AUSTIN -newest addition to our indigenous word art #iwa
#iwa
it was taryn and i that teamed up to co-create the iwa in carmel. -for this one, she was in the gift store and visiting the cafe;
-and i KNEW i wanted to create the iwa for austin at lady bird johnson' wildflower center
a dream come true for me to visit... -remember i feed on documentaries, and i had watched a documentary about lady bird spreading wildflower seeds around texas
watched how utterly boring stretches of land became colorful, fun and gorgeous! -watched that documentary looooong time ago, and it has ALWAYS stayed with me..
anyway, so here we were... and i was like a child! -had to touch every leaf... such a variety of textures, from scratchy, to ultra soft, to almost plastic feeling... smooth -anyway..
co-existing with all i was delighting in.. this burning desire to create iwa..
and I KNEW there was absolutely no way, under any circumstance, that i, that we..
there was no way we were going to -pick- any wildflowers in order to create it...
tempting as it was...
i can't prove it in a court of law, or scientifically, or anything, but i'm comfortable going on record as saying if anyone PICKED WILDFLOWERS to create something, picked wildflowers at lady bird johnson's wildflower center, without asking and receiving permission first
bad luck for like, 3 spring seasons in a row... lady bird's ghost will turn your green thumbs black n blue
i dont recommend it. -so, exactly as i was re-wondering about our indigenous word art, and what we might use to create it...
write about that same time...
!!!!!
we turned a corner and ran into a section at the wildflower center that ENCOURAGES kids to play and create with branches and rocks
and you could see where children had created wonderful forts.. and rock sculptures...
really cool designs
and then whoever shows up next, rearranges the sticks, branches, rocks into their own creation
-and we are nothing, if not big kids ourselves,
so.. in no time at all, and at complete liberty to do so, we grabbed this wonderful branch.. and that wonderful perfect rock..
i mean, just look at the T... we didn't even have to build it, it was just waiting for us to move it over in its proper place -awesome!
and while we were creating we met the kaiser family.. beautiful family, harry, vivian, brother and sister, and their mom.. and we shared about our ongoing collection of indigenous word art, and the photo journal we keep
and the mom shared about how her grandfather was a vietnam war photographer, -and how he didn't talk much about his photo collection..
easy to understand.
in any case, we enjoyed visiting and meeting them, and harry was wonderful helping us know the hot spots for i-spying the dinosaurs currently on exhibit.. him and his sister were participating in the scavenger hunt for dinosaurs, and i think had already found them all
and they helped us by taking our picture with the iwa we had just created, and we took their picture with it too..
create. capture. then mosey write along...
i mentioned to the mom, this experience would eventually be posted on my blog..
she said sweet and lightheartedly, "oh, we'll be famous.."
and i said with a smile, "not sure about being famous.. but you will be blessed!"
and i cant prove that in a court of law, or scientifically either, but i do believe...
everyone pictured or written about on my blog... extra blessings their way. -as is true for anyone and everyone who stops to read the poems i write inspired by our yard art..
-speaking of!
i am currently in the process of creating the state flower for each of the united states; the outline is already drawn, and waiting to be embossed, so to speak, on top of our american flag..
yesterday,
i had to kind of stop in the middle of hot-gluing, -the yucca, i think it was,
to pen a poem that spilled out of me like syrup over pancakes
/perhaps a water/flower analogy would be more appropriate
but, -back to work...
joyful, wonderful, creative, inspired work
selah! hallelujah & amen!
the fun factor for (me!) -writeousmom.com
that's the thing. we're having so much fun.. and,
don't let it be the first word or selling point, but.. it's educational too. we're growing our vocabularies
it reminds me of good tasting vegetables, you know..
don't use healthy as the lead in; or 'good for you' as the selling point
just say, 'tastes good! delicious!'
k,
so, during our recent family visit, when i showed this to my kids, they were both like..
plage.. how did you even know that's a word? it's not plague..
i know,
i didn't know it was word. i never used it before. i was just plugging it in and it accepted it, and i was surprised and delighted..
and it helped me make my next guess..
****
and, i never did look it up.. or try to learn more, i just used it to help me solve the game.
****
but once my kids asked about it, i went ahead and looked it up..
***
pronounced it wrong at first; as is my nature it appears
but,
plage. not with a long A plAge.. not pronounced like page with an L in it; much more fancy and sophisticated, like ah, A, plaazh...
and guess what it means..
fits in with what we all just experienced together in carmel
1.
DATED
a beach by the sea, especially at a fashionable resort.
i repeated it out loud
a beach! by the sea.. near a fashionable resort...
and then i
double-dared them to drop it in a conversation in the upcoming weeks and see what happens..
"yes, mm hmmm, we spent the day at a plage....
"drove to a dog-friendly plage in carmel..
****
no one was over familiar with 'adage' either.
i knew it was a word.. and guessed at the meaning
i think it's like, an old saying.... an old adage...
so, good-guessing points for me #wordnerds
public "Thank You!" to taryn from (me!) writeousmom
how did i live without this? -it's a guaranteed chunk of joy built into everyday life. when she first showed me though,
please tell me there is a way to turn off these countdown clocks.. i hate them.
and, of course, she knew how.. just click here, go there, click that; done.
and once i learned i could play without being timed
well, i've been playing ever since.
my husband told my family, "she's addicted..."
i threw him a stern look. i'm not addicted... /i mean, my God, that's such a strong word with so many negative connotations..
-but, should you, you know, see the laundry piling up, the dishes stacking.. and some meals going skipped -i might be in a closet somewhere rearranging 1's and 9's
don't judge until you've played
spelling bee calls me 'solid'; wordle rewards my process of elimination skills; strands say i'm 'perfect'; and with connections, there's always a next time; so mini answers, i just ignore the time... and
"congratulations!" letter boxed says i'm awesome.. genius even! -my vacuum does not talk to me this way
i like compliments and being acknowledged, don't you?
being... 5 letter word with two vowels.. three cool consonants.. good placement..
someone has just got to make a vacuum with a digital pad that reads.. G r e a t J o b K e e p G o i n g N o b o d y C l e a n s A H o u s e L i k e Y o u.. W e l l D o n e .. H a v e A G l a s s O f W i n e N o w
anyway,
loved learning during a recent family visit, that like, i'm the last one to jump on board with the new york times app games my daughter, my son, my future daughter in law..
and i have some friends who... why didn't you ever tell me about it?
afraid i might... "wordle on the very first try!"
truth is.. i do not like to be timed; and i'm not into stats. i just enjoy playing at my own pace and i love how you can start, put it down, return later in the day
sudoku and the mini crossword neglect to factor this in. it did not take me 5 minutes! jeez... i had to go the bathroom.. and then replace the toilet paper... and then a neighbor knocked on the door..
-not the bathroom door.. the front door..
i think they should either eliminate the posting of the time all together; for those of us who don't really care anyway.. or; we get to click on a box that reads extenuating circumstances
i like to feel like an 'awesome genius' not 'pathetically slow; why bother'
can't just playing be enough; and finishing, our reward -must we always be in a race? -out with clocks!
back to wordle (which is not timed and 10x more fun)
i'm not alone in discovering it is my favorite of the bunch -and so much so that i recently got the book(s)
i was curious too; and everyone asks, so i'll show you:
yeah. pretty cool. and 'fun fact!' my daughter shared with me: wordle's creator: josh wardle
university of oregon.. she's alumni, and i'm a PMD
/had it custom made; love to show it off...
back to the book version of wordle:
i love paper. i love pencils. i love writing.
i never dreamed that one day paper, pencils and writing would be considered old school.
anyway again, /5 letter word... three vowel spots; two vowels; helpful...
i love that our whole family is in on it... everyone seems to have a different favorite and different strength but everyone loves it all the same and it inspires playful competition
maybe this already exists and i just havent come across it, but, all i'm sayin' is
if vegas had some of these games..
i'd skip the poker and the roulette and the keno
say yes to the free drinks
and play me some word games.
"selah!" /5 letters... great consonants
Taylor Swift, Tenneseee, and triple hit on the two, one, threes as seen by (me!) ~topps, writeousmom
there is a list of things i
want to write about; being usurped by the things i
have to write about
so be it.
***
i had the great pleasure.. i recently watched with great interest.. was so grateful to see...
i kind of happened across.. movie app surfing, chose 'documentaries' [no surprise] and decided to land on and watch...
and start by sharing that i, personally, do not have even one taylor swift song on my playlist. would be hard pressed to name one of her songs
of course, like the rest of the population, if i hear one, i recognize the song, and eventually can put an artist name to it..
but, as mentioned once or a thousand times before: i feed on documentaries.
and, as mentioned once, or a thousand times before, when it comes to documentaries, i stopped, a long time ago, watching famous-musician related documentaries because the story line was exactly the same just change the name of the famous musician and type of music:
* there will be drugs/addictions * there will be sleaze *there will be broken relationships *there will be corrupt management/betrayals.
to my very pleasant surprise there have been some remarkable, wonderful exceptions:
my favorite/favorite! springsteen and i -at last! a documentary that is told from the fans perspective; the impact music/iconic musicians/lyrics/live concerts have on us... and i do not have springsteen music on my playlist either, but i can still totally relate and appreciate and value
also, blown away, really by PINK -which documentary of hers did i watch? title? can't remember, but it literally did not focus on any of the predictable/redundant themes of drugs/sleaze/corruption.. i remember loving this documentary and -again- no PINK songs on my playlist really, but.. WOW! to her accomplishments, creativity, courage, talent/skill, generosity
/am i proscrating here? hard to tell..
but also,
in the after of watching this taylor swift documentary, i realized "thank you!" again.. thank you again for capturing and sharing something other than drugs/addictions/sleaze/betrayals and corrupt management.
i am not a taylor swift fan, but know and love some people who are. -all i do, is understand that the same thing is happening for any fan, of any genre, of any musician
a magical, mystical, wonderful, powerful encounter and connection
and it could be exclusively with the lyrics, the rhythm, the melody, the beat, the sound, the vibe, the performance, the artist, the band
but sometimes it is with the whole package
in any case.. i fully appreciate what musicians give to, and do for fans and vice versa..
and when i see a fan meet their favorite musician and just ball their eyes out
"that's me!" i get it.
can't count how many times a song just makes me weep; even when the lyrics/melody do not warrant melancholy
and can't articulate how exciting and nerve racking it is (and would have been) to meet an idol/hero in person
anyway, anyway..
i LOVE that this taylor swift documentary captures her life over several decades and how you can clearly see that she shot out of her mother's womb a singer/songwriter
youtube is overwhelmed with evidence of individuals who shot out of their mother's womb as singer/songwriters; the greater mystery to me is, among those singer/songwriters, with equal talent/skill/passion in any given genre
which itsy bitsy % become superstars -what is that formula for success? -almost doesn't matter. what we know, is that, for all of time, a small % of a very daunting population will rise to the top
despite enormous obstacles and odds
and capture our hearts, and enrich our lives, and influence our energy levels; our romantic decisions, deepen our friendships, turn like-minded strangers into friends, connect us to family, to neighbors, make us think, make us dance, help us create, embolden us, empower us, enlighten us, comfort us, save our very lives in some cases..
they not only help us go on; they help us want to go on..
so let that be my big "thank you!" in general, to the musical superstars -and especially the ones on my individual playlist
now -i did have to stop during this taylor swift documentary two very specific times
the first time, was because, like "213 jackpot!" apparently, heading into nashville, there are exits, 213, 213a, 213b.. /and i do believe i've come across this before...
the second time i had to stop
STOP to ball my eyes out.. to stand in the bathroom, hold on to the wall, and just cry, cry, cry
i worded, (and know that cussing is not my primary language), but i was like,
will this ever f'ing go away!?! ever?!? will this ever f'ing go away.. ever... will it ever, ever, ever, go f'ing away?!?
and i just cried a good, healthy cry and kept repeating a question i already know the answer to
****
it was a trigger and not a cerebral hyperlink -the difference being, hyperlinks, you choose whether or not you want to click on and explore; triggers, you just react without a chance to choose.
and, i have to tell you, i didn't see it coming.. but, (age 27?) taylor swift is groped by a radio dj who puts his hand up her skirt -there are witnesses and a picture.. short version: he's investigated; fired; sues taylor swift for millions; she counter sues for $1, and the documentary cuts then to drawings of her in the courtroom..
her voice is narrating in the background, and she describes the first things they ask you in court
"why didn't you scream?" -and where are our tears stored, i wonder, but don't know.. all i do know, is that the second i heard her say that, the walls of the hoover dam of tears inside me collapsed
i'm fascinated by human tears; by crying..
and, let's see, it's been... 40+ years.. FORTY PLUS F'ING YEARS! and it still triggers. i've learned to surrender and let it pass..
"why didn't you scream?" "why didn't you scream?" "but.. why didn't you scream?" "i would have screamed.."
and God gifted me with the most amazing! the most epic! the most remarkable experience(s);
spreading out over several decades, which are directly related to this haunting question
"why didn't you scream?" in my case, of course, i didn't scream because
i was 17 years old. i was ambushed. i had a cocked gun at the temple of my head when i was kidnapped and, ultimately, hooded and raped. i think i didn't scream because i was in shock and didn't want him to pull the trigger and shoot my brains out. -just a guess.
but the remarkable and epic are this: and i bullet point here what is expanded somewhere in my blog archives
* eventually, years later (how many? not sure); i have a dream, short version, my brother, sister and i are being chased by cult members wearing red robes -they get closer and closer to capturing us, and i let out a loud, LOUD, long scream, that wakes me out of my own sleep and dream. i realize.. like wow! maybe that was the scream i needed to let out.. "i can scream!" "i just screamed!"
life goes on.
* years and years later.. within the past seven; after watching a show with buddhists, i have a dream, the same red-robe wearing cult members from my dream decades before, re-appear
they re-appear to share they never meant me any harm; they just knew i needed to release that scream.
-WILD, isn't it..
like, okay... why didn't you mention this earlier? -write.
****
in any case.. i've written on the topic of sexual assaults' and rape to exhaustion over the decades.
sad to say, we havent evolved much
still a great deal of victim blaming; i've adapted to it in my own life and circumstances; it does not catch me by surprise like it once did.
one thing lingers in me as unwritten/unaddressed.. it is an episode on cbs sunday morning i saw many years ago now, and in it, they cover 'hush money' if you will. and share about women in the corporate world who are sexually harrassed or abused and/or violated, and rather than go to court, the alleged predator, writes a check to the accuser and they part ways with an agreement not to go to court.
-it wasnt referred to as 'hush money' in the episode, i don't think.. maybe it was called a 'non-disclosure agreement'
but this is not a civil court issue anyway; it is CRIMINAL/EVIL/WICKED
.. i remember i watched... and then i left for the restroom, i vomited and then went on about my day, but
you have got to be kidding me!?! we are in the 2000's... this is not 1970...
we've made like zero progress, and probably, have headed in the opposite direction
-so, they keep and continue getting away with sexual harrassment, abuse, violation; these predators..
the facetious piece i wrote is still painfully true
and here is the thing i've reconciled within my own being. i prayed to reconcile..
for the life of me, i could not, for the longest time, understand, why any rape victim, any victim of sexual harrassment, abuse, violation would NOT REPORT IT
THEY JUST KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT. This is hideous! This is WRONG!
and i've had private conversations with victims who have chosen to remain silent
and i used to lose sleep over it...
i lost a lot of sleep over that cbs episode..
but, what i realized, is that what taylor swift says in this documentary is the painful TRUTH.
-the process of prosecuting in court IS dehumanizing.
and i've learned just how frequent, how common, how powerful and influential victim blaming is..
i've learned how denial operates in the hearts and minds of loved ones... how powerful the deterrent of social media, social consequences victims face..
the prevalence of disbelief
there are [still] more disincentives to report; than incentives
so, i have gone from 'why on earth would you not report?!? that results in more victims and empowers the predators!!' to, 'forgive me. i understand.' -reporting really is not for everyone
and my gratitude/admiration to those who do have the courage; to those who do dare to; and those who ultimately do successfully prosecute
my gratitude and admiration grows exponentially
you are superstars of a different kind.
*****
hallelujah! selah! amen!
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