Daily Roundup

I still often feel at a loss about what to write about in my blog. Tonight I'll write about some of the odds and ends of the day. At my 8 am water exercise class, I met a woman, Monica, who turned out to be from Chile. We found out that we had many things in common, and had a great chat in the hot tub after our workout. I learned from her, among other things, that Whidbey Island is at a latitude in the Northern Hemisphere that corresponds to some parts of Chile in the Southern Hemisphere. This area is very similar in landscape and climate to where she and her husband grew up - who knew?? So they are very comfortable here.

Next I took Zuma to the beach for a romp. It was low tide, and the beach was wide and wet and briny. Some children there wondered why Zuma was afraid of them. A little boy, about 3 years old, said "maybe she thinks I'm a giant!" and his face lit up with a joyous grin at the notion that he might be a giant to someone. Adorable!

From there, I drove around to various places to look at houses for sale. A friend's mother wants to move here, and I've got a notion of what she wants. It's a great excuse to go house shopping, a favorite activity up here! I saw a few losers, a few odd but promising possibilities, and a couple of absolutely stunning places with views to make you never want to leave your front porch again (see photo above for an example).

Then Zuma and I went to a second beach for another run-around before coming home for lunch. This afternoon I worked on a painting I'm making, and that was all about being lost for several hours in the process, and all of a sudden it's 5:30 and the dog is giving me that look like "hey, I'm hungry, I'm bored, are you ever going to come back to this planet?"

Tonight a charming quail couple sat on top of the fence in the back yard, between us and the horse enclosure, looking like they were surveying our back yard for snacks. Later, when I walked Zuma down our street, a pair of crows was kicking up a major ruckus. When I walked down closer to the lake, I could see that a large bald eagle was sitting on the tip-top of a big tree, and the crows were dive-bombing it relentlessly, coming within inches of its head. The eagle was clearly annoyed (did those crows have a nest nearby that they were defending?), and frequently stretched his neck up and snapped at the crows as they whizzed by him. Don't ever think we lack for drama and excitement up here on our little island! It's a happening place, believe me!(photo by Ballard Blog)(of course I forgot my camera!)

The Deep Green Woods of Whidbey

I've often written about the Whidbey Island beaches, lakes, and meadows. Today I've been walking with Zuma (above) on some of the numerous trails through the nearby woods. Many of these trails are used for riding horseback, but they're great for walking too. Mostly when I walk in there I see nobody. The woods are silent except for the numerous bird calls from high above in the trees; the tapping of woodpeckers on old wood; the occasional snap of a branch under my own foot. Otherwise, the silence is complete. No car or airplane noises, no voices, nothing. I feel safe in here. Unlike many places where a walk alone in the woods can be unsafe for a variety of reasons, in these woods I breathe deeply and feel my body relax. The pathways are soft beneath my feet. As I gaze into the deep greens that spread out in all directions, I feel peace and serenity and a sense of timelessness. Zuma, on the other hand, feels frisky, adventurous, and excited. With her tail wagging, she races down the trails, only looking back at intervals as if to say "can't you hurry up??!"

Our New Digs .....

This summer we're staying at our neighbor's house while they are away. Normally we stay in a small studio apartment, but this place is spacious, commodious, and offers all the comforts of a very lovely home! It is right next door to our place, so it shares many of the same views of the lake and the horse farm, although from the back yard the horses are much more up-close and personal. I've taken a few photos to give a feeling of what we're looking at. Above is the front yard, with blooming azaleas.Here is a view from the front of the house looking at the horse pastures, and a glimpse of the lake.
This is the side yard, seen across the front of the house.Of course there are always eagles. A few days ago, this huge bald eagle sat for hours on the tree beside our driveway, just watching the lake and the marsh.An artistic collection of bird houses in the yard.
The back yard and patios. You can see our studio in the background, a brown building with a round window.Canada geese sleeping in one of the pastures while the horses graze nearby.

From Brill-o to Chill-o

In the last few weeks, since we got back to Santa Cruz, I've been engaged in a frenzy of deep cleaning, getting ready to leave our Santa Cruz home for several months. We have people coming to stay there throughout the time we're away, and I wanted everything to be in the best possible shape for our visitors. It actually felt good, in a way, to empty every drawer, closet, cupboard, box, and junk area and clean it all out. I made numerous trips to the Goodwill drop-off, and to the Dump. By the time I was finished, it was hard to leave. The place looked better than it has in years. Even the garden was glorious, with new plants just getting ready to burst forth, and so many things blooming.

But indeed we left, and after two days of driving north, we made it to our favorite summer location, Whidbey Island, Washington. I brought along lots of good books, my paints, the dog, my bathing suit (for water exercise), binoculars (for the birds) and most of all an intention to enjoy every minute of this lovely place. Picture me here.......

Four Good Men

Today I’m thinking about the human landscape of this journey. In particular, I’ve had the pleasure of spending quality time with four good men, all of whom have enriched my travels immensely.

MY BROTHER DICK
What a great guy! He is everything a brother should/could be – loving, fun, playful, creative, brilliant. He writes the most amazing humor pieces (wish I could get him to publish his letters). He plays music. He can make absolutely anything with his hands – the ultimate craftsman. He cooks fabulous meals. He has been happily married to his lovely Marnie, for ~35 years, and is a super-Dad to his 3 boys. Although he is an actual twin to my brother, Hunt, I often feel as if Dick and I are really the twins. Our DNA seems to vibrate in synch. I love it when he phones me early in the morning and asks “are you working on the crossword puzzle?” and I am, and he is too! Obviously I adore him!

MY COUSIN JOHN
This one I’ve known all my life too. I went to his and DJ’s wedding when I was 11 years old, and they are still happily together. John spent his professional life as a counselor/therapist, working for VA hospitals and local clinics. He is a wonderful listener, and his compassionate heart seems to always be open. What is so striking now is that, although retired, he lives a busy and full life giving to his community. He volunteers on all sorts of projects, is active in his church, spends quality time with each of his grandchildren (such as taking them on wonderful vacations), plays golf, and knows all about everything in his area of North Carolina. He lives a truly exemplary life, and has fascinating stories which he shares with a twinkle in his eye. It was delightful to reconnect with him.

OUR FRIEND BEN
I know him the least well of all these four men, but so much enjoyed deepening my friendship with him and his firecracker wife, Dee. Ben is a passionate and romantic man. The story of how he and Dee found and lost and found each other again is one of the most moving love stories I’ve ever heard. They are devoted to each other with such intensity, and Ben has been an amazing and supportive father to Dee’s two children (now teenagers). He is deeply engaged in the arts (theater, writing, film), a superb cook, and a riveting conversationalist. I loved watching him fill his back patio with candlelight, just for the pleasure of how beautiful it was! Now there’s a romantic guy!

MARK
In Grand Junction, Mark is best known for having started the highly successful Main Street Bagel Bakery. There, his creative talents are apparent everywhere – in the design and layout of the building, the choice of menu items, the attention to high quality, the superb food, the music, the inviting atmosphere, the cheerful staff. Mark loves to keep improving, and this work he has chosen lets him do that. My history with Mark goes back almost 30 years. I’ve been close friends with his wife, Missy, since our children were all little, and she and I were just young mothers struggling along. Mark, in those days, worked as a stone mason (did beautiful work), but had little to say to me. He seemed shy and shut down back then, and I didn’t know how to talk to him. Over the years, I have grown to treasure my friendship with him. Like a fine vintage wine, Mark just keeps on getting better and better. He is open and aware, kind and generous. When I come to visit, he welcomes me with such warmth and sweetness, and it is very genuine. His passion is music, and he plays his guitar for fun, and is getting a band together. He loves animals, has a great sense of humor. He is a great athlete and outdoor adventurer. He grows more handsome all the time and stays in great shape. He is a courageous risk-taker, and a truly fine man in every sense.

Men – sometimes you’ve gotta admire them!

Rocky Mountain High

Today I'm in Ouray, Colorado, a spectacular tiny town surrounded by towering, snow covered crags on all sides. My friend Missy and I are staying here at a place where there are natural hot springs where we can soak surrounded by these mountains, and by wild deer grazing on the grass a few feet away. I've been in Colorado since Monday, mostly in Grand Junction where Missy and her sweet husband, Mark, own the Main Street Bagel Bakery. This is the most soulful and welcoming place in town, and attracts crowds of hungry people all day long. Mark (below with his dog, Dora) makes the most amazing, frothy, home-brewed Chai anywhere, and their baked goods are just superb. It's worth a trip to Colorado just to eat here!
Missy (photo above shows her at the Bagel shop) and I go way back. We've been friends since our children were little, so probably almost 30 years. Even though we don't see each other often, our friendship is a treasure and we immediately fall into that easy conversation that goes on and on and on for days, deep and free and wandering and wide open to each other. I love her dearly and feel so lucky that we made this time together.

On Tuesday Missy and I drove up to the Colorado National Monument, an area of red rock canyons and hiking trails just outside of town, and hiked up there for several hours of solitary bliss. The trails and roads were so high up that you could sometimes look down at the tops of large birds soaring in the canyons below - awesome!Yesterday was my birthday, and as you can tell, it was celebrated in High style! There was an even more amazing icing on my cake - my niece Amy gave birth to her new baby daughter, Kathryn, yesterday morning in New Hampshire. Those of you who know me know how I adore Amy and her husband, Carson. She and I are bonded at the heart, big time. Even though it wasn't planned this way, for her first baby to be born on my birthday just feels like a huge gift. I'm very excited and thrilled for them and can't wait to see my new grand-niece and shower her with love!

Today we will probably go up to Telluride, after some hiking around Ouray. I return to Santa Cruz on Saturday. It has been a total joy to travel so extensively around the country and be with so many dear friends along the way. I'm flying!!

Pittsburgh, hmmmmmm.........

After four days in Pittsburgh, there is much (and little) to report. Of great interest here is the topography of the city. It sits on a wedge between the Allegheny and Monongehela Rivers, and these join to make the Ohio River, which runs off west to join (?) the Mississippi. Pittsburgh wears dozens of bridges like jewels in a spiky tiara. Some parts of the city are quite flat, while in other areas steep, rocky ridges run right throught the town, and whole sections of the residential areas are built along these precipitous hillsides, scattered up and down in places where some mountain goats might have a second thought about setting out for a walk! Don't be fooled by what appear to be grids on this map - the streets wind and twist and torque about in ways that no street should ever have to go. Driving here is torturous at best, and if we did not have our portable GPS system, we would probably be in Cleveland by now, having given up altogether on finding anything. In addition, this is a city of vast contrasts. Its history is of steel manufacturing, great steel mills down near the rivers, with the steel workers climbing back up those hills at the end of a long working day. Now the steel mills are long gone, but the old buildings remain. The big names here are Carnegie, Mellon, and the city boasts a fine array of huge, gorgeous old buildings, opera houses, ballets, museums, skyscrapers, and even a "Cathedral of Learning" (below, visible from our hotel room). We've seen at least 4 universities here: Carnegie-Mellon, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Chapman College, and Duquesne Univ. Perhaps there are more. There are mansions and grand avenues, and then just as quickly there are whole sections of the city that seem to be boarded up, falling down, and just downright grim. From our hotel, we have been able to walk 1/4 hour in almost any direction and find nothing to eat. Commercial ventures such as restaurants are located someplace else. We are so lucky that we have a car here. Others are not so fortunate. An older Italian couple staying here have no car, and are staying on for several more days - their frustration about having to forage for food is verging on the desperate!

We've seen a lot of art, both at the wonderful Fiber Arts International show in which Daniella is participating, and then throughout the city at other venues. Today we went to the Andy Warhohl Museum, and then a place called the Mattress Factory, which does huge installation pieces only. Interesting. (installation above by Deborah Aschheim).

A few vignets of local color. I pushed the hotel elevator button a few days ago and it slid open to reveal an entire packed car full of adolescent boys in bathing suits, heading down to the hotel pool. Turns out there is a wrestling convention sharing the hotel with us so there is all sorts of young boy energy writhing by.

At a gallery yesterday, two young women sat discussing how to order a commission piece from a gallery artist. The women had a huge wad of cash which they were flipping through. The gallery owner phoned the artist while they sat there. The conversation was "yes, these clients would like to commission you for a special piece. It's for a retirement gift. The man is white and very bald, and they want to have his face made in clay. Do you think you can do that for them?? I have his photo right here and I can fax it over for you to look at." Of course I was eavesdropping, but I was also feeling great gratitude that my fellow workers, when I retired, did not come up with a similar idea of a gift for me!

Our plan is to fly out of here tomorrow, me to Denver and Daniella home. But a huge Nor'Easter storm is bearing down on the East Coast, and rain, snow, and wind are forecast for tomorrow. (Today we only got the rain and icy cold). Pray that we get out of here, and don't end up spending the night at Pittsburgh airport instead! Ciao!!

Feeling the Love ....

Washington DC. What can be said that hasn’t already been written a million times? Grandiose and magnificent buildings, great museums, huge public spaces, wonderful public transportation, enough to make any American proud to be an American (a feeling I’ve been missing for the last 6 years). Honestly, I felt that feeling several times over the last several days and it was as surprising as running into an old lover unexpectedly - tinged with pleasure, slightly embarrassing, but rooted deeply and securely in my heart of hearts. I love our country, I love Washington, and this visit only deepened that relationship. Of course we flipped the bird surreptitiously in our pockets as we walked past the White House (Homeland Security is always watching), but otherwise I felt the joy of loving my country again. Amazing! Travel can help with that too. We stayed in the Georgetown University Conference Center, which was a fabulous choice of places. We walked miles, and ate great food, and were stunned by art and architecture and the vibrant electricity of the city.

Last night we were royally entertained by old friends from 20 years ago at UCSC, a lovely family who cooked us a yummy Persian meal. It was great to renew that friendship after so many years. Hamid was always one of my favorite students. In all the years I worked at the university he had a special place in my heart, and that hasn’t changed!

Today we drove by back roads across Pennsylvania (my favorite way to travel – I avoid freeways). Somehow everything struck me as funny. The first thing was a pit stop at a very rural McDonalds where an older woman sat smoking in a booth. Her white hair was coiled in rolls across her forehead, row upon row, like little sausages. Beneath that, she wore rosy pink eye shadow, lots of it, under her deeply penciled, steeply arched eyebrows – think St. Louis arch in deep brown. Their shape bore no relationship to her head or her eyes, but were a construction purely of her own desire. Face was powdered a chalky white. Back of her hair looked as if she had run out of white coloring – it was a mix of many colors, not a pretty sight. She was as close to a Diane Arbus photograph as I’ve ever seen in the flesh. I longed to photograph her myself, but couldn’t think of a polite way to ask. We moved on.

Next were a series of places we passed: “Johnny’s Motel – Private Showers and Free TV” (as opposed to group showers??); ‘’Exotic Dancers Here Every Friday’’ (next to a falling-down building out in the woods, surrounded by abandoned and crumbling cabins; “Shy Beaver Boat Center”; “Snake Springs” (a town where goats were grazing freely along the roadside). “Clearance Sale on Display Homes” next to a row of dismal trailers rotting haphazardly along the roadside; “For Rent – Tower for Release” (on a peeling-paint billboard, topped by something that looked like angel wings); Hoke-E-Geez (a business of unknown content). Roadside sign: “For Sale: Fresh Fur Pelts, Home-Grown Beef, Ginseng”. We were mystified by the sheer number of houses that had a huge metal five-pointed star on the front of the house (perhaps 2-3 feet in diameter). A little internet research seems to point to them being Amish symbols for good luck and health. They were everywhere.We saw beautiful stone houses and log cabins from the 1700’s. We rode along lovely rivers, through forested meadows, trying to imagine what this countryside would look like in summer when the leaves were on the trees. We saw birds nests in all the bare branches, and a couple of times spotted eagles soaring way above the Allegheny mountains.Tonight we are in Pittsburgh, an elegant town by all accounts. Here they have opera, ballet, symphony, theater, art, and rivers of steel. We will be here until Monday and will explore it all!

One for the Road

When I travel I always look forward to some good reading time. I set out on this trip with Wallace Stegner, a favorite writer, and a second (big) book Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. I thought those would last me for the length of this trip. I finished the Stegner right away, but haven’t even started the other one. I got side-tracked in Augusta, or maybe blind-sided is a better description. Our friends there handed me an absolutely stunning memoir, All Over But the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg. I read the first few pages with my heart pounding in excitement. Since then, that’s all I’ve wanted to read. It has been the perfect thing to read in the South. I can’t put it down. I’m already grieving that it will be finished soon and I’ll have to move on….

I’ve read and loved a lot of southern writers – Lee Smith, Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, Harper Lee, Maya Angelou, Pat Conroy, and many other great ones. This book of Bragg’s is so beautifully written, so elegiac, and his stories just burn into my memory. He writes in great tradition, yet his work is unique and tells his life with such truth and humor and dignity. I’m completely absorbed in it these days, dreaming it by night and day-dreaming it by day. I think he has written more. I need to read all of his books. If you’re looking for something fabulous, read this book!

Road Trip, Part 2

This morning finds us in Washington, DC, on a chilly morning when "snow flurries" are among the forecast possibilities! Since we packed for Florida and a warm southern spring visit, we have been freezing our butts off for the last few days of bone-chilling temperatures. Yesterday, in Charlottesville, we sought out the local Goodwill store to stock up on turtle-necks and sweaters. I'm not sure that will be enough, but it is a definite improvement in our lot!

Since my last post, we've been having a fine time! We spent an afternoon and overnight at Peckerwood Plantation, a gorgeous spot owned by our friends and their relatives. The photo at the top shows the lake with all the flowers blooming around it, and the little fishing dock where the bass and bream are just popping out of the water. We experienced more great southern hospitality (all along the way), and slept like babies in the silence of the deep woods around the lake. It was hard to leave, but we had to get on the road and head north.The next day we visited my cousins, John and DJ, in Salisbury, NC. This was another gorgeous small town, and we got the royal treatment, and the benefit of DJ's phenomenal cooking including a fabulous Easter dinner, with baked ham and coconut cake, and all the trimmings! Here the dogwoods and azeleas were blooming full-out as well, just lovely everywhere. Yesterday we were in Charlottesville, Va. for a specially planned lunch date at a new restaurant there, Orzo. Our friend Ken Wooten recently opened this new place, located in a wonderful "food-oriented" complex of businesses, somewhat like a mini-Ferry building for those of you familiar with San Francisco's most mouth-watering spot. Anyway, the lunch did not disappoint us. Every bite was fabulous, so if you're ever in this part of the world, be sure to put Orzo on your agenda!

Now we're off to explore DC. We'll hope it warms up, but we're going anyway!

The Surprising South

I just wanted to check in and just let y'all know where we are in our travels.

We are in Augusta, Georgia, this morning, staying with friends from many years ago. We are here in the tip-top height of the dogwood and azalea blooming season, and the town is sparkling with color and beauty. The Masters Golf Tournament is happening a few blocks away, and thousands of golf faithful are swarming everywhere like locusts. Weather is cool and sunny (60's), hospitality is fabulous. We've been eating grits, collard greens, sweet potato-pecan pie, and other delicacies of the area. Today we are going out into the countryside where this family has a vacation compound called "Peckerwood Plantation" (no kidding!), where we will lounge about, eat a picnic, and meet the rest of the family, all the Bubba's and Mary Sue's and Miss Debbie's we've been hearing about. Local stories are gothic and full of drama, murders on the front lawn, suicides, lots of divorce and pregnancy dramas.

Throughout the South, the biggest surprise for me has been the absolute abundance of spectacular trees and bird life. Everywhere we've been (and I do mean everywhere) the air is filled with the sound of birdsong. In Florida, my brother lives on a small lake in Sarasota that was swarming with herons, ibis, bald eagles, many varieties of ducks, and numerous song birds, cardinals, mockingbirds, and who knows what else. I could have spent every day there just staring at the birds coming and going. But of course we did so much more - went to some fabulous tropical gardens, with orchids, banyan trees, ferns, and many exotic plants. Walked on the snowy sands of Siesta Key beach (see photo above). Visited the Ringling family home, Ca d'Zan, and fabulous art museum. Spent precious hours with my adorable brother, Dick, and his wonderful wife, Marnie, catching up on the years and having great family time.

We drove across Florida at racing speed in our clunky Mitsubishi rental car (not a lovely car in any way) so that we could make it up to Savannah for Passover dinner on Monday evening. Daniella had written to the synagogue up there to see if anyone would take us in, and received an invitation from the family of a woman rabbi. As it turns out, we were the guests at a small family dinner, in a spectacular home out in the "lowlands" on Skidaway Island, a place that looked right out into the wetlands with - you guessed it - more gorgeous trees and water birds everywhere. This family was sparkling and delightful. They had out the crystal, silver, best china and linens, and the evening was full of laughter, singing, and fantastic food. It was a very moving and extraordinary Seder - I'll never forget it, especially the two children who were so bright and involved in the ceremony.

The next day we explored Savannah, walking for hours through the city's shady squares, and looking at the amazing old houses. It was hot and humid there, and we decided to try to find a place to stay that was smaller, near the water, and a little less citified. So we headed north to Beaufort, South Carolina, where we found a motel right on the waterfront (Savannah River). Despite my misgivings (this is Marine training central, a few hops away from Parris Island) this little town was full of charm, more fabulous colonial era homes. It is the spot where "The Big Chill" was filmed. Our favorite part was a walkway along the riverfront where there were dozens of hanging swings (like some people have on porches) where you could sit and swing and watch the river go by. What a wonderful idea!

On Wednesday we explored Charleston for a little while (didn't have nearly enough time there) and liked it better than Savannah. It is elegant and has a beautiful light reflecting off the buildings. Every street seems to be steeped in history, the buildings so ante-bellum, Victorian, or neo-classical, white pillars, wrought-iron railings, trailing wisteria (blooming of course), dogwood, huge trees. It is gorgeous and artistic. We'll go back there for sure. We drove out of there on tiny back roads, past old plantations that used to be staffed by slaves (now open to the public as museums, but we didn't have time). Made it to Augusta, and here we are now.

After Peckerwood, we'll leave tomorrow for North Carolina. I'll try to write again in a few days - sorry this is so long, but it has been a long trip! We feel so lucky to be having this adventure!

Taking a Break, Hitting the Road

We're off on a trip to the East Coast. First stop is Florida, then driving up through other places we've never been - Savannah, Charleston, Augusta, Charlottesville, etc. The South - a mysterious part of the country that is pretty uncharted territory for me, at least. I'm taking a break from blogging (that has been pretty obvious for awhile), but not because anything is wrong with me this time! It's because we'll be out enjoying the world, having an adventure, and seeing old and new friends and family. Isn't that what retirement is all about??!! Adios for now, amigos....

(drawing by Brian Duey)

Shabbos scenes from our dining room

We hosted a Shabbos dinner last night for a group of 12 Jewish artist friends. It was a pot luck with a planned menu, and featured cabbage & brisket soup; a beautiful green salad with beets, pecans, blue cheese, pomegranate seeds, and blood oranges; challah bread with chopped liver; brisket; kasha varnishkes; tzimmes; asparagus; and taiglach for dessert. We had wonderful wines and port, and we laughed and ate and talked into the night.
Here is Zuma at the front door waiting for guests to arrive.
These Mexican folk art figures have been in my dining room since 1967. The collection has grown a little over the years. My exposed chimney has plenty of little steps and niches.
This little dinner gathering was a great antidote to the the nightly news, with all its bad/sad news - a little sweetness in a world that seems to grow meaner and less tolerant with each passing day. We're doing our best to keep open hearts and minds, but it does feel good (I must admit) to see B*sh & Co. taking a bruising no matter which way he turns. Turning towards Latin America has been no cake walk. The sight of that huge, bulletproof black limo entourage sliding silently through the impoverished streets of Sao Paolo makes chills run up my spine. How dare he ride his commodious, air-conditioned, luxury bubble into their cities, dishing up more hypocrisy and more pain everywhere he stops? When will it end, and how, and what can we do to become friendly neighbors once again, rather than hated imperialist enemies?

Finishing touches

Last night Daniella suggested "how about a little red?" So I went for it. Now she says "too much". Here it is, in three panels (each 12" x 12"), on our red dining room wall. Too much? Not enough? My dear old friend, Philip Thompson, used to say regularly "too much is not enough!" And he lived by that maxim, a life of colorful excess, glorious abundance of decor in his living space, phenomenal meals, luscious poetry, and rich laughter. He thought that beige was the enemy (a true child of the 50's). I miss him so much sometimes!

Self Contained

So where did we leave off? Getting happier. Doing a little painting. Working a few days. Losing my mind over politics. Being busy. Yes, all of that. And now, spring is here in Santa Cruz. Magnolias, tulips, daffodils, flowering fruit trees, golden acacia, all are testaments to the turning of the seasons and the lifting of the spirits, big time. Spring is always my favorite time of the year. It's not just about being a spring-born baby, but because of the joy of warm days, flowers bursting out, birds singing, the perfumed air, the green, wet, juiciness of everything. I've been taking long walks, breathing deeply, and smiling.

For some reason I have been painting again. It seems that the artist's block I've struggled with has now gone away for awhile. I'm feeling more free, more experimental, and giving myself permission to just spend hours dabbling with color and shape (see above).

We have also seen a few absolutely terrific films. On Sunday we went to a Jewish film festival and saw one called Wrestling With Angels, about the playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America). I also really enjoyed a German film called Other People's Lives, a brilliant and thoughtful piece about pre-war East Germany, a story about living in a society where the government spies on everything and everyone (sound familiar folks?). The other one that I can recommend is Breach, the film about the spy, Peter Hanson, who was apprehended at his job in the CIA after selling US secrets for years to the Russians. All of these films raised fascinating social and political issues, and were riveting to watch.

The world is still making me crazy. Hooray that Libby got convicted, but he is a small fish in a very big and fetid pond. It seems like there is no end to the corruption, greed, and foolishness, the arrogant disregard for the views of the general public, the lacerating of the Constitution, the torture and slaughter of innocent people, and the twisted logic that spins and spins and spins to support it all. I mean, gag me with a pitchfork! I can't watch 'W' or listen to his insipid voice for more than about 10 seconds without wanting to smash something!

Anyway, that's all the news for tonight my friends. Sweet dreams.

Returning from a Meander in the Wilderness

I haven't posted in ever so long. Seems like I got allergic to blogs and blogging, it became a "should" instead of a "want-to", and from then on nothing happened here. Of course the ensuing silence was punctuated by all kinds of mental and emotional meanderings of various kinds on my part, most of which are too boring and self absorbed to bother you with. But I am immensely grateful and touched by the number of people who have written to me to ask what happened, if I was OK, and telling me that I am missed in the blogosphere. Thank you all for your kindness and encouragement! It has meant a great deal to me. And yes, I am OK.

This posting finds me back in Santa Cruz (where I've been since early January). I got called back to work at the university for the last few weeks (just a part-time stint), and have actually enjoyed being back there working, having some responsibilities, and meeting great people. The best part is knowing that I can walk out the door when I'm done and leave it totally behind. I'm generally solving only one problem at a time (instead of the zillions I had before retirement), and so I can relax, do a good job, and be thankful for the little extra paychecks coming my way.

We've had a lot of art events (for Daniella) in the last few weeks. Many house guests coming and going. Many projects around the house. This past weekend I was given a lovely gift - a weekend painting workshop in Carmel Valley, taught by Lauryn Taylor, working in acrylic paints and doing abstract work. It was very difficult for me, but so much fun. And it definitely felt as if it unplugged some of the creative blockage and mental paralysis I've been feeling lately.

I've felt dragged down by the agony of paying attention to what is happening in the world - the utterly wrong-headed direction of our current government, and the immense human suffering in the wake of the 'great Decider' and his minions. I've been searching for some way to make a difference. I write letters, sign petitions, march in the streets, talk to people, stay informed, try not to consume, ride the bus, stay healthy, keep my eyes and ears open, but deep down I feel alarmingly saddened. I've become more Hobbesian, wondered why I ever though there was a benevolent God, and I go on interior, existential sojourns seeking something to hope for, something to believe in. I guess you could say I've been having a personal spiritual crisis lately. That about sums it up. Now see, I said I wasn't going to go there, but I did. Oh well.....

Anyway, no promises that I will be a regular blogger - but I will be checking in from time to time. Right now I'm going to go sit in the sun, absorb the warmth, and enjoy this beautiful day.

Oh, and yes, these are two of my paintings from the workshop.

Beginning the year on Whidbey Island

The new year finds me on Whidbey Island, my favorite sanctuary in all seasons. At this time of year, with so much of the foliage denuded, the wetlands in front of the house are even more of a bird-watcher’s paradise. The lake itself has spilled over into the horse meadow and across some of the marsh, so that there are shallower pools spreading all around. These are covered with a variety of ducks and small water birds, while the Canada geese adjudicate on the nearby meadow, taking frequent squawking flights into the bigger lake itself. The cormorants and great blue herons sit on pilings or stand in the water, looking for fish. An occasional eagle wings across the scene. Here in the immediate front yard, the bird feeders and suet cages are swarming with takers, everything from woodpeckers to chickadees, and the spectacular towhees and cedar waxwings. Fat grey squirrels run raids on the feeders, and then retreat up the trees to munch. Am I happy here? You betcha!We spent about 2 days clearing limbs and broken branches from the property, and hauling them to the green recycling center. With the tall sentinel pines ringing the whole area, there is plenty of debris after a giant storm such as the one that swept through the Pacific Northwest in mid-December. Luckily there was no major damage here.
We’re enjoying our many friends in this area, and meeting lots of new ones. This morning we joined a bunch who participated in the annual Polar Bear Dip into the Puget Sound. That is, Daniella joined them – I took the photos and cheered for all who were brave enough to jump into the 47 degree waters! The off-shore winds were ferocious, and the sea was all churned up. There are more photos to see on Daniella's blog. You can see Daniella out in front in the photo above - she ran in ahead of everyone. The photo below shows her and another friend going back in for a second dip! That is definitely not my cup of tea! Brrrrrrrr!
Here’s wishing everyone a fabulous 2007. Let’s do everything we can to move towards an end to war, a healthy green planet, and good health and prosperity for ALL people!

Culinary Creativity

Lately I've been lamenting my blocked creativity. But I woke up in the night last night and had a thought - hey! I've been cooking up a storm. During the last few days, those who have been celebrating with me have been treated to many fine things:

Chicken enchiladas
Pasilla peppers stuffed with quinoa, mushrooms, and goat cheese
Deviled crab
Creme brulee
Fruit compote of persimmons, pomegranates, blueberries, and cherries
Cream cheese balls rolled in crushed wasabi peas
Huevos rancheros
Giant salads
Chicken soups
....... and much more!

I'm getting on a roll with southwestern food. I'm seriously loving everything with peppers, chipotle, corn, beans. In the winter time, those flavors hit the spot for me. So I thought I'd give a report today, creativity is flowing but just in a different channel!

Goodwill, peace on earth.

Today is Christmas, 2006. We had our big family celebration early this year (Friday) so that my son and his wife could be with her family this weekend. Having the extended family together was really joyful and sweet. There was a baby, and news of another one. There were tears and laughter. There was delicious food, and abundant left-overs. I am so blessed!

Here's wishing all of you, wherever you are in the world, in your life, in your heart, some true joy in your holidays, however you honor (or ignore) them! How we touch and connect with each other is really what matters most, and what can heal our world and our spirits!

-------------------------------
Praise wet snow
falling early
Praise the shadow
my neighbor's chimney casts on the tile roof
even this gray October day that should, they say,
have been golden.
Praise
the invisible sun burning beyond
the white cold sky, giving us
light and the chimney's shadow.
Praise
god or the gods, the unknown,
that which imagined us, which stays
our hand,
our murderous hand,
and gives us
still,
in the shadow of death,
our daily life,
and the dream still
of goodwill, of peace on earth.
Praise
flow and change, night and
the pulse of day.
Denise Levertov

Blogger Blockage

Yes, it's been nearly 6 weeks since I've posted. I got to a creative impasse, a ravine too wide to jump across. There have been many false starts, but nothing came of them. I began to mistrust my own voice, to have doubts about saying anything worth saying. I suffered from blogger envy, comparing myself unfavorably with other, better, more profound or poetic or artistic or meaningful or politically savvy bloggers. It began to spread, so that I also had trouble reading other blogs, even though there are many that I love. It spilled over into my other creative activities. I haven't made a drawing or a painting, written anything, or even painted my own toenails. I've been stuck inside my head, churning around in a wallow of doubt and stagnation. Today I say ENOUGH already! It's time to get over it, and just be who I am again, and have that be enough.

Poetry always has been important to me. A friend sent this little jewel a few days ago - I think it says it all:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in

-Leonard Cohen