Let it Snow

If one goes to http://www.seattlepi.com/ and clicks on the 5-day forecast, one finds many different ways to politely say "It's %&*-ing FREEZING!" You've got today, Tuesday, 'Quite cold with sunshine', Wednesday, 'Cold with snow at times', Thursday, 'Cold. A snow shower', Friday, 'Very Cold', and Saturday, 'Clouds and sun (hope-giving, but then:) Very Cold.' The HI on Saturday is 26 degrees. I'm trying to figure out the best way to break this to my dear friend who is unwittingly flying into icy cold hell, all the way from sunny Los Angeles. I guess this is that way, since she gets an email alert every time I post a blog. Please, please do still come to visit, Erin.

The bright side is how incredibly beautiful everything looks with a fresh white blanket. Mt. Rainier, which you can see if you stand on your tiptoes in the corner of my living room, is striking and massive, and easy to see because of the cold clear skies (oddly enough, the best view of Rainier is from the Target parking lot on Union Ave). It's fun to watch Ellis discover chilly wind--he was laughing uncontrollably as I rolled him in his stroller, wind whipping around us, to the bus stop the other day. I looked up to see all the drivers in line at the red light laughing at him--his eyes were wild and he was flailing his hands. Hands that he refuses to keep mittened, although he seems to be giving in a little bit as he learns that they will keep him warm.

All the snow and cold surely add to the Christmas vibe--and remind me how incredibly fortunate I am to have a home. I was barely able to walk to the shed, about a fifteen foot 'walk', last night. I couldn't imagine trying to survive in this bitter cold without my family and my home. I am so lucky.

So, Happy Holidays everyone! Remember all that you already have...and let it snow! (Just don't make me drive in it).

Henry Miller knew what he was talkin' about:

"The task of genius, and humanity is nothing if not genius, is to keep the miracle alive, to live always in the miracle, to make the miracle more and more miraculous, to swear allegiance to nothing, but live only miraculously, think only miraculously, die miraculously." —Henry Miller

***blogger's note: if you haven't seen 'Henry and June', Netflix it NOW.

The Lunch Box

The (West Coast) Boran family tradition is to put the Christmas tree up the morning after Thanks-giving Day. See color photos. This involves coffee, some sort of leftovers-inspired omelette and maybe, just MAYBE, a mimosa. And Christmas Music. This year we started out with The Chieftains 'Bells of Dublin', then moved on to Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, 'Songs of Joy and Peace' (thank you Dad!), then moved on to Pandora, an excellent music/project site that allows you to enter a few songs you like, they then personalize a 'radio station' for you based on your selections (see http://www.pandora.com/).

All of this Christmas joy reminded me that, just a few years ago, I spent my Christmases serving booze to patrons of The Deadwood, a charming and lethally smoky dive bar in Iowa City, IA. I left a tiny filthy piece of my heart in that bar when I left IC. In fact, Chad and I MET at The Deadwood. Because all of my family was either on the West Coast, in Colorado or in Tennessee, I always used to volunteer to work Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Those were long strange lonely days. Although lots of people used to drift in and out on those holidays, it always seemed oddly empty, and a little dreamlike. Patrons showed up for a variety of reasons. For some of the regulars, we were their family. Others would just show up when they were sick of dealing with their families. Some were just people who used to hang out at The Deadwood in their 'heyday' and were in town for the holidays, swinging by to see how much, if at all, it had changed. That's us now, up there in the black and white picture. Now Chad and I are the people who show up every year or so and annoy the waitstaff by insisting 'HEY! I used to WORK HERE!'.

In honor of The Deadwood and all those who love it as much as I do, I thought I'd include the 'recipe' for the strangest drink I made during my nearly four-year tenure there, The Lunch Box.

This sounds disgusting, but ends up tasting just like an Orange Julius and gives a nice harmless Christmas buzz:

In a shaker, gently shake:

12 ounces Miller Lite
2 ounces orange juice
2 ounces Amaretto

Pour into a chilled pint glass and enjoy!

The ultimate gift that keeps on giving!

If you live in the Seattle or Portland area, the absolute best gift you could give a friend is a year member-ship to the fabulous Warren Report http://www.thewarrenreport.com/ . Warren Etheredge is the most intriguing interviewer I've seen in person--he has a special talent of making anyone seem smart even if they seem perhaps not so (to remain nameless, but it rhymes with Schmames Schmey), look approachable, if they're Salman Rushdie, seem funny if they're dull (to remain nameless and rhymeless), seem outgoing even if they're creepy genius-shy (Charlie Kaufman). My personal observation; Warren's talent stems from his ability and desire to understand every one with which he comes into contact. This in addition to his dedicated time, research and experience with film and literature makes for a combination that can't be beat. Oh, and throw in the dozens and dozens of free movie screenings that come with the membership...and the blog...and the contests on the blog. And the podcasts. Etc. Etc. Etc. And all this for $20!!!!

Warren was an instructor (and remains a mentor) to me last spring at TheFilmSchool http://www.thefilmschool.com/ . Here we are celebrating my graduation from the grueling-but-worth-it 3-week-intensive.

Go to http://www.thewarrenreport.com/ for more information and to join.

Keep your eyes open!

As evidenced by my last post, I may not have the greatest eye for detail. Please see comments to view the ACTUAL scientific description of that Hubble Telescope Photograph (thank you Erin!). HOWEVER, I do have an eye for trash on the sidewalk that actually turns out to be something pretty cool.

I went to my brother-in-law's wedding last week, and while the boys were getting their tuxes and the ladies were getting their nails done, I wandered their Chicago neighborhood, just off the California stop, blue line. It was raining cats and dogs, and I had my head down to avoid the wind when I saw a carefully folded piece of paper on the sidewalk.

I unfolded it and BEHOLD! ART! I wanted desperately to save it but, soaking wet as it was, stuck it to a nearby mailbox to awe passersby. I like to think that the artist him/herself might have passed it by and felt pride that someone else appreciated it enough to display it.

Enjoy!

Hubble Telescope photo...or cosmic unicorn-being?

A friend forwarded me the top ten Hubble telescope photos--this was around number seven or so. I thought it was the most beautiful of all. It looks like some kind of fantasy painting or the VHS cover to 80's box-office hit 'Legend.' According to the email-forward, this is what is pictured:

The glowering eyes from 114 million light years away are the swirling cores of two merging galaxies called NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the distant Canis Major constellation.

Racetrack at Death Valley

Here's an example of the kind of strange and mysterious phenomena that keeps life interesting! My friends Lance and Stephanie just went on a giant we-both-just-got-laid-off roadtrip (good for them!) and one of their stops was Death Valley. Stephanie sent me this bizarre photo she took (excellent work--maybe she should think of going into nature photography!) of a rock and the trail it left behind as it moved, unseen, across the playa! I had to google, and found an informative explanation for this in the YouTube link below--even with science at play, it still seems magical!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1hoiHvOeGc

Keep Feeling Fascination

This blog is inspired by my son, Ellis James Boran, who has helped me see the amazing quality of every tiny thing in life! Ellis is fascinated by just about everything he sees, and has a deep respect for all things living and material.

When I was expecting, I was worried that once I became a 'mom', I wouldn't care about the things that, up until now, have been my babies--my writing and my painting. I found that Ellis's arrival had just the opposite effect! I am much more inspired now that I have my little friend by my side to help me notice details I would have surely missed before. I've also found that I make better use of my time (now that I have less of it).

Thanks Ellis!