A BLOG RANT

For the most part, I use my blog for posting the art I create in response to the art challenges I so enjoy. From time to time, however, I feel a need to comment on life as it is today. In the Stone Age (when I was a child), the grocer in our little town had shelves stocked with rural necessities from soda crackers to bag balm. It was a folksy little place where the local farmers gathered to visit a bit before heading home from their errands, and the kids could get a towering ice cream cone for a dime. I was thinking of it this week when I was bumbling about in my ex-favorite grocery trying to find the items on my list. The store is being converted from a medium-sized, easy accessible store to one of those mega-stores where I need a golf cart to get from produce to paper products. Nothing is where it used to be, and the layout, I'm convinced, has been planned by a demented chimp on speed. In the good old days, a pound of coffee weighed 16 ounces, and picking up a box of crackers was a simple thing. Now it gives me a horrendous headache. Do I want regular, salt-free or low salt? Extra crispy or regular? Cheddar, ranch or barbeque? Baked or traditional. Low fat or no fat? It's enough to leave hapless shoppers in a corner in the fetal position, whimpering quietly. My friends and I are in our senior years. We wear out quickly. We have decided to lobby for a first aid station somewhere mid-store!

Art Creations - 10-9

This week's lovely image at Art Creations Friday was a pleasure to work with. I chose elements from Manuela Zimmerman at Scrapbook Graphics. Thank you for looking.

TGIF - Rain

The challenge this week at TGIF is "Rain",--a timely challenge since it is raining in my world and flood warnings are posted!! Street scene is a stock photo (by evobrained), little girl is from Kubivet, rainy window is also a stock photo, the window is Jen U Designs, and the bird is from Karen's Whimsy. Need I say it's a digital collage?! Thanks for the challenge. It was fun to put it all together.

Theme Thursday - Bird

This week's challenge at Theme Thursday is to create an ATC replete with bird. I'm hoping this regal rooster qualifies as a bird! Visit Theme Thursday to see all the other birds this week, and thanks for indulging me!

Three Muses - Numerology

This is my entry for this week's challenge at Three Muses. The lovely image is from SueZQue at Flickr Collage Images, the rest from LindaGB at Scrap Artist. I'm anxious to see what the talented artists who contribute to the challenge at The Three Muses have in store!

Mixed Media Monday - Maps

I loved this challenge, and I plan to use my entry for the cover of my 15th art journal. Hat and tree from Maya at Scrapbook Graphics. Map from Mapsorama, zebra googled, and eyes from my stash. Thanks for looking!

Sunday Postcard - Skulls & Skellies

My "skellie" is "stylin'", and fighting his way through the spider webs! Fun challenge. Thanks for looking!