Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Portrait of an Artist

I know a local man who lives near me. He's very...weatherbeaten, ruddy complexion and is in an overcoat for most of the year. He worked for a guy who sells Stuff, Junk, "Americana", what-have you for the last several years. Recently, the business closed up , leaving him without a job, and I became-I guess concerned would cover it & went to visit him in his house about 1/2 a mile away from mine.

I knew he was down on his luck (I Might imply there are Reasons for this, but it's neither my or indeed your business & really not the point of this post) but I was Unprepared for what I found. If you would like to Visualize this, you need only to recall what a standard High Ranch type house & you're Spot on.There were/are no locked doors, the Garage & back doors are open as is the garage door into the house. I know they haven't been for a long time. There are many items outside, but Almost no items inside. His bed is a mattress on the floor in front of an opening in the house that used to have a Bay window. No Heat, No Hot Water, no Refridgeration, a hole in the floor where the stove used to be. (it's in the Garage)

After talking for a while, he invited me in to see some of his artwork. He has talent, and apparantly an entire family of artists, all of whom have talent! His latest endevour is carefully, but randomly applying small dots & drips of Nail Polish to panes of glass from small size frames, then over & over again, in different colors, creating works that remind me very much of Jasper Johns & Jackson Pollock. his several examples have that kind of Style.

Today, I dropped off a few things he needed & as we were sitting at the entrance to the Garage, a starling flew in behind a crate. "She made her nest behind the door." he said. Sure enough, after hopping onto the door track & watching us for several minutes, she was satisfied that we weren't any danger & put herself into her nest!

I feed the birds outside my house every day & I have yet to have any bird build a nest close enough for me to touch!


The Japanese have a Philosophy behind the Tea Ceremony embodied in 4 Concepts: Wabi, Sabi, Shibui & Fura

D.T. Suzuki says:


Wabi in the narrow sense indicates a life of poverty and avoidance of luxury, remote from falsity and intrigue. Whoever lives according to wabi is content with simple things, has understood the wisdom of rocks and grasshoppers, serenely accepts poverty as an enrichment of the spirit of life.

Sabi has a not dissimilar meaning but refers rather to things and places; it brings to mind a certain 'unpretentious rusticity, an archaic imperfection' which put people and matter into a relationship of loving intimacy. This implies somewhere in the background a solitary, a hermit, actively putting all this into practice.

Shibui literally means astringent, broadly means good taste. It implies sobriety, absence of ostentation, simplicity, impeccable taste.

Fura indicates a way of life prescribed by Zen principles. It is a chaste enjoyment of life...identification of the self with the creative spirit, the spirit of the beauty of nature. Men and women of fura find their friends among flowers and animals, in rocks and water, in showers and the moon.

This man IS Wabi! Perhaps even Sabi! I don't believe he embodies the other two but 2 out of 4 ain't Bad!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Blogger, Why do you make it SO Difficult to get any Help?

To those Brave few of you following me, you may have noticed that I stopped putting Headlines and different type on my Blog. This is NOT my Doing! this is the Hot Mess that is Blogger, who apparently decided one fine day that I somehow wasn't "Worthy" of such "luxuries" and just removed the settings, so I can't change type styles, size or much else...

I can't either find an answer to my question of how to fix this or even where to send a question! It isn't listed under "help" If I don't get some HELP with making this Blog work, I'm Jumping Ship & taking my Blog Elsewhere! Be Prepared if I announce this in the near Future. and, if by some MAJIC someone at Blogger sees this- I'd call my Boss over & Strongly Suggest he/she gets me some HELP ASAP!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Birds. Why did it Have to be Birds!

I awoke this morning to the sounds of Rain and flapping wings! Immediately sensing that the Angel of Death had come, I said "Go make yourself a cup of Coffee." then looked. A bird had flown through the open window and was sitting on my Armiore! I was Bummed, birds don't even like coffee & refuse to make it & I had to get up & get it back outside! I opened the door to the bedroom & the front door & using a blanket & pillow, I scared the shit out of the bird until he/she/? flew out. Now I'm cleaning up the birdshit. True Story.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Today's Thought: I'm not the One you would Choose, I'm just the One who Cares!

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Wyld Abandon!

The following is a comment I made on my Twitter Buddy Kris' site: Not a Girl not yet a Wino (See sidebar for the link) about the First Day of Spring (today) Tell me what you think.

1.yknot
Posted 04.01.10 | Permalink
Spring! Yay! Watched out my back yard to where the neighbor’s 11 year old daughter had the time of her life swinging on the rope swing, yelling and laughing her head off! I wanted her to Own that moment; as we all do of Innocent Happiness & Wyld Abondon!

I should have done the Responsible thing, played the nasty old “Get off my Lawn, Kid!” but my heart isn’t in it at all. Youth is a precious time for each of us, all too short & many times frittered away & wasted.

I hope she keeps this Day Close, remembers how she felt, the Joy of being ALIVE!

Meanwhile, I sort through stuff I’m either Giving Away or going to list on EBay, taking another Tylonol for my Right knee, which, after a lifetime of lifting and carrying people is Stiff & Sore and Remembering a Day a lot like this when I was her age; with both Fondness & Sadness, ’cause Life is like That too.