WTF of the Day

Cucumber salad ring. A gelatenious mess from The Cooking Encyclopedia circa 1970.

Hilarious

Royal Bitch Wine. A 2005 Shiraz from my sister.

Edison makes a Pillow

Of Big Fluffs. . .Oh my these cats suffer so!

WTF? Spelling Lesson?

Do ya think they meant "whore"?

I've always been of the opinion that if you're going to be a thug/rebel/revolutionary visionary, you should get your spelling and grammar in order. You need to be respected no? Surely you want an educated audience no?

No?

So you are just some bitchasspunk that has nothing better to do than deface other people's property with miss-spelled graffiti? How bout you all do us a favor and get a dictionary and do it right in the name of art? Otherwise your tagging looks like an infantile attempt at destructive rebellion.

What? You were just trying to huff? And the people you were with did this?

Right. . . .

Harper's Ferry #255

I love pictures where the sky seems to be moving. It reminds me that we're all just here on a big round ball essentially being thrust through the heavens. It's humbling.

WTF of the Day. . .

So I'm on my way home from work in the dark of night because of the stupid time change and I'm listening to NPR. This is news:

A local hospital is installing "hygiene spies." That is, they will have appointed folks that will observe to see if hospital staff are washing their hands at appropriate times.

OhcheesenriceisoursocietyintroubleorWHAT?!

That's right. The "hygiene police" will be patrolling hospitals making sure employees are washing their hands. The report indicated that the non-compliant employees, when caught would be strongly admonished to follow the hand washing rules.

This is disturbing on so many levels:

1. Isn't continual hand washing nearly a prerequisite in a hospital setting?
2. Why in the eff wouldn't you want to wash your hands continually if you were dealing with sick people as a personal precaution?
3. If you are a hospital why on earth do you think it's necessary to enact such a stealth program to monitor employees? Can we safely assume it's because you suspect a problem?
4. If you are a hospital and you suspect you have this problem why do you think spying will help? Why don't you effing hunt these folks down, educate them, and then FIRE them for non-compliance?
5. Is this some kind of a gimmick to convince the public this particular hospital is cleanlier than the rest? Hence attracting more business during a time of H1N1 panic?
6. Don't even get me started on why NPR felt this was news-worthy.

WTF, people, WTF?

Harper's Ferry #246

Some people view fall as the beginning of an end. Plants are dying. Leaves are dropping. Winter looms steely gray and cold and ominous on the horizon. Older folks often refer to the "autumn of their lives."

I have never viewed fall this way.

Just as much as spring, if not more, fall is a time of renewal. Fall allows us to literally take stock. It allows all kinds of plants and animals - some of them in the early stages of gestation even - to steal away from the industrious nature and hard work of the warmer months.

Fall allows us a comfortable cocoon in near darkness where we can reflect, hunker down, feast on our larders and provisions. It allows us time to emerge in the light of spring energized, renewed, pregnant with the promises of spring. We are refreshed and appreciate spring after enduring a dark, cold winter.

Fall is not a time of decay and death. Fall is a glorious fireworks display. Fall is a celebration of summer harvests and bounties. Fall is the seed of spring.

Little seeds lie dormant in the frost kissed ground waiting. . .waiting to offer their potential.

As do we. . .

Harper's Ferry #244

Harper's Ferry #230

If you climb from Jefferson Rock, you come to this. I suppose an educated hiker would know there is a cemetery beyond. Clearly I'm not an educated hiker.

Uneducated hikers get heart palpitations from out of shape hiking and a bit of a surprise.

I like how the trees, vines and leaves offer the idea of an archway.

Harper's Ferry #218

If I were a child living in this house on a precipice, I'd likely dream a lot about my ability to fly.

Harper's Ferry #214

Return to Harper's Ferry #223

The vista Jefferson said was worth crossing the Atlantic to see. I think if you look hard enough you see something everyday that can be just as inspiring and breathtaking. Most days it's not this obvious. It takes focus and desire and a willing heart.

I have a prayer from Merton plastered just about every place I can so that I see it and read it several times a day because it really resonates with me and I think it helps explain what I'm looking for in a lot of my photography. The painting would be another story. . .It seems to come out angrier and a little more subversive.

Anyway, here's the prayer that helps me keep my cool.

Lord of the loving heart
May mine be loving too
Lord of the gentle heart
May mine be gentle too
Lord of the willing feet
May mine be willing too
So may I grow like you
in all I say and do

I'm not exactly one to tout a bunch of organized religion or "karma" or "life gives you what you can handle" dicta. Life is one big sloppy mess. It's up to you what you glean from it. It's up to you to learn from it. It's up to you.

And that I find pretty powerful.

Dirt Mall

Who is this guy?!

Dirt Mall

OPJs Other Peoples Junk. LOL!!

Dirt Mall

Hmmmm?

Dirt Mall 4

Ohhh somebody might get really lucky this coming holiday season. LOL

Mother of all Dirtmalls 3

The Mother of All Drit Malls 2

The Mother of all DirtMalls!

New Common Ground

Dear friend R gifted me with a lovely little journal. Does she know me well or what? I'm always looking for ways to get pen to paper. Often it's a disorganized mess. I did well for a while but it was a large sketch pad and it proved burdensome in terms of portabilitiy.

But thank's to R, I have this lovely, convenient little journal. And also thanks to her, she presented it to me with a nonchalance and casualness that allowed me to feel no pressure to fill this little gem with profound thoughts. Gawd, friends are amazing.

I have decided this little book will see good, bad, mundane, and exciting. . .Much like this blog, If we need caraway seeds, if I need to remind myself to floss, it's in the journal.

One of the beautiful things about this portable little number is I can sneak in little quotes, quips, and thoughts. . .Here's the first:

"Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump. You have to disregard the limitations, expectations, and judgments of other people." - John Katz

Whoooo dooooogggggyyy! Is this time my sometime?

For more Katz, check out Bedlamfarm.com - the farm journal