So I'm working on an acrylic painting. I think it's coming out okay. But the thing that just hit me is... I probably haven't spent this much time on a painting (acrylics, not oils, and I only worked with those in school) like, ever. Unless you count the (unfinished and not here, my canvases from last summer got left in Helsinki when my folks brought the supplies here) portrait of Miss Curls. I feel slightly strange about this, because that is/was a labour of love in a very literal way. Hm.

Oh well.

I would like nothing
so much as
to quietly dissolve into the rain—
go rushing against
the drops that pass by,
dive up through clouds, back into sunshine;
reach higher, farther,
beyond the exosphere and away
where no sound can enter—
until finally, bewitched, becalmed,
I could grasp at peace
and be one with the stars.

Baby fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) on the railing of our terrace a few weeks ago.


Baby ducks at the botanical garden last week.

Opinion poll time! I'm uploading stuff onto my RedBubble after a loooooooong while, and decisions need to be made. So. Which one? Or both, even?

All updates: check. Junk at 67823 unread. Tomorrow I can start being useful.

In other news, I apparently started being an active tweeter. Let's see how long that lasts. Follow if you feel like it. http://twitter.com/lamiena

There really needs to be a way to get rid of member and wiki notifications that does not involve clicking through every single one of them.

Going to start catching up to stuff tomorrow. I've been languishing in a fairly deep pit of apathy, but managed to hoist myself out at least temporarily this past week. Maybe you'll actually start seeing me around again in a bit.

I'll fix that pesky not-being-around issue soon. Like, at the turn of the month or thereabouts. Really really sorry. I haven't really been keeping up with anything these past few months.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson review

Off to J's parents for the weekend. Bai.

I need this book so bad. >_< Well, obviously "need" is an exaggeration. But still. Old books... mmm...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72859318/a-shropshire-lad-by-ae-housman-vintage

I've decided to go cold turkey on coffee. It's not exactly good for the diet when I need two or three cubes of sugar (depending on their size and the strength of the coffee) to be able to drink it. So yeah. No moar coffee for the Lami. Let's see how long this lasts. xP

These are actually very funny. :P
http://www.bannedinhollywood.com/fortune-cookie-fails/

My parody masterpiece for the Valentine comp.

http://www.fanobook.com/hiding-cats

I feel ever so slightly meta-tastic. I realised today that I may be academically preoccupied by humanity's preoccupation with death.

There'll be proper photos later, but here are some shots that J took with his phone.

Some things to think about. You really want to read this. No, really. You do.
http://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/ovy78/i_am_a_professional_photographer_id_like_to_share/

To save on sulking, I've decided to get a haircut. Right now it's really dry (I'll blame the thus far undiagnosed hypothyroidism for this). I had a few centimetres snipped over the holidays, but that only helped for a couple of days. So I'm flipping the bird at my stupid body and making it my own choice. Short dry hair won't look quite as unhealthy as long does. Style suggestions are welcomed.