"Don't get caught out with the temperature going down."

Ok, I lied a little, but I promise I did not know I was lying at the time.

First, I said I'd do ten to fifteen matt pond PA postcards. Then I am pretty sure I said fifteen. Well I decided on ten. I want to start working on some other projects, and since I feel really good about where I am at with my designs, I am going to stop now.

Which means I have ten cards! I finished my tenth tonight. Or rather, this morning, since it's nearly 1:30 a.m. now. But that it neither here nor there.

My other lie was that this card was going to be my "Brooklyn Stars" design. I swear I had every intention of doing that but I sat down yesterday at my desk- my apartment was empty, as my son was with my parents and my husband was sleeping- and nothing was coming to me. Nothing, at least, that made me continue to be excited about it, from my own artistic standpoint. I had to change songs.

So then I'm all bombarded with the thought that this is my last postcard and suddenly every single word that Matthew ever wrote seems postcard-able and I spent a lot of time trying to narrow everything down and focus on actual possibilties. There are so many. I don't think I can be fully done with making art inspired by his music, so maybe he'll be cool with some wall art in the future?

After much deliberation I chose the song "Grave's Disease." It's another one of my favorites (when I told this to Mr. Quiet City he said to me, "Seriously though Courtney? Are any of those songs not your favorite?") and I mean it. It lies near the end of the Emblems album and its full of winter imagery."This cold here is one of the properties of the elements. This cold here is one of those I wish not to defend." It's followed up by the hint of spring and promises of summer. "Off come the sweaters and who are you to stop it?" The music swoops and words are whispered, and how could I not make a postcard out of it?

It may be blasphemous to spoil the end August with a scene of snow but here in Maine the temperatures have been dipping at night (uncharacteristically early), calling for double comforters and snuggling in bed. Autumn isn't too far off, and we all know what comes after that.


"I want the worth of every day there is to fill." Words by Matthew Pond, copyright matt pond PA 2004. Artwork (paper and ink collage) by Courtney, copyright Quiet City 2008.

I'm going to explain, since the photograph did not translate the image very well onto the computer: that's a girl making a snow angel in piles and piles of snow.

If it makes any of you summer lovers feel better about the nearing end of your favorite season, it's still wicked hot in the daylight hours. My shoulders even managed to darken a bit, as much as an Irish girl can without burning, today in the sun.

There's big news to come in a few days. Please stay tuned. Ooh, the suspense!