WEDNESDAY–TOUCHING BACK DOWN

Hello Blog World! I’ve been an unfaithful blogger these last few months. I hope you remember me! SO much has happened in my life–one transition after another! And all good:

1. moved from east coast to west coast

2. took a job–having a good time

3. rented a house in Sacramento

4. GOT MARRIED TO BRAWNY TEN DAYS AGO !

Other than that? Well, stay tuned…

I’ll be back with thoughts and inspirations and lots for us all to explore as we go into this wild election season…

Sending waves of love to all of you and to the whole universe–and feeling it  flooding right back!

WEDNESDAY–Happy Fourth of July!

Greetings Fellow Americans–and anyone else caring to celebrate our country’s birthday!

July 4th marks the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. But did you know that the real DAY of our forefathers actually declaring our independence took place two days earlier, on July 2nd.

Thank you John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and all the other Founding Fathers for your courage, determination, and brilliance! Another fact about July 4th that probably most of you know, especially if you watched the series about John Adams a couple of years ago (highly recommend it, by the way)–Adams and Jefferson shared an intense, troubled, but very deep bond and relationship over their lives–and these two great heroes of the American story both died on the same day–July 4th.

Talk about life being stranger than fiction. If a novelist tried that kind of ending–no way. Those kinds of coincidences and great dramatic flourishes just don’t ring true. Am I right? But given the extraordinary–we might even say miraculous–events and genius of 1776, why should anything about the genesis of the American experience follow ANY ordinary patterns and expectations?

If we look forward 100 years, history shows that the culture of Independence finally took hold in the arts, architecture, and spiritual life of Americans. With Whitman and Dickinson, our poetry broke not only from British poetic structure, but from the stifling landscape of the British imagination and we began to speak with our own unique and bold voice. The expansion of the country finally found its parallel in the expansive American belief in unlimited possibilities.

Let’s keep that spirit alive! Let’s love this country enough to included ALL the people here. As we remember our own family’s narrative of journeying to this new country, let’s honor the bravery and vision of the Framers of our Constitution, as well as the signers of that seditious document, the Declaration of Independence. Remember today that beautiful poem, written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus, and inscribed in 1903 on base of the Statue of Liberty, which for the last 100 years has so defined the American character:

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

MONDAY–A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS!

 

 

Hail dear blog readers! After my long radio silence, I’m, as they say, baaaaaaaack!

Since my last post some weeks ago, I have upended my idyllic life on the eastern shore, and dear Humarock, MA recedes now as only a beautiful image in my rearview mirror. I have  now wound up 3,000 miles away, back to my old stomping grounds of northern California. I have rented a big, wonderful house in a neighborhood right out of a storybook–Land Park–in Sacramento. And I have joined the world of the employed–working in an office with a boss, a phone, a printer, and a brand-new MacBookAir. Wow! Talk about starting over–again…

I plan to keep writing my blog, so I hope you’ll stay with me as I chart this new era in my “not ready to fold” journey…

To get started and to give you an idea of my new world, I’ve taken a few shots of the fairytale houses that comprise my neighborhood. Always something new around every corner, right? So forthwith–a few corners I encounter every day…and the beautiful Capital Park I ride my bike past on my way to work–although I might have to drive tomorrow since the weather will be 100 degrees!

FRIDAY–Three to See

Three meaningful links–totally different topics, all MUST SEES (in my humble opinion). I’m grateful for the people I follow on Twitter who lead me to great ideas, new ideas, and beautiful images.

I hope you enjoy, learn from, and appreciate these, as I do….

and this from a Mark Ruffalo tweet–something to make your heart sing:

And this–take a moment to go to this link–it will dazzle you and light up your day!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2142884/Earth-Stunning-picture-Russian-weather-satellite-shows-definitive-image-planet.html?ITO=1490

TUESDAY–New York, New York!

 

Now I’m really beginning to feel the start of the long goodbye…leaving the east coast after more than ten years. No doubt about it–time to go. I know that. But I will miss so many things about this part of the world. What blessings I’ve had here–living in two fantastic cities–first Cambridge for nearly 8 years, and for the last two winter seasons, little Humarock, smack-dab on the Atlantic shoreline.

This last weekend I paid my respects to the Big Apple — what a wowza time, too! Brawny and I took the Bolt Bus (totally great, comfortable, ridiculously cheap) from Boston to Penn Station–met up with my son, Seth, who is test-driving NYC until this fall, and joined up with another friend, Laura–and off we went to see “Newsies” on Broadway. Brawny’s brother is in the show–and he knocked our sox off, let me tell you! We just loved it, and afterward, we got to go back stage and meet some of the crew and cast–and see where Paul, Brawny’s bro, plays drums. So exciting to feel the warp and woof of a real Broadway show. (And it’s up for 8 Tony’s!)

The next day, Saturday, while Brawny took off to spend time with his lovely New Yorker daughter, Emily, Seth and I headed over to see the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit at the Discovery Museum. I had read a novel about these amazing life-sized statues that the first emperor of China had created for his gargantuan sized tomb (8,000 figures, including life-sized horses) to accompany him to the afterlife, so I really wanted to check them out. The exhibit had about 15 of the warriors and horses, and many artifacts also discovered in the Emperor’s Tomb (also the name of the novel I read).  Afterward, we hopped on the subway to Long Island City, where Seth is living–on the 28th floor in a very cool apartment overlooking the East River and the Manhattan skyline. Hung out with his pals, had dinner at a hip sushi place (and happily, I found plenty of vegetarian choices).

Then, that night, we zipped back to Manhattan to see “Phantom of the Opera” (talk about spectacle!) Now I know why people get all fidgety about Andrew Lloyd Webber. But I’m so glad I finally got to see it. The two leads were astounding!

On Sunday we had to say  good-bye to our loved ones–and to Manhattan. I got back home to Humarock on Sunday night–and back to packing. I’m now counting down the days….

Wow. NYC–nowhere like it on the planet. As Seth said, it feels like the center of the universe. Kind of is–at least the center of our crazy blue marble, right? BTW–Did you happen to see the “super moon”? That huge apricot wonder sitting low on the horizon was the final image I had riding home in the taxi Sunday night — what a close to a great, if a little bitter-sweet, weekend in the greatest city in the world.

Hope you enjoy my pix from the weekend (sorry they’re out of order).

Terralucci’s–10th & First–all time best croissants in NYC!

After the theater–thousands of people pour into the streets throughout the theater district

41st Street–Theater District

Cooper Union–crazy amazing building!

Phantom of The Opera at the Majestic

My awesome son

Newsies–what a blast!

S H I –Restaurant in Long Island City, on the waterfront

Post Mad-Men signage

28 stories down—Seth’s view

Seth at work

East River view of Manhattan skyline–from Seth’s bedroom

East River View–Seth’s apartment

Discovery Museum NYC

Terra Cotta Warriors-Discovery Museum

Empire State Bldg

Magnificent Crane NYC

Times Square

Best coffe & bagels in NYC-8th Ave &25th St.

WEDNESDAY–Not To Be Missed

Many thanks to my friend Sheila for sending this along…

As one of the judges in the clip says, “It makes everything you worry about seem so pathetic.”

Just no words to describe this. Take a few minutes to realize all you have and to be so grateful for a heroic, loving mom in Australia and the boundless reaches of Spirit expressed in amazing humanity.

THURSDAY–Ready…Aim…

PACK!

Can it really be that time already? Seems so.

Savannah and Charleston, you lovely, lovely southern cities, you now must recede into the distance of my rear-view mirror as I turn my attention to the next door opening…

SACRAMENTO! (Brace yourself, townfolk!)

I must say good-bye to my heaven-on-earth home right on the Atlantic in just one month–actually in three weeks. I’ll return to my  home turf of northern California to start a new job, but I will keep you updated as I move forward.

In the meantime, here are some pix of my trip below the Mason-Dixon Line–just returned two nights ago. What a fun time with old friends–another annual girls’ trip in the pocket. Looking forward to more…whenever we can get our schedules to agree and find a place we want to go. For now? On to the next chapter….

Tybee Island, Savannah, GA

Tybee Island 2

Charleston--the Palmetto tree, the state symbol

Magnolia Plantation (near Charleston, SC)

Marcy--Magnolia Plantation

Magnificent!

Savannah Palette

Your intrepid blogger--at the corner of ... ta da!...Jones & Bull

The city of Savannah is laid out in a series of squares. This one is across the street from our big, historic "sorority" house.

One of Savannah's many historic squares

Savannah Charm

On the Savannah River

Famed Mercer House of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

FRIDAY–Hey, Ya’ll!

Greetings from Savannah, Georgia! Arrived yesterday for our annual girls’ trip–six of  us this year–all of us from California, and most of us pals since high school. We’ve rented a mansion right on one of  the town’s many squares–each of us has our own big bed, and each of our bedrooms include fancy bathrooms with big tubs and showers. The completely restored house itself  (an historical landmark) is furnished with antiques and period furniture. Last night we had dinner at The Pink House–according to the cabbie, “the best place to eat in the South.” well… not sure about that, but it was good.

Having been here less than 24 hours, once again, I find that The South brings up so many clashing, raging feelings. In the last couple of weeks I read “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” by John Berrendt, which is specifically about Savannah, and E.L. Doctorow’s “The March,” about Sherman’s March through the South, where his army burned cities and farms and plantations all along the way. Really got my thought tumbling and rumbling…for one thing, my mother’s family, on her father’s side, going back for generations in Mississippi and Louisiana, were  slave owners. How does a born and bred Yankee reconcile that bit of family geneology?

And also–my thoughts return to six or eight months ago (losing track of time!)–when Troy Davis was executed by the state of Georgia. I vowed I wouldn’t come to Georgia until they repealed the death penalty…ever (thinking, why would I ever go to Georgia anyway?). But then I remembered I’d already paid for my part of the trip–not really putting it together that lovely, charming Savannah meant coming to Georgia and spending my money to support the very state I was railing against.

Cave much? Puzzling over my lack of conviction this morning as I sit in the sun room of the mansion, listening to the birds chirping just outside in the early morning air–the water from the fountain splashing innocently in the first sunlight, I consider the blatant fact that clearly I don’t have the courage of my convictions. But as I examine my conscience, I at least feel re-commited to actively fighting the death penalty in the United States. I just wish I would put my money where my mouth is, instead of straight into the pockets of the very state that I feel violated the human rights of an innocent man. More work to do on myself–as I am frequently reminded.

As Sonny Liston said: “Life a funny thing….”

WEDNESDAY–A Rule to Live By

I saw this today on the back of a car–and thought, so simple, so profound. Why can’t we all just be like our best friends?

“WAG MORE   

BARK LESS”

Here’s to happy wagging today!

And also, just as I’m writing this and looking out my upstairs windows to the blue Atlantic  on the most sunshiny glorious spring day–I saw this, a beautiful scene–which could be anywhere–universal and tender (sorry it’s just an iPhone image–didn’t have time for zoom app):

(Mom, Dad, two kids, two kites)

TUESDAY–HOME!

After nearly a month on the road, finally, finally back in tiny, lovely, envigorating, and inspiring Humarock. So good to once again look out my window and embrace the infinite view of the Atlantic.

I’m also catching up on emails…and discovered this gem from my friend Marcy. No words can describe this–so I’ll just let you discover the powerful emotions this beautiful clip will stir in you. It definitely brought tears to my eyes….