Bodhisartva ..... Art/Spirit/Life

Sunset/Sunrise

I guess that's backwards from the song, but then, I WAS flying east.  Shortly after take off from LAX, I looked back to this amazing sight above the clouds.

Many hours and time zones later, with the frozen wastes of Greenland and Iceland left behind, I looked forward to see this.

Travel is a strange thing.  24 hours ago, I was boarding a plane in Los Angeles.  Now, I almost don't know where I am, except that it's the middle of the night here and I hope that when I wake up in the morning, my brain will have returned.  I'll let you know.

Real life?

There are 52 of us first cousins (yes, you read that right!), so it's not surprising that we don't see each other much.  We live all over the country and our ages practically span a generation.  One of the younger ones recently thought that I made a living with my art and seemed somewhat impressed by that.

Alas, not even remotely close to my reality.  Here I am at my "day job":

 

This was an optometry conference, where I was promoting our service for people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  I do health fairs as well, manage a website and spend a lot of time every day listening.  If I can't do art all day, at least I have a job I love where I can do some good.  Not a bad deal, actually.

What Happened??!?

This is Atlanta.  Huh?

Walked out of the convention center to this sight.

Luckily, I am not leaving until Sunday, so I hope this will all be a chilly memory by then. Brrrrr.....this Southern California girl isn't used to this.

Super Weekend - and I don't mean the game

After a bout with the flu and torrential rains, the weekend turned itself around.

The Delgado Brothers and family celebrated three - count 'em - three birthdays with a concert.  And not just any concert.  If I wasn't already married to the birthday boy, I would have thrown myself at his feet after his rendition of Donny Hathaway's "More Than You'll Ever Know".  Of course, I had to share the dedication with my daughter Sara and my best friend Gina, but there was enough music to go around.

Happy Birthday, Tbo D, Sue City Sue and Lisa Magee!

Sunday dawned bright and clear - perfect weather for the Pasadena City College Flea Market!  Gina was dedicated to holding back my wilder acquisition urges (no I DIDN'T buy any more poker chips!).  But I found some lovely things and had a great day.

I see a color theme here, perhaps.  I may be too predictable, but I do love these warm honey tones. I'm very excited about the three cylinder boxes.  They're perfect for drill bits, sewing needles and little bits and bobs.

For those who care about the name on the envelope, Mrs. Howell was apparently the mother of Ms. Louise, who was promoted from the 4th to the 5th grade in an unnamed year.  But most of the report cards in this envelope are for Ms. Dorothy, who appears to have been a middling student in grades 7-10.  Perhaps Louise changed her name from shame.  The report cards are fun and I'll post them later.

Other goodies included two old ledger books and some necessary but not very photogenic tools.  I'm saving the rest of my money for the Long Beach Flea Market on the 21st.  Gina will be out of town, so I can go WILD!  I will try to show some restraint for her sake, but I can't make any promises.

Mixed Blessings

I try to see the good side of everything; the best in situations, the silver lining.

I awoke to pouring rain this morning.  I love rain.  Blessing.  But, this was a lot of rain.  A lot.  Not so much a blessing.

Had a chance to wear my wellies finally!  Blessing.  Stood in the street in the river because I could.  Felt like a kid.   Blessing. 

Then, I realized that maybe I should check the garage.  The floor gets damp when it rains on our hillside. Everything on the floor is in plastic, so no worries.  Didn't take into account a leak in the roof somewhere.  Floors of both garages aflood.  Water covering tables where we thought things would be safe.  Boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes soaked through.  Years of records.  Years of memories. 

The worst? 

They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Some can be peeled from each other without much damage.  Some are in stacks are now solid and can't be separated.  Even negatives.  Every photo from my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary.  

Yet even in this there is a blessing.  As we worked on what we could save, we took an unexpected walk down memory lane and it was sweet.  And of course, it taught us a lesson.

Besides that, look at the beauty of the garden after it rains.  Blessing.  

Paying Attention

When you work with older folks, it doesn't take long before you are really thinking about the fragility of life and the need to appreciate each moment.

This week, I worked with a group of quintessential Italian ladies at Villa Scalabrini - glorious accent, hand gestures and all.  They were a total delight in their community room with maps of Italy over all the walls.  80 - 90 - 100 (years old that is). Dealing with vision loss, pain, walkers, wheelchairs....and still with that sparkle in the eye and that laugh from the mouth.

Perhaps it's because they can step outside the front door and see this.

Losing the Muse - A Riveting Tale

When the creative muse is not showing up on schedule - where the heck IS that woman?  - there is only one solution.

Make rivets.  Pound some wire.  Release that tension.  Start with a little bit of tie-wire from Home Depot.  Take a blurry photo.

Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap - are we done yet? - tap tap tap tap....tap tap tap tap

Keep tap-tap-ing until the top gets all shiny and domed and you feel quite satisfied, though tired.

Say "thank you" to Tracy Moore for teaching it.  Thank you, Tracy.

Feel better, now.  But, what to do with all these rivets....?????