Day 5030: A while back ... & Future Queen of Spain.

 

"Shore Leave": junk collage, photo, ink brudh, digital.

  

Want music?

    Click: Minnie Ripperton, Memory Lane.

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A while back ...

 I had posted the smile below.

aka ... "we are all toast!"

A former student, Henry wrote to me and said above reminded him of my "cookie in the oven" quote. And then former student Seven's Mom, Bobbi said "now we all want to know what the cookie in the oven quote" is. So here goes ...

It started years ago when my Grandhunk #3 was little . When putting him to bed one night, he complained about something he couldn't do yet. I told him (and many of my students over the years), "You're a cookie in the oven, you're not done yet."

He looked at me, obviously trying to figure out if this could be true?Then he said, "How about you Grandma, are you done yet? I thought for a minute then said, "I'm getting pretty crispy around the edges.”

You know I have been doing this daily ramble of a blog for about fourteen years. I remember having 13 kind readers in 2012, friends and relatives who humored me. I don't monetize, have sponsors or seek many followers, although I sincerely appreciate those of you that stop by, never knowing what you will find? And so, I don't check the numbers very often, but on June 1, 2026 I did and here are the crazy number!

Crazy! but, thank you!

At just 20 years old, Princess Leonor of Spain is making history that no one alive has ever witnessed. She's not sitting in a palace waiting for a crown. She's training in military boots, earning authority before she claims it.

Spain hasn't had a queen regnant in 150 years. The last was Isabella II, who abdicated in 1868. Six generations of Spaniards lived without a woman on that throne. Leonor is ending the streak.

What most reports leave out: in June 2024, she graduated from Spain's General Military Academy in Zaragoza alongside regular cadets, with no royal exemptions and no shortcuts. She's now at the Naval Military School in Marin, Galicia, completing the mandatory second of three military branch rotations every Spanish heir must finish before ascending the throne.

She also speaks more than 10 languages. Spanish, English, French, and Mandarin confirmed. That makes her one of the most educated young royals in modern European history. A soldier at 20. 

A future queen. A proven linguist.

 

  

 

A 3+ minute video, Phone connection, here.

 

 

Just because ...

 Boreal Chickadee

Tuesday's Smiles ... 

 

Hoping you see all the good things in your day.

  

 

 

Day 5029: Meticulous Ballpoint Drawings & Edible Dormouse.

"Sea Thistle": junk collage, photos, ink & digital.

 

  

Want music?

    Click: Supremes, Someday We'll Be Together.

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Meticulous Ballpoint Pen Drawings

by Habib Hajallie

“This Mind Hath Demolition Reached” (2025), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 11 3/4 x 16 1/2 inches. 

In ballpoint pen on found fragments of philosophical and historical texts, Habib Hajallie delves into the emotional realm of memory, connection, and loss. The Kent-based artist often celebrates Black cultural figures and beloved family members, along with examining his own personal experiences as a British man of Sierra Leonean and Lebanese heritage. In his current solo exhibition, Black & Blue at Larkin Durey, Hajallie grapples with the devastating stillbirth of his daughter and the “indescribable emotions that sit beneath language,” says the gallery.

“Still Remain” (2026), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 11 3/8 x 16 1/2 inches

For this show, the artist deliberately switched from using black ballpoint ink to blue. As he made these works, Hajallie also reflected on the loss of his sister four years ago. Using antique maps and snippets of philosophical and sociological writings, he portrays subtle sides of what the gallery describes as “an altered sense of self.” Figures, including several self-portraits, exude feelings of despair, confusion, numbness, care, and the nuanced emotions that emerge in-between.

“Nothing Else to Fear” (2026), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 33 1/8 x 23 1/4 inches

“While this series is concerned with the internal landscape of loss and what it means to endure a profoundly altered reality, each artwork has acted as an invaluable step towards healing,” the gallery says. “By drawing directly onto antique texts that explore morality, purpose, and transcendence, Hajallie’s personal pain enters into a wider conversation about finding meaning and the ways in which drawing can become a space of solace and catharsis.”

Black & Blue continues through May 22 in London. See more on the artist’s Instagram.

“Arise and Walk Strongly and Fearlessly” (2026), ballpoint pen on antique texts, 33 1/8 x 23 1/4 inches

Habib Hajallie

                                                                           

According to superstition, saying “rabbit rabbit” before anything else on the first day of the month will bring you good luck for 30 days, or not.

   

The Fascinating Edible Dormouse: A Tiny Creature with a Rich History and Amazing Abilities. Did you know that the Edible Dormouse (Glis glis), also known as the common dormouse or fat European dormouse, has a rich history and fascinating abilities?

Name and History: The name "edible dormouse" comes from an ancient Roman tradition where these small creatures were considered a delicacy. Romans even kept them in special cages called glirariums to fatten them up before serving them at lavish feasts.

Climbing Ability:Dormice are skilled climbers thanks to their long toes and sharp claws, allowing them to move nimbly through trees. This ability helps them avoid predators and find food easily.

Long Hibernation:The name "dormouse" comes from the French word dormir meaning “to sleep,” as these little creatures can spend up to 9 months of the year resting or hibernating. They truly live up to their name!

 

  

 

A 2+ minute video,  Antartica, here.

 

 

Just because ...

Blue Pita

Monday's Smiles ... 

 

Hoping you feel all the good things in your day.

  

 

 

Day 5028: History of the Selfie & Sheep w/6 years wool.

 

"Attention span": junk paper collage, digital.

                                                                       

  

Want music?

    Click: Tom Misch, South of the River.

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History of the Selfie.

In 1839, Robert Cornelius stood in front of a makeshift camera in the yard of his family’s gas lighting business in Philadelphia. He took a photo, then stood motionless for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the daguerreotype process sufficient exposure time. The resulting self-portrait — taken using a camera with an opera glass for a lens — shows a ruggedly handsome man with a fashionably upturned collar. It was a great technical achievement, coming just a little more than a decade after French inventor Nicéphore Niépce took “View From the Window at Le Gras,” the world’s oldest surviving photograph. Cornelius’ photo is generally considered the earliest surviving photographic portrait in the world — and, therefore, the first-ever selfie. 

   

In 2004, a merino sheep named Shrek became an unexpected celebrity in New Zealand after surviving on his own in remote mountain terrain for six years.

Merino sheep require regular shearing because their wool continuously grows throughout their lives. Without being trimmed, the fleece can become extremely heavy, trap heat, collect dirt, and eventually interfere with the animal’s movement and vision.

Instead of remaining with his flock, Shrek wandered into the rugged hills of New Zealand’s South Island, where he spent years hiding among caves and rocky landscapes that made him nearly impossible for farmers to find.

When he was finally discovered, Shrek looked almost unrecognizable beneath his massive coat of wool. His fleece had grown to an extraordinary size, weighing around 27 kilograms after shearing. The thick wool covered much of his body and face, making him resemble a giant walking ball of fleece.

Despite carrying years of uncut wool, Shrek was found alive and in surprisingly stable condition. After his rescue, he was carefully sheared during a live television broadcast in New Zealand, instantly becoming a national sensation.

Shrek’s story later became one of the world’s most famous animal survival stories and highlighted the importance of regular care for domesticated sheep.

 

  

 

A 4+ minute video, The Ant & Lazy Beetle, here.

 

 

Just because ...

Himalayan Snow Cock/jpg

Sunday's Smiles ... 

 

Hoping you see all the good things in your day.