hallelujah

it's been an interesting experience

and a good week for reflecting and taking stock

a little as i imagine living in a [noisy] nunnery might be

no news of the outside whirled

even on the magic box there's no mention

of anything at all

other than the passing of one

who last week was still the object of mild amusement

but who this week is being hailed as a saint

a curious whirled indeed

but seeing as i woke up singing, i'll stick with the musical theme...

my bags are packed, i'm ready to go

and here's a selection of what i'll be humming as i do

hallelujah, 

going home

bye bye, blackbird

overheard at breakfast

"must be the German in me"

"you German, honey?"

"Russian, German, same difference"

"oh, no...there's a wall"

"not no more they ain't no wall"

"Russian women, they SCARE me....they so ANGRY"

a columbus day

if you're in Columbus Ohio make a beeline for the Wex where you'll find an extraordinarily good bookshop, some interesting exhibitions

and

a building designed to make the most of the lovely light here

it has delicious details

narrow stairs that slip between tall walls and make one feel as if one is taking a secret passage. they'd have been outlawed by the nanny-state building code in South Australia, no hand rails for a start. shock. horror.

later if you're lucky you might spot some dainty pieces of machinery

for nicely plated, fresh and delicious food [presented with outstanding service] head to the Lemongrass in the Short North. 

there was even a baby grand armed with an above-average piano player. 

i leaned back from conversation to let my ears make the most of his improvisation on Gershwin's 'Summertime'

and mused on other things

futzing about in Ohio

as you may have gathered i'm in Columbus, Ohio seeing how things are "on the other side". nope, haven't passed over [contrary to what you might think after earlier posts] but am relishing being a student in a seven-day intensive workshop led by Canadian artist Dorothy Caldwell 

it's an interesting class with some 21 participants all working in quite different ways within the broad scope of textile-based art practice 

this is a situation i haven't been in since i finished grad school in 2001. i'm thinking everyone who teaches [no matter what the field] should regularly put themselves on the receiving end... 

each day after class i wander about in the late summer evening

blue stains remind me of the blue booby

Felis catus soaking up the last of the day's solar energy

lovely Rudbeckia purpurea blooming along the sidewalk, nurtured by some thoughtful Columbus resident

and finally the fore and aft views of some of this week's gentle work

wandering to the waterside

no wonder it's quiet here

music, lust and good have all been laid to rest in the local graveyard

but there's still room for a 

ohio

Petrus kindly reminded me of this song...nothing like music from the good ole daze




and while we're at it here's another one



and just to finish up...that view looks much prettier at sunset...most things do

a last look and a fond farewell

other than my home, San Francisco is the hardest place in the whirled for me to leave. 

especially when the outlook changes from those above [note the early french influence in the tunnels above the Headlands]

to that below...

the delightful view i'm now enjoying at 2am in Columbus, Ohio

let's see what sunrise brings...

oh and in case you're wondering, 'map piece' is from 'Grapefruit' by Yoko Ono

guerilla in the jacaranda

here's one especially for that grrrl who knits

there i was quietly directing my elephant [ie normous grey wheeled trunk-like suitcase] down South First Street in San Jose when i was confronted by the sight of what appeared to be a cat-in-the-hat sock

and then it dawned on me [in the absence of the Cat] that it was another one of the guerilla knitsisters up to more public malarky

wonder how long it will last with those cute squirrels romping on it

wish my legs looked as good in stripy socks