Reading between the lines

Funny I used to thing retro modern houses from the 50's-late 60's were ugly and cold. It was the lines you see, I wanted the curvy softness of the Victorian or Craftsman. Something about this style just crept under my skin... And you know what they say if you fixate on something long enough you either go crazy or you get it. I think I am suffering from a little bit of both, because I am now crazy in love with retro modern. I love the lines... those quirky, creative lines, that grab the eye and chase the light. My weekly fix is at http://www.seattlemodern.com/.

Still Life with Cat

Last week after years of thinking about it, I went and bought a digital camera. I went to 3 big box stores and after receiving the polar opposite of help and customer service, I found myself at a little camera shop in the mall. The gentleman at the counter answered my questions, let me try 17 different cameras and spent well over an hour with me. By night's end, I had purchased this, with all the requisite accessories.

Over the next two days, I took 63 pictures trying every button on the camera I could find. Only two of the pictures were even remotely decent. That has led me to surmise the following:

• This photography stuff is a hell of a lot harder than certain people make it look.
• Light is important... I get it now!
  
• Sleeping cats make the best models
• And just because you find 63 pictures of a sleeping cat and yarn fascinating, does not mean your partner will...
  

The Gift of Good Health

In the midst of all my holiday shopping, it occurred to me that the one thing I really wanted for Christmas was something that only I could give myself. Every year I buy a few presents or two for myself and stick it under the tree, addressing it to me from Santa or to me from the pets. In this way, I am sure to get the exact fit or book title that I want while preserving the spirit of giving. Okay maybe not really, but it works for me.

This year I realized that the only thing I really wanted for myself was good health. You know the kind… height weight proportionate, glowing skin, yoga limbered body, toned muscles, shining eyes and a spring in my step. More than just wanting good health, I wanted to shed all those nasty habits that had lead to my demise (healthwise).

So I made a pledge to give myself the gift of good health, no matter what it took. That pledge took a comfortable place on my list of priorities right between number 4 - organize sock drawer and number 6- win lottery. The higher powers must have thought I needed a little encouragement, because on January 3rd, I developed a sudden case of the flu (at work) that caused me to pass out (at work) and be rushed to the emergency room (from work).

[Side Note Here: My co-workers sent flowers and well wishes, but on a daily basis people eye me like I am Typhoid Mary and ask me how I am doing . Not to mention, that every time I sneeze or cough little bottles of Purell are discreetly whipped out.]

I am doing much better, but apparently [surprise] Flu, dehydration and high blood pressure are a nasty mix. And an even bigger surprise, the 3 sodas I used to drink each day didn’t even count towards the 60-75 ounces of water I was supposed to be drinking.

So the minute I was better, I called the doctor, dentist, therapist, exercise clinic and anyone else I could think of to aid me in my quest. And funny thing, the more I have taken action to do something about my health the better I have started to feel.

Last night I underwent a sleep study to find out why I am so tired all the time. If you enjoy torture, then I highly recommend a sleep study. They place you in a hotel like setting with a giant camera watching your every move and the disembodied voice of a technician monitoring you from another room. Then they strap every electrode they can find to your head, legs, fingers and eyelids. And then they tell you to relax and fall asleep. Yeah right… Of course when you do fall asleep they awaken you to add more electrodes and take readings… TORTURE!!!
Little steps, but in the right direction…

A Multitude of Sins

It has occurred to me, the really organized people may in fact not be so organized, they just have better containers in which to hide their stuff.

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King Jr !!!!

There is a powerful quote on Detritus, that I had never heard before. To this day, my grandmother still tears up for his loss. To me it has always just been history, but lately, I think I understand. Her tears must be similar to the tears I would feel if something were to happen to Obama...(Heaven and Gods forbid) The loss of a future promise, the loss of hope.

Scattered Snow Showers

It is winter in Seattle and like every one here my thoughts have turned to … California, New Mexico, Carolinas, Hawaii, Florida… Pretty much any state I can imagine with a seasonal low of no more than 50 degrees.

Our weather so far has included 10 inches of rain, ice, hail, lightening, falling trees, power outages, snow(we don’t have plows) and biting cold. In a word, Suckage!!!! I am pretty sure that we have angered some higher deity and suspect that only an elected official jumping in a volcano will restore order.(I have a list of officials in mind)

In the midst of all this merriment, the history channel decides to air a selection of shows on disasters to remind us in the Pacific Northwest that if the weather does not get us, the earthquakes and Tsunamis (both of which we are over due) surely will.

In fact I am pretty sure that if it weren’t for the collective amnesia all of us in the PNW experience on the first warm sunny day, Seattle would have been abandoned long ago.

So I wait for the spring to warm the earth and melt away all memory of winter. In the meantime, I drink lots of tea, eat oodles of chocolate(got to keep the serotonins up) and compile my list of officials to sacrifice to the angry winter deities…

I've been away...

"I've been away, far from me, an isle of solitude in a stormy sea."

Signs

I just saw the movie Signs by M. Night Shyamalan on TV. I saw it in the theatres but was not able to get as much of the message, on account that I was scared sh*tless. I love this film...

On the surface, it is this truly believable amazing alien invasion picture, but on a deeper level, truly the whole movie is about having faith. So of course it got me thinking and I realized that faith is a force that exist beyond religion (meaning it does not matter what religion you believe)

... Faith is the energy produced when you believe in something bigger than yourself. It is trusting the universe and believing that you have a place in that universe. The energy generated by faith will light the darkest of times, energize you when you think you can't go another step and guide you to a better future no matter how bleak your present may be.

So if your cup is running a little low do yourself a favor and see this film...

To Craft...

I came to craft fairly late in life. Of course like everyone, I had my share of childhood popsicle stick creations, expressionist playdoh ash trays and macaroni sculpture. And although I am sure I enjoyed all of these projects, none were done for the reasons I craft today.

I came to craft in the weeks following my mother’s death; a beautiful woman with an infectious laugh, kind manner, optimistic outlook and the ability to create anything with barely any resources or supplies. For years I watched her transform; found junk into high end home décor, inexpensive generic clothes into runway fashions and simple everyday items into one of a kind masterpieces. Not exactly your traditional crafter, her tools of choice were a stapler, glue gun and a keen eye for style. When she passed on, the world crashed down around me and everything went dark. Suffice to say , we all take the death of a loved one hard… but I did not want to take it at all. If not for the love of family, friends and an amazing partner, I am not sure where I would be.

In the beginning, the first things to penetrate my darkness were colors. I had taken many of my mother’s things with me and I often fixated on the colors as I stared blankly at a vase, pillow or item of clothing. From there pictures, my mother had hundreds and I thought it important to share them with others. The problem, I didn’t want to part with any of them, and thought it pretty cold to just send my grandmother pages of scanned duplicates.

I found a scrap book and began to create a funny book of pictures and sayings. It took well over 100 hours and with each cut of the scissors, and swipe of the glue, I found myself smiling and laughing. And when I imagined how happy my grandmother would be to receive this, I felt even better.

Over the next 3 years, I fell in love with colors, textures, paper, cloth, yarn and glue. My partner and I opened a store and created a business. I learned to knit. I learned Photoshop. I started wearing bright colors. I took flower arranging classes. And I started to sketch. But most importantly, I found my mother again. She laughed with me while I created, she smiled at me when I wore a new creation, applauded me when I learned a new skill and hugged me when I gave a handmade gift.

We all come to craft for some reason. Maybe it is a desire for some thing we can’t afford a quest for some item that can’t be purchased or a need to work with our hands. Or maybe, like me it is a need to frame our sorrows and loss with a handmade gilded creation, to lift the darkness with a coat of fresh paint, wrap our aching spirits in a knitted shawl, to adorn our souls with buttons and glitter and to not only wear our hearts for all to see, but to also trim them with ribbons

We Never Really Blog Alone...

I love our pets, all 5 of them. HOWEVER one of our dogs has some "strange" habits. He can bark at volumes rarely achieved without a megaphone, he has a strange and unnatural love of pillows, despises humming and sneezing with a passion and thinks that every time he sees you it will be his last.

But the habit that perplexes me the most happens only when I use the computer. He parks himself behind a chair or stack of books and just watches me... Sometimes he will edge quietly closer and closer and when I look up, he is sitting a few feet from me, just starring. Don't get me wrong, he is sweet and affectionate, (especially since the meds have kicked in), it’s just a little unnerving when you are trying to write.

Happy Father's Day

Inspired by the beautiful post on Detritus, here is my own loving post for my Dad...

When I think of my Dad, I think of his sick but amazing sense of humour (which I inherited), his ability to make everything sound fascinating (which sparked my own love of science)and Lamentations Of The Father:
Laws Concerning Food and Drink, and Household Principles by by Ian Frazier (Beautifully performed on this episode of This American Life).

Happy Father's Day

THE 37TH YEAR MANIFESTO

THE 37TH YEAR MANIFESTO


At some point in our lives we realize we have very little control of the world around us, but total control of how we interact with that world. If you are lucky, that realization comes at a time in your life, when you can make the most of it. I have been blessed with such luck.

There is a great saying, “That life may not be the party you wished for, but while you are here you might as well dance”. So, the thing we all must determine is what type of dance we will dance. Will it be a sedate and restrained two step keeping time with the popular beat? Or will we throw our hands in the air; spin, twirl and move with ultimate abandonment to a song we feel and hear. In this my 37th year, I choose the latter dance. I choose jubilation instead of sadness, zest instead of indifference, and celebration instead of regret. I choose to dance like I am a child, no one is watching and every song I hear is my favorite.

To my past… triumphs, mistakes, losses, joys and pains, I have nothing but gratitude; because regardless of where I could be without them, I would not be here. To the ones I love but at the moment can’t reach, know that you share my journey and are with me every step of the way.

This year I promise:

• To erase the word “can’t” from my vocabulary


• To rejoice in the simple pleasures of everyday things and sensations


• To savor every bite of food and eat what I love, not just what I crave


• To never go a day without gazing at the sky


• To acknowledge the real severity of every situation and act accordingly


• To remember that with time & attention my own life is more exciting than anything on TV


• To secure my own air mask before helping those around me


• To drink water like a fish, stretch like a cat and sleep like a baby


• To not give apologies unless they are requested or warranted


• To remember that the best things in life aren’t on cable or on sale


• To practice love as a verb


• To share my gratitude and happiness with the universe in whatever way feels right

Stop me before I watch again....

Yes!!!! I am addicted... I watch at least 5 episodes per week which is an improvement over my 10 show per week habit I developed last winter. What am I talking about?

Confession Time: Yoga Will Change My Life

You ever just know that something will have a profound effect on your life. You sense it, feel it... that thing pops up all the time and your sub conscious just knows it has an important meaning for you.

Okay, so here is the thing. At my deepest core, I KNOW that Yoga will have a great and positive impact on my life. This has nothing to do with anything I have read or seen on TV, I just know it. A strong unrelenting sense... an understanding that if I follow this path (take up Yoga) good things will happen. "So", you ask "do I practice Yoga?"
I am sorry to say, but the answer is no. When the signs would pop up, or I felt strongly pulled towards it, I would ignore it or find an excuse why I could not possibly take up Yoga.

But now... I feel myself once again strongly drawn towards Yoga... and that little sense of mine is telling me this is the last chance. "Ignore this at your peril" my little voice says "This is your last chance to take this particular road to health". So I am relenting and embracing Yoga as my path back to health.

From how I understand it, I live mostly in my head and my body has become this cranky chauffer that just carries my thoughts around. Friends tell me that Yoga will help me to unite the two (body and mind) and learn to live in the present.

Wish me luck....

Becoming Your Own Media Mogul

Who says you need the backing of a network to become a media mogul. I just got turned on to Pink of Perfection from today's post on http://whipup.net/.

My New Addiction

Help, I am stuck on http://www.youtube.com/and I can't look away... Damn!!!! There is some serious and scary talent out there.

More Proof of the Power of Pink

This song by Pink is beautiful and powerful. A fitting anthem for scary times.

Quelle belle langue

French is such a lovely language. Aside from ordering coffee (café svp) I don't speak it yet, but plan to learn more sometime soon. Imagine knowing how to speak it, but being forbidden to do so.... Last week's nytimes article a constant reminder that discrimination knows no color, age, shape, size, sense or reason.

Pink "I"

For a long time the colorpink was a my secret joy, a color I loved but would never wear or embrace for fear that others would find my love of it proof that I was not to be taken seriously.

Thanks to various pink colored incidents and the words of those wiser than me, I have learned to embrace pink a color of soft quiet power. Pink, the red of passion tinged with the white of innocents.. what a lovely blend... Need a dose?

Art Lover

There is something about paint on canvas, color calling forth an emotion, form evoking memories.. Here is a great site to dabble a bit, without the mess... Try it, you'll like it. http://www.jacksonpollock.org/