Today's Tidbits

I snatched away a garish purple balloon flower about to be discarded by a mom and passed it on a little ways down the road to a blond little, lanky, timid boy - little pleasures that bring on big smiles.

Checking out at the fruit and vegetable store, a guy entered and asked for eight, yep 8 carry out plastic bags. I mentioned the exhibit at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich that featured humongous amounts of plastic trash recovered from the ocean. He told me to get a life. I should have told him to get an environmental conscience.

I am for calling each other out on unacceptable behavior as long as it is done with civility. I myself was about to walk out with the plastic bag of groceries, despite the two bags I had brought, but caught myself and repackaged.

My last tidbit of the day, I got once again a security guy at our park to help me move those heavy metal benches back in to their proper places. Visual peace of mind is nothing to sneer at, the act contributed greatly to my well being for that moment, alas those moments never last.

Living Juicy

"I always thought you were pretty" out of a mouth with missing front teeth. The guy had climbed a tree for me two years ago to shake and throw down those remaining apples left up  high. Sumo, my little dog, running alongside my bike,  barked ferociously at him, while I smiled and waved in passing.

One Mexican painter with bike, from out of town,  a stranger to us, barely able to communicate in English, expressed a desire to paint me in my shocking pink scarf, colorful dress, white hair and camera slung over my shoulder. He said not in his more normal surrealistic style, but "realistic" (rolling the r which pleased my Swiss ears) and proceeded to inquire about my work.

Onward to hug a charming lady with a glorious big smile who recognized me from when I had passed her earlier on bike with Sumo. Recognizing her Texan twang, I challenged her on their hideous, most certainly uncivilized death penalty law. Turned out the lady had served on death row and was in full support of it! We parted with a hug, big smiles and a casual promise to engage in civil discourse given another opportunity.

Tidbits

Cute little bunny crouched down low, tucked in it's long translucent pink ears and flattened itself to the ground. Hunkered down, it held still, played being a rock, and successfully avoided detection by my two terrible terriers, but not by me. Such observations may be the norm in the boonies, but they are not common for me living downtown for more then a quarter of a century.

In my 'hood a sign on a gate on Gomez street reads Chien Lunatique which ought to scare any malevolent spirits away, although I do wonder how many of our local souls would comprehend the Gallic tongue? No linguistic skills needed I believe for this sign I have not yet put up, but might:

I chatted up a Linguist the other day while watching the light of yet another pretty, yet ordinary sunse while we hung out and about our community garden. The man, an obvious to me for no good reason foreigner, revealed that he was based on the East Coast, Boston to be exact, which might just be another country with it's different mentality. He came to our City Different on account of an invitation, a temporary job, to help establish a museum for native languages. As is so often the case, the project got initiated by a probably filthy rich white guy. While the Dineh (Navajo) people are supposedly supportive, the Tewa Native American Pueblo people are supposedly not. Who can blame them after the abuse they suffered not so long ago by white folks that stole their children and forbid them their mother tongue! They are, I am told, afraid that the sacredness of their way of life, which includes their language, will be taken away from them. Being an Anglo, the strange idea of a museum for languages immediately appealed to me. I will be curious to learn what will come of it.

On the political front, my TV is now permanently disconnected after repeated 6 month-intervals of non-use, my provider had enough and we parted ways amicably. This means that I do not have to follow the repugnant Republican drama and was successful in avoiding all of the speeches given at their convention, including the one given by our own governor, Susana. What caught my attention though was the Palinesque Bachman, who insinuated on the Piers Morgan show that single (but whole, not lacking a husband, thinking women) would vote for Obama, we have to assume on his  admittedly not insignificant sex appeal.  Meanwhile the properly married ones would vote for Romney. What an insult! A study supposedly claims that 60% of single women support Obama, only 31% are for Romney. So let me state publicly my support for President Obama, an antidot to the repugnant R & Rs.

Floppy ears may not be our President's most sexy feature, but I support him despite Guantanamo still holding prisoners for indefinite detention, without due process, despite his authorization to kill, rather then apprehend Osama Bin Landen, despite his choices in Afghanistan, and despite his outrageous  appointment of a former Monsanto vice-president and lobbyist to the FDA, and despite a lot more objections! We have no alternative for this year, none and we all know it. Those pushing to vote for a third party candidate are kidding themselves and are playing with very dangerous fires. A few votes could make a whole lot of difference this year. Are You In? It just so happens that I got an offer to work a voting station on election day. It will be another long day, but I do believe in our privilege and our right and our responsibility of voting.

Overheard

"I can't deal with people in an eddy" she exclaimed with surprising vehemence while in conversation, seated outside the coffee shop, both eyes shut close and tight, one hand extended  so as to keep it at bay. No attention payed to the pretty Doodle that stayed in a polite down along side her, while he really wanted to meet and greet the new arrivals.

Cozy

Cuddled up on our sofa turned in to a bed, still not quiet big enough for the four of us. Sumo's butt pressed up against the small of my back. The kitty draped across my arm languidly, Saemi's heat warms my heart. The weight of Isabella's chin on my chest, deep brown eyes look up at me. For a moment I feel it, the rightness of things. For a moment I can smile and exhale, life is good.

Comings And Goings

Picked a stage and waited:

- Moms pass with kids in contraptions, one pushes a stroller with two up front, the other rides a bike with cargo in back. I prefer a level playing field.

- Black woman in knee high, gray leather boots, too tight woolen dress and a kind of afro hair-do wears glasses.

- Two little girls in red bows and striped attire, both, watch the train arrive, then hop back in to their SUV.

- Guy reading and walking big brown dog with tail curled on up high.

- Black guy texting with one hand, swinging his cheap, cloth shoulder bag in other hand as he walks by leisurely.

- Older guy on bike, in green helmet, takes photo of train by phone.

- One guy in dark glasses follows tiny, skinny kid, no longer a toddler, dressed in blue. They cross the tracks and head toward the coffee shop.

- Couple approaches, walking hand in hand. I am jealous, always loved holding hands. They smile and look therefore less ordinary.

- Church bells ring.
 

With my dogs, Isabella-girl, who no longer walked very far and Sumo-boy, who was stymied by our slow pace, I sat and watched the comings and goings in my 'hood. Without camera, I simply took notes.

In Disguise

Out on errands with pups, in disguise, she wore her green, down to the ankles 'Earth Mama' frock, bare feet in lilac plastic Crocs, fuzzy unshaven legs exposed, on a frigid first day of Spring that must have held a wind chill factor down in the low thirty degrees.  She did remember a time, decades ago, at work, when she was voted best dressed.

Benefits

I ran in to a couple the other day and learned that they no longer use the exclusive spa facility where I had seen them so often because membership price went up from $350 to $650/not per year, but per month!

Instead this couple, Republicans that no doubt oppose "Obamacare", joined a regular spa on cost of Medicaid! American tax dollars benefiting the needy?

Today's Tidbits

"Because you kept your progressive mouth shut, I am gonna leave you a tip" my client proclaimed today. I know he was happy to leave with a lot less pain then he arrived. One has got to love those charming customers that are able to keep a sense of humor. We laughed heartily and yes, I did not engage in a conversation about my new 'Occupy Santa Fe'  bumper sticker, he of course noticed, nor about the Canadians hoping to arrest former President Bush during his visit, same as the French and Spainiards threatened.

Meanwhile our Occupy Santa Fe Encampment has grown to a full circle of tents, a beautiful sight to behold. I picked a humongous amount of greens, mainly Mustard and a little bit left over Kale from the Community Garden right across from the camp. I felt justified by the prognosis of imminent snow, hard to believe with weather warm enough to be out and about in a summer dress. I managed to stir fry all the greens and  mix them in with a whole pot of millet. I packed that and 12 hard boiled eggs  on to my bike and brought it all back to camp, just in time for dinner - a good feeling.

The Occupiers took it upon themselves to clean the bathrooms, a welcome service to the community. The street folks have been out in force it seems at the park with police nowhere in sight. The occupiers take turns in keeping watch during the night, a prudent thing to do. Some horror stories surfaced of folks entangled with families and alcohol. The Occupiers will have to hold a fine balance as regards their role  and boundaries at the encampment with the street folks that have been occupying our park all along.

Tidbits: Wet Blankets, Hope & Happiness

Due to the cool and moist comfort of a wet blanket, or rather a pretty silk cloth draped over me, I slept several hours in a row, a first in a while due to the discomfort of intense smoke inside my home, especially late nights and early mornings. Earlier I had been told how folks in Kansas, where temperatures can soar (no wonder Alice took off to Wonderland) coped: They hung wet linens in their doors and laid out wet blankets on the ground to sleep on. For me the moisture lasted about an hour and a half, but the coolness stayed on longer. Pulling the wet cloth over my face I actually was able breath! Why were we not told a month ago?

I also discovered that mist from a water bottle sprayed toward a fan will redirect delicious moisture all over me if I place my body right in front of it. But for some reason around midnight the smoke gets so intense, the particles will hit my eyes and skin and the fanned air no longer offers any relief. I am starting to wonder if smoke seeps in through cracks, maybe vents or why this is possible with all doors and windows closed for hours?

Meanwhile there is hope! I had almost given up, but today I witnessed one woman right at the check out counter near mine at Trader Joe's explode in to happiness because she had become the winner of the week. I am sure you know what the winning is about? It is to reward us green shoppers for bringing along our bags and/or baskets so as to assure that we have no need for brand new grocery bags, especially those made from live, precious trees. I had suspiscions that their game was a gimmick, a ruse, to keep those addicts hooked on excitement and gambling coming back to improve their chances of winnng. But I am happy to report that there are winners out there in this world of our.

It so happened that I read recently of studies that have shown monkeys at their happiest in the anticipation of something good coming their way. Their oxytocin levels were highest in expectation of their reward. Hard to believe when I watch my Isabell-girl, now a days as a grown adult dog that no longer shows any excitement about going out, because she has learned from experience that it takes me a good long while to get ready for real. I may wear my shoes, my hat, hold lead in hand, but she knows better then to expect that out the door we go. There are keys and money and shopping bags and sunscreen and decisions to wear a hat or not and on and on it goes. My Isabella is a smart girl. 

Personally, as a toddler I never liked dwelling in the anticipation of my mother's return. Instead of finding it stimulating and exciting, I found it deadening. Nevertheless, scientists tell us to create anticipation in our pets if we want their levels of happiness to go up. Since life seems to run in circles infusing pets with happiness surely ads to our own I can attest to such with each walk at the dog park.

Disconcerting

Strong winds blow allergens

I sneeze so hard

my one loose tooth rattles.