A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves. No wonder the hills and groves were God's first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself. ~John Muir
1/31/2009
1/30/2009
I, robot
Really excited about the upgrade. Love the new sleek and shiny look and it feels so good!
I'll be hurting tonite, though. Getting a new leg is far harder than breaking in a new pair of shoes. It's like hiking 20 miles in new stiff hiking boots that go all the way up to your crotch (not complaining, though--happy, happy, happy).
1/29/2009
green
This picture could've been more artfully rendered, but despite that, I love looking at it.
Green.
Some days I just need that shade of green.
What colors are capturing your attention today?
1/28/2009
my steps
For the past few weeks/months I've been eking away at some projects, step by-step:
--creating an exercise habit. I've been working out 6 days/week since early September. It's not always easy to fit in and I don't always enjoy the effort, but I love how important it's become in my life and how good I'm feeling these days.
--reconnecting with an old favorite activity, canoeing, as I learn how how to paddle outrigger-style. A friend's been taking me out on the Back Bay periodically through the holidays and I've decided to join a team so I can train more intensely and race. I can't believe that I'm nearly 40 and I've just joined up with a new team sport. It's amazing the places this journey of my life takes me.
--getting a spiffy new c-leg because mine's an old out-of-warranty model. I had various fittings over the past 2 months and if all goes well I'll have it in hand (or rather, on foot) Friday morning. This one will have a remote control. I kid you not. And no way am I telling my teenage kids where I'm hiding that little gizmo (no replay of "The Wrong Trousers" happening around here, I say)
--working diligently on my academic projects, including the first final draft of the diphtheria chapter for my dissertation. It's a love/hate thing: love the process of history-making, hate that my intentions are always loftier than what emerges on the page. I love/hate diphtheria, too--love learning about the disease (fascinating stuff, that), hate the sorrow and horror of lives lost to it.
--finding novels again. For awhile I'd given them up, having grown weary of reading (not an unimaginable thing when you realize that I digest 4-10 books/week for my "work"). While in NYC I discovered books all over again. The joy! I've been coming home with a stack of novels from the library each week and am simply devouring them. I allow myself to read in that space of time after the daily work is done and I'm not quite yet ready for sleep. I just finished _The Blind Assassin_ and started _Arrowsmith_ last night.
How about you, what steps have you been taking lately?
talisman
“Love is the vital essence that pervades and permeates, from the center to the circumference, the graduating circles of all thought and action. Love is the talisman of human weal and woe--the open sesame to every soul.”
~Elizabeth Cady Stanton
(a favorite foremother/suffragist)
1/26/2009
if this is you...
If, when you saw a posting on Freecycle for 12(!) rosebushes, you realized that they were just calling your name..."Jana," they said...and you thought to yourself just how much those rosebushes would cost and just how much you would enjoy them, you probably didn't think twice before you told that person that you could pick them up on Saturday and then told yourself that despite the rain you could surely dig 12 deep holes in your garden for those bushes this weekend.
And you may have even thought twice about this ridiculous project when you realized that the rosebushes were ancient, with ginormous (20-40lb) rootballs and you knew that you would be doing much of the toting yourself...to the car...to the garden....to finding exactly the right spot within the garden. And not to mention those holes that would need digging.
And if this is you, you really meant it when you told your son how glad you were that he was now a teenager, because he could lift the bushes even better than you. And you are singing the praises of leather gloves after blood running down your arms from those thorns(!). But you have just finished hole #8 and have just three more to go tomorrow (#12 rosebush went to a friend) and you...you have no regrets at all.
1/25/2009
I ♥ dilly.
No tattoos on this body of mine, just John's temporary doodles.
Did you know John calls me "Dilly"? I love that he's had this special name for me ever since our honeymoon...
PS: See the table and candles in the background? This pic was taken just after meditation.
1/24/2009
a Perfect Gift.
John collects images of The Last Supper. John hearts cephalopods.
CatGirl does a mashup sketch of both for him for Xmas. She is so awesome! :)
1/23/2009
1/22/2009
a bit sleepless
A day or two ago my lower leg started turning red hot and swollen. I think, now, that it's just the result of a spider bite, but is it any wonder that I've found it pretty hard to sleep for the past couple of nights?
Note: pic above was taken in May of last year, about a month after the injury that resulted in my 6-month encounter with an antibiotic-resistant infection
1/21/2009
fyi...
Dear Sting:
Not your best look, my friend. Even though we do all love the Gorton Fisherman....
Not your best look, my friend. Even though we do all love the Gorton Fisherman....
historic
All the time I was watching yesterday's events I kept thinking "we were just there!" I think it made the inauguration feel so much more close and personal to our kids. :)
1/20/2009
trains and tears
I didn't get teary-eyed today until I saw this. Trains+Obama=magic!!
(Do you know just how thrilled I am that his train took some of that same route that we went on just a few short weeks ago and I won't even take the time to whine about the woman who sat in the windowseat and prevented me from taking any pics as we passed through 4 states (sheesh)!)
(Do you know just how thrilled I am that his train took some of that same route that we went on just a few short weeks ago and I won't even take the time to whine about the woman who sat in the windowseat and prevented me from taking any pics as we passed through 4 states (sheesh)!)
1/18/2009
cowgirl
When I was in NYC I picked out all kinds of interesting strangers to start conversations with. In this case, it was a quirky youngish Japanese girl in a cow costume. Others were french fry afficianados, bookstore proprietors, bakery customers, or fellow subway riders. Nearly every random conversation turned into a memorable encounter. John wrote about one particularly serendipitous exchange here.
I'm not usually the type of person who'll strike up a conversation with whoever happens to be nearby. But I think I might just have to change that from here on out.....
What about you? Have you ever had a particularly memorable encounter when chatting with a stranger?
cemetery
John knows that I find cemeteries fascinating, and along with the requisite train ride, I think a cemetery visit is a must when I/we travel. This one was rather forlorn and I couldn't get any close-ups because the gates were locked (as was the case with all the NYC cemeteries that we happened upon). It had the most vigorous squirrel population I've ever seen--the ground was crawling with them.
there is no blue...
~Vincent Van Gogh
My craving for sky blue (as if I don't get enough of it outside every day) inspired me to paint the wall behind our bed this lovely color (and it helped that I scored the paint on Freecycle, too).
It's really amazing how much peace the blue has brought to our bedroom space.
However despite my fondness for blue, I've also been craving orange--I love how warm and alive it feels. Each morning I burn a small orange candle for my morning meditation and I love wearing orange, too.
Une orange sur la table
Ta robe sur le tapis
Et toi dans mon lit
Doux présent de la présent
Fraîcheur de la nuit
Chaleur de ma vie
~Jacques Prevert
1/17/2009
just three
On one of our days in NYC we went on a tour of indie bookshops with cats. I know it sounds odd, but it was a very Remy way to spend a day in a new city.
In Alabaster Books (which is around the corner from The Strand and doesn't appear to have a website), this sweetie came right up to me for lovin'. It was obvious that she'd recently had surgery and when we asked the guy behind the counter, he explained that she'd just had her stitches removed that morning--from surgery to amputate one of her hind legs due to cancer. Of course I loved that story and I loved that kitty. And I added a few pounds to my suitcase with purchases from Alabaster. :)
1/14/2009
he's picking some nits
Allright internets, I'll be the first to admit that I make up words all the time and even innovate on my spelling occasionally and on purpose. Sometimes I even abandon punctuation altogether. Sometimes. Nit-picky, indeed.
I say, relax and let your fingers have some fun, Mr. Luker...
I say, relax and let your fingers have some fun, Mr. Luker...
1/13/2009
just so you know
--those blue streaks in my hair...well, I most certainly did not violate my resolve to not dye my hair.
--so my dissertation adviser now eavesdrops on my blog. How's a person supposed to blog guilt-free when she knows that there's research and writing to be done?
--I swam an easy 1000m at lunch today, trying to keep cool in the nearly-90 degree heat. When I came home I looked rather longingly at the pile of sweaters from my trip that I'll probably never wear here in SoCal.
--had the heebie-jeebies last night after reading the "finding the murdered body" scene in this book
. Ghastly, creepy stuff, that. Ugh.
--have been thinking about my costume for this upcoming event when it dawned on me that I already have an Edwardian-era dress--that white one I wore on a rather important occasion 16 years ago. Do you want to take bets on whether it still fits? And I wonder, for events such as this one if being period-correct is really that important, or is it just an excuse to wear a corset and garter belt?
--my mailbox has been chock-full of this kind of porn lately--what about yours?
PS: the blue streaks match the color of the new blue wall in my bedroom...
--so my dissertation adviser now eavesdrops on my blog. How's a person supposed to blog guilt-free when she knows that there's research and writing to be done?
--I swam an easy 1000m at lunch today, trying to keep cool in the nearly-90 degree heat. When I came home I looked rather longingly at the pile of sweaters from my trip that I'll probably never wear here in SoCal.
--had the heebie-jeebies last night after reading the "finding the murdered body" scene in this book
. Ghastly, creepy stuff, that. Ugh. --have been thinking about my costume for this upcoming event when it dawned on me that I already have an Edwardian-era dress--that white one I wore on a rather important occasion 16 years ago. Do you want to take bets on whether it still fits? And I wonder, for events such as this one if being period-correct is really that important, or is it just an excuse to wear a corset and garter belt?
--my mailbox has been chock-full of this kind of porn lately--what about yours?
PS: the blue streaks match the color of the new blue wall in my bedroom...
1/12/2009
1/11/2009
simple savings
Given the economic crunch I know we're all trying to save money these days(!). I find it hard to do so sometimes when I'm also committed to eating healthily and buying fresh local produce. Because of course hotdogs & fruit roll-ups (blegh) are cheaper than anything free range or organic!
Back in the stone ages when I was a college undergrad and I took a nutrition class, our teacher recommended that the best way to stay healthy and spend less on groceries was to skip the middle aisles (read: processed foods) and only buy items on the periphery of the market (produce, dairy, bulk grains, etc). Of course it's not that easy!
One way we've saved money and lived closer to our values over the past few months is to subscribe to a CSA plan that offers a weekly "veggie box" of fresh produce from a local farm (produce in image above is just a sampling from one week of goodies). I plan our meals so we eat 2 or 3 dinners and several lunch salads from each box. Yum!
I came across an article today that discusses how the author cut her grocery bill by 75% without having to sacrifice buying organic and healthy items and though you all would appreciate reading it and seeing if you could save as much, too.
Another idea I'm toying with is hosting regular potlucks where everyone cooks a dish to share--which would save me some cooking time and I'd get to enjoy the variety of others' culinary efforts. This idea appeals to me on several levels--because I love spending time with friends and I think sharing the mealtime workload makes a lot more sense than everyone individually cooking well-rounded meals.
As long as you've dropped by, why don't you drop your best grocery money-saving tips in the comments for all of us to benefit from!
Photo by John
1/09/2009
the side benefits of making history
The job prospects for historians are pretty grim these days. I don't know if all my hard work from the past few years will yield a position when I'm done, but I'm trying not to think too hard about that just yet. I'm just concentrating on enjoying each day of grad school and maximizing the many opportunities that come my way.
The catalysts for our family trip to the East coast were my research in DC-area archives and my attendance at the annual AHA Meeting in NYC--both of which were fantastic experiences. There might not be much money in pursuing a career in history-making, but the travel benefits are terrific. Most of my trips this past year have been related to my archival work and I have enjoyed all of them. Some days I pinch myself even as I wonder how I could be so fortunate.
1/07/2009
homecoming reflections
I thought I might start a list of all the amazing people we both met and met up with during our trip...but I realized that it would be nearly impossible to recount them all...
Like our Boston trip over a year ago, I continue to be awed by all the goodness that I find in the humans (and kitties) that cross my path, and words just can't do justice to the kindnesses and memory-making moments.
This year is already off to such a fantastic beginning...so many upcoming adventures for me and for all of you. I can't wait to see what lies ahead!
Photo above (by John) is of me & Marta--she opened her home to us and was not only super-hostess but also super-chauffeur.
1/06/2009
art
We spent a lot of time in art galleries in NYC and I think the installation pictured above was our favorite of the bunch. Surprisingly, this gallery, AdHoc, is sponsoring an exhibit of Brooklyn street art at John's fav LA gallery this month (Thinkspace). We're looking forward to visiting and remembering our time spent wandering the local art scene..
:)
1/04/2009
she is so very lovely
John and I, we make gorgeous babies (at least IMO). In a prophetic moment around the time of CatGirl's birth, John stated that she would someday be a light that would "outshine us all." I see some of that here--the reservoir of potential that feeds her creative spirit.
Photo by John.
1/02/2009
survey says...
recent outerwear survey:
John: 2 new prs gloves & new coat
Jana: new shoes, socks & pashmina scarf
GB: gloves missing (but he has deep pockets)
CG: coat went missing for 15 min until found on metro (whew)
East Coast, we love you anyways...
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