tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91069947413984681502024-03-13T20:08:14.627-07:00The Adventures of Wonder BirdJoanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-70451327838562862242014-03-17T17:58:00.000-07:002014-03-17T18:19:58.629-07:00Clip, Weed, Mulch, Paint, Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the early nineties, this park was a parking lot. <a href="http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Parks_Rec_Waterfront/Trees_Parks/Parks__Halcyon_Commons.aspx" target="_blank">The neighbors got together and pushed for common green space</a>. The city argued that they couldn't maintain the parks they already had, so the neighbors said, "We'll do it." The city approved. Volunteers broke the concrete, and planted the trees.<br />
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Almost twenty years later, the neighbors still keep their promise. With the help of UC Berkeley volunteers, we clipped back bushes. We pulled every weed we could see. We picked up trash. We spread mulch over the clear soil. We removed and painted over graffiti throughout the whole neighborhood. I am so grateful for all the work that came before me to create this wonderful place, and now for the opportunity to contribute.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-78762117693164849362014-01-18T19:40:00.000-08:002014-01-21T09:36:25.808-08:00Crafting a Vision<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>What do I want my life to hold in the coming year?</i><br />
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I craved reflection and creativity in setting my intentions for the new year. I made some concrete goals about specific outcomes in my life, but my intuition still wanted to explore. My feminine essence desired to create something beautiful without so many boundaries.<br />
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A friend introduced me to the practice of vision boarding, which involves filling your heart with a question, scanning through creative materials, and collaging together the things that speak to you.<br />
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I got out my craft supplies and poked around the <a href="http://www.creativereuse.org/" target="_blank">East Bay Creative Reuse Depot</a> for some new additions. I recruited my partner to join in. We ended up sharing a board with our intentions around our partnership joining the seam.<br />
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Sometimes there was a reason I could identify for picking certain photos or words, other times the precise reason wasn't clear - I was just drawn to it. I stumbled upon a photo of a little girl that I <i>had</i> to clip out of a magazine. I don't know what she represents, but I felt that she has something to share with me, if not simply her sweet little smile. Apparently, the delight of creating the board will equal the delight in reflecting upon it at the year's end to revel in the synchronicity of life.<br />
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Our vision board hangs in our bedroom. Unlike my list of goals, our beautiful collage compels my attention. I love to look at my vision. My heart lingers over the collage every morning. Two thousand and fourteen looks so beautiful.<br />
<br />Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-90163494499149838682013-04-22T16:09:00.000-07:002013-04-25T18:05:44.764-07:00Flower and Decompose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I worked in my garden all weekend. Soaked with rain and sun, perennials grew tall and clover blanketed the ground. I braced for the heft of my task, so a mentor reminded me, "Gardening is all about life and death. If you can't face death, get out of the garden." Over the last three days, I became the agent of this cycle. I pulled out the roots of some plants and gently covered the roots of others. I pruned back the branches of some plants and trellised the branches of others. Clearing space of some life created space and nourishment for other life to grow. I thanked each plant for the role it played. May we all flower <i>and</i> decompose. Happy Earth Day!Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-72072141725640731492013-04-19T13:33:00.000-07:002013-04-19T13:57:17.620-07:00Sharing Our Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Inspired by <a href="http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/">the Free Little Library movement</a>, I decided to build one for my block. Well, technically I didn't build the library, but rather, I served as its community contractor. <a href="http://evanholm.com/">Evan</a> supplied and cut the wood. Peter assembled all the pieces. <a href="http://www.awakin.org/local/oakland/">Casa de Paz</a> gifted the two-by-four post, and <a href="http://www.healthyarts.com/mariposagrove/">Mariposa Groove</a> shared extra chicken coop shingles. My landlord provided the paint, and my partner and neighbors operated some power tools. Even with all of this support, our "little" project took seven months to complete. Never underestimate carpentry.<br />
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As I was finally putting up the masterpiece in front of our house, my neighbors were nervous for me. They saw all the work that went into the library and wanted me to be ready for vandalism. I took a deep breath and handed the little library over to the community. I hung up some simple instructions: <i>This is your library. Please take a book or leave a book.</i> I started the collection with five books. For the past six months, the library has emptied and filled each week with little help from me. It amazes me every time. At times the library is so full, the books must be stacked on top of one another. More than once I've noticed that the library looked disorganized on my way out of the house, but by the time I return home someone had already straightened up the books. "Another visit from the library fairies," I think to myself.<br />
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One afternoon I was checking out the selection, when a man passed by. He carried a giant trash bag over his shoulder filled with cans and bottles that he was collecting in the neighborhood. He asked me, "Anything good in there today?" He went on to tell me about the John Grisham book that he found recently. He said, "I couldn't put it down. I stayed up so late night after night to finish it." I laughed having that same experience so often. "That's when you know you've got a good one," I replied. I've borrowed some good books from the little free library, but the connections that it gives me with my community feels most important. Living in the same neighborhood, we don't always see one another, but the movement of books lets me know that we are all here, sharing our stories.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-83313959005496992602013-04-15T17:16:00.000-07:002013-04-16T13:27:35.087-07:00Tax Day. You did it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tax day is filled with anxiety. Leah and I thought that we could infuse the process with a little more love. We dressed in bright colors, and went to the post office. Along with our taxes, we brought strawberries and muffins. We congratulated everyone who walked in for completing their forms, and provided nourishment to others that were still trying to finish in time. I like to think that everyone received a least a little refund in the form of a snack. Congratulations. You did it!Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-84589698285495204412013-04-11T11:34:00.001-07:002013-04-11T17:58:21.938-07:00Good Morning Greens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every morning, Scott and I make green smoothies. While getting ready for the day, we cut in and out of the process like a dance. I strain the kefir grains, while Scott gets dressed. Scott cracks the ice tray, while I wash my face. I rinse spinach, while Scott adds the flax seeds. I pour our green breakfast into glasses, while he puts things away. At the end, we clink our cups and look into each others eyes. To a great day!<br />
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As requested, the green smoothie ingredients:<br />
1 cup plain kefir (or yogurt)<br />
1 banana<br />
1 heaping tbsp peanut butter<br />
1 heaping tbsp raw cacao powder<br />
1 heaping tbsp Vitamineral Green Powder<br />
1 tbsp flax seeds<br />
2 cups spinach<br />
4-5 ice cubes (4 if I add them, 5 if Scott adds them)Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-84697090520850344792013-04-09T05:32:00.000-07:002013-04-09T12:49:38.881-07:00The Birch Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My grandmother had a single birch tree in the middle of her backyard. The only one of its kind in our neighborhood. The birch was a small, slender tree compared to the towering oaks and maples. It leaned to the East as if it was reaching out for something. In traveling back to her home country, I finally understood the single, slender tree. White bark lined the way to her childhood home. Birch forests peppered the surrounding moors. My Oma was reaching for home.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-46613716560782853112013-04-05T09:41:00.000-07:002013-04-05T12:01:14.287-07:00From Past to Present<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These black and white images were, once, so stoic and flat. Through the lens of history, I saw a line of events. Dates and names quickly shot in and out of my mind. They could not compete with the colorful rush of the present.<br />
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Then I looked again. This time as a story seer. I breathed life into characters. I imagined the person's entire world - their work, their feelings, their family, their lovers. No longer motionless and colorless figures, they filled with heartbreak, ingenuity, scandal, and love. They suffered the angst of the unknown and risked everything for a chance at more. Mothers mourned the unthinkable. Teenagers possessed an unstoppable lust for life. Men grew angry with the injustice of it all. Family sewed their commitment to one another deep in their bones. These black and white photos did not seem so flat anymore. Seeing the stories brings the past whooshing into the present.<br />
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Now, which story to write?Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-11558516640743697682013-04-03T05:52:00.000-07:002013-04-03T12:21:09.560-07:00Grand German Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A decade has passed since I've been served a rouladen dinner or coffee klatch. "More red cabbage?," my Grand Aunt asks. "Come over for coffee and cake," says another relative. Warm food and warm hearts sit across the table. My German elders show me their love in such delicious ways.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-38075437163169657372013-03-28T09:04:00.000-07:002013-03-31T10:46:41.899-07:00Rainbows of the Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome new beginnings. Rainbows emerge from the earth. Love arrives in all colors, shapes, and combinations. What a joy to celebrate in the diversity of life. </div>
Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-14467604242543824772013-03-24T10:02:00.001-07:002013-03-26T12:09:25.459-07:00Spreading Smiles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7489146466832608" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My friends inspire me. </span></b>They light up my world with their joy. <b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To celebrate a few birthdays, they chose to spend a day spreading smiles among strangers. </span></b><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7489146466832608" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We gathered to make signs, and then stood at each corner of an intersection in Fremont. We waved, danced, and smiled until our faces hurt. It was a trip to watch people's confusion melt into delight as they traveled by. We got a lot of honks, smiles, and even some extra volunteers. One biker pulled off to the side of the road and joined in, now we have a new friend.</span></b><br />
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We embodied the idea that joy is planted like a seed, and that everyone is fertile soil. Everyone. Young and old. Poor and rich. Sick and well. And all those in between.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-42702234631502538412013-03-20T09:10:00.000-07:002013-03-20T09:10:56.397-07:00Our Human Hive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I hear footsteps in the apartment above. I feel vibrations from the tunnels below. New York City buzzes with energy. I sit and write my own story, while countless other stories swarm around me. My soon to be sister shares about her world of social work on our walk. A man from Romania talks of his village home during our drive to dinner. A new friend, headed home to Queens, dreams of his future while leading us to the airport. I am so grateful for the infinitely diverse purposes, perspectives, and participants in the world. Our lives play out on top of, around, and through one another. My mind can only hold the complexity of our human hive for a moment, or two.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-67573852438172816012013-03-18T10:55:00.000-07:002013-03-18T19:12:05.502-07:00Love blurs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Life is so full. I try to capture the pieces, but it moves too quickly. Love blurs in my attempt to pin it down. It flaps its wings and lifts off the page. I can only giggle at my efforts, and rejoice in the moment.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-5704751355698201612013-03-14T13:44:00.000-07:002013-03-14T19:31:00.640-07:00Grumpy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: inherit;">Call
me cranky pants. I’m stuck in a hole. I'm a monster in a jar. It’s
cloudy outside. My toast got cold. I have writer's block. Things just aren’t
going my way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that's okay. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, the sun is coming out. This coffee is warm. A friend just called. These monsters are cute. </span>The word grumpy is pretty funny.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-85259719633427459822013-03-09T10:45:00.000-08:002013-03-11T14:58:25.411-07:00Hello Snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello change. Hello fear. Hello excitement. Hello pain. Hello beauty. Hello cold. Hello body. Hello mountain. Hello edge, edge, edge. Hello body. Hello tree. Hello birds, birds? Hello friend. Hello solitude. Hello sun. Hello cloud. Hello great big world. Thank you.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-19749777187874058192013-03-07T11:06:00.000-08:002013-03-07T11:06:47.381-08:00Sweet Little Sorrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saying goodbye to your lover at the airport is one of life's sweetest little sorrows. And the joy upon his return heals it fifty-fold.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-66112047825310177422013-03-04T10:54:00.000-08:002013-03-04T11:02:36.285-08:00Common (Ski) Threads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Scott and I are getting ready for a little time on the slopes. We both needed some extra gear, and decided to go second hand. Of course the inevitable thrift store heartbreak happened. I found the perfect hot pink ski jumper, but it was just too snug. We still walked away with ski pants for under ten bucks, woohoo! Great suggestion <a href="http://www.patagonia.com/us/common-threads/">Patagonia</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-1715294335702828652013-03-01T15:33:00.002-08:002013-03-01T16:25:51.896-08:00Knitting and Re-knitting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I knit something new each winter. Last year, I started with scarves. I practiced the basic stuff - casting on, different stitches, and decreasing. This year, hats! I learned how to 'knit in the round' and how to handle two colors...very exciting.<br />
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I am realizing that I don't knit, so much as I, re-knit. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't stick to a pattern. The type of yarn or size of needles that I have on hand are different than what the pattern calls for, but I try anyways. I find my own way, leading me to pull out and re-knit each project
at least five times. I get half way through, see that it is too wide, too tight, too messy, and choose to unravel the stitches and start again, and again, and again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am surprised, not so much by all the mistakes, but my patience with the process. I expect to make mistakes. I expect to unravel my work. I love that I will <i>eventually</i> reach a final creation, but I enjoy the process so much I don't mind doing it all over again. It will take as long as it takes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wonder how appreciating the process would change my experience in other areas of life. Particularly knitting and re-knitting relationships. </span>People are a little different than yarn, but what would it feel like to<span style="font-family: inherit;"> enjoy the process, learn little by little, expect mistakes, keep going, and eventually create something beautiful in our own time?</span>Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-79968595588567116112013-02-27T14:46:00.000-08:002013-03-11T14:31:15.268-07:00Citrus Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When winter sets in, the citrus trees pop with orange
and yellow. It feels as if they bear their beautiful fruit just in time to care
for us. I hear the earth's mothering prompt, "How about some Vitamin
C." As spring breaks, they finally let down their leaves. Oh, to be loved
by the trees.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9106994741398468150.post-2069551858620731272013-02-24T18:43:00.003-08:002013-02-28T21:52:15.779-08:00Ding! Ding! Ukulele.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
My partner gave me a ukulele in celebration of eleven years together. He thinks this little red instrument embodies my spirit because even bumping into the strings makes a happy sound. Making music intimidated me, but the ukulele is impossible to resist. I awkwardly strummed out <i>Somewhere Over the Rainbow</i> on my first day. Scott so patiently held notes until I could change chords.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Someday
I'll wish upon a starrrrrr (G chord is so awkward. Come on ring finger get up there.) And wake up where the clouds are far...</i> </blockquote>
My fingers have callouses now, and we sing even when I don't strum. Mmm, the magic of music.Joanna Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072837277885195610noreply@blogger.com0