Happy St. David's Day

Take a moment to imagine here a photo of the daffodils blooming in my backyard. The photo Google is making it so difficult to post. 

It's been fun. But it looks like Oh My, Oma! is pulling down the shades, turning out the lights, and closing the doors. 

Keep doing all the good things you are doing.

Tissue By the Sheik

The one on the left ----> over there---->up there---^

Well, OK, she was on my left -- your right.

Yeah. That one. She's my baby.

When she was a few years younger 

she would request: "Tissue by the sheik?"

Which translated meant, "Can I kiss you on the cheek?"

or "Will you kiss me on the cheek?"

Sigh.

This photo was snapped not too long ago just before 

she headed off on her next great adventure.

She's out of reach for another year and some

and I'm really missing her these days.

When we meet again you can be sure 

there will be plenty of tissue by the sheik.

Lateral Collateral Ligament

It has supported me on many adventures in my 52 years so far.

My right lateral collateral ligament.

I like that combination of words.

Lovely rhythm.

And alliteration.

Right lateral collateral ligament.

Right lateral collateral ligament.

Right lateral collateral ligament.

Oh. Sorry.

Sometimes I like to repeat words or phrases that are fun for my mouth.

But, as I'm sure you've guessed, my mouth muscles (or ligaments, as the case may be) are not what I need to work on strengthening. Our recent ten-mile hike has confirmed it is my knee that I need to work on. And I am. 

Exercising my knee. Specifically my right lateral collateral ligament.

Say it with me now.

Right lateral collateral ligament.

Right lateral collateral ligament.

Right lateral collateral ligament.

Aluminum linoleum aluminum linoleum.

(Just checking to see if you are still with me here.)

...lateral collateral....

Walking to the End of September

Don't worry. It's just a ten-mile walk.

Autumn is a great time to visit Sequoia National Park.

No mosquitoes.

Blue skies. Pleasant temperatures day and night.

Good fishing holes. Like Emerald Lake.

Or Aster Lake.

Or Heather Lake.

See you later, September. 

We will remember you fondly as we walk forward into October.

Inspired By: Mirror Lab

Wish my dad was around so I could talk with him about this. 

Roger Angel at the University of Arizona has worked out some 
solutions to problems of astronomical proportions. 

Inspired by: Drawing From Memory

Oma's Art School is underway. Self-instruction, line drawings, watercolor, studying works that speak to me, restraining the chattering monkey mind that says this is silly. Putting the Red Elephant Journal created earlier to good use at last.

I have found helpful and inspiring this beautiful book and remarkable memoir of artist Allen Say, about whom I knew nothing before encountering this book. It is published by Scholastic Press and geared to middle grade children, but I would recommend it for adults and children of every age. 

Vicarious Thrills

I love my life.

I really do.

And I do not wish for the opportunity to do any of it over again.

Nevertheless I have on many occasions experienced the thrill of reading about the lives of others and becoming absorbed in their stories to the extent that their joys and adventures and insights feel almost like my joys and adventures and insights. Vicarious thrills.

Blogging, and lurking, and surfing the interwebs introduces me to so many more passionate lives.

Like this young couple gardening in the Oregon wilds:
http://www.readingmytealeaves.com/2013/08/wilderness-gardening.html

And this recent art school grad:
http://phoebewahl.blogspot.com/2013/08/project-dreamsheets.html

And this traveler and literature lover at Oxford:
http://ageoldtree.virb.com/words/13878390/

And this wild woman artist in Washington and Idaho:
http://www.thenoisyplume.com/blog/2013/08/22/smile-youre-alive/

Who are some of the interesting individuals you have encountered in your interweb explorations?