Notin in Hawaii

I was supposed to be in Hawaii this week and was feeling rather sad that I was not. I emailed some friends to tell them I had not gone and they quickly suggested taking me out to eat for a "Notin Hawaii Celebration," somehow they knew exactly what to do to make me feel better. Not only did they treat me to an excellent meal and great dinner conversation, but they even brought a Hawaii-themed Novel "Moloka'i" for me to read. Better yet, they assured me that something good would come about from me staying home on the mainland. The evening was thoughtful and stimulating. It is all too easy to dwell on the negative, to only think about what you are missing out on, but how much more fun to turn the negative on end, to see the potential and possibility before you. I left feeling energized, creative and inspired -- such a wonderful gift of friendship, what an excellent lesson to learn. Mahalo!

Saint and Sinner

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No sooner had I written my post espousing the virtues of my pug when her long anticipated fly magically materialized. Ah, I thought, a miracle! A perfect testament to the diligence of faith. Alfie trusted and like Abraham and Moses in the Old Testament she was rewarded for her faith. Instead of the Promised Land, she received the Promised Fly buzzing around her head as if summoned by her watchful gaze. How exciting to witness this blessing!

Alfie seemed caught up in the moment as well. She followed the fly with her eyes and then jumped up to the head of the bed to get a closer look. Before I knew it, she was standing on her hind legs reaching skyward in adulation. The Promised Fly! Her tongue hung out, her eyes glazed over and in an instant she leapt in the air, her jaws closing on the tiny creature. She swallowed it whole in one gulp, even licking her chops in satisfaction. Then, she sat back on the bed, her murderous frenzy at an end. She returned to staring at the ceiling expectantly, waiting yet again for another just reward. In under a minute my sweet pug had gone from saint to sinner and back again.

I sat reeling from this theological dilemma, so happy only moments before to hold my pug up as a model of steadfastness, content to see in her a faith we all should live by. Confounded, I found myself comforted by scripture: Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Ah, my Alfie, no worse than me, no worse than any human. And, perhaps in this act, too, she still could serve as a spiritual model. Although she had fallen and given sway to the power of sin, and in typical pug fashion, gluttony, she did not wallow in it. Unlike we humans, who so often allow guilt and shame to keep us in a piteous state, she dusted herself off, exchanged her pitchfork for dented halo and resumed her walk of faith.  Still, an example I could follow.

Ever Faithful

Hebrews 11:1 reads, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." If this is the true definition of faith then dogs must be the holiest of creatures. We humans spend endless hours attributing emotions to them, debating if they have souls, running scientific experiments, but there is something to be said for simple observance.

Have you ever observed your dog waiting for something it expects? Snack, owner, chipmunk, bug? As I write this my pug, Alfie, is at the foot of my bed, staring up at the ceiling looking for a fly that I haven't seen in days, but every night there she sits looking up, certain it will return. When I leave her behind for a day I am told she waits faithfully for long stretches in the hat basket by the window, looking out, watching expectantly. If I am gone too long she will leave to eat or play, but diligently returns to her post. When I am eating at the dinner table there she sits, looking up at me with big wide eyes that seem to be trying to hypnotize me into giving in to her demands. I tell her, no, wait, sit and she does, but she still looks certain I will give in and I frequently do. Some might call this begging, I call it spiritual practice akin to prayer or meditation. She knows that food is coming. She knows I will return. She knows there is a fly. She knows that if she just waits, what she hopes for, what she expects will come to pass. Remember faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By that definition Alfie is a saint!

Pug Woman

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I went to see Batman tonight. I have to say I loved Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman. It made me think about symbols – how the Dark Knight chose a bat as his symbol, a mysterious creature that lurks in the darkness. Cat Woman turns out to be a cat burglar, slick and stealthy.

I started to wonder what symbol I would choose if I were to become a superhero, when my mother suggested the obvious choice – a pug!

Pug Woman, of course! Sure, I could master the coy head tilt, the seemingly meaningless running in circles, butt tucked under, the hypnotizing master stare that says “Give me Food!” But, what virtues does a pug represent? Loyalty, stubbornness, clownishness…According to the American Kennel Club, pugs are even-tempered, playful, outgoing and loving. Admirable qualities, but how do these play out when it comes to fighting bad guys?

Last night Alfie became quite ferocious when she thought she saw a giant Bad Guy on the bed. Her fur stood on end, she growled, barked and attacked. She put on a good show. Only thing was, the Bad Guy turned out to be a pillow bearing a larger-than-life-sized image of a pug. Tonight, she seemed to have forgotten the evil scoundrel and sat next to “him” on the bed, waiting for a snack. Based on her example, I think if I were Pug Woman, I’d likely be fighting bad guys from the sofa, after lunch. Come to think of it, that’s just about my speed. And, I just thought of another plus, pugs even come with their own mask so I wouldn’t have to put myself out making a costume either. 

Shadows and Light

My sister-in-law Gretchin brought her sister and niece to my grandmother's pool this evening where we all enjoyed the day's last rays of sunlight. I took some lovely images of Gretchin's niece, Julia Grace, in this light. The shadow picture on the left and the middle portrait are not manipulated in any way. The final panel on the right I am making into a collage and this is the draft of it. I thought the three pieces went well together, so I added some text and tried them as a poster.

The text reads: "Shine little girl in the darkness and the light. Your shadow warms the waning sun. Your eyes hold its receding rays."

View from the Porch - Correct Orientation

As promised, last night's pic in its correct position.

View from the Porch

The Hubbard Hall Writers Project met again this afternoon, this time at Bedlam Farm. We had conversation over scones and fruit and bread and jam. The atmosphere was productive and creative. Then spent the evening with Jon Katz and Maria Wulf, eating Jon's roasted vegetables, sharing stories of dogs, art, music, our latest I-pad apps. As the night wore on the air cooled down and each of us took to our computer, laptop or iPad to blog, check our email etc. Jon put on a cd of Willy Nelson and U2 and Maria and I listened as I sketched this scene. It is their dog Frieda looking out at the view off the porch. The sheep bleated from the fields, the cats worked out a disagreement, the frogs croaked their song. I talked with Maria about the strangeness of drawing with the iPad and not being able to feel the texture of paper beneath me and the sense of a pen or brush as I drew the shapes. These tools help me know I am here, that I have left my mark. She shared how she likes to use her sewing machine, because she has to work with it to achieve what she wanted, there is a song and dance, and it slows her down and lulls her as she figures out the rhythm. I like the feel of brush and paper, but I am enjoying learning the rhythms of my iPad, the freedom that comes with not having to be perfect as I learn the program, the creativity that comes about from the challenges. It is the same with the Writers' Project, this blog, even showing dogs, it all seems a little foreign at first but as you work through the challenges, something happens and soon you find yourself dancing.
Please forgive me if this pic doesn't post correctly. I can't figure out how to turn it around so it is landscaped view. Will repost tomorrow if it isn't right.

Two Lazy Dogs-More Experimentation with Brushes

Played around again tonight with my ipad and brushes trying to see what they could do. I still don't know the program well enough to get the fine detail I would like, but it is fun to see what it does. This sketch is of Alfie and Lumpi at the show today.

Positive Thoughts

Tomorrow is show day for Alfie and I so no written posts for tonight. I did have fun though envisioning a win by sketching this drawing on my I pad tonight. It was only my first time using Brushes and I really don't know what I'm doing, but I figured out enough to complete this little sketch. Hoping it bodes well for tomorrow and we bring home a ribbon.

Please Understand...

Yvette, I think this one's for you. I had a new friend I met at the Pig Barn Gallery say she could not afford to purchase this collage, but asked if I could please post this poem so she could remember it. I'm doing so now. I wrote this poem a number of years ago, but when I finished this collage, I realized it went perfectly with it. The words are below:

Please understand I am opening Pandora's Box. Curious to see what I can create,
I allow my monsters and fairies to crawl out and escape.
Closing the lid I capture this hope. You will be considerate
and judge gently the druids and nymphs of my mind.