I am trying to set up a new blog for my art. Can't seem to make it work. Where is mander when I need her?

NYCity Can't believe I just spent five days in the Big Apple. I did all of the things I wanted to do and more. I went to MOMa, the Guggenheim, and the Met. I viewed many of my favorite artworks and can now say, "I saw it for real." I went to the BIG, BIG New York Public Library and was definitely impressed with their reading room that is the size of a football field. I gazed at the zodiac signs painted on the ceiling of Grand Central Station. I walked through Central Park even though it was hotter than H even in the shade. You may not have realized it, but I toasted you with a beer on the 48th floor of the Mariatt Marquee rotating restaurant, the View, on Broadway. I had Turkish food, French food, Thai food, Asian fusion food, diner food, deli food, and good ole sandwiches at the airport. I shopped at Saks Fifth Ave. and was amazed with the structure of St. Patrick's Cathederal. I saw "Billy Elliot" and "Chicago" and give them rave reviews. I even shopped at two designer resale shops on Park Avenue. Whew, waaay to much money. I couldn't believe the amount of peole in Time Square and the horrific traffic. I won't mention the not so good parts. All in all, I had a wonderful time. I feel like I could be a tour guide for Mid Manhattan. I could even tell you what bus to take and what restaurants to eat at. I hope I get a chance to go again.

Another lifetime goal fulfilled. I have my collage in the Wild Raisin Art Gallery located in Fife Lake. Yippee! I took five pieces and intend to take more next week. Remember the collage-a-day? Well, I'm right on target-37 collages. Yesterday's collage was a valentine. You can see it on the Wild Raisin website. Now, hopefully, someone will buy one of my collages. You can buy online. Come on, make me rich and famous. http://www.wildraisin.net/

Update. Yes, I am on collage #20. My collage-a-day has been going steady. In fact, I have done some extra and will have them framed by a professional. I am quite proud of myself! I have been using magazine paper, but last night I used some handmade paper- very thick. It seemed to be a hit. I take my collage to school each day and show my 5th graders. It has put some pressure on me to keep going. So far, I'm having fun, so I don't intend to quit. Well, off to work on today's collage. No, this isn't my creation.

Book # 1 Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell. Yup, back at it again. I don't think my goal will be 100 books for 2010, but I still love to read and I will still read ALOT.

This story is about immigrants from the Ukraine who settle in Canada. It is much like the settling of the US prairie, but with a Canadian setting. The story is about the family's escape, the heartbreak of being in a new country without the language and with all of the injustices. The father, mother, and five children try to make a life on homestead land, but, it seems every step is backward. The father may be free, but he ends up going to jail for keeping grain and has a dispute with his sister who holds the land. Hard times! Steadfast women hold the families together. A view of life comes from each of the children. The story is about the trauma that comes from being pushed from ones home, homeland, customs, language, and support system. This author can really tell a story with hints and colorful descriptions.

Warning- it doesn't have a happy ending.

#64 A Proper Education for Girls by Elaine Di Rollo. This book contains "Victorian eccentricities" and Victorian double standards, as the back cover relates. And, boy, were the Victorians ever bizarre. The Talbot girls, Lillian and Alice (surviving triplets) are separate by their overpowering father. Lillian is exiled to live with a missionary in India because of her unspeakable behavior. Alice is left to catalog and care for the father's museum of oddities and whims called The Collection and her ancient aunts. The girls try to get back together even though their father has banned all form of communication. Alice is not only a prisoner in her father's home, but is a prisoner to the outrages of misguided male medical theories. Lillian uses her cunning to escape India. Both girls conquer the forces of repression as they use their resources to tame the tiger.

A great book to end the year.

#63 Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. Did you read The Glass Castle? It was good, but one of the most disturbing books I have read. Jeannette Walls takes the reader back to her Grandmother, Lily's, life. This woman survives tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and personal tragedy. She goes from a dugout and breaking horses to Catholic boarding school in Santa Fe. She rides horseback 500 miles across Arizona to her first teaching job at fifteen, goes to Chicago where she is a maid and is married to a crum-bum, goes back out West to teach, remarries, gets a college degree, and learns to fly an airplane. Not all in that order, but those are some of the highlights. She is straight talking, hardworking, and resourceful. She raises two children with her husband, Big Jim, on a gigantic ranch in Arizona. One of these children is Jeannette Walls' mother, Rose Mary Smith Walls (one half broke horse) who ended up eating out of a New York City dumpster in The Glass Castle.

This story of Jeannette's grandmother had so much humor and adventure and hope, unlike The Glass Castle. It also reminded me of my dear friend, Rebecca, who lives in New Mexico. I couldn't put the book down and spent each spare moment reading. I really liked the spunk and spirit of the story.

#62 La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith.

#61 Wicked by Gregory Maguire. This is an amazing book. And not what I thought it was going to be. Let, me back up. I have been listening to the soundtrack from the musical Wicked that my DIL gave me for Christmas. I have learned most of the words to the song and can't get them out of my head. I plan to go to see the musical in Toledo during my spring break. Anyway, I was really wrong about the characters and the plot when I started reading the book.

The book is full of philosophy, religion, politics, and of course, evil. The Wizard is not just a bumbling misplaced person as in WOO, he is a tyrant and really wicked. And, of all things, fathers a green child. Both witches are wicked. Glinda is not really as good as she is billed. And what about the red slippers? I don't want to give it all away.

So, if you don't like fantasy, put the book back. If you want the skinny on Oz and it's surrounding lands, you'll get the details. If you want to know about the Wicked Witch of the West, you'll better understand the reasons why. If you want to find out about the red slippers, read on.

I still love the music and can't wait to see the performance. But, it will never be the same since I have read the book.