...encounters...

What a hectic, odd, strangely beautiful at times week it has been. Things at both jobs were fritzy - mass mail orders + other stuff, kids with flu and double ear infections. Plus I had a few encounters on the street that took me by surprise. One day I was headed to Lola's school and noticed a man walking towards me with two crutches. When we were about ten feet apart he suddenly yells, "Hey, don't step in that!" I instantly freeze, one foot suspended above the sidewalk and do a quick frontal scan, find nothing, so check in back thinking I may have already stepped in it. There is nothing there as well. Right as I realize this he says with a big smile,"Quit thinking so hard! Relax!" I did not say anything and we both kept on walking. About twenty paces afterwards I decided I should have said thanks...or at least smiled. The next day...I was just crossing 10th Ave. on 22nd Street right by the Dia when a man carrying a paper bag walks up saying, "Sock, hats, gloves." Seeing as how I generally ignore people selling things on the street and already was wearing all three of the things he was selling with plenty more at home, I just kept walking. He immediately said, "Alright, f**k n*****s." like that was what I was thinking. That certainly woke me up. Again, I said nothing and kept walking. Part of me wishes I had turned around and said,"Actually I don't need any of those things and it's not because you're African-American and I'm white. It's because I don't need them!!" but the other part just thought that I really don't feel like getting into a debate this early in the morning when all I want to do is get to work, eat my bagel and drink a little joe. Did I do the right thing, who knows, ah well. I wish people would get to know me before they decide who I am. (I was just reading this again and I thought I should add that it's not always other people who do this...I know I have done it myself...what makes us do it, I cannot say) Well...we all have our things.
I saw this dog I have seen before again. This time at the Union Square dog park instead of tied up in front of the Garden of Eden grocery store on 23rd. It's the tough looking black and white, kind of pit-bully or Spud's McKenzie type face, but in this humorously large green and ecru sweater! The first time I saw him I burst out laughing. And there he was again. I love running into the same people or animals throughout my days. I guess it's easy to when you have the same route daily, but often it is not even related to that. Who knew in a city of this size!
So...my dear friend Kristen who I have known since middle school is in a car at this moment, in New Jersey, headed for Brooklyn. She has Ben with her (who we have not met) and they are here for five days or so! Kristen is great. She hasn't been to New York since we went on a theater trip here our senior year. Fun! She's a good gal to travel with. It was her, Heather, and I (or is it me) who went to Australia together. Hmmm...I suppose I should help Jer finish last minute cleaning...

...what i do when i am alone...

Sing to the cats, dishes, computer, whatever I choose to direct my vocals at...watch movies that Jeremy doesn't like or wouldn't watch such as National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, Little Women, Mission Impossible, Steel Magnolias, or any musical...draw, collage, paint, work out ideas...play the piano passionately...toot on my melodica...play solitaire...read for long stretches...walk around town...think of Jeremy (dreamy sigh)...plan menus I would love to prepare for party crowds...clean...look through old photographs and letters...do weird searches on the internet...make lists (I am a list enthusiast)...create mail to send off...

...a true story...

Did I ever tell you the one about the skinwalker I saw? I know I probably have...but here it goes again. We were driving on a single lane highway, twisting through the cold, New Mexico night. Mike was driving, I was the passenger, and Dave was in the back. We were talking about what nights such as that inspire you to. I would periodically gaze out the side window, trying to make out the desert plants stretching on forever. On one of those looks, I saw a flash, though a very clear one, of a very tall creature, almost all black except for a white head. It's arms were so long that they reached the ground. It used them to lope along at an incredible pace - keeping up with the car. This was only maybe ten feet away from our car. I looked away, then back, and it was gone. I rushed to tell the others, but they just thought I was being dramatic, or letting the scenery take my imagination on a ride. When we stopped for the night, I quickly sketched out a little drawing of what I saw...
Months later (that was in March - now we are in September) at school we had a visiting artist who did these performances on stilts, stilts for both her legs and arms. She wore animal print material all over, and the stilts made her lope strangely. I saw her perform in the streets during the Westport Art Fair. I took pictures. It reminded me of what I saw...I told some people the story, but they thought I was strange.
A few more months go by and the pictures are developed. I took them over to my sister's to show her, plus tell her the story. She was wide eyed, then told me she teaches a story of Native American (Navajo I think) origin in which they talk about creatures similar to what I described, called Skinwalkers. Little kids in the Southwest will hear them on the roof-tops trying to get in. Actually, one of her friends who lived in New Mexico saw one too. I felt...relieved that someone believed me and that I had really seen what I had seen. I was also slightly freaked out, but not really.
I don't know what inspired me to write this today. The mood just caught me I guess.

...snow dunes...

Man...I already wrote this semi-lengthy bit on the immense snow fall we had,plus the peace rally on Saturday, but somehow in the process of publishing it, it all got erased. So...I'm not sure if I feel like re-writing it now or not. Here's the un-exciting run-down. Lots of snow. Huge dunes. Very happy...bouncing off walls. Staying indoors, coffee, photographs, buried cars, snow...Peace rally on Saturday - wonderful experience, lots of people, puppets and signs, freezing toes, people united all over the world, police blocking us once we came from 2nd to Lex so Jer could leave, home, hope it works.

Ah well...that's it in cave-man language.

...i'm free...

Singin' a song, la la la, my Mondays are free! Another day to dream, draw, hang out, enjoy leasurely coffee mornings and write. I think I have the most ideal living in New York work schedule now. There is absolutely no reason to be in a bad mood about anything!

"Quilts contain volumes of cultural information about the times in which they were created and the circumstances in which they were used. Each one can tell us about the lives of the people associated with it." - from History from the Heart - E.Duane Elbert & Rachel Kamm Elbert
Tiny voiced Sara and I went to the Whitney on Saturday primarily to view the show on the quilts of Gee's Bend, Alabama. They are great! All the materials are from old clothes, leftover courdoroy scraps from when the women were hired by Sears and Roebuck in the 70s to make pillows, and any scrounged fabric imaginable whether stained or not. I saw one that had pieces from those classic, cheap (i.e. dorm mattresses) blue-striped mattresses! There were even rust traces on it. Beautiful. In the documentary they showed of the women, they would occassionally comment on how their quilts were not like those fancy quilts you see...their's are not perfects squares with elegant top stitching, and store-bought fabrics or even always traditional patterns. I think both kinds are wonderful. Quilts can be anything! Make them however you want!
So...that show was excellent, as was the stuff from the Whitney's permanent collection that was on display. I was surprised every time I rounded a corner. The best part is that working at the Dia we get a card that gets us into any museum (not just art) in all bouroughs for free! Plus we can bring a guest for free too! Woo-hoo! I want to take full advantage of that and I will! I can't believe I have been so lacadasical (spelling?) about getting out-and-about!

So...I have been having a lot of political talks lately, as I am sure many people have been. I am discovering more and more that most people are against what is going on. Even my Mom is...not that she is normally pro-war at all, but most of the time she doesn't really take much of a stance, plus she is a registered Republican and votes as such. She is much more like the old Kansas Republicans though, who actually weren't super-right, plus cared about funding education, etc. I think this is going to be about the only time I address any of this on this site. I like to keep this as a place of the little details in life, and things that are ultimately good (at least for me.) So...in case you are wondering why this is a place that seems to not care about the state of the world, that is why (not that I think anyone who may read this is thinking that.)

Hmmm...I feel like I want to write more, but I'm not sure what about...it's probably best to quit for now. Hoping all is well...

...sweet tooth...

I have been thinking a lot about sweets lately. I had this whole, ambitious plan that for around Valentine's day I was going to make truffles, as well as homemade caramels and Swedish pecans. This, of course, will probably not happen, or at least won't happen within the next week or so as things tend to go with me. I thought, though, that I might share the recipe for Swedish pecans with you, as they are extremely tasty and remind me of my Grandmother. It's actually my Great-Grandma Birdie's recipe (who knows where she got it) but I remember them filling the various candy dishes scattered around my Grandparent's apartment at special times of the year. Here ya go:

4 cups pecan halves in warm 300 degree oven for 10 min.

2 egg whites, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1 cup sugar...beat sugar into whites...add cinnamon and/or vanilla and rum flavoring- 1tsp. each

Mix warm pecans in egg mixture. Separately, melt 1 stick butter. Cover large cookie sheet with half of the butter. Arrange nuts on sheet. Pour remaining butter over.
Bake 30 min. at 300 degrees, turning nuts with a spatula every 10 min. Yum! Yum!

Enjoy...feel free to share yummy recipes with me too! I'm always on the look-out.

...it's nice to see you without your hat on...

The weather outside has been great the last few days. On Saturday, I was walking home from the co-op and the skies were grey, but it wasn't too cold out. The air was really moist, like it should have been at least misting, but it wasn't. Every breath dragged in wet, salty air that coated your throat. I loved it...I started breathing deeper so I wouldn't stop feeling that sensation. Here, I don't normally notice the salt in the air. There were even seagulls on fifth avenue (in Brooklyn)! Every ocean experience came back to me and I just floated in them until I reached home. What a wonderful walk.

Yesterday it was pretty nice out, but I was inside the Dia all day, so it did not matter as much. I was feeling pretty frisky in my new Murakami t-shirt, though, so I had to dance around some and get the wiggles out since I could not be outside.

Today we got to meet Joan (in town for just today) and Judy for lunch in mid-town before I picked up the Lola. It was very pleasant. We ate at a little Italian cafe and enjoyed our brief time together. Outside the weather was...so great you didn't even need a hat. People were out, and actually smiling. Even though it is still cold, there is that hope of Spring...the cold cannot last. Thank heavens for that.