It's a Small World, after all

I had a very entertaining Saturday eve in North Park at Ray Street at Night - the art gallery street festival that happens in North Park, San Diego every second Saturday a month.

I'd had only been once to this - and alone at that - even though Patrick lived only 4 blocks away from this quaint night out of art galleries and major people-watching. Now, I made the journey here as I currently don't live in North Park and I would have even gone alone but my friends Richele and Shannon joined me and I even met best friend Diana and her husband, John, who were there partying with a bunch of 20-somethings from her office hehehe.

As we browsed one particular gallery we 3 were enthusiastically accosted by the manager/owner who kept asking us how were we, to which we'd reply, "Good, thank you." But he wanted us to respond with "Fine" because we are "Fine Women" - get it? (Good Lord, give me strength because E is not in the mood to be hit on these days). He was adamant about asking it over and over, too - but when he offered a free glass of wine to Richele and Shannon they had no problem sitting down amiably at his bar hehehe. It was then at that moment I heard behind me a voice ask, "Excuse me, what's your name?"

Now, I am the type of person who often gets recognized in some way, be it in earlier days from doing theater or appearing in commercials that were currently airing, or even modeling or ads - for Pete's sake I am still on the box of Kix 3 years running! So, I am used to people asking me what do they know me from. But they never ask my name like this gal did. Just as curious I replied to her, "Elsa" and she immediately exclaimed, "I knew it! I READ your blog!!!"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My inner first thought was - "Do people actually read this blog???" but my verbal response was my hands flying up to either side of my head as I shook my head and smiled, "Oh my goodness - I don't even know what to say - I am so flattered - holy cow! I am really...completely flattered - gee whiz!"
Turns out this sweet gal, H - I will protect her identity - found elsamart's Gift To Gab somehow and she said, "I loved the Palin bikini picture you put up ...." as well as probably one of the most gratifying things a writer of any level could hear: "I love how you write and I feel like I know you."

Well, those who DO know me or make up the small, but international number of my regular readers should know that I do write with my heart on my sleeve. Although I can entertain while writing, I must admit that this blog has been mostly a journal of words, thoughts and pictures of my life and is done for MY happiness or reflection - not to entertain the masses necessarily. I know there are those out there in cyberland who don't know me and may accuse me of being self-absorbed when the truth is I have been keeping thousands of pages of journals since 14 and this is just my adult version of doing it.

We chatted cheerfully for a bit while I also met her friend and companion - A. As we left I invited them to head to Bluefoot Lounge down a few blocks in South Park for my Deejay friend, Morgan, was spinning that night and I wanted to support my fellow artist. To my delight the girls actually made it there a couple hours later where we danced and laughed at some of the antics going on. You know when people are genuienly down to earth - I am like that so I love it when I meet others that are like that.

Small world, eh? I had such a great time and still shake my head thinking this gal from North County came to North Park Ray at Night for the first time and runs into me when I don't even live there anymore and recognizes me from my pictures and has the grand character to approach me - I mean, that is something I would do being a "people person" and all...

And would you believe that today A recognized Patrick as well as she used to work with him at his La Jolla company??? What the??!

SMALL WORLD, eh?

I love it when interesting, out-of-the-ordinary things happen to me - that is partly what makes my life unconventional and colorful :)

And it gives me great stories to recount and blog about, of course!

One Man's Work is His Salvation

 

True to my gypsy blood, I had been remarking to Patrick the past few weeks that E was 'jonesin'" for a little getaway out in nature. I truly develop wanderlust when I haven't traveled or seen something new for a couple months. Thus, we planned a little road trip over Thanksgiving weekend.

After a lovely Turkey Day at my sister, Sara's house - where Patrick painfully ate too much and told me that I should load up on the fat as well since it was going to be cold where we were gong - P and I woke up at 4am the next morning and set off east towards Arizona.

We had been there before, but P wanted to take pictures again with his new camera and lens at the Salton Sea before heading farther east. What P didn't tell me was that we were making a nearby stop first to the town of Niland to see "Salvation Mountain". I had never heard of it before and curiously kept asking questions as we drove out past the nothingness of the tiny, dusty town looking for it - finally stopping to ask for directions. P mischievously assured me I would like it and that I would know it the minute I saw it.

Well, not minutes later did I gasp at suddenly glimpsing an extremely colorful, if large HILL, (not mountain) off the dirt road against a barren backdrop of desert, dusty nothingness.

True to Patrick's words, I knew we had arrived the moment I saw it. "Extraordinary!" I breathed happily as we parked our car while an older gent in denim shirt and jeans greeted us.

 

I had no idea what to expect and was so pleasantly surprised that the man, named Leonard Knight, welcomed us so graciously and told us he'd love to give us a tour. And so he did. We found out that 24 years ago he came out to the desert from Virginia to build a hot air balloon. It rotted in the sun and instead he found himself mixing the natural adobe clay of the hillside with straw that that could be painted upon when dry. 100,000 gallons of mostly donated paint and 24 years later stands "Salvation Mountain" or "God Mountain".

Complete with colorful 'flowers', an igloo, a yellow brick road, and 'waterfalls' this gentle man used art and nature - everything besides the paint and straw he finds growing or abandoned in the desert - to spread the message of God's Love..

Prayers, biblical verses, and religious phrases were painted everywhere. With a quiet but joyous pride he showed us everything and told us (in a gentle humble manner) how they came out to film from National Geographic and how he has been honored by a couple art museums.

 

A lean, but hardy man, Mr. Knight hobbled about slowly showing us everything, pointing out his favorite things and explaining how his 'museum' was made.

The day before had been Thanksgiving and he said he had had roughly 150 visitors - compared to the normal daily 80 or so (!). Schools, churches, and photographers, alike, evidently come to this spot to see his creative and happy work. It was just an amazing project for one man to have done alone and left us feeling so good and warm inside.

Even though it wouldn't have bothered me one bit, he wasn't preachy at all, nor did he even ask if we believed in God. He was just a simple but lovely older man who loved that people came to see his work and you can find him there every single day giving tours or slowly painting and mixing adobe with straw.

After giving him a cash donation, he graciously handed us a short 10 minute DVD he even had professionally made of the Mountain, a few postcards and even a jigsaw puzzle of the place. He might be a simple, kind man, but he was a great promoter of his art!

What a truly lovely man - living off nothing and happy in sharing God's love with all that visit him. A true inspiration :) A great start off to our long weekend...

Click on slideshow below for some more of Jesus' Love!

"Salvation Mountain"

Ireland - Day 7 - Newgrange, Knowth

Alas, on Day 6, we meant to drive up north to the Giant's Causeway - but were rather tired of being stuck in a car. So we opted to stay at home in Warrenpoint with Patrick's mother (I am sure she appreciated seeing more of us anyway). It was a relaxing, nice day.

Friday, Day 7, we set out on the road, newly refreshed, to visit the World Heritage Sites of Newgrange and Knowth in County Meath. We spent a couple hours first looking at the well-done museum, and then finally boarding shuttle buses that took us to the 2 different sites. These are stone-age passage tombs that are about 500 years older than the Pyramids (!). They are both big circular mounds of earth and stone. We first went to the smaller Knowth. The mound of earth was encircled by faint carved stones of varying designs. Amazingly, those stones contain one-fourth of all known megalithic art in Europe! With 2 passages facing the east and west for lunar reasons, many of the artwork on the 127 stones could represent lunar counts and calculations. Surrounding Knowth were 18 smaller satellite mounds. Unlike Newgrange which is larger, and we were allowed to go inside - I preferred Knowth for it's quantity of art.

After an informative guided tour and free time to walk around (even on top of the mound!) and explore we all headed back on a shuttle bus to take us to nearby Newgrange. One of the world's most famous ancient monuments (built around 3150 BC)it also has the engraved stones (97 compared to 127 at Knowth). Legend says that the foundations of Christianity were laid here.

Its major attraction is that on the Winter Solstice, the light of the rising sun enters the roofbox and penetrates the passage, shining onto the floor of the inner chamber. The sunbeam illuminates the chamber for just 17 minutes. They actually have a drawing in the Visitor Centre for this - and we promptly dropped our names in. They only allow 100 people a year over the course of 5 days to enter the very narrow passage and see it. Did I mention 'narrow'?? Our guide led us in groups of 16 inside - and warned us that those who are claustrophobic should stay at the back in case they need to head back out right away. I shot P an apprehensive look - I hate it but I do get claustrophobic at times. But being the BigShot I am, I led the group in right behind P and the guide - shoot, it got pitch dark instantly and the ceiling lowered as we squeezed through the narrowest part of the passage, I felt a surge of panic when I couldn't even see P right in front of me. But I continued on and it opened up to a SMALL, circular chamber where the guide explained how the Solstice worked by pressing a button that shown a light made to copy the real thing. It was very impressive - I am told - because I was behind a bunch of tall Germans and couldn't see the floor! It is amazing that with simple stone technology, these wonderful people captured a very significant astronomical and calendrical moment in a most spectacular way!

Click on Slideshow below

Ireland - Day 7 - Newgrange, Knowth

80s Song of the Week - A-HA "Take on Me"

Oh, how I ADORED this video in my teens!!! I think it is so innovative and creative - even by today's technological standards in video-making. This first hit by the Norwegian trio, A-HA, was a massive hit in the early 1980s with a simply perfect video that was way ahead of its time!

I remember being a romantic teen and reveling in the wonderful, creative, story line in this video with parts of it drawn like a cartoon as it tells the romantic story of a young, unfulfilled gal reading a comic book which turns into reality when the lead singer and hero of the book invites her into his dream-like cartoon world. (I ate the romance of this right up, let me tell you!) And my young heart would break that they could only see each other as real humans (not cartoon drawings) when on either side of a mirror. Of course, the antagonists show up, break the mirror and harm our handsome, boy-faced hero as he sacrifices himself to let the girl escape back to reality before they miraculously are reunited again at the end. ISN'T IT ALL DELICIOUS??!!

I just love, LoVe, LOVE it!! :)