cherryblossomfive

new ventures ...

I'm going to revisit some of the things I promised myself I would do a long time ago and I'm going to write them all down somewhere ... but I'll share a short list here, and how I plan to follow through (since that's not one of my strong suits outside of work-related projects):

(1) take more photographs and learn from my photographs. i was inspired after a trip to MDSW this year to join some flickr groups and challenge myself (chiefly with the 365 self portrait challenge because I really really dislike pictures of myself). you can follow my progress here 

(2) don't be afraid to take risks in my knitting. this past year I feel like I've made a lot of improvement in my knitting. I'm more focused, I'm not nearly as critical of myself and you know what? I'm knitting better as a result. I'd like to translate my progress with socks and lace to making a sweater. I've been eyeing this pattern  and this one maybe because I feel both lend themselves to something lovely and snuggly and that's what I've been craving in knitting and life.

In any case that's what I've been up to roughly, and for the first time in a long time I feel at peace with myself and my place in my little world. Things aren't ideal, but things are good and I'm very grateful for that.

just be polite and say something vague

I've been listening to the Hold Steady again after a bit of a break. I've been going through another sea change ... changed my diet completely, started working out more, I even went to the dentist for the first time in maybe 8 years. I love trying to peel clementines in one or two peels. I've fallen in love with zucchini and I don't even have to smother it with cheese! 

I think I'm probably going to stay this way. I like it this way. 

Oh and lest you think I haven't been knitting, I have. I can't say for sure ... but I'm pretty sure the new fearless me has even, finally, gotten into knitting socks. Maybe it's a practical consideration because my feet are always cold, but there is something really, really fun about turning that heel. It's like the final five minutes of my workout, where I'm tired but power through it! 

Here's my latest FO: 

there's a light in my life shining over me

I can't explain it, but for some reason lately I've been obsessed with Shirley Ann Lee.

If you're not familiar with her, she's a singer of amazing talent ... gospel with a rockabilly flair. There's a song she sings "There's a Light" that is both haunting ahd hopeful at the same time.

THen I stumbled across this video:

Shirley Ann Lee clip from Kyle Obriot on Vimeo.

Where a filmmaker found Ms. Lee and played a recording of her music for her .... she hadn't heard the recording in some forty years.

Stuff like this is so beautiful, and so poetic in its ability to make me feel like all things click.

friday night dancing shoes on

It's been a long week at work, and I decided that I'd spend the night in, resting and trying to get rid of the sniffles I've been walking around with for the past two weeks ... oh and I've been knitting.

But tonight I've been thinking a lot about music. In the past few days it's been my refuge - songs for being proud, thankful, frustrated (work related), confused ... it seems I've got something for every mood.

Here are five of my recent favorites, annotated:

So Far Around the Bend - The National
"I know you're a serious lady / livin off a teacup full of cherries / nobody knows where you are living"
this song makes me think old relationships, when one half tries to find out about the other through mutual friends.

Woodcat - Tunng
"I'll look for a man to turn me into a hare / Just like you did when you did what you did"
woodsy, cool, perfect for an evening walk. the images of magical thinking  and anthropomorphism really resonate with me.

Bruises - Chairlift
"hot july ain't good to me i've got pink and black and blue for you"
the quintessential summer crush song. soaring and humid at parts.

Hornets! Hornets! - The Hold Steady
 "i guess the heavy stuff ain't quite it's heaviest / by the time it gets out to suburban minneapolis"
my favorite band hands down. i saw them no fewer than six times last year and the last time i saw them was magical.

Ya Mama - The Pharcyde
"yo mama's got a pegleg with a kickstand..."
yo mama jokes are going to make a comeback in 2009. mark my words. anyway when some friends were in town, we went to national archives and were amazed that one of the signers of the declaration of independence had a pegleg. we did some wikipedia research and turns out he was a great dancer too. the pegleg jokes have not stopped since.

now!

so often i've thought that it would be great to have songs that played when we entered a room.

i have to think that this would be a great candidate. and of course it always makes me think of this clip:

so this is the new year

I've always been a fan of Julia Pot's animation ... here's to hoping 2009 is beautiful.

Wop a din din

Finn and I had a great Thanksgiving...even though I had to work and got bonked on the head which triggered a dizzy spell.

But all is right now and I'm back to that world between Thanksgiving and Christmas

they got something good of it ...

the kind of thinking i prefer to do on sunday nights

we're half awake

We've (and when I say we, I mean Finn and I) got another early start to our day. Managed to great a great breakfast, and then headed over to Whole Foods (beore it was even open!) I cleaned out my fridge (easily my least favorite activity when I'm working vampire hours, because it seems I save every bit of food which then turns into a science project in the back of my refrigerator). I am hoping all of this activity will tire me out enough that I will need a nap this afternoon so I can be rested before I have to head into work tonight at 10pm. At least so that I'm not in that fake empire kind of haze:



I also hung up some icicle lights in my front window, because yes, I love Christmas. I really really do.

I've also got a couple of ideas which I am hoping will be quick knits for presents for my brothers for Christmas.

...and it's right here next to me

Here's Finn helping me knit after we grabbed breakfast (me: a bagel, Finn: a slice of bacon) now we're planted on the couch determined to finish some mittens (okay a mitten) while we watch HBO on demand.