Happy New Year, New Moment, Blue Moon

If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly

noticeable, these things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.

If you will love what seems to be insignificant and will in an unassuming manner,

as a servant, seek to win the confidence of what seems poor, then everything

will become easier, more harmonious, and somehow more conciliatory,

not for your intellect—that will most likely remain behind, astonished—

but for your innermost consciousness, your awakeness,

and your inner knowing." —Rainer Maria Rilke

Full Moon in Blue, Santa Fe, New Mexico. ©Elsa Kendall

Once in a blue moon is here, December 31st 2009. What makes it so special is that it comes not only on New Year's Eve, but is ushering in a brand new decade. To learn more about this phenomenon you can check this link.

Inspired by a meeting I recently had, I've been revisiting a book I've not looked at in a while, the poet Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet". It is a treasure indeed. There are so many parts worth quoting, but this seems appropriate for now.

How could we be capable of forgetting the old myths

that stand at the threshold of all mankind,

myths of dragons transforming themselves at the last moment into princesses?

Perhaps all dragons in our lives are really princesses just waiting

to see us just once being beautiful and courageous.

Happy New Decade

New Year

New Moment

A limited edition of this print is now available. For information please click here.

Happy Winter Solstice

Look closely to see Parlez's special greeting.

Click here to go to the treasure.

Wishing you all a Blessed Winter Solstice and nature's beginning of a brand New Year!

The Winter Solstice: Astronomically marks the beginning of shortening nights and lengthening days.

Interpretation varies from culture to culture, but most hold a recognition of rebirth.

Birds of a Feather: Amazing Crop Circles

Just browsing through the wondrous etsy.com pages and came across these images of crop circles taken by a chap in the UK. They are both from 2009. This first one looks a lot to me like peacock feathers. I have long been a fan of these amazing feathers, not only for the colors of the exquisite eye, but also of the symbolism that accompanies it.

The second one looks very much to me like an owl, another favorite bird of mine. Both of these were made this year, and the jump from geometry to geometric birds is quite something.

Truly amazing, both!

There are a lot of naer-sayers about the crop circles, but I ask you: who could possibly do this on a tractor in the middle of the night?!

To see more of Steve Alexander's work, you can click here.

Vivaldi: The Painter

Villa Tempietto Barbaro, Maser, Italy. Designed by Andrea Palladio Photo: Stefan Bauer

This morning I've been listening to BBC Radio 3 on line. What a gift. There is a special on Vivaldi this weekend. We all know The Four Seasons, often played a great deal this time of year, but I knew little else about him. I had visited areas where he lived and worked, though, and was fortunate enough to spend time at this amazing villa on a hot summer day, after a lunch with a friend and a lot of chilled Lugana. It didn't detract from the experience at all; the Veronese frescos are still vibrant in my inner eye, and the beauty of the villa (partially still inhabited) is timeless.

If you are interested in spending an hour with Catherine Bott speaking with the wonderful conductor Claudio Scimone (who at 75 says he's much more enthusiastic now than at 25) at his home in Padua, Italy, click here. A lot of illuminations with response to the counter-reformation, universal liberty for all, and how music replaced words that could never be spoken without fear. All interspersed with some wonderful selections from I Solisti Veneti, a group from one of my favorite regions in Italy, that has specialized in showcasing the work of composers from the Veneto for the last 50 years. It will be available for one week.

Vivaldi is a great painter of music. His bright colors remembers the sky of Tiepolo, and his dark colors are the colors of Tintoretto and of Tiziano. Even if these artists were living before Vivaldi, Vivaldi was playing their world. The simplicity of the architecture of Palladio is the simplicity of Vivaldi's shape, and it's also the great weapon for which Vivaldi conquers the whole world.

—Claudio Scimone

If we could use only weapons of beauty and mystery...

Allegory of Wisdom and Strength, c. 1580

Paolo Veronese

Jeanne's 12th Annual Craft Fair Saturday December 5th

To view larger, please click on the image.

You are warmly invited to Jeanne's 12th Annual craft fair at her home on Saturday from 10 am - 5 pm. Louise (wearing the hat) and I will be there with more hand-made items: crochet hats and fingerless gloves, and Pearl Girl jewelry. Lots of great eats and hot chai as well, and other wonders from some gifted artisans.

521 Del Norte Lane, off of Paseo de Peralta, near the main Post Office at Federal Place. Paseo going west, past Scottish Rite Temple, right on Grant, over the little bridge, left on Rosario, first right on Del Norte Lane.