light on the tiny houses
light in the cathedral
everywhere you look
santa fe is filled with light
—
‘to love beauty is to see light.’
-victor hugo
May14
May13
go west.
let the adventure begin
first stop
santa fe, new mexico
place of art, history, beauty, and mystery
sharing a road trip with my fellow life traveler
my sister
nature celebrated with art
wild mustangs up top
birds splash in a flock
burro waits patiently
half sun half shade
no need for a clock
—
“take me where the road ends and the adventure begins in Santa Fe.”
-inspired by Bon Jovi
—
art credits: all sculptures by new mexican artists
May12
on the loose.
the goose up on the roof
yells out like a rooster
with the accent of a goose
wrong bird, wrong address, wrong song?
what’s worng?
—
‘mother goose is on the loose, stealing lines from lenny bruce.’
*phil occs
* Phil Ochs (1940-1976) was an American protest singer, songwriter, and political activist known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, and topical songs during the 1960s. A prominent figure in the Greenwich Village folk scene, he wrote hundreds of songs advocating for civil rights, anti-war movements, and labor rights.
May11
ladyhawke.
loved this film since it came out in 1985
an underrated stand alone fantasy film
grew a cult following
a bit of everything of the era
young matthew broderick and michelle pfeiffer
in some of their first roles
rutger hauer in one of his last roles
a hawk, a wolf, a friesian horse
alan parsons project, synth music, and gregorian chants
create the soundtrack
everything is over the top
costuming, set designs and dialogue
medieval french fantasy shot in italy
sweeping vistas, stunning cathedrals
romance, humor, a curse, a villain, drama, battles, love, courage
when mixed all together
unfolding on the screen
you have a perfect 80’s film recipe
i’ve seen it a number times over the years
(my daughters have too, by default)
every so often i watch it again
still love it each time.
—
“the secret to film is that it’s an illusion.”
– Francis Ford Coppola
—
studios/art: warner brothers/20th century fox
May10
mother’s love is peace.
‘Found Family’, Sara Pulver, NY, multi-media folk artist
‘mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved.’
*erich fromm
—
*Erich Fromm (1900-1980) was a enowned German-American psychoanalyst, sociologist, and humanistic philosopher
–
About the artist: Sara Pulver is well-known for her whimsical, “outsider folk art” style that often features birds, cats, and forest animals in playful or heartwarming scenes. Her work is characterized by vibrant colors, simple geometric shapes, and a “moody yet playful” tone. Pulver often explores themes of unconventional families, nature, and human-animal connections. You can often find her original prints and folk art paintings through her Etsy shop, 3 Crows.
happy mother’s day to all who mother and care for any other
May9
let them fall.
how lucky am i?
a favorite snack
a favorite shape
conspired to
land upon my plate
so who am i
to question this
when or where
how or why?
i’ll eat my chip
and maybe more
before i head back
out that door.
—
‘i think it’s my adventure, my trip, my journey, and i guess my attitude is, let the chips fall where they may.’
-leonard nimoy
May8
come fly (and glide) with me.
before i went to sleep
i was working out transportation details
involving getting to the airport
for an upcoming trip.
as i slept
my brain was continuing to work on the solution
luckily, my dream showed me exactly what to do:
i decided to just take a snowmobile
drive it right to the airport
but alas
i had left a bit too late
so i drove it my daughter’s friends’ house
which must have been verrrrrrrrry close to the airport
parked it in their front yard
quickly
jumped off
made my way to the plane and took off
upon my return
i went to their house
snowmobile had been moved
they were hosting a lively party outside
drinks and bbq and games and music
everyone in shorts, chatty and happy
when i saw them, i asked about it
they’d moved it to the side yard
having no idea whose it was
why it was parked there
i’d been in such a hurry i didn’t leave a note
people at the party were asking about it too
explained that i came on my snowmobile
to go the airport, of course
i got on it and headed home
thinking my solution had been quite simple, really.
when i woke up i remembered all of the details:
yet
as the morning unfolded
i found a less action-packed solution
while taking a snowmoblle
would have been fun transport
it might be a challenge because it is spring
it’s a bit of a distance
plus
i’m not sure it would be welcome on the tarmac
so close to that friend’s front yard.
—
‘making the simple complicated is commonplace;
making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.’
-charles mingus
*Charles Mingus (1922-1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered one of the greatest jazz musicians and composers in history, with a career spanning three decades and collaborations with other jazz greats, such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Max Roach.
—
image credit: arctic edge
May7
landsgemeinde.
in a small Swiss canton, residents vote with a show of hands
You’re looking at a form of direct democracy. Recently, thousands of citizens gathered in the small Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden to cast their votes, not by filling in bubbles on paper ballots or using curtained booths, but by a simple show of hands.
For hours, questions boomed over loudspeakers about constitutional, legislative, and financial issues, in addition to elections for local leaders. Residents of the canton — home to roughly 17,000 – either raised their hands for “yes” or kept them down for “no.” From a wooden podium, the chief magistrate visually assessed the crowd to determine each outcome.
The tradition, known as the Landsgemeinde, dates back over 600 years and survives in only two of Switzerland’s 26 cantons due to concerns over privacy and practicality in areas with larger populations. But locals note that thetransparency can be a strength. “I think it’s nice to have it direct and to talk with people about it and to hear arguments directly,” Ursulina, a 31-year-old voter, told Agence France-Presse.
Angela Koller, the head of the cantonal government, added: “Standing together with other people, you can experience politics with all your senses.” She noted that the system “isn’t perfect,”but “we have a culture here where people can tolerate that, where they know they have different opinions.”
—
“what people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.”
–madeleine k. albright
—
source credits: france 24, fabrice coffrinni, AFP
May6
in poetry.
in english we say
‘one day at a time.’
in poetry we say
‘i can hold no more than the breath i am breathing right now.
i am not thinking about tomorrow because i am still living in today.
anything beyond this very moment does not ease my troubles, it disrupts my peace.’
-ullie-kaye
—
image credit jefferson township, michigan, usa – spring
May5
¡Feliz cumpleaños y feliz Cinco de Mayo to Pete the Cat.
it’s my pete the cat’s 2nd birthday
still very sweet and full o’ mischief
best friends with olive
steals and tucks his loot away like a pirate
darts around like he’s on a mission
hides in plain sight
today is also
cinco de mayo
let the festivities begin
a kitty treat is on its way
we’ll also be reading this sweet tale
—
pete and his friends solve the mystery of the missing cupcake
(they are true crime solvers, just like me)
along the way
they learn about mistakes, forgiveness and that it’s cool to be kind.
—
‘there are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.’
-robert brault
—
source credits: pete the cat and the missing cupcakes, james and kimberly dean, harper collins, 2016
I didn't have my glasses on.... 