Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Remember Her?
Ms Bass? Well, she turns 99 on this fine April day. I got to see her and wish her a Happy Birthday a few hours ago. She looked spunky and spiffy, sweet and serene, just as I remembered her from our last meeting at the opening of my art show in 2009.
It did my heart good to see her at 99 and going strong. Someone took a picture of us, which I don't have access to at the moment. For now, I have the memories:
It did my heart good to see her at 99 and going strong. Someone took a picture of us, which I don't have access to at the moment. For now, I have the memories:
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| with Ms Bass in 2009; she turns 99 today. |
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Update on Mama
Several of you have learned the news that my Mom was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago, and have sent words of sympathy and prayers. I hope you know that your compassion strengthens me greatly in this trial, even though I have not said anything on the topic via this blog. Please forgive the tardy and allow me a brief update of Mom's condition.
She has gone to see a cancer expert practicing traditional Chinese medicine and is now in the first phase of treatment consisting of twenty-one days of frequent daily dosages of two drugs. I wish I were better versed in traditional Chinese medicine to let you in on their contents. Although both my parents worked in medical profession all their lives, neither in traditional field. Most likely, though, they are concoctions of various herbal and animal parts, to be made into an utterly bitter, a dark dark and rather scary looking brew and drunk, while others come in the form of more benevolent-looking capsules. I was told that she takes one nine, the other thirteen times a day. She manages well with the help of a maid.
This past Monday I Skyped with my older sister. She said Mom is in good spirit, and there has been evidence of progress the doctor had prescribed. My niece Mimi, the only other practicing Christian in the family (not counting Mom and Dad who were confirmed Catholic by a priest during my last visit in 2012), has been praying the St. Peregrine Novena, as have I. Thanks to my dear friend Jan, for pointing me to this great Saint. He has been a major nerve calmer in these days of fear and anxiety.
Again, I'm grateful for your prayers more than you will ever know, and that is not an exaggeration.
She has gone to see a cancer expert practicing traditional Chinese medicine and is now in the first phase of treatment consisting of twenty-one days of frequent daily dosages of two drugs. I wish I were better versed in traditional Chinese medicine to let you in on their contents. Although both my parents worked in medical profession all their lives, neither in traditional field. Most likely, though, they are concoctions of various herbal and animal parts, to be made into an utterly bitter, a dark dark and rather scary looking brew and drunk, while others come in the form of more benevolent-looking capsules. I was told that she takes one nine, the other thirteen times a day. She manages well with the help of a maid.
This past Monday I Skyped with my older sister. She said Mom is in good spirit, and there has been evidence of progress the doctor had prescribed. My niece Mimi, the only other practicing Christian in the family (not counting Mom and Dad who were confirmed Catholic by a priest during my last visit in 2012), has been praying the St. Peregrine Novena, as have I. Thanks to my dear friend Jan, for pointing me to this great Saint. He has been a major nerve calmer in these days of fear and anxiety.
Again, I'm grateful for your prayers more than you will ever know, and that is not an exaggeration.
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| Mama & me in front of her rose patch, June 2012 |
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Current Diversion
To spring break with love -
This is the fourth day I've worked on the painting, literally a work in progress.
As you can see, the upper part of the painting is in a rough stage. The tripes in the fabric behind the red box are a toss-up - to keep or not to keep, still a question. My present instinct is to keep, as the upper right hand corner of the painting needs something active, something near-vertical, like the stripes.
I'm already conceiving my next painting. As it is, the spring break will be all too short for starting another work.
Indeed I may spend the rest of the break trying to bring this one into fruition. Someone once said, a painting is never finished, it's given up.
I will post the final stage of the painting when it has been "given up."
This is the fourth day I've worked on the painting, literally a work in progress.
As you can see, the upper part of the painting is in a rough stage. The tripes in the fabric behind the red box are a toss-up - to keep or not to keep, still a question. My present instinct is to keep, as the upper right hand corner of the painting needs something active, something near-vertical, like the stripes.
I'm already conceiving my next painting. As it is, the spring break will be all too short for starting another work.
Indeed I may spend the rest of the break trying to bring this one into fruition. Someone once said, a painting is never finished, it's given up.
I will post the final stage of the painting when it has been "given up."
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
On the Other Hand
A lot of unexpected bodily mortification, involuntary penance, has visited upon my quarter, more specifically, upon my left hand, courtesy of sputtering-hot cooking oil.
That entire sentence brought to you by the entire team of fingers from my right hand. I learned to type properly with both hands from day one. I must say, this one-hand business is an all-new sensation.
In case you were wondering what I was doing with that hot oil, the answer is I was craving me some very spicy, lip-smacking chili sauce on whatever I was going to have for lunch. After heating the oil, I proceeded to pour it into a jar with prepared red pepper flakes, sesame seeds and minced garlic through a funnel. As some of the oil got trapped above the lower passage of the funnel, it sputtered upward, right over my left hand which was holding the funnel. Let's just say KDM heard the horrific scream and jumped from whatever he was doing and rushed to my side. The guy is always resourceful and helpful in crisis like this, the problem for me, is that he can hardly do so without scolding.
This time, I probably deserved his scolding. Let me explain.
Before Lent began, when I was thinking of something to give up, spicy food was a candidate. Now you must understand that I'm not condemning spicy food, I'm just telling you that my appetite for all foods spicy borders on inordinate, ravenous, gluttonous. In the past Lents I gave up sweets like so many did, playing the good girl. All the while I doused my meals with Sriracha sauce.
Nonetheless, I muffled the glimmering voice of reason in me, and once again elected to "give up" sweets and snack between meals. I just love me all my spicy food too much.
Ironically, the sputtering oil episode, and for perhaps next several weeks, my ridiculously bandaged-up left hand, will be an annoying reminder of my intemperate love for chili sauce.
That entire sentence brought to you by the entire team of fingers from my right hand. I learned to type properly with both hands from day one. I must say, this one-hand business is an all-new sensation.
In case you were wondering what I was doing with that hot oil, the answer is I was craving me some very spicy, lip-smacking chili sauce on whatever I was going to have for lunch. After heating the oil, I proceeded to pour it into a jar with prepared red pepper flakes, sesame seeds and minced garlic through a funnel. As some of the oil got trapped above the lower passage of the funnel, it sputtered upward, right over my left hand which was holding the funnel. Let's just say KDM heard the horrific scream and jumped from whatever he was doing and rushed to my side. The guy is always resourceful and helpful in crisis like this, the problem for me, is that he can hardly do so without scolding.
This time, I probably deserved his scolding. Let me explain.
Before Lent began, when I was thinking of something to give up, spicy food was a candidate. Now you must understand that I'm not condemning spicy food, I'm just telling you that my appetite for all foods spicy borders on inordinate, ravenous, gluttonous. In the past Lents I gave up sweets like so many did, playing the good girl. All the while I doused my meals with Sriracha sauce.
Nonetheless, I muffled the glimmering voice of reason in me, and once again elected to "give up" sweets and snack between meals. I just love me all my spicy food too much.
Ironically, the sputtering oil episode, and for perhaps next several weeks, my ridiculously bandaged-up left hand, will be an annoying reminder of my intemperate love for chili sauce.
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