(#152/365) Offerings

"When the mind is full of memories and preoccupied with the future,
it misses the freshness of the present moment. In this way,
we fail to recognize the luminous simplicity of our mind,
that is always present behind the veils of thought"
- Matthieu Ricard


Title: Nooksack River -
Flickr User Llou 410

omg - it's full of awesome!

2001: A Space Odyssey? no silly - my weekend!

FRIDAY:

- a delicious romantic handholdy dinner date with Dave at Osteria, an amazing small italian restaurant in Palo Alto. Best way to start ANY weekend

SATURDAY:

- The Aerogarden sprouted Basilage!
- a burst of exciting writing on the new novel (The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Getting Over Yourself)
- a fun get together with our friends Shaun and Jeff at the Fish Market in San Mateo

SUNDAY:

- an amazing 33 mile bike ride across the Dumbarton Bridge and around the salt ponds and hills of Coyote Hills Regional Park and back to Palo Alto (pictures and commentary here)
- The google-ionaire in our neighborhood threw herself a gigantic thirty fifth birthday bash - with a catered dinner for several hundred people, a Sting covered band named "Stung" - and an 18-hole miniature golf course. She invited the whole neighborhood so - who are we to say no? Many champagne cocktails and delicious bite size horsdevours later - we rocked the minigolf course. We deemed the team of neighbors (Dave, Myself, Karen and Marcel) "The Lushes".
(pictured right) It was awesome.

MONDAY:

- I got up at normal work time before remembering it was NOT a work day - so Miss Kate and I went out on an extended sunshiny walk in the park - so many sniffs so little time!
- a great conference call with a new collaborative design partner in Dallas - and I'm very excited to see where that goes!
- another amazing morning of writing
- I filmed a great Bob's Kitchen Episode, #27 Moonblush Tomato Quinoa Salad!
- It was off to an afternoon BBQ with the The Shannons and Co - and too much food!
- a great piano lesson with Alita (next week? PEDALS!)

I mean, honestly - it could not have been a cooler, more fabulous weekend - - we packed lots in - and had a great time. Dave and I loved seeing so many friends - and getting in so much variety. When i was bicycling Dave was out on his motorbike enjoying the highway - and he got some great square dancing in with friends while I was hunkered down in my study writing on the novel. It's so lovely to have an adult relationship where diverse interests are not only encouraged - but 100% fully supported. I love my guy!

Sing Birds

In the research I am doing for the new novel - I fell upon the treasure that is the documentary "Sing Birds" about the remerging culture of the Cahuilla nation of southern California. It is by Idyllwild documentary filmmaker Sean Owen.

Sometimes languages and stories are expressed so uniquely that they require their own ceremony. Idyllwild filmmaker Sean Owen directed the Opening Night film, Sing Birds: Following the Paths of Cahuilla Power, to capture the role of bird songs as a local custom.

Owen was drawn to the ceremonies after Gerald Clarke, the subject of his last film, Borderlands, invited him to attend a night of bird songs. For three years afterwards, local tribal bands allowed Owen to witness their traditions, including Robert Levi, who passed away during the first year of production, and elders Alvino Siva and Anthony Andreas, who died shortly after the film's Idyllwild premiere.

Owen realized the importance of elders sharing this way of life with younger generations. "For me, this appeared to be a very strong moment in Cahuilla culture. I know it's a cliché, but it was really a journey," said Owen. "The film started as one idea, and the people and the songs changed it to what it is."

It's fascinating..... here is the trailer of the film:

If this interests you - the entire 50-minute documentary is available to watch online at
http://nospecialability.com/trailers.htm