Just a post between posts

Well, there's one final Early Works to come, but before that I wanted to post a quick post to say that Christmas was great! It was great to see family and friends that I haven't seen in awhile. It was great to have Christmas music on at all times. It was great that I hosted, yet somehow only had to warm the turkey and make cranberry relish and fruit salad. It was great that Friday got used to the strangers and constant coming and going, and by Christmas Day was quite the ham, in the middle of everyone's presents (especially the tissue paper and ribbons part). It was just great. Everything was wonderful. Tomorrow I put away decorations and begin planning for next year. ;)

Another year under our belt!

Well, folks, we did it. We got another year of marriage under our belt. We're practically pros by this time. In the past four years we've finished college, enjoyed a year with two incomes, went back to college, paid off two vehicles, moved only once, learned the joys of yardwork, expanded our group of friends, butted heads, cooked together, cleaned together, grown together, surprised each other, and fallen in love more and more each day.

I love you, Jon!

The Early Works Part 2

The next artwork is a sketch for a final piece done in colored pencils. There's more detail in the sketch than the final (figure that one out), so that's why I'm including it. (The colored pencil work really stunk, too.) The artist was 13 at the time of this drawing.


There isn't as much imagery available for you to work with, but I leave you to interpret as you will! Remember to think of these things: the author's life, the artistry itself, the artist's intentions, and the interpretation from the viewer's standpoint. Also, remember to make it as funny as you want!

The Early Works, Part 1

Well, the blogging worlds seems to have screeched to a halt this week before Christmas, so I thought I would throw in the beginning of a series: The Early Works. This will chronicle and critique the beginning works of my life as an artist. This will be completely tongue-in-cheek, and I welcome any "interpretations" you may have of the work. Perhaps what the artist (myself) was intending to convey through the art, or if there is a greater social commentary related through the art.

To start us off, I was able to find a rare sketch (worth millions, I'm sure) from the artist as a 10-yr old.

The horse motif is found in many of the artist's early works, primarily because every little girl wants a pony. Or perhaps there was greater meaning. The horse. Wild. Free. Fuzzy.

But first let's discuss the artistry at face value. The horse is generally proportionate, though there is a surreal quality about it. The landscape, though dimensional, seems to be made up of three very specific planes: the horse, the tree, and the mountains. The only indication that these planes comingle is the suggestion of shadows being cast by the tree and mountains into the plane in which the horse resides. The horse, it seems, defies shadows.

There are two types of birds. First, there is the eagle/phoenix rising sort of bird, which seems to suggest that the artist saw too much Western art. Then there is the flock of birds, who are suspended in buzzard-like circling. The eagle obviously represents life and vitality. The buzzards, death. However, because the eagle is centrally placed over the horse, we understand that the artist is further emphasizing the wild, free nature of the horse, and the buzzards are there only to provide greater contrast.

Yet, we will notice that the "wild, free" horse is standing quite still, not partaking in its freedom to run. Perhaps he is frightened by the buzzards?

Obviously, the artist is repressed at the time of this sketch. Her wild spirit is being stifled deep inside of her, and her innocent pencilling is a cry for help. She stands still, afraid of the possibilities, yet she longs to be the great eagle, and fly above the shadows. This artist is most definitely a deeply troubled person.

Either that or she was in desperate need for some art classes.

A Countdown of Me

10 Random Things About Me

1. Both my eyes are the same prescription
2. I wanted to be a "workerman" when I grew up
3. One of my favorite children's books was The Happy Dumptruck Man (hence random thing #2)
4. The only C I made in college was in my major
5. I cheated in the 2nd grade
6. I do not generate my own heat
7. I always use a blinker, even to turn into my driveway
8. I want to live in Colorado someday, or at least stay for an extended period of time
9. I want to train a dog to work with the elderly
10. I didn't realize I was an otter personality until a year ago

9 Things I Love

1. Jon
2. My Family
3. Friday
4. Blue skies
5. Nature
6. Picnics
7. Singing in the shower
   
8. Sponteneity
9. Watching the birds outside my window

8 Things that Annoy Me

1. Listening to other people eat
2. Tailgating
3. Being forgetful (that annoys me about myself)
4. Pessimism
5. The mail lady that skips us when it's hard to get to the mailbox
6. Ants that keep finding their way into our house
7. The guy who honks at our neighbor's house, and won't quit until the neighbor comes out
8. The neighbor who takes her time coming out
   

7 Favorite Foods

1. Chips and Salsa
2. Cheese Enchiladas
3. Roast
4. Vanilla Ice Cream
5. Lemonberry Fresh Fruit Slush from Sonic
6. Green Beans
7. Popcorn

6 Favorite Authors

1. CS Lewis
2. LM Montgomery
3. JRR Tolkien
4. GK Chesterton
5. Dorothy L Sayers
6. Roald Dahl

5 Things to Do Before I Die

1. Raise good kids
2. Ride in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti
3. Have a successful garden
4. Own a home
5. Pay off student loans!

4 Favorite Quotes

1. "You think it'll work?" "It would take a miracle."
2. "Your ANGRY eyes!"
3. "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -- Isaac Newton
4. "Have fun storming the castle!"

3 Stores I Love

1. Old Navy
2. IKEA
3. Target

2 Places I Love to Go

1. Church
2. Vacation

1 Thing I Say A Lot

1. Woohoo!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!

One of those days: looking to the future

Today:
A lady at work received a rude e-mail, and was very upset by it.
I saw a dead kitten, who had evidently been hit in the road, but made it to a yard to curl up in.
I saw a dead squirrel, who didn't make it off the road.
Cliff's truck got stolen.

*sigh*

It reminds me of Fiddler on the Roof, when all the Jews are being forced out of their homes and countries. A townsperson asks the Rabbi, "Wouldn't now be a good time for the Messiah to come?"

The miracle of Christmas is that the Messiah did come, but how I long for the day when He comes again. Most of the things I listed today are just little things, but they're small reminders that we do live in a fallen world, with much bigger sins and unjustices around us.

Now would be a good time for the Messiah to come.

How do you eat M&Ms?

I've noticed that most people have specific ways they eat M&Ms. For example, I grab a handful of M&Ms, sort them out by color and place them in a long line. The colors form a symmetrical pattern, like a palindrome. So a line of red, blue, orange, blue, red would be a nice line (but way too few!). Then, after organizing my M&Ms such, I eat them one at a time, crunching off the candy coating first, then eating the chocolatey goodness.

So now you know! How do YOU eat M&Ms?

Time to be random!

I've thought about a lot of things lately that would be blogworthy, but really short, so I'll pile them all into one blog.

1. I saw a box of toilet paper rolls that had blown up all over the highway. Toilet paper was everywhere! It was funny, probably only because it was toilet paper.
2. I've decided not to worry about Friday and the tree. He has access to it all night long, without me constantly shooing him away from it, and yet the tree still stands. He must not be as hard on it as I think, or that's one solid tree.
3. I locked myself out of the car while I was in Waco last week. Nice. The locksmith had to come, couldn't use the long wire thing to unlock it, and had to make a new key just by looking at the key inside the car (which was conveniently--and tauntingly--sitting on the driver's side seat). It was amazing. And now I have a spare!
   
4. I am thankful that Jon makes sure we have AAA, which happens to pay for locksmiths.
5. I'm also thankful for Security Guy Carl. He was very worried about me being out in the cold, and made me wait in the office until the locksmith came. Then, I came back out, and wanted to watch the whole process (because it was interesting), but Security Guy Carl really wanted me to go inside so I wouldn't get cold. (My coat was also taunting me from the confines of my car.) He even tried, "I have daughters your age, and I can make you go in." or something like that. I'm pretty sure his daughters are much older than me. I would guess he has granddaughters closer to my age, but I didn't say anything. He was finally happy when I was wrapped in a two-times-too-big jacket with SECURITY emblazoned on the chest, and a fleece neckwarmer thing, only wrapped around my head like a hat. I thought I looked like a cool snowboarder type. I'm sure I did.
   
6. As I was heading to Waco earlier that morning (oblivious to the adventures of the day), the passenger side door, which had been frozen shut when I tried to open it in the morning, decided to thaw out and open while I was driving down the highway at 70 mph.
7. Two girls in our class have had babies in the past three weeks! We're going to meet one of the new babies tonight, and bring the couple supper. I'm making Leanna's mom's famous chicken enchiladas! It's amazing how easy it is to commit to cooking for someone else's family. I've been married for four years, and have made the enchiladas...once, maybe? I should cook more, especially if it involves Leanna's mom's famous chicken enchiladas! And it should be cold more often, so that I actually feel like cooking.
8. I'm looking at a 9x11 Gladware pan that says it can be put in the oven. Could this be the answer to my I-hate-to-do-dishes-There-should-be-disposable-cookware problem?
   
9. Our marketing/sales team at work is having their big meeting this week, so that means three days in Waco! It's always a neat meeting, because I get a sense of the big picture. It's also very tiring, and requires a lot of work ahead of time.
10. My friend, Cliff, is raising support for his position at Frontiers ministry. If you'd like to be a part of furthering the Kingdom, or just have a lot of money to unload before the end of the year for tax purposes, then I'll get you in touch with him!
11. I had an impromtu Daddy Daughter Date last Friday (after I finally got my car unlocked), and it was a lot of fun. I would recommend for anyone who's close enough to their dad to meet halfway to do so!
    
12. I got to take pictures of my neighbor's baby, Sophia, yesterday for their Christmas pictures. Sophia is a smiley baby, so it was pretty easy. I'll put up a photo, if any turn out. :)

Well, that's about it! And, as you know from random thought #9, it's a busy week, so I better get back to work!