Saturday was the 3 month anniversary of Leigh's passing. I honored her as best I could by doing things that reminded me of her.

I went to her ghost bike on Westheimer and Dunlavy and trimmed up all the grass around her bike. I left a small art card I had made and a fresh flower thru her tire spokes. I left there and went to the Houston Center for Photography 's  27th anniversary membership exhibition.  Leigh worked at HCP and had an interest in art photography.  I enjoyed the exhibits, especially the ones they had installed on the floor.  ( like this one ) .

Afterwards I went down to the Rothko Chapel and sat for a while, remembering her memorial service there and what people stood up to say about her.   I thought about George as well, and how the paintings there made him feel like he was being hugged.  He was comforted here by works and by the presence of the space. 

Later , I drove over to the Lawndale Art Center to see their Big Show that just opened.  Lots of really interesting peices there.  Multiple types of media used to express the artist's intent.  The one that stood out the most for me was an installation that was created with threee old school overhead projectors.   I won't tell you too much about it, wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone who may happen to make it over there and see it for themselves, but needless to say ... the message projected and what wasn't projected , for me , was powerful.

So, it was the hottest part of the day by this point , so I went home to watch a movie and enjoy the airconditioning. 
I watched The Fall.  Fucking amazing movie.  I liked it enough to consider copying it onto my computer and making copies for various family members.  I didn't , but just by the hairs really.  I will be purchasing it though at somepoint in the future. 

Stephen called me as the movie was ending he grabbed me up to go eat.  Or rather to try to make me eat *heh*.  We went over to a new place called Shuck Daddy's.  I kinda dig the place.  They have big sheets of white butcher paper on the tables and they'll give your crayons if you want them.  I spent almost 2 hours watching Stephen eat 7 pounds of crawfish from a bucket while I drank a metric ton of iced tea and drew to my hearts content.  Nice waitstaff too.

Stephen wante dto go see some independant film about the last vampire down at the Angelica, but it just didn't sound appealing to me so I declined.  I decided I wanted to go to an opening exhibit at Gallery 1724.  It was a show titled Dirty Drawers.  When Stephen found out there would be live nude models and free champagne he changed his mind about seeing the early showing of the movie, lolz.    So we wandered over to Amy's ice cream for a quickie dessert and then I showed him The Movie Store ( which is the most super cool place to friggin rent a movie evar ) and then it was finally time to go over to Gallery 1724.

The show was interesting.  Most of the peices were nude subjects, some in watercolor, some drawn, some in acrylics.  A wide variety in pricing , which suprised me.  I could have actually afforded to buy something there, though I did decide against it as i'm trying to reserve the remaining wall space at my new home to works that I have created myself.  Slow going on that .... but you know , i'll get there when I get there right?   It was kinda fun to be able to people watch there and to see what kind of people come to exhibit openings at small galleries like this.  There were less than 60 people there , so it was intimate I suppose.  I liked it.  I definately want to do more things like this in the future. 

Afterwards, Stephen ran off to watch his movie ( Blood ) and I went back down to Leigh's ghost bike to light a candle as it was finally dark.

After the candle was lit, I walked over to Poison Girl, which was Leigh's favorite hang out.  I'd never been before and I wasn't really sure what I would do once I got there as I was alone and not really in a drinking mood, but I still wanted to go and check it out and kind of be able to stand where she had stood so many nights, enjoying herself. 

It was a really hipster type venue ... it had a kinda rockabilly vibe to the place.  I looked around and saw that Leigh's family donated one of her most cherished peices of artwork to them ( or maybe it's just on loan , I didn't ask ).   It's hanging dead center across from the bar.  It was weird to see it hanging there at first , instead of where I had seen it before , on her apartment wall.  But it felt good to see it, to see a little bit of her there in her favorite spot.  I scoped outthe rest of the place and then decided to go home, I was tired and I felt guilty for just walking around and not buying a drink.    I'll definately be going back though , maybe earlier one evening so I can grab a decent place to sit and kick back. 

So I went home and passed out on my bed ... it had been kinda a long day on the inside of my head, but it was a day well spent.  
 

I just got a letter from Kelsy's school inviting me to the acedemic awards ceremony before the graduation ceremony. It tells me that Kelsy is being recognized with the following awards :

Above & Beyond Service - Learning Award
Department Scholar - Business Education
Jenny Lee Scholarship

I am so pleased and proud I had to pinch myself. The awards are lovely and i'm sure hard earned, but this second scholarship ( Evergreen State College offered her an acedemic scholarship as well ) will help with her tuition for her Freshman college year immensely.

That's MY daughter ... oh yeah ...
**doing the Rooster dance of pride ova here **


MY ROCKSTAR *grin*

My lunchtime sabbatical involved a visit to a fantastic local gallery so I thought I would share it with all of you :)

The Booker Lower Gallery showcases contemporary aboriginal fine art from Australia.  Right now they are presenting a show titled "Women's Business", that features mostly abstract works from women all around Australia.  Women still in there 20's to a lady in her 80's, so a broad range of age as well as locations.   Mostly it is paintings, but there are a few peices of pottery scattered in there as well. 

" This exhibition includes Eubena Nampitjin's densely-layered and richly-colored evocations of her country in desert reds and oranges, Eunice Napanangka Jack's intricately-colored rainbows of pattern, Dolly Snell's signature "feathered" paintings, Lucy Loomoo's softly-shaded and richly-textured works, Judy Watson Napangardi's vivid abstract landscapes, and Rosella Namok's "finger-paintings," reminiscent of ritual body painting. The show also presents works by emerging artists – paintings of women's ceremonies characterized by exuberant colors and carefully-positioned icons defining their custodial stories. "

The best part was the the docent ( or maybe she was the owner ? ) was super informative and gave us all kinds of little tidbits about various works , including being able to answer my questions on certain applications  and techniques used ...which i'm keen to understand better as I think i'd like to try a few myself in the next few weeks.  I really liked the way Rosella Namok's works incorporated her finger's doing some of the painting.    The colors used in most of the works were incredible.  The use of contrast  and background paint were heavy handed, but I actually liked it.

Huge hatip and gratitude to bailey21975 heard about the gallery suggested we take a lunchtime tour of this exhibit.   I love that we can arthound around town together.

spring seems so distant
intubator tweets softly
replacement for birds

she's sleeping beauty
under all these attachments
plastic tenting tomb

flowers are blooming
winds are blowing back and forth
wish you could feel it


*********************************



they say you're leaving
I hold your hand , but that spark
you're already gone


**********************************


Your spark flown away
giving life to a stranger
your heart beats in her

Your breath now whispers
with a different sweet young voice
She will speak your name

life thru death , rebirth
A universal cycle
come again sister

The beautiful thing about becoming a couple and then a family is that individual things get smooshed together ( sometimes in messy ways ) to become wonderful , new combinations. 

Take lasagna.  I make a mean veggie lasagna.  It's not something I make very regularly , but when I do it's garden fresh , the only thing pre-made are the noodles.  It's pretty good and the kids have always enjoyed it.

George's lasagna is wonderful ... full of spinach and italian sausage and fresh herbs.   The smells that come out of the kicthen while he creates his lasgana is enough to make you ravenous by the time the finished product is brought to the table.

Case in point ... his and mine ... both good in their own ways , but somewhat different in their creation. 

Last night a joining was made ... we had "his" lasagna ... but it was injected with some of "my" mojo ... mainly that I begged strongly suggested that he allow me to create the tomato sauce from scratch with added "assorted other organic garden goodness" rather than use something out of a can, and to cut up some tastey bella mushrooms and insert them into the layers side by side with his spinach.meaty.chessy goodness.

It was a hesitant start ... what with him watching me cut up all the veggies and herbs and pouring the entire batch into the food processor for further puree making ... he sniffed it and proclaimed it salsa ... not tomato sauce as was called for in his receipe.  I bade him to wait it out and to taste the finished ( and simmer reduced down ) version. 

Once it turned from the light red/green/yellow puree color to the dark deep spicy red color in the cooking pot he was well pleased with it and was won over enough to use it and to allow the mushrooms to be thrown in to humor me.  He drew the line at the zuchinni, additional red onions, brocoli, and maybe a bit of shredded carrots that I hinted at ( lol ) ... but still ... the melding of our two receipes turned into a fantatstic entree.

And I made a kick ass veggie garden salad to compensate for all the extra veggies that I didn't get to add into the main dish *grin*.   The perfect roundiung out was the fresh french baggette turned into garlic bread * OMGYUM*

So , you know ... it just turned out perfectly ... a wondeful combination .. the maiden voyage of "our" lasagna ... fed to a waiting with baited breath ,hovering around the dining room table, pleading for it to be done already, hungry horde of children.  

I love that "our" lasagna was first created and served to the full table of children , as Kelsy is home to make it a perfect table of 7 ... seven's a lucky number they say :)

The next "our" combination will be a bit more daunting to me ... it seems that once George realized that I seem to be missing from any given set of family photos over the years , that this go round ... when we put all 5 kids together infront of the lens i'll have to be in it as well ( and him too ).   Yeah ... 'bout that , *heh* ,  not so much with the love for the clicky-flash when i'm not the one pushing the buttons. 

I don't think he realizes how much blood letting this will involve on my end ... hair/make-up/outfit = complete overhaul .. *head-desk*  I won't even go into the whole "hate the weight" issue ... which there will be no resolution on in a mere five days.  *Narf!*   Ah well ... all in the name of fusion right?

BLATANTLY STOLEN FROM naamah_darling's journal

Catherynne M. Valente's Palimpsest came out today. I now have a copy sitting under the cat right next to me. I also have something to share with you.

Boxes!



These aren't for sale, no, but you can win them.

Buy book, win box!

From yuki_onna's journal: "If you link to Palimpsest in your journals any time in the next week, send me a link and I will enter you in a drawing to win a Palimpsest Immigration Package -- one of these, made by naamah_darling. Each of these contains a signed copy of the book, a complete line of the Starborn Alchemy Palimpsest scents, a Palimpsest pendant, an original piece of jewelry by upstart_crow, a set of Palimpsest-inspired chocolates by the owner of Habeas Brulee, and many more goodies. There are only two of these in existence: email me the link to your post to be entered for one; send me a receipt showing you've bought the book to be entered for the other!"

It is true. There are only two of those. These are special, and I want them to stay special, so I won't be doing any like them for a good long time, y'hear? I also want one of you to wind up with one. I would love that. You are my friends, I love you guys.

More information is on yuki_onna's LJ here, along with other ways you can help spread the word. She also gives details about upcoming appearances, readings, and signings, links to some marvelous art both to look at and buy, provides icons . . . lots of good stuff there. Go check it out.

Please, spread the word. Use pics from my gallery if you want, I don't mind.

You want to know what the book is about? Here, have a trailer:

So , um , I guess you guys clicky the eggs and I get some kind of neato-dragon eventually ?





Also, this is made of awesome :

Does anyone on my friends list read arabic? I need a very short something translated. I think it's only two words.