It's All About De: This n That

October 05, 2004

This n That

Did you know that one of our favorite book stores has an online university?
Barnes and Noble University has free online courses and reading groups.
I was impressed and I'm taking a course right now. It started yesterday and goes through November 8.
I've never been scholastically inclined but that's mostly because I couldn't sit in a classroom for long periods of time. I can do this in my p.j.s!

Have you ever visited Soul Food Cafe?
No? Well you should! It's chock full of so much crap that it'll take you days to pour through it. It has some great creative writing information that makes me pea-green with envy.

Are you sick of seeing these on every single car, truck or van?
Yes? Me too.
No? I totally want one!

I'm praying that it doesn't rain all weekend. I want to go to the Bayou City Art Festival.
I've been going twice a year for several years now. There was always this one artist that I looked for every year, Walter Falk. I own several of his originals. He's a character for sure. He drinks throughout the entire show and tells stories of his travels across the world and each story takes place in or outside of a pub. He waits until the last minute before a show and then he paints furiously, often times selling paintings that are still wet.
I love this guy.
Unfortunately, he hasn't been to a show in a few years. I miss Falk.
I am looking for something sort of specific.
I have a huge blank space on my wall in the dining room. Previously, it housed a beautiful high quality movie poster from The Glass Key starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, except it was in French. It was about 5 feet tall and 2 or 3 feet wide and exquisite. I had to throw it out. A few years ago, someone allowed a bottle of cola to explode either in the kitchen or at the dinner table causing soda to spray on the walls, ceiling fan, pictures and my beloved poster. I was never able to remove the stains from the poster. Now, it's trash.
I need something equally as stunning to occupy that big empty space.....for a reasonable price, of course.

Posted by De at October 5, 2004 09:46 AM

Comments

It's getting harder to find quality artwork. A few years ago I picked up several spectacular paintings for dirt cheap at a starving artist sale. This year I haven't even heard of one going on. Instead we get the crafters festivals. What's up with that? If I'm ever in a state where I need a reed sweater I'm sure the medication that the shrinks prescribe will take care of it.

Posted by: Jim at October 5, 2004 10:38 PM

Green with envy is good. Full of crap is better! I take that as a real compliment. You can actually tell that I am full of crap by looking at me. I have brown eyes. "Full of shit up to here" I tell people, pointing at the shit level metre. I will return, if only to check out De's Worst Dressed List and the things De does not need to hear. I figure I will steal some of these as writing starters.

Posted by: Heather at October 11, 2004 10:53 PM

Barnes and Noble University is really cool. They recently started doing author led book groups, too. They've had some very big name authors come and participate in books groups for their most recent works. (Michael Connelly of the Harry Bosch series is one I remember.) Once you sign up for a class, you'll get montly emails telling you who they will have for next month.

The only thing I DON'T like about the classes is the alarming number of seemingly illiterate people found in the classroom discussion groups. I mean, it's on online class from a book store! It was shocking to see how many people can't write a simple sentence.

Posted by: Sheila at October 12, 2004 10:20 AM

I was ever so pleased to see Walter at the Rockport, Texas Art Festival. He looked exactly the same as I remember for so many years in Austin, Texas. It was early on in the hot day so his consumption had not quite hit him. Although, he was already in a fused story of goodness knows what. I too own many of his originals and enjoy them always. It is great to see him back on the circuit in full swing. He has been missed. Hey, Hows' about that famous superbowl party?
Deborah Miller
July 2, 2005