Titteh Kitteh

Have a good one everyone!  Enjoy consuming the mammal, vertebrate, invertebrate or vegetable of your choice!

Yes...I'm still alive.  Just can't seem to find much motivation for blogging lately.  I think you have to be just the right amount of busy to blog.  Nothing going on means nothing to blog about; too much going on means no time to blog!  It's been extra crazy lately.

This here's a picture of me all gussied up for my Halloween belly dance performance in Buffalo.  Charles posted a video of my dance somewhere in his blog recently if you care to see me in action ;>

Working on getting the pictures framed and hung for the Ireland show that was supposed to go up on Sunday.  A bad and incomplete printing job from Staples has delayed things nicely.

I'm going to try and post some slideshows in the next few days.  Hope I don't bore you all with pictures galore.

And even though I don't always comment, I do stop by and read everyone's stuff pretty often.  I'm here....lurking.

Copy this sentence into your LiveJournal if you're in a heterosexual marriage, and you don't want it "protected" by the bigots who think that gay marriage hurts it somehow.

Just a quick blog and picture of the tattoo I got on Sunday after the wedding.  Yes, Charlies left for State College and I went out and got a kinda spur-of-the-moment tattoo. 

I say spur-of-the-moment because I usually fret and plan and stew about my tattoos for months, even years before committing to them.  The inspiration for this "fire" tattoo came less than a month ago and I've been torn about what I wanted it to look like.  Suddenly Sunday I just wanted to make it happen...and it all came together very easily.

The image is all about personal power; about doing what I need for myself.  Feeding the fire that fuels me; my creativity, my spiritual life, my personal needs.  I wanted something firey, but also something soft and feminine to remind me of that softer part of myself. 

The hardest part for me is the location- on my arm below the wrist.  Very, very visible.  Although this is tattoo number 6, it's the first really visible tattoo I have and that's a little scary.  Except for long sleeves, there's no covering it up.  Quite a commitment, but I fell really good about it. 

Let's have some huge text to go with this huge goblet!
 
This piece is amazing!  By way of comparison, that is a FULL SIZE bottle of Cold Duck sitting next to it...

I've really been struggling to find time to express MY vision as an artist.  It's been very difficult as I've thrown myself into an art form that I really don't know well (pottery).  I'm pleased to be progressing so quickly, but I don't really feel I have the knowledge base to play and explore like I can with something I know better- like glass or photography.  I certainly have the means to explore some projects in both, but finding the time has been hard.  I feel like any time away from home (and the clay studio) is selfish and not "team" time.

The local coffee house, Websters, has given me the space for an exhibition of my Ireland photos in November.  I'm really excited as this give me a goal to shoot for and something to work towards.  I really miss photography a lot...and I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it.  I've been working on editing the pics, and it's been going well.  One of the edited pics (of the Ring of Beara) is posted above.  Your critiques and comments would be appreciated as I fell like I'm working in a vacuum here.

I've also made some headway with starting some glass projects again.  The only problem (besides time) is the absence of any glass shop in the area.  I have just located one in Harrisburg which seems to be the closest.  Road trip soon!

I know it's a bit early, but I wanted to give you all the details and enough time to clear your schedules. I would love you all to be there- it's going to be a rockin' good time!

What: Rowan & Charlie's "Let Them Eat Cake" Tour 2008 When: Saturday, September 20 from noon to dusk
Where: Presque Isle State Park, Rotary Pavilion, Erie PA
The details:
Come early in the day, come late, just stop by and say "hi!". I imagine the ceremony won't be until 1 pm or so. My plan is to have Miss Vikki, Miss Salem and Miss Willow officiate....it should be interesting!

The food is potluck, so please bring something to share. We'll be taking care of the drinks (sorry- no booze allowed), the paper products and dessert.


Bring your drums, bring your dancin' shoes (or bare feet!) 'cause I'm hoping there'll be lots of dancing, drumming and hafla-esque behavior well into the evening. Dress any way you want- we'll be wearing our Hindu best! Feel free to bring family and friends- and to pass this along to anyone who might be interested but is not online.

I would appreciate it if folks could send me a message to RSVP so I can plan appropriately.

Yay! Can't Wait!

I left Charlie at Pennsic last Friday and have been home with Cathy.  While I was initially frustrated by the teenage turn-of-events that changed my schedule and made me have to leave the event, it's actually been a nice few days.

It's been well over a year since I had any alone time with my kid.  We've been a family of four for some time, and although I love both Charlie and Morgan, it's been a stressful adjustment for everyone.  And it's certainly put a strain on the mother/daughter relationship.

The place is pretty quiet, and Cath has been spending a lot of time with friends, but yesterday we went to see Mama Mia together.  Going to the movies is something we've been doing together more often since she can get us in for free because she works there.  I think she's proud that she can take "us" out and I don't have to pay for once!

The movie was a lot of fun, and we both enjoyed it more than we thought we would.  But there was one scene that really affected me.  Mom is helping her daughter get ready on her wedding day and sings a song, "Slipping Through my Fingers" .  It's about time passing, letting go, regrets...the whole "my little girl is all grown up" thing.  I was surprised that I was getting all choked up.  To my surprise, Cathy moved the drink that was sitting between us, and snuggled up and put her head on my shoulder.  It was...a wonderful moment.  It makes me feel like there is hope for our relationship after all.

Here's Entertainment Weekly's list of the top movies of the last 25 years. Go through their list and BOLD the ones you have seen, ITALICIZE those you love/would watch over and over again, STRIKE OUT those you dislike strongly or really would rather never see again.



1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)That's right, I'm pagan and I hate these movies. 
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988)
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)    \(sorry I like the original)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler's List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Awesome flick!
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988)
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There's Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988)
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)  (Aww c'mon Joe!)
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999) The funniest movie of the last decade!

Wow- what strikes me most is just how many movies I've seen.  I've apparently got too much time on my hands!

We're home...and tired.  It was a great trip...so much to think about.  But for now I'm going to bed.  Our second-to-last host Shirley had some lovely Connemara ponies in her yard.  Here are the two foals being all lovey the morning we left.

More soon.  G'night

Well, Charlie got to the internet first, so I feel like he stole my picture thunder- especially since my pics are almost ALWAYS better than his!

So here's a picture he doesn't have.  We stopped at a cemetery along the way yesterday.  It was an amazing mix of old stones (1818 was the oldest one that I could still read) and some as recent as 2007.  This was one of the oldest ones, though I couldn't read any dates anymore.  It was sitting inside an old stone chapel structure.  Very cool.

Because I apparently can't read or use a calendar...we arrived at Shannon Airport TWO DAYS EARLY for our Thursday flight (insert snorting laughter here)

So after turning in our rental car....we had to re-rent it (yay- they gave us the same one back- and no one even laughed) and are now up in Galway briefly, until we have to head back to Shannon on Thursday morning.

Still having fun, but am starting to get homesick.  Besides, how much pottery can I fit in my carry-on?

Today has been amazing!  Our best day here yet.  And as Charlie said in his blog, next time we skip right to the west.  It's breathtaking here- the pictures are great but the scope of the landscape is staggering.  Wish I had some sort of panoramic camera. 

I took almost 300 pictures today.  These are just a few of the best. 

After we got back from our jaunt we decided to go to the pub across the street.  When we walked in it was obvious that some group of folks (we decided it was a wedding) had booked a party there.  Unsure of what to do, we were told by the innkeep to just go right in and join the party!  It was a little odd, but we both felt at home and enjoyed watching the dancing and all the little kids running around.

Well, long drive tomorrow.  Have a good night.  I don't know if we'll have access to the net in our new digs in Dingle. If you don't hear anything, you'll know why.

Whew!  What a drive- and I was only the passenger.  Of course, I AM on the left side of the car...the side closest to the wall/foliage/foliage-covered wall/lake/cliff.  He only has to worry about oncoming traffic.

Ye gods what a place the southwestern part of Ireland is.  We almost feel as if we've wasted the beginning of the trip because this is absolutely beautiful.  All those luscious, green, gorgeous shots of you see on posters and calendars have to be taken out this way.  The picture above is the view out of our bedroom in our current B&B. 

We're staying at the Aran Lodge in Balleylickey and our hosts are the nicest folks.  We screwed up our reservations (who knew June only had 30 days?) and missed our check in yesterday.  We got here a day late and they had held our room (actually a nicer room than the one we booked) and were really sweet about the mistake.  I'm looking forward to breakfast because I think Deidre is one heck of a cook.

I am going to try and post a video of our lovely room.  The wireless connection here is very slow...so I'm going to set it up to upload and go to bed (it's almost 12:30 am here)

We're off to explore tomorrow early.  I'm sure the driving will be almost as fun as today!  Poor Charlie the Birthday Boy is already asleep and I'm going to join him.  Goodnight all!

We're staying at McMenamin's B&B in Wexfordtown.  It's a small town on the water, narrow streets that are not fun to drive.  of course every town here is the same.  Poor Charlie's nerves are shot from driving these past three days!

Though it's a small town they've got every kind of restaurant you could want- Thai, Chinese, Italian, Indian, French.  My hope for this trip is that we'll find some Irish food soon! 

Of course the breakfasts here at McM are lovely.  Fresh fluffy pancakes, homemade brown bread and preserves, light and yummy omelettes.  Our hosts Kay and Seamus are wonderful though it's kinda like staying at your grandparents house.  I'm afraid to have sex 'cause I don't want them to hear.

Well, were sitting in the parking lot of the Quality Inn Wexford because it's the only WiFi we could find.  We've been here over an hour, so I think we should move on.  love to all!

Check out the photo album I posted from our drive around yesterday

We just wanted to send you a quick blog to let you know we are here safely in Dublin.  The drive to Boston was really congested, and we just made it to the airport in time.  By the time we made it to our gate, our seats were boarding!  The flight was good, though the seats were SMALL.  It was also a shorter flight than we thought (only about 5 hours) and the tailwinds shortened even more- we arrived 30 mins earlier than we were supposed to.

The B & B is lovely, though we are on the topmost floor and there is no elevator.  It's a LOT of stairs- especially with our massive, overpacked bags.  We are truly old and fat.  We do feel blessed to be one of the few rooms with a full, private bath.  It even has a skylight!

Our hosts are very accomadating.  Even though we arrived at 7 am, they let us check in early and have breakfast with the rest of the guests.  We napped, and are now (it's about 4 pm) ready to go exploring Dublin a little bit. Tomorrow we'll have a full day of sightseeing...then Sunday morning we go back to the airport to pick up our rental car and Charles gets to drive on the wrong side of the road!  Despite getting some driving tips from our cool taxi driver this morning, I know he's nervous about it.  I think the quaint story our driver told us about the american woman who was killed last week didn't help.

That's it for now...love to everyone!

This is the first.  The first blog as a newly married lady, the first picture from our photographer and friend Kenny, and the first time I've had a minute to breathe in weeks!

We are frantically trying to get ready to leave on our honeymoon tomorrow.  Lots to do...wash, packing, errands, banking, shopping.  I need a vacation- thank god I'm taking one.

The details of the Ireland trip are firming up FINALLY.  I love my husband...but decisiveness is NOT his strong point.  I think the trip is going to be a blast, and I know we really could use some down time together.  As a matter of fact, I don't think we've ever had any real down time together.  I hope we don't get bored!

I'm sure we'll be blogging on the trip if we can get wireless access.  If not, have a great couple of weeks and I'll post a big blog and pics when we get back.