247. Christmas

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

246. Christmas

246. Christmas
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

MAIL CALL - Richard Canard

245. Santa

245. Santa
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

244. Snow

244. Snow

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Deadline fast approaching

If you want to be part of sending holiday greetings to service members, their families, and veterans, you need to get your cards in the mail in the next day or two. All cards must be received by December 7. Check out the Red Cross website for specific details about size, etc. Remember: no glitter.

243. Sparkling synapses

243. Synapses sparkling
"I could almost feel my synapses sparkling. To think, to imagine, to dream: I'd nearly forgotten how."
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

242. We lurch, we stagger

242. We lurch, we stagger
"We lurch, we stagger, we fall, we rise, we resist, we refuse, we fail, we fall, we rise, we fall, we rise. Bad planning on God's part, if you ask me, making human beings responsible, but there it is: the pattern abides."
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

241. The worst part

241. The worst part

" 'Do you know what the worst part of this is?'
'The worst part? No, what?'
'It's going to get better.'
His hands stopped moving. 'It is?"
'Of course. Sex always gets better.'"

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

240. Charge Conference

240. Charge Conference
Come Charge Conference on November 11, 1996, I'd documented every inch of my life over the previous year. The numbers shocked me: 244 pastoral visits, 138 meetings, 4 baptisms, 3 weddings, 5 funerals, 2 meditations and 2 sermons published, 2 guest preaching events, 2 lectures at a retreat sponsored by the bishop. . . . [plus 50 worship services planned and 50 sermons written, memorized, and preached]."
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Mail call -- can you say 'vampire bug'?

The October bug from David Berube. I think it's a howling success.

239. The neon orange plastic space cadet

239. The neon-orange plastic space cadet
"[The piano tuner] strode to the piano, gestured for me to remove the lamp on top of it, opened the lid, and reading in to extract a three-inch neon-orange plastic space cadet, which he handed to me."
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Country 62. Republic of Moldova!

Welcome, Moldova! I found these lovely images from the country on the postcrossing site. Moldova is a primarily agricultural country locked between Romania, Ukraine, and Dunai.

238. Connections

238. Connections
Chords [on the piano] are connected to other chords, just as fingers are connected to other fingers and people are connected to other people."
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Over-sized postcards

I was getting ready to rip apart this cereal box to turn it into 4 x 6 postcards when I noticed how charming the illustrations are and what an interesting matching game it is. I decided to treat it like an oversized postcard. But what does one write on a postcard so large? Something about Richard Canard, I decided -- specifically, a riff on the materials Richard uses in his art. (Click the image below to read full size; or leave as is if you prefer to squint.)
Then I decided Richard warranted an over-sized postcard, too, so I used the front of the box for him:
Then I returned to the kitchen and discovered ANOTHER great back-of-the-cereal-box . . .
. . . and so I'm putting a second over-sized postcard in the mail to Jack today. What the heck; it's a holiday and he's unavoidably detained in Louisiana.

237. One slick tire

237. One slick tire
"[Each] of us is always and only one aneurysm, one slick tire on a rainy night, or one blood test away from crashing and burning."

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

236.

236.
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Zombie Liberation Front

I'm sending this Zombie Liberation Front photo postcard to Monster Mail in Ontario.

Mail Call -- dear Richard Canard

I would be humbled by Richard's comment if I weren't so bloody proud of myself!

235. A bird in hand

235. A bird in the hand
Sent to M. Alexander in Macclesfield, England for A Bird in Hand mail art exhibit. The deadline was early November, but I only recently found this photo and am sending it on.
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Mail call -- from dosankodebbie

Gorgeous wild grapes from dosankodebbie.

184. The sinking Ark Royal -- revised

184. The sinking Ark Royal
"As my father recounts, he, along with 1,539 other officers and men and a big ginger tomcat, was transferred from the sinking Ark Royal to a destroyer, the HMS Legion. The Legion unloaded in Gibraltar, where they boarded the HMS Nelson for the trip to Scapa Flow, Scotland. From there, the men, still dressed in their tropical shorts and shirts, were transferred to an unheated train to take them to Portsmouth, where new, warm uniforms awaited them."
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Hellllllooooo, Puerto Rico!

Country 61 to visit is Puerto Rico. Oh, wait, Puerto Rico is a commonwealth (like Kentucky and Pennsylvania) rather than a country -- but although a commonwealth, it's a territory of the US rather than a state. I got this postcard last year through an exchange site.

234. BUG

234. BUG
Sent to David Berube.
My friend Mary Flowers split her upholstery fabric collection with me. Out of roughly 45 yards of fabric, I created this 5 x 7 inch piece. It's one of my favorites.
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Welcome, Croatia!

Croatia came to visit last night; 60 countries have now visited. I received this postcard from Roberto in Croatia last year.

Mail call -- from Richard Canard

In response I'm sending Card 158 to Richard with a note saying I suspect there's a big difference between baloney and spam, too.

233.

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Welcome, Pakistan!

Markhor
Originally uploaded by Magnesium Flare

This photo is of a markhor, the national animal of Pakistan. And Pakistan is the 59th country to visit my blog.

232.

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Helloooooo, Ukraine!

Wow. I don't know why this flag is so much larger than the others I've posted. In any case -- welcome to Ukraine, and thanks for popping by.

Ukraine is the largest country wholly in Europe. The capital is Kyiv (commonly spelled Kiev in the US). The country is predominantly plain and bounded primarily by the Carpathian Mountains and the Black Sea.

Good morning, US Virgin Islands!

Welcome to the US Virgin Islands, which visited this blog for the first time today.

The Islands are in the Caribbean, located along the Anegada Passage, a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal.

Good morning, Senegal!

The latest visitor to the blog is from Senegal. Beautiful flag, isn't it?

Senegal is located on the westernmost coast of Africa and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau.

231.

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Good afternooooon, Estonia!

55 countries have now visited this blog!

Good mooooorning, Taiwan!

54 different countries have now visited this site.

230.

230.
This green batik is some of my totally favorite fabric, and one of the first fat quarters I bought. I think I have one square left, about 2 inches worth.
From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

229. Pianos are delicate

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

Mail call -- from dear Richard Canard

228. I'm ready

From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.

227. Meandering

227. Meandering
Sent to Lucy Pritchett. From the It's Only a Book project in which I'm deconstructing my 2003 book, Grace: A Memoir, and turning it into art.