naming valleys

every two weeks or so i drive down to rochester for work to meet with clients. at first this was not my favorite thing to do and my body language told it all. i would rent a car, leave late, stop for coffee, ice cream, bathroom, anything to break up the two-hour drive and maybe if i were on a bus or a train, reading a book i would think it would not be so...long, but something changed recently to make me enjoy these drives, even look forward to the ride. i am not sure exactly what it is but i think it is simply familiarity and recognition, feeling at home with the scenery. as i head out past the cities, past the oil refinery, for the next two hours its. just. farmland.

oh and also the sogn valley.

i buy locally produced honey. i have read that when you ingest honey harvested by local bees it is supposed to have some sort of homeopathic effect on your allergies, increasing your immunity because you are essentially digesting the pollen. maybe this is not true, but i like believing in stuff like this.

my honey comes from the sogn valley. as does my local organic wine, arabian horse breeders, sunflowers, berries, rolling hills and cottage hobby farms. i pronounce it like phone but not sure if that is proper, but i like the way it feels coming out as it reverberates in your stomach and makes its way up through your nose as you say it out loud. sogn.

the valley lays half way between st. paul and rochester. now, when i drive through i turn off my radio, roll down my windows and breath deep. in these moments i forget about work or my drive and i just am. i have found that being alive in the moment is addictive as now i look forward to the next time and the next...although i still might stop for ice cream.

tous les beaux esprits se rencontrent

'all the beautiful spirits find themselves'

When William F. Buckley passed away earlier this year, Newsweek published an article about the man and his life. I was about to toss it aside as just another article on another old, white -haired republican, but something about his photo compelled me to read the article. After reading it, and several others since then, my perception on classic conservatism changed completely. I think Buckley's representation of it and his idealist view that when government lets men be, the human spirit triumphs. with the notion of smaller government, tight community involvement, putting education and culture first, freedom of speech, freedom of press...if this is the intent, then i would call myself a republican. But something got lost along the way. From a humble, kind, gentleman into a pistol packing hockey mom, i am not sure how to get it back again. Although there is hope, and hope is stronger than any political lines.

to read the entire article click here.

national security

even police in riot gear influence beauty and rhythm. although poetry in mutiny comes easier while riding horse-back. maybe it's a way to tame the uprising. one thing i noticed was that these officers had a quiet presence to them, and to watch them gallant through the parks of st. paul after the opposer, was enchanting. they were knights in shining armor, hero's of days gone past. while running through the streets and protesting of all things wrong with the country, one look at these gentle creatures and you remember that america is still great. and that horses are still great too.

ideal bench

had i been any more captivated by the falls and barges on the mississippi river, i may have missed these concrete benches. perfect in form; a solid rectangle. and function; ya sit on it and it won't blow away. with steel re-bar handles, which i think may be bike locks, perfect. but then again, this is minnesota so they could be personal space partitions. here in minnesota, it's all about the comfort zone.

what i love the most is that they are located in the mill ruins park, which, if you are not from minneapolis, is a park created to preserve architectural ruins. coming from Detroit, i totally appreciate this! amidst all the other random chunks of strewn concrete and steel, these benches look right at home, and i doubt they will be going anywhere soon.

addendum to original post: a co-worker thinks the re-bars are to keep skateboarders off. I think the mystery is solved.

leafless

i have walked past this tree twice a day everyday for the past two years and have never noticed the absence of leaves until yesterday when i looked up to find a bird singing and could see clearly through the branches it's shiny black feathers and royal red chest.

canoe dock

when you walk past a full canoe dock it can only mean two things; it's summer, and you are by a lake. what more could you ask for! oh, well maybe if one of those canoes was yours....

house guests

in oregon, my neighbor and friend susan taught japanese culture at the university. i would visit her and her home was filled with teaism; mats, bonsai, orchids, fortunes. in japan it is tradition to remove your shoes before entering someones home out of respect and also to not bring in dirt. this makes sense when considering eating on the floor. susan would say 'how else can you keep your house clean? but it also feels good. the warm radiant floor, walking in softness, in quietness. you are instantly at home.

my friend jeremiah once told me in france it is considered rude to use your host's washroom.

last weekend, a minnesotan family opened their home to several hundred musicians, film makers and all their fans including pedal bikers, campers, hippies, hipsters, children and me and missy. there would be dancing, singing, laughing and rivalry for a twelve hour long square lake music festival. it lasted till after midnight and since over half of their guests biked to their house, they allowed for camping and of course, gallons of free coffee. for the love of culture and community they let go of ownership and opened their home to complete strangers. no pretense, no judgement, no rules, but i still took off my shoes. except this time i wiggled my toes in the dirt.

baby grass

those who know me know my green thumb isn't green and my idea of landscaping equals why i own a condo. but i do really like grass, well, the watering part is a little silly except for when i am running and then i am grateful that sprinklers sometimes water sidewalks. and like every species, babies are irresistible, even though i cringe every time i see the sprayed on aqua foamy grass seeds, i can't help but root for the seedlings once they start to emerge. what, i ask, is more adorable than a brown plot of dirt with little hints of green popping up. it is the peach fuzz of the earth, it's grass coming of age, maybe that is going to far. i don't care, i adore it.

grow!

beautility

i am inspired to write this blog after reading an article about 'beautility' which is the concept that something utilitarian, any object or idea, can and should be beautiful. art should always be considered and form should always follow function, but function should also take your breath away. on a more personal note, i forget to see things. i become so wrapped up in my mind with my thoughts and busy-ness and personal anxieties that many many times i forget to pay attention. So this is my pursuit; to notice and take note of everyday stuff that either by accident, or deliberate effort, is also pretty.