At The Margins Of Everything

"Birds know themselves not to be at the center of anything, but at the margins of everything. The end of the map. We only live where someone's horizon sweeps someone else's. We are only noticed on the edge of things; but on the edge of things, we notice much."

~Gregory Maguire

Out Of Oz

It's been one hell of a week... hasn't it? There is so much swirling around in my head right now, it's all beginning to blend together! My colonoscopy is less than a week away now. In fact it's only 5 days away, and I can admit it, I am getting scared! There is a big part of me that just wants to run, and there is another part of me that says, "cowboy up, and get it done!" I guess, when it's all said and done, I will probably decide to grow through with the test and just get it over with! It's just all very bad timing... as if there is any good timing for getting a colonoscopy! I am pretty sure, NO ONE looks forward to that!

Anyway, I am going to do lots and lots of photography the next few days, and distract myself from the doom. And it's not like there won't be any politics in the mean time to keep me occupy my attention. Trump is on the slow speed chase to political oblivion as I type this! Is it possible that something even worse is on the horizon? Something worse than, at last count, 11 women coming forward to tell their personal tales of being sexually assaulted by Trump? Could be! But what could it be? I don't even want to speculate! It seems like every day for the last year or so, he has managed to top himself with his despicable, deplorable, boorish behavior!

I guess we will see it when it gets here.

Right?

Until then... I am off to find some beauty. Some art. Something, anything that better fills my mind and imagination! Like that little bird, admiring that flower. I could learn a lot from him I think!

Wish me luck!

Leaf Of The Day

October 15, 2016

Mood: Happy :)

~Me :) 

 

Art About Town: Orinda "Mutha Hen"

"Any fool can be happy. It tales a man with real heart

 to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep."

~Clive Barker

Days of Magic, Nights of War

Yesterday was our anniversary, and we had a great time. A nice steak lunch, and then it was off to the movies in Orinda, for the free movie of the month, which just happened to be one of our favorites as a kid, the now cult favorite, John Carpenter's, Halloween.

It was fun to finally see it on the big screen! It really does make a difference, as I found out a few years ago, when we went to the same theater, also in October, to see Roman Polanski's, Rosemary's Baby. Both movies managed to scare me at times, which considering how many times I have seen both movies, I didn't even think possible!

So yeah, we had a great time, and it was a happy, welcome relief to shed the toxic specks of day to day life, and pretend the boogeyman only exists in the town of Haddenfield, Illinois and not on the American political stage as a candidate for president of the United States! You all know who I mean, but I will say it anyway, for clarity, Donald J. Trump.

But that's not really the point of this post, so lets move on. While I was in Orinda last night, I spotted this amazing piece of public art called, Mutha Hen, by artist Eileen Fitz-Faulkner. I really kinda fell in love with this sculpture, and I felt good photographing it. I don't know exactly why, but it made me happy! Now public art usually does make me smile, but I think I am need to emerse myself in art right now more than ever! At least as I move through the next 30 days or so. There was just something comforting about a mother hen.

As I get through my upcoming cancer tests. This human cockfight of a national election, and all the other miscellaneous cares and woes, I plan to gravitate toward the comforting things in life. Art of all kinds. But then that's the idea behind art... right? Sometimes to document life, sometimes to make a statement on life, but to always inspire us in our lives. Art is not just important and relevant, art heals. Be it music, or sculpture, or paintings, or photography, it's an absolute truth that art heals.

And for the next 30 days I am going to seek it out!

Anywhere I can find it!

 Leaf Of The Day

October 14th 2016

Mood: Happy But Quiet

 

~Me 

 

Happy Together! In Love Forever!

"So, it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; were gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."

~Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook

 

We did it! We made it to our 26th anniversary! Life has taken some really odd turns in those years. Times of complete happiness, times of great sorrow. Doubts. Fortune. Times when the checkbook ended up in the negative. Health. Illness. You know, all the things that the vows remind you of when you sign up for the adventure, but that you don't really know how it will be till it's experienced. We have faced it all and them some. Like the loss of our beloved cat Elvis.  

Elvis was our best friend. He was also an amazing marriage guide, in that if we got out of line, he would set us straight! We had Elvis about 6 years, when one day he did a nose dive, from the top of the dresser, onto our bodies as we slept! BANG! It was quite a way to wake up! "What the HELL was that?" Alan said groggily. "I don't know" I responded. And I didn't! He had never done that before. Then a couple days later, at about the same time of day, he did a similar action, by running across our bodies while we slept! This was quite uncharacteristic of him. What in the world was he trying to tell us?

This behavior went on for about two weeks, with enough randomness that he would let our guard down and think he was over whatever it was compelling him to do that. Then one morning, I heard him jump onto the dresser, and I quickly cautioned Alan that the Elvis bomb was incoming! We both rolled to our sides at the same time, narrowly missing him landing hard between us! As we talked about it over breakfast that morning, I realized that Elvis had been doing this for a couple weeks, which coincided with the amount of time Alan and I had been fussing over an issue in our lives!

Elvis, loved us enough to put us in our place! He had picked up on the fussing, and he would have NO part of it! Dive bombing us was his way of bring us together, to solve a common problem. When I told my theory to Alan, he said that it was worth working on coming to reasonable compromise to the issue... that day... and we did. And that night, for the first time in a long time, we didn't go to bed annoyed with each other, and Elvis never dive bombed us again!

And we have never seen a hint of that behavior in our new little boys, in fact Hendrix considers bed time Love-Love time. He tucks us in, and purrs and kneads on us, and then we all drift off to sleep. Bedtime just wouldn't be the same without those kitty kisses at night! Alan and I learned from the world's best cat, to not go to bed angry, or resentful, or negative of any kind, and while that lesson was learned completely, we appreciate the nightly gentle reminder from Hendrix to never forget!

We are happy together!

In love forever!

 Leaf Of The Day

October 13th, 2016

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

More Peace

"May every sunrise hold more promise

 and every sunset hold more peace... ."

~Umair Siddiqui

Heartwork

By Suzy Kassam

Each day is born with a sunrise

and ends in a sunset, the same way we

open our eyes to see the light, 

and close them to hear the dark.

You have no control over

how your story begins or ends.

But by now, you should know that

all things have an ending.

Every spark returns to darkness.

Every sound returns to silence.

And every flower returns to sleep

with the earth.

The journey of the sun

and moon is predictable.

But yours, 

is the ultimate

ART."

 Leaf Of The Day

October 12th 2016

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

Art About Town: San Francisco "Large Four Piece Reclining Figure"

 "Large Four Piece Reclining Figure."

Henry Moore

1973

"Everyone has their own ways of expression. I believe we all have a lot to say, but finding ways to say it is more than half the battle."

~Criss Jami

Salome: In Every Inch In Every Mile

It's been such a long time since I posted a new entry to my series, Art About Town, so while I was in San Francisco last Saturday, I just had to capture at least one piece of public art for the blog! Public art is everywhere in San Francisco, which is one of the reasons I love it there so much! This particular piece is by Henry Moore, and it sits on the corner of Van Ness and Grove streets, near the Civic Center. It's bronze, and there are seven casts of this piece located around the world. I am planning to do some additional photos of this piece, hopefully before the end of autumn. When I do, I will update the group in my Flickr Public Art album so you can see the additional photographs! 

Leaf Of The Day

October 11th, 2016

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

Thoughts On A Zombie Apocalypse

"Do what you love and the zombies will follow."

~Jesse Petersen

Flip This Zombie

Look closely at this photograph. It's very late in the day, the sun is setting, and their appears to be a lot of people walking about on the beach. Ocean Beach to be exact. But what's the story? Are they just live human people, enjoying a really warm evening at the beach, after a day of watching the Blue Angels? Or are they zombies wandering aimlessly about the beach, in search of brains? Well, I think we all know it's the first scenario, but in my silly, sarcastic imagination, I see the victims of the impending zombie apocalypse, caused by the Donald Trump presidency!

I don't like feeling this way... well... not really! But sometimes I wonder how anyone could possibly support a man who spouts lie, after lie. Admit on a hot mic... to anyone that would give him attention... that he engages in sexual assault of women. Admit that children are a nuisance, align with brutal dictators, cheat hard working contractors out of money for services rendered. Admit cheating on his current wife. Call women PIGS, DOGS, and SLOBS. Cheat students by taking their money in a fraudulent university scheme. Engage in housing discrimination. And threaten to use the office of the presidency to carry out his own personal vendettas!

Have folks brains already seized up? Or has the zombie apocalypse already begun, and we just don't know it yet, because the news has been filled daily with yet another stupid story involving the man-child known as Donald Trump? I was looking at that amazing sunset last night, as we drove along the coast, and instead of focusing on how beautiful that sunset was, I couldn't help but wonder what exactly it was I was looking at, because lately, I can't tell. Maybe I am just politically weary. Maybe after we vote in November, my brain will see things clearer. 

I sure hope so!

How about you? 

Do you feel like you see things clearly right now?

 Leaf Of The Day

October 10th, 2016

Mood: Amused/Terrified

~Me :)

 

Stronger Together

"Only by binding together as a single force

 will we remain strong and unconquerable."

~Chris Bradford

The Way Of The Dragon

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco yesterday! And an especially beautiful day to enjoy the Blue Angels, as the buzzed above the San Francisco bay! I love October in San Francisco, but lets face it, I love any day I get to spend in my favorite city! But in case you have any doubt about how lovely it was, or how exciting the air show went, just take a look at the pictures below! I work hard on them, and I am exhausted, but I am so happy with how they came out!

See what I mean?

While watching those amazing pilots, flying above us at super fast speed and precision, I couldn't help but think about Hillary Clinton, and the slogan of her presidential campaign... "Stronger Together!"

It's such a refreshing thought. Bringing us back together. All of us! No one left out because they are a girl, or republican, or democrat, or single, or married, or christian or muslim, or for any reason! 

REAL UNITY!

The last time we really had a strong sense of unity, was in the days and weeks after September 11th, 2001. It took a national tragety to remind us, we are all Americans, and we embraced it, but not nearly long enough. When we get through this election, lets try to regain that sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. Let's be friends.

We are ALL AMERICANS!

America is GREAT, and ALWAYS HAS BEEN!

Let's embrace our shared values!

Let's be friends.

Stronger... Together!

I love my San Francisco!

 And I can't wait to spend more time here this month! 

Stay Tuned!

 Leaf Of The Day

October 9th, 2016

Mood: Happy

~Me :)