Paris, Greece, Prague, Venice, Florence, Rome

Hello,

I'm very excited today. I'm so very excited. I got my plane tickets in the mail the other day for me to really and truly go to my art school in Greece. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I've been excepted to go to Art School in Greece, and I'm very excited. I'm totally into going. I can't wait to study Art and sculpture, and Art History and Photography and all the other forms of art that I love to no end. You can take a look at what I'm talking about if you go to this site and look at the information on the Greece semester. http://www.aegeancenter.org

Enjoy. I know I will. :)

Woah...Look at that Elk

My cousins are damn fine hunters. They just shot an elk, and you should look at the size of it.

Good job boys!

Check out my album for more details.

Grade School Christmas Performances

I remember when I was in grade school. We did this great Christmas performace. We had a fire place on stage, and we were all singing along, but the fireplace fell down. It was total mortification from them on. TOTALLY not a good idea.

Fortunately, I have a little brother in law who is totally great. I got to go to his Christmas performance today, and it was totally cute. They evey had an 18 month old girl singing. It was totally adorable. I wonder if I was that cute on stage or not. Make it a point to go see a Christmas performance this year. The children will totally enjoy it, and it wouldn't be too bad for you either.

Be well. :)

Tequilla Kitty

What do you get when you combine a cat, too much tequilla and football season....

A TEQUILLA KITTY

(See photo album).

Another Famous Person I Adore

Ok. In case you didn't notice, I have some famous people that I totally adore. Boticelli is one of them. Check out his wonderful photo (Venus and Mars) in my album. Then, read this essay, which I submitted to my college class. It's very tedious, but I'm proud of it, as it truly is my best work.

Alessandro Filipepi (Sandro Botticelli) completed his painting Venus and Mars in 1482-- right in the middle of the Renaissance of art when the humanists were bringing Classical ideas into the light of the world again. Despite being 522 years old, this 69.2 cm. x 173.4 cm. egg tempera and oil on poplar painting has remained in remarkable condition. It was originally painted as a spalliera (backboard of a bench) for the Vespucci family. There is no known record of where it went from there, but the Trafalgar National Gallery in London purchased it from Alexander Barker in 1874, and has retained possession of it since then.

This painting depicts six figures in a very vague landscape. Two of the figures are laying languidly on the ground, while the other three dance playfully around them. The background is quite ambiguous, and it doesn’t tell us anything about these figures except that there is some vegetation around them.

Mars and Venus has a balanced composition. It depicts the woman on one half of the painting wide-awake looking at a man that is deep in sleep. The woman and the man are facing each other directly with each at the other’s feet. There are four satyrs in the picture as well that balance the composition. The painting is cropped pretty close, so that the subjects fill the frame entirely. They are so tightly cropped that part of one of the satyr’s head is cut off by the edge of the picture. This tight view allows the viewer to focus entirely on the main subject of the painting. There isn’t a lot of scenery or background in the painting to distract the viewer.

This painting is organized. Alessandro Filipepi has used line competently to make the viewer feel like there is a sense of order in the painting. The viewer’s attention goes to the woman first. We notice that she is sitting slouched, yet upright. Almost as a way to tell the viewer that he should be alert, so that he doesn’t miss anything. Her gaze shoots directly at the sleeping man across the way. However, we are guided on our way to look at the man. There are three satyrs between the two main figures. They are all facing the same way—away from the woman. This is another way to get the viewer to move his focus along the length of the picture. One more thing that helps with this is the fact that the satyrs are playing with one of the man’s weapons. It is quite long, and it goes straight from female to male. All of those things aid in getting the viewers attention playfully to the sleeping man. He is in a much more relaxed position than she is. He is almost completely laying down in his sleep. It is an act of comedy that his left arm is resting on the head of a very playful satyr.

Alessandro Filipepi has been very tricky in this paining in that it uses no form of perspective to give it an illusion of being three-dimensional. If you look at the painting, it looks like everything is on the same two-dimensional plane. It looks as though the male figure is awkwardly laying on top of the bushes behind him. It also appears that the satyrs are standing on the two main figures when they are in fact supposed to be behind them. The only clue the viewer has as to the placement of things is where things are drawn in front of something else. For example, we know that the woman is in front of the bushes because she is covering part of them up.

I’m amazed at the work that Alessandro Filipepi has been able to do with the color. If you examine the painting very closely, you will see that there were no real colors used. He uses mainly brown tones. The skin is brown, the hair is brown (on all subjects) the tools are brown, even the grass and the bushes have a very brown tone to them. Upon examination, the only things in the picture that have much vibrant color are the pillows that both main figures are laying on. This small touch of color connects the entire painting together and makes up for a serious lack of color.

The texture in this painting is unbelievable. It is so incredibly round and smooth. Every part of a body that is visible looks as though it is perfectly maintained. The skin looks round and smooth. The helmet, which a satyr is playfully wearing, is incredibly smooth and shiny. This texture has made it into the fine points of the painting. If you look very closely at the leaves that have been painted, you will see that even they have a very smooth texture to them.

This painting has a very light tone to it. The female has a very serene look on her face, but she looks like she is daydreaming about something fun. The satyrs are all smiling in their attempts to break the deep sleep of the man. Even he, in his deep sleep, seems to have some hint on his face that something playful is going on. This painting playfully shows that Venus (the goddess of love) has conquered Mars (the god of war) simply by using her power of love. I’ve concluded from all of the details that the man in this painting is Mars and the Woman in this painting is Venus. The characteristics that I have discovered are ones that I have run into time and again when studying these famous people. Though this may not be the title the artist gave to the painting, it was clearly what he was trying to communicate.

This painting has some incredible power to it. It uses some very simple elements to communicate that there is joy in the world, that life can be playful and that love really can conquer all.

Musical Goats

This morning, I walked out of my house quickly, and I was making my way to the car. My goat saw me and bounded out of his house and ran over to the fence. He stood there baaaaaaing for some time. He then ran over to the stereo (my wolf scaring device that I play all day long) and baaaaaaaed again. I got the hint. I ran inside and turned on the stereo. While I was doing it, he put his head on my shoulder while I scratched and scratched. Then, the mule came over and asked for some love too. It was totally adorable.

The great thing was that they asked me to turn the music on. They must be Kenny Chesney fans too.

Goats are great..buy one, use one.

Ever Wonder Where I Work?

Ok. Have you ever wondered where I work? Well, here are some links to the school. It's a totally great place. Look at the sites. My good friend made them. Send kids to us if you know of anyone that could use an outstanding education. Come up for a visit. You'll love it.

www.delphian.org.
www.eslatdelphi.org
www.summeratdelphi.org

The Pit Bull Theory

Whenever someone tells me that they are getting a pit bull, I kind of think what it possibly was that made that person even consider doing it.

However, my boss recently got a pit bull, and she is totally cute. She's actually one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen. She's a puppy and she's still learning all about how to be a good girl. I get to play with her when I go talk to my boss. It's great.

Give them a change. Bad people gave them a bad name. Look and see that they deserve a good name.

Christmas Spirit :)

Here is a song that I recently heard at a Christmas party that I enjoyed quite a bit. Read it.

My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear.
'Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.

I was lying with my messmate on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, ``Now listen up, me boys!'' each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.
``He's singing bloody well, you know!'' my partner says to me
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
``God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen'' struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was ``Stille Nacht.'' ``Tis `Silent Night','' says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky
``There's someone coming toward us!'' the front line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night
Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man's Land
With neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave 'em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men

Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
``Whose family have I fixed within my sights?''
'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they'd kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore

My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we're the same

Blackberry Bushes

I live in the Wilamette Valley in Oregon, and I can tell you one thing about the place, there sure are a lot of blackberries. Now, if you haven't figured out by now that I have a goat, I do, and I think that his sole purpose in life has become to attempt to get rid of the blackberry bushes in his surrounding area.

When he first moved here, he hated the things. I can't blame him. What self-respecting animal really eats things with thorns on them. However, for whatever reason, he decided to take a look at them and she what they taste like. He has never stopped eating them since that point. However, despite the fact that he's been munching on these incorrigible bushes for many months now, they still continute to grow. I really think that we should start investigating these bushes for alienship, as this may be the invasion that many have been waiting for. :)

Seriously, these plants must be a mutation gone wrong of some other plant, and that mutation must have happened very recently. Because I tell you one thing, they sure to spread like wildfire, and if you don't contain them, you soon turn into a bush yourself.

So, the moral of the story is, buy a goat and use it, and watch your back door, as these alien plants may be taking over.

My Friend the Artist

One of my bestest friends in the whole world recently went to Greece, and is one of the most incredible artists in the entire world. I love her to death. She is going to Simmons College in Boston and is doing fabulous. She sent me the link to her website recently. She is into directing and making films. I admire her so much, and I love her work. She made this site on her own.

Check it out, I'm sure you'll agree that it's fabulous.

http://www.geocities.com/breathart_8/Everbend_Films.html

Look Who Wrote a Book

So, I'm really in to art and all that. I love to write as well. However, my husband actually published his first book in the last couple of books.

It's called Cryptic Advice. It's available on www.amazon.com. Search for Jared Anderson under books.

Buy it. Read it. You'll love it!

Like to Write?

I have a really good friend that has two blogs. He's one of those witty, smart, funny people. If you like to write about random things (and who doesn't) he has a contest that make you eligible to win one dollar each month. Check it out

http://onedollaressay.blogspot.com

Additonally, if you like to argue about the virtues of pumpkin pie over pecan or cocount cream, or you'd like to discuss the vlaue of French Canadians, try this one

http://newsofmyviews.blogspot.com

Happy blogging :)

Political Science Anyone?

Hello,

I am taking a college class doing political science. I wrote the following paper. It only took me a little while, but I figured you might at least be a little curious what my writing looks like.

Have fun.

Once you become a working member of the society, you can't help but start to look at the world around you and see how it works. One of the most influential things that has happened to me recently was the presidential election. This has really been the first time that I have been able to look at the candidates and the issues, make a rational decision and vote on what I felt was best.

In elections there are usually two big, influential things that the candidates use to grab the attention of the American public. One is usually a domestic issue and one is usually a foreign issue.

It's pretty obvious at this time that the biggest foreign issue was the war on terror, specifically, the war in Iraq. There have been at least 250,000 soldiers over there fighting for this cause. One of those was my sister, and two others have been very close to both her and I. This issue was one that piqued my interest, and it was the issue that was the most widely talked about by the candidates. The public hears about the issue from both sides. One candidate wanted to leave the troops there (Bush), the other candidate wanted to bring them home (Kerry). Many mothers asked to have their kids come home, while many soldiers actually voiced that they wanted to stay there and get the job done. There were other issues, like the upset in North Korea, however the war on Iraq was the biggest (according to the candidates, the news, the polls and the people) issue before the election.

I did some research on www.cnn.com, and I found that the war in Iraq was the only foreign issue on the list of important issues.

The second influential area is the most important issue domestically in America. I have read several different sources that have said different things, but it appears that before the election, people had their attention mostly on terrorism. That was actually the second biggest area. This does in fact tie into the foreign issue that I was talking about, however terrorism is a very close to home thing, and it can't be considered something that is "out there." According to www.foxnews.com, 25% of the public had terrorism as the # 1 most important issue.

However, I looked at the data from the exit polls on the most important foreign policy issue (at www.cnn.com), and I found that many people that were polled were most concerned about moral values. It held 22% of the public as the most important domestic issue.

On the foreign issue, the polls were dead on, but they were totally off on the domestic issue. I have thought this over, and there could be several reasons that it is that way.

Firstly, it is possible that the people that were surveyed prior to the election didn't all vote, and people may not have been surveyed that did vote. That could be one cause of the reason, but I think that the more important issue is that people change their minds. On Election Day it really is down to business with no more "talk" about how great everything can be. The voter actually has to stand aside and make his opinion known to the rest of the country. At that point it time, his perspectives may change. There is also a lot of last minute campaigning about the issues before the ballots open, and that has a very big impact on the voters.

So, although the polls were correct about the foreign issue, they were quite far off about what the issue here at home was.

More Kenny

I must not be a big a Kenny Chesney fan as I thought I was. I found out today that there are MANY Kenny Chesney albums that I don't own. What the heck is that.

Kenny Chesney Greatest Hits
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem
I will Stand
Me & You
In my Wildest Dreams
All I Need to Know
When the Sun Goes Down

Now I know what I want to get for Christmas. I just hope I can wait that long. That's unreal for me.

Kenny RULES!

Also, you cam see any of his music videos at www.launch.com

Check him out. I'm sure you'll love him.

Kenny, Kenny, Kenny

As all my friends know, my second favorite famous person is definitely Kenny Chesney.

I went to his Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lot of Love tour here in Portland, and I had a total blast. I just got news that he is coming out with a new album.

Of course, now I have an item to tell people when they ask me what I want for Christmas. I really enjoy his music, and I've been waiting for this day for some time.

I'm so glad he's so successful.

Check out his websites. He's great!

http://www.kennychesney.com/be/

Babies

One of my favorite people on the planet is having a baby. I'm pretty excited about it. It's my sister. I am already an aunt once over, but now I really am going to have an nephew. Check out the album on the side of my sister. These are pictures of her pregnant with the baby and also a sonogram of the baby.

I'm excited!

I guess I'm twice blessed because my brother is going to be having a baby with his wife the month after my sister is due. Wow...I sure hope people don't expect me to be next. My goat has been sucessful in keeping my hands full.

Early Taste of Parenthood

I got an early taste of parenthood this morning when I kicked my goat out of the house for the day. He has been being babied by me, and I was letting him in at lunch or not kicking him out at all, but he's well enough now (thank God) to be fine.

But I kind of threw him out and slammed the door, very similar to kicking a teenager out and telling them to get a job.

However, like the teenager crawling back for money, the goat will crawl back in his bathtub tonight for warmth!

And I AM a sucker, and I will allow it, of course.

So maybe I'm not going to be such a bad parent after all.

Goats are Great

Recently, my goat was attacked by a wild dog.

I came home from breakfast out with my husband one day, and he had blood on his neck. I jumped out of the car and cleaned him up. He wouldn't have made it, but my fantastic mother-in-law came up with the idea to put him inside our house in our spare bathtub. Of course it sounds odd, but what normal person has a goat, much less one that lives in a bathtub,

After many days of spoiling, he started to get a lot better. We actually successfully house trained him to the point that he would go outside anytime he needed to "use the facilities."

He has now been dubbed the bathtub goat. He's successfully tricked us into spoiling him and allowing him to sleep in the bathtub at night. Of course he gets hand fed grain, fresh picked grass and a nice assortment of prickly blackberry bushes.

So, it is possible to cure a goat of severe wild dog attacks. All you need is a bathtub.

Greg is now doing a lot better. We like him all the more for the time he's spent in our house. Check out his picture in the album and you'll understand why I went to such great lengths to help him make it.

My Farm

Check out my album for photos of my goat and donkey. They are totally adorable.