Geurnica

Just found this over at Carpe You Some Diem! and I think it's pretty amazing.(Besides, its a great excuse to listen to "My Chauffeur!")


How many famous (and infamous)paintings can you identify? Post your answer in the comments. The winner will recieve a free subscription to The Laughing Gypsy! ;-)

Late Night Picture Play

Too sleepy tonight to think in words, so I play with light instead....

ReLent

Had to be said! :-)

More Lent

The truth about fish on Friday, at least here in West Virginia....

Lent

Its been an amazing Lent, and I'm looking forward to the grand finale throughout this upcoming week as we barrel down on Easter. I get confused by friends' comments suggesting it's a hardship, a self-punishment, a penance--as if Jesus' radical offensive weren't enough to clear me but somehow my works are?!! (thanks again, with all my heart and being, Jesus!)

Far from it! It's a joy, a delight, a season of constant surprise as God answers my measly token sacrifice with blessings and revelations "pressed down, shaken together, and running over."

To plus it, about 3 weeks ago I was soaking in the tub and God threw out this offer: "If you want to supersize Lent, go through every door Cornerstone [my church] opens before you." Now, God of course has even a bigger vision and a wilder imagination than I do. Figuring something really juicy was in store, I leapt at the opportunity and have been making the 2 hour round trip to Cornerstone and MIHOP anywhere between 2 and 4 times a week. The results are mind-blowing.

But as I'm writing, I'm slowly recognizing the added gauntlets He's thrown down alongside time, gas money, service, and what I originally gave up.

Accelerated obedience. OUCH! But like ripping off a band-aid, it only hurts for a second. Accelerated communication: with Him, its a piece of cake, with other people, well, we're back to ripping off that band-aid. Sacrificing what I think should be The Plan--for a self-employed, infinitely-interested, fully-extended overachiever this feels like severing a limb, forget about the stinkin' band-aid!

Hmmmm. How'd He sneak all that extra stuff in? (I know, I know, He's GOD!) No matter, point is, when God makes you an offer you can't refuse, take Him up on it with alacrity. What He's asking you to lay down, no matter how vital it seems in the moment, you really don't need anyway. The return on your investment is out of this world!

An Earful of Lunasa

For your listening pleasure, pilfered from Youtube.

Last Pint

In the midst of an amazing night of revelry, this song captures my heart. It starts softly, sweetly, with two whistles scaling their limits and daring each other to go further. The guitar soon joins up, and after a time, the pipes. Finally the bass weaves its way into the enchantment, pushing the fringe of acoustic possibility. I am enthralled....

This version is comparitively simple and subdued, without Kevin Crawford's manic joy... but breathtakingly beautiful

Dancing at Lunasa

I'm asked where we're going tonight and I realize, I don't know. All I heard some weeks ago was "Celtic music...wanna go?" Well, duh!

Turns out to be a concert with Dervish and Lunasa held in the historic Weinberg Center in Frederick. The gilded walls shake and dance to manic tunes, clapping hands and tapping feet. We're in the balcony, front row center, but soon abandon our seats to dance in the aisles, the aged floor sagging and creaking under our feet.

I've heard of Lunasa through the years, but this is my first live experience. Kevin Crawford goes right on my List Of People To Befriend. The man is jumping out of his skin with excitement and delight! He reminds me of an Irish Ask-A-Ninja :-)

For the final encore Dervish joins Lunasa onstage. 11 musicians. Mayhem.

It's a good night....

The Best Day of My Life

Today is the best day of my life! Why? It's my Mom's Birthday!

Now it's obvious, if my Mom hadn't been born I wouldn't be writing this yadda yadda yadda. But that's not the point. Here's what's so cool.

MY MOM ROCKS! She is quite possibly the most awesome person on the face of the planet. I think of the people she has influenced, the lives she has impacted, the swath of joy and generosity and transformation that spreads in her wake and just want to dance with delight!

My Mom and Mother Teresa? Cut from the same cloth. Peas in a pod. They even have the same first name- Mother!

And the coolest part? She's my best friend.

Mom, I raise the mirror and reflect your own words back to you:

YOU ARE ONE DAGGONE AMAZING WOMAN!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Moooooooom
Happy Birthday to you!

Remember when your India photo albums were lost? That was just a temporary glitch! Enjoy!

Leveraged Leisure

Spring has returned with a stronger (and more welcome) vengeance than winter here in almost heaven, West Virginia! This mountain mama's springtime schedule barreled in like a lion and is showing no signs of gentling down to a lamb. My apologies to those loyal readers berating the lack of new posts!

So how can one jam the life of liesure into the cracks and crevasses in the insanity? Well, the cardio cinema at the gym is an ingenious invention. For the upwardly mobile multi-tasker looking to leverage a few spare moments, though, nothing beats Movie-in-a-Moment (tm). The Laughing Gypsy is proud to highlight that swashbuckling yet compelling social commentary, Men in Tights:

Things I Am Grateful For #3087

The seal on the cap of the pen with black, waterproof ink that went through the washer in the pocket of my jeans...

Snow Days and Sunsets

Tech Support

Not many posts this past week-- my computer time has been directed towards building a website around my rising DVD empire ;-).

I'm fortunate to have built in tech service in the form of my cousin and great friend, who happens to be a computer genius. He bails me out time and again when my laptop and I fail to see eye to eye. Give me a renegade horse and I can whisper him into breakthrough. Give me a renegade computer and...a hammer! NO NO NO! I've learned that doesn't work. And pouring coffee on the keyboard doesn't boost processing speed, either.

So Cy, thanks for keeping my electronics up and running to my beck and call, and for showing me cool new stuff and for making me feel brilliant despite vast chasms in my cyber-savvy! This one's for you!

Andy Goldsworthy, Revisited

The playlist, as promised!

I leave out one clip of a stone dome assembly at the National Gallery in D.C. I feel smothered, watching it. Andy's work stretches my spirit, as if his inspiration is free to expand and fill the endless landscape his pieces typically inhabit.

In the close quarters of the East Wing, even the stones themselves look uncomfortable. Are they willing soldiers in the battle to carve a place among society's contrived boundaries for reckless beauty's return?

The videographer's father and brother helped Andy with the installation. I ask the videographer if Andy felt imprisoned building it or if by his action he was smashing the walls enclosing him. I'll let you know his response. 'Til then, enjoy!

Andy Goldsworthy

It occurred to me out of the blue tonight to look for Andy Goldsworthy on Youtube. Success! Oh, happy dance! I start to assemble a playlist, but Youtube is being cranky and I'm ready to sleep. I'll deal with it in the morning.

Stay tuned!

Quote of the Day

Sell your cleverness. Purchase bewilderment.

~Rumi

Vibration Vitalizers

One thing on which most spiritual creation, neuro-linguistic programming and self-improvement authors agree is that appropriate emotion enhances the creative power of our thoughts and words. They explain that by thinking grateful, loving, exciting, inspirational thoughts our vibrational level is raised and we attract things of similar vibration to us. One of the excercises suggested is to think about such things before going over your goals, incanting your affirmations or settling in for prayer. The more senses you can engage, the more powerful.

This is actually a selfish post. I'm a sensory junkie-- music videos that evoke kinesthetic and emotional memories are heady intoxicants. I just want to have some of my links to my own vibration boosters in one place so I don't have to go rummaging around every time I want to supersize my day!

Cy's Birthday Video
My awesome family
Daily Dose of The Secret
Family and Christmas

For the first time since I came home from KY, I feel like there's room in my lungs for air. I can sing and actual sounds come out, not just croaks and wheezes. I celebrate by heading to the gym to jump around to loud music (after wrestling round bales all afternoon, who needs to actually work out?!)

I recognize the hair before I can place the face-- Becca, the silk artist from Friday. Ha, small town. We laugh and catch up, then I hit the sauna.

Flight of the Valkyries- I mean Hamsters

Next time you're feeling dashing, daring and death-defying try this!

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/games/action/knd/hamsters/index.html

You may need to download a plug-in: it's worth it! Oh, and when you're "done", close the browser window. Its siren song will lure you back when you least expect it....

David LaFleur

David plays Fridays at Jumpin' Java in town. Regardless of who I plan on meeting there--and who shows up unexpectedly-- it's always a good time with great music. David's leaving in 2 weeks for a tour of the British Isles--catch him at a pub near you!

Knitting Victory...?

I finished Liz's surprise scarf. Its my first real, completed knitted thing. It has the same number of stitches in the first row as the last row. I actually followed the directions (mostly). Its got a fancy pattern that actually looks like a deliberate something. And its DONE, in all its purple sparkly gold-flecked fuzzy glory. I proudly show it to Cy.

"My gosh!" he exclaims. "You shot and skinned a muppet!"

Chai, Chillin' and Challenges

Serendipity waltzed Sueva into Washington this morning, cancelling our appointment at Jumpin' Java, but I was still hankering for some live music and decent brew. Cy was all for joining me there, Liz would make it later if she could....

What a day! Sunshine promises brings people out into the streets of Charles Town. Two women bearing "fight for peace" placards stroll the sidewalks. I pass an old friend going the opposite way in his "goin' to town" pickup and we have a merry, long overdue cell-phone conversation (his work truck is waiting on transmission work. He's a transmission mechanic. I laugh, relating all too well-- I'm a horse trainer and my coming 4 year old filly has yet to be started under saddle. What's that they say about the cobbler's children going barefoot?)

I can see Becca through the window as I wrap up my call. In a summery dress, with impossibly long hair, she reaches out with a bare toe for a hanger as softly colored silks breathe around her. She dyes silks, her work will hang in Jumpin'Java this month. I introduce myself and chat about silk and veil dancing, chainmail jewelry, code and 80's nights.

As she gathers and sorts her silks, I gaze at the bare brick walls and mull the possibilities of hanging a photo show. I haven't thought about such things since...at least since moving from CT. But friends occasionally nag me about it. Shirley beats me over the head with it (in a kind and loving way!) While I was in Olympia this Christmas, Joy was pushing for me to give her prints for her store. Is this the direction things are going right now?

I tuck those thoughts behind my mountain of current ventures, and join Cy with a cup of chai.

Blogging in Bathtubs

I can't let go of the idea of knitting in the bathtub while watching a movie. After all, if you can't leverage your relaxation, what can you leverage?!

Newly inspired to finish the project I'm working on, I build the prototype bathtub knitting bench tonight. Picture a scrap of foamboard insulation, about a foot wide and long enough to rest crossways on the tub. Two largish tupperwares are set into holes cut in the foam. The yarn lays in the right hand container and the completed bulk of the project in the left.
The computer balances on a storage bin at the foot of the tub, playing a DVD. This arrangement works quite well, though candlelight isn't enough to see stitches in fluffy yarn with.

I turn off Troy after Achilles lashes Hector's corpse to the chariot and starts to drive off. I probably don't want to see what happens next. Then I realize...wifi in the bathtub!

I don't trust the bathtub bench to hold up the laptop over the water, so my arms are kinda dangling over the lip of the tub writing. Not the most comfortable, and already I'm wondering...

...do they make waterproof slipcovers for laptops?