Alaskan Artist - Elise Tomlinson
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12/22/2005: "Happy Birthday to Me!"


Today is my 36th birthday. A lot of people have asked me what I want for my b-day (and christmas) and I can honestly say "nothing thanks". It's true...other than a new outboard or getting hardwood floors which are both outside the realm of possiblity, I don't really want anything. Sure, I salivate over huge screen TVs and all the technophile gadets in Wired's "Tools for 2006"...but I don't feel the need to actually buy any of them. I feel...oh, what's that word....contentment!

I drove 3 hours round trip to take my grandma and dad shopping in Norfolk yesterday, which was fun but I didn't buy a single thing. Those of you who've been reading this blog for awhile know that I've been *trying* to become less of a consumerist and i finally feel like it's happening...like I'm not fighting with myself to not buy things because the impulse itself is gone.

Well...for now anyway. Now if I could just quit watching so damn much TV and spend more time exercising I'd feel pretty good about where I'm at in life.


Replies: 23 Comments

on Friday, December 23rd, dave from Nebraska said

Happy B-Day lady!
18 twice.
Enjoy your stay in Nebraska.
Perhaps you'd like to take a box of Omaha Steaks home with you?

on Friday, December 23rd, holly said

What did you do-- wait until midnight to post? ;) Happy Birthday from one seasonal babe to another. May your "I got you one present for both" offerings be few!

P.S. Check your email for braaaaains!!

on Friday, December 23rd, Simone said

Happy Birthday fron an Italian blogger!!!
Auguri! :D

on Friday, December 23rd, Kasia said

Happy birthday!!!!! I'm glad you've won with the commercial side of the world! I hate it, too! Lots of good wishes from Poland!

on Friday, December 23rd, robroys@robroys.com">Rob Roys said

It is my birthday too!

Although The Beatles is traditional on this day, I prefer Cracker.

I want new curtains.

on Friday, December 23rd, ann said

Happy Birthday!!!

on Friday, December 23rd, Kasia said

And about the tv thing - it is easy - I haven't had a tv-set for 6 months! I threw it away! It was so time consuming! Good luck!

on Friday, December 23rd, marja-leena said

Happy birthday, Elise! You're still a spring chicken!

And Merry Christmas! Have a great time with your family, as you already are!

on Friday, December 23rd, Elise said

Thanks everyone, and Holly...yes, I waited until after midnight!

Thanks for the e-card, I haven't checked my email yet, I've been with family...right now the house is swarming with sisters, grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles...this is always a little hard on me at first, like going from zero to 50 in under 30 seconds. Everyone arrives all at once (we celebrated my b-day with a cake and everything) and home life in Alaska is pretty quiet in comparison.

I appreciate all the well wishes though, oh, and Rob, You say it's your birthday, it's my birthday too! Go Beatles (not sure I'm familiar with Cracker)

oh, and Kasia, 6 months tv free is quite the accomplishment. For me going one day would be showing restraint. I'll work on it though.
:rolleyes:

on Friday, December 23rd, greg said

Wowo Happy Birthday! :D I gather you and Holly are a day apart ... and you share my son's bday! He's now 13 (as i mentioned on Holly's blog)!

It's nice to know folk like you make my days brighter! (solstice joke!) :hehe:

on Friday, December 23rd, Jackie said

E:
Happy Belated Birthday! I was online late late Thursday - so it musta been midnite Nebraska time when you posted - which woulda made it...I dunno...hmm...isn't it later where you are? We're on Pacific Standard time, which is one hour later than Alaska. Oh, bother!

Be glad I can't sing to you over the Internet. Not that I'm prone to singing to people. Hope you had a blast. And Happy Holidays!
:laugh:

on Saturday, December 24th, Elise said

Happy b-day to your son Greg, and thanks for the solstice joke. I always *love* the winter solstice because now the days are getting longer, and in Alaska that really means something.

And Jackie, speaking of singing...my sister has an x-box kareoke game where you sing to a crowd and they cheer or boo you depending on how well that you do. So far I've been doing pretty good on the beginner level. It's a lot of fun. Anyway, Happy Holidays back at cha!

on Saturday, December 24th, Mike said

Happy Birthday and Merry x-mas. I thought I saw lights in your painting on the homepage earlier tonight. Too much eggnog or was there a change?
Mike

on Saturday, December 24th, Elise said

Hi Mike, merry merry to you as well...I think you must have had too much egg nog, the painting on the homepage (I assume you mean http://www.elisetomlinson.com ) is the same, but coincidentally, I thought that painting had been destroyed, but then while I've been home I found it in my dad's basement all stretched out on a frame and perfect. How weird is that?

on Saturday, December 24th, mike said

Actually I was referring to 1fireweed. But you can't mess with perfection.

on Sunday, December 25th, Elise said

Oh OK, you're talking about the painting titled "Fire and Ice"...but thanks for that!
:confused:

on Monday, December 26th, subi said

happy birthday dear sweet Elise! it seems like just yesterday we were all like 20! enjoy your vacation, and try to just relax...in 20 years time you'll remember hanging with Grandma and Dad and not not painting...i think i am going through the same thing as you in way of avoiding even more accumulation...so where is this old 'found' in papi's basement painting, i want to see it! i just spent a loooong time ooohing and ahhhing over all of the work you have done! it seems like you have done so much in the time since we last saw one another. i am so impressed. do you think at some point smaller sized prints might be available (and therefore cheaper :O ) i am so in love with so many of your women, i just wouldn't know where to begin! :hehe:

on Monday, December 26th, Elise said

Hi Subi!
Yes, time goes by more quickly every year. I've been enjoying my down time, and not feeling too guilty about not painting. Today I taught my neice how to draw a horse, she's just turned 7 and she's very talented already.

Oh and yes, I'll have smaller prints done, probably by the time I get home even. I'm picking some up from the printers.

The painting I found is the one "Story of Creation" that is on the elisetomlinson.com home page. I thought it had been destroyed, it's a really big painting and I was amazed to find it in perfect condition.
:laugh:
Did you do anything special for christmas? How is your sister?

on Monday, December 26th, subi said

hey du,

i'm glad you're having a good time. i just spoke with C.! He is in San Francisco!!! He just moved there with his son and girlfriend. I told him about the painting, etc... it was good to touch base, really. my sister, well, she is out of the hospital, but the furthest thing from fine. i wonder if she will ever find her own way. it is very painful, how she alienates everyone in the family, and tho it's not really her fault, just so hard to see past. sigh.

on Monday, December 26th, subi said

OMG, in just 3 short years, we will have known each other for 20 years...how weird is that!!!!!! :laugh:

on Monday, December 26th, Elise said

WOAH! 20 yearss? That is weird!

I think it's great that C is in SF. It's one of my favorite cities and I know I'll be going there in the next couple of years. I'll have to look him up and go out for a drink or something.

Oh, and I'm sorry about your sister...
:(

on Monday, December 26th, Amparo said

Happy birthday,
Elise!!

on Monday, December 26th, Elise said

Thanks Amparo,
It's been awhile; I'll have to stop by your blog and see what new work you've been up to!