Give me some paint, glue, assorted this 'n' that, good quality paper to work with, and a solid surface and I go crazy. And I do mean crazy:

 

 

 

Must wonder what the dude is running from that he's looking back in terror. He's about to be consumed by a mutant bird in a red trench coat, and that's not enough?

Ask me no questions. I have no answers.

 

 

Alice! My favorite of favorites. Nothing beats the original Tenneil illustrations. Throw in a little surreality (is this even a word?) and BOOM!

 

 

Byron didn't write his poem to laud Edna St. Vincent Millay's beauty, but if they'd been contemporaries no doubt he may have.

 

Finally, a bursting flower reminding me a little too much of poinsettias. It's way, way too early to be thinking about the holidays, and I wasn't. I wanted a burst of color, to contrast with the icky grey (at the time) skies, and naked trees. But yeah. Still reminds me of a poinsettia.

Drat.

As you can see, I'm keeping busy. I'm also hardly reading. I'm taking the rest of the year off as far as reviews go. I may take off next year, too.

My break doesn't include reviews I'm writing for Library Journal. I'm not going that far. I'm just tired of reading everything at a break-neck pace, not so much enjoying as consuming. Like that poor guy in the first collage. I know how dude feels.

I'll still talk about books. Whatever I do read I'll post about. The difference is I've put my foot down; what I read through at least the end of the year will be what I choose. Unless, of course a spectacular review book passes under my nose.

In other words, I reserve the right to do whatever I want.

On that note, I'm going to pick the glue from under my fingernails and switch the laundry. Not so much because I want to as to keep my weekends free for other fun things. Like gluing strange things together. And drawing freaky, surreal Zentangles.

Loves me them Zentangles.