busy, busy

I'm afraid that as I learn how to balance writing and editing, and continue to heal, I will only be able to write 1-2 blog entries per week for the time being. I'd love to pick up the camera more often and improve my photographic eye, but that will have to wait, too.

However, I do have a blog entry up my sleeve soon, inspired by an article I read in dwell magazine. Today, I'm just checking in, reporting signs of life, and preparing to interview a painter on Friday for a Curator article.

Also, I read the following confession by New Yorker staff writer, John McPhee, following his brilliant essay, "An Album Quilt" from In Fact: the Best of Creative Nonfiction. It made me laugh to know that someone of his caliber shares my neuroses:

"John McPhee admits that he starts the first line of an essay or book with absolutely 'no confidence.' He procrastinates. Just because he is laboring in his Princeton University office day after day 'certainly doesn't mean I am working. ... I just walk around, make a cup of coffee or tea, look out the windows, inventing ways to avoid writing. ... Until 4 or 5 p.m. comes along, and it is really getting late, and then I'll get going. If I have a good day, I might actually be writing only two or three hours.'"

There is hope for the likes of me.

Oh, and I have a few recommendations:

* Gregory Wolfe's essay, "The Tragic Sense of Life."

* Filmwell.

* A free Sub Pop mp3 sampler with Flight of the Conchords, Vetiver, Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes, Iron & Wine, and so on.

* Arise my Soul - an Indelible Grace mp3 sampler (from NoiseTrade) including hymns by Jeremy Casella, Derek Webb, and Sandra McCracken, and a two-part lecture by Kevin Twit, "Why Hymns?"

* The trailer for Where the Wild Things Are. I loved, loved that book as a kid; the film looks amazing.

recent five senses

See.
-Geninne's peacock up there which reminds me of Flannery. And these amazing hand-painted rocks. I want one.
-A cute neighborhood cat asleep on the old wooden swing set in our backyard. I'm not sure what her name actually is, but I call her "Punkin."
-Reading In Fact: the Best of Creative Nonfiction. I plan to write such essays myself.
-Our windows need a good cleaning inside & out.
-Two squirrels booking it down the sidewalk, chasing each other.

Hear.
-Harley meowing way too early this morning.
-My friend Brett's voice on the phone yesterday. She's the best.
-Mourning doves.
-Birdsong in general.
-A few Patty Griffin songs from Living with Ghosts after filling out a facebook meme: Five Albums that Shaped Me. The other four? Over the Rhine's Good Dog Bad Dog, Radiohead's OK Computer, Emmylou Harris's Wrecking Ball, and Buddy & Julie Miller's self-titled. Five out of many, that is.

Taste.
-We made pancakes on Saturday due to tradition.
-Yogi Bedtime tea. It's both a good nightcap and a calming brew in the afternoon. I'm a fan of valerian.
-A Granny Smith apple & freshly ground almond butter - the perfect snack.
-Really yummy spicy cilantro sausage we found at Whole Foods.
-I somehow screwed up a batch of cookies on Sunday - a new recipe - so I'm baking my old standard here in a bit. I seem to whip up a batch of cookies once a week. Is this bad?

Smell.
-Burning cinnamon-sandalwood-clove incense upstairs.
-Peppermint in the air after my husband showers (he uses Dr. Bronner's).
-Frankincense & myrrh spray to freshen up a room.
-method sweet water fabric softener sheets.
-A sample of mint bar soap - Indigo Wild sends freebies with our orders.

Feel.
-That I should not look forward to Dancing with the Stars as much as I do. I'm aware that it is ridiculous, but maybe it's the former drill team officer within me? Our makeup was just as hideous as the D.W.T.S. contestants' spray tan, for sure.
-Tired.
-And content. We accidentally forgot to pay our gas bill on time, so no hot water today. But I'm pretending we're camping in the mountains. I'll wait to shower first thing in the morning once our gas is restored (we paid today). We have electricity, cold running water, and an electric stove to heat water in the kettle, so who am I to complain? A little greasy hair never hurt anybody.
-The all-too-common writer's block, yet I shall overcome.
-Grateful for a peaceful home in which to work and rest.

used bookstores, how I love thee

A friend of mine cannot stand to leave price tags on books or any other item. I understand the impulse, but only to a point. When I find a great deal at a used bookstore, I leave the price tag on the cover to herald my savings. Sort of prideful, I know.

Before meeting my family for dinner yesterday, Johnny and I dropped by a Half Price Books store located in close proximity to the restaurant. My goal was to find a copy of Tinkers, yet it wasn't meant to be. No Wendell Berry novels, or poetry by Kate Daniels or Naomi Shihab Nye, either. However, we did score a copy of The Christian Almanac by George Grant and Gregory Wilbur for $2.00. This tome is worth much more, but our budget approved. I wasn't surprised to see a few copies on clearance - this type of book is surely underappreciated.

For every day of the year, Grant and Wilbur compiled an eclectic assortment:

-Bible readings.
-Feast Days. On March 20th we remember St. Cuthbert, St. Wolfram, St. Herbert of Derwentwater, St. Martin of Braga, St. Photina and her Companions, and the Martyrs of Mar Saba.
-an essay about an important person or event in history.
-a fact such as today's: "This day marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun moves north across the celestial equator marking the vernal equinox." Or yesterday's: "This is the day that the swallows traditionally return to the San Juan Capistrano Mission in California."
-a quote. I love today's: "When I am dead, I hope it may be said, though his sins were scarlet, his books are read." [Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)]
-events that occurred on that day in years past. Today's list spans 43 B.C. to 1991.

I'm also impressed that the authors stated this in their acknowledgments:

"No book, of course, is merely the fruit of a single author's labor - it is rather the accumulation and collation of a thousand odd experiences, random collaborations, and peculiar inheritances."

I was just saying something similar to Johnny the other day. Though I sit alone in a room, I cannot write an acceptable sentence unless I surround myself with wise people, good books, and brilliant editors.

So now I have five books on my currently-reading list, though The Christian Almanac and ESV Bible are yearlong reading. A kind blog-friend offered to loan me her copy of Tinkers as long as I mail it back to Vermont when I'm finished. I better hurry and read Philip Levine's poetry. Five books is my limit.

As for dinner, Café Red Onion was de-lish. I did not feel deprived one bit with a chimichurri steak salad including cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, and avocado. And I saw Orion as I stood in our driveway. I had no idea the stars were ever that clear out in the 'burbs. I'll have to step outside at night more often. Speaking of constellations, did y'all see these embroidered beauties?

feeling blue

I am feeling blue today. Though blue is my favorite color, I don't care for it to leech onto my soul. This disconsolation crept up the past few days with typical, odd Houston weather, such as waking at 7:00 am to a blanket of fog, our neighbors' houses barely visible. Starving for light, I kindled a soy candle in the room. Then, 11:00-ish or so, when I'd just about given up hope, the sun jumped out like a surprise party attendee. Thank God. Sunshine is like Prozac for me.

This was our climate schedule today as well, but even with the natural light, I'm still feeling blue as I type this sentence. I mean, the Marilynne Robinson-endorsed novel, Tinkers, isn't even in our local library system for me to request. I really do know better. I am blessed, but so incredibly human - a creature in need of comfort and cheer...

I had Whimsy & Spice treats delivered to Johnny just because. Hazelnut chocolate whisky sandwich cookies and homemade cardamom marshmallows. The look on his face made me quite happy. As he put a marshmallow in his coffee this morning, I thought, "Yes. I married the perfect man." Also, if you haven't read Alissa's interview with Jenna of Whimsy & Spice, you ought to.

I didn't think J. should have to enjoy sweets all by himself, so I whipped up a batch of my own cookies before a fantastic episode of LOST. That is my favorite TV show, but Battlestar is a close second. I might have to love both equally.

I started Nine Horses in bed last night as my husband slept. I savored poem after poem after poem. I read a good amount of poetry, but there is something about Billy Collins's work that is more readable than most. And in my present sad case, very comforting as well. See what I mean?

Birthday

Before it was over
I took out a pencil and a notepad
and figured out roughly what was left-
a small box of Octobers, a handful of Aprils,

little time to waste reading a large novel
on the couch every evening,
a few candles flaming in the corners of the room.
A fishbowl of Mondays, a row of Fridays-

yet I cannot come up with anything
better than to strike a match,
settle in under a light blanket,
and open to the first sentence of Clarissa.

Look at me setting off on this long journey
through ink and tears,
through secrecy and distress,
anticipation and swordplay.

As the darkness thickens
and the morning glory puts down its trumpet,
as worms begin to sing in the garden,
and Christ looks down from the wall,

I will begin inching toward the end-
page one thousand five hundred and thirty-three
in this paperback Penguin edition,
introduction and notes by one Angus Ross.

"Study in Orange and White" and "Today" were good, too, among several others.

This morning I told Johnny that even he - not a big poetry reader - would like Billy Collins. I explained the humor of "More Than a Woman" which backfired because my dear husband sang that ditty ad nauseum. Now I really relate to the poem:



The surprising sun is winning me over. I'm starting to feel heartened. Here's what I'll do:

-sip more coffee.
-finish Nine Horses.
-delve into work-related matters.
-listen to a bit of the new Mars Hill Audio Journal (volume 95).
-flip through the new TOAST catalogs.

And my parents will be in town this evening to celebrate their part of my brother's belated birthday. I'll enjoy a cup of tea at his pub, then dine with my favorite people. Plus, this verse is true. I have all that I need, right in the murky fog.

meet my new mug

I tried to ignore the charm of that Orla Kiely mug, but as you can see, I failed. I dropped by Target for one method soy candle and a box of Kleenex, and caved to a cheery, manipulative end cap display of dishes.

I am definitely not on Spring Break. I'm starting my next Curator article today which would be two weeks before my deadline. This is a first and a habit I intend to keep. I'm also back to my most bookwormish ways, perusing:

-the genius of Biblical charity & gleaning laws (thus planning a trip to the Goodwill store near our house),
-poetry by Billy Collins, then Philip Levine (library finds),
-much-needed advice on homemaking from author Cheryl Mendelson (another library find),
-and tips on how to write and edit courtesy of Strunk & White and Maira Kalman (a re-read).

Oh, and I'm purchasing a 12 session self-paced copy editing course from mediabistro.com. I guess I'm "going back to school."

I am so inspired that I'm somewhat overstimulated, filling my journal with all kinds of quotes, thoughts, and writings. But this is my life and I love it.

a sabbath visual

It has been some kind of Sabbath. Not only was I ready to leave the house on time (a miracle), but we also arrived at Church ten minutes early, and we even stopped by Antidote for coffee on the way. Sunday school was great - a detailed study on Psalm 34. And Father Rusty's sermon was great - the significance of words, particularly ear-catching to a writer such as myself. It was one of those profound, eloquent, very convicting sermons that had me scribbling notes-to-self in my little brown Moleskine Cahier. Johnny sang Indelible Grace's "God Be Merciful (Psalm 51)" so purty that I choked up. Our friend Allie recently worked magic on the Church's flower beds. Today, the blooms gulped down heavy rain that drummed on the roof in rhythm with liturgy and thunder. It rained so hard that I felt grateful to be inside such a good (dry) Church sporting intentional architecture, the ceiling resembling an upturned ship.

J. and I watched ER during lunch. Yes, I know it jumped the shark eons ago, but we're kind of loyally sticking it out for some reason. Our tenacity paid off because during this episode, Noah Wyle got a kidney and George Clooney made an appearance. Not a soul died. We tried to take a nap, but I felt pret-ty juvenile. I had ice hands due to the chilly weather and our drafty house. I proceeded to shock my husband's sleepy system by touching his stomach, and then his back after I feigned a vow to stop. He retaliated with his ice feet. We mustered up maturity and sank into sleep for fifteen minutes. Johnny started a crackling fire before leaving for his Sunday night gig. I put on the kettle. I cannot get enough green tea lately.

I settled into an armchair with Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. Look, I adore her book on writing, Bird by Bird. I refer to it often when my brain locks up, refusing to offer any creative words or sentences whatsoever. Yet it's been awhile since I've read Lamott's take on Christianity and well, she is bugging the crap out of me. I'm wavering between 2 and 3 stars for a goodreads rating. She's an amazing writer, though, and hysterically funny, so it'll probably be 3 stars. But please, Anne Lamott, for the love of the one true God, quit referring to Him as "He or She."

However, I started reading Plan B yesterday and will finish tonight in bed. This means I've enjoyed long, luxurious stretches of bookish time even if Lamott irks me (almost as much as President Bush irked her). Finishing an entire book over a weekend may have to be a new tradition and will lend nicely to crossing off #16.

Harley and Milo are asleep on adjacent sofa cushions across the room which is another bona fide miracle. Harley loves Milo, but usually from a stoic distance. Unless they are running up and down, 'round and around, chasing each other like they were this morning when I considered making scrambled cat for breakfast. Perhaps Harley is feeling brotherly, charitable love in the spirit of Sunday. Or maybe he's just too tired to move. All I know is that I can't get the Sabbath visual below out of my head - it honestly takes my breath away. I wouldn't mind owning a few such fabric lanterns for both our back patio (see #32) and for a tall pine tree in the front yard. For now, this image is my current computer desktop. It makes me want to write a story set somewhere in my beloved Texas:

[fabric lanterns from India Rose - click to see larger]

tea & book compulsions

[an oldie but a goodie on a coffee kind of day]

In addition to balancing research and writing with work on the homestead, I've had a really good week, especially Wednesday. We tried chipotle lime salmon for lunch and it is my kind of recipe - simple, healthy, aromatic, and tasty. It was so easy that I plan to make it often, perhaps with cedar papers. I adore salmon.

In the evening, we dined at P.F. Chang's with my brother to celebrate his belated birthday. Chang's is always good, but the Highland Park location has a particularly nice vibe. This China bistro is nestled in one of my favorite shopping centers within walking distance of Kiehl's, Anthropologie, and west elm. We watched the sun set from a table next to a big window. My two men enjoyed a cocktail; I ordered a cast iron teapot of Dragon Eye oolong with notes of safflower, peach, apricot, and pear. My sibling is a manager at Baker St. Pub & Grill and as I sipped cup after little white cup of the exotic tea, he told me that he's only allowed to order the basic teas - Earl Grey and the like. Basic is good, too, but I said, "If you ever need a tea shopper, I'm your girl." Right??

I also ordered a huge chopped chicken salad doused with fresh-squeezed lemon & lime juice. Delicious. I'm finding that simple concoctions are some of the very best. When I asked why restaurant salads must be so big, Johnny proceeded to quote the appropriate Seinfeld episode. My husband is a walking Seinfeld encyclopedia. Literally. I like the show, but he loves it. Elaine once discussed the semantics of big salads, just so you know.

Before dropping my brother off at home, he opened his gifts: a Flight of the Conchords DVD and Peace Like a River. I know you are absolutely shocked that I gave him that book. No? Well then, you won't be surprised by my Curator article today: "Peace Like a River: Make of It What You Will." I really cannot shut up about how great that book is.

After dinner, Johnny and I headed to a theater to see Watchmen. It had been way too long since we experienced cinema on the big screen. Johnny is a mega fan of that graphic novel and has been waiting for a film adaptation since the 80's. I don't have a good, solid opinion of the movie yet. Visually, it was stunning. The storyline was fascinating and raised some important questions. But the violence is over the top at times and there's a way-too-revealing/laughable sex scene utilizing Leonard Cohen's song, "Hallelujah." No siree - that is not allowed. Seeing as it's one of my all-time favorite songs, I better not think of that stupid scene whenever I hear Cohen from now on. Even so, there were some great things about Watchmen. Maybe I can pull my thoughts together soon. The soundtrack is fantastic, by the way.

....Further on the tea front, any time you place an order with Mighty Leaf, you can select two free tea pouches. Marrakesh Mint + a tea pouch of Rainforest Mate are on the way. Yes, of course I am tea-crazy, but I hopped online this time at a friend's request. She ordered a box, too, and we split the shipping. But I did start a wish list (note the teapot). And I added a 6-pack of Yogi Mayan Cocoa Spice tea ($15.71) to my Amazon wish list. Whole Foods never stocks that flavor and I've been pining for the sweet & spicy brew. Whoever sent me that tea bag, it's all your fault, but oh how I thank you.

I am missing my husband, off playing drums in Arizona, but he'll be home tomorrow night. I believe yet more chocolate chip bread, another Tim Keller sermon, Amelie, and reading in bed are in order. If you're a musician's wife, you better know how to entertain yourself.

workin' it

["my little empire" by seasprayblue]

I did not intend to take a near week-long blog break, but it happens. Recently, I received a few work-related opportunities that I'll tell you about later. And so, I'm inspired to find that efficient, holistic balance of writing from home and household chores. Kate sent a list of brilliant ideas and I'll pick up Home Comforts from the library on Saturday after La Madeleine with a friend. I discovered that I really can't live without iCal and my Moleskine daily planner. God help my brain.

Today it's:

-coffee.
-burning soy candles to combat this dreary weather.
-reading Bringing in the Sheaves & taking lots of notes (thoughts most likely to appear on my blog soon).
-reading for Curator article research. Gotta love when work is fun and right up your alley.
-dishes.
-cleaning the half bath adjacent to the laundry room - the facilities that Johnny's drum students use.
-laundry so that J. will have clothes to wear for his out-of-town drum gig this weekend.
-Grey's Anatomy and LOST (DVR'd).

More tomorrow....

chocolate chip brownies

[image courtesy of Channel4.com. Houston weather is too overcast for my limited photography skills.]

It's a blah Saturday. Not wretched, just blah. This meant dark chocolate was in order, don't you agree? I was craving....

Chocolate Chip Brownies
[adapted from Elana's recipe]

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish with coconut oil.*

Ingredients:

16 oz. smooth roasted almond butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups + 1 tablespoon erythritol**
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cacao chips, mashed.

1. In a large bowl, blend the almond butter until smooth with a hand blender.
2. Blend in the eggs, then blend in the erythritol and vanilla.
3. Blend in the cocoa powder, sea salt, and baking soda; then fold in the cacao chips.
4. Pour batter into the Pyrex dish.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Makes about 24 brownies.

* - I believe my cobalt blue Pyrex dish is 9 x 9, but it just made for bigger brownies. You know, Texas style. I did bake for 5 extra minutes, though.

** - The batter might blend easier with a combination of erythritol, liquid stevia, and a little coconut oil, so I'll work on that. As for the verdict today, you ask? Johnny and I both say, YUM. Truly - they taste like real brownies. I post these "odd" recipes mainly because during my health adventure, I've discovered that you don't always need sugar or standard flours for a recipe to be scrumptious. I encourage those of you with similar health issues to be creative in the kitchen and grateful for all that we can eat - like chocolate, a very important food group.

Next up in my cooking queue is Chipotle Lime Salmon. Salmon is one of my very favorite things.

the fall

[click to see larger]

I haven't really and truly loved a Netflix disc in a long while. Frankly, we're just way behind on our movie-watching. But last night, both of our jaws dropped open during The Fall. Johnny kept uttering things like, "This is the most amazing movie I've ever seen in my life." I couldn't believe the beauty before my eyes, either.

There's Lee Pace from Pushing Daisies; and a young actress, Catinca Untaru, who plays Alexandria - she might be the most charming little girl ever to appear on film. The cinematography is stunning - sweeping tall spaces, perfectly framed, and saturated with color. We watched this movie deep in the night and it was the best kind of bedtime story.

I was certain that some of the otherworldly images had to be digital, but this New York Times article by David Kehr astounded me by revealing otherwise:

"The Fall - an independent feature film from Tarsem Singh Dhandwar, a veteran music video and commercial director who uses Tarsem as his professional name — is full of sights that provoke genuine astonishment: an underwater shot of an elephant swimming gracefully overhead, a palace courtyard built out of interlocking staircases that might have been designed by M.C. Escher, a village clinging to a mountainside where all of the buildings seem to have been individually painted in subtly different shades of inky blue.

These images amaze precisely because they are quite evidently real, bursting with the life and detail that elude even the most advanced digital artist. 'I decided it wasn’t going to be C.G.I.,' said Tarsem, using the industry shorthand for computer-generated imagery. Referring to his only previous feature, the psychological thriller The Cell (2000), Tarsem added: 'I had enough of that in my first film, as much as I enjoyed it. I decided in this one that the art direction was going to be in the landscape and in the costume design and nothing else.'"

So, get to renting The Fall already. There are some magical films that reach in and take hold of you and this is surely one. I'll eventually be compelled to write an article - it's that good and I've got a lot to say.

today is friday

[this was Sunday afternoon (Milo)]

Around 6:30 am, Milo decided it was great fun to knock objects off the breakfast nook table: soup for our Church's food pantry and my brother's birthday gifts - louder than you might think. Johnny was up for an early drum gig. And so, I woke an hour earlier than I planned. But the morning light was really pretty.

I swallowed meds and vitamins. I lit a stick of Japanese incense.

After a week of yerba mate tea, I decided today was meant for coffee. It's a good thing I made extra for Johnny - he said the coffee at his gig wasn't so great.

I placed laundry from last night on our bed (I promise to fold it this afternoon). I tossed towels and bath mats into the washer; poured in blue eucalyptus & lavender soap.

Like Inge, I find that good music makes for lovely chores. Shawn Colvin, U2, and Buddy & Julie Miller are still in rotation. I even dance a little (shhh - don't tell).

Before turning on the computer, I read Genesis 30-31 and chapter 2 of Bringing in the Sheaves. God made me a slow reader and I have to say, I'm seeing more beauty in Genesis at this pace. Why does it take me by surprise to notice that It's written so beautifully? We are talking about God Himself, after all. The Bible is right up there with any of my favorite books. Actually, more so seeing as It is a living text. That stirs up some kind of wonder within me.

I scribbled things into a notebook such as "theological tragicomic thickets" - a phrase from Joy Williams's New York Times review of Brad Gooch's biography, Flannery: a Life of Flannery O'Connor. "She found sickness 'more instructive than a long trip to Europe.'" I find this to be very true, but I still want to go to Europe.

I ate a late breakfast: two cookies, scrambled eggs & Celtic sea salt, raw macadamia nuts.

I answered an inspiring work-related e-mail; crossed that off my to-do list.

I put the towels and mats in the dryer.

OK, so along with my brother's birthday gifts, I also purchased an Amelie DVD for me, but it was 50% off. And the latest Poets & Writers and Texas Monthly. Since I'm a writer, I believe that certain periodical-splurges are necessary and I'm sticking to it.

I caught up on some good blog-reading, and a new edition of The Curator.

There's a stink bug on our back door screen. I know he has a purpose, but I'm steering clear.

I stepped outside to mail a note to a friend, then I kept on going. That sunshine was too pretty to ignore - 78 degrees. While walking, I saw a yellow butterfly or two, then a Monarch close enough to see the intricate black wing-detail. Then a bee, a wasp (yikes); everything abloom. My favorite shade of blue sky. Birds chirping. I had the urge to learn to garden (#14) and get my hands dirty.

Have I mentioned that orange butterflies always remind me of grace? Always.

Back inside, I was thirsty. I decided then and there, instead of grumbling about the sauna that is a Houston summer, I'm going to embrace it this year. Sweat out a ton of toxins - or "glisten", as my Mom says. Drink lots of iced coffee. Make sun tea. Invent creative smoothies. Eat frozen blueberries, things like that.

Harley vomited a hairball on the stairs. Great.

I also decided, I want two rocking chairs on the front porch. Like, really soon. And cross off #32 from my list as well.

Black bean chili for lunch; a Honeycrisp apple the last cookie + a cup of tea for dessert.

I could dust that window sill, but I find the incense ashes to be a poetic reminder of Lent.

It's interesting how the solemnity of Lent coincides with the bright birth of spring.

I wish that I'd purchased this vanilla shea butter lotion at Whole Foods. I'm a vanilla connoisseur, you see. 'Twas a warm vanilla; not too sweet. I suppose I should use the lotion I have on hand first.

However, I did pick up more Sweet Thai Delight tea, and a box of Truvia to try (I liked - very yum).

The Search is my new favorite blog. This Christian hipster entry is both hilarious & thought-worthy.

I really need to devise a better housecleaning schedule. I don't mind a little comfortable mess, but our bathroom is desperate. Geez.

I'm looking forward to a movie date upstairs tonight with my husband: The Fall. And Battlestar.

For now, I must get back to some reading - preparation for interviewing a painter next month. As with every interview, I'm excited to chat with such a talented soul yet also quite nervous. Like Moses, I'm skeptical of my eloquence. Oh, well.

Plus, I currently have both a MacBook and a purring cat (Harley) in my lap - makes it hard to type anyway.

buddy & julie

Oh, I am so very happy. There's a new album by Buddy & Julie Miller ~ Written in Chalk. I've been waiting for a follow-up to their last record most impatiently. I'm a big, big fan of this alt. country duo.

Johnny and I will drop by a bookstore this afternoon for my brother's birthday gifts, but I couldn't possibly wait 'til then to buy Written in Chalk. Nor could I wait for an Amazon snail mail delivery; not this time. Since the full-length album isn't available on iTunes, I made a purchase via Amazon mp3 - just $8.99. Right this very minute, my ears are geeked up and rockin'.

More importantly, Buddy Miller is recovering from triple bypass heart surgery, so please keep him in your prayers. I've heard that not only are these two mucho talented, but they're also super good people (not surprisingly). I'd love to see them continue to befriend and inspire folks for many years to come. And please, God, bring them back to Houston's Mucky Duck in good health.

five senses wednesday

Hope y'all don't mind that I'm extra-attuned to my five senses lately....

See.
-A trailer for As We Forgive, a film that Johnny and I want to see (along with The Wrestler and Watchmen).
-Elana's "Nutella" recipe. I only need to sub erythritol or liquid stevia for the agave nectar. Oh, yum.
-I recently bumped up her brownies in my recipe queue as well (subbing with erythritol and unsweetened cacao chips).*
-The TOAST spring/summer 2009 collection. Sure hope my catalog arrives soon.
-Persepolis. I liked it OK, but it's not near as good as the graphic novels.

[image courtesy of TOAST]

Hear.
-Milo playing soccer with a plastic bottle cap during an ungodly hour of the night. I thought I placed all of those in recycling....
-My cell phone ringing when I'm nowhere near it. This always happens to me. It's usually my friend Amy - thank goodness she's patient.
-These Four Walls by Shawn Colvin. What a voice. What a songwriter. She's a longtime favorite.
-No Line on the Horizon by U2 - the best thing they've done in a long time. Amazing.
-IAM's podcast with Nicholas Wolterstorff, then Makoto Fujimura. Made for a good walk around the 'hood.

Taste.
-Johnny's "rockamole" (guacamole) never gets old.
-Nor does Margie Haack's hummus which I eat by the spoonful.
-I also eat organic unsweetened peanut butter in this lazy manner; very tasty.
-Honeycrisp apple slices topped with coconut cream & cinnamon.
-Echinacea elder tea.

Smell.
-Tea tree oil shampoo & conditioner.
-Golden Pavilion incense.
-Vanilla bean body lotion.
-Cookies baking in the oven. Again. It was a necessity.
-Olbas inhaler.

Feel.
-Sinus pressure.
-Thus, the neti pot.
-Happy that U2 was only $3.99 via Amazon mp3.
-Perfection is drinking a mug of hot tea after a chilly walk....
-Then an Epsom salt bath. Ah, the warmth.

* - Such recipes have made me a big fan of Whole Foods's almond butter machine in the bulk aisle. Perhaps I'll grind my own at home one of these days.

crossing off #25

We took a quick road trip to the Dallas area on Friday and Saturday. Johnny manned the wheel as we listened to good music. I kinda wish we had been on a New York-bound plane to the IAM Encounter conference for the likes of Makoto Fujimura, Billy Collins, and Alissa's workshops, but we ended up having a splendid time right in Texas.

Before leaving, I did read the nifty weather widget on my computer desktop: a high of 60 degrees. I thought, "No problem. We're Texans and the sun will be shining." But I failed to read the low. As we pulled up to The Heights Church for Johnny's gig, we discovered it was brrr cold - a low of 30 degrees. Neither of us packed coats. Right then and there, I also realized that I forgot to pack pajamas. My parents keep their house pretty frigid. I had a problem.

While Johnny sound-checked, I tried to finish up my Curator article. I found a comfy, mostly quiet spot in the massive narthex. I sipped green tea and the Church had free wi-fi and everything. But as more and more women started to arrive for the conference, the less quiet my space became. I wasn't able to finish though I made a valiant effort. Honestly, the main problem is that I'm a fear-based procrastinator. I churn out ideas for my articles at an impressive rate, but sometimes I hesitate to begin, afraid that whatever I write will be utter crap.

It's time to heed Anne Lamott's "shitty first draft" advice (from Bird by Bird) once again. I need to sit down and start each article way earlier. I'll just write and write whatever comes to mind, then go back, polish, and prettify. But I need to do this before the week of a deadline and a fun excursion with my husband. He tends to procrastinate as well, so we're bound and determined to use our time wisely this month and onward - it's never too late to learn good habits. And we must because we both want to write and drum (respectively) more and more. We're grateful to work at home doing what we're gifted by God to do.

Johnny played drums beautifully, as always, and Donna Stuart's whole band sounded great. However, the green room backstage was brrr cold, too. Thankfully, hot coffee was one of the perks. After a long night, J. and I and our friend Aric (the bass player) crashed at my parents' house. My Mom loaned me PJ pants and socks, and my Dad offered a comfy long-sleeved T-shirt. They even turned the heater up just for us. My Mom also had "treasures" from her favorite thrift store waiting for me on the guest bed: a large wicker-covered vase, blue & white porcelain spoon rests, a small blue stoneware vase (for pens and pencils), and a set of wooden trivets. I'm sure these fun items will appear in photos of mine to come.

The next morning I sipped French Market coffee from a navy blue stoneware mug - I always use it at my parents' house. I admired aloud, "I really love this mug." My Mom insisted that I take it home. Since I was not hinting at such an offer, I refused a few times until she pulled the obedience card. How could I disobey? I decided that I really love stoneware mugs (thanks, Mom!). My Dad whipped up the most delish omelet for me, too. Then I wondered why in the heck Johnny and I haven't been making omelets all these yeast-free months?

After a lovely, light lunch in the breakfast nook, my Mom loaned me a brown suede jacket and we all said our goodbyes. Johnny and I set out under a gorgeous blue sky to meet our friend Jenny at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Another thing I love is to be downtown in a bustling city. We scored a parking meter with ample time to spare - love that, too. It was so good to see Jenny, or as I call her, Jenn-Y. She is very funny, smart, creative, and traveling to Uganda with her Church this summer. She's also a brilliant first grade teacher. I think I'll keep her.

The Nasher is an amazing place. The current exhibit is "George Segal: Street Scenes." We all liked these eerie, life-size models of Segal's family and friends, but we also decided that those folks are better friends than we are. They allowed Segal to cover their bodies with layers of medical tape save for two tiny nose-holes. Then he covered them with white plaster. No, thank you.

Most of the other indoor sculptures were excellent - Johnny was partial to Large Horse by Raymond Duchamp-Villon. Yet another thing I love is a good art museum such as the Nasher - the use of light in tall spaces, so very good for my psyche.

After browsing indoors, we went outside to that beautiful weather to see the rest of the permanent collection including an installation by James Turrell:

"In the quiet and meditative setting of Tending, (Blue), one concentrates on the view of the sky through the opening in the ceiling. By washing the interior walls of the skyspace with light calibrated to a certain color, Turrell conditions the eye in a way that affects one's perception of the sky's color, distance, and density. At sunrise and sunset, when changes in the coloration of the sky are most rapid and pronounced, the experience can be especially mesmerizing. The sky seems to take on extraordinary colors and, framed by the knife-edge rim of the aperture, appears extremely dense and flat."

I was really taken by that aperture of blue. I could've sat on the concrete benches, looked upward, and stared all day. So peaceful and meditative.



I was also very inspired by Jonathan Borofsky's piece, Walking to the Sky:

"....features seven life-size figures walking up a 100-foot stainless steel pole to the sky. Three more figures at the base of the pole watch their ascent from the ground. On loan from the artist, the sculpture debuted in front of Rockefeller Center in New York City in September 2004, and the Nasher Sculpture Center is the only other venue to present the work to date.

True to the dream and fantasy imagery that populates Borofsky's work, 'Walking to the Sky' evokes a wide range of associations. Figures rising into the sky can suggest death and the passing of souls to the heavens, but the overall impression is one of optimism. The figures are easily recognizable: they are the kinds of people one sees everyday. Here, they seem to be defying gravity, ascending to new heights under their own power. Like many of Borofsky's previous works, 'Walking to the Sky' is a compelling tribute to the power of our aspirations and the resilience of the human spirit."

That's a nice humanist perspective and all, but I found the massive sculpture to be much more redemptive, in a similar fashion to Sigur Ros' "Glósóli" video. Man is capable of greatness indeed, even the seemingly impossible, but not without God.

[click to see larger]

Back inside, we warmed up over coffee and tea at Café Nasher; hugged Jenn-Y and extended an invite to our house; then hopped in the car for Houston. I was pretty tired, but happy to cross #25 off my list. I think making granola is next.