Bodhisartva ..... Art/Spirit/Life

Family Craziness - Part II

With 8 siblings and numerous nieces and nephews, I suppose it was only a matter of time before more than one of them arrived to stay with me.  Sister Mary (#7 of 9) brought her three to visit California for a week.  It's been hectic, but fun - and they've seen more of L.A. than I have!

The first stop, naturally.

"Did" downtown on arrival day; Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier the next.  Easter Sunday found us at Paradise Cove.

Nags Head West.  Beach foolishness.

"I am krushing your head....".

Easter rabbit in the sun.

...and the beauty.

Given a choice and the right weather, I think they would have preferred to go to the beach every day.

 

The Journey is the Destination

Not to get all woo-woo on you, but really, getting "there" can be as important as wherever there is. In this case, "there" is Santa Barbara, where my friend Maggie's friend Jane was having a photography exhibit. They haven't seen each other in a while, so we thought we would surprise her. Maggie has been dealing with some major health issues and a road trip seemed to be just the thing.  

The weather as we drove was what I guess they call a "lowering" sky - gray, ever moving, dropping some rain - very cozy actually.  The hills were a surprising green (we haven't had much rain this year) and there was that wonderful yellowy haze of new leaves on the bare trees.  Up hill and down brought us breathtaking vistas around every curve until finally we were running beside the ocean.

You can talk about a lot of things in an hour and a half.  You can get hungry too, so we pulled off at Summerland, a little roadside community.  And ran smack into "Sacred Space", a magical garden of peace.  Be sure to stop if you ever have the chance. You will never want to leave.

We finally did get to Santa Barbara and Jane's fabulous exhibit.  I enjoyed their reunion almost as much as they did. 

Luckily, I am a better driver than I am a photographer.  We did arrive back safely and the smile on Maggie's face was worth the entire journey.  Or maybe, that smile WAS the destination?

               

Maui

 

Does this flower clash with my hair color?    If it does, I may be forced to stay in my room -  to look at this.  Too bad.

 

 

Every day, there are flowers in the lobby for guests.  Perhaps tomorrow, there will be plumeria, which will go so much better with my coiffure, don't you think?

Aloha!

 

Sister Sara

 

There are people who are embedded in the very fabric of our lives.  Some are there because we see them every day, live with them, work with them, make art with them. 

Others are deep in the pattern of the weave, a long time woven in - faded into the background because of distance or time, but always there. The thread is sturdy and rich and true. 

 

I have four dear and fabulous sisters.  Sara is not my sister.  She was married once upon a time to my wonderful brother.  It's been decades since they were together, but she has remained a member of the family because she is, well, Sara. We think it's been 7 years since we've seen each other face to face; emails and facebook and birthday cards have been sporadic.

She picked me up at the airport in Chicago and it was as if no time had passed at all.  We fell immediately into a comfortable, loving and funny (oh, yes!) space as if I had seen her yesterday. There is a soul connection, an easy recognition - I think we look at each other and see our true selves reflected in the other's eyes.

I am so blessed.

Of course, it helps that she started our evening with this.

And, she MADE the bread, mind you.

Tomorrow...antique malls and bookstores.  See what I mean? Soul sisters.

P.S.  Yes, I know I am a day behind.  Give me a break. 

Radio Stars-Listen Live

The Brothers did an in-studio performance at the local station here in Mammoth.  The tiniest studio, but we all crammed into it somehow.  They did "Joy You Bring" and Steve told about writing it for his daughters and talked about them. The interviewer laughed and said she would use it as her theme song for "The Exhausted Parent Network".  Turns out Stacy was serious; she actually does have a show by that name, LOL.

This morning, he walked into a store in town and the radio station was announcing them - they'll be broadcasting live from Bluesapalooza.  You can listen online if you want: KRHV.  They go on at 12:45 today (Saturday).

Road Trip!

Sitting here listening to the Delgado Brothers rehearse downstairs in the garage.  Fitting soundtrack for the view from my room.  Steve didn't realize he wrote the lyrics for this place, but it's obvious now.  "I often fall to my knees at the glorious places I've seen.  Our mothers and fathers before us blessed this sweet land and our life-giving forests".  Indeed. 

I love road trips!  They played Wednesday night at the historic Fox Theater in Bakersfield - what a beautiful restoration of a treasured building.  They opened for Los Lonely Boys and the Brothers brought down the house - standing ovation and sold out of CDS and t-shirts. 

Then, the long drive up through the desert and the Owens Valley to Mammoth Lakes and the Bluesapalooza Festival. This is the strangest landscape.  It changes every 30 miles - desert, chaparral, rocky outcroppings, pine forests, granite, basalt, dried up lakes, abandoned ranches, cows, sheep, elk...it's a ride!  Elevation change from 2,000 feet to 8,000 feet.

Millions of stars  and temps of 40 degrees at night.  Perfect for sleeping and I think I will take a nap right now.

Adventures in London - Day 5 - Stranded by Volcano

Well, the good news is that British Airways is still paying for my hotel and feeding me.  The bad news is that they don't think they can get me out until Sunday.

I continue to make lemonade. Found this great bookbinding store.

 
The upstairs is beautiful papers and well worth the trip.  But the real prize is found when you descend the narrow, steep stairway to the basement.  I almost wept with joy.  Gorgeous bookbinding tools and supplies - leather you would not believe and way out of my price range; book cloth of every color; buckram; cords and thread. 

But the best were things I couldn't take home in any case.  Old book presses, handmade sewing cradles - and a fun staff who were not only helpful, but obviously loved their jobs.  I did get some of that buckram and also two stacks of Fabriano paper that will be perfect in my books. Also decided that now I must buy an extra suitcase to get home.

I took the tube back to Hyde Park to find an art store without luck.  However, I did enjoy Kensington Gardens and paid a visit to Harrods - with my new suitcase.

Oh, lord!  Nothing can prepare you for that store; it was fabulous.  Tea, food, chocolate, tea, tea, tea.  It was everything I had been told and more.  Very over the top.

Speaking of over the top,  I must say here how very, very much I love my husband and treasure our life together.  However, when he passes from this earthy coil, I will NOT be doing anything like this for him -

Ah, Victoria.  Ah, Albert.  What a saga.  Judi and Steve will live on in art and music and children and that's enough for me.

London Adventure - Day 4 - A stroll on the Thames

After dropping off my vintage fair finds at the hotel, I decided to follow this sign.

I had no idea I was so close to the Thames River.  It was a Sunday, so scores of people were gathered along the promenade or standing outside the pubs, having a pint and a great time.  Nearby was a beautiful park with tiny smoking hibachis and soccer games played by all ages.  I strolled through this path of flowering trees...

But the loveliest moment was further on, as I walked back to the hotel through mundane and gray streets.  There was a slight breeze and as I looked down, thousands of tiny petals swirled and danced at my feet. 

Perhaps a lucky sign?  Perhaps I would be going home soon?  My flight was originally scheduled for the next day.  Would the volcano cooperate?  Would I see my family soon?  As the sun set slowly in the West, our intrepid stranded traveler wondered..

London Adventure - Day 6 - Piccadilly Circus and the drama of the pills

Still no way to get out of here and I'm running out of medication.  Spent the day trying to figure out how to get some without spending a fortune.  I wish I could just get five pills; that's all I need. 

Turns out that-

1. the NHS will see me, but they cannot prescribe this drug,

2. the chemist tells me that a private clinic can prescribe, but I'll have to get a 60 day supply (that's like $300!), but

3. suggests that I cut my pills in half and take half every other day. However,

4. I can't cut them in half because they are not scored, yet

5. when I visit another chemist with my last two pills in hand, no, he cannot  cut them in half either,and unfortunately,

6. while I am talking to him and showing him my pill, I drop it down a hole in his desk and that's the end of that.

7. He tells me he would give me a two week supply, so I will go to a clinic.

8.  Clearly, it was time to go to a flea market.

Found a Victorian baby hairbrush with an ivory handle. Feeling better now.

I spend several hours sitting on the floor of a clinic with dozens of other stranded foreigners who need meds.  Please read their sign.  So much for the King's English.

I didn't notice anyone taking off their clothes, but perhaps they didn't read this sign.

Finally, I meet a lovely doctor who gives me the script which I take to the chemist as they are closing.  I can pick them up in the morning.  Except, in the morning, they don't have any after all and have ordered it and it will be in tomorrow morning.  Will I still be here in London?  Will the hotel kick me out? Will British Airways buy me dinner?  These questions and others may be answered soon.

I know this is a statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circle, and I am feeling that I want to borrow his wings and fly away home. 

London Adventure - I don't even know what day this is

At the prompting of my dear Gina, I finally did what I should have done the second day I was stuck here.  She found a store called Cass Arts and after trying to find them, I ended up in their flagship store, which is very lovely. 

This evening, my hotel room looked like this. A stop at Tesca for paper towels and freezer paper...and they will never know I turned my room into a studio :-)

Yes, that is a glass of champagne from dinner and a knife I borrowed from the restaurant to use as a bone folder.  Working in the journal I brought, with the kit I carry, just wasn't cutting it under the circumstances.  So, I am making a larger one with the papers I made tonight.

THIS is what I like to see.