REDONDOWRITER'S SACRED ORDINARY

Tomorrow is Dias de los Muertos

For the fifth year in a row, I have created my own version of a Dias de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead altar. It's in my living room and it contains photos of my deceased family and friends, plus memorabilia. Tomorrow, Nov. 2, is All Souls Day, the day the holiday is celebrated in many Hispanic countries--or in places like California where our Latino population is large. For those who do not know much about the holiday, this article on How to Construct a Day of the Dead altar, might help to understand the symbolism and significance.

My friend Paula from Apprentice of Wonder is actually in Mexico for vacation for the second year in a row during the time Dios de los Muertos is celebrated. She tells me it is an unbelievable festival of living, not a macabre remembrance of death. There are several festivals in Southern California but I was not able to convince any of my friends to go with me and the big processions are mostly at night. But, if you are interested in getting the flavor, try this YouTube video made by Scott Goldberg. 

There are dozens of different Day of Dead videos at YouTube. I do hope to get to a Day of the Dead art show in a gallery in San Pedro tomorrow afternoon. I have long found that Americans sanitize death, shun it, pretend it doesn't exist except on the day of a funeral. My spiritual director long ago told me to "dance with death" to take the fear out of it. Like so many share with me in journal groups and conversations, most of us aren't afraid so much of death as we are an incapacitating illness that often precedes it. The Day of the Dead is a way, literally and figuratively, to dance with death. So, regardless of your heritage or culture, maybe take a little time tomorrow to remember the angels among us.

Link Lists for the Masses: Kudos to Those Who Compile Them

In the world of Internet communications, sometimes you just don’t have the “right” photo to accompany whatever it is you are writing about. Because my blog is considered more of a personal journal, I almost always use my own photos because photography is one of my passions.

But, I was recently searching for photos of the Los Angeles skyline and the California courts for another project, and nothing I had resident was working although I did find some things on the major photosharing sites like Flickr, Shutterfly, SmugMug and Picasa.

Then I tripped across this article at Arcagility entitled “100 Legal Sources for Free Stock Images. Laura Milligan lists them as follows:

• Most Popular
• Community Powered Content
• Artists Welcome
• Less is Sometimes More
• Stock Images Plus
• Miscellaneous
• General

I absolutely love it when someone has such a comprehensive site with links that would take us days to find on our own. I personally maintain a list of all Apple/Macintosh sites so I can keep up with the news I write for my user group's monthly newsletter which I'll share sometime if anyone is interested. What comprehensive lists do you have that you would be willing to share? 

 This photo of the Los Angeles skyline on Flickr was taken by Fort Ogden 

This is the landing flight path at LAX looking toward downtown L.A., the city I was born in and love unashamedly. It is about six miles from my home and each time I fly home from somewhere, I get teary-eyed when I see this--and then the passover of the San Diego freeway. I'm almost home. 

A Taste of Artist Trading Cards

Several months ago I made some Artists Trading Cards, posted a few here, and then put that project aside. That is so Frannish. This weekend I returned to this project. Loretta has convinced me that I have my style and I don't have to constantly compare myself to others.

Shown here are 3 of the cards I made tonight. If you are unfamiliar with the guidelines, the cards are 2.5 x 3.5” and technically they are supposed to be traded at ATC swaps. They are never to be sold. The sky is the limit, I guess. I like the format because I can scan them and put a copy in my journal. They make great writing prompts.

The ATC concept was founded in Switzerland and you can see the ATC history at the Artist Trading Cards site. I just keep making them and have never traded.

Today, while visiting my spiritual director in Culver City, I stopped at Stampin’ From the Heart and Kelley Kilmer, a wonderful mixed media artist, was teaching. And this weekend is the spring Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson sponsored by a Stamp in the Hand. Don’t let the rubber stamp handle get in your way; there are classes, an ATC trade, many dealers of stamps, inks and mixed media supplies, and even classes. It is really fun!

The Power and Passion of Sunsets

When I left work in Palos Verdes at about 5:30 p.m., I could see the fiery sun preparing to set to the west. Instead of going home immediately, I drove up the hill in Malaga Cove to the beautiful La Venta Inn,  an historic 1917 building and grounds now used predominately for public events.

Though the chains were down in the driveway, the caretaker, Rodger Niesley, said it was fine to go in to take photos. (He admitted to hosing down passionate teenagers who sneak into the grounds at night, however.) I hightailed it to my favorite spot and took a dozen photos, but this was my favorite with contrails streaking the sky. I could see one of the Channel Islands in a different snapshot and the Queen’s Necklace (the coastline from South Bay through Santa Monica, Malibu and to where highway 1 curves into Pt. Mugu). It was dusk by then and it was like looking at a cardboard cutout of the coastline with the mountains behind.

Sadly, only a few miles south in Rancho Palos Verdes, the The Daily Breeze  continues the coverage of the search for a young man swept off the rocks two days ago. We have been having some really big surf since the weekend. In the midst of all this beauty, I said a quick prayer for the family of the young man who it is assumed has drowned.

What is it about sunrises and sunsets that totally captivates us all? People can badmouth Los Angeles and kooky California all they want, but how I love the city and the state I was born in. We have everything, even a Governator, who is in deep caca with the budget cuts.

I’ll write about Roger, La Venta's caretaker, another day. He is a superb wood carver and he showed me around his tiny studio tonight which is in one of the original garages. I’m invited back to see carved murals of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Inn’s tower. I just love how I constantly trip across all these wonderful people who enrich my life.