Photo Fun

I am having the greatest time with my digital camera. Not sure why I waited so long to get one. This is actually 5 photos laid together to create a panoramic view of my back yard. Consider it a before shot gardening season officially began for me last weekend.

Spring through the window.

Growing a Movement: The Peace Garden

Despite the rain and occasional blasts of cold air, it is quite clear that spring is about to explode all over the PNW. At this point I am pretty sure that the early spring has been brought about by sheer force of will; a collective wish from the thousands of us weary of the winter.

I am fond of planting plants in memory and honor of the people I love. For my mother I plant Lilacs and for my great aunt roses. As an ode to my childhood I plant Lady’s Mantle. (I think it looks like clusters of Chartreuse fairies when it is in bloom and that reminds me of being a little girl). I planted an Olive tree in a pot one year, a horticultural cry for peace. It is not fairing so well in its lonely little pot, so this year I think I might give it company by planting a Peace Garden.

During WWI and WWII Victory Gardens were planted throughout the US and UK as a way to boost the morale of citizens, supplement rationed food stores and take some of the pressure off of food supplies stretched thin by the war effort. But I don’t want to support the war. Don’t get me wrong, I support our troops but want them home rather than fighting and dying.

A Peace Garden is about life. It is about celebrating the things that bring us all together. It is about earth, air, water, food and sun. It is about memories of the past, hopes for the future and the ability to be present in your own environment.

Imagine this…

What if everyone with space (yard, patio or windowsill) planted a Peace Garden?

Tending those gardens would lower their blood pressure and relieve stress. Children who tended these gardens would learn compassion reducing their likelihood for violence as they grow older. The food they grew would be a healthy addition to their diets; extra food (like Zucchini) could be donated to local food banks reducing hunger. Some of the flowers grown in these gardens could be shared with neighbors, strengthening community. Of course Peace Gardens are organic and the greenery would provide an environment for backyard wildlife. Collectively, all the good Karma from these Peace Gardens would elevate humanity to a higher state. And finally Global warming would be completely reversed due to the abundance of new plant life. Okay I am totally reaching here… but it would still be amazing…

Gargoyles

Canadian Geese standing watch like Gargoyles...

My Dad's Gift

Just stumbled across a wonderful post about my Dad on Anali's Blog . Has me wishing I could see my father's exhibit at KALEIDOSCOPE - A Child's Face (Infinitely Varying and Constantly Changing) at JPLicks in Boston. I love living in Seattle, but sometimes I feel like I am missing out on some of the best moments with my family back east.

The thing I love most about my father's portraits is that he is so good at capturing more than just visual information. You look at one of his photos and you can see the personality of the person. You know instantly if they are playful, mischievous, sad or inquisitive.

My father is funny, witty, brilliant but slightly introverted. I think his skill at photography comes from his ability to sit back and observe others and the world. Some people are very good at speaking, others at listening... I feel that my father is a master of observation, something that directly translates into his photography.

High Tech Art

Okay, this is definitely not the best picture, but the idea is so cool I had to share. Saw this at the Seattle Flower Show... This giant Koi is made up of discarded CDs that shimmer just like fish scales... All the containers in this display were shiny new trash cans...

We used trashed cans as containers in front of our old garden store. They were affordable (less than $20 each), highly durable (outside all year long) and stylish (they have a modern and whimsical flair). In fact, we received request for trash cans pots quite often... and it just about killed us to admit we bought them at a chain hardware store.

I have an old magazine clipping that shows an entire vegetable garden designed in trash cans. I love this idea and hope to replicate it to some degree in our new backyard. The cans keep the soil warm and are perfect for tomatoes. Plus if you wrap a thin copper wire around the base you can keep slugs at bay. I am hoping to use medium size cans on either side of our patio filled with

Scarlett Charlotte Chard from Renee's Garden Seeds. It will be decorative and delicious.

My other big idea is to do a flower border totally inspired by coral reefs. I have been toying with this idea for a while. I think so many succulents resemble coral. No stuffy English flower borders for me... I want something other worldly and tropical...

I am just in the sketching phase now, but as soon as I have more of a plan and plant names, I will share...

Peace from the Faucet

"There is peace in water if you listen"

These are not my words, but rather something that popped into my head one day as I sat staring out at the water and missing
my mother who had recently passed away. I have taken the words as a gift, something my mother wanted me to have
in her absence.

The sound of water is something that has always calmed me. Bubbling fountains, running faucets, steady rains and even the sound of pouring tea relax me like few things can...

Several times a day, my dear cat North insists I turn on the faucet so he can drink fresh running water. I have come to look forward to our little ritual for both the pleasure it brings him and the sense of peace it gives me.

Sometimes he knocks the soap in the sink other times he insists I fill the bowl up so he can splash... Then of course there are his daily full body showers... (North is a little odd)

At any rate, I am thankful for the abundance of clean fresh water we have here in Seattle. I am thankful that I have such a crazy cat in my life. And I am thankful for the peace I can fill myself with, simply by turning on a faucet or listening to the rain.

Aqua Boomerang

We are in the midst of a budget remodel of our kitchen. The house has lovely 50's style cabinets in pristine condition and the kitchen features a wonderful open design with room for the cook and seating for 8. Everyone said do Granite... but of course we choose exactly what we wanted. It really wasn't much of a search... Our eyes were both drawn to this amazing pattern, Formica was cool and affordable... and with a name like Aqua Boomerang, our kitchen counters are destined for greatness.

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