I've just finished my steam punk viewfinder mobile. I made it from scrap metal parts, nuts, bolts, hot glue, copper wire, viewfinders, viewmaster reels and cherry red paint. Three of my children have complained that I should have only used  antique view finders -I would have but they're expensive.

I've begun to think about my next project as I collect scrap metel pieces.

Art projects are the sweetest waste of time.

(*Location- Our garage)

I was speaking with our daughter Elizabeth about which second hand stores are my favorite and I said to her, "The Savers store on 95th street is better than the Goodwill in Shawnee, it always has the best stuff and it's way better than the Salvation army in Lawrence." Elizabeth said, "That's pretty sad when you know which secondhand stores are the best, it's kinda like a hobo who knows which dumpster always has the donuts!"

SUBJECT: Missing cat.
Shannon (the secretary) has lost
her cat and has asked David (the graphic designer) to help create a lost cat
poster. This is their email correspondence...
 
Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got
out and has been missing since then, so I was wondering if you are not too
busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy
it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.

This is the only photo of her I have. She answers to the
name of Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on
Harper street and my phone number is - - - - - - -
Thanks Shan.

From:David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
9.26am
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Poster
Dear Shannon,
That is
shocking news. Luckily I was sitting down when I read your email and not
half way up a ladder or tree. How are you holding up? I am surprised you
managed to attend work at all what with thinking about Missy out there
cold, frightened and alone... possibly lying on the side of the road, her
back legs squashed by a vehicle, calling out "Shannon, where are you?"
Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I
will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate
the speedy return of Missy.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
9.37am
To: David
Subject: Re: Re: Poster
yeah ok thanks. I
know you don’t like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to
leave at 1pm today.

From: David
Date: Monday 21
June 2010 10.17am
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re: Re:
Poster
Dear Shannon,
I never said I don't like cats.
Once, having been invited to a party, I went clothes shopping beforehand
and bought a pair of expensive G-Star boots. They were two sizes too small
but I wanted them so badly I figured I could just wear them without socks
and cut my toenails very short. As the party was only a few blocks from my
place, I decided to walk. After the first block, I lost all feeling in my
feet. Arriving at the party, I stumbled into a guy named Steven, spilling
Malibu & coke onto his white Wham 'Choose Life' t-shirt, and he
punched me. An hour or so after the incident, Steven sat down in a chair
already occupied by a cat. The surprised cat clawed and snarled causing
Steven to leap out of the chair, slip on a rug and strike his forehead
onto the corner of a speaker; resulting in a two inch open gash. In its
shock, the cat also defecated, leaving Steven with a foul stain down the
back of his beige cargo pants. I liked that cat.
Attached
poster as requested.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June
2010 10.24am
To: David
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
yeah
that’s not what I was looking for at all. it looks like a movie and how
come the photo of Missy is so small?

From: David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re:
Re: Re: Poster
Dear Shannon,
It's a design thing. The
cat is lost in the negative space.
Regards, David.


From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
10.33am
To: David
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
Thats just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over
this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you
make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in color please.
Thanks.

From: David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
10.46am
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Poster
Dear Shannon,
Having worked with designers for a
few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague
suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. I don't
come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook
and look out of the window. I am willing to overlook this faux pas due to
you no doubt being preoccupied with thoughts of Missy attempting to make
her way home across busy intersections or being trapped in a drain as it
slowly fills with water. I spent three days down a well once but that was
just for fun.
I have amended and attached the poster as per
your instructions.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
10.59am
To: David
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Poster
This is worse than the other one. can you make it so it
shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says
missing missy off it? I just want it to say Lost.

From: David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
11.14am
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Poster

From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
11.21am
To: David
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Poster
yeah can you do the poster or not? I just want a photo and
the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and
her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave
early today. If it was your cat I would help you. Thanks.

From: David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
11.32am
To: Shannon
Subject: Awww

Dear Shannon,
I don't have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend's cat for a week
but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of
kitty litter, I kept the cat in a closed cardboard box in the shed and
forgot about it. If I wanted to feed something and clean feces, I wouldn't
have put my mother in that home after her stroke. A week later, when my
friend came to collect his cat, I pretended that I was not home and mailed
the box to him. Apparently I failed to put enough stamps on the package
and he had to collect it from the post office and pay eighteen dollars. He
still goes on and on about that sometimes, people need to learn to let go.
I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed
instructions.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww
Thats not my cat.
where did you get that picture from? That cat is orange. I gave you a
photo of my cat.

From: David
Date: Monday 21
June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re: Awww
I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several
violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If
anybody calls and says "I haven't seen your orange cat but I did find a
black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?"
you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.
I knew someone who had a basset hound that had its hind legs
removed after an accident and it had to walk around with one of those
little buggies with wheels. If it had been my dog I would have asked for
all its legs to be removed and replaced with wheels and had a remote
control installed. I could charge neighborhood kids for rides and enter it
in races. If I did the same with a horse I could drive it to work. I would
call it Steven.
Regards, David.


From:
Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David
Subject:
Re: Re: Re: Awww
Please just use the photo I gave you.


From: David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
12.22pm
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Awww

From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
12.34pm
To: David
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww
I didn’t
say there was a reward. I don’t have $2000 dollars. What did you even put
that there for? Apart from that it is perfect can you please remove the
reward bit. Thanks Shan.

From: David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re:
Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
12.51pm
To: David
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Awww
Can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have
to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of
it.

From: David
Date: Monday 21 June 2010
12.56pm
To: Shannon
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

A close up of cherry blossoms from Elizabeth's thesis film, "The Seven Rooms of the Soul."

Madagascar, A Journey Diary

This was one of  the Oscar nominated short animated films that lost to the cartoon  -"The lost thing."

This is a sample of one of Elizabeth's earlier practice projects from 3 years ago.
 She said these clips are time consuming and not easy to produce.

Who has the right to decide who's life has value and whose does not?

Photo above; Grandma Moses.

Have you ever wondered if God keeps some of the things you've made on his  refrigerator?

Here's whats on my fridge.

Our daughter Grace is working on a set of drawings for our Priest at his request, but this is only a rough sketch.

Maria said, "Mom, I don't want you to cut my bangs because

 you'll make me look like Mr. Spock!" 

Okay, fine but I'm not paying $17.00 for someone else

 to trim them for you.

You should be glad you don't have pointy ears, because you

would have to live with those too.

Our little boy was visibly upset after he spotted a man without a leg while we were out in public and he turned to me and said, "That man without a leg scares me."  To which I quickly replied, "Knock it off, everyone is broken in some way, only most of the time you don't actually get to see where." But then I realized, oopsie,  that was probably way over his head, and I wasn't being very compassionate nor did my comment  showcase my best parenting skills so I said, "Well, what if Nate - you like Nate right, (He's Ana's boyfriend.) lost a leg in some ice skating mishap wouldn't you still like him?"

To which my little boy replied,"No ....... not very much." 

Translation for blogging pirates is as follows-

Ahoy, our little boy was 'isibly upset after he spotted a man with ye ol' peg leg
while out in public last week. He turned t' me and said, "That man scares me because he only has one leg. Arrr, t' which Me quickly replied, "Knock it off,  Aye, e'eryone is broken
- (A pence for an old man o'de sea?)
Arrr, only most o' the time you don't actually get t' see whar." Gar, Where can I find a bottle o'rum? Ahoy, but then Me realized, oopsie, that was probably way o'er his head Gar, and I wasn't be-in' 'ery compassionate
Aye, nor did my comment showcase my best parentin' skills so I said , "Well, what if Nate - you like Nate Aye,  lost a leg in some ice skatin' mishap wouldn't you still like him?  t' which my son replied,
"No.......  not 'ery much." Aye, me parrot concurs.

*I suggest that maybe a certain somebody should avoid the ice rink this winter and eye patches, however toting around talking birds would be a real plus!

We visited our daughter Ana at the Benedictine Abbey yesterday and while we were downtown I picked up a brochure about the city's haunted Halloween tours. It's where you can tour real haunted houses while riding in a trolley -just  like Mr.Rogers. I said to Ana, "I wonder if it would be a sin to tour these homes -ask one of your monk friends." She replied, "No, Mom, it's not a sin." "I go to catholic college and I know everything about the catholic faith, I know everything about everything."

(I'm thinking maybe it wouldn't be a good idea anyway.)

Someone should alert NASA and notify the Pope.

They might be able to put to good use Ana's vast wealth of  knowledge ;)

- Ana, one of Americas greatest natural resources to be sure!

From the apple trees to the plate.

My activity director wanted an apple pie and I also made him some lasagna - light on the tomato sauce.
*I saved some for you Ana, and I put it in the freezer. Are you hungry or cold ? - xoxo Mom

For your consideration.

Perhaps a number of you (All 3 of my readers who check out my blog -like about 8 times a day ;) could  stop over at Vincenzo's place and tell him what an AWESOME job he had done with my new blog header.  I think it's perfect and maybe you might want to  consider sending some contract computer work over his way so that he can continue to afford the up keep of his squabbling pet gerbils -Tina, and Ike in the standard of comfort they're grown accustomed to.  Responsible pet ownership is something that Vince takes seriously.

An artistic rendition of self deception.

Just because you've molded and shaped the God of your mind and imagination into a God who agrees with your line of thinking and beliefs doesn't really make him God at all but an extension of yourself, someone who you've created in your own image, but sadly while your playing mind games, the real God sits and waits, and he waits for you alone.. 

My blog is in transition and I don't understand much of what I need to do to correct the things that I don't like. I would like to remove my brain header as I've grown tired of seeing it. I'm still pondering what to do about it  and I welcome any suggestions. (Except from those Asian porn creepers, who you should never click on by assuming they're your blogger buddies!) I don't like the outline around the posted photos nor the birds on the top right header. Does anyone know how to remove the orange "B" next to the list of blogs who I follow- I hate the color orange.

Our son still likes me... He's not a teenager yet.

 Our daughter Elizabeth is home from the school she attends in southern California  and we've been chatting about her life and the experiences she's had over the past 6 months. She's become fond of  a couple of  her teachers (a married couple)  and they have been so kind to her. Elizabeth said , "I sure would like to work for them on a professional project, they're really nice people , they seem "normal" and they're very talented. Then I swear ( Am I allowed to swear?) these people  called while I was talking to her about them. Just like the sponge bob square pants encounter!! They offered her this amazing job and I can't wait to tell you about it when she allows me to but I've been given a gag order for now.

I just want to say, God is so good and he doesn't forget his people who love him. Oh, sure it feels like he has us on "ignore" most of the time (hahaha)  but I assure you we are ever present on his mind. I wonder if he has anything in store for moi?

*Atheists are fools. I still love them though and the above music video is a clue but I can't say anymore.