Guerrilla Artist By her own words, artist Lavanna Martin stares at people. At times she refers to herself as a “Guerrilla Artist,” setting up in one of several local coffee shops in Austin, Texas. A possible subject of interest catches her attention, and she creates a quick portrait – a sketch or painting – achieving […]
Books, files, clothes, shoes: My life in the closet
It’s Saturday morning. I’m sipping coffee in the living room. Pouting. Glaring at two red chairs heaped with files and books and mail. I’m trying to will the mess away. So far, not so good. . . Nearby is an 8-pack of paper towels, a 12-pack of toilet paper, along with my sandals, my kid’s […]
How to recognize value
It’s been a lovely afternoon of wandering the flea market, enjoying the crowd and the diversity of antiques and vintage curiosities. You pick up a small silver fork and wonder why its tongs curve outward so delicately. You turn it over, note a hallmark of some sort, feel its weight in your hand, then glance […]
Shout Out to French Open 2010 Winners
It’s been a hectic week, but not too hectic for a quick shout out all the same. Here’s to five time French Open winner Rafael Nadal, who took the Grand Slam title earlier today in Paris, beating Sweden’s Robin Soderling, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Saturday’s Women’s Final saw powerhouse Australian Samantha Stosur fall to underdog, Francesca […]
Moment of silence
Last evening I wrote in the quiet. I watched a movie on cable. I read, then wrote some more. And settled slowly into a rhythm of 24 hours of silence. Strangely peaceful silence. Everything in me unwinds, finally, after a week of being on my own, in this observation of an hour of silence, and […]
“I can’t change. I am who I am.” Say what??
Do you believe you can change? Do you want to change – if not in a major way, then subtly – for instant gratification or something more enduring? Let’s see. There’s my messy kitchen. My disastrous closets. Oh yes, I can think of a few things I’d like to change. May I borrow from the classics […]
Home Alone
It is a long weekend in the States. A holiday. Memorial Day. For some, it is a day spent in realization of this occasion. But for most, this weekend announces the arrival of summer vacations, of travel, of family time. Carefree or carefully constructed schedules. A break in routine. A break, of any sort. And […]
Going the distance
Ground to cover Yesterday blurs over in my mind already; so much ground was covered. From one part of the city to another, like a yo-yo, to and from the house. Eventually, to the airport at some distance away. The hours marched along as they had to, simultaneously swift and sluggish: laundry, errands, packing, more […]
Would you dare to quit your job?
A particular news item caught my eye early today: As the job market begins to loosen up, human resource managers might increasingly be surprised by an announcement from employees they haven’t heard in a while: “I quit.” Catchy quote, isn’t it? And hopeful. It appeared in The Wall Street Journal, as reported on Yahoo Finance. […]
French Open 2010 Wardrobe Mishaps – Already?
The net was abuzz yesterday with Venus Williams’ wardrobe mishaps during French Open early round play. Tennis views or tennis news? Now come on. It’s hard not to notice a great player, an unusual outfit, and a little slip here or there. But the fact is, Venus Williams and the women at the French Open […]