Da Bluez

Getting ready to go for some Texas Blues...
... with Chicago on my mind...

A song of protest ...

... both gentle and powerful.

Social ineptitude

Warning warning Will Robinson: This here is a mini bitchfest.

Exactly when did good manners go out of style?

More and more I see (in casual social interaction) less and less* in the way of...

• Enthusiastic/ sincere greetings and salutations.
• Expressions of please and thank you.
• Participating in conversation, as opposed to one-sided know-it-all monologues.
• The practice of attentive listening.
  
• Proper etiquette at the dining table.
• Exercising hospitality as a host; as well as knowing that the main responsibility of being a 'good guest' is to be appreciative (as in Do Unto Others...).
  
• Extending a kind word when'ere possible and lending a helping hand.
• Consideration of the elderly and for the infirm.
  
• Understanding that listening to a braggart is boring boring boring (to tears, if not to run screaming).
  

For me, there's nothing worse than having to listen to a braggart: someone who goes on and on about how much money he has/she has/they have/can earn-inherit-beg-borrow-steal; how big a house they or someone they know can afford; how fancy a car or other prized possessions he/she/they own or is capable of buying; how highly educated, privileged, prestigious a job/station-in-life, et cetera.

Gag me with a spoon!

Kindly - subject me not to a recitation of someone else's resumé/ accomplishments as if they were your own. Actually, spare me your own unless you think it might actually be of some interest. Or unless I ask you - not during your monologue, but as we are conversing.

Understand that there is a decidedly thin line between sharing a personal accomplishment / touting a relative-friend's achievement AND being a braggart. Is talking about it an invitation to further conversation, to inspire, to encourage - or are you just showing off? Worse still - might you be living vicariously through another's (real or perceived) accomplishments?

Bite me!

Moi? Never entirely guiltless, of course.
In social situations, I can also be fairly inept.
Case in point: I'm guilty of swearing like a sailor when I'm not doing my damndest to practice those aforementioned good manners. Geez Louise, sometimes cussing is necessary! Not to mention FUN.

Matter of fact, because of my issue (folks, is it just me?) with braggarts, I may soon be sporting a badge or tee shirt imprinted with the statement: 'Ask me if I give a *hit'.
Besides alienating all decent folk in my midst, wearing such a remark might just serve as a hint to the next person who considers subjecting me to another lengthy braggadocio session ...
Then again, maybe not ... since those who self-indulge typically don't see beyond themselves and their egos: real, borrowed or imagined.

My bad! (apologies - this catchy phrase is ill-used at best by most people. That's why I chose to use it here...)

Can you imagine how social interaction might improve if everyone were to practice even a wee bit of the writings of Emily Post, Miss Manners, Amy Vanderbilt and/or even Dale Carnegie?

Ok - I have vented. Time to crawl back unda da rock...

* You better believe how appreciative I am when I do witness these points observed!

multitasking for balance

Whilst 'at the computer' this morn, I ...

1. ate breakfast
   
2. listened to several podcasts
   
3. bought a new music CD
4. knitted on my second Moebius scarf (which I'm turning into a shawl-shrug thingy)
   
5. planned ahead to create my ATCs this afternoon - and mail them out by the end of the weekend (promise!)
6. thought about the book I'll be reading for next month's book club theme: Heritage
7. composed and sent out a few friendly e-mails
8. did some blogging!
   

I'm online for a fair amount of time each day. A bit in the morn, then once again in the late eve.
Mostly I'm planning, reorganizing, summarizing.
Few, if any - of the minutes/ hours is wasted time (even these links aren't complete time-wasters, cuz they're fun).

I spend most days ...
... relishing the sameness of routine.
... making plans to vary and break out of routine.
... reflecting on actions-past and looking towards actions-future.

The computer is a tool that helps me put these elements in order. From here I can get into the groove of some dynamic living.

Today finds me at relative leisure - with many hours to devote to art, craft, music, shopping, thinking, catching up on correspondence, reading and learning. It suits me to jump start my days with sitting at the computer - multitasking until it's time to get out of the chair, up and at 'em.
N-I-C-E

Tomorrow I'll be out and about again.
Exposed to, and coping with - the elements.

Just trying to keep life in balance.

Pumpkins in the springtime

Once upon a time, it was de rigeur for a family to store part of the fall veggie/fruit harvest. With the arrival of winter, most gardens ceased to yield, so saving some of the bounty from summer-fall made good sense for winter eats.

Food that wasn't salted, canned or dried was put into natural cold storage. Root cellars and the like. Some of it spoiled, of course. Even now, some of us are hard-pressed to keep food from spoiling in our own larders. Even with refrigeration. I don't have a subzero, but I imagine food in even the coldest of cold does not escape some sort of deterioration (?).

At this writing, I don't doubt that there's meat with freezer burn in my freezer. In the vegetable crisper, we might discover a produce bag of limp green onions, some spent celery and long forgotten zucchini that's turned slimy ...

So much for the adage 'waste not want not'.
I/we should resolve only to buy food that gets eaten up before it rots and needs to be tossed.

Case in point:
Every year for the past thirty or so, I inadvertently /unintentionally put a pumpkin or two into natural cold storage.
There always seems to be a couple of leftover winter squashes from October that don't get carved into Jack O' Lanterns or made into pumpkin pies.

Choosing the thick-walled deep ridged orange-y-est pumpkins for both carving and cooking, my intention has always been to cook any remaining squashes into rich yummy puree. The puree would be processed and plopped into the freezer for future pumpkin-based eats.
Pumpkin breads and cinnamon-nutmeg spiced pies in March.
Yum.

True confession: I never get round to the task. The pumpkins are left around the house as 'decor' for months afterwards. Many months.
I look at them in passing and think to myself: 'Today I will bake and mash and freeze the bounty'.
Nevah hoppen.
Round about May, June or July - the pumpkins finally begin to show signs of rotting.
Funny how they do that.

Last winter was a shortish one.
Spring sprung early, punctuated by a string of warm summer-like days.
The three pumpkins I've had in our climate-controlled house were moved out to the garage a couple months ago. There they've had to withstand greater temperature extremes of hot and cold.

It didn't take long for two to soften and sag into semi-soggy masses right there on the back steps leading down to the garage. It saddened me to bag and dispose of them.

Pictured here is the last of the three.
It too has a telltale fuzzy spot of mold.

Guess I won't be cooking any fresh pumpkin pie puree this year either.
I would'a I should'a I could'a.

Point N' Shoot

Another view of Monument Valley ...
... this one captured with my 'old' 2.1 megapixel Canon PowerShot S100 'point n' shoot'. I now carry it in my camera bag right alongside the brand spankin' new digitalSLR Canon Rebel XTi.

Having both cameras on hand keeps me mindful that the main purpose for getting a new camera is not so I can use it merely as a fancier point n' shoot.
I already have a cute little simple-to-use p&s, and it works perfectly fine for those quick shots.

These last decades, if I've been spending any energy at all on photography, it's been to grab those snapshots on vacation or at parties (with dreaded automatic flash, which washes out nice shadows). I've been sloppy and guilty of: poor composition and bad lighting, distracting backgrounds, etc.

My goal is to get into more creative photographic effects of people, places and things. Move myself back into manual mode - like I was once almost able to do - and feel good about it.

For many years, I carted my 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic* everywhere.
All my photos were manually focused/lit. Always impatient with understanding camera settings (Arrrrrrgh - it rather hints of MATH), I stumbled through (b's modus operandi?) and the results were that a fair portion of my pictures weren't satisfactory (out of focus, too dark, too light), but many others turned out looking rather - nice.
Very nice indeed.

For old time sake, the Pentax stays.
However, it is too darned heavy to schlep along with the two Canons, so I'll keep it at home. Perhaps take it out for a spin 'round the block now and then to keep its inner workings working.

Time to take stock of camera inventory.
OK OK - I confess that it is hard for me to move the older cameras along, but it is happening as we speak (no storage space, and the urge to purge). Several old film cameras are finally in the Goodwill box. Said box will be taken to the donation center...bye bye.

So - it's down to the old Pentax, one in-betweeny point and shoot (I'm hanging on to the Nikon AF ActionTouch I used in the 90's), a small p&s digital and the newest acquisition: the digital SLR (which is so new, it still scares me).

Hey - not bad.
Only FOUR cameras in possession of this very-much-an-amateur weekend photographer.
(I sense some photo sessions/outings in the near future).
(I'd better buy a couple rolls of film).

Huzzah! for the old stand-bys.
Huzzah! for point n' shoot cameras.
Huzzah! Huzzah! for the new technology.

* A camera I still love and am loathe to retire forever - though the cost of buying/processing roll after roll of print film does gets prohibitive. Not to forget to mention ye olde mercury battery, which I understand continues to drain of energy in the camera, even w/o use, and needs to be replaced frequently.

Craving....

Shanghai dumplings.
Take a bite and then get a burst of soup?
Inside out wontons?
No, not really.

But I want some.
Now.
OK then - next week.
Well, sometime this month anyways.

Let's go get some.

Half the month of May...

gone ... and I've just realized it's ...
Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Month.
Whilst Googling a related topic, I discovered that the annual designation of A/P AHM is here - today - now.
(In 1992, GW's dad did something right when he signed to expand Asian Pacific Heritage Week to a month long observation.)

For me, the month of May goes by with the usual nod to Mother's Day and several family birthdays, and I tend to miss Asian Pacific Month.

Just how do I manage to overlook all the hype: on tv, radio and press?!?
Perhaps because there's not no (that is to say - ain't) media build up to take note of.
Though awareness of APAHM might be more evident in major cities like San Fran, L.A., Seattle, Honolulu and NYC, there's nary a whisper or mention of it here in little ol' Placer County.

Asians have played a significant role in the settling of this area.
My own great great granddad traveled here from China in 1849 and headed straight for the gold fields. Like most Chinese who came to 'Gum Sahn', he intended to strike it rich, then go home. Reality check: it came to be that Chinese miners were only allowed to pick over spent claims abandoned by whites, so did my ancestor make a fortune of any size in the placer fields? Family stories have always been sketchy at best, so we may never know. It is indeed unfortunate that such an important part of my family's history may be completely lost with the passing of time and generations.

I do know, though - that the man was here.
The sojourner stayed awhile beyond the gold venture. Somehow, against all odds, he managed to raise a family (born in the U.S.A.!) before finally returning to China to live out his days...

It doesn't appear that Asian/Pacific Heritage Month is cause for celebration round these parts. No special programs for the community, no book signings, no presentations by school kids. No Hallmark cards.
Go figure.

Thankfully, two weeks remain to focus on the Asian/Pacific awareness factor; time enough for me to pay homage to the contributions made by my people to this country. After all, this is an official, government-endorsed period for recognition of Asian-ness, so I'd best acknowledge. What kind of full blooded flag waving All-American would I be otherwise?

Yellow Power (and Peril) aside, this gal will honor her heritage. Even more than she already does, if that is possible.

Navajo rugs on the hoof

You've all heard of hamburger-on-the-hoof *.
Well - here's a pic of some Navajo-rugs-on-the-hoof.
Them there's Churro sheep.

Do sheep baa or bleat or eh?

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park **.

*
There's something kinda creepy about this video.
Is it the music?
The romantic overtones of those waxing poetic about the beef cattle biz?
All that red meat lined up in the walk-in?
The sharp knives?
What creeped me out the most were those ever-so-appreciative BIG beef cattle ranchers. Talk about hefty heifers!
I sure wouldn't want to meet up with the lot of them in a dark alley...
or barn...

**
Not a Federal or State Park, but a Tribal Park.
Just one of the many things I learned last week on the SW road trip.

Red Rocks Rock

Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation.
A pictorial metaphor of the Diné.
The awe-inspiring magnificence of this place bespeaks the history of a People.

Listen closely and you can hear resounding throughout the expanse of space - haunting echoes of Manifest Destiny *.
A rally for westward expansion that fast became a war cry which ultimately silenced thousands:
Duplicity.
Confusion.
Suffering.
Pain.
Loss.

Dotted across the vast landscape are stately red rock formations that stand as quiet, enduring sentinels to:
Strength.
Pride.
Spirituality.
Serenity.
Peace.

In spite of, perhaps because of, their beauty ...
these monuments serve as a bittersweet reminder.

I'm overwhelmed by how much this region offers for a deeper understanding of the whowhatwhenwherewhy - not only of the settling of the West, but of the overall history/philosophy of this country.

A wealth of information indeed.
I shall return here for more.

Do future generations really have any chance to be taught (and come to accept) a more accurate history of America?
Or will they continue to be brainwashed into the same belief system :
- that has justified the subjugation of and/or atrocious actions towards existing cultures lifestyles and peoples.
- that has been used for exploitation of and profiting from same.
- that is still cited as the basic premise for a 'holier than thou' rationale.

The very same message some believe has positioned this country globally?

* OMG - John L. O' Sullivan: King of Rhetoric?!?!? Totally Clueless?!?!? Wearer of the Ultimate Rose-Coloured Spectacles!?!? Unknowing Prophet of How History Repeats Itself?!?!?

The red rocks rock.
They are quiet and observant yet they have much to say.
We have ears for hearing. We are capable of listening.
If one is quiet and attentive - therein lies an opportunity to learn.

Not to worry...

...I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

That's MISTER Moebius to you, darlin'

Don't let the ants freak you out. They're just goin' round and round up and down on this figure eight graphic to illustrate yet another CRAFT project.

Last night in knitting class, we learned how to cast on in Moebius knitting.
I suppose you could call Moebius the twisted side of needle art.

It's mathematical (aaaaiiiiieeeee!!!!).
It's magical.
It's pretty darn awesome.

It's a tad difficult to wrap your thinking around (pun intended: Moebius is all about appearing wrapped around in continuous loops) when first learning this technique.

This certainly was true in class last night ~
you could almost see the smoke coming off the top of every knitter's head as the brain cells worked overtime whilst attempting the tricky cast-on with big circular needles and yarn.
The cast-on as well as the first row don't look anything like a typical cast-on or knitting stitches.
Whaaaaaaaa?

Someone asked' "Who made up this crazy technique?!?".
The answer to that is "Mobius". (The name gets spelled at least two ways.)
August Ferdinand Mobius ~ mathematician, topologist.
Credit for the design is sometimes also given to Johann Benedict Listing.
As it is in all too many instances where brilliant ideas are conceptualized, credit is not always accurately attributed to the individuals, groups or cultures of origin. Granted, the lines are oftentimes blurred as to who did what and when...

But that's nit-picking with historical content and context, with perhaps a bit of politics tossed into the mix.
We need not go there today for we're talking crafting fun.
Let's just go with the flow. Mister Moebius it is.

To add to the confusion, Moebius projects don't get knitted from the bottom up or the top down. They are knitted from the center out - both sides simultaneously.
Huh?

I'm hard-pressed to learn the new knitting tricks associated with Moebius, I don't get the math and topology hurts my brain, but dagnabbit - I am going to learn how to do this.
In the long run, knitting in this style promises to be a good time ~ y'all know how I love my good times wracked with a fair amount of frustration.

As the beautiful projects emerge from those extra long 47" - 60" circulars (kept coiled round in two parallel lines with only one crossing, like a train switching track!), I feel confident that someday soon, I too will be a yarn magician!!!

In the meantime, all other projects are ON HOLD,
or progressing at snail's pace...




Wish me luck with all of the above.
I'll need it.

Gone - but not forgotten

I'm getting set to head out on a road trip to the Southwest very soon.
Wish I could stop here en route to look at all the coooooool old signs from Las Vegas casinos that are no more.

I've been to Vegas more times than I care to remember.
Most of the trips were for biz, with each visit averaging a week = way too many days for a non-gambler like myself.
I'm definitely not a Vegasophile, and the novelty of the glittering façades, 24 hour gambling and other adult entertainment on The Strip wears off pretty darn quick.

Yet the glitz and glam of Early Vegas actually holds some appeal.
The highlight of a recent trip to VivaLand was seeing the Early Vegas casino signs on Fremont Street. Looking at those dozen or so refurbished signs, even I could wax nostalgic about this town.

Salvaged from gambling establishments that have met the wrecking ball, old casino signs typically end up at the 'sign graveyard' - their ultimate fate yet to be determined.

Once impressive thresholds that served to welcome guests into fancy gambling establishments; the signs now display faded chipped paint and rusted metal, with nearly every lightbulb broken or missing.
The collection is a treasure trove, nonetheless!
Just use a little imagination...

Would love the opportunity to pay my respects before the signs completely disintegrate into the surrounding desert dust. However, the place seems to open only for group* tours by appointment.
*Anyone want to form a group and go (but not for a whole week)?

New Year's Exercise Resolutions at the start of May

Last week I finally quit the exercise program that I've been doing for over 5 years.
Why? I just haven't been getting myself to 'the gym' on a regular basis.

As I've posted before, the workout at 'Curves' has lost its charm for me. Novelty wore off some time ago. It became a boring workout. I could barely tolerate some of the music.
In the last 6-9 months, I've only managed to get to 'Curves' twice a week, sometimes only once, other weeks I skip altogether. The only thing I end up exercising is the automatic checkbook debit of a monthly stipend towards the Gary Heavin (uh) cause (ahem).

So - no more 'Curving' for me.
It was a good run while it lasted.
C'est fini.

Without this program to lean on as a mental crutch and rationale ('It's OK if I eat another couple of helpings, I go to 'Curves' regularly and can work it off')(lies lies) - I confess to being a wee bit panicked now as to what I'll be doing or not doing as far as the 'e' word.
Fitting exercise into my day will be the biggest challenge.

I often resent taking time to exercise when I'd rather be painting
or cooking or chatting with friends.
If only I were better at multi-tasking.

Short of that, here's Plan B:

1. HD is supposedly making a major purchase of a kayak in the not-too-distant, so we'll be sure to get out onto a placid, lovely, calm, uncrowded lake fairly regularly, as we do live in a forested lake, river, hiking, horseback and OHV riding, bicycling recreational area and so we'll be looking ahead to getting some good upper body workouts by paddling.
2. I'm currently building a small library (ooooh, another library!) of about a half dozen exercise DVDs, which I am determined to USE.
   

The exercise library already contains:

• A.M./ P.M. s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g tape
  
• a Buns of Steel tape
• a basic yoga DVD
  
• an abs strengthening DVD
  
• and I've got one of those jump rope stretchy band things with which I can do a modified version of the Curves resistance stretches here at home - to my own tunes!
  

I tried this one last week, and will soon add it to the mix.

Wish me luck and puh-leeese - don't ever drop by when I'm working out. You'd double over with laughter (though a hearty laff is probably very good for your abs).

Anyways.
My plan is to rotate these videos/DVDs for a new exercise regimen (promises promises), alternating with the occasional (better than never) hop on my Nordictrack and/or a 2 mile walk once or twice a week (uh-huh) and skimming the waterways in that aforementioned kayak.

I can already feel the weight coming off, the strength building, the hula hips effortlessly rolling clockwise, counterclockwise....
squeeze....contract....

I sense pulling and pushing against the pressure of lake water against the kayak paddle...

My mind in the yoga zen zone....

The stash of cookies in the kitchen cupboard softly calling out to me...