far too serious

This is my new toy, and I’m too in love with the tag to remove it.

This year, I hope not to endure any stalkers - for me or for anyone living with me. It’s been many many months since the event that led our roommate situation, and I’m rather thankful it fizzled into nothing, and that person remains safe and happy and full of life.

When your energies are spent on defensive plans, the mind-shift is unavoidable. My brain was very concerned with flood lights and police notification and passing out flyers to neighbors, and I spent many hours online trying to figure out the best way to separate my internet self from my physical-space-on-earth self. Also, you bloggers and facebookers wouldn’t believe some of the stuff you just put OUT there. I’m wagging my finger at you now.

When my mental energies were about what That Other Person is planning, thinking, or capable of, it was rather difficult thinking about anything else, and impossible to blog about anything remotely near that situation. While, normally, I’d love to share with you all kinds of pithy thoughts and odd stories, there were none of those thoughts. The thoughts up here were more basic than that.

All this to say, I think my brain is ready to talk a bit more about those pithy things. I’m aware of what is out there now, and aware of the anonymity I want to keep, but I’d rather not live with a defensive mindset.

Plus, my brain needs some exercise.

Thanks to Aunt Mary, who got us started in this whole mess. This is what you do at a lake house when your other options involve being in nature. Boo! Hiss! Sit me down at a table with chocolate.

2006:

These photos would not be complete without taking a peek at my stove, after the fireman came make sure it was not, in fact, STILL on fire. This happened while trying to bake the houses above. And I’ve been a little bit afraid of my stove ever since.

2007:

Not pictured: The New Year’s destruction of the house, after failed attempts to light the house on fire. I’m sure this image is buried somewhere in a spacebook page.

2008:

I was under the weather while doing this one; that is the only reason it is not blowing your mind.

Also not photoed: Brandon’s 2007 Thoroughly Modernist Gingerbread house, decorated exclusively with red-hots, complete with experimentally made candy glass. Sorry, baby, I looked for it, and showing it to the internet would have been glorious. Frank Lloyd Wright would have been tolerant of you.

Cousin Laura did one as well, featured over here. The girl is superbly talented, so I feel a bit competitive when we sit down once a year over gingerbread.

In the universe, there are things that are known and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.

-William Blake

The Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art made a time-lapse video installing some of their permanent collection, and I find the process almost as interesting as the art itself.

Installation of Permanent Collection and Then Some from Modern Art Museum of FW on Vimeo.

This christmas, I found myself hooked on turning old books into journals.

The products took some learning by error, and I’m hoping those of you who got one are able to overlook their flaws. I had fun, though - saving some of the old pages for the final product.

Dad and I decided it was too cold for him to take me to the gun range this morning, so I took a walk around the neighborhood and did some shooting of my own.

I don’t think, in all my years, I’ve ever seen such a lovely fall in Texas.

One of the greatest rewards to my being has come through trying to understand people who are not like me. By this choice, I have loved life more and found it a worthwhile journey.

If you were one of those last night who found it infathomable that some were cheering when you felt like booing, or you were so tired of hearing the other side boo once again, make this your day. Lets, at least, try to understand.

John McCain, you are a wonderful man, and America is a better place because of you. I look forward to seeing what work you will do in the future.

America, I’m so happy to be a part of this country.

Since I beheld your Lawrence Welk debut, I have been subject to annoying fits of giggling every waking moment of my day. I had a hard time falling asleep last night because I was laughing, in the dark, at the thought of you chasing cars. I think I am losing friends fast due to my incessant prattling about dead cats and my new tendency to snicker when there is NOTHING FUNNY going on… except in my head.

I need to get me some baby doll arms.

It is late, and my mind is in that murky realm between sleep and wondering about that creaking noise in the other room. What is that creaking noise? Is that the ice machine? Or the ice machine monster? Would he carry ice trays?

I wonder if we can make custom political signs for Brandon’s Harding trip. Would that be cheaper? Can we just set up a series of poster board and spray cans in the back yard? Would the squirrels get high if we sprayed too much spray paint? Would Uma finally catch a squirrel if it was high?

I think I’ll do a google search on that.

And then, yes, my brain does a google search. And my brain wonders why it is not finding good google results.

I think I need internet access to my brain.