Sunday, June 20, 2010

And So I Fed The Seagulls


I have never fed the seagulls before, always avoiding these birds sweeping too close, choosing instead to enjoy them from the distance, but yesterday? I fed the seagulls cheetos.




As I tossed the cheetoes I noticed a large bird higher above. Soaring thru the sky above, with such grace, a hawk made his way East.

The horizon is dotted with white specs. Fishermen eager and thankful for another day on the Gulf waters.


I pushed my toes thru the sand and eye the shells scattered along the water’s edge. A few months ago, at home, I wondered what to do with the shells I had collected from this beach. I had decided not to gather any more – they were part of the beauty of the beach, but at home? What to do with the. Now I know – treasure them!



I waded into the gulf waters. Clear. Green.

I thought of all you cannot see below as I bounced in the waves, as I felt the pull of the sea as another wave approached.



I felt sadness. I have only been coming to this spot for about 9 years. My husband’s family, more than 30 years. In those years, in all the enjoyment and thankfulness for those moments, there is still a natural form of apathy. A form of “taking it for granted.” That this will always be available.


But in all man’s wisdom, in the knowledge and capability of being able to tap into a resource so great, and apparently in such abundance, the wisdom to repair the damage is not being found.

And so devastation approaches. Preparations are made.


A pelican glides across the top of the water. Speed takes him to the West. I want to tell him “no, don’t go West, go the other way."
I recognize a co-worker of my husband's. We have met once before a few years ago. I stop him anyway on his walk. He is not fishing this weekend. He and his wife have brought a grandchild to play on the beach since beach times seems to be set on borrowed time. He shakes his head slightly. He believes, based on impact of the Valdez Oil Spill, once the oil arrives, there will be no fish caught in this area in the rest of his lifetime. He had spoken earlier in the day with staff at a local diner. Several will be let go in the coming weeks.

Groups of people, whose jobs have ended along the coast, walk the beach. Hired by BP, they walk looking for tar balls. Watching for signs of oil in the area and I am sure, contemplating what comes next. My mother in law and I stopped to walk through an open house at one of the condo’s built in the past couple years. It was raining, but there was an urgency with the limited staff on hand. BP has contracted long term leases on several of the available units for staff to arrive that evening. Rooms are being furnished for those that will have task in the area.


It seems that the question is not “if the oil will come” but “when the oil comes.”

Change is on hand for so many, and that change seems to be mainly unknown. How much of wildlife will be hurt, destroyed? What about the lives of those that make their home along the coast? Where will they relocate and how? What about the retirees? Will they be able to stay or will the stench and environment be too compromised?



We are scheduled to return some time during the week of July 4th . It may happen, it may not, but this past weekend we did get in some time to fish, to play, to rest, to be thankful and petition in prayer for a miracle for the Gulf Coast.


From Fancy Horse, whose town is directly impacted, they held a vigil, here is one portion of the evening. She posted other prayers too, nice for when the words just do not come.
Litany for our environment:



(Taken in part from the Litany for the Beckwith Camp and Conference Center Summer Camp [Beckwith Camp is an Episcopal camp for south Alabama, particularly Mobile and Baldwin Counties]


Officiant: Glorify God, all works of the Lord


People: Praise the Lord, now and forever.


O: In heaven beyond us, and this place by the bay,


P: Praise the Lord, now and forever.


O: In peace, let us pray for the Spirit of the Lord to renew the earth and the seas and all of God's creation.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For the Gulf of Mexico and all it touches, including Mobile Bay, Bon Secour Bay, Weeks Bay, and the contiguous rivers, tributaries, and wetlands, that they may be kept as pure as you created them.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For all who work on the waters that they be safe from harm; for all who have been injured, for all who have died, and for all who mourn.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For all who support their families and communities from the harvest of the waters.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For all who live along these waters and all who provide places of recreation for others.


P: Lord, hear our prayers.


O: For all who explore the earth, the sea, and under the sea for the natural resources of your creation for the good of all.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For your forgiveness for our greed in using more than we need of the resoures of your making, and for all the ways our greed has hurt your creation.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For all creatures of your making and for the natural habitants you have willed for them, that they be protected from all dangers.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For the governments of our nation, states, and communities, that they may serve your will for the good of everyone.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For all who are working now to remedy the Gulf oil spill, including BP, the Coast Guard, other national, state, and local agencies, and the volunteers, that they may be blessed with safety and success.


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For deliverance from fear, anxiety, and anger,


P: Lord, hear our prayer.


O: For your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,


P: Lord, hear our prayer.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Not Just A City Of Brotherly Love

...But also the Mural Capital of the World. Yup, the whole world.

As we started traveling around the city, it seemed like everywhere we went, there were walls covered with murals.What better way to see them but by tour! The tour only offers a section of the city per tour, wanna know why?

Well, it is the Mural Capital of the World!! Ok, just playing with you some, but that is why. There are over 3000 indoor and outdoor murals throughout Philly.
(Indoor mural - made completely of Tiffany Glass)
The tour they offered the day we could go was the Broad Street tour. It covered, if I have my bearings right, Center City and South Philly. We saw sections I would not have felt very comfortable going to on our own, but what a great way to see more of Philly and get the stories behind the art.

The project began in 1984 as a part of an anti-graffiti initiative. This program approached the graffiti artist and provided an outlet for them to turn their art into something positive rather than the negative aspects of graffiti.

As The Man and I listened, I was amazed how, on many of the streets we traveled, the murals overshadowed the gloom of the neighborhoods. There would be a block after block of slums, and then a wonderful mural depicting a message of hope or success or paying tribute. Old architecture, painted expressions in bright colors and the wear and tear of time.

The cost and time dedicated to the project is amazing. Some murals took years just to get approved. Neighbors have to agree to what will be painted, money raised, volunteers gathered.

I loved the colors in this one:

This one hovers over a spot of land that once held a green space, a community garden I believe. It was bought and turned into a parking lot – gee, that makes a song come to mind! The guide commented on the colors, having us note the grey background, representing the pavement. The cost of this mural was between $18,000-$20,000. The investment being made by this organization to add beauty to the city and also tell its stories is amazing.


Several added layers and extended away from the building it was painted on…


These murals, side by side buildings represent two opposing sides – victims and those that perpetrated the crime against them.

The goal had originally been to bring the sides to some kind of reconciliation and have one mural, but with so many emotions and expectations, that was not possible.
  


Many of the murals contain the faces of those that lived or worked in the neighborhood.




The young lady in the middle is now a 24 year old college student…

Along the way there was one little shop that we were unable to get a picture of. Now covered with a mural of a beautiful Japanese Garden, the store at one time was an ice cream shop. The owner wanted the Organization to add a mural, and she wanted an ice cream cone. The neighboring residents were adamant – they did not want an ice cream mural. The shop owner had attempted many times to paint her own mural, but each time the neighbors would come out and throw rocks at her. After selling the building, the new owner and neighbors agreed to have a garden painted, and have named it the “Japanese Rock Garden” for the times that rocks had been thrown over the issue.

If we get a chance to go back to Philly to visit Traveler, I hope to go on another tour. One of the Northern section of the city, to hear the stories behind those scenes. And if YOU get to be in the area in the Fall, the Mural group has a planned an interactive public art installation on the Schuylkill River. There will be orbs of light lining the river walk way and scatted on the water, that will change colors “transforming the river into a flickering constellation of colored lights.” Might be fun to see.


Saturday, June 12, 2010

Not Just A City Of Brotherly Love

But also the Mural Capital of the World. Yup, the whole world.

As we started traveling around the city, it seemed like everywhere we went, there were walls covered with murals.

What better way to see them but by tour! The tour only offers a section of the city per tour, wanna know why?

Well, it is the Mural Capital of the World!! Ok, just playing with you some, but that is why. There are over 3000 indoor and outdoor murals throughout Philly.

The tour they offered the day we could go was the Broad Street tour. It covered, if I have my bearings right, Center City and South Philly. We saw sections I would not have felt very comfortable going to on our own, but what a great way to see more of Philly and get the stories behind the art.

The project began in 1984 as a part of an anti-graffiti initiative. This program approached the graffiti artist and provided an outlet for them to turn their art into something positive rather than the negative aspects of graffiti.

As The Man and I listened, I was amazed how, on many of the streets we traveled, the murals overshadowed the gloom of the neighborhoods. There would be a block after block of slums, and then a wonderful mural depicting a message of hope or success or paying tribute. Old architecture, painted expressions in bright colors and the wear and tear of time.

The cost and time dedicated to the project is amazing. Some murals took years just to get approved. Neighbors have to agree to what will be painted, money raised, volunteers gathered.

I loved the colors in this one:

This one hovers over a spot of land that once held a green space, a community garden I believe. It was bought and turned into a parking lot – gee, that makes a song come to mind! The guide commented on the colors, having us note the grey background, representing the pavement. The cost of this mural was between $18,000-$20,000. The investment being made by this organization to add beauty to the city and also tell its stories is amazing.

Several added layers and extended away from the building it was painted on…

These murals, side by side buildings represent too opposing sides – victims and those that perpetrated the crime against them. The goal had originally been to bring the sides to some kind of reconciliation and have one mural, but with so many emotions and expectations, that was not possible.

Many of the murals contain the faces of those that lived or worked in the neighborhood.

The young lady in the middle is now a 24 year old college student…


Along the way there was one little shop that we were unable to get a picture of. Now covered with a mural of a beautiful Japanese Garden, the store at one time was an ice cream shop. The owner wanted the Organization to add a mural, and she wanted an ice cream cone. The neighboring residents were adamant – they did not want an ice cream mural. The shop owner had attempted many times to paint her own mural, but each time the neighbors would come out and throw rocks at her. After selling the building, the new owner and neighbors agreed to have a garden painted, and have named it the “Japanese Rock Garden” for the times that rocks had been thrown over the issue.

If we get a chance to go back to Philly to visit Traveler, I hope to go on another tour. One of the Northern section of the city, to hear the stories behind those scenes. And if YOU get to be in the area in the Fall, the Mural group has a planned an interactive public art installation on the Schuylkill River. There will be orbs of light lining the river walk way and scatted on the water, that will change colors “transforming the river into a flickering constellation of colored lights.” Might be fun to see.

City of Brotherly Love



Summer started with a vacation/move. Have you ever incorporated a vacation into moving someone? There is much more mental work involved, especially when housing hasn’t been pre-arranged. Where Traveler stood financially, and the cost of living in a big city, renting a room was the road to take, and that is something we didn’t want to do sight unseen.

I straddled the fence as whether I would go on this journey too, or stay home – which would have left the trip to just a moving trip. In the end The Man and I joined Will and Traveler.

Two cars headed to the City of Brotherly Love. Traveler has a GPS so for part of the trip, the magic little box guided us through the unknown. I came to a conclusion about GPS’s – I can see where they could be helpful, but for me, I think I will always want a traditional map/atlas handy. I like having a better idea of where I am heading as opposed to waiting for the voice to tell me where to go next. And the word “recalculating,” well, that became a joke.

We divided the 16 hour drive between two days, arriving in Philly on Saturday night about 7:30. As we drove North on I-95 and entered the city, my breath was taken away. Not in a good way. My first impression was not a great one. It matched what I had heard many say – a dirty city. And this is where we are leaving Traveler?? Thank goodness we did not have to leave our impression to this initial view.

With a busy weekend, the hotels of choice were booked so we headed across the river to New Jersey, where after many twist and turns the GPS finally got us to our hotel.

On Sunday, Will and Traveler set out on the task of viewing rooms for rent and talking to potential landlords. The Man and I ventured to attempt some site-seeing. They took the GPS, The Man and I map and the directions we had googled to Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.

Funny how quickly we arrived across the river and in downtown Philly compared to the reverse drive the night before using GPS. But then again, we were instantly lost – seems the name of the road google gave us and how the street was labeled were two different things. Then we just drove around for awhile finally finding a road listed on direction to another site – Edgar Allen Poe’s home. We found it! But as we passed it and looked for parking, I knew I was out of my element – I was not getting out there and walking anywhere!

So we got the lay of the land in that area, realized the roads were laid out grid style, many one way streets – even numbers ran south, odd numbers north, etc. We stopped at a rite aid and purchased a city map and cute pop up tourist map. Finally some bearing. We stopped at diner around the corner and the lunch wait was rather long, they gave us directions to a diner 4 or 5 blocks away – safe to walk to, and the two of us were off.

The Man was nervous, I was amazed (ok a little nervous when I saw a pair of rather new black tennis shoes hanging from a power line, what that I heard that meant?). The old charm and architecture with the run down, unkempt, new offered much to see.
...and around the corner


We arrived at the diner – Honey’s Sit ‘n Eat. We added our name and sat outside taking in the block and the customers. It was a great mix of college students to 30 something yuppies.



It was a great brunch! The Man with his French Toast, me with my Goat Cheese Tart topped with Caramelized onions and a salad.



Why do boys quit smiling for cameras when they hit 13 or 14? As soon as the camera is down, life is good and smiles return.

Tummies full, we headed back to the parked van and trusty new maps and we find our way FINALLY, to the Magic Gardens.

With The Man more interested in art and photography recently, a building covered in mosaics, inside and out was an interesting stop.

The artist is Isaiah Zagar. As we drove up and down streets, looking for parking (parking is awful ), we saw many walls covered with colorful mosaics. The actual gallery was layer up layer of mosaic work. To quote the website “ Located at the site of Zagar's largest public mosaic installation, the Magic Gardens includes a fully mosaiced indoor gallery and a massive outdoor labyrinthine mosaic sculpture.”









After Zagar’s gallery we set out to find the site for a city Mural Tour, but the address and what we found there were not a spot for a tour to begin…so that was saved for another day. Instead we headed to catch up with Will and Traveler, check out one more room and then what turned out to be a late dinner. Oh we ate late on this trip.

It was a busy, trying, educational day, but the great thing about this day, was having The Man as navigator. He took charge of the map and guided us through our strange new surroundings and did a great job!


Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The next journey begins

I started this post several week ago when we were counting down to a departure. Traveler applied for a job in Philadelphia and received it. She had become a short timer that had overstayed her welcome. Well, at least under the circumstances with the differences of ideas. Many days over the last year I have had to remind myself that this too shall pass. Thankfully, we sometimes do not know how long until the passing or we might give up the fight sooner.


The past year has been full of days that were like picking a goody from a box of chocolates. But most of the chocolates were not that tasty. I would like to say I would not buy this box again. But I would. I know there has been much learned.

I now know there is more meaning than one to the saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I know that familiarity breeds contempt. I know that I am still immature in many ways, I still want to be liked. I have this idea of right and wrong and thought everyone had the same idea. They do not. Will has, for a year, had both children living in the same house as him. While things were not as we had hoped, we got a clearer glimpse into the lives and what home life is to them. This gave me an eyes wide open experience and questions about my two as they go through their own teen years and one day enter that time of being a young adult.

After a year of trudging along, the box of chocolates has been emptied. What will the next box hold?

I know, much to Traveler’s discomfort, wisdom has been shared, grace has been shown, and one day it will come together and she will begin pulling wonderful, tasty chocolates from her own box.

But first, reality and responsibility will pull a few punches. We helped her move, moving and finding a room to rent all in a few days time span. We have returned home and she has begun her next phase in the midst of a world of strangers, obligations and chance to see life from a different perspective. She might learn that her step-mom’s quirks are not that unique to her. Other people will probably like some level of cleanliness, their items returned and the opportunity to share their life too.

She is learning quickly. Money leaves your hands fast in a big city. New jobs do not necessarily pay weekly, let alone daily  (as waitressing did) and maybe, just maybe, dad’s right about budgeting and savings!

I think we may be grabbing at some chocolate truffles!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Pushing through the cobwebs...

Yes! I remembered my password and how to do this!

In honor of returning to blogging, this is what we saw when returning home from moving Traveler to Philadelphia:



As we continued down the highway, the clouds closed in and left a tiny hole with one small ray of sunshine. The trees filled the sky at the same time, and the photo op was gone, but what a lovely way for the day to wind down.