When I was a little kid, my dad’s mother would come stay with us. Granny. The one whose middle name, Treat, I carry.
I couldn’t stand her. She smelled like Eau d’Oldde Peoplle. And she made this weird little sucking-in whistle sound whenever there was something she disapproved of, but wouldn’t speak about.
This image is how she appeared to me then. Looking back from the perspective of someone who is now the age she was then, I understand more.
She wouldn’t speak up about things she didn’t like because my dad would shut her down. Never in front of us – always in another room. I heard him one time – it wasn’t pretty. So she communicated by sucky-whistle, or one of those high, wobbly hoity-toity voices as she asked us to do something we didn’t want to do.
I’ve been writing up a storm lately, and last night as I got up to take a little break, I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I left – I looked kinda like this! I realized I’d be practically glued to the screen for days!
Burt is the kind of dad everyone should have. Holds little babies as if they were the gods’ own treasures; plays with the toddlers; treats little girls to merry-go-rounds and lots of colorfully illustrated books and art supplies; little boys to Tonka trucks, small-hand size tools and paints, encyclopedias, roller skates and skis; and young men and women as if they were better than royalty.
I was 13 years old the first time I was raped. Not to worry, this will not be a rant or a self-pity party. Just a story about overcoming evil who took the form of a ‘nice’ man everyone liked and respected.
Some days I feel just like this. Like there’s not a single thing I can get right, and if I do do something right, it isn’t enough, or good enough.
I have a friend who, no matter what befalls her, is always happy. For a long time, it would piss me off that she never lost her equilibrium. I think I was jealous that I didn’t know how to do that, too. But then she told me why.
Have you ever watched as birdies peck at seeds on the ground? It doesn’t look like they pick and choose at all – more like they do a general all-over snatch and grab, no matter what it is.
I didn’t realize, as I was drawing this, that I had drawn 3 horses. See what I mean?
I love Fido. He is faithful, calm, loyal and very wise. He knows just when I’m hurting inside because he comes up to my side and rests his head on my lap, and looks up at me with those big brown eyes that say, “No worries, My-Human, I’ve got this! You just go relax!”
Well, so I started a new series. This is the Odd Critters Series. Although it will probably include humans, too.
Have you ever felt like there was a mean mad genie inside your computer who just does not want you to get a single thing to work?
I have a friend who is more prolific than I am! Can you believe it? He paints so much I think he has paint for blood!
In January, I enrolled in a course to learn how to create sellable surface pattern designs. I’m intending to find out how to create designs I can sell and license to individuals and companies for reproduction on fabric, wallpaper, wrapping paper, and you name it, all kinds of products.
When I was a kid, I spent my summers sailing and swimming. On weekends, we’d race our boats in little weekend regattas. Either I’d crew for one of my family, or one of them would crew for me.
