Friday, August 27, 2010

Melancholy


For some reason, I've been feeling a little sad lately. I don't know what came over me. It's not the end of the summer. I'm looking forward to school. I hope it goes away though. I'm tired of being weepy. Maybe I'm just tired. I don't know.


I've been reading more lately. The first from the top was lent to me by a friend. It's a fascinating account of the Bach Cello Suites, when they were written the mysterious composer, how they were brought out of obscurity by the famous cellist Pablo Casals, and finally how the author himself found the suites and decided to write a book about them. I loved it.
The second is about the Siege of Sarajevo. I hadn't actually heard about it before reading this, which is shameful, I know. I just shy away from news and from history sometimes because, it kind of makes me feel ugly to be a human. We do such terrible things to each other sometimes. Anyway, the book is about hope and humanity and living in a war zone. It was beautifully written. Beautiful. I found it kind of reminiscent of the Book Thief by Markus Zusak and if you haven't read that one, well, you should.
I just bought The Wind-up Girl. I'm very excited about it. It describes a future in which calories represent currency and people are grown and used as slaves. The reviews are all stunning.




I've been buying some tea from this woman, the Harbor Herbalist. She's the most lovely lady, very well educated on the medicinal uses of herbs. She tells me which teas to buy and I go home and try them and she's right and then I go buy more. It's a wonderful system. My favorite of the three is strength, a kind of tonic tea. I drink it all the time and it's been one of my first ventures into loose leaf. I love tea culture. The history and the weird little shops full of bags and tins.

I got a henna tattoo at the market as well. It's was darker now, but it's an umbrella, can you see? I love it. The woman who did it was so talented, said she's been henna-ing people for fifteen years. She's very good at what she does. I like the way it kind of looks like a birdcage at the top.

Well, that's it for now. I think I'm going to go work on my school supplies. Bye.

Monday, August 23, 2010

I think this will sum things up.

This week, I:
  • Completed my Youth Symphony auditions. And wore blisters into the back of my feet as I paced outside the judgement room. But I had the power of chamomile tea and anger and months of the hardest practice in my fingers, and guess what? For the first time ever, I wasn't nervous.
  • Took a rather unplanned trip into Oregon, hanging out in Portland, wherein, I bought a pretty kick ass purse and some school supplies. Twas super fun.
  • Ate half a container of Au Natural Jiff with a spoon. By myself. And it was glorious. How my mother can possibly have kept this beautiful spread from me, for all these years, eludes my logic.
  • Played D and D with my family and played a character that wasn't a lithe elf, human or half elf. But a mighty and adorable dwarf. Her name is Aisling. Please don't ask me how I pronounce that. At this point, I truly don't know.
  • Ate only eggs and cheese for about three days. Also Jiff.

And so much more. Not a bad bit to end summer with, though I still have a week left. And half a container of Jiff. And some kittens. Hmm. Yummy.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

A Poem, for which I apologize in advance

In the sun spattered,
and soaked day,
restless and petulant,
I wait.

Make efforts to keep,
the images in my head,
(those of walking,
head down)
from speaking to me.

Don't make a mind,
for him,
that isn't his.
Don't slather your skin,
in hyperboles and
inauthenticities.

These would be
well worn missteps,
and I know better.

armed with the idea
that this may only be
futile,
I face a clear day,
as though the sun,
is finally
finally,
coming up.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Vanilla Mint

More trending going on with my life. I'm unknowingly pairing with peppermint and vanilla all the time. I just found a packet of cocoa in the cupboard: White Chocolate Vanilla and Peppermint.

I think I might have been swindled into buying all three of these. I went to the cash register at Bath & Body Works with just the lemon and left the store with the other two and a rather heavy booklet of coupons. Also, I think I may have given them my phone number and email address.
Anyway. They're great. The lemon one tastes like Lemon Pound Cake but without the guilt.
Gosh. I should be in advertising.


I've started making my school supplies. Two of the binders I will be using this year are finished and I'm very happy with them. One of them is finished , but it's purposeful and determined ugliness irks me to no end. I might just start completely over. But last night, while watching Arrested Development, I made this little pouch to hold the nick knacks that fall inexplicably to the bottom of my bag.


I don't know if you can see in the picture, but those are adorable green polka dots on that fabric. I got it from Wal Mart. And I'm ashamed, because there's a great fabric store across the street that probably would have been worth the effort. But Wal Mart held up astoundingly well selection wise.

I'm off to Centralia for a couple of days to spend some time with some very old friends. It is going to be a blast. I can't wait to see them and spend some time on the farm where they live. It's beautiful there. Maybe I'll take some pictures and show them to you when I get back.