Fall-ish

I saw a rattlesnake, last week, in Ashland, Oregon. I took a road trip, spent a lot of time being quiet and painted. Fun stuff.

Usually through this time of year, I'm enjoying the increasing warmth that is the norm in Seattle. A high school football team hollers out practice across the way from us - which appears to be a herald of this seasons unusually cool temperatures.

J and I are heading out to see the Brothers Grimm tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing what Terry Gilliam has done with this tale. Also, it's a story about story tellers, who wants to miss out on that?

Fewer words, shorter syllables

So not in a good mood tonight. J just got home from band practice & I got a sore throat while trying to put words to the sediment encrusted feelings that prevented clear action for me today. The closest I could get to a useable description included imagery of a donkey, digging heels in and trailing those heel marks behind it.

The last few days have passed in a haze of house cleaning, naps at odd times & staring at piles of paper that I will (with my stare) to file themselves. There have been e-mails to wrap up loose ends and other things tossed into the garbage. I've been restless & withdrawn, which I'm ostensibly ok with but it's a drag considering how beautiful it's been lately and how much I want to get done that isn't bare bones practical. It also makes it tough to converse with folks, hence the title.

Started reading Jung's work on synchronicity. So far I get it that he's stating that statistics are only valuable when applied to things in large numbers or simply relative to each other - which leaves a wide gap, statistically speaking, for experiences that fall out of the norm. The guy summarizing Jung's work suggests that Jung proves that astrology and the like don't work on a statistical level. It's good to see this type of analysis in writing & I'm hanging on to the theoretical language as best I can.

I'm reading this book alongside Neitzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. I'm wandering through, having just reached part two. While surfing on Nietzsche topics online, I came across a story about his tumultuous love of Lou Salome. She wrote about Nietzsche, along with later lovers Rainier Maria Rilke & Freud. Somehow, it makes it easier to read Nietzsche's odd views on women knowing what the women in his life were like.

Sefik Can wraps up the trio of books I've been reading. Persia in the 1200's is fascinating reading. The formalities of Rumi's life, the details and intricacies take a few re-readings to absorb the meaning. I'm reading it with a bunch of other folks, arguing & debating really. That helps with the deciphering.

Apart from the above pursuits, I'm working on detoxing, on refining my diet. Nothing drastic, just adding cod liver oil to my diet, along with a few other teas & vitamins. But that alone is tough and it was too tough to continue while John was here. So, I'm feeling a bit goofy struggling with getting back on track and it doesn't make it any easier that I choose this topic to clam up on, not letting folks know what I need. There's plenty of precedent for that, I know. Food is such a social thing and social things can be fragile. It's sometimes easier to not disclose what you're eating or not eating when there's food prepared already & it's close to time to go.

Did I mention that I deleted photoshop from my computer & my cd drive is still not working? There's that happening now too.

Grumpy, me.

Surface tension

Latest favorite lyrics - reminds me of the importance of being present...

"i bet you're hoping that your heart will send up the white flag this time --
or some sign that the coast is clear"
Here for now

It's been a very eventful week, we got back earlier tonight from the peninsula perseids trip. I clocked six or so meteors - not bad but nowhere near the folks who were able to get back up at 3am to watch them pour down.

We awoke to llamas, which we were told are very curious, sniffing at John's tent and then ours -- but we zipped our tent up when Ursa, the great pyranees local, came to greet us around 6:30am.



Earlier in the week, John got to sit through band practice - visit potential employers for job shadowing - bake bread - camp with llamas and sample artichokes for the first time. I am baffled as to how all of these events coincided with his trip (apart from the one that was custom designed for him) but whaddya gonna do? He's had great experiences & will go home with plenty to think about. I can only say that I wish I had folks direct me to such things when I was 14.

I, myself, am a bit saturated in the stimulation dept. We've been going at a fair clip on a daily basis. My brain just piles thoughts upon thoughts without processing on those occasions. I've had to take time outs during the day just to keep up with the three inhabitants of our home, not to mention catching up with old friends - painting - thinking about a show with other friends and getting ready for another trip - this one to Ashland for a few days retreat next week. I may act like I'm on retreat starting this week, just to give my brain time to process.

Pics from August are here, I'm off to check in on the guys.

Painting badly

I painted today. Two pieces. I have so many more to go. The first piece I tackled was a piece from last year that I'd like to finish, the latter was a sketch painting for a piece that is part of a themed set.

First the bad erupts and lots of it. Then, with application (I remind myself), the good will start to emerge. I have to do heaps to make it move forward. No matter what.

Ghost Cycle in Seattle

Pam's post on famous and nonfamous reminded me to check out the site that is listed on eerie white bikes with red printed signs that are dotted around Seattle. See picture & mission statement here.

I've seen three bikes so far, in areas where there are many bicyclists & bad traffic patterns converge and have wondered what the story was behind the bikes. There's something that hits home for me about memorials for stricken bicyclists, as I used to make my living riding a bike in Washington, D.C. (memorialized here by an old friend of a friend). The main reason I quit was because the idea of getting hit by a car...taxi...etc. "any day now" was too oppressive. So, after two or so years, I gave up riding.

Ghost cycle, cool project.

Sundays

J is in the kitchen making grits and eggs. John is on the couch, troubleshooting a problem with my camera that has been stumping me since it arrived yesterday. John is my nephew & we are a few days into a 10 day visit.

So far we've hosted a party and baked bread with some sisters of mine, both lovely activities. I drove him through our international district - we've visited Uwajimaya twice and will go back today, although I believe that Pink Godzilla is our store of choice, for imported games of Japanese origin. I've been schooled in the value of Pop'n'music, in the best & worst songs... I've been able to share my love of Jlist items (18 and under items for us) and the like.

I've got a week to plan, today and the NY times Sunday paper is sitting just to the left of my cup of coffee...beckoning. It's amazing to have all of this energy in the house. It's a bit like living with a squad of mad-scientists, if you include J & I in the mix.

So far, this week looks a bit like:
- re-visiting my old place of employment with John in tow, bringing him to folks who excel in their work there, to continue to broaden his idea of what things await him after high school
- taking him to galleries housing the art of people I know & favor, for the other side of the employment/dharma coin
- there's class on Monday, band practice here Wed and a trip to the peninsula this weekend
- wrap that up with the requisite photo excursions, time for me to paint (a few hours a day will do nicely) and chores, should round the week out nicely

Well, I need to spend a little more time troubleshooting the camera problem & it sounds like breakfast is ready... We sure eat late here, in this Bennett household.

Today's photo

Last Sunday I wandered about the Ballard Seafood Festival. I took a few pics, which will go up when I've prepped them all for the web, but here is my absolute favorite:



Ok, back to work.

Now this...

Funny thing, being an alumni. I've been an alumni for...um...9 years now and have updated the school once or twice in that time.

A few days ago I signed up for the school forum. I received a letter asking for my maiden name, years I attended, etc. & replied right away. Then I got this:

"It looks like your shy one course in Western Civilization.

Please don’t hesitate to give me a call if you like. If you are interested in finishing this last requirement, I can help you make arrangements to take the class here or at another accredited institution, after which the course can be transferred back..."

It's like a fiendish marketing plot. I can just twist my neck enough to see the degree I received - I can roam my hard drive for the pictures of our charming, small-ish graduation ceremony and, ironically, I have all of the recordings of the Western Civ classes I took - mainly because the instructor annoyed me so. And yet, now, I'll have to wander through my files to confirm the degree req's from '96 & the form I kept that tracked when I completed each. Funny stuff... "If you are interested in finishing this last requirement"... hmmm...