Catch Up - Oct 27

Monica: (this is not Wilbur)

Lighting My Life

Evelyn: Sometimes night-lights do more than just light up an area... they put something warm into those dark places ... they make me aware.

Bright Spots

Evelyn:  Pito's flowers. I spent the weekend working... going since the 2nd of July and through to the following weekend. A bit exhausted, but at least an early rise to a bright sunshine stop on Pito's flowers.

Internal Conversations

Evelyn: Have had a few dates, a few drawbacks, and disappointments, and the taste of something delightful but uncertain... so I ended a "date" early and disappeared to the causeway to stare at the stars. Solitude in a place where I have felt safe with a friend (who happens to be far away at school) and delighted myself instead on the possibilities between the stars, the moon, and the quiet chirp of cicadas. I have had numerous late visits here... lit only by the lights of the city and moon... and the gentle conversation with a trusted friend.  I miss those conversations... being wrapped in a sweater... as the breeze moves through ... the sound of a voice, easy and encouraging.

Media Consumption

Evelyn: Monica & Michael gave me a spectacular Shel Silverstein adult picture book that follows the path of relationships of every kind. I love it, not only for the art, but for the many subtle messages...

Small Crowds

Evelyn:  This little crowd of red flowers bloomed in my patio - which to me is always a miracle, since I don't know much about gardens, dirt, or making things grow. I do, however, love the plants to grow in spite of me.

Light through Limbs

Evelyn: Swing dance at Zendah. The light behind the swirling skirts and limbs is always fun to watch.

Start & End

Evelyn: I ended my day with a small glass of white wine and dinner with Monica & Michael. Michael made his fabulous buttery popcorn for dessert. I get lost for a moment in the colors of the wine and the way light hits it.

Feather Light

Monica: This feather fluttered out of my journal today and I don't know what bird it belongs to or even where I found it. It seemed fitting to place it in the hand of Buddha as an offering to remind me of the lightness I need to keep in my life to counterbalance the weight of work and responsibility.

Evelyn: It is one of those last minute nights... closing at largo and waiting for the instructor to emerge and get ready to go. I love the little lamps that illuminate the front desk. Somehow they remind to be playful - even though there is little playfulness in them... 

Chandeliers

Evelyn: Gulfport Chandelier... illuminates the floor and yet I believe, gets neglected by dancers who don't realize how much this adds to the ambiance of the dance floor. I often find myself appreciating them, once the dance has died down and I am not in the way when I stand under one and look up.

Pebbles & O's

Evelyn: My recovery and my story landed on the ear of a friend, and I let tears fall... replacing them with 3 hours of dance in Ybor. A soft recovery, faced with warm smiles and familiar hands, my dancing connected and fluid—the light dim and easy. This weekly dance has become my best friend, dependable and encouraging.

 Monica: On our way up the coast, we stopped at Pebble Beach just south of Half Moon Bay. It's a little state park that is easy to miss just driving by but worth stopping at. The beach itself is made up of countless multicolored, perfectly smooth quartz pebbles chipped from an offshore reef and polished by ocean waves. I remember when I lived in Santa Cruz, I drove up here on a broken-hearted day and gathered 24 stones to make a set of Runes. I had planned to keep them for myself, but instead gave them to my best friend to take with her when she moved to Amsterdam. I know she still has them tucked away somewhere in their velvet bag, their gold paint worn off from use.

Quiet Light

Monica: This morning we awoke to flint gray skies and a filmy fog hugging the coast. Big Sur has quite a different feel from where we live up north. The coastline is more rugged and the views more dramatic. We stopped at Nepenthe for coffee and the Henry Miller Library to browse the books and admire the funky, bohemian atmosphere.

Evelyn: A long day, filled with the felicity and gratification of teaching, matched by the distress and exhaustion of being misunderstood and not seen for my deepest intentions. It was hard to hold on to the morning delights that started my day, and I returned home, exhausted, disappointed, and deeply sad. I missed not having an arm to fall into, and instead wrapped myself in blankets and the quiet light of my bedroom for an early withdrawal.

Unusual delights

Monica: We've been doing a lot of driving in the past week, more than I'd like for being on vacation. That's the way it goes when you're trying to see friends and family who live far away in a relatively short span of time. Today we drove to San Diego and, once again, made it in time for sunset as we made our way through El Cajon to Spring Valley. Michael drew my attention to the birds lined up on one of the traffic light posts and I grabbed my camera just in time to capture them.

Evelyn: The hotel in Ybor City was packed with generations of dancers,  full of music, and movement. A respite on the way out took me by several stained glass, Tiffany-like lamps whose colors were fun and vibrant. I love this venue. I love the variety of music, the old men who sit outside to smoke a cigar, and return to take a lady on the floor. I love their subtle eccentric swing, their warm smiles, the gentleness of the dance, the pickup lines they use

Magic Discoveries

Monica: An allergic reaction to my sister-in-law's cats sent us to her best friend's house to stay while in town. Willow & Richard's house is spacious, uncluttered, and filled with light--literally. In their living room, they have a beautiful collection of metal star lamps hanging at various levels that is pure magic.

Evelyn: I took a very long walk on the beach today, pressing my feet into the sand, dodging waves, and wiggling my toes in random clumps of seaweed. The beach is ever-changing, and my return to Symrna warm, like an old friend, bringing forth new treasures to photograph. I discovered on my walk that I had forgotten to replace my SD card, so I took "finger shots" when I saw something I liked. I was grateful for the backup card I returned to the car to gather up, so I could capture the strange, pearl-like layer in a translucent shell caught in seaweed.

Intention

Evelyn: An 11/11 ritual, under a shaved full moon at 11:11 p.m. Carrying the wishes and intentions of a team on little slips of paper, I promised to release them to the universe, both on behalf of a college we all are working so hard to nurture and grow, as well as for each of us, who carry our own nest of hopes. I felt warm—that a handful of new people in my life would trust me with those little messages—and that I am part of something big—in my own life—with a new trail on this journey—and it is starting to feel comforting. I feel gratitude under the sage smoke, fire, and simmering light of intentions.

Monica: I have gathered a few sacred objects for a ritual we will be attending tomorrow. I've been preparing for this all week—considering what my deepest intention is, what I want to let go of in my life to make space for what I need to receive, and what guidance might be helpful as I journey forward in my life. I came up with these objects that symbolize different aspects of my intention: heartfulness, aim, and wholeness.

Love Notes Attached

Evelyn: All this hard work for this: a world of encouragement, an opportunity, being a part of nurturing other human beings and their dreams and goals, making a difference. Love notes attached.

Monica:  The golden hour is getting earlier each day. I've noticed that the best light is between 3:00 and 4:00 now, even though the sun is setting closer to 5:00. The light is softer, shadows are longer, and everything is more golden but for a briefer time. I just love this light, even though it means I have less of it.

Evening Lights

Monica: I made it out just in time for a rare colorful sunset and moonrise. My grumpiness gave way to a moment of sheer gratitude for another day of beauty and grace.

Evelyn: Ybor City—Don Vicente Swing Dancing. The drive in is always so interesting, full of light and craziness, parties and restaurants. This venue is one of my favorites, but I get lost on the way in every time. Best exercise of my life has been the dancing that follows the trip into Ybor.

Other Delights

Evelyn: We have eaten SO much over two days... and a final stop before Mama left was to the Colombian Bakery where we (after a full Colombian Meal) gorged ourselves on warm Pan De Bono and Cafe Con Leche. Delightful... and if you look, you will see her hands in the reflection - eager to get them on something yummy.

Monica: I was taking a shower and left the bathroom door open to enjoy the last rays of golden sunshine streaming through the window out in the hall. The light filtering in hit the shower curtain just so, illuminating its colorful geometric shapes. I was in the middle of my shower and was going to ignore it, but as the colors intensified, I knew I had to jump out and grab my camera. It was totally worth the wet dash to the living room and back into the shower for this shot.

What Meets Us

Evelyn: I find my eyes feel weary and shifty at the end of an especially lengthy, time-consuming, one-our drive to and from what I perceive as a campus in a whole other country. Tonight I arrived home just as the sun settled in the trees, a murmur of longing to run off to the beach fluctuating between grumbles of hunger. I knew I would miss the sunset before I got to my preferred sandy stomping ground. I instead took my hazed eyes up to the house, to sort through the bills, and settled my rumbling belly with a local pizza with my teenager.

Monica: Zuzu is the princess of this particular household. She's wary of strangers and generally hides under the bed when she hears unfamiliar footsteps in the house. This last visit was the first time she didn't disappear when we walked in, so we feel privileged to have made it onto her "in" list.

Thursday

Monica: I seem to have made it a habit to take photos in the late afternoon or early evening. I don't consciously choose to do this, but it makes sense; the light at dusk is phenomenal. The black-eyed susan vine growing up the face of our office is illuminated by the most exquisite fiery orange, the tiny hairs surrounding each seedpod glowing. The light changes quickly as the sun sets. This vision disappears within a minute or so.

Evelyn: Al is a favorite of mine, mostly because he has a way with people that makes them feel special, connected, significant. Al has been the bridge to my new job, staying in contact after he left IADT nearly a year ago. I feel well-placed with the team we have here and I enjoy the way we support the students. I still feel a bit intimidated by the crowdedness of a new college environment, with students who have yet to know me, and faculty/staff who are still figuring out what I am about. I can look to Al and rest assured he's got my hula-hoop and a cheer in store. No problem—I belong here.