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This is Willie, the little cat we've been feeding for four years or so. He's feral (hence the name we gave him - can you figure it out?)
He's always waiting for his breakfast, but he will hiss if you try to get too close. The closest we've come is he has sniffed my fingers once - in four years.
Still, I'm rather fond of him.
Because I will be gone for the next week. I'll put up a new photo every day to keep things moving along.
I like this one of me and Eric in Mendocino in July. A wonderful weekend. My hair is straight-ish because I had a blow-out the day before for my opening at The Candy Store.
It has been a lovely 2007 and I'm really looking forward to seeing what 2008 will bring - I'm hoping for more painting, art shows, friends, movies, parties, travel, rewarding work, books, and love.
Happy New Year!
We had a wonderful Christmas, spending the day at Eric's sister's house in Brentwood. Eating, drinking, and playing the awesome game Rock Band with nephews Matt and Corey.
Then yesterday, we picked up our Christmas present to each other, a 42-inch plasma flat screen TV. Yeay! Watching The Two Towers on it last night was incredible. One chilly Saturday soon I plan on having a Bourne triple feature. Matt Damon as near and clear as he would be if I was just about to make out with him! Oh that's going to be a good day.
We have a few days left before going to Ireland. We'll be there for the first week of 2008. We land New Year's Eve, and my sister Liz ia having a party that night, so much espresso will be called for, although I'm usually so excited to be home that I coast on adrenaline for a day or so.
Here is a drawing by Julie Morstad that I just love:
I understand that your favorite friend, Nellie, was recently lost while on a walk to the local shops with your babysitter, (which is ironic considering she survived several near losses in France at Euro Disney last month).
I know you're sad, and I'm so sorry you lost Nellie, but I bet she was found by another little girl who really needed an elephant friend. Does that make you feel better? Probably not.
I hope I can make you feel better. Your (favorite) aunt, Annie, picked me up at a sweet little store in Berkeley this weekend, because I had a kind face and she knew I would be a good companion for you. I won't claim that I can replace Nellie in your heart, but I hope eventually you will love me just as much.
I can't wait to meet you.
Love, Ellie
P.S. I am bringing another buddy with me to be friends with your sister Chloe. I think the four of us will get along just great.
All of us Galvin kids loved this funny little show about a singing bear. It was a bit confusing though - was his name Jeremy or Barnaby? I think the first version we saw was on Irish television and it was Jeremy (theme song here). That version was the Canadian version. The British version however was Barnaby the bear (same theme tune but different lyrics and much deeper voice), and as we got British as well as Irish TV stations, we saw episodes that were Jeremy and episodes that were Barnaby.
The show was originally French and the bear's name was Colargol (theme tune in French). The little bear got around. Here he is singing his theme song in Dutch, and he was popular in Poland too, but I can't find that theme song.
I challenge you to listen to all versions of the theme tune and not be humming it for the rest of the day.
Here's what my brother Michael, the youngest of us, said when I sent him the clip:
Y'know I have absolutely zero memory of that theme tune. The only thing I remember about that is one show where he's walking in snow. Aaaaand that's it. Of course I was pretty drunk in those days...
I used to do Sketch Tuesday at 111 Minna, then for some reason I fell off the email list and kept forgetting to sign back up. But tomorrow night, December 18, I'll be back at 111 Minna with paper, pens, and paint, from 6:30 to 9:30, with lots of other artists. Come on by to pick up last minute art gifts; I'll be doing as many little paintings as I can and selling everything I do for cheap!
And now a couple of images of my home town of Wexford, Ireland, where I will be two weeks from today. We're taking advantage of the awesome new direct flight between San Francisco and Dublin to pop home for a week over the New Year. Can't wait to see all those kids who are growing up fast.
Here's a funny exchange I remember between then 10-year-old Aaron and his dad, my brother-in-law:
Aaron (reading): "Did you know that chameleons can change their skin color whenever they want?"
Dave: "Oh yeah? Do you know what for?"
Aaron: "For camoflage."
Dave: "You mean if a chameleon was on this wall, it would be the same color as the wall and we wouldn't be able to see it?"
Aaron: "We would see it, because there'd be a big lump sticking out."
Twice a year in work we have an "Open Mic" instead of a team meeting. People can sign up for five minute slots and pretty much do anything. I've read poems in the past, and we've had singing, oboe-playing, slideshows of art, humorous essays, etc. The Open Mic we had on Friday was great, with, tabla music from Melanie, A Capella jazz singing by Ralph, a Laurie Anderson song poem by Annabelle, and other great singing, guitar playing, and more.
This is what I did. I passed out paper and pens, then went up to the whiteboard and taught people how to draw a bear. Afterwards people showed me their bears and I had to take some pictures because they are so awesome. I especially love Brigid's little guy saying, "I'm sad because my left arm is small." I need that on a teeshirt.
My dad will kill me when he sees I've put these up, but I wanted to offer proof to the family in Ireland that he did indeed get up on the back of my motorcycle. We drove down the Great Highway and came back through Golden Gate Park. This was his first time being on a motorcycle in all his 74 years. I think he enjoyed it, although he promptly had a whiskey when we got back inside.
The weekend was another full one. Saturday we spent all day in the studio, making art. It was a lot of fun and I got started on some new things that I'm excited about. I desperately need more canvas, but I refuse to pay full price at Blick. Their canvas sales are really good and quite frequent, so I'll hang on till then.
I have been selling bears left and right. The bears I hung at hotel Biron are almost all sold, and I sold more this weekend at The Mission Indie Mart, which was great fun. I've also recently sold a lot of 49 Mile Drive paintings. They are so fun to do. I just love that sign. We actually have one; it blew down in a storm when we lived in the apartment and Eric went out onto the wet blustery street to get it.
At the Mission Indie Mart, I was next to Jenifer, so that made the day infinitely more fun. The booze was flowing, the Mission crowd was good, with just as many guys as girls, and the DJ was great. I really enjoyed it, and it was a fraction of the price of other fairs to participate in. (One other expensive fair I sold at this holiday season was absolutely awful for sales. I won't name names.) I will definitely do this one again.
I went straight to Lisa's annual girl party from the Mission, and because I had all my paintings with me, Lisa insisted I bust them out. I tripled my take for the day by just selling there! Yeayy for the Lisa party girls!
Here are some bears I worked on tonight while Eric and I watched Hairspray, which was awesome!
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