I’ve discovered a new digital arts shop on Etsy.com.

Hello and happy Sunday from Howdygram headquarters. I’ve been trying to write this post for more than a week but got myself caught up in a cycle of extremely long and unexpected naps … and by the time I finally realized what was happening it was 10:45 Saturday night. At that point I was more interested in food and a pleasant conversation with Sam. What a clusterfuck … especially since I didn’t have a chance to recognize my father’s 100th birthday in heaven! He was born on July 13, 1920, and was buried just two days after his 82nd birthday. I think about my father every day of my life and regret that Sam never had a chance to know him.

Dad passed away just a few weeks after I met Sam in June 2002. We were living in southern California at the time, and dad, of course, was in Chicago.

Unfortunately, I think I’d better change the subject before I get sad again. It’s been happening a LOT these days, and sadness is not a good place to be. I start whining about all the “loss” I’ve experienced during the last two or three years, such as … (1) I can’t get dressed and go for a drive with Sam; (2) I can’t go for a walk; (3) I can’t stand up; and (4) I can’t even sit up in my goddamn bed and look out the window. Jesus!

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At least I’ve had the motivation to continue collecting free fonts, and here’s my latest offering. First, I’ve got a variety of great scripts … “Thistails” is a monoline font, “Berlliont” and “Viktor” are calligraphy fonts, and “Quickly” is a signature font. This list also includes lots of display fonts (“Toyland,” “Chucky Buck,” “Casagrande”), hand-lettered fonts (“Summer Flowers,” “Hello Pencile”) and several dingbats fonts (“Sugar Plums,” “Coodles Ampersands”). I also have one layered font for you (“Coodles”), too. I’m so excited about some of these that I’ve been working on new greeting card designs again!

Download links will appear below the graphic in case you want any or all of these fonts for your personal collection. You’re welcome!

Thistails • Berlliont • Quickly • Swirly Letters • All the Roll

Chucky Buck • Summer Flowers • Toyland • Timber Slicer • Hello Pencile

Morgan Famous • Sugar Plums Bonus • Viktor Script • Mythical Garden

Johnie Blackerson • Coodles • Casagrande

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And, of course, I’ve got a couple of new backgrounds to share with you, too. I’ve discovered a new digital arts shop — Fresh Ananas — on Etsy.com and purchased three very nice seamless collections on sale for $1.25 each … (1) a zebra print in 100 rainbow colors on a white background; (2) a striking oil painting abstract in 100 vivid colors on black; and (3) a rustic lumberjack plaid in 100 colors on black.

For your possible interest, as soon as I downloaded the zebra files I opened them one at a time in Photoshop and deleted all the white, giving me 100 colors on TRANSPARENT BACKGOUNDS, and that makes them incredibly more versatile and inspiring. Check out the samples below. These are the same three zebra colors from up above — red, black, and magenta — with various colored foils in the background. A lot more exciting than white, right? Woo-hoo!

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I’d like to offer a rave review for a frozen product I discovered last week from Whole Foods on Amazon … ROYAL ASIA’S SHRIMP WONTONS WITH SZECHUAN SAUCE. Without a doubt, this was as delicious as any restaurant dim sum entrée I’ve ever had. The sauce was spicy, slightly sweet and INCREDIBLE, the wontons were filled with whole shrimp, and the portion size was PERFECT … although I probably could have eaten a second one if we had one in the freezer! Frankly, it’s products like this that make it easy to be a bedridden coot … I order my food online, it arrives the same day, and it heats up in the microwave in only three minutes.

Royal Asia’s Shrimp Wontons with Szechuan Sauce have earned the Howdygram’s coveted five chopper rating.

Incidentally, Royal Asia is the same company that makes BOOM BOOM SHRIMP … that incredible product I got hysterical about in a Howdygram review back on May 5. We order two or three of these two-pound bags every week! Later today I’ll try ROYAL ASIA’S SHRIMP DIM SUM DUMPLINGS, which come frozen in two-pound bags just like the Boom Boom Shrimp. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. SHRIMP DUMPLINGS WITH HOT SAUCE!

At the moment I’ve got grocery orders ready for Sam’s approval … one from Whole Foods (on Amazon) and another from Wal-Mart. I’ll ask him to review the lists as soon as he wakes up from his nap. This actually works out well for us, because I’m bedridden and can’t keep track of what’s in the pantry, the fridge or the freezer.

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I think I’ll get back to some greeting card designs now and maybe turn on the TV for a little “background” noise. Don’t laugh, but one of my favorites is Panic in the Streets, a 1950 thriller set in New Orleans starring Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas and Zero Mostel. Widmark and Douglas are a public health officer and police captain, respectively, trying to track down a murderer who was infected with pneumonic plague. This is definitely an eerie precursor to what’s happening right now with COVID-19!

Thank you for reading this. Drop me a line sometime, okay?