Being Outside

I love to be in the woods. By the lake. On the river. At the beach. Fishing. Hiking. Camping. Sitting in a lawn chair.

One of the reasons I fell in love with Joe was not just his passion for the outdoors, but his ability to share that joy with others. The child-like glee he exhibits when he gets a fish on the line. The crazy out-of-breath-with-excitement phone message he left me when he got his huge buck a couple of years ago.

Today, we fished from his cousin's boat in the Snohomish River. We all got our salmon limits (12 in the boat). But here's what else we saw...

Quite a few blue herons. Such graceful beauty.

One of the herons had a decent sized fish, which was quickly snatched from him by a bald eagle. The eagle sat on the edge of the river and ate it up, while the heron watched from a sand bar. Its probably my imagination, but I think he looked very dejected. It was a good fish.

The stand-out prize of the day goes to a young 2-3 point buck whom we watched as he finished his swim across the river. I actually caught sight of his antlers and didn't immediately register what I was seeing. As he came to the river's edge, he scrambled out and, after picking his way around a bit, headed almost straight up into the brush. That was a sight.

Everywhere I have lived has had it's own unique beauty. The Pacific Northwest really stands out on days like today.

Chihuly: a Photo Retrospective (doesn't that sound posh?)

My first encounter with the glass work of Dale Chihuly was at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. There I was able to see close-up the amazing artistry of what was then a newly installed piece.

Here are my photos from that day.



Small piece in the gift shop. Alas, I do not have $8000 to spend.


A couple of weeks ago, I spent a wonderful time in Seattle with some of my very lady-like friends. On a gorgeous Saturday, we hit the Seattle Center and the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit. Not cheap at $19, but worth every penny.


This "bowl" is about 2 feet tall. Note the layers of glass and the 3-D effect.


I had seen the chandelier style of his art, but was struck by the different glass work that Chihuly has done.

Loved the crab. He's about 6 inches tall. Quite a departure from the bright colors I am used to from Chihuly.



My favorite exhibit. The colors and the artistry literally made me speechless.

It was fun to people watch at the exhibit. They were all doing the same thing I was. As I entered one room, I was struck by the immensity, the beauty, the intricacy, and the artistic vision that creates such wonders. At one point, I looked at a friend and told her I wanted to sing "Pure Imagination" from the Willy Wonka. 

  

One of the many colored "chandeliers" hanging from the ceilings.

Then, I would turn my head, get a glimpse into the next room, and gasp. Every room did this to me. 

A closer look.

Large, probably 2 1/2 feet across, bowl. Stunning colors.

A glimpse at the Needle through the floral chandelier.

Rock candy.

I'm not sure that I want to know what these little black suckers are escaping from under this log into the purple forest.

Hold your breath
Make a wish
Count to three

Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of
Pure imagination
Take a look
And you'll see
Into your imagination

We'll begin
With a spin
Traveling in
The world of my creation
What we'll see
Will defy
Explanation

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing
To it

There is no
Life I know
To compare with
Pure imagination
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly wish to be

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing
To it

There is no
Life I know
To compare with
Pure imagination
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly
Wish to be

More gift shop goodies.

If anyone is looking for birthday gift ideas, I think this one only ran $6500.

Apartment Therapy Style Cure: Day One

I am participating in Apartment Therapy's month of Style Cure. Essentially, this means I am gutting a room and making it not just full of hand-me-downs and a catch-all, but re-making it to represent me. The room I am tackling (an appropriate word since I will need a linebacker's muscles to do this) is what is supposed to be my guest/reading room. What it is currently is a repository for all the stuff that doesn't have a home elsewhere. I will post a picture this weekend, much to my shame, just to keep me honest.

The first task of the "cure" was a self-interview. Sort-of an introspective what-kind-of-crazy-nut-are-you? style-wise quiz. Because what I discovered is that I like a bit of everything. How I answered this was listing the first things or persons that came into my mind. Hardly scientific, but odd.

1. List your favorites in each category

Actor: Sean Connery. Loved him in Darby O'Gill (when he had amazing hair) and in Hunt for Red October (in which he didn't). Oh, that voice.
Actress: Melissa McCarthy. Chubby and hilarious? You're my girl.
Artist: Dale Chihuly. Just saw more of his work in Seattle. Inspiring. And Fredrick Childe Hassam. I've enjoyed him since seeing his work at the Joslyn in Omaha. The grays and greens are just lovely.
Writers: Harper Lee, JK Rowling, CS Lewis
Music: No preference. It changes daily.
Restaurant: I love good food and good service. Honestly, I don't have a favorite.
Automobile: 1972 Jeep CJ5 or a 1970s Jaguar
Movies/TV: Princess Bride, Law and Order, Dr Who, or anything by Joss Whedon
Clothing: pencil skirts, tank tops, big earrings
Furniture pieces: mid-century dressers, IKEA, vintage dinnerware

2. Choose three words to describe your personal style
Vintage, outdoorsy, eclectic

3. Think back over the homes you've lived in, both as a child and as an adult. Which rooms would you choose as your favorites and how would you describe them.

Childhood: The livingroom I had in high school. High ceilings, wood paneled walls, rock fireplace, cozy and inviting.
Adulthood: My last kitchen. Modern appliances and vintage dinnerware and bright colors.

4. Who do you consider a role model?

My friend Erin. You know who you are. 
What three adjectives describe the qualities that you most admire in this person?
Loving, generous, godly

5. Every home has areas that are "just right". Which three spots or things in your home do you feel are beautiful and feel proud of, right now, as is:

This stinks, as the only spot I love right now is my black and white photo wall.

6. A month from now, at the end of the Style Cure, how would you like your friends to describe your home?

Welcoming, a good mix of masculine and feminine, tidy, and personal

What has this taught me? I think I am bi-polar. Or perhaps this mix of likes is normal. Probably. Either way, my goal is to transform my reading room into a place that I want to spend time, to curl up with a book, and a place that when friends come to spend the night, they recognize my influence and taste.

Go Have an Adventure!

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”

~ William G.T. Shedd ~

Ah...the Deep Thought for the Day

Not Wrong

Here's what I learned from last night's women's study:

When both parties are well-intentioned, because of the way men and women see things differently, they both can be right, because they are approaching the issue from different angles and perspectives.

The illustration that was used really hit home for me.

A home designer goes to a couples' home for a consultation. He wants granite counter tops, wood floors, and porcelain sinks. She wants Corian counters, tile floors, and acrylic sinks. Neither is wrong, but their preferences are based on expectations, things they have seen in the past, and sometimes, deep-seated desires.

The designer has a tough job. He has to take each persons needs/wants and merge them with the others to make both happy and satisfied.

We don't get a designer. Darn it. But we do have the tools available to merge our needs and wants so that both are met.

Word of the Year for 2013

This year I do not want to make resolutions at which I inevitibly fail, or at the very least, fall short.

 

This year I want to make changes in my lifestyle.

 

My word for the year is: CREATE

 

Things I want to CREATE:

• deeper friendships with a select group of ladies.
• a peaceful refuge for my man.
• an organized and useful space for my artistic endeavors and projects.
• all of my Christmas gifts.
• a repetoire of recipes for both of our dietary needs.

The world is but a canvas to the imagination.
~Henry David Thoreau

How to Not Be Depressed

According to today's news reports, the third Monday of January is statistically the most depressing day of the year. Well, how lovely. Apparently a group of psychologists came up with this a few years ago  and have decided that poor weather (unless you live in the southern hemisphere), incoming credit card bills from overexpenditures at Christmas (unless you pay cash), and failed New Year's resolutions all contribute to this sad and pathetic day.

I wish I had known this earlier. I could have really milked it.

It made me think back to a list that was posted in the church library years ago. One of the keys to fighting depression?  Go out and do something nice for somebody else. I think I will.

Disclairmer: Lest anyone think I am mocking people with depression, I am not. This is fuzzy science at its best, based solely on conjecture and without numbers backing it.

Oh, The Shame

Well, hello!  As about half a dozen people have pointed out to me in the past week, I am a horrifically inconsistent blogger. I do have a lot of ideas to write about, as well as some new projects that I have been working on (and actually completed) to post pictures of.

With that in mind, I will attempt to keep the following rules in mind as I forge ahead:

Happy 100th, Julia Child

Julia Child would have turned 100 today. As it was, with her butter and cream-filled diet, both she and her beloved husband Paul both lived well into their 90s. No comment about that, here!

I, like many people of my generation, really became interested in Julia when I watched the movie Julie and Julia. Then I read My Life in France. And I fell in love with their love story as much as with her cookery.

Let's face it, she was no raving beauty. Tall, rather ungainly, yet they had a passion for each other that is not exaggerated in the movie. Sure, looks are great. But they fade. The passion doesn't have to. That is the marriage I want!

A couple of Julia-isms:

Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.

The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they're right if you love to be with them all the time.

That must have been a really long tub!