"OH, YOU CAN'T HELP THAT," SAID THE CAT, "WE'RE ALL MAD HERE."
--Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

I Need an Appointment

 




Thank you, for the rope
you brought up the tree, Toby.
Rappelling was fun.

***

The laptop crisis is over with a honey of a new machine. The loading of an external hard drive became suspenseful getting the drive's pictures and documents files to show up in their new accommodations. Thanks to John, all is now in place.

That was completed on Monday. Catch up is in progress. Our family and friends have been busy sharing their art to lift our spirits and render our world a better place. 

Our friend Paula has steadily posted on her Substack site: Paula Borchardt - Visual Storyteller. We also have her June Tucson Yard Journal to post here...

The Tucson rainy season began with a downpour that brought out...

... 1/4 inch, Red Velvet Mites, that Paula captured so nicely living it up in her and Carl's yard.

And, Carl got this one of another desert denizen who is happy with the rains, too...

...this Gila Monster is also happy with their yard.

________

In New Mexico, Valerie continues her color-filled art explorations...

***
________

...and in Missouri, Susie, both on her own and in her watercolor painting class, turns out multiple renderings...



***

the apple is ripe
many hands brought it to me
with thanks I eat it

***

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Plastic

"Toby, did you know I am a tool-using primate?"


"No. Why are you telling me this?

"Because...

"It's a good thing
I'm a tool-using primate
so I can use box cutters
to slice into a plastic bubble
containing 13 screws
which I had to buy
in order to get to
the one screw I need
after which I
then lose the bubble 
and the rest of the 12 screws
in household miasma
eventually to live forever
in the tectonic strata
of Earth's plastic age."


"Ouch! Darn, box-cutter. I cut my finger."

Toby: "I'm glad I'm a felis catus."

***

“Toby, now that our staycation is over, we can go back to being retired.”

“When you are retired, is it okay to look at someone else working?”

“Sure, it’s not catching.”

“Then, show me a couple of Aidan’s window-washing videos, please.”


“…and he does power-washing, too…

“…

“…and Aidan made a website and some placards to hang on doorknobs…”



“Go, Aidan!!!”

“Now that we’ve checked on Aidan’s growing business, can we go to the art part?”

“Sure!”

***

The Art Part--

I’m mixed up on what is where and how until we have the new laptop in a week and a half or two. So, we’ll play catch up when that happens. 

Nevertheless! Art marches on!

There is a wonderful new post on Paula’s Visual Storyteller that you won’t want to miss, plus another new post will appear tomorrow.

————

Keoni made a new music video putting together a video he made July 4th with music composed 400 years ago…  William Byrd 400 Years Later

The amazing outdoor James Turrell sculpture is on Rice University campus close to where Keoni lives. While he and a friend were walking the dog they took shelter there during a sudden rainstorm. 




***

Spread kindness--
you'll never run out.

              --JM 6/13/23


***

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Sky Rockets in Flight

 
.


Sky rockets in flight 
Everyone, let’s get it right

***

There’s so much to do
Here is me and there is you
We’ll make Justice true

¡Sí, podemos!

Power to the people!!!

***

Toby: I think I’m having an out of body experience—did we become holograms?

JM: No, we’re line drawings. 

***







Sunday, July 2, 2023

Lucky Number

Toby, I sure like our staycation. 

Yeah, me too. Lotsa naps. Oh yes! and starting our own Rock-Skipping Society. Definitely big. 


It’s gonna be hard to pick up where we left off since DD Day happened yesterday. 

What in the world is DD Day?

Dead Drive Day. Hard drive is kaput. 

Wow. Now what?

Looks like we buy a new laptop. Wendy and John will help us find the stuff we need. 

Wait, wait! What about all your pictures? and poems? and stuff?

All good. Saved on external hard drives. 


Oh, thank goodness. For a minute there I thought we’d gone Poof! pixels skyrocketed into a heavenly light show. 


Hah! the hard drive sure did. We’ll have to wait until we get the new device to ramp up our July 4th return from this staycation.

Good! and don’t forget, I’m an Art Part fan. 

Let’s hope we get the new laptop in time. If not, we’ll continue to do what we can with our iPad pal.

I’m gonna skip some more rocks—forget about DD Day and come with me. 

***

How many skips did you get?


How many did you get, Toby?


Wow, how’d you do that!?!

It’s my lucky number. 


***