We love to steal moments with our favorite paintings!

Nothing like a spontaneous family portrait that comes out totally cool, huh? We were hanging out last night and I noticed that we were all wearing black t-shirts so I thought we oughta take a pic...we are actually in front of that green wall we use alot.....I discovered that taking pics in front of a solid background makes chopping easier! Anyway, we sorta look like a family in a vacation shot, unawares of the dangers looming.....

I have lots of ideas for this shot for the future, tried to get us with a giant shark behind us.....

Anyway we all love art at our house,

and Mr Ratburn features one of our other favorites in his loot bagblog today.

Happy HNT Everyone!

Beautiful.......

I have always been a huge Leonard Cohen fan, so I was thrilled when Mr Ratburn brought home the Im Your Man DVD. In case you don't know, I'm Your Man is a live tribute to Leonard Cohen, with performers such as Rufus Wainwright, Antony, The MacGarrigle Sisters, Nick Cave and more...
But this one is my favorite. I had never heard of Antony before I saw this film, and wow, this performance of If It Be Your Will really takes my breath away.
I learned that Antony has a band called Antony and the Johnsons (giggle) If you know anything about this guy, I'd love to hear about it!
UPDATE**http://www.antonyandthejohnsons.com/press/press.html this is a fantastic site, but I pasted this video and other stuff into here by HTML code cuz blogger and Youtube are having issues...(surprised?)...so you will have to type in the "EARL" that's URL to the rest of you.....sorry bout that...if you wanna learn more..wowee, this guy is a trip.
I hope you will watch this video, it's just lovely...

Looks like I've got some 'splainin' ta do!

Kombat Karl envy....

On Saturday I bought some special facial mud and here I am trying it out. It is the exact color of those little plastic toy soldiers. In Toy Story, they were callled "Kombat Karls"...get it? I tried to photoshop a picture of me with the mud face and an envious glare, into a Toy Story movie poster but I had a tough time. Still I might give it another try after the next mud sesh!.....By the way, the mud was marvelous but prevented me from making my complete trademark smile! Haha!

Frosty car window

Do I have to explain this too? It's my frosty car window. I thought it was pretty.

Priorities

Well, what I meant was, you know, your shop is all trashed and dirty and in need of repair and paint, but by golly, you'd better be sure you've got your wheels all spiffed out! Right Logo? I was also referring to the fact that I was sorting out my priorities for the weekend...blogging wasn't one of them.
See, now that wasn't so confusing, was it? And yes, G-man, I always spike the darjeeling!

Pretending I'm a tough biker chickie like someone I know! :P

55 Flash Fiction kinda sorta but not really.....

I wrote a 55 and then I thought it was stupid so here's the pic that went with it....you can write the 55 if you want to. I figure I spent over an hour and still couldn't get it right so I deleted it. Besides, when I read it to Mr Ratburn he made a funny face so I knew it was really bad literature! LOL!

Thanks for the lovely toe ring, Logo.
In India toe rings mean marriage.

So..will you.....uh...?
Giggle Giggle!

True Confession HNT

I have something I want to talk to you about.....

Sometimes it's easier to share skeletons in the closet when someone else goes first. I want to thank Lime for admitting to being a....a...tie....tie d......Just say it! A tie dyer! And now, I must confess, I was a tie dyer too!
When Mr Ratburn and I lived in Venice Beach, we used to make lots of shirts and stuff to sell at Grateful Dead shows. We made so much money that it supported our Dead Show habit AND paid the rent! Eventually, we were hired by some garment manufacturers in downtown LA, and before we knew it, we were making 500-1000 pieces a week, sometimes even more!
It's a dirty job, but someones gotta do it! (Who am I trying to kid? That job rocked! Can't beat doing art for $$, right Lime?)

It's true. Here's the proof, circa 1988.

Yep, we sure did make tie dyed boxers!

Happy HNT Everyone!

Sunrise Hampi

Lounging in a rooftop restaurant in Hampi

Hi everybody! I know I have been a lame ass lately about visiting blogs and commenting and stuff like that...it seems that I have a life! So I am going to announce right now that I am not making any promises about regular postings from this point on. My two favorites, HNT and 55 Flash Fiction Friday give me a little pain because they are so close together...so I have decided from now on, 55 Flash Fiction will be whenever we get around to it. Maybe Friday, perhaps Saturday, Sunday or Monday if you are lucky! Do it whenever you feel like it as well! I love rebels.

I'll bet you can all figure out what I think about 89% of my day! Yes, India, Indian textiles, Indian food, Indian people, and going back again this year. So now I have to focus on making some money and selling my textiles, making clothing and stuff like that... I do have a store ya know! (Oh, you don't know about my store? That's another post...)
Heh! I'll bet you all just thought all I did was lie around all day on indian cushions eating chapatis!

Have a lovely week!

I took these three photos at about 6:30 am in Hampi.

55Flash Fiction Friday

It was one of those dreams again ...(NO! Nightmares!) ...the "running-but-not-getting-anywhere, falling-through-a-dark-tunnel, screaming-but-noone-can-hear-you" sort of dream. The one where you just know, you can't even open your eyes, because if you do you know it will be there...........waiting...............just.............for..............you!

~

You remember that night in hotel hell? I sure was glad that Karen had her camera handy when I heard rustling on the ceiling. Quickly snapping on the flashlight, we were able to catch a glimpse of one of the monsters residing in the Presidential Suite at the Taj Khema in Agra! Heh!

~

Here is Lisa Pizza's 55 about the monster at Taj Khema, it's so cool!

It had large eyes like ping pong balls, a grey cigarette nose, and feet as long as its body was tall. Horrifying, and yet some how seductive. I watched riveted, while it’s hyena laugh shrilled out and the helpless prey was devoured wantonly, slobbering, and crunching. Mortified by the sight of it, my soul shivered.

Let me know if you wrote a 55 and have a great weekend!

This is NOT a Valentine HNT!

No no, it's not gonna be all romantic and all that, because you know I don't like to make people feel all squiggly and uncomfortable and stuff like that.

...even though Mr Ratburn did propose to me on Valentine's Day in 1988, with a lovely ruby ring.
...even though we have been married for nearly 19 years.
...even though Mr Ratburn never forgets to bring me roses and stuff.

No, I'm not gonna make you sit through all that....mushy.....ok well, just a peek....

Notice I am not all dressed up in lacy lingerie and stuff, (that comes later) just warm cozies and even my broken glasses which now have a paper clip to hold them together! I look like a dork, I know!

What's this? Take notes, gentleman, roses, a card with a photo that has some sorta important meaning to your woman, and, check it out, this is paramount...a little small wrapped box, can only mean one thing! Jewelry, yay! I'm pretty sure Mr Ratburn will be hookin' up tonight!

YYYYYYY

OK, Now on to part two, which will NOT be mushy either!

I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!

I KNOW, I KNOW!

I said I wouldn't! And I'm not! Because this is how I really spent Valentine's day, and you must know who one of my other secret loves is, since last week you all met Ronaldji!

photo by Little Rita, who also loves Ikea!

I Love you IKEA!

Happy HNT everyone and happy UnValentine's Day to you all!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

YYYYYYY

I know, I can't help it! This is the first thing that popped into my head when I saw these skeletons last week. Aren't they fantastic?

This Valentine I made especially for my lovely pal, who has spent the last couple weeks sharing her Valentine collection with us! Thanks, Logo!

I'm sorry if you hate Valentine's Day. I have shamelessly stolen this from Logo this morning:

I propose anyone who is not bothered by all the Valentine's Day hype try poking themselves in the eye everytime they see or hear an ad telling you what you would buy if you "really" love someone.
If you are bothered, make it a drinking game. Although, if you die of alcohol poisoning I will claim no responsibility.

Much Love to you all, Bloggy Peeps!

India

All of these images are from the internet...but I love the reds and oranges and stuff!

Scarletociousness!!

Crimsonicious!

Laliferous!

(Lal means RED)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Ronaldji HNT

I have a confession to make. Don't tell Mr Ratburn, but while in India this time, I met someone. He is unusually tall, and like most people in India, looks fabulous in yellow and red. His thick lovely hennaed hair shines! He has a fabulous smile, and is fair complected! (complexted?)

He is also a bit of an innovative dresser, and has quite a fun shoe and striped sock collection! Like me, he loves to cook Indian foods like samosas and french fries...um....

Ok, now I know you are dying to meet him! This is a first time seen on the internet sighting of the two lovebirds, spotted on the Delhi-Agra Highway! So now, I present to you, and please, distract Mr Ratburn so he does not see this photo......

Susieji in the arms of her beloved Ronaldji McDonaldji!

photo by Karen Burke

..and who knew they had McDonalds in India! And, NO I didnt eat there, never do I eat there...I just used the bathroom because I will tell you what...you want a clean bathroom while on the road, it'll be a McD's bathroom...impeccably clean, even in Delhi, thankyou!

Happy HNT Everyone!

Taj Mahal, Agra

I stole this pic offa the internet...my camera batteries died just about as I entered the Taj Mahal at sunset!

Men making a charpoy in Delhi. That's an Indian cot, to you, betas.
(I want to make one of these, so if anyone knows how, please let me know!)

Khadi Bandar, Bangalore

Checking out the stacks and stacks of textiles that Ramesh has to offer.

Hanging out in Goa reading House Of Sand And Fog

(Notice GREEN Tshirt, not at all red!)

Me MeYou You Monday....

It's Monday and I have spent the weekend taking care of Little Rita and her stubborn fever of 103.....So I haven't got anything exciting to tell you, but I decided I can fall back on Logos cheap technique of posting tacky anti-Valentines.....

In the meanwhile, the report is that we cleaned up the flotsam in our yard this weekend, old stuff....and the dogs things.....sigh.....it's amazing how much stuff can accumulate around the yard when you aren't looking. And, is there any house in rural territory where there isn't at least one blue tarp lying around? We had one, and a green one and a black one too, a broken step ladder, a rusty little hibachi, some flithy stolen kitchen things that went missing somehow, shoelaces?...hmnnn....

The one other thing that all rural homes must have is a place where they park all the junker cars that dont run so that they will always have parts handy. We don't have that. Besides, that would mean that I would have to keep buying Ford Escorts, and they don't make them anymore.
We also have a really beat up looking trampoline in our yard. The safety net is all green and moldy, and is hanging off its supports in a few places. Little Rita takes toys and stuff out there when she jumps, and leaves 'em. So, I couldn't help but notice the neighbors peering through their curtains as we cleaned up around there, and I knew they were hoping that the entire trampoline would come down and the ugly thing wiped from their landscape!

HAH! Not gonna happen! How else can I equalize the pain of my neighbor, affectionately known as "Lawnmower Man", who mows his "lawn", which is really just a field of wild grass and will NEVER EVER look like a lawn no matter how hard you try, mows his lawn, not once, but THREE times to make sure the length of each grass blade does not exceed 1/32 of an inch.!

So anyway, not very exciting...but Little Rita is feeling much better, and now to get through Monday with a bored child who has watched wayyyyy tooooo much TV this weekend. Quite a feat for a family with a TV that gets 2 channels......

Over and out, have a lovely week people!

55Flash Fiction Friday

The coarse ropes tightened around her wrists and ankles as she struggled to break free. Duct tape on her mouth pulled at her face, and hair. The burlap sack that was her current home felt rough, her knees were scratched, and it was dark, cold, and smelled like the Google closet of blogger hell limbo.

Sorry I'm late! Blogger and I are not getting along lately. Have a good weekend and let me know if you played!

U.P. HNT

And: What the Hell Happened to Your Hair?

On my way to Agra this year, I learned that there are some places in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP)where women, when going outside, always keep their heads covered with the paluu of their saree. In fact, in the village of Farukahbad, women do not go out in the streets alone...ever, because the men harrass them incessantly.

The end of the paluu is always a lot different than the rest of the saree, as you can see! I got this saree in Mangalore, isn't it lovely? Oh, sorry about my hair, it's sticking up all weird...I don't know why. Here I am hiding behind the paluu like the women do when they are saying, "Get awayyyy from meeeee!"

Ok but lookit here, I am an American woman, and I would not stand for that sort of harrassing such as they have in Farukahbad, and I like my hair, and I dont wanna cover it, OK? So here's what I have to say to all you Farukahbad men. "Look what you have done to my hair! This is all your fault!"

Happy HNT Everyone!

**UPDATE**I have been captured by Newblogger. They made me change my password, and now they keep telling me that my password(s) incorrect! So...until that gets sorted out, no comments from me til then! Sorry! As my mom would say, "they just couldnt leave well enough alone, could they?"

Go see what Mister Ratburn is up to!