30 Sentences: Dolores

Dolores explains the context of her 30 sentences:

“‘Transitioning’ from one house to another this past summer didn’t feel unsettling, though at times it can. As a married woman with two children, this moving around has happened five times in the past seven years.

On a stroll during a short break in Montana, I reflected on the peace and rest I was experiencing. I thought of the source of my peace and rest — God — and the connectedness of things: the hardships of life, the beauty of nature, people and relationships, the artistry of man and woman. When I choose to see the ‘wholeness’ in which God created all that is around me, I see the dance of life manifested. I can carry each day with strength that I gain from God, enjoy and take in moments that are life giving.”

30 Sentences 2016: Part 1

Back in 2013, a conversation with a friend inspired me to write a sentence a day for a month at a time. Whether or not I had a starting game plan, each sentence led to the next so that I ended up with a cohesive story approximately 30 sentences-long each time. You can check out my first sentence-a-day month (January 2013), as well as a few other examples here and here. Most of them are embarrassing but if I omit or delete things that are embarrassing, I won’t have much of a blog. Anyway, after a few of these sentence-a-day months I decided to open up the experience to others, and the result was beautiful. Regardless of things people insist getting all emo about like talent or skill, when people really care, they create something truly enriching and wonderful.

Alex

The first time I visited the Hoover Bridge, I took Noemi and some ice cream with me. On my second visit, I go alone, carrying a half-finished portrait of Mickey to prove that I’ve been there before, that I’m come in peace. I worry that the camera slung over my shoulder might say otherwise. 

But Mickey isn’t there. In fact, I don’t recognize anyone from my first visit. Feeling unsure of myself, I start asking around for Mickey. No one seems to know where she is. Or maybe they don’t like me snooping around.

“Excuse me, do you know a woman named Mickey?”
“Yeah, she moved. I remember you. You passed out ice cream last time.”

Take It to Bridge: Popsicles and Ice Cream Sandwiches

‘Come, my Father has given you his blessing. Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made. I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’

ArtSwap, Part 1

Currently on view at the Tiny Gallery

One morning a few months ago, my friend Laura and I went walking around the Silver Lake Reservoir. She was visiting from Chicago for a few days and we wanted to take advantage of the Southern California sunshine as much as possible. On our walk, we saw a painting of a car displayed in a window of a house. Laura asked me about it and I told her I thought it might be a small art gallery. I’d seen other artwork there before. The door was open so we walked in to explore. A guy sitting at a large desk popped his head up in surprise from behind a computer screen, and Laura and I suddenly realized that maybe it wasn’t a gallery at all but someone’s private office. Turns out it’s a bit of both and we got to talking to the guy behind the computer, artist Nolan Lemos. He shared that he has an ongoing project called the ArtSwap where he swaps art with anyone who is willing to do something creative in return. So far, I think all of Nolan’s art has been portraits of the swappers. The swappers include a variety of people, like a young boy who likes to draw dogs (more on that here) and a woman who creates intricate cut-out art. I was immediately interested, of course, so we exchanged information. Nolan had a little trouble getting a hold of me because of some email mishaps but we got it together in the end. I’ll let Nolan tell the rest of the story in his words as posted on Instagram earlier today:

Women and Clothes

Back when Jennifer and I co-existed in the same city … Sigh. *

I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by long-time friend and writer Jennifer Cho Salaff in her new blog series “Women and Clothes”. Because Jennifer is who she is, fashion talk isn’t just about what’s what in the latest trends. She asked questions that got me digging deep and even doing a little soul-searching. It was the first time in a while that I attempted to process intelligently about something outside of the usual, everyday preoccupations. At first, I thought I wouldn’t have much to say on the subject of clothes because I simply have NO fashion aspirations these days. I’m lucky if I’m not wearing the same thing I wore the day before, which I’d worn the day before that, which I’d … You get the picture. Thanks to Jennifer, though, I was able to reconnect to aspects of fashion that delight and inspire me. I remembered what a powerful tool fashion can be to explore everything from feminism to self-love. I also remembered that fashion for me is at its best when not taken too seriously. Funny how Jennifer first approached me for a “favor” and now I am the one feeling grateful that she’s got me excited about fashion again.

Steak Frites Pour Une

I saw Bobby Flay cook a porterhouse steak on The Tonight Show a few days ago and I’ve been carrying a hankering for a slab of beef in my back pocket ever since. I had the thought yesterday that the quiet lull on the eve of New Year’s Eve would be filled quite nicely with an old-man drink at a quiet bar or maybe a steak dinner. Or maybe both. Being that it was already 6pm by the time I thought this, it seemed like too much of a bother to flip through my contact list to find a drink/dinner companion:

Hey, up for a last-minute drink or dinner?
Sorry, already have plans!
No problem! Happy New Year! xo
You too! xo

And repeat … Nope.

I thought for a moment about putting up a Facebook status — “anyone around for impromptu drinks or dinner tonight?” — but decided against it. It would’ve been mildly embarrassing if no one responded (a few people would have passively liked the status, which would’ve been worse), awkward if someone I didn’t care for responded, and a logistical annoyance if multiple people responded and turned it into a Whole Thing.

Do You 10Q?

10Q starts today. Here is the first question … Or, more accurately, the first set of questions. I immediately started to wonder about the 2015 me that is going to read my answer when I saw this. Of course I first need to put a few minutes aside today to think about my response.

Some readers have already told me that they’ll be participating in 10Q this year. Maybe you will too?

10Q 2014

Documentation is good. Sometimes. The last two or three (or four?) years didn’t seem like they were worth reflecting on, though it’s more accurate to say that I wasn’t up to doing all the mental calisthenics required for self-reflection. Of course, the subconscious is constantly documenting and processing and analyzing and even when I think I’m giving it a rest, I can feel the reverberations from that deeper place. It’s pretty annoying.