glad tidings of joy

It is nearly Christmas morning and I'm nestled up with my family in Las Vegas. I arrived here today and it was a joy to be with ALL of the family this evening. The kids even got a visit from Santa - which Ty just kept repeating "hohoho"...it was so cute! They're so fun to watch at their ages.

I remember Santa sightings when I was smaller and I can also remember thinking upon the subject of whether he was real or not. I recall employing some form of reasoning - but I never did come to a final conclusion in any one moment. Which makes me realize that ambiquity-of-sorts was comfortable with me then as it is with me now. I ponder many a thing but rarely make final conclusions...thereby remaining in a somewhat fluid state. Hmmm...analyze that if you like :)

A few years ago I read a sermon during advent time that I really liked, that talked about viewing things from a different perspective...and I think that's been quite a theme for me lately now that I think of it. The sermon was talking about what a surprise the Magi actually were and how very odd/weird it was that they were there for the birth of Christ (in contrast to our normalized view of them in manger scenes.) I'd been thinking about that this Christmas-time and then in church this Sunday got another "perspective" of the birth of Christ...that of the angels. Luke 2:13 reads, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." It must have been quite a view to the angels, well acquainted with God's holiness, upon seeing God take humanity unto himself. "On whom his favor rests"...here we are this being far below the angels, but who for some reason, God loves more then any words can describe. If I were an angel watching the interaction between God and man - I think I might be rather confused. Man continually screws up and God continually tries to love Man.

And that makes me really thankful. I'm thankful that God loves me that much. I'm thankful that I have a family that loves me very much. I'm thankful that all of my needs are met. I'm thankful to be passionate about something. I'm thankful to have health, life, optimism, intellect, motivation. I'm thankful that God reveals things to us only as we are ready for them. I'm thankful for the way love knits things together.

________________________________________________

I promised pictures of the Stude...so here she is!!! I had a fantastic Saturday at the shop: hanging out, cutting out the upholstery (I was a bit scared to do this...but I'm feeling much more hopeful now!) (p.s. AND Bill, the shop's owner saw the windlace I'd covered to use for my car and liked it so much he is using it for another car they have in the shop - just a little thing, but something I made is going in another person's car!!), having breakfast with and showing off my car to my friend James, basking in the sun for an afternoon nap, and overall just getting giddy about the car being closer to done!

_________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born; O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name. Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we, His power and glory ever more proclaim! His power and glory ever more proclaim!

rain is sensory overload

Along with the general sensory overhaul that encompasses the holiday season, today it is raining. Which egged me on to playing hokey from work (how lucky am I to have a job which I can do this from, it's nearly as if I'm self-employed...terriffic!) Yesterday and today I've enjoyed catching up on sleep and doing Christmas-readying sorts of things, such as making gifts, wrapping, and baking. Which - now that I've done that, slept, and felt like I've been relaxing - I'm ready to get back to work tomorrow!
The sensory overload of rain just hit me(hehe...pseudo-pun for you Kim) as I was walking home from the parking spot. It's rush hour traffic, raining very hard, and dark. On the normal day the city conditions of rush hour would be overwhelming for some - but take those and add such many other sensory experiences such as: the sound of the rain on your umbrella, the leaping necessary to bypass large streams of water coming through sidewalks, gutters, and parking lots, your hands, feet, and pants getting wet, the sprays of water coming from cars at the intersection, the sound of rivers that you pass at gutter openings, the normal click-clack of shoes being complemented with a little splish-splash, lights reflecting a million ways from a million droplets of water. I also saw the biggest earth-worm I've ever seen, he could nearly be mistaken for a baby snake...he must have been 7 inches long (not completely stretched out) and about 1/2" in girth! I was compelled to pick him up and bring him home to a neighbor kid, but resisted.
One's outlook of life provides worlds of difference to one's experience of life.

Stude Update: The engine was dropped in today! I'll get pictures of her tomorrow!

me at work

Work is something I've been doing quite a lot of lately...one more week until Christmas break for the schools though...so I'm looking forward to a little slower pace then! I finally got a picture of me presenting - although it didn't turn out too well.
I have taken to just doing things that I want when I'm not working though.

• Friday evening I spent alone and happy - eating some sushi and practicing my pinstripping. Here's the design I ended up with on a window panel. I thought I did a pretty good job. My stripes need lots of practice to become uniform in width - but the design is pretty nice, the first half was copied, and the second half was my own doing.
• Last Saturday I ditched working on my car upholstery for a late breakfast and afternoon bike ride with my friend James. Neither of us had spent a "day doing nothing" for quite some time and it was very nice. Although it wasn't truly a "day" for me...I did work 8 hours at a serving event - but it was fun, a Christmas pajama party at a very decadent LA suburb house.
• This week I finally got out for the monthly "barn dance" - which was very interesting and fun. For all the rockabilly people that there are in LA - I sure don't know where they all go. No rockabilly people to speak of were at this event (although there was a great rockabilly band - the Hot Rod Trio.) Rather, it was an enmeshing of old and young, hipsters and uncool...which was neat. It sure was good to hear some live music!

Car update: The new motor is getting ready to put in. We're gonna paint it hot pink! They guys at the shop weren't too sure about this - but have agreed to follow what a girl wants to do :) AND - the best thing, is it's a 383...which I think is gonna be a motor that I'll love (and will be able to leave all the boys in the dust with!)

it's out!!!

You all know that my Studebaker has been in the shop for quite some time now...the thing is they haven't really been doing anything on it - except gathering parts (they've been busy with projects.) Well...today the engine finally came out! EEK! That much closer to getting to drive er'!

Happy late thanksgiving!

I was intending on creating an "I'm thankful for list" up here pre-thanksgiving...but just didn't get to it. Somewhat sad that I don't have the time for that. I feel like there's so much going on I can't do much more then think about today. Which may be good for awhile :) Today...I'm thankful that: I got some needed rest, that someone gave me a ride home from work, that I began a brand new journal, that I had a very nice Thanksgiving with my parents, that I got to appreciate the pretty lights of the LA.

Also today, an odd thing occurred as I was getting ready for work at about 4pm. I was in the bathroom and I swore that I heard horse hooves clomping down the pavement...but was somewhat confused that this would ever take place in my neighborhood. So I open the window and peek out to the street...and indeed see the tail-end of a horse. So I run around to peer out the kitchen window and there walking along are 3 mounted police men!? Crazy.
So Thanksgiving was very nice, my parents came to town for a few days. Thanksgiving day was low-key because we ate out - which doesn't meet my cooking sensibilities, but I was quite happy not to have the extra work...and dinner ended up being very nice. In the evening we played Cranium with neighborhood friends. Then the day after we gathered for a different sort of shopping. We spent much of the day prowling through some fabric stores of the fashion district - looking for just the right fabric to recover a small, antique, chair on rockers that Dad got at an auction in Montana. We found just the right combination of fabrics - including some real, blue-pearlized leather! On Saturday we explored more LA architecture by visiting the Ennis house (by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1924, Hollywood Hills) and the Gamble house (by Green and Green, 1908, Pasadena.) Very different styles and stories to tell. Unfortunately the Ennis house is in quite a state of disrepair but hopefully will be restored eventually to it's former glory.

It's unimaginable in my head to have the money to undertake such a project of making such a distinguished house. These are the castles of America. The design and craftsmanship that is an art. I was reading an article today in the magazine "Garage" (yes...I'm taking to reading car magazines...it's somewhat amusing to me!) about a shop that creates some really fast motorcycles and another about this fantastic 34' Ford custom project...it's kind of neat, because the whole hot-rodding scene is somewhat analagous to these fabulous houses that I just saw...but for those that don't have incredible amounts of money to spend (although the 34' Ford was a half-million dollar project, but still far less money then the houses.) They both combine craftsmanship, creativity, skill, ingenuity, problem solving, thinking of the best way of using what you have or else finding some way to invent something that nobody else bothered to create. Which is why I like original hot rods.

Am I repeating myself? I feel like I said this earlier. That's the sad thing about my conversations...I haven't' the slightest clue when I repeat myself...it's one good reason why I'm a horrible liar (horrible meaning unable to lie).

Oh yeah...I had a little "photo shoot" one evening...why I spend my time doing this, I don't know. But here's me and the record player...I'm not sure whether I like it or it looks like I'm lying dead??? Which...if anyone has knowledge of how to fix the electrics of an old record player, I'd love some direction. I've been immensely looking forward to playing a Bing Crosby Christmas record that I bought sometime during the summer - but last time I played a record about a month ago it smelled bad and I saw a bright orange wire through the speaker mesh...not a good thing!

Quote of the Day: "For us bringing someone to justice means they suffer the consequences of their crime or they are rewarded for their achievements. For God bringing someone to justice means they are brought back into the circle of God's embrace. That's not the opposite of mercy. Justice is to reinstate the connection of the covenant that God has established. It is to restore us in love to each other and God." Debbie Blue from Sensual Orthodoxy

on my way home...

I was just got home a little bit ago from a night of work at the restaurant. After I had just pulled off the freeway - there was a girl, obviously prostituting, at the corner. I've noticed this one other time as I was coming home from the restaurant on a Saturday night. After passing her, I decided that I wanted to circle around and scope out the situation a little more to see if there was anything/anybody else that I could see. But she was already gone. I zig-zagged around in some side streets, but found nothing.
Is it my complete idealism that makes wish I could just go up to them and hug them? I yearn for these women to feel and know true love. The world of sex work is so incredibly strange. The night, the secrets, the strangers, the power manipulations. How did that girl get on the street in her striped mini skirt? Where did she come from and who is she?
Ahhhh...Not the end of my thought on this but I'm nodding off into sleep - and I will get into bed before I spend another night propped up asleep on the couch :)

car colors!!

So...I've been trying to decide what exactly to do with the inside of my car. I knew I couldn't pull the pink/coral or white-ish color in from the outside, because 1.) I don't like white interiors and 2.) the pink/coral would be way too overwhelming (and besides I'd never be able to find one that matched). Along with that there's this grey painting on some of the dash (with a hint of mauve to it) that I want to keep. So...what to do. I had purchased what I thought were a couple of neutral materials for really cheap that I thought would do. But as the project is getting more involved I really didn't want to use - and since I'm putting in a carpet - which the natural choice would be grey and that definately wouldn't go with on of the material colors.

So I began looking for something better. I found this great barkcloth online (see 2 posts ago). I've been looking at it for a couple of weeks now, and I really like it. It's too busy to do all the seats in, so I needed to find something to go with it. And I also have a bit of glittery-vinyl (think old-school kitchen chair covers) which I wanted to do some accenting in, but I have it in gold and would need it in a dark silver/grey to use it with the new material. So today (which I ended up not working since the class got cancelled due to school testing, so I took the opportunity to have a real, whole day off to myself!!) I went down to the fashion district fabric stores (which I've actually never done in my 1+ year in LA - surprise!) I found a perfect grey-ish upholstery to go on the bottom-region of the seats and will use the barkcloth to do the seat backs. Then I was looking for the glitter-vinyl and nobody had it. I had almost resorted to ordering it from my SF store when I found an interesting metallic blue patterned vinyl. It's texturing is kinda retro-styled and the color will nicely pull in the barkcloth fabric...I think it will be really nice. So...I got deals on all that fabric, it being from the wholesale district and all - and now I'm really excited to get sewing on Saturday!!!

i love my grandma

I liked when she would hug me in the kitchen. There was always a certain smell. I liked how her bar soap smelled in the bathroom. I liked her little chuckles, which I hear in my mon every now and then. I liked the way she covered others in love.
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:13

weekending [1.2]

ahhh...a productive and nice weekend! It began Friday night with getting together with another artist and collaborating in creating some posters for a human trafficking event that some acquaintences of mine are putting on. I set that art up Sunday afternoon, it looks great. There's about 7 large posters that Natalie and I made - with art and statistics/info on them and then my three large heart canvases.

Saturday I woke up early to go down to the shop and work on my car. I got all the foam put on the seat frames - so now they're ready to upholster. I also cut out the particle board for the door and side panels. I was a little tired and was moving a bit slow. I was also semi-hesitant to get started with cutting foam...because I've never done this before and was scared of doing it wrong....but I think it's going to turn out quite nicely. I do however believe I need a little more fabric then the stuff I already have to finish the interior. When I bought the fabric I have, the plan was to make cheap, temporary seat-covers (I only spent like $40 on clearance fabric). Now that it's turning into a full on upholstery job, I'm considering buying some better stuff. Any opinions on this print??? It's Hawaiian barkcloth and costs $30/yard. The colors match the car quite good and I could put in a dark grey carpet.

During Saturday's car-working my friend Greg, from the shop, and I went out to lunch and decided to try this cafe just next to West Coast Choppers headquarters (which is just a couple blocks from the Stude shop). Anyhow...it's kinda a hot rod hangout and they were also having some sort of a show at WCC. It was fun to walk into such a place like I really belonged (with the dirty overalls, white tank, and tattoos to prove it!) And even funner that I belonged as an actual car person and not just "the chick of" a car guy!!

Saturday night I worked of course and Sunday I was able to spend the day with 2 of my old Mission Year roomates. Anthony from Hawaii (who's here working on some movies for a little bit) and Shannon who still lives in Oakland with husband and 3-year-old son. We had good times catching up, going to the park and the Hollywood sign. 3-year-olds do limit the activities...but it was good to hang out with him too (albeit nice to have quiet at the end of the day!)

Today officially began the "writer's strike." Which perhaps isn't big news around the rest of the country yet - but is here in LA. One of my customers at the cafe today said it's bound to last until new years! It will begin to affect alot of people's livelihoods here in los angeles by then. Hmmm...interesting times...writers on strike, even more actors without jobs followed by all the production, catering, tech staff...all sorts of people. Maybe this is a good time for us all to start reading more books!

birthday and other events

My busy schedule has pushed out most motivation to keep up on blogging! I've been very busy these last couple weeks as I've begun teaching classes again. This year we're combining 5 high school classes at once...so I'm teaching auditorium style to about 150 kids per period. It's going very well so far! I've been creating powerpoint presentations - which is fun and is working really well. I feel much more professional doing powerpoint then stingy, marked-on overheads! I even got one of those nifty presenter laser/mouses yesterday!!! It's challenging with the pressure of 800 young minds under my care!! But I'm thankful for the opportunity and feel increasingly blessed to be put in situations that I know God is growing me in and using me!
I was able to take a glorious 2 1/2 days off to visit Las Vegas for my birthday. It was a very nice and relaxing trip home. I got to enjoy time with my mom, dad, nephew Blaze and Candle, and Matt and Shayla. Blaze sang me the most wonderful "happy birthday" song earlier in the day and in the evening Mom, Dad, Matt, Shayla and I had dinner at a fondue restaurant. It was really fun, I've never done that before. I was also spoiled by my mom, she's so good at that. And I made a really cool bracelet by welding together washers (I did one out of bolts too...but its' not as good)!

Another birthday highlight was going out square-dancing the week before. A few of my friends met me out for dinner followed by their introduction to square-dancing! I think we really amused the normal square-dancers...perhaps as much as they amused us! It was much fun and I was thankful to have pals gather with me.

Other exciting news...trafficking projects continue to go really well. The group did a training a couple weeks ago, and 80 people showed up! The previous ones have been 15-30 people! It's very exciting that word is getting out and people's hearts are wanting to work to see an end to human trafficking. I've also been able to do a little human trafficking project at my church - which it's cool to join in with it there too.

awesomeness!

I've just had a very good ending to a day that wasn't the greatest in the world. Today was my fourth day in a row working at the diner...I was slightly tired and feeling introspective rather then extroverted and from my first customer it just seemed like everything was too confusing and flurried. But anyways, I got through it and even got to have a good chat with Randy, an older gentleman who comes in every day for his very small meal.
Afterwards I decided to splurge and get my fingernails painted at the nail shop next door...which that was nice. And then a friend met me for sushi...which was absolutely delicious. And I had a really good time hanging out.
Upon arriving home I had messages at home about a last minute art group meeting. The art group hasn't met since our last show in July. The meeting was at 8 the message said, it was now almost 10...but I headed up to the community room anyways. And everyone was gone...but then I found them all in the parking lot...and it was so good to see them all! You know when you really enjoy certain people but don't see them very often and sometimes forget how much you enjoy them....that's kinda like how it felt with the art group. It was just so good to feel comradeship with them and everything...and to talk to a couple people about new art thoughts in my head. Which, since I just finished reading my book today, My Name is Asher Lev, I have lots of thoughts on painting and an idea that's waiting to be worked out on paper too.
That's all...it was just so good to see all of them...and good to read all the email in my box tonight. And good to run into some people in the coffee shop yesterday and talk about human trafficking. All these things just make me feel like I'm in the right spot and remind me how much God provides for me in all aspects of life!

happy october!

Yikes! It's been two weeks -where have I been!? I've felt productive and busy. I feel like I'm getting alot done and also that there's always something on the burner. I think this is a little how I like October to feel. New beginnings, busy, hitting strides...etc,etc.

Anyhow...what have I been up to?? I've been busy at both jobs. Highlight customer at the cafe: a cute Irish women in her upper 60s. I thought she may be lonesome...come to find out it was coming upon her husbands 8 month of being gone. They had been married for 40 years and she just gushed at how marvelous he was and how much she missed him. Both beautiful and sad. She said even if she'd only of had half the time with him it still would've been worth it. They completed each other. She said she hoped I would have someone even just a fraction of how wonderful her husband was.

On the Studebaker, I've begun revamping the seats. Last weekend I made a trip to the upholstery store. This weekend I took all the old covers off, cleaned all the cotton padding down to the wire seat frames and derusted them. Next I have to rebuild them with foam. I hope I can get the thickness of the padding correct.

Other fun things...I had some people over for strawberry scones, I made a new journal/book, had a shower/celebration for a friend, i'm looking forward to going square dancing in celebration of my birthday, kicked off a human-trafficking project at church, and am reading a really good book (My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok).

a busy week

This past week and a half have been the first with me working two jobs(I think I'd mentioned I took a waitressing job at a 50's Cafe...in addition to my health/sex educator job). It's going to be a challenge. Although my "real" job is only part-time...I end up thinking about the subject alot - and my extracurricular activities/aka life purposes garner for significant bits of my week. I do like the new job, and have now worked my first 2 shifts of being a waitress on my own (training is done and I'm now making tips!) I forget what it's like coming home each shift with money in your pocket. I'm collecting it in a Studebaker fund drawer...it's a fun way to save money :)
Working at a Diner is quite a bit different from working at Gordon Beirsch! I don't have to be as formal, people are friendlier, and they're not drunk! Albeit...the checks aren't nearly as high as they were...but the people also don't expect the same kind of service. All in all, I really enjoy being there.
On the sex education job side - I was hoping to start teaching classes again beginning October...and it looks like it's going to happen (I wasn't sure it would.) I've been looking forward to getting back in the classroom. Well...this October will be different and new - it appears that I'm going to be teaching four ninth grade classes all at once. Most sessions all four of the classes will come together and I'll do more of an auditorium-style lecture. Then during the activity days, I'll go around to each classroom seperately. I'm a little concerned that it's going to be crazy-hectic. But...I think it's worth trying. I'd like to reach as many kids as possible...and this could be a really good way to do it! It's one of those new adventures that you're excited about but not entirely sure of how you'll pull it off...but, if you never stretch yourself how will you figure out what you can acheive! (I think that was just a little pep-talk to myself!)

I did manage to fit in a little bit of time yesterday to work on my Studebaker again. I did a rust treatment on the floor, took off the chrome molding from the side panels, disassembled the front seat and began derusting it. Now that everything is apart - I feel like I might as well go all out. Before I started I thought I'd just slap some xtra foam on the existing seats and sew little slip-covers for them...now I'm at the point of figuring since I'm at it I might as well completely rebuild the seats and upholster them properly. I think I will however, use the existing cheap fabric that I originally bought. I may have to get creative, because it might not be enough, but I figured it will give me good practice upholstering so that when the time comes when I've decided to do what I really want, I'll be able to do it.
It's really fun getting make these decisions all on my own. Bill, the owner of the Studebaker shop, is an older guy who doesn't want to be bothered by home-making his own stuff...he keeps asking why I don't just get newer seats that are in better condition and send them to the upholstery shop. I just reply that it wouldn't be any fun that way...and he laughs. I don't know how he'll feel about my finished product...but that's okay...I'm having fun in the process. And part of the beauty about having an old car is that you can do all sorts of fun home-made things to it and modify things...plus the notion of keeping as much of the original pieces as possible I like. Bringing life back to an old piece of metal that used to be sitting in somebody's sideyard gathering cobwebs.

Studebaker fact for the week: Two of the five Studebaker brothers joined together in a business beginning in 1852, making wagons. Eventually all 5 of the Studebaker brothers were working together in their wagon & carriage making company. In 1902 they reluctantly made their first electric car and in 1904 their first gasoline-fueled one. Studebaker Co. continued to produce cars until 1966.

i missed it!

I've been waiting and waiting my last few posts, because I knew that I was approaching my 100th post...and I just realized that I've missed commemorating it because it was my previous post! OH WELL....

HAPPY 101TH POST!!!!

hehe

I was just checking email and there was a kid's book recommendations from Amazon...and the top picture was of one of my favorite all time children's books...Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. I loved this book when I was younger. One of those ones that I can remember just sitting there and looking at the pages forever and reading it over and over again. Happy times.
Another favorite is this little golden book I had, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes. It was written in 1939 and had those old skool illustrations. I recently found some remakes and bought them for my nieces.

Hmm...lets see, what else was my favorite....I loved the Amelia Bedelia series, and Arthur, and Clifford. Charlotte's Web was my first "no picture" book and I read it in 1st grade. I recently watched the movie they made of it and cried my eyes out (an advantage of watching a movie all alone...you can do this and you don't feel silly...but I did feel a little silly since it was Charlotte's Web - I couldn't help it, it was so beautiful!)

Currently the world is peaceful, because I'm thinking of fond old books and listening to "Christmas is Coming" from A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack :) (it's not really Christmas music per se)

Go enjoy your bit of peace ;)

a lovely day

Today was lovely. It was the perfect sort of early fall day. There was bits of rain and bits of perfect blue sky with puffy clouds. The sun was mostly out and it didn't make you hot, but you just got to enjoy its warmth in between slight, soft breezes.

I love fall. I was so pleased to leave town a couple weeks ago and escape the heat. That was the first transition. Then when I was gone again last weekend that even progressed it. Then as I came home this week to off and on rain and a new second job...it feels as if fall is in full swing. I wish I had a fantastic poem about fall...if any of you out there do, please post it in the comment section. Surely Thoreau must have written something wonderful about this season.

Adding to the loveliness of the day was that I finally got to go down to the shop and do some work on my Studebaker. I've been doing some reading on restoring car interiors so that I can do some of that while the engine is being replaced. Today was the beginning of that project for me. I took out all of the seats and gave the inside a good washing out and scrubbing down with a wire brush. Now that it's generally clean and can do a rust treatment and then seal it off to prevent any further rust. (Top picture is the interior floor before cleaning and bottom is after...it may not look too clean, but let me tell you it's MUCH better and ready for the next step now!)

I had such a wonderful time just out there by myself. I'm glad the shop has that extra space on the side that provides me with space. It made me envious of people with their own nice garage that they could go to every day after work. How marvelous would that be! I suppose it's best this way...I wouldn't want to get TOO absorbed in the car world. But I do have a bit of a job on my hands...which are currently a wee bit sore and dirty from all the scrubbing today!

Other then that I've failed to mention the past two long weekends. First on a camping trip in Big Sur and then last weekend to Montana. (Unfortunately no pics from either, sorry!) Both were so wonderful - but it's really too late to expound on them. I returned this week to work every night at my new second job at a fifties-style cafe. It was either that or this other corporate restaurant. It's a gamble which one I would make more money at...but I definitely like the independence of the small cafe, and besides, I fit in nicely and think it'll be lots of fun.

1 Year Anniversary!!!

On this day last year, I arrived in Los Angeles! Kim and I left Vegas, arrived in LA, went straight to see our apartment manager, looked at the apartment and hoped we could get in, then had to wait around all of the long weekend before going to the property management company.
It was an exciting time - and it continues to be so! ...I still don't know what waits around the corner! This year has been full of new experiences, exciting growths, trials, and blessings. I'm still learning to love LA, but I know I'm where I'm supposed to be :)

first pinstripping projects

I've always thought that pinstripping was cool and have been wanting to pick up the skill for awhile - but always seemed like an insiders world. In fact, when I really began painting, I remember that I would outline almost everything and spent hours trying to get a nice, even line. If only I had the right brush! Well...I was in the library getting some interior/upholstery books for the Studebaker when I came across a book put out by Monster Garage, "How to Paint Damn Near Anything." It was calling my name...so with that along with a little help from the nice guy at McLogans paint supply store - I'm now on my way. Here's my first 2 projects. The first is spray paint, taping, and pinstripe. The second is my first free-form pinstripe art. I'm pretty impressed with it, if I do say so myself. I didn't have a plan in my mind, but it just came out and started looking like an owl. And even though I wasn't measuring, I think it's pretty balanced and equal on both sides (although not totally.) It's really peaceful painting pinstripes. Creative, but more repetitive then my other sort of painting. I'll be ready for cars in no time! I think I can get some practice with my neighbor's cars!!

weekend in LA and decades in Rome

This weekend was quite a lovely one. Beginning with the imaginary boyfriend sighting on Friday night. Saturday was Lamika’s and Daniel’s wedding – two friends who are involved with InnerCHANGE. After returning home around 11, the “birthday” party for two 5 year old neighbors (twins) was still going on. (I think it was more an excuse to have a party.) The set-up was similar to New Year’s Eve. With the large stereo brought outside - disco lights, and all. They actually started the music around noon-time, before Kim and I had left for the wedding. So…until about 1:30 am I stayed outside, talked with neighbors, and salsa danced. My neighbors are always amused that I’m a good dancer – being white and all.

Sunday I woke up just in time to go to church – which was great. And on my home I felt like I really wanted a bagel. I ended up stopping by the Hollywood farmer’s market. I knew this went on, as every Sunday I pass people on the street with fresh produce and flowers, but never really saw where it was. Well, it’s just off Sunset – and it was really nice…I even found some Thai eggplants that I love to make curry out of and cut Dahlias, one of my favorite flowers. I still wanted a bagel so decided to try a new cafe, which ended up being terrific…the atmosphere, the coffee, and the everything bagel too!

But…all of this is REALLY leading to the interesting article that I read on a paper I picked up near to me while at the cafe. It’s titled “The empire’s new clothes: Obsessed by architecture, Mussolini strove to turn Rome into a showcase for fascism.”(read whole article here) It talks about all the changes Mussolini made to the city of Rome beginning in 1926 up until WWII got too involved in the 40s.

Using architecture as a political statement isn’t really something that’s in our periphery these days. Who needs it, when we have the all-powerful form of media to communicate such propaganda? Which…if you would’ve asked someone in 1920 whether it would be more obstructive to restructure Rome or to communicate via “moving pictures,” billboards, and newsprint – it’s quite obvious what they would say. On one hand, thankfully leaders don’t feel the need to restructure entire cities to make their statement…on the other hand, media affects our lives in ways we would have never dreamed and will never fully realize.

It makes me wonder…what did people think while this restructuring was going on? What did the people who were employed to build it think? One of the projects included tearing out whole sections of old tenant buildings in the city center and moving all the people to outer suburban like “borgates.” Not only did this wipe out these peoples communities and some of their livelihoods – but it was all done in order to pave a large, straight, street to the center of St. Peter’s basilica. Now, in the 1600’s the area around the basilica was created by sculptor, Bernini with small streets curving around in front of the Vatican to “amaze people approaching the biggest church in the world fro the narrow streets around it.” The art of that plan was bulldozed away.

Another project involved tearing down old tenement buildings to create a straight, wide street between the window of Mussolini’s office to the Colosseum. After bulldozing, the boulevard was lined with statues of great emperors and fascist symbols. This seems so overt to me. I suppose when you have to go to such great measures to get your message across – you better get it across loud and clear. How did people think about this while it was going on?With media, it isn’t so necessary to make the message as clear. You can obstruct it so it’s a little more covert. Because unlike blazing down buildings – it can be done over and over and over again. At once less dangerous but I think in the end much, much more. At least back in the days people could easily comprehend what was being communicated to them and then form their response. Nowadays I think we find difficulty in responding. In order to form a reply to the messages, we first have to pinpoint them out and then decipher them and then figure out what truth is - which isn't always easy because we’ve been so well programmed by media. Our messages have been muddled beyond easy comprehension.

In the end, Mussolini was killed (it’s debated if it was by communists or undercover British), he and other leaders were hung upside on meat-hooks in the square. It sounds barbarian (although the same thing was done BY Mussolini while he was in power), but it definitely got the point across. What happens when it’s the market who has the power of control over us? How do we fight back against that? When there’s no single dictator in power but rather a huge engine of media?

boyfriend sighting!

Some years ago, a friend and I began the "imaginary" boyfriend game. A chance to name anyone we chose as our "imaginary boyfriend." And, of course, there can be multiple imaginary boyfriends - but there is a bit of a hierarchy. Well...as my first real LA celebrity sighting...who is it but one of my top three imaginary boyfriends!!! (come to think of it...I think the top three are the only three...goes to show I'm picky, but once I choose someone for this esteemed position, there's not much they can do to be imaginarily dumped...so call me loyal)

So who was it?!? Vince Vaughn of course! Who, for those of you who can't remember, began his stardom with the movie, Swingers.

So this is what happened...I had gone out to see this band I like, the Lucky Stars. I had never heard of this place they were playing at, but it was near my house. It was very hard to find and I almost didn't go in - but I really like the band - so I did. It ended up being this super cool place inside (albiet on a regular night when my "retro" people weren't around, I fear it would be too trendy.) Before the second set came, the club owner came and cleared up a table up front - and I remember thinking maybe it would be for a celebrity, because why else would he be going to the hassle. So then, in walks Vince Vaughn and a few other guys with him. They sit at the table, and Vince Vaugn is facing right where I'm standing! I thought it was him when I first saw him, but it took a few more looks to really make me assured that it really was him.
To my friends large disappointment...I did not say hi to him, or even really try to catch his eye. (You know...I always have to play things off cool!) I think we did look at each other for a brief second, but I was trying not to stare! He ended up going up on stage and singing a song. Which he spent a minute beforehand talking about this country-swing pioneer, Sid King. Which leads me to believe he's playing him in a movie, because why else would he get up and sing a song (he doesn't have the greatest voice...but it wasn't completely awful...but really, how could it be!)
So...that's the exciting news for the weekend from Kristin's life in LA.

Sidenote #1: Speaking of my life in LA...I now have a facebook page and I spent mindless time Saturday morning joining groups and such on facebook. After joining a group entitled "i irrationaly love san francisco" I decided to make a photoalbum on facebook of my favorite SF pictures. After I was done with that, I decided to make another album on "reasons why I'm growing to love LA." As deep as the love I have for SF runs, it was good to contrast that with all the great people, events, places that have been in my life this past year (it's just a few days from my 1 year anniversiary!)

Sidenote #2: Speaking of the retro scene...I think everyone reading this blog knows how into vintage I am...and that all came about because of music and swing dancing. Well...I was just exploring a couple of western-swing/rockabilly websites - and it just amuses me to know that there's people kinda like me all over the world! People who are into this very-early rock and roll music and obsessesed with vintage fashion, cars, etc.!! That's so amusing to me! Not that this is new information or anything - it just makes me laugh when I really think of it. There are clubs all over this world where greaser-types gather together to listen to music and dance!! ha!
Leads me to remember....the time in SF when this Japanese rockabilly chick was visiting and the band had her come up and sing. She sang an Elvis song in perfect English, no accent....but she couldn't actually speak a word of English otherwise. Then of course there was the time in Thailand when I saw the "parade" of about 20 classic American cars rolling down the road in Bangkok. Somehow I think that our world is much smaller then it used to be!

picture of the day

"Leaving aside the mysteries and the inequities of human talent, brains, taste, and reputations, the matter of art in photography may come down to this: it is the capture and projection of the delights of seeing; it is the defining of observation full and felt." -- Walker Evans

Girl in Fulton St.
American, 1929
Walker Evans

I have an idea for a new painting series contrasting the simple happiness amidst trials of the depression era in contrast with the sorrowful overabundance of today's youth (think Paris Hilton, etc.) So I'm looking for some good picture protraits that show a simple yet complex joy...if you know of any such pictures - send their references my way. The closest I've found thus far is the "Migrant Mother" by Dorthea Lange. This is no such picture, but I like it alot and thought I would share it - plus I really like the photographer's quote.

Looking at these photographers pictures imbues in me a desire to travel the deep south in search of a more agrarian society. I know it's by no mean what I make it out to be in my romantic notions of it. I think one thing that draws me to such a culture is the slowed-down-ness of life. For example...it's like when I went to Thailand the first time and was out in the rural areas. People had time to sit and chat. They yearned to learn about me and share their stories. They praised me for the couple Thai words I could speak. Then when I returned last time and was only in Bangkok, the large city, I found that people didn't have time to try and decipher my Thai - me trying to practice it only seemed to irritate them. They were too busy to try and share their lives with me or look past my American tourist exterior.

Living in the big city - that's what I miss. The context and safety to connect with strangers on a deeper level. Anywho...

...finally...

...a week that I feel like I'm getting stuff done at work! This summer has been so unstructured in terms of my job - that's it been very difficult to stay motivated. But finally this week, I finally feel like I'm getting some things accomplished! Some research I've been doing is culminating in some projects around the clinic and in networking with area some churches to get programs going.

I even ran into some students at the local Starbucks. It was really exciting to see them and that they were excited to see me, and even had some questions to ask. I have to admit...I had a slight pang of uneasyness in my stomach wondering what all the strangers in Starbucks may have felt in overhearing some random women talking to these 4 teens about sex! I got to tell them about my new MySpace page - and they had added me onto their 'friend' list by that night...pretty cool!

This morning I took an oral test for my certificate for a family planning counselor. I did very well! The guy who was scoring had tons of praise for all my techniques! ....not to brag or anything :)

Yesterday I had a very interesting evening - as I spent a few hours riding my bicycle, canvassing the area surrounding my church. I'll be heading a project:eat out at church and I'm very excited about it. As this group that I'm involved with has been going out weekly in order to get a vision of what human trafficking looks like in Los Angeles - to recognize it here so we can start to help eradicate it. Well...a common place where trafficked people may be working is in ethnic restaurants. As it would take alot of time (and money) for me or our group to individually go to all these restaurants - I thought it would be a great project for people at church. So, we'll be sending everyone out after church one Sunday to different restaurants in the area with information about trafficking, what to look for, etc. And they will report back as to what they've seen! Should be pretty cool - I'm excited to see how it comes off.

For info on trafficking or some things that are going on to work against it (for example, a campaign against slave conditions in chocolate-producing fields) click on the banner below!

here mousey, mousey, mousey...

I was just settling down at my spot on the couch Friday afternoon to get some reading done for work - when what did my eyes see?...a mouse! Yes folks, that's right. The little grey rodent scampered between Kim's desk and the closet ever so quickly.

This put me ill at ease and abandoned all pursuits of work for a thorough revamping of my itty-bitty house. I repositioned the white sheet/curtain to let more light in, I hung bedroom curtains after making my ever-so-thrifty ghettoized curtain rod out of metal wire and 2 nails, I cleaned, I vacuumed, I spotted the carpet, but most importantly...I organized and packed the entire pantry up into neat little mouse-free plastic boxes! As you will see in the picture - get a good look, because I've never seen a purtier pantry!

Me and Mr. Mouse apparently have been housemates for quite some time - as is evidenced by the large amount of poop I found in my household pantry. But...I'm afraid to say, he shant be around too much longer. I will have none of these little shenanigans...so I set out traps and poison. The traps are still clear (thank goodness actually...I didn't really want to "catch" one) but the poison has been eaten like there's no other food around (which, of course, there isn't).

I did manage to fit some time in at the beach on Sunday :) And...I applied for a job at the nearby hospital this morning (to be in addition to the one I already have)...so pray and keep your fingers crossed. And today...I got a young whippersnapper to help me set up a myspace page for work! So much fun!

poetry

Last night I met a friend for dinner and then went to a live-mic poetry night. My friend often goes to this and so I went. I've been to a couple of these before, but a different style. It was really cool. Where else do people gather around to listen to one another talk - to share joy in each others imaginative and intellectual giftings formed into words! I think it was good for me to become impassioned to try and articulate my thoughts with words...something I don't always easily or willingly do.

2 weddings, 2 views

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending two very lovely weddings. The first was on Friday in the Malibu Hills. It was a college friend of Kim's who I've been working with the past few months. The second wedding, I was working at - it was at a residence on Mullholand Drive overlooking LA. Both had spectacular views (okay...so Malibu's clear blue sky to ocean view is, I think, a bit more lovely then the haze of Los Angeles metro area!) The highlight of Friday's wedding was getting to know some new friends better; and also, I actually really enjoyed holding a baby for a few moments. (Not a task I usually treasure unless of course it's a niece or nephew - but it was time for a couple's dance and I thought Mom and Dad should be dancing, so I offered to hold baby and it was one of those nice times....but don't get too excited (mom) I don't have a biological clock ticking yet!)

The highlight of Saturday's was that I got paid, and I got to eat a delicious filet mignon dinner with the most scrumptious chocolate/coconut dessert thing - yum! (oh right...and I got to pet the most amazingly cute dog - which I wanted to kidnap and take home with me sooo bad!...hmm, babies and dogs - do I need affection?!) Also, I found out that one of my co-workers is a long-time volunteer with the major anti-trafficking organization in LA, called The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Human-Trafficking...so that's an awesome connection!

This coming week I need to really concentrate at the clinic. The summer's proved a nice break but also very difficult to focus. I'm trying to take the grant program into some new areas and I feel like I just need to sit with a group of sex educators and throw some ideas around! Me, the independent introvert, saying I need people - what has community living done to me! So...if ya know of anyone in So Cal... :)

Other exciting news...(I forget if I included this in the last entry)...I found an all-girls car club here in LA! There's 7 girls in it and they all seem super cool and retro! I haven't met them yet - but I'm very excited!

...the past 22 days...

Life has been quite full to say the least!
In the past 22 days, some of the things I've been up to are...
-began doing weekly outings to 'tackle' trafficking
-had Mom visit me in LA
-decided to put a new small-block Chevy engine in my Stude
-decided to stay in my house for the next 6-ish months (Kim's wedding is post-poned a little)
-saw the new Harry Potter ;)
-skateboarded by the beach on a Sunday...nearly gleeful experience!
-introduced a couple of neighbor ladies to chocolate chip cookies (can you believe it...chocolate chips are not a Latin American staple!)
-spent 2 days working at the Beverly Hills Hilton where FOX was doing promotion for all their TV shows...I got to see lots of "famous" people...and I decided...they really should write a TV show centering around the life of a sex-ed teacher....I think the possibilities are brilliant!
-chatted with some of my 7th grade students at a community fair, it was fun to see them out of the classroom - they're so adorable!
....and all the other wonderful in-between stuff that life is made of!

And, currently I'm visiting Las Vegas for a quick weekend. It's good to go home on little jaunts. Since I have way too much to cover in an update...I'll just let a few pictures do most of the talking. Mom and I at the beach in Santa Barbara













A view of the city via Echo Park (not far from my house) with the lotus flowers coming into bloom. (They're pretty neat, they come in every summer)















my friend Lulu and I got to have a quick time of catch-up in Las Vegas (and might I add...nightclubs are just weird)

But in short...life has been very full - not always easy, but GOOD. I feel like there's so much momentum building up towards something. I feel like life is happening and I get to be included. I appreciate so much the extended network of people that I get to have be part of my life.

an interesting fact

I dropped by the library earlier today...which I haven't done for awhile (you may notice my booklist is considerably short this year...not that I've really been keeping up with it either...but all in all, my reading is down. In part because I had $30 in library fines and in part because my work takes alot of my brain/mental energies!) The library is so glorious. Libraries in general are - but the Main LA Library is particularly glorious. When I'm in a library I don't think about anything going on in my world - but rather let my mind wander into many interesting nooks and crannies...it's both mental vacation and exercise :)

Anyhow - today I stumbled across a book entitled "Heroes, Rogues, and Lovers: Testosterone and Behavior." Ever researching about anything having to do with sexuality and also interested into a look at the hormone which is said to govern much of males behaviors...I picked it up. It's both a biological and social study and should be quite interesting.
In the Introduction the author (James Dabbs) was going over some general hormone-related topics and I came across this interesting tidbit...

"Alfalfa and clover produce estrogen. The estrogen helps the plants by acting as a birth-control substance, holding down the population of grazing animals. Alfalfa and clover produce enough estrogen to make sheep and cattle sterile. In Australia, a million sheep each year fail to have lambs because they eat too much clover."(p.18)

Isn't that brilliant! It is just so amazing to me. Our world is so mysterious and interesting - one could never know enough to cease being amazed.

I would've written many things...

Hi all! Internet's down at my house for some reason...haven't figured out why. Life has been full though and there's much to say!

This Sunday was the art show - which was a success. There were a couple of bands playing, so it almost seemed more like their event, but that's cool. On Saturday me and a few of the other art group members hung out at the cafe all day and actually painted IT. It's pretty cool...the owner wants the concrete floor painted, so we've all done blocks of it. I spray painted in the back parking lot and did some stuff on the back entrance. Will's doing a large mural in the back. Pretty fun. It was cool to hear comments on my paintings. I've gotten alot of compliments on Blue Boy for the week that he's been up. We decided to keep him up for this show too.

Saturday evening was spectacular. After being at the cafe painting all day (and sweaty since there's no air flow in that place and this weekend was the first Hot one!) - I decided I'd go for a jog since I was already so sweaty. When I came home all the neighbors were out - using the closed-off street as our own personal park (which goes to show the starvation for open space there is in my neighborhood.) Two girls were riding bikes, who I've never seen riding bikes - mostly becuase their parents don't allow them to because of the dangerous street. It ended up that I took the girls out with me on my jog, while they rode their bikes. We went down to the park and it was just so fantastic. Although the park is only a 10-minute walk away, my neighbors rarely go there. The girls and I had a blast. There was a carnival with music going on. We saw some people catching fish, which completely enthralled the girls. And they were both so excited to tell their parents how well they'd rode when we returned home.

It's times like this that make it evident to me why I chose to live where I do. As I've been thinking alot of where to live come September when I lose my roomate Kim, I've been very much considering moving out of the neighborhood. But now I'm not so sure. Not to say that one magic night warrents a complete change of mind...but it has prompted a re-evaluation.

On other fronts - I got my car, the pup (or pinkie...and on) out to the DMV today and inspected and everything. However, she did break down on the way back. It seems like once she really warms up the motor doesn't like it so much. So, I don't know where I am with that. I need to consider alot of things.

It's felt like summer, both because it's getting hot, and because I don't have to be at work so early! Weee! It's so great driving to work at 9!!! I'm a much happier person with this schedule...if only all the schools would change - because I do love and miss my students too!

The weekend before last I went on a lil' trip. First to Bass Lake to go camping with my friends. We had a great time hanging out around the lake and taking it easy. The kids who had never been camping (3 and 5 years old) loved it (although they had some trouble sleeping with our noisy neighbors!)

After that I drove over to San Fran since I was close, and spent Monday and Tuesday there. It was super great! I got to hang out with most of my special people and it was terriffic. Not really home anymore, but I'm very glad to have it as a part-home. I realized as I was there that my roots are being made with people - not in places. As I've felt quite uprooted this year and still questioning how one makes roots in LA...it was a good thing to realize that its all about relationships! (those of you who know Bart can appreciate that even more!)

preview of coming attractions...

I've been working all week on a set of paintings for LA Street Productions upcoming 'Liberation'-themed show. I'm not completely done, but I thought I'd post up a picture, open for critique :) It will make me feel more prepared to share them with the world in person.
(I know the colors aren't captured quite right) The background is spray paint with some drips of oil, gold leaf, and one-shot...then the hearts are oil on acrylic. I'm trying to decide whether to leave the wings white/black/grey or to make them more feather-ishy.

Today myself and a couple other art-group memebers hung a "pre-show" at the cafe which our opening will be at a week from Sunday. I had to squeeze it in very quicky in the morning, but I think it turned out quite nice. It's mostly just peices that hung at our last show, however, I did decide to show blue-boy there which is pretty exciting since he's always been a favorite painting of mine.

Tomorrow morning I'm taking off to Bass Lake for the weekend. My good friends from Sacramento are meeting me there - so we'll have some good family camping time! This will be my official first use of my tent! From camping, I'm heading to SF for a couple of days. I haven't been up there since January and could use a little of my homey San Fran.

wuuuuhuuuu!

So evidently nothing is wrong with 'the pup.' My mechanic said she started right up and ran just fine. He's going to drive her some more tomorrow. I'll stop by Wednesday and take her for a drive too. Then I'm going to be gone for a few days - so hopefully she can play at the shop for awhile longer!

I've felt too unsure to get super excited during this whole process. But, it is a practice of my patience and flexibility. Which this just goes along with my life in general right now...if my life were a book, this chapter would be called "Limbo."

Today I threw a pizza party for some of my 7th grade students...it was great. I also added up my attendance numbers...and I surpassed my goals by far...I've taught over 600 students since January! It feels like a good accomplishment. Now when I walk around school, lots of students say hi Ms. ___!

I also got some painting done this evening. I hadn't used oils for a long time and decided to pull them out, it was very enjoyable. I didn't feel the rushed pressure of using acrylics. And I tried/discovered some new tricks.

A long string of a lot

I’ve been quite busy and my mind has been so full I’ve failed to keep up on my blog...my apologies.

TAADAAAAA...I've now cruised the streets of LA in my Stude.

A couple of weeks ago it got here to So Cal. This past Thursday was my first ever driving of it. And yesterday I picked it up. Quite a bit was done to it in the shop to get it drivable…new transmission, water pump, electric fuel pump, tune up, starter, battery stuff. And the shop people have been so great, it’s a shop that only works on Studebakers.
When I first left the shop I had a little problem which was resolved by adjusting the throttle a bit. And then I had a glorious time driving it about halfway to my destination...it was running fantastic on both street and freeway.
And then something happened. I was able to get it parked in a safe place, and it did start up after a wait – but something is wrong with it. So it was towed back to the shop. Hmmmm…these problems are expected in ironing out kinks of a car that’s been sitting for 25+ years. I hope for hope that this is just a kink…but in my gut I think it might be something more serious. If that’s the case I’m going to have to sell her (which I had begun to rest on the nickname of “the pup”…which for those of you don’t know, is also one of my many nicknames too)
Selling the pup will be such a shame. I can’t tell you how fun it was driving the pup – and there wasn’t anything about it that I didn’t like. The noise, the shifting, the starting it up…it doesn’t bother me…and in fact I quite like it! And I also like that I’m willing to work for it, I’ve never had a possession that I’ve been willing to do much work for…seeing as I don’t live by quite the same material rules as middle america. But perhaps I’ll have to do some more work in advance before I can have an old car– I don’t know…we’ll see. But I know one thing, I’m attached to Studebakers – they’re great cars.

Other then car business I’ve been up to a lot. School is out for the summer, which means no more teaching. I will still go to work as normal (albeit not so early in the morning – yay!) It was really fun the past 2 weeks wrapping up the 3 different classes I’ve been doing for the past few months. I did a pizza party in 2 of the classes – for the winning teams of our last-day Jeopardy-style quiz game. That’s really fun.
I love that job so much. I’ve been thinking a lot about the possibility of moving down there (work is 22 miles from home.) Part of me really wants to, but when I think about it, all the connections I have made while here in LA are up near me, downtown, Hollywood, Silverlake/Echo Park. It’s quite a dilemma and a huge thing that’s been on my mind lately.

There’s been some exciting rumblings of things happenings in regards to the prostitution/human trafficking work I want to do also. There’s a crew of people forming here in LA that will begin to tackle the issue by answering the question “What does trafficking look like here in LA?” In order to do this you need to take to the streets with open eyes for what is going on as well as building networks in communities (such as ethnic communities.)
I’ve also been in contact with an organization that may be a great place for me to hook up with and be guided in doing some other work I want to do that’s related to these issues. We’ll see where it leads – but it’s exciting to see some things coming together. I still really yearn for a community of people to gather with around these issues which I’m passionate about.

On other fronts – stuff is still happening with the art group. We opened a student show a couple of weeks ago, which was cool…we’re giving a couple of scholarships to students at the local high school. And we have a show opening in a couple weeks. Which…I need to sign off so I can go work on my pieces. I was daunted…but after doing some painting a couple nights ago – I’m getting excited about my pieces!

Ending with a line I heard today from my all-time favorite radio show, A Prairie Home Companion…
“Live what you love and love what you live.”

the eagle has landed...

It's here, it's here! My Studebaker has finally touched down in So Cal :) :) :)

A couple of months back I found a shop just a few miles from my work that specializes in Studebakers. The guys there are so nice. And obviously know what they're doing and love it.

I know I either have to get the Studebaker to run or send it off to a new home - so I buckled down and made a budget. Found someone to get it here. And wha-la! It arrived Monday afternoon. I can't tell you how exciting it was to see it sitting in the shop. I felt like a little kid coming down to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. A mix of excitement, awe, and mystery.

Nothing is known yet. I'll be spending some time at the shop on Thursday, hopefully they'll have gotten a start on it by then. More news to follow...
_________________

On other fronts -

School is almost out for the summer, which means I'll have no kids to teach(I was dreading this, but now I'm looking forward to it.) Yesterday I ended one of my classes, and next week I'll be ending the other two. It's sad to say goodbye to them...I only have the students for 10 weeks, but they still become my kids of sorts. Since I've done 3 of the 4 science classes at this one particular middle school...I'm becoming quite well known. It's a little embarrassing when they call out "Hey sex lady" in front of school...but I have to laugh (I work for a clinic but go into schools and teach sex education for those who aren't clued into this fact...if you didn't know, the past sentence would sound VERY odd!)

Oh...and I never blogged it, but I was home the weekend before last. It was a really nice, low-key visit. I really needed some open brain space...and I didn't (almost) think about anything while I was there. And I realized...I frequently cook alot when I go home now. I realized recently that I hadn't make anything special for awhile and I think it's part budget and part small kitchen - but when I'm at Ma and Pa's neither of those things is a constraint :) It was delicious, I tried out some recipes that we saw on a Paula Dean show (one of Mom and Dad's regular watched shows...it's pretty cute.) Other then cooking I got to chill with my mom, my nephews, my brothers, my dad...and finish a piece of artwork that I started this summer. It's too big to bring here though - which is too bad because I could use it for this upcoming art show.

Which speaking of, I've blogged alot lately about art stuff...and I have been doing more art. But still not as much as I'd like to. Why is it so hard to find time to paint!? Space is another issue. Anyhow though, complaining aside, it's been great to get more involved with art and also the art group, LA Street Productions. There's a student show opening up this Friday, which will be some work to get up...it's student's from the local high school, we sponsor the show and give out 2 scholarships.

Other then that, the last exciting news to tell is that my statistics class is done! It's been a lot of extra stress on me this past month. The final was last Saturday and I could barely do any studying for it because my brain was just dead. I really couldn't get my head in the game until the final exam. I got the grades back today, and I did pretty good still. Good riddens.

what secret purple wisdom?

A friend of a friend took these pictures. Me being a biology major and all - I have a special spot for the way living things work. From the lub-dub of the heart to the sporulation of microbes. So many things happening that we rarely think of - and so intricate and mysterious and amazing. Following is one of my favorite poems - I hope it helps express creations beauty to you...enjoy!


What Secret Purple Wisdom

What word informs the world,
And moves the worm along in his blind tunnel?
What secret purple wisdom fells the iris edges
To unfold in frills? What juiced and emerald thrill
Urges the sap until the bud resolves
Its tight riddle? What irresistible command
Unfurls this could above this greening hill,
Or one more wave – it’s spreading foam and foil –
Across the flats of sand? What minor thrust
Of energy issues up from humus in a froth
Of ferus? Delicate as a laser, it filigrees
The snow, the stars. Listen close – What silver sound
Thaws winter into spring? Speaks clamor into singing?
Gives love for loneliness? It is this
Unterrestrial pulse, deep as heaven, that folds us
In its tingling embrace, gongs in our echo hearts.

-Luci Shaw
(from the Angels of Light, Shaw Books, 2000)

du-du.du.du...du.du.du...du-du.du...

Thus is the sound of the ice-cream truck. It comes by, every night, at about 8:45 pm. Maybe some other night I'll get a better picture of it (I'm leery of using the camera out in my 'hood, I already stand out enough!) - I could use a better pic as I was just brainstorming a magical painting including it a few moments ago...that white blare at the top of the picture is actually a big fat florescent light...kinda like the one you might use to light the driveway at home out in the country. The light, combined with the music, combined with the hum of the music...mmm. It's something else. I generally don't mind it a bit.

For the past few weeks however, it's been extra amplified. The Ice Cream Truck usually stops across the street, on the corner. But our street as been half-way shut down due to a construction project (more of this later) and so now the ice-cream truck stops smack-dab in front of my kitchen window!

And on a night such as tonight...and every other night this week...when I've been madly trying to get my statistics work done...it's been quite bothersome. In part because of the distraction it causes - but I think mostly because it reminds me of the time (it always comes about 8:45). And each evening I've been ever so aware that I'm far behinder then I should be and that normally at 8:45 I'm usually winding down for the evening and doing something enjoyable.

You know, in Thailand, out in the rural parts...I once asked a few people what they did for fun. The question kinda bewildered them. Fun?! Free time? What is that? There eventual answer was that they sometimes went fishing on Sunday. It's not that they were so busy. But they had real work to do - and when it was done, they were tired. So do they fill the rest of their evenings with "fun"...no...they sit around (on bamboo floors of their hut) and talk. They couldn't stay up late into the night and finish their statistics homework if they wanted to! So I'm both blessed and cursed!

As I've been in the flurry of the statistics this week...I feel like I haven't had a chance to breath...Go to work, come home and do stat's until I go to bed (It's an online course, and I never do begin work on it until the week before...but I'm working 5 days a week now instead of 3 1/2 so that makes a big difference and last weekend was the art show.) I tried really hard to start doing it earlier - but there's just been so much going on! It's like a day is full...and passes. Then before I know it a week. And then I look back and the whole month has passed in a jiffy! Time is funny. It can both be so slow and so fast. Slow I think because you want to see results...so you yearn for the future when you can see something changed or see the fruits of your labor. And fast because once you really get rolling with something, you forget the passage of time - or you have too much to do and never fit it in.

I think I want to be living in the present. Both aware of the future and the past...but steadily living where I presently am. There's a point when you just have to be done with your work and sit on the floor of the bamboo hut - and there's another point where you discipline yourself and persevere. In both of them though it's important to stay grounded in what you're here for. Not just to work. Not just to have fun. But to go about your life in joy - accepting the present and stepping forwards.

I think at the moment, I'll accept my present fatigue and get some sleep. An early morning breakfast will give me a good few hours to finish my statistics before the test :)