Thanksgiving collage

Thanksgiving Day pictures taken w/new camera... so much better!
Morning in the park, commuting on Muni, Molly, dinner table, and our lovely hosts, the Beckerley's.


So much to be thankful for.

OC Weekend

Lois Drew Birthday Party/ Neighborhood Reunion - the Drew family did a fantastic job!!

Family Visit at Steph's

It was a really nice weekend visit down in the OC. Saw family, old friends and neighbors. Here are a few pics... will write more about it soon.

Weekend Musings

We had a rainy Saturday and a sunny, brisk Sunday this weekend. I picked up Sasha Cagen's book "To Do List". Being a list-maker, I find it interesting and creative. I enjoyed an afternoon at Mr. Pinkwhistle salon having highlights applied, which turned out a nice caramel color. I also went shopping around Union Square for something to wear to a party next weekend, with no success.

At church it is the season where members share their experiences, thoughts, and beliefs about giving (financial pledges). It causes me to ponder about my desire to tithe, give, and serve along with my desire to spend! Balance is required. I've heard it said, by giving to our respective churches (and other charitable causes) we can send our money "ahead", meaning to send it on for use here of course, but with heavenly purpose. I have my spending and selfish weaknesses as confessed before, but I'd like to be more obedient about tithing and serving.

My faith life feels weak and it's so easy to become distracted by the cares of this world. I spent this afternoon at the Westfield Mall, still on my search for new clothes (to no avail). Even though I did not buy anything, as I tried on clothes in stores from H&M to Ann Taylor, I was choosing items that I thought had some style, some sass. Maybe we sometimes BUY into image, to re-create our own and wanting to change our look. This hairdo, that dress, those shoes, this bag, will create the new image. I have even bought a new journal in hopes of writing differently!
I find this curious.

Review ~ Second Life Cafe

I went to a “Second Life Café” exhibit/installation over the weekend. I am familiar with the popular virtual world of Second Life, though I have never participated as of yet. The room had tables and chairs set up, a table with coffee, tea, wine, and some snacks. Plants and flowers were placed around adding their colorful beauty. Among a couple other multimedia installations, I watched the large main screen viewing the artist and avatar Cecil, going around various places and interacting with other avatars. In this café setting, the sound system let us hear “Cecil” as he navigated around Second Life having conversations, listening to music in different areas from museums to discos, as well as, poetry readings.

Cecil had an impromptu conversation with a female avatar, who when asked what her experience has been like, she said, “Talking with people here feels more human than real life sometimes. You cut through the chase and get to the good stuff quicker.” There is quite a creative community in there ranging from poets, painters, sculpture artists, designers, singers, filmmakers, and more.

I sat at a table with a glass of white wine and a blank page. It was an inspiring environment to do some writing. Listening to interesting and creative people interacting through their avatars, watching Cecil go through the Virtual Louvre with its beautiful paintings and sculptures inside. Hearing different languages spoken as he approached international communities, like a Brazilian crowd in a dance club. It’s also a fun and safe way to experiment and try on other styles and characteristics of our personalities. There is loads of possibility.

I glimpsed the educational value and artistic experimentation that is available here. As the Real World moves more towards the Virtual World, I can imagine how this technology will change some of our daily activities and/or interactions. It’s only going to continually improve in quality and perhaps necessity at some point. It’s just important to keep a healthy balance between both worlds.

Cecil's blog ~ http://cecilhirvi.blogspot.com/

Brian or Britney?

At my office yesterday:

"It's amazing how long it takes to complete
something you're not working on."
~ R.D. Clyde

Wisdom from Dennis Palumbo:
"Writing begets writing; not writing begets not writing."

Today's Author Event

I saw Maira Kalman speak today. She's quite a talented and interesting woman, also the sort of person who is all over the place, making associations and often digressing. She has her hands in a variety of creative aspects from writing, painting, drawing/sketching, photographing, to music. Her new book “The Principles of Uncertainty” displays her various art forms throughout the narrative which covers one year of her life, asking questions and navigating her way.

Simply, asking what wonderful or beautiful thing you notice in this day, operating from a place of balance between freedom and structure, this made feel like wanting to be more ‘EXPANSIVE'. I haven’t been doing creative work lately, it’s just in my head, no action whatsoever. It’s time to get back to the page and just practice. Thinking is not writing. Writing IS writing. There are also art supplies and collage materials waiting too long to be used.

She mentioned finding material everywhere, just walking down the street in New York. I think a good way to begin is to be open and attentive through our senses each day. Paying attention to daily life here in the city, to what and who I see, noticing the smells, picking up bits of dialogue, which can all amount to any number of ideas or associations. Then taking out a pen and writing down some thoughts or notes. It’s just that simple.

From Amazon:
Maira Kalman paints her highly personal worldview in an inimitable combination of image and text. The Principles of Uncertainty is an irresistible invitation to experience life through the psyche of Maira Kalman, one of this country's most beloved artists. The result is a book that is part personal narrative, part documentary, part travelogue, part chapbook, and all Kalman.

Her brilliant, whimsical paintings, ideas, and images-which initially appear random-ultimately form an intricately interconnected worldview, an idiosyncratic inner monologue. Kalman contends with some existential questions-What is identity? What is happiness? Why do we fight wars? And then, of course, death, love, and candy (not necessarily in that order).

The tremendous success of Kalman's 2005 illustrated edition of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style established her as an original, inspirational voice, and the quirky, hilarious, heartbreaking style of The Principles of Uncertainty reveals Maira Kalman for what she truly is: a national treasure.