Libby and the Monkey

Dusting off Libby and the Monkey

2011-08-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Shannon and Elizabeth are pulling off the dust covers, polishing the chandelier and sweeping out the cobwebs! Libby and the Monkey has been still and silent for entirely too long! We are actively working on our 'un-plan'. It involves our 1973 camper trailer and our spirit of adventure. It entails several artistic projects and educational opportunities! We are running towards our departure date of September 26th with hair flying and big smiles on our faces.

Shannon

2009-09-30T09:39:00.001-07:00

the ride to the beach....

San Francisco architecture

2009-08-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have always loved architecture and at one time, many many years ago, I thought I would go to school to be an architect. Well I soon realized that it would require me to be quite mathematical so I decided to go to law school instead. Then I realized that finding loop holes wasn't my thing either so I decided to just take any class that interested me. Here I am at 42, I have learned a bit of a lot of different things and it turns out that that pattern fits me to perfection and that's just the way I intend to continue during my lifetime.

Here are some shots of some classic San Francisco architecture

To the theatre

2009-08-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

I am happy to share some artsy photos that I captured on my iphone with my new toy faux-laroid app.

1. Shannon rehearsing before the 9pm show (blurry, I know but it is a phone camera ya know, and the lighting is bad, and......my hands are shaky)
2. the old piano (again...)
3. the entrance to the Exit Theatre
4. the burnt Original Joe's restaurant (a song in the show)
5. Hyde Street (mentioned in the show)

I took the outdoor shots on the way to the show, from inside the car.

Our Garden

2009-08-08T16:54:00.001-07:00

The garden has been very happy, I took these shots with my new iphone app--shakeit photo. It works like a polaroid and is sooooo much fun. Plan on seeing more "fauxlaroids" on the blog.

waiting for...Harry Potter

2009-07-16T21:07:00.001-07:00

I was so excited that the latest Harry Potter movie was out that i TRIED to get tickets for the midnight showing. Unfortunately, by the time I thought of it, they were all sold out. So...the actual opening day we bought tickets ahead of time and went home for a spell. I convinced Elizabeth to get in line early so we could get a good seat. (We were actually 2nd in line, WOOHOO!) We waited in 50 degree, summer weather for about an hour and a half.
Honestly, this movie was not my favorite, but it was still fun.
and would I do it again? you betcha!

Cambria to SF on HWY 1

2009-07-14T23:40:00.001-07:00

The drive home from vacation...
I took a Dramamine in hopes of curbing at least some of the motion sickness. And started off on what would become a 6 hour drive home. (it took 3 and 1/2 to get there BUT we didn't take the 'scenic highway' on the way in) I only started felling crappy once we got to Big Sur (3 hours in)...not bad. In all honesty, I drive these curves slow, slow, slowly and I pull over a lot, to let other cars pass. And,Yes, Elizabeth is very patient.
The scenery is really breathtaking and I can honestly say I never tire of it.

It seems like the 1930's were the decade for building bridges. Many of the ones we crossed had signs with the year they were built. (One of those signs is pictured although the pictured sign does not correspond to the pictured bridge - confused?) The Golden Gate Bridge in SF was built in 1937 and the SF Bay Bridge was started in 1933. I remember my grandfather telling me that while honeymooning in Berkeley, in 1933, they would have to take the ferry to SF because the 'bridge to SF' was just being built.
We saw cyclists riding this same road. Many of them loaded down with gear. I really hoped that they were heading to one of the many campgrounds on HWY 1 because to me, that kind of ride seems like punishment.

Putting into Words

2009-07-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

As our time here on the central California coast ends, I struggle to put into words all that has evolved. It has been, at times, a reflective and serene stay. It has also been fraught with tragedy and questions for which we have no answers. It has been hopeful as we gave refuge and it has held unspeakable beauty both in nature and in spirit.
In these two weeks we have played tourist, artist, musician, writer, reader, mentor, counselor and friend.
Quite a lot to pack into a short time but it all flowed as it should, like life when we allow it to.

To the left is one of the starfish we saw at the tide pools here in Cambria. I've never seen one of these close up, amazing!
When the tide goes out, there are places where the water pools between rocks. In these pools lie all kinds of interesting creatures. These starfish were, by far, the most spectacular.

On the fourth of july we went to the beach, at dusk, to see the local fireworks. I was in the beginning stages of a 24 hour flu but I wrapped up in a blanket, sat on a log and waited. We were at a beach called moonstone beach. It is a beach of tiny rocks (instead of sand). You can easily find small gemstones among these rocks. Moonstones (hence the name of the beach), agates and jade. We collected a few.
The fireworks were fun, fun! I have never sat on a beach and had fireworks right over my head. A very cool experience!

Notice the moon in the fireworks, a near full moon. Cool, huh?

We will be taking Route 1 back to San Francisco with a stop at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and through Big Sur. It is rated as one of the top 3 drives in the world. At the risk of getting horrible motion sickness even while on dramamine...how can I NOT take the drive? Stay tuned, we will blog about it soon!
Until then I leave you with a shot of our cabin here in Cambria...serenity!

new pets

2009-07-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

When i was a kid, I used to dig up sand fleas at the beach to use as fishing bait. i NEVER saw one that was this size, this thing is HUGE! (and Elizabeth was pretty disgusted that I picked it up and pit it in my hand)

We were in Morro Bay on one of our daily wanderings.

Today, as we were hiking right here in Cambria, we came across what we identified as a Gopher snake. Elizabeth guesses it was about 3 feet in length. See if you can find it here in the photo.

I am also enclosing a photo of Elizabeth on todays route to give you an idea of what it looks like out here.

on top of old smokey...

2009-06-28T20:55:00.001-07:00

all covered with cheese....
yep folks, that's me on top of the 'big rock' by the sea. the urge to climb it was something i could not resist (hence the 'monkey' in libby and the...)
tomorrow starts week 3 of vacation - elizabeth says 'time sure flies when you don't have to DO anything'. it is so very true.
i find myself feeling very philosophical these days. i am thinking a lot about my life and the actual meaning of it and i question whether or not i am living the best life possible.
many, many questions that i just do not have answers to.
i am grateful for the beauty that surrounds me and the peace that it is bringing. part of the ever elusive 'balance'.
the searching is definitely normal - maybe there aren't any answers. maybe we create them as we go along.

whew! next topic!
Here we are in what looks like hicksville - but only one of us actually fits the description. is it any surprise to you? i doubt it!

Can't wait to see this--Yippee

2009-06-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Mornings...

2009-06-27T15:48:00.001-07:00

Evenings in the central California coastal town of Cambria are cooler, days are a little warmer. A lover of fireplaces, fire stoves, fire-pits, chimaneas, (you name it), i have taken to building a fire in the coolness of the evenings AND the chilly mornings as well.
I think that the morning fires are becoming my favorite. Maybe it's because we have the time to just sit with our coffee and enjoy it.
It is also a cozy place to play a game of scrabble and to read one of the many books we brought a long.
There are some wonderful walking trails right on the beach and on the cliff overlooking the beach too.
What a way to begin and end the day.

Cambria Vacation

2009-06-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Although the beach at Stinson and the beaches in Cambria are both on the Pacific Ocean, they are vastly different. Each beautiful and peaceful. There is no place in the world as calming and as rejuvenating. This is just a tiny taste.

Goodbye and Hello

2009-06-23T20:11:00.001-07:00

Goodbye and hello....
The drive is on the curvy side (tough if you have motion sickness) BUT well worth the effort if you plan to stay a while. (and if you take 1/2 of a dramimine, it's do-able)

the town in tiny (i mean it, TINY), which makes everything walkable.

The sound of the waves is something I miss already. It helps gives rhythm to each day. BUT now we are in Cambria (near Hearst Castle) and the sound of birds has replaced it. Not a bad trade.

Jeff is home with a babysitter as he was not allowed down here.

These are photos of the ride back to SF from Stinson. Pictured here are these "cabins" owned by california state parks. the cabins are without bathrooms or electricity...we hear they have a small mice problem too - so of course we want to stay here on our next SHORT adventure!

Oh, and I am including a family photo too :-) (featuring Jeff, as it should be :-)

Going...Going...Gone!

2009-06-20T19:27:00.001-07:00

In honor of our final day here in Stinson Beach I want to blog some of the beauty that has surrounded us. Here is a seagull caught as it prepares for flight. It was easier to photograph this gal than to get a 'shark' on film. Elizabeth looked for a shark this entire week but never saw one.

We did get Jeff on film but I seem to be the only person not sick of seeing his mug so I will refrain from adding his photo.

Wowza

2009-06-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here is an image of a pelican I got from online - I am sitting here at the little table in our cottage watching an enormous group of them move by. They are following a school of fish and they dive bomb the water somehow managing to never hit one another. How do they do that? Elizabeth and I can barely move around our small space sometimes without being in each others way. What can I learn from these beautiful birds?

Here at the beach it seems only normal to pick up my favorite all time book Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I, too, am trying to find my own rhythm. I want to remain open for the possibilities that come in this 'second adolescence' of life. This time that is the decade between 40 and 50. Patience...Shannon...patience.

Room with a View

2009-06-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

As I sit with my cup of coffee and stare at this view, I am reminded of how little I actually need. I only need to hear the sound of the waves on the shore and I can better hear my own thoughts. My life has gotten so busy and I want it to be still. Is balance possible?
For the last two days I have seen sea lions playing in the water near the shore. I have taken walks on the sand and licked salt from my lips. I have walked to the store for a soft serve ice cream cone instead of eating lunch. I have been too long in the sun and burnt my shoulders -
I read today about a 'learning curve' of gratitude...do we spend our entire lives on this curve? It seems as though one day I remember and the next two days I forget. How do I remember to remember?

Practice and Middle Age

2009-06-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

When i was a kid, i had a guitar. I learned 3 chords and with them made up funny songs. I loved it!
As often happens, life got in the way and so I put the guitar down.
Now I want to pick it back up. So whether in honor of my vacation, or my birthday or just in honor of me, I bought myself a classical acoustic guitar. I found that I still remember those 3 chords and yesterday as I practiced, (pictured) I learned 6 new ones. My goal is 12 and then I start on the bar chords (for transposing)
I have several students that play guitar and they inspire me. They also compose. I guess thats the same as 'making up funny songs'. I think I'll do that too :-)

The Vacation has begun

2009-06-15T19:03:00.001-07:00

A mere 30 minute drive from San Francisco is this beautiful place...Stinson Beach! We got here this afternoon with enough groceries, movies and books for a week - OH and Jeff, of course. Here we are on our first beach walk. (actually beach 'sit', but you get the idea)
There is something about listening to and smelling the ocean - I can already feel myself decompressing. (or that could be the Manhattan I had with dinner)
I am also attaching a picture of the little house we are staying in. It is simple and clean, cute and perfect. And to top it all off - it's my birthday today! Ain't life grand?

Tourists in San Francisco

2009-06-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and I are headed out of town soon on a much needed vacation! But the 15th of June can't seem to get as quickly as we would like...SOooo...we decided to play tourist right here in SF. We got on the bus (Gus) and headed downtown to the Museum of Modern Art. It WAS free museum day, after all :-) We stopped at Yerba Buena park for a snack... we checked out the museum and had coffee in the rooftop garden, i got bit by a random sculpture (pictured), we went to the ferry building , yes, where the ferry's actually come in but where they also have several stores with yummy foods....we bought fresh bread, a couple of different local cheeses some olives and a bottle of pelegrino (i would have preferred champagne but i had to work later :-( and ate outside facing the bay bridge. The weather was really nice so we walked a little while, popped into See's candies for a treat and then caught the bus home.
I forget how nice it is to break routine and really discover where you live.
Stay tuned for our vacation blogs. Jeff will be joining us on our first trip and he is very pleased about that. See the smiile on his face?

A new clothesline!

2009-04-21T13:36:00.001-07:00

For the past year Elizabeth and I have been wanting to hang a small clothesline on our patio. Yesterday, because of the record hi temps here in San Francisco AND because I was doing laundry, I was finally motivated to hang our little 'line'.
I am amazed at how fast our clothes dried!
I consider it a small help for the environment. I also cannot imagine putting heat into this already hot air.
As we wind up our 'work time' here I am searching for a vacation getaway.
Perhaps a cottage by the sea for a couple of weeks...That would be a nice start anyway.

and then there was light!

2009-02-14T20:05:00.001-08:00

while walking in the haight (our neighborhood) elizabeth and i came upon a brass chandelier that had been taken out of one of the old victorians. as we are prone to do, we picked it up and brought it home.
after cleaning, a little sanding and some painting (oh, and electrical consultation with jan) we thought it would look great in our kitchen!
so out with the track lighting from the 80's and in with the 'old'. everyday it seems out little place gets cuter and cuter!

we love it!

Two round pegs...

2009-01-19T18:48:00.001-08:00

Elizabeth and Shannon - 2 round pegs in a square hole. A wonderful metaphor for us.

I love this photograph because it catches us in a very relaxed and playful place.

I have been reflecting a bit lately on stillness. I love stillness, I think it is something we choose and also something we allow.

Elizabeth and i have been still, geographically, for almost a year now. After traveling and moving around for 3 years (or was it more?) it has been a much needed to time of resting, recouping and nesting.

However that bug to travel is never quiet for long. A trip is calling to us both and we have agreed to answer it sometime this summer. A need to dig around in an unfamiliar culture, to find beauty in strange places and things. It is something I cannot live without, that is certain.

Interestingly we find ourselves returning again and again to our community here in San Francisco. It is a city we love filled with people and work that we love.

It is thrilling to now know that we have a little space here to call home, no matter where our wanderings may take us.

Pickin' and a Grinnin'

2008-12-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

a good friend of mine was in the hospital and i wanted to send him something.
'to send flowers or not to send flowers'--that was the question. The answer came in the brilliant form of an Elizabeth idea, "make him a sterling silver guitar pick, he is a guitarist , after all". Sounded easy enough. Mind you she thought I should be the one to make it. SO off i set, the silversmith apprentice, to make the pick.

I had to buy an actual guitar pick to use as a pattern. Then, we didn't have the right gauge (thickness) of sheet silver. That meant I had to start with this big ass piece, saw a hunk out of it (i broke 3 blades) heat it, roll it, clean it (over and over and over) to get it to the correct gauge. It went from 9 gauge to 21 gauge. (it took what felt like forever) The original piece of silver was now much larger after having been stretched and thinned. I cut off the size i needed and textured it with a hammer. THEN, i traced a pattern and cut out my silver pick. It was then filed and sanded. I stamped in my friends initials (for a personalized feel) and tumbled for a couple of hours to clean the silver properly. Finally, I thought it would be cool to oxidize (blacken) the initialed side of the pick. I left the other side shiny silver.

This is the final product which I am mailing off today. As you can imagine, this took me so long to complete, that my friend is no longer in the hospital. I think he will like it though, and I did write him the story of how it came to be. I asked him to play one for me, I know he will.

Winter in San Francisco

2008-12-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

Here in San Francisco it has gotten pretty darn cold these last couple of days. in the 30's! Wooo! I plundered Jeffs house and found this cute 'charlie brown' sweater. He
wasn't at ALL certain he would wear it but he is getting used to it. (once we got it over his head!)
he looks so good in it, don't you think?

As is our typical december, we are quite busy. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and we are looking forward to a little down town very soon.

elizabeth made it through her first semester back, go girl! that is the big news!

as for me? nothing too new here :-)

healthy and happy - i am thrilled with that!

MILK and gratitude

2008-11-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

There are things that are so easily taken for granted...
Elizabeth and I went to see MILK here at the Castro theater. The Castro, the birth place of the gay rights movement. As we sat in a full theater, next to people who had actually been there, we were reminded of all of the hard work and sacrifice that came, not so many years ago, paving a road for us to walk more freely. To love and live in openness. A reminder that we cannot expect anyone to stand up for us if we do not stand up for ourselves.

I have only ever 'marched' once in my life. It was the 'March on Washington' for gay rights in the early 1990's. I was in my 20's.
Now I know that I would do it again. Now I remember that it matters to stand up and to have a voice.

I also remember on this thanksgiving weekend that i am blessed to live in this city, i am blessed with a loving and supportive family, i am blessed with work that accepts my talents without prejudice and i am blessed to have beautiful love in my life.

Been workin'...so hard!

2008-11-08T21:12:00.001-08:00

There are certain times of year that prove to be much busier than others. This past month has been kicking some booty. Add to that the stress of the election and a one woman show and, well.....
here's what that looks like. You understand now why we like to spend so much time either in Mexico or on the Farm in Florida :-)
Don't get me wrong, we aren't complaining. We are very fortunate to have jobs we love, to be in school and to have an online business that is doing well.
We are, however, equally relieved that at the end of next week one of our programs comes to a close. Perfect timing!

when i grow up i want to be a...

2008-10-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

it's the question that we ask kids so often with the real question being, how many adults are actually doing what they want to do now that they are "grown up"?

this past week as elizabeth entered her creative writing class, her teacher walked right up to her, handed back her assignment and told her her thought it was amazing. (i am paraphrasing because i, of course, wasn't there and elizabeth sat so stunned by his compliment that she isn't exactly sure what he said either) he went on to ask her major. needless to say he was very disappointed in the fact that she was NOT a writing major. He felt better only because, at least...she was in art.

I thought i would share her story with you. I thought it was pretty great too.

Brown Girl

When I was five my name was Stephanie and I wore

rhinestones on my wrist, I wore a gold gown of chiffon

my hair was blonde

like the doll my mother bought me

My skin was white like Melanie's

After school, weekends, between Spaghetti O's and bedside prayers

there was Barbie and Ken - fresh, clean, rubbery pink skin

Once I witnessed brown Lupe making brown cakes by the swing-set

Soiled

When I was thirteen I didn't make the cheerleading team

curl, twist, coil and ear to ear

They didn't believe; it was a dull game anyway

When I was fifteen I dyed my hair black, I met Rita

she was second- hand but no one knew except for me

I didn't have to get rid of the dirt underneath my fingernails

because she had some too

When I was eighteen I dyed my skin brown

and I tried to learn the language.

Now I wonder...what will Elizabeth be when she grows up?

Ah...Life

2008-09-30T22:36:00.001-07:00

Things around here have been hectic... what with Elizabeth so busy with work, school and a record month of Etsy sales! I have been needing to pretend like we still led our old life of "lunch at 3pm" or "movies at 2pm" or "thrift shops all day". You get the picture :-)
So even though she was sick, i medicated her and I dragged her off to lunch at this funky little place on the beach. The food is rather diner "ish" but the view is amazing with a clear shot of the Pacific Ocean and the remains of the Sutro Baths here in San Francisco. http://www.sutrobaths.com/
Ah yes, the good life!

Handy Andy

2008-09-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Shannons new name is Handy Andy (she doesn't know it yet because she is still sleeping).

We, I mean, she put up this fantastic wall paper that is a textured vintage design. And we found this crown molding on the street, so she put that up too. I design it, she does the labor. Lucky me.

Here are the before and after photos. Now our chair doesn't hit the wall and give it ugly dirt marks--yea.

Notice the gorgeous Fiesta Ware pitcher on the table...I am in love.

drawing....

2008-09-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

The horse is kinda embarrassing, and I am positive that it was the worst in the class but already I am getting better. I think it is cool to chronicle ones progress. I can't wait to see how I draw at the end of the semester.

Tricycles

2008-09-07T20:14:00.001-07:00

one of the fun things about living in our neighborhood is:

free things found on the street.

i am not talking about street kids with their dogs who sleep in golden gate park and hang out on haight street bumming change all day, i am talking about things like this tricycle.

neat, don't you think? we found some photos that could put his little baby in the 50's or 60's. so the questions is...restore? re-use?

other things we have found are: a cute, little, wooden, white bench, a 1960's suitcase (that i now use to carry percussion instruments), clay flower pots, dying plants (which now live in our back yard), an old but very cool spice rack (which we repainted and awaits a new home), a mirror with wooden frame (that we painted and now hangs in our home), a decorative curtain rod (which we gave to a friend) and many books.

i suppose it could be said that our 'hood' is doing a little part to help the environment. keep it out of a landfill...you never know who might want it so put it on the street!

(we get rid of things this way too!)

School at 41

2008-08-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

School at 41 is a lot better than when I was in my 20's. For one I am a lot smarter. And when someone goes to school at 41 they have a damn good reason for being there. The decision to go back wasn't a hard one, I love school and I love to learn. The hard part was giving up my free and easy lifestyle. For the last 7 years I have gotten out of bed when my little body felt nice and rested and not a second sooner. I made things all day. I made things with paper, fabric, metal and any other junk I could get my hands on.

Now I have a SCHEDULE (nasty word). I had to use my ALARM CLOCK (another nasty word). But the trade off is I get to go to class and learn. My favorite class so far is....ALL of them. I take sculpture 2 , I skipped sculpture 1 because of my smartness, is that a word, if not, it is now because I like it a lot . The real reason I skipped sculpture 1 is because it is toooooo early in the morning. Then I have Art History, oooh I love history. And I have drawing, lord help me with this one. Finally I have creative writing--can't wait to get better at it. I am very lucky, all my teachers are amazing too.

It is weird to be surrounded by all those bright eyed ( I can't wait to graduate and start my career) young folks. They eat in class, take naps and show up late.

The Chronicles of an over aged college kid begin.

The photo is to document my first visit to the ladies room where a poster for "Crusaders for Christ" was taped over "Obama for president" grafitti.

I thought it was worth sharing....

A Little R & R

2008-08-21T23:41:00.001-07:00

It is a gift to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This is something Elizabeth and I are thankful for every day. But every once in a while we still need to "get away". We took a few days meandering up the California Coast (the HWY 1 route). Once I had taken my non-drowsy dramamine I was ready for an adventure.
We had country...we had ocean...we had many little towns (pop. 50), we had old fashioned phones booths, caramel apples, roadside sandwiches, cups of coffee, redwoods and wineries. It's amazing what one can find here in California just 3 hours or so out of town. (6 plus hours on the Hwy 1)
Here are just a few pics to give you an example. More to follow!

Biking to work and T & T

2008-08-12T21:53:00.001-07:00

Well here we are again....with more tantalizing blog posts than ever before. HA!

Besides the mice and big mice eating up the bird food, we don't have much to write about. Thank buddha that I will be taking a creative writing class next semester then I can come up with false stories that will titillate (hopefully).

So here is the BIG reason to blog.......drum roll......

Shannon rides her bike to work. The End.

Shannons Map

2008-07-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is Shannon's map of places visited or driven through in the USA. I did one of the world as well but it showed that I have only traveled a very sad 7.11% of the world. Time to get a move on!

visited 36 states (72%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or determine the next president

Places I've visited or driven through

2008-07-25T16:59:00.001-07:00

I definitely drove quickly through Texas....just in case you were wondering. I took a train through Oregon up to Washington state with my mother. Drove from California to Chicago and then down to Florida, then from Florida back to California. And the other places were legitimate vacation destinations.

visited 25 states (50%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

wildlife...in our backyard!

2008-07-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

whether it is because of the fires in SoCal, or just because... we have a hawk lingering for the last 2 days on a pergola right behind our house.
we have, temporarily named her Lucinda. we don't actually know if this bird is a female OR if she will continue to hang around BUT she certainly is beautiful to look at!

our new baby!

2008-07-02T12:33:00.001-07:00

Finally we have our bouganvilla! (Our little bit of Mexico) We've admired this plant for years but haven't had a garden to put one in. We threatened to plant one in Shannon's moms garden and we actually planted one in my moms garden a few years back.

We were afraid there wouldn't be enough light for this little guy to grow but a recent tree removal exposed the perfect sun spot...yea!

We also bought a spanish lavendar plant to brighten up the garden even more.

Here is Shannon in the garden...doesn't she look happy?

jamaica agua fresca and woodpeckers

2008-06-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

We went out to Rodrigo's for breakfast then went and bought some talaveras (I will post photos later). I bought some copper wire to make Ruth Asawa--wire wrapped style earrings. We also bought more milagros, and vermox (stomach parasite killers). After all the walking around we went and had 2 glasses each of our favorite Mexican drink--hibiscus flower water, the most refreshing drink on the planet.

After we were totally refreshed we headed home and sat in the park in our neighborhood. Shannon got this silhouette photo of a woodpecker.

Good day so far. Shannon is now out on a recording project with Andrea Pennington while I laze around.

viejo topo

2008-06-20T22:56:00.001-07:00

My last show here in SMA was lots of fun! It was at an outdoor venue that is relatively new but kinda funky and cool. I was invited back anytime (which is always a good thing)

I am happy to have the next couple of days off before we head back stateside.

Until then, adios.

Beetle Juice?

2008-06-20T10:01:00.003-07:00

We went to the Charco del Ingenio (the botanical gardens) here in SMA. Here we are...the three old ladies taking a rest. (the other old chick is taking the picture :-) Actually, when we first got to the park there was a nice breeze but as the clock inched closer to noon it got pretty damn hot. This is a beautiful place and we did make it in as far as the canyon, yea!

Inside the top of a cactus were these green beetles. There were also babies and eggs...a cactus community of beetles if you will. They were picking at and moving around something that grows out of the plant, something that looks like cotton. Gross... but fascinating.

tequila y musica

2008-06-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Shannon had her c.d. release concert here in San Miguel de Allende. Before the show we handed out free shots of tequila. (no harm in making sure the crowd was ready to have a good time huh?) We added a third show at an outdoor venue for triple the fun.

We head back to San Francisco on sunday and we are certain that we will freeze our butts off. (kinda hot here in Mexico)

Shannon turns 40

2008-06-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Shannon turned 40, her birthday coincided with Dia de los Locos--no really, I'm not joking.

It is a yearly celebration here in San Miguel where hundreds of people dress up and march in a parade. Since I was sick with montezuma's revenge, Shannon, Shirley and Janet went out to a special dinner at Tio Lucas (one of our favorite restaurants in town). I was pretty bummed that I wasn't able to celebrate Shannon's special day but when you are in Mexico you have to go with the flow--literally.

art in san miguel de allende

2008-06-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

I have officially reached maturity!...the other night while walking through our neighborhood I was called 'senora' by two women who were easily 75 years old...actually I kind of liked it.

Next door to us there is a horrendous bird that sounds like a pterodactyl...we think it's some sort of
parrot - not certain as we can't see it. There is also a small, white, scrappy dog. The dog likes to watch and talk to this pterodactyl by howling. (good morning!) we think he eats salsa and tortillas for breakfast because when we looked at him this morning all of his furry face was covered in a burnt orange color.

Photos: neighborhood dog in window and art work at the Bellas Artes ( a building that houses a theatre, art classes, exhibits and an outdoor cafe.

here we are

2008-06-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

self portrait in our little bathroom and shannon in the rain, we were soaked even with umbrellas.

rain...yea!

2008-06-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

and the rain is beginning to fall...

sunday we went to my pianist and friends place for botanas and wine....this view is of her garden as the afternoon rain cooled san miguel. the garden has a pond full of fish (that elizabeth fed), bouganvilla, lemon trees, orchids and many other beautiful plantas.

we found an apartment for this week. we had forgotten about the dogs, church bells, roosters, car alarms, loud music and various farm animals. we remember now :-) ah mexico!

Ole Ole

2008-06-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

We're back in San Miguel de Allende and one of our first stops was Ole Ole home of the best fajitas in the world and we might even go back again tonight! Here is a photo of the restaurant, the walls are covered in bull fighting posters etc. As usual we arrived in town without a place to stay although with a lot less luggage so that helped. We made phone calls around town today to try and find an apartment until Shannon's mom gets here then we will crash her luxury pad.

We're off to hit the cobblestones!!!

en otras palabras

2008-05-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

The official title of Shannon's new c.d.--"En Otras Palabras". Last week we went out to shoot photos for the c.d. art. We went to the beach--where Shannon froze her butt off and then we found this little bar in the Haight that was brightly colored. Shannon buttered up the bartender and he agreed to put her c.d. in his juke box, plus he makes a mean gimlet (of course Shannon can't go into a bar without getting a drink).

She has two more songs to record then the c.d. will be pressed and off we go to Mexico for 3 shows and a release party. Whoohoo!

Here is the cover shot.

in the studio

2008-05-02T18:39:00.001-07:00

Well..here I am up at the recording studio in Santa Rosa, California. I met the engineer and studio owner 12 years ago when I first moved to San Francisco. I auditioned to be the lead singer in his band...I got the job and played with that band for 4 years. I am sometimes overwhelmed to be doing this project but being in the studio is one of my most favorite places to be... it makes me very happy. The concerts in Mexico are looming as is the completion of this project (it will be packaged and ready by June 4th) We leave that night for Mexico, then begins preparation for the shows and in addition...a little R and R.
My mom's will be joining us there too, cool!

life in the fast lane

2008-04-23T19:50:00.002-07:00

We are 99% settled in our 200square foot studio (as per Dave Knapp's calculations). The garden has a more flowers--yellow lilies, a pink bird bath and some little succulents that might not like it back there but we will see.

I am fully running in my new jewelry studio space, and I am making handbags again. I found this little porcelain doll head at the flea market and loved it so much that I thought to my self.. I really WANT more of these. So I decided I would make them. I went out and bought some super sculpey and now I am going to teach my self how to make clay sculpture doll heads. It can't be that hard right?

Shannon is performing at an event called Diva Fest downtown at the Exit Theatre. Boy did they name that show appropriately. She also has a scheduled studio recording session for next week. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? She decided on recording a spanish language c.d. and we are going to Mexico to have the release party/show in June.

Anyone want to head out to Mexico in June? I will be taking my mother, it will be her first visit to her grandparents home village of Guanajuato (not really a village, but I think it sounds more dramatic and adventerous).

Here is photo of my new doll purse. And for added fun, here is a photo of my flea market shots.

bye for now

Before and After Garden

2008-03-29T23:44:00.001-07:00

This is our new garden. We aren't done yet but couldn't wait to share a little of the transformation. We pulled out a lot of weeds and grass, added brick paths, painted an iron ornate chair and put a garden pig on top. (He kinda looks like a rat from the photos but he is indeed a pig and we haven't named him yet, any ideas?) Planted azeala, fern, hydrangea, cala lilies, and a small random tree that some guy down the street was getting rid of. Next we want to plant bouganvilla and lavendar--hopefully there is enough sun to sustain them.

Jeff, Jeffery, Little Nugget, Little Mix of Goodness

2008-03-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here he is folks!!!!! Our latest in a long series of pets. This is Jeff. His breed is, as Elizabeth likes to tell people on the street, a "little mix of goodness". At first he was reluctant to love us. Perhaps a bad past experience with sitters. He doesn't bark, but at first, when I made a quick move to pick him up, he would holler. He also needed some TLC in the grooming department. (which for an 18 year old dog was tricky...no groomer would take him). But necessity is the mother of invention. You see, Jeff LOVES walks. (in fact I dare say he now loves us because he gets at least 2 good walks a day) Anyway, on these walks we carried a sharp pair of scissors. When he was getting in a good sniff, I was getting in a good snip. He gets brushed every day and he has put on a little weight...
Handsome devil!
Yes, he has won us over too. He is sweet, big on treats, chicken and turkey. He gives kisses and is a big fan of being carried around. Rides in the car are a favorite too. He goes with us all over town!

The Kitchen

2008-03-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Here is our colorful kitchen. We found this table at the thrift store and painted it a la Mexico.

our new pad

2008-03-06T19:35:00.001-08:00

We've scrubbed, painted, hung, bought, lugged, drilled and still aren't done! We will have the kitchen done soon, and will post photos then. Don't you love my $17 dollar chandelier? The purple couch is also our bedroom.

Not bad for 200 square feet huh?

Marsh Rising

2008-03-05T19:48:00.001-08:00

My show at the Marsh Theatre here in San Francisco was a smash! It was sold out with folks clamoring for tickets at the door. (i love that!)
Dave even came out from Boston to see it!
New friends and old friends filled the place; it was a great night!
Next up is Diva Fest here in San Fran at the Exit Theatre.

Paint for the Pad

2008-02-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

We found a place to hang our hats here in San Francisco.We are excited to be moving to the Haight. We are walking distance to the Golden Gate Park where I plan on getting back into jogging or something like that :)
It's been almost 4 years since we hit the road for Chicago and our backs really hurt from all the luggage hauling.

Though we are excited to have a closet Shannon is still unwilling to give up on the life style that we've cultivated. Including the RV and extended periods in Mexico.

So....the first order of business--PAINT! As usual we've chosen a Mexican palette. Next we will have to get furniture--fun.

stay tuned

Our Latest Charges

2008-02-01T15:05:00.001-08:00

Meet Ripley - she is a Cairn Terrier and sweet as sweet can be. She photographs like a little princess...posing, always! She doesn't like the rain and she does like to play "hall ball" down the very long hallway in her house and she likes to sleep. (a girl after my own heart!)
Meet her brother - Rusty - is also a Cairn. He is a little bigger and feels a bit more entitled :-) He is also a very sweet boy who loves "hall ball" and taking long walks. I am including 2 pictures of him to give you an idea of his charming face and his "dirty look". (which he gives freely when I annoy him)

On to a New Year

2008-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

2007.....what a year. Lets summarize. Hmm, well. O.k. I will summarize the last month instead. Uh, naw....it wasn't that exciting--we did what everyone else does, we worked.

So what will the new year bring? We would like to finally have our own home, a place where I can put all my fabric, paper, beads and crafty stuff. A place where we can put our chotchkies, our own bed would be nice.

But then again we would love to visit Argentina or the U.K. and only work 6 months a year. Needless to say, we are split 50/50. Home,stable life, insurance, OR adventure, discovery.

It's only January 1st...we have plenty of time to decide--deadline is March 1st.

Here's to another wonderfully fulfilling year filled with love and happiness.
For fun....here is a photo of me taken in NYC and I love this photo of Shannon taken in Mexico in 2002

Fun, New Things

2007-11-24T16:43:00.001-08:00

Part of the fun of traveling and exploring is daring to try new things. New York can be pretty exciting and so I decided to try being a little more edgy - I wanted to share this picture of my "newest thing tried" - a tattoo! Both of my sisters have one and until now I was the one without! SO at least for the next few days, I am edgy and tattooed! Ah, the fun never ends :-0

Provincetown

2007-11-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

Out at the edge of Cape Cod, a short ferry ride from Boston is a great little "village" named Provincetown. Its little cottages and shops, coffee shops, narrow streets and gardens. It is a place that we would love to spend a lot more time in - we would definitely NOT be the "only gays in the village"!

Cape Cod

2007-11-16T21:10:00.001-08:00

After what seemed like the longest week of our lives, Elizabeth and I happily boarded a bus and headed out to the Cape. (that's me in the picture...not a homeless person mom :-)
We met up with our good friend Dave, had dinner, had drinks with his parents and crashed at their house in Hopkington, Mass. (gorgeous). The next morning we took his car and headed out! (thanks Dave!) We spent 4 wonderful days exploring the cape & drinking wine. What could be better? We both fell in love with Cape Cod and are currently plotting a return!
We are now back in NYC - after a 4 hour trip with a rogue bus driver...trust me it was NUTS! We'll keep you posted!

time to play

2007-11-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

Ah the city...we've only been here 8 days and already we are heading out for a vacation. Dave's parents have a condo in Cape Cod that we get to stay at for a week. So a weeks worth of work and a weeks worth of relaxation is what is in order for us. We will sit around and read, take long walks on the beach and eat and maybe sneak in some wine.

It's time to play....though we did see a Broadway show before the strike--The Drowsy Chaperone.

Photos of the beach coming soon.

Brooklyn Bridge in November

2007-11-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

It's getting cold...yippee. We really didn't have a winter last year being in Mexico and all. Shannon is in search of a hat with ears, though we did find a cute one on the street in Brooklyn that she happens to like.

We came to Brooklyn today so I could take photos of one of my favorite neighborhoods named DUMBO (down under the Manhattan and Brooklyn overpass). Also, to try and sell some jewelry...and to eat....and....
P.S.
We checked out of the Y on monday for many reasons that aren't appropriate to elaborate on in our nice and clean blog atmosphere so we are out by Laguardia airport in Queens.

P.P.S.
I already ran into Kyra Sedgwick in the subway (she was looking winded) and Michelle Williams ( Heath Ledgers ex) outside a falafel restaurant having a smoke.

Cruising Brooklyn

2007-11-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

Shannon and I spent the day re-aquainting ourselves with the Brooklyn hood. Of course I had to take my camera along. This is my favorite photo of the day. Shannon will do anything for a photo op.

Yes, I admit, i am a fan of Elizabeth's camera work! It hasn't taken us long to do crazy things like send in photos to be extras on Good Morning America among others...not only will I do anything for a photo-op but pretty much anything for a buck as well :-0. Stay tuned for more NYC chronicles! Tomorrow - thift stores...maybe a little work in between, maybe.

New Booty

2007-10-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

I walked Shannon to work this morning/afternoon then decided to hit a couple of yard sales on the way home (since it's such a nice strolling type of day). I found these wonderful vintage pieces...now I'm excited to come up with a fun design. I have begun to make spoon rings from old silverware too, they are coming out quite nice if I do say so myself. The only problem with the rings is that they aren't easy to shape no matter how much I anneal (soften with fire) them. So what if they aren't shaped perfectly round...I like wonky things anyway.

Gardens and Updates

2007-09-22T17:08:00.001-07:00

This picture is the back garden of a friend here in SF. We stayed here last summer (in the attached house, not in the garden).. and again for a few days this past weekend. We get to take care of 'Boo' the cat...whom we adore! School has started and we have a record number of students wanting to learn about Jazz, theater improvisation and spoken word. I think the boys have learned that they can come to class and stare at the girls they like...so that's why the class is soooo popular this year. Actually, all of the classes are great groups of kids so Elizabeth and I are happy!
Elizabeth has been invited to show her work at a gallery in Pennsylvania - they found her online and invited her. If she excepts the invitation I will go over for a weekend in December to play proud partner and sales rep!
She also sold her first 2 pieces on Etsy...its been a fun week!
As far as me...we are hoping to give a real salon concert in December, with the idea of #1 doing a show and #2 honoring the people that are my constant supporters. It's still in the planning phase...actually, Elizabeth's brilliant idea only just happened today...but we are really excited about it!
Also...I am wanting to record a CD of local composers and am looking for material. I have a few and am thrilled to discover others! That's all from the traveling Duo.

our cozy casita

2007-09-11T18:07:00.001-07:00

We have lived so many places for the past few years, so we decided to start photographing all of our little homes.

This casita is behind our friends Lisa and Schulyer's home. On Wednesday's Shannon and Lisa get together in Lisa's music studio to sing and play the piano.

We live in a vibrant neighborhood in the Excelsior district of San Francisco.
Two houses down the street is a public library and all along the main drag there are fruit/veggie stands, fresh fish stores, old school drunkard bars, laundromats, dollar stores, Chinese "we have everything you want" stores, diners, burrito shops, bakerys, old school Italian pizzerias, hair salons, and our favorite...Goodwill. It seems like every culture is represented here too. On one side of the fence is a filipino family on the other is a eastern european family. Strolling on the main drag are thugs and little old ladies with their just been to the hair salon boufants.

We love it here.

friends, flowers, and family

2007-09-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

I recently met up with some old friends that I haven't seen in almost 6 years. They were masters of wine, martini's and dinner parties. Ahh, I miss those days. I am grateful for the years of friendship. I am grateful for flowers too, here is a photo I took of Shannon handing me a cut Hydrangia.

Yesterday my cousin Samantha and her fiance Lawrence came to SF for a day visit, we went out for Mexican food and ice-cream--a perfect way to spend a Sunday in foggy heaven.

Irish Eiseley

2007-08-11T18:31:00.001-07:00

While we are staying at the "farm" in Florida we get the pleasure of sitting with Eiseley. He passed on to doggie heaven this morning. We liked to make fun of him because he wore diapers, this pair that he is wearing in the photo were a particular favorite--they had green clovers so we called him Irish Eiseley. He liked to fart and snore at the same time but he was best known for demanding that you sit with him on the recliner, which is also known as "chair time"

He is one of the sweetest dogs ever born. We will miss him a lot.
We take comfort in knowing, however, that he is sharing a big comfy bed with Pooky

purple shoes with velvet bows

2007-08-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

I will 40 years old in just two days. To celebrate I went out and bought myself something whimsical and fun--purple ballet flats with velvet bows.

When I look down I will see two shimmering purple blurs and I will be reminded to live my life according to my own rules:

Rule #1 try not to make any rules
Rule #2 don't listen to famous old women who say women over 40 shouldn't have long hair (that's her rule, not mine even though I do plan on cutting my hair up to my shoulders)
Rule #3 live, love and learn (simple words, but hard to do)
Rule # 4 always create something beautiful. (even a mound of mud can be beautiful)
Rule #5 Discover and appreciate
Rule #6 look life in the face and don't be afraid of what gets thrown your way.
Rule#7 wear purple shoes when ever you feel like it!

Turning 40 is better than I thought it would be-- I know more and I'm happier, the only thing that sucks is the grey hair, but hey I can dye that if I want!

San Francisco's Plush Room

2007-07-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Shannon singing "Speaking French" from the musical Lucky Stiff. I bet your saying to yourself...I wish I could have been there, well me to. Unfortunately I couldn't attend but I heard from many who did that she was amazing.

Shannon has been working on this show for over a year now. The process began by spending hours in the Music library in NYC and listening to c.d.'s then finding sheet music, then spending hours working the music out at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music where she rented a piano. Then, spending hours in Queens with her dear friend and genius pianist Justin. She spent 4 months in Mexico working on this material and performing it to work out the kinks and finally decided that it was ready for The Plush Room. So as they say...this is only the beginning. Our hopes are that we will be touring in Europe soon!

My New Serape

2007-07-17T12:01:00.001-07:00

I find it interesting that since being here in San Francisco I haven't blogged. It's not because SF isn't interesting, or an amazing city. It's both of those things.
And like Mexico, things happen here that you just wouldn't see in other places.
I spent the last month of my time in Mexico being obsessed with finding a serape.I love these blankets and I really wanted to fall in love with one and bring it back to have in my RV paradise. To my great disappointment, the only serapes I found were poorly made and in colors that you find in "El Torito" restaurants, but not colors I wanted.
Once in San Francisco, Elizabeth I trotted off to one of our haunts, the Sunday flea market. There was a guy there with antique serapes, in FAB colors BUT they were $60-80 dollars. (outta my price range). sigh...more disappointment.
The following week we went again and lo and behold, there was a guy there with a couple of antique serapes $10-15 dollars. (definitely in my price range but I only had $8.75 with me and the one I wanted was the $15 one) Well, nothing ventured nothing gained...I asked if he would sell me the $15 serape for $8.75 and he said yes! Elizabeth says there was a grin on my face from ear to ear! So this photo is my $8.75 serape. Don't ya just love it!
Gotta love SF!

San Francisco Ramblings/Observations

2007-06-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Only in SF will you witness:

A 50 something woman buy a pack of Hostess "sno balls", a liter of budweiser and bottle of Canada Dry. Humm, well it was a friday night so I guess the party was on.

On another note, here is the logo i designed for my mom's Etsy site. It is a collage of some of her sketches. And here is a photo of my mom from the 1970's? Maybe early 80's. Back in her Budweiser days. Notice the false eyelashes, she never left home without eyelashes or her high heels .

leaving the country side

2007-06-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

We are cleaning up and packing again. We will be leaving behind all the beautiful flowers, turtles, lizards, birds alligators (only saw a warning but close enough), mosquitos (we got tons of bites to prove their nastiness), flying this and that but we will miss it here. So until the next time...

paparazzi in florida

2007-05-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

Shannon went to Ft.Walton beach in the pan handle of Florida, I of course stayed on the farm. The paparazzi captured this unsuspecting star getting ready to skim board with her 12 year old nephew Cody.

Switched Gears

2007-05-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

Judas on a string

Judas explodes and blows your ears out

Head

Charlene

my favorite apples from the spring parade

locos parade

for fun photo

We are enjoying the cool breezes, the birds, lizards, cows, turtles, green-ness everywhere, and a nice rainy day in our RV paradise in Florida. I’m trying not to think of the heat, bugs, and thunder storms that are coming next week. Here is a photo of “Charlene”—a nice southern name, she hangs out on the rocks next to my front door, she likes listening to my music while sunning her self.

I have decided to collect my hair that falls out and put it in the bird collection box that helps them create a nest.

It is nice how we have fallen back into the old ways without a second thought. For instance—water, I haven’t worried about brushing my teeth with it once. And I ate an apple yesterday with the skin. After four months in Mexico you would think I would at least hesitate or reach for that little dropper of who knows what that will kill germs. It is as if once we landed in Texas someone grabbed a big ass remote control and simply changed more than a channel but pulled a world out from under me that I, after this third trip, finally felt comfy in.

Where did we leave off? Our last 2 weeks in Mexico Shannon lounged around, went for drinks with 80 year olds who live in more places than us and know how to make the best Brazilian Caparina. She packed up the casita while I worked in the jewelry studio. But I took time off from the studio to attend a few outdoor events like the “Locos” parade, which I’m not to sure what it’s all about but the masks are cool. And of course the blowing up of the larger than life sized paper mache people. We never posted any photos of the kid’s spring parade where all the kids sweat in their cute costumes as they walk through the streets of SMA towards the big church (where everything ends up) because we got too busy.

Highlights from Mexico for Elizabeth:

I got to drive Billy King’s beat up VW bug through town. Visualize a tan and rust bug with a lot of dents, a handmade roof rack tied down with bungee cords and photo copies of George Bush taped to the inside of the windows with the declaration that Bush is the devil (or something along those lines). I open the car door with no problem, try to adjust the seat but to my surprise there was no such adjustment. I had to get creative quick, I looked in the back seat and found many things that I could use to prop me up. There were two cases of empty beer bottles, clothes, shoes, and a small picnic cooler. So I stuffed the cooler between me and the car seat, put the key in the ignition, pushed in the 1” X 1” clutch, fumbled around for first gear then I hit the road with beer bottles clanging the whole way. Billy warned me that 2^nd gear was a bit hard to find so I thought I could probably drive in 1^st the whole way—no one drives over 30 mph on the cobblestone streets anyway.

Tribute To Pooky

2007-05-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

He was easy to love...naughty once in a while and a good listener. He liked my singing (very important in anyone or any animal). He was fond of sitting on leather chairs (who isn't?), and a huge fan of walks! He loved the snow but hated the rain and his snow boots. He took his food out of his bowl, bit by bit, to be eaten, instead, from the floor. He always wanted to be near someone.

He started off in Alabama. At 2 years old he came to live with me. He lived 6 years with my grandfather then back with me, this time in San Francisco. He lived in Chicago too, then back to Florida with my moms. He loved every household equally and every household loved him. He took his job of protector very seriously!
His original name was Gambit but he answered only to Pooky. My grandfather called him Mooky, Dave called him Corn Chip. Dave knew how fast he could run...cause he got away from him once and he had to pay a kid $5 to return him.

However, a move to Florida in old age can change a dog. Here are some photos to prove my point.

This one is in leather in San Fran of course. (The dogs in Chicago laughed at him...the wimpy California dog in this outfit, but he liked it and wore it anyway.)

The red golf shirt was his first change of clothes in Florida.

Then he got a reindeer sweatshirt...

But he had his buddy Eisely in Florida...and that made all the difference.

LIVE from the Teatro Santa Ana!

2007-03-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

Last nights show at the Teatro Santa Ana was a smash!
After our good friend Dave left us, we got scrambling to get my show up in the theatre. We even got to design lights as we FINALLY had a lighting person! (man, that made me happy!) Elizabeth took stills AND ran follow spot, GO GIRL! Now we are focusing on the Language of Photography. The exhibit and reception is on Friday. Andi Wong, from SF, is coming down and bringing her family. How cool is that?!
This weekend starts the celebrations leading up to Holy Week. Last night from midnight until 7am there were fireworks. Not the pretty kind we show in the US, these are specifically for making noise and sound like, what I can only imagine, bombs must sound like going off. Out at breakfast this morning, no one looked very well rested. (including us!) This is the time of year when people open their homes for you to view their altars. They also offer a little something to eat. Usually a Popsicle or bit of fruit. They do the stations of the cross through the streets and blow up life size paper mache Judas dolls. (loud and dangerous but VERY cool!) I can't wait!
More on this when it happens!
how's work?

Cuban Festival in SMA

2007-03-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Dave came for a visit here in SMA. We took a trip to Michoacan and visited the city of Patzcuaro and the island of Janitzio. (see the link below) before we headed out we went to the Cuban Festival here in town. There were bands and dancers and a tent full of Cuban imports. We decided to partake in a Romeo & Julieta cigar. (at $7, a bit pricey) BUT easier to deal with than trying to bring home a big ass Cuban shekere. (which at $20 was a great deal) http://www.surf-mexico.com/states/Michoacan/Patzcuaro/patzcuaro.htm
Patzcuaro was a beautiful city, similar to San Miguel in it's colonial look and small town feel. BUT, there are extremely few tourists and the town is still owned by the Mexican's. We are guessing it's what SMA was 25 years ago. Loved it! There was an amazing restaurant in town called CHA CHA CHA and we got spoiled eating there twice. Janitzio is an island in Lake Patzcuaro and is very poor. But we met a wonderful young girl who wanted to take our picture (Hortencia). Elizabeth showed her how to use the camera (teaching photography seems to follow her around). She was very excited to take an individual shot of each of us.
As is typical in Mexico, a 2 and 1/2 hour bus ride back stretched into 4 and 1/2 hours. But it is the journey, after all, not the destination.

group photo

2007-03-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday we headed out to the Juarez Park where the kids documented a basketball game, kids "art in the park" and general life in and around the park.

Shannon sat down with the kids to help them write out biographies for their upcoming photo show.

Alejandra and Citlaly took cameras home and brought back some wonderful shots of their families, friends, schools and pets.

Festividad del Senor de la Conquista

2007-03-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was one of my favorite holidays here in Mexico. It is, of course full of colors and colorful characters. This show with the devil and the "ladies of the evening" is street performance like one could only witness in Mexico.

The "ladies (whom are men dressed as women) dance in the street while a devil with longest whip I have ever seen lashes it with fury at their feet. Their are other characters who enter the "street stage". One is the "bull" who fights the devil, others are the young cowboy, the old man, and some weird animal looking thing--could be a chupacabra. Anyway they are all integral to the most elaborately staged street performance I have ever seen.

The main event for this holiday isn't the devil show but rather a show with Chichimeca conchero dancers with feathered hats and sequins outfits

Working Hard

2007-03-03T21:02:00.000-08:00

The 3rd Concert in the series was a sell out too! It was a show full of funny stores and some of my favorite songs. I was asked to give a house concert later in the month - I am getting ready for a life of being in high demand as a performer! Elizabeth's photography program is more than halfway finished. Today she became aware of just how much some of these kids have learned so far, and of how much this project really means to them. It was a wonderful and moving epiphany! We had some of their photos printed to 11x14 to show at my concert. We want to make the community realize the incredible work that is being done by these kids. Today we let 2 kids take cameras home overnight to photograph their homes and families! We can't wait to see the results!
Our good friend Dave is coming this week for a visit. We will be taking off on a road trip with him to the state of Michoacan and the area around the city of Patzcuaro. It is not an area any of us has ever seen and it should prove to be a very fun trip!

1980's donkey aka Mohawk burro

2007-02-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

These donkeys had to move to the side of the road to make way for a passing car but then they blocked my bit of sidewalk. I wasn't sure if I should try to squeeze by or just wait for them to get back to the road. So I took photos instead while the donkey herder kept repeating something about it would be nice to have a cold drink. I, of course ignored his ramblings but Shannon caught on that he wanted money for my photo taking.

These donkeys carry loads of firewood and get 200 pesos per load (well they don't actually get the cash).. they are really cute, but they look tired. Definitely overworked, I hope I don't come back as a donkey in another life.

On assignment!

2007-02-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

On their 3rd day of shooting, Elizabeth's photo class went to one of the local churches to document Ash Wednesday. Everyone in town seemed to have the little cross of ashes on their forehead, and although this is a religious celebration, there are still all kinds of candies and balloons and candy apples! Yum!

Temescal (Sweat Lodge)

2007-02-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 18th, I (Shannon) went to the town of Pozos. I went on the invitation of a couple I had recently met to participate in a Temescal (sweat lodge). The picture is of the one we actually used. (For some information a Temescal see the link below.) Elizabeth, not big on sweating, opted to stay in SMA while I set out on an adventure. Pozos is about an hours drive from San Miguel. Elizabeth and I visited last trip but the trip takes 4 hours by bus!
Needless to say, I was thankful we had a car! http://www.cyberbohemia.com/Pages/hotrock.htm
There were 11 of us that were going to "sweat", 5 men (2 of which were leaders) and 6 women. We were purified before we entered, our arms out and our eyes closed, with the smoke of Sage. We gave thanks to each of the four elements, West, South, East and North (in that order), then we entered one by one, clockwise, into the Temescal. (the Temescal is only about 3 feet high so you cannot stand)
Once we were all in, sitting on straw mats, knees up, they brought in the hot rocks (big rocks that had been heating in a fire outside). As each rock was brought inside the group chanted, El es Dios (he is god). When there were enough for adequate heat, the small door was closed and the ceremony began. The ceremony itself is in 4 parts, called doors. Each door gets hotter, as new rocks are brought in, and water is added to the rocks, making it hot and humid inside. We chanted native songs, sang, yelled, played instruments...
I won't bore you with all of the details (i'll save that for an evening over cocktails), but, what is normally a 2 hour experience..., for us was over 4 hours. No wonder my knees still hurt :-) I have NEVER sweat like that, even growing up in Florida! I will admit...i feel great today with lots of energy. Hmmm....

Carnival (The Moveable Holiday)

2007-02-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

This year, from February 15 - 20 is the celebration of Carnaval...partying it up before Lent. Here's more info if you are interested!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival
Today the Jardin was full of people watching a ballet folklorico show; The traditional dances of different parts of Mexico. The picture here is of a dance from Chiapas.
For the next few days, walking around town will become dangerous as kids and adults crack cascarones (colorful, confetti filled eggshells) over the heads of friends and strangers alike :-)
That's Shannon's kinda fun! Woo Hoo!
I (Shannon) bought 48 of these little beauties and i can't wait to get cracking!
I actually didn't mean to buy 48...I meant to buy 24. I asked the viejita for 24 but she gave me 24 pesos worth. Still a good deal!

Los Fotografos & La Maestra

2007-02-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

Classes have begun! Here is a photo of our very fine group. All are enthusiastic and understanding when it comes to our fragmented spanish. There are even a few who will throw in the word when we are lacking!

strolling with one sock down

2007-02-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

That describes Shannon and I sometimes. We just wander without too much worry. Paying little attention to anything other than the beautiful weather and/or need of food. Viva Mexico!

Parque Juarez and champagne, chocolate,art

2007-02-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

This is the main park in town. It seems very Parisian to me. The last time we were here though it had dirt paths, which I liked better. I can't wait for spring when the big, white, funny sounding birds come and hang out in the trees. I hope to get a photo of them for you.

Last night there was a huge celebration at the Fabrica de la Aurora, which is an old factory that has been converted into artist's studios. There was a wonderful marimba band, free champagne, chocolates, coffee and tons of amazing art. We dreamed of buying a painting that we saw that was at least 4 feet long and wide. It was splattered with colors of Mexico and in the center there was a destroyed bullfight poster.
Everyone in town was there. I told Shannon that money was shooting out of their butts!

Peluqueria aka barber shop

2007-02-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

I thought it was interesting that this barber shop displayed these old style hair cuts. It could be a really old poster (it would have to be at least 50 years old right?) But upon closer inspection and confirming that the poster was more than likely not more than 5 years old, I had to conclude that the barber was trying to persuade his clientele to get a cut followed by a close shave. Or maybe these are the only cuts that he knows how to do. Well, I am sure you have guessed that we have never seen anyone in his shop.
He might have planned it that way. So many questions so little time.

Our New Friend...Pan Dulce

2007-02-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

We met Pan Dulce a couple of weeks back. He was hanging around our neighborhood looking hungry. So Shannon went into our corner store and bought him a baggie of dog food. He ate heartily and we said good-bye. Well ,we were out for a long stroll today on the other side of town and who do we run into? Pan Dulce (his new name that we gave him). So Shannon had a chat with him and agreed to get him a lunch time meal. He followed her to a corner store, ate a baggie of dog food then decided to hang out with us as we searched for our own lunch spot. He is a really sweet dog and even gave Shannon a kiss after she filled his belly. When we finally found our restaurant, he gave us a look that said ,"see you around".

Sala Quetzal Concert #1

2007-02-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

Sold Out! We had to turn people away, but we sold them tickets to next weeks show. It was a fabulous experience in the intimate setting. A 60 seat room with a baby grand piano, fireplace and all four walls painted with Aztec murals. This photo is of Shannon singing "Speaking French" from the musical Lucky Stiff. We are looking forward to next weeks show.

After the show a group of supporters and friends went out to dinner and celebrated the shows success. We also celebrated the holiday Dia de la Candalaria. FUN!

Check out the earrings in the photo...Elizabeth whipped up these "Ruth Asawa" inspired, wire wrapped earrings an hour before the show. Cool huh?

Rehearsal and Mumblings

2007-01-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

Saturday and Sunday were spent rehearsing at Elena's house (Shannon's pianist). We ate and drank afterwards--of course. We went to a restaurant owned by a young guy from Sri Lanka. The food and wine were great. We might be house sitting at Elena's in March-April so we will have a room for visitors--if anyone is interested, come on down.
Things are moving for our children and photo program, we had an impromtu meeting at the biblioteca (library) and the guy in charge really loves the idea and will allow us the use of the computers for cross-cultural exchange with San Francisco students.

Jewelry class is going well, lots of new techniques and new muscle aches.
Dave has booked his flight to SMA, we booked him a nice cheap hostel just a block from our place and gave him a list of things we NEED. For one..tampons (which are horribly expensive, along with toilet paper, but we won't ask him to bring that because we do value his friendship and we don't want to push our luck). Other things we have asked Dave to bring are: pre-packaged Indian food (for varieties sake, Kalamta Olives to add to our happy hour fiesta, Peanut Butter pretzels for midnight snack and stone ground salted crackers to go with our mediocre cheese.

Blue Panaderia

2007-01-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

This Panaderia has peaked my curiosity since my first visit to SMA in 2002. Why? Let me go down the list.
1. when I peeked into the sweet bread store, I was surprised to discover that the room was empty except for the rickety shelf with 7 trays of goodies.
2. I have never seen anyone shop there (and every time I walk by, I always check to prove my theory)
3. an old man lurks in the darkest corner of the store
4. he doesn't really lurk, he is just standing there alone and still and glassy eyed.
5.I've always wanted a photo of this place and finally yesterday I quickly pulled out my camera and aimed, hoping that I could snap and leave before the old man could see me. But I wasn't quick enough, he caught me red handed. I smiled and asked if it was ok to take a photo....he nodded curtly and I snapped and ran.
6. I have many more questions about this place but I won't bore you with them all.

All In All...A Good Day

2007-01-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

Here I am...on my way through the desert to the Gigante Grocery Store and the Tuesday Market. This is the last stretch after our uphill hike. I am guessing this piece of land won't be deserted much longer, as development is happening all around.
This is the place most likely to find a chupacabra (http://skepdic.com/chupa.html)

Today it rained a bit and there was a nice winter chill in the air. We walked around town, hung posters for my show and handed out post card flyer's to strangers. All were enthusiastic about attending. It felt nice to invite complete strangers and meet new people. We will head out tomorrow and to do the same. We are a grass roots publicity team. One guy looked at my postcard and was surprised that that was me in the photo. I told him, " Yep...I have a good photographer". All in all a good day.

Frutas y Mas

2007-01-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

I just love the smell of all of the fruit here in Mexico. As you walk down the street, roadside vendors are slicing it up, adding lime juice and chile - and the smell is incredible!
I went with a friend to Taboada last week. It is one of the hot springs near San Miguel. They "change" the water on Wednesdays, or so I am told. So in the morning (when i was there) it was nice and fresh! La Gruta is next on the list for hotsprings to indulge in :-)
Elizabeth has been in silver-smith class now for a week. Every spare moment she is talking about designing. Her teacher is a tough one but she is already learning a lot! I have started rehearsing for my first 2 Salon style shows. The first is on February 2nd and the second is on February 9th.
I am doing the laundry by hand, on a cement washboard, and hanging it on the line (which is on the roof) to dry. Yes, it is labor intensive (i am not as young as i used to be) but i do like the smell of clothes dried in the sun!
There is a new "San Francisco" style burrito shop here in town. Our initial reaction was "oh yea? We'll see about that". They were okay, but we decided we can do just as well at home. There is NO "La Corneta" here in San Miguel...at least not yet.
I have been running around for the past week going to potlucks, comidas (the big afternoon meals), drinks, etc...it's tough, but SOMEBODY has to do it!

Banshee

2007-01-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

Banshee, AKA, Bean Ja La, Boon Ji, Little Girl, the Banj, Precious, Princess, Benji, Scoots, Ooojer

Banshee came to Shannon’s home on the day her mother went out buy her sister Dana a cat for her birthday. Shannon’s mom Shirley called Shannon and said there was just one more cat from the litter left and basically said we can’t just leave her here. So Shannon said to bring her home. Shannon’s roommate complained of the new black cats voice and said, “god, she’s like a screaming banshee” and Shannon said that’s her new name. That was over 19 years ago. Banshee’s brother Bo lived as an outdoor cat in the country and died over 8 years ago.

Banshee also lived with Shannon’s grandpa Frank for 2 years while Shannon was re-locating to San Francisco. Shannon’s grandpa called Banshee—Benji, because he didn’t understand when Shannon said her name is Banshee. Which was better than what he called Spike which was-- “that damn white cat”. Banshee loved living with grandpa Frank, she stayed out on the porch all day and sat on grandpa’s lap while watching TV together. When Banshee finally came to California she had to share her home with 3 other cats and was constantly battling to see who ruled the roost. Of course as you well know, Banshee is a fighter and would never give up being in charge of the other cats even though she was the last cat to join the household.

Banshee was born in Florida and lived in San Francisco, Chicago, Mexico and Fresno where she lived her last year of her life in luxury. She had an electric blanket, her food was served in a silver desert dish and when she wanted attention (which was all the time) Rose would run and say, “she needs me”. It turned out that Rose needed Banshee too.

Banshee went to kitty heaven last night. We're really sad, but we couldn’t think of a better way to go. A whole year of love and attention and being looked after by her doting grandmother Rose.

getting back to work

2007-01-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

Gone are the days of squandering our lives away while in Mexico! Shannon headed out to the countryside to scout school locations for our photo program "Double Exposure". She met a group of wonderful kids whom she is excited for us to work with. We have met many people who have offered to help us out. Roger (a local American) has been driving Shannon to tour schools and has offered the use of his home for a benefit concert to raise funds. Shannon has also booked dates for 2 concerts at the Sala Quetzal. The first concert is Musical Theatre Greats, the second concert is a St. Valentines show with latin boleros,cabaret and jazz.

I started jewelry classes, and am totally overwhelmed, its' hard stuff especially since I have to be there by 9am. Thank goodness it only takes me 3 minutes to walk there.

I can't believe it's not butter

2007-01-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

Food conversation again. One of my favorite dishes here--Pozole. Served with all the fixins--radish, lettuce, limes, cilantro, chile, and some mysterious herb all for 3 dollars. Yum.

On another note about food. Mexico has some of the worst butter in the world! It's almost devastating, so we went on a hunt to some of the fancy little stores that carry imported foods. As we entered the store, I spotted a pound of Land O Lakes. "Oh my god, they have Land O Lakes Shannon...ask him how much" So Shannon smartly asked for the price, and then asked him to repeat it, then we walked out.

When we ate at Media Naranja we were so excited about the butter, we took bets that he had to have made it himself because it didn't taste like any of the other butters here in Mexico. So at the end of our economical meal we asked if he made the butter himself. He looked at the floor and said it was the only thing he wasn't proud of in his restaurant..."it's... I can't believe it's not butter" then he said that the butter in Mexico is so ugly (direct translation) and we agreed.

In the States we wouldn't have even acknowledged that yellow tub of who knows what...but while in Mexico we are going to become fast friends