Fall Is In The Air ... Along With Words.

TODAY I am thinking of taking on new challenges and remembering in time - before tomorrow - that today is self-portrait Wednesday. I love red. I love books. So this is a good place to be taking my self-portrait. Finally one without a triple chin showing!
Maybe I am perusing this shelf because I know November is coming all too soon, and with it will come NaNoWriMo. This year I already have decided what to write about. I decided last month or the month before. And I put the idea of what to write about into a safe brain cell. One that, right now, is inaccessible! It was something I've always wanted to write about. An idea I had a long time ago. Ah! Something is coming back. I think I've remembered, but no clues tonight. You will have to wait until tomorrow - or November.
Today, Sept. 2, 2009, for the record, I got a tetanus shot at the doctor's office. They are so good about reminding you what is due. Good, quick shot; sore arm.
And I've been training the person who will take over my old job. She is smart and quick and will do well and I can go on to my new job in a peaceful, quiet office. Where I can s.h.u.t. the door, if I want. I think I hear my sanity calling!
I love this blog. Where else can I keep track of my life so well? Where else am I so dedicated?

- W.D. SNODGRASS -
These lilies, if these things are waterlilies
Which are dancers growing dim across no floor;
These mayflies; whirled dust orbiting in the sun;
This blossoming diffused as rushlights; galactic vapours;
Fluorescence into which we pass and penetrate;
O soft as the thighs of women;
O radiance, into which I go on dying . . . .

femminismo
P.S. Full disclosure: came back to edit and correct one mis-typed word in the poem. Snodgrass must have been rolling in his grave!

You And I, Travel To The Beat Of A Different Drum ...

DIFFERENT drums ... for some reason that Linda Ronstadt song came into my mind as I began this post. Written by Michael Nesmith (now that name's familiar to some of us) and a popular hit when Linda sang with the Stoned Ponies. Oh, it takes me back, for sure. My hair was long, long, long and had never been touched by a curling iron. My bottom was a little higher, too, along with the bosoms - which got a clean bill of health by the way! (Made a mammogram appointment lately?)
I'm just thinking tonight about all the things that make us different ... and interesting. Remember that "Twilight Zone" episode, "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" (1964) where everyone either looked like Suzy Parker, Richard Long or Pamela Austin? How boring to all be the same. (Not to mention, confusing!)
Now me, with my farsighted eye and my near-sighted eye, I've been to the ophthalmologist too much lately. The other day I finally gave up on the blended trifocals lenses. They were not working for me. Too much prism effect, which made me dizzy. But in honor of Don, (Grrl+Dog calls him "Gorgeous One") I had to take a self-portrait (it's self-portrait Wednesday too!) of what might pass for steampunk glasses. (Well, they might if they were rusty and a little bit funkier.)
And I forgot to tell you that a *miracle* happened on Sunday and I made a pie without crying. The bottom crust rolled out perfectly, the berries tumbled in and the top crust - I got the teensiest bit uneasy but quashed it quickly - it rolled out perfectly too. I cut out little leaves to put on top and sprinkled it with sugar. The Mister demands "a little pie" for himself, because he *tells me* his mother "always did it." Well, I guess I would try that too if I could get away with it and he obviously did because you can see him in the picture tucking into his apple pielet.
Yesterday, Tuesday, I got mail from Fannie Narte, and inside the envelope was a great little carry-all bag. It will be just perfect for my lunch and other odds and ends I can't do without ... after I decorate it. Check out Fannie's lovely "lady prints." Beautiful drawings/paintings on her blog and in her Etsy shop.
Well, I'm going on and on, aren't I? Just one more picture to show you of our Russian sage, orange day lilies and Rose of Sharon in the background. This picture, along with the sunflower, were taken at sunset as I was outside watering. The light is so lovely that time of day and they - the days - are getting shorter. (Sob!) Have you noticed? Love to you all - femminismo
p.s. Tomorrow is Seth's (The Altered Page) second chance at reposting a favorite blog. Check back to see what I dig up for Buried Treasure.
p.p.s. Oops! Some huge photos again. Back to the drawing board!

"Wild Aim" Self-Portrait Wednesday.

TAKING a cue from another blogger, I decided to take random photos for SP Wednesday and not really aim. Just see what happened.
Well, I got photos of sky, ground and nothing much else. So much for random. I tried being just a little bit more focused, but not looking at the camera during the shot. Just sort of before.
I'm also down-sizing my photos, per Susan Sanford's suggestion -- and it's a good one. (Do go check out her "Nature Boy" today!) I put huge photos on this blog, and I suppose they take many computers a while to "work" with them. But I just love seeing everyone's work up close and in detail. I'll bet most of you know what I mean.
In one of these photos it looks like my face is melting off. My earrings are a long, almost solid, blur. The sky and trees look wavy and shimmery.
The lilies had no smell, by the way. Just looked wonderful -- creamy ivory color. I probably have orange dust on the end of my nose. I haven't checked yet. Just took these and rushed them to you before they were even dry!
I think in one of the photos, the one with the big white slash of sky above, my nose looks swollen, like it found a bee -- or a bee found me.
I've begun my Disco project and I think I might have stumbled on an idea tonight. Can't wait to see where it leads me.
And, oh, yeah, I had that thing done today where you stand by the big humming, ice-cold machine and have your breasts ironed flat, only not with heat. Good for me. I made my yearly appointment and KEPT it. How about you other ladies out there? - fEmmInIsMo

Co-Workers Who Drive Us Crazy.

GOT one in your office? Want mine? Can easily be shipped to any destination.
Just kidding. Besides, Pee-Wee says no.
Ever have one of those days? One of those days where you were glad you had a hearing loss? No? Didn't think so. But some days I count that as a blessing.
Did I mention, ever, that I have a hearing loss. It's quite significant, and also with the hearing loss is tinnitus - the constant roaring of sea waves and chirping of birds and rhythmic metallic echo of my own heartbeat. The hearing aid I wear helps with the tinnitus, since it makes other noises loud - or their normal volume - and it drowns out the shushing and roaring. Along with the tinnitus is the vertigo and a feeling of fullness in my ears. This is something I've been dealing with ... let's see ... about 30 years! Wow! So I guess I should be used to it, but not a day goes by that I wouldn't trade something precious for my good hearing back again. Guard yours well, my friends, OK?
However, if you've got an irritating co-worker, you can always turn your hearing aid OFF!
Still working on my tree. I've painted over the quoted bits from Genesis and then sanded them. I like them better obscured. Then I repainted the person (see earlier blog posts). Don't like "him" and will try again when "he" dries. Do you think God had these sorts of problems? (Sorry to offend anyone, but there it is!) - femminismo
p.s. Almost forgot Self-Portrait Wednesday and had to sneak back in to place this.

It's Very, Very Late All of a Sudden!

GEE, you run a few errands, buy a few plants, cook dinner, play with paint, haul a few wheelbarrows of dirt, take a few pictures, dig in a couple of plants and water them and all of a sudden it's 10 o'clock! What next? Probably roosters crowing real soon.
Well, it's self-portrait Wednesday and I see Judy Wise has been busy. Not everyone has such photogenic feet however, although mine are cleaner now, after a shower, than they were in the dirt earlier. (Our grandmother wouldn't let us get into bed with dirty feet! Lessons learned when young stay with you.)
Today our little trailer, that's been patiently waiting to be made into a pretty home-away-from-home, got a bath. Now we need to paint it. I am trying to coax the Mister into turquoise with some flowers. Tell me what you think, but realize I got tired of "painting" in Photoshop. Here you have the before and after. Perhaps it's too colorful. It's probably going to be sitting up on the property. The Mister wants to paint it camouflage, but that seems too terrible to me. Maybe a nice fern green with some small white trilliums around the base? Hmm. We might be getting somewhere.
The moon came up tonight and when I was finished planting my flowers - after a brilliant sunset of all sorts of purples and pinks in the sky - it had reached the top of the sky and finally broken through the haze and clouds. I like the moon when you can almost see the other half of it - if you look long and hard enough. It is like reaching a sort of meditative state.
Here are some apricot rhody flowers. It was hard to get the color right. I aimed overhead at the sky for a light reading and then took the photo. I think I tricked the camera into not letting in a lot of light and washing out the color. Bye for now. See you on the flip side - femminismo