Painting And Music

"Purely formal characteristics [in painting] exercise the senses as do string quartets, piano concertos, Dixieland. Because of this, the representation I am interested in is of those things only the eye can touch. I think of painting without subject matter as music without words. It affects our innermost being as space, spaces, air."

--- Kenneth Noland

Jealous Again

Of my twenty-something friends who have their lives together in a way I could not have even dreamt of when I was twenty-something... (and who presumably will be more accomplished at 40 than I feel).

Of my boss's 9-year-old daughter who is already quite an accomplished and creative seamstress. Or rather, I'm envious of the opportunities she has to pursue her projects. (I was forced to give away my proudest sewing creations when I was young. And yes, I am still bitter.)

Of women with babies who sleep easily and who are allowed to nurse uninterrupted.

I suppose that's it, really. But they have sat heavy on me in past weeks.

Back At Work

There are so many things I want to write about that I easily get frozen. Because the truth of my life right now (outside of my paid work) is that if I can't get it done in five minute chunks it's probably not going to get done. And so I haven't been writing.

But I'm taking inspiration from a friend from church (thanks, Aubrey) and will start updating once a week, even briefly, even just half-formed thoughts. Because I'm reminded that even 5 minutes work on the things I love moves me further along on them (and this blog is one of those things).

So here are the notes on the homefront this week...

Champ's sleep schedule, so promising at first and even into the second month, has been disintegrating since he hit two months and then especially when I went back to work. But we have started sleep training this week and it looks like things are beginning to turn around.

I had crazy ambitious running plans based on the first runs after returning to work, but then lack of sleep caught up with me and I've had to scale things way back. Right now I'm committing to NOT making any plans until I get to the end of April and can more realistically assess where I'm at. I'm aided in this by a twingy tendon that needs to be treated gently NOW and not later if I'm going to get to run at all.

My quilting is continuing, albeit oh so slowly. As long as it's continuing. And I've started reading art books on the way in to work again, so my brain feels as if it's coming back alive as well. Oh so slowly.

But this weekend is Easter weekend and Nana is coming to town. The boys will be over the moon which makes me happy (plus I like spending time with my mother-in-law) and I should even get some time to myself here and there. All hail quiet time!

Obsessed Again

So, back at work now for a couple of weeks, and Champ is at daycare. Which, because it's all about me, means that I am running enough again to think about training and races and the like. And think about it and think about it and think about it. Ahhhhh...

More Inspiration

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

--- George Eliot

Collecting Resources

From an essay on the works of Willis 'Bing' Davis, artist and community activist:

"For Davis, transforming the world around requires vision... Vision requires the active use of imagination --- the imagination to see value in all things as well as all persons and places. The artist teaches that each individual can develop this perceptual sensitivity through the practice of reclaiming value in discarded resources."

--- Judith Huacuja

"Marking the Past, Shaping the Present: The Art of Willis 'Bing' Davis"

On A Mild Winter's Day...

A boy and his dirt.

Got some more snow and cold yesterday but it will be gone by midweek. I have been so grateful for this warm winter, at home with new babe. And as much as Buddy loves the snow, he was very happy for the return of his "garden" (the courtyard of our apartment building). I'm just sad we don't have a real garden of our own for him, especially as he makes more and more elaborate plans for it (that he's now old enough to remember). Luckily they have gardens at school that they plant in.