This is The Mon. The bump inside that square is three staples. Apparently another Monster mistook her for a turkey and went in for a little nibble. Easy mistake, I suppose...she is a bird-dog afterall.
On Tofurkey Day I was particularly thankful for the Punk'in Pie mom sent me home with AND for being able to fill up Zoom Zoom for under two bucks a gallon! w00t!
Last weekend Farilla took me on a lovely walk through the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. I've known of it's existence for years but can't believe I never made the time to visit this beautiful oasis tucked away in the hills of the Palisades. Below are some snaps I shot with my new favorite iPhone photo app.
"Do you have to be a Medici or a Rockefeller to collect art?
Not according to Herbert and Dorothy Vogel. This documentary film tells the extraordinary story of Herb, a postal clerk, and Dorothy, a librarian - an ordinary couple of modest means who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history."
Wow! Is this where I'm headed? Herb and Dorothy aren't the only collectors with more art than walls/space!
"Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, whose giant Buddha, bug-eyed monsters and magical mushrooms packed in huge crowds last year at the Museum of Contemporary Art, is putting down roots in Los Angeles. A multifaceted artist who embraces painting and sculpture, film and mass-produced goods as part of a single enterprise, he is planning to open an animation studio here next summer."
"In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview about peace. 38 years later, Jerry has produced a film about it. Using the original interview recording as the soundtrack, director Josh Raskin has woven a visual narrative which tenderly romances Lennon's every word in a cascading flood of multipronged animation. Raskin marries the terrifyingly genius pen work of James Braithwaite with masterful digital illustration by Alex Kurina, resulting in a spell-binding vessel for Lennon's boundless wit, and timeless message."
Farilla and I were discussing an interesting commentary I recently heard on NPR regarding how some Americans who were originally against having a black president are now justifying their support of President-elect Obama because he's only half black (?!)
Through the course of our conversation Farilla asked, since I'm the product of a mixed-race marriage, which heritage I associate more closely with and why. For those of you who may not know, my mother is Mexican and my father is German/Danish. And while I may physically resemble my father's side of the family more, I've only ever referred to myself as being Mexican. Simply stated, it's the only side of my culture I've ever known. I grew up on traditional homemade Mexican food. It was only recently that I realized that not all wedding ceremonies last (what seems like) 3 hours. (What's with all of that sitting, kneeling and standing anyway?! Internet, please explain...) I know the meaning of 'extended family' and have more "cousins" than I can count. And yes, I've experienced and participated in the breaking of my fair share of piñatas. I suppose I could go on and on here but you probably get the point.
Having been raised with predominately Mexican traditions I naturally associate more closely with this side of my heritage. Below is an example of one of the yummiest traditions that has been handed down through the generations in my family. In fact, the beautiful family in this clip is that of my Uncle David and Aunt Deanna.
Yum, tamales! I hope Mom finds the time to make them again this year....best veggie tamales, hands down!
We Hacked. We Attacked. Many of us even Hokey Pokey'd (a few times)! Huge thanks to Otter for hosting yet another stellar event which revolved around drinking beer...oh yeah, AND 'playing' golf!
Practically twins....
Snake Eye....
It was a hot day...
Hokey Pokey Time!
Either, Or...
The Winners...
Canadian Ro-Sham-Bo Mockery...
Grand Prize....
Otter-liciousness...
For 70 more funtastic photos from our afternoon filled with frolicking in the grass click here.
Two and a half hours later and I'm still here. The show opened at 11am this morning with a line wrapped around the block. So glad I waited until 2pm. The line to get in at that time ended up taking less than 10 minutes to get through. I've purchased lots of treasures (many Xmas gifts!) and feel really good about supporting local artists. Being around all of this creativity is absolutely inspiring! All-in-all a very successful day! Yawn!
Farilla and I went to watch Lil' L's final soccer game of the season yesterday afternoon. We were lucky enough to catch her first and only goal of the year. Here she is saying "The Winner!" as I clicked this shot!
One of my favorite artists, Dave Kinsey, is getting ready to drop this new signed and stamped limited edition print sometime today. I've passed on the last few prints he's made available for various reasons but this one really resonates with me. Wish me luck. It's an edition of 120 so it's bound to sell out in minutes....(refresh, refresh, refresh)!
UPDATE::: This print dropped at approximately 11:30 this morning. And, yes, I am now the proud owner of my 5th limited edition Kinsey print!
Last week Farilla and I ventured off to Joshua Tree to celebrate Halloween weekend under the Milky Way with the Playa Surfers and their extended family! Such an amazing Lovefest...truly beautiful peeps! Thank you ALL for the warmth, laughter and face-melting beats!
On Sunday afternoon Michelle set up a group Sound Bath at the Integratron in Landers. Complete heaven....seriously! I can't even begin to explain the meditative and relaxing quality of this experience. Wow!
Since Farilla hadn't been to Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace I suggested we stop in on the way home for some dinner. It was no surprise that the place was packed. We dined on veggie burgers and threw back a couple of beers served up in mason jars before venturing off for a walk under the stars through Pioneertown.
A delightfully magical weekend from start to finish...for a few more snaps (mainly from our rock crawl on Saturday afternoon) click here.