Halloween Shotgun - 10/21/15

My intentions were good. I started the year off declaring I'd post an "image-a-day" and after an enthusiastic launch, was quickly overcome by all the usual suspects and then the shame hammer stopped me cold. But today, while driving home from work, I glanced to the vehicle to my left and saw a human skeleton riding shotgun and immediately recognized the manna that had been laid at my feet. Here was my chance to jump back into the "image-a-day" blog post, so here we are.

I love Halloween, mostly because I love the horror and monster genres. The candy ain't bad either....

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Image for January 2, 2012 - Farewell Christmas, Hello 2012!

...and so, the Holiday season has once more come to an end, unless you're one of those "twelve days of Christmas" people, then you're only halfway there. Our un-decorating event is as sad and joyless as the decorating part was festive and fun. I got the ladder out and took down the few strings of outside lights while Janet cleaned up the inside. After all the ornaments were removed from the tree, it was time to bring it to it's finally resting place. Lucky for us, we live right across from the beach, so it's an easy enough job to carry it down and find a dune. Note, the photo is staged, that's not where I actually left the tree. It wound up with three other trees grouped in a cavity carved out by Hurricane Irene and so the cycle continues. Better that the trees lives on helping to grow the dune, then grow some landfill.  Weirdly enough, I felt most of my Xmas spirit after the 25th this time. The holiday season came up way too fast for me.

Nothing says, "Happy New Year" to me then a living room empty of the tree. I am still thinking on my goals for 2012. I find it more helpful to make concrete goals, rather then "resolutions", which may be splitting hairs, but whatever works right? One goal I have committed too is increasing my hiking goal from 700 miles as I did in 2011 (actually finished with 717 miles) to add another fifty miles on for 750 miles. That's sixty-two and a half miles a month. No moss will be gathering on this stone. It's day two in 2012 and I already have fourteen miles, just 736 to go...

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Happy Christmas 2011

Our Christmas card for 2011. Merry Christmas to all! I wish you health and peace and love.

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Image for December 7, 2011 - Hello Rudolph!

I got out for a quick two mile walk after work tonight. The air was full of wild energy because a storm front was moving in. The winds were whipping the trees around. Many of the houses in the neighborhood are well decorated with Xmas lights. There seem to be more then last year, which I take as a good sign that things are getting better. One yard had a lovely herd of reindeer lights with Rudolph in the lead. Guide us through the gloom Rudolph!

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Image for November 26, 2011 - The Santa Menace

Here he comes, are you ready? That Ho-Ho happy man that will make you empty your wallet, maybe even go into debt. He'll make you eat too much and drink too much and surf up long-lusted for childhood toys on ebay. His massive, unavoidable form will obliterate everything else and even though you have the best intentions to do things different this year, ultimately, it never works, so you find yourself shellshocked and whimpering into your eggnog while watching It's a Wonderful Life [Blu-ray] for the hundredth time. It's OK really, because I'm right there with you. I have a love-hate relation with the bearded one and the season. My favorite part is decorating the tree. I still feel that glow of happiness as we transform our living room into a mini-shrine of Xmas joy. Still do the stockings. Still hang-up the Xmas cards. Once all the gifts are bought, wrapped and shipped, I can settle down and enjoy the madness.

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Happy Christmas 2009

Hope any and all who read this find themselves safe, warm and peaceful this day in December. I've had much more holiday spirit this year and I'm enjoying it. Decorating the tree is always my favorite part of Xmas, but this year I am enjoying the whole ride. 2009 was a full year, more so it seems then some other years with some high-highs (Janet's art show at the Portlock Galleries and our trip to Toronto) and some low-lows (losing four friends this year, three of which were in their forties including my childhood amigo John Verhulst who's 46th birthday would have been tomorrow). Here's wishing 2010 is a kinder, easier year for us all. A year when we try to work together and hate a little less (or a whole lot less). As always, the best days are yet to come. Zahdah.

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peace

Happy New Year

...so, what can I say? Been a long time and I see from my stats that some folks are still carrying a torch, still hoping that I might find my way back to the keyboard and here I am. Much has happened in the last few months and part of why I haven't posted is I've felt overwhelmed by how much stuff I had to write about. Well, one step at a time. I don't know if I'll "catch-up", but I will try to pick back up on posting something. Here's the latest African Mask drawing I'm working on. It's nearly completed and I hope to finish it off before the ball drops tomorrow night and we roll into 2008.

This is from the Kra in Liberia, a small (4 inches) brass lost-wax casting.

Happy New Year!

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Happy Holidays

My wife, Janet Shaughnessy did our card this year.
Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

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Happy Halloween cats and kittens....

Everybody have a fine, fat, greasy, smelly and safe Halloween.

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