monsbrick

A story about me. In college I moved in with my Aunt Mary who is in her 80’s now. She was an artist who taught weaving. I didn’t have the easy social life of living in the dorms.

But I made a few friends my first days in college. I met a surfer guy named Chris who lived out of his van. He wasn’t really homeless more of a traveler. In the San Diego beach towns it was and still is a popular thing to do. He stayed clean by showering at the various gyms on our campus and swimming in the ocean.

Then I met John I can’t unfortunately remember his last name. I thought he was cute and he was sitting in a group of people but somehow started chatting with me. John invited me to a class… I didn’t know that was how things were done. He said this class was an experience not just a regular class… I almost went down the road of making films… which later would find out was my Dad’s dad’s passion. He didn’t make films and videos full time but he was a struggling artist and I guess that partly why I never went 100% into the film and video world.

But I did go with John and a few of his friends to film class. It wasn’t film production but film history. We watched snippets and pieces of films. And class went on and on we would stay for hours sometimes all night long. Some nights we would go out for food with our professor he would go with whoever was left listening and engaging in dialogue. Discourse. Discussion. Debate. And only once we went to a student’s beach house. Our professor was already old and had already had some trouble with sexual relations with undergrads. He didn’t act untoward to me. And John and I never dated but we were friends. He also took me to my first Humphrey Bogart movie.

That was amazing! People came dressed in fedoras and trench coats. They knew the lines and would do certain lines in unison like a Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was Casablanca. Here’s looking at you kid!

John went to Hollywood. His uncle was already a famous movie director. And I had other friends who went to Hollywood or into film. I don’t regret not going into film and video. That world is crazy and I’m very happy with my current life. But I shared that bit of me as it shows how serendipitous life is.

I turned out more like my aunt who is a nun. Or her grandparents who were both almost religious like a priest and nun but still United in their love of God and Jesus even though they didn’t end up as a priest and nun. Their love is legendary and other people in my Dad’s family clan have told me about it. That’s the epic love and agape love I embrace.

I'm a Catholic Christian and active in several local churches. I co-teach a Confirmation class Sundays.

My husband and I have been together over 12 years. He has a daughter, my step-daughter who is 21 years old. She used to do crafts on Saturday mornings and started with me coloring and often we don't do the same crafts but we will do related creative and artsy projects. I still feel like a beginner as I don't have any formal training and I keep moving from medium to medium with no central focus.

Listening to the diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska on audiobook. I’m really touched by it. And have been going back to trying to practice praying throughout the day. My mother’s parents did this and it is like meditating like if you’re in line you can do it or driving it’s not a deep prayer as your mind still has to pay attention to the world around you. But I love it.

There certainly are times when I also believe it’s good to be 100% in the moment. If I’m talking to someone I don’t also want to pray then. But for now it’s like have a bass line of notes or soundtrack that is humming along reminding me of my faith and spirituality and that is working for me right now.

So I have a complicated and deep Prayer life but these are two simplified explanations of things I do.

Recently read: Hugh Howey's Across the Sand

Caitlin R. Kiernan’s Two Worlds and in Between the Best of Caitlin Kiernan volume #1

Maria Valtorta's Poem of the Man-God

Sue Grafton's S is for Silence

everything by Malcolm Gladwell also everything written and also podcasts by Michael Lewis

For 2023, I am going to aim for reading over 100 books that I currently have on my physical bookshelves. When I finish most of these books, I will put them into one of the over 108 little free libraries in Alameda, the town where I live. This year’s first physical book I’m reading is entitled Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi.

Here in no particular order are folks I like at YouTube or Podcasts or Etsy or other Media like magazines:

Tim Holtz

Shana at Shanouki

Pam at The Paper Outpost

Marta at Maremi Small Arts

Martyna at tealandtattered

Louise Heinzl

Barbara at 49dragonflies

Susanne Rose Art - collage, painting, stamping

CreeationsCeeCee - she does watercolor

Joie de fi (junk journals)

LightSpeed Magazine also a podcast

Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast

Michael Lewis’ Against the Rules podcast

Terry Gross' Fresh Air podcast

Magazines I love love love are:

Daphne’s Diary

Bella Grace

Somerset Studio

Art Journaling

Pioneer Woman

Better Homes & Gardens

NYTIMES food

Americas Test Kitchen

For praise music I’m enraptured by the YouTube channel for the Jesus Image. They also have songs out on ITunes. I found them by listening to a version of How Great Thou Art. They do podcasts but mostly now I listen to the songs. For me they are very powerful and they get all kinds of singers and musicians to lead their songs. It’s multiethnic and just beautiful to me.

Postcards: naked or in an envelope. And all postcards are loved here. I recycle them too as I’m trying not to hoard postcards and all things paper related. ♻️

Paper: I love stationery and all kinds of paper. Lately I've been color dyeing like pink with beet juice and coffee and tea dyed papers. They're messy but great for junk journals!

Arts & crafts I’m into are art journals, junk journals, zines and funky scrapbooks. I'm not that organized though I do constantly try to get organized. My style is eclectic and messy and woodsy and Bohemian. But I love to save all kinds of little bits and pieces. Ribbons, book pages, washi tape, wrapping paper, home made paper, yarn, tissue, packaging, found objects, even washi tape.

Thank you to all the 100’s of memo sheets, notepapers, stickers, ephemera, and extras in my swaps. There have been so many beautiful and thoughtful gifts from you all!!!

Likes:

Journals such as handmade, zines, junk journals, art journals, spiritual diary

Vintage ephemera, real or made in a vintage style but not really old

Shabby in other words weathered, distressed, I think of the popular beach cottage style though I realize there’s a whole new cottage style thing and I’m ok with that too. Shabby chic was kind of off white or could be other colors anyway these are a lot of words to say probably a relaxed or hygge comfy cozy style.

Bohemian and Boho, think Berkeley which is two towns over from me. The Arts & Crafts movement but I’m not fixed on things being exactly from that era. Around here macramé is back though I don’t actually have nor make macrame but that hand made rope art or woven style. Long tassels give this effect. Dangles or sari ribbon and yarns

At thrift stores, rummage sales, and yard or garage sales I always look for old lace. I have a little collection building and I love it. It’s more of that white or cream color.

In general I like all colors.

Paper all things paper I love!! Stationery, note pads, memo sheets, kawaii, little kid styles, teacher stuff, it is all good for me. If you have rice paper even with colors or designs I’d like to obtain more for craft creations. That’s something I need.

For Dislikes there really isn’t anything I don’t like. And even if I do like things I will often share that or pass it along when I have a chance. I am in danger of being a craft and stationery hoarder so I keep it moving around in the craft and writing community by passing things along.

Locally I’ll put writing paper in those little free libraries or drawings or paintings and other odd bits. Someone here showed her Little Free Art Gallery at her home and I love the idea. So that’s my latest obsession. It’s not really a dislike but it’s a way of sharing. One person’s junk is another person’s treasure!