Mystery Followers

So, there are a few followers of this blog whom I don't know. Being a curious person, this drives me bananas.

If you're one of those individuals, please leave me a comment here. Tell me who you are, where you are, how you found my blog, and why you follow it. Thanks in advance for the elucidation...

Overslept

This morning I overslept... by nearly 2 hours. Fortunately, I was able to whittle down my getting-ready time, and I made it into the office 45 minutes late. This is not like me at all. I am the one who is early to everything, even my own birth (by a month!).

I am afraid of being late, of missing something good, something important. Plus, I hate to hurry. Rushing to do something or get somewhere feels to me too similar to anxiety for my comfort.

Did my alarm even go off this morning? If it did, I sure don't remember it. All I know is that I was in the middle of a long dream, and thought to myself, "Hmm, this is a long dream. Maybe I should wake up soon." So I did.

Apparently my body really needed the rest. So, I'm going to bed now. G'night!

Book Review: Playing With The Grown-Ups

This morning, I finished the final few pages of Sophie Dahl's novel, Playing With the Grown-Ups. The last chapter, providing the resolve for the story, scarcely fills one page. I had to read it two or three times, trying to squeeze the most I could from each word, phrase, and sentence. I was also sad that such a great read was coming to an end. Dahl is the granddaughter of Roald Dahl, one of my favorite authors growing up.

The book tells the story of Kitty Larsen, a girl growing up in England, then America, then England again... Her transient adolescence is due in no small part to her flighty mother's pursuit of men and happiness. Grown-Ups swings fluidly from Kitty's past to her present, and back again. It has a timeless quality that is lovely and refreshing. Save for a few British pop culture references, it could've taken place at almost any time.

Grown-Ups is as much about her mother as it is about Kitty. Marina is at once despicable and lovable (though by the end I had settled on the latter). A beautiful, bohemian, talented artist, she captures the fancy of many men- and vice versa. Eventually, she reveals the extent of her instability.

Kitty's preteen years reminded so much of my own that I couldn't help but love her. She wore large glasses, adored her mother, and practiced a careful skin-care regimen. She never quite felt she had the "right" clothes. She had a vivid imagination, and worried about strange, implausible events. She was intrigued by different cultures and faiths.

I loved this book. It is charming and poignant. Put this on your summer reading list!

Nest Debut

Friday night was the opening of a group art exhibit in which I participated. My sweetie curated, organized, hung, and labeled all the artwork. The gallery, part of the historic Rose Marine Theater, looked fantastic.

Five selections from my nest series got to make their debut! I was touched by how lovingly they were installed, perching on eggshell-white wedges at various heights. My heart was warmed by the great turnout, which included friends, family, and even my boss! I felt validated by another artist asking about them, and then offering his impression of my nests, which was spot-on.

And if you're in Fort Worth and would like to see them in person (along with some additional great art) the show will be up through September 16! Without further ado, here are some photos of me and my nests.

From left: Nest No. 1: Fiesta, Nest No. 2: Five a Day

Nest No. 3: Blue Lines

Nest No. 5: Lemon-Berry-Choco Perches

Nest No. 6: Cradle

Me and my nests!

Some Girls...Didn't Really Enjoy This Book

When I first heard mention of Jillian Lauren's Some Girls in a Borders email, I was fascinated. The book recounts the author's time in a harem for Prince Jefri of Brunei.

All the glitz, glamour, and wealth she experienced could not hide the fact that this was prostitution, plain and simple. This was reinforced by the fact that, prior to being a modern-day harem girl, Lauren was a call girl in NYC (when not pursuing an acting career).

The subject matter was far more gritty than I imagined, especially because it included so much of Lauren's life before and after her time in the palace. She unflinchingly tells of her physically abusive father, a sexually abusive camp counselor, having an abortion, and getting a tattoo - one that spirals out from her navel, winding its way down her thigh to decorate her...yeah. Ick. All this happens, she reminds the reader more than once, while going through the late-teens/early-twenties struggle of trying to "find herself."

I know it's a memoir, but Lauren just seemed so utterly taken with herself, with the life she was living, with the people in it. That made it hard to sympathize with her. It sounds harsh, and it makes me feel bad, but I didn't come away from this book liking her as a person. I know that was likely not her intention, I'm just saying. I think her thoughts, desires, interests, etc. reminded me too much of myself...when I was a moody middle-schooler.

If you're in a prayin' mood...

...Pray for the Gulf, and the lives (human and animal) devastated by the oil spill. It nearly makes me sick. Today I saw a picture that, along with its caption, made my heart ache.

The caption read, "A baby Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, an endangered species, awaits care at the Audubon Center for the Research of Endangered Species, in New Orleans, La., on July 9, after being rescued from the oil spill. (Gerald Herbert / AP)"

"awaits care" tugs at my heartstrings sumpin' fierce, I don't know why. I wish I wasn't such a softie! I wish I knew what I could do to help.

You'll Have Questions, Too

Leave yours in the comments. I think the website where I found this says it best:

"Let me introduce you to your new favorite internet superstar. Do whatever the f*** you think you can to get ready and hit play."