I (Heart) Libraries.

Troy Library from Jennie Hochthanner on Vimeo.

'I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.'" - Oliver Wendell Holmes

For today. I am thankful for Kevin Smith, people who will let you laugh as loudly as you like and not shy away, summer duvets and indoor plumbing.

I have purple sneakers on order.

Where I Am

It's late Sunday afternoon, deep in the Santa Rosa hills. The Steven is inside with his handsome Zen Teacher and his wife. I am taking advantage of being of no purpose and, after testing various spots, have found a corner of the half finished deck over looking the garden to read my book, knit my latest sock and talk to you. I must have picked a good place as there is a very large dog bed as well as a meditation cushion and mat just to my left. Zowie one of the two sheparding dogs shows up every 10 minutes to make sure I've not wandered off.

The air is blue with eucalyptus and oak with a big handfull of orange herbs thrown in. There are more birds and butterflies that can be counted. The sun is going down. It might be Eden even with the hawks and turkey vultures.

My nose is running. Disgustingly.

Oh. Dear. GHAWD. They have sheep! Wacky four-horned sheep!
 

Time to Lie Down

I do not know if it's fucking allergies or some godforsaken virus that's hopped the species divide from Lola to Otis to Finn to Yours Truly but I am all asniffle. After a morning in the South Bay, I am back at home in bed with Finnoula (who is feeling better).

Ma & I went to the Mark Adams show at the San Jose Quilting museum, mostly pieces were massive woven tapestry pieces from 1950s to 1990s. Very curious and greatly varied. Photos and links to follow. Turns out there is a massive mural by Mark Adams I walk by every day, not two blocks from here.

Asked Mum straight up if she loved my Dad and she said "Yes." straight up. Surprised me. Huh!

Friday Notes

Reading: Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser. I picked this up at the rented condo in Tahoe late last month. When I came home I bought my own hardcopy, further proving that  ten cent books with $3.99 in shipping through Amazon threaten to collapse every bookshelf in the house even though every corner of the house is filled.  I am charmed by the writer's story telling.
Mary of Guise was cute as peaches. Mary of Scots' execution was spectacularly horrifying and well documented, down to hand drawn diagrams.

Work: Z'okay no, actually. I actually get to breathe and not stress over every flipping piece of paper.

Medication: My meds have taken a dip and some very funky turns have left me staring exactly where I was a decade ago. Hopefully the rebalancing and sunshine will help.

On the Needles: The world's ugliest socks composed of bits and pieces of  leftovers I haven't the heart to pitch. It's been a lesson, wearing and making socks. I wear nothing but the handmade and they damn well better be up to the washer and dryer. As much as I adore the hand-dyed and handspun, most are up to the task of living in my clogs 10 hours at a time. There is a pile of socks seven pair deep that now require darning which is a none too pleasant task. If they were lesser objects, I'd just pitch them. As it is: the yarn alone cost more than $20 (Malabrigo, Socks that Rock) in varying lacy patterns. Even in the most basic socks (64 stitches around on size 2.25 mm dlp needles) that can be knitted as I walk, read, watch movies take at the very least a week to make a single one. Lace confections take longer.

Missing Pieces

The number of people I'm truly fond of is very small.  They include many people I've never met face to face and people I've known my entire life.

When one goes missing or passes on, I feel this vortex in the space they used to occupy. I wonder if I miss them more because my circle is so very small. It's getting smaller all the time.

I'll be looking into this: Line by Line.

Color Envy

From WNYC: RadioLab Episode: Colors!
Dogs have two color receptors (blue and yellow), humans have three (red, blue and green) and the mantis shrimp has 15! Fifteen! And look! Isn't he pretty?

http://planetanimalzone.blogspot.com/2012/05/mantis-shrimp-amazing-beautiful.html

Brought into focus by the Memorial Day Weekend

In a fit of brilliant generosity The Steven took us away for an extended long weekend to beautiful Lake Tahoe, right in the crook of the Nevada/CA border.

Two things were resolved:
1. The rest of the state is much cleaner than our neighborhood. The filth and despair of the environment is quite crushing.
2. Neither one of us very much likes company of people when we are trying to relax. Even the opposite espouse can be a bit trying while hip-deep in a good book.

The lake was glorious, icy and perfectly clear. The sky went from all kinds of weather but once we were parked, the sun shone, the breeze was mild and the air was sweet.

Monday Thought Dump

• Researching: Luchessa Boots. Holy... people pay a lot for those. I've always wanted a pair of red boots, but this is beyond belief. And the ankle to calf ratio is not quite right. 
• Daily Craving: hot chocolate around 11 AM 
• Tortured by: Cold feet and hands when everything else is balmy goodness. 
• Status of the Porch Cat Lola: In her house, mostly snoozing. Still too skinny. 
• Currently Loving: Periodicals on the Kindle Fire. Perfect use of the media and for midnight reading in bed. 
• Today's best thing about California: Citrus in abundance. 
• The Bum Brigade Status of People's Park: damp and slightly more unhinged that usual.
• Deeply Loving: CrankyPressman's Guide to Letterpress.

Our New House God

An Email to Dad

Hi, Da. I cleaned the house today a bit more thoroughly than I have lately. It's not a great priority, but I hauled out my cleaning toolkit and went to work. That little yellow Fuller brush with its locking green dustpan? I use it every day, probably as much as you use the back scrubber cloth. I love that thing. I probably would not have owned that thing if you didn't think it good enough to spread onto your kids. Therefore: Thanks, Da. I've a little less disgusting grit in my life, thanks to you. - Mme.

Thursday Thought Dump/

Random thoughts:

• A word I often think in Berkeley, but would never/ever say: Hag!
• The Magnum Double Caramel Bar is waaaaaay too sweet.
• Too sweet to the point of being inedible: McDonalds' Sweet Tea. Before my first mouthful I had never spat out anything in the street, in public. Oh, awful.
• I love my new bed. Love, love, love.
  

Links to look into later.

• Contrariwise: Literary Tattoos.
• Ray Bradbury short autobiographical story.

The Steven rented Source Code last week. Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Wright, the lovely Vera Farmiga. I did not even remember it hitting the theaters or hearing anything about it.

We ditched the cable outside of basic about eight months ago when money started getting tight and have been Netflixing/Amazon Download/Hulu-ing our media lately. Other than my one click of Jon Stewart Fix, I'm not missing it much. (Call me when The Kardashians/Hiltons and Housewives fall out of programming.)

I'd actually add this to the growing list of Zen movies. For those who have their suspicions about self, time and being

• Groundhog Day
• Being There
• Fight Club

Some say the first two Matrix movies, but I fail to see it. I actually rather eat glass than watch Keaneau Reeves "act".

At no time does Jake flash his amazing six-pack abs. Which is fine. I was busy oggling Vera.

My beautiful landlords have adopted two small black kittens. Both gents are frequent Facebookers so I reckon we'll have kitten TV soon as well.

Speaking of Kittens:
Finoula is massive now, completely at odds with our expectations. Otis is a sleek wire of electricity. He begs.

• Lipstick: MAC - 'Till Tomorrow (This is the workday default.) I have been wearing another MAC red I like.
• Perfume: CB I Hate Perfume Russian Caravan Tea
• Polish: None. Still got some weekend garden gunge worked into cracks in my palms. This does not convey sophistication.

Damn, Allan Rickman is sexy.