Good Things

Swans highlighted by rising morning sunshine.
Homemade granola with nutmeg and golden raisons.
Sweat dripping down my nose.
Dog kisses.
Wholesome salad goodness.
Warm breezes allowing bared arms.
Snuggles.
Looking at other artists and picturing my own art.
Soft, fleece sheets.

Good night.

Tree Song

Yesterday the highlight of my day happened unexpectedly.

Olive and I went for a quick walk up a snowy Hagen Trail, Olive frolicking in the new snow, running ahead only to speed back to bounce around me before taking off again.

We had to turn around early because of a dinner date with A & M. We happened to stop on the top of a hill. Suddenly, the trees were singing to us. Creaking and groaning, high pitched and low pitched, a melody of sorts was played out in the quiet of the forest. And Olive and I were there to listen.

In these moments, when unusual and interesting sounds abound, I wish that I carried a recorder. I have never done a sound art piece, but have always been interested in doing so. Creating an experience both visually and aurally...

Feeling Rock Again

On Saturday morning we woke up early, filled the camper fridge, loaded an anxious Olive into the truck, and made our way to Lander. It was my first time climbing outside this year, a position that always makes me a little nervous as well as more than excited. There is no comparison between climbing in the gym and feeling plastic under your fingers to scaling a problem up a wall of stone, your pads slowly becoming toughened by the reality of rock. The sun was warm, enough to wear the flip-flops.

What I love about climbing is that everything else melts away. More than any other sport, the details of life take a back seat when you are tied into the end of a rope. All attention has to be on the project at hand; a wonderful opportunity to be completely in the moment.

I did a good job of not letting my head interfere, as it sometimes does. I haven't been training in the gym, climbing is not the highest priority in my life on a weekly-basis, and I am where I am with the sport. It was about being there with J, enjoying his company and the company of R & K, who happened to also be there.

A wonderful weekend....with more to come!

Powder Skiing in April

Our biggest storms of the year are occurring now. Close to five feet in 10 days.
Jamie and I went out yesterday afternoon, after the crowds had died down and we had both gotten some working hours in, and skinned south of Mt. Glory. We saw two snowboarders, who we passed, and then we had the path and forest to ourselves. Such a magical time to be outside in the mountains, the light slowly waning and casting shadows. Because it is spring, the snow was light in places and heavy in others, conditions that made it rough for little dog. But she likes a challenge.

Sleepless in Snowy Jackson

There have been certain nights this past week when I put down Reading Lolita in Tehran (my current read), turn off the light, roll over onto my side, and my mind starts racing. These are the nights that I know I will have to do battle with myself in order to enter dreamworld. Tonight I decided not to fight the thoughts and get up and be productive.

There are so many things to do. Always. Some fun, some not as much.

Tonight the list reads like this, in this order:

--Grant for CCJH to support Public Arts Coordinator position
--Americans for the Arts 2010 Symposium in June (that I really want to attend, but maybe can't afford)
--Wedding details like...invitations, music, men's clothes, decorations, lights, getting my dog to Maine (big one)....this list can go on, but I have seen it all before and don't want to see it here.
--Getting Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet tickets sold
--How I am going to be an Artist....which leads to...
--Should I go back to school? and....
--For a degree in art-making or art-administrating?

Maybe this slight purging will help.

Snowy Spring...Food Observations...Inspirations

I woke up to big, fat, juicy flakes of snow flying past the window. By the time I got up, three inches had accumulated on the ground and Olive was a polar bear when she returned from her morning routine. It made me feel the anxious, gotta-get-out-and-ski sensation that only living in Jackson can evoke on a regular basis. I also felt like I just wanted to stay in my PJ's, warm with a cup of tea. Spring snow doesn't stick around long though; by the afternoon most of the five inches had vanished.

I am on day six of my ten day cleanse. I have mixed feelings. It feels great to have a goal, to test my willpower, to know that everything I am putting into my body is good for me. I also feel regulated, hungry often, and slightly crazed at times with my obsession of what I am going to eat and when. It is an unsettling relationship with food, maybe because it is a foreign one. I will take with me from this adventure a better idea of what to reach for when I snack, how much to eat in a sitting, and perhaps a little less coffee. What I want to consume next weekend, when I am through, is: chai tea with milk and honey, granola and yogurt, a piece of local made bread with butter, a hamburger (!), and a glass of red wine. Those are the things I miss the most...

My friend B sent out an art blog today, with an email that really struck me because it sounded like myself. It is often uncanny how B's thoughts about her artistic life are so parallel to mine. Not that our situations are unique. In fact, I would say most artists struggle with the creative process and with how to live an artistic life. Her blog and bravery made me smile though. Good job B!

Okay. Enough computer time for the day. I get lost in wedding blog world every evening it seems.

This is What My Brother Must Feel Like...

I am on day two of a cleanse, and I have to say, I am not as chipper as I was on day one. I get to eat at least; no liquid cleanse for me. Quinoa (no chicken broth), all the veggies I want, almost all the fruit I want (as long as I eat twice as many veggies), powdery supplement shakes, and one small, small square of dark chocolate. It will be good for me....it has already tested my willpower incredibly: the woman behind me in the tram line eating a chocolate-drizzled croissant; R and H eating french fries and washing them down with a freshly made cocktail at the swanky new venue Ignite (I had tea); and J eating a juicy, perfectly grilled buffalo burger in front of me as we watched Project Runway tonight.

It is interesting to have your day structured by food, to think twice about what goes into your mouth, to create something that you cannot taste, to be more thoughtful perhaps. Already I have realized how much I snack, not always on bad things, but out of boredom. I don't think that I would like leading such a highly disciplined life all of the time; I love my butter and red wine and making homemade granola and eating a bowl of it while it is still hot, crackling in the cold milk. But there are good lessons in these ten days, about awareness and consideration and relishing the taste of simple foods....

I hope that I don't end up disliking quinoa in the end though.