More randomness and meme
Sep. 12th, 2010 06:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
averygoodun42Meme first:
Full list here.
Day 8 - A precious item
Like Juni said, that which is most precious to me is not in the "thing" category. People, memories and hopes are all more precious than any material item could ever be. However, some "things" are reminders of that which is most treasured. And it's hard to choose which item I should tell you about. Should I tell you about the Tomatoes or Sargent's Boy as first proofs (to myself and others) that I am a capable artist? Should I tell you about my engagement ring and the rather unromantic story behind its acquisition? Or how about the photograph of my grandmother as a young woman holding a baby and looking so incredibly beautiful?
I think, though, I will tell you about a rock.
Geoff and I had been going out for a few months. My birthday had come and gone, and his gift, while quite nice, had been rather... unromantic. A backpack, a phone jack thingy I needed and, the romantic part (and it was very sweet), a pair of snake earrings to go with my then favorite ring. Unfortunately, they were way too uncomfortable to wear. So overall, a very nice group of gifts, but unromantic.
I could tell he loved me, and he had no problem telling me he loved me, but I was finding out that he was far too anxious to be romantic. He wanted to be but didn't trust himself. And that was bumming me out.
And then, one day, he came over with a random gift. It wasn't my birthday or any Hallmark holiday; he had been thinking about me and saw a rock in a shop window. It was a chunk of dark stone with rainbows captured within like an opal. Two sides were polished and gently shaped, showing the rainbows off very slickly as it caught the light. It was beautiful.
I oohed and ahhed and felt my heart swell with the knowledge that he knew me! He hadn't gotten me flowers, which besides being dying things, were a hotbed of allergens, he had gotten me a rock. A beautiful, gorgeous rock to add to my small collection.
As I oohed and ahhed over the shiny side, he told me that it was actually the rough backside that had appealed to him. I turned the rock over, and was rather disappointed. They seemed lighter and more colorful, catching the light and holding it, not letting it bounce off, but also rather... dull. There weren't any rainbows - no shininess to amaze. It was just a rock.
But then he picked it up and tilted it just slightly. A rainbow appeared. It was muted, but it was there. I oohed and ahhed again, although I was less impressed than he was over the subtler play of light on the craggy surface.
Months went by and every time I saw the rock, displayed with the shiny side out, I would smile, pick it up and look it over. And every time I did so, I would find more and more to see on the rough side. The blues and greens and yellows would pop out so suddenly, and in such contrast to the rough surface, that I eventually started to turn the rock over without even looking for the colors on the shiny side.
Looking at the rock now, these eleven years later, I still find pleasure looking at the beauty of the polished stone, but I find I love the rough, rocky side that glows so unexpectedly when held under just the right light.
I love that Geoff helped open my eyes to seeing beauty where others might not even think to look.
I am done with the first two parts of my new art project and am happy with how they turned out. I have a fair ways to go before the project is finished, but I'm excited. There's a fair amount more planning that needs to be done and figured out, but I have no doubts that I will be able to do this. I might even be able to get it done within the next week if all goes well. Well... maybe. I have to research some techniques and probably practice first, but that's cool. I have another little tiny project in mind for that. :-)
I joined netflix (at least for the first [free] month) to get the final three episodes of Series 4 Doctor Who. Turns out, they were available to stream. Yay! So we've finished the season and only have The End of Time left to watch. Which we'll probably do tonight.
I'm wondering if it will be worth it to keep the Netflix after we cancel the cable. So far I've watched quite a few movies, and they have a good selection of instant play stuff... And it's less than half what the cable costs. Hmm. I'll see how it goes over the month.
Thanks to the netflix, I watched Penelope yesterday and watched it again with Geoff today. Very sweet fairytale. Yes, the story is simple, but sometimes those simple stories are <i>juuuust</i> right. And I really liked the moral. Also, Christina Ricci makes a pretty darn good looking pig.
First church of the season was today. It was good, if loooooooooonnnng. So many responsive readings!
I hate responsive readings. They make the congregation sound like drones. And, unfortunately, one of the readings was one I absolutely abhor. To paraphrase: Some religions are uptight and bigotous, but others are Good and Just...'
Blergh. For a liberal church that is based upon principles of openness of heart, mind and spirit, it is a really snobby and hypocritical way of preaching it. "Our way is way better than theirs" is the message, and HOW IS THAT BETTER? HOW?!!? (We can of course think it, but to say it aloud? ;-)
Bah. I hate that reading and that it's read at the start of Every. Single. Year. And revisited occasionally during the year. *vomits*
And finally, and maybe most importantly, I am wearing slippers. It has finally cooled down enough to need something on my feet. Yay! Of course, this means I'm going to have to start watching for frost warnings, so that I can harvest the rest of the harvestables before they're killed off. But that's cool. (Har dee har har.)
Full list here.
Day 8 - A precious item
Like Juni said, that which is most precious to me is not in the "thing" category. People, memories and hopes are all more precious than any material item could ever be. However, some "things" are reminders of that which is most treasured. And it's hard to choose which item I should tell you about. Should I tell you about the Tomatoes or Sargent's Boy as first proofs (to myself and others) that I am a capable artist? Should I tell you about my engagement ring and the rather unromantic story behind its acquisition? Or how about the photograph of my grandmother as a young woman holding a baby and looking so incredibly beautiful?
I think, though, I will tell you about a rock.
Geoff and I had been going out for a few months. My birthday had come and gone, and his gift, while quite nice, had been rather... unromantic. A backpack, a phone jack thingy I needed and, the romantic part (and it was very sweet), a pair of snake earrings to go with my then favorite ring. Unfortunately, they were way too uncomfortable to wear. So overall, a very nice group of gifts, but unromantic.
I could tell he loved me, and he had no problem telling me he loved me, but I was finding out that he was far too anxious to be romantic. He wanted to be but didn't trust himself. And that was bumming me out.
And then, one day, he came over with a random gift. It wasn't my birthday or any Hallmark holiday; he had been thinking about me and saw a rock in a shop window. It was a chunk of dark stone with rainbows captured within like an opal. Two sides were polished and gently shaped, showing the rainbows off very slickly as it caught the light. It was beautiful.
I oohed and ahhed and felt my heart swell with the knowledge that he knew me! He hadn't gotten me flowers, which besides being dying things, were a hotbed of allergens, he had gotten me a rock. A beautiful, gorgeous rock to add to my small collection.
As I oohed and ahhed over the shiny side, he told me that it was actually the rough backside that had appealed to him. I turned the rock over, and was rather disappointed. They seemed lighter and more colorful, catching the light and holding it, not letting it bounce off, but also rather... dull. There weren't any rainbows - no shininess to amaze. It was just a rock.
But then he picked it up and tilted it just slightly. A rainbow appeared. It was muted, but it was there. I oohed and ahhed again, although I was less impressed than he was over the subtler play of light on the craggy surface.
Months went by and every time I saw the rock, displayed with the shiny side out, I would smile, pick it up and look it over. And every time I did so, I would find more and more to see on the rough side. The blues and greens and yellows would pop out so suddenly, and in such contrast to the rough surface, that I eventually started to turn the rock over without even looking for the colors on the shiny side.
Looking at the rock now, these eleven years later, I still find pleasure looking at the beauty of the polished stone, but I find I love the rough, rocky side that glows so unexpectedly when held under just the right light.
I love that Geoff helped open my eyes to seeing beauty where others might not even think to look.
I am done with the first two parts of my new art project and am happy with how they turned out. I have a fair ways to go before the project is finished, but I'm excited. There's a fair amount more planning that needs to be done and figured out, but I have no doubts that I will be able to do this. I might even be able to get it done within the next week if all goes well. Well... maybe. I have to research some techniques and probably practice first, but that's cool. I have another little tiny project in mind for that. :-)
I joined netflix (at least for the first [free] month) to get the final three episodes of Series 4 Doctor Who. Turns out, they were available to stream. Yay! So we've finished the season and only have The End of Time left to watch. Which we'll probably do tonight.
I'm wondering if it will be worth it to keep the Netflix after we cancel the cable. So far I've watched quite a few movies, and they have a good selection of instant play stuff... And it's less than half what the cable costs. Hmm. I'll see how it goes over the month.
Thanks to the netflix, I watched Penelope yesterday and watched it again with Geoff today. Very sweet fairytale. Yes, the story is simple, but sometimes those simple stories are <i>juuuust</i> right. And I really liked the moral. Also, Christina Ricci makes a pretty darn good looking pig.
First church of the season was today. It was good, if loooooooooonnnng. So many responsive readings!
I hate responsive readings. They make the congregation sound like drones. And, unfortunately, one of the readings was one I absolutely abhor. To paraphrase: Some religions are uptight and bigotous, but others are Good and Just...'
Blergh. For a liberal church that is based upon principles of openness of heart, mind and spirit, it is a really snobby and hypocritical way of preaching it. "Our way is way better than theirs" is the message, and HOW IS THAT BETTER? HOW?!!? (We can of course think it, but to say it aloud? ;-)
Bah. I hate that reading and that it's read at the start of Every. Single. Year. And revisited occasionally during the year. *vomits*
And finally, and maybe most importantly, I am wearing slippers. It has finally cooled down enough to need something on my feet. Yay! Of course, this means I'm going to have to start watching for frost warnings, so that I can harvest the rest of the harvestables before they're killed off. But that's cool. (Har dee har har.)
