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.

Yet my hands are shaking...

The trip to Orlando was not only to see my mom and help her recoup after surgery(didn't happen) but I was going to go through the whole house and get rid of things. She's going to sell the house this time. For real.

Not just my stuff had to be cleared out, my mom's, dad's and my sister's. I don't know how my mom did it over the years. What was her rationale? Why would she say to heck with some things and others she would shove into the closet? She would get rid of my paintings that weren't bothering her, and ditched them. She will be forever mad at me. Other stuff she would keep forever, like why did she keep my stuffed animals from when I was 10??

Hey but I found my dad's ukulele in her closet, just wish I had his dog tags.

Now I also knew this was going to happen. Mentally I was ready. I was strong. My brother-in law called me up and asked if I would like to look through my sister's things to see if there was anything I would like.

OK I said. I knew there were a couple of items I'd love to have. In high school I didn't have a class ring, but I wore my sister's on a chain. All of us girls went to Boone High and I was proud of that. So I really wanted the ring. It was special to me.

I was fine on the drive over to the house, I was even fine going into the house. Nothing had changed and I hadn't been there in awhile. During the funeral everyone came to my mom's-her house was a gathering place.

My brother in law showed me my sister's dresser. As I started to go through the drawers, I lost it. I found her college ids and post office pin collection and I just sat down and cried.

This is what it comes down to...your family going through your dresser deciding what is going to be kept. How very sad. I wish I could take the whole dresser and not change anything. I found her children's baby teeth-cards-address books. Keeping the dresser in tact wouldn't bring my sister back or change our relationship. And yet it's not right that she's gone either.

I don't want to start to cry again, so I'll stop.

Here's the tea party my son and I had for all of the little animals. My mom saved the animals for this moment.

The girls, they love to see you shoot...

I can't seem to do anything right lately and everything, everything seems to be (a) not getting done or (b) failing miserably

For instance-my new glasses. Yes yes I got cat eye glasses how very-oh don't say it, I love them, but when I had my eyes checked the good doctor told me he could make them a little stronger. I said ok. NOT OK. I had to take them back and the assistant could not read his hand writing and now he's on a holiday. I have to wait,poor me.


And let's see what other bs. I am having no luck getting men to give me an estimate in our driveway hole. Maybe if I stand naked in the driveway someone will offer to do it for free.

Nothing is happening. Is Mercury in retro or something like that?

A new list of advice-a recap

#1-Don't go to Orlando in August.
#2-Don't drive and listen to the Ramones. ?
#3-Don't expect your mom to save your paintings.
#4-You cannot be nice to everyone. I have tried.
#5-If your eyes don't need it, don't get a stronger prescription.

That's all I really want to say right now.

I wanted to post a few Helmut's for the weekend. Then I'll have more O-town stories and pics. (oh goodie shouts my audience of 4.)

Peace and love

I thought the major was a lady suffragette...

Have I stressed how hot it was in Orlando? Let me tell you, when it gets hot here-NYC area, it's humid around 3 pm and you think that it's HORRIBLE. In Orlando, in August, it's 90F at 9 in the morning and the humidity is 100%. I would sweat 5lbs every time we'd go for a walk. Doesn't that sound attractive? It's hard to stay cute in this sort of climate. My short hair worked out well, so that was a blessing.

And even though I complained non-stop about the heat-I would still go out, my son and I were the only people walking. Well us and some homeless guy who would mumble things to to me from behind the Winn Dixie.(Saying Winn Dixie never sounded really southern to me until living up north, now I have to say it with a southern accent because I think it's funny. Certain southern things are inexplicably adorable. Sweet tea will always be well, sweet. Sort of like I now understand the fixation northerners have with Springsteen.)

It was insane hot. Really. But we'd have to leave the house for some exercise and fresh air and do it first thing in the morning before the sun scorched the gray Florida dirt. We would go feed the ducks here.

This used to be an orange grove when I was a kid. Now it's full of pretty houses that are ill constructed. I'm sure if I walked up to one of the homes and gave it a swift kick I'd put a hole in in a wall.
This lake was always here-I never saw it because going into the orange grove was banned. How many cool things did I miss out on because I listened to my mom? I remember in the summer we knew when the groves were being mowed because the rats would make a pilgrimage to our neighborhood. We would be in the pool at dusk and watch rats run across the phone wires. ewwww.

I'm happy to say we were OK despite sweating buckets. It was so freaking hot! How many times do I need to say this. I would make sure we drank plenty of water, and I read somewhere once that a hiking guide would tell his little hiking people to eat cheezits because of the salt content. When I came back to New York a neighbor told me a nanny she knows was in O-town when I was there and she was hospitalized for heat exhaustion. Thank heavens I adapt very well.

And now for some more fotos.

This is the shuttle track from the gate to the main terminal at Orlando International. I think it's very amusing how it looks like Disney. I would chant "monorail monorail monorail". I half expect to see topiaries along the way.

The bromeliads that I love so much

The plumbago that my dad adored.

This was a huge vine climbing the old oak in a neighbors yard.

Everybody play the game...of love...

(Sorry I'm listening to Queen, again)

First I have to say I love my mom. I admit we are very similar but she drives me crazy. My husband says when I get mad, I'm just like my mom. I get quiet very quickly and I won't look you in the eye. Don't try any funny business and make me laugh, because I'm mad and that's that.

So I found myself like this with my mom. Then she would get mad...so I would have to play nice or else we'd wouldn't talk all day. You can tell we're related.

My mom was scheduled for a surgery on Monday morning. My sister took her to the hospital and she was hooked up, ready to go and the anesthesiologist came in and looked over her charts and said-"We'd better not do this because your sodium is too low. You could have brain swelling or a stroke." That was it for my mom. She will not reschedule. Ever. The next day she turned this doctor's advice on us-her family and became nasty about it. She really said this-mind you she'll be 80 next year-"If you girls want me to have this surgery and something happens to me, then you'll have to deal with it then." Oh thanks mom. Well I'm not telling her to do it. Forget it. So I had to listen to my mom on the phone with all of her friends and telling them this whole ordeal over and over again. I would leave the room.

After a few days she was better. Thank heavens.

I started off the cleaning festivities by working in my bedroom. WOW was that a can of worms.
I found yearbooks and notes and lot's of funny little things.



Here is my old microscope. Check out my specimens. Who can tell me what the dragonfly is in? I was pretty resourceful even at 9. Well, and I was a girl scout.
And notice the contact lens case. I hijacked that from one of my sisters. That was my dirt sampler. I would collect dirt and write about the different kinds I found around the yard. And you know what there was still dirt in it.When I'm forced to see this kind of thing from my childhood, I seriously wonder how and why I didn't become a scientist. I was so completely into it. I would collect dead bugs from the pool and cuts wings off of bees and wasps and look at them under the microscope. I have a scalpel somewhere. Then I would draw what I saw-I loved it. I still kind of do. Biology has always fascinated me.
Me in my old bedroom late at night. I found some pearls my mom gave me and my dad's aviators. This was Monday night. I think I was delirious.

Here is the backyard now where the pool once existed.

This will forever make me sad. It was once my oasis. Now it's full of snakes, chameleons and mosquitoes.

I'll stop for now and leave you with a pic of a rarely spotted jungle boy.

Thistled and thorned...

Good morning/afternoon kit kats! I'm so happy to be back even though I have tons of things to work on.

I will say it was boot camp at my mom's. No car, no music make paintergirl something something...I really was into torturing myself by bringing Of Human Bondage as well. I can think of several things wrong with the title. Still haven't finished it.

There are way too many little bits I need to catch up on this morning. I will leave with a sneak peak in my journal. There will be funny, sad, & weird stories and photos of the neighborhood.