(no subject)
just finished drawing out my next tattoo. gonna continue with the dia de los muertos theme i've got going on my right arm.
the calavera i have now sort of commemorates my marriage to johnny- 'til death do us part being the skull bit, and the forget-me-nots around the skull being self- explanatory. i go away a lot, out to sea on the ship i'm stationed on, so the flowers are so he doesn't forget me while i'm away fulfilling my sailor-y duties. that tattoo takes up a good half of my upper arm and shoulder.
my mom killed the dog i've had for nearly 10 years- my terrier, princess. she told me she had been at work all day and when she came home daisy (her chihuahua) was fine, but princess was dead, lying in the shade in the backyard. princess was old, arthritic, and couldn't really support herself on her hind legs, and apparently she'd been peeing inside sometimes, so my mom had them outside in 115 degree arizona weather.
my sister told me a different story- princess died on a saturday, when my mother had been at home with her current boyfriend ALL DAY. my mother hadn't even realized princess was dead until my sister came home from work and found her. princess and daisy could have been inside, because there were people there to watch them. but no, my mother was being a lazy bitch and decided to leave poor old princess outside. it was a completely preventable death.
anyway, princess ended up dying on my 1 year anniversary. i've drawn up a really fun, bright and colorful dia de los muertos dog to put on my arm. it's a little skeleton dog in the play position with princess' floppy ears. she's gonna be bright powder blue with a little yellow heart on her forehead and on her ears, and other little bits of filigree and flowers like on a sugar skull.
princess was anything but a normal dog, so i figured an unusual memorial tattoo was appropriate. the little skeleton dog will be surrounded by flowers- marigolds are a traditional dia de los muertos decoration, purple hyacinths mean sorrow and apology, because i wasn't able to be there to help her when she died, and pink carnations mean love, because princess was my first dog and will always be my favorite, and also for johnny, because i love him more than anything.
and since princess died on july 11th, and johnny and i got married on july 11th, there will be a banner stating the date. it's all about my love for the both of them, and how happy i am for princess that she's not in pain anymore, even though it tears me apart i didn't get to see her one more time before she died. dia de los muertos is about remembering the dead, and partying in their favor, because you're happy for them that they've gone on to some new adventure and don't have to be on shitty old earth anymore. i think that's a nice way to approach it.
i love you, princess! you were amazing.