"CA: Was that an inside joke between you and PMT? Stop packing what? (I'm trying to draw him out.)"
"I hope you can pull off the travelogue thing on the blog during your trip and allow us to accompany you vicariously. If you happen to be feeling rich during the trip, pictures of that are optional."
WH, you are incorrigible! Well, it worked .. if only for the moment.
Is the jacket you are wearing in your picture made from the fleece of your own sheep?
"I just have a feeling that PMT is very careful when choosing his vacation wardrobe."
Yep. Strictly leather teddies for me. Honestly, I don't know shit about fashion. Frankly, I have always felt the fashion industry was rather jive. That being said, I wouldn't mind seeing the next fall lineup of 'Commando-Wear'.
"I think I mentioned before that although it is spelled temari, it is pronounced te-ma-di"
It did not occur to me until just the other day that I actually made one of those balls. It was at a tea ceremony in Seoul. Obviously, it was not just a tea ceremony.
For the part of it that was a tea ceremony, the nuns explained the details regarding how they prepare the tea. They made a point of not pouring boiling hot water onto the tea leaves. It should be very hot, but not boiling. They poured enough water over the leaves to wet them well, but not drown them. Then they let them sit for a couple of minutes to allow the leaves to respond by giving off their natural oils. Finally, they poured the bulk of the water over them and let them steep. I have since brewed my tea in the same manner. As I said, though, it was not simply a tea ceremony.
We had a Q&A session with a monk regarding the nature of Buddhism, as practiced at that monastery, and we also made those decorative balls. However, it is only fair to say that ours were nowhere near as fancy as the ones in the pictures that Clear Ayes linked. In fact, to say that ours were anything beyond basic would be to exaggerate. Never-the-less, the damned things adorned the ship on the way back to China.
"Yet, they don't seem to get it, that the virus has evolved/mutated from an older strain."
My better half (who is a retired Special Agent with the FBI, no less) has said that I am the most cynical person that he has ever known. Perhaps this is why I don't trust Bill Maher. However, I do agree with him on several issues. One of which is the 'dis-ease' maintenance industry. Never-the-less, he seems to be straddling the fence in terms of what corporate America wants. Whenever I hear anything that any pundit has to say, I cannot help but ask ... who is paying for this verbiage? And just what is their agenda?
WM,
I am sorry to hear about the complications regarding your mother. I hope things can be resolved in the best way possible for all concerned.
8 comments:
Incorrigible? That's the best damn compliment I've had since the Irish said.... Maybe I better not repeat that here.
Anyway, thanks. And the coat is a farmer uniform here in the sticks, it's a Carhartt. Good to see you.
Several years ago Fred bought a pair of Carhartt jeans to wear while he was digging/planting on our hill. After about 30+ washings they are now just softening up enough so that he can sit down comfortably. They are the heaviest toughest clothing fabric I have ever seen. I don't see that they will ever wear out....at least not before he does.
PMT, Glad to see you back. Interesting story about the tea ceremony in Seoul.
Had to laugh about the leather teddies. Honest, I wasn't hinting that you are an S & M kind of guy. I just thought, after reading your posts, that that you are choosy about most things, from your opinions right down to your vacation clothes. One of these days, we'll get a photo of you and we'll be able to form our own opinions on the "curly haired" guy in Florida.
Evening...wine time. Just said goodbye to our daughter and granddaughter...so incredibly much fun, the visit and playing with Lucy...we colored a lot. I think it is getting time for a Lucy sized easel. We caught her just before she was going to add a bit of her own design to my just finished painting...I'm not sure how well crayons and acrylics mix...
PMT...so good to see you...even briefly. Good catch up...you...cynical...really??? Wow.
I think a hefty dose of cynicism works well in today's world of smoke and mirrors...Just as long as you can hold on to that little bit of wonder and awe and the ability to have your breath taken away.
I'm with CA in imagining you checking off a list of all the items that need taking care of. Perhaps we lean toward the wardrobe issue because it is always a bit problematic. I just took Shirley MacLain's advice...and pack black with some colorful accesories. Since I was always traveling in early spring or fall and have silver hair and am a winter palette...worked great. I hate big luggage. Less is better. I have absolutely no fashion sense at all and would live in jeans and chambray shirts if I could. I survive on my oldest's hand me downs because she has way better taste in clothes than I do...Bill, on the other hand, gets Jenny's hand me down T-shirts with funny sayings on them. Jen is a cargo pants and t-shirt kind of gal...her husband has no problem with it...see...we're seriously lucky and our kids dress us! Life can't get much simpler.
A lovely day today...took care of some mom stuff with the surgeon's nurse. He is really an incredible person and has helped us through a lot of difficulties. Bill and I took care of several things for her yesterday so things have settled a bit for now. I am also lucky to have re-discovered my cousin who had a similar relationship with her father...my dad's brother. So it is good to be able to compare notes. With all of you and local friends and and family, I have a great support group and I won't abuse that priviledge.
A small possible plus for the day...the painting that took first place may be sold...the gallery called and the gentleman who was interested is taking it home overnight to "test" it out...He will still have to leave it up until the show comes down the end of May. I put $950 on it and the gallery takes 40%...so I would get $570...I'm a happy camper...I really like it when someone sees the same thing I do in a painting. I am hoping hoping he decides he wants to live with it permanently.
I thought the tea story very interesting. My friend and I always made a point of splurging on a lunch at Marriage Freres in Paris and they are very specific about how to brew the tea...exactly as PMT has described...so I follow that method at home. It must have been lovely to see the tea ceremony.
WH...I got What are People For, so will be doing some reading in the evenings...will let you know when I get through enough for a starting discussion. I was also pleased to see that Michael Pollen's latest book just won the James Beard award for food writing...now, if more people would read it.
Ca...hope today was better for you...thank you again for your support and I hope I didn't overdo it...like I say, problematic.
Looking forward to seeing your next endeavor...Bill laughed at the "doing" the artist...I asked him not to get any ideas at the July show...
Also...PMT, really liked the music.
PMT:
Just a quick note relative to your earlier comment. The writer Derrick Jensen, who I would characterize as an anarcho- primitivist (a fairly rational worldview if one is dedicated to brutal honesty, which is of course irrational if you want to maintain your sanity), said in one of his books, "All writing is propaganda, including what you are reading now."
I would say that rivals your level of cynicism, which, as I tried to say just now, is the product of honesty. All a person who wants to survive (and hopefully thrive) can do is to follow Wolfmom's directive from above and attempt to hold on to a sense of wonder and mystery about life. Therein lies hope.
I hope you will favor us with your occasional presence. In any case, I hope your trip is a wonderful experience, and an experience of wonder.
He must be a very Special Agent.
WM:
Congratulations on your tentative sale.
Although the essays and poems in WAPF are 25 of more years old, they have held up well. Let's talk about them next week.
CA:
How are you, darlin'? I'm missing your regular input. Where were you hatched anyway? East of where you are, right?
Lurkers:
Show yourself once in a while. We don't bite. Nibble a little, maybe.
WH...sounds good. I will definitely be able to get through that and maybe a bit of the Art of the Commonplace...which intrigues me. I'm always about the food.
I just couldn't refrain from saying, "Whatta guy!" to WH, after reading his post around the corner.
My response to the original posts was, "Oh well, it will blow over soon and all the 'God has a plan' stuff will settle down.
So WH, you are nominated for my hero of the week.
Where was I hatched? I'm an Illini, hailing from Chicago. The family pulled up stakes when I was four years old and moved to California. From there it was to Ontario, Canada at ten years old, then back to California at 16. Except for a couple of years in Colorado during the first attempt at being married (miserable failure), California has been the main base of operations.
When I have lots of time and the fingers are nimble, I'll tell you the story of "how and why" Canada.
I'm not hiding out from you guys. It has been a busy week and it looks like busier to come. I'll tell you about that soon too.
Mysteriously...ha,ha
CA
I second CA's nomination...you go WH!
CA...I hope it is a good busy...you always seem to have so many things going on. I, on the other hand, keep trying to have less going on.
Looking forward to the Canada story.
Finally rounded up all the Paris photos from previous trips and am going to attempt a REALLY big painting that goes from morning at the bottom to night at the top...with the Basilica at Montemarte at the top. Sort of ala Magritte...I just keep thinking that I need something really big and dramatic to hang at the end of the gallery that will be the first thing you see when you come in...I also think that I want something really complex to keep me focused for a week or two...
I hope Sallie checks in and joins us...she always has such an interesting take on things.
Gorgeous day...PMT hope the packing and organizing is progressing apace...
Later...WM
Dang CA...you are so funny...see comment on other blog! I just sat down to the computer and checked the XWord corner...HAHAHAHAHAHA....
I feel a cartoon coming on...If I can manage it, I will post it tomorrow.
This has been a seriously strange week. The Pacific Art League called this afternoon and just bypassed any jurying for their off-site 2 month shows. They asked for some photos and I guess I will be doing another show in the next month...this is begining to verge on the bizarre. I was trying to decide which paintings I can enter where, without overlapping anything and now it is getting really interesting...after hiding in my "studio/sunroom" for almost 3 years, the connections are starting to happen. Even if only a fraction of this works out...the experience alone is awesome...see, I still have a lot of that shock and awe thing going on.
Bill just read an article in the new Time magazine about a state of the art prison that was built in Montana to create jobs for the locals who were losing jobs...the problem seems to be that Montana law(which has apparently been changed recently) wouldn't allow them to bring prisoners into the state...they had to generate their own. I would guess...and PMT can back me up here...that they don't have enough major crime to fill a 95,000 sq ft prison. The governor doesn't want any of them dang Al Queda dudes from Gitmo...cause they could like blow up something...like ahhhh...an elk or a black bear or something...and can you imagine them trying to escape in the middle of winter...like swimming from Alcatraz in your skivvies...BRRRRR.
So... now they are stuck with an empty $27 million dollar high security prison...Whooeee! Ya just gotta love America...I'm thinkin' there are a few members of the previous administration that could fill a few of those cells...you know WH...Hang 'em high...
Time for that 2nd glass of wine...took care of mom stuff this morning...so good to go for the weekend.
WM
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