Entry for February 04, 2007/Art Sunday

Good friends brought a print of the painting below home from their last trip to Scotland, where this hangs in one of the National Museums in Edinburgh. I though it was so beautiful that I would post it for Art Sunday. Above is another of John Duncans paintings entitled " St. Columba Bidding Farewell to the White Horse".

Saint Bride

1913

According to the legend of the Irish Saint Bride she was transported miraculously to Bethlehem to attend the nativity of Christ. Here two angels carry the white robed saint across the sea. The seascape reflects Duncan's fascination with the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Iona. The birds and seal provide an effective naturalistic foil for the supernatural angels overlapping the patterned border. Scenes from the life of Christ decorate the angel's robes, and may include the artist's self-portrait as the tiny clown (a holy fool) accompanying the procession of the magi on the leading angel's gown.

This painting was done by John Duncan, A Scottish Symbolist painter (1866-1945).

Since Saint Bridgets Day( Irish Saint) just passed, I thought this might be appropriate. Saint Bride is another name for Bridget, she has a lot of spellings of her name. There is a wee bit of history at the top regarding the painting and the story behind it. Below are a few links to tell you about John Duncan and St. Bridget.

point of interest, the seal in the painting, to me , is a Selkie.Whichis a mythological creature from Scotland and Ireland being a seal that can transform into a human. Being Duncan was a Scotsman seems right to me. Link for information on Selkies below also.

I think the painting is beautiful. The colors are so striking. Hope you enjoy it also.

John Duncanart link

St. Bridgetinformation

Selkiemyth information

Don't forget to visitNicholas V our host for The Art Sunday Tour

Entry for February 02, 2007Something Serious

After my sillines yesterday, today my friend Tammy has reminded me of the seriouness of spaying and neutering of your companion animals.

Those little cuties in the picture may be pups that will probably find homes, but there are millions of unwanted dogs and cats out there who end up in shelters who have no room for them and then are killed just because there is no room. Not spaying and neutering is no joke. People with their ideas of "oh lets just let her have one litter" and men and their male dog issues and you know what I am talking about. Then all the litters that are created are homeless and soon dead.

What about people who get a companion animal and then say " I can't keep them, we will just take them to the pound, they will find another home" . No it doesn't work that way. Then they are just dead.

When you adopt it must be forever. We are all animals, we all have feelings, we all deserve love.

The Associated Humane Societies have decided that February is Prevent -A-Litter-Month and that February 27th is Spay Day USA. I think it is a good idea.

If you have a companion animal that is not spayed or neutered, Get Hot. If you think it is too expensive, most towns have some type of program that can help you. Check it out. Go to the shelter and foster a dog or kitty until they can find a good home for them. All the kitties in the video I showed yesterday had been taken and dumped in a shelter and the wacky woman who was making the video was fostering them till they got good home. Most shelters have these types of programs. If you are looking for a new companion to bring into your home FOREVER go to the pound and save a dog or cat or even a couple.

Check out Tammy bloghttp://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-leZKZ_Yleqtwzard3bXZwfl1_8txdKtS6.oogA--?cq=1&...

Also check out A Paw Up Rescuehttp://360.yahoo.com/profile-VbgskSA9crT2FPhM3cnuKx9G

Check out their profile and see how you too can help.

But first remember

SPAY AND NEUTER ALL COMPANION ANIMALS

It's a fact

Every time a person is born in America so are 15 dogs and 45 cats. Too many for the number of available homes.

You can help prevent this.

"We call them dumb animals and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words" Anna Sewell, Black Beauty 1877

SOMETHING SERIOUSLY SILLY

i have been way to serious lately. So here is something to make up for it.

Entry for January 30, 2007Poetry Wednesday

My presentation for today is.....

Robert Frost(1874–1963). Miscellaneous Poems to 1920.1920.

12. The Runaway

(FromThe Amherst Monthly, June 1918.)

ONCE when the snow of the year was beginning to fall, We stopped by a mountain pasture to say, “Whose colt?” A little Morgan had one forefoot on the wall, The other curled at his breast. He dipped his head And snorted to us. And then we saw him bolt. 5 We heard the miniature thunder where he fled, And we saw him, or thought we saw him, dim and gray, Like a shadow across instead of behind the flakes. The little fellow’s afraid of the falling snow. He never saw it before. It isn’t play 10 With the little fellow at all. He’s running away. He wouldn’t believe when his mother told him, ‘Sakes, It’s only weather.’ He thought she didn’t know! So this is something he has to bear alone And now he comes again with a clatter of stone, 15 He mounts the wall again with whited eyes Dilated nostrils, and tail held straight up straight. He shudders his coat as if to throw off flies. “Whoever it is that leaves him out so late, When all other creatures have gone to stall and bin, 20 Ought to be told to come and take him in.” Hope you have enjoyed it. Susan

Entry for January 27, 2007/Art Sunday

Today I would like to continue the theme I started last week. Art by the universe through the lens ,be it large, The Hubble, or small ,a camera.

This is my neighborhood, Sedona Arizona. Famous for it's beautiful red rock landscapes. Located in the high desert of the state we have a mild winter here but a winter none the less and there is nothing more beautiful than the red rocks after a snowfall.

My good friend Shirley Millar took these wonderful photographs last weekend after just such a snowfall and when she emailed them to me the first thing I asked was if I could post them for Art Sunday. She gave me permission so here they are and I hope you enjoy them.

Please note they are under copyright. Thank you.

Entry for January 24, 2007/ For Dog Lovers

All you doggie lovers out there check out this great poem, sort of sad, from my friend at A Paw Up Rescue's blog.

http://360.yahoo.com/profile-VbgskSA9crT2FPhM3cnuKx9G

Entry for January 22, 2007/Light at the end of the tunnel

At this time of the year I always start looking towards summer. The fact that it is very cold outside is one reason and the other is that is when I take my real vacation. A hard working massage therapist must always take some extended time off or we just fall apart. My old body must rest it's muscles. I know that some people think massage is all airy fairy, but I do meat and potatoes massage. Which is medical and therapeutic massage, deep tissue stlye to the uninitiated and let me tell you, it is hard work.

So vacation.....I was very glad to hear from my good friend Hans, who lives in Amsterdam, telling me he was coming to visit this summer. He usually does this about every two years and it is a joy. We are very close friends and we have a ball together. He is coming on June 14th and that is my "Light at the End of the Tunnel" this is what will get me throught the rest of the winter. I will take off the time he is here and we will be hanging around the pool with our good friends from New York, Rick and Megan. Megan owns a great house with a pool and we will be mouching off of her. Lots of cocktails and shrimp on the barbie. Of course mine will be portabello mushrooms, but it is the idea that counts.

We will raise a glass to summer, even though it is hot as hell out here, it is not so bad inside with the old swamp cooler going. The dryer and hotter it gets out, the more cold air that thing makes. When you are by the pool you don't care any way because you get hot you just jump in. And the nights , well the nights are paradise in the desert. The minute the sun goes down the termperature drops twenty degrees and there you are with 80 degree weather, the stars shining and well what else can I say.

That silly picture at the top of the page is my insane friends. Hans is the blonde, Megan in the yellow top, Rick with no cloths and armpit, and that little smidge of face in the corner is me oh and that blonde bump sticking up is Luke dogs rear end, you know there had to be some furry ones around somewhere. Rick took this picture with a timer and didn't aim too well. Any way you get the idea.

Have a great week, I am thinking about summer.

Susan