end of an era?

my handspring visor edge is dying after many years of cataloging the minutiae of my life...i could opt to put money into replacing the batteries, but with the palm desktop struggling on the mac platform...seems like a kinder gesture to move on. so now i get to obsess over all the details. iphony, itouchy, or just make my lil sony w810i (that i adore) work?... stay tooned!
Labels: geeky, glitch

:: ewee 7:19:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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:: Monday, March 24, 2008 ::

off to a good start...

first item as a 38 yr old: kicked sy's butt at scrabble. 335 to 232. woohoo!

(and take note, scrabulous foes, if it weren't for scrabulous, there's no way i'd be kicking so much butt at scrabble!)
Labels: 38, birthday, scrabble

:: ewee 12:31:00 AM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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:: Saturday, March 15, 2008 ::

on weeding and sisyphus...
Today, I weeded half the backyard, swept up trimmings from a previous weekend's work, and picked up poop (yeech). Last weekend, sy and I tackled the side bit along our neighbor's driveway. I didn't realize it's ours, so we really let that bit get bad (lucky for us, we have great neighbors).

It's interesting how quickly our yard ties us into the seasons. When we first moved in, it was all about leaves. It never occurred to me that the leaves would ever end. Nearly every week, I'd sweep enough to fill our green bin. And the next week, there'd be more.

Now, things are growing. My astonishment only goes to show what a city kid I really am. We have an unassuming tiny little daphne in the front yard. I didn't think much of it till its fragrance stopped me in my tracks one night. Foolishly in love, I gave her (and her twin in the back) an offering of cement bits (kg claims it's what makes them happy).

So there's no more leaves, but the weeds. OMG. First of all, I wasn't really clear what things were weeds. So I erred on the side of caution, and didn't remove much without sy's approval. Now we're filling the green bin with weeds (not every week, but just because it takes much more work than sweeping leaves).

Most of all, I love the temporary order that yard work brings. Whether its weeds or leaves, I spend a coupla hours, and get a nice crisp clean outdoorsy productive feeling. Surprisingly, I'm not upset by the Sisyphean nature of the tasks. The disorder can trouble me. But I don't need to "win"--if anything I'm acutely aware that the leaves and weeds will always win. My job is to more or less maintain a rough state of equilibrium.
Labels: bay area, belly palace, go stay come, homey

:: ewee 3:35:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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quotidian
Hm. I started this post in the beginning of February, so it's a bit outdated. Kept meaning to clean it up, but I didn't. The quotes are still apropos. So I'll just post it, and move on.
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To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony.
�William Henry Channing
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The secret consists in practice.
And not in thinking and discussing.
Give up wrangling and do the practice.
Then you will know the secret.
�Kabir
being sick has given me the leisure time to sit and think on a few things. so much going on right now, and it's been feeling like a change has been comin for awhile. (let's be honest. change is always happening. but bear with me.)

so there's been an opening up that's been a long long time coming. for sometime i been tightly balled up and just getting by. there's a lot to be said for getting by. but there's also something terrifyingly filled-with-wonder when you look up and see that the valley is behind you, and now stretches out ahead of you.

stillness, now, focus. not really my strong points. so i've been working on the meditation thing. first in paddling, then in my martial arts school, and now in my own personal practice.

been meditating with the dogs. startin slow, started with 5 minutes or so. up to about 20 minutes, and still plugging along. thinking on two things: compassion and now. it started with an off-hand remark i overheard at a dinner party. a study showed that depression was decreased for people who meditated on compassion for only 15 minutes a day! and you know. 15 minutes a day. totally achievable, right? well. took me a couple weeks. but yeah. 15 minutes of (mostly) stillness. or 5 minutes if more seems daunting.

oh, and all my reading and such lately? to sum it up: mom wins. from michael pollan on what to eat, the health dept on how to avoid getting (and spreading) colds and flus...it all goes back to mom is right.

i should call her. (she'd be right on that one too...)
Labels: inspiration, quotes, random

:: ewee 3:29:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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:: Sunday, March 02, 2008 ::

flowers from our yard
Labels: bay area, belly palace, go stay come, homey

:: ewee 12:09:00 AM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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:: Saturday, March 01, 2008 ::

white elephant find

my new desk, thanks to the fab white elephant sale. i still haven't figured out how i want to configure my lil room, but i was able to adjust it, and i think i've found a good height to work with. course now i gotta get my room organized.

the sale was as overwhelming as i'd expected, but didn't have as nice furniture as i'd hoped. still, there was great ephermera and other assorted goods to gander at. we scored a coupla deck chairs (sy's is plastic with a bright comfy cushion, mine is wooden, light and simple, and at the right height for dog petting), and such. but the real treasures are: a letter and envelope from 1916, a usgs map of our hood, and a "Passport to Pleasure" travel booklet (really, it's a travel itinerary that includes Taiwan and Korea). hoping to have a little collage action this weekend...
Labels: bay area, belly palace, desk, go stay come, homey, random

:: ewee 5:47:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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