Canvas to the Imagination

The tulips used in this self portrait a week and a half ago were on their last legs yesterday. As I tidied up and prepared to toss them away I stopped to take the above shots of their lingering, dried out beauty.

This week from Free Will Astrology:

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): An American residing in Berlin had leukemia as well as AIDS. Doctors did a bone marrow transplant to cure the leukemia, obtaining stem cells from a healthy donor. The operation was a success — the leukemia disappeared. As an added and surprising bonus, the HIV also left the patient’s body. He has been free of both diseases for two years. I predict a psychological version of this double cure for you in the coming weeks, Leo. The healing you receive for one type of suffering will unexpectedly heal another kind, too.

From Free Will Astrology

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here’s an update on the world’s tigers: Fewer than 5,000 are living in their natural habitats, while the U.S. alone has more than that number in zoos. Let’s use that fact as a starting point for your meditations, Leo. How much of your animal essence is in captivity, and how much is running free? Is your inner lion able to wander at will through places where it feels at home, or is it trapped in a confined space it would never stay in if allowed to choose? Keep coming back to these questions during 2009. It will be an excellent time to spring the great cat in you from conditions that make it pace in neurotic circles.

Oh, yes please! Especially to that last part. I love Free Will Astrology.

Before I had a bird of my own I had no interest at all in winged creatures. I may have even thought they were boring. Then my sister brought home a breeding pair of lovebirds, and soon I had a cheeky little bird of my own, one I’d raised from an egg. Many years and one lovebird later, I am fascinated by birds of all kinds and am capable of watching them for hours on end (dorky, but true).

My apartment is a great spot for watching small birds like sparrows, chickadees, and dark-eyed Junco, and I’m amazed how these tiny things can survive just fine in cold weather. I think they look warmer out there than I do in my many layers… I’m a bit worried about them not finding enough food with all this snow so I decided to purchase seed for them and put it along my window sills. They are very entertaining as they help themselves to food and bob up and down to keep an eye on me through the window.

The Field Guide: Birds of British Columbia group on flickr for plenty more bird photos.

This came my way from Ariane.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
- working on a series of graveyard photos printed with liquid light on roof tiles
- on a month long trip in Spain and Italy with my cousin
- working at the Peel Heritage Complex
- learning Photoshop/Illustrator/QuarkXpress/html/
- wishing for better things in my life probably

5 Things on my to-do list today:
- write a letter to my mom and mail two other letters
- research various costs for travel in Japan
- research images from The Birds and Vertigo
- go for a walk to enjoy the sunshine
- laundry

5 snacks I like:
- chips
- grapefruit cut by Zak
- candied ginger
- almonds
- crunchy apples

5 Things I would do it I was a millionaire:
- buy a live/work space, and fill it with equipment to enable a variety of creative projects
- give my sister a tonne of money towards her new house
- go on a year long trip around the world
- help friends in need of some extra cash
- buy a fancy new bike

5 Places I’ve Lived in (for various lengths of time):
- Brampton, Ontario
- The Annex, Toronto
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Aliston, Ontario
- Vancouver, BC

5 Jobs I have had:
- Digital Artist at a photography studio
- Photographer, Textile Museum of Canada in Toronto
- Gallery Assistant and Installer
- Picture framer
- Administrative Assistant/Office Manager

5 People I tag:
- I’ll name no names. Please do this meme if you wanna.

Waterlilies in VanDusen Gardens.

I am looking for recommendations on interesting, funny, entertaining, or inspiring blogs to read. I feel like I am in a blog rut and would like some help getting out of it. Make some suggestions please, and base it on the ones YOU like rather than what you think I’d like.

A blog I recently started reading is Cake Wrecks on the recommendation of Susie. It isn’t normally something I would read but it’s hilarious! Who knew there was a trend in realistic cake portraiture. (Creepy.)