Introducing a new member of my committee...

My father recently sent me this wonderful piece by Maira Kalman to whom he introduced me through her book The Principles of Uncertainty. Little did I realized that she was the artist who illustrated a new edition of The Elements of Style that a former boss gave to me. Her images and words fill me and, in the case of Principles, made me long for the serendipity of the city. You can hear a short lecture by Kalman here.

Some food for thought, from the introduction to Elements: If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud! If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud!" This comical piece of advice struck me as sound at the time, and I still respect it. Why compound ignorance with inaudibility? Why run and hide? -- Strunk

Let there be light. Lots and lots of light.

I was showing Nancy etsy.com (check it out if you haven't already!), which was introduced to me by Crystal in my jewelry making class. She has a site of very beautiful things for sale, and in her profile, she mentioned her blog. Nancy and I visited and she had posted one of the most beautiful and sparkly things I've ever seen. Here is the video (you can read more about the festival in Crystal's blog entry):

Man as Instrument

Ever see one of these in action? Well, you will -- in live action!  This video made me wonder at the capacity of human beings for connecting and responding to one another in amazing and wonderful ways. I hope it fills you with much joy! 

Many thanks to my father, who has been sending me a wealth of wonderful videos and quotes and ideas for sparkliness, all of which will most likely wind up here. 

Ode to Carrot Juice

Oh, how I love thee carrot juice! Let me count the ways! Nay -- they are too numerous and cumbersome for such a light and lovely drink. 

If you've never tried carrot juice, find a place that can make you some on the spot. I've never had the canned stuff, but the bottled stuff is only so-so compared to the fresh juice. 

Here is a website that offers a few recipes for carrot juice with other fruit. http://www.carrotjuice.com/recipes-carrotjuicewithfruit.html. This morning, Nancy and I juiced about 12 large carrots, 1 orange, and 1 lime (Nancy will put lime in just about anything -- except when she's putting peanut butter in something -- actually, come to think of it, she'll put both in the same dish). Anyway, this drink was delicious! This made about 4 cups.

Here's a tip: chew your juice. Back in the early 90s, a friend of mine read that helped with digestion. Even if it doesn't, it makes juice drinking more, um, exciting? 

If you try some juice, let me know what you think!

Angel Raising

Last Christmas (in 2007), my mom gave me angels by the heavenload -- enough to fill a tree (as I said I would do with angels if I were to pick a theme). Since Nancy, Helena, and I go to different ends of the earth for the holidays, we decided that instead of decorating a tree, we'd decorate our living room. So, as part of a new early year ritual, we "raised the angels," that is, strung these angels across the living room, whispering wishes to each one as we hung them. We also put up some festive lights and our living room feels especially warm and good and full of love that will, we hope, carry us through to the first day of spring.

How much time do you need to play?

Alicia, a wonderful 3 and 1/2 year old (who is Helena's neice and who happens to look quite a lot like her), came for a sleepover this past week. Her energy was voluminous, her dance instruction quite easy to follow, and her insistence on play was, well, remarkable. In the morning she asked me if I wanted to play, and I told her I would love to after breakfast because the food would be ready in just a minute. "Let's just play for a minute," she said. She knows what's important and the secret of ages -- you only need a minute to play!