luscious delights

I am preparing to hang an exhibition of my collage art and photographs entitled “lush!” When I think of that word and the work I selected for the show, many adjectives come to mind; rich, voluptuous, juicy, bountiful, vibrant are just a few. The walls of the Cullen Room at Busboys & Poets at 5th & K NW will be adorned for the next three months with over 36 goddesses and flowers that bring those adjectives to life, but there are other subjects that tempt me with those same words. Check out the sumptuous earthy delights found at the farmer’s market…

My mouth watered as I walked beneath the white canvas tents, a cool breeze mingling among them. So captivated was I by the lusciousness surrounding me, I barely noticed the rising heat as my camera gorged itself not knowing what to snap next; we left satiated.

Put on your sun hat and treat yourself to a lavish feast for the tummy and eyes at your local outdoor market if you…

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bedtime

head lazily wilts

heavy against your waiting cushion

eyes flutter…and sigh.

drenced with fatigue

they wake to defer.

petals of intoxicating slumber

stroke my cheek, kiss me good night, drift over the crevices
and rest in between places unknown.
I inhale your elixir that convincingly whispers
"lie with me in this sleep".

until Sunday...

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sticky situation

Art imitates life. Not sure who originally made that statement but for the past couple of months I’ve been pondering it in reverse as I work on a project I thought I had enough experience with to actualize my vision. That is until pain that made it impossible to think straight or focus on the smallest task began to give me a fresh and immediate canvas on which to build.

During the time I lived in NYC, I made the decision to opt for more holistic treatments to manage crippling back pain when medicine and routine visits to an MD failed to provide relief. Already a spa baby who had my favorite masseuse on speed dial, I programmed the chiropractor into the phone after my first adjustment, a moment that solidified the quest for a more creative approach to illness. That pursuit continued here in DC when I fell and injured my knee. A virgin to the needle who was quite curious about multiple punctures, I asked both a yogi and massage therapist that I trusted if they could recommend an acupuncturist. My first visit took me to a small office with minimal furnishings three flights up from DuPont Circle. Feeling a little like the bride of Frankenstein in the making, I was strangely relaxed as Max inserted tiny needles into various points all over my body. That is until he stuck one in my forehead; in subsequent visits, my entire face  resembled a mask from any given futuristic movie as we worked on sinus issues. In less than two weeks, knee and nose felt like they had been reborn (I did have to consume what I referred to as the stinky drink twice a day for those two weeks) with no side affects.

For me medicine provided relief when I was on the mend, however it masked the pain. I never knew quite where I was in the healing process, was too delirious to do much more than sleep, and the rebound affects of some medications were worse than the pain they were supposed to relieve. On the other hand, acupuncture eliminates my pain, I can function through the healing process, and though I sometimes experience discomfort as the flow of blocked energy shifts, the relief I crave is a good nights sleep away. I realize acupuncture and other forms of the healing arts are not for everyone but they give me my life back when pain consumes me and pain this time around served as the backdrop for a new approach to an artistic endeavor that I might have missed so I remind you to always…

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ps - the needles used for acupuncture are MUCH smaller than the one in the picture, I just don't have any of them around the house to photograph :)

If you live in the DC area and are curious or in need, try Frank Neely at District Wellness in Washington or Elizabeth Baer at The Still Point in Takoma Park...very different ambiance at each location, practitioners are quite skilled, knowledgeable and easy to talk with however, they each have their own unique approach and specialties (click on orange titles to read more). My body's needs determine where I go but both Frank and Elizabeth can make me a happy girl!

remembrance

Funerals can be a time of both sorrow and celebration; we feel sad because the person will no longer be a part of our daily human interaction, find joy in the remembrance of a well-lived spirited life. I wake this morning knowing that in a few hours, I will join a church filled with others experiencing both emotions as we honor the passing of a much-loved woman.

Funerals may trigger the desire to sit in reflection, can serve a reminder to live each day grateful for the little things we often take for granted…like that breath you just took.

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altered states

While standing in line to pay for an iced caramel decaf w/soy, I noticed a simple green linen shift dress that looked cool, crisp and comfy. I complimented the woman wearing it; she responded with a shocked look and a little laugh before admitting that she found it in the back of her closet…she had forgotten she even owned it. “You got something new for free!” I exclaimed. We both chuckled then launched into a conversation about all the things never lost just not remembered in our closets and drawers and how many new looks we could create if we found them again.

My grandmother was famous for making alterations to clothing both new and old. Cutting the sleeves on a blouse or unnecessary straps (in her opinion) on shoes happened without a second thought regardless of when the item was purchased. I inherited that desire to alter things that don’t quite suit me though I am much guiltier of doing it to jewelry than clothing. Several times a year, I go into my stash, nine times out of ten, I pull out my tools and redesign earrings and necklaces creating fresh new pieces to wear. I’m also guilty of transforming newly acquired adornments; take the pair of earrings in the picture. I was immediately attracted to the big dangling copper circles that reflected sun onto my face while strolling through the flea market. The vendor allowed me to try them on, they looked fab, price was great, and with me they came. Whenever I buy jewels, I put them on as soon as I get home if I’m not already wearing them; the triangle piece that originally hung from the bottom of these earrings stabbed me in the neck as the flirted about my neck. Ouch! What to do…I took them from between the copper circle, put a gold bead in their place, looped them onto the ear wire followed by a old textured brass bead and low and behold, a more interesting pair of earrings that spared my neck from being nicked to death.

This past weekend, I figured out a way to combine two stand-alone pieces that I had been admiring for many months but wouldn't buy. I love the antique look of the beaded necklace in the photo but it seemed unfinished because of the one bead that fell between the breastbone that seemed to beg for something more. I like crosses, don’t particularly care for pendants that slip onto a choker length neck wire but the cross had crossed my mind repeatedly since I first saw it at Boveda. On Saturday as I sat chatting with my friend who is the owner of the store, I glanced across the room, saw the necklace and suddenly the two pieces made sense. They just needed to be together…and so it goes.

 

What are you doing today? Clean out a closet, comb through the drawers, raid your jewelry box, get out some scissors, yield a pair of jewelry pliers and alter the status quo…bet you too will get something new for free if you just…

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affordable luxuries

Catching up on my reading from a cool perch is a very appealing alternative to being out in the sweltering heat. When I was younger, I devoured books. As I got older, finding time to curl up in a corner and escape got wedged in between the many other things I either had to do or wanted to accomplish. Seems like the hands on the clock are moving much faster now; picking up a book and stopping life for a few hours feels like a luxury. However, it’s one that I can afford. I will indulge! Not just in serious reads but in books that make me smile like Olivia and Winnie the Pooh, which much to my delight is coming to the movies this Friday. The dark cool theater is a very appealing alternative to being out in the sweltering heat and another little affordable luxury. And yes, I will indulge!

Keep the child in you alive and while you’re at it…

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natural expression

he ©

nectar glistens on the pink blossom

the hummingbird dips a long black beak,

teasing before he delves;

dew dampens all the morning flora
the dragonfly soars down to taste wet drops,
darting inside he pulsates;

peach lies open on the moss blanket

the bee hovers then dives into the sweet,

buried in juice he devours;

honeysuckle perfumes the moist air

the butterfly spreads intoxicated wings,

between the petals he drinks;

and flits away….


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f words

Summer is all about friends, frolic and food set to a spirited soundtrack. More than any other season, summer for me has a groove that heats up as the thermometer rises. It can change depending on my mood, what I’m doing, the company kept or when introduced to tunes that grab me and take hold. A long time Bobby McFerrin fan, several years ago I purchased Beyond Words; I played it so much I thought the grooves would wear off. Though I have my favorites, from first note to last I enjoy every single piece and rotate it often during the fall and winter. Something about each song, the flow of the sequence generates warmth (the art of knowing what should come after the other is a gift that listeners like me so appreciate!) So when I first listened to VOCAbuLarieS, I couldn’t connect with the disjointed snippets provided on the listening station. Only after a close friend, who is as much a music fanatic as I, ranted and raved did I take a second listen and though still not completely sold bought it. I was so not disappointed as it played through once, twice then a third time, cannot say enough or adequately express how deeply each composition heard in its completion resonated with me. The voices and rhythms rising and falling, emoting and quieting, surging then pulling back; I feel fabulously satiated when music affects me emotionally, spiritually, creatively. Want to be touched? Let VOCAbuLarieS speak to you then keep it in rotation all year long; it truly is one for all seasons.

Summer does have its own fantastic sounds…waves crashing, pool yard splashing, sizzling grills, roller coaster thrills, hammocks rocking, boats docking, lots of laughter, exhausted after. Everybody loves the sunshine boasts a Roy Ayers song from a summer past and Rock Creek Park by the Blackbyrds, well that’s a summer anthem for all time. So go turn on some rockin’ music, get festive and…

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fourth

Loud booms and a spectacular light show… no it's not the 4th just yet. But the flashing lightening and roaring rolling thunder claps that slapped me out of my sleep made me wonder if the annual exhibition over at the Monument had started a day early! So I'm up sipping a cup of tranquility; the morning show is over leaving behind the quiet of a summer AM rainfall and the anticipation of the real fireworks tomorrow. Happy Fourth!

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