The Gospel according to Lace.

A'Muse Media

    The Way Back
    Machine


    This is the randomly sporadic archival section of the blog pages.

    Years Past


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  • 2003

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The Word

08 10 09

Epistolography: The Art of Writing Letters.
With all the emailing and texting we do, our efforts would be far more appreciated and accepted if we would put that energy into actually writing (penning) letters.

a little irony there, considering I haven't updated my blog in forever. I'll try to make it more of a priority. I told you, Facebook killed the blog! I have other friends with blogs who actually put important things on them. Not that the things I put on my blog aren't important -- they're important to me. I also need to place a Facebook link so that those of you who do read the words here can connect with me on FB. Or at least try.



Under the Milky Way Tonight - The Church

07 17 09

Live version so not the best sound, but a great anthem for the 80s that is still relevant today.

Released from the Hives

07 14 09

Not sure why they call them hives (see below) but maybe its because they feel like an entire hive of bees as they're actually stinging the flesh. Yeah, that's probably why. Massive doses of Prednisone that will surely perforate my stomach yet again, and I'm free of the horrid welts at last. I'm also on two different antihistamines but tend to take only one in the morning and leave off the Xyzol at night. Then again, maybe it'd help me sleep because the Prednisone isn't doing it for me.

I can now actually go outside, pull weeds - of which there are many - and live again without the fear of breaking out every time a small insignificant bug bites me.

and work on my tan.

and breathe the air.

and live like a human again.

I hope everybody out there is staying cool. I'm working on it. This 100+ degree weather is wearing on me.

I'm facebooking more than blogging these days simply because its a way of keeping up with all the events going on around town. And its a place to post photos when I'm too lazy to post here.

which is often.

Hives

07 06 09

Hives. Seems I've developed this interesting skin thing that has a mind all its own. There are triggers, usually insect bites, then parts of my body not affected by the bites suddenly break out in these red blotches. I won't go into disturbing detail but it is painful and very unbecoming. I've never, ever had skin problems. My skin has been one of the body parts that I'd always called friend. Now I gotta take my friend in and get 'er fixed. I will see an allergist this week. Dammit. Like I had time for that but going to the doctor has never been my favorite passtime.

Seems it all started either before my trip to Costa Rica when I was bit by a spider, or several, or insects, on both hands, many times OR while in Costa Rica, I somehow got toxins in my system from insects or from tree sap that have aggravated my skin with allergens. Either way, it sucks. I'm sure they'll prescribe something along the lines of Prednisone which I abhore because of its long-term effects on my bones. But it works and works well. Lets just hope whatever they give me works for good.

The best thing I've heard so far from friends is that, after their own bouts with hives, they've rarely had another problem with them. I'd like to think that will be my own fate.

XHTML, HTML5 and tinyURLs


First things first - watch those tiny URLs when you Twitter (and other pseudo-blogging activities.) Seems they're leading to porn and fake drug sites. I don't use them but have seen some problems in the past. Since you're linking, just link the entire URL and you won't find yourself the butt of a joke. HTML 5 - The New Deal. Always with the new deal. All my clients' pages are doc-typed and namespaced XHTML so I will leave them alone. I'll begin my study of HTML 5 and act accordingly from here til they get another whole new deal. Business as usual.....



A New Baby?

05 28 09

My cat rescue friend emailed me this morning about a kitten. She sends copious emails to her lists asking for help but, because her husband lost his job and they already have 30 rescued cats, she implored me to consider.... his name is Chance. How purrfect.


That was the box someone had taped him into.

I told her without hesitation that I would love to meet him, take him in and show him that not all people are bad.

Old School Good

05 26 09

There is this beautiful black couple, old school charm, probably in their late 60s or early 70s. I see them at the park just about every day. Truly beautiful folks. When I run into them I can't help but smile. This morning, as always, the gentleman says to me, "How are you today?" and he sincerely wants to know. I told him I am well and we stopped to talk about the new dog park. When I walked Rocky, he would always comment on what a pretty dog Rocky was and that animals are gifts to us, created to teach us love. This morning I told him Rocky had been adopted out but was much happier now, with two little boys as his mates. We began to part ways, I continuing my sprints and he finishing his stroll with his wonderful wife. He said "Have a blessed day".... I always do. Then he stopped and turned around and said in his soft Southern drawl "And there is something I want to tell you. You are always so nice and pleasant, so kind, and your smile brightens the day." My smile got even bigger, I probably blushed a little and blurted out "Well the same to the both of you!" and I wanted to cry at the amazing beauty of it all. Thank you so very much Sir. What a lovely gift you've given me. I will have such a wonderful day now.

Inviting In The Muse

05 23 09

I discovered last night that I have a case of bronchitis. I started the antibiotics that my ENT prescribes for this season -- it is allergies that cause it. Dry in Dallas, wet in Houston, a recipe for lung disaster.

I am finally inviting in the Muse.This long weekend and a canceled trip to Austin help. Too many things I need to do. I'm planning the painting that will hang in the July Elder Street Gallery show. I don't want to start it just yet, paint on canvas, not until Mercury is out of retrograde 30 May. At that point I'll only have a few days to paint before I leave for Costa Rica, but upon my return there will be enough paint on the canvas to complete the piece. In the meantime I will finish a website and some organization I'd been doing, complete the guest bedroom, all endings perfect for the retrograde. One must never begin anything during a retrograde. Tell that to the Fates.

I haven't painted in almost a year and I'm terribly excited about it. Unstuck, I have a different outlook on myself that has been a year in coming, and the Muse has arrived.

Thank you so much to those who suggested how to get unstuck. It took me this long to arrange a trip (though I did go to Dallas, but that was a family thing) and I am preparing for the central American trip. Fresh perspective. I appreciate you guys caring.

...stuck...

04 06 09

I'm stuck. Not sure what the problem is, maybe my carburetor, maybe my clutch, but I'm stuck. I got a good running start on my organization and purging, cleaning out the flotsam of my collections from 7 years of not, but suddenly and FAR before I could really sink my teeth into it - nothing. I can't drum up the motivation to clean out, Spring clean, clean the machine. Every single room of my house (5 in all, not including bathrooms, closets and the huge garage/studio) desperately need it. Oh, and a very shallow attic I must rummage through. See? Just looking at that stuns the sturdy in us. Just stifles the hell out of me.

If you have any tips or tricks to get me going, I'd be much obliged. This is a much-needed function of reality that will pull me into 2009, get me ready for the next 7 years...

Thank you.

Help.

A Very Full Life

02 28 09

I attended the first in a series of great events at the Artery last night. Had a swell time. Playing was I Am Mesmer - you have GOT to check these people out! It was a combo of fabulous folk playing guitars, banjos, violins (fiddles) and a saw. Yes, a saw. Click on their name and listen to some of the Mesmerizing tunes as you continue to read....

I met a woman who does airbrush make up, Wendy at makeupbywendy.com. From what I can tell, she works miracles. She is beautiful and is teaching others how to be beautiful, too. Very nice person with a lotta moxie.

Today I go to Highland Village to look at dogs for adoption. RedCollarRescue puts it on. Yup, I'm still on the prowl for a pup. I miss Blaze, wish I'd kept her, but life moves at a constant pace and that ship has sailed. She's in a great home and I am very glad for that. It is time to save another life. The Humble pound, a very high-kill "shelter", sent out an email yesterday with 3 pups (same litter) and another puppy who'd been abandoned in a hospital parking lot. Along with those who were dumped at the pound were several adult cats. I know I can't save them all, but I can help out a little. Irresponsible "parents" take on these animals then dump them when they decide they'd rather spend their time and money on themselves. 'Wish they'd figured that out before taking on the responsibility of a new life. And all those idiots out there who won't spay and neuter their pets -- COME ON. With all the MILLIONS of animals needing homes, why the hell would you want to breed more? Is it a "guy thing?" Are you afraid your male dogs won't be male anymore if you snip them? Get real. The planet is innundated with unwanted animals, don't bring more into the world. Buffoons.

Home remodeling at a standstill because the guy I'd ordered my cork tile through is a slug. Here I was, trying to put money back into the economy by using him instead of ordering the cork myself online through the very same company, and he dropped the ball BIG TIME. He has my money, but won't call me back. I'll post his name and company once this is all over with, probably on Angieslist.com. That is a place where you can voice your disappointment in companies who don't do a good job. You can also post praise for those who do. He will get no praise.

Carry on into the Saturday....

The Rejection Letter

02 18 09

First of all, I am very fortunate that I have not (yet) received a rejection letter when submitting my art to juried competitions, but I chalk that up to only sending in what I consider great works, and what my friends deem great by their art standards, as well. I'm not a "great" artist in the big picture, but relatively, I ain't bad at all. Mitch, the guy who runs the First Saturday Arts Market, asked our art group today if we had any rejection letter ideas. He stated: I would like your input on something I struggle with all the time. The Rejection Letter!... The number of absolutely horrifyingly bad art submissions for the arts market has forced me to select all the entries.

So I sent him a fluffy, canned suggestion: "As you can imagine, we had a number of strong entries, and the jurors had to make some difficult decisions as we moved into the next round of judging. They were impressed with both the quality and skill of your work but, unfortunately, you were not selected to move on to the final round of judging. Once again, we appreciate your participation in the 2009 competition and thank you for your contributions to the arts community. Sincerely, XXX"
blah blah blah

Mitch said that wouldn't do. The art some people are submitting is truly bad. So I sent him a real reply:
"We will have to decline your participation in our art market because you, a pseudo artist, cannot create art. You rub shit on canvas and call it art, but that does not make you an artist. I can fill my bank with shit, but that doesn't make me a millionaire. So let this serve as a rejection because you, not an artist, deserve a rejection.
oh, and please do not ever submit a piece of shit again. Ever."

Mitch is lucky he has quite a bit more decorum than I. The artists are lucky for that, too.


Facebook Killed the Blog

02 08 09

... but I'm sure I'm not the first one to say it. Obviously, I haven't blogged in awhile. A while. Quite a while. I started building my friend base in Facebook and I've been remodeling my house and, um, I DO have a day job! Since the entire firm has banned sites such as Myspace and Facebook, I honor that by only spending 10 minutes a work-day on Facebook. For 8 solid hours, I can only spend 10 minutes on Facebook. The rest is a free-for-all. I hated Myspace for various and obvious reasons, but Facebook is so user-friendly that I know I can easily become addicted if I hung out more than those 10 minutes. It is addictive. It is fast, lovely, friendly (literally) and on a high index of time-waste.

That's what makes it so fun.

Myspace was slow and a hassle to customize (as a hard-coder.) Xanga was difficult to maneuver. Linkedin is all business. Facebook is easy, sweet, quick and clean. It makes more sense and my art group is all over it. So I acquiesce and enjoy. ... I just went wall-to-wall with Lilibeth.... ... and made a comment on my step-nephew's photo with his girlfriend... ... I just became a fan of Becoming a Fan... (I'm serious) OMG. Stop the madness! See? Its too easy and it loves the user.

Twitter and Tumbler are popular "one-liners" though Facebook is a one-liner, as well, for the most part. Twittering has a few nice perks for posting photos and reduces URLs for brevity. But Facebook has it all wrapped up on popularity. Ya can't beat that. So far I haven't seen even one incident of spamming, either. I find this quite brilliant. You go, Facebook.

A New Era for Us All

01 20 09

I'm watching the Presidential Inauguration as I tear up tile in my kitchen. An unscheduled day off work, I guess, but my boss and the paralegal are in Washington, D.C., becoming a part of the most important event in our recent history. The least I can do is watch and create my own New Era. Out with the old, in with the new. Befitting and appropriate. This is a day to make us all smile. All of us.

I am watching a SEA of people waving flags, hankies, scarves and hope. They know the best is yet to come.



To Goldie: I got your message and am so sorry for your loss. I hope things turn good again soon.

The Look of Love

01 13 09

As a few of you know, my external hard drive hit the ground and broke beyond repair, so many of the photographs from my art opening were lost to the ether before I could back up. Fortunately, I had two other shows after that, during the 5 weeks that my art was installed in the Redbud Gallery, and took the opportunity to take shots of the display. At night. They look best when they have spotlights on them.....
(the white dots are the numbers that correspond with the names on the title sheet; the red dots are those that sold)

The Redbud Show

Eggplants and Kiwis

01 07 09

But for a few details with a fine-line brush, I'm finished painting my bedroom for the first time in the 6-1/2 years since I moved into this house. Yes, that an artist didn't paint her own walls for years after moving in breaks some sort of artists' law, no doubt. But I did it and I am very, very pleased with the colors. Aubergine and celadon. Or Eggplant and Kiwi. Or deep warm purple and light warm greenish yellow. I had plans with a dear friend to draw at the Artery tonight but she got sick because her body finally gave into her profound caretaking commitment to her mom and she was moved to collapse. Our bodies do that, they tell us to rest deeply and now she must.

Because of my own stresses, my body aches with sharp and dull pains all over. I've sneezed a few times myself tonight. We all carry around bacteria and viruses that can make us very sick and can probably even kill us, but our immune systems are in high gear to protect us. When we stress out like this, we invite a whole host of God-knows-what into the mix and we are down for the count. I'll Zicam it tonight.

I broke a mirror today because everything was disassembled and I opened a door that it was leaning against. Fell right to the floor and crashed into a zillion long, mirrored shards. Makes me wonder why I have such crucial casualties when I make an effort to change things. Makes me wonder if I should just give up changing things altogether, but all things are born to change. But does all change have to create incidental loss?

We had our last show, a "closing show" of sorts, at the gallery last Saturday night. It was splendid. It was a happenstance - the gallery next door, G-Gallery, was having a sort of pre-show for Bill Haley and his works (he was in Marfa while I was there, breaking my bones) and so many people came. At around 8:30pm, we had a crowd converging on the underware yet again. It was effervescent magic for the third time in about 5 weeks. What a spectacular month, what a treasure these memories of that month and what magnificence I experienced with this entire year and a half odyssey. How lucky can one girl be.

Before the last month or so I could honestly say I rarely got headaches. I've had a headache for about a month now. Hey, if that's all I have to complain about, then my life is the best on the planet. The very best.

Oh and please don't bitch about the 2008 copyright on this page -- mine is the last and only one of 40+ websites that I have not migrated to Dreamweaver from GoLive. I'm serious. The cobbler's children has no shoes. But don't cry for me nor my site. Migration will come one day soon.

All of 2009 ramblings...