Iceland

I'm not sure if it's the large amounts of Sigur Ros I'm listening to these days, but I'm being drawn across the Atlantic to the small island nation of Iceland. I should really blame Eric Weiner.

Years ago I read The Geography of Bliss and loved the book. But the section that fascinated me the most was Weiner's profile of Iceland. In the book he makes Iceland seem ideal (other than the weather of course) in that language and poetry are an integral part of life. Failure does not have the stigma that it does in our society. And best of all, there is a great openness and acceptance about the Icelandic people. Since then I've been dreaming of cozy cafes, sipping coffee, and reading poetry in Icelandic. I badly want to visit but my thought have even gone as far as to consider living there.

I have several pictures on my computer of Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland. I have even more of the Iceland countryside. I love the untamed wild look of the place. If you ever want to see beauty, just do a Google image search for Iceland Night. Even the images of snow and ice don't turn me away. While I have long railed against winter, my head seems to point further north. I look at images of northern Canada and Iceland with longing. The quiet northern places draw me with the lure of solitude and wildness.

I'm only starting to learn more about the country beyond the basics that I've read. The more I've read the more fascinated I've become with the place. It continues to be listed as one of the happiest countries on Earth, that despite the months of hard winter. While I'd probably visit in the summer, I would love to go one year in winter to see the Auroras. Lately I've begun listening to a few Icelandic language lessons. I've spent hours on travel sites looking at hotels and places to see. I probably won't be going anytime soon (Jeff is a little short of vacation) but I'm more than content to dream and plan. I never thought a cold island would draw me, but I can't wait to travel there.

Thinking of Diving

The first time I dove, anywhere besides a pool, I nearly panicked. I was 35 feet down in perfect crystal clear water off the Turks and Caicos islands, when I realized I was all by myself. My sister was slowly coming down the anchor chain. My older sister and the instructor were still at the surface. I was all alone. And my only thought was...surface...surface...surface. Scuba divers are taught that the worst possible thing they can do is shoot to the surface (it's the fast track to the bends). But that was the only thing in my mind. It felt weird to be on the sandy bottom looking up. It didn't feel natural. I worried that I wasn't breathing. I took a deep breath and worried that I couldn't breathe. It didn't make sense. Then I did the strangest thing. I took my mask off.

It was my first instinct other than shooting to the surface. Instead I pulled my mask off and put it back on. I cleared it. I checked my pressure gauge. I checked my depth gauge. And then I knelt quietly in the sand and waited for the rest of my group. And I was fine after that. I used the routines that I'd been taught to steady my nerves. And once that initial moment was over I started to enjoy. I was diving in some of the prettiest water I'd ever seen. There was coral everywhere along with fish and sponges. I even saw a barracuda that first dive. I wasn't completely comfortable but I wasn't anxious. I loved that first dive and the ones after it. I still get nervous before every dive. I have a horrible fear of drowning. But I love the colors and the wildlife. I love the sound of bubbles rising. I love the feeling of weightlessness where nothing but my own breath (and my buddy's) is important.

The first fish I saw underwater

It's been a couple years since I last dove. I herniated a disc diving and haven't been since. But this past weekend I finished reading a fascinating history of diving and memoir and have been thinking about getting back in the water again. I'm no longer too nervous to dive and the experience is so worth the fear. There are underwater worlds to discover, and I know that I've been trained well enough that I can enjoy them safely. When the summer comes, I'll be back in the water, ready to dive.

Out of a Forest

Out of a Forest

I have no idea if I've shared this animated video before. If I have, I apologize. I just love it too much not to share. This is Out of a Forest, the bachelor film from Tobias Gundorff Boesen. The song is Slow Show by The National, a haunting song that gets in your head and stays there. The animation is so incredible that I go back again and again to watch it. I'm in love with the style. This film made me a fan of The National, made me buy this song, and made me watch this little scene over and over. Tobias just recently created a blog and it looks like he's sharing a bunch of other work. I'm excited to see his other films.

Warning: This video might be a tad too scary/sad for small children or the sensitive. Like me. But I still love it.

My Neighbor Totoro

One of my big requests for my birthday was for Hayao Miyazaki films. It's hard to call myself a true animation fan with the knowledge that there are some Miyazaki films out there that I haven't seen. I've seen a few and I even own Spirited Away but there are plenty of his films that I don't own. So I asked my sister for Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro (pronounced Toto-row) and I was thrilled when she bought me both that one and Castle in the Sky.

My Neighbor Totoro is enchanting. It is a small elegant film about two young girls and their father who settling in rural Japan during the 1950s. The girl's mother is in the hospital suffering from tuberculosis. The family move into a wonderful old farmhouse filled with soot sprites, nice neighbors, and a nearby grove of trees. The trees are guarded by Totoro, a cat/bear/owl creature who never speaks but takes the girls on the most amazing journeys. Totoro protects the girls and the living things around him. When Mei, the younger, runs away, it is Totoro who helps to find her with the help of his friend the cat-bus. If that sounds fantastical, it is. The movie is a mix of quiet gentle moments, and almost psychedelic fantasy. The cat-bus in particular is a bit out there. But what I remember about the film isn't really the fantastic elements, but the gentle moments of beauty. Totoro is a wonderful creature, gentle and sweet. He is silly and playful and nurturing.

Life is quiet out in the rural world and the people are polite and thankful. I was touched by the politeness and gentility. People thank the gods for simple things, like when the girls are trapped in a small roadside shrine by a rainstorm. They both turn and bow to the roadside god with the simple plea that they be allowed to stay. It's a touching moment, filled with a humility that we don't see much anymore. I'm not particularly religious but I loved the constant mention of spirits and gods in this film. The family thanks the trees for protecting them. They attempt to appease the soot sprites, in order to get them to leave. The characters seem to respect the things around them.

There was no central plot with this movie. In fact there was very little action. Instead it was a collection of simple scenes but they all added up for me. I felt at peace after watching the film. And more than anything, I felt renewed.

Poetry Friday

It's a beautiful day. The kind of beautiful summer day that makes you feel happy just to be alive. Everything feels infinite on a day like today and I'm caught up in the sheer joy of good weather. So of course I had to offer a Carpe Diem poem.

Barter
By Sara Teasdale

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And childrens's faces looking up
Holding wonder in a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstacy
Give all you have been, or could be.

Missed Connections

The last three days have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster at work so I haven't really felt like posting. In the last 72 hours everything in my office has changed. I still have a job and I'm still doing the same work but everything around me has shifted. People are gone, job titles have changed, and the office won't ever really be the same for me. But then again as they say, the only thing that stays the same...is change.

So I need to focus on the things that make me happy today. There is a blog I've been meaning to share with you for a long time now and never really found the moment. I've been reading this blog on and off for almost a year now and am completely in love with it. The author, Sophie Blackall, only posts once or twice a month but those posts are worth it.

There are a number of Missed Connections message boards across the country where people can write in little messages, love letters, or anonymous thank yous for the rest of the city to read. Most of them are simple statements about how people crossed paths and influenced each other. Sophie reads the New York boards and finds messages that intrigue her. Then she paints a picture of that message.

Not only do I enjoy her painting style, I love the whole idea behind this blog. The messages on the board are fleeting. They only appear for a period of time and although we'll never know who wrote them or who they are directed to, they are moments that obviously made an impact on the writer. I love the concept that each day we constantly bump into people and they have some sort of influence on our lives. The barista who puts a chocolate covered espresso bean on my morning coffee makes my day. The woman who smiles at me on my walk to work makes me smile. The stranger who opens the door for me and tells me about their time on crutches, gives me hope. If only we could capture those moments. Suddenly a simple comment about a hat becomes poetry. Sophie takes the words of strangers and makes them into art.

As I mentioned before Sophie posts only a couple times a month. It has to take time to find the right message and paint it. But each post reminds me that the little things we do make a huge difference and that we never know how a simple gesture will affect others. I love that someone took the time to write these words, to reach out. And I love that Sophie attempts to capture them and make them more permanent. Makes them more than just simple words. To check out more Missed Connections and more of Sophie's beautiful artwork, stop by the blog. Beautiful and guaranteed to make you smile.

Lightening the Mood

I'm having a sad day. It is one of those days where I'm going to be sad and angry all day. I'm researching the meat industry for work and that never fails to leave me in a bit of a bad mood. Whenever people ask my why I became a vegetarian, I simply say that I work a little too close to the meat industry for comfort. So in order to lighten my day I'm going to share a couple images that make me happy.

The first is my current desktop image. This is where I'm going to be in two weeks. If that thought doesn't make me happy, I don't know what will. This is a hotel in Playa Del Carmen Mexico. I'm heading down there in 14 days (not that I'm counting) for Jeff's brother's wedding.

The next image is fitting for Halloween. My first painting for painting class was of a jack-o-lantern (because I have a book in the works about one). I used this guy as my model. The painting turned out okay but the photo here is just perfect.

The next is a picture that a friend of mine at work gave me. This is one of the Shinkansen (bullet trains in Japan) passing in front of Mt. Fuji. It has decorated my desktop several times. I love the colors.


And lastly I would be remiss if I didn't post this image. I hope that Jen and Greg, and the rest of the family will forgive me for posting it. This is the couple who will be getting married in Mexico along with the rest of my inlaws. I'll have to actually post some images of my side of the family soon. Although I'm pretty sure my mother wouldn't be happy with that.

Again thanks for letting me share these. They brighten what looks to be an otherwise difficult day.

Peter Callesen

I'm sure I've mentioned many times that I have a cat named Misty. Misty had to go to the vet today which is not her favorite thing. And the vet informed us that we need a couple tests for her. She's fine but she's crossed that magical border into elderly. Tonight she is trapped in the downstairs bathroom, and I'm having a hard time concentrating. She keeps meowing and pleading. So I need a little levity and beauty tonight.

Luckily I have just the thing. A couple months ago a friend of mine introduced me to Peter Callesen, paper artist extraordinary and I just have to share his work. I love paper art and Peter seems to take it to a level beyond anything I've ever seen before. Callesen is from Denmark although his work has been displayed all over the world. This is one of my favorite pieces of his. I love that the skeleton sitting in the chair was cut delicately from the outline on the paper. The chair is the same way. Callesen does that frequently. His art often highlighted the empty space left in the paper as much as the sculpture created from it. He uses juxtaposition well, like in the below image, titled Looking Back.

This next one is probably his most famous. He has done multiple scale castles in his work but I love the size and beauty of this particular castle. It is called Impenetrable Castle.

Callesen does not confine himself to just working with a single sheet of paper. He has done framed standout work, full sized castles and paper boats. This is one of my favorite of his framed works. I love the puppet hanging below, the drawn hand above, and the transition between drawn and cut.

And he doesn't always do small work. He once built a paper boat big enough for him to launch and paddle. He has created paper tunnels big enough to walk through. But for me it is his small, delicate, detailed work that makes me shake my head in wonder. I am so in awe of this man. Check out his work at his website, linked above.

Sweet Spring

It is finally spring here. I noticed on my way into the office this morning that the grass is starting to green. We don't yet have buds on the trees but the red-wing blackbirds are back in town and the weather has warmed right up. Today it is almost 70. I am in serious heaven. I'm debating picking up a sack lunch, finding a picnic bench somewhere, and eating outdoors. I have Shaun Tan's Tales From Outer Suburbia to enjoy during lunch. It promises to be a good day.

I know that spring does not officially begin until next week. And I'm still knitting myself a winter hat. But for me something has fundamentally shifted. I no longer have to really worry about snow. I have been able to go out of the house without a coat. My winter anxiety is starting to loosen up and although I'm still sleeping with earplugs, I don't worry so much. I'm ready to drink coffee outside on the patio and read or write. I'm ready to fly the kite that has been in the trunk of my car since August. I'm ready to be outdoors. I love the spring.

Gooses, Geeses

Okay yesterday was all rant and darkness. Today is all goodness and light. The difference, about 20 degrees. Actual temperature degrees. The weather hit 68 today which for March, is a veritable heat wave. I decided to celebrate by grabbing a sandwich and heading out to the nearest lake to soak up the warmth and the rays. Apparently so did everyone else. The lake (Grey's Lake for those who live in Des Moines) was packed. They have added some really nice facilities there and now it has become the place to see and be seen.

Not looking for a crowd, I headed right across the street to Water Works Park. I followed the paths back deep into the park, stopped the car, and ate my lunch while sitting on the hood of the car. It was magical. Just me and the geese. Now I know what at least some of you are thinking, Canadian geese are nasty. Many people seem to think of them as pests. I think they are beautiful. The colorations on them are really pretty when you look close. And they are so much more interesting than ducks. Plus you have to admire the waddle. It's almost comical. I got out my binoculars and watched them walk gingerly across the frozen ponds. I had a small group that came pretty near to the car. They didn't beg and I didn't feed them. (there are signs up everywhere) We just sat and calmly ignored each other.

I'm terrible about getting out birding in the winter. I know there are many species that stay over the winter and that I should get out to see them. But the layers I have to wear and the cold keep me from really enjoying. So I tend to stay in during the winter. Which is why I'm so ready for spring. Today felt like spring. I walked back into the office with a deep feeling of calm that I haven't had in a long time. I felt relaxed and refreshed and ready. Thanks to a beautiful day and some geese.

Glass Garden

I spent some time this weekend at my parent's house since my brother and his family was home. We went out to dinner on Friday, hung out most of the day Saturday, and then spent a good chunk of Sunday together. On Saturday night, while we were talking, I glanced through a couple of the books that fill my parent's living room. One of them was on glass and particularly glass sculpture. And it got me thinking about one of my favorite artists. 

I was wandering through the art department in Borders many, many years ago when I passed a book with a beautiful red glass sculpture surrounded by green leaves. The image was striking so I had to pick up the book. I spent the next two hours flipping through every book I could find of this beautiful glass art. Dale Chihuly, in those hours, became one of my favorite artists. 

I enjoy Chihuly's work not necessarily because of his striking colors or interesting shapes (although they help) but for his mixture of art and nature. Chihuly creates not just a simple glass sculpture but an installation, often in natural park settings or botanical gardens. His glass mixes with the plants so well that there are times that people can be looking at a sculpture and not realize it for a moment. 

He uses water to float the glass or rock to accentuate it. 

So several years ago when we were down in St. Louis we were lucky enough to get to the Missouri Botanical Gardens to see the Chihuly exhibit. And I was stunned. Above are all pictures from the gardens. Check out the unique shapes but notice the blending. How natural and organic he makes the glass seem. The shapes are whimsical and the colors bright but they still seem natural enough to end up in a garden. Although his most well-known work may hang in the ceiling of a casino (Bellagio's lobby in Vegas) I think his installments in the park will be his lasting legacy. 

Lazy Weekends and Wintery Weather

This past weekend was dubbed a pajama weekend. The weather on Friday night was supposed to be icy so Jeff and I ran out for dinner and then went home. I got home, put on my warmest pajamas and pretty much stayed home for the entire weekend. It was bliss. I haven't done a pajama weekend in at least a year and it was so amazing to not have to be anywhere. We lounged around reading and playing WoW and eating ourselves sick. I caught up on all my laundry and cleaned the house. Time felt endless. It was an amazing weekend.

This morning the alarm announced a harsh return to reality. Not only did I have to get up at 6 but I was going to have to deal with four or so inches of snow and a blizzard. Always good. I've reached that "I'm tired" point. I'm pretty much done with winter now. At least this year I can drive in it but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Although there is one bonus to this time of year. On January 5th the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival began and I always love to see the pictures that come out of it. The festival began in 1985 and has some of the most beautiful buildings and sculptures made entirely of snow or ice. The most amazing for me has to be the ice lantern buildings.

Ice lanterns are an old tradition started back in the 1600s. They were created by placing a bucket of water out to freeze. After it had frozen it would be brought in to be gently warmed. A hole was cut in the top of the ice and the ice was hollowed out. A candle was then placed in the hollowed out ice to make a lantern. While the blocks used for these structures are not created with such simple methods, I find the sheer size and complexity of these buildings magnificent.

Harbin is in Northeast China and is frozen for a good period of the year. Temperatures during the festival (which runs all month) can reach as low as -40 at night. Still it might be worth it for me to make a trek out to see these glorious structures. There is a snow sculpture contest as well which draws over 600 participants. All and all, it makes a nasty time of year a little more magical.

Memorials

One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to find data and pictures of different cities. I love to imagine living in different places throughout the country. Google's street view maps are one of my favorite new toys. I just checked out CNN Money's new list for top 25 places for affordable houses. This was a list of cities that had very nice homes for a very cheap price. Des Moines was on the list so I had to go there. And one of the other cities listed was Bella Vista, Arkansas.

I had never heard of this city but I'm always interested in looking at cities south of me so I pulled up the city-data information on the place. City-data offers demographic, climate, education, and attraction data for locations. It also offers pictures. And that is where I saw this structure.

I've always said that I want to be turned into a firework when I die. A company will turn your cremated remains into a firework that can be shot up in a private ceremony. I love the idea of going out with a bang, but this is truly a memorial.
Now for anyone who knows me, you know that religion plays a very small role in my life. I don't attend church, don't practice any organized religion, and don't even really believe, but this is different. I wouldn't have it as a chapel. I would just have it as a resting place where people could go to soak up the beauty of nature. The memorial, dedicated to Mildred B. Cooper (a prominent citizen of the area), seems to me more about communion with nature and the beauty of nature then communing with any higher power. It is a place for introspection among some of the prettiest surroundings I can think of. It is a place that I would spend some time.

I am going to have to make a trip south. Bella Vista is a tiny town (the area only has 16,000) but I will go down just to see this structure. Of all the memorials I have ever seen this is the most beautiful. And the most fitting with what I would want.

Specimens

My mother collects insects. I'm not sure where she picked up the hobby, but we have always had some sort of specimen lying around the house. We kids have started bringing home interesting ones that we find, like a beautiful intact praying mantis. She had bought a number of different ones including some incredibly creepy ones. The first time you see a hairy Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, you realize why so many people are afraid of arachnids.
But she doesn't just collect the creepy ones. She has some beautiful butterflies that she has collected throughout the years. Moths and butterflies of every shape and color imaginable. They always remind me of the sheer beauty of nature. Many of them are framed and hung on the walls. Nature as art. So when I found this artist on Roadside Scholar, I thought of my mother.

I'll have to check prices and see about purchasing one of these incredible and incredibly large butterflies for her. The artist is Michelle Stitzlein and she creates her beautiful bugs using objects that she finds. Those wings are mostly made with piano keys. (that should give you some idea of the scale of these pieces)

I love found art (art made from found materials) and these just speak to me. I'll have to look into them for my mother. Just gorgeous. Michelle has a number of other found art sculptures on her website. The teapot is a little more up my alley.