Renaissance Man

After a short visit to America, David was ready to return to Europe...

Tales of Fabric

The goal of the International Fiber Collaborative is to provide an opportunity for people who enjoy working with fiber arts, whether professional artists, hobbyists or students, to come together from all over the world to express their concern about the worlds extreme dependency on oil. This year’s project is called the World Reclamation Art Project (W.R.A.P.). Participants have crocheted, knitted, stitched, patched, or collaged 3 foot square fiber panels that expresses each participants concern about this topic. Simply by designing and creating these panels and participating in this project they are, in the larger picture, expressing their concern about this important subject to the rest of the world. All the panels have been sewn together to completely cover an abandoned gas station in central New York State.

Bentwood

I've worked 5, 12hr shifts this week, and by yesterday I was over tired and so sleep deprived I was barely coherent. So I had a short sleep in the morning and decided to hit the beach in the afternoon, have a walk and collect some driftwood and dried seaweed, I love the shapes they dry into and if perhaps I dont, I just soak them in water and dry them again...and add them to my arrangement! At last I could put on a sundress and sandals and slap on some suntan lotion!

Kennedy and I had a favourite beach we used to frequent in Dec, hardly anyone there, and just full of rocks and stones and driftwood in all shapes and sizes. You park on the side of the 101 and then cross the railway tracks, and meander down a pretty steep incline to a secluded area. The steep walk usually puts people off, and its one of the few beaches where dogs are allowed off leashes. I love it, and we have rarely seen more than a couple of people there at any given time.

It was late afternoon by the time I had parked, taken pictures from the highway of the coastline and of the railway tracks, and sliped and slid down the embankment. There were a few cars parked at the top so I was sure there were others with the same idea as me. However, nothing could have been further from the truth, and as much as I would have loved this to be a photo-blog, it is instead a photo-blog of the mind..all puns from here on in, are intended.

I reached the bottom pretty quickly, rounded the corner head down intent on finding my usual heartstone and some driftwood, when suddenly I noticed the man directly in front of me..had no clothes on. I looked away and walked a little further, he was lying down in a secluded spot and I thought nothing of it..until, whoaaaa..... I looked up and realized there were plenty of people down here, and... none of them had clothes on, and all were men it seemed...

'Eyes to the ground.. eyes to the ground' I muttered to myself.

This was fine and may have worked, but the freakin dog just HAD to say hello to everyone, and then of course I would have to stop and wait for her to catch up, or, horror of horror's call her and smile at said naked dog lover, all the while keeping my eyes on the horizon.
 
Then it got worse.

They all just had to bend down and pet her didn't they...which wasnt something I had bargained for at all, especially when they had their backs to me to start with. It wasn't pretty trust me.

By now I was committed to walking the full length of the beach, all the while taking pictures of the horizon, birds in the sky, stones in the sand. On I soldiered.

Senga then found an Australian sheepdog sitting at the waters edge. Great I thought, a nice diversion, not a naked anybody in sight. She ran ahead and romped and circled the dog playfully, and as I approached I noticed the dog although young, was clearly blind. I looked up for his owner, mistake number 1 (or is it 2 or 3??) A very masculine woman approached, I mean she has been body building all her life and taking testosterone on top of it all Im sure. She walked quickly down the beach towards me with a huge smile on her face..and.. no top on. I smiled, yes this was something I did everyday...
'Lovely dog' says me, thinking 'lucky lucky blind dog!'
 
'Yes' she says, 'yours too, I love scotties'
 
She is huge and towers over me. Is she too close I wonder, I move away a fraction, she moves with me. I move again, she does too. The situation suddenly seemed absolutely hilarious. She is actually coming on to me, on a nudist beach surrounded by naked gay men!
 I smiled, waved..and moved on down the beach, she waved wistfully back as the distance grew, thankfully, between us.

As I made my way up the path back to the car I couldnt help but wonder what makes people want to sunbathe naked ..together.. in public? I have no issue with nudity and I'm not a prude. I think perhaps they are wanting to expose way more of themselves than just skin. Hmm?

Little People in Pigtails

They pass my house at the same time each day, just as I'm taking the dog out for a walk at noon.

Three little Hispanic girls with pigtails pulled tight all so similar they must be siblings or cousins at least. They are holding the hands of an older woman, a grandmother I presume, one on the right of her the other two on the left each little girl holding the others hand tightly least they get separated.

They walk quickly almost at a run, little footsteps trying to match those of the older woman. They pass by, almost. One pulls back suddenly, smiling widely they giggle and chatter and point at the bouncing dog at end of her leash.

The conversation is always the same.

'Whats her name?'

'Senga'

'Senga?'

'Yes'

peals of laughter as she jumps all over them

'What sort of dog is she?'

'A scottie'

'A scottie?'

more laughter as they pet her. The older woman hurries them along.

'Bye puppy' the one with a free hand waves.

They run down the road, hand in warm hand, loving extentions of one another. One last glance thrown back across her shoulder.

She catches my eye...

Warm Ink

My drive home this evening was reflective, in a warm and fuzzy kind of way.

Warm because the night air is balmy with the first hint of real summer we have had for a long long time, tonight perhaps I wouldn't have to don my thick jacket for my nightly/early morning walking of the dog. I didn't, I walked bare armed in scrubs and sandals, I slipped the leash and let her run, hoping like hell there wasn't a cat or skunk anywhere in the vicinity!

Fuzzy because I'm tired I guess, and that makes my senses perk up, makes me suck things deep into my soul and revel in the fallout. Tonight while at work, I decided to do a 'Things at Work' picture session (which I did and will load onto my photo section a little later) The girls at work were extremely helpful in my endeavour and I was inundated with shouts of "Did you take this?' and 'What about this?' all night. We laughed at some of the notes stuck on the walls, boards and windows, which when taken out of context seem totally ridiculous, actually they are ridiculous even in context. Someone demanded I take a pic of her 'surgically enhanced made to fit scrubs' a size too small she had made a neat little incision in the rear waistband..we laughed some more! And i snapped away happily.

I was deeply focusing on taking a macro shot at an 'unusual' angle of a toco-transducer, I was lying awkwardly across a labour bed, when I became acutely aware of someone standing behind me, someone who wasn't wearing scrubs! A bleary eyed dad had shuffled down the corridor and was watching me curiously.

'Are you an artist, or do you just have a new camera?' he enquired politely.

'Umm..neither' I managed to mutter.

He just chuckled and disappeared back into his wife's room. He reappeared a moment later armed with two notebooks, one was a journal his wife had kept from the moment she found out she was pregnant and which he had illustrated, the other was a personal sketchbook of his, filled from cover to cover with the most expressive ink drawings.

He handed the books to me pulled up a chair and watched my face intently as I began to leaf through this very tangible, very personal record of love. Love for his wife, his unborn baby, his dog, his surfboard. As each page turned I quietened, and just absorbed the emotion that had flowed from this man's hands and into the ink sketches before me. From tiny embryo surrounded with a sea of hearts, to a dad floating in a bath of angel filled water, collected straight from heaven, the stories unfolded clearly and lovingly, and were deeply personal. He allowed me to take some pictures.

We were silent, there was nothing to add. He had in a few minutes shared a huge part of his heart and I wasn't quite sure how to respond. He sat and smiled, then tucked his pen behind his ear his notebooks under his arm and with a slight nod of acknowledgement, went back to bed.

all sketches are by Mark McClychok

Safe ~ Picture perfect

The calming sense of touch

slows the scene until order

graces our world.

Remarkable storied hands

making us feel safe once more.

Undone

What doesn't change

is the memory of warmth

a soft trail of suggestion

in absent-mindedly trailing

a hand across your arm

Gently touching hair and further up

a scar of which I know nothing

and dare not ask

I cannot tell the difference

you see

between the dream

And the reality

its become the inter mingled

blur

of a red hummingbird's wings

The dream erupts

in my waking eye and

spreads across

My undone horizon

as I languish for those

first minutes

savouring the slight

gesture of your hand

in the half light

which may have read

future

Rosi

As most of you know Ive travelled and worked in a few countries over the past few years. I usually make friends, as we do, pretty easily, as I work in a place which is people orientated. However I usually only get close to a few in each place I live, people who become close confidants, friends who will keep in contact no matter where or what I'm doing. This is one of the reasons I started my blog in the first place..to keep in touch with all my far flung friends and family. Rosi is one of those special people in my life, the one I could call in the middle of the night kind of friend, she has truly gone out of her way to make me feel at home here even when it isnt her home town or country either. Its also an absolute first, inviting someone onto my page whom I see on a daily basis and work with as well.

She is a fabulous writer, artistic and also talks with an accent. She is from New Zealand (but we wont hold that against her)..

The Afterlife of a Fire Hydrant

Just a fun exercise with colour! See how smoothly you can 'morph' one thing to another, using only a camera and a bit of imagination...

Fragile ~Picture Perfect

F R A G I L E

Delicate,

a thin veneer

of balance hangs between

the then and now

an easy frame of emotion

shifted by the innocence of

a sunbeams bounce

partitioned only by

a gentle state of mind

Altered and easily splintered

as a frozen pond

on a frigid day

it drips

Careless words

float and shatter

a tranquil heart

unattended

leaving fragile shards

of unimagined size

or shape

to nestle quietly

and wait...

taken in vermont 7th april 2008 with my cybershot

Home

After a long drive , there and back in one day and a joyful reunion..we're home!

...oOo...

Senga

she's a terror
a joy
she's celluloid
16 mm film
burning across the screen
a match for
charlie chaplin
in her poor tramp
disguise
she's curious
a nose for every crevice
she's a childhood toy
a slinky winding its way
down the stairs
a yo-yo doing a fade
a sleeper
then rushing back to
your hands
she's a companion
warm devotion
a pair woolly slippers
she always seems to find the coldest feet
and lies over them
to push aside the frost
she's an explosion
dynamite
she blows up rubber balls
filled with explosive air
ignites laughter
in the youngest eyes
she's the end of the string
that connects you
to the energy
that is life

~KJ~ Dec 2007

Sunday Funday ~ Kids

It's your First Kiss and several questions might come to mind:
Is it the right time?
Is anyone watching?
Does your partner even want to?
Is your breath fresh?
AND, ---Should you use some tongue?
Then you say…
What the heck and Just Go for it!!!

To Vermont and Back..

As I sit on the runway listening to the roar of engines Im already worrying about the landing.

In all the years and thousands of flying miles I have under my belt, I have not had an incident that has compromised my safety, neither have I (or has anyone else) lost my luggage neither have I been delayed for more than a few hours (at most) at any airport. I always feel now that each time I make a trip Im tempting fate in some way, as though this time, surely.. IT will happen.

We had been delayed a little at LAX, the wait of course was compounded by the fact I had left home ridiculously early and now had an even more ridiculous amount of time to spend at the airport. Luckily I met Terri, who had caught the same bus as I, and was also languishing at the LAX entertainment centre. We shared multiple cups of coffee at Starbucks, multiple because I had knocked over the first cup in the ladies toilet, and had to spend a considerable amount of time on my hands and knees wiping said spill up...just great! Anyhow, we chatted and shared a brief synopsis of our lives, and Im sure when we both return to SB we will meet up again and continue where we left off.

The flight was uneventful, and I can say this with confidence as Im on solid ground once more, and the New England break was absolutely wonderful, exactly what I needed! Judie met me at the airport and before long we were speeding south along the 95, (me ogling the snow) to the sounds of Magic by Bruce Springsteen the song which will embrace every memory of this all too brief a week spent with friends..

No matter how much time we spend apart Judie and I manage to pick up just where left off. We started each day with a hefty workout in the gym, and then proceeded to eat the rest of the day, oh and we did shop. I bought some new really comfy Birkenstocks.. which Im sure you're all dying to see, and of course part of the foot fetish thingy was carried through to socks of all shapes and sizes.

We wandered through the quaint town of Northampton, walked the woods of Ascutney, ate

Ben and Jerry's (1000 calories a tub..omg) icecream... had dinner with ex colleagues now full-time friends, and had ample helpings of huggs and feel good compliments, it felt like a real homecoming. We tried on and bought Big Sunglasses and then sat on the steps and ate ice cream cones, quietly people watching in the wintery sun.

The goodbyes were brief and intense.

The last two days were spent up in Burlington, right next to Lake Champlain, the pre-seaon quiet creating a desolate mournful air. We watched the sun set over the Adirondack Mountains and rise over the water. During the day we took pictures along the waterfront, and lunched in the sun at sidewalk cafes. We inadvertently eavesdropped on other peoples conversations, bizarre and out of context conversations which made us chuckle as we made up endings embellishing the plots. We held hands like teenagers, ate too much at dinner, and languished in the hot tub as the sun set leaving elongated shadows on the bathroom wall.

Another flight.

As we rose above the early morning mist the lake spread out far below, the plane banked slowly and headed west. I leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the road ribboning through the hills far below, moving slowly away from the water.

I spotted a car in the distance.

and wondered perchance

if it were you...

Unforgettable

'We are not born all at once
but by bits.
The body first
and then the spirit....'

Death is similar
but not the same
you see,
for when the body goes
the spirit stays
and
mingles with memories
forever.

You are Unforgettable to us my boy....

Happy Birthday

Mini-Vacation

I fly to Vermont tomorrow, via New Jersey (please please don't let it snow on the runway) just in time for Mud Season!

I am going to party hearty with all the friends and colleagues I met and worked with when I first arrived in the States. They have arranged a pretty busy schedule it seems, and I may need a holiday when I return.

I will be away for a week...

Fresh Produce

For me the one thing I really do love about my job, is that I get to think on my feet fairly often, and I love the rush of that, and It is certainly what keeps me doing what I do. There is a really small percentage of pregnancies and births which become high risk or life threatening, but we never forget that in each case there is the potential for things to go wrong, and when they do they often go horribly wrong. The Childbirth Centre is really small, so when things are quiet we run on skeleton staff, with one in and two on call.

Last night I was alone as we had no patients, and so most of the early evening was spent tidying up and doing a few routine chores. I was just settling down to watch a movie when I heard the noise, a labouring woman being wheeled down the corridor at high speed panting and wailing with each contraction. It happens as quickly as that, from 0 to 100 in less than 5 seconds! As she climbed out of the wheelchair I realized she was shorter than me, I'm not that tall..(5'3 on a tall day) I asked her how big her previous baby was, 9lb 9oz she managed to mutter, so I thought we were pretty safe. I examined her quickly and found she was already 9cm dilated, but the head was still a bit high, so I made a quick dash to the office and called her OB, at this point I didn't even know her name! Ran back and literally just had time to put my gloves on, as this babe was waiting for no one. The head crowned really really slowly, the alarm bells in my head were sounding loudly by now..this baby's head was huge, the cheeks were chubby and the neck wasn't even visible. I resisted all urges to pull or panic and allowed the neck to extend naturally, it seemed to take forever! I wait. 3 minutes later and the baby decided which way it wanted to turn, and that's when the real disaster is possible, this baby was huge, I had witnessed every sign of a potential shoulder dystocia up to this point and I honestly had no guarantee that those shoulders would fit comfortably under the pubic bone. Still no doctor in sight, my on call person was on her way.

The dad in all his excitement and high anxiety (they are Brazilian), was a great help!! When I suggested repositioning the mom, he was incredibly helpful and followed instructions perfectly. Needless to say the shoulders were tight, and I could feel the strain in my own arms as I corkscrewed this baby out, first the top shoulder, and then the bottom one, the fit was so tight that once the shoulders were out, I put both hands under the arms and continued the gentle but firm tugging until his toes were visible! It was boy, all crumpled but vigourous...he was out!

It was only as I plopped him on his mothers belly that I realized how huge he really was, emotion welled as relief washed over me, and this jubilant dad flung his arms about my neck and wept openly.

The Doctor arrived...

He weighed in with a bruised nose, at a grand total of 10lb 10oz (4810g)