Ginger Cake

I’m sitting here listening to Greg Brown singing “Steady Love” … he’s so good – I’ve been thinking about how the simple pleasures in life can be so fulfilling when you choose to immerse yourself in the moment – like right now. I’m sleepy after a late night last night and a long day today, the smell of ginger cake fresh out of the oven fills me with delight, Greg’s voice, his background singer, the organ and rhythm section of this song bring a smile to my face each time I hear it – its a cold windy night outside and I’m warm and cozy in here. Simple pleasures. So good!

Last night we had our June ArtWalk in Butte. The weather throughout the day was … well .. changeable might begin to describe it! I left the house early to get some coffee and it was warm and sunny, on my home it was raining. A bit later I went out again, in the warm sun, to help a friend set up their gallery, and while I was there, it was snowing. All this leads me to say that even though we didn’t have as many people as in May (when it was in the 60s and gorgeous) we did have some great artists and a steady flow of people through the galleries and cafes to enjoy the art and music. I had fun! I wandered from gallery to gallery meeting new artists and chatting with them, I stood outside for about twenty minutes with my friends Paula and Dan who were roving musicians that evening – they played Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Bonnie Raitt, and more. Dan is a low key kinda guy, and a good guitarist – and Paula has a fabulous voice. They call themselves “Two Smug” which is too cute!

I played hostess at MoFAB for a while, and had the chance to visit with the three artists who were showing there, and my friend Nick from the local paper came by with his little daughter – and we had a great time looking at the paper mosaics there. I wandered over to my friend’s gallery and played hostess there for a while so they could get out for a while to see the other art in town, and I got to chat with some more friends. We went out afterwards to Maloney’s bar and then wandered around town appreciating the amazing architecture. I had a blast at Maloney’s, but, won’t go back until the smoking ban goes into effect next year. The last time I was in that much smoke was at a pub in Dublin.

Today I spent some time at the used book store on Montana Street and found a book that I had been thinking about yesterday – so of course I brought it home. Sherri Tepper is a eco-feminist futurist writer – and she has a great sense of both humor and outrage. I’ve missed reading her. While I was there we had another little storm of snow for about ten minutes – and I felt like I should be writing in my diary like one of the old arctic explorers:

June 7, I’ve been here for seven months and its still snowing… we don’t know when it will end – but our spirits remain high despite the uncertainty of the weather from hour to hour…

I remember in the Berkshires people using Mark Twain’s comment “If you don’t like the weather wait ten minutes” – but that was nothing!!! compared to this weather. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining – Amy sent me the forecast for the Berkshires for a little perspective – in the upper 80s and low 90s with ridiculous humidity – I’m happy as a clam to be here.

Prayer Box

I realized that I am unable to truly do justice to the beautiful prayer box from my friend, Bryan – but here is a photo of it:

And here (with permission) is what he wrote about the Prayer Boxes:

“I began building these tall boxes in 2002 after visiting Keet Seel in Northern Arizona. Keet Seel is one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the world and is comprised of about 140 rooms built into a sandstone wall above Tsegi Canyon. It is a nine mile hike, one way, to the site and visitors must be accompanied into the dwelling by a guide. 2002 was also the time frame when the Iraqi war buildup was in full swing and the possibility of the United States beginning a war was imminent.

“I lived in Arizona for 18 years and was always intrigued by the Hopi Natives. Their heritage is one of peace and they have always stood for simplicity and aspirations of global unity. As the war drum of the US was beating louder, I kept thinking of these ancient people.. the people who built these dwellings .. these people who have never been at war .. these people who have never sought to conquer. Their quest is profound .. reach toward a destination of peace and simplicity.

“Traditionally, the Hopi have kept prayer boxes in their homes. Often a stairstepped container placed high where one reaches to place a fetish as a symbol of humility and prayer. Perhaps the fetish is a small ear of corn, a feather, a carved turtle. I call these prayer boxes “passages” … a place where ideals of peace and smiplicity can be explored … where my eyes are drawn higher … to the possibility of peace.

Bryan Woodford