cute nose

full moon

"To be hopeful...

... in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."

— Howard Zinn

Sad news: Howard Zinn died last night, at age 87

manipulated image of an illustration by Brian Wildsmith - I love his colors

smiling garbage

makes dirty dishes more fun
(coffee grounds & sink scraps)

texture pattern

door mats left outside in snow

Q arrived!!!

@ 9:29pm
9 lbs 2 oz
21 1/4" long

everyone is healthy & happy :)))))))

{Q design by the Daily Drop Cap, an ongoing project by typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische}

(painting on the right by Harriet Torpey)

good advice

"All I ask is one thing, and I'm asking this particularly of young people that watch: Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it's my least favorite quality. It doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, I'm telling you, amazing things will happen."

Conan O'Brien, January 22, 2010

Haiti: 360°

Use your mouse to click and drag around the video to change the view. You can also zoom in and out. Pause and explore at any time by pressing the play/pause button under the video to stop and look around. The video below was shot on Monday, January 18, at 9:52 a.m. EST in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

UPDATE: I removed the embedded video because it seemed to be quite problematic -- but it's definitely worth checking out -- click on the word CNN to watch it at their website - be sure to check out pages 2 and 3 as well

in Tim's shop

new neighbors

these 2 scrappy pups will spend hours barking and challenging Sparky.

blue morning, blue day

answer with just one word:

1. Where is your cell phone? coat
2. Your hair? brown
3. Your mother? Nancy
4. Your father? Jim
5. Your favorite food? chocolate
6. Your dream last night? interrupted
7. Your favorite drink? coffee
8. Your dream/goal? confidence
9. What room are you in? "dining"
10. Your hobby? sewing
11. Your fear? war
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? painting
13. Where were you last night? warm
14. Something you aren't? salesman
15. Muffins? English
16. Wish list item? MacPro
17. Where did you grow up? country
18. Last thing you did? ate
19. What are you wearing? slippers
20. Your TV? dusty
21. Your pets? irresistible
22. Your friends? wonderful
23. Your life? good
25. Missing someone? yes
26. Vehicle? Subaru
27. Something you're not wearing? hairband
28. Your favorite store? thrift
29. Your favorite color? all
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? upset
32. Your best friend? funny
33. One place that I go over and over? couch
34. One person who emails me regularly? sister
35. Favorite place to eat? home

Pass it on to anyone who feel like doing it.

G's class sings...

the unabridged edit:

(favorite moment: at about 1:52 :)

Yesterday I found myself watching the sun throughout the day, and I heard Ray Charles' voice in my head:
"That lucky old sun, has got nuthin' to do... but roll around Heaven all day..."
(I wish I could find a different performance than this one, but this still sounds good):

the UFO looking shapes are our light fixture's reflections

Sunday drive

^^these patterns could be inspiration for a Gee's Bend style quilt^^

fire & ice

another amazing sunrise, but it was wayyyyyy too freezing this morning to go outside to take pictures!

excerpts from the latest (and final) post on Maira Kalman's New York Times blog "And the Pursuit of Happiness" (to be published as a book this fall):





I love her paintings!!!

Most of her blog entries discuss political figures from American history - this most recent one is about George Washington.
My dad & Marcia visited Mount Vernon this past fall.

(I'm so tickled that I'm actually keeping this alive)

it was one of those mornings that somehow felt darker as the sun rose

one of Tim's current projects in progress

I love it!

from Disney's "Fantasia" (1940):


...one of the films that made me fall in love with Disney

cold & quiet