A real Santa and a Chinese Christmas

Veda and I travelled to the city to have Christmas dinner at Martha and Ernie’s house. Rita and Hamish were there at the door to greet us when we arrived. Martha was in the kitchen on her laptop chatting away with my brother John in Chicago on Skype. Veda leaned over and said hello and was probably taken back when she realized that my brother was Santa Claus. I mean, his beard and snow white hair are all very real. The picture above will attest to the Chicagoland Santa's authenticity. I am still not sure what she made of him.My brother-in-law Ernie was busy preparing the clay pot and sautéed veggies along with some sweet and sour pork. We all sat around chatting about different things throughout dinner which didn’t get through until around 11:30 PM ! We had a mango custard for dessert that was absolutely delicious. Then it was time to head back across the Golden Gate. Veda suggested coffee, so we stopped at a café on Church street that was still open. I was ready for the ride back so we crossed the bridge and I bid her a fond ado as I continued on to Calistoga. Nice time!

The Winter Solstice

It is another beautiful day here in Calistoga. The sun has been shining here every day for the past three weeks! The high pressure is sending all inclement weather either north or south but not in and around the bay area. The Forty Niners are doing well and have a good chance at making it to the Super Bowl this year after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers monday evening. Today I am going to a store called “Mr. Moon “ downtown. I will propose that they sell my Spirit Rocks, some of which I have fashioned into a crescent moon that looks like a perfect fit for their store. I also have the idea of doing refrigerator magnets that would be the exact same rock with a magnet glued to the back. I want to give them exclusive rights to and hope to make them the sole distributor of my work. This way I will have a retail outlet that can show my work year round ( I am keeping my fingers crossed that perhaps they will sell it as a "Mister Moon Rock “) I will keep you posted.

Progress, not perfection

Today is Sunday and I’ve intentionally missed the Republican debates on TV. I have no interest in the Republican Agenda. I painted rocks, I ate Quinoa, I went to a meeting and I went to mass. All in all, it was a good day because I accomplished a few things and intend to accomplish more tomorrow. Every day, I do something to further my desire for financial independence. I made a pendant and a beautiful rock that looks like it’s going to be a big seller. Tuesday is my birthday. I will be 61 and... MY SPIRIT ROCKS !

Fun filled weekend

Just when I thought that I would not be participating in the Calistoga Christmas fair, I got a table set up at just the last minute ! The event coordinator let me display my Spirit Rocks and I had the best time ever. I connected with old friends and made some new ones. It was a lot of work and I was bushwhacked by the end of the day. I took a short nap because I knew the tractor parade was happening on Lincoln avenue as night fell. I shot the picture above just as the parade was ending ( doggone it ). I thought that the festivities were to start at 8PM and found out too late that they began at 7, so I caught the tail end of it. I spent a little time chatting it up with my friend Eleanor who kept me company and recalled her days events as she enjoyed a cup of Pumpkin Chai. I had a pomegranate juice before heading home and settling in for the evening.

All in all, a very satisfying day.

Taking care of Business

I finally got my things together for the Christmas Bazaar at the Carnagie Building last weekend. Everything went pretty well as I sat with the other vendors on the second floor of the building. We had some waves of people come through, but it could not quite compare with what was happening downstairs ( or so I thought ). I was able to sell enough rocks to pay for the entry fee after the first day. Meeting the other vendors was a positive experience as they all had some great tips to offer me. Right now I am looking at building my Spirit Rock website and having a shopping cart available so people will be able to purchase rocks online. That is the game plan for December.

Comforting words…

A Prayer to Slow Down

Slow me down, Lord.

Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace with the vision of eternal reach of time.
Give me, amidst the confusion of my day, the calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tension of my nerves and muscles with the smoothing music of singing streams.Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking one-minute vacations...
Slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book.
Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise that I may know the race is not always to the swift;that there is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let me look up into the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well.
Slow me down Lord, and inspire me to send my roots into the soil for life's enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.

Slow me down, Lord; slow me down!

By: Cardinal Richard Cushing

Silly me

Yesterday, I finished up painting a weeks worth of rocks. Actually, I was sorting out those rocks that needed to be categorized and others that needed a little touching up. By 3PM I had already packed up all the materials I would need to bring to the Carnagie building in St. Helena for the big Christmas Fair weekend. The plan was to set up our vendor’s booth the night before to prepare for the show which would begin at 10am the next morning. This showroom would be locked so that no one would have to be concerned about their “stuff”. Well I drove down there only to discover an exercise class going on, and no one having any clue about a “Christmas Fair”. I got on my Iphone to call the coordinator of this event, only to find out that I was a week early!

Great.

Well, at least now I have a whole extra week to put together some rocks with more Christmas-like themes. I think I will paint some snowflakes or Christmas trees probably. The fun never ceases!

My new Focus

The White Potato has gone to the Polly Klass foundation. It was a great vehicle while it lasted, but now I have a beautiful, sleek, "Frankenstien green" Ford Focus. This car rocks ! It has a plug in jack for my iPhone, so that when someone calls it will interrupt my iTunes playlist to receive the call which comes in through my car speakers ! It also has electric windows, locks and cruise control. This is a dream come true.

Now, about the color. It actually is rather interesting looking. It sort of reminds me of the luminescent paint I use on my Spirit rocks to make them glow in the dark. Hmmm… I was sure I wanted a white car, but this is too perfect! Perhaps I should get personalized plates too, but I doubt this will happen.

It definitely feels like I am creating a new persona.

Season of the Witch

I was reading an article online about Salem, Massachusetts. This was the place in American History where witches were burned at the stake over allegations of people casting spells and the like. So much suspicion has risen up in recent history where the country is practically polarized as people express or choose to hide their individual politics and beliefs.This reminds me of what it must have been like living in Salem in the sixteen hundreds. As a Freedom loving country, I think we forget that we have in the past, and will certainly again in the future,continue to pay a dear price to enjoy such freedoms.

The social and political climate of today kind of reminds me of the TV Show “Survivor” . This begins where everyone is trying to form alliances in the hopes of winning favor with their particular brand of leadership. This is all done in order to be the last one left on the island, thus “WINNING" as Charlie Sheen would say, the illusive title of being a sole survivor.

These are trying times, and at times I feel like the wolf in the image above, howling at the moon. This would probably be a very therapeutic practice if a group of people went up into the hills during a full moon, just to howl for awhile . Halloween is just around the corner so perhaps that evening would be a great time to just go out and howl.

Larry returns !

I didn’t recognize him at first, but Larry J. Nowlan is someone who I had given a tour of the Greystone Campus well over a year ago. Larry is a world famous sculpture who was responsible for all the relief sculptures of all the luminaries of the wine industry in the Napa Valley, which is showcased in the barrel room at the CIA. It was so great being recognized by him. He and his wife, Heather stopped by and purchased a few Spirit Rocks for their kids. He was in good spirits and we both discovered that we have more in common than just the fact that we are both practicing artists. We have a mutual friend named Bill, who has helped us both live much fuller lives today. Heather took this picture of us on Saturday afternoon. They were both in town to attend a function being held at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone that evening. It was wonderful seeing them. He will be returning again in February of 2012. I look forward to hanging out with them at that time.

What a week

It’s Sunday and I just got back from Tucker Farm. My day began with mass at the St. Helena Catholic Church. Then I go to the N.V. Coffee Roastery for a cup of joe and a Jalapeño bagel with cream cheese and butter. I know, cholesterol and fat for breakfast. This is my comfort food treat for the week. Then I hit the 10:30am meeting at Tucker Farm.

This week has been momentous with the passing of Al Davis and Steve Jobs. I was most taken by the passing of Jobs. I felt as if I knew him personally and that he was instrumental in my staying up with the technology and all things Apple. I drank the Kool-aid and am proud of it. Steve was a visionary and innovator. I was truly inspired by the lengths this guy would go to; to get his products launched.Being a Mac guy from 1996 to the present, their are not a few things I haven’t drooled over when it comes to I-anything.Thanks for everything you have made available for us, Steve. As I type this, the IPhone 4S is about to come out with a new operating system which interacts with the ICloud. Another reason to save my shekels.

Speaking of shekels, I had a great day at the Farmer’s Market yesterday. I came home with the grand sum of $370. ( nothing to sneeze at) after selling a number of beautiful Spirit Rocks. I even had a few Lady bug rocks that I made for a lady after a special request. She showed up, and probably was surprised that I had listened to her and took action. One of them sold ( not to her ) which pleased me, and reminded me to make more of them. I am beginning to see peoples partiality about certain animals, birds and symbols. I sold a few “Recovery Rocks” to a lady from Reno who was in town to share at a local meeting. You never know who will be touched by these things.

a Work in Progress

Somewhere between Gratitude and Acceptance do I find a semblance of sanity and serenity in my daily life. If I don’t have Gratitude, I’m hurting. It is that simple for me. It is so easy to forget when I am struggling to force my will in a situation. Somehow I find myself trying to change the things I can’t accept, as if this time it will be different. Surrender does not come easy. I am a “Yes but” person. I am always trying to find an angle or a way to assert my will. The irony is that sometimes I get away with shit and I am left with the idea that I have power. Lack of power was the dilemma. Just when I think I am on easy street, my Higher Power pulls the rug out from underneath me and I am flat on my butt again. Acceptance is the only tool that gets me through during those times, because nothing else will suffice.

The Spirit Rock shown above is a work in Progress, like myself.

Summer’s end

A friend and fellow seeker, Fred Pothoff died over a week ago. We had his memorial service yesterday at the Catholic Church in St. Helena. Fred was a great guy. He came to visit me on more than one occasion when I was still working at the CIA. He clued me in on several aspects about Greystone that really brought the building to life for me. He and his work crew were instrumental in the remodeling construction that took place between 1995 and 2001. When you walk in to the building and look up, you will be struck by the beauty that brings the light from the third floor down to the first. Their would be no Atrium if his crew hadn't cut away the floors and ceilings that enclosed the former Christian Brothers Sparkling wine and brandy cellars. Fred’s crew also secured and sealed the caves that went way back into the hillside behind the Culinary Institute of America.  Many suspect that the Chinese laborers that originally built Greystone had a network of tunnels that extended beyond the property. To date, no one has really determined how far back they go. Historical record says 300 feet. A series of pylons were driven into the hillside during the retrofit that anchored the building from the back. Fred also explained how epoxy was injected into the cement floors throughout the Barrell room to solidify them. Otherwise, they would surely crumble in an earthquake.After our visit, Fred gave me a “Christian Brothers Greystone” sweatshirt that had been given to him by Brother Timothy who was the cellar master. It is a collector’s item that I will keep until the day I leave this world.

R.I.P Fred Pothoff.

Eating Weird

The picture you see below is of some pretty healthy stuff. Cale, Tomatoes, Garlic and the like. This is not my regular diet, but it is a direction I am heading. I eat weird, but healthy. Lately, Quinoa is my staple. I cook it like rice and add stuff to it after I take it off the stove. I add cranberries, dates, chopped carrots, celery and a large dollop of tahini for good measure. I may even add a few crushed almonds to boot. What do you think? Is this normal ? This morning I took a rice cake and slathered it with Sunflower seed butter, bee pollen, Organic blackstrap molasses, cayenne, ginger and cinnamon. Oh yum ! Actually, I have no set diet, but I can tell you that I eat weird. My favorite is something I concocted that I call a “Chipoltelini” which consists of melted sharp cheddar on a rice cake, a layer of tahini and Chipolte sauce from Trader Joe’s, then topped with a slice of heirloom tomato. Don’t knock it until you have tried it ! Anyway, I would be curious to know about your favorite weird snack that you are reluctant to let anyone know.

Labor Day Fun

I went for a nice hike with my pal, Dave and his girlfriend, Kathy. We started at 9:30 AM and got back around 1 PM. It was a gorgeous day ( not too hot, not too cool ). The creek had water running and the view from Coyote Peak was awesome. We thought we heard a mountain lion growling and it turned out to be a crying kid who was about 50 yards back. The picture above is of me inside this stump that was hollowed out a long time ago. I thought that it was the perfect photo op. I Hope that your Labor day was fun for you too.

New Poster

This poster contains rocks that I have painted, photographed, scanned and have modified in Photoshop. I inverted some of the images for that ghosting effect. I only imported one image with the glow-in-the-dark effect to illustrate that particular feature.
Right now the entire image is around 8X10", but I plan to output it to poster size 18 X 24 ".

Waiting for the BLING

Today was cool as I sauntered out the door at 6:30 AM to set up my stand at the Saturday Farmer’s Market. I stopped into a bakery downtown and bought a cup of coffee and paid for it with a twenty. Now I had some one’s to make change for the rocks I planned to sell. The sun finally broke through around eleven, and the foot traffic picked up a bit. My neighbor’s umbrella kept me shaded, but it also blocked the sun when it finally came out. It wasn’t until 11:30 AM until it began to shine on my display which really makes the Spirit Rocks BLING ! I sold a few rocks to some regular customers but it wasn’t a big day for sales. Thankfully, I got everything up and down with ease and came back to my apartment around 1 PM to nap for a few hours. I enjoy napping since it is rare that I get a full night’s sleep anymore. I hear that is pretty common for people my age.

Poster Project

This picture is a prototype of a poster I am in the process of creating. I have used color inverted copies of pictures I have taken of my Spirit Rocks to form this checkerboard pattern which is visually pleasing. I have stretched some of the .jpg files to fit the Square as I saw fit. Many of you who have used Photoshop can spot the filters I have employed to create the background effects. The poster I hope to create will be approx. 18"X24" . If i comes out according to spec. I will have a glow rock instead of an inverted color rock image which will not be modified in the final product. I will probably have six squares across and down instead of the four you see here.This stuff is fun.

Rocks galore

Every weekday now, I have been painting more and more rocks to replenish my inventory. I have been selling between 20 to 30 rocks every Saturday for some time now. I have to remember to take pictures of the ones that are the most attractive and the big sellers. I honestly cannot say that I have been at all bored doing this. The only thing I find challenging is coming up with different ideas to paint. The picture above is of a 45rpm symbol from the days when people played 45 records on their turntables. It harkens back to the days of rock and roll. I think this symbol is cool and looks visually pleasing on the surface of a round rock. I bejeweled it a little just to add the bling factor to it. I would be surprised if this one does not sell this weekend. If it doesn’t, it will be a display rock because I really dig this one.

Hot Day

Today it felt like summer. The sun is out and I am inside to protect my sensitive Irish skin as I update this blog. The image above are the hills of Sonoma looking west from a view at a turnout on Skaggs road going towards Healdsburg. This was taken durning a day trip with my friend Reid Bennett about a month ago.

Today is Sunday (appropriately named ) in the middle of August and I went to mass at the St. Helena Catholic Church this morning. I usually have a morning coffee at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company along with a Jalapeno bagel with cream cheese and butter. This is my end of the week indulgence and I usually work it off physically in the next day or two.

Lately, I have been leaning towards being a vegan and I won’t eat meat unless I am put in an awkward situation to do so. Eliminating it from my diet is a progressive thing and I applaud anyone who keeps pushing forward in their attempts to affirm a long life.

Saturday was another good day at the Farmer’s Market in Calistoga. The Spirit Rocks are a hit and they keep selling. Nevertheless, I have to replenish my inventory every week. Sell thirty rocks… Paint thirty rocks. That is just the way it is. Tuesday is my get-away day, when I drive up to my favorite spot in Lake County for rest and relaxation.
I hope that your summer is turning out to be everything you wanted.

So far, mine has. Love and hugs…