Mr. Small is ten feet tall

My Main Squeeze

Star

Presenting: Dahlia's new cockatiel!

"Que Sera Sera"

Inktober prompt was: Worried. And what do moms do best?

Once More into the Breach!

"Inktober" prompt 10/17/16: "Battle"

I had very little time for drawing this day-- as is evident by the shaky lines. It is part of my "Rubber Duckies Quote Shakespeare" series of drawings.

There Will Be Cake!

"Inktober prompt 10/10/16": "Jump"

Here is a picture of the cake that inspired such joy, baked by Leah Artenian! Best cake ever (I heard)

Swing on a Star

Planet Hollywood or Bust

Inktober 10.7.2016 prompt: Lost

Inktober 10.8.2016 prompt: Rock

Detail of above: Granny in her rocking chair on top of the space pod:

Sad Cat

I have been requested to post my "Inktober" drawings to my blog. "Inktober" is a Facebook game in which artists create drawings each day in October using only ink. They then post their drawings to #Inktober, and everyone can see each other's work. Each date has a prompt. I am certainly no artist, but I decided to create sketches based on the prompts for each day, just for fun. It is a little more stressful than fun considering my limited skills. But I have pressed on.

I started on October 5. The first prompt was "sad." I will post them willy nilly whenever I feel like it, but I will eventually post all that I make.

Below is my drawing for 10.5.2016, "Sad Cat"

"Love Your Spouse Challenge: Day 7"

I realize that I forgot to post the last day of the spouse challenge. So here it is!

"Love your spouse challenge" Day 7, (the last day): 

And so, my reporting of the continuing capers of my spouse,Thomas and his sidekick, Penelope are come to a close. For this last challenge post, I would like to share 2 pictures of Thomas and me: my favorite and our most "famous", and a little poem I wrote on the occasion of our first anniversary:

Jitterbug Fantastic

You are my cozy comfy crumpled sock
No Wait!
You are my designer Jimmy Choos

You are my companion couch per-tater spud
No Wait!
You are my elegant squire-about-town

You are my crump-rump-rumpled PJ’s
No Wait!
You are my L(ittle) B(lack) (D)ress

You are a lazy-hazy rainy day
(no leaky roof!)
No Wait!
You are sunrise and briny breezes

You are random non-sequiturs
No Wait!
You are sparkling perspicacity

You are majestic Fox Trot
No Wait!
You are jitterbug fantastic

You are a hot cup of ahh-choo-soup
No Wait!
You are fizz-swank-champagne cocktail

You are my comfort
No Wait!
You are my joy

You are my comfort
AND
My joy!

"Love your spouse" challenge complete!!

Plaintive Plea

Whilst at Camp Hollywood, a group of friends arranged an outing for a Halloween literary event and invited us. I had to investigate to make sure it wouldn't be too scary for me, and when I was finally satisfied that I could handle it, the tickets were all sold out. Thomas emailed and asked to be put on the waiting list, but the organizer said there was a very small chance we would get in. I decided to send him an email explaining our situation. When I did, he was very accommodating and allowed us to purchase tickets with our group. Here is the email I sent:

Hark Ye Wild and Withered Gentleperson,

In response to the below exchange of missives betwixt my husband and yourself, I would like to clarify our situation and thus implore your indulgence to our request:

We are part of the ghoulish gathering whose tickets were procured by Sheri Lee. 

At the time of the procurement, my husband and I were detained at an undisclosed location during an Amontillado tasting, at which we lost our way in some extensive catacombs. After extricating ourselves, from said catacombs, we tried to check out of our hotel. If you have never been, be forewarned: checking out of  the "Usher House" is an absolute nightmare. 

And thusly, we arrived late to Banquo's banquet where the nefarious plan for the October 8 outing was hatched. 

We would be eternally "grave-ful" if you could include us in the party. As you can see, this is no typical "werewolf ate my homework" excuse. This is for real!

Two tickets to join our group is our only humble request. If you cannot comply, I guess, we can use our groupon for a night at the Bates Motel that night. I hear the water pressure in the shower is amazing.

Cryptically yours,
Rachel Q(uasimodo) Artenian and
Thomas B(anshee) Greengalgh

"Love Your Spouse Challenge" Day 6

You will all be happy and relieved to discover that my spouse, Thomas, was able to save Penelope's snout from the terrifying grip of the kitty-cookie canister yesterday. When asked about the incident, Penelope whimpered, "carpe diem" which she is rumored to believe means, "seize the cat."

In a striking homage to her hero and mentor, Penelope ascended the coffee table and barked out a moving rendition of Walt Whitdog's classic poem; “Oh Thomie, My Thomie” which is produced herewith below:

Oh Thomie, my Thomie
Captain of my ship,
Always looking out for me
And tossing me a chip.

Oh Thomie, my Thomie
You rub my tummy when I'm sick.
When I wake I always see
The only daddy I would pick.

Oh Thomie, My Thomie
We go running in the park,
And one day you will let me be
So that I can eat a lark.

Oh Thomie, My Thomie
You are the best dog-pop around.
Oh Thomie, My Thomie
I’m glad you did me found.

"Love Your Spouse Challenge" Day 5

Many of you ask, "What's it like being married to a bad-boy?" World dominion, cat-crime cracking, swanky drinks, posh dames, ponderous tomes? It can be daunting at times, but then I remember how the kids know and love him. Yes, it's true, tough-talking Thomie G. by evening, mild-mannered Inspector Danger-- teaching kids about fire-safety-- by day. 

But, I wonder where his sidekick, Penelope, is? Oh dear, Inspector Danger needs to leave now... 

It seems that his sidekick has gotten her nose stuck in a kitty-cookie canister whilst currently on a caper.

"Love Your Spouse Challenge" Day 4

One thing I love about my spouse,Thomas, is how friggin' intellectual he and his sidekick, Penelope are. You can often find them relaxing on the patio perusing a ponderous tome. For example, just yesterday I caught this candid shot of them reading "Ulysses" in the fading light of a hot August night....... Hey, wait a second.....

Oh man, GRUMPY CAT????? Really?

"Love Your Spouse Challenge" Day 3

After contemptible-cat-crime capers are cracked and come to a close, it's time to relax with a swanky drink and a gorgeous dame. All in a day's work.

"Love Your Spouse" Challenge: Day 2

My spouse, Thomas and his sidekick, Penelope, are ready to face the day as bad-ass crime-fighters on call to rid the world of evil cats. Notice the fashionable crime-cracking cap.

"Love Your Spouse" 7 Day Challenge: Day 1

Laura challenged me to the "Love your Spouse" challenge. Each day I made a "Love your spouse" post on Facebook. I will now re-post each one to my blog. 

Day 1: Here is my spouse, Thomas, in his natural habitat. What are he and Penelope plotting? World dominion perhaps?

Inscrutable

Mr. Cool

Word Perfect

Sometimes it's hard to find just the right word. 

Word Perfect

A plethora of Words enpeople my brain

Clamoring and crying an ancient refrain,

“Pick me, choose me, I am the one”

A quotidian word? Nah, that’s just no fun.

No ifs ands or buts, for this is the day

To pick Words packed with drama, yet small in their way

Like quest, lust, and prowl or love, tryst and star

One syllable Words that transport you afar

No time for Words that take up much space

They mean very little, but show a good face

You know what I mean, those exsufflicate boors

Pulchritudinous, brobdingnagian, sartorial whores

Words that can dance and never confuse,

Those are the ones that we humans should use

Or Words wrapped in senses and plush vibrant hues:

Like periwinkle, lavender, azure and chartreuse.

Languorous Words which are dusky and hazy

Stroll through the brain and make you feel lazy

Whimsical fripperies engendering tongue-tickles

Like when you say gewgaw, kerfuffle or pickles

But the Word for today, that one that I choose:

With yearning and hope and romance infused:

Casts Iridescent shadows and hearts free of strife:

Quixotically tilting at the windmills of life.

Quixotic