You Are Here

A beautiful reminder to be present where ever we are:

You wonder why you wonder when

You wonder how now and then

How you became who you've become

You are here and yet you dream of being there

Of being where you think the good life has begun

Every darkened hallway, every fallen dream

Every battle lost and every shadow in between

Will bring you to your knees and closer to the reason

And there's no making cases

For getting out or trading places

And there's no turning back, no you are here

Who can say who made the choice

In the matter of your birth

Who brought about that fateful day

Well you are here and born with fire and desire

You're the only one who can stand in your own way

Every broken arrow, every hardened smile

Every foolish gamble and every lonely mile

Will bring you to your knees and closer to the reason

And there's no making cases

For getting out or trading places

And there's no turning back, no you are here

And every sign of love, every seed that's growing

Every sweet surrender, to that silent knowing

Will bring you to your knees and closer to the reason

And there's no making cases

For getting out, for trading places

And there's no turning back, no you are here

"You are Here" by the Wailin Jennys, from their album, Bright Morning Stars

"Taos Floral" has arrived!

I know my posts have been a little heavy lately (except the silly picture of the penguin being eaten by a fish ;) so I'm adding a little happy post here. Last June I visited my friend Elizabeth in New Mexico. We spent some time perusing the galleries in Old Town - and I was so inspired and engaged as we looked at all of the beautiful creations around us. It was wonderful. My mentor friend, Sheila, has a houseful of beautiful artwork. While in college, she started putting pieces of artwork on layaway, contributing whatever small amount she could at the time, on a monthly basis, to go towards whatever piece of artwork she wanted. I thought this was a brilliant idea - and so I finally bought my very first piece of artwork while in NM. I set it up so that $20/month was withdrawn from my bank account, and just received the painting in the mail! The artist is Dee Sanchez, and paints mostly landscapes/people/etc. in a New Mexico environment. I think they're wonderful and dreamy. The one I bought is quite a bit more mellow than her usual style. Isn't it beautiful? Makes me want to go frolic amidst the flowers. You can see more of her paintings here.

beautiful song...

Since my last post...

1. My boyfriend of almost 3 years moved here after about 18 months of living in California
2. I've begun coursework in Soils and Plant Nutrition, and I love it
3. I've begun coursework in Geology of the Pacific NW, and it is blowing my mind and is so far beyond my comprehension...but even so, my brain is enjoying the imaginitive trip through what our world may have been like billions and millions of years ago. It is an astonishing journey.
4. More snow fell in Portland than in the last 40 years, and then melted, thankfully
5. I've gotten a nice chair at work that helps with good posture (which was desperately needed)
6. I'm getting new office furniture, and I get to pick out a color for an accent wall...i'm thinking of going with "Tangy Green" or "Green Moth" - (they are much lovelier than they sound...:)
7. I've gone to an exploring membership dinner at the Methodist church I've been attending...and I'm still not sure I want to "join." I appreciate the people there. They are warm, inviting, inquisitive, and thoughtful. Ben and I are the youngest people by at least 5 years...there are a handful of early 30-somethings. I don't know why I have this need to have one foot in and one foot out of things like this..maybe it's part of my non-committal lifestyle, I'm not sure. I am torn between wanting tradition and wisdom, such as you would find in an older mainline denominational church, and the liveliness and peer network of a younger, perhaps non-denominational congregation. In any case, all of this requires that I commit somewhere, and that I seek to give to that community, not just continue "shopping" around for what a faith community can give me.
8. I love having Ben here - it has been wonderful in so many ways. He has brought a lively energy to our introverted home, helps with meals and dishes, and is just a good roommate. When he starts working he'll move out into his own place, and it will be good for him to have his own space, and not be living out of a suitcase and sleeping on our living room couch every night. But we will miss him. We are both praying hard that he will find a good job soon. Everyone knows how sucky it is to be looking for a job, and at this point in time (during an economic recession), in this city (which is overflowing with over-educated, ambitious, young and willing-to-work-for-nothing hipsters), it is particularly challenging. Ben is a dynamic, intelligent, enthusiastic, driven and genuinely caring person that any company would be incredibly fortunate to have. It is difficult to convey that to a company in a few short interviews or on a resume. We are praying for what feels like a miracle.
9. I am still planning on applying to grad school next year. I keep talking to people and asking them the same questions I've been asking for the last year and a half - and I keep coming back to Landscape Architecture.
10. That said, I've also entertained thoughts of bagging the whole LA thing and going to school to learn web design.
11. I've been obsessed with Etsy.com - little parts of me dream about being a full-time artist from time to time.
12. I guess that's it. My life has been so busy I've had little motivation to post anything, especially at home where my computer is slooooooooow.
13. One last thing: I saw this amazing lecture about mushrooms in my soils class - the more i learn about fungi the more respect I have for this incredible Kingdom of life. I still HATE the texture of them in my mouth, though. I respect and appreciate them without wanting to eat them :) The video can be found here. Enjoy.

Alex MacLean

Gorgeous, haunting aerial photography. With my past obsession with urban sprawl art I'm surprised I'm not more familiar with his work. A sight to behold.

Favs from Art in the Pearl

Yesterday I saw some spectacular artwork downtown. Kimmy and I walked slowly, almost to the point of falling over, for about an hour and a half, looking at all the stunning pieces of creativity. My favorite painter, if I had to choose one from our brief walk past them, would probably be Marla Baggetta. Her landscapes are where I want to spend my days. I also really liked Wendy Dunder's sculpted lamps. Here are a few of the pieces I saw, which I retrieved from linking to their websites via the Art in the Pearl website:

Autumn in the City of Roses

I've discovered a new favorite website: http://www.travelportland.com. You specify what dates you are interested in, and it lists all of the wonderful events taking place here, from Art Festivals to Moon Viewing at the Chinese Garden and everything in between. This weekend, I am looking forward to "Art in the Pearl" - where over 125 regional art vendors come to the North Park Blocks to sell their art. My buddy Kimmy and I may meander on over sometime during Labor Day weekend :)

Another cool thing happening around here is the late summer FREE DAY at the Portland Japanese Garden. This takes place September 2nd, and I plan on going there after work. Wanna come?

I'm looking for a friend who wants to go to the Portland Corn MAiZE sometime during the month of October. The maze is on Sauvie Island, Portland's version of Spokane's Greenbluff (and probably a bit larger) where Beth and I picked berries a few months ago. From the picture, it looks like quite the challenge maneuvering thru it! The fall is spectacular here - I love EVERYTHING about it- the warm colors blanketing all the deciduous trees, the smell of fresh, cool, rainy air, cozy sweaters, making hearty, soothing batches of soup, making and drinking creamy chai, the feeling of newness - as the season is always associated w/ new beginnings, the smell of apples and pears cooking w/ brown sugar and oats in the oven, visiting any one of the Northwest's farming communities - who welcome the public into their storefronts, porches, and pasture land to share in reaping the harvest they've worked so hard for all year...and doing all of the above with close friends nearby. Strange that a season marked by dying and freezing can muster up such feelings of warmth, excitement, newness, and joy. It is the glimmer of wonder before the craziness of a consumer-driven holiday season falls upon us. I am happy to be living in this corner of our amazing planet this year, and especially, this glorious season.

Watercolor inspirers

Some watercolor painters I've drawn inspiration from recently:
Painting at the End of the Earth - http://mceown.artistsnetwork.com/. David McEown travels, literally, to the ends of the earth - Antarctica to Greenland to the Arctic- to paint watercolors. I grumble inwardly as I paint upstairs in our attic, complaining of the heat. Well, at least my paintbrushes aren't freezing on me. Gorgeous artwork that glistens the way you'd expect w/ such majestic subject matter. I love the penguins hanging out near his easel/painting spot. Too precious.



Victor Martinez - http://www.victormartinez.com/
Beautiful paintings inspired by his earlier life in Peru and his current home in New Mexico - portraits, architecture, and landscapes. Images like these create a gentle longing in my heart to one day make my home in New Mexico - plus I'd be closer to my dear friend Elizabeth :)

Jennifer Wu - http://www.shan5.com/watercolor.htm. I love the quality about these paintings. I just happened by them by googling 'watercolor'. The one to the right is titled "HuQiu".

Fruits of the season

Part of my intention this summer in taking a break from evening classes was to 1) work in the yard and tend the veggie garden and 2) break out my paints and do some art. So far I've done a good bit of the former, but man, it is really tough to get back into something you used to do regularly, and sort of pride yourself in being somewhat decent in. Of course art is both a joy and a discipline. I look at the "Painting a Day" movement artists and I am in awe by their dedication and perseverence. One painting a day. So, after taking some nice shots of the fruit Beth and I picked last weekend on Sauvie Island, I decided I would paint a little postcard-sized watercolor of the blueberries. I decided to go small, and I will probably continue to do smaller paintings because they give me a sense of accomplishment and I can keep going w/o feeling overwhelmed. (It's amazing how I can turn doing artwork 'for fun' into something I worry about...my friend Scott gave me a new perspective on the ordeal yesterday. He said worrying was a sign of advanced intelligence. I like that perspective, it makes me feel better about myself. But didn't I just write a blog entry like a month ago about Jesus' teaching on the matter? Maybe if I can be okay w/ the fact that I'm worrying, as it is apparently a sign of advanced intelligence, I won't worry so much about the fact that I'm worrying. Good grief. Bobby McFerrin, you gotta help me here.