anna and willow

Painting like mad today. Here's a little diddy to tide you over :)

Zen Cookie

You Are a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Traditional and conservative, most people find you comforting. You're friendly and easy to get to know. This makes you very popular - without even trying!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

Dosha Me Pitta

Your Dosha is Pitta

You have a quick mind, a gift for persuasion, and a sharp sense of humor. You have both the drive and people skills to be a very successful leader. Argumentative and a bit stubborn, you have been known to be a little too set in your ways. But while you may be biased toward your own point of view, you are always honest, fair, and ethical. With friends: You are outgoing and open to anyone who might want to talk to you In love: You are picky but passionate To achieve more balance: Be less judgmental of those around you, and take cool walks in the moonlight.

What's Your Dosha?

Hey there lonely girl...lonely girl...

Well... I am (ashamedly) usually up on the latest junky media craze. But this time I have accidentally stumbled upon something that is quite interesting. Much as The Blair Witch Project caught viewers (who believed it to be real) off guard, another group of videographers have fooled the UTube folks.



I was looking for something on UTube the other day (God I can't even remember what now that my brain has been completely preoccupied with this story). As I searched the video blogs I came across a bit of "controversy" that started me down my own path of peculiar fascination.

I discovered Lonelygirl 15.


I vaguely remember hearing about this when the actress posing as a lonely 15 year old girl on UTube outed herself on Leno. At the time I didn't pay much attention to it.


And, since this seemed to be a teenie thing I forgot about her existence.




Until I caught her on UTube.


I'm surprised I haven't heard more about it since the actress has been interviewed everywhere now. (Yeah! I must be watching less TV than I thought!)

What interests me most about this phenomenon is how the audience comes to feel so intimately about the character when they think she's real and accessible. When they find out that she's a character, they feel betrayed and angry.

After watching a few videos I figured they were false (too professional looking compared to most video blogs I have seen, they film some things that (like Blair Witch) you wouldn't take the time to film, and the plot is completely outrageous (religious cult storyline). But I thought it was "Gosh some fun!"

As an actress I find it wonderful that she had this opportunity. Though it didn't seem to propel the Blair Witch kids to fame.

However, none of them were as cute









as vulnerable



as lonely






As "Bree."




As a non-video blogger who is writing some about my real life to the few who are interested, I am amazed that anyone would feel betrayed by a contrived storyline on a blog. I'm pretty sure most (sorry Gareth I meant MANY) folks who have blogs make up who they are. Maybe the fans are upset because these were made by professionals. I happen to think they would have to be to know how to "reel" people in. Otherwise, they would be poorly acted, written, and lighted like the knock offs you'll find in the "Paul and Andrea" videos on the LGPEDIA. That's right...their very own pedia, which provides loads of Lonelygirl trivia.


Like this pic that is on leading lady Bree's wall with an alter and candles under it. It is of Aleister Crowley , a 20th century magick/occultist/religious leader who seems to be a part of Bree's mysterious cult like religion. At first this plotline concerned me, being wary of anything that misrepresents any religion. But they seem to have chosen a real historical cult to pick on, so.... ok. Just don't think all Taoists, Hindus, Buddhists, Qabalahists, Astrologers, tarot card readers who enjoy Yoga are somehow involved in the occult or religious cults. Some of us are just a tad open minded :)

A bonus is that the music is way cool too. Even for this way past teenie mother of four.

So check it out. I'll warn you though... the videos start out slow, but they become sort of addictive.

So hat's off to the creators. They did something original and successfully pulled it off for a few months before avid fans realized it was a scripted production. I'm always a sucker for creativity.

Free Hugs

Free Hugs * I took the video off but you can still access it bandcodes.com. It was time to update the blog music. I'll try to find a direct link later.


My sister forwarded this video to me from another blog called 37 Days. I wanted to share it with all of you. As quoted on 37 Days, "We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth..." (~Virginia Satir)

I myself get plenty of hugs from my husband and three older kids. Not to mention that I'm definitely in the "for growth" category from the million hugs I give to and get from Anna a day. But I will never forget those sub-survival hugless five and a half years pre-Rick, Adri and Anna. At times I'd have to wait a whole week for some good old fashioned running- jumping- wrap- around hugs from Tanner and Noah. I will never take the superabundant hugs I am now blessed with for granted.

For those of you running shy of survival levels, here's at least one in the cyber form. The rest I'll hit ya with when next we meet :)

Z

Remembrance

The following pictures are a tribute to the losses of Sept 11, 2001. This first pic was of a steel cross that was pulled from the wreckage and hung at Ground Zero.


The second was taken by my husband of his daughter Labor Day weekend 2001. Her salute with the towers in the background was an eerie coincidence. She did it because he was a Major in the Army at that time, teaching and coaching at West Point.














The rest of the pics (as well as the first one) are from a trip to NY (my first) we took the first summer we were dating. We stopped to visit Ground Zero. It was a very humbling experience.

I have been watching the coverage today with the reading of the names of the victims. I am disappointed to say, that try as I may I have not been able to find a station allowing the victims names to be read without interruption. I would have thought those names would be more important than Matt Laurer's commentary about the memorial service. CNN was revisiting the events step by step, which I don't see as a valuable tribute to the dead either.

So... with no further adieu, here is my tribute to those lost to the terrorists....and to the war on terror.

Final resting place...New Orleans last tribute

My favorite collection of New Orleans pix from cemetery Number One. No extra words needed here. I thought this would be a good place to end the tribute. I hope all have enjoyed the pix as much as we did taking them.

I leave you with the serene resting place of the oldest cemetery in New Orleans. I feel the pictures here, as well as the ghostly soulful tunes of Enya are the best interludes to my pics of Ground Zero tomorrow.

Peace to all those who have suffered loss, whether by nature or at the hands of men.

Blessed be...

Sign of the times - New Orleans Tribute 5

Here are some famous (infamous?) signs of New Orleans...

I will post again tomorrow with the final tribute. It will be my favorite set of pics, from cemetery Number One which I think was hit pretty hard judging from the Parish in which it's located. I want to finish up because I have another post of pics from our trip to Ground Zero to post on 9/11.



Paul McCartney slept here. So did we, though not in the Paul McCartney suite. My husband tried to get it since it was our honeymoon, but it was booked already :( We did end up with a pretty nice suite - with living room kitchen and bedroom so he did good :) Next time we're getting one with a balcony.



Not just the French Quarter- the Spanish had a lot of influence on New Orleans as well








Some good French Quarter Blues and Jazz joints- wanna get back for the Jazz Festival
at some point too



















I was really proud of my husband that he humored me and we ventured in this shop! I'm sure it was a new experience for him with all his "don't ask don't tell" job history!


Didn't see Harry on this trip :( We had caught him in concert the summer before in Cleveland







Did meet HARRY ANDERSON who owns this magic shop in the French Quarter










We were both too scared to venture in here

This reminds me of someone I knew long ago...




















One of many Tennessee Williams namesakes- This one obviously for Stella Kowalski of Streetcar Named Desire fame. I want to get back down here for the Tennessee Williams Festival one year








Luckily we saw no pirates (even after drinking the Hurricanes) though we did see vampires (see previous post)




Hurricane Number one.... Hand grenades came later

Decided to forego the Absinthe...Don't they know it can kill you??? Hmmm.... Maybe that explains our reaction to Hurricanes and Hand grenades while partaking in them during our stay

Hair of the dog... Needed one of these the day after the Hurricane/Hand grenade debacle

We didn't have the extra dollar after drinking all the Hurricanes, and after them we would have really needed it ;)

Wasn't actually in New Orleans but a stop on our way in from Nashville- didn't partake in one of these. Thought about it, but it was attached to a gas station and we only enjoy that dining experience when desperate