Happy Halloween. I have been videoing while driving again. You won’t catch me, cops, because these are empty delta roads (kind of).
Arkansas October Moon Drive from Sara Kaye on Vimeo.
Anyone have cellphone camera dashboard tripod ideas/hacks? I am thinking there has to be a way to incorporate silly putty or 3M hang tags…
I came up with a mascot for my sister while she is deployed. She is in the army. I think the world will come to know her as Sargent Sparkle.
I found this grow-your-own grass kit at a the Midtown CVS (the same one that was vehemently protested by locals last year because they had to tear down a beautiful historic church to put in this drugstore, but, as we all know, everything happens for a reason and had they not torn down that historic church I would not have found this little fella on clearance for seventy-five cents) and I thought I would send her pictures of it as it grew. My thinking is that nothing brightens a day at war like grass coming out of a ceramic frog’s head. Also, it is pro-active to find something to do when you’re experiencing a distressing event that is out of your control.
Well, here is a little something you can put in the bank: it is very easy to grow grass. This guy shot up like a weed. I suppose that is to be expected, however I don’t have a lot of experience with living plants so I was convinced that the success was a positive omen. Here he is in the original packaging and just two days after planting!
So, my sis was deployed to Afghanistan today. She left in the morning and had a chance to text me a few things before she was officially incommunicado. Like this photo of lunch:
The last thing I heard from her was that she was about to board a Boeing 777 and that was just precious because we had just toured the Boeing plant back in August. Her text said that she let her bosses know “If it ain’t a boeing, I’m not going (to the ‘ghan).” That shows you how much pull she has around there!
Now she is gone and I gave the mascot a warrior buzz cut. She told me that the soldiers fly over holding all of their gear. Sounds dreadful. And I thank her for her service.
Side note: A yellow ribbon means all kinds of things, but I am going to say it means I am waiting for a soldier to come home.
Picture Gallery Pioneers; 1850 to 1875 By Ralph W Andrews
Copyright 1964. First Edition.
This book is full of pictures and stories about the first people that started photography studios. Studio, being a very loose term back then, considering lots of these dudes were out slinging heavy equipment in gold prospecting camps. I can barely stand to look at it too log without passing out because it combines all of my great loves: travel, the wild west, photograph, prospectin’, early city living, mountain climbing in suits and bussels, and the giant forest.
(checked out from the Memphis Public Library)
I’m a fan of the site 750Words. If you already write every day or want to combine a private online journal (or public journal if you want the world to know that you are “in a good place” or “not in a good place” – the things I imagine other people journaling about) with the Jerry Seinfeld X-marks-the-day-don’t-break-the-chain type writing motivation tool, you should check it out.
What I like most is how it gives you an analysis of how fast you wrote and what you wrote about and you can compare yourself with the rest of the “world” (world meaning the other people who like to type into websites).
I wasn’t too surprised to see this breakdown of me vs the world average:
While the world worries about their death, I worry about my free time, because, well, I’ve already had a couple near-death experiences and I know that the only thing worth worrying about is whether or not I am going to be trapped in some kind of staff meeting or whether or not I am going to miss a great local festival (like the possum festival next weekend) or the chance to watch 12 hours of post-debate MSNBC. Obviously these results are scientific.
Won’t you join me?
I don’t like pumpkin spice lattes but I like pumpkin-faced stone animals and pumpkin muffins dripping with cream cheese frosting.
I was in the middle of teaching class on Wednesday when the corrections officer walks in and says “Everyone has to leave now. Inclement weather.” And I said “Great. Y’all go back to your bunkers and I will get in my small compact car and drive through Arkansas’ Tornado Alley.
When I stepped outside I saw a pinkish grey sky to the east and a black death cloud to the west. I checked my weather app and made a very uneducated and uninformed decision that as long as I drove 65 miles and hour, I could beat the storm. So I hopped in my car and got on the freeway. That storm, with the big, black billowing clouds and sky-spanning lightening, was to my back and side the whole forty-five mile ride home. I was absolutely convinced that the storm and my car would meet right in the middle of the Mississippi River Bridge and I would be blow off into Ol Muddy oblivian.
It didn’t happen. I made it back despite the huge wind gusts that were bending over street signs and sending armadillos flying through the air. About ten minutes after I was back inside, safe, and sound in my apartment, the storm came.
The next day I took a walk through the old-growth forest in Overton Park and look what the storm blew in:
December 2012. Were the Mayans right?
Watch this extended preview of our latest film project and then go here to read more, donate one or one million dollars, and most of all share, share, and share the link.
What do ya think?
I’ve had some friends watch and comment on how they can’t stand to see animals behind bars. This film isn’t going to explore the rightness or wrongness of animals in captivity, but the complexity of that reality (because it is a reality). It’s got all that and more. I hope you can help make it happen.
J and I drove down to Clarksdale to check out the Tennessee Williams Festival on Saturday.
A sneak around the upstairs of the Belle Reve – I mean, Cutrer house.
Refreshments at the Clarksdale Women’s Club Open House. Super friendly hosts and a menu that included the most refreshing punch and chex mix, sausage balls, chips, crackers, and brownies.
Porch plays 1, 2, and 3. There were more but we had to leave. I am coming back next year and bringing my own porch and long lace Blanche dress.
