Well I am a little happier this evening. Went to the school today for one on one meetings with students and Nick brought me a chocolate bar. We shared it. Thank you, Nick. Then Bimp awoke and I got to feel him nudge me all day long. That's one of the really fun parts.

I've read that your baby picks up on your moods. That sure happened to us today. All 3 of us, Bjorn, Bimp and I barely made it out of bed. But once the chocolate arrived and good work started flowing in for me to look at, why - who would want anything else? So it was a great day. Teaching just puts me in a better mood. Chocolate helps, too. And the fabulous comments from you fabulous women - you know who you are.

I came home and stopped by to visit Mom and Dad - helped Mom with her computer. Then drove home and as I watered plants, Doug pulled into the driveway. So we weeded together for a few minutes while BjornMouse picked a breezy, sunny patch on the lawn to watch us. Hostas are blooming, the hibiscus I thought I killed is coming back, the vinca I transplanted is doing well, pansies are coming up in shady areas, in spite of the heat. Dougie Fresh got a job with CheckFree, who has fallen in love with his mad skills. We have better insurance now and I get to go back to my old OBGYN to announce my 21st week of pregnancy, after a painful miscarriage nearly 2 years ago. Life is good to us.

You guys are right. Who cares about the rash. I love my career, family and friends and the work that comes with all of it.
And I am going to be a mother.

Good news:

I now have a cute bathing suit, which should make you proud, A.

Bad news:

Said bathing suit does not have polka dots. That one came in the wrong size. Phooey.

Good news:

I've got the red lipstick, vintage cut shades and a cute hat to accompany the belly.

Bad news:

As of 3 days ago, I could no longer bend over to polish my toenails, which I have done religiously for the last 20 years or so of my life.

Good news:

I was given persmission by the financial dept of our household to splurge for a pedicure. Poor me. Poor, poor me. Oh my god was it heaven.

Bad news:

Weight gain in the hips and thighs area comes with pregnancy... so the tops of my legs rub together now which I HATE. Sarah - should I be using powder? Oh my god is it uncomfortable in hot weather.

Good news:

I H A D to have a new pair of pants that are ever so comfortable and provide a nice buffer for sweaty skin against sweaty skin. (too much info? sorry)

Bad news: I have developed a weird pregnancy rash on my legs below the knees. And there is no good news associated with this one.

And that's just about all I can think of to say. I have been swifted away into the pregnancy bubble and feel very ar away from the rest of you. I celebrate my pregnancy most of the time, but today just don't feel quite right. I feel heavy and burdened. Bimp's not moving much. And oy - nausea has returned. At least for today.

Sunshine? Where ARE you this morning ? ? Come back to me.

~:F E E L I N G * B I M P:~

We are at 20 - 21 weeks now and I've been feeling Bimp move and squirm every time I'm siting or lying still. It is AMAZING. Feels like a little squish. A tickle. A squirm. Like a soft thump, thud, muscle twinge. And this morning while lying in bed, Doug pressed his hand down low on my belly and felt Bimp move several times. Oh my goodness what fun we are having.

He's supposed to be able to hear by now. So we're talking to him. In a couple of weeks, we go to the beach and he should see sunlight through my belly. Time to start singing and taping stereo speakers to my belly. Dance, Bimp Dance!

Mom took me shopping yesterday. I finally have real maternity wear. Soooo much more comfortable. Thank you GOD!!

Time to start filling Bimp's room with gear.

Cheers!!

~Anne

~:D E A R * S A R A H:~

What started out as a really nice day quickly turned ugly. Doug and I decided to clean out the guest bedroom to get it ready for Bimp. This bedroom has, within the 3 short years we've lived in this house, turned into a horrifically disorganized storage space. "Where do we put THIS ugly thing, or broken thing, honey? Wait! Don't throw that OUT. I'll fix it later. We NEED it." Those are the kinds of conversations we had each time the door to this room got opened or shut.

Lordy. I should have known better than to try tackling this task today. But it has to be done, or Bimpie sleeps with Bjorn, which would get us into a lot of trouble. After just one hour, I'm regretting every little knick knack I saved, every photo, sketchbook, book, broken something, poster, postcard, xmas card, schnittle... you name it. We've kept it. So I'm feeling out of control by 2:00 in the afternoon. My life's dirty, messy, cluttered. I am unprepared for parenthood. I would have liked to have cleaned the house today, but now I've got an unpacked room of trinkets and bad memories AND a dirty house.

Little Bjorn's downstairs being ignored. Even HE'S dirty. So he gets a bath. And I'm mad at him for squirming. So I'm yelling. Doug's upstairs fumbling in the attic. I've just returned from Kroger to get hamburger makings and managed to snag the very last bag of buns (these are the soft white boring kind) and have unpacked my bags only to realize I've forgotten the fucking beef. Kill me now. Did I mention I'm pregnant, too? Hot, fat, bloated and hormonal? And that I cried during the last half of Yoga class Saturday morning?

Doug (who has been SUCH a great husband these past few months) goes back to Kroger to get the meat. I decide that I can't stand one more second of animal hair on the floor, so I get the vacuum out. After Bjorn pees on the floor, Doug puts him in his crate to nap. Yes. We are going to be really great parents. Hmmm. So the floor's clean but I'm fuming by now, practically in tears by the time Doug gets back.

So what do I do now? What therapy can ease my grief, my anger, my feeling of loss of control and resignation? My fear? Ah ha!! I will take Sarah's Rock Bottom sticker photos! Of all four of us!! It took all of 5 minutes to take them and I had a really good laugh afterwards. As did Doug. So thanks for the catharsis. We needed it.

XO,

~Anne

~:C A L L I G R A P H Y:~

Good morning everyone! I had a fun weekend getting my calligraphic ducks in a row. In preparation for the big life changes coming in October, I decided that I wanted more calligraphy business while shifting into my new role as a mother. I will be taking one quarter off from teaching at PC on maternity leave, but would still like to create with my hands and make a little money while doing so. Desiging a logo and calligraphing an envelope are two very different things. Calligraphy is soothing - yoga for the spirit and hands, it's challenging enough and rhythmic - perfect for my personality. And as gratifying as design is, I can't quite picture myself being able to think very clearly in three hour sleep deprived sessions. So!

I made a series of little sample books (thank you to Michael Goodman's bookmaking class) to pass out at various businesses in Atlanta. I lowered my prices a little, which so far has had a favorable response. Visiting vendors was fun. The folks at Paper Affair were terrifically friendly and supportive. Even went to the bridal department at SAKS and they fell all over my work, displaying my samples right up front with happy smiles. Very, very nice.

Surprisingly, I got the cold shoulder from Swoozies. Apparently, they've got to check with corporate. At the least, they might put my name on a "list" with other calligraphers they'd recommend. But they refused to accept a sample for display. I suppose I understand. Maybe I should have dressed up more or hid my bimp?? Did I look like a shmo? I dunno.

Sam Flax was very complimentary, though. Such nice people. Young and fun and spirited. It was a great day. So now I'm pumped and want to make more. I think I'll atttack the bridal shops next and see if they'll help market me. Understand, I am NOT a business person. So small steps like these amaze me. Especially when they turn out to be uplifting.

If you'd like to see the new AED Calligraphy site I put up, go here. Annnnnd, if you'd like a sample book of your own - write to me with your address and I'll send you a couple!

Cheers! We clear out Bimp's room today. Wish me luck! Oh! Almost forgot to tell you we're at 20 weeks now. The half way point! A new tummy picture is posted on the Bimp Page.

XO,

~Anne

~:W E L C O M E * I A N:~

Jason and Lindsey have had their baby! Welcome little Ian!

~:P O S T * H A S T E:~

"The next PostSecret Book will be released October 1st. Any postcard received before June 1st might be in it," reads an entry in this Sunday's PostSecret edition.

Okay, Frank, you motherfucker. I've sent you COUNTLESS fucking postcards and have yet to see one posted on your silly sight. Postcards worthy of a designer's nod or attention. I mean come ON. Give me SOMEthing here. I teach this stuff fer fuckssake. What do I have to do? Write an ugly, self-centered post about you???? God HELP me if I don't see one of my cards in your new silly book, I just don't know what.

Honestly!

~:B J O R N O G R A P H Y:~

Time to share something non Bimp related. Last week, Bjorn and I were approached by Keith Oh to take part in his data blitz. I have posted it here for you to see.

The concept was to show three good and bad ideas. Massaging type was a good idea, but when applied to a 5.5 lb. papillon, rather MY 5.5 lb. papillon Bjorn, it turned into BAD touch. A little tough to stomach poor Keith being pummeled by his "friends". Fun to watch James fall out of his chair and to see Scott loosing a shoe. Nice cartwheel, dude.

Thanks for sharing Keith! Fantastic job.

~:S I R * B I M P:~

Hang on to yer hats everybody because le Bimp is a B O Y !!! I was compeltely wrong about the sex! The whole time I thought you were a girl. Mom came with us for the ultrasound and we hollered and giggled to find out it was a he. Now I'm thinking all those dreams I had of pink was about me, myself being "in the pink". Makes sense when you think about it.

Oh the fun I'm going to have with costumes and superheroes and uniforms and OH! Bimp? WHO are you?? Can't wait to find out. I am thrilled to have a tinkering little boy. All my bloodwork turned out fine - Bimp measured well. Only thing fishy is a placenta previa thingie - where it's not positioned where it should be. This should correct itself on its own. But if it doesn't we'll have a C section. I don't care much - as long as he's out OK and healhy.

We are so blessed, so excited, so grateful. Happy to share the news with you. He'll be Bimp for now and as we figure out names, which I'm sure will take us up until the day he's born, we'll continue to refer to the little pea as Bimp. Oh happy day! I am in heaven! You should have seen him move around. Very cool - so amazing, so humbling. The image of him in the upper left is of his face looking right at us - his right arm is bent and stretched back behind his head and you can see his fingers peeking behind it for a wave. Hi Bimp! Hello sweet little muffin cake, bouncing bubble Bimp boy. My sweet little boy - I love you!

~:M O T H E R'S * D A Y:~

My first and it went wonderfully. Mom gave me the necklace you see here inscribed with "bimp". I'm never taking it off. To see more of the Mother's Day photos we took, go here .

~:B O O B S H E L F:~

So I had something wonderful happen this morning. I am sitting in my red chair in the kitchen and BjornMouse jumps up to sit in my lap - only he couldn't because Gunther was already there soaking in the sun. So he bypasses my lap and finds a better seat: my shoulders. Then he realizes how comfortable this seat is because he can rest his sweet little bunny paws upon my blue-veined chest, which is now large enough to be deemed Papillon furniture - like it's a paw rest. He he.

***SMILE***

Never in my life have I had this many curves. Never in my life have I been so proud of roundness. Never in my life have I been able to sleep in till 10:00 without feeling guilty, or finish my plate or choose a tall glass of water over a soft drink.

So for those of you who make fun of me for showing "them" or my tummy off - pooh on you. I've earned it!

So is there a connection between the two of these L O S T cast members, Cynthia Watros and Michelle Rodriguez, being arrested back in December in Hawaii for DUI within 15 minutes of each other AND the fact that both of their characters were shot in the same episode? Was this the night they found out they'd be leaving the set or did they get written out b/c of their naughtiness? Hmmmm.

~:T H E * E N T I T Y:~ Doug found this curious image doing a Google image search for "Elser". At first glance it reads as one word, but the Spanish translation of El Ser reads, "The Thing" or "The Entity". This would be a great direct mail piece or xmas or business card or SOMEthing!

~: B I M P * P A G E:~

At last you have here a revealing photo of Bimp from the outside. Super-showing compared to just a few weeks ago. We took this photo on this rainy afternoon, after sleeping in until 10:00. I know. Pretty lame. Couldn't be helped and BjornMouse even joined us to listen to the soft rain showers hitting the roof above our heads. It was lovely. So! I have made a page of everything bimp for those of you who are interested. Photos beginning with the 1st HPT (sorry, no conception images will be available), to telling good news to family, watching bimp grow in the belly, how obnxious my belly gets from the outside, any celebrations applicable and development of the nursery (a nursery!!). Should be fun to update and a great way to keep out of town friends and family in the loop. I love you all!

~Anne

~:F R E S H * R I P - O F F:~

Time for a fiery blog entry.

So I think I made THE most irresponsible financial decision I've ever made last Wednesday. It's lunchtime. I'm hungry. Starving. Don't want fast food or anything greasy, so I decide to go back (against better judgement) to try the new Fresh Market in Buckhead for a healthy and hearty lunch. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

But before I go on, let me tell you why my first experience was not so great. I went in for lunch shortly after their opening day in February to get a sandwich. Since this store is located on busy Peachtree Street at a not-so-friendly intersection, you'd assume that they cater to mostly busy executives, hospital staff and visitors, and students (since Portfolio Center is right across the street, the hospital a little further down and SCAD is just down the street). Folks just want to dive in and out as quickly as possible with something other than a potential coronary on a plate, right? And it was for this reason that when the Fresh Market in Buckhead first opened, I was very excited. I've been missing Harry's in a Hurry for far too long and don't always care to travel the maze in Publix to make it in and out of their deli line for one of their custom made subs. Back to my story - I'm at the deli and pick out a ready made chicken wrap and ask the attendant where their forks and knives are. She points to a basket. I pick out a fork. No knives? She shrugs her shoulders and tells me I'll find those at the register. Hmmph. So I'm at the register and after paying an arm and a leg for that little chicken wrap, I ask for a knife. I was told flatly that they don't have any knives. "Are you sure?" Yes, well the deli might have them. "Well, then will you go check for me, please?" She leaves and returns with another flat, "NO." Not a sorry - we must be out of them. Or maybe a "I'll go check in the back." I was this close to returning everything I'd just purchased and gone back to Publix.

Can't you tell when an employee is happy to give you the answer they know will displease you? Well this was one of those cases. ARRRRG.

So back to my most recent unpleasant Fresh Market experience. I think I made THE most irresponsible financial decision I've ever made, right? It's lunchtime. I'm hungry. Starving. First thing I've got a craving for is watermelon. I pick up a little container of it in the produce section. Yummm, it looks delicious. Until I look at the price tag. $4.33. NO shit. I'm thinking to myself, "boy, this is stupid, Anne." But I decide to splurge.

Next, I'm at the deli counter again and this time decide to try one of their custom made sandwiches. I order a chicken salad sandwich. Without a word, this woman who tried so hard to make me wait for acknowledgment of my presence, pointed to a "form" I had to fill out first before she would make my sandwich. "For accuracy", she said, with a rotation of her head, via her neck, at her shoulders with an a-la-urban-esque-you-aint-no-bettah-den-me-juss-cuz-I-be-wearin-dis-green-apron-beeotch gesture. Jesus Christ, how complicated can a chicken salad sandwhich be? Costs me around $5.00. Almost as much as that fucking watermelon. When I get back to the school to eat it, I open the sandwich to discover ONE slice of tomato, ONE leaf of lettuce, and a .25 inch pathetically thin layer of "chicken salad", consisting of mostly mayo and some kind of pickle/relish mixture. I find ONE good chunk of chicken in there. But lemme tell you, this sandwich was not short of bread. Hmmm. I was so mad. The other stupid thing I did was to purchase a tray of about 8 cookies for my class to share with me. They were thick, heavy, bland cookies. I like my cookies to have some crunch to them. These had none. Might have well been pudding. SO! I'm N O T going back. If their service was better, staff friendlier, that might entice me.

What's puzzling, though, is that I go to The Fresh Market in Dunwoody all the time and I LOVE them! They've got an outstanding bakery, and really go out of their way to help you find your way around, answer any questions you might have and give you a generally pleasant shopping experience.

At the Bucked location, they make you work hard to ask a question, to make yourself visible in the first place and then to get an answer delivered politely is tough, too. On opening day at Buckhead, I told the deli guy at the counter, "I'm so glad you're here! I work across the street at PC and am looking forward to coming here often for lunch." The response I get from him is a monologue of what he really wants to do with his life and how he's looking for a career change and he wants to get out of the food service industry and how can he apply for classes at Portfolio Center. Whoa. "Um, I think I'll go to Publix instead, thanks."

~:T H E * T H I N G:~ For all you bloggers who are falling asleep on AnnePages due to lack of posts... here's an update. NO, it's not my belly. That'll come this weekend. But check this creepy image out. Can you see my blue veins? By the time I'm ready to go into labor, there will be 50% MORE blood pumping through my body. Now - there's already much more - and you can see it in my chest. My pulse is stronger and more rapid also. I can make the headboard knock against the wall in our bedroom just with my obnoxious pulse. Weird, huh?

One advantage to the increase in blood flow is that I've said goodbye to cold feet and having to wear socks at night. I'm comfortably warm. I hope the summer's not too hot for me. One disadvantage to the whole blood thing is that its first duty is to the womb. Which means there's less flowing through my brain - which means that when I open my mouth to verbalize the few thoughts left IN my brain, I sound like a fucking third grader. No shit! I am losing my vocabulary. And my mind.

Ok. So you're still bored? Sorry. I'll post the belly pictures next.

XOXOX,

~Anne

Hey everyone, don't forget to check out Bjorn's new blog entry on BjornPages: B J O R N P A G E S: Yes, I'm a Rockstar.

~:L O V E * L E T S * G O:~

I came across this beautiful quote yesterday in our Emotive Alphabet calligraphy class at PC yesterday. Christy brought in a bunch of great quotes all about traveling and being free, letting go, etc. I wrote this one down for myself. It reminds me to let go of those who need more than what I have to offer. Especially those who have died - who have moved on, whether that choice was theirs or not.

Tommy was one of those folks who needed to go. Was unhappy for too much of his life. In respecting his choice, in the end, I chose honor him by letting him go. It is very freeing. Sure, I still get mad and angry and relive the process of letting go all over again. But coming back to this point of surrender is beautiful, welcoming and real.

When someone makes a choice that puzzles me, whose left a trail of destruction for all to remember and I'm thinking, "What an asshole - what's their fucking problem!????" - I will try think of this quote and to remember that it's not up to me to save ANYONE, except for myself.

Thanks for the epiphany. {{sigh}}

~: O H * M Y:~ And I thought I was creative! Thank you to Wogah for this fun link. Check out the terrificly brilliant wit in Patricia Waller’s Alluring Crochet Works. Can't decide if my favorite is the bunny stabbed with carrot or the pink fetish ware. Hmmmm. What are yours?

~:D O G * C H A T:~ Ruthie and Bjorn took over our fancy iSight cameras and had a little chat yesterday. One would bark, the other would look around the room, behind one of us, then back at the camera. Very confusing. Mom and I are laughing all the while. This is what I do, instead of doing something productive.

~E A S T E R * N A P:~

Holidays are hard work, as you can see here. It's hard for both of these creatures to stay so cute. Who can say no to a man in pink? Lying down in a bay window with a papillon? I can't. We took many pictures during our time up in Clayton, during which I first told you and my grandmother Nonie that we were pregnant. I spent that Sunday reading through your gazillion lovely comments and answering e-mails from friends and family. Lots of fun. I can't thank you enough for your support and love. Really means a lot.

We also graduated Bjorn to almost free status of life without a leash (for the most part). Dad's dog Alice Faye was wonderfully calm and very gentle with BjornMouse, as were other dogs who visited us that day. If you'd like to see more Easter in Clayton photos, there are more here.

~:C H A T T 'N * W H O R E:~

My dorky (and generous) little brother Peter got me an iSight thingie for my birthday! Woo hoo! Mom got one, too. And we've been chattn away. Now that there's an Elser baby on the way - it makes sense for our family to have cameras, so we can enjoy each other virtually and for virtually nuth'n.

Today, Audrey graciously allowed me to interrupt her important school work and accepted my iChat invitation. So for those of you who have one - look me up!

The latest and greatest photo of my niece Mia. There are more Easter photos here, if you wanna see 'em!

~: I N T R O D U C I N G * B I M P :~

I have some very happy Easter news for all of you. This little sweater I just finished belongs to the new Elser baby who will arrive to meet you all in mid-October! We are calling him/her "Bimp" for now and are sooooo excited. I have been dying to tell you and at last have said goodbye to the 1st trimester (and I hope nausea as well!). We are at 13 weeks - heard the heartbeat yesterday and saw Bimp wiggle and dance at week 9. UH-MAY-ZING. Quite a little miracle this pregnancy is. We are counting our blessings and I am feeling kinda like Wonder Woman. It's an amazing experience.

So now you guys know I have not just let myself go and gotten FAT! For the first time in my life, I have boobs - thank God in heaven I have boobs! Sorry - don't have a picture for that one. And Bjorn will have a little sister or brother! And God has been good to us! And Spring is here! Remember those little seeds I tried to plant in the little indoor greenhouse kit? They DIED. Who cares - I've got something better growing in my belly.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for the next few months. Happy. Excited. Nervous. Grateful. And my husband Doug? He's been a dream. I can't wait to see him as a father. Oh happy, happy day. Happy Easter everyone!

~Anne

One of Mom's new landscapes. Sorry about the glare. But isn't it beautiful? Luscious.

~:L A T E * T H I R T I E S * F E E L * F A B:~

We took many more birthday pictures of dinner last night, if you care to see them. My actual birthday isn't until Monday, during which I will be ushering in a new group of first quarter PC students - so we decided to celebrate last night. Mom, Dad and Doug pitched in together and bought me this lovely Elsa Perretti necklace from Tiffany's. She's the same designer of my wedding ring. This necklace is en route to atlanta - so I should receive it Monday. Thank you so much Mom, Dad and Doug! I can't wait to wear it.

~:I S * I T * M E ?: ~ Ahh, the hosts of Atlanta's Classic Radio. Is it me? Or does the radio voice of FM 90.1 WABE'S Wanda Yang Temko sound like she's ripping the upholstery off the seat of her chair with her asshole? Listening to her makes me extremely nervous and uptight. I have to admit that she was much more uptight when she first came to the station in 2002. Sadly, now the affected voice of Lois Reitzes (who sounds like she's speaking with cotton balls in her cheeks and is guided by a broken metronome) isn't the only voice that makes me cringe. God help me.

I'd have to say that after all this needling complaining, my favorite radio personality on WABE is H. Johnson - Saturday night's host of Jazz Classics. What a character and what energy and what fun to listen to him on a Saturday night with friends. Even though you are guaranteed to be interrupted by his energetic comments for the first 2 minutes of each piece, you're sure to be entertained by a truly genuine and upbeat voice. The classics don't have to be boring, people.

7 THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE:

1. Have a baby
2. Finish my wedding album
3. Spend a week in Provence
4. Talk to Tommy again
5. Have multiple orgasms
6. Convert the back porch into a ceramics and painting studio
7. Get a female Papillon for Bjorn and name her Inga

7 THINGS I CANNOT DO

1. Wait to have a baby
2. Imagine life before marriage
3. Run
4. Put the left sock on before the right without falling
5. Have multiple orgasms
6. Sight read sheet music
7. Feel at peace without the house being clean

7 THINGS I SAY MOST OFTEN

1. Bjorn! Come!
2. Bjorn! Go to bed!
3. Jesus Fucking Christ!!
4. Honey - can you do me a favor?
5. What's for dessert?
6. People are so fucking stupid
7. No, thanks.

7 BOOKS I LOVE

1. Chicken, Shadow, Moon and More - Mark Strand
2. Socks Socks Socks - (Knitting patterns)
3. Cloud Nine (A Dreamer's Dictionary)
4. The Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy
5. Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
6. Please Understand Me - Meyers Briggs
7. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

7 MOVIES I CAN WATCH OVER AND OVER

1. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
2. Raising Arizona
3. The Pink Panther
4. Young Frankenstein
5. The Sound of Music
6. West Side Story
7. The Jerk

~:S U N S H I N E * I N:~

Doug and I have one common "sport" we love to do together (other than going to see movies or watching the Sopranos). We love taking care of the house - working on the yard, gardening, painting, laying brick, etc. And we love taking a whole day to do it together. We find a little shady spot for Bjorn and set him down in between us while we work. Owning a house and taking care of it is one of life's great pleasures. It's the only thing you can spend money on without feeling guilty. Curb appeal just makes life rosier. For everyone.

SO! One of the things Doug started doing last year wass removing the screens from our windows. The difference is night and day, I tell you. Screens make your windows look sad and neglected. Gray, muddy, like a smoker's car windows, TV screen or computer keyboard. Tinted with tar. Totally gross. Being a smoker for 15 years (I quit 3.5 years ago) I should know. Back to the window screens - we got half way around the house last year - and then got distracted. All the screens from the front of the house had gone to the Dekalb County dump while the back of the house remained smothered in screens for another season.

Just last weekend, Doug took the remaining screens off the back of the house. This means the kitchen and music room. Oh my goodness what a difference. We spend most of our time together in the cozy bay window nook in our kitchen. The photo you see here shows the difference. Crisp, clear true-to-life color beaming in with no inhibitions. Green that's proud of itself. I swear - there is no place - I mean NO place I'd rather be than in my kitchen bay window.

So I took lots more pictures, if you'd like to see them. I know many are of Bjorn, but man - can't you just feel that sun? Sheer heaven.

I found the following mean spirited comment on Mary's blog and just HAD to add my two cents:

Audrey said...
did you know at 5am mary resembles the stray cat that hangs out across from PC? meow! just wanted to add some love to your neverending comment list....

Mary said...
HEY NOW, Audrey...that was studio week...Hank's class and NO sleep all rolled up into one. If you post that picture I will kill you...

So our dear friend Tania generously sent me the above pic she took of Mary during studio week---or what she likes to call Week of the Living Dead.

Mary must be some kind of Exotic Longhair???

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!~

------------------------------------

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.