a quiz in 4-EVER!

Your Love Life is Like Annie Hall

"A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies." You believe that love (if you even believe in love!) is a very complicated thing. Maybe love is pain. Or maybe it's all a big therapy session. You're still figuring it out. Your love style: Brainy and a bit neurotic Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Realistic and reflective

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Anger in my very fabric

She Vampire

In the style of Japanese Amigurumi , I've crocheted this little vampire, complete with lined cape.

Her colors don't seem to want to show up true and the front of her more closely compliments the back color of her cape.

I've just put this up recently in my ETSY shop.

She's weighted down, with non-toxic pellets in a mesh bag, to stand up nicely.


If you're into vampires, she's not quite like any other I've seen. It is an original pattern idea. There are more pictures and description at my shop.

Postsecrets

This is my favorite Postsecrets card of all time. I haven't read the books so I can't say of all postcards... but of all on the site for the long time I've read there.... this tops the list.

Identity Quote and Image

"Nothing is more sacred than the laws of our own nature and we must thoroughly look within ourselves and not permit outside standards to be imposed upon us."

....Ralph Waldo Emerson

smelling the flowers... sort of

sometimes, literally stopping for the flowers helps me escape. That's why I like taking pictures of them.
They remind me of aliens. People of a different sort that I do not really understand but find to be mostly very beautiful. I am not a gardener and would probably not make a good one.... but I do like to capture their beauty.

My Rainwoman/Mr. Frost thing with food

I adore Jeff Goldblum. Adore, adore, adore. Even when he plays scary characters, like the one he did in the 1990 movie, "Mr. Frost" , which I remember very little of. In fact, the hub brought up a strange coincidence yesterday, between myself and Mr. Frost.

We both like to take pictures of food. Now, I don't even remember this part of the movie. Not one single bit. And I've been taking pictures of food long before the movie ever came out.

In fact, I've been taking what I call my 'rainwoman pictures' since I got my first camera at a rummage sale, when I was a kid.

Things like bicylcle spokes, the ends of sparklers as they fired their glow, close-up distorted views of my brother's face.

I wish I had a better camera. And I wish I'd take more pictures. But, once I had grandchildren... my focus really started to grow on documenting their growth.

I still take my food pics. I'll even stand up or kneel in a booth to get just the shot I want, whether people stare or not. It really doesn't matter to me what people think about this.

In fact, sometimes I like to imagine the waitresses or manager are suspect of me being a food critic or restaurant inspector and are absolutely unlikely to tell me to not take photographs inside the restaurant.

I have a flickr badge on the sidebar of the blog.... some of my 'rainwoman pictures' of featured in a set of the same name if you're at all interested. I got a PRO flickr account a couple of months ago and have only loaded about 2,000 photos so far. I have thousands more to go. And of course, they're not all public. But most of the artsy ones are. If you like to look at things you don't think about taking pictures of... check it out. ~~~~I'm ELVIS!~~~~

prelude to my novel in progress ~"The Wool Gatherer"

Mistress Girly is a special character for me... And I decided the perfect persona for my Bipolar blog. I hope you enjoy the prelude to my novel!

PRELUDE:

“Would you like your fortune told to you?” Brother Rook shook remembering those words. Twenty years ago, walking the streets of Julla, a small, dirty child of a girl held up a can of sticks and rattled them as she spoke.

Rook stood frozen in thought, frozen in two feet of snow that barely reached his knees, as he looked toward the sky at the location the greenish-blue light flashed eerily less than an hour earlier. The little ragged, fortune teller was correct. Everything she had told him had occurred. He hadn’t thought of her so clearly for nearly twenty years. To him, it was a coincidence he left the life he was living. Everything was coincidence until he became a monk of The Reach. She had predicted that too. Squatting low to the ground with her knees bent like an inverted grasshopper, her bottom less than an inch from the ground, she dropped her arms between her legs, swiped the dirt free of debris and tossed the sticks on the ground in front of her.

“Choose, Brother Rook,” she cooed, looking up at the towering young man through stringy black hair covering most of her face and straggling long to the ground.

“I’m not your brother, little girl. Nor did I tell you my name.” Rook barked with a clenched jaw.

“And I’m not a little girl. I already know your name Rook Ranin. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mistress Girly but you can call me Girly, if you wish,” she nodded her head toward the pile of sticks in the dirt. “You’re the Brother of all brothers, by all that is, was and ever will be created under the Almighty Hand of God Sulramin. The Gods have guided me to this very spot to show you your destiny. Do you deny the wisdom of the Gods, Brother Rook?”

“Stop calling me that,” he felt a wave of nausea pass over him and he bent over holding his knees. She did, in fact, know his name. But how? He’d never seen this girl or small woman before and he had only arrived in Julla the day before. Julla, a large metropolis in a very dry climate with temperatures hot enough to match the rage of the God Vartos, ruler of the planet Makidram, who reigned over fire and chaos. The seasons in the city were virtually non-changing and this alone attracted a bevy of travelers from every corner of the Verse. “You’re not from this planet, are you?” he breathed deep several times and squatted lower to look at her sticks still lying tossed on the ground.

“Enterrey?” she cackled with a gurgling of an old woman suddenly. “No, dear Brother. I’ve come a long way to bring you this message. I was born on the planet Noohamin, tended by the Goddess Hyntis,” she pointed to the beaded pendent hanging around her neck. A symbol of three bronze, rippling waves dangled at the end of the cord filled with carved wooden beads. “You know of the Goddess?” Rook nodded his head slowly he did.

Rook stared at the pendent, only a couple of inches wide. Running his hand across the top of his head of thick, cropped, black hair he mumbled. He had heard the tales of the Talkers of Hyntis. The tales of nebulous fortunes often misunderstood. He had also heard tales of the fates of those who scoffed at the opportunity to glimpse even the watery future a Talker could share. He’d never seen a Talker before. At least, not that he was aware of. If they all looked like Mistress Girly, he couldn’t be sure. In fact, it was only the sweet smell of the unique strain of Cherry Blossom trees, existing only on Noohamin, that made him sure she was the real thing. It was a scent a Talker could disguise or reveal as she chose. And all of the Talkers of Noohamin were female. The Temple scriptures were very clear about this fact. Many had tried to duplicate the alluring scent, without success. It was a highly sought prize, for fools and geniuses alike would pay handsome sums to know their fates. Every charlatan that tried to mimic the delightful odor with fragrances and potions would soon fall ill, for the Goddess Hyntis looked angrily upon deliberate imposters and dealt them a fate they had only to read scripture to see coming.

“Alright Girly, I’ll choose a stick,” Rook sighed.

“You must choose two,” she gurgled with hideous laughter bubbling from her throat. As he looked at her now, she reminded him of a toad, throat thick and rippled with layers of skin hanging loose, one on top of another. She looked less and less like the little girl he first glanced at on his way to the street market for something to eat. He hadn’t noticed how alien she looked until he was about to pick up a stick from the pile in front of her. Staring off toward the giant towering buildings of the busiest part of the city, he hadn’t noticed her at all. Until she held up her cup and shook it, leaving a scent of cherry blossoms to waft several feet up to his nose.

He held out his hand and waited, wondered had she cast some potion on him and that was why he had felt sick. And perhaps that was why he was agreeing to go along with her fortune telling now. Rook leaned closer now and took an imperceptible sniff at the Mistress. Indeed, she smelled of heavenly flowers. Clean and fresh and almost too sweet to bear. Mistress Girly’s expression changed.

“You wonder if I trick you? If I’ve cast an elixir, do you?” her eyes frowned into tiny slits and the rolls of her neck appeared to double as she tilted her head down. “Well, dear Brother, I tell you this. There is a price for what you are about to learn. I will require a much smaller fee than the cost God Sulramin will exact upon the Verse if you fail to fulfill your destiny. Much smaller, indeed.” She brushed her hair back from her tiny head and her dark eyes grew wide again. She opened a small, canvas satchel, slung over her shoulder and hanging off her hip. Nodding twice, first at Rook’s pocket and then back in her satchel. He didn’t ask her how much she wanted because if it mattered, she would have said so. She was a ‘Talker of Hyntis, after all and probably already knew what he carried in one of his pockets. He dug in the front pocket of his tightly creased pants and retrieved a stone. It wasn’t an ordinary stone, like the pebbles Mistress Girly had wiped away before casting the sticks. It was a carved Rune from the Holowista Reservation. The image on it, a Kaloista God. Myth said, the Kaloista were primitive Gods worshipped by the Native Plaintans for hundreds of years, near Junta, several thousand miles away. Miles Rook Ranin had put between himself and Junta over the past several days. As he tossed the precious Rune in Girly’s satchel she smiled a perfect smile of tiny, pearly teeth and let the flap drop closed.

“If you know all of this, why the show with the sticks?” he put his hands on his knees, ready to rise.

“Because, you must choose. God Sulramin, creator of all that is, for good or ill, has left us each with that blessing and curse. You must choose to know your fortune and you must choose to heed its message. And now Brother, you must choose to choose.” She swept her tiny hand, tinged a beautiful olive tone, above the pile of sticks one last time.

BLIND STITCH APPLIQUE TUTORIAL READY!

http://www.stephaniecurry.com/howto.html is now up and running.

Phoenix Cactus Comicon

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phoenixcomicon/I get a lot of inquiries about the Phoenix Cactus Comicon.Here's a great way to get a look at some of the excitement.2007's photos are not yet labeled, so if you aren't a 'who knows who' person, you'll find that information labeled in the 2006 set of images.2007 begins with the art auction then picks up with the lolita's mad hatter tea party and moves on through cosplay competitions and vendor and guest artist fun galore. There are thousands of photos here, so enjoy!

SERENITY

~My daily Rx~Firefly

ThemeTake my love, take my land, Take me where I cannot stand. I don't care, I'm still free, You can't take the sky from me. Take me out to the black, Tell them I ain't comin' back. Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me. There's no place I can be, Since I found Serenity But you can't take the sky from me...listen here http://www.fireflywiki.org/img/Ballad_of_Serenity.mp3 Written: Joss Whedon Performed: Sonny Rhodes

Are you an old-school Star Wars fan?
I created a crochet pattern and a photo illustrated HOW TO on my website for this Princess Leia Yarn Hair/Hat. If you knit, there is also a link on the page to a woman who has created a knit pattern for this style wig hat.
And if you sew, Simplicity has a costume pattern, #4443 for a Princess Leia white gown outfit.