My Wooden Frog

He spends most of his existence sitting atop my computer tower. Not really a frog but a percussion instrument given to me by a dear friend hoping to promote what small musical talents that might be lurking within.

I have played him (her, it?) a few times since seeing the movie Touch The Sound the story of a deaf solo percussionist who hears the drums through her body.

The day after, I listened to CBC Radio while preparing breakfast and heard a story about two artists who are colorists (really into the fine points of color). Finely in tune with the small differences in color.

This started me along a line of thought which brought me to one of my favorite artists Andy Goldsworthy. The three of them have in common that they look (feel, hear, taste or whatever) very closely their worlds... their environments. How many of us in our daily lives can say we do much of that? How much smelling of the flowers have you done this week?

I think many would agree that we should be more sensitive to the world around us, if you have a nose... smell, if your eyes work... see, if you can taste… lick, if you still hear… listen, absorb, pay attention, anticipate. I am all for this and try in my own way to achieve this state. But I have to wonder that if you stop to smell all the flowers… would you ever get beyond the garden gate?

Our society values accomplishments, I do too. My day seems better if I have done things, built something, cooked a meal, checked things off my list but is the world… our society any better off for it? One strategy is to put some of the flower smelling and taking the time to greet old friends when you see them as line items on our lists.

I always know that Koyaanisqatsi (Life out of balance) is happening when I see an old friend or acquaintansce in the food store and first think of how to avoid them rather then how to engage them! Does this ever happen to you?

Changing Seasons

Yep... Autumn is a great time of transition, weather changing, daylight shorter, busy days of summer behind and many long dark evenings ahead. Change is good, especially when you know that it ultimately brings you back to summer!

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."  ~Stanley Horowitz

Post Crossed X

This is an example of something that the existence of the internet has made possible. PostCrossing is a web site that after registration allows you to request addresses of other members who want to receive post cards. You get an address, send a card and when the receiver logs it as received your address goes to the top of the list and is sent to the next person who requests an address. It is really great to check your mail box and know that odds are good that you have a post card from some distant and exotic sounding place like Budapest or Istanbul! Some people are real picky about what kind of card you send them (along with their address you get their profile and comments) but mostly they seem like great people like you that like learning a little about different cultures and finding surprises in their mail boxes.