Meri's Musings

This time, when I'm talking about Bric-a-Brac I'm not talking about the things I find in my browsing trips. . . not old medicine bottles or vintage children's toys or piles of stars or even tons of candle jars. A few days ago, I mentioned the new-to-me group I discovered called Bric-a-Brac . And I captured their sound on video -- a first for me-- and then I uploaded it on YouTube because I didn't know how to load a video directly on blogger. So here goes. . . .

One thing I learned when reading Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn is that when a woman in a third world country earns income, her status in the community grows by leaps and bounds and her family's economic position improves dramatically -- even more so than if her husband (if she has one) earned the same amount of income. That's because women are more likely to use resources for their family unit, while men  are more likely to address their own needs  and desires first, putting the needs of wives and children second. That's why grass roots charities benefitting women and girls' education and economic opportunities are near and dear to my heart. And if women are empowered through art, well that's even better. So I was delighted to find the Zimbabwe Artists Project (a Portland, Oregon nonprofit) represented at the Northwest Folklife Festival. The folk art they produce is charming and naive and quite reasonably priced. The pieces ...

For a little fun and festivity on Memorial Day Weekend, there's nothing quite like the excess, spectacle and humor, music,  whether street performers or scheduled appearances by groups like this one (more about them later this week) dancing to live music with a zydeco group ,  food, vendors (there's my reflection as I admire the earrings) and general frivolity of the Northwest Folk Life Festival now in its 40th year. It's held at the Seattle Center, home of the iconic Space Needle.

Haiku My Heart participants can be found at Rebecca's place. spring breezes caress. . . light plays amongst the prayer flags   lace shadows dancing

Some more things that give me joy. . . the feeling that things are about to blossom the way that the light of dawn and dusk gives everything a kind of romantic softness seeing films that inspire, educate, and amaze like "The Cave of Forgotten Dreams" about the Chauvet cave with drawings perhaps 30,000 years old. and experiencing an amazing thread of connectedness that stretches backward and forward and out to other people. What gives you joy? To play along and share the joy: 1. do a post that tells and shows us  what gives you joy. 2. capture the URL of the specific post  and paste it into the  Mr. Linky box along with your name. 3. visit other players -- as many as possible --  and let their joy infect you.   Leave them a comment about their post. Let's start an epidemic of joy!

Some guys just don't get it. They make total fools of themselves, just to get some babe's attention. This one thinks he's supposed to drum to call his would-be mate by pecking on my downspout. . . the one outside the master bathroom. . . early in the morning of course. Doesn't he know I need my beauty sleep? And judging from the number of days he's been at it, I'd say the bird girls in the neighborhood aren't all that impressed. But he IS a handsome devil. 

It's hard to look at pictures of yourself and see those signs of aging that you try to ignore when you look in the mirror (briefly). So it's good to discover that RAW format allows you to move the clarity slider to the soft side. It makes a multitude of sins more bearable.

Visit Haiku My Heart  at Rebecca's place. Tamagawa-zutsumi no hana -  Blossoms on the Tama River Embankment Hiroshige Ando (1797 - 1858) courtesy Library of Congress Japanese Print Collection LC-DIG-jpd-10328 - digital file from original print A world of trials and if the cherry blossoms, it simply blossoms.    - Kobayashi Issa 1763 - 1827

What makes me joyful? Beautiful places Golden raspberries Scenic little harbors Seeing a bride and groom overcome with emotion Full moons Day lilies Discovering I have a halo What gives you joy? To play along and share the joy:   1. do a post that tells and shows us  what gives you joy. 2. capture the URL of the specific post  and paste it into the  Mr. Linky box along with your name. 3. visit other players -- as many as possible --  and let their joy infect you.   Leave them a comment about their post. Let's start an epidemic of joy!