Mental Margarita - Ice Swirl

God is in the details.

I've been pondering that one lately, especially as I witness winter's effect on nature. As a desert-dweller for most of my life, I didn't get to see much snow and ice. Here in Seattle, winter is hanging on and everyone's talking about being ready for spring, including me.

But the upside is that I'm still learning about and discovering the interplay of light and snow, or ice, or frost, and it's gorgeous. (Granted, I do have to go outside when it's really cold out, but I'm learning how to dress right!)

So as I become transfixed by the winter beauty sparkling around me, I am reminded that God is in the details. And really, when I look at most of my images, that's what I see. It almost feels like cheating because I'm simply finding and capturing some aspect of nature that God already perfected. There is so much beauty around us. We just have to look.

Kitten Yoga

OK, so this has nothing to do with photography -- I just had to share.

I had the pleasure last week of kitty sitting our neighbor's kitten, Max. One day I did some yoga, which as you know is about both strength and relaxation. Having a kitten tearing about, leaping from couch to chair to table and back again, attacking everything in sight, makes the relaxation part a bit more challenging.

My yoga pants have a draw string on them that was fun to bat at while I was in an inverted pose. The yoga mat was great to chew on and attack and kick. I took out my ponytail holder to do a stretch on the back of my neck and it was immediately reassigned to "toy" status.

And of course the final pose, called corpse pose, where you lay on your back under a blanket, consciously relaxing every part of your body, is particularly interesting when each part of your body is being systematically pounced upon. (I don't know how Max's people sleep at night!)

This is my no-longer-relaxed foot under the blanket. At least laughter is good for relaxing!!!

Mental Margarita - Pink Star

In the spirit of the new year, I've been organizing, culling, sorting. (If you weren't aware, my former career was professional organizing, and you can take the girl out of organizing, but you can't take the organizing out of the girl! Which is a good thing.)

I went through my photos from last year, revisiting hundreds of images, and found several that with a little cropping or a fresh perspective, really caught my eye. This tiny succulent flower had such a metallic sheen to it, it was almost blindingly bright. I like how the soft focus around the stamens balances the shine on the petals.

Going through all those images from last year made me so ready for spring. Although many trees are still bare, some are now sporting buds, promises of flowers to come. I cut a forsythia branch and forced it to blossom, which only intensified my longing. Although I love this chilly and sometimes snowy weather, I want my vernal equinox! But, in the spirit of being here now, I am working on images of ice and frost -- probably my next Mental Margarita.

Stay tuned!

Mental Margarita - Dewey Grass

I was making brekkie when I looked out the kitchen window and saw how magical the morning sun was making the dewey world appear. Got belly down in the wet grass to get this shot.

We've been out of the desert for three years but I'm still not over my water fascination. Still getting rehydrated, I guess. The fun thing lately here in Seattle is the crazy cold weather we've been having. Last Saturday night we got a few inches of snow which stuck around through today, and we're getting more tonight. I find myself wanting to honor my ursine nature and hibernate for a while... but it's so beautiful out!

On Saturday, the night was so bright from all the light bouncing off the snow that I was inspired to go out and try to capture some of the sweetness of it. I was juggling tripod and umbrella when Raymond came out and held the umbrella for me, saying, "I'm earning good husband points." No doubt -- it was chilly.

Here's our neighbor's tree at about 10 p.m.:


And here's a Buddha I saw in the ice the next day on my walk:



However you celebrate, I wish you and your family the best. Here's to 2009 being a year of hope and change for all!

Ending the Story of the Adventure

Back in June I began responding to the numerous requests to share about how we massively decluttered our lives and went on this adventure. We began in Mexico and ended with new artistic careers in Seattle.

And now I think I’m done sharing about that. I don’t mean I don’t want to talk about it anymore, I’m happy to. I’ve just said what I’ve had to say on the topic, unless someone asks for something else.

I will say one more thing, perhaps in closing, which is this:

There is something extremely powerful in releasing your possessions and setting up your life to be free to do whatever it is you are embarking on. Not owning a home, cars or stuff is tremendously liberating.

It can also be so liberating, you may not feel grounded.

Now that we have been in one place for nine months, with a car, freshly acquired furniture, and a new cat, I am enjoying the benefits that being grounded provides for me. I am feeling the kind of joy that comes not from experiencing something new and wild, like one does while traveling, but the joy that comes from a deeper place. A stillness. A serenity.

I know that some people access that deep joy while traveling. What I’ve learned about myself is that it’s my nature to nest. That stability gives me peace. I guess I’ve always known that on some level, because if given the choice when traveling, I’d rather set up camp in a small town in a foreign country and soak up the culture there rather than take a tour and try to see everything.

So although I have enjoyed the adventure, and gained immensely from living lightly in numerous places these last few years, I am happy to be home again. It’s a new home, to be sure, but it is home. And at the risk of sounding corny, I will also say I am at home with myself even more so for having made the trip.

I will continue to post Mental Margaritas here. And if in the future I am so moved to use this blog for another purpose, well then, that's what I'll do!

My thanks to those of you who asked for this conversation, communicated back to me about it, or simply participated by reading it.

Mental Margarita - Orange Leaves

What's fall doing where you live? We have never lived anywhere with such rich autumn colors and we're loving it. It's very cool how some trees started turning at the end of August, and are bare now, and some are just starting to go gold. Even bushes get into the act. (I know for some of you this is NOT news but it is to me!)

We've also never lived in a place where the end of Daylight Saving Time made such an impact. All of the sudden, it's dark at the end of the work day - not at the end of dinner.

The leaves, the light, the crispness in the air, all contribute to that sense of winter hibernation. Cuddling up and tucking in for a spell. Sleeping more. Resting. Storing up. Being quiet and at peace.

It's a good thing.

Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

I've always loved the Mexican tradition of celebrating those who have gone before but it wasn't until we lived there that we made our own altar.

Represented are our grandparents, our pets, and our friends. We have some of their things as well; a beer for Roger, Zeus's collar, Shelley's jam recipe she sent on a postcard. There's a special dead bread you're supposed to put out as well, but I'm out of space.

The general mood of the day is more one of joy than sorrow, although sorrow is definitely in the mix. When I pass by my altar, mostly I feel connected to those who have passed, but I also still grieve the recent ones. Putting out these photos and decorations brings present for me how much we don't talk about death in our culture. It's so much more acknowledged in Mexico.

Although it falls near Halloween, and the skeleton images are similar to ones you'll see in the States, it's a very different holiday. The graves are meticulously decorated and visited. Picnics are had in the cemetery, and music plays. Fireworks are shot off to guide souls home.

This cemetery in San Miguel de Allende was so old that it didn't seem like anyone now living would have actually known anyone buried here. But all the graves are decorated - even the unmarked ones.


Another sight that impressed me in San Miguel was an altar in the town square. It was for a man who clearly enjoyed his vices, as it featured a bottle of tequila and pack of cigarettes. I was amazed teenagers hadn't absconded with the goods.

But I guess that points to a very different context for death, which was my initial point. A very wise woman taught me that when someone dies, our relationship with them doesn't end, it changes. So in the spirit of Dia de Los Muertos, I invite you to celebrate your loved ones, your ancestors, your pets, and feel sad if you feel sad, but don't back away from the sad. Move through it, until you get to feeling glad they blessed your life. Share about them today. Remember something funny or wonderful they did. And be grateful you have this moment right now.