So, here's the results of yet more web quickie quizes (guess you can tell I'm a sucker for these things...) This one comes courtesy of PFFA, and the next come courtesy of other tests at the test site.

Who Should Paint You: Alfred Gockel

All American yet funky, you inspire an artist's imagination And while not everyone will understand your portrait, you will!

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

You Are a Rainbow

Breathtaking and rare You are totally enchanting and intriguing But you usually don't stick around long! You are best known for: your beauty Your dominant state: seducing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Your Hidden Talent

Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people. You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together. Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly. People crave your praise and complements.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

And seeing this one, how could I resist getting confirmation of the one I took at Julie's blog?

Your Career Type: Artistic

You are expressive, original, and independent. Your talents lie in your artistic abilities: creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. You would make an excellent: Actor - Art Teacher - Book Editor Clothes Designer - Comedian - Composer Dancer - DJ - Graphic Designer Illustrator - Musician - Sculptor The worst career options for your are conventional careers, like bank teller or secretary.

What's Your Ideal Career?

Well, I'm not in the least bit surprised!

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Your Birthdate: October 15

You take life as it is, and you find happiness in a variety of things. You tend to be close to family and friends. But it's hard to get into your inner circle. Making the little things wonderful is important to you, and you probably have an inviting home. You seek harmony with others, but occasionally you have a very stubborn streak. Your strength: Your intense optimism Your weakness: You shy away from exploring your talents Your power color: Jade Your power symbol: Flower Your power month: June

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

You Are Balanced - Realist - Powerful

You feel your life is controlled both externally and internally. You have a good sense of what you can control and what you should let go. Depending on the situation, you sometimes try to exert more control. Other times, you accept things for what they are and go with the flow. You are a realist when it comes to luck. You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random. You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you... But you do your best to try to make your own luck. When it comes to who's in charge, it's you. Life is a kingdom, and you're the grand ruler. You don't care much about what others think. But they better care what you think!

The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test

Butterfinger

They call you sticky fingers for a reason!

What Kind of Candy Are You?

And last but not in the very least, they actually had a quiz for blogthings.

You Are 60% Addicted to Blogthings

You're a Blogthings fiend - addicted but not totally dependent. So what if you know your personality type by heart? And while you may feel like Blogthings is crack... There are people much worse off than you!

How Addicted To Blogthings Are You?

See, I told you I was a sucker for them.

I've been a bit scarce lately, I know. I've been busy cleaning out mom's stuff, my stuff, the stuff that got ruined this past October when the basement flooded after weeks of rain. It's amazing how much crap you can accumulate over the years. Well, I'm a changed woman now. No more pack rat. No more keep it for a rainy day mentality. Now things are going to be kept lean, cut to the bone in many ways. Yep, becoming an orphan definitely shakes up your mindset.

Thing is, there's so much damned dust! I've been hacking and wheezing since last weekend when I got into some really old stuff that had been sitting in the back of the closets for years. Now I have to go get some surgical masks. My lungs are all clogged up again after I'd been asthma free for months. Oh well. But it has to get done. The time for purging and cutting to the quick is here. Long live Good Will, who speedily comes and picks up all the fat, black bags of old clothes you put out the front door, and who makes it so convenient to dispose of the good part of a lifetime of stuff. Long may they reign.

And then I'm fashioning the upstairs into an apartment for myself. This means new rugs and linoleum, new drapes and window hardware, get rid of the furniture I don't want, buy a sofa and chair. Oh yeah, and now I'll have room for something I've wanted to have for years now - a treadmill. Yay! Now I can walk whenever I want to every day while I watch tv. Yay! This pleases me.

So does decorating. I've discovered I love to decorate. I've decided on mostly blues and greens for bedroom, living room/kitchen area and bath, with accents of mauve and beige and brown here and there. I just got my new bed - a Sealy with a pillowtop mattress. Believe me, you haven't experienced bliss until you sleep on one of those.

Anyway, I've got to go and put the mask back on. So much to do, so little time. The beach season is 3 months off, and I have to get all this done! I'm already tired just thinking about it. Well, I'm off. Just wanted to let you know I'm going to be a bit scarce at times for a little while. In the meantime, be well, and spend some time with your mom.

Oh yeah, and congrats to Tanya and Marty, who have just welcomed their first child in to the world, a little bundle of love they've named Heidi. A warm and loving welcome to you, Heidi.

Well, I've been lurking at Julie's again. Damn, she finds the bossest tests. The most recent is the superhero test. Holy results, Batman, here's my "score"(the formatting comes out weird though, even though I cut and pasted the results):

The Detective You scored 6 idealist points, 11 detective points, 1 kick-in-the-door points, and 0 help points!

You use logic, rationale, deductive reasoning, the scientific method, and just plain smarts to figure things out. You are a problem-solver and a resourceful quick-thinker. You always have a spare plan or five to fall back on, in case your first well-thought out plan doesn't work out. You are a super-sleuth, and no enemy is safe from your cognitive capabilities! Examples: Batman, DareDevil

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 65% on idealist You scored higher than 85% on detective You scored higher than 14% on kickinthedoor You scored higher than 7% on helppoints

Link: The Superhero Archetype Test written by rhombusoval on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Ok, I was lurking over at Julie's place and saw the damn test thing. Of course, I had to do one for me. Here's my results: I'm cutting and pasting, so

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (46%) medium which suggests you average somewhere in between being calm and resilient and being anxious and reactive. Orderliness (46%) medium which suggests you are moderately organized, hard working, and reliable while still remaining flexible, efficient, and fun. Extraversion (43%) moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

And then, damn it, I took another one, which says I'm an INFP, and that it supposedly means I'm

creative, smart, idealist, loner, attracted to sad things, disorganized, avoidant, can be overwhelmed by unpleasant feelings, prone to quitting, prone to feelings of loneliness, ambivalent of the rules, solitary, daydreams about people to maintain a sense of closeness, focus on fantasies, acts without planning, low self confidence, emotionally moody, can feel defective, prone to lateness, likes esoteric things, wounded at the core, feels shame, frequently losing things, prone to sadness, prone to dreaming about a rescuer, disorderly, observer, easily distracted, does not like crowds, can act without thinking, private, can feel uncomfortable around others, familiar with the darkside, hermit, more likely to support marijuana legalization, can sabotage self, likes the rain, sometimes can't control fearful thoughts, prone to crying, prone to regret, attracted to the counter culture, can be submissive, prone to feeling discouraged, frequently second guesses self, not punctual, not always prepared, can feel victimized, prone to confusion, prone to irresponsibility, can be pessimistic

(Though I completely disagree about quitting, being easily distracted, hermit, liking rain - ick, and being irresponsible. no way)

favored careers:

poet, painter, freelance artist, musician, writer, art therapist, teacher (art, music, drama), songwriter, art historian, library assistant, composer, work in the perfoming arts, art curator, playwrite, bookseller, cartoonist, video editor, photographer, philosopher, record store owner, digital artist, cinematographer, costume designer, film producer, philosophy professor, librarian, music therapist, enviromentalist, movie director, activist, bookstore owner, filmmaker

disfavored careers:

business professional, manager, executive, administrator, business owner, supervisor, office manager, business analyst, financial analyst, public relations manager, ceo, executive assistant, judge, event coordinator, lawyer, office worker

Hah! Notice that Poet is listed first as choice of career Hah! And painter is next! And there's even several film-related careers, too. I knew it. I was born to be an artist. It's in my soul, and my genes, and my blood, and my distilled essence. (erm, that sounds a bit icky, doesn't it?) I shall lift my arms up in supplication to my muse, and sing paens to them with my pagan tongue.

When I was a teenager, I wanted to become an artiste in the worst possible way. I wanted to go to college to study art and become the next Picasso, or the next Ansel Adams, (my quest to become a poet has only come to me much later in life even though I've always loved poetry) only my mom talked me out of it. She said I'd always be scrounging for money. So, like a good girl, I listened and instead of going off to college like all my friends I got a job in public service from which I will retire in about 4 years and have a very nice pension and health insurance plan, thank you. But still, I've never ever had a lot of money - just enough to get by and not go hungry. Ok, I have a nice car now, but the last new car I bought lasted me 13 years. *sigh*

Well, I suppose mom knew best. Funny thing is, I've never had lots of money. Actually, I've always just about made ends meet. Even more ironic is that my career turned out to be one like those listed under disfavored. Well, maybe that explains why I generally feel frustrated and boxed in most of the time for no reason at all. At least I've finally decided to go for what I desire. This life is short. It's time to follow my dreams while I still have the wings and strength enough to fly. I suspect this desire is culminating suddenly because I'm an orphan now. I've been made to face my own mortality - I'm the next in line to go. Orphanhood is a mind shaker, all right. It gets your ass into gear as far as seeking out some self-satisfaction. Someday, when find yourself parentless, you'll understand.

And on that tangental rant and ramble, I shall leave you.

Peace.

So, I've decided to start a new blog just for my ATC creations and keep this one mostly for poetry, silly ramblings and occasional rantings. I'm getting good feedback on the ATCs I've made, so I guess I'm on the right track. And they're so much easier than writing poetry! Anyway, I'm naming the new blog "Cookala's House of Cards", so please do visit!

ATC 3

ATC 3
Originally uploaded by cookala.

and this one is blurry (fer shame on me, I'm going blind and getting lazy!)

ATC 9

ATC 9
Originally uploaded by cookala.

another one with a glosys surface that didn't photograph well.

ATC 2

ATC 2
Originally uploaded by cookala.

ATC 6

ATC 6
Originally uploaded by cookala.

ATC 7

ATC 7
Originally uploaded by cookala.

It's hard to photograph these when they have glossy coatings - like this one. The picture really doesn't do this real justice.

ATC 8

ATC 8
Originally uploaded by cookala.

ATC 10

ATC 10
Originally uploaded by cookala.

Here's a few samples of what's been keeping me busy lately in my spare time. These are the first one's I've made. (I wonder how Julie and her mom are doing with theirs??) Anywho, I've signed up for about a dozen swaps so I've got lots of cards to get to making. These are really fun to do, and totally addictive.

Been busy making ATCs and joining swaps. This is so much fun, and instantly addictive. Also been busy setting about turning the upstairs into an apartment for myself. And there's still the estate stuff and the stepfather. My poetic muse has taken a vacation again, but my artistic muse is suddenly hot, hot, hot.

I sometimes bite off more than I can chew, and that's where I'm at right now. Ho hum, better than sitting and sulking. These diversions are good for me right now. They'll keep me occupied so I don't dwell too much on mom. I miss her so much. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her, busy as all get out or not.

So that's it, not enough time to write something substantial. Will be back when I can. So I leave you with my broken record of a mantra - go hug your mom, or give her a call while you still can.

Here's #5, again, this is as rough as they come, and it's not finished. It's little more than an embryo right now.

The Dream Maker

She opens half-lidded eyes
and stretches towards the dominion
of dreams. Her fingers dip, gingerly,
into cachets of colorful memories
stored in cedar boxes.

The breeze sighs, restless
in her primeval copse as she sifts
and sorts then decides the segments
of the evening’s reel.

No matter our mercury-bright desires;
she decides what we’ll see, or not.
The barometer of her mood ordains
horror or love, fight or flight,
though we may decide
to forget her show when we wake
to sound or sight.

She is a persisting fire who flames
and shapes molten orbs of fantasy


copyright 2005 by Cookala

Here's #4 - another super rough draft (finally, a non-death related poem):

Candle

I am the pooled paraffin that keeps
the wick lit when the light has gone.
I am a slow dissolve and fear nothing
save the leech of flame that siphons
my liquid essence.

I have the power to ensnare your senses
with myriad scents as I pirouette with the air;
and when you need a diversion
I shall entertain you
with shadow dancers on the wall.

When you have no further need of me
I shall be as patient as a cat stalking a mouse
until the curtains are drawn
and a new flame is struck.

I will melt until I am no more
than a scented afterthought.

copyright 2005 by Cookala