Slots

Evelyn: My travel day a bit disgruntling. I could have stayed home after all the delays and started again in the morning. Instead my Tampa flight made me miss my Texas flight, that added a Vegas flight (where I was going to be in two more days and meant another UP and DOWN turbulent flight) then a late night arrival in San Diego. I only had one day with family in SD. Airlines filling me in on open slots in an effort to get me places... a noisy 2 hour layover in Vegas.

Chance

Evelyn: I was taken by the colors in one of those "arm" machines. The kind you drop bills into and hope the gripper drops in just the right spot, with just the right grip, to capture the object of desire. Sounds a bit like the chances in life.

Dicey

Evelyn: I have a handful of very large dice.  I love playing games, but it seems the games we used to play have been collecting dust ... and I wonder how to breathe new life into that part of my existence.

A Bit Playful

Evelyn: Buddha has been staring at my laundry room for weeks. He's a tiny figure, and yet, when I see him and get close, I love his happy face, arms up to receive and take in all the blessings that tumble through our lives - even the laundry getting done.

Evening Rituals

Evelyn: My dancing partner, Ed, and I couldn't quite time getting to a dance event after work as usual, so he invited me to the Largo Community Playground to dance, instead, on the play equipment. The summer is slowly creeping in on us, but the evenings still tolerable. And aside from dancing, there were spurts of jungle-gym climbs, avoidance of hot lava as we balanced and jumped from place to place, and a few dives down the slides. The park is lovely, and it was a good change from the everyday "grown-up."

Monica: It's a ritual on some evenings, Michael making the popcorn before we snuggle up together on the couch to watch a movie. He has a particular method which includes melting a whole stick of butter (we don't use it all!) in the little green "butter melter" I found at an antique shop in Tucson. While the butter melts, he heats the oil for the popcorn, then tosses the kernels in at the right time and cranks the handle of the popcorn maker just so until the batch is perfectly popped. He drizzles the butter over the popcorn and shakes just the right amount of salt over it all while smacking my hand away from stealing a few bites.

Little Bird

Evelyn: Monica and I have been sharing an art book in which we write and play and mail it back and forth. I have had it for quite a while, and spend more time looking through it than adding to it lately. I have a trip planned to Wilbur to see her, and I think I will save the postage and bring it along.

Pito & Pup

Evelyn: I found this picture spectacular. Between Gizmo missing Pito and staying with me for three weeks, and Pito missing Gizmo and staying at Grandpa's for 3 weeks, they both have a look of subtle curiosity and a sliver of anticipation.

Places to Play

A Playful State

Little Leisures

Flags & Flagships

Evelyn: Papito and I discovered an industrial area near Lake Dora with a fort built by kids out of junk. My brother-in-law, Michael, would certainly appreciate the creativity with plastic bag flags, and little niches. Reminded me of a pirate ship blown to land from a storm. Of course, we had to take Jag pictures, but this one was really fun - piping jutting out from the pile, like a fish line, bouncing in the wind. (Pito, we need to take a Jag crawl on a Horizontal day so I get better pictures!)

Monica: Every Sunday at noon, this group of men gathers with their assortment of flags on the east side of Highway 1 in Caspar. Their flags cover a broad political spectrum from the black & white POW/MIA flag to the rainbow LGBT flag. I see their weekly gathering as a demonstration of unity and peace. We usually pass them on our way back from Sunday brunch in Little River and we always honk and flash them the peace sign as we drive past.

Familiar Faces

Evelyn: Between a long phone call and a bit slothful lounging I poured a hint of my need for art onto my "Wreck This App." created by Keri Smith (she made Wreck This Journal - which both Monica and I have progressively destroyed.) I can feel a shift in the weather - unexpected coolness between days of humid contemplation, and I am certain that despite my gloomy mood right now, I will eventually get back to things that center me.

Monica: So happy to be home, snuggled into bed next to this man, his smile the last thing I see before I turn out the light. 

Life & Death

Monica: Two friends called today with different kinds of big news, in different states of shock. One was recently diagnosed with breast cancer; the other discovered she is pregnant. "Game changers" are the order of the day.  One friend is suddenly facing her own mortality; the other is wrapping her head around the joy and responsibility of bringing a new life into the world. I recognize each friend's vulnerability in her situation and I send prayers of protection, nurturing, and good health to both of them. It's a strange mix of compassion, joy, concern, and hope that I feel right now. I feel a little vulnerable, too, knowing that my own life could change quite unexpectedly at any time. This is what it means to be alive, I suppose. We are all free-falling toward a mystery. It's breathtaking and scary as hell and all we can really do is let go and try to enjoy the ride.

Evelyn: Before leaving town the Ripley's Museum was top on the agenda to explore, filled with all kinds of oddities and history, something I have always found fun. Between pirates and shrunken heads, I got my fill of playful discovery and discussion, often tying right back into the weekend chatter and camaraderie.  I would rather think about pirates in the 1500's than the politics of my life right now. I couldn't have appreciated the break more.

Hovering

Evelyn: Dinner with a friend, really a last minute scramble to decide what to eat. The kitchen filled with bodies talking, laughing, cooking. I kept seeing, out of the corner of my eye, my humming bird from Heinz & Diana (plus girls) from Christmas, and noticing how it's reflection kept placing it IN my kitchen. Quite fun, the way family keeps connected in my spirit, even when they are not here. * Love *

Monica: We stopped at the thrift store today so Michael could look for a light fixture for one of the cabins. On our way to the back corner of the store, we passed a mini trampoline for sale for $8. I thought about it...do I really need this? Of course not. Can I get $8 worth of fun out of it? Absolutely. It's a perfect prop for taking shots in mid-air.

Splash of Red

Monica: We drove to Oakland with Kevin and dropped him off at the hospital so he could finish up some work. He told us about Mountain View Cemetery just down the road, so we decided to check it out. I had nearly forgotten how much I enjoy spending time in cemeteries; they're peaceful and put me in a contemplative state of mind as I ponder my own mortality. This cemetery was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (who also designed New York City's Central Park) and I was impressed with the beauty of the layout, the fountains of water, the ornate mausoleums, the rolling hills, and the spectacular view of the Bay Area from the top.

Evelyn: Late night homework. I think we are finally starting to settle into a routine, that dance between doing and getting done all the things that make up our days. I still feel a bit like days are a blur, busy and adjusting...however one thing is the same: the ongoing click of a Rubiks cube until the lights are out (after homework of course!)

Working Off the Edibles

Monica: After a day of running errands and decluttering and organizing my sister's kitchen cabinets (a task she deplores which I gleefully take on...oh, how I love to get rid of things), we treated ourselves to some late night bowling with my nephew. I bowled my best score yet (141!), which was especially gratifying considering the last time we went bowling, I scored 37.

Evelyn: Visiting with my sister means gaining a pound or two. I tend to enjoy cheap meals whose glorious edibles I typically don't even cater a thought towards, and the obnoxious guilt that whispers in my ear is quickly tucked away in my back pocket with the added smack on my smacky ass. 

Fringe Decay

Mischief Makers

Blue Skied Adventures

Painted Bouquets