YOU...logy. @AnnaMaryse

@AnnaMaryse has passed away. I'm real sad. So I'm thinking a lot about her. And I'm remembering....

When I met Maryse, the first thing I noticed was her mouth. When it was at rest, it was pursed.

And when she smiled, it was tickle-me wicked. Flared nostrils added to the effect.

Her eyes were very dark and soft. She was voluptuous, like a new-romantic Mae West.

It was the early eighties. Maryse was the Queen of the scene. She was cool and wore tons of make-up and big earrings. She moved into my building, and that's how we met. She was a little older and wiser than me.

She used to say things like "Coffee. Hurry. Emergency." or "Cigarette. Hurry. Emergency." She'd laugh so hard it would make her wheeze and turn into a coughing fit. I adored her.

She would pose for pictures by deliberately not looking at the camera and she'd pout. It was one of her favourite things. One day I stopped by at her place on the way home from Art school, and there was a guy hanging out there. The guy turned out to be an animator! It totally changed the direction of my life. You get what I'm saying here?

Maryse and I became very close over a ten year period. She was my Queen Bee.

We lost touch when I got married. These things happen I guess. I didn't hear of her for almost two decades. I missed her from time to time, but I had small children and there was no Facebook back then.

And then just this spring, we found each other again. We were both pretty happy. She mentioned she was taking it easy, that she'd had something "really f*cking scary" happen to her. But she didn't want to make a big deal about it so I didn't press it. I assumed it was going to be ok.

I didn't know she was dying. That she was being brave.

We did some catching up. She'd had a great career as  a producer. Her son was all grown up and she was so proud of him. Maryse was planning a trip to Montreal and said she was  "THRILLED to know I'll be seeing you if/when this happens. I can't wait to inspect your brood :)"

She wrote some really nice things to me. She said she was proud of me and always knew I'd prevail. I'm so glad I have these FB messages. For a moment yesterday, I was in a panic because I thought I'd lost them. But it was just a little FB fail.

Late on the night of the 26th, I heard from a mutual friend that she'd gone. And here I am drawing this tribute. I think she'd have liked it. I can still hear her laugh-wheeze-coff.

Good-bye my Queen Bee! I'll never forget you.

Maryse liked cats.

This is the second in a series called "YOU".  I draw YOU. Read the rules.

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YOU. @BrerMatt

Hi guys!

This is the first of a new series on my blog called "YOU". It's a very simple concept : I draw YOU.

Here's the rules:

1. I decide which of YOU I draw. I always get inspired by something...usually it's something funny or interesting that YOU've said to me.
2. I draw YOU for free. I don't want money.
3. YOU must trust me. I won't do anything gross. And I'll warn YOU first so if YOU don't want me to draw YOU, then I'll restrain myself. Or I'll draw YOU in secret and giggle to myself.
4. I post the drawing of YOU here on my blog.
5. YOU can link to it, take the drawing and post it on your blog, FaceBook it, use it as your avatar blah, blah, blah. Just make sure YOU give me credit and a link back to The Animated Woman.

All good?

Let's get started!

First up is Matt Hoskins, AKA @BrerMatt on twitter. He's got a blog of his own, he's relentlessly funny, but also warm and real. He's planning on hanging this drawing on his son's bedroom wall; isn't that cute? He hasn't even seen it yet! Trust people, that's what I'm talking about. TRUST.

I was inspired to draw Matt when he commented on my HalloWINE blog post suggesting we make a "Cardboardasaurus" out of wine boxes. How could I resist?

Do YOU guys like this idea? I wonder who'll will be next.....

Cardboardasaurus gear is now available in my Zazzle Shop.

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HalloWINE.

This pumpkin has my name on it.

You know what? Every year at Halloween, I like to drink a little blood.

Preferably the shiraz variety.

Shiraz (also known is syrah) is beautifully dark and rich. And, er....quite possibly also packed with vitamins and uh, anti-oxidants.

It's a nice full-bodied BLOOD.

It gives you a nice full-bodied HANGOVER. Please note that my hair somehow still looks fantastic.

So I was discussing this with a lovely tweep named @downandderby, and she mentioned something about how you can get terrific blood WINE in boxes nowadays.

And she gave me a GREAT idea for a Halloween costume for my 10 year old boy. 

The challenge is to empty enough wine boxes between now and Halloween.

We're talking 36 bottles in 11 days. It's SHIRAZ people. Who wants to jump on board and help me out?

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ANATOMY - The 10 Year Old Boy.

10 Year Old Boy gear is now available in my Zazzle Shop.

You can make someone else smile by sharing.

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APRON Emergency.

This is an URGENT announcement.

It was up to me to make dinner tonight. I decided to make tortellinis with mushrooms and parsely. But I needed ingredients so I walked through to the kitchen and saw my husband standing next to the stove wearing NOTHING but an APRON. And socks....with his Birks.

Shocking? Yes.
Horrific? Yes.
Mildly erotic? Um, yeah...so?

I'm like: "Dude!!! Daddyo what the frikk? Why are you wearing that nasty stripey apron my dad gave you a million years ago and not much else?

And your nipples are showing btw." I admit it was kinda hot.

He said: "I'm making chutney and the tamarind sprayed all over my t-shirt. So I had to take it off. You wanna go upstairs...?

I take in the fact that I can see that all his freckles are showing and there`s hungry mouths screaming for grub around us.

"Um no, thanks, but I'm going to the shop to get our dinner. You wanna come with?"

He says "Okay" and grabs his coat. And puts in on top of his apron-and-nothing-else.

I say, "Dude, if you come to the shops wearing that apron-and-nothing-else I'm going to have to tweet about it."

And he said, "No one ever wrote about the guy who didn't piss in the bucket."

Folks, I married him and I do love him. Oh look, he's just brought me a glass of port! How nice.

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My PINK Guitar.

This is my pink guitar. I think it's pretty awesome.

My friend Brian who used to play in my band gave it to me when we were visiting him in Wales this summer. He said he rescued it from the garbage. No lie. 

It doesn't stay in tune and it looks like a toy but that makes me like it more! My PINK guitar!!

Did you used to be in a band?

I'm kinda attached to My BOOBS. So I'm supporting Breast Cancer Awareness with the colour PINK.

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ThankFULL.

Happy Thanksgiving!

True story: I kept trying to write about what I'm "thankful" for and this is what happened.



What can I say...my children inspire me.
So what are you thankful for?

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