Distraction Desperation

Life against a brutal backdrop

I woke up at 6 am Monday and the first thing I saw was a notification on my phone saying something about Rob Reiner. And that was how my week began, after two other violent incidents in the news about shootings in Australia and Rhode Island this past weekend.

Sometimes things get so horrific that I can’t write until I process some of it.

Now it’s Tuesday. Yesterday I had a good distraction in the afternoon, a two hour photo shoot at the gallery with Chris, the gallery owner and her longtime friend Mary, who is a professional photographer and flew in from Portland to visit. I have done a few of these photo shoots in my life for various reasons, but it’s been a long time. It will be nice to have an updated headshot since the last ones I had taken were before my hair turned this gray.

First we went outdoors in the alley, because there are murals and bricks and old buildings, and Mary did a full set of photos of me, then we went indoors and we set up several of my paintings in the background, with me sitting on the floor wearing an apron and holding some paintbrushes. And then we did a set of photos of me acting like a framing customer being sold frames by Chris. It was a long session but we laughed a lot. I felt comfortable with Mary and it looks like we’ll have a lot of good photos to choose from, from the ones she showed me on her camera. I imagine I’ll get to see them soon, but it’s a busy time of year.

Farmers Market booth at setup on Saturday morning.

Last weekend the farmers market went well, one of my best. I sold out of more print designs and I had to place a quick order, which I picked up today. I sold two paintings, including the one for the mom with the girl who liked my work. Now I have to package them and so far I haven’t been able to get in touch with the girl down the street who helps me occasionally. If I do a few each day I can get them done by Saturday.

My new hat, our running group before the run, and at breakfast.

Sunday I met my running group for a run and then breakfast. It was so nice to see everyone. We did a short run along the bike path by the Poudre River, then at breakfast Jill gave us all hats that she knitted. I picked a green and turquoise one, and I love it. Jill is going on sabbatical to Vancouver for the spring semester, so we won’t see her until summer.

Views from the top of the ridge over the foothills and over the city. I don’t know what happened with the shoe picture, but it looks cool. I wore a T-shirt and shorts, even with the wind howling at times, I wasn’t cold. It was about 60 degrees, and this is at nearly 6000 feet elevation. Weird winter.

I went for a trail run today because the weather has been so nice. It was windy but I love the wind. I went up in the foothills and climbed the A, and did a few small trail out and backs to add on for seven miles. I really need to get out and do climbs, I’ve been sticking to the flats too much. I should do that once a week! I get so lazy about driving somewhere to run. But it’s only a ten minute drive to the foothills, twenty minutes to Horsetooth trailheads, and thirty minutes to Lory State Park. I need to stop making excuses.

There’s one thing I wanted to follow up on from last week- the Christian neighbors with the Star of David on their doorstep. I was at my booth at the farmers market on Saturday and I saw her- walking through the mall with a Star of David prominently displayed around her neck! After writing that last post it was so weird that I saw her and noticed that! I forgot about it until I saw her!

I really don’t care what she wears, as long as it’s not a swastika. But it still raises all sorts of questions for me. Does it mean you support the Israeli government? Zionism? What do you think of the rights of Palestinians? Do you support Jews or a Jewish state? Do you think Jews should convert to Christianity? Do you support a nationalist movement that claims only Jews have the right to that land? What does that Star around your neck signify? What are you saying to the world with that symbol? Have you ever thought how it might be perceived by people who don’t know you? Or who do know you? How might your Jewish neighbors perceive it? Would you turn your Jewish neighbors in to the Nazis if this was 1930s Germany?

Anyway, that’s where I’m leaving it. I am sure sometime in the next few days I’ll see them in the neighborhood or at the mailbox, and they’ll say “Merry Christmas” to me. Will this be the year I tell them Happy Hanukkah?

Everyone, have a happy Hanukkah this week. Next week will be the week of Merry Christmas.

Thanks for reading my protracted rant…