Mountaintop

Mountaintop,
originally uploaded by nomadic patty.

i promised a shorter post - here it is. i have been playing around with a little video editing and this is one of my first mini-movies.


click on the image and you can see it larger in flickr.

On One Month of Blogging....

tomorrow marks one month since i jumped off the fence of indecision and starting blogging and i wanted to share a few impressions....

one of my initial hesitations was that i wouldn't have enough to say. so far that hasn't been an issue. in fact i usually have more to say that what i write - i just feel i need to keep it kind of short or the readers will move on.

another objection was that i would feel pressured to write something and that i would end up spending a lot more time on the computer. hmmmm....i don't feel pressured, in fact i really enjoy it.  it is true about time on the computer, though, but so far, i would say that it's worth it.

my third objection was that i might not want to share really personal stuff. well, i do still have my journal and, believe me, there are things i write in there that i wouldn't want to share with the world. so it's a matter of choosing (as many of you told me) and it's all up to me.

i tend to write as if i know who my audience is, but we never really know do we? just because someone doesn't comment doesn't mean they don't read and who knows who could be out there surfing around??   i like and dislike that element of mystery at the same time.

i love that it's a way to share my photos and express impressions and feelings. only a tiny percentage of my images ever make it to a frame, so i love that it gives me a chance to get them out of the digital archives. i also have a lot of poetry hiding down in those depths which i will very slowly dig out.

it's been such a fabulous way to not only keep in touch but to be part of a super positive and supportive community.  i miss the other friends that are not doing blogs, however. i never did get involved with facebook. am a missing a lot??

the artistic inspiration is so awesome (ok, i know that would be there even if i didn't have my own blog, but not quite the same...) every little thing that you guys put out there has the potential to inspire!

this got way longer than i intended - i hope i didn't lose too many of you! i promise the next one will be shorter. thanks for sticking with me. i love you all and appreciate every little thing that you share on your own blogs and on mine.... SERIOUSLY!!!

in closing, here is an image i was working on today - a palapa at the salton sea. which version do you like - the realistic one or the altered "painterly" one?

Palapa 1

Palapa 2

Mt. Palomar and Thanksgiving

i had the awesome privilege last week to spend a few days up on mt. palomar.  though it feels a world away from here, it is only one hour's drive.

Palomar Art Project

i can still remember....

the light through the leaves as i lay on my back looking up at the sky

the birds with their darting eyes, ever-vigilant, taking turns at the bird-feeder

empty roads and empty trails, beckoning me up and over, around and down...

crisp evening air, smoke curling from the chimney, huddled in my wearable blanket, in awe of the milky way, sliver moon and distant city lights...

as for thanksgiving, i am really blessed beyond measure, but i am especially grateful for these past 3 months - the opportunity to travel and spend quality time with family and new friends (you know who you are!) were exactly what i needed to help move beyond the major funk i found myself in after the demise of my teaching career - LOVE to you all - i am forever grateful!!!

P.S. more photos here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadicnotebook/
P.S.S.  i also updated bunches of photos on my website here:  http://www.nomadicnotebook.com/gallery.htm

Ask and Learn (Helen's Story)

High School Graduation

The Youngest Child

it's been over 12 years since my mom passed away. I found out after the fact that she had written a detailed autobiography of her early years before she died. my sister promised her that it would be typed up at some point, but she had a hard time getting to it, so the job has fallen to me.

after procrastinating for another year, i have taken on this project and am finding it strangely moving and rewarding. her presence and voice are so apparent behind the words as i write them and i am gaining a wealth of information, not only about her and her family, but about life in those days (20's and 30's).  she always had a fabulous mind for details and i can't believe some of the little things she remembered!

it saddens me that i wasn't interested enough to ask about these details while she was still alive. my questions now remain unanswered. if you are lucky enough to still have your parents, don't pass up the opportunity to ask and learn. you will both be enriched by the experience!