Feeling Wayne Coyne Disintegrate

RIP Wayne Coyne.
Rocker/artist dude from OKC. Now he is gone forever.

When we lost Kurt Cobain, within an instant our generation was changed. Forever. Now we have been hit again with a loss that we'll never be able to recover from.

The Gen Xers have never been the generation to take things lightly. Always question authority has been an anthem. Hell we had Nixon and Reagan in office when we were little. So yeah kids, never trust a politician. I'm kind of happy CBS Evening News showed dead soldiers being brought home from Vietnam.

The sobriety of youth. It's no wonder we're a little messed up. This is why we're great artists.

Back to Mr. Coyne.
I remember the days when Ronald Jones was in the band, and Christmas lights were a part of your stage set-up. And the sound, oh god the sound the Lips made. It was raw and spirited and your voice was etched in my brain. Some songs made me cry. They still do.

Today Wayne Michael Coyne has died and I mourn the loss of a once great Xer.

Perhaps it was a slow cancer eating away at you. How were we to know. When you make it to the other side give us a sign. If I had of known I would have set out on a personal quest to save you. The path you took was not the one intended and I'm so very sorry.

When I pass on to the next world I want this song to be played at my funeral. 
I'm dedicating this to you my friend and hope your journey is a good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85BEAQIBPOI&feature=kp

Lab 88

The latest installation is Lab 88. A futuristic lab set in the not to distant future.

Illustration Friday-Whiskers

I hope all my stateside friends had a nice Thanksgiving. This week the challenge is Whiskers. This is Mika, keeping an eye on everything. More Illustration Friday here.

Illustration Friday-Tree

Hi everyone. It's been quite awhile since I participated in Illustration Friday but it feels good to be back. You can check out my other drawings for my past installation at Pennies, Band Aids & Safety Pins.

This week's challenge is Tree. This is a very old Maple I pass everyday walking home with my son after-school. It's bulbous and you can tell it's lead a troubled life. I have wanted to draw this tree for some time now. See other Tree illustrations at Illustration Friday.

Judging a book by it's weight?

As I get older, I am faced with a sad dimemma. How thick of a book can I comfortably read in bed?

The saying goes, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" right? It crosses all boundaries and can be used for discussing people and situations.

What is never mentioned is the weight of the book. I am not, repeat, not trying to be philosophical. I am talking about the actual, physical, pressing flowers between the pages, weight of the book.

Maybe it's because I have small wrists, combined with the cooler weather, but the fact is I like to snuggle under the covers and read. As much as my hands are covered, I still have to hold the book upright. That's the problem, holding a VERY heavy book upright. Sheesh.

My current book pick is IQ84. I don't think I could have picked a larger book to tackle.

What I didn't realize, in Japan it was released as 3 separate volumes. In the English translation, it's 1 gigantic volume. Why not right? All red blooded Americans have thick wrists.

The story is beginning to get interesting and I'm going to stick with it. Maybe I'll need to wear wrists supports before going to bed. And maybe I'll pick short stories to read from now on.

The Lost Movie

I had the best dream two nights ago and I'm certain it was a movie. I'm losing details about it as the days go by. I love French New Wave films, and lately we've been watching The Comic Strip Presents series, so the dream was a cross breed of both. It was lovely and weird. It has to be a lost film from the seventies. (I know technically the FNW was between the 50's-60's, but it had the same feel.)
The premise, a very wealthy young woman was madly in love with a young man, who for whatever reason is completely unemployable. There seems to be no cause for his unemployability. He adores the girl and would do anything for her. The male lead is the fantastic Jean-Louis Trintignant. If you haven't seen The Conformist, do yourself a favor and check it out. The cinematography for the film gives me goosebumps.

At one point my dream was so detailed I could see the sweat on Jean's face. He was sleeping with the covers over his head and the camera zoomed in on him. I could taste the perspiration.

My dream unfortunately did not end. Tragedy abounds with these type of films, but I'd like to end under better circumstances. There were arguements between the parents and their daughter with threats of elopement, but nothing came of it. The mother had recently been on a trip to Africa and wore these elaborate Kaftans and had huge glasses like Brett Somers with teased hair.

My Own Summer Book Challenge

Yes summer is coming to a close and with it goes my own personal reading challenge.

I started off the summer dedicating myself to finally reading and finishing Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen or (Karen Blixen).

I'm not sure if it was just me and perhaps it was the large print book the library gave me, but it took me FOREVER to read. I think reading that book aged me 10 years by making me think I was an elder. It was incredibly tedious, but I got through it.

I like the idea of outsiders in Africa, so next I picked The Sheltering Sky. If you can erase John Malkovich from your brain and concentrate on the writing, you'll do fine. It took me awhile and it was well worth the time and effort. I enjoy Paul Bowles writing and I was ready for the descriptive desert scenes. He did not disappoint.

As summer is about to end, 3 days in fact, I'm working on my last book, The Stranger by Albert Camus. I know I read this in my college days but I could not recall any details from it. So far none of it seems familiar, so it's like a new book to me. All this talk of Algiers makes me want to visit but as of right now, it remains in my dreams.

This is a painting I created earlier this year titled Esther. I thought it gives off a certain time essense similar to the books I read.

Almost fall

Two things I know.

Summer must be fleeing when I start reaching for my slippers. I look forward to summer and bringing out the indoor flip flops. No more socks! But now I bid adieu to the flip flops. Until 2013.

It also must be fall season when I start craving warm cider and not wanting a gin & tonic. I love the smell of cider on the stove with a cinnamon stick in the pot.

I embrace the fall weather, though I'm always a little sad to say good bye to summer. Boys of summer and all that. No more pool or lake. No BBQ's on the porch with summer tunes blasting. No fireflies.

Here is my view that overlooks the east side of the house. Some of the maples are already changing color. It's crazy windy here today in the Catskills and at times the rain is horizontal. Quite blustery.

Some arty things-
This is a ink drawing I recently did. There was this very dead, and unfortunately very tall maple right next to the house. Not the best idea to have a very dead and tall maple hovering nearby. I finally was able to get a tree surgeon out and basically pull it down. It was home to many birds over the years, and was rotted through almost to the base. I think this is part of the tree that has been eaten and weathered away. Love the look of it. Nice big chunk of organic matter. I made a bigger charcoal drawing of it as well.

The 5 Year Re-Cap Game

It's been a long time since I was last on here. Let's play a little catch up game. What is crazy and weird, last I was on I had just cut all my hair off, and now 5 years later I've done it again. Life has funny cycles.

-Sold our house in Peekskill NY
-Bought an RV
-Started The Wedding Project
-Lived in Bennington VT for the winter
-Emily (the black lab) tore a cruciate ligament in her back right leg. Needed $$$ surgery
-Moved to family house in Orlando FL
-Found old college friends
-Organized a one night only art show titled Altered State
-Created my first installation titled Lily Pad Forest
-Organized a Twin Peaks party at local club in Orlando
-Found a cute farmette in the Catskills in Central New York
-Moved back to New York
-Currently have ten chickens
-Have had two installations in the barn. One was Lily Pad Forest and currently it's Pennies, Band Aids & Safety Pins

So tell me, what have you been up to in 5 years? xo

I am back.

So many things have happened since I left this blog. 4 years ago we set of on an adventure.

Now we are settled in our farmette in The Catskills and I feel good here. And it feels nice to be back on my original blog.

This is a view from the top of our mountain. This area is prime to spot raptors. I counted 20 hawks two days ago.

I just want to celebrate...

Ok everyone

I'm over here right now weddingproject-us.blogspot.com.

Not homeless, so take that you crazy people.

And Happy Chinese New Year!

If you leave...don't look back...

Pony ball

70's bamboo tray

My mom's overnight bag

Cushions from IKEA couch

These are last minute items in a box. Don't you just love those sweet ever loving last boxes? I thought I was doing so well this time. We're exhausted. We're living several days in one. It's sheer madness and we close tomorrow on the house. I'm sorry I haven't been here to give a detailed account but there are just too many things to do.

I will leave you with this photo. Most of you know I have a very unrealistic fear of zombies. See here.

This is our storage. Do I need to say anything else?

Regrets, I've had a few...

I haven't been publishing my Self Portraits for awhile now. I had some lame ones and then some I just forgot to download.

This is my bathroom and this is my tribute to NYC and the tri-state area. Funny, we've been in this house for 3 years and this is the first I've taken a bath in the claw foot tub. It's probably the original, 1888 mind you, and I felt I needed to try it out before we move NEXT week.

Sweet NYC area and my Hudson Valley. I'll try not to get too sentimental as I pack and get ready for the project.

More SPC here.

Are sweeter than roses in the garden...

Only me, only me.

I was determined to go out into the pouring rain on Tuesday to make copies of my flyer for the art sale. And I knew I wanted to do this at the library.

So the wee man and I put our rain boots on and took off in the little Honda.

We have a library in town, but there is something about it that's just bad mojo. It's attached to the police station and courthouse. ???

There happens to be an extremely nice library in a cute village one town over from us. We drive past my "hey Lady" lake. It's ideal.

This day, did not go as planned.

As we turn the corner to drive past the lake, I noticed a swan in the road. He wasn't in the middle, but still in the road, easily a target for someone going to fast. I stopped and yelled at him and honked. He looked at me and hissed, yes hissed, then started preening himself. Instantly I was worried. He wouldn't move.

As soon as I was in the library I went to the reference desk and they looked up animal control for the town. Great. I went outside and they told me they couldn't handle anything other than dogs or cats. The woman on the phone was kind enough to give me another number. Thanks. It's in ALBANY. It's like 2 hours away, what are they going to do. But I called, and well they were not at their desk.

So we finished our library work and drove back. Swanny was still in the road. It was raining hard again. I couldn't leave him. So I drove up close behind him and put my flashers on. There is an inlet on the other side of the lake, so the wind started whipping up and spraying rain on me. Some cars slowed, some cars sped by. Let me tell you, only 3 people stopped out of 50 to ask if everything was OK. 3 people! One woman said she would go into town and they would send someone out. This was after I had been standing by the swan for 30 minutes.

Can you believe this? Finally a nice man from the city came out and tried to make some calls, everyone was out to lunch. He said he would try to move the swan, at least off the road. He took a shovel out of his pickup and slowly and gently tried to nudge the dear swan. The swan had been hit, his right leg was broken, and this in turn broke my heart. The gentleman said he would make sure the right people would come and get him. (And what put him out of his misery?)

He drove off, and I was still unsatisfied. There were some cones around the street for some sidewalk construction, so I traipsed in the mud to get some cones and place around the swan, in the road. I would have moved a barrel but they were filled with sand and far too heavy to move.

I drove away worried for this beautiful creature. And then the tears came. I handled myself well, standing in the rain, but then the floodgates opened. My son and I had other errands to run but I told him I needed to change my clothes. back home. As soon as I walked through the door, I collapsed on the living room floor from mental exhaustion.

About 2 hours later my husband asked if I wanted to go by and see if swanny was still there. Hesitant at first, I finally said yes.

He was gone and the cones moved. I can only hope the young male was taken to a vet. Please.

And that is my swan song.

You roll in reams across the street, In algebra...

Here it is, and this is now going to happen. Anyone near me, please please come. I may make you a Dirty Hudson if you're very nice.

Peace and love
pg

There are roots in the ground, and kidneys in the body...

I am going to lose my ever loving mind. I know I have said this before, I'm not crying wolf.

The countdown has REALLY started and everyday is one step closer to the end, and a new beginning. But it is all chaos.

I seem to be in constant driving mode in search of boxes. I'm like a squirrel looking for nuts.

Boxes, are there some behind that building? OK, I'll wait for the liqueur store to open and they'll put out boxes for sure. I know they thought I was waiting to rob them. (Oh right with a 5 year old accomplice in the back. I'm not Raising Arizona, yet.)

And and we are also in constant mode of looking for sponsors. Good grief it's hard to be a salesman when you're an artist. All we need are a few.

And did I mention the new owners are jerks. They keep changing the closing date-earlier this week they asked us which day we would like, and I picked on. Now today my attorney calls and they want it changed. I am sick and tired of them. Oh yes and the wife of the couple, is an attorney-so 3 f-ing real estate attorneys, and ours isn't helping us. It honestly makes me fed up with New York state and never buy here again. But upstate is pretty mellow, so they act differently. Here it's all about making tons of money and ripping someone off.

Today is now Sunday and we moved a ton of things into storage. I should take a pic of the storage unit. I'm saying this now, what ever does not fit into this space, we are not taking.Ebay has stopped because we can't do anymore auctions(running out of time). I'm trying to Craigslist furniture but keep getting scam emails. Why me. Please someone buy this furniture. We have a lovely Restoration Hardware Mission Bed. Not taking it.

And yes I will have an art/plant sale next weekend. I will post my flyer for it.

Peace and love
pg

I saw a deadhead sticker on a cadillac...

Yesterday was the last day for the pool here. And I always think of this song.

I wish or I guess I hope someone hears this song and thinks of me. I don't know why. I'm not a dead head fan, but I like this Henley song.

What song(s) do you want people to think of you when they hear it? I have about a dozen.(Of course.)

How many boxes do you think I can fit into my 4-door Honda? The answer might surprise you.

Do you remember my last sketchbook entry with the neighbors window fan?

I looked at it Friday night and there was a blue light shining inside and from where I was standing the fan looked like a giant starfish caught in a net under the sea. It was kinda cool. So I tried to take a pic. The blue room did not show up, but the window next door did. Does it not look like The Exorcist?
These are some cloud shots my son took at the pool. He said, "I wanted to take a picture of that cloud because I want to remember it forever." Thanks to Holli for getting me all excited about a Disney Pic Click. I love the grainy quality. I was mad at myself for not getting a Fisher Price camera about 20 years ago. This camera is GREAT!And last night my husband asked if I could help him with a project. He's working on a cd promo ad. I never knew I could cut felt so nicely. Thank goodness I just bought a new pair of fabric scissors. Oh this blog entry is insane and I'm sorry. Peace and love.

We all need...someone...we can lean on...

You can talk to me...

After way too much self (absorption,discovery,reflection,doubt) I'm back to my normal self. The doctor is in.

You know what they say though, if you don't know where you've been how will you know where you're going. I find it necessary to have gone through this period.

Sometimes when I allow the world to just "be "the way it is and not fight every little bit, I channel what is good and right. I don't know how it happens, but when I just allow life to just exist without me forcing an issue, it turns out well. I need to remember this.

Some colorful pictures from a trip last week in the city.


Peace and love youse guys!

And I'm just digging a Chinese ditch...

Today's visuals are brought to you by Paintergirl, who seems to be in a funk at the moment.I have so many memories tied up in Orlando. I guess that's what hometowns are all about.

Some things never change.

This is my favorite bakery shop called Charlies. Great cupcakes!

Our local DQ. I remember many a bike ride with my mom to go have a banana split. The wording on the sign sounds disgusting.

I have never ever eaten here, but I have always loved this sign and I was afraid if I didn't take a photo of it on this trip it would disappear.

I love love love this Edmunds Sign. I took this on the way to the airport when we were leaving. All along this street used to be 50's and 60's styled signs. All gone now.
God Bless America!

My friend John who just visited me-lived here with his mom and brother for a few years a long long time ago. These are on Crystal Lake Drive. I have always loved the name Crystal Lake.



Now for some changes.This has always been a strange little place. I swear it changes hands every 6 months. I have always thought it was cute.

This used to be our movie theatre.

This was a hopping place back when, now it's a sad memory.
Oh and a Carvel used to be in here to.

Back of a gas local gas station.

I thought this was terribly morbid, but only in Florida and maybe Arizona. buh.



And now for the saddest bit for me, this used to be my dad's Burger Chef.
It used to look like this. And this concludes my journey.