Happy Birthday E.A. Poe

I almost forgot that today is Edgar Allan Poe's Birthday .... HAPPY BIRTHDAY E.A.

Such an inspiring writer...whose words can warm your heart or chill you to the bone . I have always had a 'thing' for artists who suffer for their work or because of their work... some call it suffering, I call it dedication of the soul. Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec , Kerouac, Poe...and so many others. Think how different our visions would be without their dedications to the soul.

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore!

My Find

There are few pleasures I enjoy more than Haunting Thrift and Second Hand Shops... In an oddly perverse way I thrive on the sometimes dusty musty Older smells that are wafting on the air when I open the door...I always think to myself...TREASURES AWAIT!!! I do love a good treasure hunt (always have) and my routine of the hunt is etched in stone after years and years of seek and find! I am a 'quick scan' kinda gal...feel somewhat like the terminator when he scans the room for human life ... complete with little lights flashing and numbers running in sequence across my eyeballs... and then *BINGO*...I zoom in on whatever it is that excites me the most...and then work out from there. Most who journey with me to these shops know my routine and also know 10 seconds into the store...I am gone!!! Better keep up or get out of my way...I am a girl on a mission ...a mission to seek out the fun, weird, odd, unique ,different, bizarre and one of a kind things that all have my name on them. Richard has learned this over the years and does indeed gently wave as I leave him in a small cloud of dust in my self proclaimed 'Zip Fest'!! I am lucky in that most items that appeal to me...seldom if ever appeal to others... I ADORE the expression on the clerks faces when I check out...I can almost hear their thoughts... "GEESH...we were Wondering who in the hell would buy this *THING*...figures, it's a girl in Bib Overalls"!!! Then I tell them my plans for said item and the little light of OhhHHhH I understand now and what a cool idea as they fondle the item longingly....MINE I think to myself!!!! Oh the hunt and chase is soooo much fun!

So just the other day we were visiting one of our local ' Thriftporiums' and I found a cool pillow and a glass whatchamacallit ...and then Richard (still shaking off the left behind dust I emitted) pointed out a painting he had found way over in the corner... well I went nuts ...it is a lovely 5 feet by 4 feet original acrylic abstract with great colors that I just KNEW would go smashing over our bed (we had been looking for ages for something to fit the blank spot)...and there it was... I would have done a back flip of joy if it were not for the glass whatchamacallit in my arms ... and the Price was unbelievable..let's just say the canvas alone would cost twice what we paid. As we stood back to look at it from a distance of about 6 feet...a man walked up and saw what we were looking at and promptly made a move for it...well like a segment out of 'Six Million Dollar Man' ...I Lept over an old plaid ottoman and reached out my arm to grab before he made it there... (now that would have made a fun YOUTUBE) . Anyway as you see it is hanging on my wall...guess who won the dash!!!!!

This photo does not do it justice ...it is big and bold and reminds both Richard and I of 'Space' and when we each described what we saw...we were both sooo close in our vision...fun!

Being an artist I realize the shock factor of one day finding one of your works hanging on a Thriftemporium' wall ...but, Art can find itself in the strangest places for the strangest reasons...from attics to basements, garages to tag sales ...wherever is ends up and is found... the art lover is blessed to find it and give it the proper home it deserves. I look at art found as breathing a second life into the creation, like a second chance to love it and allow it to continue to bring joy... so no matter where you find it...discovered art can mean as much as the day it is created.

Hugs,

Jodi (aka Lucky Puppy)

Thrilled to Pieces...

Yes I know I know...I have been absent from my favorite place for a very long time now...well at least since the 6th...and for somebody that likes to talk as much as I do...that is an Eternity!!! Been finishing up a few commission pieces one very big one and that is just teetering on being finished...soooo close I can see the end in sight.... and one other Project that was just finished and uploaded last evening.... A Podcast Interview with the Wonderful and always delightful Rice Freeman Zachery of 'Voodoo Cafe'
What a fun time we had and boy does she know how to get 'stuff' out of me.... she's GOOD!!
So if ya have a hankering to hear yours truly spill her guts to the world about Art, Dolls, Marriage etc... you can pop over to the right hand column of this page right at the top and 'click' the button...

Hugs,
Jodi (a.k.a. Chatty Cathy)

Tea Time...and pass me one of those Crumpets!!

I Just finished reading a blog posting by doll maker friend Wendie , I always enjoy her posting so much...

In her blog she mentioned 'Tea Time'...Favorite Tea Pots and gathering with friend for good conversation and a cup of Tea... this got me to thinking....

I LOVE Tea...I REALLY love Tea more so lately than I ever have before... We have so many Wonderful English Friends here in Bloglandia...I would LOVE to hear about favorite Tea Recipes (i.e. methods of brewing) , types of Tea preferred ...one lump or 2...milk verses lemon, times to sup a good cup..... etc....

I have been to High Teas, have enjoyed several types of Tea (Green is NOT my favorite..YUCK)

I think mostly I enjoy the ritual of Tea Time .... I prefer loose tea to bagged...but bagged works in a very nice quick pinch! Speaking for myself I prefer milk...and two lumps...and something YUMMY and Sweet to eat as an added Treat!!

Would LOVE to hear those favorite Tea Tales...

Hugs,

Jodi

P.S. OK...I am an admitted Coffee-holic!! But lately Tea brings a certain calmness...I drink coffee on the run...but I stop to enjoy a good cup of Tea...

New Year Magical Moment...

Every once in a while in ones life...something really extraordinary happens...and if we really pay attention and 'See' it can set you on a path that is magical and enlightening to follow...

the above was mine!

Putting away the Christmas tree and taking down all the lights can be a depressing act...basically the joy and illumination of the season are finished...time to move on....always a sad time for me. This year we have been doing it in steps to make it appear not so radical and final. The last bits of lights were yesterday ...around the front windows and the tree into the box. I removed the lights from the big front window and thought to myself...I really need to clean this window...spotted and dusty from our last rain and wind.... I went to get the cleaner and paper towels and as I approached the window again...there it was...this image ...it actually took my breath for a second. Why did I not see it before, I swear it was not there ...or was it but I only saw it from this angle. I quickly got my camera. I must add that these photos are untouched... nothing more than a slight bump in the contrast . Now I KNOW what this is.... it is the imprint of a Dove that obviously flew into our window and then flew off...this has happened before several times (the curse of keeping your windows clean)...poor little guys just see it as a straight flight path... and 'thump' into the glass when taking off from eating seed on the ground. Knocking Wood...we have yet to lose one, it just knocks them loopy for a few seconds and off they go. Just to be safe Richard and I scoured the front to see if there was a helpless little Dove sitting outside somewhere...nope! For those that may not know...most all birds have dust in and on their wings from 'dust baths' etc..also Birdie 'dander' ...so when they hit...this can be distributed on the surface they hit...we have seen this before... but what we have not seen before is the 'full' imprint.... and when I changed from color to B&W ...there it was... a face...an almost angelic face...WOW, breath taken away again...I so hope you can see it. Now I am NOT one of those Faces of Jesus in a Grilled Cheese Sandwich kinda gals, nor a follower of Heavenly Faces of Mary on the side of a Barn... but faces that I see and cannot explain that's another story all together...

As a child growing up, part of my Christmas Tradition (started by my parents) was to 'Find the Christmas Angel' ...we would set up the tree with lights and the color wheel spinning it's bright colors onto the tree (dating myself here) and look on the walls ,floor and ceiling for the Angel....sometimes it would take as much as a week or more to finally see her... but there she always was... our own Christmas Angel! Her silhouette appearing faintly on the wall or ceiling and then disappearing again , back and forth back and forth I would be absolutely mesmerized by her appearance...she was always there....Magical!! I loved this Holiday Tradition best...it gathered the family each night and we joined together in the search.... it made us use our imaginations. And when we finally found her... we each described what we saw , how she looked to us ...they were lovely moments...and ones that I will never forget.

The Angel has been absent for many years now...but I will admit, I still look for her each time the tree is set up.... this year, I believe my Angel came in a different form .... and she is the brightest and most detailed yet.... for whatever reason and however long it took for her to appear once again, I am so grateful that she did...her comfort is welcomed and the memories she brought are the perfect touch to this Ending Season of Joy.

Wishing you Magical Moments in the New Year

Jodi

Happy New Year One and All....

Happy New Year One and All... 2009 has had it's ups and downs but all in all we got through it, over it, under it, around it and now we are driving Stakes in the ground for another interesting year filled with the unknown , uncertain,unfamiliar, uncharted, unprecedented offerings of Life....

but isn't that what makes... Life Exciting and worth living...

Hold Loved ones close, Tell only truths, Hurt no one and Reach higher and farther than you ever have ...Wonderous Miracles are waiting to tickle your fingertips.

May You New Year Enter with a Glorious Bang

Filled with Sparkles, Sizzle and Brightness Enough to Last

the Whole Year Through

Hugs,

Jodi

Merry Christmas Tonight...don't let the Martians Bite!

Having one of those days were I swear to you...I thought I had two more days 'BEFORE' Christmas Eve....YIKES... found our a short time ago that TOMORROW was Christmas Eve!!! Great Galloping Goblins...where did the week go??
I am blaming it on the 'Martians'...

We are having my Mom and Sister over for Christmas Eve Dinner ... having Crab (tradition be damned!) and a Caesar Salad, and Creme Brulee for dessert, it was my Moms request...YUM-O-RAMA!!!

We open gifts and sing songs (Richard and I have been working on a rendition of Baby it's Cold Outside to surprise my Mom with) ... We normally chat about old times and good memories...
Might play some games too....
Basically it is a quiet silent night filled with peaceful feelings.

Christmas Day we are going over to my Moms apt. building and dropping off some gifts for a few of the kids whose parents are having a bit of a struggle this year with work and all ...these are great little children ... filled with so much love and hope in their hearts... We are just gonna tell em that Santa got just a little confused with street directions and that he accidentally dropped off these goodies at our house by mistake .. but that I already was in touch with Santa to tell him no problem, we would straighten it out for him...and deliver the goodies to the right address....


So what is everyone doing on Christmas Eve or Day? What are your traditions?

Merry Christmas to ALL...and To All a Really Good Night!!

Hugs,
Jodi and Richard