My January Birthday was a joy Saturday, Feb 20 2010 

birthday gifts in January

My beautiful birthday gifts

Can’t believe it has been almost a month since my birthday, and I’ve meant to write this blog since then. This was a most blessed of birthdays in so many ways..I am happy that Simon is back at home in Prince Rupert after some intense time in the Yukon (personalities more than terrain, I think). He described a beautiful helicopter dawn flying from the Yukon to the village and hence by plane (or is it thence by plane?) to Vancouver BC where he stayed in the Sheraton with nice clean white sheets and ate delicious fish and chips at a pub nearby. And now he seems happy to be home for awhile…we talked a long time on the phone and it was so good to hear his voice. I’m glad my sister Kim just got married, and I know her heart is healing fully in this new “big phat” love, as she calls it. It was great talking to my sister KT at 8:30 AM on my birthday morning just as I was awakening from a dream. And of course, who would I rather “have lunch with” on my BD than Maria in Puerto Rico…thank God for cell phones. Got some nice Irish stories from my Aunt, and a dishtowel with beautiful red hearts on it that reminds me of Denmark (it’s one of their trademarks), love, Valentine’s Day, and mostly of her–my faithful Aunt who has sent me something on my birthday for years and years. How great is that? And my friend Lynne from Kauai (those days of spiritual bootcamp and “don’t park in front of the Buddha”, as well as a tropical paradise), sent me a book about women and confidence (a lifelong issue of mine–and does she know that! We spent so much time sharing when we were in Kauai). My sister Kim sent me some wonderful cassette tapes from the 1940s–my favorite time period) of famous actors reading for a mystery/suspense hour–including the amazing (and short lived) noir actor Laird Cregar—as well as a glittery, sexy mermaid candle, a red grass house blessing icon/doll (or whatever it is–we couldn’t quite figure it out– but it matches my witchy red broom)–I got three beautiful scarves when I arrived at work this morning, and some fancy femmy sticky notes–all my gifts have been super feminine this year!) My friend Patricia gave me a spangly little coin purse with movie ticket money inside–and for three days  I spent at least four hours a day on the phone with people I care about….and others called, emailed, and Facebooked their loving wishes, too. My brfrother Kraig and sister in law Jane gave me a nice red glass bracelet, and other gifts of all kinds (thoughts , wishes, prayers, lovely gifts) have come my way since then. I’m grateful to have so many loving people in my life….that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? And now January is past and it’s mid-February with some pink blossoms on the trees and spring bulbs popping up….the beat goes on…quickly, quickly passing. Be Here Now as Ram Dass said so many years ago…..

30s Black and White Photography DeYoung SF Sunday, Mar 22 2009 

img_0315Okay here’s some of my favorite stuff–great black and white photography from Eastern  Europe in the 1930s. This from Germany, I think. A couple of years ago I attended an exhibit at the Guggenheim called Foto..about Eastern European modernism 1918-1945. One of my favorite time periods for photomontage, conceptual art, and film noir in the later years. Lots of exciting stuff going on– I’m very attracted to the region when “modernism” was taking hold.

There were quite a few different things to take in during my very short trip to the museum. I do miss aspects of city life–too bad San Francisco is such a long drive from where I live. It would help if I didn’t get lost so frequently while there. I have a map feature on my phone, but couldn’t find the hard copy map I had of the city before I left home…too late I remembered the coordinates I was looking for: Judah and Irving or thereabouts in the inner Sunset. Guess the best thing to do will be to leave the map in my car! I can find my way around New York very easily, since I lived there many years ago, and still feel quite familiar with the city. San Francisco on the other hand….

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