Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
collective tragedy
i haven’t posted about the tsunami and earthquakes in southeast asia because i haven’t really known what to say in the face of it all. having just lost a single important person in my life, i keep thinking about all those hundreds of thousands of people who are losing an important person or persons from their lives right now – the collective tragedy is monumental, and whatever shared energies exist must surely be torn through at the moment……
for me it is not only the scope of what has happened that makes it difficult to comment, but more importantly (to me in the western world) is the hypocrisy of the western response in terms of aid offerred (compared to the amount of money spent on the iraq war every day), and in terms of collective grief and media representation (when compared to 9/11). in any case – the person who blogs at stupid, beautiful lies has penned an obituary to western sorrow that i think is worth a read.
the mystery basket
one of the other things i picked up on the island was my mother’s old husquavarna sewing machine from the 70s. she bought a new sewing machine last year and since then my father has been promising to fix the old one so i could have it – which he did (with some rather nifty drilling into the flywheel). i have never before had use of a sewing machine, so that in itself is pretty stellar… but nowhere near as exciting as this sewing basket…..
this is the sewing basket my mother used when i was a small child, and for some reason it was always totally mesmerizing to me. often i was in trouble for mucking about in this basket, getting things tangled up and using the pinking shears for cutting paper (this being a big no-no). it seemed to me full of great tools of mystery…..
it is no joke that i was as excited to get this derelict basket as i was the sewing machine – some magic portal to all that is unknown to the small child’s mind….. constructing ideas as projects and making messes along the way.
work is simple
i arrived home yesterday much later than i intended owing to a quick stop back at the family home to clear up some weirdness that had arisen. i can be such a jerk sometimes.
the trip was long as i had a two sailing wait on the victoria side and then that ferry was half an hour late. i did not think i was going to make the 7:25 from langdale – but i made it to the terminal at 7:15 and so was home before 9.
when i arrived home there were two gifts waiting for me from my friend fraser (who house-sat while i was away) – a ton of split cordwood and kindling stacked up in my living room for use over the next few days, and a small hatchet for using inside the house…. much needed!
after a week of working overtime and draining myself physically, and then two weeks of emotional hammering – i am glad to be having a normal working day (though things have really piled up). work all of a sudden seems so simple and almost calming when compared to the life and death out in the world……
friends and photoblogging
i’m afraid with this new camera i might become strictly a photo-blogger – which could be preferable to the long introspective postings populating this space of late.
today i went to visit friends in victoria – people i have known for many many years – drank some wine and had intense conversation – it was amazingly good for my inner critter and i’ve decided to stay an extra day here on the island to go watch music and drink beers tomorrow night.
just when i think my life is confused as all hell, i find out that other people are struggling with the big questions too. there is solace in sharing memories and doubts – i’m super lucky to have these women in my life still after all of these years. (anna center, kyla left – me… well you know me :))
miranda is my oldest friend – though we don’t see each other much these days (like, haven’t seen each other in years) – we have known each other since i was six and she was five and her trailer moved into a lot two doors down from my parent’s house. she is a mother to four children now and also not a bad accordian player.
it was a good day in all – i’m glad i’ve given myself one more day before heading home – i am glad to be in the company of old friends……
change of scene
i think it is time for a change of scenery….
my one gift this year for christmas was a new camera which i am very pleased with. i finally have a digital camera with a zoom lens and the ability to manually adjust settings. i went for a walk today and took some pictures to test it out.
it was a grey day and i am a little bleak still which was reflected in all the photos i took.
Red Cedar 