Rabbit holes

A toned down morning, temps are not as high. I enjoy so much this little oasis I’ve made for myself; it keeps me sane while movie writing and while finishing up my filing for a small claims case against Capital One credit card, who has misappropriated over $8,000 of my money!! My last stand for justice; hope it goes well.

Honestly, there’s a reason I write stories: in my life extraordinary things have happened to me that most people never experience; and many of them most would never want to experience! For instance, the chairman of my philosophy department (and office mate) during my tenure at that department was arrested and imprisoned for murder, a lying in wait case, for which I was asked by the prosecutor’s office to testify to identify my trench coat which he wore when he committed the shooting; an ex con moved into my late husband’s house before we were married and during a weekend where he and I were at my house - we had to call the sheriff (it was then an unincorporated property) to get him to leave; my late husband and I became owners of a 1903 Chandler & Price “Snapper” printing press as a result of a simple dinner conversation at a Mexican Restaurant in Santa Monica after a day of antiquing with his colleague, a Professor of English, and his wife; that same printing press which was first delivered to my late husband’s garage was relocated to his college a year or so later when we managed to negotiate a space to teach a printing class for the community. After several years we were interested in beginning an Aikido class, and unable to find an interest in such a print studio, the college ended up enclosing the printing press in the wall of a dormitory basement room. Of course, I’ve had many wonderful stories too; but as you can see every once in a while I feel like I’m Alice falling down a rabbit hole.

Over the years, I’ve amused many by my stories of incredible experiences. I’ve come to chalk it up to my Irish-ness! The story telling that is. But my story telling would suffer quite a lot if the stories themselves were not so incredible. They have inspired several artworks as, even after 10 - 20 years, I can see in the brilliance of color a scene from my past and so I paint it. Many stories of another sort I told in my book The Hidden Power of Aikido. I’ve come to appreciate my experiences and my growing ability to talk and write about them and so now I’m trusting I can put this knack of mine to good use in recovering the stolen money from Capital One by telling my story to a judge as well as in finishing my movie.

Ok here’s another quick story which just happened Saturday! I was on my way to a movie. I had deliberated quite deeply on whether I really wanted to go see this movie. Yes, movies are what I’m about these days and so my “research” is to watch them too. My movie friend was not available and this showing came up rather suddenly; it was a Japanese movie from Ghibli Studio by the son of a renowned movie maker. The theater was having a special series and this was the only day it was showing. It all came up rather suddenly; I think I said that already. Finally I reserved a seat and got in my car and went. As I was walking to the front door of the theater, I spotted a familiar face exiting just as he spotted me approaching the theater door; we pointed at each other and closed the gap to chat a bit, I had arrived very early. I had not seen this fellow for many years; someone Ron and I both saw frequently in a former life. The amazing thing was, as I approached and with no word from me and carrying no signs about my class, he said “I want to come to your Zen Brush workshop! How do I register.” Blow me away! And I suddenly realized seeing the movie was not the reason I was there.

Still a beautiful day here. I saw a squirrel on the top of my gazebo creeping down the roof as he watched me, but when I looked up he scampered away. I don’t see my bird friends but I can hear a hawk. And Mocha has just put her red feet in the spillway; it’s now time to swim.