Time to Impeach

I've stayed away from talking about politics so far, but a tempest is always brewing inside my head. I'm totally fed up with our elected representatives, and have been for the last several years. This morning I read a wonderful article by Elizabeth Holtzman about the time being right to begin the process to impeach George W. Bush. Here's the article. I hope that any of you who are like-minded will also get inspired to raise a small or large ruckus!

Backyard Visitor

One thing I miss so much about being on Whidbey Island is the bird population. Here in Santa Cruz, being a comparatively urban environment, we have an abundance of sea gulls, pigeons, crows, sparrows, hummingbirds, and a spattering of others. However I was surprised and delighted to look out my upstairs window one day and see a different kind of backyard visitor - this magnificent great blue heron!

I first noticed this visitor standing on the roof of the cottage in our back yard.

It flew across the yard and landed in our plum tree.

It seemed particularly interested in something on the other side of our fence - I think the neighbor's fish pond! It craned its' neck to see.

This beautiful creature spent about 10 minutes, stepping gracefully across the branches.

Finally it spread its wings ......

took a springing step.....

and took off! Those little fish were safe for another day. (Unfortunately something made a shadow across my lens just as I shot this last photo!)

What's Blooming Now?

It's no Secret that I love Gardens. Here's what's blooming today, January 9, 2006, in our garden in Santa Cruz.

Alyssum

Purple Vine on Plum Tree

Calla Lilies

Orchid (inside)

Orchid (inside)

Morning Glory

Day Lily

Honeysuckle

Protea

Princess Flower

Orchid (inside)

Magnolia

Succulents

Double Delight Rose

Orchids

Lemons

Oranges

Back in Town

Well, we're back in Santa Cruz, as of Saturday afternoon. The remaining trip down was uneventful (how we like it!), and since we got here we've been busily doing all the catch-up stuff one has to do after being away from home for awhile.

Just a further update on my brother Dick. His pathology report was the best possible news. The cancer was not particularly agressive. It was completely encapsulated. The doctors consider it gone. No further treatment necessary. He is feeling terrific. I am ecstatic. Here's a photo of him, with me, in 2003 when he came to help organize my son's wedding! Can you see a family resemblance?

On The Road Again

After 2 days of travelling through what must be the Washington/Oregon monsoon season, we are in Redding, Ca. where we stopped for the night. Here it is dry, although the monsoon is following us from Oregon and should arrive here this morning. We experienced first-hand why people talk about rain falling “in sheets”. I would say it was falling in sheets and blankets and waterfalls. It made for a wonderful landscape on the side of the road where many of the fields were flooded, and glassy. The waterfowl were dropping in along the way, and the snowy mountains were reflected in these impromptu pools.

Mount Shasta was majestic in her white robes, and - for once - visible all the way to the top. However the driving conditions were harrowing, and we are glad to be off the road.

On Thursday night we were in Portland, for another artistic adventure. We visited several galleries in “The Pearl” district of Portland with our good friends Jan and Shirl. After dinner we spent the night at the home of the adorable and talented Lin Haak, the oil painter from our summer art camp. Lin has been working on so many projects, including an oil painting that we fell in love with last summer and wanted to take home with us. It is almost ready to go! We looked at a lot of her beautiful paintings, and talked into the night.
This painting of Lin's is not the one we're getting, but one she painted at our friend, Shane's house.

Zuma has been the best little traveller - she sleeps through a lot of the driving, then leaps into activity when we get to a stop. She is flexible and good natured, all the way - couldn’t ask for a better little road tripper!

The plan is to be back in Santa Cruz this afternoon (Saturday).

Last but certainly not least, for a great read check out Will Durst's piece on Alternet today!

Goodbye to Whidbey Island for now...

Goodbye to the stillness of winter. Goodbye to the grey skies and billowing clouds. Goodbye to snowy mountain ranges, both east and west. Goodbye to the subdued winter colors of the island: tan, black, moss green, ivory, and burgundy red. Goodbye to Canada geese clustered on the meadows and rafting on the silver and black surface of the lake. Goodbye to eagles cruising the lake for fish. Goodbye to the horses in their wet blankets. Goodbye to the owl who sings in the early morning hours outside our window. Goodbye to the dark, hibernating hours wrapping us like a thick blanket. Goodbye to dear friends and cherished places. We'll be back as soon as possible to this place we love so much! Today we start the drive back to Santa Cruz.

See More

Well, people who have seen my drawings have been very kind. I'm going to post a few more here, trying to get my courage up! Here goes.....


This was a drawing made while looking out from inside our glass block shower.
Charcoal and conti crayon













Here is a grandmother, not mine, but somebody's for sure!
Charcoal.




This one actually is based on the face of my grandmother when she was a young woman.
Sepia conti crayon.













This was inspired by a village in Italy where I lived once-upon-a-time. It is one of my first attempts at acrylic painting.
Portrait sketch of my son, Phil.
Conti crayons, colored pencils.

Three Muses

Yesterday we had an all-art, all-day banquet. In the morning we visited our dear friend, Jane Winslow. She was the person who first lured us to Whidbey Island, and has been a constant golden band of energy for us here ever since. As a photographer, she is ALSO top notch. We went to look at her stunning photos from China, which will be in a show at the Bayview Gallery (Langley) beginning later this week. Jane's photos are printed on canvas and silk. They are mostly large and emotionally moving portraits of the people she saw and met in China. They are reminiscent of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and many other great masters. Their power and beauty is such that it practically knocked me to my knees, and I had to buy one of my favorites. There are not many from the show available on-line yet, but here are two of them:

After we left Jane's place, we went to see Michel Tsouris and Beth Haughton at Karthia Studios. They are also wonderful artists, one a painter and one a jeweler. They bought a handsome house on the south end of the island, with two spacious studios, where they pursue their artistry. We did a "show me yours, I'll show you mine" afternoon, first visiting over there, and then they came over here. We admired Michel's paintings, which are very powerful. They make me feel as if I'm getting on the inside of someone else's subconscious dream life, very intimate and mysterious, many layered, and painterly. Here is a picture of one I saw at a show last summer and particularly liked. Michel told us about this bed inspired by one on a Greek Island, the bed in which her father was born, in a house she visited a few years ago.
Beth's jewelry was packed up and out of sight, as her studio was being remodeled, but I had the good fortune to see it and drool a few days ago at a show over at Bayview. She's been making jewelry for years, and it shows in her beautiful craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibility. Her things are trés magnifique!
Although all of the art was terrific, the best part of the day for me was really the wonderful conversations with each of these women. We talked for hours about everything, the artistic process, moving to Whidbey, our hormones, our fears, our aging bodies, our passions, our fantasies, our life stories, our dreams for the year ahead. It was truly a banquet in that sense - we feasted on friendship and shared history and on the pleasure of getting to know each other better. Today I woke up inspired and delighted by those three muses of yesterday!

Winter Revery

Beautiful Whidbey Island, in early January, not late November, but the feeling is similar.....

Praise Song

Praise the light of late November,
the thin sunlight that goes deep in the bones.
Praise the crows chattering in the oak trees;
though they are clothed in night, they do not
despair. Praise what little there's left:
the small boats of milkweed pods, husks, hulls,
shells, the architecture of trees. Praise the meadow
of dried weeds: yarrow, goldenrod, chicory,
the remains of summer. Praise the blue sky
that hasn't cracked. Praise the sun slipping down
behind the beechnuts, praise the quilt of leaves
that covers the grass: Scarlet Oak, Sweet Gum,
Sugar Maple. Though darkness gathers, praise our crazy
fallen world; it's all we have, and it's never enough.


Copyright (c) Barbara Crooker 2004.

Port Townsend Adventure

Happy First Day of 2006! We rounded out the New Year with a visit to Port Townsend, and our friends on the other side of the Sound. We spent an evening and overnight with our friends, the New Dharma Bums, fellow transplants from Santa Cruz. They are such a sparkling, brilliant, and passionate couple. Their multiple talents and interests make them the best fun to be with, and we laughed and chatted for hours, ate a superb dinner cooked by RD, and caught up on the months since we've seen each other. Even Zuma was a pretty good houseguest, did not chase Bonsai, their cat, and behaved like an ideal pet!

On Saturday morning we went into PT and met our friend Shane, and Sequim artists Gregg and Jacqui of Natura Designs for brunch at Sweet Laurette's - YUMMY! I am always on the hunt for the perfect Huevos Rancheros, and they had it! Others were equally pleased with their omelettes, etc. A great visit! Here is a snapshot of Gregg with his kitty, Zabi, meeting Daniella with Zuma. The pets were unfazed!
When we got back to Whidbey Island mid-afternoon yesterday, we stopped at Greenbank Farm to take a walk. They have a set of wonderful trails that go up to the ridge of the island, where you see water in both directions. Here are some snapshots from that walk.

Zuma wears a little read parka when she is up here - it's chilly!

While we were walking, a flock of Canada Geese appeared on the horizon and then

they flew directly overhead.

A beautiful woodpile on the downhill trail.

To Christmas or Not to Christmas????

I spent a lovely, long Christmas holiday in Oroville, CA, at the home of my daughter-in-law, Megan’s family. It felt wonderful to be immersed in a fun-loving group of people, surrounded by laughter, generosity, and good cheer. This is a family that clearly relishes being together. I can’t recall seeing my son Phil and his wife Megan so relaxed and glowing. Usually, in Santa Cruz, they are stressed and juggling so many projects, jobs, and activities. In Oroville, they stayed in their pj’s much of the day and settled in. They cooked some delicious meals for us (chicken molé for one dinner, great lasagna for another) and we all watched the rain pour down, played games together, and talked.

As usual, I feel pretty conflicted about the holidays. Because Daniella, being Jewish, does not celebrate Christmas, she has taken to removing herself from the scene. In recent years our family has tried out having a “no gifts” policy. I hate the crass commercialism of the holidays. I often feel like I do a bad job of choosing gifts for people, and I feel terrible about that. I also know that part of my conflicted feelings have to do with my tendency to be a mega-caretaker. I feel responsible for making everyone’s holiday just right –for decorating, shopping, cleaning, cooking, entertaining, etc. etc. This is a toxic leftover from how I grew up, and the era where I learned that these were my jobs as a mother. I know that I need to break out of this behavior to be able to enjoy the holiday again, but I don’t know how. I’ve been floundering around, not making it better. It was good to see how someone else does it.

I gained a few insights this year, as I observed another family celebrate. First, I truly enjoy giving gifts, when they come from the heart. So to eliminate gifts from our holiday is probably a wrong choice for me. It makes me feel like Scrooge, mean and guilty and embarrassed.

I can envision ways to avoid shopping malls, big box stores, and all the kinds of shopping I hate, and still come up with wonderful gifts for people. There are artists to support, items I can make, gift certificates, books, and many other ideas. Second, I saw how the whole family participated in making Christmas work. I think our family could do a much better job of that. Third, leaving out all religious trappings, I think that this holiday can be a meaningful time to celebrate the opportunity to bring loved ones together, connect at the heart level, have fun and relax. It doesn’t have to be a solo marathon track event (how I think I’ve framed it up ‘til now)!

It's Out. He's Cured!

"It's Out. He's Cured!" These were the words the surgeon used last night after my brother Dick's surgery was over. The kidney was removed. The surgery was a bit more complicated than they had hoped. He lost quite a bit of blood and had to have some transfusions. The tumor had begun to attach itself to the liver, but fortunately was still encapsulated, so they were able to scrape it off. There was no spread to the lymph nodes. In short, my brother has a great chance of being cancer free from now on. Because renal carcinoma is unresponsive to chemotherapy, he will not have to have any chemo. Within a few short weeks, he should be good as new, functioning on his one good kidney. This is the best news anybody could have given us! I am SO relived and thankful. Let's hear it for modern medicine! Sometimes they get it just right.