Tired today. Saw a picture of a mean but lovely man beside an anemic mosquito--that was sad. Saw the picture of sucked-out-blood of friendship--that, too. And the job front. And my motivation. And my sister's hideous, sucky, monstrous husband. Not good.

But there are things like my bird and the spinal-column he wears with such finesse that I remember again a boy can have that, plus character, real character. There's NY and my friends and my other sister's boy and good food, music, color, and the promise of newness in newness and that Billet Doux is due out any minute from Dancing Girl Press! I love this project, love that it had me in Dr. Bird's office on my knees for all of a Sunday afternoon into evening with vellum paper, rubber stamps of bare trees and dandelion spores and fine glitter all starry-spidering across the filmy page. I felt like a little kid, the night before Valentine's Day boxes were due for school. The doilies and candy hearts of it all.