M.H.'s would-have-been 48th birthday today...peace

(Don't Change Tribute)
I remember INXS in concert like it was yesterday, though I can't remember exactly how many times I saw them, maybe 9? Not enough. The first time was a concert at Magic Mountain when the Shabooh Shabah album came out, circa 1982-83 when I was in high school. The last time was at the Warfield in 1997, which became their last tour.

Japanese Tea Garden this morning

It's a cold and rainy day but this morning the Tea Garden was still beautiful as ever.
Time for some tea, a book, and little coziness on the couch this afternoon, which could very well lead to a nap.

new book

I read a book review in the Sunday paper for "Trail of Crumbs" a memoir by Kim Sunee which sounds very intriguing. She's from South Korea, was abandoned at three years old, later adopted by American parents and raised in New Orleans. She later left for Florida, then Europe. She meets the founder of L'Occitane, embarks on this privileged life in France, goes back to visit South Korea and China trying to find her identity. She discovers she's most at home in the kitchen. I've seen good reviews and have added it to my list. Kim Sunee is food editor at the magazine Cottage Living. http://www.kimsunee.com/

Thursday's Quote

(both images- compliments of Google Images)

WeDnEsDaY

The beauty of taking public transit.

I went back to the gym this week and man, after 2.5 weeks it's like nearly starting over! Doing 30 minutes of the elliptical-cardio-machine is challenging me more than I thought it would! Maybe it's just my age and everything seems harder and to take longer, I don't know. I did write my last piece for my writing class :) It ends this week though so I need to keep up the writing on my own, until the next class...

The Gap is having a pretty good sale right now. When I was there today, I didn't find anything great in the women's dept. so I went up to Men's. I found some good markdowns on thermal and waffle long-sleeve shirts. I got one for George, and a men's small in this sort of dark burgundy/purple color for myself!

I've read some good essays in that NPR book, "This I Believe." The recent good ones I've read are "Always Go to the Funeral" by Deirdre Sullivan, and "The Artistry in Hidden Talents" by Mel Rusnov. There is a website where these essays are published as well. www.thisibelieve.org

Looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend. It's nice that my company observes MLK Day. Now that we're FINALLY over our colds, we hope to take a nice long walk through G.G. Park one day this weekend, and watch the football play-off games. I never would have guessed I 'd one day actually enjoy watching football and Star Trek. I never thought I'd love tomatoes either. You just never know!

confession

Every once in awhile I am overtaken with the desire for gummies and have no self control. I give in to temptation and buy a bag of gummy bears. As health conscious as I usually am, I cave in with gummy candy. I enjoy every single one and when I run out, that's it - back on track.

Julia Cameron is appearing at Books Inc. tonight over on Chestnut Street for her new book "The Writing Diet". I'd like to go but am not motivated enough to schlep over there at 7:30 in the evening. I've seen her before though and find her books and ideas inspiring.

I read a good post today over on Tangled Wings, Michelle shared her writing tips. Plus she writes some great poems. http://blog.tangledwings.com/
Maybe I'll try and write now. It's the last week of my online writing course and I haven't even begun my last piece.

The Biggest Grief Of All

Cecil made another new short film. He's so talented. Have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYSl8NhdTBw

On Air

George was invited to be interviewed on a local San Diego station yesterday to talk about his film in the upcoming festival next month. http://sdcjc.lfjcc.org/sdjff/2008/

Monday Haiku

Possibility

Write daily life in new ways
Wherever you are

rainy

The Bay Area is getting pounded by the storm(s)

"Artists to my mind are the real architects of change, and not the political legislators who implement change after the fact."

- William S. Burroughs, famous American poet, novelist & essayist

2008

New Year's LoveNothing changes on New Year's Day.... ~ U2

Quotes courtesy of Anthony Grant:

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

— Edith Lovejoy

"New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time."

— James Agate

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas"

— Not sure who said this one

Happy Birthday Nephew

Happy 12th Birthday Justin!!! (& Hi Katie)
and a Happy New Year to All

soup

Unfortunately I've been sick the past few days... matzoh ball soup (above) helped...

The end of another year
It's been an interesting
insightful year
Took some risks
read a lot of books
thought a lot
wish I wrote as much as I thought
took a couple courses
with writers.com
I tend to do a personal reflection in September
during my birthday and the Jewish new year
and don't make resolutions
but do like to set optimistic intentions
Ali Edwards (http://www.aliedwards.typepad.com/ picks a word or phrase
as a focus for the year, I like to do that
I read a 400 page book in the past week
Hope to get out tomorrow, back on the Barbary Coast Trail we're exploring.
au revoir 2007

Joyeux Noël

God grant you...
the light of Christmas, which is faith;
the warmth of Christmas, which is love;
the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
the belief of Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ. Amen
~Wilda English

3 Stories - 1 post

1) Christmas tree in a Vase...
I didn't want to buy a tree this year. So at Andronico's Market I looked through the flower section and found a bouquet of pine and holly. I thought that was clever, so I got it and a red gladiola bunch for some color. I thought it was creative and looks festive. We put a bit of tinsel and one ornament and viola! Christmas in a vase this year.

2) Today on Christmas Eve, day, I went with George to the Blood Center to donate blood for my very first time. I was so pleased to be healthy enough to donate, wasn't sure about the iron, which happened to be fine. However, I was not hydrated enough or something because my vein starting pooping out and I couldn't quite get to the requirement level. That was a bummer but she said I should try again in two months. Oh well, at least I tried and will try again. They really need the blood.

3) Old McDonald had a Farm...
In our recent scrabble match, this was my hand (image above-a,e,i,o,u,a,e)..."Hello, I'd like to buy a consonant." It was a challenging game and Georgie won because, well I got stuck with the Q in the second to last draw. I actually used all my vowel's and had no move for the Q. There will be a rematch very soon.

We are enjoying a beautiful and quiet day here in San Francisco. Our big plans are to go out for Chinese food and attend the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at church tonight. Christmas blessings to you and yours.

p.s. Welcome home Mom & Dad from your trip to the Land Down Under!

A Tuesday Morning in December

A Tuesday Morning in December

Woke up to rain

Got ready for work and ate my favorite cereal, Trader Joes Organic Morning Lite

Walked out with George and umbrella

Caught the train and got a seat today

Thought about how I need to get a start on this week 6 assignment before I get behind again.

I love lists and fragments and just didn’t know where to begin

I remembered from an earlier writing class, we made list of obsessions and I thought maybe I’d do that again because that is a good way to show you what takes precedence at this place and time.

Came into work at 8:30

Checked messages and email

Left at 9:00

Walked in the rain five blocks to catch the 1 California bus

Bus came quick, got on and opened my book

Read the forward and intro to “This I Believe- The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women” short essays from a show on NPR.

At Steiner Street the bus lost power

A heavy set, older woman remarked, “This is what happens when they run everything by computers”, and made a few “I‘m in no mood for this” sighs.

We all got off this bus and hopped on the one behind it, the new driver maneuvered around stranded bus and took us to the intersection of California & Presidio where he announced this was his last stop.

I walked another two blocks to my appointment for a routine mammogram, which went fine despite the fact that they crush your boob between two plates then tell you to hold your breath while they take the digital x-ray. Yet, in this position I already couldn’t breathe!

I spent more time getting there than the actual appointment took.

20 minutes later I was across the street waiting to catch the bus back downtown.

I read a few of the essays in my new book. I like what Isabel Allende wrote following the untimely death of her daughter. Her greatest message was about GIVING. “Give, give, give - what is the point of having experience, knowledge, or talent if I don’t give it away? Of having stories if I don’t tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don’t share it?”

Got to my stop and walked five more blocks in the rain

Picked up a coffee at Starbucks

And was back to work by 10:30.

4 Days of Photoshop Training =

Happy Hanukkah

Happy 1st night of Hanukkah!

Today's Devotional

December 4 - Pastor Jon's Devotional ( http://www.joncourson.com/ )

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last ...
Revelation 1:10-11

Why is this repeated? After all, John said the same thing just two verses earlier. I suggest it is because most people don’t struggle with the Alpha or the Omega. They know God looked at creation and declared it good. And they know in the end, in heaven, things will be good. But where people have a hard time is in the middle. They question and struggle with the things going on presently. ‘Why is this happening? Why didn’t God do this? Where was God when that happened?’ they cry.

So what does a pastor, a theologian, a poet do? He whispers in peoples’ ears over and over again: God is in control. God is on the throne. The same God Who did the good work in the beginning is here in the middle, and will come through in the end.

And that’s what we must do. We must whisper over and over in the ears of our teenagers, our friends, our neighbors, ‘God is here, and He’s going to see you through.’

December 1st

(California Sky from airplane window)

I can't believe it is already December! Time is flying again. I am a couple pages away from finishing the Nora Ephron book "I Feel Bad About my Neck", a quick read and so amusing (thanks for letting me borrow it Mom). I really enjoyed it. She mentions things about that aging that I never even thought of (yet) like your neck, for instance and wearing turtlenecks...hmmm.. I guess I ought enjoy my neck while it still looks nice.

It's really cold here today so we are staying in our warm and cozy home for the evening. I did practice a little bit with Photoshop. I could attempt my week 4 writing assignment. I could read a book. But I think I'll take a break first and go lay on the futon, put on PBS for a little while and watch Rick Steves in Europe.