Sunday, December 30
Thursday, December 27
A New Perspective on Snow
Steve and I weren't home to enjoy the white Christmas that Dallas received, but we were still blessed with abundant snow during our visit to family in Wisconsin. There was nearly a foot of snow, draping homes and fences and evergreens more beautifully than I had seen in years. We woke up each morning with a breathtaking view of perfect white, and I couldn't help but feel more at home than ever.
I didn't always associate snow with good things. I grew up with the expectation that a snowy winter simply meant lots of "hard physical labor." One year as a joke, my dad gave us snow shovels as Christmas presents and said, "Take these for a spin!" (He wasn't really joking) I can remember many winters during my childhood and teenage years where it was bitterly cold, and we had to start our car half an hour before going anywhere, just to make sure the engine was warm enough not to stall. And oh - the shovelling! It never ended.
There were some winters though, where I just got to be a kid. I loved sledding down our trails in the woods, but was sometimes crazy enough to try sledding down the bluff, too. That took some skill, dodging boulders and trees! I also loved ice skating on rare occasions when we had a mid-winter thaw, and a pond would develop in the low ground of neighboring fields. When it froze over, it turned into the perfect ice rink. The best times, however, were when the snow was wet and heavy - perfect for making snow sculptures and forts. My sister and I tried to outdo each other with our elaborate sculptures. We never made a generic snowman - it was always a horse, a dragon, or something challenging.
The longer I live in Dallas, the more I appreciate my once-home in the Midwest. I realize how much more glorious and pronounced each of the seasons are, in turn. One would never appreciate spring so much, if it weren't for the bitter cold of winter. My perspective has changed.
Knowing my time in Wisconsin was limited, I braved the cold to do a painting. Here are my efforts from several days ago. These pictures give you an idea of just how much snow there was.
I didn't always associate snow with good things. I grew up with the expectation that a snowy winter simply meant lots of "hard physical labor." One year as a joke, my dad gave us snow shovels as Christmas presents and said, "Take these for a spin!" (He wasn't really joking) I can remember many winters during my childhood and teenage years where it was bitterly cold, and we had to start our car half an hour before going anywhere, just to make sure the engine was warm enough not to stall. And oh - the shovelling! It never ended.
There were some winters though, where I just got to be a kid. I loved sledding down our trails in the woods, but was sometimes crazy enough to try sledding down the bluff, too. That took some skill, dodging boulders and trees! I also loved ice skating on rare occasions when we had a mid-winter thaw, and a pond would develop in the low ground of neighboring fields. When it froze over, it turned into the perfect ice rink. The best times, however, were when the snow was wet and heavy - perfect for making snow sculptures and forts. My sister and I tried to outdo each other with our elaborate sculptures. We never made a generic snowman - it was always a horse, a dragon, or something challenging.
The longer I live in Dallas, the more I appreciate my once-home in the Midwest. I realize how much more glorious and pronounced each of the seasons are, in turn. One would never appreciate spring so much, if it weren't for the bitter cold of winter. My perspective has changed.
Knowing my time in Wisconsin was limited, I braved the cold to do a painting. Here are my efforts from several days ago. These pictures give you an idea of just how much snow there was.
The finished painting, "Winter Adornments" (10x8, oil on linen panel), is just awaiting a signature, and a new home. :-) I can honestly say that along with much-needed fellowship with family and friends, the cold air and snow were a welcome break from everyday life. Perhaps someday Steve and I will move back to the Midwest and it will be our "normal" once again...
Monday, December 24
Saturday, December 22
Thursday, December 20
Wednesday, December 19
Tuesday, December 18
Monday, December 17
Thong Hypnosis
Another in my ever growing list of hypnosis works.
I'll warn you now, you may never be able to
take that slutty thong off again.
As always, it's on the next page to avoid anyone who
would prefer not to have their mind twisted.
If all goes well, there will be another hypno-adventure
making you cum real soon.
LisaAnn
XOXOXO
UFC-158: Georges St. Pierre ~ " Top of the Food Chain"
Besides the obvious mixed-martial-arts hero, Georges St-Pierre, the country of Canada—for being as geographically large as it is, doesn't have a long list of fighters knocking down the door to UFC stardom.
And now, with that short-list being suddenly even more shortened with the retirement of Ontario's 155'er Mark Hominick, we may have to wait and see if recent newcomer, and Albertan, Mike Ricci, is able to step-up to the plate after his recent loss this past weekend and fill-in the UFC lightweight void.
Another personnel favorite at 155 is the toe-to-toe warrior, and another Ontarian, Sam Stout.
Stout is a showstopper, win or lose, and a real bang-for-bang stand-up specialist, but he remains at mid-level, and was recently defeated by Nova Scotian, and hometown Halagonian, John Makdessi.
Unfortunately, neither 'Hands of Stone" nor Hominick have looked quite the same since losing—for Stout, his brother-in-law and for Hominick, a best friend and head-trainer—Shawn Tompkins.
Tompkins shockingly, at age 37, saddened the fight-community by succumbing to heart-failure back on August 14, 2011.
Nova Scotian, TJ Grant, who's normally a 170-pounder, now a lightweight, is beginning to tear his way upward. Yet, while on a three-fight winning streak, Grant still remains at mid-level.
Additionally, Grant's new-found winning ways could merely be a by-product of moving down to 155-pounds thus taking advantage of a very-slight but ever-present-size-difference over some of the division's physically smaller men.
We won't know the real answer to that theory until Grant is truly tested by someone in the top five of his division. Nate Diaz, or Gray Maynard perhaps.
British Columbia's Rory MacDonald certainly looks the part of a future champ; but he has not one but two roadblocks in his way.
The first one being the fact that he trains in the same gym, and competes in the same weight-class as his friend and mentor, the above-mentioned St-Pierre.
That current liability wouldn't be bad thing in any other sport. But in the fight game it's every man for himself.
"GSP" just happens to have, since 2007, a death grip on the championship belt and I cannot foresee anyone relieving him of it—unless however he somehow runs headfirst into what I like to call " Johny Hendricks's sneaky-left hand " as Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann recently did.
As it stands, both St. Pierre and MacDonald are trying their damnedest to ignore the constant barrage of questions from the fickle-mma-media on the above subject, but as we hardcore fans all know, ignoring the proverbial elephant in the room is not going to make it go away.
And you can bet that the UFC money hungry promoter, Dana White, will soon be pressuring them to fight each other. White seemingly thinks cagefighters should grapple their own mother for a few thousand bucks.
One thing is for certain, "Ares" is practically, metaphorically-speaking, sitting patiently on GSP's Tri-Star-Gym doorstep and waiting to exhale...as they say; and with neither man wanting to fight each other the air at the Montreal Gym must be so thick you could cut it with a knife.
The above dilemma, however, between these two Canadian warriors may soon take care of itself, as both men have tough fights against two hungry lions coming up over the Canadian horizon very soon, in March, 2013.
MacDonald is gambling that he's improved enough, since their first meeting back in June 2010, to this time send Carlos Condit to dreamland in a UFC 158 rematch.
While St. Pierre, with fingers crossed—because this match-up has been announced and cancelled more times than a George Jones concert from the early 70's—will finally get to unload the unfinished business with the man, whom I opine, is easily a top-five-pound-for-pound fighter, Nick Diaz.
Stay tuned. UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 16, 2013 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can follow me if you like on Twitter at @cagestokerblog
Sunday, December 16
Saturday, December 15
Friday, December 14
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