Category: photo

  • vintage


    IMG_0880, originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    The Edwardian Ball was held in a old LA theater that’s mostly closed-down these days, but is used sometimes for movie filming (Mulholland Drive was filmed there). All was in a state of decrepitude and disrepair–loose railings, peeling paint, soiled carpeting (where the carpet was extant), bathroom doors askew, etc. A perfect venue for a cabaret-punk style event.

    I enjoyed watching the parade of costumes, marveling at the creativity and ingenuity of each attendee. Of course the music and the goth/vaudeville-style show were great, too.

    Most of all, it was fun to share it with John & friends.

  • green


    on a day that I needed this shade of green, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    This picture could’ve been more artfully rendered, but despite that, I love looking at it.
    Green.
    Some days I just need that shade of green.

    What colors are capturing your attention today?

  • talisman


    rose, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    “Love is the vital essence that pervades and permeates, from the center to the circumference, the graduating circles of all thought and action. Love is the talisman of human weal and woe–the open sesame to every soul.”
    ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton
    (a favorite foremother/suffragist)

  • the quorum

    John always makes me look so good. Lucky me. :)

  • there is no blue…


    Jana Composition., originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    “There is no blue without yellow and without orange.”
    ~Vincent Van Gogh

    My craving for sky blue (as if I don’t get enough of it outside every day) inspired me to paint the wall behind our bed this lovely color (and it helped that I scored the paint on Freecycle, too).

    It’s really amazing how much peace the blue has brought to our bedroom space.

    However despite my fondness for blue, I’ve also been craving orange–I love how warm and alive it feels. Each morning I burn a small orange candle for my morning meditation and I love wearing orange, too.

    Alicante

    Une orange sur la table
    Ta robe sur le tapis
    Et toi dans mon lit
    Doux présent de la présent
    Fraîcheur de la nuit
    Chaleur de ma vie
    ~Jacques Prevert

  • just three


    Three Legged Kitty., originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    On one of our days in NYC we went on a tour of indie bookshops with cats. I know it sounds odd, but it was a very Remy way to spend a day in a new city.

    In Alabaster Books (which is around the corner from The Strand and doesn’t appear to have a website), this sweetie came right up to me for lovin’. It was obvious that she’d recently had surgery and when we asked the guy behind the counter, he explained that she’d just had her stitches removed that morning–from surgery to amputate one of her hind legs due to cancer. Of course I loved that story and I loved that kitty. And I added a few pounds to my suitcase with purchases from Alabaster. :)

  • still holding on…


    us, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Our first date was just over 19 years ago (December 14, 1989). John and I have grown up with each other, having spent more than half of our lives together now, in many ways seeming more like siblings than lovers…Sometimes I wonder what I saw in him then that told me he would continue to hold my attention even after all these years.

    I’ve loved him as I have loved no other. It is he who taught me the true meaning of hope.

    I have been overcome by the beauty and richness of our life together, those early mornings setting out, those evenings gleaming with rivers and lakes below us, still holding the last light.
    ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

  • simply busy


    Portland trip, June 2005, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    It’s cold and rainy outside, which means it’s a great day for hard work inside! One of my big projects of the last few days has been the rehabilitation of my laptop computer. It has new RAM, I’ve cleaned out many unused files, and I’ve been sorting through loads of pictures. The one up above is from a trip to Portland in the summer of 2005.

    Today I resumed podcasting, after a several month hiatus (I’ll drop a note here when my latest interview is posted to MHP). I’m also busily planning our upcoming trip and still have Christmas presents to make.

    It feels good to be busy with so many fun and important projects.

  • threads of memories


    China 2005, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    This picture was taken while I was on my trip in China in 2005. I came across it today as I was working through old picture files (gah, no more hard drive space left on my computer and I’m having to delete old & unnecessary pics).

    We were in a restaurant and an entertainer gave us each a piece of red yarn to tie around our wrists for good luck. Pictured here is my hand, Dora’s hand, and my Mom’s.

    I’d totally forgotten about the red yarn until now…Perhaps the threads brought us a bit of luck later as we traveled in dueling taxis across town to reach a night market and we all made it in one piece (despite our driver having driven down the sidewalk part of the way).

    I wore the yarn on my wrist until it fell off a few weeks later.

  • one touch


    bud, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
    ~Shakespeare

    Some simple blessings for now:

    **doing shoulder stand in yoga this morning and being able to hold both legs tall and straight

    **a bagfull of persimmons from the Farmer’s Market

    **some so-fun Christmas crafts that I’m dying to share, but can’t because my family reads my blog!

    **thumbing through guide books for NYC and DC and dreaming about all of the places we will go.

    **the heater of a gigantic Bobette-kitty that loves to snuggle under the covers on chilly nights.

    **tripling the RAM on my laptop and she runs so speedily now

    **wearing my Sara scarf all morning

  • my historian life


    Goth Dilly., originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    This is me, as I look most of the time (well, maybe not in these particular clothes because I do attempt to shower and change my clothes on most days). Here I’m sitting on the bed typing away on my beloved “junebug” computer.

    This is the business of history-making: the long hours spent at keyboard and/or reading. These days I read a minimum of one book per day and I try to write at least two pages daily on my dissertation. I love my work and my life. I’m so lucky to be well-funded and able to pursue this fascinating line of research (and my diphtheria stories make such great party talk!).

    For those of you who are still reading(!), you might enjoy my recent ruminations today on my history blog…where I discuss the process of “making collaborative butter sculptures” (do you think I’ve had just wee bit too much work and no play lately???).

    :)

    (photo by John)

  • that v-word


    blue flower, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    The last few months have been really kick-ass cool and productive for me. I’ve made lots of progress on my dissertation research, I’ve spent some super high-quality time with friends, I’ve approached many adventures with a new-found sense of confidence. And most of all, I have been healthy!

    So it’s rather odd to me that when I returned home this afternoon I felt a bit off…as if there is a small fissure in the bright aura that surrounds me. As I sat here trying to pinpoint that feeling, I think it’s the return of vulnerability. Since I’ve been healing from my surgery and getting stronger I’ve thought I could take on the world (and I have, in so many ways). But now I’m coming down a bit off that “high” and as real life resumes, it’s as if I am starting to feel things more deeply again. By nature I am a contemplative person, and I feel the sorrows of the world almost too potently sometimes. And in this moment, as vulnerability settles in on my shoulder, I’m realizing that for months I’ve been in the mode of doing “what has to be done” and maybe now I’m ready for a some gentleness. To allow myself to cry and to need. And to realize that I don’t always have to be so strong.