Geometry, Shadows and the Horse who visited today...

Busy day today, at midday taking Mom for her checkup (all is good :) and then shopping. We selected lots of the season's luscious fruits and veggies at the local produce market and I parked the Beetle very close to the front door at home to make unloading easier and to help keep Mom out of this dreadful heat (109 today) as it takes her awhile to make it in from the usual parking spot.

All those purchases translated to quite a reworking of storage in the refrigerator and fruit baskets. The counter looks like a farm stand. This kind of shopping almost always evolves into cleaning drawers and shelves, beginning prep work, etc., so by late late afternoon, I was ready for a quick break before beginning dinner preparations.

With an icy cold pineapple coconut spritzer, a fan at full blast and planning to check e-mail and facebook I logged onto the laptop in the living room and mindlessly put on the TV to hear what the headlines might be. This isn't a usual place for me at this time of day but scrolling through my e-mails, I heard something of interest on TV and looked up ....

Lo and behold, there "she" was, a shadow horse prancing on the open door of the armoire that holds the TV. "She" is a silly wooden child's carousel statue that I picked up a garage sale almost 2 decades ago, just after I got my mare, Sugee. "She" was bare wood and I decided to paint her with the browns, blacks and whites of Sugee's bay roan Appaloosa snowflake varnish coloring. And, of course, her little white left front "sugar foot" which is the basis for her name, Sugee -- a little girl owned her when she was very young and could not say "Sugar Foot", so it was Sugee and everyone has always called her that since.

So with the little statue, if "she" was going to live in the house and look like Sugee, well, "she" needed a mane and tail, so I trimmed some of Sugee's and made her a standup mane to match Sug's wild punk rocker look. And, back then, I loved riding bareback all around the desert in a halter, so I put just a silken rope halter on her. "She" is small, only about a foot tall but has always just been hanging around the house, here and there, a bit whimsical or a bit tucked away and, after all these years, "she" kind of blends into the background on the windowsill.

I don't ride any more and Sugee is 30 now, retired, blind yet still enjoying her golden years. But it was a sweet feeling this late afternoon to see that beautiful outline there right in front of me, like a gift of remembrance of good times, in a place and time I never expected.

How does the geometry fit in? Well, I think the sun does not normally hit this armoire door. As I said, I'm not usually looking at this door at this time of day at this time of the year, so I'm not 100% sure about that. I'm thinking the reason "she" showed up today as a dancing shadow to remind me of lovely things is because of the geometry of sunlight specific to today. I believe it struck the reflective windows on my Beetle parked at an angle "just so" not far from the living room window. And then it beamed back into the north window and passed over her to cast the lovely shadow for me onto a door standing "just so" ..... I'm going to check tomorrow and see if "she" shows up after the Beetle is moved back to its place. But I bet "she" won't and that today was just a special little message of good memories.... "just because". I like when things like this happen, those smiles that are granted like little random blessings from the universe. They sure make life fun.

The details . . .

I find myself relishing the details of my horses, all the little things that make them unique individuals. Those little parts that some might not even see. I guess it's sort of like looking at the pads on the paws of a very young puppy in wonderment, staring at the beauty with which they were designed. So many little details on such big animals and they have been with me for so many years, it's not like I've never seen them. It's just been the recent light, the weather, my mood that makes me really look. . .

I love my sweet old mare. She never fails to make me smile and to warm my heart, so affectionate, so willing to be with me. She came to me at age 11, and she was definitely not the horse I expected or dreamed of but she was right - she chose me and it was good, very good.

The old gelding too, he is pretty irresistible with his beauty, his quick connection to humans and that little devilish gleam in his eye that seems to say he'll be getting into some kind of trouble any second. And he does, but you can't help but always forgive him. He arrived at age 4, a true wild child, breathtaking in more ways than one.

She's 30, a very uniquely beautiful, slim, hard keeper and probably 90% blind now. He's 25, a beautiful chunk of more classic looks and a rebel without a cause for at least 5 minutes of every hour. Different as night and day but the best of buddies, she is mine and he is husband's but they are family really... after all these years, how could they be anything but?

I thought I'd share them with you, in case you don't have any of your own to enjoy, to relish the little things like manes and noses and tails and feet. She is Sugee, short for Sugarfoot. He is Hopscotch and lives up to the name. They have taught me so many lessons over the years. I can't imagine having missed out on that. Someone wise once said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." I could not agree more.

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Reflections on the holiday, Arizona style . . .

I know, I know..... the Holidays are past.

Well, just barely, so I hope you'll forgive me. It may be January 4th of the brand New Year but I'm still basking in the glow of the Christmas season, remembering the good times with family and friends, relishing the spirit of the season and the beauty we humans create just "because".


TRADITIONS

It's sort of a family tradition, this post-holiday relishing.... from the French-Canadian family roots. Unbelievably, those ancestors put up the tree on Christmas Eve while the children slept. That was magical but extended the holidays into January rather than celebrating in advance as most folks do these days. So I'm still in a semi-holiday state of mind for awhile longer. Old habits die hard.....

Regardless of how it's celebrated, it's a crazy time of year for most, so many duties and chores, responsibilities. But it's still a time of wonder and wonderment if you let yourself go there. Honestly, I'm pretty sure we adults are mostly altogether too tightly wound and usually forget to drink in all the little details, the small good stuff of this beautiful season.


APPRECIATING THE GOOD STUFF

Planning to try to look beyond the schedule and the hustle and bustle this year, I set out to do a little more appreciating of the small details, to get some photographs of the Holidays, Arizona style. It was fun, driving around seeking out the good stuff, enjoying the crisp cold desert nights and hiking to perfect vantage points. One of those journeys included a visit with my friend Lourie Zipf who was down here in Arizona from Colorado, visiting with family. We got together for lunch and a long visit in the funky little town of Chandler.



MANMADE & NATURAL WONDERS

Now, Chandler's claim to fame is its annual Tumbleweed Christmas Tree. Even after 29 years in Arizona, I'd never seen it. The centerpiece of their town square, it's a 53 year tradition. The volunteers begin in the fall, gathering dead tumbleweeds, painting and glittering them. After forming them into a cone and stringing with lights, if you squint your eyes, you'd swear it was glistening with that certain kind of driven snow that we don't have here in the low desert but which is common in the upper elevations and everywhere it snows appreciably. Such fun to have finally seen it and it was much more than I expected, just as nice a pine, really!


We were also lucky to have the Blue Moon appear, something that only happens every few years. It was a beauty and really lit up our cloudy desert skies making for some dramatic photos of holiday lights scenes.

MORE PHOTOS
I'm trying something new, a smilebox slideshow, so click the link below and check out the photos from my Arizona Holidays project. Tell me what you think of it - it's just a test version so the images are smallish but the slideshow seems nice otherwise.

Hope you and yours had a wonderful season and that you'll stop and take a moment to relish the details in this new year. . .

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Sunset on a Master of the Fresh Perspective: Susan Sexton 1939-2009

It's been far too long since my last post here but this one demands to be set upon the page and so it is.....


Since hearing the news that my dear friend has passed from our world on November 11th, 2009, I've been dumbstruck. Feeling like I am walking in water over my head, shedding tears and yet also trying very hard to follow the old poem's dictate: "don't weep for me". She would want it that way, no weeping, just recognizing that she is still here in the hearts of loved ones, that she lives on in the beauty of her work. I guess I'm not up to her standards just yet though because the tears just don't seem to abate so easily.

Susan was a special friend to me and, although I know she is gone, I also am very sure her spirit will live on in my heart and in the hearts of so many friends and, of course, in the hearts of her beloved family. She was the kind of person who touched deeply, who made a difference in so many ways. She was bold, assertive, smart, insightful and commanding while also kind, generous, loving and fair. Truly, her artistic sense and photographic excellence and achievement was a pinnacle which remain the goal so many of us mere mortals aspire to. And yet, she was so down to earth, a real person, without the swelled head that sometimes comes with such great talent and success.

We were not to be lifelong friends, having only a handful of years together. Mostly we lived far apart, not seeing each other, yet we remained connected. When she would visit her family in Arizona, she always made sure to reconnect and it was like we'd just left off yesterday, so comfortable, so caring, so much fun. We shared birthdays two days apart and would joke about our Libran ways. I felt enveloped by the love of a good friend whenever I was with her and that feeling, along with her warm and genuine hug, is how I will always remember her.

Beyond her great and undeniable artistic gifts, Susan was such a great lady and a wonderful friend. So sweet and gentle, strong, wise and warm, her friendship was one of those gifts in life, adding such a unique richness. I'm so thankful and honored Susan chose me as a friend. Her influence through her work, through her creative and adventurous personality and through what she shared of her beautiful loving spirit enriched me and continues to be an inspiration.

Susan and I spent many hours together this summer. She was so very alive, so happy to be healthy again after beating that first round of this illness in 2008, so ready to reinvent herself through her work once more. If you know about her life's path, you know this was nothing new to Susan and she relished the challenge and the change. She had plans for great things for her planned "real" retirement phase of life that was just beginning this year and I'm sorry we won't be privileged to see them now. She was so energized and ready to jump into new horizons before the last episode of this terrible disease. We talked of past, present and future, plans, dreams, art and vision, words and connections, actions, perspectives and deeper meanings and, of course, of family and friends. Her sweet smile was almost ever present, her wonderful laugh a welcome punctuation in the conversation and that soft hushed but powerful voice laying out loving and wise words in so many directions - to the world, to the horses, to all her people....like a tonic, having that voice wash over you with all it carried.

Susan so loved her people. I cannot think of a time we met when she did not speak lovingly and proudly of each of her children, their accomplishments, their strengths, her love for them shining brightly through. She spoke lovingly too of her grand babies and their mother, her brother and sister, nieces and nephews, her sweet cousin Beth too and her friends, oh, so many of them, far and near, from all walks of life. I cannot recall her gossiping or talking about someone in a bad light - this was just not her way, she instead would acknowledge, accept and understand that others might have burdens we just did not know about, things that might push them to make poor choices and so she would move on to the positive, always the positive.

I'm going to miss her terribly. Honestly, I do already. But I am all the richer for having known her, for having been embraced by her wonderful friendship. My prayers and thoughts go to her family and friends now - she loved them all so deeply and fully.

Susan, my darling friend, fly free and far, bask in the glow of the beautiful heavens, feast your eyes upon the beautiful horses, ride them into the sunset and across all the rainbows, delight in the glories of heaven and know that as you so deeply loved, you were loved by many.

putting on the brakes.....

... stopping on a dime, preparing to take a new direction.... Wow, it seems I'm into automotive metaphors lately. Just wanted to share this cool shot and then it got me musing on direction, motion and taking drastic steps, like putting on the brakes this strongly. There always seems to be at least a few aspects of life that could use strong brakes or at least better reining. But many times we choose the soft and gentle way to make the change. I'm not sure what is better - maybe they are both right depending on the circumstance. I've got a few direction changes coming up although my brakes won't be nearly this strong. How about you?

tail light....

..... in motion here. Swoosh! And Swish! The light was so pretty on this softly curving tail in mid-stride ..... but looking at this now, it reminds me to think about: being stuck behind tail lights, what kind of tail lights I am leaving behind for others, what type of tail lights have I been following, forgetting about tail lights and concentrating on headlights, tail lights in motion and tail lights standing still. So many facets to what at first glance seems to be such a simple and ordinary thing, tail lights. What do they make you think of?

thank you...

...thank you, thank you! Ever notice how accomplishing most things means some level of partnership? This lovely pair achieved a beautiful ride together at this dressage show, after lots and lots of work at home. I know this rider was thinking about all the hours of tedious work that had now culminated in this wonderful payoff of a lovely few minutes in harmony in front of the judge.

Life is like that. Work is like that.

So "thank you" to all my partners, to those who make my work possible and to those who help me be the best I can be in my work.

And it goes without saying to all those who do the same in my life. Know you are so very much appreciated! Thank you...

on a frosty Tucson morning....

.... a rider warms up her horse for their dressage test. We don't typically see quarter blankets and parkas here in the desert but it's been very cold for much of this winter. It's a novelty in a way, for me, a throwback to growing up back East. Regardless of chattering teeth, it was fun watching all that steamy breath of athletes exercising against a beautiful backdrop such as this sunrise.

reaching...

...forward, as far as you can, to improve, excel or meet a goal. What keeps us reaching? What stops us from reaching? What do you do to reach?

watch closely....

...and see how it's done. Don't you just wish that all of life would have a guide to show you how it's done? I do sometimes, when the choices are tough and the stakes are high. If only there were someone perfectly experienced who could just lead through that spot....

Moving on....

moving ahead, time marches on, pushing on, nothing stays static as today becomes the past once tomorrow arrives...

Today (ok, yesterday really, I'm a night owl!) was my birthday and isn't it funny how one day will make you think about life? Moving on, through the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, years, decades. Amazing how it moves so fast at times. I'm trying to catch all the good spots along the way, grabbing the people, places, things that speak to me most to savor them as time keeps rolling on. I suppose it's the best any of us can and should do in this life - - move ahead and endeavor to enjoy the good things that undoubtedly will pop up during the trip.

Here's to straight flowing beautiful lines with fabulous side benefits....

hanging out...

... this guy was just hanging out and hanging onto the screen. Amazing, this lack of fear to hang by the wispy screen, secure in the knowledge you won't be talling down 5 feet to the hard surface of the patio where you might just fall on your little lizard head. Cool little silhouette he made in his bravado... I couldn't resist watching him. I wonder what amount of bravado is just right and what is too little or too much and how does one know these things?

the harvest moon....

.... hangs full and ponderous in the sky tonight. Did you savor the harvest of this late summer and early fall season? These peaches from the mountains of Utah were divine last month. Next up, some awesome apples.... too bad there aren't cider mills in Arizona...

what takes your breath away?

... a stunning horse like this one, a sunrise, your garden, the season, a smile from a loved one? So many breathtaking possibilities in this life ....

hoo, hoo, hoo....

...do you watch, who do you look to for inspiration? Who and what is in your sites? Do you have wide angle or tunnel vision? This great horned owl was watching for his dinner, sitting stoically in the midst of a wild summer wind storm. Even on his wind tossed branch, high in a desert tree, he was quiet. And yet, his head swiveled and turned, scanning all directions, just in case there was something out there that he wouldn't want to miss. Should this be the way we look for inspiration to fire our creativity, just like the owl on the hunt, looking all directions? Who knows what is out there if we really look?

grazing sides...

On a hot dry evening, my horses stood close, grazing together at the last bits of dinner off the ground. Yin and yang, dark and light, ripples on a horizontal plane. Exploring how to best show the lines and curves and shapes and colors and forms that emerged from their positions and my perspective was an self-imposed exercise in seeing. This effort pleased me and I'm certain future "looking to see" exercises will yield even more than these undulating grazing sides. Half closing my eyes, I can almost see sandstone walls cleaved with a deep shadowed canyon partially still light by the sun. What can you see?

a sense of boldness...

Here in the desert southwest, summer is a brutal time of harsh bold light searing the landscape, punishing every living thing with it's white hot oppressive heat. And still, within this bold light, bold cacti forms present some of the boldest biggest and most beautiful blossoms. This one, measuring six or seven inches across, was only open for one day on a very tall very spiny columnar cactus. In 24 hours it withered and within 2 days, it lay as dried up refuse on the ground. But oh what a magnificent sight while it was here. These bold plants with their very bold blossoms inspire me to push for boldness in my work, in my way of seeing. Summer is hard here but still ripe with reward and even promise.

the grey...

....with those dapples, all that implied texture in his coat and in his mane flying all around. Makes me want to touch him and feel those textures.

Transitions....

....from blue to green to white to yellow, from silky smooth to spiney sharp, from blinding bright light to dark shadows. All of these transitions and this seasonal transition, the mark of the saguaro cactus blossom signaling the end of spring and the beginning of summer affect me and entice my attention. Where does one begin and the other end? Sometimes transitions are so obvious they are like a slap in the face, other times they are so muted we feel a transition more than see it. Sometimes we do both. Transitions provoke my creativity. How do transitions in a broad or narrow sense affect your creativity?

Regarding....

....the others, he watches as they go into the ring before him. Is performance or creativity stimulated by watching "the others"?