Cosmicity!

2011/2012 - Mostly Blackwater...

2011-12-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!! What a delicious year 2011 was - here is some evidence. Onward to more delight in 2012!

I have various photos from this year that I want to share and preserve here, so I'm just going to post away.

To start out with, some random flower shots from here and there. Enjoy!

And here are some Blackwater (NH) shots from last June/July - my writing retreat. OK, this is as far as I got. Still have more Ireland shots and the holidays...sigh...over indulgence is a mixed delight! A couple of comments on these, but considering I was there for almost three weeks (and did get some work done too), I think I did a good job of choosing from the hundreds of images...a distillation...a mere 180!

Taking the computer across the river to recharge it!

What is the *point* of this shot? Look closely!

Coast of Maine for a weekend wedding celebration...

Back to the kerosene lamps!

Marny/Kristin and my Mom enjoying a Blackwater breakfast!

Working upstairs

A blissful mom - improving on nature...

A visit from Bruce and Connor.

Pedro and Brucifer.

Working downstairs.

Leenda and her Sachi (RIP).

Mom cutting a special tree...

Sharpening...for...?

See!? I fixed it with duct tape!

More cowbell!

The photographer at work!

Sunset and the moon over the swimming hole...

Yummy morning mist!

Canoeing companion?

Better late than never...beach photos!

2011-11-17T04:15:00.001-08:00

I went to the beach last month. The sound of the waves is like medicine for me because I grew up next to the ocean (and I had a pretty much idyllic childhood). I just hear those waves and my blood pressure drops to a bliss zone. There are two things that I do with abandon when I am at the beach: collect shells and, yes, take photos. Here you go - too many photos, again (these aren't even all of them - the delight of the digital!). [And if I think these photos are late...what are all those Ireland photos...past due? Stay tuned!] Oh, and my camera died (so sad), so these are taken with a new one (another canon). Random comments included...enjoy! (especially Diane who could not make it this time!!! Hope it was a good Haiti trip!)

Evidence of Irene's visit

Oil turd shows off shell fragments so nicely

Mini oil spill

Jelly fish with sand - cool design

The beach is also all about the sky

If you look really closely...dolphins!

All about the sky and reflections!

All kinds of birds!

Pelicans are so amazing!

Turns out this is what my running on the beach looks like! Who knew?

Yes, I confess, I disturbed them for a photo or two...

And another group...

Love the reflections here!

Zooming in...

Yes, it was windy!

The reflection on the windows!

Sunset coming...

Sunrise!

Moon!

Another sunrise...

Occupy Greensboro!

2011-10-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

Got to march in Greensboro today - October 15, 2011. Lovely day for a march! Here are some photos.

This is the sign that I chose from the ones that were created for those of us who did not bring our own.
For some reason when I picked it up I thought the word on the bottom was corporation...hmmm...
Word association, much?

Yay! Cackalack thunder!!!

I was really happy to run into my friend Kathy LaPoint - I don't get to see her enough - we marched through the streets of Greensboro together. It was lovely.

One of my favorite people at UNCG, the poet, Mark Smith-Soto.

My neighbor, Bill - it was good to see lots of people I knew at this event! Good turnout, Greensboro!

There was some poetry marching past the Civil Rights Museum.

The librarian in me loves this!

Ansel and Rev's first protest as a married couple - less than a week after they got hitched in TN. (Walt's first protest, I think)

Walt looking for a friend!

One of my favorite signs!

Ireland - cool signs!

2011-09-06T04:03:00.000-07:00

OK, so I went on this amazing trip to Ireland this summer (thanks to the IAML conference, that's the International Association of Music Libraries, in Dublin) and one of the things I love to click is random sign shots. Some of these are in the "you know you're not in the states anymore when you see a sign like this..." category and some of them are in the "hilarious" category, still others are in the "I just don't want to forget this one" category, hence all the zillions of photos to follow. Enjoy! (beware: over 300 pics!)

Remembering my delightful dad.

2011-02-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

And.....she's back! Many months later...

I was reading my dear friend Sukie's blog Trusting Delight today and looked over to other blogs that she follows, and, hmmm, there was *mine* - Cosmicity! which had not been posted on since...hmmm, since September 2009. Just a week before my dad died. I had two reactions: in some way this was fitting, that my life had been changed forever, but also I did not want to allow his passing to stop the cosmicity of life that he enjoyed every day.

He lived a good, long life, was 90 when he left and to honor him properly, I think I'll post the eulogy I read at his memorial service. This was a conglomeration of memories from everyone in the family that I morphed into what you see below. And here are two photographs of him at a family wedding in Bermuda. Blowing bubbles in a sweet, childlike way! No wonder he was so good at being a pediatrician. In addition to listening to all those mothers so well, he never let go of his delight in being here and connecting with all those children. So, how appropriate that Sukie's delightful blog would get me to finally return to my cosmicity blog in celebration of a most delightful and cosmic man.

What an amazing wedding that was, too...so many delightful memories!!! OK, before I distract myself too much, here is the text of what I read that day:

Greetings, everyone, thank you so much for coming today. I’m Sarah Dorsey, daughter of Bill and Eleanor (fourth of their five children). We’re here to celebrate the long and loving life of William R. Dorsey. He lived two months past his 90^th birthday. The day before he died he saw his last patient in Salem and had dinner that evening in Gloucester (where he was born in 1919). He started his last day at one of his favorite places, on Grand rounds at Children’s Hospital in Boston (something he had done on his *day off* for over 50 years) and took his last breath that evening at his other favorite hospital - in the Pediatric ward of Beverly Hospital - where he had spent much of his life. How cool is that? I’d say a poetic ending.

You will be hearing from a colleague of dad’s and from a parent, and we thought you might like to hear from his family as well. What was it like to live with Dr. Dorsey? I’m speaking on behalf of my mother, my brothers Brad and Peter, my dear sister Ellie who died in 2000, my younger sister Becky and Brad’s wife, Carolyn (and her daughters Jessie and May), Ellie’s husband, Bruce, Peter’s wife, Susie, and the four grandchildren, Connor, Nora, George and Eliza. I will share some stories from all of us about this caring, inquisitive and stubborn man.

Bill Dorsey had an amazing memory and read voraciously, incessantly – each day the New York Times, the Boston Globe and the Salem News were delivered to the house - not to mention the various local weeklies, magazines and medical journals he subscribed to. They flooded the house. He would clip articles for people to read because he remembered what they were interested in. It was one of his ways of communicating. Depending on my current interests, there would be a pile of articles for me to read whenever I came to visit. For instance the most recent ones he sent me were about John Updike and Yo Yo Ma. But there was a challenge to all this paper. Towering piles of magazines and newspapers grew (exponentially it seemed) on tables, chairs, mantles, kitchen counters and bathroom floors – any flat surface…and woe to anyone who might disturb his precious piles. They drove my poor mother to tears! Once in a great while, in response to her pleading (and feeling very put upon) he would put some papers into a box and put that box into the cellar… where it joined a teetering pile of other similar boxes full of papers.

Due to his constant reading he was informed about politics and ready to discuss any current event including the present context and pertinent history. When I was in high school he took me on a bus with the Cape Ann Concerned Citizens to an anti-war rally in 1970 in Washington, D.C. I sat in the back with the youngsters and the ripple wine while he sat up front discussing politics – what a great adventure for us to share. Ever since then, whenever I went to rallies or protests, I’d call home to report from the ground to mom and dad. And he was so proud of his daughter Ellie when she was arrested in the late 60’s for throwing peace leaflets in the United States Senate.

One of the details we remember growing up in Dr. Dorsey’s house was kind of peculiar: he brought home sterile culture dishes and put them into the refrigerator. They were there at the ready for taking cultures on weekend and evening house calls so he wouldn’t have to go back into the office. We just accepted these odd, red plastic dishes (which some called “blood pies”) as they sat next to the milk and juice in our refrigerator.

Peter recalls a taxi ride he took late one night from the Beverly Depot while at Emerson College in Boston. He told the driver the address in Beverly when he got into the cab and the driver recognized it as Dr. Dorsey’s address and proceeded to tell Peter the dramatic story of how daddy saved his daughter’s life. Apparently his pediatrician had told them to have the girl take two of something, and call him in the morning. Later that night, in the wee hours, the girl was in extreme pain, and the man didn't know what to do. He asked around for some one to call, and some one gave him Dad's phone number. He got thru to Dad, whom he had never met or spoken with, and Dad told him to meet at the Beverly Hospital in 20 minutes. They did, Dad examined the child, and she had an emergency appendectomy; which saved her life. She would not have made it to the morning without the surgery.

But how much did he talk to *us* about his work? Very little. I have memories of accompanying him on house calls, waiting in the car, not understanding how unusual and cool it was, that he did this. Phone calls would come at all hours and he’d quietly leave holiday gatherings, returning equally silently, with nary a word about who he’d treated, what interesting disease he’d diagnosed or what he’d pulled out of some child’s ear or nose.

The soul of this humble man was fed by spending time in nature. From moon and stargazing to hunting for worms to feed the frogs and turtles in his office, not a day went by when he was not outside. He had three favorite outdoor activities – fishing, cross country skiing and swimming. He did his fishing on the Blackwater River in New Hampshire. He would get up before the sun and go out on the river in the red canoe. He’d have at least 3 fishing rods with him and was bristling with all kinds of fishing gear. He paddled miles up the river against the gentle current casting his lures into every likely spot – next to that rock, over by the pickerel weed. Hour after hour …with the unflagging, happy expectation of getting the big one with the NEXT cast. Frequently he would return with no fish at all. But this didn’t bother him one bit. He would be out there the next morning in the red canoe casting away – filled with the joy of being on the river he loved.

In recent years I’ve enjoyed paddling with him up the river. I would click pictures while he would cast away – and sometimes catch something. He taught us all to fish. I remember as a child his infinite patience as he taught me to fish, carefully unwinding the mess I’d make of the fish line – stuck in a tree or snagged in the weeds – a lost cause, I was convinced, but he worked persistently and was able to untangle the line and remarkably was willing to continue teaching his clumsy, impatient student. His oldest grandchild, Connor Stedman, remembers vividly that when he was about 10 years old his grandfather decided that it was time for Connor to learn an important skill: how to compassionately take the lives of the fish he caught. This benevolent ability is one that Connor values and uses regularly in his outdoor survival skills.

Cross country skiing was another outdoor delight of his. A few inches of snow and he would be out the kitchen door, down the driveway and across the neighboring fields, beaming from ear to ear, wearing his parka held together by duct tape. One of the neighbors had the thrill of seeing him fall through the ice of a nearby pond – luckily it was shallow and he just got a little soggy. He spent hours waxing his skis, never giving in to the modern luxury of those plastic fish scale bottoms. Only his old, narrow, wooden Norwegian skis would do. By the time he was finished waxing with the hot iron it would sometimes already be dark. No problem! Off he’d go into the night. If it happened to be snowing and blowing - so much the better! And a little rain was always fun. We remember skiing with him and on long trips he would always offer some kind of lint-covered hard candy treat at the halfway point for sustenance. Who knows how long it had been in his pocket? I never refused.

And then there was his swimming year-round in the ocean. He was kind of famous for this – he had it written into the sales agreement for the house on Curtis Point that he was able to come back to swim and after that lapsed, the neighbors let him park in their driveway. All seasons for about 25 years, he’d go into the ocean - which some even refuse to enter at the height of summer. In a typical January, he would swim about 20 days and I’ll never forget one time he skied down to the water’s edge and then went right in.

Becky remembers that sometime after we had moved from Beverly to Wenham, Daddy went for one of his regular lunchtime swims at the beach at Curtis Point. He followed his usual routine in which he would walk in slowly, splashing the cold water over his arms and torso to get acclimated, and then he would dive in. One time when he got out of the water he passed out and slept on a towel in the sun for a while. When he woke up he felt dizzy and realized that something strange had happened, so he went to see his cardiologist.

The doctor was horrified and told him that he had experienced a mild heart attack. He told Daddy that swimming in the cold ocean was dangerous and could cause another heart attack that might kill him. So what did my father do? (pause for dramatic effect) He went and found another cardiologist! He continued swimming in the ocean for many years.

Yes, he was a stubborn man who spent his life cheerfully helping others. At this open hearted time of grieving I am inspired to emulate him. Let’s cherish each other in the model of his sweet spirit and celebrate this remarkable man.

So please join us at the reception to share your stories with each other and with us. Thank you.

Cut from the “approved text,” but kind of a cool story (from Brad – edited by me):

He wasn’t particularly handy around the house, but Brad remembers an example of his creative ingenuity. In Beverly, on Curtis Point we had a flagpole that we erected, made out of a big wooden cable spool and a couple of long pieces of driftwood that we found on the beach. One time we couldn't use the flag pole because one end of the halyard was up at the top of the pole, prevented from going through the pulley and falling to the ground only because there was a knot tied in it. We had no way to get to the top of the pole, nothing long enough to reach up that high, and taking the pole down would have been a huge project because the spool base was filled with stones. So our Dad came up with an idea that Brad thought was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard of. He taped two long bamboo poles together to reach to the top of the flag pole. To snag the halyard, he taped a mouse trap to the end of the bamboo and set it. Brad was utterly amazed when it worked on the first try. Every now and again evidence that our father was the son of an inventor would emerge - I think this was one of those times.

with love and delight to my sweet departed dad

Earthly Delights!

2009-09-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hmm, well, it has been so long (again) since a post. This by no means suggests that cosmicity has not been abounding, no, not at all! In fact, the amount of lovely cosmicity this summer (and beginning of the semster here in Greensboro) has really been astounding - for me anyway.

So I think what I'll do is catch up Some interim garden shots - we are STILL reaping the benefits of the excellent garden. The sungold tomatoes are still delicious and have been coming so fast we've had to give them away. I have to say that if not for Lu this garden would not have survived. Between trips north and to Amsterdam and to the west coast and DC (to visit Robin and Louise), well, it would have dried up completely without her generous watering. And there was that time when Lu was away and then she got sick...but now she's better - yay! But I had to do most of the eating during those times (lucky me!). But I needed help.

Aside from the sungolds we had some lovely sweet grape tomatoes from the generous Beth Filar-Williams and her Joe - they gave us a couple of starts and they are both still producing yummy little red treats. Also, I have learned that zucchini in the weekly stir-fry is a wonderful thing and zucchini bread is delicious. A little squash, a couple of peppers (actually getting more now and hoping they done get "overdone"). A little okra (Lu's fav) and some catnip (Calvin's choice) too. Some funky broccoli, delicious herbs - especially basil - contemplating making pesto this lovely long weekend...we'll see. And the big tomatoes too! Seems a bounty to me! Next year? Cucumbers for sure!

So, here are some choice garden shots from over the summer. Then I'm going to do a Nora grad post (both MD and NH) and then an Amsterdam post and then a west coast post (hey, that rhymes!). Ambitious, I know (we'll see how far I get...maybe by xmas - ha ha!). Then I'll be up to now and might post about the photo show that is up now with photos by Mark Stewart (a library colleague who works at Jackson Library) and me. Tee hee!

Random garden shots:

Garden shots

2009-06-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Before

After

I haven't posted in a long time...over two months, actually. They've been busy months - finishing up the semester, presenting at three conferences (and working local arrangements at one of them...bad idea to to both!). Two on sustainability in libraries with my colleagues Mike Crumpton and Beth Filar-Williams and one on my other current obsession, composer Louise Talma. And the last two weekends I've travelled to Maryland and New England to celebrate the wonderful graduation of Eleanor Ruth LeBosquet Stedman (AKA Nora) from Sandy Spring Friends School. Congratulations, Nora!!

At the same time as all of this, thanks to the excellent Lulu Curry (my friend and quasi Irish landlady) - we have started a garden together! Very exciting because I've never really had one before and also cool because when I keep going away, she is there to water it (and vise versa). We have harvested three sungold tomatoes so far and are they yummy!

I thought I'd show some history of the garden photos...from the beginning... so here they are - some with descriptions/explanations...others...no need! Enjoy!

American Classic with a Greensboro twist!

This is the side garden right in front of my house...more sun there...

And then the starts! So cute:

Soon to be planted in the soil...they were so patient!

Ground prepped

From inside my house...

We have the broccoli/pepper quadrant (SE corner), the squash/zucchini quadrant (SW), the herb quadrant (NE) and the tomato(four kinds)/okra quadrant (NW).

More photos later...sweet (and tasty) dreams!

What is more cosmic than Spring?!

2009-04-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

The delight of spring, the positive energy, the beauty of nature...wanted to share some photos of spring flowers - enjoy! Springtime in North Carolina...yum! Happy Spring, everyone!

2009-03-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

Sea foam on a windy beach at night in Pine Knoll Shores, NC (AKA: What I did for Earth Hour):

I think it's cool how the humidity shows up in some of the shots...it was in between rain showers.

2009-03-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

Because Nora is today...right now...at this moment in...London (! ) - (school trip) - I thought I'd post some random photos from my trip there (2 years ago in June) after my Paris research trip (on Louise Talma - another post or 5 there...). Synchronicity is a kind of cosmicity. Enjoy!

You know you're not in the US when...

Yes, I HAD to go to...

Cool graffiti there...

THE crosswalk...

Kitsch store at the underground station (St. John's Wood):

And now for something completely different...the Tate Modern...

View of the Thames from the cafe on top of the Tate Modern:

Delicious cappucino...*loved* the design!

Woman communing with herself at the Tate Modern...

I think this might qualify as a Zen koan...

This one just made me laugh...

I treated myself to a show in London, my first! It was wicked good!

Happy trip back, Norita! See you soon!

More cosmic Chicago sites, well just one really

2009-03-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

A month ago I was in Chicago (is it really that long ago already?! My, time flies! I must be having fun...) and I went to the Museum of Modern Art. The art was very cool and stopped me a number of times and made me reconsider reality in some way - something I expect museums of modern art to do. But my favorite part of the place was the staircase. Check it out:

There is a goldfish pond at the bottom:

But what really fascinated me was the rest of it...pretty cool, hunh? I was compelled to take more photos than really necessary! I love it when that happens!

Cool bathroom in Chicago - more visuals

2009-03-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

I went to this cool early music concert by the Newberry Consort (What a Difference a Day Makes: Venetian Music for Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday) when I was in Chicago and was so utterly excited by the bathroom I had to go back upstairs to get my camera and take these photos:

What fun! I get energy from such things! A virtual visual feast for the eyes she said in ecsatatic redundancy! Oh, yes, and upstairs was none too shabby neither (St. Clement Church):

All in all, an evening well spent - my eyes and ears and energy were filled and inspired. Thanks, MLA!

Cardinal (male) in snow - visual yumminess!

2009-03-06T03:31:00.000-08:00

Really there is no need for words...

The Chicago Bean - cosmic visuals...

2009-02-23T07:26:00.001-08:00

I just got back from Chicago and though I am a bit sleep deprived (cousine bonding and library conference in Chi and then early plane flight - don't ask! - dress rehearsal till 10:30 for UNCG orchestra concert last night (and concert tonight - 7:30, Aycock) and, ya know the 8am thing for work...bla bla) - OK, established that I am in fuzzy brain land...

But one of my favorite things in this delightful city is the bean...so here are some of my fav shots from (or at, of?) the bean. Hmmm, good practice, right?

Looks perfectly innocent, right - lovely reflective item....ha! See below:

Just kind of looks cosmic to me. Had to share (with myself mostly tee hee!). And I am in all of these photos somewhere with my cool cousines Katie and Polly (see below).

(yes, one more bean photo...maybe not the last)

Ciao Chicago!

Cosmicity

2009-02-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

This is a city I would like to live in, Cosmicity. And because I believe that many things *are* cosmic I *do* live there! Lucky me.

I've been avoiding blogging for a while now, but because I want to learn I am doing this.

We'll see...