Another night of broken sleep for no apparent reason.
Tag: photos
Sunday Sundries
For whatever reason, I’m dragging today. Maybe I do know the reason. I couldn’t fall asleep last night for anything. I tossed and turned for a couple of hours, repositioned a couple of dogs several times, and finally gave up and changed rooms so I wouldn’t disturb everyone else. I wasn’t even thinking of anything to keep me awake or make me afraid to fall asleep. It just wasn’t happening.
But I promised unicorns, and unicorns it shall be. I’ll begin with this little dish that rests on my dresser. No memory of where it came from, but the only thing I’ve ever dropped in it is that magic token. If that’s not an apt description for a unicorn, what is?
The Unicorn Wishes set came with a unicorn, a mat to stand on, four scenic backdrops, and a book.
The unicorn is petite, but surely full of good vibrations. I’ll call her Wishes. And promptly forget her name. (One of many reasons this site exists: to be the Info Repository for my brain.)
I imagine I picked up this beauty at a craft or art supply store when I needed a unicorn for a photo shoot. Maybe during the Katnip series. Too lazy to search! I’ll call her Flower. Today, I used her to text birthday wishes to my friend Kathy: Making Me Laugh Since 1977 ™, including over the last few days.
Does this boy have a name? I don’t remember, but as of this writing, he’ll be named Secret. He has one. It’s harmless.
Now back to this, the OFFICIAL coloring book of The Magical Unicorn Society. Not to be confused with those fake coloring books, societies, and whatnots. This book gives an account of the different types of unicorns: the Gold Unicorn and the Silver Unicorn; the Mountain Jewels; the Water Moons; the Woodland Flowers; the Desert Flames; the Ice Wanderers; the Storm Chasers; and the Shadow Nights.
I colored a Shadow Night in July of 2020, and a scene with two Woodland Flowers in Sept/Oct 2020. As I mentioned yeseterday, I’ve kept the pages in the book, because of how it’s arranged by different unicorn groups and provides history. Which you know is all accurate because it’s from The Magical Unicorn Society. No naysayers need pop off like this is some silly made-up thing. This comes right from Unicorn canon.
Since I’d already colored the first two pages of the first section in the book, the Gold and the Silver Unicorns, back in April of 2022, I decided over the past couple of days to continue through the book in order. According to the history, these were the very first unicorns, born thousands of years ago, thanks to the misbehavior of another of Earth’s inhabitants, a Winter Dragon.
Maybe this fellow who’s been living in the toy chest since he was captured to put on a birthday cake is a Winter Dragon.
This malcontent attacked a pair of horses and chased them through a magical waterfall.
The waterfall transformed the horses into the Gold Unicorn and the Silver Unicorn. The two of them appear on the Magical Unicorn’s Society’s official crest. They represent power and prestige and are matched with the symbols of the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.
The Magical Unicorn Society Official Coloring Book is for sale from multiple sources. If you or someone you know loves unicorns and coloring, I highly recommend it.
Gratitude
I’d pulled three coloring books off the shelf the other day to use for my next coloring pages, and this is the third of those (I’ve already pulled three more). It’s one of my favorites, but because the pages are on front and back, if I want to color a page, I scan it and print it on cardstock so I won’t lose the backing page (because some of the pens I use bleed through, and also, I like putting them in my big sketchbook when they’re finished).
Before I get to that though, I need to send a big thank you to the people who’ve made these last few days pleasant in so many ways (including texts, emails, and phone calls). Anyone who comments here lifts my spirits, and Mark has been catching up for the last few days, and it’s so much fun to go back to old posts and read and respond to his comments. I promise, Mark, even when you get caught up or miss, I will continue to anticipate our interactions with pleasure.
Getting comments here is always fun, and I thank my regulars, like Blue Sky Boy and Lynne, and the people who like leaving more cryptic names for fun (you know who you are), and my family members (including Tom, Ron, David, Debby, Geri, Lisa) and fellow writers (including my writing partners) who drop in from time to time and leave comments. I enjoy the occasional visits and comments from Nurse Lisa, Debbie D. in Canada, Gael who’s another LJ person from long ago. I may get more interaction on Instagram than here (though I post there infrequently except in October). There’s a different vibe to that: one is similar to passing someone I know (and like) in public, or having brief but pleasant interactions with strangers, and the other is like inviting someone to visit my home for a good conversation (even when brief), if that makes sense. There are also people, including family members, who read here regularly but respond via email, and that interaction is equally welcome.
Everyone has busy lives and endless places to direct their attention–jobs, time with friends and families, and in pursuit of interests like books, music, TV, movies, social media, traveling, and more physical activities. So a visit here is always appreciated.
Today’s coloring page was inspired by this photograph of Maxime De La Falaise wearing a fish-tailed striped gown designed by Paquin, as photographed by Cecil Beaton in Vogue, January 1950. I researched her, and wow, what an interesting person she was, and she had an intriguing family, as well. In this age, they’d definitely qualify as influencers, with huge groups of fans/admirers along with plenty of detractors, I’m sure. A current family comes to mind…
I liked being able to do the black stripes on this myself, and hope the contrast comes across in the photograph as well as on the page in front of me.
Mindful Monday
Today, as on every November 11, we honor our veterans. It’s a beautiful and breezy day here, so the flag was being borne upward in this shot, set against our magnolia and mimosa trees, with neighbors’ trees in the distance.
Respecting and caring for our veterans has always been something I’m passionate about. If it seems at odds for a pacifist to feel that way, wanting a world without wars is not meant to disrespect in any way those willing to put their lives on the line to keep our country, and the countries of our allies, protected. There’s a true line from generations of my forebears to me, including ancestors who fought in the American Revolution and beyond, to my father being an Army veteran who landed in Normandy on D Day and was career military, and to my brother, who served in the Air Force, and to my sister, who worked at a VA hospital facility for many years as a nurse.
Any policy that attempts to reduce or limit our nation’s care of veterans, including health care, should never be accepted by us no matter what party we vote for. When a service member or veteran is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to self and family for you, no matter what your political affiliation, you should be willing to return that respect in kind, including as part of your tax dollars.
If you have a military cemetery near you, it can provide a quiet place to visit for mindful meditations on gratitude, care for others, courage, and peace.
Sunday Sundries
Taffy, who appears to be a golden retriever, tries to look innocent about where that hole came from, but the dirt on her nose and the fact that at least one of her pals seems to be pointing at her, gave her away. (All of these are Mattel dogs.) (ETA: I changed out this photo because I realized in this one, in the upper left, there’s a sliver of Delta watching from a distance. Who can’t have any cake because of the chocolate. Oh, the bitterness.)
That’s a cake I made to celebrate the 1.5-year May birthdays of Timothy and Rhonda. It was in May that our crazy weather and power outages began. Since then, several of us have dealt with sickness, some have traveled, and Lindsey and Timothy have had crazy busy work schedules. Today became the day we could finally all gather: Rhonda, Lindsey, (their dog Pepper), Timothy, Debby, Tom, and me for much needed friend time. Among us, we contributed “finger foods”: queso and chips, puff pastries with fig preserves and brie, chicken wings with three dipping sauces, tuna salad for petite sandwiches, fresh raw vegetables and fruits, turkey sausages, artichoke and jalapeño dip with crackers, guacamole, and hummus and pita chips. I didn’t take any photos except of the cake, though I did catch the two (May) birthday celebrants as we sang “Happy Birthday” to them.
It was lovely to be with friends again and to talk honestly and openly about how we’re all feeling and reacting right now. Our connections are important and to be cherished.
This is the book I colored from back in October of 2022. I think I posted it on Instagram but never on here. If you squint at the page I colored, you may be able to see how, for the framed pieces on the mantel, I chose to copy Rothko postcards that I own.
I thought Mr. Reynolds might be lonely, so I chose a different coloring book I found last year at, I think, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, to color a page to go opposite Ryan’s in my sketchbook. Is Mr. Reeves one of the best souls on the planet? Sometimes it seems that way. I found photos online of him in one of his kitchens at some time or another, and used a few of the details for my choices as I colored.
A cozy day reading with Ryan next to a fire in the library, or watching Keanu prepare a meal, sounds like a good time–though I’m content with how I spent my Sunday: good friends, family, dogs, and food.
Coloring my way to…something
When I reached the end of the sketchbook I use to save my coloring pages, I began using the reverse sides of pages starting at the back of the sketchbook. I was doing a lot of coloring in May and June, including the drawing below from an old repurposed calendar. But cat and chick took up only the upper part of the sketchbook page.
On Thursday, I looked through my very small coloring books to try to find something that would fit on the bottom part of the page, but most of the drawings are vertical. (Books shown below next to a roll of tape to give a sense of their size.)
I decided to color the drawing on the front of that top book (at the time, I didn’t notice that it was on the cover) because I could place it horizontally. It fit.
Here’s a better look at the finished drawing. I used mostly gel pens and one pencil.
I told you there might be a lot of coloring pages coming up. Coloring is one of the most calming activities I have, other than the email and text exchanges with friends who are constant reminders, along with you who comment here, of how fortunate I am to know so many good, smart people. I have a couple of fun coloring pages, one from 2022, and the other from yesterday, to share soon. Thank you for being patient with me as I navigate extreme anxiety.
What’s up, Thursday?
Same old thing. Not enough sleep. Should have eaten breakfast sooner. No interest in reading all the post-mortems because everybody’s a political genius after the fact. Mopped the library. Finished a coloring page from that book on the right. Thinking of a woman I know who loves horses. (A real person I used to work with, not a character.) Suspect there’ll be a lot of coloring in days to come.
Must sleep. Perchance to dream. May it be something to inspire my writing.
Tiny Tuesday!
I’m keeping a running account of moments in this day. Will I post it? If you’re reading it, I guess I did. I think I got maybe six hours of sleep last night? I always look at the time stamps of the last things I did on my computer or phone to recall my “lights out” moment, though that doesn’t really indicate when I fell asleep.
Up well before six, dogs not having heeded the time change memo, I quietly doom-scrolled on my phone for a bit. The last things I saw last night were some of the thousands of messages from women all over the world expressing their love and solidarity for the women in the U.S. on this election day. Their words were profoundly moving. In my morning news feed, I read that all U.S states except Alaska and Kentucky are in drought–just as I heard the sound of thunder, promising more of the much-needed rain we’ve been getting over the past few days.
Among my early morning activities are the online games I play for later comparison to Tim and Jim’s game results. One that only I play (though sometimes Tom does) is Spelling Bee, and I got what I thought were two difficult-level pangrams. I told Tom maybe I should stop after my success and play no more games today. =) He was busy trying to put an “I Voted” sticker on the top of Jack’s head. I suspected that would prove less successful than my Spelling Bee results.
I was wrong. Tom posted this on his Instagram account.
I showered and washed my hair; have had the dogs outside a few times. For Tiny Tuesday, I’m wearing a few of my favorite necklaces: one with heart-shaped, good-energy stones; one with brass musical charms; one with amethyst and quartz crystal pendants; and a wave-and-whale-tail ceramic pendant.
I’ve eaten fairly nutritiously today and taken my meds on time. Blood pressure and blood glucose all good. Tom picked up protein-packed takeout on his way home from work. (I’ve read protein can help regulate stress responses.)
And I have written. And written. The imaginary world is stressful, too, with characters in conflict and many unknowns ahead, but I’m sure it’ll all turn out okay. I’d like to take that attitude into real life.
And now I wait, with everyone else. Hours? Days? Unless something extraordinary happens, and then I may add to this post.
Sunday Sundries
Pick your heroes and villains, as you wish, starting off with Super Friends.
DC Super Friends Little People Figure Pack: Wonder Woman, Superman, The Joker, Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Green Lantern
Superman, Batman, and Flash
A quite muscular Superman and quite petite but fit Wonder Woman.
A mysterious Batman.
Entertainment:
Two random aliens.
My Mad magazine Spy vs Spy guys!
Formerly of “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update, actors, writers, and comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
Musician, songwriter, guitarist, and performer Jimi Hendrix.
Fandoms:
From the Star Wars franchise, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. Disparity in height is due to different manufacturers. (A certain Jedi made me say that.)
From the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and Dobby.
From the Twilight franchise, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen.
From Becky’s “Adventures of Katnip” blog series, Twilight’s Edward Cullen appearing as Star Bunni Keri’s “Lil Eddy” and The Hunger Games’s Katniss Everdeen appearing as Katnip.
That time I wanted to convert an action figure to The Vampire Chronicles’ “Lestat,” but when the action figure Angelica from Pirates of the Caribbean was a little too busty, I chose Twilight’s Victoria to become my Lestat.
TRIGGER WARNING: Real people affiliated with or in politics
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter. Nominated as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton, where she served during the presidencies of Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Robert Mueller who served in various roles during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
Candidates, Congress, and White House cabinet:
Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts U.S. Senator; Bernie Sanders, Vermont state representative, Burlington, Vermont mayor, and Vermont U.S. Senator; Pete Buttigieg, South Bend, Indiana mayor, U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Joseph Biden.
Candidates, Congress, and White House:
Hillary Rodham Clinton, First Lady 1993 to 2001, New York U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State under President Barack Obama; Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Delaware U.S. Senator, U.S. Vice President under President Barack Obama, U.S. President; Kamala Harris, California U.S. Senator, U.S. Vice President under President Joseph Biden.
And my goodness, can that White House give you gray hair: Barack Obama, Illinois U.S. Senator; U.S. President.
Respect for standing by their convictions no matter how relentlessly bullied or by whom:
Stacey Abrams, Georgia House of Representatives and Minority Leader Georgia House of Representatives; Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 1984-2022 under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden, 2nd Chief Medical Advisor to the President under President Joseph Biden; Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sixth and current president of Ukraine.
I have another action figure never removed from the box, and that’s where it will remain.
All Hallows’ Eve
I hope you and yours have a safe and happy holiday, however you celebrate. It’s raining here (which we GREATLY need; Houston is under a drought), so even if we were giving out candy (we’re not), I doubt there’ll be many children trick or treating. Behind the cut, I’m sharing the last days of my skeleton photos posted to Instagram. Y’all get a lot more details here than I provide on my Instagram posts. I had a little help today thanks to posters from the coloring book pictured above. It’s always a party if there’s music!