Little Known Tidbits

We all have little secret hobbies (ahem), some of which we don't talk about to anyone, and some of which we talk about only to close friends. Well, my close friends, gather round. I'm about to tell you my secret.

For some time, I have taken pictures of random things, yard art being one. Who knew there was an audience for such! Today, lo and behold, I have been recognized for one of my random pics. Take a look. It's totally out of this world!

I submitted a photograph to a blog entitled Along Life's Highway and immediately got a reply from the "editor." This is a fun blog worthy of an occasional, if not daily visit.

And in the Yard Art Game, I scored a big 17 points! Whoa! I'm psyched.

Double Lives

I don't understand how people have multiple residences. Do they have duplicates of everything they love? Are their lives totally different in each location? I'm not there.

In Tulsa without many of my favorite supplies, so to satisfy a need for some creativity, I made a trip to Michael's and bought a good piece of paper, some pearl-ex dry pigments and a few acrylic paints in spring colors to experiment with different background techniques. A sampler of sorts. It's interesting in and of itself to limit myself to a few supplies. I keep thinking, "Oh, I'll use this tool . . . but, oh, it's not here."

Results so far have been satisfying enough to put the next idea -- what to do with these experiments -- in motion. And I even took pictures to post, but, oh, the gizmo that goes to my camera to connect to the computer isn't here.

See what I mean?

Amazing Performance Art

Now, this is a performance. I was absolutely mesmerized by this. I don't know the story behind it, but I just can't believe what she does with sand. Take a look. It is worth 8 minutes of your day. And don't think after a few minutes that you've seen enough.

Eye'm watching you

A Downtown Job

So, this was new to me, but an obvious solution in a city like this. Someone's job is to walk around downtown using what appears to be a heavy-duty fertilizer spreader filled with salt or sand or some mixture thereof, and voila! walkable streets and sidewalks.

The Most Beautiful Sound

This morning, waking to freshly fallen snow, I checked the sidewalk which I shoveled TWICE yesterday and saw it was once again "full" and in need of a shovel. I made some coffee and began to think about my day. Lo! a sound, a motor, a neighbor with a snow blower . . . and he's approaching my sidewalk. Will he stop at the driveway or will he continue and do my sidewalk too? Oh, bless his heart, he did not stop. I don't know who he is, except that he has a big ole heart and a snow blower.

He doesn't live next door, maybe around the corner? I saw him on the other side of the street as well. How nice it is to live near a good Samaritan.

I will say that I think he uses discretion about how far to go. For instance, he did not go any farther than my house. In my mind, I think he saw that I had made the effort yesterday and the next house had not. (Although I did do a one time shovel of her sidewalk early). I don't care his rationale, I love being on the receiving end this morning.

And just FYI, as of 6 p.m. last night, Pittsburgh had received 42.8 inches of snow this month. It's one for the record books.

An Incentive

I had a very frustrating day driving over the weekend, trying to find my way to of all places Walmart. Walmart is not my favorite spot and why on earth I chose Sunday afternoon to do this, I'll never know. When I say frustrating, I mean something like two hours driving in what seemed to be circles, cloverleafs, and various over- and underpasses. Pittsburgh has so many hills, you can't see what's on top, unlike the Oklahoma landscape where you can see for miles. I found out later that this area is something I liken to 71st and Memorial at Christmas, except there are more roads, more cars, more options. And I won't visit 71st & Memorial unless I absolutely have to. Now I know.

My next adventure will be downtown Pittsburgh. My incentive? Joshua Bell is performing March 2 and I bought a ticket. I'm so excited. I have listened to his Romance of the Violins, oh, maybe 500+ times. It's my favorite morning music. Even Lucy likes it. "Yaya, that music is so pretty." She calls it Prince and Princess music.

I will make several trial runs to Heinz Hall; I will Google, Mapquest, do whatever necessary to get there on time and in a peaceful frame of mind. No way will I arrive frustrated.

NOTE: if you haven't read or heard of the experiment in Washington, with him playing in the train station . . . see the video below. How many beautiful things do we miss by just not paying attention?



and the story itself is worth a read here.

Just Being

I have my list of work tasks; my list of calligraphy projects and here I sit watching it snow. I will absolutely get out today for a much needed hair appointment, even if I have to walk.

Although I am determined not to miss "my destiny," I'm also aware of not forcing things. Letting things unfold as they will. Almost like a stilted conversation, where you sit and listen and don't respond immediately and the other person continues to talk and spill out their thoughts until there's a connection. Still, there's always that voice in the back of my mind that tells me to do something. To say something. Is this enough? What now? What next?

It's the simple act of being, of doing nothing that is so difficult sometimes.