Category Archives: Uncategorized

Life is full of crazy characters with silly sounding names.

Pumblechook and Magwitch, Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher, Sydney Carton. Little Nell and Dick Swiveller. Uriah Heep and Mr. Murdstone. Bill Sykes. Little Dorrit, Pip, and Tiny Tim. Bob Cratchit, Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, Peggotty, and Oliver Twist. Wilkins Micawber.

Sydney Carton quote; “I would ask you to believe that he has a heart he very, very seldom reveals, and that there are deep wounds in it.” …Said to Lucy Manet before he takes the place of her beloved in the line to the guillotine.

Wilkins Micawber quotes; “I have no doubt I shall, please Heaven, begin to be more beforehand with the world, and to live in a perfectly new manner, if—in short, anything turns up.” …Said to David Copperfield to explain his current poverty and difficulties.

The world, in so many words, is a complex and difficult world to understand. But with comedy and tragedy and irony and sweet understanding, Charles Dickens always made sense of it for me.

Did you ever read a Dickens’ book? I know they are long and wordy and more than a hundred years old. But anywhere you start, I guarantee it is worth it. It will pull you in. Oliver Twist, Great Expectation, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, a Christmas Carol… You have to read at least one. Start anywhere. Like me, you may never get enough.

Susu in the cornfield.

The girl from San Antonio

The cat girl with the rainbow colors.

Again, these pictures were made with the assistance of Picsart AI Photo Editor and AI Mirror programs.

The Starfighter is in her cockpit, ready for the enemy.

A friendly game of tennis in the nude.

Meeting the new girlfriend at the beach.

In the forests of the future

These images were made with a combination of colored pencil drawings (mostly just the human figures,) Picsart AI Photo Editor (to add backgrounds,) and AI Mirror (to make the photo parts seamlessly blend with the hand-drawn parts.)

Dogs can’t live forever. Not even as long as a people can. And believe me, she believed with all her might that she was a people. She ate enough people food, mostly stolen, that she convinced herself she was turning into a human girl. But one people year is seven years of dog-year aging. And she was 98 by that measure. And she had doggy breast cancer, complete with a big nasty tumor.

Yesterday, in the veterinarian’s office, she laid down and went to sleep, leaving me and my daughter and my two sons and my wife behind. My fur baby passed away as I stroked her precious head for the last time ever.

She will be writing no more blog posts for me when I am not feeling well. She will no longer be thinking about running over neighborhood cats as she is driving the car. The local rats will fear her no more. And I will never be able to prove to anyone now that she was a talking dog.

We picked her up off the street as a lost puppy fourteen years ago. She apparently escaped from the local pet store and was written off on an insurance claim before the vet could even suggest that that is where she came from. A free Cardigan corgi puppy. She was a priceless part of our lives. She loved us as only a dog can, with ferocity, throwing tantrums and tearing up the trash can when we left her alone in the house.

I shall miss her until the day I die. Sleep well, Jade. You have earned your rest.

I can’t say too much today. My dog passed away. I am sad.

Billy Martin, Norwall Pirate

A Nebulon boy inside a space whale cruiser.

Ricky Porter-Baily, Norwall Pirate

Instagram posts.

Derfentwinkle’s batwing cloak in action.

The Flowergirl in Pen and Ink

Created with two vintage Barbie dolls, Picsart AI Photo Editor, and AI Mirror.I

I have been stalling in midflight. It is almost impossible to stay in the air. Writing has become something I can only concentrate on for a few minutes a day. There are good stories in my head, but they are not being transferred into writing. I have multiple drawings, characters, plots, and themes scattered around me like puzzle pieces I can’t seem to fit together into a whole.

Some members of my doll collection, especially vintage dolls which are hard to find clothes for, end up being nudists and enjoying being naked.

I have to make posts short because my fingers hurt from typing and my missteps and corrections process becomes more frustrating than I can handle.

Here’s a background I loved from the TAP Color App that I didn’t find any use for.

But now I have my complaints in and time used up. So, that’s that.

Yes, I believe that’s a crust from a slice of lemon meringue pie. Cindy was supposed to hold the entire slice until I drew it, but somehow most of it disappeared while I was working on the big brown eyes.