The Boomer Muse
Surviving Whangdepootenawah
Quote de jour
"Only after disaster can we be resurrected."
~Chuck Palahniuk
Surviving whangde... what? If you're shaking your head, you're not alone. Mine is still spinning in the aftermath of the worst storm I've experienced. I believe good can come out of bad, hope trumps fear and trying times teach lessons of resilience. What did I learn from recent events? Being a never-ending student of life, I learned whangdepootenawah is the Ojibway word for disaster. I learned nature is powerful than the Internet, and home is in the heart.
In the weeks to come, I'll share more insights as repairs around the house and garden evolve. For now, I leave you with some images.
"Only after disaster can we be resurrected."
~Chuck Palahniuk
Surviving whangde... what? If you're shaking your head, you're not alone. Mine is still spinning in the aftermath of the worst storm I've experienced. I believe good can come out of bad, hope trumps fear and trying times teach lessons of resilience. What did I learn from recent events? Being a never-ending student of life, I learned whangdepootenawah is the Ojibway word for disaster. I learned nature is powerful than the Internet, and home is in the heart.
In the weeks to come, I'll share more insights as repairs around the house and garden evolve. For now, I leave you with some images.
Now you see her now you don't
Quote de jour
The wind blows hard
Among the pines
Toward the beginning
Of an endless past
Listen: you've heard everything.
Sorry to go all Zen on you but if the poem fits...
Sometimes life drops you through a rabbit hole, like now. I'm writing this on a foreign keyboard where it took me five minutes to find the enter button. Nothing is the same and since surviving the storm, I suspect nothing will ever be the same again. I can't explain. I don't mean to be mysterious but I will be off line and not blogging for the foreseeable future. My crystal ball is out of commission. Thank-you for your patience. I will not be returning phone calls or email for a few days.
Peace & Love & Light,
Layla
Cat Saturday- It's Raining Cats & Dogs!
Photo quote de jour
A Nor'Easter is blowing through town, so I guess the winds of change are here. It's Saturday, and what's a cat to do but snuggle deeper under the covers. Merlin is going out every day but Coco is becoming more and more reclusive. Her failing vision makes her more cantankerous and fearful than ever. I feel all elderly cats, like elderly humans, need stimulation though to keep their faculties.
If I didn't carry her downstairs or outside, I doubt she'd venture from bed. Once outside, she perks up, but it's a fine balancing act of nudging her while honoring her capabilities. Here she is enjoying the sun with her little corgi legs.
Domino sunbathed in a sheltered spot this week and felt like his old self. It was even warm enough for him to go on an adventure for a few hours. For a feral, he's gotten increasingly fussy about food and cries until he gets what he wants. What he doesn't know is a spring diet is on the menu. Rotund is his middle name.
Link of the Week
I figured somebody would have it's rainingcatsanddogs.com and sure enough there is. They have an amazing selection of products and they help SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER OR RESCUE GROUP. If you work with or support a special dog or cat rescue group or shelter, they donate 10% of any sale generated by a Promo Code assigned to that rescue. All you have to do is contact them for the Promo Code and get your friends and family to shop at www.rainingcatsanddogs.com! They do the rest and your rescue receives monthly checks from them.
Do you know of any cat related website that should be a Link of the week? Let me know http://www.laylamorganwilde.com/
Have a happy St. Patrick's Day!
A Nor'Easter is blowing through town, so I guess the winds of change are here. It's Saturday, and what's a cat to do but snuggle deeper under the covers. Merlin is going out every day but Coco is becoming more and more reclusive. Her failing vision makes her more cantankerous and fearful than ever. I feel all elderly cats, like elderly humans, need stimulation though to keep their faculties.
If I didn't carry her downstairs or outside, I doubt she'd venture from bed. Once outside, she perks up, but it's a fine balancing act of nudging her while honoring her capabilities. Here she is enjoying the sun with her little corgi legs.
Domino sunbathed in a sheltered spot this week and felt like his old self. It was even warm enough for him to go on an adventure for a few hours. For a feral, he's gotten increasingly fussy about food and cries until he gets what he wants. What he doesn't know is a spring diet is on the menu. Rotund is his middle name.
Link of the Week
I figured somebody would have it's rainingcatsanddogs.com and sure enough there is. They have an amazing selection of products and they help SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER OR RESCUE GROUP. If you work with or support a special dog or cat rescue group or shelter, they donate 10% of any sale generated by a Promo Code assigned to that rescue. All you have to do is contact them for the Promo Code and get your friends and family to shop at www.rainingcatsanddogs.com! They do the rest and your rescue receives monthly checks from them.
Do you know of any cat related website that should be a Link of the week? Let me know http://www.laylamorganwilde.com/
Have a happy St. Patrick's Day!
Spring Brings The Winds of Change
Photo quote de jour
Yesterday, I posted a blog about gallery hopping in New York. If you didn't see it or want to to look at the quiz again, please scroll down to yesterday's entry. Before I get to the answers from the quiz, I wanted to comment on today's quote de jour. When I woke up this morning, something felt different. I could hear the wind blowing with insistence, the winds of change. I don't normally look outside the window first thing, but I did and sure enough, most of the snow had disappeared over night.
For the first time since the damaging storm, I could survey the casualties of over an acre of fallen tree limbs, branches, twigs and debris. My back ached with the thought of the cleanup involved. With my nose pressed against the window, I kept looking for signs of change. It's too soon for major budding yet. The tree bark is as ashy as a death mask. But wait, the tiny branchlets, pale and rose-tinged pulsed with life. There it was, subtle but true. Blink and you might not notice, just like the blurry scene of trees and the GW bridge (above) I'd snapped on my way into the city to gallery hop. It reminded me of a charcoal sketch and I wondered how could I change it. So I did. A little manipulation and the same scene turned impressionistic and painterly. Change is in the wind this spring. It swirls all around you, right this second. What do you want to change?
Now, to the quiz answers.
1) B It's an illuminated billboard
2) B It is original art. I use the word original loosely.
3) A They are real humans.
4) B I couldn't resist adding the caption "Diamonds are..." I shot this image through the window, amused by the refracted light 'diamonds" and the Chase bank logo of art meeting commerce.
5) A I shot the charming vignette-like Chelsea Barber Shop. One of a series.
Yesterday, I posted a blog about gallery hopping in New York. If you didn't see it or want to to look at the quiz again, please scroll down to yesterday's entry. Before I get to the answers from the quiz, I wanted to comment on today's quote de jour. When I woke up this morning, something felt different. I could hear the wind blowing with insistence, the winds of change. I don't normally look outside the window first thing, but I did and sure enough, most of the snow had disappeared over night.
For the first time since the damaging storm, I could survey the casualties of over an acre of fallen tree limbs, branches, twigs and debris. My back ached with the thought of the cleanup involved. With my nose pressed against the window, I kept looking for signs of change. It's too soon for major budding yet. The tree bark is as ashy as a death mask. But wait, the tiny branchlets, pale and rose-tinged pulsed with life. There it was, subtle but true. Blink and you might not notice, just like the blurry scene of trees and the GW bridge (above) I'd snapped on my way into the city to gallery hop. It reminded me of a charcoal sketch and I wondered how could I change it. So I did. A little manipulation and the same scene turned impressionistic and painterly. Change is in the wind this spring. It swirls all around you, right this second. What do you want to change?
Now, to the quiz answers.
1) B It's an illuminated billboard
2) B It is original art. I use the word original loosely.
3) A They are real humans.
4) B I couldn't resist adding the caption "Diamonds are..." I shot this image through the window, amused by the refracted light 'diamonds" and the Chase bank logo of art meeting commerce.
5) A I shot the charming vignette-like Chelsea Barber Shop. One of a series.
But Is It Art?
Quote de jour
"When life stomps on your soul, art reminds you that you have one."
~LMW
Spring preview week continues and boy do I have have spring fever! This video sums up what's stirring inside me. In 1913, Stravinsky's ballet Rite of Spring caused a scandal in Paris. The primitive sounds and movements depicting a pagan offering to the gods of spring caused pandemonium in the audience. All hell broke lose and the police shut the show down. Stravinsky, like many great artists was simply ahead of his time. The Rite of Spring went on to great acclaim in 1929, and by 1940 was Disneyfied in Walt Disney's animated film Fantasia. Click on the music and let's get this party started!
"When life stomps on your soul, art reminds you that you have one."
~LMW
Spring preview week continues and boy do I have have spring fever! This video sums up what's stirring inside me. In 1913, Stravinsky's ballet Rite of Spring caused a scandal in Paris. The primitive sounds and movements depicting a pagan offering to the gods of spring caused pandemonium in the audience. All hell broke lose and the police shut the show down. Stravinsky, like many great artists was simply ahead of his time. The Rite of Spring went on to great acclaim in 1929, and by 1940 was Disneyfied in Walt Disney's animated film Fantasia. Click on the music and let's get this party started!
With spring fever comes comes the stirring of creative juices. The best way I know to get the creative sap flowing, is to go gallery hopping in the city. Every Thursday, the hottest destination for art lovers and lovers of freebies, is the art gallery receptions in Chelsea from 6 pm-8 pm, located in dozens of galleries west of 10th Ave between 20th and 27th St.
They usually have complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres which is a double-edged sword. There are those who want to see art, and those who want to be seen, and those who just want free food and booze. I have to admit people-watching is half the fun. Gallery hopping brings out bohos and urban hobos, artists and art lovers, weirdos and wannabees, psychic vampires and lost souls, insiders and outsiders. Care to join me?
I was an art student in the late '70s and am still asking the question...
That question might best be answered by painter and art critic John Goodrich who has a show on at the Bowery gallery until March 27th. Some friends and I especially loved his figurative work. For me, art needs to engage, to transcend the intellect to core emotions. I may not always like a piece, but I know when my soul sings.
Good or bad art is largely subjective. An artist, in a stroke of boldness or madness, parked this sculpture on the street in front of a gallery in hopes of selling it in his "auction". I wasn't impressed with the sculpture, but would I have given it more credibility had it been plunked down in the middle of...
This gallery?
Things are often not as they appear. Let's have some fun by adding a quiz.
1) At this gallery, is the blue display:
A- Part of a video installation of this exhibit
B- An advertising billboard reflected from outside
C- Conceptual art seen from a gallery next door.
2) Is the object displayed on a wall
A- A fabric sample in a decorator showroom
B- Original art in a gallery
C- A photograph depicting art within art displayed in gallery.
I'll give you a hint. It's found in this space.
3) Are the figures viewing this painting are
A- Real gallery visitors
B- Sculptures
C- Holographic images
4) Is this image
A- Fine art photograph an art gallery
B- Photoshopped collage by Layla
C- A display from a jewelry store.
Had enough? Feel like you need a glass of champagne, or at least sit down? Okay one more...
5) Is this image
A- A snapshot taken outside a real barbershop
B- A photograph displayed with the original portraits of customers in a gallery
C- None of the above
To find out the answers, stop by here tomorrow for the finale. In the meantime, make art not war.
That question might best be answered by painter and art critic John Goodrich who has a show on at the Bowery gallery until March 27th. Some friends and I especially loved his figurative work. For me, art needs to engage, to transcend the intellect to core emotions. I may not always like a piece, but I know when my soul sings.
Good or bad art is largely subjective. An artist, in a stroke of boldness or madness, parked this sculpture on the street in front of a gallery in hopes of selling it in his "auction". I wasn't impressed with the sculpture, but would I have given it more credibility had it been plunked down in the middle of...
This gallery?
Things are often not as they appear. Let's have some fun by adding a quiz.
1) At this gallery, is the blue display:
A- Part of a video installation of this exhibit
B- An advertising billboard reflected from outside
C- Conceptual art seen from a gallery next door.
2) Is the object displayed on a wall
A- A fabric sample in a decorator showroom
B- Original art in a gallery
C- A photograph depicting art within art displayed in gallery.
A- Real gallery visitors
B- Sculptures
C- Holographic images
4) Is this image
A- Fine art photograph an art gallery
B- Photoshopped collage by Layla
C- A display from a jewelry store.
Had enough? Feel like you need a glass of champagne, or at least sit down? Okay one more...
5) Is this image
A- A snapshot taken outside a real barbershop
B- A photograph displayed with the original portraits of customers in a gallery
C- None of the above
To find out the answers, stop by here tomorrow for the finale. In the meantime, make art not war.
Will Spring Bring Frogs or Princes?
Photo quote de jour
This is the tiny stream in my garden. It flows into a tiny pond with an island large enough to hold one pine tree. In the spring, frogs emerge from their muddy slumber to sing of love and life. It takes only one day for these frozen guys to defrost and spring into life. We're not there yet, but my ears are pricked for their clarion call. In the meantime, I'm alert for opportunities for transformation. How about you? What do you want to transform this spring?
This is the tiny stream in my garden. It flows into a tiny pond with an island large enough to hold one pine tree. In the spring, frogs emerge from their muddy slumber to sing of love and life. It takes only one day for these frozen guys to defrost and spring into life. We're not there yet, but my ears are pricked for their clarion call. In the meantime, I'm alert for opportunities for transformation. How about you? What do you want to transform this spring?
Take A Hike... With Me
Photo quote de jour
scroll down for it...
I went hiking to clear my head from all the reading and writing of late. Don't say I never take you anywhere. Come along...
The trail head was blocked but that didn't stop me. The deep, granular snow made for slow trekking and I wish I'd brought my snow shoes. I found a branch for an impromptu walking stick and soldiered on fueled by fresh air and chocolate. The sight of a warm-warmed log proved to good to pass up. Sitting was good but lying down was better. Way better...
scroll down for it...
The trail head was blocked but that didn't stop me. The deep, granular snow made for slow trekking and I wish I'd brought my snow shoes. I found a branch for an impromptu walking stick and soldiered on fueled by fresh air and chocolate. The sight of a warm-warmed log proved to good to pass up. Sitting was good but lying down was better. Way better...
If you could see the endless possibilities that await you today, you might feel more inclined to try a new approach. Instead of seeing things as obstacles or impossible, take a moment to breathe, turn inward and ask inside yourself, “What do you really want?” Wait for the answer. If it comes too quickly, it’s from your head and not your heart. Obstacles are often tainted with fear and limiting thinking. When your heart and your goals are aligned, you might find that the obstacles you face dissolve into joy, and nothing is holding you back. Go on...
Mandala Mondays - Spring Preview
Photo quote de jour
As we creep towards spring, I'm aware of longer, light-filled days. There's more light to see how dirty the house is. It begs for a spring cleaning, but also for decluttering. I want to let go of things that no longer serve me. Do I really need 87 teapots? Do I need to remain tight in the bud? I want to discard more than gloves, boots and scarves. I want to feel the clean, spring air through my hair and wash away foggy brain cells. The first snow drops from last month disappeared below a snow bank. Yesterday, their delicate Q-tip heads emerged pure and intact through winter debris.
They inspired today's mandala "Spring Preview". Look around you. What is your spring preview?
To change skins, evolve into new cycles, I feel one has to learn to discard. If one changes internally, one should not continue to live with the same objects. They reflect one's mind and psyche of yesterday. I throw away what has no dynamic, living use.
~Anais NinAs we creep towards spring, I'm aware of longer, light-filled days. There's more light to see how dirty the house is. It begs for a spring cleaning, but also for decluttering. I want to let go of things that no longer serve me. Do I really need 87 teapots? Do I need to remain tight in the bud? I want to discard more than gloves, boots and scarves. I want to feel the clean, spring air through my hair and wash away foggy brain cells. The first snow drops from last month disappeared below a snow bank. Yesterday, their delicate Q-tip heads emerged pure and intact through winter debris.
What I'm Reading This Week-- March 7, 2010 - Muses and Monsters Oh My!
Quote de jour
"Reading like writing is a creative act. If readers only bring a narrow range of themselves to a book, then they'll only see their narrow range reflected in it."
~Ben Okri
What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday we were digging out of knee deep snow. Today, it's sunny with balmy mid 50's temps. I may be a reading addict but I'm not crazy. A quick spin on the keyboard and I'm so out of here.
Here's Johnny... again. Hmm, I forgot to return GQ with Johnny Depp on the cover to the library. Accident? I think not.
Nice to see women with meat on their bones like Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, but Oprah looks suspiciously slimmer. PhotoShop strikes again?
My writer brain will never be the same after reading last week's choice (scroll to to last Sunday to see pic). There aren't enough adjectives to describe the joy and wonder of Best European Fiction 2010. And, I still raving about the collection of essays by 30 brilliant writers about their muses and mentors in Mentors, Muses & Monsters. It's like a mini writer's workshop you can tuck in your bag.
In an informal survey of more than 50 editors and agents, author Cheryl Wyatt reports that 99% of them admit to only reading the first page of a submitted manuscript. If the story does not intrigue them in that first page, they won’t read on. That is true, but what happens to best selling writers who churn out a book a year? The same rules don't seem to apply.
I felt the need for some light reading and turned to chick lit writer Jane Green's latest but not greatest Dune Road. It starts strong but the multiple plot twists half way through made my head spin, which leads to skimming. Fast. For someone who reads as much as I do, it takes a lot to make me want to slow down and savor. That said, if I'd been lolling in a hammock with a mojito I may have fared better. The Asian influenced book jacket design made no stylistic sense for the theme or the setting. The title refers to a Gatsbyesque grand estate on Dune Road which is the home of one of the main characters, a reclusive writer.
Look at the beautiful book jacket of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Doesn't it draw you in? It captures the essence of this remarkable book. The jacket photo has a vintage feel but any lover of Paris knows the Luxembourg Garden replete with pea gravel and metal chairs looks the same today. In the novel, the narrative switches back and forth seamlessly between Nazi occupied Paris in 1942 and sixty years later. I've only made a dent, but I'm already entranced. The film rights are sold. I can't wait for the film and her next book. http://www.tatianaderosnay.com
"Reading like writing is a creative act. If readers only bring a narrow range of themselves to a book, then they'll only see their narrow range reflected in it."
~Ben Okri
What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday we were digging out of knee deep snow. Today, it's sunny with balmy mid 50's temps. I may be a reading addict but I'm not crazy. A quick spin on the keyboard and I'm so out of here.
Here's Johnny... again. Hmm, I forgot to return GQ with Johnny Depp on the cover to the library. Accident? I think not.
Nice to see women with meat on their bones like Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, but Oprah looks suspiciously slimmer. PhotoShop strikes again?
My writer brain will never be the same after reading last week's choice (scroll to to last Sunday to see pic). There aren't enough adjectives to describe the joy and wonder of Best European Fiction 2010. And, I still raving about the collection of essays by 30 brilliant writers about their muses and mentors in Mentors, Muses & Monsters. It's like a mini writer's workshop you can tuck in your bag.
In an informal survey of more than 50 editors and agents, author Cheryl Wyatt reports that 99% of them admit to only reading the first page of a submitted manuscript. If the story does not intrigue them in that first page, they won’t read on. That is true, but what happens to best selling writers who churn out a book a year? The same rules don't seem to apply.
I felt the need for some light reading and turned to chick lit writer Jane Green's latest but not greatest Dune Road. It starts strong but the multiple plot twists half way through made my head spin, which leads to skimming. Fast. For someone who reads as much as I do, it takes a lot to make me want to slow down and savor. That said, if I'd been lolling in a hammock with a mojito I may have fared better. The Asian influenced book jacket design made no stylistic sense for the theme or the setting. The title refers to a Gatsbyesque grand estate on Dune Road which is the home of one of the main characters, a reclusive writer.
Look at the beautiful book jacket of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Doesn't it draw you in? It captures the essence of this remarkable book. The jacket photo has a vintage feel but any lover of Paris knows the Luxembourg Garden replete with pea gravel and metal chairs looks the same today. In the novel, the narrative switches back and forth seamlessly between Nazi occupied Paris in 1942 and sixty years later. I've only made a dent, but I'm already entranced. The film rights are sold. I can't wait for the film and her next book. http://www.tatianaderosnay.com
Listen to the writer speak about her important book.
Kitty Wisdom 101 - Zen and Now
Photo quote de jour
Cats are the original Zen masters. They aren't slaves to their egos, or anything else, except maybe catnip. They know how to focus, be grounded, serene and 110% alive. Meditation comes naturally. Perhaps they also practice positive affirmations? Domino, the outdoor feral shares on the porch with a sign of the popular affirmation "All is well in my world". And so it is, for now.
News & Mews
There have been no sightings of Rambo since the storm last week. Domino is happy and far more relaxed with the warmer weather and his wounds have healed (see right eye). I always know when he's feeling better when he grooms his dirty coat to snowy white. He is so mellow, he allowed Petey the Possum to eat his dinner last night, again. It's not his destiny to be a lap cat but he is looking less feral and do I dare say it, sweet?
Merlin had a bad case of cabin fever which needed to be cooled with a toss into a snow bank. He and Coco gets regular doses of cat nip and their favorite treat Greenies http://www.greenies.com
Coco's joint stiffness has improved to almost kittenish agility thanks to a product from Petco. I don't normally endorse products but this is worth a shout-out. This blog will always be ad-free and I am not paid to promote any product or service.
Link of the Week and Cat Art of the Week is Zen http://www.zencatgallery.com
May you and your kitties enjoy and peaceful week!
Cats are the original Zen masters. They aren't slaves to their egos, or anything else, except maybe catnip. They know how to focus, be grounded, serene and 110% alive. Meditation comes naturally. Perhaps they also practice positive affirmations? Domino, the outdoor feral shares on the porch with a sign of the popular affirmation "All is well in my world". And so it is, for now.
News & Mews
There have been no sightings of Rambo since the storm last week. Domino is happy and far more relaxed with the warmer weather and his wounds have healed (see right eye). I always know when he's feeling better when he grooms his dirty coat to snowy white. He is so mellow, he allowed Petey the Possum to eat his dinner last night, again. It's not his destiny to be a lap cat but he is looking less feral and do I dare say it, sweet?
Merlin had a bad case of cabin fever which needed to be cooled with a toss into a snow bank. He and Coco gets regular doses of cat nip and their favorite treat Greenies http://www.greenies.com
Coco's joint stiffness has improved to almost kittenish agility thanks to a product from Petco. I don't normally endorse products but this is worth a shout-out. This blog will always be ad-free and I am not paid to promote any product or service.
Excel Senior Vitamin Treats for cats are a soft-moist, mouth-watering, easy to feed vitamin and mineral daily supplement formulated specifically for senior cats’ nutritional needs. Contains the right amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, Glucosamine and Taurine for increased energy and overall good health. Irresistible tuna flavor. Sure to become a favorite in your senior cat’s daily routine!
Link of the Week and Cat Art of the Week is Zen http://www.zencatgallery.com
May you and your kitties enjoy and peaceful week!