perpendicular

Not parallel lines, but perpendicular lines. Trying to sort out my sorrow about the loss of David Foster Wallace's life and his significance to us .. when he was with us. Most of us I think lead parallel lives. We assume that we're on the same page and consequently don't intersect so much. Part of that is for loss of words. That was Wallace's genius.. he HAD the words. How do we do justice to our unique and dazzling experiences with words? Is it worthwhile to make the astounding effort to communicate what we perceive and notice when our vocabulary is limited, and our stamina wains, and our audience unresponsive? Maybe it is still worthwhile to write simply for the benefits that result from staking that claim that looks like that point where the horizontal line intersects with the vertical line and on that point exists both something definitive, and something offered a new direction. Does that make sense? I listened to and read from David Foster Wallace. His honesty and his courage and his vulnerability... words can not do justice to the magnitude of the loss of HIM. All you holy men and women, pray for us... (calling on the communion of saints)..to welcome him and to comfort us., and most especially his family and the community of Claremont and Pomona College.

believe

It looks like the Mother of God and her Son are rocking to and fro on the rolling seas. BUT, she says," Don't lose your bearings! " That's a mantra that leapt into my self maybe a year ago when i was losing my bearings due to some conflict that had arisen in an organization of which I am a part. (That sentence was too long. ) Anyway, I like this image slightly off kilter, because it is a visual of how I often feel. It's also an invitation. While life does feel like a ride on a rolling sea, and that is most of the time, I can hearken to this icon of Mary and the Christ holding steady despite the dizzying effects of the rise and fall of the waves. I also hear them saying, "We're not going anywhere but staying right here... for you!" What does this image conjure in you?

the simple life is over

John got his learner's permit on Monday. I see a light at the end of the tunnel. (I'm not ready to let him drive through it, yet! with me in the car, anyway.) While I can see that soon I will be free of the job of chauffeuring our baby and am stunned by that freedom momentarily, I can also feel the frenzy waiting for me to be swept up in. There are so many things I'd like to do! I just hope I can be discerning about what commitments I will make...

what's up?

I'm looking outside my window and up into blue sky. Used to be I took blue skies for granted, but with the fires we've had in northern California this summer, I've seen lots less of them. As often as not, we've had smokey skies. At first, our brains notice haze, milky colored skies and we wonder is that just smog or humidity, some kind of front moving in? and then our noses register the smell of fire or rather of smoke. Is that burnt toast? and then, is there a fire? The fires are far far away but the winds bring the smoke down here to our cities by the bay and we're reminded that nature is doing a clean up job somewhere very dry. I'm reminded of how blowing winds bring things from other places... what other things are blowing my way that I am aware of and what am I missing because my nose doesn't tell me so?

so sad to say a final goodbye

Robbie just called from the ferry from Catalina Island to Long Beach on his way to get a root canal in Torrance... long story. He called to tell me that "remember that professor who gave his final lecture...." We stumbled around a while trying to communicate... oh, yeah. I went to look on -line and then Robbie remembered his name: Pausch? and then I knew why Robbie was calling. I am so sad that Randy Pausch has really left us. He warned us and he left so much of himself behind.. and to those of us in cyberspace, his final lecture too. He was such a generous soul. I pray for peace for his family and for safe travels as he enters eternity. Thank you for sharing your life and your spirit with all of us. It's going to take a bit to say goodbye. I still wasn't ready for you to leave this earth.

traveling with tommy

Hold on! That's what we're trying to do in this picture of the three of us in Paris. It's not easy! Tommy is on the move. Actually, Tommy finally succumbed to the wedding cold that everyone got in Normandy and so our time in Paris we spent trooping around just the two of us while Tommy recovered in his hotel room. We did have a few meals together however and for that we are grateful. We wouldn't have been in France at all except for the fact that Tommy's dear friend, Moyra, got married there, and he served as her witness, and so we were invited. It's all his fault. He brought us in his wake. Thank you, dear Tommy. France, October 2007

billy's convergence quilt

It's been since Christmas since Billy and Terri picked out this fabric and we cut out the convergence quilt. Today, I finally finished it... with "bubbles" quilted all over it, in circles of different sizes, created with the use of juice glasses and bowls of assorted sizes. I chose that lighter blue for the many swimming pools Billy has spent a good % of his lifetime swimming, playing water polo and teaching lessons in. The other spaces: sand, sky, earth, sunsets. If he doesn't put it on his wall, I'll put it on mine... it'll remind me of him and of "group projects". Thanks, friends.