Enjoyment at random
Posted on | April 18, 2006 |
Going over my writing from the past couple of weeks, I’m struck by how serious I’ve been. Early spring seems to do this—the last rain soaked days of quiet gray on brown silhouettes of twigs and trees before the riot of color hits. Then the blossoms arrive, heady, erotic, unreasonably beautiful, and the whole world goes a little nuts basking in all the loveliness of it.
I’m feeling inklings of that today. The maples are all flirty with little red catkin blossoms, and the magnolias (one of my favorite flowers) are blooming everywhere. And all day I felt kind of haphazard, but in a good way. Carefree, non sequitur, goofy. Things are strewn about everywhere, the house is a mess, and Bean was off schedule all day, but for some reason I haven’t minded. Instead I painted, and wrote a list of ten random things that strike my fancy.
1) I love accordion music. I love how it’s its own little orchestra, how I am immediately transported to cobble stone streets in Europe, with high stone buildings and fountains and people eating in outdoor cafes. If I could suddenly acquire the ability to play any instrument, I’d pick this one: comical, romantic, with a gypsy soul.
2) I have the hankering this week to look at art by Gorgia O’Keefe. Again, this must be a spring thing. Her flowers. Surely you have seen them.
3) I just remembered how much I loved reading Jitterbug Perfume, by Tom Robbins when I was in high school. He writes in such a wild, heady, ridiculous, over-zealous, over-educated, over-the top way that I dig, sometimes. When I read it then, it was at the suggestion of my first serious boyfriend and we were all loopy for each other. Sappy, yes. But it really IS a great love story.
4) I’ve had time to mull over the changes coming up (re: going back to work,) and it seems okay to me now. Exciting even. This is what I’m like: it takes me a day or two to warm to an idea, and then I’m all game.
5) I’m over my chai tea obsession that lasted me through the many months of cold winter. Now I’m in love with iced, sweetened green tea.
6) I’m planning on buying bagfulls of wild flower seeds this weekend, and scattering on the hillside below our house. I won’t have time this year to plant a real garden, but it will be fun to see what comes up from the handfuls I toss about.
7) The Vanity Fair Green Issue is my bathroom reading this month.
I am daydreaming about my future studio. I can hardly fathom what it will be like not to be doing paintings on the dining room table. I’m looking at paint samples, picture hangers, and storage options. Pure heaven.
9) I’ve started listening to NPR’s jazz profiles. I could do this all day. Like higher math, jazz is something I find utterly mind-blowing.
10) We had a picnic tonight in the new house, in the room that will be my studio. Indian take out: chicken curry, aloo ghobi, naan with coconut, lassi, mango chutney, raita. Bean sat on the floor with us and fed me spoonful after spoonful of rice, and then ran circles around us, his face smudged yellow from the curry.
Your turn: ten random foot loose & fancy free things.
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27 Responses to “Enjoyment at random”
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April 19th, 2006 @ 6:17 am
1. i love that part of my morning routine is visiting your blog while dada watches satchel.
2. i really love the levenger fountain pen that i bought when i became pregnant. it glides on the page effortlessly.
3. i love when i get to the coffee maker before my husband and can add a pinch of cinnamon and cloves to the brew.
4. i love music: especially ella, billie, bjork, orton, bern, byrne…..and dancing with my baby.
5. i love poetry: especially neruda and cummings
6. i love that i’m beginning to figure out which bird is near by it’s song.
7. i’m thrilled that i was able to photograph a perfect raindrop while taking my babe for a stroll.
8. #7 makes me appreciate the little glass raindrop ornaments that i got from smith & hawken all the more.
9. i love taking belly photos of beautifully round pregnant mamas.
10. due to #9, i’ve discovered that i really enjoy photographing the babes when they arrive.
April 19th, 2006 @ 7:04 am
I love your 10 random facts and will definitely do the same. Accordion music will always be special to me; reminds me of Valentines days past, when we’d go to this tiny French restaurant in the city and there was this fabulous French chanteuse, singing French torch songs with a flashlight illuminating her face and her partner played the accordion ~ sigh.
April 19th, 2006 @ 7:27 am
I think world is quite small in some ways. I have written about Tom Robbins and this particular book on my blog in the beginning of spring where we have seen the first blossoms. I think its just a perfect read specially for this season. No matter how far away and how different from each other we are, there is always one click of emotion that reminds me that we are all the same. Thanks for reminding me.
April 19th, 2006 @ 8:34 am
wow– except for the fact that you are prolific, have long blonde hair, and are young– we’re twins! Tom Robbins is my all time favorite author– Skinny Legs and All is my fave book— just LOVE his wild ride of a writing style– and someday we have to go to the O’Keeffe museum in Santa Fe– New Mexico is my enchanted space–
April 19th, 2006 @ 9:47 am
Oh, Christina, I needed this post…let’s see…
1. leisurely riding my old Schwinn alongside the campus practice fields while I watch gorgeous young people practice lacrosse and soccer and toss frisbees and footballs
2. eating Hershey’s tiny Easter eggs, all the while saying “That’s the last one” but knowing full well it won’t be
3. watching live video online yesterday morning of the S.F. quake survivors and marveling over how much LIFE and HUMOR those centenarians seemed to be full of
4. delighting in a dinner of take-out burritos from the healthy place down the street
5. seeing a crow on the ground at a stoplight and thinking how crows are a totem for a blogger friend (and loving that bloggers invade my ‘real life’ thoughts with regularity)
6. reading a book of fiction I’m positively LOVING
7. wrapping my arms around J’s neck while he’s at the computer and squeezing tight, knowing words aren’t necessary…it’s enough to just know that we have each other
8. realizing through tears that there’s so much to feel GRATEFUL (and greatful!) for in my/our lives
9. bounding out the door about 5:00 yesterday to walk to the corner to check the mailbox and feeling my body positively lap up the sunshine
10. surfing through blogs with an appreciation for how very much I receive by visiting all of you
April 19th, 2006 @ 10:00 am
Wendy & Marilyn, LOVE these lists. I delight in reading lists even more than I delight in writing them, if that’s possible. Keep them coming, folks!
April 19th, 2006 @ 10:13 am
LOVE these lists.
1) I am finally starting to get excited about a big trip this summer on the Transsiberian express.
My work computer died today….it made me sad for an hour or so…then I got hyper-productive. It all worked out well.
2) It is possible to fall even more in love with a wedding ring each day?
3) Home improvment is good for the soul but really bad for smell and dust.
4) I bought two pairs of shoes and two purses lately that actually made me feel hip…for 90$…TOTAL…who woulda guessed?
5) I feel different and slightly less foggy than days of late.
6) feeling foggy is no fun.
7) I am taking a photography course next weekend and I can harldly count the days…nevermind the HOURS.
9) I can see two small tulips finally making their way through frozen ground in my front yard.
10) I think your blog is getting better every day and it really does bring me much joy. Please keep it up!
April 19th, 2006 @ 11:38 am
Christina,
I read your website every day and absolutely love it, but am more of a “lurker” who never comments. However, this list idea got my mind racing and I had to contribute.
1. I only want to write with black ultra-fine point Sharpies and the yellow Papermate mechanical pencils that are made to look like real pencils. For some reason words come out easier with those than with any other writing utensil.
2. Right now I am totally hooked on the singer Mirah. She has a soulful, gentle voice that can accompany any activity.
3. I collect books like a madwoman. Right now I have a pile of about two dozen books waiting to be read in a heap on the floor. I just love how they look all topsy-turvy in piles on the floor.
4. My favorite way to read is curled up on the family room couch with the French doors sprung wide open and a gentle breeze floating in. I have a view of the woods that way and can trace the sun on its descent through the sky. Heaven.
5. Sometimes my favorite moment of the day is the hazy, half-dreaming kiss the BF leaves on my face when he leaves the house. I don’t always remember it right when I wake up, but it glides back into my mind at surprising moments in the day, leaving a silly grin on my face.
6. Despite being trained in color and black and white photo, I still love my digital. I know, I’ve gone to the darkside…
7. I love letting the house get messy all day long and then straightening it up at night.
8. Tulip beds make me feel giddy and silly. They’re always bursting with color: reds, oranges, yellows, hot pinks, and deep plums. I secretly steal a tulip from the campus flower beds when nobody is looking and put it in the bud vase above my desk.
9. I am secretly delighted that I am in love with a man who is only an inch taller than me. I think heels look great on other women and I own quite a few pairs myself, but I love the excuse of his height to always wear flats.
10. I would dress in vintage clothes from the 20’s or 40’s every day if I could. They are so intricate and spiffy. I’d simply love to walk out out the door in a fitted shirtdress, smart pumps (this fantasy is the only exception to #9), a pair of little gloves, a jaunty hat, and a boxy pocketbook.
April 19th, 2006 @ 11:45 am
1. i love questing and imagining how life will be in our new town - if we go.
2. love my husband’s days off and being able to sneak a little sex in during the baby’s nap while the world goes by outside.
3. love the green leaves popping out all over everything that will sit still.
4. love my baby’s reaction to it all - his OOO’s!
5. giddy over being able to work in the yard today.
6. afraid of flying to vermont with my baby.
7. worried about coming back from vermont and jumping on a plane to savannah for the next interview with my baby.
8. happy about still enjoying my little obsession of cookies and milk in the evenings (started this during pregnancy and can’t stop!)
9. even with #8, i was able to get back to my pre-preggers size this week - yeah!
10. feeling blessed to have all these choices.
By the way, christina - i think that the picture of the open tree trunk that you posted a few days back was very o’keefe-esque - very sensual and womanly. very cool.
April 19th, 2006 @ 11:47 am
oh i guess those weren’t all fancy free. oops. i realize that i am too much of a worry-wort lately.
April 19th, 2006 @ 12:49 pm
All this wonderful stuff to tuck into my brain and enjoy.
Thank you!
April 19th, 2006 @ 5:01 pm
1. Springtime in Minnesota - one day, the world is brown. The next, there are little shoots of green everywhere.
2. The smell of rain (more spring stuff) - last night we had all the windows open and I could smell the rain as it soaked into the ground. Mmmmmm
3. Listening to my little guy talk after a couple of days away. It’s as though he learned more sentence structure in two days.
4. Leaving work in 5 minutes!!!
5. The prospect of a hair cut this week - short hair gets long fast and I love a new haircut
6. My cat and dog - they are both so quirky and I love them so much
7. My new jeans - another size smaller!
8. I won an award at work and am buying a digital SLR camera with the money (well, putting the money toward said camera).
9. Watching my husband walk toward me through the skyway after work - every day I get a little giddy as he walks toward me.
10. The first hug from a small boy when I get home.
April 19th, 2006 @ 5:48 pm
1. i just bought the cutest new bag today and i can’t wait to use it
2. i wonder where my e-bay purchase is?
3. i really need a retreat. a few days to just do ‘my thing’
4. i’m frustrated with my new camera. it’s a little too advanced for me.
5. i’m really frustrated with the photography book i just purchased. i don’t feel like i’m learning a damn thing.
6. i don’t know how to react to my co-worker tomorrow. she’s been out because of a miscarriage for 1 1/2 weeks and i don’t know what to say or do when she returns for the first time.
7. i want to protect her, not make her feel the pain, even though i know that’s not possible
8. i’m afraid i’ve lost my creativity. i’ve just felt blah lately
9. it’s cold in this room
10. sometimes i miss meat and this past week has been one of those times
April 19th, 2006 @ 5:55 pm
I love your random and am going to do it tonight on my blog. thanks!
And does Hillary have a blog?!! I want to read it … I loved her answers.
And vie en rose … just give her a hug and let her know she’s in your thoughts, and that you’re available if she wants to cry or talk.
April 19th, 2006 @ 8:09 pm
What a fantastic list, the iced green tea sounded so good that I made a pot myself today. I put my own list up on my site, it seems rather food-centric. Hmm, imagine that.
April 19th, 2006 @ 10:37 pm
My list:
http://misstessajane.blogspot.com/2006/04/enjoyment-at-random.html
Thanks for the cue!
xo
April 19th, 2006 @ 11:15 pm
hmmmmm 10 things. my list will be nowhere near as cool and well written as yours….
1. love watching my girls grow their own flowers. they actually bring their books outside and read to their plants. HYSTERICAL
2. loved going to barnes and noble tonight and browsing magazines. need to do that more often.
3. read a chapter from an American Girl doll book to the girls at bed.
4. my 6 year old lost her top front teeth, learned how to read super well and learned how to tie her shoes all in a short time period. sigh..growing up on me.
5. i scrapbooked 5 pages in the last 2 days!
6. my mom is coming to my house next week!
7. i am moving to a new town this summer. we are buying our first home…we have rented one from inlaws til now!
8. the girls want to buy a puppy when we move.
9. i love this site: wwww.originalworks.com you can get your kids art made into things(notecards, cofffe mugs, prints, bags. etc.!) fun fuN!
10. totally random stuff! i LOVE YOUR BLOG> you are an AWESOME WRITER!
when and where will i be able to buy the book you are writing?!
tara
April 20th, 2006 @ 1:24 am
I loved joining in here.
1. I love photography, but seldom have the time to work it in. But tonight on the way home, I will stop to take pictures of one of the beautiful dogwood trees before it gets all leafy.
2. Love taking a bit of time each day to read the blogs of people who inspire me to be myself, to live simply, and to enjoy each day as it comes.
3. Lists. And they are so much more fun to return to later; they help to bring back so may details.
4. Enjoying “found” time with D - just time for the two of us to simply enjoy togetherness.
5. Anticipating our cruise of the Greek Isles next summer. Imagining if it will also celebrate a wedding.
6. Enjoying the freedom in purging and getting rid of things that don’t work for us anymore. Watching bags of closthes, shoes and duplicate appliances leave the house, hoping they will bless someone else.
7. A return to somewhat regular journaling. Getting my thoughts, ideas, and reactions down on paper.
8. Enjoying all that is spring.
9. Looking at D and trying to imagine what the next 10, 20, 40 years will be like.
10. This quote by Kobi Yamada: “She designed a life she loved.” Working on putting it into action.
April 20th, 2006 @ 2:40 am
oh i love how people shared there list here. how much fun is this!!!
jitterbug perfume…what a name for a book. i need to check it out.
love the lightness of this post…but your serious deep posts bring me back every time…
April 20th, 2006 @ 11:36 am
currently enjoying at random:
1. My 10 year old son’s way of saying goodbye and telling me he loves me multiple times each morning before school, as if he might not see me again, the way he looks back one last time as he enters the school doors
2. The fact that 450 inches of this winter’s snow has melted in a handful of days and I can see the horse sculpture again in my yard. One day I saw his nose poke out of the snow, and he emerged entirely within 3 or 4.
3. The Robin’s nest under construction above my bedroom window
4. The trilling of the blackbirds, even yesterday when it snowed again
5. fresh cod baked in parchment paper with lemon grass, coconut milk and cilantro
6. Hearing classical music in unexpected places like a construction zone full of men with big tools, me with a broom
7. running in the meadow with the big puppies and jumping over the saggging old wire fences like when I was 10 and pretended to ride my imaginary horse
8. finally cleaning the mudroom really well, packing winter clothes away and mopping the floor with Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Lavender cleaner. Smells wonderful. Cleaning the entry gave me energy to do more spring cleaning
9. When my daughter puts her hair in a pony tail by herself, I love her hair this way, She looks like a ballerina
10. Remembering to water the house plants and gently dust the leaves of my favorite, the Fiddley Fig
April 20th, 2006 @ 11:38 am
Thanks for the link to the Green Issue of Vanity Fair. I sent it to some co-workers and it seemed to tie in with a talk we all attended this morning.
Love the painting of the accordian. You are such an insightful and creative person, Christina.
April 20th, 2006 @ 2:18 pm
Oooh, I will do this on my own blog. It needs the content. Will come back and post the link, or recap them. What a fabulous idea!
Also, you mentioned accordian music - did you ever read the Ramona Quimby book with the accordian in it? I can’t remember which one - the same one that had the wedding of I think her aunt - but just thinking about accordians brought it back to me.
April 21st, 2006 @ 12:15 am
I love your list. Thanks for some much needed inspiration - my blog has been feeling poorly lately - this is giving it a much-needed transfusion!
April 21st, 2006 @ 12:59 am
I loved this post, reminding me to be silly. You’d think I was silly all the time with two little boys under my wings, but not really. I needed this.
1. Another jazz fan! We hook the iPods up wherever we go. Wes Montgomery in the car, Thelonius in the living room…jazz is the great illustrator of the everyday: a walk down the street, frying up an egg, tying shoelaces, and watching the rain fall.
2. Blues on Sunday mornings. Damon on slide guitar, myself on his Martin, Chas trying to stand on the half-scaler, ford playing cars in the background because he’s not in the mood to play.
3. Huisache blossoms (blooming here, now) and the honey made from it, especially in iced tea.
4. Running in the baking heat with a swimsuit underneath, thenjumping in the pool, then lacing up again for a few more miles.
5. Laughing when I fall over in a crazy advanced, inverted yoga pose during Polly’s class. She makes it look so fluid and I make it look like a breakdancing lesson.
6. Strapless sundresses and cowgirl boots, pulling the kids in a wagon with an igloo full of beer up the dusty parking lot to the front door of the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood (TX)
7. Like you, dreaming of my future studio., imagining where I’ll want light and walls.
8. Planting “magic seeds:” the seeds found in my pockets after random harvesting: red yucca at Zilker Bot. Gardens, black bamboo from Strybring in SF, morning glory and basil seeds from the family farm.
9. drawing woven hearts on the driveway, nesting a basket of sidewalk chalk in the vortex of a tree, two feet high off the ground, for all the kids to use
10. doing fifteen-minutes paintings while the kids are playing cars.
April 21st, 2006 @ 2:18 pm
my list is at my blog, finally. I am much too longwinded for the comments section.
April 22nd, 2006 @ 3:29 pm
1. Watching Oliver discover new things, especially outdoors now that the weather’s nice.
2. Lying in bed in the mornings listening to Oliver squeal over the monitor.
3. Reading a good book. There’s nothing better.
4. Sitting outside in the sunshine, just soaking it in.
5. Looking at old pictures, memories captured, times recalled.
6. Colouring the patio with sidewalk chalk with Julia.
7. The smell of Obsession perfume.
8. A nice, hot shower.
9. Snuggling with Dave.
10. Sleeping. Sweet, sweet sleep.
June 27th, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
Just a funny note, I knew a girl who referred to the ficus lyrata as a fiddly fig…it’s fiddle leaf fig (the leaves look like fiddles…it’s a very cute nickname however, and you should definitely continue to call it that! (I found your site by googling fiddly fig just for fun!)