Almost one

Today is Twila's last day of being "#" months old...or as Doug puts it "her last day of being zero". She woke up incredibly happy and spent most of the day hanging out at the house with Doug's mom. I was pretty busy running around but every time I came back to the house Fay seemed a little bit more out of breath and Twila's hair was a bit more tussled. I think they had a lot of fun together enjoying our first over 70 degree day.

I can't believe it's almost, well, that it has been a year. I think it's been one of the best years if not the best year of my life. I'm very thankful.

Validation

Man, it might be nice to be one of those people who don't need any validation at all. I'll be honest- I like validation. To be even more honest, there are some days I actually need it. It makes me feel good. This afternoon a stranger included one of my items in her treasury (ETSY). Yea! Thank you Ms. Hadass. You made my day. Should you care to visit the treasury here is a link.

BigEars day 1

Today was a lovely spring day. It was also the first day of Big Ears. I felt fine knowing that I was not going to see any bands today as Doug and I decided that it was his big day at the festival. So that morning the family headed onto Java where he played some ambient music with some pals. Poor guy is dealing with the worst Poison Ivy he's had in years, maybe ever-he looks like a burn victim. It's bad. So with swollen feet and itchy body he played for about an hour. Twila and I listened in the background. She had fun being passed around to people she had never met before and was full of smiles. She didn't seem to care about the music much... although she did add some avant garde vocals to much of the piece. Fortunately for us people didn't seem to mind and even thought it was cute. We were lucky. After that I brought Twila home for some napping and hopped into the garden. It was, as I said, a perfect spring day. The neighbors across the street were out. You know, I guess I don't have a good gauge for guessing people's ages. I thought they were around my age but after hearing much of their conversation, I had the realization that I am a lot older than they are. I wonder if they look at us and think "the older people across the street....." I don't feel old so it's not really that big a deal but it was something noticeable. What was the comment that did it? Well, most (about 8 of them) of the "kids" had never seen Total Recall because they were too young. Are you kidding me? Does that movie have an age where you cant see it?? I guess... You know, that totally makes me question my whole shtick. Does that mean I can't say "Get your ass to Mars" in a bad accent and get a laugh anymore? You know, every time I stick one of those aspirator syringe bulbs up Twila's nose I think of that scene- you know the one...that is if you are old enough! So anyways, did some gardening. Doug enjoyed the day seeing Adrian Belew debut some new music. Then it was back to the cafe to make some more music. That night he went to see Joanna Newsom. He said she was good and the show was great but that it wasn't really for him. But like all of the musicians here this weekend it's hard not to recognize that they are excellent musicians who know their craft well. It's inspiring. Here is a great article about Big Ears from the NY Times.

Big Ears

It's another weekend full of music in Knoxville! The second Big Ears festival is here. The immense amount of talent about to take stages in Knoxville pretty much fulfills an entire year of musical enjoyment. Last year I couldn't believe the luck of having such a great festival right here in Knoxville! If someone was going to set up a bunch of shows and movies with music I love or don't know and will love this would be the result. Yea! This year there are even more artists. Really I am just glad to see that it's continuing...There are a lot more bands this year...less labs and workshops which I really enjoyed last year. (Blog post here)But should be a lot of fun. There are some cool one time only concerts to enjoy too- A few artists debuting new unreleased works and a few older works being performed live. I scored some tickets to see Brian Eno's Music for Airports as played by Bang on a Can Allstars. I wonder if there will be some guest appearances for this too... I can hope. But that's the type of stuff I can look forward to at this festival . There are also some experimental films at the museum along with some live music and combined music with films. I plan on taking Twila to her first Moog lab to play with some Moogs and theramins. Cute. Doug is excited to see Adrian Belew play something new. He will be playing some ambient music this Saturday afternoon for free at Java if anyone wants to stop by. Here is a post and video from last year's ambient cafe.

First Picnic

Yesterday was beautiful, perfect really. A nice 70 degrees. Aunties S & B, Twila, and I got some lunch and headed to the park for some chatting and relaxing. Twila seemed to like her first picnic. She crawled all around checking out what she could nibble and then spit out. She played in the dirt and crawled through the grass. She also loved all the little puppies and dogs that would run over to say hello. There was one puppy in particular (could have been the cutest puppy I have ever seen- like a little fur ball) that jumped all over Twila and kissed her in the face while she giggled. When he left she screamed and started to crawl after him. She seems to like the dogs... So, great afternoon, lovely company, an excellent first picnic.

Cute little bunny

Playing the guitar

She really seems to like the tuning pegs more than the strings but she's getting the hang of it...

Let the games begin

The last two days have brought many changes. It seems as though 6 months of milestones have come in 2 days. Yesterday afternoon Twila started to crawl everywhere. She has not done much crawling...a little here and there to retrieve an item or to come over to say hi to me or the kitties. Yesterday that all changed. She crawls to a place she can pull herself up to and then walks like a rock climber around the room. She stretches her arms out from one wall to a door, from one drawer knob to a chair-just like a rock climber Pressed flat, scooting and stretching, she moves along until she doesn't have something to grab onto and then sits and crawls to the next item to pull herself up on. This morning she was even more energetic. She walked around the table for what seems like a dozen times and then decided she wanted to say hi to the cats. Both of the Lous had this expression like "What? It moves?? When did this happen and why does she want our attention??" She crawled through the house grabbing and pulling, showing me all the items in the house I was going to have to find new and higher places for. Then she scooted around to show me she could fit her fingers in all of the vents and electrical outlets- really baby?? Isn't that a bit cliche? So, after two hours of this and me still in my pajamas I decided to get ready to go to Target and get a gate. Yes, a gate. For inside the house. So she can be contained. So I put her in her crib with this keyboard she likes. (I remember the friend who gave it to us was very happy to be giving it away...) It makes different animal noises and plays a very energetic version of Fur Elise. It also has a woman's voice who says different phrases like "The trombone goes WAAAWOooooWaAAA" or "The cymbals go crash bang crash"...stuff like that. There are also some other sounds-bells and whistles mostly but my favorite is a sound just like when Fred or Barney has to run really fast and get away from something...actually, maybe it was Scooby Doo...Yes, I think it was when Scooby had to run away quickly. (This, by the way, is a great example of the type of discussion I now have with myself.) So anyway, I brought the walkie talkie into the bathroom and took the quickest and most bizarre shower I have ever had in my life. I did laugh. You know, it confuses and surprises me that Jack Bauer has not used the VTech Sing & Discover Piano. He could have interrogated the terrorists in like 10 minutes!
"Dammit! Tell me where the rods are!!"
"I wont' ever talk! You can cut off my limbs, pour acid in my eyes! You will never find out where they are hidden."
"Is that right?" He sets up the little yellow piano. The terrorists stirs.
"What...what is that?" The terrorist whispers starting to quiver. Then....
"Let's make a song!"
"Nooooooo...okokokokok. They are in a safe at the subway station. The blahblahs are picking them up in an hour. Here is the code and their cell phone number. Ask for John."

Yes, this is another example of the conversations I now have with myself while chasing little baby Twila. With any luck she won't end up too crazy.

Hipstamatic 2

Hipstamatic

Thanks to John for introducing me to the Hipstamatic app! I am loving it. It's like all my favorite films and lenses in one tiny little fabulous package.

Best bank in the world

So I went to the bank yesterday and the lady in the drive through asked me if I would like her to enter my name in a raffle for that night and I need not be present to win. "Sure." I replied. I didn't even have to fill out my own card!
So this morning I got a phone call from the bank telling me a won. I wondered what- a gift card to some restaurant? What? Then she asked me if I would like the $50 in my savings or checking account.
"Wait. What?"
"Would you like the money in your savings account or checking?"
"Wait. So my bank is giving me money?!"
"Yes mam. You won the raffle."
"Wow! This is the best bank ever! I always joke about how I wish that the bank would give me some money! This is amazing!"
"So you'd like that in your savings?" I could tell she was at least smiling now but was still happy to take care of business.
"Um, yeah, sure...whichever! Wow, this is amazing. Thank you! I'm going to tell everyone I know about you guys."

So, the Knoxville Post Office Credit Union. It's the best bank ever. Want to join? I'll refer you. They are always helpful, friendly, I don't get fees for everything...I love my bank. Yea, free money! That should be there tag line: KPOCU, we give you money.

PS- Again I am thinking about the dream with the leprechaun.

Treasure

I was very excited that someone on ETSY included one of my items in their treasury. My mom pointed out how funny that was because of my recent leprechaun dream. That did make it even sweeter. I like validation.

The Leprechaun

Last night I had the most wonderful dream. It was vivid and made me feel happy.

I was walking in the woods with Doug and some friends. We were talking about how these particular woods had been rumored to house leprechauns. We went along our walk chatting as we usually do on a hike.

Then I was in high school...not my high school but a bigger, public high school. It was the last day of school and people were running about getting yearbooks signed and laughing. Everyone was in a good mood. I was in a large handicapped bathroom with a rolling shelf stacked full with my photographs. (Symbolism anyone?) I rolled the shelf outside so that I could find a particular photo. People were scurrying around me but I continued to look through a stack of 4x6 photos. Then I found the image. It was the beginning of the walk I had just been on. I was so happy to find it.

Next scene I am older again and walking with Twila. She was riding in one of those front kangaroo pouch type carriers. We are approaching the entrance to the same walk I was just on. It is icy. The trail reminds me of a hike I did a long time ago at Mt. LeConte. It was winter and at such a high elevation ice covered most of the path, super pretty. Anyways, as we started the hike I saw the big tree ahead rumored to house a leprechaun. And just as I thought, "How funny would it be if we saw a leprechaun today?" a man walked out of the tree. I began to chuckle calmly to myself and said quietly, "get ouuuut...you gotta big kidding me." "Really?" I said as I walked ahead. He was a short man but in no way like a leprechaun of fairy tales. He stood probably 5 foot 4. He was dressed very sharply in a gray suit. He looked European. He was quite dapper, dashing even. His tie was thin and black. He was very well groomed and had a mustache and short beard. He didn't really emote very much. I never stopped walking and he joined me casually. We walked for a bit side-by-side. Then he said, "So. What'll it be?" He had an accent; sounded like Scottish.

It wasn't until later when I thought more about the dream that it occurred to me he should have sounded Irish. Plus, Doug pointed out that it was nice to dream about a leprechaun so close to St. Patrick's Day. I had not been thinking about SPDay but I guess it could have inspired the dream somehow. But I digress...

So we were walking together...He asks me what it will be and then continues... "Everlasting life? Riches beyond your imagination?" I giggled a bit. We continued along very casually. Strolling on the soft trail. I thought to myself for a bit. Did I really want to make a wish. Risky. I wondered what I could wish for that wouldn't be turned into something miserable. Do I wish for my family to be happy? Surely that couldn't get taken out of context. Nah, surely it could. Do I wish for success as an artist? No, definitely not. "You know, I know how this works..." we never really looked at each other...just continued strolling. " I wish for something. You say 'here ya go' and then I spend the rest of my days regretting the wish I just made. I've seen the movies. I've read the tales." I thought some more as we ambled along our return. Then for the first time I looked over at him. He was looking straight ahead expressionless. I felt strangely relaxed around him...I was enjoying my time. Then I decided. "You know, thanks for the offer and everything but I guess I'm pretty happy. My life is okay...good even. I like my family. We are happy. So, as great an opportunity as this is I am going to respectfully decline." I was happy with my decision. We kept walking until that last turn. He walked back into his tree without saying good bye.

The next scene I was riding my bike. My cat (who wasn't really my cat or any cat I knew) was in a basket on the back of the bike. It was night time. The city streets were very dark. I turned back and the cat was curled up making biscuits in the air. It was a huge cat-like a Maine Coone but calico. We rode over to a friends house to meet some pals. When I got off the bike a small gang of men approached. We were too excited about the leprechaun to stop and chat. When I told the story to my friends I don't think they really believed me.

Nice dream.

Constitucion

Up the road from here was a line of restaurants...the one I mention in the post before this one. These rocks are beautiful. Tunnels run through them. There are caves you can wander through. They are things to marvel at.

Good News

I spoke with Pachy and Nolfa a bit ago and they said that they have heard from Cristina. They are ok and the houses are okay. They said they have no light but they do have food. They also just had another 6.5 aftershock! I can't believe how many aftershocks they have had. In fact again while on Skype with Pach they had to run and take cover. She said they had to open the doors because it was quite strong. I could see Nolfa in the background putting her shoes on just in case. It made me think of when I was little in California and whenever we had an earthquake we would go back to sleep with a pair of shoes next to the bed.

I also asked them if I was right in remembering the beach of Constitucion. It was a great stop for us. The memory came back to Pachy and I perfectly when Nolfa told us what we had to eat! I love that-very typical of the Chileans to remember things by meals. She remembered the color of the table clothes and the color of our shirts. It was a delicious meal. We were the only ones in the restaurant but they treated us like family. They cooked us some fresh fried fish with some sides and salads. Dad, Pachy, and I had some delicious beer. It was right over the beach and they had a beautiful patio that overlooked the water. Small plants filled in gaps of the walkway to the restaurant. Pachy said she remembers the place smelling like the wood from the forest. We laughed a lot. I think Pachy may have gotten a little tipsy... I may have joined her. When we went to walk outside for a bit on the beach we ran into Pachy's cousin! Small world.

Update 2

No word yet about Cristina, Carla, Oscaro, their children nor their parents. I made the mistake of watching the news last night...then reading the news...then had a bit of insomnia. Here's a link to what Stephanie was talking about the other day. Quite fascinating really...a bit scary too. Sorry for another bummer of a blog post. Life in TN is actually quite peaceful and pleasant. But many of my thoughts are with Pachy and Chile right now. Again, I guess that is part of the highs and lows of sharing through a blog. I'll have to go back to blogging about Twila or kittens again!

I was thinking about the footage of Constitucion this morning. I just remember dad saying that he knew of a nice spot to stop and have some lunch on our way further south. A port with restaurants and people lounging on the rocks, fishermen, picnics, teenagers strolling the town. It was a nice spot to stop. I hope they find the strength to pick up the pieces and find what they loved so much about that place once again. I hear that many of the people had time to run to higher ground. People remembered what happened the last time there was a big earthquake and tsunami. Two young boys playing on the beach also saw the 30-50 foot wave coming and ran through town telling people to run. Man. That visual makes me kind of emotional.

The photo below is from the South, Pelluhue. Pachy said that this place was destroyed. In my mind I still have hope that I misunderstood where she was talking about. "Surely not this place..." That's my dad in the corner. Enjoying some sun and reading. Below that photo is one of Nolfa and Pachy enjoying the beach. Good memories. One of the most valuable I have. Doug thinks I am torturing myself with these thoughts...I guess it's good to keep that in mind and find a good middle ground. Really, thinking of these good times reminds me of what life is all about. Enjoying simple things with people I love and treasuring everything about that time while I can. I guess what I love about photography so much is that it's a vital tool in helping me remember those times. It always strikes me as bizarre that a lesson so powerful and impacting can be so fleeting. It takes an event such as this to remind me of something I always tell myself I won't forget. I guess I let life get in the way of living sometimes. So in your day today, treasure those small irritations, the little laughs you get, and the people who love you.

Chile Update

I talked with Pachy today. They are still sleeping in their clothes and ready to leave if necessary. They are still afraid. I guess the minds of Chileans are kind of freaking out...understandable. A friend of mine told me that the news said the the earthquake was so strong that it reversed the Earth on its axis! The world spun in reverse. Yikes. Pachy said that there is word of mass panic in the south. We still have not heard about our family in Concepcion. Her worry for them grows. Plus, it seems like no supplies are really able to get into Concepcion because of looting. Buses are being stopped and robbed on the roads. People are breaking into houses while people are still in the houses. But there are also stories about looting for items that people need. Like a woman who just delivered a baby and needed formula...it's not sounding good. I guess the feeling right now is that the government is not doing enough to help those in the South. She also worries about those small cities we have not heard about...ones that could go unnoticed for too long. And now that bridges and roads are out they are even more isolated. The worry for them is high because there were a lot of Adobe Houses made out of clay. But in Santiago there are buildings that should have been built for earthquakes that slid by inspections somehow. Those buildings are now down. So at least, my hope is that in the future this won't be tolerated...that people won't be able to slide by or be bought. Is that naive of me? Pachy and Nolfa are staying indoors for safety right now except to go out for food or necessities. She says that the stores are crazy with people buying extras. The minds of people are in panic mode and that makes for dangerous situations. Oh, the story I found very alarming is about a prison in the south- the walls fell and the 246 prisoners escaped. They, I hear, are doing a lot of the robbing of those buses I just mentioned. Scary. There are also still many aftershocks. They are a bit less frequent and a weaker but they still are enough to rattle items on shelves and sway lamps that hang.

Pachy wanted me to let everyone know how much it means to her that you are asking about her. She sends you many thanks. She really saw her life pass by her in those first moments and she thought of what she was going to leave that she would miss. She thought she was going to die. I hate that she had to feel that. Those kind of moments really make one take a look at what's important. Pachy is the type of person though who always seems to know what's really important, what should be worried over, and what life holds that really is truly valuable. She's the most positive person I know. So for her to have to think these things, well, my heart really goes out to her. It was a powerful experience she's still having to go through.

Garbanzos and Grace

I had a such a great time at our supper club dinner. I feel so lucky to know such unique and interesting women. Plus, it was my first evening out by myself in awhile . I enjoyed the food, the conversation, the company...it was just so much fun. Thanks to Kris who had thought out little details to make the theme (Indian) come together. The food was DELICIOUS! If anyone knows the recipe for the Samosas please share...I neeeeed it. I only took two photos and of course one of them was of Grace the cat. Whoa, she was a cutie. (Reminded me of Shiva, the first cat I ever liked.) Another successful Strider event! Next month's theme is Thai food at Corrine's house. Yum.