Mom's website is up! Check out her work and bio. Very proud of her.

~:W T F:~So I was chatting with Mary this afternoon and we were lamenting the fact that our blogs don't get nearly as many commentors as our friend Tania's blog does. WHY FUCKING NOT!?!? Are we that boring? Want me to start making shit up? Sheese!~

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Mary: does Tania pay people to leave messages on her blog?

Anne: i am SO envious of how many commentors she has

Mary: I feel so unpopular after I see how many people leave messages on her blog.

Anne: I mean COME ON.

Mary: HELLO! We have pretty cool blogs, too!

Anne: That's why I put a counter on my site.

Mary: me too!

Anne: So I know people are there - even when they don't say so.

Mary: exactly...but it is ridiculous how many people leave her messages...maybe that is a writer thing.

Anne: INSANE

Mary: maybe I should ask people to leave me thumbnails.

Anne: or she's just more fucking popular than we - beeotch

Mary: or, I'd like to believe she's paying them. There has to be some kind of incentive.

Anne: she probably IS paying them

Mary: and she scolded me for not posting to her blog after just 1 week.

Mary: 1 week!

Anne: oh Tania

Anne: she has really lost it

Mary: I think I'll blog about her on my blog and see what happens.

Anne: yeah - me, too.

Anne: i hate her - don't you?

Mary: she is such a bitch.

Anne: we should post this conversation...

Anne: see how she likes it.

Mary: lol

Mary: on her blog.

Anne: i think i will!

Anne: LOL

Mary: that'll teach her a lesson

Anne: yeah

Anne: those writers

Anne: "writers"

Mary: fucking writers.

Anne: lol

Mary: god, and writing is soooo easy.

Mary: everyone can do that.

Anne: as if they do any REAL work

Anne: sheese

Mary: yeah....they just sit around, smoke pot and write silly poetry.

Anne: BAD whiney poetry!

Anne: Oh dark garden of my heart, like tears in the rain, I long for you...

Mary: lol

Anne: ...and under partly cloudy skies, i will sit here alone, by myself and cry of the aching world.

Mary: I would like to see Tania paint.

Anne: YEAH

Mary: actually, that would be rather interesting.

Anne: let's tie her up and see what happens - or put her in Hank's class

Mary: nah, she'd probably fuck it up.

Anne: yeah. prolly

Mary: Yeh, I'd like to see the bitch write with her hands tied.

Anne: upside down

Mary: you should definately post this to her blog.

Anne: i'll do it!

~:F A L L I N G:~

No one likes falling. This time of year, at Easter, I often wonder why we go through the morbid motions of The Stations Of The Cross. It's been a Catholic thing since forever, and while we Episcopalians are not as morbid as our Catholic bretheren, we still get down and dirty with the bad news of Christ's death every Easter.

Since a few years back I've been involved with creating a Station of The Cross with other members of the congregation at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church. Every year I find the thought of interpreting yet another station overwhelming, yet the actual exercise is always cathartic. So I guess that answers my question. Why bother thinking about the bad stuff when it's going to hurt? Because iIt teaches you something different every time. It feels as good as seeing a sad movie. An opera. Shakespeare! These are good stories because they all have moral centers. The crucifiction is no different. It helps me identfy the purpose of my own pain. That it actually DOES something for me.

This is the second year I chose Jesus Falls for the Third Time. No one likes this station - what's the big deal about falling? How exciting is that? Well, plenty exciting. Falling is something we must get used to doing over and over and over again. When you fall, you learn. When you learn you grow. When you fall - you get right back up and try again. This relentless struggle of life is the story I wanted to tell in this station.

I remember the first time I fell and chose not to cry. I was in Kindergarten and SO proud of myself. Skinned my knee, even. Dad came to pick me up that afternoon from school and I ran into his arms, band-aid on my knee with my proud news. "I fell and skinned my knee and DECIDED not to cry!!" So that was a learning experience for me. So powerful, I never forgot it. Thirty something years later, that falling got interpreted into the image you see here.

Jesus eventually fell the third time - and straight to his death. And then to his rebirth. As we also fall again and again and are reborn each time we continue in spite of the fall. So I'm not alone when I fall - as painful and embarassing at it is. I hate falling. But fall I shall. And grow I shall. And learn I shall. And love I shall. Again and again and again.

~:O N E * S T R I P E * T U R T L E N E C K * S H R U G:~

Well it's a good thing cooler weather is still around here in Atlanta, because I just finished my Turtleneck Shrug! I was worried I'd have to wait until next year to wear it. Woo hoo! I used Andean Silk from KnitPicks.com and knit with a size 4 needle. The sleeves are about 2.5 inches shorter than the pattern calls for. Still - they're pretty long on me. On one sleeve, I knit a lighter green stripe with some leftover yarn from my stash.

This is a very comfortable shrug, but I am considering shrinking it a bit. I've knit 2 others from another pattern that fit really snuggly and stayed in place. This one, after a few minutes of moving around (I'm right handed), shifts off my right shoulder. I think if it were tighter, it wouldn't move around as much. Any opinions? Advice?

~Anne

~:Mr. BjornHead Feet:~
Tired of seeing pictures of Bjorn? Too bad. Take a look at his back feet - like he's a Mr. Potato head and they were stuck on as an afterthought. Silly boy.

~:S L E E P I N G * I N:~

This morning, Doug learned the hard way what happens when you sleep in too late in our house. The bed gets made regardless of whose still in it. He he.

~:A R C H E S & A N K L E S:~

Since you now know Mom's a painter, I thought I'd showcase some of her work here. This is one she did of me up in Highlands, NC. It's called Summer Percale. I'll mention that she does not have Photoshop skills, but better - the brush and a mind for interpreting. Lookie lookie - she gave me skinny ankles and beautiful arches! Neither of which I have. Thanks Mom!

~:R E T O U C H * M E:~

This is what I did this afternoon. Mom is joining another group of artists in a group website. Today she submitted her digital portfolio (paintings) and a black and white portrait, which she asked me to touch up. I had a blast! There are very subtle differences here - like making her eyes larger, bringing out more highlights in the hair, bringing in the arm, lifting the ear, shrinking the wrist - and some textural smoothing. Any requests? And in case you were wondering, don't think I DIDN'T retouch my own blogger profile portrait. (he he)

~:S P R O U T I N G * S E E D S:~
My seeds are sprouting! In just 3 days! I put the tray atop Bjorn's crate upstairs in our bedroom. It's warmer upstairs, which is supposed to be ideal for sewing seeds. This is very exciting. Ten dollars for 72 plants. WOW. Makes me feel like I cold grow anything. I could grow stuff for the whole neighborhood! I could be wealthy! The fertility gods are smiling down on me! WOO HOO! Success! Sucess!

~:S E W I N G * S E E D S:~

For some reason, I woke up sad today. Doug even made me a lemon cake and I still felt sad. One of those days where just the thought of one of the things you love to do gives you no amount of pleasure.

I decided to try something new. How about getting up, taking a shower and moving in spite of my sour self? Bjorn agreed. Because Spring peeked its cheery head outside, I decided to begin considering what kinds of spring plants and flowers I wanted this year around our house. This year I want to do it inexpensively. I am notorious for draining my savings on annuals each year. NOT this time!

Last year I planted the greatest, most cooperative little flower called Globe Amaranth. I had the lavender color and they looked spectacular next to zingy green. They also make great cut flowers and are drought tolerant. I had them at my mailbox, in a front yard flower bed and at the side of our house. They lasted FORever and never got tired. When fall came, they turned paper white and still looked lovely. This year I want to do the same - only more colors.

So I went to Home Depot and got one of those little greenhouse kits that will create 72 individual plants within a matter of weeks. Dirt and all - I just added seeds and water and covered the tray. Now I sit and wait (and pray). I spent no more than $10.00 on the kit and 2 packages of seeds. I am so excited!

So how am I feeling now? I still FEEL like crap, but am happier.