"AT"- Community Art Project

African Titties, remember?

It all started when my friend was describing her breasts. She was
thanking me for the slight breast lift I'd given her in a plaster cast we did of her pregnant belly and breasts. She said that now, especially after pregnancy, nursing, gaining and losing weight- she had African Titties. Nipples pointing down. And I said, What makes them African? They look pretty American to me.

But I knew exactly what she meant. The National Geographic African
Titties, and she said, yep. Those are the ones.

I was fascinated the first time I ever laid eyes on a pair of those. Hanging down, farther than I really thought possible. A little horrified, somewhat scandalized.

(How many pairs have there been I wonder? African Titties, appearing in National Geographic? How many children have stared in wonder?)

So, I knew exactly what she meant, in just two words. And yet I don't think the Africans have singular license on saggy titties, much less the wide variety of breasts that don't fall into that category at all. I think we women of the Americas need to see examples of what real bodies do, how we age, how we start out -- it's all beautiful. Our flesh is landscape that changes over time, and I think recording the change is cool. How to display all the anonymous breasts? Help decide, come participate.

And now, I've found the perfect backdrop for an African Titties
photo-shoot. A four horse show trailer, past it's prime, with a beautiful rust-patina... let the project begin!

So, save May 16th for our African Titty photo-shoot. We'll have a
photographer on site to capture the best of our breasts. We will meet at a location in Golden, directions and start time will be determined, and dependent upon the weather forecast. In the meantime, please confirm your participation so we know how many to expect.

The more breasts, the merrier. So please share this with interested friends!
_____

this email was sent out to a fabulous group of women... and the energy is building. We're doing some test shots today!

mother-in-law series 2: what's in a name?

In our household, my mother-in-law is referred to as Oma (grandmother in German), and as it turns out, I have a 12 year old dog named Uma. Even though we've been sharing space FIVE weeks at a time for the last FIVE years, still when I fuss at Uma for begging in the kitchen or begging in the dining room, Oma responds; she can't help it.

I'm sorry, I say to Oma, but Uma preceded you.

mother-in-law series 1: Get to Know Oma

I have a quirky and energetic East-German mother-in-law, who visits once a year for FIVE weeks. By quirky, I mean the bright orange lipstick, the black, felt beret, which she seems to feel naked without, and her asymmetrical touch (the one big clip-on earring, for example, instead of a matching pair).

These extended visits (five weeks instead of four or five days) started when the first grandchild was born, and I was (am) thankful for the help. I'm thankful for her presence, how she saturates my children with her doting love. How she saturates their ears with German.

Gratitude, however, doesn't always get me through an entire five weeks. Living in close quarters with anyone can be challenging, but my bottom line is that I don't have much to offer in the way of grandparents from my side of the family (foster princess, remember?) and so I feel it's my duty to suck it up, make it work, and even enjoy the experience once in a while.

The first line of the first batch of records

Casey Family Programs' documentation included written summaries called the "Quarterly Narrative". So, the first line of my first quarterly narrative with CFP goes like this...

"Visits: July 5-August 18 Leigh on vacation in Greece"