January 2017

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Up above the city, spikes on ice, reveling in silent communion, two friends (my pal Phoebe and me) happy to be out of the thick of it and into the pines & blue sky, scent of cedar and snow. There were minutes we listened, not a bird, not a breeze, not a single sound. Then juncos, crows, jays, towhees, and chickadees. Humans and their canine companions. And that view!

 

 

 

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This morning I awoke with a hiking itch to scratch. Luckily the hubster is almost always game for adventure, so we hopped out of bed and dashed out the door, whiz-bang, and fifteen minutes later arrived here. How privileged are we to live in a place filled with such jaw-dropping natural beauty?! The Garden of The Gods was a gift to Colorado Springs in 1909, so that it may remain forever free. Thank you Perkins Family! Not a bad start to the day. Not bad at all…

Happy Saturday!

p.s. I hiked in the park earlier this week and saw a bobcat a mere twenty feet ahead on the trail. Wonderful!!

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Bonuses

Yes

It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

It could, you know. That’s why we wake
and look out – no guarantees
in this life.

But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

William Stafford

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Good Monday to you, dear reader. Hello from Saturday’s March on Colorado Springs, where seriousness and a bit of levity walked in harmony. We represented pretty well for a smaller sized city, with about 7,000 women, men, children, and pooches marching proudly for a shared love of our fine nation, the rights of ALL people, and the sacredness of our one Mother Earth. Praise be!

Some highlights:

The black mother and her children, walking with signs that said, “I MATTER!” and the myriad people giving them the thumbs-up.

I (and many others) thanked every police officer present for helping keep everything orderly and safe. Their response? “Thank you!”

The sweet family handing out bagels. The hubster and I shared one. YUM!

The girl gazing at the crowd in awe and exclaiming, “This makes me so happy!”

The signs: The Fempire Strikes Back :: Don’t Tread on My Rights :: I’m Here for the Women! :: Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights :: My Daughters Deserve Better :: A Woman’s Place is in the Resistance.

Our signs were less creative, but no less sincere: Power to the Peaceful! :: Justice * Equality * Prosperity – FOR ALL.

For those who share the opinions of Christy and Chondra on Facebook who felt the march was foolish and are privileged enough to live with security, comfort, and choice, I pray that, should your bubble ever burst, you fall gently on the shoulders of those marching for the rights of us ALL and not in the pit so many of our less fortunate brothers and sisters are currently attempting to climb from.

We are peaceful people who marched to send a clear message to the Administration. We will not normalize misogyny or sexual violence. We will not normalize racism. We will not normalize homophobia. We will not normalize xenophobia. We will not normalize blatant lies disguised as “alternative facts.” Period.

And a final word on No. 45. If he honestly exhibited respect for truth and dignity and TRUE Christian values, I would gladly support him. Over his 70 years on the planet, he has only demonstrated otherwise.

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Slow West – A wealthy boy from Scotland travels to America (Colorado, in fact!) to find his love, Rose. Unbeknownst to him, Rose has a price on her head, and his quest to reunite is unwittingly leading a pack of killers right to her door. The sweetness of first love, the innocence of youth, the wickedness of cynicism and greed. Beautifully filmed, not in my fair state of Colorado but New Zealand. It does a bang up job at imitation!

 

Lovesick – the first time I wrote about this series, it was called Scrotal Recall. The name is is a softer version of its slightly vulgar former self, but the story remains the same, a man looking for love while contacting a list of mates he’d once slept with. It’s funnier now, the hubster and I both agree, thanks to Angus! Watch and see.

The End of the Tour – Based on David Lipsky’s five day trip with David Foster Wallace, their conversations on writing, life, and being. I have read David Foster Wallace, though not the book of the tour, Infinite Jest (I am mightily preparing for it as a result of seeing the film – soon!), and was not expecting this softness, this caring, this joy, though the last sentence of this quotation should have at least given me an inkling. It was a marvelous gift, really.

The Moaning of Life – Carl Pilkington travels the world to experience how different cultures approach the biggest questions in life. As with anything Carl does, it is thoughtful, irreverent, and full of laughs! Take, for instance, the giant Twix package in the photo. It’s a coffin for Carl and his love, Suzanne.

Galaxy Quest – An oldie the hubster and I couldn’t believe we hadn’t seen. Aliens, after believing a television show was real, take the disgruntled actors to their world help them save it from destruction.

Morris from America – He’s a black kid living in Germany. He barely speaks the language. He struggles to see eye to eye with his father. He likes rap. He’s in love with a girl who is out of his league. He is Morris from America.

The Family Fang –  Two adult children of outlandish performance artists attempt to determine if their apparent murder is just another stunt. Fascinating! Jason Bateman stars and directs, impressive.

Sensitive Skin – Kim Cattrall stars in this poignant and often funny glimpse at a couple’s attempt to stay relevant. It is a thought provoking look at aging, marriage, and the aftermath of death.

The Nice Guys – Two private detectives, one a shyster who would be completely lost without his daughter, the other on the brutish side, join forces to find a missing girl and solve the mystery of a murdered porn star. A very fine nod to Elmore Leonard.

And, finally, Only Lovers Left Alive, which I reviewed here, but we watched it again last night, and the magical day we first saw it is worth revisiting. The act of revisiting also got me thinking about mid-life, more precisely mine, and how I am looking backward as much as forward now. I am savoring the memories of a multitude of ordinary days, knowing full well that their collection and care are what make life extraordinary. It is why I am here, literally, in the blogosphere. I want to see where I have been, what I have felt, and who I was with with the simple click of a mouse. Hard evidence. And what a joy it is, both the writing and the gazing. Then there is YOU, dear reader, an interesting and delightful side benefit. Thank you for being and for being here, too.

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