So Far

So, I’ll tell you what I know ‘About’ me so far. I’m left-handed – a few nuns said this wasn’t a good sign. I’m 5’9 & 3/4″ and wanted to be Kolchak, The Night Stalker but look and sing like Bobbie Gentry. I married a giant man whose thighs are bigger than mine. I own have two teens I still enjoy having around and have own two dogs: one German Shepherd, one Dachshund who are lucky they’re handsome…

night stalker.darrenmcgavin.net:for About

 

ode to billy for About

I was an Art Director for Prentice Hall, Educational Publishing. At present, among other things, I’m a substitute teacher. Textbooks I worked on 27 years ago stalk me today – I think they laugh sometimes. I occasionally sell my art and continually strive to sell my art for more than it costs to create. I write a monthly column for the local paper. I’ve written over nine manuscripts in ten years for the YA/MR fantasy market. Oh, and I give children’s art lessons because I love their untainted self-expression.

So to summarize: I’m still left-handed. I think I’m shrinking. The husband is still giant, the kids want to be. At 5 AM, I don’t like my dogs. I enjoy creating art and giving children’s art lessons. I hope to sell more personal art. Never got to be Kolchak, but love drawing creatures today. I dream of getting published. Textbooks stalk me. I can’t sing like Bobby Gentry, and I have a banjo I can’t play. I enjoy reading great books and still love swinging a baseball bat. I don’t enjoy cooking but wish I did. And as far as the rest goes, I’m willing to figure it out (please be patient-the giant husband and children are).

Thank you ever so much for visiting my little blog cabin and for making the trip all the way over here. That nasty traffic light in the center of town is a killer.

family

 

smile

94 thoughts on “So Far”

    • Well thank you. If you’re referring to the wedding photo hair, that took four hours and several cups of cocoa. I let the stylist do whatever she wanted too and she chose banana curls! Over the next few weeks, I plan on putting up some more pics – after I rework my blog a bit. There is one pic that you may appreciate, my hair is quite long-down to my belt loops and it is huge! I read a few more pieces on your blog – thank you for caring to collect inspiration. The world could use so much more.
      AnnMarie
      hope to keep blogging until they kick me out!

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  3. Hi there…thanks for checking out my A to Z theme reveal; it allowed me to find your blog, which I love! You’ve got an engaging style which keeps me reading. And I just had to reply “nothing…give me 2 more minutes” to my husband when he asked…”Hey, I thought we were going for a walk…what are you doing?” 😉

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    • You are most certainly welcome and thank you for the kind compliment. I know those darn hubbies, they mean well don’t they. 😉
      AnnMarie
      ps Although I must say, last night I had my “I don’t want to cook face on,” and the giant husband who’s so very good at defining my deft facial gestures said, “Children, we’re eating out tonight, mom will be drinking wine and I will be driving.” 🙂

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  4. It’s a joy and an honor to see the world through your eyes. A writer, a teacher, an amazing wife and mother and a lot, lot more. I do hope you get to find your dream of having your book publish one day. All the best to you and your family.

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    • Oh my gosh, I’m blushing. That has to be the sweetest comment – I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
      I hope you too find your dreams…it’s the seek keeping us all dreaming, hoping and going… 🙂
      AnnMarie

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    • Hi fellow south paw, the nuns used to whack my hand with a ruler. To this day my penmanship sucks…maybe they were right about the left-hand thing, it would be much easier being right-handed wouldn’t it?
      Thanks for the fam pic compliment, we are a happy bunch. I feel very lucky to still like my giant husband and my teenagers – and they still like me 😉
      AnnMarie
      thank you for crossing the street to visit my house

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      • What, no way! That’s awful. When I was younger people were always trying to get me to write with my other hand but it never worked and no one was so mean about it. Phaa, don’t let them brainwash you, lefties are awesome. 😉

        No problem, I think it’s great! I’ve also just noticed the pictures behind you guys. Was the one in the middle drawn with the intention of putting it upside down or was that an awesome creative streak on your part?

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      • Yeah, I do appreciate my leftiness now. Though, I still love having a catch with my13-year-old son and I tried buying a new mitt last year and there was little in the way of left-handed first basemen’s gloves.
        The paintings behind my fam pic are mine. I did them about eight years ago. There is a right-side up son below my upside down daughter. I like doing things off-kilter in many of my paintings. I hope to put my art up on my blog in a few weeks as I’m working on a redesign. Thanks for noticing the art. I really appreciate it.
        AnnMarie

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      • Ahh yes tell me about it, I still get weird looks when I hold my knife and fork the wrong way round, but it just feels better that way! Although having said that, I still can’t get along with left handed scissors. (Can anyone?)

        Ohh wow really, that’s brilliant! You have a lot of talent, faces are tough to get right. I love things of kilter too. Nothing in the world is perfect so I like when stuff isn’t all straight lines and boxes etc. 🙂

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      • Spoken like a true left-hander 🙂
        And thank you for the lovely compliment – I love painting/drawing monsters, animals, people. I don’t enjoy landscapes though I wish I did – they’re so pretty.

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      • Hehee, indeed. 🙂
        No problem, I mean it! I did a lot of Art Graphics at school and I never could master faces. I had an obsession with drawing buildings and public place scenes for a while though in which I would draw outlines of people rather than the people themselves, it was a lot of fun!

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      • I’m jealous you enjoy buildings and scenes – I wish I had that obsession. When I do need to put in buildings or backgrounds – I cheat as much as possible and make the scenes hazy or cloudy or foggy – you get the idea 😉

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  6. Anne Maire, I’ve been looking for new blogs to follow here and there and I think yours may be the right one to keep things moving in a creative direction. Thanks!

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    • What a lovely and happy thing to say. You gave me a big morning coffee smile. I forget if I mentioned (I apologize if I’m repeating myself) but I have a friend reworking my blog so I can stuff a bunch of my artwork, writing and other stuff…whatever it can float and not sink on its pixely surface. Hopefully, I’ll have it up in the next few weeks. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂
      Thanks so much for visiting my little home in blogworld.
      AnnMarie
      whenever you visit you may bring cheese doodles, I will be sucking down water and chewing on air 😉 I promise to bring cheese doodles when visiting your blog home

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  7. I don’t own a guitar, but would like to. Of course, learning to play would be a challenge. Maybe you’ll pick that banjo up one of these days, too. And Bobby Gentry=awesome. 🙂

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    • When I was little I think I asked Santa for a banjo and a rabbit for five years straight. The family got a German Shepherd and I got a zither. The zither was fun but it wasn’t a banjo. Today I own a piano, which I can play (average), a guitar, several harmonicas and a banjo. My husband bought the banjo for me last Xmas. I still have yet to learn the guitar or brave the banjo. The harmonicas I think I can play but listeners say otherwise. I will try to pick up that banjo this summer and plink away for it is my favorite. And I do still love Bobby Gentry – that gritty voice, she’s not all bubble gummy like so many of today’s singers. I subbed a fifth-grade class today and wanted to play her Mississippi Delta tune but the Internet in school was down (class was learning how to spell state names)
      AnnMarie
      Hope you had a great Tuesday and thank you ever so much for visiting 🙂

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      • “When I was little I think I asked Santa for a banjo and a rabbit for five years straight. The family got a German Shepherd and I got a zither. The zither was fun but it wasn’t a banjo.”

        You know what’s weird? I said that just yesterday. A zither just can’t match up to a banjo. Nosirree. 🙂

        My son got me a mountain mandolin (I don’t know what it’s called) A four-stringed instrument we saw in a shop in Asheville, NC. For Christmas. It’s a handmade beauty, walnut and maple, metal frets. Really nice. I’ve got it tuned, and am able to pick out “Shennendoah”, but it’s just on display now. I will learn that, and maybe I can find some music written for a no-name mountain whatchamacallit and start earning my callouses.

        Glad we’ve met, AnnMarie. I’ll be back.
        Doug

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      • Hi again, AnneMarie,

        I just found out that the instrument is a cross between a banjo and an Appalachian dulcimer, otherwise known as a lap dulcimer. it was made by The Woodrow Music Company (http://thewoodrow.com ) in western North Carolina. Looks like they have supplies, including sheet music and a Youtube site, so I think I may have the nerve to start learning this.

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      • How wonderful – I can hear the music already! Great luck – the instrument can rest on your lap while you strum rich interludes in between reading, writing… 🙂
        AnnMarie

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  9. You had me at Kolchak — The Nightstalker! I LOVED that show. And yes, In wanted to grow up to be him, too. I have for kids instead, so I got close to realizing my dream of stalking monsters anyway 😉 Looking forward to following, assuming you survive the Italians…

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    • Thank you very much, Ned! I hope to survive to blog another day and yes, Kolchak was terrific!
      I can only imagine when 4 kiddies are involved monstrous things might lurk about! I was only brave enough to have 2!
      AnnMarie
      Hope to be back after Easter! And thank you ever so much for visiting – I’m truly honored 🙂

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    • As a tallish gal – I think shy belongs to shorter folks and only if they so choose – otherwise, I like to be not- so-shy (much to my family’s chagrin). I do have my quiet moments…
      And hello back, from a left-hander! When I no longer needed spiral notebooks – I stopped being so sensitive about it. How about you? 😉
      AnnMarie

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      • Oh so you’re one of those short people who deep underneath make us tall people nervous 😉
        I know – I was looking for an excuse for my occasional loudness – it doesn’t work at my house either, as my very tall husband technically makes me – the short one 🙂

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      • i feel tiny already 🙂 … your high-ness 🙂 but …since i like to be in search of a better point of view, i’d say we’re technically sisters because we’re both left-handed 😀 that’s gotta put a dent in things 😀 world does look at us and says ” how can you do that with your left hand? i don’t get it !!! ” :)))

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      • give the idea that shorter people are shy up – i mean 🙂 anyway for me it still matters , mainly because the right-handers keep marvelling at my lefthand-ness 😀 it’s fun 🙂 and it’s one of those things that makes me smile when i meet others left-handed

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      • Okay – I relent 🙂 Truth be told, I know many non-shy untall people…I was just looking for an excuse 😉
        I appreciated my left-handedness a bit older – early on the nuns in Catholic School didn’t like it, never found a decent pair of scissors and in high school it was difficult finding a left-handed 1st baseman’s mitt – but once I passed those years – it was pretty freakin’ cool 🙂
        AnnMarie

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    • I thank you for that. Yes, so far so good – I still like everyone, even the silly dogs 😉
      Thanks so much for visiting my home and for the words of encouragement – they truly mean a great deal 🙂
      AnnMarie

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  13. Thanks for stopping my blog AnnMarie, and for all your supportive comments. I really appreciate it. But many thanks too for allowing me the opportunity to enjoy your blog. It’s pretty amazing so far (your saxophone sculpture is a real Ray Harryhausen meets David Cronenberg mashup – I love it).

    Rory

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    • Hey Rory,
      Many thanks for visiting my little corner…
      In about twenty minutes I’ll leave the comfort of my home to sub-teach for a class of 24 fourth graders – I’m so happy it’s friday!
      AnnMarie
      Have a great weekend 🙂

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    • You’re welcome and thank you in return for the kind words. I’m digging away and would like to put up some of the old work up before I begin with the new – I’m hoping for a cathartic experience – either that – or just getting my studio cleaned up a bit 😉
      AnnMarie
      Have a joyous weekend 🙂

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    • I’m honored 🙂 Do I get to wear a chocolate tiara! 😉 I confess I don’t really know what any of the awards are – well, now I know one, being I’m an ignoramus and had to Google Liebster award. It is a sweet award, and I see it is passed on to help out adolescent bloggers…
      I will play along. You have my solemn oath, I will answer questions and add my own this weekend. Also, I see I should link back to your blog (I also must learn to do this, can you believe I haven’t linked anything anywhere yet – I’m really a banana!)
      So, again FittyUpdike, above all else, thank you for enjoying my musings and art, I truly appreciate your taking the time to read – and I will play this weekend 🙂
      AnnMarie

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  17. Pingback: Vous êtes très gentils ! (Leibster) | Forty, c'est Fantastique !

    • I’m fun, but only when I’m not yelling – at least, that’s what my kiddies tell me 🙂 I find inspiration in the stuff going on all around me – life is a whacky art flick – and I’m just drawing/painting what I see out there…
      So very nice meeting you too, Sandra 🙂
      AnnMarie

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  19. Love it. Perfect family and life. And one stoplight…OMG that had me snickering for quite some time. You must take a picture of it and post it so we can all see it:) I’m from Chicago, we have far too many stoplights. If you would like more, just let me know. 🙂

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      • Darren M. was absolutely perfect in that role. And Night Stalker scared me to death, but he was so terrific, I braved up and followed him everywhere. The monster in the sewer got me. I have the series – I think I’m going to bust it out tomorrow.
        AnnMarie
        after I’d watch Night Stalker, I always went to my room and typed on my typewriter pretending I was him. 🙂

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      • I think I’ve seen every episode as well. He was so real…he was afraid, but he went after the monsters anyway. A great show. It was ahead of its time. 🙂 Enjoy watching them. 🙂

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    • Thank you so much for the compliment – I wouldn’t say perfect though, as I’m a storyteller (so they say 😉 ).There is only one stoplight in the town I drive through to get home. On the road nearby are 2 schools, a library, banks…it get quite backed up…at least with blogging the one traffic light changes quickly 🙂
      I like Chicago – years back I went there a few times for work. I think there was a pasta franchise I liked quite a bit – now I can’t remember the name. Thanks for the offer, but I think one stoplight keeps me under the delusion of country living 🙂
      AnnMarie
      and thank you ever so much for driving though the stoplight to visit 🙂

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  20. so nice to meet you! I love how you describe your family – I am going to be sarcastic here, i think you love them. hah/lol …. It appears you have a fantastic life! Love the energy and awesomeness regarding art and creating! Us artists gotta stick together;). I have sold some art, I like to paint abstract, but it’s not my day job. My ideal world would be one where I am a painter. But I am lucky, because I still paint and people still like! I am a bit scattered as a human being goes, so I apologize upfront – other than that, hope you are having a wonderful day, and that things are going well in your world! take care/be well –
    jason

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    • Nice meeting you as well, Jason. Yeah, you have me pegged – I like my family most of the time ;-). I do love creating, but like you, I too have a day job. I wish I could focus purely on the creative aspects of my life – I guess that’s where blogging and I have become good friends. I meet vast numbers of wonderful fellow artists like you – and I realize I’m not alone in the struggle to create and maintain a living. I do dream, don’t we all 🙂 And no apologies for being scattered, most of us are – that’s what makes life interesting!
      AnnMarie 🙂

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    • You’re most certainly welcome. Thank you too, for visiting…I’m honored. Yes, I enjoy Bobbie Gentry for her talent and her raw, authentic voice – unlike so many of the mechanized musicians of today.
      AnnMarie 🙂
      Ode to Billy Joe – is one of those haunting songs – that captures society’s mood so perfectly. Gentry says of her ballad,”…the song is a study in unconscious cruelty…”

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  23. You’re so generous. Thank you for being so supportive. And as a previous fan has said, I’m glad our blogging paths have crossed.

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  26. Just came across your blog – so glad I did!! You seem like such an interesting person. Love your description, literally LOL-ed. Look forward to reading more!
    xx
    B

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    • Ah, thank you very much. Since venturing over to the right side of 50 – someone with extreme laugh lines but youthful sparkling eyes advised me to giggle often ’cause it keeps you young (at least at heart) and that’s just fine with me 🙂
      AnnMarie 🙂
      Truth be told, I get cranky sometimes 😉

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    • Gosh, I truly appreciate the honor. I humbly thank you for thinking of my blog in this light. I am in possession of a Liebster though. It sits on my shelf in my blog cabin just above the fireplace. I do thank you for the kindness. You gave me a happy day and smiles for the weekend.
      AnnMarie 🙂
      I also read your lovely nomination post and again, I do appreciate the kindness and the smiling thumbs up 🙂

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      • Oh you’re too kind. Truth be told, I’ve had a couple of nominations and feel I should just have one, rather than stockpile my mantle with shiny things – too many things to dust and I dislike housecleaning so 😉
        Again, I truly appreciate the honor and thank you for thinking of my blog. I’m still smiling and now I’ll have to apply extra wrinkle for these deep smile lines. 🙂
        AnnMarie 🙂
        Happy blogging (yep, I’m still smiling) and have a wonderful weekend 🙂

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    • Aren’t you kind to peruse some rooms in my little blogcabin. I’m never quite sure what I’m going to do each day. I’ve found if I just go with the flow things kind of work their way downstream 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comments…
      Have a wonderful weekend, Dolly! I love your name!
      AnnMarie 🙂

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