Superbowl Sunday, my dear friend's 19th birthday, and exactly one year of pictures for my Project 365.
4 years ago
Saturday, January 31, 2009
365/365 Happy Birthday
Superbowl Sunday, my dear friend's 19th birthday, and exactly one year of pictures for my Project 365.
Friday, January 30, 2009
364/365 Through the window
As I was exiting a dark movie theater, I noticed how a standing movie display showed right through the round porthole of the door. It was actually a little bit freaky.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Guilt Monkey
Never heard of a guilt monkey? Guilt monkeys are flying creatures (like in the Wizard of Oz) that come after you, then hang around you until you you feel guilty for not doing whatever it is that you're supposed to be doing.
I had need to send a guilt monkey to someone. So I created one. Muwahahahaha!
363/365 Post It Theater
Several years ago, I followed an amazing little site called Post-It Theater. The guy who did it (Mark Sinclair) drew these flip books on Post-It notes, scanned each note drawing in individually, then put them together in an animated GIF. They were very clever, I thought! I entered a couple of his contests and won two flip books.
Here's the link to the site if you're interested: Post-It Theater Fortunately, it's still there! Unfortunately, he hasn't made any updates since April 2003. :o(
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
360/365 Snowdust
There is nothing prettier, in my mind, than snow that has been dusted gently onto everything in sight.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
351/365 Not forgetting
I haven't forgotten to take down our Christmas lights. I'll eventually take down the tree and the stockings and cards on the mantle. But these ones? Hmm...I'll probably keep not-forgetting to take them down at least through the spring.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
348/365 Path of Least Resistance
Blueberries and leftover mac n' cheese. Sometimes you just have to make the easy dinner.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
344/365 We feel cool
We just subscribed to Netflix and are having entirely too much fun filling up our queue.
Considering
A poem by MangyCatEmbraced,
bubbles fill you.
Steam, hot and molten, with
candlelight. I reach for the lamp.
Sweet bathtub, love,
how you invite me in.
Your warmth, so beguiling and pure,
tempts my weary limbs and weary patience.
Your whispered promise entrances.
I venture ever toward your siren’s psalm.
Then memory serves me ugly, meaty portions.
Hot turns tepid, turns cold, and spheres will pop.
Your range, so unaccommodating.
Shallow waters beget lumpy islands,
beget landscapes of cold, wet skin.
Never deep enough, you
vile standard size.
Shudder to think, one hour past,
my kids screamed, “Poopy water!”
All magic’s gone.
I sigh.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
343/365 Hello, deer!
This is one of a herd of at least nine deer we came across while driving up a back road toward the library.
Project 365 Resumes
I am currently in the process of back-posting the last two months' worth of images from my 2008 Project 365. Due to the loss of our handy camera at the end of October, I had to resort to using the old standby camera or my cell phone's camera to continue this endeavor.
Unfortunately, the mountain of weight added to my purse from the old camera and the inconvenience of having to upload, then download pictures from my cell phone, not to mention NaNoWriMo in November and a month of holiday fun in December, caused my poor Project 365 to suffer for two months.
I didn't take a picture every single day, but I did make a good effort at it. In an attempt to finish out all 365 images before I try to do this again (consecutively this time!), starting on the 11/6/08 entry, I've named them by #/365 as I've seen on some other blogs.
I had 307 images so far by 11/5/08, so we begin at 308/365.
Unfortunately, the mountain of weight added to my purse from the old camera and the inconvenience of having to upload, then download pictures from my cell phone, not to mention NaNoWriMo in November and a month of holiday fun in December, caused my poor Project 365 to suffer for two months.
I didn't take a picture every single day, but I did make a good effort at it. In an attempt to finish out all 365 images before I try to do this again (consecutively this time!), starting on the 11/6/08 entry, I've named them by #/365 as I've seen on some other blogs.
I had 307 images so far by 11/5/08, so we begin at 308/365.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
The Question
I started an online teen writers' group in May 2005. Every week, we post writing challenges. This is the one from January 1-7, 2009.
CleanPlace Squabblings Challenge: Write a story using the opening line: There was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. Taken from: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis
Requirements: Contemporary Fiction, 500-1,000 words
“The Question” by MangyCat
Word Count: 800
There was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. His beady eyes, messy black hair, and bottle cap glasses certainly didn’t help him much either. The kids called him the teacher’s pet mercilessly, but he didn’t care one bit. There would be no other woman for him ever in his life other than Miss Candy Anastasia Francis.
Miss Francis had hair like the golden down of the tabby cat next door. Her eyes were blue as the rocks in the bottom of his fish tank. And her voice, oh, her voice! It was like the sweetest song the wind ever played against the chimes on his grandma’s porch. When she talked about the sun being a gigantic nuclear furnace, he became a star about to go super nova. He never wanted 6th period 5th grade science class to end.
“Eustace?”
“Yes, Miss Francis?” he replied, always at rapt attention.
Miss Francis leaned forward on her desk, nudging the stack of homework papers under her folded hands in the slightest. “Was there something else?”
Eustace went red in the face as heat rushed to his cheeks. He glanced around at the classroom which had emptied without his notice. “I-I guess so.” Standing up, Eustace pushed his chair back, sending the chilly scritch of metal on dirty tiles through the quiet room. He winced at his 11-year old awkwardness as he picked up his backpack.
With one hand, he reached inside and pulled out an orange. Eustace approached Miss Francis’ desk and laid the ripe fruit a few inches from her fingers. His pinky brushed her knuckle. “That’s for you, Miss Francis, for being the greatest teacher there ever was.”
She smiled, and the world exploded into symphonic splendor with a full choir of angels spouting Handel’s Messiah. “Citrus aurantium,” she said, picking up the orange. Miss Francis examined the skin and rubbed the textured surface with her palm. “Thank you, Eustace.”
Beads of sweat formed on the back of his neck. “You’re welcome.” He remained in front of her desk, mute to the question he wanted to ask. She probably thought he was just another kid in her class, but he couldn’t stand waiting any longer. He had to know what she would answer.
Miss Francis flashed another smile that blinded him with loveliness, then got to her feet. She glanced at Eustace for he had not left. “Did you have a question?”
His heart soared on a trapeze. How had she known the deepest desires of his soul? They had to be meant for each other. “Miss Francis...” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “I do have a question.”
She stopped straightening papers and crossed her arms. “Was it about today’s lesson?”
“Oh, no, ma’am,” he replied. “You make everything so clear, and I know science better than anyone in my family now. Honest.”
Miss Francis’ lips closed over her teeth, and the smile became a thin line. He had to act fast or he might lose her.
“What is it then, Eustace? What can I do for you?”
If only the words would come out of his mouth! Eustace chewed on his tongue. He pushed his glasses up on his nose. His sneaker kicked at the leg of her desk, making a dull thudding noise.
Miss Francis glanced at the clock as she picked up the stack of homework papers. Her eyes turned toward the door when she put the students’ work under her arm. She looked back at Eustace, the smile had gone completely. “I have an appointment with Dr. Kelsey in the school office. Maybe you could email me if it’s a hard question.” She came around the desk and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll have an answer for you tomorrow. Okay?”
Tingles shot through Eustace’s arm, and he wished he’d worn a short-sleeved t-shirt instead of this practical green sweater. He swallowed the question that pushed at the back of his teeth and nodded.
Miss Francis granted him one more million-watt smile and even winked one of those sea-blue eyes before walking out into the hall where she weaved between students who were fully unaware of the beauty in their midst.
Eustace Clarence Scrubb sighed heavily. He pulled a clean sheet of paper from his backpack and wrote four words on it, then signed his name. He carefully folded the note into a square and placed it on Miss Francis’ desk.
As Eustace left the classroom, the words he’d written played over in his mind. He would rather have said them aloud, but maybe it was better this way.
Will you marry me?
It was a big question, and she would need some time to think about it. Hopefully five class periods would be enough.
CleanPlace Squabblings Challenge: Write a story using the opening line: There was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. Taken from: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis
Requirements: Contemporary Fiction, 500-1,000 words
“The Question” by MangyCat
Word Count: 800
There was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. His beady eyes, messy black hair, and bottle cap glasses certainly didn’t help him much either. The kids called him the teacher’s pet mercilessly, but he didn’t care one bit. There would be no other woman for him ever in his life other than Miss Candy Anastasia Francis.
Miss Francis had hair like the golden down of the tabby cat next door. Her eyes were blue as the rocks in the bottom of his fish tank. And her voice, oh, her voice! It was like the sweetest song the wind ever played against the chimes on his grandma’s porch. When she talked about the sun being a gigantic nuclear furnace, he became a star about to go super nova. He never wanted 6th period 5th grade science class to end.
“Eustace?”
“Yes, Miss Francis?” he replied, always at rapt attention.
Miss Francis leaned forward on her desk, nudging the stack of homework papers under her folded hands in the slightest. “Was there something else?”
Eustace went red in the face as heat rushed to his cheeks. He glanced around at the classroom which had emptied without his notice. “I-I guess so.” Standing up, Eustace pushed his chair back, sending the chilly scritch of metal on dirty tiles through the quiet room. He winced at his 11-year old awkwardness as he picked up his backpack.
With one hand, he reached inside and pulled out an orange. Eustace approached Miss Francis’ desk and laid the ripe fruit a few inches from her fingers. His pinky brushed her knuckle. “That’s for you, Miss Francis, for being the greatest teacher there ever was.”
She smiled, and the world exploded into symphonic splendor with a full choir of angels spouting Handel’s Messiah. “Citrus aurantium,” she said, picking up the orange. Miss Francis examined the skin and rubbed the textured surface with her palm. “Thank you, Eustace.”
Beads of sweat formed on the back of his neck. “You’re welcome.” He remained in front of her desk, mute to the question he wanted to ask. She probably thought he was just another kid in her class, but he couldn’t stand waiting any longer. He had to know what she would answer.
Miss Francis flashed another smile that blinded him with loveliness, then got to her feet. She glanced at Eustace for he had not left. “Did you have a question?”
His heart soared on a trapeze. How had she known the deepest desires of his soul? They had to be meant for each other. “Miss Francis...” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “I do have a question.”
She stopped straightening papers and crossed her arms. “Was it about today’s lesson?”
“Oh, no, ma’am,” he replied. “You make everything so clear, and I know science better than anyone in my family now. Honest.”
Miss Francis’ lips closed over her teeth, and the smile became a thin line. He had to act fast or he might lose her.
“What is it then, Eustace? What can I do for you?”
If only the words would come out of his mouth! Eustace chewed on his tongue. He pushed his glasses up on his nose. His sneaker kicked at the leg of her desk, making a dull thudding noise.
Miss Francis glanced at the clock as she picked up the stack of homework papers. Her eyes turned toward the door when she put the students’ work under her arm. She looked back at Eustace, the smile had gone completely. “I have an appointment with Dr. Kelsey in the school office. Maybe you could email me if it’s a hard question.” She came around the desk and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll have an answer for you tomorrow. Okay?”
Tingles shot through Eustace’s arm, and he wished he’d worn a short-sleeved t-shirt instead of this practical green sweater. He swallowed the question that pushed at the back of his teeth and nodded.
Miss Francis granted him one more million-watt smile and even winked one of those sea-blue eyes before walking out into the hall where she weaved between students who were fully unaware of the beauty in their midst.
Eustace Clarence Scrubb sighed heavily. He pulled a clean sheet of paper from his backpack and wrote four words on it, then signed his name. He carefully folded the note into a square and placed it on Miss Francis’ desk.
As Eustace left the classroom, the words he’d written played over in his mind. He would rather have said them aloud, but maybe it was better this way.
Will you marry me?
It was a big question, and she would need some time to think about it. Hopefully five class periods would be enough.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
This is the Point
I've created this new blog in order to combine all my various blog-worthy creative projects into one place. This is going to help me keep up a lot better (I hope) and will just plain make life easier.
I'll be posting various short stories (always under 1,000 words), photography, poetry, and other creative stuff that comes to mind. In November, you can follow my journey through National Novel Writing Month here as well. All that MangyCat-ness, all in one place. Huzzah!
If you had subscriptions or following through my other creative blogs, please switch over to this one at http://mangycat.blogspot.com. Thank you kindly!
I'll be posting various short stories (always under 1,000 words), photography, poetry, and other creative stuff that comes to mind. In November, you can follow my journey through National Novel Writing Month here as well. All that MangyCat-ness, all in one place. Huzzah!
If you had subscriptions or following through my other creative blogs, please switch over to this one at http://mangycat.blogspot.com. Thank you kindly!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
339/365 From the Summit
Taken by my husband from the summit of Mt. Quandary on the morning of January 1, 2009.
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