Weekend

It's been a good weekend. I watched the movie "Miss Potter" Friday, which I enjoyed. I didn't know much about life of Beatrix Potter. We had company, Heather and Ruben stayed with us Saturday during their Bay Area visit. We walked through the park, around Haight Street, and stopped for some tapas and sangria at Cha Cha Cha. Later we had yummy Thai food for dinner. It's always nice to visit with good friends. It's sunny day again today, so we might go check out the freebies in the park today- the Polish festival *correction, Polish Festival is next Sunday*, and a Comedy event. Also, to keep a discipline for daily writing, I signed up for Cynthia's October "Free Write Fling" http://www.vivelaslink.typepad.com/. That begins tomorrow, it's all good.

Haiku for Jack Davis

Good man and leader
Major supporter of Arts
You will be missed Jack

Click on this link to read George's beautiful tribute to Jack.

http://www.george.aguilar.com

Tuesday musings

(Photos of Courtney Thorne-Smith courtesy of Maria Santiago)

I saw Courtney Thorne-Smith today at Stacey's for a book signing. She is very pretty, currently pregnant, and down-to-earth. She mentioned that aside from acting, wanting to be a writer and always secretly wrote, and is a voracious reader. She had articles published in Self magazine, got a little turned off from magazine-article writing and later attempted fiction. Today she read from her first published novel "Outside In". She is actually from San Francisco too! I didn't get her book but it does sound like a good read.

On a different note, I've been noticing during my commute on the train how so many people are connected to their technology. Thin white cords dangling from the earbuds, cell phones or Blackberry devices in hand scanning info and playing games. I've been watching our new collection of Star Trek "Borg" episodes. The Borg are a trip! This collection has episodes from "The Next Generation", "Enterprise", and "Voyager", which I am watching for the first time now too. There was an actual "Friendly Borg, Hugh". He had an innocence to him and was kind of amusing. He was the exception, as most Borg's are very mechanical and destructive. Anyway, I find it interesting that more and more people 'wear technology' mostly to entertain or distract themselves from the 'collective' on the crowded train, haha.

Media and Memories

This morning we put on the TV to find out the weather report while eating cereal. As soon as news about OJ came on we had to change it. I get so fed up with the media here, as they relentlessly contrive stories of which have little or no relevance to our daily lives. That is why we flip to local channel 32, which airs‘DW-TV’ news from Germany, and ‘Russia Today’. (BBC is good too.) They show interesting world news, as well as local stories in their country and throughout Europe. They have interesting pieces on culture and art. I find these programs to be a more intelligent and balanced source of news.

That said, as we watched about a big Design Expo happening near London this morning, I was reminded once again of our trips to Paris. I remember resting in our hotel room listening local news in French. I remember the breakfast buffets we enjoyed consisting of coffee, breads & cheeses, cereal, brown hard-boiled eggs, fruit, pastries... I remember being greeted outside by the crisp autumn air as we ventured out into the day’s adventure. I admit, I am still very much infatuated with European life. I love to revisit those places and moments and moods and memories in my mind until we return again.

more birthdays

Happy birthday Mom

Enjoy

You are special

remembered

loved

and very important

to me

and many others

xoxo

p.s. Happy 6th Birthday to Zachary Harris too!

Kris Carr

I've read a few posts now about this book so I had to check it out. She also made a documentary I'd love to see. I'm sorry I missed Kris Carr at Border's last week. She sounds like an amazing person. http://www.crazysexycancer.com/

A time to every season

(Art/Photo by Tara Leigh)

Over a year ago I bought this cute little set of collage supplies at the Saturday Market in Portland. I thought it might motivate my desire to jump on the art journaling bandwagon. It still sits on my bookshelf, untouched. Sometimes I look at the contents but I just don't understand why I get immobilized with things I really want to try?!
The first collage journal I ever saw was Sabrina Ward Harrison’s published journal Spilling Open. She used photographs, paint, all sorts of cut-outs, color, and words. Now there are all sorts of books and websites with creative use of collage & journaling. Similar techniques are also used in scrapbooking. There is also the digital factor, which would require a class in Photoshop for me to attempt.
Here’s another thing on my mind. I need to get a birthday card to send my mom and haven’t found anything good yet. "Why don’t you just make your own Andrea?"

There comes a point when it’s time to stop thinking and just do it, whatever that ‘it’ may be.

LaShanah Tovah

May this new year be sweet

as apples & honey

God bless you and your loved ones

The world is your oyster

As I read the excellent book by Rolf Potts, Vagabonding, http://www.rolfpotts.com/ I’m more inspired than ever to prepare for long-term travel. On occasion, I remember this girl Margie way back when we were just out of high school, she would work and save and go travel. I only remember that she worked w/my friend Annette for six months or so, saving to travel to Australia, but the inspiration stuck with me. I’ve always been intrigued by people who do both; plan for extended travel or relocate to another country, as well as, throw caution to the wind and take off! I like to plan as much as I can and also leave room for the unexpected.

I recently reminisced about this with George. Once in Las Vegas, and another time in Girona, Spain, we missed our flight. I’m usually at the airport early and waiting so this was new to me, missing flights, "Oh my!" I learned from George how to just deal and do what you have to do, vs. getting all anxious. It also proves for a more interesting experience and story. In Girona, we had to buy new tickets for the first flight out the next morning to France. At the time flying on Ryan Air, it wasn’t a big expense either. We then managed to get a room at the hotel across the street and the nice desk clerk gave us some toiletries. It was nice to relax and extend our stay a tiny bit too. The next morning while still dark, we walked across the street, back to the airport. We hung out and enjoyed some coffee and a pastry while waiting for our short flight back to France.

I also think of Auntie Mame. I love her spirit of adventure. On a less eccentric and expensive scale, I could imagine my niece and nephew’s ‘crazy-in-a-good-way Aunt Anni’ and George traveling around the world. Sending postcards and emails with all kinds of stories. I wouldn’t send them a totem pole mind you, but maybe some inexpensive cultural and educational gifts.

Vagabonding begins now (even if your travel begins later) when you decide you want to travel, start saving money and begin to plan. It doesn’t take enormous amounts of money either. It’s more of a re-evaluation of your priorities and adjusting your lifestyle. “Indeed, the freedom to go vagabonding has never been determined by income level; it’s found through simplicity-the conscious decision of how to use what income you have.”

Since living in California my whole life (and George too), having no real anchors or commitments keeping us here, why not attempt to travel MORE and experience life in many other places. We also have the advantage of not owning anything. So we begin with reading, researching, networking, saving, and the never-ending downsizing of possessions.

It feels good and a little scary to have a great dream. (A little scary usually means you’re on to something good though!)

Birthday Haiku

9th of September

Forty-One years young

Cards, calls, cake, love, and wishes

Writer discovery

(photo from Gary on Moleskinerie)

This week in one of my many newsletter subscriptions I discovered a very cool link:
http://www.writingtime.net/
Barbara Abercrombie teaches in the Writers program at UCLA Extension, and has published a variety of books and articles. I am reading her current book, "Courage and Craft" which is great so far. She gives little assignments and prompts as well as covering various different forms like essays, fiction, poetry, etc. I already love it and can relate to her.

From Chapter 1- Getting Started:
"I always think what I'm writing in my journal is boring. Even if something happens, I think the way I write about it isn't doing the event justice. But I know from experience that I'll reread what I've written in a few months or years and be surprised by the fact that it isn't boring at all."

This just in

I just saw this (on YAHOO news) and posted part of the article:
By CARA RUBINSKY, Associated Press Writer / Associated Press writers Polly Anderson in New York and John Christoffersen in New Haven contributed to this report.

Author Madeleine L'Engle, whose novel "A Wrinkle in Time" has been enjoyed by generations of schoolchildren and adults since the 1960s, has died, her publicist said Friday. She was 88.
L'Engle died Thursday at a nursing home in Litchfield of natural causes, according to Jennifer Doerr, publicity manager for publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

The Newbery Medal winner wrote more than 60 books, including fantasies, poetry and memoirs, often highlighting spiritual themes and her Christian faith.

Although L'Engle was often labeled a children's author, she disliked that classification. In a 1993 Associated Press interview, she said she did not write down to children.

"In my dreams, I never have an age," she said. "I never write for any age group in mind. When people do, they tend to be tolerant and condescending and they don't write as well as they can write.

"When you underestimate your audience, you're cutting yourself off from your best work."

I'm thinking about...

What George and I will do this weekend

what kind of cake to make for my birthday this Sunday

the approach of my favorite season, Autumn

with all its beauty and delights

pumpkin and butternut squash and apples

colorful leaves, the daylight is different, and air becomes crisper

(also Football season begins)

Keri Smith's creativity and her abundance of ideas http://www.kerismith.com/blog/

(and her cute non-planner datebook!)

writing and submitting for publication

the colors red and brown

corduroy

sunflowers

remembering to take the news reporting with a grain of salt

(you know, because of the influence of the M.I.C. and various equivalents)

learning something new like more French, or photoshop

Our new plan to work towards extended travel/possible re-lo

and it's only 10am ;)

Movie Recommendation

We just rented this great German movie, "The Lives of Others". The story, the actors, the details, will transport you back into this time and place in history before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

This critically-acclaimed, Oscar®-winning film (Best Foreign Language Film, 2006) is the erotic, emotionally-charged experience Lisa Schwarzbaum (Entertainment Weekly) calls "a nail-biter of a thriller!" Before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, East Germany’s population was closely monitored by the State Secret Police (Stasi). Only a few citizens above suspicion, like renowned pro-Socialist playwright Georg Dreyman, were permitted to lead private lives. But when a corrupt government official falls for Georg’s stunning actress-girlfriend, Christa, an ambitious Stasi policeman is ordered to bug the writer’s apartment to gain incriminating evidence against the rival. Now, what the officer discovers is about to dramatically change their lives - as well as his - in this seductive political thriller Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) proclaims is "the best kind of movie: one you can’t get out of your head."

Importance of Letting Go

I decided it's time to let go of some ideas and beliefs. Those I've revised in my mind and those out of my control. I believe that by letting go of these expectations removes the disappointment factor, consequently inviting the element of surprise. Either way, I think this will help me to make peace in my own heart and to feel positive and motivated to continue living my life the best I can. In the end, I simply want my life to count for God's purposes & using my gifts & talents, to have loved well, and lived well.

1. A dream job.
I don't think I have one!! I have started to resolve that it's okay to have a j-o-b that you are good at, and that supports your lifestyle and needs. My dreams aren't about work anyway. They are about travelling, learning, and continuing to write. Those are thing I will continue do regardless of a job. The fact is, I need income, health insurance and a 401K. It works better for me to get those things met at a decent company.

2. Marriage.
Yes, I always hoped to get married when it's right, but I no longer want to have to persuade or defend that desire. I am happy in my relationship with my Georgie (of six years) and I want to be with him and share our lives and loves.

To those people who in my life who feel this might be giving up or compromising, please understand that it is really just a new and improved perspective. I don't want to continue hoping for things that unlikely, I'd rather just hope for that which I can work towards. I am choosing to set those expectations free and let the weights go. Free myself up to live in the present and live the best I can each day, open to its gifts, challenges, or even surprises. That's all we really have anyway.