by Marty Coleman | Jul 23, 2013 | Alphabet of Word Origins - 2013 |
Today a friend in Australia posted this as part of a comment on Facebook, ‘Spat the Dummy’. I had no idea what that meant but I found out from my friend that is literally means for a baby to spit out their pacifier, which is called a ‘dummy’ in Australia. It’s used as a term to mean you are angry and frustrated, done with something. It got me thinking about words and so I thought I would do an alphabet of word origins.
The Purest Album
Why is The Beatles White Album the purest album ever? It’s because of what ‘Album’ originally meant. Here’s a hint, It could be titled ‘The Album Album’.
Here is the explanation from the Dictionary of Word Origins, by Jordan Almond, one of my favorite books. And yes really, that’s the author’s name.
‘A table with a white top on which were kept the names of Roman officials and accounts of public proceedings which was prominently displayed in a public place. The word comes from the Latin albus, meaning “white.” The British adopted the term during the Middle Ages and used it to signify a register or list of persons. From this, “Album” acquired it’s present meaning.’
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 22, 2013 | Norway |
Inger Lise Skauge is a Norwegian woman who has collected napkins for 64 years. She has 110,000 napkins and is writing a book on their history and alternative uses.
She contacted me last year saying she would like to include my work in her book. She also asked if I would be willing to draw her on a napkin. I feel like anyone who has collected over a hundred thousand of them deserves their own napkin so I did so.
Here is a photo and article about her. I hope you can read Norwegian.
The book finally came out in December of 2013.
Here is the link to my story about receiving it!
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 21, 2013 | Photographic Sunday |
Dallas Museum of Art
Over the 4th of July long weekend Linda and I went to visit our daughter, Caitlin, in Dallas, Texas. We had a lot of things planned for the week, including some time I reserved for myself to go museum hopping. I was planning to drive over to Fort Worth and see the Amon Carter Museum of American Art which I had never seen before, but time constraints directed my choice to the Dallas Museum of Art which I also had never seen before and was much closer to Caitlin’s apartment.
The fact that the museum was free all summer helped in that decision, as did the special exhibition, ‘The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece’. There had recently been an exhibition at my hometown Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum of Art on the same general topic which I loved, so I thought I would continue my education in that area by taking in this exhibition as well.
Two Structures – Museum Muse #1
The Museum as Muse
I have been doing a series for many years now called Museum Compositions. I also photograph people quite often and frequently refer to the person I am photographing as my muse. I realized while putting together the images this morning for this post that one of my most compelling muses of all is the museum. Not a specific museum, but all museums. No wonder of course since they aren’t called museums by accident. They house the muses. And to me the house it self is a muse. I am compelled to explore, discover, reach for, secretly find, the perfect composition within the walls of the museum.
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‘Two Dark Muses’ – Museum Muses #2
Finding the formal and the casual creates a perfect moment for me.
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‘Muse and Design’ – Museum Muses #3
The people within the museum are also my muse. It is the relationship of the living to the historic, the flesh to the stone, the real to the ideal, the moving to the static, that excites me.
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‘Phallus and Look’ – Museum Muses #4
And sometimes the relationship between human and object is found within the art itself.
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‘Muse and Vortex’ – Museum Muses #5
You know how a wildlife photographer will tell you he or she has to wait for a long time to get the perfect shot of that animal looking just the right way? It’s the same for me in a museum. I am looking for the location, the juxtaposition of elements in space, of content in relationship to each other. But I am also waiting for the moment the living muse passes by. The moment when they are in perfect relationship to the space and art. I love that moment. I am a hunter of that.
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‘Muse, Man and Boy’ – Museum Muses #6
Compositionally I look for the highest level of formality. I am driven to find the perfect division. In half often, sometimes in thirds. I am looking for a rigorous balance of visual weight.
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‘Muses in Red and Green’ – Museum Muses #7
The mystery of the Museum Muse is that they inspire but they are not known.
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‘Muse at Work’ – Museum Muses #8
Splitting images exactly in half, either vertically, horizontally or both, allows me to fragment and unify the image at the same time. I love the simplicity of the compositional device, and the discipline it takes to find the the composition keeps me pure in focus.
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‘Beautifully Filled Space’ – Museum Muses #9
This quote embodies the root idea behind my compositional efforts.
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‘Dream and Image’ – Museum Muses #10
Contemplation that is embodied in the composition of the image and in the people in the images attracts me.
‘Muse and Waterfall’ – Museum Muses #11
The adrenaline of having to explain myself pumps at moments like these.
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‘Muse on Muse’ – Museum Muses #12
This moment of seeing the living and created muse so blended was sublime. I felt she was taking a photo of herself.
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‘Yellow Muse’ – Museum Muses #13
He split the scene in two and at the same time brought the two sides together. I love when that visual moment occurs.
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‘Ancient Greek And Muses’ – Museum Muse #14
One of my favorite things about museums is how you can see through from one space to another. I like finding the formal composition while seeing through to new spaces.
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‘Formal Muse’ – Museum Muses #15
Sometimes for me the image can be devoid of a human and still be filled with humanity. I found the formality of this visual composition so strong I didn’t think any living thing would enhance it.
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‘Wall Piece and Muse’ – Museum Muses #16
I like when images defy gravity and sense, much like life.
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‘Sleeping Muse’ – Museum Muses #17
Storytelling with art, people and no words is a recurring phenomenon in a Museum.
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‘Male and Female Muses’ – Museum Muses #18
I loved finding the refined and the rough together. As well as the real life muses partially seen, as if in a De Chirico painting.
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Muse with Red Purse – Museum Muses #19
The anonymous woman, reserved but stylish, silhouetted against the grey, was as beautiful as the artwork. Finding them together made both more beautiful to me.
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Muses Coming and Going – Museum Muses #20
Everyone in a museum is a Muse. Everyone and everything is art.
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Here are more ‘Museum Compositions’ posts
Museum Compositions – June 2013
Museum as Muse – Dallas Museum of Art – July 2013
Bouquets in Dallas – Dallas Museum of Art – November 2014
Anonymous Eyes – Dallas Museum of Art – November 2014
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© 2021 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 18, 2013 | Buddha, Making Mistakes - 2013 |
Truth: Making Mistakes #5 appears today.
The Comfort Mistake
It seems to me that the search for truth often times is a search to justify one’s comforts and prejudices. It ends at the most convenient location, in other words. That seems to me to be a mistake. If we want to be satisfied, truly satisfied, we have to pursue beyond both of those things.
Religious Truth
We have some good examples, not in the discovery of an absolute and final truth, but in the courage to continue the search. A number of religious leaders and congregations over the centuries showed great courage by walking the road of truth as far as they could. In many cases it turned out their truth wasn’t (and isn’t) accurate. It could even be seen as a mistake. But the best of them were sincere and committed to the journey.
Scientific Truth
Equally courageous were the scientists who dedicated their lives to walking that road of truth. Some were excommunicated, some were shunned, some were killed. But they knew the road they were on and were seeing it to the end. Just as in the religious journey, the scientific journey also had (and has) truths be discovered later to be inaccurate. It could even be seen as a mistake. But the best of them were also sincere and committed to the journey.
The Road of Truth
The truth is the road of truth demands effort. You can’t cruise down it in a BMW on cruise control. You can’t take a bus down it, or a train on the tracks next to it. You can’t fly over it. You have to walk it, explore it, commit to it. It’s a long journey that everyone has to take by themselves. You can stop and read, stop and sleep, stop and contemplate, but it would be a mistake to not get up again and start down the path. And the farther you go, the more you realize you need no facade, no fancy clothes, no money, no glass house. Just you naked in your search on the road of truth.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by the Buddha
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 17, 2013 | Making Mistakes - 2013 |
I deem it a success that today is ‘Making Mistakes’ #4!
The Wrong Mistake
Yogi Berra, the famous baseball player and manager has a great quote. While explaining why his team didn’t win he said, “We made too many wrong mistakes.” I turned that around to come up with my quote today. Yes, you need mistakes in life to grow and learn, but they have to be the right mistakes, not the wrong ones. How can you tell the difference? It’s not easy, but it has something to do with risk, as fuzzy as that sounds.
Over a Cliff
When I lived in San Jose, California, there was a big news story in 1983 about Dennis Barnhart, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who worked for years and years to make his company, Eagle PC, a success. He finally did it and took the company public. As a result he was an instant multimillionaire and decided to reward himself by buying a Ferrari. He then took the Ferrari for a spin along the curvy mountain roads above the valley. He was alive and free and had made it! He then made a mistake and went over a cliff to his death. He made a wrong mistake.
Into the Wild
The book ‘Into the Wild‘ tells the story of a young man, Chris McCandless, who wants to truly live out in the wild, on the edge. No fall back, no plan B. And he does. He goes off to Alaska and proceeds to live just like that. He is successful until he misidentifies a certain plant as being ok to eat that actually wasn’t. As a result he died alone in the Alaska Wilderness, his body found 2 weeks later by some hunters passing through. He made a wrong mistake.
The Bad Divorce
I remember talking to a friend about my divorce once. I told him that my unwife and I are now at peace with each other and what happened. That we are thoughtful, kind, forgiving, supportive and helpful towards each other as often as circumstances allow. He responded that he had wished his mother had been able to do that after his parents divorced. She had not, but instead had held on tightly to every anger, every slight, every fault and every failing of her ex-husband. She had spent well over 30 years since the divorce focused again and again on her anger and hatred of him and his mistakes. She had not let go and not moved on. She made a wrong mistake.
The Wrongest Mistake
What do those three examples have in common? In all three, people died. ‘Wait a minute, no one died in the third story!’ you say? But what would you call being held and tortured as prisoner of a mistake (yours or someone else’s), in a prison of your own devising, for the rest of your natural life?
To compound a mistake by condemning yourself forever has to be the wrongest of mistakes if you ask me. So, while it is important to avoid wrong mistakes that might kill you, it is even more important to avoid the wrongest of mistakes, the mistake of condemning yourself to death while still alive. Don’t make that mistake.
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Quote, drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 16, 2013 | Family History, The Granddaughter |
Introducing Vivian Isabelle Evans.
Born today to my first born, Rebekah Eleanor Coleman Evans. I am now the Napkin Granddad.
and 30 years ago….
Holding Rebekah right after she was born, 1982.
Resemblance maybe?
Rebekah Laughing, 1983
and 58 years ago….
me, one year old, 1956
And 87 years ago….
Late Great Grandmother Lee Powell Coleman in her carriage, 1926
and 95 years ago…
Still living Great Grandfather James F. ‘Skeets’ Coleman, 1918, in his mother’s arms
I couldn’t be more blessed with the circle of life I have been born into.
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 15, 2013 | Franklin P. Jones, Making Mistakes - 2013 |
I have enough experience to know that ‘Making Mistakes’ #3 is here today.
Why Do I Always…
Do you ask that question? You know, the one that ends with “end up with the wrong guy?” What answer did you come up with?
I don’t ask myself that exact question. But I do wonder why I repeat the same mistakes more than once. It’s not that I never learn, it’s just that it takes more than one experience to learn. Even if I can see that next mistake barreling down the highway at me, I still sometimes avoid getting out of the way until it’s too late. Do you, or did you use to, do the same thing? Why is that? Why does it take so long to learn from our mistakes?
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Drawing and questions by Marty Coleman
Quote by Franklin P. Jones, 1908 – 1980, Philadelphia reporter, public relations executive and humorist
“Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.”
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 12, 2013 | Making Mistakes - 2013, Scott Adams |
If I am not mistaken, today is day two of our ‘Making Mistakes’ series.
In The Beginning
When I was in about 4th grade I did an art piece. It was a collage with painting. It had pieces of newspapers here and there on the paper, with big areas of white and big areas of red overlapping them. When I had got that far I looked at it and thought it still looked boring, wasn’t complete. So I took some blue paint and sort of drip/splattered ala Jackson Pollack, all over the piece. I thought it looked great.
However, my best friend, Craig, looked at it and said something I have never forgotten. He said, ‘You ruined it with that last blue splatter stuff. You always go to far with your art.’ Now I know what you are thinking…4th grade? Really? Who were you two pretending to be, Matisse and Picasso? But as odd as it sounds, that is exactly how it came down.
The Editor
I remembered that admonition from Craig throughout all my years in High School, College, Graduate School and as a practicing and exhibiting artist. I remember it not because it was true in that particular instance, I still liked the piece and that it was better with the blue splatters, but because it was my first real lesson in looking at art as not just what you do but what you don’t do, what you leave out. It was my first encounter with the verbalized idea of editing.
As I went about getting my degrees in art back in the 70s and 80s I saw the lesson lived out again and again, in my own development and in the development of my fellow artists. The ones who progressed, who moved forward and got better, were the ones who spent as much time discerning, editing and rejecting as they did creating. The ones who languished were the ones who only created and never edited. The created, but they didn’t create art. At least not art of a very high caliber.
The Tale of Three Camps
They were in one of two camps. They either were too easily satisfied, never going far enough or they always went too far. Of the two camps, ‘Camp Too Far’ was always the more interesting and compelling. It’s like a Ferrari that goes too fast. Seeing it speed by is energizing and a bit scary and perhaps seeing the wreck down the road may be hard to look at, but you look anyway. I’ve been in that camp before (As Craig pointed out). ‘Camp Not Far Enough’ is like Ferrari driven too slow by a little old lady. Not only is it boring to watch but it is frustrating because you know the potential is there, they just won’t put on the gas. Rarely have I been in ‘Camp Not Far Enough’.
Of course, for me, the camp I aspire to live in, and do so more and more as the years progress, is ‘Camp Far’. It’s like the driver who may drive fast at times but knows when to speed up and when to slow down. They don’t often wreck, but they also are willing to risk having a glorious failure in their attempt to push their passion to where it needs to go. The driver knows the accelerator and the brake pedals are next to each other for a reason.
The Fourth Camp
Are you willing to make a mistake? If you aren’t then you aren’t likely to achieve much either. You might be in another camp. The one Henry David Thoreau named ‘Camp Quiet Desperation’. You don’t want to be in that camp.
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Drawing and Commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by Scott Adams, 1957 – not dead yet, American cartoonist. Creator of Dilbert.
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 11, 2013 | Making Mistakes - 2013, Tallulah Bankhead |
My Pet Peeve
You know what I used to hate? I hated it when someone dies tragically and a grieving relative says, “Well, at least he died doing what he loves.” When I would hear that in my mind I would be yelling “HE DID NOT LOVE HAVING HIS BODY TORN TO PIECES BY A GRIZZLY BEAR! THAT IS NOT WHAT HE LOVED! People like dying in their sleep at age 100 with no pain and a long life. That is how people love to die!”
A Different Understanding
Ok, so I sort of know that is not what they really meant. But it sounds like it at times. What they really meant was this person who died was out living life, choosing to not worry about the possibilities of death to such a degree that it stopped them from doing what they loved. Would they have chosen to not try to feed the grizzly bear that day? Yes. But then again maybe they would have still died if they stayed in the warmth of the cabin that morning. After all, we all are going to die, right? We can be as careful as we want and we still won’t avoid it.
Sooner Rather than Too Later
Delaying your life because you are afraid of making a mistake is a big mistake. Are you a planner? Then plan something now that you love to do. Are you the spontaneous type? Then focus that spontaneity in an area that really matters to you and go do it. It doesn’t have to be some death defying adventure. Your big ‘mistake’ can be going to a museum. Your big ‘mistake’ can be taking a Sunday drive to that small town 100 miles away that you have heard had a great ice cream shop. The point is to break through your paralysis of fear of making a mistake and go. The alternative is the scene in the Napkin above.
I don’t want a tombstone that reads, “You Know What I Would Like To Try…” I want it to say, “I made the best mistakes EVER!”
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by Tallulah Bankhead, 1902-1968, American actress
She was a great source of quotes in Hollywood. She also said,
“It’s the good girls who keep diaries, the bad girls never have time.”
“I will come make love to you at 5 o’clock. If I am late, start without me.”
“I am as pure as the driven slush.”
Ms. Bankhead at Finocchio’s with female impersonators
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If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 10, 2013 | Bodyless Ghirl Ghosts - 2012-2013 |
Last we saw of the bodyless ghirl ghosts they were hiding under towels in a women’s locker room. This is what happened next.
Curious Angelica and Mischievous Kimber
After all the women left the locker room the bodyless ghirl ghosts played in the showers, getting wet and zooming through the locker room. They sprayed water everywhere as they went. This, by the way, is the reason you see big mysterious puddles in locker rooms when no one has been around.
Angelica, the curious one, went out around the corner and found a funny looking wooden door that was slightly ajar. She slipped through the opening and found herself inside a small room all made of wood. It had benches at different levels and had what looked like a box of rocks on the wall. It was warm inside and she dried off pretty quickly.
She flew back to the rest of the bodyless ghirl ghosts and told them they about the funny wood room and followed her back inside. Kimber, the mischievous one, stayed outside and when all of them were in she flew up against the door really hard, pushing it closed. Immediately the light went on in the room as all the bodyless ghirl ghosts looked out the window in the door at Kimber. They all laughed, thinking it was pretty funny. They enjoyed the heat and dried off very quickly.
Meanwhile Kimber decided to go check out the men’s locker room, knowing the water polo team was done practicing and were changing clothes.
The Heat
While Kimber went off to ogle the Water Polo team the bodyless ghirl ghosts were starting to get hot. It turns out none of them had ever been in a sauna before. When the door had closed it activated the heater and the rocks were now starting to glow red with heat.
They were starting to shrivel. While alive people shrivel when they are in water, bodyless ghirl ghosts plump up when they get wet and the shrivel a bit when they are dry. They can really shrivel a LOT when they get too hot. This is what was happening now. The all pressed up against the window yelling for Kimber to come back. She couldn’t hear them.
The Water Polo Team
Kimber meanwhile was being very naughty zooming all around trying to get a good look at the boys in all their glory. She hadn’t seen many boys while she was alive, having been raised in a convent. She was amused by the boys because some seemed to really like showing off their bodies and others were trying to hide them. She wasn’t sure why this was so. In spite of her confusion she couldn’t wait to tell the other bodyless ghirl ghosts all about the boys and what they looked like naked. They would be so jealous.
The Angry Prunes
She finally decided to go back to find the other bodyless ghirl ghosts, thinking it odd they had not already caught up to her. When she returned she laughed at all the bodyless ghirl ghosts pressed up against the window screaming because they looked like little angry prunes. She smashed into the red button on the outside of the wood door and it popped open. The bodyless ghirl ghosts streamed out, gasping for air.
The Showing Off
They all yelled at Kimber, head butting her (that’s the only type of butting they can do since they don’t have real butts) and calling her names. She didn’t know what the big deal was, plus for once she looked better than they did and so in her mind it was worth it. She told them about the Water Polo team and her questions about their behavior and their anatomy. The bodyless ghirl ghosts decided they had to see for themselves and so they all flew back into the boys locker room. They ogled for quite a while, paying particular attention to the team captain who was showing off the most.
The bodyless ghirl ghosts had to go back to the hotel and take cold showers after that.
The End
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Click in the series drop down menu on the right and pick ‘Bodyless Ghirl Ghosts’ to see and read the rest of the adventures.
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 9, 2013 | Illustrated Short Stories, Quote Authors |
While I was in Dallas this past weekend I went to a bookstore late at night. I once again found a person sitting still who would be a good subject. I drew her in my sketchbook instead of on a napkin. This time I wasn’t able to meet her as she left quickly while I was barely started on the drawing. Instead I made up a story.
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The Realizing Woman
Chapter 1
Her laptop was dead so she borrowed her boyfriend’s computer to go to the bookstore and study.
Chapter 2
She finished studying and started rummaging around her boyfriend’s computer. She found a folder inside a folder inside a folder titled with her name. She opened the folder.
Chapter 3
She saw files titled with her name. She double clicked on one and when it opened it was a photo of herself nude from 10 years before, when she was 19, before she knew her boyfriend. She had never shown the photos to him or ever told him about the photo shoot she had done.
Chapter 4
She looked at the photo, and a number of others he had from the same shoot, for a long time. She was angry. She was angry that she had let herself go and no longer had that same great physique.
Chapter 5
She left the bookstore, went to her boyfriend’s house and dropped off the computer. She thanked him, broke up with him and left.
Chapter 6
She went home, stripped to her bra and panties, took a photo of herself in the bathroom mirror and titled it ‘Day One – Before’. She then got into her running shorts and tank top and went out the door. She ran 8 miles in her neighborhood, finishing at 1 am.
Chapter 7
She got home, stripped down again and took another photo, titling it ‘Day One – After’. She repeated this every day for the next 9 months.
Chapter 8
She posted her before and after photos, all 9 months worth, online as a video montage. It went viral. She became a world renowned personal trainer with videos, a workout clothing line, and fitness equipment for sale.
The End
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Drawing and short short story by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 8, 2013 | Travel Napkins |
Early Morning Practice
As is my practice when traveling, I try to get out early to a coffee shop of some sort to draw, read, or write before the rest of my family is up and about. On the day after Independence Day I walked over to a local Starbucks for my venti size Cafe Mocha. This woman was deep into her work and I, thinking she would likely be there for a while and I could get a good drawing in, sat down at the table next to her. I couldn’t see her face because of her hair hanging down and that added a technical element to the drawing challenge I liked.
How I make my Drawing Decisions
The only real movement she made was to lean forward closer to the laptop screen or further back. I drew her hair, hoodie and body first, leaving her face and it’s angle until I was sure I could get it right. The hoodie actually had a couple stripes down the arms but I didn’t like the idea of breaking up the lines with more lines so I didn’t include them. Her skirt was a print with very light and delicate flowers. I know I could get the colors right even if I couldn’t get the flowers in detail so I went with dots of colors.
She had on a ankle bracelet that I wanted to include but I didn’t really like where it fell on her leg, feeling it looks a bit too much like a sock top or a tattoo. I really liked her little container of watermelon and made sure to include that. She had a book on top of it which I thought might make it harder to recognize as a container if I added the book on top but I did it anyway, just another challenge. I finally committed to drawing her profile at a certain angle behind the hair. I felt like I got it right though the neck line from the chin probably could have been just a tad bit farther to the left.
I tried a number of different markers for shading, experimenting with layering a slightly darker shade of whatever color I had used. That worked somewhat but it wasn’t really dark enough so I eventually used my go-to color for shading, Prismacolor Celadon Green.
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Reference and Record
I took a photo just in case I didn’t have a chance to finish the drawing and wanted some later reference.
Reference Photo
I usually like to show the drawings I do of strangers to them if possible. She started folding paper into little rectangles and tearing them apart. She then proceeded to make what looked like spelling test cards. I noticed she had a couple big words on her screen and I got the impression she might be studying English, perhaps not speaking it at all. I wasn’t sure if I should approach her or not because of that but I decided I would.
Esther at Starbucks
It turned out she spoke English perfectly and was happy to see the drawing. I gave her my card and told her to email me so I could send her a copy of it. I also told her to come to the blog in a few days and I would have it up for all to enjoy. Let’s hope she does. Esther, if you do, leave a comment, ok?
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Drawing, photos and story by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 4, 2013 | Independence Day |
Here is my self-test of patriotism. These statements are how I know I am living up to the ideals of our founders.
- When I understand that America is not only for people like me.
- When I understand that I am free to judge on the content of character, but not the color of skin or the gender of the body or the inclinations of love and attraction or the ability to do what others can do, or one’s upbringing or station in life.
- When I understand that each individual has the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, whether I like their versions of those things or not.
- When I understand we have a right to be free and pursue our dreams but NOT at the expense and destruction of our towns, coastlines, rivers, oceans, land, air or people.
- When I understand we have an absolute right to protect ourselves from those who wish or do us harm, or whose actions unknowingly cause us harm, from outside or inside our country, from individuals or corporations.
- When I understand with gratefulness and humility that many people, now and in the past, have found it necessary to do something they hate doing, namely killing other people, and in turn sometimes getting killed and wounded themselves, to protect these rights and to protect me.
- When I understand that hating another country or another people will not now, or ever, create a safe environment for me and mine.
- When I understand that civil discourse and transitions among people and governing authorities who disagree is essential and positive, leading to good governance and progress.
- When I understand and stand up for true religious freedom, knowing that my religion (or lack of) is not the religion of the country, no matter how large and powerful it is, and no matter how many believe as I do.
- When I understand that America is me and what I do with my life.
That is my test for myself.
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 3, 2013 | Illustrated Short Stories, Independence Day |
A Short Short Story
Chapter 1
Her parents were communists who died before she came from Russia. She came to America when she was 23 because she found a husband on an internet dating site. He was bad and hit her once. She had learned boxing in Russia and beat the snot out of him. Then she left him.
Chapter 2
She worked hard, went to school, saved her money. She worked as an eyebrow model while she was in school, then as a railroad worker while she traveled the country, and then a psychiatrist in Boise. That year she became a US citizen, bought a cute little hat and went to celebrate the 4th.
Chapter 3
Someone took a photo of her that day and she had it put in a beautiful yellow frame she brought from Russia that had belonged to her grandmother.
The End
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Drawing and story by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 2, 2013 | Uncategorized |
Why Not Argue?
I am not a fatalist. I do not believe that most things are set in stone, inevitable. I believe we have the power to change things, change ourselves, change our future. But…
I remember when Kathy, my first wife, and I were going through the last spasms of our marriage. We had marriage counseling, relationship retreats and spiritual regeneration weekends. We had conversation after conversations after conversation about our marriage, ourselves, each other, our personalities, our dreams for the future, etc. She was the one considering a divorce but she said many times that just because she was considering it did not mean it was inevitable.
The Optimist
At one point I went to a counselor and she went to the first meeting with me. After the therapist met and talked with both of us I had a solo meeting with him. I talked a lot about how to save the marriage. He listened for a while but stopped me pretty soon and said he did not really want to talk about that. He wanted to talk about what I was going to do if the divorce did happen. What was I going to do to make sure I remained healthy in mind, spirit and body? What did my future as a single parent, as a single adult, look like? We talked about all that but it pissed me off because I felt like he was not allowing that the possibility existed that the divorce may not happen.
Not long after, we got divorced. Then I understood. He saw what I couldn’t or wouldn’t. He saw that Kathy had made up her mind, that the divorce was going to happen and I was not going to be able to stop it. He was guiding me to what he knew was going to be my inevitable life, not indulging me in a fantasy about my hoped for life.
The Realist
I am by no means a fatalist in my own life or in the lives of others. But what I am now more than I used to be is a realist. I know there does come a time when you have to bow to the inevitable. It is hard to do but the alternative is to escape reality, and escaping reality never ends well. Whether it’s drinking yourself silly, going on a control-freak rampage, or slipping into irrational psychosis or neurosis, escaping reality does not change the reality (except to make it worse) nor does it solve any problems you are going to have in your new reality.
Face It
So, as hard as it is, the only true path to take is directly into the path of the inevitable. It does not mean you do not look at the alternative paths into the future, but you accept when paths are closed and you choose from the paths that remain open to you.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jul 1, 2013 | Mermaids |
The Virgin Mermaid
I did a Mermaid series back in 2012. When I went to St. John in the US Virgin Islands in June I was inspired to draw a mermaid again after going snorkeling in the clear blue waters and meeting one.
The Mermaid knew who I was, which I found funny. She said that I am very famous in the mermaid world because of the very accurate drawings I have been doing of mermaids over the past years. She said my Arctic Mermaid drawing was particularly accurate.
Yes, she is a virgin, which she said is a source of endless jokes since she is named Virginia and is from the Virgin Islands. She is tired of the jokes and wants to find a nice Merman to settle down with. She also said red is not her natural hair color, that she swims within the red coral to get it to that hue.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
Model is Virginia, a real mermaid
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Here are the other mermaids
- The Virgin Mermaid
- The Night of Mermaids
- The Modest Mermaid
- The Arctic Mermaid
- The Lake Mermaid
- The River Mermaid
- The Fearful Mermaid
- The Influencer Mermaid
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 30, 2013 | Series |
Since we’ve reached the year’s halfway point I thought I would spend the next few Sundays sharing links to Napkin series I have done so far in 2013.
It really stimulates me to create new drawings when I get real and honest stories about your own experiences regarding the topic at hand. It also helps others to read your stories too! (Check out the ‘Women Judging Women’ series if you don’t believe me). So take the opportunity to let your Napkin Kin know what you think!
First Up – TAKE YOUR MEDICINE!
I started the series because of a conversation about medicine and fun and I came up with this cool quote.
Click in the drawing to go to the series
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Next Up: Body Image
I started this series right at the beginning of 2013 … and promptly forgot about it after one drawing. But when I revisited the drawing it reminded me of the topic and I continued with 3 more images.
Click on the image to go to the series.
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Now on to: What Science Is
My daughter Rebekah, a neuroscience Ph.D. candidate, came to visit. The visit prompted me to do this series talking about what science is and what it is not.
Click on the image to go to the series.
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Welcome to: Public Relations!
I went to a social media shopping conference in May and did a Public Relations/Marketing series in anticipation of going.
Click in the drawing to go to the series.
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And finally for today: Branding
After I got back from the conference I did another three-part series, this one on Branding.
Click on the drawing to go to the series.
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Next week:
Women vs Men
Birthdays
Compliments and their Complications
Meh Meh Mediocrity
The Ideal
You can, of course, go to see them now if you would like. They are in the series drop down menu in the sidebar.
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 28, 2013 | Women Judging Women - 2013 |
The Day Before Cancer – A Short Short Story
One day these two women judged each other mercilessly. The next day they both went to the doctor and found out they had cancer. They both died within a year. The end.
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Drawing and Short Short Story by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 27, 2013 | Women Judging Women - 2013 |
Questions Arise
I went looking under ‘women judging women’ to see what might be out in the world. These are some of the compelling images and articles I discovered.
The question I have after viewing and reading these blogs is this:
Where do you say your own judgment comes from, you or elsewhere?
What labels do you put on women’s bodies and style?
When is judgment good and proper and when is it not?
I am sure you will have more questions that come up. Chime in with your insights and opinions, your Napkin Kin want to know.
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From April on a Weight Watchers Blog
From Kim Shannon in the ‘Everyday Family’ blog
From Sarah of Rainbow Reverie (she does not agree with this photo’s message)
From Linda Franklin of The Real Cougar Woman
From Ann of the ‘Imperfect Woman’
From Jessica Wakeman of The Frisky
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What do you think?
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 25, 2013 | Caitlin Reynolds, Women Judging Women - 2013 |
Women being judged happens in so many ways. What do you think of this story?
OOOOOOOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plains…
My wife and I were walking with our adult daughter in a very stiff Oklahoma wind yesterday morning. We were in the city and the canyons of tall buildings were creating the funnel effect, making the wind whip even stronger than the 25 mph it was probably going. She was in a nice conservative dress that laid a few inches above the knee, her hair was long and loose because she had just had it cut and colored and had to let it be down for the day so it wouldn’t kink. As we leaned into the wind she tried to hold on to her hair, her dress, and her purse. She was barely holding her dress down, her hair was blowing everywhere and her purse wasn’t far from take off. She was holding everything as tight as she could because this had happened in this exact same spot about a year earlier as well. In that case the wind had grabbed her dress right as she got out of the car. Luckily Linda and I were right behind her so the resulting ballooning was obscured to anyone who might have been looking. She also had told us that she had the same thing happen at an outdoor wedding just a week before.
It Sucks Being a Woman Sometimes!
As we continued walking and she continued to fight the wind she gave a loud huff and in a moment of frustration simply said, “It sucks being a woman sometimes!” She was referring to the present circumstances of course, but I also got the feeling she was expanding that statement out to other areas of being female as well.
Does it?
What about you? Do you have areas of suckiness as a woman? Have you been able to modify your life so that suckiness is reduced or has disappeared? Or maybe you don’t think it sucks?
Tell the Napkin Kin community about your experiences and opinions.
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Drawing and story by Marty Coleman, Inspired by Caitlin Reynolds
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 24, 2013 | Products |
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If people ask me what I do and I am being cheeky (and want to make them say ‘WTF’ to themselves) I simply tell them I draw on napkins. If they get to know me they will find out I also write, photograph, consult, travel, speak, and coach. But they may not know I also am the Energizer Bunny using Energizer headlights,
Doing things like this:
This is the scene of me fixing the washing machine for the second time in 2 months. It was not fun. That motor there? It weighs 250 lbs. Really. I dropped it on my finger at one point. That hurt. I had to balance that motor, the flashlight and and a screwdriver at the same time. And I had to figure out how to clip it on while doing that.
I also do things like this:
This is me fixing the garbage disposal for the 6th or 10th time. I forget which. Luckily it’s not a terribly hard fix, just a hex wrench in the middle, a little stiff tug and it’s done. But that isn’t as easy to do as one might think in the dark. Enter in the Energizer headlight. I love my bright headlights. I have used specialty ones for running but I didn’t have a general one for use around the house. After doing the washing machine without a headlight I went to Wal-Mart and got one right away just in case I had to take it all apart a third time! Luckily I had it for under the sink.
And for this:
This is me behind my desktop computer switching out some USB cables. I have 987 cables back there (at least) and it is not easy to follow them. But it would be impossible without a good headlight. It’s makes life easier, no doubt. I bet George Washington would like Energizer headlights. They had a 3 LED beam headlights and a 6 LED beam headlights. I chose the 3 LED because I thought the 6 version would blind my wife if I looked her way while trying to light my way.
And seeing as it’s Oklahoma, you know where we need one of these, right?
In here:
This is our storm shelter we had installed last year. We supplied it with storm survival stuff this spring, including work flashlight, lamps and night headlight, all from Energizer.
We are prepared in that storm shelter with TV, radio, electricity (if it doesn’t go out) food, water, a fan and more. We even have a dog food and a bowl for dog water just in case we have to live in there for a while. Lights though lead the way in important stuff to have to light my way!
And of course, since I am a runner, I knew no matter what else I was going to use the night headlight for, I was going to use it for some late night or early morning running.
Like this:
Nothing worse than running in a neighborhood with potholes in the street in the dark. Bright Headlights make a huge difference. Energizer has a huge array of headlights so I can use the sports version for running, with it’s red tail light on the back. Very cool.
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I also posted an entire Google + story about this as well with even more photos.
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Photos and commentary by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 21, 2013 | Antonio Banderas, Women Judging Women - 2013 |
When do Expectations Arrive?
When and how do we decide what we expect of ourselves? Our fitness, our looks, our money, our kindness, our giving, our status; you name it and we have expectations about it. But many of these expectations aren’t even verbalized or consciously defined. We often see expectations in hindsight better than in foresight.
I remember when I got divorced in 2000. It wasn’t until then that a great unspoken expectation for my life was shattered. I had never verbalized it or even consciously visualized it. But when it no longer had a chance of happening in the future, then I could see it clear as day. It was an image of me sitting on the porch of the family cabin, my ex-wife’s family cabin, on our 50th wedding anniversary with grandchildren playing all around me. It was sort of like I had put it on my to-do list after it was no longer possible to achieve. That was a point of frustration for me until I remarried and created new visions for my future.
Less Control
I have a good friend whose expectations of relationships and marriage have not gone according to expectations. She has said to herself in hindsight, “I expected to be married by about age 25.” but she wasn’t. On and off it’s been a focus of frustration for her.
What can she do? She can modify or get rid of the expectations. To be flexible and adaptable enough to deal with what really IS instead of what she would like the IS to be, is her best path to peace if you ask me. It’s not that there is nothing that can be done, but doing everything in her power is still not going to be enough to guarantee the outcome she wants. And that is what she has done and why she is a successful and happy woman. She isn’t without frustrations but she knows how to move past them and find the beauty and value in new visions of life.
More Control
I wanted to lose weight for quite a while. My running had got me in pretty good shape, but my nutrition and food intake was not good and as a result I weighed north of 200. I wanted to lose the weight but wanting to didn’t help me lose it.
What can I do? I can act on the expectation. I have some major control available to me. Not complete control mind you, but a fair amount. When I actually focused on my expectations, I started focusing on was acceptable for me to eat. I stuck with it and I lost weight. 24 pounds and counting after 5 months. I took action to reach my expectations.
What are you doing to reach, modify or get rid of your expectations?
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by Antonia Banderas, 1960 – not dead yet, Spanish Actor
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 20, 2013 | Helen Rowland, Women Judging Women - 2013 |
This quote is problematic. I don’t think it’s true and I do think it’s true. Read my friend’s story below then let us know what you think.
I Am Good
I have a friend who has worked REALLY hard to get in shape over the years. She has lost a fair amount of weight, is running and doing cross training and is eating better than she used to. Her body reflects that. She has every reason to be proud of her efforts and her results, and she is. She not only is fit herself but she works hard to encourage others to be fit and healthy as well. I would say she is a good person.
I Am Bad
Recently she told myself and another friend that she had gone to a public pool. She said it was the best she had felt in many, many years. She said it was an incredible feeling. Then she said this:
“I am a terrible person”
Needless to say we were a bit confused. “What do you mean, you are a terrible person?” we asked.
She said, “I am a terrible person because I kept looking at all the other women at the pool and was so happy I looked better than they did. I judged them.” She judged their lack of taste and self-awareness in their choice of bathing suit. She judged their shape. She judged their lack of fitness. All the while she was gaining more and more pride in herself. Her bathing suit was a great choice because it showed off her body so well. Her fitness level was obvious. Her tan and hair were awesome. In other words, she was better than they were. And she felt that judgment made her a terrible person.
We bantered back and forth about about this, part of me trying to make her feel better about herself, persuading her that she wasn’t a terrible person. And she isn’t.
What Sort of Judgment?
But her day at the pool illustrates something we all can do so easily, and that is to render terrible judgments. She was immediately aware of herself doing this, even while at the pool and explained why this is so. She said it’s a terrible judgment because it is both ignorant and driven by ego insecurity.
First, she said it is ignorant; she does NOT know these other women. She doesn’t know if the women with the too revealing bikini that is also too tight is broke and is wearing the only hand me down bathing suit she has had in the past five years. She doesn’t know if the woman who is too skinny perhaps has a glandular or hormonal problem. She doesn’t know if the woman with the fake breasts had breast cancer or had been teased all her life for being a double A cup.
Second, she said it is driven by ego insecurity. She felt good about her body one minute and then started speaking in her head something along the lines of, ‘What if that woman over there thinks I am too thin?’ ‘What if that other woman thinks I am slutty for having on this small of a bikini?’ To defend against that imagined judgment she preemptively judges them. ” Who are they to judge me?” or “I have better abs than she does”, or “Look at what a terrible example she is to her child being overweight like that” and other self-righteous internal mind retorts.
Re-imagining
What she said she realized during the time at the pool and after, as she looked inward and didn’t like her judging others, was that she can just enjoy her own positive judgment of herself and her efforts while saying no to cutting down others. SHE likes her body. SHE feels good about how her bathing suit looks on her. SHE is proud of the work she as done. That is a done deal, no need to judge others to get there for herself.
She can also imagine the lives of these other women in new ways. She can have creative empathy with them. She might not ever get to know them, but that doesn’t matter. If she can imagine they are lazy, then she can also imagine they are hard working. If she can imagine they are slutty, then she can also imagine they are recovering. If she can imagine they are trying too hard, then she can imagine they are doing their best.
Your Thoughts?
What I loved about the story she told was her openness about her day and the self-awareness about her thought process. She was doing the hard mental and emotional work of transforming her thoughts and her heart in equal measure to her hard work of transforming her body.
And that makes her a very good person in my book. Thanks A for letting me tell your story.
What are your thoughts about the quote and the story? Have you had personal experiences with this? Can you relate? Chime in in the comments!
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by Helen Rowland, 1875-1950, American Humorist and Journalist
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Did you read my recent Travel series? I went to St. John in the Virgin Islands, had some amazing adventures, and drew and photographed most everything. Check it out. An Island Cottage Adventure.
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 19, 2013 | Travel, Virgin Islands |
Disclosure: I exchanged photographic work for a 5-day stay at the Island Cottage mentioned in the following blog posts. Blog entries or any other social media amplification were not included in the exchange. I was and am free to say and show anything I want about the trip. All opinions are my own.
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Sunrise and Showers
We leave St. John today, headed back to St. Thomas overnight, then we catch our plane home. Before we did I was able to get a final early morning time of watching the sun rise, then drawing and reading.
Final Sunrise at the Island Cottage
I then did one last round of photos. The only place I hadn’t really hit was one of the nicest. Where is that? The outdoor shower of course!
It is right outside the bathroom, surrounded by a high wooden fence and palm trees. It catches the warm breeze and you can hear the chimes from right outside the shower area. One evening I even took a shower in the middle of a brief rain shower. That was a fun feeling.
I assumed Linda wouldn’t be hot on the idea of my photographing her in the shower so I didn’t even ask. I would have posed of course but then we would have all that jealousy from husbands and BFs and who needs that, right?
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A Final View
We took off for Cruz Bay on the western side of the island where we would catch the ferry to St. Thomas. We stopped at an overlook to get one last look at our new found vacation paradise.
St. John Island USVI, East End and Coral Bay
Coral Bay
We also found … who woulda thunk it … some shopping as well!
Linda in Paradise
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Cruz Bay
We dropped off our rental Jeep, stored our bags at the rental office and took off for a few hours of shopping and eating in Cruz Bay. And just like that we were back in tourist land. It’s not that we weren’t tourists in Coral Bay, but we felt maybe a bit more like travelers, meeting other travelers and locals as we went.
Tourists Trying On
Mongoose Junction is a cascade of shops and restaurants where went for lunch, getting under cover just as a pretty strong rainstorm blew through.
Mongoose Junction
At the restaurant where we ate there was an incredible wood spiral staircase one had to take to get to the bathrooms. It was worth the price of lunch just to climb it.
From the top of the stairs you can see we were smart to pick a table with a cover since right after this shot there was a downpour.
While it rained and we waited for the food I drew the scene. The woman in blue was the only woman we saw the entire trip who was obviously not wearing a bra. We think she had new ‘girls’ and was showing them off.
We did a little shopping and I did my best, which was not very good, to behave myself.
All this getting back to tourist reality led to a existential dilemma for me, illustrated by the following photo. Why did the chicken cross the road?
Hen and Chicks
The answer, obviously, is ‘to protect her chicks’. Tourist or not, that is what so much of life is all about, isn’t it.
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Ferry Paparazzi
On the ferry I played Paparazzi, using my telephoto lens to spy on some sunbathers on a high pool patio. I figure if they end up being famous I can make some money from the pic, if not, I have a pic of a cool house.
Is that Brad and Angelina?
The woman in front of me on the ferry looked out over the bay the entire time. She had a wistful look, as if she was filled with regret or longing. She probably wasn’t but her looks put me in that frame of mind and I tried to capture it in the photo.
The Wistful Traveler
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St. Thomas Redux
We spent our last morning in St. Thomas and then caught an afternoon flight out to Atlanta then home.
We had met Linda and Michael at the beginning of the week at our hotel on St. Thomas. He was the bartender, she was his girlfriend visiting him at the Patio bar. We hung around one evening talking for a long time. He had the Red Sox/Yankees game on and being from Boston was pretty much a Sox fanatic. I am as well so we enjoyed each other’s company.
I particularly impressed him when I answered his trivia question, ‘Where did Muhammed Ali win the heavyweight boxing world championship for the first time?’ Do you know the answer?
Linda and Michael at The Inn at Blackbeard’s Castle
Linda meanwhile was from Minnesota and was a massage therapist. She gave discounts to patrons of Blackbeard’s Castle so on the return trip I had a last minute indulgence and had Linda give me a massage. She is a great massage therapist, with super strong hands and arms, and a helpful knowledge of running/sports muscle issues. In other words she worked my legs a lot!
Linda and the Perfect Massage Spot
We still had time to kill so we wandered down to the bay and over to the high end shops that surround the cruise ship port. Saw more interesting things along the way, including a massive building we figured had to be built specifically to withstand hurricanes of old,
and a beautiful sculpture of 3 women, perhaps from the slave revolt of the 1700s.
No ships were docked so it was eerily quiet. It meant we got good service in the stores and the restaurant where we had lunch. And there we found someone unique, someone we had not found yet among all the people we had talked to for any length of time in over a week in the Virgin Islands.
Mary, The Native Virgin Islander
Taxi drivers from Grenada and Trinidad. Bartenders from Pennsylvania. Retirees from Long Island. Everyone we met, every single person who told us their story, was from somewhere else. Until the very last person. Our waitress, Mary, was having a slow day and we struck up a conversation. We were pretty much assuming she was going to be from Ohio, or maybe California. But no, she was born and raised on St. Thomas. So where her parents AND her grandparents. She was as native as it gets. And did she think it was paradise? No, it was just home. She was hoping to go on vacation anywhere non-tropical. Canada would be good, maybe Maine!
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The Sleeper and the Screamer
We finally made our way to the airport and got on board our flight home. Linda wanted us both to have free seats next to us so she arranged it so we were on the same aisle but opposite sides, both at the windows. Well it turned out the plane filled up and we both had people next to us. The woman next to me, Karen, was going home after spending her vacation with 11 family members. She was one of 8 sisters (and one brother) most of whom were on the plane nearby. We chatted a bit then she nodded off to sleep. I took advantage of her stillness to draw her on the little napkin that came wrapped in plastic with a fork and knife.
After I drew her I watched the inflight movie. At some point I coughed, and as I did, Mary bolted awake and SCREAMED really loud! She freaked out everyone within about 10 rows, including Linda who looked over wondering, WTF? I had no idea what the heck happened. She immediately woke up, realized what she had done and turned bright pink, laughing and covering her face in embarrassment. Her sisters and nieces had caught up to who had screamed by that point and were pretty much laughing hysterically at her. All I could do was look around and then at Linda and say, ‘All I did was cough, really!’
As payment for freaking me out and making it look like I goosed her in her sleep or something I made her pose long enough that I could take a quick pic and use it to draw her screaming.
We had to run to catch our connecting flight in Atlanta and finally arrived home around midnight. The End.
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Part 1 – St. Thomas
Part 2 – The Island Cottage
Part 3 – Exploring Coral Bay
Part 4 – Clean Beaches and Dirty Pictures
Part 5 – Hiking Above, Snorkeling Below
Part 6 – Kayaks and Mermaids
Part 7 – The End – the Native and the Screamer
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Post Script
It truly was a great and fun adventure and I highly recommend a Virgin Island vacation and in particular a stay at the Island Cottage. It will be an adventure for you too! Contact Cindy and Harry via the VRBO Island Cottage website to find out more.
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© 2013 Marty Coleman | MAKE Studio | Napkin Dad Publishing – All rights reserved.
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by Marty Coleman | Jun 18, 2013 | Travel, Virgin Islands |
Disclosure: I exchanged photographic work for a 5-day stay at the Island Cottage mentioned in the following blog posts. Blog entries or any other social media amplification were not included in the exchange. I was and am free to say and show anything I want about the trip. All opinions are my own.
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This morning was the beginning of our last full day at the Island Cottage. I got up early and made my coffee, drew a little bit and had some breakfast.
I still had some photography to do to make sure I got the entire place so I set about doing that.
The hot tub is fantastic, with a great view day or night, ocean breezes. It’s even great in the rain (as long as it’s not a thunderstorm!)
If you are sitting in the hot tub without a ocean view you get to see a fantastic mountain view so you really can’t lose.
Roosters Do Crow!
One of the most wonderful things about the Island Cottage is the small wall paintings all around. This rooster crows next to the front door. Real roosters crow throughout the day as well, something that is odd at first but you get used to it and it just becomes part of the ambiance in the background.
The Secret Painting
I found this woman spying on me in the bathroom! She didn’t tell me what she was thinking but it I figure it had to be ‘Wow, what a hot bod that guy has!’ right?
Above each window fish frame the view.
And what tropical beach vacation would be complete without colorful clothes drying in the breeze!
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The Kayak Adventure
Our big adventure for the day was to go kayaking and snorkeling. We got the snorkel gear the day before but went down to Crabby’s to get the two-person kayak around 10am.
Crabby
We were told the wind and waves would be lighter in the morning. Afterwards we realized they meant REALLY early morning because by the time we started out it was a hard paddle into the wind for almost an hour. But we made it out into open water, around a point and back into a bay. We saw a bright white spot that we paddled towards, hoping it would be a nice beach.
Tulsa Tough For Sure!
Happy to Find Land!
Turned out it was and we felt quite accomplished in our first open water kayak journey. We were happy knowing the way back would be easier…or so we thought.
We spent a few hours collecting shells, snorkeling, eating and otherwise relaxing. I took advantage of the one and only time I knew we were completely alone to go skinny dipping, though I did not go commando while snorkeling. WAY too many very sharp and scary looking Sea Anemones around for that!
No Skinny Dipping Near These!
We saw some amazing fish and coral. I always thought of my neuroscientist daughter Rebekah when I saw the brain coral.
I didn’t catch it with my camera but later I drew one thing I did see. Aquatic mammals are amazing.
We set out later that afternoon for our paddle back around the point and into Coral Bay. Since we knew the wind would carry us for the second half we were looking forward to a faster and easier time of it. Little did we know that the wind wasn’t pushing into the Bay but was pushing us into the rocks! We had to paddle twice as hard to crab into the wind to avoid getting too close.
Linda’s years of personal training, Yoga and Pilates paid off big time. She was rock solid in paddling the whole time. I did my part as well in spite of having a nice snorkeling sunburn and we made it back without crashing into the rocks.
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Relaxing and Shopping
I was pretty zonked from the kayaking but luckily Crabby’s Kayak Shack is right next to the Aqua Bistro, where we were able to have a drink and a very needed lunch. I had just enough energy to draw this scene.
The bartender told us about how he and his wife had left a stressful life in Pennsylvania and now lived on their sailboat, traveling the Caribbean and just taking it easy. His wife was visiting him at the bar while we talked. I noticed she had 2 identical tattoos of Holly leaves on her chest, coming up from under her strapless top. Why those I asked? Well, her name is…Holly. What more reason do you need, right? And yes I was tempted to ask if there was a whole Holly Wreath around her chest to her back. And no I didn’t ask.
We had gone in this cool shop earlier in the week but returned because Linda had found some awesome items for Christmas presents (shhh….don’t tell). Turns out the couple, Anna from Colombia and Sebastian from France, had moved to St. John from Miami 6 months ago and had just bought the store 1 week before. It was fun to help them get off the ground by buying some of their cool stuff. Our friend Tracey (who you met in adventure #4) had some nice leather items in the store as well.
Anna and Sebastian
And finally I wanted to introduce you to someone we met a few days earlier at Salt Pond Bay. I forgot to include him in the blog post that day. Ital is his name and Tracey had emphasized we needed to come see his work at the beach. he works right there hollowing out and carving gourds. Very cool work. We picked one and wrapped it extra special to make sure we got it home in one piece.
Ital means a natural state of being, nothing artificial or processed. It refers to food but also to a way of life.
Ital’s Gourd
That night we were wiped out but managed to go out to Shipwreck Landing for another great dinner before crashing pretty early.
Part 1 – St. Thomas
Part 2 – The Island Cottage
Part 3 – Exploring Coral Bay
Part 4 – Clean Beaches and Dirty Pictures
Part 5 – Hiking Above, Snorkeling Below
Part 6 – Kayaks and Mermaids
Part 7 – The End – the Native and the Screamer
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Tomorrow we leave St. John and make our way home!
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