Dear 2012: A Humble Letter of a Few Tiny Requests to the New Year

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Dear 2012,


Hello, you may not know me (yet) but I get the feeling that in a short matter of time, we'll be great friends with no way to end our friendship until the bitter end.

Though I loved and had great ambitions with my aging friend 2011, it is with the saddest regret that our time together is drawing to a close. 2011 started off with a bang but whimpered and fizzled out in a big way that has not only disappointed me, but all of 2011's collective friends and enemies alike. We freely admit, with some smugness, that we are happy to be rid of you! You had rotten manners, you did a lot of mean things, and frankly, I can sum it all up by saying, you stunk. Go away, ca-ca year, we don't like you any more.

A few requests will be asked for with the utmost graciousness to you, oh 2012. These requests, as I have said, are tiny, but in my own estimation, ginormous in their scope; so please hear me out! They are:

1. No more deaths in my immediate family. Though I'm strong, capable and tough as tooled leather (and philosophical as all get-out), I'm a wee bit sick to freakin' death of death right now, and would appreciate it if you could just stop it for a minute, please. Make that, for a year. Yeah, that will work. A girl needs a little break in the action sometimes, y'know.

2. Send a really cool job my way. Yeah, I know, I rejected so many chances at "gainful employment" over the past five years or so, but it was because I was on my semi-retired sabbatical type thingamajig... whatever it's called. You know, the break in the action where I got to stay at home for the most part, and "find myself" aka do my art, write endless hours of jabbering verbiage, garden, and eat till I gained 20 extra pounds. Well, it wasn't *all* my fault (though I will be a big person and admit, most of it was), a lot of it was due to my having gone through menopause (gag). Anyway, that's a digression; back to the point of a job. I've had my little jaunt in the retail sector, and for the most part, can safely say that it is out of my system now for good. A return from whence I came (publishing, editorial, art) is humbly requested. You'll note I was on the computer this morning at 7-ish and the resulting fruits of my labor being the 13 or so resumes and accompanying lengthy cover letters stating that I do indeed meet and exceed their criteria for getting the job done and that I am the best candidate for the position yada yada YADA...

3. The winning lottery numbers. Please. Ok, even a minor amount will help right now. And, yes, I know, it's shallow of me to request it, but I figure that even a minor payout of only a few million will be put to the best use ever. At the least, I just want to pay off the house and our new truck in one fell swoop and be done with it, plus pay off all my loved one's debts so they could start the new year off fresh. And then donate huge barrel-fulls to worthy organizations like those who help rescue animals. Lastly, Mama's got her eyes on a fancy-shmancy pair of shoes right now that are sadly not in the budget, so if I had a few more pennies, I could strut proudly wearing my glossy new shoes and feel like a happy peacock (um, perhaps in my case, cuz I'm a girlie type person, it would be a pea hen, then?).

4. Can we all just get along, please. Yes, we can attribute that quote to Rodney King, but I think it was a plea heard 'round the world and felt deeply by many. As children, we were taught to play nice, share our toys, and say 'please' and 'thank you' when offered a cookie. I'm sick of adults behaving badly, and really, all kidding aside, it's ridiculous to witness this shit in the news each day. Like the Hubby and I always say, it's the flaw in the human software (aka: greed and selfishness) that is to blame for so many of the world's woes.

5. Less pain, more flexy. I've lived by my online motto for years and mean it with every shred of my being (Growing Older is Mandatory; Growing Up is Optional) but just wish that growing older didn't have to hurt so much. I realize I'll never have my 25 year old body again, and that's fine, but can my 51 year old body please not hurt so damn much?           

6. More cookies. My most logical and simple request. Who can be angry and hateful when enjoying a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie? One that has just been taken, freshly baked, from the oven, still soft, warm, and chewy-gooey. Oh yes, if I could bake the World a cookie, I surely would, and deliver it with all of its delectable, mind-altering, heart-and-soul-salving properties to all the heads of state, and watch as their hatred diminished, their eyes became large as one of those soulful characters' eyes from a Bob Keane oil painting, and many issuances of yummy sounds emanated from their lips as crumbs dropped onto their pressed shirts and chocolate smeared their lapels and ties... and they would then wonder just why in the heck they were so angry for in the first place, as they dipped the cookie into a big glass of cold milk before stuffing another hunkin' bite into their mouths. Yep, everyone gets a cookie, and is allowed seconds if they desire it. I believe in the magical, curative powers of chocolate chip cookies, and again, wish the World to enjoy more of them this year. 

Happy New Year, everyone. Talk care, stay safe, sane, and healthy. And share a cookie with one another every so often, ok? It will make you feel really good inside. Trust me on this.

Here is a super-yummy recipe for chocolate chip cookies, from Desserts Wikia. Enjoy! And check out all their other delightful recipes when you have a chance, too. You won't regret it (unless you binge, like I do, then, yes, you'll have regrets).            

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http://desserts.wikia.com/wiki/Chocolate_Chip_Cookies

Hello, 2010. What brings thou here for us?

Wow. What a great intro to a new year indeed. We have our first snowfall of the winter season - about an inch or so of softly-packed powder has blanketed the area. Up here in the hills, we got hit a little harder than the lowlanders down in the city, but that's okay because I have a very warm and happy home to live in and don't need to leave the house for anything right now.

Most of yesterday, as the snow fell in furiously flurrying swirls all around, I spent at the window capturing photos of the birds that came in to gobble up the seeds I put out. From the bright red cardinals to a pack of boisterous blue jays to a red-headed woodpecker, the action never stopped. I even had to bundle up and trudge outside to add more seeds to the feeders to make sure every one of my feathered friends was well-fed. This photo on the right is the same view as the one from my previous post (Shiny, Bright and New) if you want to see the drastic seasonal comparison.

The opportunistic blue jays swooped in abundance to grab all the free food they could. I loved the juxtaposition of birds on a cat here! The cement cat statue was bought at Ronnie Lee Twist's awesome statuary shop in nearby Kingston Springs. If you live in the area or in Nashville in general, go visit him and his beautiful wife Nikki, they are the nicest people ever! The statuary they have for sale is amazing, but their art gallery is exquisite, full of handmade art by local artists. 

Our "StumpHenge" area by the old apple tree was frosted with a pristine coating of sparkly white snow. The lovely ornate cement bench in the center was also bought at Ronnie Lee Twist's statuary.A few of my photos were even used on our local TV channel's website (including the cardinal and house sparrow in the snowstorm here). How cool is that! 

(And another round of thanks to dear Mark Poopy Hubby for the awesome new camera he bought me. You see, babe, I am putting it to very good use!)

So much has already happened... where to start? Well let's see. I succumbed to a rotten chest cold that left me extremely hoarse. Sounding like Harvey Firestein has been a very interesting experience for me, to say the least. "I just wanna be loved. Is that so wrooooong?"
Ha ha. My head and chest were quite congested and the last thing I felt like doing was sitting at my computer, attempting to type an intelligent sentence as I continuously blasted snot into a never ending bunch of Kleenex... thus, my absence from the Internet. 

New Year's Eve was a very special occasion, as Mark and I spent it with a group of great friends over in east Nashville, at our friend Troy's home. It was a potluck dinner with lots of delicious food and drink. I was the designated driver, and let my dear Poopy have his turn to imbibe a few beers. Thank the heavens for these wonderful people! An artistic, eccentric and intelligent bunch of kooks with much kindness abounding.

We've come to love them dearly (thank you, Linda, Ethan, John, Gwen, Troy, Amanda, Carl, and the rest - y'all know who you are!) and are so thankful for all the niceness they've shown us. Isn't that what life is all about? Being good and kind to others is simple and should come easily. Why does drama and bullshit have to happen with some people? My theory is, they're addicted to it and can't function without it. 


I'm glad I don't have any of that in my existence. I've learned to embrace joy instead of clinging to strife, and have long espoused the elements of "the laws of attraction" which have worked marvelously for me over the years. Once you rid yourself of the negative baggage you drag around, magical things happen, and that's a fact.

Have you seen AVATAR yet? Your thoughts?

I truly enjoyed it. We saw the 3-D version and were blown away. Visually, it was stunning, and James Cameron's technical CGI wizardry will likely be rewarded come Academy Awards time. The story itself is basic (greedy humans trying to steal away from a native race who live as one with the land) and, sadly and embarrassingly, holds close to many parallels of the white European settlers coming to the US and taking away the land and lives of the native Americans. 

Okay - a mini rant here. I promise to make it short and as sweet as possible. Why do humans have to be selfish and greedy? Why do they trample over things that are sacred all for the sake of acquisition (often in the name of their particular god)? My Hubby, in his infinite wisdom, calls it "the bug in the human software," meaning, they are flawed and have that horribly misplaced sense of entitlement and just take, take, take. Greed is an awful thing, and when you add unlimited, uncontrolled power in to that, you have a truly poisonous mixture that removes all traces of the good and pure human element. 

But back to AVATAR. My typical morning ritual consists of reading a particular website (Crystalinks.com, a really cool and informative science/metaphysical one I've been reading for over ten years, and have learned a lot from) whilst gulping down my vat of coffee as I aim to get my brain kicked in gear. This morning, I noticed an image on her site from the movie that sparked something in me. The main character, and overall theme of the movie, bore a lot of similarities to a painting I had done way back in 1995 when I was still living in Hollywood. I put the images side by side to compare and was more than a little struck by those similarities. From the background imagery of the high-reaching world tree and connective web, to the character's overall look with ear piercings, dreadlocked hair and bejeweled decor, I venture my humble opinion: Very, very interesting indeed! Cameron must've tapped into the same general well of Universal consciousness as I. 

Heh heh.

I present here for your scrutinization. 

   

This is the painting in its entirety. 

Below is the image from AVATAR alongside a close-up of my painting. You can click on them to enlarge in a new window.

***UPDATE!***


I sent an email in to Ellie Crystal at Crystalinks.com and told her about my painting above. She was impressed enough that she used it on her site! Seems I indeed must have tapped into the same well, aka "The Grid" (what I earlier termed "The Universal Consciousness") as Cameron. Below is a screen capture taken from the pages of today's Crystalinks site (click on it to enlarge in a new window). http://www.crystalinks.com/avatar2010.html/

***UPDATE - 1/11/10***


There was another update there in regard to my painting/In The Grid posting - this one tying in the ancient Egyptian goddess, Hathor.

Shiny, bright and new

What a gorgeous boy! I have bird feeders set up at strategic viewing areas throughout my home. I got this cardinal on my 12 MP Canon SX20 IS from my second floor bedroom window. His beak is full of birdseed and he's fat and sassy indeed. 

 Another shot taken from my bedroom window, overlooking most of the backyard area. I'm surprised we still have some green grass! All the trees are barren, save for a few evergreens on the property. My new garden and greenhouse will be set in the lower right side, just beyond the green bush. There is a nice large wide area there that's suitable, plus it's within easy reach of the garden hose and potting shed. It will be a lot of work to create but well worth it. We were originally going to use our pasture but decided against it, as the huge oak tree (on the far left above) casts too much shade there; plus, the hose does not reach close enough for irrigation. Instead, we're going to use the existing pasture area to build a chicken coop and a small enclosure against the barn for goats.
Yay! I'll be a farmer yet!

A super-zoom closeup of the tangled dead wood and trees in our forest. The Hubby and I bundled up and took a stroll there. We discovered a newly-fallen hickory tree that we'll go chop up for burning, and a completely frozen pond. Winter is undoubtedly here in a big way. I love this beauty in all its severity. 

The full Blue moon rose in a glorious way over our property. I ventured outside to grab a few shots before running inside, half-frozen to death (it was 17 degrees!) with fingers turned into icicles. Thankfully the Hubby had a nice toasty fire roaring in the living room. Brrr!

Moon rays reach out across the heavens.

 Filtered to show the reaching moon rays.