THE WORLDS SHORTEST BOOKS

Considering I don't read very much on a day to day basis these books, if they were real, would work for me. I only like to read on vacations now. Most of my reading is on the computer. I could spend hours in front of my screen surfing around from site to site. How about you? Check these out:

THINGS I DID TO DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE BY BARABCK OBAMA ___________________________________________________________________ THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BILL BY HILLARY CLINTON ___________________________________________________________________ THINGS I CANNOT AFFORD BY BILL GATES ____________________________________________________________________ MY PLAN TO FIND THE REAL KILLERS BY O.J. SIMPSON ______________________________________________________________________ HOW TO DRINK AND DRIVE SAFELY BY TED KENNEDY _____________________________________________________________________ TO ALL THE MEN WE'VE LOVED BEFORE BY ELLEN DE GENERES & ROSIE O'DONNELL ______________________________________________________________________ MY COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF MILITARY STRATEGY! BY NANCY PELOSI _____________________________________________________________________

FRUSTRATION HAS SET IN

With all the kids home for the holiday of Thanksgiving, my oldest helped me establish a domain name for my website. I know own the rights to ZEE ART STUDIO through Go Daddy. We set up an e-mail to go along with this through iGoogle. (it does help that he works for Google) That means I will have to make new business cards and get a bit more organized with all my stuff. Thanksgiving was really enjoyable. The fact that The University of Texas beat Texas A&M. Here are some of the photos from our family lunch yesterday.

Cousin Marla Gene, my father in law Lane Brent Jennifer and Jacob Morna and Sarah Laurie, Howard, Paige and Jeffrey Marc, Brent, Bernice This was taken Wednesday night before they went to the Rockets game. Lane, Brent, Jacob, and Avery

TRIPLE PLAY

I can't believe that one of my quilts made the home page for this new exhibit called "TRIPLE PLAY". Wow, I am so honored! Please check out all the artists that participated and especially scroll to the end where you will find my three quilts!

http://www.quiltart.com/triple_play/index.html

For 2009, we return to the original Journal Quilt format, 8½ by 11 inches, the size of standard writing paper. In keeping with the early years of the project, in which each artist submitted several of the monthly exercises as a set, the QuiltArt community wanted to exhibit the pieces as sets. The web designer allowed that it was possible, and the curator decided on sets of three. Thus this year’s theme is Triple Play.

Some of these art quilts have concepts behind them, some are just exercises in either technique or design. We think they will strike you as intriguing, thought-provoking, inspiring, beautiful, or some combination. The organizers were impressed with the work, and none among us is easily impressed.

The on-line exhibit is based on the original Journal Quilt Exhibit sponsored by Karey Bresenhan of Quilts, Inc., created by the contributing members of the QuiltArt mailing list. We hope this year’s on-line exhibit is an inspiration to all you fiber artists who aspire to creating Beauty, in whatever form that takes for you.

GETTING OLDER

Why people love making fun of getting older sort of confuses me. (there is nothing fun about it) I mean, everyone heads that way so I guess at some point you have to accept it and just go with the flow. Perhaps I am not there yet. When does it start? Does it begin at age 60-65-70? So here are a few thoughts to give all of you "OLD" people a laugh today.

PAY IT FORWARD

Xerox is doing something very cool for our troops. Please visit the link below and pick out a thank you card for a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick who will get it, but it will go to a member for the armed forces. How amazing would it be if EVERYONE you knew sent one, too!!! So pass it on...it only takes 10 seconds and it is a wonderful way to say thank you. http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html

CANDLELIGHT

Our prompt for my Blissfully Art Journaling Group was candlelight. Friday nights are always special around our house. It is the beginning of Shabbat and the first thing you do is light the candles. I shield my eyes from seeing the brightly lit flames until after I finish saying the blessing.

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam Asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'zivanu l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space. You hallow us with Your mitzvot and command us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.

Then I open my eyes and soak in the warmth of the holiday.

DOG FUN AFTERNOON

My dog Yogi is best friends with King, the Doberman. King looks very scary if you don't know him. He does weigh in over 100 pounds! But he is really just a big sweetheart. Yogi and King love to wrestle. It is funny to watch because they look vicious, biting each other in the mouth and neck, rolling in the grass and tossing and turning. Why they choose to play like this is interesting to me. They don't play the usual game of chase! They both don't make any noise while wrestling either. Yogi just twists and turns around King.

Zoey chooses to watch from a safe distance even though they ignore her. She was just at the groomer and didn't want to mess up her fur!

GO FIGURE!

THOSE MOSQUITOES

I don't know about YOU but I had to take another Benadryl because I am still scratching like crazy. Those damn mosquitoes! They made their attack last week and won the battle with me. My shoulders, neck and face received numerous injection points. I dab something called "Anti-Itch" on each one. That stuff stings like crazy! BUT it gets good now... We got a cold front today and so the strong winds will blow those suckers to kingdom come! (isn't that the expression?)

I did manage to draw in my art journal last night. I call this one: CHOW TIME

WHEN WE BEGIN TO LIVE

"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live".

I wrote that and drew this picture in my art journal to illustrate my point. There can be a lot of scary obstacles in life that one needs to go through, around, above, or below. They can be stumbling blocks on the path we call LIFE. Whether they are mean looking people, scary images or tests in any form, you can conquer them!!! Be aware, use your senses, but be smart. Stay on that straight and narrow path. (and watch out for this guy to come jumping out and say "BOO"!)

LONG TIME NO SEE

The prompt delivered by my blissfully art journaling group was "HATS". Do you wear a hat? I chose to draw this because I knit a lot of hats and although I have never placed one on my cat's head, I can image that image in my mind!

HOOT AND HOLLER

Most of you know how much I enjoy drawing every night in my art journal. This picture was started on our trip to Austin last weekend. When I got home I could add the color into it. Boy it really made it pop! I call it HOOT and HOLLER. It is a picture of an owl mask. Throughout history and across many cultures, people have regarded owls with fascination and awe. I am really impressed by their great eyes. Too bad you don't see many of them around our neighborhood. But I have seen one or two!

MALE OR FEMALE

You might not have known this, but a lot of non -living objects are actually either male or female. Here are some examples:

FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them. PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong Buttons. TIRES: Tires are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their butt. SPONGES: These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water. WEB PAGES: Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on. TRAINS: Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people. EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom. HAMMERS: Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around. THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying

THREE LITTLE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED

Last night all the cousins got together for a family dinner and they decided to start jumping on the bed. Glad I had my camera with me! It reminded me of the finger action rhyme you learn when you are little.

Three little monkeys jumping on the bed, One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the Doctor and the Doctor said, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

KEEN IS KEEN

Robert Earl Keen is one of my favorite musicians! He is a Texan singer-songwriter. He is popular with traditional country music fans, folk music fans, the college radio crowd and alternative country fans. REK was born on January 11, 1956 in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Sharpstown High School in 1974 and then went to college at Texas A&M University. REK rented a home and his neighbor was Lyle Lovett!! The two became fast friends who performed together on their front porch. REK just came out with his new album, "THE ROSE HOTEL". It is another fantastic collection of songs.

If you follow the following link you can hear some of the new songs from this album. There is a small box in the lower left. Just click on the forward button. My favorite new song is called, "Wireless in Heaven". I can't wait for his concert coming in December at the House of Blues. http://www.losthighwayrecords.com/artist/detail.aspx?&aid=223&in=13

MEET THE NEW JEWS

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai about 3,300 years ago, he couldn't have seen these Jews coming. Today there was an article on CNN about the some of the "NEW JEWS". Here is part of that article...

A blogger writes about how one of Judaism's holiest days ended, for her, in a strip club, while elsewhere a guy strolls into a tattoo parlor requesting a Star of David. Two women exchange wedding vows in a Jewish ceremony, and hipsters toss back bottles of HE'BREW, The Chosen Beer.

A full-time software developer prepares to lead a group in Jewish prayer, as a PhD candidate in Jewish thought pens a letter criticizing Israel's policies.

Meet the "New Jews," as some call them: pockets of post-baby boomers -- or more accurately Generation X and Millennial (Gen Y) Jews -- who are making one of the world's oldest known monotheistic faiths and its culture work for them and others in a time when, more than ever, affiliation is a choice.

Myth: IF YOU GET A TATTOO, YOU CAN'T BE BURIED IN A JEWISH CEMETERY. When they're getting inked with Hebrew letters or Jewish symbols, these Jews are not fretting about laws followed by the most observant. They're taking a bold stand today that they'll carry with them, permanently, into the future. "They're being overtly Jewish," Abrams said. "They're saying, 'I'm Jewish. I'm proud. And I'm willing to wear it on my skin.' "

http://www.heebmagazine.com/hq