Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate, and hello to those who do not. I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the season so far. Not much to tell this time, been a little under the weather lately, but nothing serious. I've been struggling to keep up on here because of it, and waited a bit longer to put up this journal as a result.

I want you all to know one of the things I am particularly thankful for this year is all of you! This has been by far the best year I have had on dA thus far. So many new friends, so many firsts, collabs being chief among these. I never dreamed anyone would want to work with little ol' me, and I am so pleased to learn that some do want to. Amazing. So many gifts were given to me as well! I just keep getting blown away by all the kind, generous people on here.

Not just due to the season, but in large part due to my birthday coming next month have I been taking stock of my life lately. Something I do every year around this time. I have to say, I am rather pleased about how things are for me currently and over the last year, and that is in large part due to all of you who have been so kind, supportive and generous of yourselves and your time to me. I thank you all and hope you know that you mean so very much to me in my day to day living.

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Don't forget to enter the Winter Lit Contest!!


The contest is being hosted by I hope many of you will enter this contest! There are some great prizes to be won! So, c'mon people, dazzle us as only YOU can! Here is the lowdown:
There are two themes for the Christmas/Winter Holiday Literature Contest:

The Nightmare Before Christmas (or other winter holiday) - Please, no entries pertaining to the movie. I want an original nightmare - either a tale (or poem) of the supernatural with a Christmas/Winter Holiday theme, or a holiday related piece - a disaster encountered while shopping or traveling at Christmas, something that goes wrong while decorating...or the classic trauma of a holiday dinner. This one is wide and wild open for imagination.

The Colors of Christmas (or other Winter holiday) - A piece of literature that deals with what you perceive as the colors of the holiday season. You do not have to mention them specifically, but your imagery should leave no doubt.

Other winter holidays include Chanukkah, Ramadan, Winter Solstice, Kwanza, New Years, Twelfth Night ...

The contest runs from 11/15/09 to 1/15/10

Judges:

Information/Rules

1. The following media can be submitted - Poetry, Prose, Visual Poetry
2. Each artist can submit two works
3. There are two categories of theme - The Nightmare before Christmas (Winter Holiday)and The Colors of Christmas (Winter Holiday). You can enter one piece in each, or two pieces in one - your choice.
4. Each category will have four winners
5. Your submitted pieces must be new and created for this contest only. Send them to me by note with a link to the work, marked "Holiday Contest" as the subject.
6. You must list the contest name in your deviation description and link back to this.
7. If you are submitting a visual poem, you must list all stock used and credit it.
8. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, technique, and execution of theme in terms of plot and imagery. Graphics will be included in Visual Poetry.
9. People donating may enter the contest; judges may not.

For a complete list of all the fabulous prizes and tons of features please follow this [link] and see for yourself why this is a great opportunity to have some fun and get more exposure for your work! So, get those creative juices flowing and send in your entries beginning Nov. 15th!

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Here are some lovely features, I hope you enjoy them. Please let the artists know you love them by faving/commenting. Spread the love people!

Featured Artists
















Deepest condolences to Mike and his family for the loss of his Father-in-law.

Opens TOMORROW!! Hi everybody, I hope you are all doing well. I've been so overwhelmed by the recent responses to my latest works I got a bit behind putting together this journal. I want to thank for giving me permission to use his beautiful photo for my most recent poem "Alone In The Dark". I have to thank as well, for she played the part of go between for Paulo and I by pointing us out to each other. Thank you, dear Sirrah, once again your value to this community is so evident, and your friendship and support has been beyond kind to me and so many others.

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The Christmas/Winter Holiday Contest Begins Tomorrow!

The contest is being hosted by I hope many of you will enter this contest! There are some great prizes to be won! So, c'mon people, dazzle us as only YOU can! Here is the lowdown:
There are two themes for the Christmas/Winter Holiday Literature Contest:

The Nightmare Before Christmas (or other winter holiday) - Please, no entries pertaining to the movie. I want an original nightmare - either a tale (or poem) of the supernatural with a Christmas/Winter Holiday theme, or a holiday related piece - a disaster encountered while shopping or traveling at Christmas, something that goes wrong while decorating...or the classic trauma of a holiday dinner. This one is wide and wild open for imagination.

The Colors of Christmas (or other Winter holiday) - A piece of literature that deals with what you perceive as the colors of the holiday season. You do not have to mention them specifically, but your imagery should leave no doubt.

Other winter holidays include Chanukkah, Ramadan, Winter Solstice, Kwanza, New Years, Twelfth Night ...

The contest runs from 11/15/09 to 1/15/10

Judges:

Information/Rules

1. The following media can be submitted - Poetry, Prose, Visual Poetry
2. Each artist can submit two works
3. There are two categories of theme - The Nightmare before Christmas (Winter Holiday)and The Colors of Christmas (Winter Holiday). You can enter one piece in each, or two pieces in one - your choice.
4. Each category will have four winners
5. Your submitted pieces must be new and created for this contest only. Send them to me by note with a link to the work, marked "Holiday Contest" as the subject.
6. You must list the contest name in your deviation description and link back to this.
7. If you are submitting a visual poem, you must list all stock used and credit it.
8. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, technique, and execution of theme in terms of plot and imagery. Graphics will be included in Visual Poetry.
9. People donating may enter the contest; judges may not.

For a complete list of all the fabulous prizes and tons of features please follow this [link] and see for yourself why this is a great opportunity to have some fun and get more exposure for your work! So, get those creative juices flowing and send in your entries beginning Nov. 15th!

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You didn't think I would forget to do a little featuring, did you? Not a chance! Here are some lovely features to enjoy, and please let the artists know you appreciate them by faving/commenting on their beautiful work! Tis the season...

Artists Represented:


















Have a wonderful week everyone!

We just said goodbye to Halloween, and we're moving on to Christmas already! The focus shifts from creepy to holy in the blink of an eye it seems! I bring this up because my good friend has asked me to be on his panel of judges for the Christmas contest he is hosting. The contest begins Nov. 15th and runs till Jan. 15th. so please DO NOT submit until then, and DO NOT submit to me. Here is the info about the contest courtesy of copy and paste of Brendans' journal:

There are two themes for the Christmas/Winter Holiday Literature Contest:

The Nightmare Before Christmas (or other winter holiday) - Please, no entries pertaining to the movie. I want an original nightmare - either a tale (or poem) of the supernatural with a Christmas/Winter Holiday theme, or a holiday related piece - a disaster encountered while shopping or traveling at Christmas, something that goes wrong while decorating...or the classic trauma of a holiday dinner. This one is wide and wild open for imagination.

The Colors of Christmas (or other Winter holiday) - A piece of literature that deals with what you perceive as the colors of the holiday season. You do not have to mention them specifically, but your imagery should leave no doubt.

Other winter holidays include Chanukkah, Ramadan, Winter Solstice, Kwanza, New Years, Twelfth Night ...

The contest runs from 11/15/09 to 1/15/10

Judges:

Information/Rules

1. The following media can be submitted - Poetry, Prose, Visual Poetry
2. Each artist can submit two works
3. There are two categories of theme - The Nightmare before Christmas (Winter Holiday)and The Colors of Christmas (Winter Holiday). You can enter one piece in each, or two pieces in one - your choice.
4. Each category will have four winners
5. Your submitted pieces must be new and created for this contest only. Send them to me by note with a link to the work, marked "Holiday Contest" as the subject.
6. You must list the contest name in your deviation description and link back to this.
7. If you are submitting a visual poem, you must list all stock used and credit it.
8. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, technique, and execution of theme in terms of plot and imagery. Graphics will be included in Visual Poetry.
9. People donating may enter the contest; judges may not.

For a complete list of all the fabulous prizes and tons of features please follow this [link] and see for yourself why this is a great opportunity to have some fun and get more exposure for your work! So, get those creative juices flowing and send in your entries beginning Nov. 15th!




I put together a few features I hope you all enjoy. Please let these wonderful artists know how much you enjoy their work by faving/commenting on it. Make someones day and spread the love!!

The artists represented
















Thanks for looking/reading, have a great week everyone!

Amazing how time just flies by, isn't it? Pretty soon winter will be full upon us with all it brings with it. I was going to hunt up a seasonal journal skin, but changed my mind for times sake. Looks like our Halloween in our neck of the woods will be a wet one. Doesn't really matter much, we only get a handful of trick or treaters around here. When I was a kid trick or treating was more of an event than it is now it seems. Locally, most of the kids here go to an organized event set up just for them, and not so much door to door. Safer that way, no doubt. Just such a shame that the world has become so dangerous for children that they can't enjoy it as I did as a child. My brother and sister and I would take pillow cases and use them for goodie bags and would be dragging them home (literally) with the nights haul. The real fun began once we got home and started haggling and trading for our favorite goodies. Ahh, good times.

I was included in a group dedication by the lovely and oh so talented with this simply stunning manip she did very recently Thank you so much dear, I am proud to display this in my gifts & dedications box! If you don't know her you should pop on over and say hi and see her gorgeous work! Plus, she is just one of the sweetest people that has been my unending pleasure to know on here.

Some wonderful news about he will be back in business with a new camera very soon! I am beyond thrilled to know that soon his magic will grace our eyes again! You that chipped or put up journals in attempt to help Mike out are simply the best there is and I thank you all for being such kind and generous people! The response was simply wonderful!

I also want to wish my dear friend Brendan, a very Happy Birthday!

I have some features here I hope you all enjoy. Please take a look and fave/comment so these fantastic artists know you appreciate them. Okay, enough of the

Artists Featured Are:
















Have a great Halloween everybody!

That is the difference between dA and the other online site I hang out on. Hi everyone, hope you are doing well! The other site I frequent is a poker site, as some of you already know I am an avid texas holdem player. I've had a passion for poker for years, and am considered by many to be quite good. But I've only played online for the last 3 1/2 yrs. now. Mostly for fake chips, but occasionally for real money.

When I first began playing online, I had no idea that I would get to verbally interact with the other players. I was entirely new to online life! I didn't know so many things...but would soon learn. On a poker site you will encounter people from every walk of life, every level of education, (or lack thereof) and a global community unlike anything you would believe, other than maybe here on dA.

I've met the best and the worst of humanity playing poker. I've had stalkers follow me around for good and bad intent, been called things I won't repeat here and met people from all over the world, very eye opening stuff. The very first time I sat at a virtual table to play I was asked if I "Liked penises?" I knew then I was not going to be bored ever again

So, that being said, I want you all to know that dA has been an oasis of beauty, kindness, friendship and comfort to me in ways poker never could be. Its far more sane here! That may sound funny, but it is the truth when compared to my experiences playing poker. Here I am appreciated (and not feared ) as an artist, and treated with respect and as an equal for all the right reasons. While it is true I am more comfortable being told I am a great player than being told I am good at my art, it means the world to me knowing I am appreciated artistically. My poetry is so personal to me, it is a little disconcerting sharing it still. But, so many have responded with such enthusiasm and warmth it has touched me where my words just fail to adequately express what it all means to me. I hope you ALL know what you mean to me, and how I love being a part of this wonderful community!

I want to thank once again for asking me to collab with him again. He asked me to write a poem for his beautiful manip. and miracle of miracles, he liked what I wrote for this Thank you Brendan, I love working with you and hope we do it again sometime. I also want to thank for, now how shall I say this? Twisting my arm? No, no...Ummm, insisting...no, hmmm...Oh, for asking me to go through his beautiful gallery and see if he had a photo that struck my poetic fancy... He graciously allowed me to use his dreamy image for inspiration for my most recent poem "Broken Horizon". Thank you so much, it was such a pleasurable experience to collab with you.

In my last journal I made an appeal on s behalf to help him replace his photography gear, and the response from this, and many other deviants journals has been simply spectacular! But, the goal is still a wee bit short, so if you didn't give before and can spare a few dollars (skip a latte) then please follow this link and help out one of dA's nicest and best by giving what you can!
FOLLOW THE LINK TO SEE THE TOTAL SO FAR!! [link]

I think this is the longest journal I've ever done! Hang on now, I'm not finished with you yet! Below are some gorgeous features for you to enjoy, so please take a look and let these wonderful artists know you appreciate them by faving/commenting on their work. I included some great lit pieces, so please, make sure read these, they are wonderful. Thank you all so much for allowing me to bore you to tears...

Artists featured are

















Have a great week everyone!