International Women's Day.

More reason why Daniel Craig and Judi Dench should rule the world.

Time for noms.

I think I will bake cookies this evening.

Travel picture of the day.

I was missing Istanbul this morning. So here is a picture to remind me of that magical place.

This is part of the Sultan's bath in the Topkapi Palace. Water would fill the marble basin, then the bather uses a dipping bowl to pour the water all over himself. That way, the basin and the water remains clean, even after scrubbing.

Other wonderful Turkish things:
A most unusual movie with Peter Ustinov and Melina Mercouri (Love her name!) as part of a jewel heist from the Topkapi Palace.

The Turkish Bath. I firmly believe that it could bring world peace. And Apple Tea is good for everything that ails you.

Another Muse.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis Presley!

Elvis is a Muse because he represents fearlessness to me. He danced in ways that frightened people, but he did it anyway. Even when he was miserable and drugged out, he still tried to be himself.

Viva Las Elvis!

The Muse.

Portrait of me as a Muse, by Michael Baxter

I could pull my History Geek Cred out and talk about the Nine Muses of Classical Greece*, but today I'm going to talk about something more immediate.

Who are your Muses? With whom do you collaborate and attempt to inspire?

I could list all my Muses, but instead, I'm going to talk about just one.

Meet Michael Baxter, the world's foremost photographer of Belly Dance. Michael is, in short, a genius. He is a feminist, a visionary of light, and an old school geek. (He and The Charming Man are also dear friends).

Go ahead, follow the link. I'll be here when you come back from looking at the links.


No, I mean it. Go look at them. :)

Michael's love of dance, music, light, and myth  have inspired me since we met in 2008. I had never seen a photographer able to photograph all shapes, sizes, and colors with such ease and joy. We've since corresponded and shot photos together. He makes us see ourselves as we truly are.

I had truly terrible body image issues until I met him. I knew that I wasn't a hideously scarred Two-Face, but I never knew in what way I was attractive. He showed me my own goofy, playful charm.

Since learning this from Michael, I try to take all my characters on a voyage of self discovery to find their beauty. I try to show all my friends how beautiful they are, what they might not see about themselves. I am inspired to be kinder, more patient (not easy for me), and share the light that Michael has shown me.

I hope he will inspire you, too, with his skill with color, setting, and bringing dreams alive.

*All right, I couldn't help myself.

Calliope: Epic poetry. Emblem: Writing tablet (Too bad such a cool chick got stuck with such a hideous instrument)
Clio: History, Scrolls
Erato: Love_poetry: Cithara
Euterpe:Lyric Poetry, Aulos
Melpomene: Tragedy,Tragic mask<
Polyhymnia: Sacred poetry,Veil
Terpsichore: Choral Dance and song, Lyre
Thalia:Comedy, Comic mask<
Urania: Astronomy, compass

The meat of the matter.

In romance and erotica writing, the men have large penises. I've not read a story about a man's thin or short cock, even though every single heterosexual woman out there knows that they come in all shapes and sizes.  And every single one is capable of bringing great pleasure. Not only that, we also know that too-big cocks can hurt.

So why the obsession?  After reading Nancy Friday for many years, I culled the following theories:

1. Fantasies are symbolic of what someone wants in their life. A dream of a big penis, a huge, giant monster that fills you up and satisfies you - well. Sounds like a shout for MORE MORE MORE, doesn't it?

2.That MORE MORE MORE isn't just about sex. It's about wanting more excitement, more time to relax, more ease and just plain more fun. Nothing represents a really great day better than a big, hard penis.

3. It's also a bit of a boast - "I'm such a powerful woman, it takes something powerful to satiate me and please me."

4. That shout of MORE can also represent frustration with the "Good Girl" role - you know, the one where a woman is shamed if she initiates, shares her fantasies, is experimental, or just plain curious. Talk about a rebellion! Desire for more starts every revolution, even a small one where an individual simply wants the freedom to read what she truly wants.

Those are my theories. What are yours?