let's face it

I am obviously never going to get back to this blog. Follow me on facebook now. Or don't. I know some of you are anti-facebook. Well, I won't beg. Be that way.

duli

This is a Czech chapter book we saw in Prague. Nobody in the house would ever read it, even if it was in English. But we loved the cover so much we bought it anyway.

elaborate shrines

There's a small town just outside of Prague. You can get there on the underground, not far. I can't remember the name of the town. Maybe JP will look it up and let us know. In this town is a church, and in that church cemetery are hundreds of uber-chic graves and tombs. This is just a tiny sample. If you ever go to Prague, you should check this out.

My problem was, it was all just way too much. I felt overwhelmed. I knew this would probably be the only time in my life I would ever be in this cemetary, and I wanted to see it all, and I mean really see it, stop at every shrine and take it in. Many of them are very ornate and artistic and detailed. It was just too much. I started to feel weary and the sheer impossibility of the task made it hard for me to just relax and enjoy. So I just went and sat on a warm rock wall in the sun and watched some birds hopping around in a tree.

elf trio

This is one of two tree stands we saw at the muddy flea market. Ten bucks! Plus the extra buck I spent for a screwdriver to dismantle it so it would fit in our checked bag. But the checked bag was overweight and they were going to charge us A HUNDRED DOLLARS EXTRA, so we had to take some stuff out and put it in our carry-on bags. Go figure. All of the weight ended up on the plane anyway, so what was accomplished?

So I took out the heaviest thing - this metal tree stand, wrapped in a towel, and put it in my shoulder bag. Which had to go through the X-ray screener, which caused the airport cop to pull me aside and say "What's in the bag?" I started to unwrap it, but as soon as he saw the painted elf he said "Oh, OK," and that was that. I never even finished unwrapping it. So here's a tip: If you want to smuggle a metal hatchet blade onto an airplane, just paint it like an elf and you'll float right in.

We used it for a centerpiece on the food table at the Open House party. But I forgot to light the candle. I bet it would have been prettier with the candle lit.

I have no idea where you find trees with trunks skinny enough to fit in that skinny tube. Somewhere in Prague I guess.

dresden

Brigham and WGC went to Dresden for a couple of days. I stayed behind in Prague. Here are some pics Brigham took. The "crafty" wooden chandeliers are a traditional folk art there. I did not know that. Did you? Now WGC wants me to make a "crafty wooden" chandelier. Er, uh, I'll get right on that!

old photo of jewish street scene

This is hanging on the wall of the Kafka Bar in the Jewish section of Old Town, the oldest part of the oldest part of Prague. I took a photo of it, intending to use it as inspiration for a scene I was going to paint on the wooden casing that I built to seal over the air conditioner. I used to cover the OUTSIDE of the AC with plastic every winter, but it's very high up in a second floor window. Climbing the ladder, positioning myself around the AC, taping and sealing, climbing back down, going back up the other side where you can't even lean the ladder flat against the wall due to assorted obstructions - it's a dangerous pain in the neck! So this year I created an INDOOR solution! And I was going to paint a scene on it to spruce it up some...

I ended up painting it barn red and tacking a cardboard Santa Claus on it. Maybe I'll paint a scene on it "next year"!

strange taxidermy

This is hanging on the wall in a fancy deli near Charles Bridge.