A New New Years

I have always believed there is a power in ritual and was in the place where this type of ritual had an appeal.

The kid hasn't had the best year either, and told me about a Burning Bowl Ceremony he wanted to attend on New Year's Eve. He'd been once before with a friend and found something in it. I asked if he minded company and the plan was to go. He, though, wasn't able to make it because an out of town guest was running very late due to a storm. So, making this an even more unusual event, I decided to go by myself.

And I'm very glad I did.

There are many things I need to let go, known that for some time. But knowing and finding a way to make it happen are very different, so the chance to participate in something which would give the process a form at this time seemed like something I was meant to do.

I must say, that little bright flash the paper made when it hit the flame made me smile.

And I know the hard part comes now. Or I shouldn't say the hard part. The part to make it work, to believe in things I haven't believed in for a long time, including believing in myself.

One of the reasons to let go of things is, of course, to make room to let other things in. Hadn't quite thought of that aspect until it became part of the ceremony. But I do know that when I'm really depressed and negative, there is no room for anything else. And there is so much else.

I'm also not one for New Year's Resolutions. Who keeps them anyway? And we all know how I feel about change. I have said though, that change you get to help determine is much easier to buy into. Can't say I can even be specific now, but I do see how some change that I can determine would be a good thing.

Like it's that simple. Complicated, though is much more interesting.

Here's to a very interesting 2011.

Note to self - You just went to something you've never done before with 100 people and did it by yourself. Good for you!

Best Presents

The kid has had this thing for Marilyn Monroe for some time. A while back he discovered a wine called Marilyn Merlot. Each vintage has it's own unique portrait on the label. They've become collectible. He has 4 or 5 of them. He had two of the 2007. He gave me one for my birthday.

That is pretty awesome.

And his plan was to drink it. (Maybe it's like how he actually played with his Star Trek figures.)

We had it for Christmas. It was good, not my favorite, but that really didn't matter.

Oh, and for Christmas he gave me Zombieland.

Pretty cool kid.

Mmmmmmm

I like food. I like going out to eat. Maybe more going out to dine. To take my time and be with friends. Not to rush. Sometimes the others in my house don't get that, but having enough stuff, all I usually want for my birthday is to go out for dinner to someplace nice. The kid always takes a night off to go. And that's very nice.

Last week we went to Cafe Europa. It's in a little group of shops in a neighborhood of nice older homes and it seemed like a place where people there go often. The chef and owner are always walking around talking to regulars. The inside has table space used to the max, but I never felt like I was part of the conversation at the next table. It seemed like they had taken over 3 shop spaces. It says bar, restaurant and bakery but the bar was just a bar with six bar stools. They were full, and I'm guessing with those who come often. The bakery was a case by the door, at the end of the bar and had a few beautiful looking things, and I'm sure there is more, and the bakery makes the desserts. The walls were creamy colored and some painted exposed brick. The art on the walls was contemporary abstract with light backgrounds and little shots of color. More colorful pieces probably would have overpowered the small rooms.

We had a margherita pizza for a starter. The kid was starving. The food takes its time getting to you. It's fun when your picky eater kid grows up to not only try, but devour, something called mushroom corn cakes. We each tried a different entree - scallops and risotto, short ribs and stuffed chicken. It was beautiful to look at and cooked perfectly. All of them. I had read they were famous for their lemon cake and they should be.

Best birthday dinner in a long time. Must say it also helped that the weather cooperated in way it hasn't in the past few years.

Planning a Birthday Treat Myself Day Today

Someone I know saw the movie Red for their birthday because they thought they were getting old. They aren't - I am. And amazingly enough it's still around, at least for a 10:00 am show.

I'm collecting all the free food on your birthday coupons and will probably go to Schlotzsky's.

Have a couple of nice deals I could get at the mall. But who wants to go to the mall a few days before Christmas? Really. So who knows what I'll do in the afternoon. Maybe I'll buy myself a present. Just looking forward to a nice break in the routine.

Tomorrow, the actual birthday, I'll be working. Have some meetings. And then the family dinner out. This year the weather is going to cooperate so we can go to someplace nice and not have to stay in the neighborhood. (It's often snowy and icy and yuk.) Maybe here.

Update: This place is good! Had the snowball cupcake. Seemed somewhat appropriate.

Connections

So, what does a room size sculpture of straws and twist ties have to do with library?

I have fun looking at modern art and hearing, reading, about what others think but never would have connected this with library. A colleague did.

As a way of looking at what we value - the things used to make this are often thrown away, but like used like this, there is value. OK, so value in the eyes of the beholder. How do we assign meaning? It is something librarians do all the time in some way. We catalog and define things, hopefully in ways others can find things. And to tie it into the new web catalog (insert commercial here) now patrons can assign their own meaning (tags and comments) to our materials.

One of the things I like about installations is the impermanence. For many of them, they can't be taken down and set up somewhere else. Someone takes the time and makes the commitment to build them and let them go. One of the comments was from a museums staff person. They are working on a database of the art. Describing it. Naming it. And how do you save this work. Just pictures?

Anyway, the artist is a full time electrician. Is he influence by the colors of wire he works with everyday? The library speaker is an IT person and her first thought was ethernet cable. What we see depends on what we know.

He created this piece after his work day was over. Nice. Anyone, everyone can have art in them. Make a commitment to taking the time.

Connections: The speaker created a list in our new catalog with things the artist recommends and a picture of his work. (i liked the other side.)

It is a very cool web catalog.

My personal opinion - loved the color. Liked sections of it but not sure if it works as a whole for me. Reminded me of the tangled mess my garden turns into in the fall.

Did love the yellow room. Another artist strung thread, yellow, orange, white, green, across a room. The effect was blurry, hypnotic, 3-D in a fascinating way. There is no picture anyone could take of it. And it will be gone in a few weeks.

Love having this museum just a few miles away. Easy to get to. So happy I've made a commitment to try to see every exhibition. Making it a commitment may sound like there is no fun or joy in it, but it's just the opposite. We, I, do have to plan it,make the commitment or it will get lost in the have-to-do things. Commitments to fun are good, too.

Holiday Spirit-ish

When I was younger, a kid, I loved the kits you could buy and do tiny detailed embroidery and beading. I still have a Christmas stocking I made from a kit when I was in 5th grade.

I was going through the stuff I have for Christmas and found this kit I bought several years ago on clearance in some nostalgia mood, I'm guessing.

I decided to actually try to do one. There are 2 of each design, and there is no way I will finish all 6. At least for this year. But, I'm doing it a few minutes at a time when I have the time.

It can be very tedious in some ways. But there is something I have always enjoyed in doing something tedious, seeing it evolve a little tiny bit at a time.

Trying not to psychoanalyze this. . . . .