VOTING

Yesterday was quite the day. I worked in the polls for the General Election. Arrive at 6:00 AM, and we didn’t get things wrapped up until about 9:30 PM. We did get lunch, but around dinner time we had a rush that was more or less continuous until closing. Turnout in our precinct was fairly […]

Whew!

Thankfully, the system let me in this time. Not sure what I did wrong last attempt, but I couldn’t sign in. Unfortunately, I don’t recall what the topic of that last post was going to be, and still haven’t solved the photo-posting problem. “Alas. Ear wax.” (Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” I […]

Ocean Breeze

Sorry for the delinquency in posting. Coming to post again about a month ago, I discovered that things have changed here in wordpress and for some reason I can no longer post photos – or at least haven’t figured out the new system. Too bad, because I had some neat posts and pics, but spent […]

On the Threshold

We’ve been getting some much needed rain. Perhaps food prices won’t be quite so bad this year after all. In any event, this morning I’m in a liminal space. Looking out the West windows it is overcast with patches of blue. To the South is another matter: It is raining and the heavy, dark clouds covering the sky promise more moisture.

I sit here, not having to water the bonsai and other little trees, watching rain out one window and none out another, on the line between, at the intersection of both and neither, in the gap where yes and no meet. It’s pretty cool!

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You Can’t Take It With You

Well, friends, my apologies for the hiatus.

In December, I got a part time job. Whew! The sedentary nature of graduate studies left behind for “load that barge, tote that bale” frenetic activity. There has been a bit of an adjustment period complicated by the holidays, low-grade illness lasting awhile, being props manager for a local community theater, and a brand new second illness that, considering how tired I already was, knocked me on. . . well, took a lot out of me. Last year at this time, I had been repotting bonsai and traveling through Australia, kayaking and hiking, going to weekend bonsai shows. What a difference a year can make.

I love my job. It keeps me fairly busy, and is different every day. The group of young people I work with are, overall, friendly and nice, supportive and encouraging, and a lot of fun. They’re nice to their resident “old lady.”

I ate my share of Girl Scout cookies but, having purchased in two communities, was surprised to discover that there was $1 difference in box prices. Wonder what’s up with that?

My next planned adventure is an Aikido seminar at the end of May. Not sure if I’ll be back in shape, but I’m going! A good friend is testing for san dan (third black belt).

My super-ultra-megawatt-totally awesome news is that of my four friends who last year battled cancer, all four are cancer free!!

The year has been an unusual so far. I wonder what the other three quarters will bring . . . . I hope all of you are having a fantastic year!
Cheers

Trip to the Bay

For our holiday meeting this year, my cousin and I met in Alameda, CA, and had two days in Neverland. You know, nicely packed with hardly any room between one adventure and another (JM Barrie). First a jaunt up to Richmond to see the Rosie the Riveter WWII Heritage Monument. There’s a lot more going on there besides just Rosie, as if that wasn’t enough. The sight speaks to a large area of growth in US history: the Rosies, racial and gender discrimination issues, naval mutiny and other naval history, industrial growth, and health care. We spent longer there than intended, and ended up in traffic on our way back to the hotel.

The next day we drove into San Francisco and spent hours along the Waterfront. A dream for me was getting out to Fort Point, the oldest US military site in CA. I was sad to find it fenced and bricked off. Maybe some day I’ll find a way to see the inside.

After seeing the sights and watching waves break, we headed to Oakland and the Golden State Bonsai Collection, North. It’s at Lake Merritt. The photo is a persimmon styled and donated by my friends Vince and Kathy Owyoung. The tree is about 3 feet tall. Unfortunately, we only got through about half of the collection because they close at 3. The docent was sweet, giving us an extra ten minutes.

Sadly, my cuz and I only had the two days this year, and there were lots of things on our to-do list that we didn’t get to see this time. Maybe next year. . . .

Holiday Cheer

After losing a collection of holiday tree ornaments collected through a lifetime – one I’d made in “art” in the second grade, some made at home with Mom and sibs, a couple made by neices and nephews, gifts from high school friends – I started a new collection. My new tradition is to watch for one each year and only buy the special one for that year. This year’s I picked up during a visit to Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. Go if you can!

The little brownie is made of wool, which is what I think drew my cat’s attention. You can see her idea of how to enjoy the new acquisition. I guess we’ll share.

Thank you to each of you who reads this blog! I hope your winter Holy Day(s) have been / are especially joyous and blessed with the spirit of the season. May the rebirth of light illuminate you and your loved ones through the coming year and on.

Catching Up

Good morning, dear readers. I’ve been a right slug about posting, but some great stuff has been happening. Early in November, I got to go to Beverly Hills to see the Martha Graham Dance Company open the new Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. While I did get a few pics of the dancing, I promised not to publish them. In this pic is a bronze from the Wallis’ garden, titled “Exhaltation” (by Emmanuel Fillion, original 1996, reproduction 2013), in the image of Ms. Graham performing her piece “Lamentation.” The amazing Katherine Crockett danced this for us.

On the return, I drove a section of CA Hwy 1 between Gaviota and Pismo Beach. It’s really pretty in there, views of the ocean and I think there are some cliffs near Lompoc. I hope to drive it again and take a couple of the roads all the way to the beach. The drive only took an extra hour, so I am very happy with the exploration.

Of course we just had Thanksgiving. I took green salad and a pumpkin pie to a friend’s house. She roasted a turkey and some yams. After a tasty meal I helped her pack. Then on Friday, I joined a small group to schlep. The move went fairly quickly so there was time for hanging out with friends and the new grand daughter (my friend’s – though apparently I do look rather grandmotherly when I push my glasses to the end of my nose. Guess it’s time for bifocals.).

This week is “cover the bonsai” week. It’s a good thing I recently bought new sheets, or I wouldn’t have had enough material. My little trees are a bit crowded; not ideal for growing but good when the temperature drops.

Let’s leave things here for now.
I hope everyone has (has had) joyous and blessed winter holy days.

Laundry Day

Laundry is one of those chores we all have to deal with. I’m not always keen on chores, but when you have a helper it can be lots of fun. Astrid rather likes laundry day. The laundry basket is a cave with a view. This morning, we got the (toy) mousie started in on the game and WHEEEEEEE!!!! What fun!

A normal laundry day includes racing around the outside of the basket, hiding in it to pounce on “unsuspecting” feet going past, attacking the mousie inside and outside the basket, and losing the mousie under the couch at least once.

Today we discovered a new mousie “talent.” Astrid was inside the basket and I gently tossed the mousie on the upper side of it. She batted the little toy and it bounced like popping popcorn!

Things here aren’t all fun and games though. Astrid has her language lessons, too. Many of us have, or have had, a dog-companion. Most of them learn the word “walk.” Astrid knows “laundry”! I use the key word at the best time of laundry day – when it’s mostly over and everything is warm. Carrying the load in from the dryer I say, “Astrid. Laundry.” She comes from wherever she is sleeping after play time. Naught better in a cat’s life than a nap on clean towels or sheets!

Cats . . . .

The odd thing about cats it . . .
Sometimes they fit in the box just fine on their own, and sometimes they need to poured in. Today was a pour-in day. Still, there’s contentment, even happiness. (For both of us.)