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.

Happy pumpkin day

We are Borg.
Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own.
Resistance is futile.
It's been awhile since I've dressed up on Halloween. Today I came to work with my "Borg" components as seen here. I am Borg "1 of 2" (inspired by 7 of 9)

George's Show this week

My sweetheart George has his show at SomArts this week. The reception is Thursday evening. Check it out. He's oh so innovative, and entertaining.

http://www.george.aguilar.com/

Today's Lunch

Today's lunch hour consisted of pizza and bowling. (the production dept. and my dept.) It's been a few years since I last bowled, but oh how fun it is. So with no practice and after a bad first frame, I threw four strikes and ended up with a final score of 133. Not too shabby for one game. This was also the first time I think i've ever bowled on company time during the work day.

Happy Birthday Katie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

K A T I E

Have a wonderful day my sweet niece.

Glad you enjoyed your party and CAKE, mmm

Hugs and kisses from San Francisco

xoxo

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Autumn in a pond

Friday Randomness

(Images from http://www.freeimages.co.uk/)

I joined (and paid) for this Free Write Fling for the month of October. Do you know how many I have actually done? Oh, two or three! I hate when I sign up for something, spend money, and my intention falls by the wayside. I wish I know why this is. Then I feel like I need to restrict myself from taking another class for awhile.

The eyeball picture reminded of my nephew. When he was a little guy, he used to call little rubber bouncing balls you get from a gumball machine 'eyeballs'.

I'm getting close to finishing the novel "the Mistress of Spices" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Sometimes I forget who some of the characters are when they re-appear in later chapters but I am enjoying reading something different from my usual tendencies. It's a poetic and sort of a fantasy story, and cultural as the characters are from India.

It's a bit amusing when I see people wearing cut-off leggings, you know a little above the ankle. There's a girl in my office today wearing them with a black short ruffle skirt, black sweater and some low-heel pumps. I remember that from the 80's when we wore those with denim or other mini skirts. I also remember these mini dresses that were sort of t-shirt or sweatshirt-ish and we wore tights and metallic belts and shoes. If you really want to know, I also remember ruffle shirts, prarie skirts, beads, button earings and thick plastic bracelets, espadrilles, sweater dresses, wedge shoes, white pumps, penny-loafers , petal-pushers (pre-capri's)corduroy knickers, argyle, banana clips, the "Flashdance-off-one- shoulder" sweatshirts, and even with fringe! I know my long-time friend Dina must remember that too! Hah. I also remember various bikini's that were the style. These two-tone bikinis where the strings on top made a criss-cross on your back and I think tied on the bottoms somehow, not exactly sure on that one. Let's not even get into NEON! I have to stop somewhere!OMG, I'm seriously dating myself now but it's actually strange that these memories are over 20 years ago!

Today's Daily Devotion

This is from Pastor Jon Courson's website for October 18:

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.
Titus 1:2

Paul’s intent is that people do better, go further in the glorious hope of eternal life. ‘And this is eternal life,’ Jesus prayed in His High Priestly prayer, ‘that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent’ (John 17:3).

We usually think of eternal life as existing someday far away in heaven. But that’s only part of it. According to Jesus’ prayer, eternal life is knowing the Lord here and now in our hearts. Thus, the farther I get from the Lord, the more hellish things become. But the days in which I spend time with the Lord, I experience something of heaven on earth. The closer I walk to the Lord, the more heavenly my days will be.

It was after Enoch fathered his son, Methuselah, that Scripture records he began to walk with God (Genesis 5). Kids will make one walk with God — especially a kid like Methuselah. Living to the age of 969, he must have been home for 500 years!

‘Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him,’ (Genesis 5:24). I can almost hear the Lord saying, ‘You know, Enoch, this walk we’ve enjoyed together has been so wonderful. You’ve walked with Me so closely that now we’re closer to My house than yours. Come on Home.

’‘This is eternal life,’ Jesus prayed, ‘that they may know You, Father — not out there geographically, but here and now intimately.’

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Travel Detective

I saw Peter Greenberg at the Book Passage in the Ferry Bldg. last night. He's touring with his new book "The Travel Detective Bible". It's over 600 pages chock-full of tips and resources. He knows his stuff, that's for sure. http://www.petergreenberg.com/

another great book goes movie!

I just learned that Amy Cohen's memoir that i loved, "The Latebloomer's Revolution" is going to be made into a movie! Congrats Amy, you rock! http://www.byamycohen.com/

FROM VARIETY:
Parker joins HBO's 'Revolution'
Sherman-Palladino to adapt novel and direct
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Sarah Jessica Parker will star in "The Late Bloomer's Revolution," a feature adaptation of the Amy Cohen book for HBO Films. "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino will make her feature directing debut.
Movie will be distributed by Picturehouse.

HBO Films acquired screen rights to Cohen's memoir, and Sherman-Palladino will adapt the novel, about a single woman who, after the death of her mother, develops a bond with her father as they both try to get on with their lives in the dating world.

Parker will produce with her Pretty Matches partner Alison Benson. Movie will be developed as part of the joint venture between HBO Films and Picturehouse.

An experienced TV showrunner and director, Sherman-Palladino had been looking to make the move into features. She sparked to the material and saw it as a good match with Parker's comic skills.

"Character stuff is what I do best, and there is an interesting lady at the center of this who explores a relationship with her father, who'd always been the silent guy in the corner watching TV when her mom was around," Sherman-Palladino said. "The humor is key here, and Sarah Jessica is a great comedienne."

Sherman-Palladino has directed episodes of "Gilmore Girls" and is doing the same with her new Fox comedy, the Regency Television-produced "The Return of Jezebel James," which stars Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose.

Parker is in production on the feature rendition of her HBO series "Sex and the City."

What type of writer?

You Should Be A Poet

You craft words well, in creative and unexpected ways.And you have a great talent for evoking beautiful imagery...Or describing the most intense heartbreak ever.You're already naturally a poet, even if you've never written a poem.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

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Borg

We Are Borg.

Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own.

Resistance is futile.

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