California Dreamin'

"California, here I come right back where I started from.
Where Bowers of flowers bloom in the spring.
Each morning at dawning, birdies sing an' everything.
A sunkist miss said, "Don't be late"!
That's why I can hardly wait.
Open up that Golden Gate, California here I come!"

Alyssa has gone to Hawaii since she was offered a good deal for the trip.  It's sort of a tag-a-long offer from her place of employment.  Whenever I think of anyplace close to the ocean (let alone an island surrounded by ocean!) my mind goes back to the place of my birth, California.  In the past when I have gone back after a long time away I spend the first few hours fighting off the emotions of being there where the memories are so deep.  All the growing things which are so familiar.  Even the air (and I'm not talking about smog here!) has a different feel.  The skin begins to soften and hair goes wild and curlier.  I love the place.  And I won't even go into how I feel about the ocean itself.  But the "dreamin" part will have to do for now, I guess.  So while I am here in this snowy but basically dry atmosphere, I will think of old times and of Alyssa who will probably be Hawaii Dreamin' in a day or so.  Have fun, Alyssa!  I look forward to that shell from the beach you promised and to having you back.

Egypt Exhibit: Met Museum, NYC

I had Heather take this photo while we were at the museum because I particularly liked the affection expressed.  Perhaps it was an honest representation of the relationship of this couple.  Sorry I can't remember who they are supposed to be.  On this day we did a lot of walking which tested out my new hip quite thoroughly.  All was well, although I did ache a bit.  I could probably spend the rest of my life in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and still not see everything. There is only so much one person can take in without going into overload.  It was a thrill to see objects made so long ago.  Gave me a feeling of awe as well as of the transient nature of mortality.  It would be wonderful to go to places like this easily and quickly.  Gives me a new appreciation of the idea of time travel!  

Times Square Billboard: Wicked: the Musical

Wicked, the Musical Play

Because I hadn't recharged my camera and didn't bring my recharger when we went to NY, I am dependent on the internet for photos.  This musical was one of the best I have ever seen.  We saw it at the Gershwin theater which our friend Royce calls a "barn".   It is huge.  We also had seats in the "nose-bleed" section but I actually loved the whole experience.  Because we were so high up we were able to see the stage hands who maneuvered the scenery.  And the scenery was amazing!  The whole show was so well done we were entranced and could hardly believe when it was over.  Then we just sat in our seats with tears running down our cheeks.  It was moving to me, the idea that we all have good and bad, that friendship and love are what matters most.  And there was something else which I can't describe in words but was akin to something true and spiritual.  I guess it is obvious that seeing Wicked was one of the highlights of our trip to New York.

New York in Late January

I just got back from Manhattan last Wednesday.  This photo is a picture of the exterior of Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  It is such an interesting contrast to the high rise apartments nearby.  Heather, Alyssa and I went on a girl's trip to visit our friends Royce and Noel.  They live in a wonderful apartment right in midtown.  I love NYC.  (That sounds like a slogan on a t-shirt!)  We bused to the museum because Heather wanted to find a shirt for her husband.  They only had XXL or S.  Wrong sizes!  I found a mobile with clips so you can change the look of it anytime you like.  I thought of using postcards--I have a collection of them--or family photos.  It is hanging in our living room now with pictures of the beautiful Southwest.  I cut up a small calendar purchased at the Strand Bookstore (18 miles of books), on sale for $1.  It looks especially nice when sunlight is coming through the window in the afternoon.  All the rich reddish-orange tones just glow!  More later on the trip.

London Times...(and I don't mean the newspaper)

Photos taken on the fly while touring London on the top level of a bus are often not quite squared up. The tops of buildings are the images you snatch with the camera, and at that, the very top was often cut off. This is also true of the ones (at least mine) taken from a boat on the Thames.

When not focusing on images, there was a certain unreal feeling. It was hard to take in the reality that I was actually seeing London, really walking on the streets I had heard about ever since I could remember. Travel serves a dual purpose for me. It opens my eyes, in a way nothing else can, to the joy of iving in the now moment and it serves to remind me that there is beauty no matter where you go. We, who live under the same sky, are very much alike, no matter our location.