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A quick note, before I leave for the northern part
of the state.
Yesterday was just lovely. The morning started off
rough. I had caught up with all my work and thought
I would just coast through the morning and do what
little I had remaining to do, but it didn't happen that
way. I was bombarded. It was a war. And it was brutal.
I was nearly killed. But I survived and ran for cover
as soon at the clock hit high noon.
Cover was a chinese food joint where I had lunch
with C. Fried rice and eggrolls enough to push down any
sorrow. We got good seats where we could people watch
under the cover of glare. And we saw this amazingly fake
looking woman. She must of had a tab going at the plastic
surgery office. She was nearly 4 foot tall. Pulled back eyes,
bulging cheek bones and needle straight hair. Boobs the
size of cantelopes, and her waiste measured .25". Sheesh.
After finishing lunch, I said farewell to C and went on to
the salon and got stripes put in my hair (speaking of fake-
looking). Then some girl put more makeup on me than I've
ever had in my entire life. She rolled out barrells of blush
and buckets of mascara. After leaving I promptly ran to the
nearest restroom and chipped most of it off.
I found myself at the mall. Window shopping until I got
that "I've been in the mall too long" feeling. I left immediately,
found the oasis of a coffee stand and ordered an iced coffee.
I then found a nice park bench and wrote in my journal, read
my books and did some people watching.
All in all, it was a lovely afternoon. And I think all I need is
about three more face scrubbings before I can see my actual
skin again. Maybe two.
Hooray for today
Oh my gosh. I'm so essited! Today I'm taking
a half day off and I'm going on an adventure.
I am going to spend the day downtown doing
whatever my little heart desires. I brought my
paints, some books, and my journal with me.
I may drink some coffee at a little coffee shop.
I may go to the bookstore. I may window shop
at some expensive stores. I may go to the art
supply store and sniff some bouquets of pencils.
You never know what I'll do.
Then we have a lovely three day weekend. And
I'm going up north to see my mother. I plan to
watch my sister play in a softball tournament,
walk over to the Blueberry festival and get some
blueberry pie, take my little brother to watch fireworks
over the lake, and go to my favorite mexican restaurant.
Then I'm going to my bestest friend's graduation
open house (she just finished graduate school and thinks
she's quite the smarty-pants).
It's going to be a fine weekend and I look forward to
everything but the money spent on gas.
So, if you see a girl walking around with a giant smile
and a really heavy bad over her shoulder, wave and smile
right back. She'll probably trip with joy.
I remember feeling like there was magic
all around me. In every shadowy corner.
Beneath every rock. Days spent looking
at the flowers beneath the surface of the
water. Making teepees in the woods.
Forming secret clubs. Feeling the grass
between my toes. Getting dirtyand liking it.
Lately the magic has not surfaced. Lately
it's been distilled. Diluted. There is nothing
beneath the surface of the water. Only the
task of pushing through it and attending to
it. Mundane. I haven't noticed the clouds
making faces at me.
I need rejuvenation. I need to feel the magic
in my fingers. To see it come out in red and
yellow streaks. I need to be muddy and build
fires and see faces in the smoke. I need to lay
in the grass and let the bugs crawl on my toes.
Why is it so hard to get what you need
sometimes? Why does it feel so challenging
to do simple tasks. Everything takes so much
effort. It's so difficult.
Is it just a shift in perception that changes and
makes everything magical again? I wonder
what causes that shift and how to get my
hands on it.
A memory just came to me as I was playing
with the scissors and pencils that surround me
I remember being young. Less than first grade.
I was getting so excited for school to start. But
not necessarily school itself. The idea of getting
new stuff for school. I remember sitting down
at the table and making a sketch of a little
suitcase. Then I drew things inside the suitcase
that I wanted to buy: glue, scissors, pencils,
a ruler, tape, paper, crayons, staples, stickers,
markers, and paintbrushes. I drew all of it out
and that was my school shopping list of what
I wanted my mom to get me. I loved getting new
art supplies. The smell of new pencils. The feel of
a fresh crayon. The sound of tape ripping with
that little jagged edge. And the scent of Elmers glue.
Ah. That was great. Maybe I'll go to the art store
tonight and sniff some blank notebooks.
Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
It's raining hard. The thunder and lightning
make me sleepy. So I am just wanting to go
back to beddy-bye.
Today is a day to be thankful. Here is a list
of good things that I am thankful for:
- Rain instead of humidity
- Too many cups of coffee
- Bailey and Noah (my cats who insist on loving
me the most when I wear black.
- A 3 day weekend coming up
- Red
- Crossing something off my to-do list
- Finding the perfect sunglasses.
On a side note, this story was recently in the news:
(I find it absurd and just plain dumb that this is something
people are fighting over. Sheesh Loueesh.)
Abercrombie & Fitch lays claim to number 22
Associated Press
August 26, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Abercrombie & Fitch says its Hollister
stores own the number 22.
The New Albany, Ohio-based company has sued rival
retailer American Eagle Outfitters, seeking to prevent it
from using the number on its clothing. The lawsuit filed in
U.S. District Court in Columbus asks a judge to order
American Eagle to stop using 22 on its clothing and ads,
destroy any clothes or ads with the number and pay Hollister
for profits from those items. Hollister says it owns the number
22 because it has appeared on the chain's clothing since it
opened three years ago. Hollister never registered a trademark
on the number, but the company claims common-law rights
because the number is used on Hollister's merchandise, packaging
and Web site. American Eagle is based in Warrendale, Pa., but its
majority owner is Columbus-based Schottenstein Stores Corp.
A federal court has ruled at least three times that Abercrombie can't
prevent American Eagle from selling clothes that look like Abercombie's.
Numbers can be trademarked if a company can prove people associate
the number with it, said Ohio State University law professor Sheldon W.
Halpern. For example, he said, if a Shell gas station uses the number 76
on its signs, 76 Petroleum could sue because the number is known
to represent that fuel company.
Oh my, the weekend did fly by, as usual.
Highlights: C and I were driving through
his mother's neighborhood and there were
three little beans selling lemonade from
their little stand. With a little sign that read:
"Lemonade 10 cents". It was quite charming.
We asked for "two cups please", and handed
them a quarter. They dug through the cup
for our change back and we told them to keep
the nickle as a tip. Their faces shown with
loose-tooth smiles. Little entrepreneurs.
I like a neighborhood better when there are
lemonade stands in them.
And I thought about how I am kind of starting
my own, grown up version of a lemonade
stand. But mine's a little scarier. (Or is it?)
Welcome to Monday. I hope this week is better
than last week.
For the record, my birthday is in 12 days. (yay!)
Do all things happen for a reason?
My instinct says yes, they do. But
then why does all the negative stuff
hurt so bad? It's so hard to look on
the bright side sometimes when things
don't go your way. But then, if they
always went your way, I think it'd be
harder to appreciate the good things.
There are ten million things to do
at all times. It never slows down. But
I kind of like it that way. I am not
good with boredom. I have a hard
time sitting down and just being. For
instance, today...I have two illustrations
to finish up. I have to do the laundry
(I hate laundry). I have to go to a piggy
roast (poor piggy). And I have to take
some shoes back that I bought earlier
today because I discovered I had a pair
too similar for comfort in my closet.
They would've fought, I'm sure of it.
By the way, to all the readers (are there
any readers??): you've probably noticed
that there is no way to comment on this
blog. But if you would like to comment you
can go to the contact page and email me.
I'll make every effort I can to email you back.
(See, more boredom-blocking.)
Today I have a lot of stuff to do that
I'd rather not. I'd rather sit in my lair
and read the four books I'm in the middle
of and maybe drink too many cups of
coffee. Speaking of which...I have good
luck today. Stopped at the station on the
way to work and got my coffee for free.
I knew it was going to be a good day then.
One of the books I'm in the middle of is
Living Out Loud by Keri Smith. She's a
talented illustrator who I find inspirational.
One of the things I read about last
night was making a life map. That's
where you illustrate or write what you'd
like to see happen in your life. A send-it-
out-to-the-universe type idea. I think
that's my new assignment. I'll try to start
that this weekend.
In other news: Chuck E. Cheese is
in need of a serious overall. The animated
robot they have singing those children's
songs is quite frightening. I think it'd
be cool if They Might Be Giants took
over and wrote all the kids songs
for good ol' Chuck. Just a thought.
This website and doing illustration is a dream come
true for me. As a matter of fact, I looked up an
email I sent out about a year and a half ago and
this dream was a part of it. I feel so good to turn
something I dreamt into a reality.
See for yourself.
In five years I see myself:
Still working in advertising, trying to push it to be more
artful and forever disappointed that it's not. But also realizing
what my priorities are and therefore pouring my soul into
my work when I am at work and pouring
into my life when I am at life...
But I also see myself doing freelance illustration.
And painting at home in a little studio...and making
my own jewelry and taking pottery classes and
maybe even a glass blowing class or two.
I would also like to write a children's book or two
(influenced by my dear C) and maybe they are published...
or maybe they just become little books that
only my child knows about. (child when I am 30-35...
not in the next 5 years.)
I also see myself having my own little art show that
is not really heavily attended...except for the friends
and family that I love (who are the most important
to impress anyway.)
I also see myself as finally mastering cooking and
having dinner parties for my friends and we all sit
around talking and eating the food that I've made.
Yeah: and it's all low-fat too. And there will be extra
cheese there for you and Grace, Evan.
And while i'm at it: i see myself living in a house
that I've put a lot of work into. And it has a garden
of flowers and one of vegetables. And i can sit in
the garden and read my books and enjoy the sounds
and scents of outside.
But most of all: I see myself still with C
and still loving that the best.
That's all. for now.
Welcome to the Lopie Journal.
(Lopie is short for Penelope.)
This is where I'll log interesting
things that happen, talk about
things that inspire, and maybe
even post a few pictures. If you
have comments for me about the
journaling or the site in general,
please email me via the contact
page. (I love email.)
This site and blog is all possible
because my wonderful friend Matt
is such a wonderful friend Matt.
And he didn't mind helping me
get started. So thank you Matt.
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© Penelope Illustration. Stealing
is not nice. |
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