rain!

Quand il pleut, je ne peux pas dormir.

lakes, forests, and mountains

These are a few of my favorite things.

full moon

ant party

Sketches from July 2008.

giving thanks

Today on the "Connect the Dots" program on Pacifica radio, the host named things she felt thankful for. Here's my working list, in order of what comes to mind:

The quirks and constant support of family
True friends
Physical ability to play, dance, and train to get stronger and more flexible
Mental stamina
Resilience of the human spirit
Sage
Ability to hike a mountain, hear the sound of wind from the summit, and feel awe-struck
Real friends that hold admirable qualities I wish to emulate
Laughter
Spontaneity
A childhood spent raising chickens, climbing trees, and digging to find worms in the soil
My parents and all they sacrificed
Privilege. Lots of it. And the responsibility that comes with my privilege
Full belly
Stimulated mind
Music, listening to and making music
Inventing...writing a story, seeing a project through, creating a piece of art to leave behind
Ability to learn languages and communicate with different people in those languages
Ability to travel, experience different cultures, and visit loved ones
Low points that allow for more reflection
Roof over my head
Endorphins
Adventurous spirit
Random people that make my day a little easier

the pacific

This photo shows a view of the port from inside a home in Valparaíso, Chile. I liked the open window.

Treasure

Months ago, someone in the apartment complex discarded an old guitar. I had wished for an acoustic, so I embraced the chance to reclaim this instrument.

An abandoned instrument is like a dog you find at the pound--you don't know where it's been, but, most likely, it's experienced some degree of neglect. The guitar's neck had detached from the body. Now that's been treated with some glue and care. I've invested in this instrument. I feel the difference, in attachment, when I play. I can only imagine how it feels to play an instrument made by my own hands, but that's the next project.

Giddy about this magical find, I first held the guitar and felt the weight. Then I cleaned off the dust and dirt. I played the poor strings, and then took the strings off. I sanded the wood down to prepare for painting.

I envisioned the image of a hammer, reminiscent of Víctor Jara's song "El Martillo," inspired by Pete Seeger's song "If I had a Hammer." I painted this image using a real hammer as the model. I left the piece for a while, and when I came back to it, I began painting my arm holding the hammer. I wanted vibrant, bold colors. I added mountains and volcanoes and a sunset. I painted rich, brown earth and monkey puzzle trees.

I covered the painting with more than eight coats of varnish and decisively let the guitar air outside at night. When Bolivians make charangos (tiny, ten-stringed instruments), they let the instrument sit in the high plane for three nights. This way, the instrument takes on the sound of the howling wind. Perhaps this acoustic guitar took on some melancholy from the Pacific Ocean.

It must have, because this acoustic feels just right for singing and playing the blues. I got some bright, copper strings from the music store and referred to a You Tube video to learn how to string an acoustic guitar correctly.

I love the sound. And, I love the feeling of building calluses from holding down the steel strings. Now to record.