BRING IT!

After a lot of work our fall-out/tornado shelter is finished. Don't we look cozy?Seriously, I hope to God we never need to crawl into the closet under the stairs, but if so, it's ready... Oh, shit! I forgot the Scrabble game! Be right back!

the sweet illusion of safety

I've spent the better part of my day cleaning out the closet under our stairs. Seems we are having a very stormy spring here on the edge of tornado alley. After last night's purple and orange weather map I felt it wise to open up some space in our "safe" place. Never a dull moment here in Texas...

must-see TV

http://www.fox.com/house/

God, I love "House". How could I not? Dr. House is an ass, but a smart one... the ultimate smartass. Hugh Laurie (a delicious name) is simply brilliant as the simply brilliant, but, alas, troubled, good doctor. The ensemble cast is fabulous. Yes, the stories are insane, the endings all predictable to a point... but then there's the soundtrack... wonderful! http://www.fox.com/house/features/music.htm

Yes, House is cranky, a drug-addict, scruffy and rude... and

S M A R T! Good enough!

Like everyone else on the planet, I don't watch that much TV, but I do try to catch "House"... and "Planet Earth" http://dsc.discovery.com/guides/planetearth/planetearth.html and "Deadliest Catch"http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/deadliestcatch.html.

I swear that's it!

cowgirl... for an afternoon

http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/

Never one to shun a costume, I enjoyed cowgirling up for the wild west wedding last Saturday. And I must admit, The Stockyards are pretty cool. It feels a bit time-machine-ish there. I am not clever enough to discern the real cowfolks from the fakes, but there are plenty of folks wearing the garb there. And there is a real, working stockyard there amid the shopping, bars and resturants. We need to take Will. He loves horses so much.

So, here I am playing rhinestone cowgirl...

life in the wild west...

Mark & I went to a cowboy wedding today at the Fort Worth Stockyards. We were delayed a bit due to a cattle drive on the main drag. Longhorns are BIG damn cows... and slow, too! The minister pulled a gun. The flowergirls carried buckets and the meal at the reception was chicken fried steak, fried okra and iced tea! Hell yeah, we know how to throw it down in Texas!

We escaped to the 'burbs before the cake was cut. Whew! That was close!

Mark looked very nice in his cowboy-ish attire (he's wearing his boots).

pendant mania...

A few of my latest pendants. I'm soldering today, so there will MORE soon!

Krishna

This is enough to make one seriously consider changing religions. Beautiful!

and then there's this...

http://icasualties.org/oif/IraqiDeaths.aspx

http://www.icasualties.org/oif/BY_DOD.aspx

As a parent I am heartbroken to think of what it must be like for the families of all who lost their lives at Virginia Tech yesterday.

As a human being I am reminded that we never know what awful potential lies inside ourselves and others.

There are things in this world too terrible to understand.

Check out my Slide Show!

prom night

Ryan flew down from school (Kansas City Art Institute) to go with Kate to her prom. They are so sweet together. They have known each other since they were babies and have been dating for two years. This long year apart has been a challenge for them, but they have handled it so well. It helps that they can talk on their cell phones all the time. They also communicate via snail mail, web cams and email.
Kate is such a great girl!! She is so poised, smart, funny and sweet. Yes, I'm her mom, but I swear it is all true!! She is a treasure.

my saint

Saint Luke is the patron saint of artists and brewers.

ah, skills...

Despite my denial the truth is that I have a damn cold... BUT, today it will be back in the 70s and sunny so I feel confident I will be cured by sundown. After my illness this winter a cold is hardly worth noticing.

Working today...

Just playing around with the Canon this morning...

Cassiopeia A: Death Becomes Her

The creative process is a cocktail of instinct, skill, culture and a highly creative feverishness. It is not like a drug; it is a particular state when everything happens very quickly, a mixture of consciousness and unconsciousness, of fear and pleasure; it’s a little like making love, the physical act of love. ~Francis Bacon

Happy Easter

It snowed here today... I sh*t you not! Unreal! The Easter Bunnny will die if he sets paw in North Texas tonight. Poor rodent!

Well, joys of the season to you, my hoard of gentle readers... Eat chocolate!

Spring is the time of rebirth...

After 20 years of being sealed like a tomb Trader Vic's has reopened! Hallelujah!
http://www.tradervicsdallas.com/

let's do lunch...

At Myett's they totally screwed up our order, but the Caribe was cold enough and the view was impossibly beautiful. I am so ready to have my toes in that fine, white sand again. It makes me happy to know it's waiting for me...