I haven't updated this in awhile so I'm taking care of that now :) Its just that I don't have any real news. I've been living and breathing fractals. I've download 4 programs to make fractals (just a wee bit obsessed..), and just been playing with those like crazy. Posting some of it to deviantart, reading tutorials, and trying stuff out. I don't know if anyone else is into fractals but these are the programs I got:

1. Apophysis 2.07b...this is the one I use the most. (Free)
2. Fractal Explorer...don't like this one. (Free)
3. Tiera-Zon 2.7 ..nice but seems somewhat limiting. (Free)
4. Ultra Fractal.. downloaded the trial. Really impressed, probably gonna buy it. (free trial)

I'm not big on buying software. Mostly just because I can't really afford it. But this Ultra Fractal program has so many possibilities that I don't think I'd ever get bored of it. And I love the look of the fractals that come out of Ultra Fractal...entirely different than the ones you get from Apophysis.

Other than being glued to the computer playing with fractals, my toe is healing finally. YAY!!! Its taking forever but I can walk around without it hurting now and it only hurts when I wear a shoe but even that is getting better :) Now the trick is to make sure I don't crash into anything else around here. Which means I gotta pay better attention and quit walking so fast. Or so I've been told over and over ;)

And I found the rest of the Griffin & Sabine series of books at the library. Why I never thought to look for them all there before I really don't know. Normally the library is the first place I check. But I didn't and they had them all so I've got them all on loan now :)

Our weather is crazy. Sometimes its really cold and snowing.. then like a week or so ago it was 64 degrees out. Today is in the 30s and this weekend will be single digits with 30 degree below zero windchills (thanks CANADA and your Alberta Clippers, grrr)..YIKES! I'm not going anywhere. I'm going into hibernation with the bears. Someone wake me when its spring.

I guess thats about it..going to be catching up with everyone's journals. Hope everyone is doing good :)

I'm pretty sure I broke my toe a bit ago ..thats not the wish. It really hurts. But before that I went to the library and while I was there walked over to the area where they sell the used books. I always stop there before I leave the library. Books mostly donated by patrons. I found a copy of Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock for 50 cents.

I used to be on a art journaling list and they talked about this book all the time. Money was tight and I really couldn't afford to pick it up then but wished to at least see it if not own it someday. Today, I got my wish :)

This book..if you've never heard of it, is amazing. Its the illustrated correspondence between two people named Griffin & Sabine...Griffin begins to fall in love with Sabine as they write each other and who Sabine is is a mystery that you have to come to your own conclusions about at the end of the book. As you read the book and turn the pages, you get to open envelopes, take out the letters and hold them in your hand. Just as you would if they arrived in the mail. The illustrations are awesome.

I was shocked to find this in pretty much perfect condition on the library used book shelves. I consider it a gift from the Universe to find it. It has me wishing now to have my own mysterious illustrated correspondence with someone just as Griffin & Sabine had.

Current Mood: ecstatic

Wishing everyone a very happy Yule - Winter Solstice!

Yaaaaay for more daylight coming! :)




A drawing I made for my deviantART account.

Tags: deviantart, winter solstice, yule
Current Mood: excited

There are a lot of this artist's quotes that I really like including this one:

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
--Henry Miller

Tags: quotes

from fridayfiver

1. What's the last movie you saw? At the theater.. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2. Are you gentle? hmmmmm, yes and no.

3. Do you sleep with your bedroom door shut? nope --the cats would drive me nuts crying.

4. What's your middle name? Ann

5. Friday fill-in:
I could learn to like ___. having a maid ;)

Tags: fridayfiver

Playing catch up today. I haven't done a whole lot of anything. The past few days since that hospital thing, I've just been feeling drugged..thats nerves. So I was sleeping on and off. One of my cats that normally doesn't like to sleep up by the pillow was taking a nap with me. She even let me hold her and put the cover over her a little to keep her warm :)

John's car is in the shop..he's got my car at work today. Which is OK cause I really don't have to go anywhere and its too cold out anyways --I'm a winter weenie :) The only place I'd like to go is the art store but it can wait. I'm working on mandalas again (more contemporary style) and I don't really like the paper I have so want to get some new paper. Also want to pick up more Prismacolor pencils too...go thru those so fast working on these.

I think the new Harry Potter DVD is out now.. thought I saw a commercial saying it was out. If we can pick that up over the weekend that would be great.

Dreaming of places like Bali and Hawaii... anywhere tropical :)

Its supposed to get really bad this afternoon with ice storms. They're saying we might get up to 1" of ice on power lines and trees. I've got to go out later this afternoon...not looking forward to this.

Last night John's car wouldn't start when he was out shopping and he was stuck in a store parking lot. Had to drive over there so he could jump his car. He's gonna need a new battery. The upside was he kept saying I was his "heroine" cause I came and rescued him. lol :)

I finally joined deviantART this morning. I have no idea what I'm doing yet. But if you're on deviantART come see me. I'm lonely :) Mine is here:
http://mystick777.deviantart.com

Is it spring yet????

Yesterday I woke up with the worst headache that lasted all day. Skipped dinner cause it was making my stomach so sick that the sight & smell of food only made it worse. Must have slept crookedy or something the night before. Still have it but its not bad now.

Did go to the craft store yesterday and picked up some really pretty bottles to make captured fairies for my Etsy store. Got some silk greenery to put inside and some ribbon roses...gotta look thru what I have here and see what else I want to add. My only problem with it is calling it captured fairies. I have to call it that because thats what people will search for if they're looking for it. But oh, poor fairies...fortunately its only a decoration :)

I was thinking about doing crazy quilting items but when I researched it there and saw that for the time involved that the craftspeople were not making anywhere near what those items are worth, I decided against it.

I slept a lot yesterday to get rid of that headache... been up since midnight wide awake now. Guess I'll go read.

The dove in this icon reminds me of my old cockatiel Maxy. She was the palest shade of yellow..almost white and when she extended her wings she looked a lot like this dove. Thats why I like this one :)

Current Mood: awake

from thewhyfive My top 5 Favorite Writers

1. Charles de Lint -- numero uno love love love!
2. Marion Zimmer Bradley --all her Avalon books
3. Nora Roberts --her paranormal romances
4. J.K. Rowling
5. Diane Stein --non-fiction

Tags: books, thewhyfive
Current Mood: awake

John was watching a program last night called "Three Faiths, One God" and he called me into the room to see it. It was about the big 3 monotheistic religions -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It was showing a number of similarities between the three religions as well some of their individual differences. It was quite good. Was showing efforts being made by interfaith organizations to help people in these faiths understand each other better and put an end to some of the fears & prejudices towards each other. All three of them are preaching fundamentally the same idea so there is a lot of common ground.

I watched it as an outsider. I am not in any organized religion... my spirituality is centered on the Goddess and its pretty eclectic. But I was brought up Catholic. I left the church in the early '80s. As an outsider (and glad to remain one), I hope that these three religions can come closer together. It seems necessary for them to survive and function in this world. Any efforts made to bring more understanding and compassion among people is worthwhile.

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