I’ve added some new pages from my last visual journal to the photo album there on the left and also made a Mailart album. The photos in the Mailart album will be rotating frequently. For now, they are mostly pieces from a couple of years ago.
Vacuuming Spiders
I admire their geometrical patience,
the tidy way they wrap up leftovers,
their willingness to be the earth’s
most diligent consumers of small bitternesses.
Sometimes at night I hear them
casting silk threads, clicking their spinnerets,
plucking their webs like blind Irish harpists.
I can almost taste the fruit of the fly
like sucking the pulp from a grape.
But when their webs on the ceiling
begin to converge, and the floor
glitters with shards of insect wings
I drag out the vacuum
and poke its terrible snout under the sofa,
behind the radio—everywhere,
for this is the home of a human being
and I must act like one
or the whole picture goes haywire.
by Charles Goodrich, from Insects of South Corvallis
Lately my garage has gone haywire because several giant black widows with their red-spotted bellies have spun thick silver climbing lines up to the rafters. They’ve woven smaller webs to snare flies and other insects. Makes things interesting when I go inside to do laundry or retrieve stencils hanging from every available hook and knob. I was almost convinced that enough was enough the other day. I was going to put my foot down and show those big black arachnids who’s the boss. But that was before I saw this poem. I know I should act like a human being, but it would be such a shame to have those thick trapeze wires go to waste.
I’ve been on Mailart Hiatus, but today I brought out the big guns and whipped up these cut up book covers. I’m always on the lookout for free books at the library. Picked up this big stack of outdated reference periodicals over a month ago. Since I hate having stuff laying around my itty bitty studio that I don’t use I decided to spray every last one of them. They’ll sail out of here sometime next week. Maybe headed to a mailbox near YOU.
This is the new Lucinda Williams CD. Believe me when I say it’s G O O D. The inside cover has a herd of galloping horses which is always a good sign. If you don’t dig gravely-voiced women who have a drunken quality to their singing you might not appreciate my recommendation.
The cat posse was put outside so I could have some ME time, with Lucinda and the new ARtful Blogging magazine I picked up today (fabulous!). I don’t know why I bother. They just sit on the table right next to the windows and bray like a couple of mad donkeys.
My sister sent me this email today. I guess I’m going to need to give THIS recipe a spin. My sister found it originally over on Cozy Gets Posy. I mean if Papa Moss liked it it’s gotta be good.
Sister:
I just made posy gets cozy’s buttermilk poundcake.
I am going to have to re-name this poundcake though…
This is now going to be called:
…”The Buttermilk Poundcake That Dad Came Back To Earth For”….
because we just sat down and had a piece of it together. I had mine with coffee, he had a piece of cold fried chicken on the side with his. I am not kidding. We both licked our plates when we were done and he said “that was lip smacking good sissy boo, give me a holler when you make it again and I’ll be back for more”. I bundled him up a few pieces and put it in a shoe box for him.
this is a true story
Your journals are looking super cool. And yes, the new Lucinda is great.
Peace,
Chris
i love the end of the message from your sister. “this is a true story”. so going to try to integrate that phrase into my life.
i love the end of the message from your sister. “this is a true story”. so going to try to integrate that phrase into my life.
enjoyed visiting today; you have a very unique art style
Cake? I smell cake…
I love that you and your dad got to share that. It actually made me a little teary.
Those covers ROCK! o.k. so do you take the pages out and then put your pages in? ????
AND, did you see Paul’s stencils???
Mary Ann,
I just love your blog! I look at it most nights! Is there a website you would recommend to get into mailart? I dont spray paint (yet), dont have the stencils but I would love to trade mailart with someone…
karen b…
I love Lucinda Williams. I only have Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, or whichever cd that is! I never get tired of listening to it no matter what. Maybe I should branch out and check out another of her cds.
AAAGH! I have exactly the same problem! I can so relate….and actually my husband is the one with the vacuum cleaner(I am much more philosophical). My studio IS the garage and the black widows and daddy long legs are taking over. Tis the season I guess! I have a horrible fear that, just like miss muffet, I will be sitting there painting away as a BIG black widow descends upon my head!
I am going to frame that poem!
This poem is fantastic. I love the second and last paragraphs the most. It’s delicious imagery in my head.
Your cat posse cracks me up. I love how cats always look annoyed, no matter what you do. They have the greatest personalities.
Cara mia Mary Ann, Had knee surgery yesterday & I’m not in as much pain as I feared. My daughter, Laura, is here to be my nurse & Carol sent beautiful flowers. All these things, including your new blog entry (I always love something new & yummy to look at & read) are cheering me up a lot!
Some thoughts on your blog today:
I read your notes on the top image journal cover – about the stupid meeting at school & the new teachers who suck it all in with rapt attention. I know, I know, drove me matta,crazy,too! (Did you get my email awhile back about ducking out of these meetings – try it if you think you can get away with it!! It really helps!)
Arachnids & Poetry – loved the poem (I head straight for the vacuum myself). Laura has a spider phobia. I’ll read the poem to her & see if she can tolerate it! (I have a cockroach phobia – really bad, tending toward psychotic breaks!!) However, as gentile & simpatico as you are, I wouldn’t allow black widows free reign in your garage – they don’t always stay up in the rafters & they have a dangerous bite. My sister in Taos had one in her bathtub & one in her kitchen sink drain & several in the rafters over her BED!!! She was bitten once on her leg & said it was the worst thing that ever happened to her – her leg was paralyzed & horribly swollen & hurt like hell & took a long time to get back to normal. Please, cara mia, call an exterminator – you & the cat possee will be better off. Those little biters will migrate after laying their eggs – exterminate the eggs, too. In fact, just tear down your whole garage!!
And take heart – the weekend is almost upon you. You might have black widows but at least you won’t have school crapola for a few days!
Love from here, Suzanne. PS My daughter was very impressed with your blog & loved seeing her mom’s artwork on it. Thanks!!
Last – I promise – does the new blogging magazine have anything on how to set up a new blog (for technophobics)?
i am so happy to have found your blog! oh my goodness! what wonderful writing and art and you like lucinda williams! i will be back to visit again!
have a wonderful day!