Archive for June, 2011

Thinking of Piercy’s poem this morning…

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

FOR THE YOUNG WHO WANT TO

Talent is what they say
you have after the novel
is published and favorably
reviewed. Beforehand what
you have is a tedious
delusion, a hobby like knitting.

Work is what you have done
after the play is produced
and the audience claps.
Before that friends keep asking
when you are planning to go
out and get a job.

Genius is what they know you
had after the third volume
of remarkable poems. Earlier
they accuse you of withdrawing,
ask why you don’t have a baby,
call you a bum.

The reason people want M.F.A.’s,
take workshops with fancy names
when all you can really
learn is a few techniques,
typing instructions and some-
body else’s mannerisms

is that every artist lacks
a license to hang on the wall
like your optician, your vet
proving you may be a clumsy sadist
whose fillings fall into the stew
but you’re certified a dentist.

The real writer is one
who really writes. Talent
is an invention like phlogiston
after the fact of fire.
Work is its own cure. You have to
like it better than being loved.

by Marge Piercy

The creative bull

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Okay since I got started on this horoscope thing, I might as well carry it out. I asked someone for a recommendation recently and they mentioned that I am creative – but god knows my creative spirit seems like it got doused with gasoline and lit on fire and only the embers have remained. So when I was set with a task recently, it was amazing to me how much the task whet my appetite to be creative and problem solving again. It was like someone gave me Viagra for work. Yee ha!

I had a victory today and it was one of those where a task, sparked an idea, that triggered a response, that led to a solicitation, that then led to a mutually beneficial relationship – my kind of moment.

So back to the bull and its creativity – I read this mumbo jumbo recently and decided I like it:

Taurus succeeds Aries, which represents the struggling energy eager to express itself, and experiences the newness of manifestation. The second stage in cosmic evolution is the activation of creative energy. At this stage energy eager to express itself must immerse itself in material pursuits. The energy with Aries is a vague urge. Its action is not well directed and its goal is not clear. However, the second phase in Taurus imparts a specific goal. At this stage desire is more important than action.

The bull as the symbol of Taurus shows the psychological characteristic of this sign. A special feature of the bull is its utter disinterestedness with everything that does not concern it. It approaches a cow only when she is ready to bear another calf. The bull’s mission in life is not to waste its energy but to be purposeful. For the assigned task, Taurus has immense vitality and strength. But this energy is not expended without a specific goal. The Taurus born only work when they want to attain a certain object. Under Taurus, the basic urge is to strive for creative union. Such an attitude often seems selfish. Outwardly, such a person seems listless but once their desire is aroused, whether for sex, money or social status, they approach their object with all their power.

Big Love

Monday, June 27th, 2011

We were supposed to be watching Treme but much like everything around here, T changed her mind and switched Netflix’s next in line to Big Love, which sort of vexed me at first since I was all set to watch Treme (just like I had been all set to watch Dark Shadows when she pulled the plug on that series) – T’s a Libra – they are supposed to be balanced since that is what the scale represents, but they are not balanced, oh no, they are constantly changing positions from one polar opposite to the next with such alacrity it is downright frightening some times for us Bulls.

But I digressed to horoscopes, which shows you how tired I am, what I was going to say is we watched the first episode of Big Love and it was really good. Of course, Harry Dean Stanton is in it – what a great part he has too! – and it’s that old rule of thumb when it comes to anything HDS is in – it’s gotta be good.

Highly recommend if the rest of the episodes remotely live up to the pilot.

Big Bad Bam

Monday, June 27th, 2011

It was Monday on steroids – so much to do I couldn’t catch a moment to reflect on how the hell I got so busy in my life. Tin woke up on the wrong side of the bed and decided to take it out on his nanny. At some point having glued myself to the computer I just had to walk away finally at 6:30 – 12 hours in front of the damn thing – no wonder my eye sight is going to hell in a handbasket.

I came downstairs and went to see my neighbor and we both sat outside and looked at the bayou which has that awesome over-exposed look from the storms we’ve been having. She’s given up her evening wine and I said Amen to that – it’s amazing how you can just not count those liquid calories but they add up, yes indeed they add up and up.

Came home and Tin was up from his nap and I had picked up some ice cream – he was in his everybody can go to hell mood and so I decided to kill him with kindness. He refused dinner so I made him some vanilla ice cream and half a muffin and had him come sit outside while I did some much needed gardening and Tatjana cooked us wild mushrooms and soba noodles.

I looked up as Tin was sitting on the top step, ice cream dripping from his spoon, clouds hanging heavy overhead and reflecting in the bayou below and Bam Bam eating the muffin in his bowl. Crazy as it sounds, something was just picture perfect about that moment and the fact that I had nearly killed all my roses by spraying them with toxic chemicals for rust, and the fact that my work is multiplying exponentially, and the fact that Tin most likely will have days like this that affect the whole household, I could see a clear vision – a bridge that will be rehabilitated, a bayou that I might one day be able to dive into, a child that will grow into a fine adult, a life that will be well lived with joy and challenges, but all very exciting.

Bam Bam ate the muffin. Whatyagonnado?

Dreaming of where I am

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Last night, I ran through a series of richly detailed dreams about the bayou, the portage, the history of this area that I call home, and I found myself moving in and out of historic homes and meeting people from all times. It was quite an incredible night that perhaps was brought on by conversations of late about conservation, about a tour I took with the Preservation Resource Center as part of the Kid’s Event on Saturday, and because the last thing I saw before I went to bed was the bayou sparkling under the new moon’s soft light.

Tin and his Posse

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

Nothing to do but get in the pool

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

New friends just moved here from California, they called to say it’s hot! Um, well, yes, it is. There is only one remedy for heat – a pool.

History in the making

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

My talented niece sends this from in front of Stonewall the night New York decided to allow gay marriage:

WDSU gave Re-Bridge some air time on Saturday night, even though I have a correction – there has been structural work but not for over 50 years.

Mixing it up is so yesterday

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

I am a wedding professional after being married three times, and I was reading about all the new versions of weddings where brides and grooms all over are mixing it up with gender bending twists on conventional protocol. I’m here to tell you that is so yesterday because in 1990 when I got married to Steve on Telegraph Hill, my maid of honor was my good friend, Doug Villepique.

So all of this hoopla about the New York gay weddings going to change the way things are done is overdone. Gay weddings will look a lot like non gay weddings even if there are men in dresses and women in tuxedos.

Battle-axe

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

Slang for a domineering woman is a battle-axe and the vehicle of choice for every battle-axe should be a Ford F150. I bought mine right after the Federal Flood and it helped me rebuild the LaLa, evacuate my family multiple times, and is the best utilitarian but luxury vehicle a woman could hope to own.

Yes it is environmentally unsound, but remember I don’t drive it because I work from home and when I do it is for trips or evacuation or hauling.