June 4, 2004

"At Balboa Park"
6:38pm

No words have I here of our visit last weekend to San Diego with Julia's brother and his friend, but I have a couple of pictures. I liked the interplay of light and shadow in the courtyard at the Museum of Man, and told the three of them to get in front of the large column.

I have also a photo collection of Balboa Park, concentrating mostly on that Egyptian exhibit at the Museum of Man. (Naturally!)

June 5, 2004

"Stitching The (Colorful) Dreams"
3:13pm

I originally did this automatic drawing May 19th, but I did not color it. As I was looking over my drawings, considering their sizes for framing purposes, I decided this one would look so much better colored. And it does!

Earlier, Julia uttered a phrase which deserves 'immortalization':

"The opposite of inspiration is expiration"

I certainly feel that way. If I am not actively being creative, I feel half alive.

June 8, 2004

"Venus Sun Transit"
9:51pm

The image above is my rendering of what a multiple exposure photo of this rare six hour event looks like. Venus makes two passes across the sun, eight years apart, every 122 years; the next one will be in 2012. We here in the western half of the United States were not able to see this historic event, but I viewed many photos of it on the web. The astrologers are exclaiming how this will usher in a new age of intuitive awareness and wisdom to aid in our evolution. Well, I'm all for it, if it happens. But this must be consciously chosen.

In my own horoscope chart, Julia informs me that my Sun has a very close conjunction with Venus, so supposedly this event will be harmonious to me. I did have some time this morning to reflect on beauty, a very Venusian realm. I was listening to Joshua Bell's Romance of the Violin, eyes tearing up at the beauty of the fluid flow of the melodies he plays, and once again embraced Beauty as one of my loves.

I enjoy classical music, but I can enjoy other types of music as well. Later, in the car on the way to work, I listened to the classic rock station. JOY TO THE WORLD by Three Dog Night came on, and I turned the volume up and sung at the top of my lungs:

JOY! to the world, All the boys and girls now! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, Joy to you and me...

I had a blast singing it. I 'sang it to the world', there in my red car, going down 16th street. It is beauty of another kind. One is refined and elegant. The other is boisterious and full of life. I like all kinds.

June 12, 2004

"Special Letters"
5:06pm

In the news, this week has been filled with images of former President Reagan. He died at age ninety, after suffering ten years from Alzheimer's. How old and tired his wife looked at the funeral. She's been through so much. Though with such a disease, it's like she's been steadily losing him, as every memory of his gradually got consumed by the disease.

Possibly as part of what earned him the title 'The Great Communicator', over the years he'd written many letters to his wife Nancy, of which the ever spritely Katic Couric spoke. As I glanced up from my sewing to watch a slow procession of funeral cars, tears filled my eyes. She spoke of how grateful Nancy must be, to have those letters. I cried as I thought of my late dear letter writer.

Laura's Handwriting Sample and Letter to Me

Laura loved to put little notes in my lunches, and for many years she and Julia did that. I've saved these, all on brilliantly hued small square sheets of paper. And yes, I'm grateful for each one.

for my 44th birthday, a special stamp from Julia

I hope Nancy has as much joy as I do, when reading those special letters and remembering.