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Wow, was it really a year ago that I last got tattooed?  Seems like it's been FOREVER.  Anyway, yesterday was my first session for the piece at the bottom of my back, which I have been turning over in my mind for years and so it's such a relief to go ahead and do it.  I couldn't be more pleased with my new artist, Sam, who was very enthusiastic about my pelican idea and shared stories about watching pelicans dive-bomb the waves while she was out surfing.  She was also great to talk to during the session, and really helped to draw my jumble of ideas into an awesome and cohesive piece, that works fantastically well with my existing back tattoo!  Yes!
So, here is the finished outline (still a little red looking, ha, my skin is a little more tender down there than in other places!):

The line is from "The Far Field," by Theodore Roethke:
(Section 3)

The river turns on itself,
The tree retreats into its own shadow.
I feel a weightless change, a moving forward
As of water quickening before a narrowing channel
When banks converge, and the wide river whitens;
Or when two rivers combine, the blue glacial torrent
And the yellowish-green from the mountainy upland,-
At first a swift rippling between rocks,
Then a long running over flat stones
Before descending to the alluvial plain,
To the clay banks, and the wild grapes hanging from the elmtrees.
The slightly trembling water
Dropping a fine yellow silt where the sun stays;
And the crabs bask near the edge,
The weedy edge, alive with small snakes and bloodsuckers,-
I have come to a still, but not a deep center,
A point outside the glittering current;
My eyes stare at the bottom of a river,
At the irregular stones, iridescent sandgrains,
My mind moves in more than one place,
In a country half-land, half-water.

I am renewed by death, thought of my death,
The dry scent of a dying garden in September,
The wind fanning the ash of a low fire.
What I love is near at hand,
Always, in earth and air.

Ahh, I LOVE that line.  Anyway, my next appointment is not until after I return from Florida, at the end of July.  Sam graciously agreed to do a little work on my existing back tattoo, adding some more blue to the water and possibly correcting the tail on one of the mourning doves (should be pointed, not square, arrggghhh why didn't I find that out until after the tattoo was done?).  I'm mostly excited to see how the color on the pelicans comes out, and of course will update here as soon as anything changes!

Does anyone know where to get this kind of tatts? It's so cool, I'd really love to have one (or some) for myself :)

after all my whining and complaining, looks like i get to do some traveling again.

i am so out of here. this is a good thing, too. everything is getting on my nerves from the silly posts on etsy about lost views to the mommying i received on Ravelry this morning (yes, i was bad - it was a thread on whether nude avatars should be allowed on Ravelry, and I responded to someone with a McCain avatar that whether it was a McCain avatar or someone's member, both were dicks.  I thought I was being funny but apparently, it was a little too nasty for some and I got a nice private email saying I needed to pipe down. Man, where are the nasty knitters? I need to stick with my own kind. I love that knitting brings all types together but man, I just can't hang with th McCain supporters - not even knitting will overcome that).

Anyway, i am on my way to one of my favorite spots in the country tomorrow, a hot springs in southern oregon. there is a trailhead right at the campground that takes you on one of the most incredible hikes ever, too - I'm talking water, shooting out the sides of mountains, pouring down rock faces, etc. A truly sacred, beautiful place. i am so looking forward to this.

the economy very obviously sucks, however. i have not had a single solstice sale in my Etsy shop. i am broker than broke and once again, unable to determine how I'll manage to get the last bit of July's rent accumulated. I will continue to trust in the universe and continue to pray, and I will burn some of Summersea's amazing incense, which always does me some good.

this too shall pass, at least I hope. at the very least, I haven't driven my car in days. Today I commuted all over the city on my bike, amazed at how small Portland actually is. I went from a photo shoot in north Portland to a class at the Red Cross in northeast Portland on bloodborne pathogens (required at the tattoo shop where I work once a week in return for the beautiful piece of art on my left bicep) to my Nia class downtown and then off to a friend's place back in northeast Portland to pick up the sleeping bag I'd left there, and now home, to frantically pack my camping gear for a 5am departure time.

i'll be back late monday night and then i'm here for about 10 more days before...

before i leave for new york city for a couple of weeks.

yes, i'm back to the concrete jungle (where i'm from) for a bit, because i cannot find work here in portland, and i've been offered an all-expenses-paid trip back there to help work on a really, really amazing project.

some of you folks in the sustainability groups are probably wondering why i'm sticking this seemingly-unrelated post in the group - well, i'm sworn to secrecy at the moment, but I'll be able to announce the amazingness soon. Suffice it to say it has everything to do with healthy, organic food, sustainability, awesome music, crazy brave moves, and a Guiness World Record.

Yes I'm serious. I'll keep everyone updated.

In the meantime, here are just some of the items from my shop that are currently on sale - 20% off anything through June 21st.  Obviously, I won't actually get your order until Monday night when I return, but as long as you purchase by midnight, PST on June 21st, you'll get the 20% discount. Your purchase will enable me to pay July's rent, and hopefully provide me with the ability to actually take the subway while I'm in New York.

 

hi. new here.. i got 5 tattoos and 2 piercings at the moment.. :D thought id drop in and say hello.

The latest of my self expression through body art.  I love stars...according to the book, The DaVinci Code (an excellent read, BTW...way better than the movie...sorry Tom Hanks!), stars are the original Pagan symbol for woman.  Now I am not particularly religious, at all...much less Pagan....but, I find this very fascinating.  Symbols can mean anything to anyone...just depends on how you look at it.  Please, don't think there is a 'feminist' reason why I appreciate that and got these tattoos either...I simply happen to be a woman, and although men are great, I am happy to be a feminine being.  That's all.  :)

Hope you like them as much as I do!  There will be more at some point, but I better slow down before I get carried away!  It's so easy to get addicted!  hehehe

LisA**