A theory: Lot's wife was in front of Lot

I now present to the public for the first time ever an original comic by Raymond Dokupil, created during our church sermon a few weeks ago... which was about Lot.

Pretty

Here it is. The poem "Pretty," performed by its creator, Katie Makkai.

I've heard the message all my life and always have claimed to agree with it, yet why does it pierce so potently still?

[Please note: the poet briefly uses obscenity to illustrate her point... which is so pressing that you should watch it anyway]

You. Must. Read.

I know I've been linking to other blogs quite a bit recently. But bear with me here. This one is so worth reading... I can't even explain.

Actually, what I'm referring you to now is not an entire blog --although the whole thing is one of my favorites-- it's a specific post.

Read Bekah's post on "The Flash" over at her blog, 'The Word Crafter' right HERE.

Then come back here and tell me you're glad you read it.

Lovers of beauty of any kind will appreciate it.

It's February Fourteenth no. 2

Found at The Grey Traveler's Inn.

It's February Fourteenth.

Introduced to me by Problematic.

Your sampling of art for the day:

Tod Williams Fine Art

~Gray

It's Christmas Eve's eve.

And yesterday was the eve of Christmas Eve's eve, in case you find that interesting.

Only 2 links left on Milo (3yo) and Ava's (5yo) green and red paper chain...

'Tis the season,

Ginger Bread Bracie

Booby Traps wanted!! My Novel strikes again! A dilemma for the Devoted Scribblers... AND anyone else who can help!

Meet Marion. Well... this isn't really my Marion. This is a character from WoW or some other video/computer game like that. I wouldn't know, exactly. I'm not a gamer.

But this picture is about as close to Marion as we get... besides the sketches that I've spun up of her, which are not uploaded on this computer. Her leather arm guards/armour are amazing.The red hair is perfect, though her expression is a little dark. She just needs a ski-jump nose, like she has in my book. =D

But I could do a character bio later. What were we discussing again? Ah yes. My novel dilemma.

I'm stuck.

If you'll remember, several months ago I mentioned a novel that I'd been writing since spring about Maid Marion Fitzwalter... and how she meets up with Robin Hood after he returns from campaigning for Richard's throne.

Are you willing to help me out? *Grins sheepishly*

Here's where I'm at:

Right now Guy of Gisbon (NOT Gisborne, and 'Guy' is pronounced the old English way--- "G-ee," rhyming with 'tree' and spoken with a hard 'G' sound) is setting a trap for Robin Hood, as so many legends tell. And yes, according to tradition, Marion is the bait. She's stuck in his castle... etc. The Gisbon/castle/trap scene is a minor excursion in relation to the plot of my entire book, but nonetheless, I'm stuck.

Guy is trying to trap Robin. But how?

Frankly, I need ALL your ideas concerning medieval booby traps. I need a really ingenious trap that will surprise both Rob and my readers. But what?

Whatever it is, Robin DOES get stuck in the trap... and then, of course, has to get out, making everything more exciting as danger piles upon danger.

Will you put on your thinking caps for me?

I'm not just looking for a trap door that collapses when he walks over it. It can be a 'trap' in any sense of the world. My mom suggested a moat with imported alligators. =D

Cleverness and creativity are what I need. I just don't know why I can't find mine. I've thought about this 'trap' so much that my brain refuses to give me any more ideas!!

Pull out your made-up or Medieval booby traps and head over to the comment box... if you dare. There are Gisbon's poisonous porcupines down there (how was that, Mom?)!

Life's few perks...

I just finished that essay.



Sigh.



The one on Hitler's art obsession and ridiculous standard for perfection and their effects on his WWII campaign.



I was just looking up those last few illustrations/graphics to accompany my essay on Google images, searching for a particular painting of a very buff male discus thrower. The Nazis loved it, it was the epitome of their art standard, and the image really would have added to my paper.



But I couldn't find it.



And I forgot about that famous statue from the Classical art era. You know... the Discus Thrower? THE discus thrower?



If you don't, go look it up. I promise you you'll find it. I did, and I wasn't even looking.



Yeesh. At least the Nazis' painting had clothes on.



Actually, while I appreciate the sculpture as a beautiful piece of art (doesn't it just look like that discus is about to fly from his fingers? DUCK!), I didn't exactly have the best of times wading through 342 Google Images of it while still in search of my Nazi painting.



Still, even when wading through hundreds of classical nude sculptures on the web at 30 minutes shy of midnight, life has its perks, as my title said.



I found this splendid T-shirt:




Oh! How I wish I knew some discuss throwers!

"And dressed in pretty forest plight--" #2

Photos by Keilah- see her blog HERE. More Marian pictures- scroll down...

Through the Greenwood:

A painting for you all. Check out Maid Marion week! Here, at Amanda Beth Online...

The place I love to be:

Painting- Woodland Dawn, Paul Higgins


I was flipping through a book of poems that Ophie and I wrote and put together for my mom one Mother's Day several years back. I found this little poem and thought it appropriate for Greenwood week. Once I managed to ignore the holes in my inconsistent meter, I once again entered the world I'd depicted when I first wrote this little poem. Here you are, mistakes and all-

In the place I love to be,

There are no walls to hold me in;

Instead, a solemn, silent tree,

And all his friends surrounding me,

In my little woodland glen,

The place I love to be.

In the place I love to be,

There are no dainty, sugared sweets;

Instead, Salmonberries are a feast,

Blackberries my tasty treat,

And thin grass blades, I love to eat!

In the place I love to be.

In the place I love to be,

There are no pooches, primped and pampered;

Instead, two dogs

Who run about with coats unhampered,

Followed by two mangy girls

Who'd never bother with made-up curls,

In our little secret world,

The place I love to be.

Good ole Sargie and Kipper are the dogs and Ophe and I are the 'mangy girls' (=D) of course. Not much has changed---despite very taxing high school days, autumn afternoons you'll still find me in 'the place I love to be.'

Debate Time!!!!

I loved my mother's comment so much, I had to publish on its own... and I just gor BACK from Finance Class (thanks, Mr. H!)

In answer to your questions concerning the composer of the score:

Your Mother said...
Marian, This is Bracie's mother chiming in here. She, the busy thing, is off at a finance class. The score was by Prokofiev. I really hate his music for Cinderella, but the music, the costumes, the choreography, the scene all worked perfectly at this production. Tchaikovsky is so lush and flowing and beautiful; Prokofiev is more angular (that may sound weird, but that's how it seems to me) and to me it seems he makes no attempt to *delight* (in the ballets I've seen). But what we saw and heard was very moving, in a powerful sort of way. Gigi, I had so much fun with you ladies! Let's save up and do it again soon! And I think there is a play or 2 at the Seattle Shakespeare Company I am interested in seeing. Go check out their page and tell me what looks good to you.

Love,Your Mother

Mama, you do have a way with words. And the fluid grace of the dances (is 'fluid grace' repetitive? =D) was so captivating, I didn't mind some of the more ...innovative moves, which I thought I wouldn't like.

Which brings me to the subject of modern dance/classical ballet.

I thought I hated 'lyrical' dance. Maybe I still do.

But there were a few elements of Romeo et Julliette that were not necessarily classic-- in one of my favorite scenes; "The Golden Scene," as I called it; Julliette is barefoot (Note the first picture I posted in my previous entry, below). While hair pulled tightly back in buns was uniform, Julliette appears at least once in each of the acts with her hair down. Her mother does as well, in a wild grieving scene in which she throws her head and body around.

That scene was very ...innovative. Yet it was unmistakeably poignant, capturing mourning that grows almost savage. It was another of my favorites. Prokofiev's "angular" (to quote my mother) music fit perfectly.

Debate time!

So what are you?

Are you a lyrical dancer yourself?

Or a classical ballet purist?

Perhaps somewhere in between?

PS. I couldn't resist posting another picture; the last one was so moving. Aren't they beautiful?

Watercolor paints... double as makeup??

It was late. What can I say?

That we are two very silly girls?

Georgia O'Keefe blows me away...

My favorite O'Keefe painting. Click on it to see it bigger. It's stunning... is it not?

The Lawrence Tree.

Inside my Easel:

My easel itself. With a watercolor landscape by me to boot. Isn't the easel lovely? I recieved it on my 14th birthday... love. It's on top of an old apple crate on my dresser. The apple crate contains my school books. Behind the easel is a Monet print I tacked up.

Ah yes. Inside the easel. You can see my Koi watercolor tubes(which are normally convered with the paint cloth so they aren't jostled about when the drawer is closed), my bamboo roll-up brush pouch, my paint trays, and some old paints.Is it horribly presumptuous to say I think I have the cutest watercolor water-jar ever?
Secret: It used to be a mustard container. I just painted black over the label on the round lid (not shown here) and claimed it. When the stone-ground mustard was eaten and the remnants washed out, of course. It works very well. Because it was designed to seal in food, I can fill it with water and travel with it without worrying about leaks. Also, see my favorite sabel brush:
What is this? A rare peek into Bracie's Sketchbook?

Yes. My paint cloth. An old kitchen rag, really, but I love it. Through the watercolor splotches you can see a fern design. So woodsy!! Forgive me saying...

My nifty little brush-pouch-thing. I made it myself. Fabric and a bamboo place-mat.

It rolls up!



Imagine an easel without messy paint trays!

All but the watercolors and easel itself were very inexpensive. Paint trays are just cheap, I found the jar, made the brush case, stole the cloth rom my mom... But I love my little collection of watercolor gear.

Love that sister...

...Love her blog...

My sister, Ophie, just posted an article... about me (gulp!). But it's fun...

Read it here!

I love Ophie's blog. It's so fun and funny... she amazes me all the time.