Friday, May 15, 2015

Friday Thoughts for 5/15 (w/pics)

Yay -- it's WEEKEND EVE. My favorite day of the week. From here, the weekend stretches out like an endless vacation; Monday isn't even a thought on the horizon! Fridays are so hopeful, aren't they? Let the happydancing begin. :)
 
Barbara Ann Kipfer's FIVE THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT (from her book 14,000 Things to be Happy About):
  1. Lobster pots.
  2. Spending a weekend alone with the cat.
  3. Liberty silver dollars.
  4. Ribbon candy.
  5. A balcony resting in the top branches of an oak tree.
Henry W. Reich's FIVE THINGS THAT REALLY PISS ME OFF (from his book 2,501 Things That Really Piss Me Off):
  1. Wine in a box.
  2. The people next door.
  3. The floor plan of my house was laid out by Maurits Escher.
  4. I never saw J. Edgar Hoover in his party frock.
  5. The incredibly loud sound of dripping water the morning after some serious drinking.
My FIVE THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT:
  1. A 'Home Sweet Home' sign.
  2. Bubble wands.
  3. Remembering what I went into a room for....
  4. Using a book's dust jacket as a bookmark.
  5. Flicker bulbs.
My ONE THING TO BE A POOPYHEAD ABOUT:
Nope. No poopyheadedness allowed today. It's Weekend Eve!
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it.
    ~Franklin P. Jones
 
TUMBLEDOWN STUFF:
It rained all day yesterday -- a quiet, drippy, soaking rain that cast the house in shadows. All the pets hunkered down for the day; Boo curled upstairs on her pillow, the birds tucked their heads under their wings. Even Max, in his very fragrant cage, lay wound in a ball so tight I couldn't tell where he ended or began. The only 'sunlight' was the basking lamp in the aquarium warming two very tiny turtles, each with their head and legs stretched out in a happy turtle yoga pose.... I spent my day creating an art piece for a group installation while streaming episodes of the original 'Dark Shadows' series. The piece is due SOON and I've been stewing about it for months, mostly because it's highly personal and tackling the subject has proven to be one of the most difficult things I've done, artwise. So it helped yesterday to have my thoughts taken up by a show that really made an impact on me in childhood. I think it's funny that 'Dark Shadows' was never watched in my own growing-up home (that I can recall), so I probably only ever saw a dozen episodes at my friend Julie's house. Its time slot was brilliant as it was broadcast just as kids were getting home from school, but did she and I really tune in every afternoon? I doubt it. Did we watch it over summer vacation? I don't think so.... So yesterday I thought about it all as I surrounded myself with art supplies. If I'd really seen only a handful of episodes, why did they make such an impression on me? Was it the way the show was filmed? Videotape made me feel as though there was no television between me and Collinwood. There was no hiss and hum of film, no gauzy 'this was shot yesterday' kind of thing to it all. It felt 'live.' And so my childhood self had no problem inserting herself into those cobwebby sets. Was it the shadowy Gothic atmosphere? Did it call to something inside me -- some fascination with the invisible and the supernatural -- that I hadn't found the words for yet? Or did it just appeal to my deep love of rainy days and mystery stories?.... I did make some progress on my art. And after a whole day of back-to-back 'Dark Shadows' episodes, I'll admit that they began to run together. But today they're still going strong, and I'm interested to see how any changes that have been made in the series over the seasons will affect me. I don't remember it being in color. I don't remember the Time Travel story arcs. This should be interesting. And hopefully some art will be created, too....
 
WHO WOULDN'T LIVE HERE??
Me here: This wonder-filled watercolor is by one of my fave illustrators, Charles Vess, for the cover of a book by one of my fave authors, Charles de Lint. This little Emporium is something I'd love to own and live above. Everything about it -- from the framed Mucha poster to the shelves of hardcover books, the case full of tchotchkes to the tall shadowy ceilings -- just sings to me. What a wonder! And if the figure in the painting was wearing a black t-shirt and readers and had salt-and-pepper hair held up with a fork, that would be me.... :)
 
THE DAILY FLAME (Message from Your Inner Pilot Light, courtesy of Dr. Lissa Rankin):
Dear You:
 
Do me a favor, my love. Make some space in your life for me to fan my flames. 
Busyness, chaos, and clutter limit my oxygen, whereas sacred space, silence, and free time help my home fires roar.    
Capiche?
 
Expanding,
 
Your Inner Pilot Light
Me here: Oh dear. I'll try to address the chaos and clutter, but I can't make any promises....
 
(Me here, again: Want your own daily message? Visit http://www.innerpilotlight.com/ for "daily email reminders from the core of who you are about how to live, love, heal & thrive.")
 
NEW: The MUTTS Comic of the Day:
Artwork copyright Patrick McDonnell
 
NEW! Suggestions from The Check Book -- 200 Ways to Balance Your Life by Bret Nicholaus and Paul Lowrie:
Pay no attention to time for an entire weekend. Don't set your alarm clock. Cover all the clocks in your house. Don't wear a watch. Simply let things happen when they happen.
 
A LITTLE SOMETHING:
www.checkiday.com says that some of today's celebratory events include:
International Day of Families
National Bike to Work Day
National Chocolate Chip Day
National Pizza Party Day
O. Henry Pun-off Day
Straw Hat Day
 
CLOSING THOTZ:
Enjoy your Weekend Eve! May there be art, books, a movie, loved ones, and time spent outside under the sky.
More on Moonday,
...me.

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