There is a veritable cornucopia of artwork and I've decided to group them by artist for ease.

The first sketch is Tanake drawn in blue.  The crosshatching is beautiful and her eyelashes are gorgeous.  She's delicately beautiful in this image.  And what lush hair!

The second image is Bebe sketched in reds.  I like the way her thumb is tucked in her pocket with her hip cocked outwards.  Her hair curling around her waist is quite lovely.

and by friendly and apt

The next pair begins with Bebe in a phenomenal action shot.  Dust trailing behind her as she skates forward with a determined gaze.  I like the holder for her stakes and the foreshortening on her hockey stick is quite good.

Tanake's sketch is fantastic.  She is tremendously lush in figure and graceful in her stance.  I like the cross expression and the hatching around the saber's blade.

and by deft and speedy

The next sketch is Tanake on her own.  I like the simplicity of this piece with her slight smirk and the unusual way he depicted her holding her saber.  Nicely done with the background too.

by the sweet and talented

And my final pair is from an artist that's done several pieces for me in the past.  The first piece is a stylised version of Tanake's eyes with her saber.  I love the detail to her irises and the gentle glow of the blade against the bluish greys of the piece.

The last piece is a sweet image of Tanake and Norik in a calm loving pose.  Her closed eyes with her hair draped across his chest and his chin resting on her head make for such a calm snapshot of these two.

and by the genial and gifted



I've passed the saturation point of hearing about the candidates.

At this late stage, I cannot imagine anyone being undecided.  Seriously, WTF?  Do some damn research and stop being spoon-fed by the media and celebrities.  Take control of it and learn about them for yourself.  Start with these sites:  Reality Chex or Fact Check to dispel any misinformation.  Don't throw away your vote, make it count.

Now, enough of the serious stuff.

A few days back, I made some boxed ginger cake with cream cheese frosting.  It didn't turn out as well as I would have liked.  There wasn't anything wrong with the flavour or the consistency but it just wasn't as good as my other cakes.  I don't know if the remainder will be finished but my next baking efforts will be vanilla macaroons.  Those are so good when made fresh.

It's grown cooler here in Seattle.  There's an actual nip in the air that can't be staved off without a thick scarf and a nice hooded jumper.  In a few days we shall resume our RPG twenty years ahead but with different characters.  Interesting, eh?  I am currently working out the details of my new character.  While I will miss playing my beloved Tanake, I genuinely look forward to playing the new character with her nuances and different personality.  I can't wait...

So before I continue with my other duties at this wee hour, I'll wrap this up.  I'm watching the Ang Lee/Emma Thompson version of Austen's Sense and Sensibility.  I'm such a sucker for her works and can read them again and again.  Col. Brandon (Rickman) is reading to Marianne (Winslet) as she convalesces.  And I believe that I'd wish to be ill for a lengthy time to have that voice read at my bedside... what diction!



In 1995, Thompson won the Golden Globe for Best adapted screenplay.  Her acceptance speech is one of my favourites and what I shall leave you with:

"Thank you very much.  Good Heavens.  Um, I can't thank you enough, Hollywood Foreign Press, for honoring me in this capacity.  I don't wish to burden you with my debts, which are heavy and numerous but, um, I think that everybody involved in the making of this film knows that we owe all our pride and all our joy to the genius of Jane Austen.  And it occurred to me to wonder how she would react to an evening like this... [Puts down statue on stage, reads paper] and this is what I came up with.

Four a.m., having just returned from an evening at the Golden Spheres, which despite the inconveniences of heat, noise and overcrowding was not without its pleasures.  Thankfully, there were no dogs and no children.  The gowns were middling.  There was a good deal of shouting and behavior verging on the profligate, however, people were very free with their compliments and I made several new acquaintances.  There was Lindsay Doran of Mirage, wherever that might be, who's largely responsible for my presence here, an enchanting companion about whom too much good cannot be said.  Mr. Ang Lee, of foreign extraction, who most unexpectedly appeared to understand me better than I understand myself.  Mr. James Shamus, a most copiously erudite person and Miss Kate Winslet, beautiful in both countenance and spirit.  Mr. Pat Doyle, a composer and Scot, who displayed the kind of wild behavior one has learned to expect from that race.  Mr. Mark Kenton, an energetic person with a ready smile who, as I understand it, owes me a great deal of money.  Miss Lisa Hanson of Columbia, a lovely girl and Mr. Garrett Wiggin, a lovely boy.  I attempted to converse with Mr. Sydney Pollack, but his charms and wisdom are so generally pleasing, that it proved impossible to get within ten feet of him.  The room was full of interesting activity until 11 p.m. when it emptied rather suddenly.  The lateness of the hour is due, therefore, not to the dance, but to waiting in a long line for a horseless carriage of unconscionable size.  The modern world has clearly done nothing for transport.

P.S. Managed to avoid the hoyden Emily Thompson, who has purloined my creation and added things of her own. Nefarious Creature!

Thank you."

Clever stuff.