One's-Self I Sing
by Walt Whitman

One’s-Self I sing, a simple separate person,
Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.
Of physiology from top to toe I sing,
Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far,
The Female equally with the Male I sing.
Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power,
Cheerful, for freest action form’d under the laws divine,
The Modern Man I sing.

Sometimes with One I Love
by Walt Whitman

Sometimes with one I love I fill myself with rage for fear I effuse unreturn’d love,
But now I think there is no unreturn’d love, the pay is certain one way or another
(I loved a certain person ardently and my love was not return’d,
Yet out of that I have written these songs).

Forgive my indulgence....

My niece.

I'm in the final week of my last break before my last term of grad school.
In this last term we have no more classes. The first three weeks we are left to perfect and prepare for a public presentation of our best work throughout the year. The last 4-5 weeks is devoted to working on our final projects which are shown in the last two weeks of school.

Without being too dramatic (which is difficult for a performer), it is the end.

I am thoroughly excited. I'm excited to focus on creating work, honing it, playing with it. Essentially I am excited to work at what I've been training in for the past two years. I am also completely buzzing about plotting what to do next. I have my plans in Portugal till October and then hopefully ("grant"-willing) I'll have plans to the end of the year.

*Deep happy healthy creative silly sounding Sign*

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

My friend Erin, reminded me of a wonderful artist here in London. His name is Banksy. He does graffiti on public walls, you can't live in London without seeing some of his work. He truly is, for me, oneof the most impactful artists I have experienced. He makes stencils and then runs around tagging unused walls and sidewalks of london.








I have included some images of his stuff:

This is from Erin's blog regarding the video below.... (by the way, my US friends, fyi. TESCO is a chain supermarket in the UK, like Safeway or Albertsons)
"Here is some street art that I am enjoying at the moment:
I see this Banksy each morning as I go to work. From the website: "What we find to be most important about the video is the diversity of the people who stopped, noticed, and most importantly - appreciated - the work. The video is a terrific testament to the "value" of street art."

I am on my break from school. I realize I only have two more terms.

The summer is approaching. The sun struggles with the clouds to bring about summer. I am cheering for the sun. The clouds are making a good fight. Rain pelts the sidewalks daily and then the tired overcast clouds, exhausted from pummelling soaked londoners, release their hold on the skies and the sun makes a fine show.

I consider buying a bike. But the schizophrenia of the weather keeps me a spendthrift.

I love to watch people on the train. I love to spin tales of their lives and where they are going. People on a train are going somewhere, oh the places they go! I also like to watch people in queues or lines. Patience becomes physical. Children are fun to watch as well, but I worry that their parents will find me strange.

and I am not strange.

More of Summer with Dad and Grandma,

My new niece! Summer Rose Johnson, born February 20th!!

Boy am I missing the Sun.

I'm looking for some hope and happy inspiration.
Please share. Thank you.

I am missing the sun......and the dray......and Christmas with my family.

I leave for Portugal in a week and I am going to spend Christmas with Diogo's family. I am very excited to spend time with a family this year, but there is an ache of homesick about not seeing my own family on Christmas. Especially now that my brother will be having a baby soon. Though both kids don't live at home and haven't for several years, there is something sentimental that stirs in me about this Christmas being the last Christmas the my nuclear family is just four.

Life moving forward, welcoming and reminiscent.

Merry Christmas 2007

A Touch of home....www.thishome.org.

Sex and the City...an end/beginning.

A few moments ago I watched the last episode of Sex and the City. I wept, I laughed, I mourned, and I smiled....widely. Throughout the last two episodes, and now I can't help but feel like my life is on a path. You see, I started watching Sarah Jessica Parker's show when I was 21. I was between my sophmore and junior year of College, crazy and mixed up, planning my career path in advertising, addicted to video games and diet pills, running between 4-6 miles a day. It was just after my first really emotional and hard break up with my first long term live-in boyfriend. The show was like honey to my wounded, independent, female-rebirthing soul. And it was good. OH sooooooo good. But I stopped watching the show at the end of the third season. I have no good reason why and I can't really remember anything besides maybe I got a life again or at least decided to reemerge in the world.

Now, since I quit my job and school hasn't started back up, I've had the time to watch the last three seasons. And it feels like I was meant to wait six years to finish off this gem of HBO goodness. The first three seasons are all about empowerment and loving yourself and loving all the trouble we girls put ourselves through for love, sex, and excitement. The independent girl establishing herself in the crazy world.

The last three seasons are about settling into yourself, commiting to love, and finding a path to stick to. I am now 27, in my last year of grad school, in love with a wonderful stable and great guy, and thinking about what my path to settling down would look like. The Independent yet collaborative woman choosing/commiting to a path within an option-filled existence.

Now, I'll admit that I am making a mountain out of a television show, but it's my mountain. I'm standing at the top of the snow peak waving happily, saying.....I've grown up. Oh goodie. And look, I really like this show because I watch it and feel simile. Catharsis. Cyclical Catharsis.

Hoorah!!!

We have returned!! Diogo and I arrived back from our trip on Tuesday after a much mixed up return flight. We lost our luggage but luckily it was found and returned to us yesterday. PHEW!

We had a wonderful time. To all those whom I was able to see, much love, it was wonderful to see you for the brief time that we did. To those who I missed, :(

I have put a bunch of picture from our trip on my facebook page, but if you don't have facebook, I should get some up here or on my flickr page soon enough. (Photo montage!!!)

Our trip followed the path from New York (ANNIE! It was fabulous to see you.), Portland (Sabra, Alex, Brooke, Sarah, Molly, Bruce - SOOOOO good to see you! hannah, I'll catch you in London.), Ashland (Erin and Jones we must make a longer road trip after we graduate!), the Oregon Coast, Klamath Falls (Jessie and Josh, congrats!!), and finally ending in San Francisco where we took a spontaneous trip to a theme park and Diogo took his first thrill ride on several roller coasters.

Seeing my parents, family, and friends was a wonderful recharge and by the end we were looking forward to being home. Now that we are home. It's reallly lovely. I'm very happy.