Krampus!!

I adore folklore, I mean ADORE and it is something I often go back to for nighttime reading when I am in between other books.

The stories inspire me and make me dream.

When I was visiting Europe the first time on my own, I encountered St Nicolas

....I was in Holland and there was a parade and I had no idea who this person was

and why there was a parade.

I slowly uncovered the story and then lore and began thinking about this holiday.

Then years later while wandering in and out of shops in Prague, I came across a little corn husk doll that had horns and ropes...when I asked the shopkeeper who this was she grimaced and said, it was the devil.

This sold the doll; I use to have corn husk dolls when I was little so I had an immediate sense of nostalgia. I figured she meant it was a winter spirit or something, it was winter time and all the shops had winter things on display...

We pulled out our little doll when it was Dia de los Muertos and thought nothing of it and then I found a little article....

All the parts suddenly fell together and I discovered who this little doll was...and it was AMAZING

Now every year we pull out the doll at the beginning of the month and remember to be good kids, because we don't want the KRAMPUS to take us away.

Here is this years parade in Austria...we have added this to our list of festivals to see

wordless wednesday

snorgtees.com

 

 

 

 

I have lots to say, just not today

Tuesday is inspired by kindness

Remember that a simple act can make a difference.
Be kind to yourself and others:

Once a wise-crack, always a wiseass

So some time ago in my far off youth...I went to A LOT of concerts...at my first Lalapalooza I was dehydrated and excited and slathered in 50 sunscreen, while being a style icon in a tank top and over-sized pinstriped overalls. 

Anyhoo,while waiting for a band to take the stage, my BF (hubby now) and I browsed the stalls of vendors. 

There was mostly drug paraphernalia: pipes, posters, food, stickers and ballots to be signed.

I was mildly interested so I continued to seek out water (there was no outside food allowed and I remember it being like 4000 degrees) 

I stumbled across a man selling his posters. 

I made the choice to buy a $10 poster instead of a $3.00 bottle of water.

I bought the one that spoke to me, it turns out that this man is now exhibiting at the MET and now I want to find my poster....I think he even signed it.

I had seen these posters in San Francisco while visiting a friend, and was very wrapped up in all the drama with the NEA and the Mapplethorpe exhibition , and conditions that were being placed on artists.

I walked around the festival with my poster; wilting in the heat but carried by my political stance and willingness to display my dissatisfaction.  

Well, mine conveyed thru the eyes of this poster artist.

Needless to say, the act was lost on my parents....I was such a rebel

I guess I always will be in some way.

thank goodness

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday is dress up day here in the studio and a perfect day for procrastinating.

Today's inspiration:

Nancy Upton

photo by: Shannon Skloss

if you haven't heard about this, here is one of many articles 

and

 here is another

about why I love this woman!

My ode to Nancy:

Wordless Wednesday

Want to feel small...

Video created by Science educator James Drake who has created a one-minute time-lapse video of the ISS (International Space Station) circling the globe, which provides a fascinating look at Earth from above.

This was created by combining 600 photos that are available via the Johnson Space Center's Gateway to Astronomy Photograph of Earth, an online repository of photographs taken by astronauts.

Friday Already...

It is Friday and as of late, it seems to be my personal quest to avoid all of my pending deadlines.

(I will meet them or make them early, I just like to turn up the pressure it seems) 

Don't get me wrong, I really want to be doing everything I have signed up for; but at the same time I am having a really hard time deciding which task to handle first...so while I let my brain sort out those sorrid details...I decided to play with the camera.

Inspiration:

While I was doing a little guerrilla gardening this morning (our HOA has a gardener, but our sprinklers have never really worked on a regular or in a predictable way so I have taken it upon myself to create our little outdoor space) anywho, while adding new mulch this morning I saw our neighbor leave for work or errands. She had her hair all natural and full and it inspired me to see how far out my hair would go if I brushed my hair. My mother is ALWAYS saying that my messy head of hair would be far more manageable if I simply took a brush to it (she has strait hair) regardless how many times I tell her curls don't work like that.

OH My!! here is the results of my playing:

On a side note:

I am also TOTALLY overrun with zuchinni and have begun pickling it.

Using the squash instead of cuccumbers seems to be working out REALLY well.

Below is the recipe I use in case you are overwhelmed too:

Spicy Zucchini Pickles

oh, FYI don't pickle just any green cherry tomatoes unless they are literally right about to change color. Not all green tomatoes are alike, trust me I learned it the hard way. A green tomato doesn't mean just a green tomato, it means shy of ripe: green tomato.

Otherwise you too will have a sour, evil bomb of nastyness in your mouth that you try to chew just to be brave while your 3year old nephew watches horrified of the faces you are making.

 PLUS, that flavor lingers for far far far too long.