My hairdresser this morning had a first guess of Anna Nicole Smith. But, my mystery tough woman was Janis Lyn Joplin, who was raised in Port Arthur, Texas. She died in 1970 of a heroin overdose.

That the young woman took to drugs so readily would be no surprise considering the decades in which she was living, and the treatment she received from people. When she attended the University of Texas in Austin, the thoughtless redneck fraternity boys nominated Janis for The Ugliest Man on Campus Award. Even worse than that, she won. Now, if that wouldn’t send a woman looking for escape from reality, I can’t imagine what would.

Janis was never accepted in her home town during her lifetime, and that was always difficult for her. In 1988, the town that once ostracized her erected a statue in her memory. I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur in January. They have a very nice exhibition of her artwork, and the replica (pictured above)of the Porsche she drove.

Many people read, but only four tried to guess, and I appreciate their input. They were all right! Thanks for indulging me in my silliness. The players were:

…WHAT WAS HER NAME?…

“Lyn”s early years gave no clue to the turbulent life she would live. She grew up in a typical small Texas town, in a family that was not out of the ordinary. Her Daddy labored at an oil refinery and her Momma was a domestic goddess. Life was rosy and sweet for the young girl.

Throughout her childhood, Lyn was considered pretty, friendly and smart. Her artistic nature showed itself early. Lyn was a skilled painter, acted in school plays and sang in the church choir. In the choir, her lovely contralto singing voice was greatly appreciated and utilized often for solos.

But, puberty was cruel to Lyn. A horrible case of acne ravaged her face and her self-esteem. By the time Lyn reached high school, she had become wild, unruly and unpredictable. She had gained a lot of weight, and in defiance, Lyn began to dress in men’s clothing and act like she was tough thug. Her language was vulgar and she was quick to anger. The poor misfit had much to be angry about, for she became the butt of every cruel teenage joke imagineable. But, underneath the outer core, she was just another sad and lonely teenager crying out for someone to love her.

As soon as she could, Lyn got out of that stifling Texas town and went to the bright lights that beckoned in California. There, she ran with a rough crowd and “lived a hard life,” as my Mamaw would say. She became a famous celebrity “bad girl,” but Lyn didn’t get to enjoy it for long. It’s not just the good who die young. Lyn died before she reached her thirties.

You know Lyn’s real name. Can you guess without me telling you? Give it a try, and I’ll post about it later.

Five new blogs I enjoy

As promised, here is the list of Link Love for this week. It’s been a hard decision, because there were many more than these blogs that caught my eye. But, I’m only letting me pick five, because I actually do have a life, and can’t sit here reading all day! So here goes, in no particular order:

Geeky Streak

CeeCi writes about html and css, and writes in a way that I can understand. She makes no pretense about the fact that she is learning right along with us. I’m looking forward to other posts this geeky girl has to say. She has several other blogs that are quite beautiful as well, so be sure to check them out.

Writer’s Cramps

Gattina has made me laugh every day this week. I fall out of my chair with her sense of humor. She’s from Belgium, but she would make a great Texan, because she is just “full of beans.” I particularly enjoyed a hilarious post about a friend’s “martyred” mother. The way she describes it, you can see the action unfold.

MeeAugraphie

MeeAugraphie has poetry that is mellow and musical. She makes me so jealous I could spit. I want to go back daily to see what images she conjures.

Yellow Roses Garden

YR has perhaps one of the most beautiful blogs I’ve seen. She’s from Georgia, though she once lived in Texas. Her words are well crafted, and the pictures she adds are awesome. On top of that, she seems like a nice person, so there you go.

Sandy And Kurt

Sandy writes about her life with her husband and their three children. Although I’m past the mommy stage, her kids are adorable, and the woman has a humorous take on life that I enjoy.

Those are my five. They are added to my Link Love logo. I urge you to visit the sites and see if they appeal to you. Do you have suggestions of sites I need to see? Tell me. I want to know. What five blogs appealed to YOU this week?