Take That, Password Nazis!

All good ideas sometimes come to a crashing halt. What's the excuse now, one might ask. August 1, there was some rigamarole about extra password protection, and for some reason every time I tried to get beyond the problem, the site threw up more password "protection."

Thanks, I guess.

So what's been beautiful about the last few months?

I've grown addicted to the site newdressaday.com, where Marissa redoes a thrift store find with a daily budget of a dollar. Marissa's talent with a needle is astonishing and some of her transformations have had an influence on my closet and what I call my "tough love" pile.

It's been a gorgeous fall, with a couple of Indian summer stretches interspersed with comfy fall weather. Who 'da thought I'd be taking my boy to the beach for a picnic in the sand in the middle of October? And the fall color has been vibrant.

I participated in my first ArtPrize, submitting for approval a piece called "Beaded Curtain" which was on display at Art Addictions and Oddities. I didn't get close to sniffing the top 100, let alone the top 10. However, I was featured twice by the Grand Rapids Press, once online in their gallery and once in print. The gallery was reviewed as a "can't miss" gem of outer fringe venues and I had lots of fun being an "artist" for a few weeks.

Skating-wise, it's been amazing to see everyone working to get ready for the season. New programs, new music, new dresses, hopeful expectations. Most everyone is producing programs that adds a new facet to their skating.

After a hiatus from shopping, I have found a new vigor for thrifting. I've discovered some amazing finds, some as cheap as 50 cents. One girl's trash...

Been to a few concerts since last blogging. I've renewed my love for the bands Rush and Stone Temple Pilots since their shows this summer. Rush has never disappointed when I've seen them live, but there was something special about the show at Summerfest in Milwaukee. The new music was a rich as their most complex hits, and although I cannot claim to be a huge fan of their heavier stuff (Caress of Steel? Really?), I rather prefer their output from 1996 - on.

Circumstances beyond my control prevented me from ever seeing STP prior to this August (thank YOU lazy waiter at San Chez back in '97), and this show caught me up on what I was missing. Electrical, magnetic, dynamic, HOT vocal performance by Scott Weiland, matched by the searing musicianship of the band. The best part was the tickets were 10 buck apiece, up in the stands away from the mosh pit, so we got to chill and enjoy the show.

Then there is of course the romantic gushing I could do about son Will. He's such an amazing character, and growing so well.

I promise readers, if there are any, that I will be more diligent THIS TIME about discovering some of those artistic gems.