Traditition

Last night a bunch of us went to Shanghai Gardens. We do this every year around this time to celebrate the coming into the world of our beautiful son. He loves barley green noodles, so, this is where we go. This year his adorable girlfriend was there, his best friend, his other mom and her partner and his 80 something grandma. She was a hoot. She got asked what tattoo would she get and where would she put it. Grandma thought and thought and wouldn't let it go because she didn't want to be indecisive. So much fun..

We also had a discussion about putting our kids pictures on the internet and whether or not we should get their permission. Well, I didn't get permission for this one. I hope it's ok. It's about 20 years old and he's not naked on a pad of sheep's wool or something. ( I wonder if I can find one of those )

I so love the young man we celebrate. I'm beyond grateful that he is in my life and if there were only one thing that I accomplish in my entire life, being his mom would be that with immense joy.

Magical Universe

Preview of a movie that I know I must see. Documentary of an Outsider Artist. I'm probably in love with him already and I've only seen the preview. I guess that's how I am. I love movies.

550 sf Castle

This is the latest dream that wants to be manifested through me. I once heard that you just have to keep imagining the dream very specifically and it will come to you. That's one thing I don't have a problem with, specific fantasizing, eh?  I'm making myself smile. But really, isn't she beautiful?

If you click on the picture it takes you to the company that makes these.

In Between

I don't have a picture for the place I'm in. I don't have words, really. It's that place in between pretty big changes sort of at the beginning of the middle. In full swing but unformed as it will be when it twirls into whatever next place there is. A time when linear does not compute but there's this time thing that wants to go in a line toward but there is no.....

So there you have it.

I Love These Beauties

The zinnias growing in my bucket garden in their second blooming. Such greetings when I get back home. Mucho joy.

Copper Days

Getting ready for an enameling class I'm taking day after tomorrow so I've spent the last couple of days in the studio making copper pieces to use. Challenging and seriously fun and exciting and satisfying. Now I'm really really excited for the class!!!

These pieces were made with Copprclay. Powdered copper in a binder that burns away at 1700°. First you have to sculpt the pieces. The clay is wet and dries pretty quickly but you just use little at a time. Then you have to let it all dry completely. After that they all get heated up to about 560° and then you take all the pieces and put them into activated charcoal made from coconuts. No. Really. (There would only be one firing if they were not going to be enameled) Now comes the big heat and then it gets held at 1700° for 3 hours.  Enough time to get my hair cut and go to the free night at the Asian Art Museum and see the exhibit of Japanese Art Deco. Fabulous. Interestingly there were very few ceramic pieces there. But I did get a picture (I know, illegal photography) of some enameled porcelain. Blew me away. I think I digress. Here are the copper pieces (somehow I forgot to photograph 2 of them that will be earrings) and after the class I'll put up a pic of how they got to be even more beautiful.

. 

R.M.R.

I've been taking journeys within the nourishment and the mountains, and the rivers and inner city dives of Letters To A Young Poet. Fingers twine around the very stars of each cell.

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

Today

My sister sent me this today. This comes after her surgery being cancelled AGAIN due to some incredibly inhumane, inept, ridiculous and stupid. (that just might be redundant), bureaucratic incompetence. That might be a whole stinkin' pile of redundancies..

So, after cursing the Universe, or Whatever for several hours and losing about 20 grand of unreal money on a poker site (I'm a terrible poker player. You can't play intuitive poker and win, I think) I decided to sleep on it. This decision came after about an hour with Pema Chodron on whether or not you can actually incorporate the concept of trust when talking about the Universe and Life.

Lorca was waiting for me to pick her up from the bicycle pediatrician where she was having her 3 month check up. So off I went walking down the Ravenna meridian, Patty blasting in my head  (I get to go see her now, hopefully), the sensation of fallen oak tree babies on the soles of my shoes, blue sky against the changing colors in the trees, and then all of a sudden, an ex that I've been running into lately after many many years walks toward me. She's tired and sad that she's tired. Epstein-Barr. Another beautiful courage right before me. Another sign from the gods that life is just what it is, always. 

Picked up Lorca and rode, and rode, and rode. I love her.Home now. Cooling off at my desk in front of the fan and wondering what will happen next. There's always that.