this pillow in Target made me feel ill
Infinite props to the writers of Portlandia.
Also, what’s up with using a lowercase n as an eye?
put a bird on it
vampirelike, assuming a life of its own
pewter ex-voto, made in Germany, purchased in San Francisco, where I left my heart
Regarding the color gray, as I am for February, let’s consult the master, Johannes Itten:
Neutral gray is a characterless, indifferent, achromatic color, very readily influenced by contrasting shade and hue.
cast aluminum lowercase n and b, latex paint
It is mute, but easily excited to thrilling resonances.
New England summer storm clouds
Any color will instantly transform gray from its neutral, achromatic state to a complementary color effect corresponding mathematically to the activating color.
.25 inch (6mm) vitreous glass tile, from Italy, in quartz, smoke, mushroom and coal
This transformation occurs subjectively, in the eye, not objectively in the colors themselves.
cement, containing crushed quartz and a drop of green stain
Gray is a sterile neuter, dependent on its neighboring colors for life and character.
stone
It attenuates their force and mellows them.
merino wool sweater
It will reconcile violent oppositions by absorbing their strength and thereby, vampirelike, assuming a life of its own.
fleece sheep, de-squeakered
in RI
My brain feels like porridge today, and not in a good way.
Free associate a reason to put this photo here.
in San Francisco
the labyrinth at Land’s End
Lovely family stroll and picnic along the cliffs at Land’s End. Good to see my ocean again, and just enough wind to salt the air. I have history here.
Look into the sun and smile
No idea
This morning I woke directly from a vivid dream in which I had the care of a two-headed bird. It had come into the house nestled in the fur of my childhood golden retriever. The other indoor birds would have nothing to do with it, having their own concerns. It was a lively, mostly black and white thing, kind of long in the shared body, so I could cradle each end in my cupped hands. Each would look at me lovingly with bright black eyes.
Since I woke so abruptly (downstairs clatter of coffee being made) I feel like I still have it with me, and can feel its fluttering in my hands. Oddest damn thing.
Just before we begin
Happy birthday, A. A. Milne. The winter I was nine years old, my mother gave me a set of the Winnie the Poohs and the two poetry books as an early Christmas present, just before we set off a on train trip to visit my aunt and cousins in Minnesota. I read them over the next few days in between exploring the free-range world of the train, from San Jose to Minneapolis, cradled in the stiff velvet splendor of the dome car seats.
A. A. Milne, your work (and that of your illustrator E. H. Shepard) expanded my universe and bent my mind in a fundamental way, and I was a better person after that. Thank you.
“Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”
Perseverance
I’ve been thinking about perseverance today. First I had to learn to spell it correctly, all the time. I liked the definition:
steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success
It adds a nobility to the concept, rather than just drudgery, and I felt encouraged. But I was delighted to read a secondary meaning, a theological one:
continuance in a state of grace leading finally to a state of glory
I’ll have some of that, please! Totally worth perservering for.
Invisible hands
Haiku Economics by Stephen T. Ziliak : Poetry Magazine [article/magazine].
Invisible post, too. Just read the article.
Happiness writes white
white thumbtacks on white card, 2.375 x 4.625 inches (60 x 70 mm)
Because white reflects all colors of the visible light spectrum, and also because there is a lot of snow on everything, white is January’s color of the month. I’m ignoring the questions “Are white (and black) even actually colors?” and how color — pigment-based or light-generated — actually exists. I am just enjoying white, all month long.
Goody’s Headache Powder (extra strength)
white cotton bath towel over white cotton shower curtain
white painted wood trim, snow
cow milk, one percent butterfat
Letting the days go by
More garlic sprouting
It snowed all night and all day yesterday; there’s now like 20,000 fathoms of it covering everything. Today is brilliantly clear and sparkly, and I’ve been trying to photograph the particular beauty of it… without much success.
Meanwhile, more garlic is sprouting, and I had to put it in a larger dish. More roots, too, to drink the delicious water.
nancyland.com 