What's Happening In Our World Today - A Rant?

Today is probably going to be a rant of sorts..... but FIRST!

Small black on white Zentangle done in about an hour.  I'm into the "weeds" thing.

So, this week a dear, dear friend is having a really devastating family drama played out in the local newspaper. Now, I tend to read the more "human interest" stuff rather than the "news" stuff, to be honest. I like reading about a family member being reunited with a long lost relative, or someone winning the lottery for the third time, or whatever. I even read about family tragedies in the news. But this is the first time I know all the parties involved and the pain spilled out on the front page of the paper is only the tip of the iceberg. This poor family has had countless other sorrows in their lives, and in particular, my friend. Does she need this? Of course not! She is a hard working, loving wife and mother, who cares for her parents and anyone else who comes to her door in need. She would give you the shirt off her back!! And to top it all off, she always has a smile and a kind word for everyone. I had lunch with her and we had a chance to talk and I'm here to tell you that she is definitely a survivor!! She has no idea where her life will go from here or what will happen with the rest of the family that is involved in this senseless sadness, but SHE, yes, she will go on and be strong.

My point is, why does the media think that lives, any of our lives are a free-for-all....that anything that anyone does can be spread all over the newspaper for our neighbors, co-workers, and friends to see??? I just hope that I never get in that position or that any of my loved ones get in that position. 

I guess my friend's predicament really brought close to home, how complacent we can be about our privacy...when it can all of a sudden, without a moment's notice, be open for the world to see.

I hope you have a Zentangle kind of day!

Janie

Large blue on white Zentangle grouping. (about 9"x12")

Oh Yah! It's Addictive!

Well, it seems that I am spreading the addiction around! YAH!! So, I will keep posting a Zentangle or two here everyday, regardless of my blog topic for the day. I ALSO have a new web site called tangletangled.com where I will be posting daily about Zentangle, Mandala, and other art-related topics. If you like it please tell your friends about it too!!

So, my Zentangle for today:

Black and Red on White Paper

We have a new toy at our house. A New Snow Blower! In Alaska, a machine of this stature is very important, especially if you want to get out of your driveway. We had an old one that came from my first marriage and was untold years old. It finally gave up the ghost and just won't budge another inch. So, after the last big snow fall, my Love went to get a new one. I was pretty excited about it too and just had to share some pictures of this red beauty with you!!

Have a safe, snow-free day!
Janie

Just Keeping One Foot In Front Of The Other

Blue on White - New Card

New card - Black on White

Do you ever have days where that's a really big request?? Today i finally got my friend's birthday gifts wrapped, the guinea pig cages cleaned out and some laundry done. Of course, in between all that I managed to "tangle" a card or two! LOL 

 

I love my guinea pigs, really, (these aren't them...but they sure are cute, aren't they?) but cleaning them out is SUCH a chore!! I remember when my daughter had 11 of them and it didn't seem like a chore then? What's up with that??

And laundry...well, laundry  is laundry and it seems like my Love goes through a lot of laundry. I never have but then maybe I don't work hard like Him and get all...well...sweaty.  And while I was working I had work clothes and "at home" clothes and so does He, so I don't complain about it. 

It just seems like housework is never-ending. At least while I was working I had a couple days off work each week  but no such luck now! I work everyday, all day, off and on...resting in between jobs. But just when one job is done another raises it's ugly head! 

new card...black on white

 

So, today is Saturday and I just bet that there will be more laundry, more dishes, more food to be cooked, and more crap to go through in my Studio. My question is....will it ever end? Or better yet...will I get a bonus this year?????

Green on Green Card

Green on Green Card

Dream on a Moonbeam: The Flu

Dream on a Moonbeam: The Flu: "So, OK, I was a good girl and got the flu shot this year. $25 at my local pharmacy and it was even pretty painless. They told me it covered ..."

The Flu

So, OK, I was a good girl and got the flu shot this year. $25 at my local pharmacy and it was even pretty painless. They told me it covered me for the three big "killer" flues. Awesome, I thought! So that was September or October (old brain can't remember when). 

Along comes November and I get a sore throat and the sniffles...ends up lasting over a week and got so bad I had no voice and was coughing my lungs up! Had to go to the doctor twice. I was told it was a form of the flu but not one of those covered in the flu shot. OK, WELL THANKS!!!

Jump ahead to a week ago...sore throat and headache and mild cough at night. I have been fighting it for 7....count them....7 days!! still coughing, some headache and no energy at all! This time didn't require antibiotics for a sinus infection like my November experience, however I have been using over-the-counter drugs like they were candy for cough and general feeling of being really sick!!!! 

Still have the blooming headache and occasional cough. I SO hope that this is the last time this year!! 

I am glad I got the flu shot. I have health problems that make it necessary for me to do everything I can to keep from getting sick. It's a small price to pay to know that If I contract one of those terrible flues, that I'll have a fighting chance of living through it. But right now? I'm just dragging my behind around and getting so little done and want to sleep all the time! ugh!!!

I hope you have a healthy day, and that you stay that way!!

Janie

IF YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY THE GAME PROPERLY YOU’D BETTER KNOW EVERY RULE

I got this quote in my email (I love quotes…get them from all sorts of places) and they make so much sense to me in most cases. The problem with quotes is that we hear them or read them and they are gone….”in one ear and out the other”, as it were. I have written a blog based on the quote above to be published at another time. But today I want to share some of my favorite quotes with you.

“There are no ordinary moments” -Unknown

“Don’t let weeds grow around your dreams” -Unknown

“Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it. - Jane Wagner and Lily Tomlin

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch. - Robert Orben

To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act. - Anatole France

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. - Joseph Addison

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. -Mahatma Gandhi

He who spends time regretting the past loses the present and risks the future. -Quevedo

As you read these, I hope that you will really think about what they are saying. If I always remember that “THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS”, then that means that every moment of every day of my life will be special and hold meaning, rather than a moment to be marked off in the march of time. Life is precious…make it count for something. 

Janie

My Hometown

Do you ever think about your hometown, the people you grew up with, and your life before becoming a "real" person? I hadn't been back to my hometown, Wisdom, Montana, for over 35 years so three (I think) years ago my Love took me back to my hometown for a grand vacation. We flew to Seattle, rented a car, and drove to Portland, Oregon. There we stayed with His daughter, Anna, saw the Japanese Gardens, the Rose Gardens, and many of the beautiful waterfalls outside of Portland.

My Stepdaughter, Anna

Multnomah Falls, Portland, Oregon

Then we drove in the sweltering heat to Spokane, Washington, where I lived for 17 years before moving to Alaska. We spent a day with my grandson who lives there and who I hadn't seen for 18 years! What a great kid!! We also had dinner with an old high school friend of mine and her husband. It was a very nice stay, but so hot!!

My Grandson, Reice - hamming it up for the camera!

Riverfront Park, Spokane, Washington

From there we drove to Missoula, Montana where my brother, Don married his childhood sweetheart, Geri. It was so great to be a part of that wonderful celebration. For their honeymoon, they went with us to my hometown of Wisdom where Don and my Love did some great fly fishing, and we saw the Battlefield which is now officially protected by the government. I remember that when I was a kid growing up there that we used to pick up arrowheads off the ground and it wasn't an official site at that time. It is where Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians and the 7th Calvary battled.

My brother, Don and his wife, Geri

Sign at entrance to the Big Hole Battlefield Monument

We stayed in some cabins that my best girlfriend's parents always owned and that she now owns. I always loved those old cabins and always wondered what it would be to sleep in one! It was very comfortable!! However, I sure don't remember the mosquitoes being quite so bad!! It is very beautiful there, as I always remembered it to be, but it wasn't home anymore.

The family home had been sold a couple of times and had had a fire and the people just walked away from it, boarded it up and left it...now an eye-sore. How I wanted to buy it back, tear the house and out buildings down and start over...with a nice new home...and recover the joys of my youth!! Somehow I would learn to deal with those mosquitoes!!!!!

We had such a wonderful trip there....going there, and coming home. We travel well together...something we haven't done for a couple of years. I miss that.

Wisdom, Montana main street...small but memorable.

Wisdom is a little cow-town set in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, in a valley the Indians called the Big Hole Basin or the Land of the 10,000 Haystacks. In the summers I would work on a ranch in the cookhouse...helping cook meals for the hay crew of 35 men and boys. It was very hard work and I worked from 4:00 am until 11:30 pm with a little time off in the afternoon to either go to town or take a horseback ride or nap, At 14 years of age, you don't nap! I made a whole $14 a day and they gave me room and board in the main house with the family who were life-long friends with my parents.

Ah, memories of another time and another place....another life really. When we get older sometimes all we have are our memories and a time that seemed more carefree and with so much less responsibility. My only troubles then were to make sure the skunks didn't keep me from getting into the root cellar at 5 am or into the cook house....I would chase them away with a towel...no fear there!!! LOL

So I hope you haven't been too bored with my trip down memory lane. When we drove down over the hill from the battlefield Wisdom came into view and I found myself crying at the beautiful sight...not even believing that I was really there again. It's a trip I shall always remember and always cherish.

Thank You, my Love.
Janie

More Zentangles

OK, I'm addicted. I admit it. When I don't feel good, I 'tangle'. When I'm tired, I 'tangle'. When I want to relax, I 'tangle'. When I need some rejuvenation time, I 'tangle'. What's 'tangling'? It is the actual act of doing a Zentangle. 

I have a box of pens, Micron pens in sizes .005, .01, .001, .02, and .03, in Red, Green, Blue, Brownish-red, Purple, and Black beside my chair in the living room. I have a tablet of nice drawing paper, pencils, and my booklet of Zentangle patterns there also.

Pattern Book

My booklet of Zentangle patterns is my 'cheat sheet' if you will...when I learn a new pattern, I put it in this booklet. As the picture above shows, I draw the progression of the pattern so I will be able to do it again in the future.

I have my favorite patterns...like the plant-like patterns with no structured enclosure, and I like rounded or curved patterns for some reason. I have done these in the last couple of days.

As you can see, I'm into the "curve" phase...LOL 

At Christmastime, when my son was here from Seattle, he suggested that I get a "tablet" for my computer...one like the graphic designers use. Apparently they come with a pen and different tips and you can 'draw' on this and it shows up in your computer...and you end up with an electronic Zentangle (or picture, whatever). So, when I go to Seattle next month I am going to go see these things and try one out. 

Digitized Tablet

So, I was looking around online at what other artists are doing and it really helps inspire me. I saw one Canadian artists' things and they were really good...and a bit different. Yesterday I started getting sick...but couldn't go to bed (long story), so I sat down with my pen (Blue) and drew a free-hand "image" of rounded corners, etc. I had every intention of filling it in as I usually do. Instead, as I started working on it I began to do patterns along the lines and place flowers in the rounded areas. The more I worked on it the more I liked it. Today I'll get a blue colored pencil and shade it here and there and maybe do some white highlights on the blue.... Anyway, here is the piece as it was when I went to bed a couple nights ago and then the piece with some light blue shading.

I think i need to darken up the blue shading...so I'll start working on it and repost it again in the future.

I hope I am not boring you with my passion/addiction....but it is fun to share this with you, my friends and readers. Any suggestions for a future piece would be greatly appreciated!

Wishing you a creative and WARM day! Yesterday it was -37F. Brrrrrrrr! Today it's a lot warmer. YAH!!

Janie

still sick

I have a killer of a cold...cough, stuffed head, and a headache so bad it has bordered on a migraine! sorry...maybe tomorrow!

Under the Weather Today

Really under the weather today! No blog until tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by.

Janie

Lights of the Far North

So, yesterday it was only -27 when I went to town. I went in for a baby shower, to pick up a blouse I had altered, and get my computer from being repaired. I was thinking how unique it is to live here. It doesn't seem to make any difference how cold it is, people still go to work, go shopping, and go to school.

There I was, driving down a road in town behind a long string of cars and in the sky, right in front of me was a sun dog. It was just beautiful. I was unable to see if there was one on the other side of the sun too. Usually there is one on each side of the sun. If you have never seen a sun dog...

A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, from Greek parēlion, (παρήλιον), παρά(beside) + ήλιος(sun), "beside the sun"; also called a mock sun or a phantom sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.

Sun dogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22° distant and at the same distance above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Sun dogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the sun is low.

Sun Dogs in North Dakota, same as I saw yesterday here in Fairbanks.

Also, there is this phenomena that when the atmospheric conditions are just right, all the lights (street lights, outdoor lights of all kinds) shine straight up in the sky. I don't know what this is called and I did a search on Wikipedia but couldn't find anything either. It's pretty awesome!

So, Here's wishing you all a safe, warm, and unusual day.

Janie

TOO FRICKEN COLD!!!

So I had a doctor's appointment in town this morning. We live about 18 miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, and our home is located in the hills. Hence, Our thermometer spends more time above zero than it does below zero. Thank Goodness!!! There are some "Pits around the Fairbanks where the temperature is MUCH colder...so when I left home this morning I looked at the thermometer and it read -14F. OK, if it's that cold here then it much be much colder in Fairbanks. 

So, I turned on the weather channel and this is what I saw: 

You saw it... -33F. So, as an smart Alaskan would do I made sure I had the following with me:

• Pair of good mittens
• scarf
• hat
• extra socks
• heavier coat than the one I was wearing
• blanket
• water
• cell phone charged
• sweater

Now, we don't *plan* to break down but at these temperatures if you DO breakdown it could be life-threatening. When you drive, there is this thing called "ice fog". It is the particles from the exhaust of the automobiles and trucks that actually freezes in the air and causes this really heavy fog. And not all places you go in town have plug-ins...these places where you actually plug in the oil pan or block heater that have been installed on your car. We all drive around with a plug hanging out the front end of our vehicle....and plug in to electricity where ever we go if there is a place to do this. It keeps the oil warm enough to move and keeps the motor working. A lot of people just let their car idle in the parking lot at these temperatures. It uses more gas but keeps your car and it's contents warm and you don't have to worry about your car not starting again. 

Ah....life in the Last Frontier..... TOO FRICKEN COLD!!!

I hope your day is warmer than mine!

Janie

Sunrise - January 16, 2011;  Fairbanks, Alaska

Beautification Day

I went to be beautified today. It was more than time because I was starting to see all my white and gray hair showing. My beautician is a miracle worker! I go in looking all of my 65 years and come out looking...well, 65 but feeling more like 45!!

me - PRE-Beautification

Today I got some highlights in it and love it!

Me: Post-Beautification

Another post-view

I know that for most people the "beautification" process is really tedious and it is for me but it is also a necessity. I decided to go back to getting gel nails because I am a nail biter and even chew around the edge on the cuticles...ugh! 

My white-tipped gel nails

I am thinking about tanning but not because I want to be less white than a bleached sheet....but because it is supposed to help with seasonal affective disorder...depression. I use great product on my hair so it looks it's best all the time. I use really nice shower gel and perfume because I want to be at my best.

Sign in my beautician's shop

It takes work to be a female...to look good and smell good...and it takes work to feel good. It's the feel good part that is more important to me...I love having beautiful hair and nails. If I could just make the rest of me look like I want.

OK, we have to approach the subject of the DIET again...why is it that women seem to have so much trouble with weight? I do the best I can with what I've got and at this point that has to be good enough.

So, I'm all beautified for the moment...well, for 5 weeks anyway. ~sigh~

janie

Keeping a Journal

I have always kept a journal....at various times in my life, but more constantly in my adult years. I helps me put on paper my joys and my pains and my sorrows. It helps me sort out my thoughts when I am in turmoil. It helps me see more clearly when I have a problem and have to write it down. It helps me keep track of where I have been in my life, where I am now, and where I'm going in the future. I try to write in it every day.

AN ART JOURNAL

The last volume was more of an art journal...with pictures or designs I did by hand on almost every page. When we booked our cruise I drew a picture of the ship showing where our stateroom was. When I was sad about something I drew an umbrella with colored raindrops hitting the top of it and falling onto the ground, etc. 

NEW YAHOO GROUP

So last week I was selected to join the Artists of the Roundtable. This group tries to bring about unity around the world through art. They select a certain "art form" and get a book/workbook relating to it and do the workbook together, upload the assignments, and grow as a community in the world of art. The first workshop I will be participating in is called Journal Spilling. I am excited about being a member of this elite group and having the opportunity to take different classes and learn new things and ways of expressing myself through my art. Journal Spilling is designed to help me be more free with my art in my journal using various mediums. It starts while I'm on vacation in Seattle but I'll have my little computer with me and will take my journal with me and do what I can while I'm gone. This is a self-directed course in that the assignments don't have a deadline to be done exactly. There will be worksheets sent to me via email but that is different and they are designed to lead me through the workbook. 

Journals come in all sizes and shapes...most of mine are spiral bound so they can lay flat when I'm writing. I love the look and feel of these journals...some of mine are leather-covered, but most are just cardboard covered with some sort of design on the cover. Lately I have been buying nicer ones because what I write will be read by someone else someday...possibly my children. Who knows? I try to leave little bits of the wisdom that I have picked up in my life. Journals are our way of leaving knowledge and inspiration behind....also of answering questions that others' may have had about us during our lives. 

I hope that you will consider keeping a journal (if you don't already) because it can be very therapeutic....and introspective. It's not the same as a blog....it's not really for public consumption....and is intimate between you and the pages inside of it. 

janie

THE BOOK STORE

I love books, books of all kinds, sizes, colors, and subjects.

COOKBOOKS: I love cookbooks...I used to have a special table with shelves that I had built especially for my cookbooks...now it holds the printers and other assorted things because when I divorced my first husband I had to downsize my collection. Now, as you can see, it's still pretty good. But it could be much better. The cookbook collection in the book store is awesome. i want one of each!

NOVELS/FICTION: I love mystery novels...I have this whole bookshelf full of unread books! The fiction in the book store calls to me when I walk in the door, but I don't allow myself to even go over and look because I know I'll buy one.

AUDIO BOOKS: as I said, I love mystery novels....so I get audio books to listen to while I'm in the car. the book store has a really wonderful selection and every time I go there I have to look and touch. I also belong to an online book club (paperbackswap.com) where you can send in a book to someone who requests it and in return you get points to use to "buy" someone else's book! I used to belong to another book club online and I would send in a box of used audio books and they would give me credit to use to buy new audio books from their site. I loved it!

CALENDARS: The book store always has a great selection of calendars and Day Minder-type books to use to keep oneself on schedule. I am ALWAYS drawn to them.

PAPER GOODS: Not just ANY paper goods....beautiful journals with leather or embossed covers. I am a journal keeper so I usually buy something very nice to keep my thoughts and drawings in (it's an art journal). And then there are the artist supplies....drawing tablets and journals and water color tablets and journals. They also have brightly colored mole skin covered booklets..to use to keep lists (remember, I'm a list maker), keep you budget, or put info when you are planning a world class vacation! today when I went to the book store I came home with three of these little babies plus a water color journal for an on-line class I'm going to be taking!

OTHER BOOKS: I recently found out that my book store offers a service where if i need a book, I can put the title into their site and they will see if my own book store carries it. if they do then they will pull the book and hold it for me to pick up for two days!! I needed a book titled "Journal Spilling" and they had it all ready for me at the check out desk!

SNACKS and GOODIES: I don't know about your book store but mine has a little snack counter with different kinds of yummy snacks in a case next to the register...along with an assortment of cold drinks. of course, they serve coffee too and they are always busy!!

I hope that you have many trips to YOUR favorite store....be it the shoe store, grocery store, or book store!!

janie