Happy Broday

Here's a picture of my brother as a little guy.  He's 36 today and has a beautiful family of his own now and is the editor in chief at Skiing mag.  To say I'm proud of him is an understatement. I saw him a few weekends ago and refueled my tanks with familial love. Happy Bro-day Sammy!

Not welcome here

a visitor and other living things

Today, we are celebrating all living things. Check out this visitor that we were lucky to observe. 

We saw this beetle (below) at the zoo, in an insect display. As a little girl, I used to catch spiders with my bare hands, put them in jars with a rubbing alcohol-soaked cotton ball. Once dead but still structurally perfect, I pinned each spider to a cork board for display. 

More than 20 years later, I would not pick up a spider with my bare hands and this vexes me. Why does this happen? Where does the fear come from and when does it grab hold of us? 

We should try--each day--to fight off these changes...the changes that make us adults. 

W O W

Lessons

Aaron's brother and niece are here visiting for a few days.  Today Aaron showed them around the art building, his studio, and gave Lilah a pretty nice demo on how to make an enormous ice cream bowl. Check it out...

Another moment from Boulder

Family

I just got back from Boulder visiting with my brother and his family. The cool mountain air, the Ponderosa pines, and being with family was just what I needed. Here are a few pics of Mek and me being silly after eating Sam's famous kale chips. 

A favorite

The Journey  

Mary Oliver 

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice --

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do --

determined to save

the only life you could save.