The 2012 Dragon*con was a source of some surprising inspiration for me. One of the things I discovered was the art work of Dan Dos Santos. His work glows! I went to his presentation and was beyond impressed. One of his paintings is "Shiva's crown" and depicts a woman with a fantastic headpiece and an unreadable expression...and I keep wondering...what is she thinking?
From there I bunny trailed to Dan's Blog and found some more amazing art. One particular piece (http://www.vandalhigh.com/) has this woman/spirit hovering over a warrior on a beach. She touching his head and his heart- which evokes some Catholic imagery (to me). Again I wonder...what lead them to this point? Is he aware of her? What is she thinking?
Another favorite of mine is Michael Parkes' Gargoyle painting. This one I actually have a print of- I fell in love with it while in grad school and it was the first piece of art I bought when I got a job. The gargoyle is jumping...reaching after a bubble...why? Is it something about the little girl blowing the bubbles- like a pied piper effect? One more piece that leaves me wondering...
So anything begs to have it's story told, deserves to have a story told- even if it just one I made up. This is my next mini project- as I await the muse to return to my current book-in-progress. I hope to tease him (yes him!) back with little vignettes...look out for them soon as I'll be posting here for feedback.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Friday, October 1, 2010
Sunil Stories
Sunil has a blue Saturday:
Sunil had wanted a little brother for a while- there was no one to play with on the hill. Every Saturday in temple, he would pass by an image of the blue skinned baby god Krishna and remember just how much he wanted a brother.
There was a peacock feather pearched jauntily in Krishna's soft curly hair. He smiled out from his picture with chubby cheeks and twinkly eyes.
Sunil had heard many stories about Krishna's mischievousness. Krishna loved to play naughty tricks on the girls tending the kingdom's cows. He broke the bowls for holding their butter. Krishna also played his flute very beautifully for these girls and so they did not really mind his little tricks.
Yes, Sunil definitely wanted a fun baby brother- one just like Krishna.
Saturday after temple Mammy asked
"Boy-chile, what you want for your birthday next week?"
Sunil saw his chance- now he would get a little brother to have fun with.
"Could I have a brother jus' like Krishna Mammy? Please?"
"Boy, what you talking 'bout?"
Sunil thought for a second
"Just not so blue please Mammy"
Mammy laughed, she laughed and laughed and laughed. She put one hand on Sunil's shoulder, the other across her stomach and folded forward laughing some more.
"Oh my little douxdoux- you so funny!"
Sunil did not like being laughed at. A tiny little tear rolled down his cheek. Mammy spotted it. She did something she had not done in a while- she lifted Sunil up entirely off the ground and gave him a big bear hug.
Mammy's soft skin soothed Sunil's flushed face. He felt a little better- but Sunil knew he would not be getting a little brother for his birthday.
Sunil and TomTom:
Gros michel bananna leaves does be so smooth. Beneath them is always so very cool- even on the hottest day Sunil never break a sweat in that grove.
The most fun is when it rain- boy! All you need to do is pull down one long broad big leaf, jus' a little, and you have no problems- dry as a bone- don' leh go of your leaf umbrella though- else is trouble for sure!
Pappy plant a grappe of those trees in the back garden behind the clothes lines. He say "Them gros michel is the sweetest banana you could find- after you eat one you don't need no sweetie at all at all"
When Sunil goes in the grois michel grove he does feel like he alone is alive. Like if all that cool green-ness he rest his forehead against was made just for him. He loves it in the grois michel grove.
Ash Wednesday, after Mammy come back from the mud 'mas fete, she send Sunil out of the house. She told him "Boy, you does make noise easier than you does breathe- go play and gimmeh a little chance to res' up- ah still have to make Pappy his dinner later"
So Sunil went to his grove. Something was different though- the grove had another visitor. "Ay, who's there?" Sunil asked.
No answer. "My Pappy plant them trees you know- who is you?"
Softly now "TomTom, meh name is TomTom"
"Why you crouch up under them banana trees- an' hiding your face too?"
Again, very softly "Ah cryin' "
TomTom looked up and Sunil saw him. Sunil saw the red eyes under thick eyebrows- they were not exactly slanty eyes but somehow they looked like if maybe they wanted to be.
Sunil saw the brown-ness of the other boy- his dark brown hair, his light brown skin, his kahki pants and his overall dustiness.
"Doh cry nah, come leh we play some football- I will be Maradonna and you could be Pele"
TomTom smiled.
Sunil wins:
Every time family visits, Mammy fills up the huge decanter with grapefruit juice. Sunil takes a tiny sip of the juice and swirls it around his mouth- feeling little zings of sour and sweet until finally he lets it slip coolly down his throat.
He especially likes getting grapefruit pulp in his sip. If he bites down on it just so, it gives a 'pop' of extra strong grapefruit flavor- like a sparkly surprise for his taste buds. Having family over is the best!
It's a really big deal when it's Pappy's brother that comes to visit. Pappy's brother is a priest and everyone fusses over him. Pappy even lets Uncle-father sit in his big brown chair- and lets him have the TV remote too!
This time Mammy is making Uncle-father's favorite dish- sardines with onion and tomatoes. She bakes long loaves of crusty bread to eat with the sardines. Sunil wants TomTom to taste the grapefrit juice, the sardines, and the hot fresh bread.
He runs under the hanging laundry and through the grois michel. He hops across a little drain and stops at TomTom's back door.
"TomTom- oye TomTom! Mammy make some good food! Come over nah"
"OK...I'll race yuh there-ready, set, go!!"
The boys arrive panting at Sunil's home and run up the back stairs to the verandah. In between gasps TomTom says
"Sunil, boy you almost win meh- I frighten race you again!"
The smell of the baking bread as they enter the house is so good. This smell is like Christmas- warm and sweet and comfy all at once. TomTom takes a huge sniff.
Sunil grins widely,
"After we done eat I will win-you go be so full I'll have to roll you home!"
Sunil had wanted a little brother for a while- there was no one to play with on the hill. Every Saturday in temple, he would pass by an image of the blue skinned baby god Krishna and remember just how much he wanted a brother.
There was a peacock feather pearched jauntily in Krishna's soft curly hair. He smiled out from his picture with chubby cheeks and twinkly eyes.
Sunil had heard many stories about Krishna's mischievousness. Krishna loved to play naughty tricks on the girls tending the kingdom's cows. He broke the bowls for holding their butter. Krishna also played his flute very beautifully for these girls and so they did not really mind his little tricks.
Yes, Sunil definitely wanted a fun baby brother- one just like Krishna.
Saturday after temple Mammy asked
"Boy-chile, what you want for your birthday next week?"
Sunil saw his chance- now he would get a little brother to have fun with.
"Could I have a brother jus' like Krishna Mammy? Please?"
"Boy, what you talking 'bout?"
Sunil thought for a second
"Just not so blue please Mammy"
Mammy laughed, she laughed and laughed and laughed. She put one hand on Sunil's shoulder, the other across her stomach and folded forward laughing some more.
"Oh my little douxdoux- you so funny!"
Sunil did not like being laughed at. A tiny little tear rolled down his cheek. Mammy spotted it. She did something she had not done in a while- she lifted Sunil up entirely off the ground and gave him a big bear hug.
Mammy's soft skin soothed Sunil's flushed face. He felt a little better- but Sunil knew he would not be getting a little brother for his birthday.
Sunil and TomTom:
Gros michel bananna leaves does be so smooth. Beneath them is always so very cool- even on the hottest day Sunil never break a sweat in that grove.
The most fun is when it rain- boy! All you need to do is pull down one long broad big leaf, jus' a little, and you have no problems- dry as a bone- don' leh go of your leaf umbrella though- else is trouble for sure!
Pappy plant a grappe of those trees in the back garden behind the clothes lines. He say "Them gros michel is the sweetest banana you could find- after you eat one you don't need no sweetie at all at all"
When Sunil goes in the grois michel grove he does feel like he alone is alive. Like if all that cool green-ness he rest his forehead against was made just for him. He loves it in the grois michel grove.
Ash Wednesday, after Mammy come back from the mud 'mas fete, she send Sunil out of the house. She told him "Boy, you does make noise easier than you does breathe- go play and gimmeh a little chance to res' up- ah still have to make Pappy his dinner later"
So Sunil went to his grove. Something was different though- the grove had another visitor. "Ay, who's there?" Sunil asked.
No answer. "My Pappy plant them trees you know- who is you?"
Softly now "TomTom, meh name is TomTom"
"Why you crouch up under them banana trees- an' hiding your face too?"
Again, very softly "Ah cryin' "
TomTom looked up and Sunil saw him. Sunil saw the red eyes under thick eyebrows- they were not exactly slanty eyes but somehow they looked like if maybe they wanted to be.
Sunil saw the brown-ness of the other boy- his dark brown hair, his light brown skin, his kahki pants and his overall dustiness.
"Doh cry nah, come leh we play some football- I will be Maradonna and you could be Pele"
TomTom smiled.
Sunil wins:
Every time family visits, Mammy fills up the huge decanter with grapefruit juice. Sunil takes a tiny sip of the juice and swirls it around his mouth- feeling little zings of sour and sweet until finally he lets it slip coolly down his throat.
He especially likes getting grapefruit pulp in his sip. If he bites down on it just so, it gives a 'pop' of extra strong grapefruit flavor- like a sparkly surprise for his taste buds. Having family over is the best!
It's a really big deal when it's Pappy's brother that comes to visit. Pappy's brother is a priest and everyone fusses over him. Pappy even lets Uncle-father sit in his big brown chair- and lets him have the TV remote too!
This time Mammy is making Uncle-father's favorite dish- sardines with onion and tomatoes. She bakes long loaves of crusty bread to eat with the sardines. Sunil wants TomTom to taste the grapefrit juice, the sardines, and the hot fresh bread.
He runs under the hanging laundry and through the grois michel. He hops across a little drain and stops at TomTom's back door.
"TomTom- oye TomTom! Mammy make some good food! Come over nah"
"OK...I'll race yuh there-ready, set, go!!"
The boys arrive panting at Sunil's home and run up the back stairs to the verandah. In between gasps TomTom says
"Sunil, boy you almost win meh- I frighten race you again!"
The smell of the baking bread as they enter the house is so good. This smell is like Christmas- warm and sweet and comfy all at once. TomTom takes a huge sniff.
Sunil grins widely,
"After we done eat I will win-you go be so full I'll have to roll you home!"
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Becoming Free
School has been a big part of my life- actually school has been my entire life for most of my life. I've become further "institutionalized" in my job.
It is time to break free of the institutions. There is great enjoyment in life and if I had more time and more control then it'd be even more fulfilling.
It is time!
It is time to break free of the institutions. There is great enjoyment in life and if I had more time and more control then it'd be even more fulfilling.
It is time!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Complaints of an Ingrate
It's one thing to be partial to complaining- it's totally unacceptable to be a blatant ingrate. Unfortunately that's just what I am...
The neighbors on either side of my little town house each have kids. Since the back yards are fenced off and so small to begin with the kids have taken to playing across the unfenced front lawns- their two and mine in the middle of course.
Not being the greatest fan of kids, that is somewhat irritating. I'd be willing to tolerate this though, if it weren't for the litter the brats and their friends scatter across my little lawn. Seriously?!?! Were they brought up in the labasse?? Popcorn packaging, popsicle paper and gummy bears (chewed naturally!) have all had their turn to decorate my front lawn.
Finally, I decided to revamp the front lawn this past weekend and I de-trashed it, spread some topsoil, reseeded it with fescue and watered. I was resolved- the lawn would look great (eventually) and the kids would stay off my lawn or get muddy/wet in the mean time.
Monday morning I placed a handful of day lilies at the top of my lawn- to have a look see at how they'd suit the spot...they did just fine and I left them there with intentions to plant them in the afternoon. When I came back from work the kids were playing on one of the adjacent plots and lilies were all a-kilter...OK, Anna...calm down...probably it was the wind- it had become quite windy after all...but no- the lilies were toppled and the soil shaken off from the roots- I've yet to make the acquaintance of such a clever wind!
Well, now I'm sort of bored with complaining- being cross is fun for only so long I guess :)
There's more stuff of course...there always is...just I'm so fortunate that I feel sort of guilty that such small things bug me- no matter how temporarily...plus griping gets really dull really really quickly! I shall continue the saga (of trivial irritations) when next that mood strikes :}
The neighbors on either side of my little town house each have kids. Since the back yards are fenced off and so small to begin with the kids have taken to playing across the unfenced front lawns- their two and mine in the middle of course.
Not being the greatest fan of kids, that is somewhat irritating. I'd be willing to tolerate this though, if it weren't for the litter the brats and their friends scatter across my little lawn. Seriously?!?! Were they brought up in the labasse?? Popcorn packaging, popsicle paper and gummy bears (chewed naturally!) have all had their turn to decorate my front lawn.
Finally, I decided to revamp the front lawn this past weekend and I de-trashed it, spread some topsoil, reseeded it with fescue and watered. I was resolved- the lawn would look great (eventually) and the kids would stay off my lawn or get muddy/wet in the mean time.
Monday morning I placed a handful of day lilies at the top of my lawn- to have a look see at how they'd suit the spot...they did just fine and I left them there with intentions to plant them in the afternoon. When I came back from work the kids were playing on one of the adjacent plots and lilies were all a-kilter...OK, Anna...calm down...probably it was the wind- it had become quite windy after all...but no- the lilies were toppled and the soil shaken off from the roots- I've yet to make the acquaintance of such a clever wind!
Well, now I'm sort of bored with complaining- being cross is fun for only so long I guess :)
There's more stuff of course...there always is...just I'm so fortunate that I feel sort of guilty that such small things bug me- no matter how temporarily...plus griping gets really dull really really quickly! I shall continue the saga (of trivial irritations) when next that mood strikes :}
Monday, May 18, 2009
Quiet Weekend
Purple and yellow- those are the colours I'm planting in my garden. I actually found a purple-ish rose! There's already a yellow. My rule about roses is that they must look good and smell good and strong- which is how I managed to resist buying a few more- there were several interesting colours in a tiny rose variety- none had much of a smell so I stuck with my larger purple.
Now, my garden is super tiny because I've got an itty bitty town house...so some amount of effort goes into just curbing my enthusiasm!! There are other coloured flowers too...the main stuff are purple or yellow though...I planted a japanese maple my first year- it looks soooo happy- plus it hides the neglected corner at the very back of the garden :)
In my first year I planted jasmine and put in a little arch for them to grow over. There's a short brick path leading from the silly concrete square of a patio to the arch and back gate. It took several weekends to lay out and I'm very proud of it- even if it has become overgrown in places. I've hung a bird feeder on the arch and a wind chime- there is no more a pleasant time waster than gardening!!!
This weekend I bought a few day lilies to plant out front, I planted the lavender, verbena and a couple other things in a flower bed against the house and mulched them all. Saturday was the perfect weather for that sort of thing- warm and overcast. I also spread an entire bag of garden soil in the front lawn and reseeded the lawn. Partly because the lawn looks fairly pathetic...partly because the neighbourhood kids keep playing on the lawn and leaving litter...blech.
My Aunti gave me pimento seeds a couple years back- hopefully they are still viable- because my supply of pimento is almost through. I do have lots of big leaf thyme- gotta remember to give Bev her plants. I've made two failed attempts at growing bandania- I'm not sure what to do differently- the seeds are just so tiny I think they get washed away when I water the soil. Well, maybe the third time will be the charm:}
Fisher insisted on making a pest of himself this weekend. Every time I stopped to survey the outcome of planting he'd shuffle over to beg for a cuddle. When I'd bend over to scoop up some soil he'd scoot in under me and look up expectantly. Anyone would think he was totally neglected with the way he begs (and sometimes demands) attention. When I'd finished mulching the flower bed he goes and lays next to it and smooshes one of the lavender plants with his big paw- and looks up at me all innocent! I didn't know if to laugh or scream- so I turned the hose on him. He moved off super pronto after that!
Now, my garden is super tiny because I've got an itty bitty town house...so some amount of effort goes into just curbing my enthusiasm!! There are other coloured flowers too...the main stuff are purple or yellow though...I planted a japanese maple my first year- it looks soooo happy- plus it hides the neglected corner at the very back of the garden :)
In my first year I planted jasmine and put in a little arch for them to grow over. There's a short brick path leading from the silly concrete square of a patio to the arch and back gate. It took several weekends to lay out and I'm very proud of it- even if it has become overgrown in places. I've hung a bird feeder on the arch and a wind chime- there is no more a pleasant time waster than gardening!!!
This weekend I bought a few day lilies to plant out front, I planted the lavender, verbena and a couple other things in a flower bed against the house and mulched them all. Saturday was the perfect weather for that sort of thing- warm and overcast. I also spread an entire bag of garden soil in the front lawn and reseeded the lawn. Partly because the lawn looks fairly pathetic...partly because the neighbourhood kids keep playing on the lawn and leaving litter...blech.
My Aunti gave me pimento seeds a couple years back- hopefully they are still viable- because my supply of pimento is almost through. I do have lots of big leaf thyme- gotta remember to give Bev her plants. I've made two failed attempts at growing bandania- I'm not sure what to do differently- the seeds are just so tiny I think they get washed away when I water the soil. Well, maybe the third time will be the charm:}
Fisher insisted on making a pest of himself this weekend. Every time I stopped to survey the outcome of planting he'd shuffle over to beg for a cuddle. When I'd bend over to scoop up some soil he'd scoot in under me and look up expectantly. Anyone would think he was totally neglected with the way he begs (and sometimes demands) attention. When I'd finished mulching the flower bed he goes and lays next to it and smooshes one of the lavender plants with his big paw- and looks up at me all innocent! I didn't know if to laugh or scream- so I turned the hose on him. He moved off super pronto after that!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
In the Garden
My garden is a well loved spot. I stand for minutes at a time imagining the wondrous way it will be laid out. The birds laugh at me even as they eat the seed I've hastily deposited.
My garden is a sadly neglected plot. Overgrown daises fight for sunlight with straggly weeds and carefully seeded grass waves indifferently in carelessly untended languor.
My garden is a joyful place. When the rose blooms, and blooms, and blooms- it's yellow ruffled skirts flirting; tempting a closer look. All is verdant and robust.
My garden is alive! The things I have planted in its soil, the things that have planted themselves there and all the visions and hopes that it cultivates in me-for all of these, I give thanks.
My garden is a sadly neglected plot. Overgrown daises fight for sunlight with straggly weeds and carefully seeded grass waves indifferently in carelessly untended languor.
My garden is a joyful place. When the rose blooms, and blooms, and blooms- it's yellow ruffled skirts flirting; tempting a closer look. All is verdant and robust.
My garden is alive! The things I have planted in its soil, the things that have planted themselves there and all the visions and hopes that it cultivates in me-for all of these, I give thanks.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Temper
So...I'm not hungry...I'm angry...actually pissed off. Ate "healthy" all yesterday. Enjoyed it too. Just hate to have any restrictions- one of my old profs called it "reactance"...basically resisting doing something because there is some externat pressure to do that.
So...what's that all about- dunno...control? will power?greed? gluttony? nuhuh...don't think so- just it feels good to be full- probably physiological...and I don't want any rules...wanting to do what I want to do- not very mature of me I suppose- ah well...I did manage yesterday and let's see how things turn out today.
In the meantime it's back to working for "the man" ...
So...what's that all about- dunno...control? will power?greed? gluttony? nuhuh...don't think so- just it feels good to be full- probably physiological...and I don't want any rules...wanting to do what I want to do- not very mature of me I suppose- ah well...I did manage yesterday and let's see how things turn out today.
In the meantime it's back to working for "the man" ...
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