tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33148687958323030762024-03-05T14:59:53.910-05:00A BRUSH WITH TIMEWelcome! My name is Marilyn Harman. I am an artist working from my home-based studio in Southport, North Carolina. The sights, scents, and sounds of this amazing world are my inspirations. Creating works of art, using both acrylic and oil paints, I share my artistic impressions of the world with my paintings and musings.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12364238348716503080noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314868795832303076.post-11524705420553649462013-09-11T12:09:00.000-04:002013-09-11T12:10:26.304-04:00The Creative Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I heard
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Electronics, games, toys…it seems the list is endless. As I let that energy
drive my brush hand, memories flooded my mind of a Christmas past. There was a
gift that changed my life, and was a portent of who I was to become. You won’t see a lot of advertising for this
gift, and that’s a shame. Let me tell you about my personal experience with
this gift. It’s a kicker. It changes lives. It’s art. </span></div>
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Christmas gift from a relative. Simple drawings with little dark speckles
graced the pages of this amazing gift. A brush was attached to the binding.
Simply dipping the brush in water, and stroking over the speckles, awakened a
burst of color that leeched from the specks and created a painting. Yahoo! I
was beside myself. I could barely wait for one page to dry before I started on
the next. I think I completed that entire book in one day. I begged for another,
and was told, “No, it was a gift”. That was my first, and last, exposure to
paint for a very long time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In
retrospect, I understand. I had been born into a post-depression era, New
England family. Remembering the hard times, and preparing for them to come
around again, was the focus. Keeping the budget, pinching pennies, and
purchasing nothing that wasn’t an absolute need, drove the dynamic of the
family. Early on, my mother had forbid me to use her grocery list steno pad to
draw on. Paper was too expensive. Later in life, I was made aware that my
father resented the fact that public monies were used to create galleries and
museums that only the wealthy could afford to visit. No, art was not something
you expressed an interest for in my home. Everything about it was useless, or
wasteful, or unattainable. I’m certain they never considered all the
possibilities art held as a lucrative vocation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hoUqcDFoxTKyda9R7dH6fkVtYo8S4t7xO2urFeVMGC4OaoaUwpfcC6b90sbGHLuZAE8Ren90snOjKs6vuLCUfn67JfkAddx8BH_XYLUu6LtbJt5mlZgzT95MxOVLFc1szAr-doEIUEk/s1600/roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hoUqcDFoxTKyda9R7dH6fkVtYo8S4t7xO2urFeVMGC4OaoaUwpfcC6b90sbGHLuZAE8Ren90snOjKs6vuLCUfn67JfkAddx8BH_XYLUu6LtbJt5mlZgzT95MxOVLFc1szAr-doEIUEk/s200/roses.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Once I entered elementary school, the emphasis
on art seemed to be focused on holiday-themed bulletin board creations. Every
classroom had a bulletin board, and there were several scattered about the
hallways. I never knew exactly how the “artistic” students were selected to
participate in the design and creation of the hallway displays; I just know I
was never among the selected few. Middle school offered one semester of art
instruction. I thank you Mr. McCarthy, for your singular validation of my
potential.</span></div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzhjaTOiJg-2IBq1Z6mbSgbakU6eJfD-ZWfxYxZ1UtGqqCPokfsl1r1iGob7TmmWK6MYYEalw_E0ftp0Ne6_3SxTjKrhtoAqom9k3QuyLcFUsk-8RY5WrXqaPBwVU9C482Cg3YYdTMII/s1600/fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzhjaTOiJg-2IBq1Z6mbSgbakU6eJfD-ZWfxYxZ1UtGqqCPokfsl1r1iGob7TmmWK6MYYEalw_E0ftp0Ne6_3SxTjKrhtoAqom9k3QuyLcFUsk-8RY5WrXqaPBwVU9C482Cg3YYdTMII/s200/fruit.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">High
school blurred by, marriage, children, jobs…life happened. I did what I had to
do to get by. Then, about a decade ago, while out for a stroll, I passed a
little shop offering “One-Stroke” classes. I registered and took perhaps a
dozen classes. That long-forgotten, fascinating sensation overtook me once
again. The rest, as they say, is history. It is also my present, and hopefully,
my future. Art completes me.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSjRRn-3xJt8CXLk_ix7yFDp2Vw6W0nlGqt7y7hDevw7sKMmzNqA9OjfGSckfpDwsszzIEqJHHmHIOhlT40eApSQlfgiZ7_ykbwJbi4CoLWulmylOsUjNEcPTf_u4k8zNunnKd-Fb3e8/s1600/lily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSjRRn-3xJt8CXLk_ix7yFDp2Vw6W0nlGqt7y7hDevw7sKMmzNqA9OjfGSckfpDwsszzIEqJHHmHIOhlT40eApSQlfgiZ7_ykbwJbi4CoLWulmylOsUjNEcPTf_u4k8zNunnKd-Fb3e8/s200/lily.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So, when
you hear those ads telling you what a child on your list really wants, take the
path less traveled. Make this the year you open a door in a child’s mind. Take
them to a museum, register them for an art class, buy them a camera, a loom, a paint
box, or simply crayons and paper, lots of paper! Talk to them about Walt
Disney, Pixar, web design, architectural design, or any of the current, great,
art opportunities out there. Make them aware that a drive to create is a good
thing. Let them know you support them, encourage them. Give them the gift of
looking inside, and expressing themselves with unique creations. Yours could be
the most important gift they will ever receive. Just imagine!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJlzR6cHChB0BjmJyW-byaoAYo536C5LBs5tQ-hr5mUoE7TWM-Nd4KVBV5adnsTY_5k3y6YuZ06buuC2gWo0PU-N3scxhcy5xJpkI_d8xFinq_4M065y5PIxLzGiMTmm1V_rhFUcPHh0/s1600/swans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJlzR6cHChB0BjmJyW-byaoAYo536C5LBs5tQ-hr5mUoE7TWM-Nd4KVBV5adnsTY_5k3y6YuZ06buuC2gWo0PU-N3scxhcy5xJpkI_d8xFinq_4M065y5PIxLzGiMTmm1V_rhFUcPHh0/s200/swans.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div>
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Love from my studio,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Marilyn </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12364238348716503080noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314868795832303076.post-16732626436700617032013-09-03T10:31:00.000-04:002013-09-04T07:55:36.116-04:00Another Year Older<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
week I turn 60. Aging has never been as big a deal to me as it seems to be for some.
I don’t search for new wrinkles or pluck grey hairs. If, like some do, I chose
to ruminate the disappointments of my lifetime, I imagine it would feel similar
to the time in my youth, when having ventured too far into the ocean; I was seized
by a wave. It dominated me. My tender, naïve body, was tossed wildly about, and
then repeatedly pummeled against the ocean floor. Just when I was sure I could
hold my breath no longer, up I popped. Wobbling back to my blanket, attempting
to look unscathed (not out of pride, but fear of punishment for venturing too
far), I had my first “Ah-Hah” moment. With perfect clarity, I understood my own
mortality. Remember the lesson, not the pain, move thankfully forward. Surviving
another year is cause for celebration. Party on!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
year, I bought myself an <b><a href="http://www.enpleinairpro.com/oil_painting_easel.html" target="_blank">En Plein Air Pro</a></b> easel for my birthday. It is time to
get out there. Last week I set it up in the studio so we could get to know each
other, and I could save face when I venture out <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in public.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSxDOfd5knr4uEwwm247EQTVyTIwD-oq1lpEvUSCVb9TapiPAYDcq8i-b8kx5zzOWDHrlt1tv5wbHwJ_lllrZi6LrYRNn8ATT5LfxNWRP2DQg3AUXOsUE8X0d58Tb4TAeOG_Am5cDCwKJ/s1600/oil_easel_cu_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSxDOfd5knr4uEwwm247EQTVyTIwD-oq1lpEvUSCVb9TapiPAYDcq8i-b8kx5zzOWDHrlt1tv5wbHwJ_lllrZi6LrYRNn8ATT5LfxNWRP2DQg3AUXOsUE8X0d58Tb4TAeOG_Am5cDCwKJ/s320/oil_easel_cu_blog.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even at this new, ripe, old age, it
was quick and easy. YAY! If anyone is interested, I’ll write a review on it in
a future blog. Just let me know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Birthday blessings continued to rain down upon
me. As I painted and puttered about the studio, tweaking drawings, deepening
shadows, and mentally preparing for my future plein-air excursion, I glanced
over at the computer screen. There, next to the message icon was one of those
little red flags, I had a message. I did what any studio-bound, solitary artist
does. Click. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sharon Dodge:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> “Vicki and I will be at Oak
Island Labor Day Craft show on Saturday. I have a bag ready for you.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">That
simple message made my day brighter; actually it turned my week around! Sharon is
a wildly talented potter. She started a tradition a few years ago, of
presenting me with a bag of “goodies” from her kiln while I visit her stand at
the yearly craft show. The show just happens to be held within a week of my
birthday. I’m convinced she has no idea how much that little bag of ceramic
treasures means to me. I can never open it in front of her, because I know I’ll
cry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sharon’s thoughtfulness over the years graces my space. Little bowls hold
the seeds and nuts I snack on while painting, wall vases keep my pencils, pens,
and rulers, within easy reach and organize my kitchen tools. My prized handmade
oatmeal soap rests on one of her little plates, and she created the perfect
dish to keep my brushes wet, without ruining the hairs. No room in my home is untouched by her friendship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My “goodies” this year
include the PERFECT tiny dish to hold my evening teabag, another lovely nut cup
(you can’t have enough of those!), and a bowl now designated as my yogurt and
fruit bowl, destined to ease me into many creative days.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW7iwSkGyW05HEHk7gZo-0ZBTQ9olgJCa6Ewz3FmTvMrtU72mWC1c3eiO3rIb0kcUeSO8He0_BZr4YSFDQ_RBXHQlyMVEiYi3ptnstH2g-y4OIRWbnWwVca-AI9FrdF2gKohEjfuPhe0Y/s1600/gifts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW7iwSkGyW05HEHk7gZo-0ZBTQ9olgJCa6Ewz3FmTvMrtU72mWC1c3eiO3rIb0kcUeSO8He0_BZr4YSFDQ_RBXHQlyMVEiYi3ptnstH2g-y4OIRWbnWwVca-AI9FrdF2gKohEjfuPhe0Y/s320/gifts.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Thank you, Sharon. Your
art fills my home; your generosity and thoughtfulness fill my heart. You are a
gift to my spirit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As for
me, I’m ready for another trip around the sun. I’ll keep all the jewels of joy
from the past year, and cherish those people that have made me feel loved. This
year I’ll explore new opportunities whenever and wherever they arise. I’ll
create new happy memories to reflect upon next September, and be thankful and
excited about the new year to come. That little girl on the beach healed from
her wounds, learned that life is fragile, and embraces each and every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Turning 60
is going to be a piece of cake, chocolate I hope, with ice cream!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Love from my studio,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Marilyn </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12364238348716503080noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314868795832303076.post-19488834941167553932013-08-28T14:05:00.000-04:002013-08-28T16:28:09.904-04:00Fleeting MomentsTime goes by so quickly. Soon summer will be behind us. The lawn will stop growing, the flowers will stop blooming, and the earth will prepare to rest. Will we follow her cue? Will we take the time to draw into ourselves and nourish our spirits, re-access our directions, adjust our plans?<br />
<br />
In a word, no. We will go into overdrive. School is open, schedules are crammed, and the holidays are right around the corner. Yes, really! Thanksgiving is only 12 weeks away, and you know how quickly Christmas arrives once those dishes are done! <br />
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During these fleeting moments, let's take the time, make the time, to replenish ourselves. Go out to the garden and feel the dappled sunlight on our faces. Breathe in the fresh air. Remember what we love about our crazy lives and vow to spend more time doing those things, with those we love.<br />
<br />
My latest tile for the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/HealingCeilings?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Healing Ceilings</a></b> project, offers cancer patients a seat in the garden. A place to go, a place to rest. Their burdens are so heavy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNLIOUzYVNHFQW7mDztNEt5ps2yXR6gqL7L49uG1OS9JUo9YWM3pgulQiV2_ijKkhNf7Zm-Jfn1j2Pd6vG27WXE-ZMVjHOeqmV4p5i8B2OnUpOP5xdrI4A5BRIdRkCHsi7yit7THBou4/s1600/Rest+in+the+Garden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNLIOUzYVNHFQW7mDztNEt5ps2yXR6gqL7L49uG1OS9JUo9YWM3pgulQiV2_ijKkhNf7Zm-Jfn1j2Pd6vG27WXE-ZMVjHOeqmV4p5i8B2OnUpOP5xdrI4A5BRIdRkCHsi7yit7THBou4/s320/Rest+in+the+Garden.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
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I sincerely hope this tile offers at least one patient an emotional break from their hectic schedule. Maybe one caregiver, nurse, or doctor, will look up and feel calmed, or soothed.<br />
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As your summer fades into fall, remember to grab on to those fleeting moments!<br />
<br />
Love from my studio,<br />
MarilynAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12364238348716503080noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314868795832303076.post-83694630453456512482013-08-19T16:04:00.001-04:002013-08-19T20:18:41.327-04:00Just To Get Started...Let me tell you what I've been up to lately.<br />
<br />
<br />
I can't remember exactly how I ran across this opportunity, but I'm so delighted to have become involved.<br />
<br />
I have been painting ceiling tiles for the Cancer Center of North Carolina. These tiles will be placed in the treatment areas, so patients will have something to look at while receiving chemo, x-rays, counseling, or any other treatment required while they wage their personal war against cancer.<br />
<br />
My personal objective is to give the patients a "place to go" within their view. I mean, seriously, how depressing must it be to sit back in a chair, or lay on a cot, looking up at a blank, white tile, with a thousand holes? Let's face it, cancer treatment goes on, week after week.<br />
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I'm working on my fourth tile now, and loving every minute of it!<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of the tiles I've created already.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LOQ5sbBlID8FXgN5oR3vrilfpE4OO3uBTwj20pGc1-mCY70vo1ANAzn02_2flCO-eL3YOMlYXXuTZ78h0uiD37rZjjPGRSuRdbf9j57klQhuOdhUT4Ahpw3vj3_NVTqjTyDAoRB3EkI/s1600/Tile+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LOQ5sbBlID8FXgN5oR3vrilfpE4OO3uBTwj20pGc1-mCY70vo1ANAzn02_2flCO-eL3YOMlYXXuTZ78h0uiD37rZjjPGRSuRdbf9j57klQhuOdhUT4Ahpw3vj3_NVTqjTyDAoRB3EkI/s320/Tile+%232.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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With this one (sorry about the flash glare), I hoped the observer would feel transported out to the country. Fresh air, blue skies, and daisies!<br />
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The following tile was inspired by a ferry ride from my home town of Southport, NC, to Fort Fisher, NC. What a delightful ride! Much better than sitting in traffic on Highway 17, in 90 degree heat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyjlm-aWufBNAHUmnCpym3EsDaOSRA_iFGDbKss-VO-5vKteGscOhQRNY2Ka9MsmUVuC3-8IwxQ0rISZWo0FUaPEjPraPfTsYctjHF-0qdawUBEQZMjMvyGmy5ia1-lFMR_eEDcWQfnM/s1600/544505_186467481529845_1152281386_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyjlm-aWufBNAHUmnCpym3EsDaOSRA_iFGDbKss-VO-5vKteGscOhQRNY2Ka9MsmUVuC3-8IwxQ0rISZWo0FUaPEjPraPfTsYctjHF-0qdawUBEQZMjMvyGmy5ia1-lFMR_eEDcWQfnM/s320/544505_186467481529845_1152281386_n.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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I sure hope whomever views this from their treatment area can feel the wind in their hair, the sea mist on their face, and catch the salty scent of the ocean!<br />
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Until next time, enjoy every moment!<br />
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Love from my studio,<br />
Marilyn<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12364238348716503080noreply@blogger.com16