A Seaside Array

I know it might not be the most timely thing, but sometimes I like to revisit things I did in real life but never blogged about. Remember this? Well I never did follow up on what happened with all of those sea objects. Part of the wait was intentional: I was holding off until local artist and friend Dave Wilson revealed the final product to the public. Now that he's put it up on his blog, I feel it's safe to share some goodies from that wonderful day at RCA beach in Bolinas.



Before we arrived, the actual event was full of mystery and suspense. I knew something about a stop motion film project. I knew something about a giant tripod (that he built with KC Bull). I knew something about objects on the beach that we would find, collect and use as part of this project full of mystery and suspense. As part of a collaborative effort, I was delighted to be a player.



Oh (and most poignantly) I knew that this group was coming together to acknowledge the recent devastation of Japan and to honor their healing. This sign says: "We think of you."



After foraging various sea objects, we gathered under a perfectly constructed tripod, arranging our findings among the wooden frame.



Each half a minute or so, we sat back to let the camera capture the latest creation.



We'd then go back to create some more.



The objective became something meditative and intentional: to use objects to make shapes with the intention that one day (with a little help from a camera and some editing) they would move. Items, though still and inanimate, have the potential to come alive and take flight. How lovely!





You get the idea. Clearly, I was excited about it then and I'm excited about it now.



Playful and curious, it was like being in the sandbox again.



And there was music!



Me, with artist Kyle Field. We sang Grateful Dead songs from our driftwood seats.



Heading home. Those aren't my dreads...but I wish they were my boots. Thanks, Dave, for including me in this thoughtful and lovely project. xo

All the Giving

We're somewhere in between my birthday and Christmas, yet somehow I've been showered with gifts. A gift can mean so many things: a dress you've been wanting, the new Nancy Meyers movie that's just out on DVD, a single homemade Gingersnap (thank you, Sarah), or a gesture. I love sweet gestures because, although they're not an object you can hold, they are an event frozen in time—often with the face of the one who adorned your space with kindness.

This past weekend, the choir that I am in had its holiday performance. We've been rehearsing like crazy and working so hard to get it just right. To me, it didn't even matter how we sounded, though. It mattered to me that I had so much fun up on stage. It felt good to hear all our hard work echoing off the walls of the church. Some of my favorite people showed up to support me, including my parents who drove all the way up from L.A. to hear me sing. It's hard not to feel like the happiest, luckiest person when this happens. I am so grateful to have such incredible friends and family.

So there is the gift of "showing up" and there is the gift of "giving." Here are a few lovely things I've been lucky enough to receive lately. These classy folks just blow my mind.



Beautiful soap from Heather and Alex...



as well as this gorgeous throw...



Look at all the pretty detail!



...and these charming place-mats. Sometimes when Heather and I give each other gifts, we say that the present looks like one of us. I think the place mats look like me and the throw looks like Heather.



A sweet card from Jennifer...



A belated birthday card from Jessica...



Three perfect roses from Sarah, she gave to me after my Saturday performance. I put them by my bed, where I can smell these beauties when I wake up in the morning and at night, while I sleep.

The holidays are upon us! What would you like to give/get?

Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday, to my beautiful sister, Heather!

Take a Hike...I Wish

Despite a bout of low, dense fog and historically strong winds, San Francisco has been beautiful these past few days. A crisp and clear horizon, each mountain top looking like it was just drawn onto the sky. Days like these make me want to go for a big, long hike up north.



I love those weekend mornings, waking up with no plans and just deciding to get outta town. Over the bridge and fay away. If I wasn't so busy, I would get out a map and chose my destination. Maybe I'd play that game where you close your eyes, point your finger and go where it lands. Is that real or do they just do that in movies?



One of my favorite things to do before I hike is gather my pack. Water, sunscreen, fleece (wintry jaunts are just as cozy), food. Sometimes it's fun to indulge in some sweets, heading over to a local bakery (San Francisco doesn't have a shortage of those) to pick up some yummy, freshly baked bread or even a muffin or a cheese roll. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I better get going on this adventure before I start only hiking in my dreams!

What are your favorite ways to prepare for a hike in nature?

Misty Mountain Hop

Yesterday, a weather advisory was issued in San Francisco due to a dense layer of fog that was covering the Bay Area.



I heard this from a pilot because I was 35,000 feet in the air, on an airplane. He said there was a chance we might go into a holding pattern as we approached the airport. Luckily, we didn't or I surely would have been late for work.

Honestly, though, the fog was thick. When it hovers so low and heavy, it feels as though there's no visibility at all. Sometimes I wonder how pilots do it.



Flying through the air, in a cloud of white. Are we landing? Is it soon? And then suddenly, in what feels like 10 feet from the runway, there is the land.

I always say a little silent "thank you life" when this happens. I suppose gray skies are expected during this time of year. Especially in higher altitudes or on the east coast, when ominous skies tell of a storm approaching.

If the sun shined everyday, would we appreciate it as much as when it shows its face after a long hiatus? I, for one, love the fog.



I love how it reminds me of when I first moved to San Francisco. Those first few mornings, waking up to a new kind of morning. A new kind of waking up.



The misty air hangs in the city like a mobile, softening the entrance into the day.



Emboldening the details that might otherwise go unnoticed. Only to slowly burn off, presenting the sun.

All photos taken by me on particularly foggy days.

Dream Mood

I want my week to look and feel like this. Might sound like a tall order, but if a silent movie can pull it off, so can I. By the way, such a GOOD silent movie.

Photo from The Artist.

Holidays are Here!

Photo from here.

Hope everyone has a fabulous and long holiday weekend! See you next week, xo