I am currently reading the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and it is SUCH a great book. This should be required reading for 9th graders so they can know what to look for in their life and take opportunity's that knock.
I also finally re-subscribed to Creativity Magazine, which I love. I always look forward to getting that in the mail.
The other magazines I read are New York Magazine, Time Out New York, Ready Made and anything the comes from the One Club or the Art Directors Club. All critical reading.
Online, I always check Fanionista, Media Post, BBC and CNN as well as twitter scan, flicker, and Facebook.
I update netflix every week too.
And now that The Wire is over, I found I am completely addicted to Mad Men. Season 2 is even better and I finished that on Christmas!
NYC,
I love you in so many ways. Even when that kid was rapping Ice Cube lyrics LOUDLY next to me this morning on the packed train - I kinda loved you more just then.
And I will miss all the wonderful moments that you have intoxicated me with. The random stars I see on my lunch break in Soho, the fun Brooklyn weekends relaxing with my friends and wandering the neighborhoods, the graffiti hunts that you and I go on together, the great one-week-only pop up stores by great designers, the crazy people, the good food, the AMAZING community in NYC and BROOKLYN like NO WHERE ELSE ON EARTH. The museums, the yelling loud people the ARE MY PEOPLE.
With you - it didn't matter that I was loud. You loved me anyway. In fact, you only cheered me on.
Coney Island, the Bronx Zoo, 5 Pointz, the Guggenheim, mid town, soho, greenpoint, williamsburg, all of it.
I will miss you. And I will be back.
I just have to take this job in Colorado for a bit.
I won't forget you.
As much as you change - you never really do.
xoxo
L
Turn the sound up on this - I made it for you
that's bush league.
...up in my junk..
I have no horses in this race...
back the fuck up a minute.. you said what again?
swear to g.
I wrote this for a little kid I used to take care.
They wiggle and wobble
and creep and crawl
they hide in the cracks
and under the wall
These creatures live in hard to get places
they slip under steps
and leave without traces
They are silent and mighty
and quiet and slow
but they run very fast
if they see your big toe
I used to be scared
and I used to scream and run
at the very sight
of just one little one
But now I know better
that these creatures are our friends
and all of that screaming
just scared them
These spiders are animals
and not something to fear
they bring good luck
from what I hear
They won't hurt you
if you leave them alone
they are minding their own business
peacefully on their own
They weave webs out of silk
something I cannot do
that glisten after rain
and in the morning dew
So next time you see a spider
just say hello
keep doing what you are doing
and just let it go
I always mean to write down things I saw, or thought or heard on here and for reason, I always forget what it was that I was going to write. But the sunset over NYC tonight was so incredible, it inspired me to write.
I have been researching a ton of graffiti artists - cause I do that anyway - but this time it's work related. The cool thing about where I work is that we always want to incorporate the coolest designers, artists, and illustrators into our work and we look all over the Burroughs for it. And it's my job to find them, talk to them, make friends with them. This part of my job I love. Cause I do get to meet all kinds of people and see crazy studios that most people don't get to see.
I signed up for grad school this fall - I am starting online classes again September 17th. I am super excited about this.
just a few things that make me happy these days
- knowing now how to wind my way through the streets of quincy to the weymouth bridge and 3A
- it being 8:47pm and just walking back from a swim in the ocean
- seeing the family of Canadian geese with their goslings who live at the rotary of 3A and rt 123
- the slow playground sign with the little 50's style girl on it, in hanover
- work and my coworkers, and the fact that one gave me some amazing fancy office supplies the week of my birthday, not knowing it was my birthday, just knowing i would like them
- being far away from things that cause me pain and where i cause disappointment to my friends
- my holga and the anticipation that comes with working with real film
- my Shiloh
- the thought of gardening in my new house, the thought of moving into my house
- planting morning glories
- being brave enough to go to a classic car show on my own and actually talk to people
- taking a class to learn how to make lampglass beads
- my dorky rocktumblers
- my friends who get it
- my massive seaglass collection and trying to figure out how to turn them into outsider art
- my pen and ink drawings - my zentangles
- plans to learn italian
- my new hope anchor tattoo
- my family, including the cousins coming out of the woodwork on facebook
- the Cats vs the Dogs - risd baseball, next game august 2008
- knitting and someday figuring out the mysteries of crochet
- Addie and Silas
- care packages from awesome friends
- making care packages for awesome friends
- the wind turbine in Hull, which actually says 'Hull' on the side, just in case you didn't know where you were
- the 2 skeleton keys a friend picked up for me in maine last weekend, esp the one marked with 666, how many people can say the have the key to hell?
my back porch here overlooks a field, which abuts a marshy area. since i've been here it's been overgrown with grasses growing waist length in areas. growing best where the sea had deposited seaweed washed across the street and pooled in the marshier spots. today though there was a man out there with a rider mower trying to tame these wild grasses and clean things up for the summer tourists. as i sat out there watching the clouds and his progress, was amazed when after one close pass to my deck, when he drove away, the sky was filled with flying creatures. looking closer, i saw that they were large dragonflies. they were to fast to count as they darted about, but close enough to see their double wings and large size, there had to be upwards of fifty of them, all zinging about. it was incredible. they settled as the mower moved to the other side of the field, but as he approached again, they again took flight. i'd never seen so many, and it made me wonder if they had little gallivespian riders with their poisonous spurs scoping out the landscape. (yes i'm a dork and love philip pullman's trilogy). this was a sight that i have to commit to memory, as it couldn't have been captured by a camera, not even a holga.
Walking down the street in my neighborhood the other day I saw this elderly woman open her apartment door that opens directly onto the sidewalk about 20 yards in front of me. She looked both ways. She was carrying a large bucket of water, one that I couldn't believe she could hold in one hand, and a small cooking pot in the other. I thought to myself "This is going to be interesting..." As I was still moving towards her, she brought it out and then I realized what she was doing. She was watering the flowers around a sidewalk tree. Then I noticed she had built up the sides of the small garden with wood around the tree so that dogs couldn't tear it up. They were a good three feet up off the sidewalk and all the way around.
The city doesn't pay her to do that. In fact, both trees in front of her building have that. And her building is a pretty run down building, around the corner from a very old polish church that I love in a very polish neighborhood.
Something about that and seeing her do that, made me really happy. That there are people doing small little things to make their neighborhood, their life and the lives of all who walk by and see it.... just a little bit better, a little bit happier.
I have been thinking a lot lately about trying to always leave people, places and things just a little bit better than when you found them so the next person who comes along can enjoy it just that much more and how important that concept is to me. I think about when I stay at people's houses and I clean up before I leave. When I talk to people on the phone I want to make sure that I make them laugh at least one good laugh and that I talk to whomever waits on me at restaurants.
A few weeks ago a friend of mine died. Two weeks yesterday.
Now I know that when people die, people wax poetic about how special they were. And this is not going to be any different. But I will say this - the world is less wonderful because he is gone and for those of you who didn't get the fun, silly, happy, goofy, hilarious, loved, tender, pleasure filled experience of meeting him - it's your loss too. And for that, I am sorry for your loss also.
So it has made me think about a few things in my grieving process.
One - I want to be more like him to carry his life on somehow. And by that I mean, I need to reach out more and make better friends with people I meet. Cause that was who he was. He put people at ease immediately.
Two - I need to spend more time concentrating on the living.
I am starting to feel like my head is once again attached to my body and I am starting to think clearly again. But I am so sad that we can't go get him back. I know he is doing fine though, on some wonderful adventure enjoying himself and completely free of human pain.
So today, I watered my plants, I sent packages out to some friends, and I cleaned my house. I am dropping off my laundry and then going to see a movie. This is the first weekend I have been home in a month and the mental downtime was more than needed.
Deep breath. Deep breath.
This photo is from my mom's porch from last summer. She grew these.
Speaking of Tango…
I am; have been rather, taking an Argentine Tango class. I’m in the last week of a four-week extension class to the eight-week beginner class that ended a few weeks ago. Though you may not believe it coming from me, I can definitely say without doubt and a huge grin on my face, that I absolutely LOVE it. Did you hear me Ames, I love to Tango! Who would have thought? Currently, I am seeking an intermediate class to meet up with my dance partners’ work schedule. I can’t wait to continue – more on this to come. I am also working on some new material to post describing my latest camping trip up north.
Ames,
I can't believe I moved to Nova Scotia! I didn't think it was possible to work in advertising and still live near the ocean in this way. Halifax is like a little Boston, with parts that have cobblestone walks and lots of tiny shops. Filled with tons of Mc's and it's cool because if you drive far enough away from the city, you can hear people speak gaelic (grrrrrrrr)
The place I am working for is owned by a major world-wide agency and I know I could go anywhere but this is really the best place for me. Thanks for making me look that up. It's cool - we work on major accounts for Canada. Really different from NYC but I like it a lot more.
The winters are crazy on this Island I hear. There are parts where boats have to go and bring food to them during the winter but that is a good 10 hours away from me, at least. I have met so many awesome people up here and I really love it. I miss being able to see my parents whenever I want though. They are driving up here in a few weeks to visit. There are a ton of Irish pubs up here and the fish and chips flow like water :)
We just got a dog! His name is Connor. He is a brown lab and he is the cutest thing ever. He is still learning to pee outside but he will figure it out. I also got a used kayak so that is cool. There are so many cool things to see here. It feels so far away though and I have to figure out how I can go back and fourth on the airlines. I hate those little planes.
I am almost done with my masters! Two classes left. That is cool. It's nice to know that I completed it. Expensive but worth it. I have been gardening a lot too. And collecting sea glass. I will never catch up to Andrea though. She has all the luck when it comes to that. Wilcox should be visiting me soon. I hope. I want her to move here. She will love it when she comes here.
My truck is in tough shape. I wish I could get a little car but the winters would kill it. I am going to get a old beater pick up so we can go kayaking, camping, or swimming whenever we want.
It's kinda strange to be with only white people again. There are some people on this island that have never been off it! Can you believe that? I don't know ames.... we might buy a house here.
I think my mom is trying to convince my dad that they should move here. If we get a house I might have them move in on the first floor, at least for a month or so in the summer. I think they could use the break.
The farmers markets here are cool. I wish everyone would move here! Dave and Mark might come up this summer too. Dave says hi btw. He finished his degree and is actually thinking about getting his teaching certificate to teach high school students.
Well - I love you and hope you are doing awesome. Thanks for the quilt in the mail - I LOVE IT! I am going to take these glass blowing classes as soon as I am done with these last few classes this semester and send you something awesome.
Come visit! Move here!
xoxo
L
ps - I need some gardening tips - can you recommend a book of things that will grow for someone that only waters once a week and plants everything in sand? The strawberry pots look awesome though :)
