Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2003. Mattie was 11 months old and this was his first plane trip to Los Angeles. On a five hour plane trip, we were lucky if he napped for 20 minutes in total. Mattie was always ON in an airplane, and could play and play, and then play some more. Peter picked tonight's picture, and as he told me he just LOVES it because it shows Mattie's engaging and active character. I asked Peter who took this picture of Mattie, because I couldn't really remember. With that Peter said.... "are you kidding, of course it was you!" Mattie was staring right at me and I figure wanted my attention and was going to reach out for me to make his presence known.


Quote of the day: I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, and by losing. ~ Anaias Nin


Peter found tonight's quote actually and it struck a cord with him. For me, given my current brain dead state, it seemed too profound for me to really absorb it at first. However, after I broke it down, what jumped out at me is that the quote isn't really talking about death but life. For to live, means you will be faced with suffering, errors, risk, giving, and also all sorts of losses. We may try to insulate ourselves from some of these things, but none of us is immune.

Peter walked Roosevelt Island twice today. In the morning when he went alone, he was treated to all sorts of sights. He saw Pilated Woodpeckers and even a Red Bellied Woodpecker (which was a first for him on the Island!). This picture of a Pilated Woodpecker is quite stunning, because these are not easy birds to capture on camera. Nonetheless, this afternoon, when we walked the Island together, I could see Pilated Woodpeckers flying in the distance. Actually I always hear them before I see them, because when their beak hits a tree trunk it makes a "THUNK!"sound. Yet I was also treated to the bird calling of a Red Bellied Woodpecker.

To me the "kwirr" call of the Red Bellied Woodpecker is special, and I found a You Tube link of such a call, so you could hear it for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnEw1lGr_KE

 

Before leaving the Island, I snapped a picture of spring! Somehow the photo doesn't do this sight justice. I am beyond exhausted from an intense week and weekend of trying to put the finishing touches on the Symposium. Yet walking, getting fresh air and seeing nature was indeed necessary.