I may delete this blog post... I may not. It's been a long time since I blogged, or even, knowingly, read blogs. Things have changed in many ways and I'm not sure I've addapted or even if I get it anymore. Yes, I know I've changed. You don't accumulate eighty-five years without understanding how subtle yet sudden and sharply things can mutate into something unrecognizeable. No, I'm not talking about my hands or my hair, I mean technology, dammit! Nothing stays the same except maybe the silly invented name. Here I am on a 'Google' blog, possibly linking it to a 'Facebook' post. Those names have been around for awhile, but how much longer? The alphabet generation has mostly moved on Some kids hang around to be sure the old folks aren't talking about them... or are, but mainly just checking in but that's okay. That part I do get. I do have a memory, donchaknow? And it remembers lots, except maybe passwords. Which reminds me of an explanation I recently made on behalf of my efforts: "I’m thinking of the days before emojis and gifs when actual discussions and working through life's learning adventures, good and not so good, were followed as a family might. Before confusion between actual advice/recommendations and sponsored ads/algorithms entered the picture. Blogs were only one way to momentarily hold the stage, as I look back, I think the best discussions were had via email groups. Guess I’ve reached that point in time where looking back is more adventuresome than into the foggy future." Okay, that's enough for now... I'm on an unfamiliar laptop arrangement and... enough said. For now, anyway. If I figure this out... well, we'll see.

The first entry for this blog was on 10/10/05. On the fourth day I gave up the goal of painting 100 objects realistically in oils in order to reclaim early expertise. But the blog went on for six years and included 600 plus entries, the last one was 11/06/11 when I spoke of my husband's TIA, or small stroke. Somehow, the blog was over at that point. Life as we'd known it was over. He was later diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and died in June, 2016.

The momentum to paint is gone, but there are many ways to be creative and I enjoy exploring the options. This old blog records my art career.  And a lot of my life along with it. I reach into it often for verification because it contains details of things that seem so far away, so long ago. My appreciation to the many friends who followed and commented... you are special.

Reality Check...

Unfinished Rocks - 48x38

Last week we learned what a TIA is... Joel had a minor stroke and we never suspected he was at risk. This makes you focus on priorities in a big way! I'm still in the studio most mornings but the rest of the day I think about our future and our options. The military taught us to plan ahead... literally... when the B-52's left periodically for SE Asia, wives were instructed to know who to call and what your next steps would be should you be told that your husband would not be returning. And that's what we've always done, always considering our future options. My mother said I had a "delayed reaction" to bad news, I'm good in a crisis but fall apart or go into a depression after the fact. She was right and I hope I can always count on this trait.

So this week we've dealt with a number of things... most irritating is a monitor Joel wears for a month which only malfunctions after hours when the help number is not available. Beeping incessantly and causing stressed cursing... twice it's been put in the garage for 'time out' so we could get some sleep! It helps to have somewhere to direct our anger and frustration. I haven't thrown the damn monitor against the wall yet but have come close. (Have since learned of an 'off' button... who knew?)

Focusing... have been decluttering files, drawers, closets... was doing this in a casual manner way before the TIA incident since it's really about downsizing. The plan has long been to sell the main house and move back to the lake house (only an hour away) once the local g-chicks are driving and we aren't needed for carpool, etc. So that would give us three or so years to get this house ready to sell and the smaller house ready to receive us. I'm feeling a bit more urgent about at least streamlining possessions and paperwork that have taken years/decades to accumulate. Also looking forward to major renovations at the older, smaller lake house to make it more 'home' and less 'cabin'. My new hobby is measuring furniture and collecting kitchen ideas suitable for someone who prefers to stay out of it.

Reality checks continue... what about my career? Well, must admit, in spite of some great sales and positive show results this past year, the overall picture is not encouraging. If ten years younger I would have jumped on the self promotion wagon and would be sending out e-newsletters and brag packs to new galleries with gusto... but after awhile, new beginnings aren't so exciting, I just want to paint without the pressure. Creative exploration rather than simply producing more work. My mind spins with new ideas... some I get around to and some I don't.

Joel is, thankfully, doing just fine... the small stroke was a warning and we are heeding it. He has returned to a regular weight routine at the Y and when the electrodes come off his chest, he'll be back in the water swimming laps. I have a strong suspicion that when he stopped his regular swimming routine (he had a few distracting years with accidents, etc) his body didn't know quite what to do about it... so now we know... got to keep the blood flowing with exercise! Good advice for all of us!

Balancing Act...

 A family vacation in Arkansas... on the last day with everyone busy elsewhere, I found myself stacking rocks... and more rocks... higher and in more daring configurations. Maybe 12 or 15 balanced cairns (one rock balancing on top of another, not mounds of rocks as most cairns are) of varying sizes, some decorated with driftwood or fresh picked wild flowers. When it was time to go I quickly went around and took iPhone photos... which left much to be desired in quality but you can at least see that I had a lot of material to work with. They are amazingly stable and I like to think I would find remnants of at least a few if I visited today, four months later. I even hope new visitors to the campsite would enjoy and make more of their own... but no matter...

These granite river rocks came from a trip to Maine, the angular marble types are native to Alabama. I've been moving these to the lake house where, surprisingly, there are next to no rocks (different story just a few miles east.) This configuration of round rocks will last for weeks and there are no shims for stability...

While chatting with friends around a picnic table I absentmindedly picked up a few pebbles from the ground and began stacking.

With my iPad, I started playing with the ArtRage app and have been using it to make my summer stacks stand out from the original photos where they are hard to distinguish.

 Not exactly an art form, simply doodling and thinking... a fun way to become familiar with the paint program and I liked the possibilities.

So... I figured that was that...it had run it's course. But last week a strange muse took over... couldn't get the rock stacks out of my mind. This studio photo shows four of the six or seven in progress... there will be many variations before they find their own voice. But right now, this seems to be exactly what I need to be doing. (The orange vertical was a finished work which I'm using as an underpainting... the others are from scratch.

Advice

AUTUMN ASSET - 18x18 - oil and cold wax on board

TIMBERLINE - 18x18 - oil and cold wax on board

Over the years I've often been asked by younger artists what advice I could give them to further their careers. I feel pretty inept at giving advice because I've always considered luck the most important constant in my career. But it is said that we make our own luck... and it's a good idea to believe it.  But as to advice, the two words I suggest are BE READY! You don't know when an unexpected door will open and there is nothing sadder than a missed opportunity.


That said, I realize I'm not following my own advice lately. Have been fooling around, trying out different techniques, mediums and ideas and not finishing anything... not updating the website with new work and it looks stale... and now I've directed two important connections to take a good look. It's like all of a sudden you've got company coming and you look around your house and see it through their eyes... ARG! Embarrassing even if there's nothing to be embarrassed about... you just want it all to be the best it can be... and you know it isn't... you didn't plan ahead and... you aren't ready.

The above paintings are two of the cold wax technique I've been playing with at the lake house studio... two that I did finally decide were finished. There are at least a dozen more that are in various stages of exploration. Neither the oil medium nor the subject of trees are new to me but it's been a long while so it feels new. Whether they make the cut or not remains to be seen... I'm simply enjoying the process.

But now... to get back to work and finish a bunch of acrylic abstracts in the other studio!

Finding Bokusho History...

B.NENDO (clay) - 36x36 - mixed media

  
I don't use the elements of Bokusho in my work the way I once did, usually just a portion of the canvas will feature the abstract ink calligraphy that I spent several years studying and developing... but the muse is not entirely quiet and given the time needed to focus, I do hope to eventually work in this manner again. (Available series images here.)

I was delighted to find this article from the Japanese Times, which includes the art of two early practitioners of Bokusho.  As those who have followed this blog over a number of years know, one of the 'side steps' in my painting was time spent developing an abstract calligraphic technique which I associated with bokusho after a good bit of on line research. Google Alert lets me know when the word pops up but it's usually connected with rock bands, etc. Very seldom does it give me this type of gem! This is a clip of the article that pertains to two artists included in the exhibition.

Tradition that hides in abstraction

By MATTHEW LARKING

(...) In the calligraphy world from around 1945, the lexical foundation that served a communicative role for millennia became subject to fissuring. Morita Shiryu (1912-98) is taken as the representative practitioner of bokusho (ink images) in the present exhibition. He thought the abandonment of the lexical basis of calligraphy to be universalizing and that it rose to the challenges presented by the black-and-white abstractions of American painters such as Franz Kline.

The character for "so" in "So" ("Deep Blue") becomes almost visually unrecognizable, though it retains enough of the direction of the brush to suggest the stroke order with which viewers may retrace its governing character structure. Appending a title to an artwork — as is the art world convention — however, returns Morita's abstractions to their lexical basis that ostensibly he was attempting to dissolve.

Lyrical calligraphy: Insho Domoto's "Symphony" (1961) shows a move from hard-edged abstraction to a softer, calligraphic one. KYOTO PREFECTURAL INSHO-DOMOTO MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

The focus of this exhibition centers on the abstractions of Hisao Domoto's uncle Insho (1891-1975)that began from the mid-'50s, though the works on show are less the geometrical abstractions of that time than his more elegantly lyrical ones of the early '60s. The shift from hard-edged abstraction to a kind of lyrical calligraphy is again ostensibly at the suggestion of Tapié who, on his 1957 visit, saw Insho's traditional screen paintings of gourds at Kyoto's Toji Temple and subsequently sought out the artist. Exhorting that the world was enamored with Japanese calligraphy and the spirit of Zen, Insho's work became more calligraphic and he gave his abstractions Buddhist titles. (...) 

Plans...

"...FOREST FOR THE TREES"  - 38x50 - mixed media

So here's the plan... more blogging, less Facebooking and an effort to find my comfort zone on Google+. My plans, like my paintings, have a way of taking on a life of their own but they still require some kind of forethought to get them off the ground, so here we go!

Mist rising off the lake this morning, meaning the air is cooler than the water and is a sure sign of change of seasons. Met my Thursday paint group at a remote, scenic lake, and the consensus was... everything's too green! Well, I bet not for long! Alabama football is on TV right now... another sure sign we're entering the best time of the year! Perfect for outdoor chores/projects/excuses to wander around and enjoy. Roll Tide!

So... of course, the art season also kicks in and all those preparations were supposed to be taken care of when it was too hot to go outside, right? I did... I delivered around and was relaxing when a call came to update all work in Atlanta... they just checked my website, viewed the new work I took to NOLA and they LOVE it... want some of that! Well... that's always good news but that means more time in the studio when I'd rather be digging in the dirt! The painting shown here was one they particularly liked... one of a number of tree paintings I explored this summer. I have no complaints!

Pylon Update

 TEMPO - warm side   -  48" - 60" - 40"  -   TEMPO - cool side

For background on the painted boxes I call 'Pylons' check out this link for a few previous posts. And my website page featuring the whole series. The more recent post involves a freestanding set of three which I call 'Tempo' and feel are finally complete after several attempts to wind them up... you can imagine that a four sided painting (times three) can have a mind of it's own which keeps offering up new ways of expression. Sometimes you just have to be firm, put a final coat on it and sign the darn things!

Anne Truitt installation

I've mentioned before that this is not an original thought... we all know there is no such thing, but in my search to at least find an expression that doesn't follow a well worn path, and also isn't totally bizarre, these long, skinny boxes serve a purpose. The artist Anne Truitt made her mark with this type of structure/sculpture way before I thought of it... and in a large NYC gallery they really look spectacular! I know my slightly off-road path isn't going to carry me that far but it's fun to imagine. Anyway, I can't be that minimal, no matter how I try... and that's were the real class is, IMHO.

FRAGMENTS, GARNET and GOLD - 48" - wall pieces  - texture buildup process

Usually, my pylons are wall hung in sets of two or three... though created as sets, often are sold separately. My most recent pair were wall pieces and I decided to use bits and pieces of textured paper and cloth to build up the painting surface. This really took control of the options left to me so after many applications (necessary in my process anyway) I went with a rather simple glazing, allowing the texture to be the main focus. They received the ultimate compliment before I made it home from the gallery the next day ;)

I've order more boxes from my in-house carpenter... this series may evolve... not sure how, but it's not over yet.

The Crest...

Up in the right hand corner of this blog are a few words as to the purpose of it all... "My view from the crest of the hill."  And that's pretty much what it's been... a look back over my career as an artist, mostly high points and a few not so high. I've accomplished much more than I ever thought I would and there are few things I feel I missed out on. It's been a good run. In some ways I feel I'm still at the crest, not yet on that slippery slope that is easier and faster to descend than it was to climb. There are times when I feel the inevitable pull of gravity and time... but I shake it off with new ideas and determination and head back to the studio.

Didn't have a problem with this until a couple of years ago when my several of my best galleries began closing and sales slowed in a not surprising way. But one rep in New Orleans had a steady drumbeat of sales (NOLA always marches to it's own beat and the city had recovered and was buying art again!) So 'retirement' eluded me, keeping my position on 'the crest' secure. It takes more than one strong gallery, however, and I've always had several to count on. So, for what it's worth, I'm hoping things will change but you know how that goes. One thing social media (Facebook, etc) has shown me is the vast number of very good artists out there... all wanting the same thing I want... good wall space at a good gallery! We'll see. I may need to just be satisfied with what I have... and that's still much more than many are able to enjoy.

So... I have two fully equipped studios... lots of materials at hand... a constant supply of inspiration... the mind boggles with new series I want to produce. And I have the time to work on it. Maybe the economy is slipping past it's crest but so far, I'm not giving up my spot even if it means fewer sales!

Joining a weekly life drawing studio this week... I'll be sketching, not painting... but many thoughts on how I want to do this...

Dusting Off...

Cobwebs around here... my bad! Can't believe the last post was written back in Feb, so much has happened, not to mention the drastic change of temperature between then and now. But we won't go there.

Had a really terrific April solo show at Carol Robinson Gallery in New Orleans (corner of Napoleon and Magazine, should you be visiting the city.) Really terrific in that she knows how to hang a show and sell it! I've been avoiding solo shows for a few years and that's not only bad for the resume but also for creating "reaching points"... most important to have good goals. Installation pics can be seen on the right hand side of this page.

Spring weather had J and I finishing up the elaborate step project at the lake house... we built the first steps when we lived there in the early 80's and are now replacing them with a much easier, and pleasant, assent up that steep hill. That deserves a post all it's own so I'll get to that later.



My summer project has been to set up an oil painting studio at the lake house. It's the same space I used as my studio 25 years ago. The walk out basement has great lighting and views of the lake... have to keep my back to the windows in order to get any work done! I've worked with oils on and off and a couple of years ago I loaded up on paints and supplies determined to conquer the beast (acrylics really make you lazy, so easy to mix and clean up after.) I also have a gallon of cold wax and hope to make it work for me as a medium... but who knows. This project also deserves it's own blog post (series, even) so will follow up soon.

Summer means lots of visiting and visitors... also much g-kid carpooling to work around. August will be especially busy. Time spent at the lake house without wifi and cable TV reminds me of how much time I spend in the computer chair when at home where I don't get nearly as much done that requires physical activity... which I need more of, not less!

So... I signed on to the new Google+. ARG! Hey! I've got this curiosity that must be satisfied! I'm just looking... and my website soooo needs updating, redesigning, even... but now, off to the studio! The acrylic one...

Rolling Along...

ROLLING - 48x72 - 2009

I left high detail realism many years ago, in search for all things abstract... found that mode and have had a nice career painting simple essences or juxtapositions. But every now and then, a line wobbles and suggests a horizon... a shape fuzzes and becomes a grouping of trees... and being the permissive type, I let it happen, I even take advantage and go along for the ride.

As we travel by car around the southern states, the rolling hills constantly change and intrigue. I've photographed many from the passenger seat and have sketchbooks filled with scribbled, glimpsed views, perhaps incorporating several scenes into one. It's not surprising that I should find one of these experiences showing up on a canvas... with way more reality than I usually allow. But it was such a fun change of pace I couldn't bring myself to paint over it, as I usually do when my efforts don't really fit the current genre.

So, after a proper length of time at an out of town gallery, I made plans to bring it home, wondering what it's future would hold. At about the same time, a collector who selects art for Alabama Power Company chose "Rolling" from my web site to be placed with my other three in a redecorated space. Today I delivered the painting and saw the new space... love the assorted wall colors which break up the hallway and highlight various entryways and especially how well the three earlier painting look in this space. I understand they had not been hung together previously and the hallway had been an industrial putty color... much improved!  The bigger painting will go at the other end of the well traveled hallway on the opposite wall... they promised a photo when it's installed. Love it when they say "It looks even better in person than on the website!" ;)

Happening Again...

SPACE - 26x26

So... there I was, dismayed about a potential project that seemed to have left me behind... and then I find that I'm still in contention. I decide not to say anything here until something definite happens one way or the other... but that's a laugh! It's dragging on and I'm obviously going to be presented via Power Point to the decision makers, those who write the checks... along with who know how many other artists! So I swing from "I don't need this" to "Who am I kidding, I need this" mode, understanding that it's a way bigger job than anything I've previously done, going from fear and trepidation to assured and confident... plotting how I'll do the job and convincing myself I'm in full control and totally capable.

I'm not ready to fully disclose the project but will say that it's International... and I've fully researched the gallery in charge and they are quite viable, as is the person I'm dealing with. This is the real thing as opposed to the scam proposals that come our way from time to time. The only thing I don't know is how many artists this person is proposing for the job... and/or how many reps are in contention... this gallery may not be the only option to provide the large number of paintings for this corporate lobby. They have, however, spent a great deal of time explaining the project to me and mapping out what needs to be done.

In the meantime, I continue to prepare for my April show in New Orleans. It's a marvelous distraction from the email drama going on right now. I'm on a roll in the studio, good stuff happening, just need to be sure it's all finished and ready to wrap before I get the go-ahead for this other deal... should that become real and contractual. And if it doesn't, so be it. Spring is right around the corner and it's my favorite season!

That Time Of Year...

2010 - PARTITION - 24x60

We're coming up on my favorite spot on the calendar... a new beginning... everything falls back into place and routine can begin again without interruption.

Still no word from the mystery project mentioned in previous post... I know she's out of country but in her position, I'm certain a smart phone is at her disposal so I must assume the inattention is intentional. No problemo! I've got plenty to do and this wagon has been on hold for too long. In that *the project* and *the holidays* coincided with *the doldrums* and *the crashed website* the studio has probably grown cobwebs and unemptied buckets of paint water have undoubtedly turned to... well, nevermind... a good studio cleaning always stimulates the urge to paint.

The new website is up and running... still a number of pages yet to be properly tagged but it's always been a work in progress... evolving into as much a scrapbook as a business portfolio. Stats show that some visitors do like to wander around in the archives to see what I was up to before gray hair.

So, like a swimmer on the starting block, gingerly finding the proper footing, shaking out tight muscles and taking deep breaths before the gun goes off... I'm preparing for another studio surge, a routine that will take me through the winter and into the final lap before the April show in New Orleans. I'll try to ignore the fact that I could man a decent show next week, given time to pull in some of the better work that's spread around in other galleries. There are some good paintings dancing like sugar plums in the back of my imagination... they need a chance to show their stuff as well.

So Happy New Year... we'll see you down the road...

As It Happens...

TRANSFIXED - 48x40 - 2010

As it happens... we wait. We do our part and then it's someone else's turn. Sometimes there's a volley of reciprocated emails and excitement rises so we begin to plan and envision and... dare I say, consider how we'll spend/use the money!

The project is a big one... a very, very big one in my world of relativity. The comments have been encouraging and agreeable... we see eye to eye. We understand exactly what needs to be done. The reward would be contractually guaranteed with half up front so no concern there.

Then, a slowing of banter... then apologies and reassurance that all is still a go. But then another lag, but I know it's a busy time for all concerned so I wait.

Now I begin to think the job is too big for me. Maybe another artist (or two) are leading the pack and I find myself rooting for them to win the race. I remember reading that Obama the Candidate said that first he was afraid he wouldn't win, and then he was afraid he would. That wraps how I feel. I know I could do it but it would be a very difficult task...

That said... the project has/had certain specifics that I've given a lot of thought to... how I would paint in that direction while maintaining the geometric elements that attracted them to my work in the first place. The amount of attention I've given this... to the point of slowing serious attention to other works in progress... has possibly opened a door to a new, energized direction without really leaving anything behind. So whether or not the project goes through, good will have come of the dalliance.

Small World

 Small World 2 - 42 x 45

Small World 1 - 60 x 40

The commission is finished, approved and shipped! I worked through my NOLA gallery and a Maryland decorator for a private client in Washington DC who selected SW-1 from my website. This was the second time this decorator had selected my work for her client to choose from and she really is easy to work with, I just get nervous when I must paint to please. 

I was sent several swatches (at my request) and discovered that the digital images I sent the decorator looked way different on her computer... she kept repeating: no blues or grays! And I repeatedly assured her there were none in the painting. I copied, printed and taped up every clue mentioned in emails and sincerely hope I made everyone happy... could have kept painting forever but realized that I would never satisfy both myself and the 'others' so when they said they were happy, I took it off the boards. 

Commissions make me really nervous... especially for private homes. I still see things I'd change if given half a chance... aarg!

Dallas and Beyond...

INTERVALS - 36 x 60

So there I was... riding along some beautiful avenue in the Turtle Creek area of Dallas, on the way to the first gallery on our "to see" list and my phone rings. I'm surprised to note that it's from my newest rep in Asheville and the good news is that a prominent collector in the area (did I get his name? noooo....) has added to his collection with the largest canvas I'd recently left with them. The above painting now hangs between (didn't get that name either) and an Ansel Adams photograph. You bet I'm thrilled! Off to a good start in a new gallery. I've asked for a repeat of the info I didn't catch... I don't do well on cell phones.

So that's how my holiday in Texas began... it was fine from day one!

There were six of us but due to logistics, two cars were needed as we made our way this way and that. Our hostess's daughter generously loaned us both her condo in town and her lake house on Lake Corsicana a little over an hour south of town. We were well taken care of... pampered, even! It was an exceptional retreat and we enjoyed!

I won't go into a list of all that we saw... both museums and galleries in both Ft. Worth and Dallas... we kept moving every day except for the one day we stayed at the lake, kicked back and rested up for more. Exhausted, we skipped the openings Saturday night as we'd seen most of the work, even visited with the artists as installations were underway or winding up... kind of more fun that way anyway. I must say, the directors of most of the galleries we visited were extremely generous with their time and information, even when they knew we were artists (usually a turn off) and not likely to be clients.

 We made good use of the porches!

  The changing views were incredible!

Cynthia and Cheryl McClure... thank you so very much!

Let It Be Known...

That I can do some really stupid things... make really bad decisions... and know full well that this is not the right way even while surging forward!

No, I'm not going to tell you about it... just know I'm totally humbled by my lack of good judgement!

At times...

Next week will be better...

Did I Tell You About...

2010 - TUXEDO - 40 x 30 - mixed media

So there I was, beginning to send out folders and disks and printed whoopee stuff to galleries around the region, trying to get someone's attention. Needed to off-load some of these paintings that were starting to talk back to me since a few of my galleries had closed or cut back. It's not a pretty pass time as most of you know and my lack of enthusiasm for this cold calling process was not helping.  It's very humiliating to not even get a return email most of the time and hurts almost as much to get the note that indicates they thought long and hard about your work but it just wasn't what they were looking for at that time. Sure, I have several good galleries but seems I'm painting more than they can handle, for reasons which we are all too familiar.

So... somewhere along the networking line, my name and website are mentioned by a friend at the right time and place... and voila! wheels begin to turn. A few email discussions later, I load the Prius and we make tracks for Asheville, NC. I take a dozen paintings, they decide on eight keepers... and I'm delighted to be represented in this lovely city once again. Gallery Minerva is right in the middle of town on Biltmore Ave, near the museum and other major galleries.

Here's to a long and profitable relationship! And another toast to networking!

 >>CLINK<<

Playing Around...

 2010 - RUBE - 20x30 - mixed media

They say an artist never retires... that's supposed to be an upbeat statement, I suppose... we work for our own enjoyment/passion and are beholden to no one. Many's the story of the famous artist continuing to create well into later years, and in the case of deKooning, befuddled with dementia.

Okay... I'll give you that and, rest assured, I've no plan to retire or even slack off! But the business of creating is a far cry from the business of, um... business. The wheeling and dealing with those who wheel and deal for you has nothing to do with the process of painting other than to interfere with it.

Now, I really like my reps... some have become good friends while others show promise. But they are all on different pages as far as what they expect from me. This has me going in circles in the studio... too much focus on consistency (as defined by others) and not enough time to just explore and enjoy!

Yet, at this point in time, I don't know how devoted I would be to studio painting if it were not for my assorted reps. Easy to say I just want to play, but you don't just quit what you've spent years building up... at least not yet. Anyway, I wouldn't know where to begin...

Trying It Out...

Nothing to see here folks... just want to check if my efforts to disengage from Facebook's 'Networked Blogs' auto publish mode worked. I sometimes just want to muse and the FB community doesn't seem a fitting place to try thoughts on for size. If I feel I've come up with something profound or at least shareable, I can link it up all by myself, thankyouverymuch!

If I goof and this still publishes (Help! Paula!) don't think I don't appreciate those who follow my blog as well as those who read and comment through FB... you help me sort things out much better than simply talking to myself. An audience of peers is necessary for these thoughts to make some kind of sense.