tree

Part of a tree that was taken out of our yard and forgotten about until we cleaned up back there recently.

Times Square makes me dizzy.

For 10.5 years, I worked in the heart of Times Square.

And for 2 years, I lived there--just west of all the madness.

The energy there is frantic.

And it's even worse at night.

And even MORE frightening when you have vertigo.

This picture captured what it feels like.

Always Blowing

Have I posted this before? I don't think so, although I feel like I have.

See that big fan in the carport, next to the front door of this neighbor's house? It's always there. It's always blowing, full blast. Notice how it's right up against the wall? It's always in that spot. When I walk by at all hours of the day or night, the front door is sometimes open, or it might be shut tight; the people are sometimes home, or they might be off at work. And still the fan is always there, always blowing.

Blowing the evil spirits away?

neighborly fruit

Pomegranates growing in abundance over the wall of my neighbor's house; I have to share with the birds but I'm ok with that.

GRACE

Went to see an outstanding play on Broadway tonight:

GRACE by Craig Wright

(at Cort Theatre)

Only 4 actors: Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon, Kate Arrington and Ed Asner.

Fantastic writing.  Fantastic acting.  Fantastic production.

A rare treat in NYC.

Patterns

Old patterns and new paint on the front of our house.

Another Paper in the Wall

 
Today, two layers of paneling came off the bedroom wall. 

And tucked inside we found another sweet surprise.
A note left by a previous owner says:

"Remodeled by J.C. Clayton
Oct 4th 1966
House built 1935 by others"

 We're thinking that we'll put the note back in the wall when the new drywall goes up. Maybe we'll add something of our own from 2012. Any suggestions of what we should add?

Job's Tears

A bracelet made from Job's Tears

(from Kahakuloa, Maui)

and white elastic cording.

cat can art

My grandson's art installation "cat food on the window sill".....

Tourists in raincoats

Numbers Without a House

This is an empty hillside. There is no house here. But someone went to the trouble to put up some edging, plant some flowers, and set up an illuminated address.

rear view

The view from the side mirror as the tow truck pulls our car home....

In Need of Repair

Next week, they'll start pulling apart our bedroom. I lay on the bed taking pictures of the walls and the ceiling, feeling sad to be losing more of the quirks of our house. But then I looked through the pictures and noticed how worn and dirty and completely in need of repair everything is. Not sad anymore.

cat casualty

This guy sacrificed his life to be a gift Boots the cat presented at our door step.

Huge Bird of Paradise

I've decided to concentrate more of my entries close to home. I walk our hill several times a day. Every time I walk it feels like a new neighborhood - every time I see something that makes me stop and notice. But usually I have forgotten my camera. No more.

drive without distractions

Thankful this is all that happened when a woman checking her GPS on her cell phone rear ended my husband in his parked postal vehicle.

Out of place

Yesterday I was with a friend
She: a white woman who'd grown up among the Maori of New Zealand

Me: a white man who teaches an ancient Hawaiian tradition

And we came across a wild turkey, digging for grubs and worms

in Battery Park--the very bottom tip of a very urban

New York City

All of us "out of place" in our community

and yet all of us managing to survive

(and perhaps even thrive)

Freeway walker

While I was on the 101 fwy, I saw this woman walking along side; didn't see a broken down car or anything.

The How of It

Art college for the fine artist is all about the why of it - theory and critique. It's all about figuring out why you are making art.

In art college, very little is directed to the how of it. No one taught me how to prepare a canvas or organize a palette of colors. No one showed me how Rembrandt or Rubens painted.

Now, it's time to learn the how.

I'm taking a painting class that is the exact opposite of the painting classes I had in college. This one is all technique and no content. No one here cares why I'm painting; they only care how.  A hard mental switch, and a slow process of painting. But I'm happy.

The underdrawing on my carefully prepared wooden panel

Lucky Penny

I pick up coins from the ground. Even pennies. I pick them up, put them in my pocket, and feel richer and wiser and luckier. 

 Every day, when I walk the dog, I see this penny. I want to pick it up and put it in my pocket. But this penny mocks me. When our street was resurfaced, someone placed a penny on the wet tar and pressed it just enough to embed it. It shines and winks at me everyday. "Pick me up. You know you want to."