Citizen Beta

I have a few “cityscape” images I want to get up on Citizen Beta. I have not posted as many at this point as I thought I would. But, tonight instead I am sharing some “regionscapes.” This past weekend we drove north for a hike and I took a lot of pictures. Mostly from the car. As we were driving, then walking, then driving again, I thought about why I live here. On Friday evening we took a friends daughter out to eat: she just started college, having moved here from Rhode Island to go to school. We asked her how she likes this city, this state and she was more than enthusiastic. She loves it here and I breathed a sigh of relief. I am always nervous everyone will hate this place I have called home most of my life and I am not sure why. I am conflicted: there is part of me yearning to move on, move away. But, I am also very tied to this landscape, this town.

When we lived in Seattle and were trying to decide whether or not to move back here, D told me “When I close my eyes, I see that landscape.” For me that sealed the deal. He was homesick and this is home.

On our hike, the sky was perfect, the air was so sweet smelling, the leaves were crispy. There were slick black rocks, sheared at odd angles, sparkling in the sun. We walked along a noisy stream. We looked up to see people scaling cliffs. Everyone we passed on the trail had a quick and easy smile.

After we got home I quickly downloaded my pictures from the day, mostly because I knew I got some cute ones of the kids. But, as I looked through them they felt like a confirmation. This is a land of beauty. Sometimes it takes a special eye to see it (that is what the cityscape entries are all about for me, too). Anyway…here are a few of my favorites from that little journey.

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It happens sometimes that I find myself without a book to read. Sure I could finish up one of the half-read works of non-fiction gathering dust (The Great Transformation I am talking to you!) and I do get a few more chapters of those read here and there. But, without some fiction or a really engaging piece of non-fiction to delve into I start to feel all panicky—what I am supposed to do before I go to asleep? As I am putting A down for her nap? When the girls are quietly playing and amusing themselves? Inevitably I return to an old favorite to re-read.

A week or so ago I found myself in just this predicament. Books I considered re-reading included: Weaveworld by Clive Barker (because this book is so much fun even after several reads), Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (either that or Jane Eyre), or anything by Franz Kafka. What I did settle on was Geek Love by Katherine Dunn because this is one of the best books ever. Seriously. Geek Love is so sad and so creepy and lovely and I am always surprised by the way it turns out even though I have read it probably like five times. It is one of my most worn out books. After that I read Dunn’s Truck which is good but more difficult as far as narration. It doesn’t transport me the way Geek Love does. I don’t own a copy of Attic or I would read that one next. I did read it many years ago and enjoyed it.

While I was reading Dunn’s novels a few books I had ordered from some used booksellers arrived. And now some review books (with a deadline at least every two weeks until the end of December) are trickling in as well.

As for the books I got on my own, the first one I have finished is The Mistress of the Art of Death which is sort of a medieval CSI. Crime or forensic novels are not my first choice and I don’t usually like historical fiction either but this one sounded intriguing. A trained doctor from Salerno (who happens to be a woman) is sent by the King of Sicily to England, along with a Jewish detective, to help solve the mystery of the serial killings of local children. All this takes place in the 12^th century: there are some historic anachronisms that bugged me but despite the too-tidy ending and romantic sub-plot, it was a fun read.

 Tomorrow I will, hopefully, be able to link to some actual reviews. In the meantime you read all about my fat baby at Dotmoms.  And, enjoy some local Autumn colors.

I entered a writing contest at Moonlight Ambulette on a whim. I didn’t win. But, I tried. And, it was fun. Check out the winning story and some of the other entries.   Mine is posted as well.

I like the texture of the pole here with the paint.  Click to enlarge for a better view.

When I was in high school my aunt had a hot air balloon. I was expected, fall weekends, to get up and help crew. In other words, I had to pull myself out of my hung-over stupor and get dressed in warm, bulky cloths and drive around in the back of a pick-up truck waiting for the balloon to touch down in a dusty mesa full of goat heads and help catch the balloon as it landed and pack the thing up and then watch as tourists got “pinned” which usually involved someone sticking their hands down their shirts or pants then dumping champagne on their heads. I hated every minute of it. Consequently, I never took a balloon ride. Even though it was magnificent or whatever and people pay lots of money to do it and I could do it for free. Even though I earned it, I never took a ride. I do remember getting into a fist fight with my sister one morning. I think she hated it too and I believe she also declined all offers for rides.

My aunt eventually sold the balloon and the shiny balloon crew jackets we all have are just souvenirs now, of that time, about 20 years ago.

Early October here means the International Balloon Fiesta. Because of the above trauma, I have always resented the Fiesta. 700 or so balloons and their crews come from all over the world (it is the largest ballooning event in the world) to clog up morning traffic and the noisy balloons fly over your house early in the morning making all the neighborhood dogs frantic. The only times I really enjoyed the Fiesta was the four years I waited tables at a local 50’s diner: it is located on Route 66 and is in all the tour guides and people would stand in line for strong coffee and huevos rancheros. I would make so much money.

Last year L was pretty excited about the balloons. So we made lots of balloon crafts and read lots of balloon books. One morning I told her we could go on a balloon hunt: this was my way of trying to get her closer to the balloons without waking up super early, taking a shuttle to the balloon field and mingling with the out-of-town masses. We got in the car and just started heading to the north part of town where the balloons were huddled in the sky, waiting to be blown in one direction or another. We saw one touching down and pulled into a parking lot to watch from the car and I have to admit, it was cool, because L thought it was cool.

Here it is early October again. Every morning I have seen hundreds of balloons in the sky. Last weekend, early on Sunday morning L and I went grocery shopping. On the way home we could see several balloons flying low over our neighborhood and we started following one down side streets. As we came up to a park, it settled down between the trees and electrical wires and landed. A crowd gathered and L and I watched from the car. She thought it was amazing. It was. I told her we could go on a balloon hunt again this year and we planned it for today.

We left the house a little after eight this morning. We could see so many balloons in the distance, their colors vague against the light blue sky. I needed coffee and so we lost sight of them as I tried to find the nearest drive through. Finally with a warm (and very large) coffee in hand we headed north and a little west, aiming for where we could see the majority of the silky creatures hovering. Soon, they were above us, all around us and many were starting to come down (balloon rides generally being short affairs). I was watching one getting lower and lower and saw that it was heading for a tiny mesa (just an empty lot really) and I turned in that direction. A large crowd was gathering, fellow balloon hunters, and the trucks of several chase crews pulled in, kicking up dust. I could tell quite a few balloons were heading for this spot. As we got out of the car, L trying to run ahead, me juggling the baby and the camera and the car keys, two balloons quickly touched down. As we took a spot in the crowd a third headed our way. We had found a prime balloon hunting locale.

A, who had been fussy in the car, grew silent and content, her eyes feasting on the bright colors and tremendous bodies of the balloons. L was yelling, “it is so big, SO BIG” as one gondola skiddered to a halt, balloon bouncing and trembling above it. We watched a few more land and the crews hold tight to the tow ropes, steadying the gondolas, feet finding purchase in the slippery sand. The balloons came down and slowly deflated, tumbling to their sides, spilling their human occupants. Then, with effort, the silks were were rolled up and put away into the backs of pick-up trucks, everyone driving off to find hot coffee and nicely cooked eggs with requisite green chile.

As we watched all this L kept trilling “this gives me goosebumps.” She was beside herself with the excitement and beauty, not to mention the thrill of the hunt. I have to say, perhaps for the first time in my life, I really saw the wonder of those delicate and powerful flying contraptions. I saw through her eyes the whimsical meeting of art and science. I cannot wait for Balloon Hunt 2008.

I created a page (see right hand sidebar) with pictures from this morning: I still have more to add. I wish I could’ve done the experience more justice…but, it was really not about the balloons. It was really about sharing something magical with my girls.

Here are some images our second annual Balloon Hunt. This year we followed the balloons until we found a little mesa in the city where we watched about 8 or so balloons land.  It was a perfect morning…look how wonderfully blue the sky was!

Click on any of these images for better clarity.

Last Friday night in the neighborhood.

When I see a movie based on a book I try to remember that it was indeed based on a book. The two mediums are so vastly different in time and space and so a movie and a book, even telling the exact same story, are quite different animals. I am curious to see this and this, new movies based on some books that I like a lot.

Some of my favorite film adaptations, off the top of my head: “The World According to Garp,” “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy,” “Morvern Callar,”

…I am too sleepy to think of more…help me out; are there any movies-from-books you particularly liked or disliked?

It was bound to happen, even though I rid the house of most of the dreadful plastic toys, toys with suspicious paint, toys made in China…it was bound to happen: in looking at the latest toys recalled I saw one that we have, one that may well have been in the mouth of my baby even as I read about levels of toxic lead paint. Oh! Shit! Okay. Take a deep breath. The ones we have are from a different lot. Still, I think they will be leaving the house anyway. It is not really something A ever played with and was a gift from some friend of my moms.

About a week or so ago I sent family members the following email about toy recalls hoping that we could avoid getting cheap and yucky things flooding into our house this winter. D and I have tried to avoid plasticky, character based, China made, stuff to begin with but now I have a (tragic) excuse to only buy cool wooden toys from “natural” toy companies.

“As we get closer to the winter holidays (and Adina’s birthday) we are growing more and more concerned with all the recent toy recalls. In the past six months there have been tens of thousands of children’s toys recalled, mostly due to lead paint. For that reason this year we have decided that we will no longer give our children plastic painted toys or any toys manufactured in China (most of the recalled toys were painted plastics from China). It is hard to keep track of what toys are being recalled: trusted brands such as Mattel and Thomas the Tank Engine have been at the center of the recalls and items from popular stores such as Target and Wal-Mart have been recalled as well. Because of this we are only going to allowing certain types of new toys to come into our home such as wooden or soft toys or books or clothing that does not come from China (children’s pajamas made in China were found to have toxic levels of formaldehyde).

I doubt we are the only parents taking these drastic measures and so we wanted to provide some information to friends and family that may be shopping for young children this holiday season.

Below you will find links to stories about the numerous recent recalls as well as links to toy companies who sell safe products.

Honestly, we won’t miss the plastic! It breaks easily and can be hard to keep clean. Plus, our girls prefer books and simple wooden toys anyway.

All our best…”

“More than 600,000 Toys Recalled”

 “Mattel Issues Massive New Toy Recall”

 “As More Toys are Recalled, Trail Ends in China”

“Thomas Tank Engine Recall”

Companies selling safer toys:

Nova Naturals Toys and Crafts

Oompa Toys (carries Haba Toys and others)

Brio Wooden Toys

I am sure you were waiting anxiously to read what books I’ve had my grubby mitts on lately.

Kockroach by Troy Knox. I was very excited about this because I understood it to be a spin on Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” and I just loves me some Franz Kafka! Knox’s premise is Kafka-esque: a cockroach wakes up in a fleabag motel as a human. But, that is where the similarities end. While Kafka was exploring his dismal relationship with his father and feelings of inadequacies, Knox’s tale is about morals and loyalty and the American Dream or at least, that is how I read it. To tell the truth, it was good as I read it but has started to fade from memory already. I put it on my book shelf but I think I will probably just end up passing this one along or selling it for bookstore credit.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. I was super excited to read this book. It has been out for a while and on my wishlist since I started reading about it. It was a top book in the New York Times Book Review and having just finished it this morning all I can say is, what the hell? Did these people actually read it? It started out as a bad rip-off of The Secret History and also reminded me of another book about an unhealthy student-teacher relationship whose title I cannot remember (Moonlight something? Lake something?) and then ended up with a predictable twisty ending. Maybe the ending was fabulous but honestly, I was just skimming it by the end because it was boring and pseudo-literate and overly ambitious. That being said, I am confident Pessl’s second book will be worth reading. Back to the used book store with you!

I did fall in love with a book recently and it is one I am being paid to review so won’t discuss it too much here. Bernice Eisenstein’s memoir I Was A Child of Holocaust Survivors is brilliant. And lovely. And you should read it and then read it again.

You can read my recent review of Isabella Moon here.

I am waiting for about 3 used books I ordered to come in the mail but today while at the used book store and thrift store with the girls I grabbed two books (one historical fiction which I usually don’t like too much but it can be fun sometimes and a scholarly work on Celtic Women). This afternoon I started Spook by Mary Roach and it is funny and interesting so far.

The girls are restless and our plans for this weekend are already falling through. Excuse me now, I am going to take them into the kitchen and bake cookies and try not to eat them all.