tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355876082012-02-19T00:14:06.155-08:00because I really did get the last laugh... the ruminations of a colored pencil artist...Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-31961141669719534322007-05-12T22:30:00.000-07:002007-05-14T11:13:19.021-07:00

So I hear I have been tagged...and now I am to reveal 7 deep, dark secrets that most people don't know about me. Man....this is tough, because I'm not one to keep much to myself, as you may have already noticed! But I'll give it a shot...1. I only get dressed when I have to. No....I am not nude right now! But I am in my "work uniform" - black velveteen nightgown, beige fleece robe and warm

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-70021307846063781552007-05-06T13:29:00.000-07:002007-05-06T21:43:14.413-07:00

I seem always to be writing in the few moments before a taxi comes to whisk me off to an airport. (Actually, I can't really say I "always" seem to be writing, when here lately, it's more like I "never" seem to be writing!)Anyway...I'm off to Utah today for my annual May workshop in Provo. I will enjoy my 3 days there, because I invariably do! It's sooooooo pretty in Provo...and by now, that

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-86684243736193513132007-04-17T15:07:00.000-07:002007-04-17T16:06:30.214-07:00

NORA DIDN'T WORK FOR ME THIS MORNING!!! (see previous post)I guess Dewey, Oklahoma is out of her range or somethin'...but I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am in her. Managed to find the workshop location anyway, on my own, but it took a couple of stops at convenience stores for directions, and the 2.2 mile trip took half an hour. So Nora and I are on the outs for right now. If she

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-92079760490104915702007-04-16T22:04:00.000-07:002007-04-16T22:56:16.725-07:00

I finished teaching a 3-day workshop in Newton, Kansas yesterday afternoon, and today I drove south from Kansas to Bartlesville, Oklahoma so I can teach another workshop for the next 3 days. Kansas was a blast, and deserves its own post, which I'll write later...But today...I have recently fallen in love.You know that TV commercial where the men fall in love with their GPS systems because "she"

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com290tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-39922439695957837472007-04-10T03:15:00.000-07:002007-04-11T13:08:53.714-07:00

Months ago, I mentioned a "cow urine" diet...By the age of 14, I'd already been thoroughly through the diet wringer. Why I was put on so many diets so young is pretty much of a mystery to me, since I wasn't fat. Round, yes...but never so round that you'd even call me chubby. My parents are fine people, but they were pretty much nuts during much of our coming up years, and I guess, like, one of

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-13063645149395460272007-03-31T22:18:00.000-07:002007-04-01T00:35:10.983-07:00

You know how when you scuba dive, you always dive with a buddy?I'm beginning to think I need a buddy for every-day life! I'm in Keizer, Oregon doing a 4-day workshop. Last night, I got off the elevator and walked down my hotel hallway, stopping in front of my door to insert the key card. My card wouldn't unlock the door. That's because I wasn't at the right door, even though this was the

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-30620958271828757682007-03-20T12:11:00.000-07:002007-03-20T13:30:04.968-07:00

I've been working on my self-portrait the last couple of days. Working on is the right term. It is such hard work, creating art, isn't it? Like pulling teeth at times. I miss cigarettes when I draw. I haven't smoked in over 2 years, and I won't again...but they sure did seem to help. You draw a little and think it's all going well...and then you sit back and take a longer view of your work

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-89379752319306818722007-03-16T02:10:00.000-07:002007-03-16T12:21:45.952-07:00

On a happier note than that last post...Yesterday I went to see Kevin. We went to our usual haunt. On the way, we got stuck in a traffic jam and I had my camera, so I took a whole series of pictures of him in the back seat. He was in a great mood, and seemed to like it that I was taking his picture.We met my daughter and beau at McDonald's and Kevin had a great time watching all the kids

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-60721297186020488122007-03-14T11:07:00.000-07:002007-03-14T14:24:54.603-07:00

So two days after our dreamy Workshop Cruise, I was back on the road headed to a workshop in Decatur, Illinois. On the way there, I learned an ugly little lesson...It began with a tardy taxi to the airport, leaving me a bit frazzled...a feeling that intensified as I began the airport security frenzied routine. Off goes the coat. Off go the shoes. Out goes the laptop. Into bins go all, plus

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-58523584685154724732007-03-06T17:25:00.000-08:002007-03-06T22:21:46.303-08:00

We're back! Of course, I leave again tomorrow morning for a workshop in Decatur, IL....but I've got half a minute to throw up a few photos! Our first ever Mexican Riviera Workshop Cruise was great! Everything went fine, with hardly a hitch. I found out I can do Cecile Baird's burnishing technique, which I thought was thrilling. I found out I can't do Linda Lucas Hardy's technique on

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-8516717983212706652007-02-27T14:53:00.000-08:002007-02-27T15:09:45.710-08:00

Hello, from Puerto Vallarta!!The workshop cruise is going great!! No big snafus, and everyone seems to be enjoying both the classes and the cruise.Just wanted to pop in real quick and share this "Lucy and Ethel moment...Today is our first chance off the ship. We'd planned a lovely excursion to a gorgeous beach for snorkeling and swimming and lounging. My leg hurt this morning because I hurt

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-28578190109901771242007-02-23T00:37:00.000-08:002007-02-23T06:52:17.055-08:00

It's possible I am no longer sane.With only 7 and a half hours to go before my taxi comes to whisk me off to the airport, I decide I want to clean off my desk a little before I go.On my desk is a mid-sized box from Amazon.com. I am always ordering books, then forgetting what I've ordered, and sometimes the boxes just sort of sit around for a while before I get around to opening them....I decide

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-80761185367022885252007-02-21T23:28:00.000-08:002007-02-22T12:24:14.125-08:00

I am supposed to be packing my workshop suitcase right now.But I owe you a post or two, don't I?This is my family. Katie on the left, her boyfriend Nathan's three children, Nathan....and then my son Kevin on the right.Tonight, I picked up Kevin from his group home and drove to McDonald's where we met with Katie, Nathan and his kids. Kevin loves to watch the kids play in the playground area, and

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-59006093932585645242007-02-19T22:56:00.000-08:002007-03-06T18:23:39.284-08:00

I know, I know! It's like I up and died, huh? I didn't!!! It's just I had to complete 2 issues of FMP , answer the 200+ emails that were in my Inbox when I got home, plus get ready for the Mexican Workshop Cruise...which sails in 5 days. So I have been quiet. Silent, actually. But not in my head! In my head I've written several stunningly mesmerizing posts! Why haven't you been reading them?

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-58026125448390044032007-01-17T21:26:00.000-08:002007-01-17T22:57:12.633-08:00

I leave for the airport in 5 hours! We're going to Belize for a couple of weeks of lounging on the beaches, trekking through the jungle and checking out some Mayan ruins, jaguars and Belizean Rice & Beans (or Beans & Rice - those two are apparently two different dishes!)I may have internet access now and then...and I may not. Even if I do, I may just break character and not take advantage of

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-23090608805567160092007-01-16T01:35:00.000-08:002007-01-16T23:20:14.294-08:00

I am done. For 3 months I've been working on this big, huge, secret new project. I had to do most of the work in the last 2 weeks, though, because I needed to get it done before I leave for vacation this Thursday. I've been glued to this computer and the phone for what feels like 24 hours a day, but has really been around 14 hours a day. And now I am done. I've uploaded the new web pages,

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-36746145574399140842007-01-10T01:41:00.000-08:002007-01-10T03:12:25.927-08:00

I am right now eating a bowl of blueberries, sliced banana, fresh California strawberries, raspberries and Greek yogurt. The stars of the medley are the blueberries and Greek yogurt. Are you kiddin' me?? How do they get that yogurt so thick and creamy?? Why would anybody eat any other kind of yogurt? It's like the difference between. . . oh, i dunno. . . I'm too tired to think up some

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-12031202733858900752007-01-05T02:13:00.000-08:002007-01-05T02:37:32.459-08:00

How long does it take to unload a full dishwasher? At my house, the average time it takes is a day and a half.Almost every person I know is weird about unloading the dishwasher. If you timed it, most dishwashers can probably be unloaded in 5 or 6 minutes. It's like, nothing. Nada. No sweat. It doesn't cost any money to unload a dishwasher, it doesn't hurt to unload one, it doesn't require

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-19557320747540050462007-01-03T03:01:00.000-08:002007-01-04T01:32:56.857-08:00

It's 3 am. I'm tired. It's been such an icky 4 days without the internet. There is little that is more difficult than running an online business without the "online" part! I felt like a plumber called onto a big, messy job - and then told the only tools I could use to fix it were scotch tape and kleenex.But I hopped on here because I have to share this:http://www.sheldrake.org/nkisi/nkisi1_

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-39839001671245444572006-12-28T14:47:00.000-08:002006-12-28T14:54:40.218-08:00

Only have a minute....but I felt compelled to let you know how much I love this FMP renewal time of year...Normally, I'm not terribly aware of exactly who our subscribers are. But at renewal time, as your renewals come to me, I am reminded of all the great people who read the magazine each month, and whom I've come to know through the years - either online or at workshops. I smile when I see

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-15374688825959893272006-12-22T01:50:00.000-08:002006-12-22T01:51:37.472-08:00

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-47463576547002589302006-12-22T00:22:00.000-08:002006-12-22T03:05:52.684-08:00

I've been reading that you can become happier with different exercises. Like how you can become healthier by eating right and exercising. Or like how you can become more flexible by stretching, or...well, you get the point.One of the happier exercises is to think about a number of nice things right before you go to sleep every single night. It's like the gratitude journal idea, only for the

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-58001152355164424332006-12-18T17:17:00.000-08:002006-12-19T04:45:04.889-08:00

Thursday afternoon, someone unzipped Seattle's skies, and out fell seas of water.Although Seattle is known for rain, it doesn't really rain here. What it does do is sprinkle, drizzle, mist and shower. Most of us don't even own umbrellas. So when this drenching started, Audrey (my assistant) and I leapt from our chairs to watch the violent waterfalls already cascading from the roof. It was

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-26922686730470219932006-12-14T12:43:00.000-08:002006-12-14T17:42:45.232-08:00

Have about a minute and a half to spare right now....But I just have to thank you all for the heart-felt comments.And also to let you know that, once I saw how ridiculous it was to save minutes, I instantly stopped that foolishness!Marylou (my sis) and I had a juicy 2-hour talk yesterday and another half hour today, and I've upped my minutes in Verizon so there'll be no more of that minute-saving

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-73889136757482704392006-12-12T17:27:00.000-08:002006-12-13T03:10:40.670-08:00

My baby sister, you may know, has late stage ovarian cancer. That is a bad cancer to have...She is my only sister and we're close. She lives 4 hours south of me in Eugene. We email a lot, but don't talk all that often because I'm on Verizon and she's on something else so it costs us minutes to talk unless we wait till after 9:00, but by then she's often tired. And weekends are hectic for both

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-91772178400312035102006-12-11T13:00:00.000-08:002006-12-12T01:07:47.188-08:00

Lately I have been experiencing a recurring dream....I am backstage in a large auditorium. A signal is given, and I walk into the middle of the stage. The lights are white hot and blinding, so I can't see the audience at all. There are clues there may be at least a few people out there - a muffled cough, someone clearing their throat...I sing a long, soulful ballad, then without pause,

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-39067656051570681052006-12-10T21:10:00.000-08:002006-12-10T21:51:00.428-08:00

I checked my email just now. Do you have any idea how utterly weird and surreal it is to get SPAM that includes an image you yourself drew?????!!!!Here's a screen capture of my Outlook Express...with the spam mentioned. Let me tell you....it is a feeling that is way surreal...sorta like if I sent myself spam, then forgot that I sent it....Seems like a great price on that 132-set, though! :-)

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-5393233274082560792006-12-07T19:32:00.000-08:002006-12-09T00:51:51.256-08:00

Did you know that if you go to 7 different dentists, and they all take x-rays of all your teeth, you can walk away with 7 entirely different plans of attack on those teeth?The older I get, the more I realize I live in la-la land...See, up until yesterday, I still thought that what's wrong with your teeth isn't really open to interpretation. I thought if you have a cavity, you have a cavity and

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-68449103898675110842006-12-06T13:58:00.000-08:002006-12-06T18:26:02.329-08:00

I'll pick up where I left off in my last post...After Kelly picked up the Kitchenaide, he went home and emailed me. It was an extraordinary message - letting me know that he had an inoperable cancer, that he was finding a new and deeper life in his death sentence...and ended with this: Thank you for the Kitchenaid, the baking supplies and a moment to touch each other's souls.I replied to Kelly,

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-75649075031126779642006-11-30T03:14:00.000-08:002006-11-30T04:01:29.769-08:00

Later today, I will be keeping my friend Kelly company during his chemo treatment. I have met Kelly only once before - this past August, for about....oh.....maybe 8 minutes....Here's the story. I was clearing mounds of unnecessary stuff out of my garage and putting anything remotely usable onto craigslist. One of those items was a Kitchenaide stand mixer. A beauty. But never, ever, ever used

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-78924242567377613132006-11-28T02:02:00.000-08:002006-11-28T02:12:52.343-08:00

We don't get snow in Seattle. Not much and not often, anyway...I know, I know. Everyone thinks since we are a mere 2 hours south of the Canadian border, it must be cold here, but the Puget Sound keeps us mild so our winter temps rarely slip below the 40s. But we got snow tonight! It's the most snow I've seen here in 3 or 4 years. Last year we didn't even get a dusting. I've always loved

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-36844958181982542872006-11-22T18:50:00.000-08:002006-11-22T18:52:53.417-08:00

May your gravy be silky, your potatoes fluffy, your turkey moist, your pumpkin pie crust flaky ...and may you spend the day with those you love.Happy Thanksgiving!

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-78394851671123357162006-11-21T15:02:00.000-08:002006-11-21T15:41:32.048-08:00

Want to be a fly on my shoulder? Went to bed at 3:45 am last night. I am an incorrigible night owl. What was I doing into the wee hours? Manually editing an Excel database for an upcoming email campaign. Ugh. What used to look like this: David Smith I turned into this:DavidSmith This was not fun. At all. Well, actually, seeing how many I could get done before I went completely mad was a

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-22681095421008261732006-11-19T23:42:00.000-08:002006-12-09T23:12:24.855-08:00

It turns out, I'm no better at blogging than I was at waitressing, (see previous post) but for entirely different reasons. Blogging is the strangest thing...really. I don't see how so many people can do it. I mean...I write this stuff...but really have no idea if anyone reads it. And it's sort of strange to write for no reader. It's like a high tech diary. I wasn't good at diaries, either.

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1162684949862566652006-11-04T15:24:00.000-08:002006-11-08T10:55:33.843-08:00

I'm in Carlyle, Illinois teaching a workshop this weekend. We all went to a diner together for lunch today, and I had a patty melt. Remember patty melts? You don't see them on too many menus anymore...at least not in the Northwest. Had kinda forgotten about them...I remember my first patty melt. It was 1973, I was 17, and I'd just started working as a waitress at Sambo's in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1162429903382663552006-11-01T16:16:00.000-08:002006-11-03T18:32:57.453-08:00

I wonder if everyone else also thinks they live in the best part of the country? Seattle has clouds from mid-November through April. I don't mean partly cloudy, and I don't mean fluffy, cotton-candy cloudy....I mean gray-oppressive-depressing-deadening-gloom cloudy.But I still think I live in the best part of the U.S. Maybe it's just rationalizing, since I don't really have the option of

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1160454273873993112006-10-09T21:23:00.000-07:002007-03-27T03:08:04.477-07:00

My friend Paul sent me this photo today that he took of his Illinois evening...I have a thing about the moon. This photo takes my breath away. But I can't help it, it makes me sad, too.Back in 2000, driving home from a wonderful first date with my sweetie, I saw there was a most spectacular full moon rising in the August night sky. I was so struck by its beauty that I grabbed my cell to call him

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1160342606869370432006-10-08T14:09:00.000-07:002006-10-09T04:15:12.676-07:00

Nicer, bigger room today! And on the 3rd floor with inside entry, so I can have the drapes open and let the South Carolina sunshine in! (lost? see yesterday's post)Get this, though...the guy at the front desk (rude little man who was also there last night!) told me all their rooms are the same size so I couldn't get a bigger room. I'd looked up the hotel online last night, so I knew that was a

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1160279638975600972006-10-07T20:36:00.000-07:002006-10-07T22:16:39.803-07:00

The next time you wish your art career was at the same level's as Ann Kullberg's is...STOP IT!! You should be more careful what you wish for!!I'm writing from Hilton Head, SC. I am here for a week because I'll be teaching a 5-day workshop here starting Monday. I got in late tonight. I'll admit I'm cranky and road weary, since it took me about 13 hours, all told, to get here from Seattle, and

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1160181879085138752006-10-06T17:21:00.000-07:002006-10-07T00:33:57.966-07:00

A long, long time ago a woman divorced her husband of nine years. In just a second, you'll understand why she felt this was necessary.One day, the now ex-husband came over to pick up their 2 kids for the weekend. Oh...and also to crumple up a child support check into a dense little ball and throw it across the room while rather vehemently exclaiming in front of the children, "Why don't you just

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1160175944587071772006-10-06T15:56:00.000-07:002006-10-06T16:13:36.766-07:00

I can start the "Happy" part now! Today...a box was delivered to my home. It was big and white and square. It was from Decatur, Illinois. And as soon as the outside tape was slit open, up wafted the most dreamy smell of POPCORN!!I got a popcorn surprise today, for no reason at all!! I've taught a couple of workshops in Decatur in the last year and have swooned over Del's Popcorn Shop, where

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35587608.post-1160118030034679482006-10-05T23:53:00.000-07:002006-10-06T01:42:42.703-07:00

Like, I remember I had this sort of weird little pride that I was the only person I knew who didn't have cable TV. Like maybe that was somehow going to get me some special Tropical Banana "Welcome" Smoothie in heaven or something. And I hated when I finally capitulated just last year and waited all morning for the cable guy to show up, and then, of course, went way overboard and had him hook

Ann Kullberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06599971068099514562noreply@blogger.com2