You're in Tokyo, and I'm not...

"We elves try to stick to the four major food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup."

This has to be one of my favorite lines from a Christmas movie.

I'm about to have a really big deal haircut. This is me at the start of summer.



This is me now-little blurry(typical) in the middle of fall.



Yes my hair grows very fast. It's in such a state I'm fed up with the hair.

This is what is going to happen, I'm going to go all Louise Brooks on everyone. Yes. I used to wear my hair this style. Sometimes it took on an Aeon Flux look. I got sick of it, now I'm sick of the layers.

I used to get really upset when I was a teenager when my hair wasn't perfect. I think I even cried over bad haircuts when I was little. I should ask my mom. No more-I want my hair off. I don't care if the weather is going to be cold soon. That's why men invented scarves right? Wish me luck.

'Cause the things you do my goodbye girl...

Some various things from the nice long weekend.

I think we saw 100 movies.
Once Upon a Time in the West Super film!!

Dazed and Confused very funny, and very typical of this time period in the states (Lilly this would be a really funny film for you to see)

Very Bad Things Very bad and not so funny.

Mostly Martha German and a lovely little movie centered around food. Eating soup can be sensuous.

The Goodbye Girl Richard Dreyfuss is not too annoying. It's a decent story. NYC in the 70's. I wanted to see this because this song kept going around and around my head.




These are jellyfish from the Norwalk Aquarium. We used to live in this city and nothing town hasn't changed much. The aquarium is fun though. Sharks and jellyfish.

We went to Hudson, New York on Saturday. A very cute town north of us. Had lunch at a place called Mexican Radio. Yummy. Anytime I can have a real margarita, I'm thrilled.

Oh and no Macy's Day parade for us. The little man had been fighting a cold for a week and I was not about to take him out in the drizzly cold rain. I think I'm the one who likes the balloons anyway.

*And how could I forget-we had The Last Waltz on Thanksgiving night. A new tradition I have started for the family.

It's just another alibi...

It's the first time I have ever joined in a blogging tradition. Thanks Neil!

Second Annual Thanksgiving "Thank Your First Commenter Day".

Mine came from Melvin and I didn't know who Melvin was for a couple of months.

The original post.

Wisenheimer brain storm

Well at least that's how I thought a Cars song went. Today-again I'm driving down Route 6, (I'm always driving 6) and there was a huge tractor trailer with its whole roof ripped off. It was like God decided to rip the top of this truck clean off. And let me tell you, I think he is a little angry.

posted by paintergirl at 1:44 PM
2 Comments:

paintergirl said...

so I asked my hubby-and he says it's brain store and called me a nerd for thinking it was storm. I like storm better.

1:34 PM

itsmelvin said...

no, i'm pretty sure it's brain STORM. your husband sounds like the nerd. does he even like the cars?


I know what you are thinking, but I commented first. Well that doesn't count.

So Melvin, crazy Melvin thanks for commenting because I don't know if I would have continued blogging.

we feel like greeks, we feel like romans...

I wanted to share some pics, a day in the life sort of thing.



This is where I paint in the attic.






Yes that is all I need, a tube of paint, a brush and a phone.



A painting I'm working on.

The jig is up....

I refuse to take part in anything remotely Christmasy until thanksgiving is over.

The radio station here in the tri-state area has already begun the x-mas tunes. Not x-men but x-mas. We were driving around trying to find where we could buy a tofu turkey, getting lost in Chappaqua, searching for the clin-tons, knowing Buddy's ghost was wandering the streets and suddenly I hear George Michaels voice. "last Christmas I gave you my heart....Nooooooooo. I cannot listen to that until AFTER thanksgiving. It's wrong.

Melvin told me he didn't want a turkey this year, I said that's cool because I didn't feel like making it. I have lot's of cool side dishes to make. I know my ancestors didn't put chocolate in their pie, because sadly they didn't have it, but I'm sure they would do it and I have a very lovely recipe.

I guess I'm sort of sad about the whole Pilgrim/Indian thing. Did the Pilgrims really steal food? I didn't think anything really bad started happening until the Pilgrims hired mercenaries.

I know I have lost my way with Thanksgiving and I'm just trying to find a happy place. Making peace with myself and everyone.

Isn't everybody dreaming...

In preparation for the Thanksgiving week that will soon be upon us, I wanted to share something with my blog friends. Kind of a tradition that I would like to start.

A few years back my husband rented "The Last Waltz". It is the last concert by The Band given on Thanksgiving in 1976,San Francisco. I have always liked Dylan in a quiet way. And The Band was HIS backup band. Part of the whole electric guitar period that a lot of people hated, called Dylan a traitor. Anyway...

So I never paid much attention to "the Band" I always wrote them off because they sounded too country, just too something that I didn't like. Then I saw "The Last Waltz".

You have to see these guys perform, to see them play with their whole soul. And being a farewell concert, all of their friends show up to play songs with them. It really is a nice thing to see, and perhaps one of you out there will be a converted Band fan too. The lyrics and the history and of course what has happened to them all play a huge part in the emotion of hearing them.

I've said it a million times before but let me say it again, everytime, and I mean everytime I hear "Whispering Pines" with Richard Manuel I cry. This song breaks my heart.

I wanted to find a good picture taken from the Last Waltz, but there was none as touching as this.



This was taken in Paris 1966. Dylan was getting pretty mad at this point in the tour because of all the booing. He wanted the flag hung up, and Ric Danko is walking behind him. Ric wrote "Wheels on Fire" with Dylan. I especially love the Fragile-handle with care in the corner.

I often kid you when there's no one else around...

New painting from today. I hope someone would tell me if I couldn't paint. I have talked about my flashes of grandeur. Some days I question myself.

If you skate, upon thin ice, you'd be wise, if you thought twice...

Over the weekend we took a day drive up to Beacon, New York. Though it has some of the same problems as our town of Stinksville, this town has many more cool shops and restaurants. I know I should have taken the camera but I was too excited about leaving our sad little town. We had a nice little fish and chips lunch, checked out some art and had a nice day.

House for sale update-well no one in their right mind will want to move into a new house at the end of December. Our realtor hasn't called me in 3 weeks. No one has looked at our house in 2. Melvin and I discussed kicking the sale sign down. I told him the week before Christmas we'll do it.

We also bought early presents for ourselves. Hey why shouldn't we buy something that we want? Right? We do not have money to just toss away.

After seeing this Helen Reddy type cook on TV, I just had to have a hand blender. I was mesmerized. I'm not usually like this. It was $20 and I can't wait to use it. I hope my family likes soup because this winter will be eating it all the time.

Melvin (for my new blogging friends, this is my husband's fake name. He has said he always liked this name. I usually just think of the band The Melvins, and picture the drummer, Buzzo) so Melvin wanted a new winter jacket. He found one he liked online, and I told him we could probably find it at the mall for him to try on. We found it and it's very nice. A puffy coat, but not over the top. It's fitted and that's something he needs.

We sat in the food court and this always poses a problem for us. I said we should feel lucky that we were able to go to the mall and find exactly what it was we wanted, had the money and leave with it.

The problem occurs when we start thinking about society and the downfall there of. The mall. The worst village scenario. And the people all looking so depressed and not very healthy. It's almost like it's an epidemic and you don't want to catch it. I always feel dirty both physically and mentally after a mall trip.

The dog just bit my leg...

Our tv is officially dead. There were 2, not 1, but 2 power surges today and this has killed the tv. I'm a little sad because I'm missing Earl. At least this didn't happen yesterday before Lost. (And what is this about not having a new show until FEBRUARY? Did they show 6 episodes?)

Today has been one of those days that everyone and everything tries really hard to mess with my good karma. Trying to throw me off. My I Ching even said I had to be careful not to throw anyone off. ME? I'm the one keeping everyone else going. BUH. I'm still ok though. I have remained calm. I have written letters the the Better Business Bureau and I feel satisfied. Of course getting my money back will be a lovely thing but I'm not holding my breath.

Struck down that restrictive rule...

I get emotional on voting day. I think of this song from Schoolhouse Rock from my childhood and I think no one has the right to complain if they don't vote. And don't get me started about women who don't vote. Our female ancestors were not allowed to vote. Not allowed! Here are the lyrics and a snippet of the song at the link. And please vote.
http://www.school-house-rock.com/Suff.html

SUFFERIN' TILL SUFFRAGE
Music: Bob Dorough
Lyrics: Tom Yohe
Sung by: Essra Mohawk
>> Yeah!... Hurray!

Now you have heard
Of women's rights
And how we've tried
To reach new heights
If we're all created equal,
That's us too.

>> Yeah!

But you will proba-
Bly not recall...
That it's not been
Too long at all,
Since we even had the right to
Cast a vote.

>> Well...

Well sure some men
Bowed down and called us misses, >> Yeah!
Let us hang the wash out,
And wash the dishes, >> Huh...
But when the time rolled around
To elect a president
What did they say, sisters?

>> What did they say?

They said, uh, see you later,
Alligator, and don't forget my, my...
My mashed potatoes,
Because I'm going downtown to
Cast my vote for president.

But we were sufferin',
Until suffrage, >> Whoah...
Not a woman here could vote
No matter what age.
Then the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.

>> Oh yeah!

Now we pull down
On the lever
Cast our ballots,
And we endeavor
To improve our country,
State, county, town and school.

>> Tell 'em bout it!

Those pilgrim women who
Who braved the boat
>> They cook, cook, cooked!
Could cook the turkey, but they,
They could not vote
Even Betsy Ross who sewed the flag
Was left behind that first election day.

>> What a shame, sisters!

Then Susan B.
Anthony >> Yeah!
and Julia Howe, >> Lucretia!
Lucretia March, >> And others!
They showed us how,
They carried signs
And marched in lines
Until at long last
The law was passed.

Oh we were sufferin',
Until suffrage,
Not a woman here could vote
No matter what age.
Then the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.

>> Oh yeah!

And now we pull down
On the lever
Cast our ballots,
And we endeavor
To improve our country,
State, county, town and school.

Yes the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.
Yes the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.

>> Yeah, yeah!

(We've got 'em now!)
Since 1920, Sisters Unite! Oh lord!

Every Saturday you see me window shopping...

So I finished reading Breakfast of Champions. Highly recommend it of course.

Now it's on to Voltaire's Zadig, and I think I have about 20 pages to go.

Not sure about the next book to finish. Probably my Martin Amis.

And here is something else...

My son when he was younger had what was considered speech delay. He had a therapist for a good 6 months last year and talks non-stop now. Bless him.

The funny thing is he says things that just blow us away.

Yesterday morning his dad asked him what he was thinking about and he said rather matter of factly "Life".

Life? What does a 4 year old have to think about life for? I'm afraid I have an old soul for a son. I just hope I can lead him to his correct path.

I want some new kind of kick...

Just for laughs on this Friday

Paintergirl asks these 3 important questions.

1-What is your cell phone ring?
2-What strange item do you carry in your wallet?
3-If you were a character on the BBC show "Coupling" who would you be and why?


My answers
1-Heart of Glass by Blondie
2-5 Euros. In case I ever find myself in Europe and I need to get a cup of coffee.
(A girl can wish)
3-Sally. Definitely in the way she is afraid of looking old. I must moisterize 3 times a day. Oh and I must have at least 4 different face washes to boot.

Cheers everyone and have a lovely weekend!

And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes...

I will be the first to admit, I am a terrible photographer. Just because I'm a painter, does not make me a very good person behind the lens. Honest.

With that out of the way, here are some Halloween fotos.



The haunted house I made for the little man. The weather was so terrible up here in New York over the weekend. I felt sorry for my boy, stuck in the house. So I made this house and I told him we could keep it up until Halloween.




Our cat pumpkin, because we are a cat family.



And here I am as Groucho Marx as a mad doctor who created my little Frankenstein. This is my favorite, my 4 year old took it.

Both of us went out shopping dressed up on Halloween. Not too many liked us this way. I can't tell you how many very frightened looks I got because I had on a wig and I wore a bathrobe.