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 :)

<<< art show >>>

This Sunday was the art show. It's a good thing that I don't live in the same town as my Mom - because that would have made for a difficult Mother's Day! (Latinos actually always celebrate Mother's Day on May 10th...so their official holiday was last Thursday.)

Anyhow...the art show was a success! There was a good turn out of all sorts of people. We got everything done in time. There was also a short movie showing at the opening, which went over really well.

The movie was a short documentary made by a group member, Daniel, who's attending film school. It was a piece done on his younger half-brother who never had a dad in his life and is now a new dad himself at 20-years-old. It was a really amazing, intimate look into the feelings his brother had. Afterwards Daniel answered some questions and it was amazing to hear the reconciliation and communication that was opened up in his family through making the movie.

I did end up putting in my series of paintings on displaced people...I titled them "dis(PLACED) people" I got some positive comments on them during the show. (Aunt Pam - you should recognize the animals!) I'm really looking forward to the July 1st show - we're doing it around the theme of "liberation." It should be really good!

This week is very busy - I have a statistics test which I didn't get to spend any time preparing for this past weekend because the art show took up so much preparation time!

I still need to share some info from the conference I attended too. On Monday, while I was teaching one of my 7th grade classes I added in some information on trafficking, prostitution, and trafficking - some important things about those issues that the kids need to be aware of...it was cool to be able to have that platform!

"So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus, himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22