arty didactic

Maybe we should expand our artistic horizons a bit each week, too. What do you say? I have a mental stash of artists and works that I love, and it's always nice to look at something pretty, no? Great, let's get started with something that feels like pure summer to me, and surprised me with how much I enjoyed it, seeing as I'm not a huge fan of photography as art. But this- bright, sunny, crisp- is just right!

Quantum Blink (2012)
Isabel M. Martinez

weekly poetry

Let's fall in love a little, it is almost Valentine's Day after all!

The passionate Sheepheard to his love

Come live with mer, and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove, 

That Vallies, groves, hills and fieldes, 

Woods, or steepie mountain yeeldes.

And wee will sit upon the Rocks, 

Seeing the Sheepheards feede theyr flocks, 

By shallow Rivers, to whose falls 

Melodious byrds sing Madrigalls.

And I will make thee beds of Roses, 

And a thousand fragrant posies, 

A cap of flowers, and a kirtle, 

Imbroydred all with leaves of Mirtle.

A gowne made of the finest wool, 

Which from our pretty Lambes we pull, 

Fayre lined slippers for the cold:

With buckles of the purest gold.

A belt of straw, and Ivie buds, 

With Corall clasps and Amber studs, 

And if these pleasures may thee move, 

Come live with mee, and be my love.

The Sheepheards Swaines shall daunce and sing,

For thy delight each May-morning.

If these delights thy minde may move, 

Then live with mer, and be my love. 

-Christopher Marlowe

of the woods; of the hills; of our home

Found this mix yesterday which just happens to fit the feelings I've had lately of loving nature and craving to be surrounded and enveloped by it, removed from the human world. Really been enjoying it, hope you do too.

alexanderperchov:

of the woods; of the hills; of our home21 songs for returning to nature, for going up to the mountains, laying in the dappled sunlight, by the riverside, and dreaming of never coming back down again.                  (for sarah.)

1. move to the mountains - clock opera | 2. on nature - matisyahu | 3. turn the dirt over - sea wolf | 4. mountain laurels - rogue valley | 5. riverside - agnes obel | 6. in the hidden places - the mountain goats | 7. cliffs of moher - ann & charlie heymann | 8. under and in rocks - mimicking birds | 9. meadows - adventure | 10. rocks and water - deb talan | 11. june hymn - the decemberists | 12. mother nature’s son - the beatles | 13. wild mountain thyme - ben folds | 14. hill of our home - psapp | 15. blue ridge mountains - fleet foxes | 16. this place is a shelter - olafur arnalds | 17. pale green things - the mountain goats | 18. flowers (everybody, everywhere) - mercy bell | 19. like a mountain - timber timbre | 20. primavera - ludovico einaudi | 21. wild go - dark dark dark

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” - John Muir
                  listen | download | cover credit

musical monday

Wow. What a night. First of all, after a few brutally hot days, yesterday was nice and cool and windy. And even some little rain showers. I'm starting to gain back my strength and will to live (only slightly joking), and just in time. Daylesford has been plastered with signs for a philharmonic performance for the last month or so, and on a whim I bought a ticket. Great decision. My dad, sister and I regularly attend the San Diego Symphony, and I didn't realize just how much I missed the overwhelming beauty of live classical music until this company came to town. When the time came, I dressed up, put on a little makeup (felt strange to break out the mascara after a few months of ignoring it!), and headed out into the evening. Walked down the hill through the gardens, and thoroughly enjoyed letting the now truly strong winds play around with my hair and loose top. The concert was held in one of the churches in Daylesford (there are quite a few, I'll have to tell you about them later), and the crowd was wonderful to see. The director gifted me a program after a little chat ($2 saved is $2 earned!), and I found a pew to settle into. Can't even describe the playing, but it was exactly what I needed. The music was beautiful, the playing superb, and the wind was really picking up outside, making its own dramatic soundtrack and shaking the building. It felt so perfect to be sheltered in the church with the music while the storm raged outside. At one point the wind was so loud and wild and threatening, and the music was building to a climax, I just had to smile and try to suppress a laugh. In my grin, I caught the eye of one of the players and he smiled a big smile back. It was hilarious. At the intermission, spotted my friend Fiona, and she and I had a lovely chat. We ended up being a very international group of friends, Fiona is Scottish, and another friend of hers who joined us is from Denmark. And all of us just happened to be gathered in Daylesford together. Magical. The concert continued, and I was truly sorry when they prepared to play the last piece. But the audience was so appreciative and vocally thankful that they came back out for an encore. And my was that amazing. All this to say that I had an incredible night and felt that the music was the perfect tonic to get me back to feeling healthy. In the end, I was pushed back up the hill by the wind, waltzed a little in the moonlight, and arrived home happy and content.

And here's the program in case you want a listen. Trust me, you do. Have to send out many thanks to the Chamber Philharmonia Cologne for a flawless evening. See them if you ever get the chance!

                                                    

questo e quello

Not many this time around, just one from before I was stricken sick, and one from this afternoon, when I finally started feeling like the haze around me was dissolving. But happy memories nonetheless!

Elisa and I attempting a start at moving four cubic meters of fresh dirt into a garden bed. Girls can do hard labor, yes indeed!

Some dramatic clouds rolling in on a cool breeze this afternoon (and a beautiful Jacob's ladder), after a blistering hot day

weekly poetry

More lyric gold for you. Can you tell I'm smitten with any mention of nature in poetry? Especially pines, water and mountains. Realizing more and more that that attraction is a call to an environment I love.  For now I'll keep dreaming about it, but in the future feel free to come visit me in my pine-shaded abode!

A Mountain Revelry

To wash and rinse our souls of their age-old sorrows,
We drained a hundred jugs of wine.
A splendid night it was . . . .
In the clear moonlight we were loath to go to bed,
But at last drunkenness overtook us;
And we laid ourselves down on the empty mountain,
The earth for pillow, and the great heaven for coverlet.

-Li Po