The Upside

I was reminded today of why I love Provo in the summer so much.

Mona lake in the morning. Then Bike riding, gallery strolling, and some extra nice sandwich-making and restaurant promoting in the afternoon.

I don't know who reads my blog that wouldn't know about the restaurant--but some good friends of mine are looking to open up a restaurant. in Provo! I was there for the beginning stages, for some of the initial dreaming up and planning and meeting. But these guys have been working hard on it for the past four months and it was exciting just to get to help out with some of the promotional stuff this evening.

The restaurant is called The Upside. <-- Click there for the website. They also just started a kickstarter fundraising campaign, so if you feel so inclined, please donate a dollar, or two (or five!)

Sorry for the shameless plug. I am just honestly excited about it all. No location yet--but they are looking to possibly buy a double-decker bus and set up shop there. It already has all the necessary restaurant facilities too. Kitchen on the bottom level and seating up top.

And let me just say, they make some revolutionary grilled cheese sandwiches.

Photo by Christine Armbruster

Then tomorrow, there will be all sorts of celebration and revelry to cap off an already perfect summer weekend. farmers markets, community gardens, barbeques and waterslides and fireworks. I love holidays that stretch over the course of several days.

The Realm of the Unreal

I just watched this documentary. The entire concept of art brut/outsider art is fascinating. and Henry Darger was definitely a fascinating, mysterious, kind of creepy (and yet kind of sweet and innocent-seeming) man--with a very distinctive style of painting/drawing/collaging/tracing.
And what prolificness! pages upon pages upon pages! and no one knew.

I actually like it quite a bit. The colors and composition are so bright and inventive and fantastical.

museum of natural history

can't sleep.

walrus ostrich narwhal

Even though the weather has turned I am feeling happy and blessed.
I don't mind bringing out the jackets and the scarves again. This year I feel much less misdirected rage towards the sudden cold snaps--I am rolling with the punches.

What is rain but some moisture for the spring garden? Another week where we don't need to water?

I also noticed that the cold makes the tulips close up a little.
When the sun is beating hot they begin to throw their petals open wide and it feels like they are indecently exposed and a little flamboyantly erotic: "HELLO stamen!"
I have to say, I prefer the neatly closed petals. Skirts untwirled. I hope that doesn't make me a prude. I just want a little decency.

Question.
Is there anything more wonderfully magical than sea animals with tusks/horns?











Another question. Is there anything better than going to a friend's house and being served fresh homemade ostrich egg quiche? And then some strawberry napoleons and chocolate pasta with white chocolate raspberry sauce drizzled on top for dessert?

These days my life is just FILLED with horned sea animals and ostrich egg quiches--so, it is not an exaggeration when I say that things couldn't get much better.

"The world is so full of a number of things,
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."
-A Child's Garden of Verses

I know that these thoughts and that quote run the risk of sounding a little obtusely optimistic or annoyingly sunny (in an always-grinning-no-matter-what sunday-school sort of way). But I don't mean it like that. I am just feeling truly grateful for small things these days, and I think it is good to make a note, start a list, count your blessings.
Then, during the hard times, I can look back and remember that somewhere out there in the vast oceans of our planet there is a herd of narwhal swimming.

Let me continue the list:

-free old huge heavy television sets to put in my bedroom and decorate with collages and watch old VHS tapes on
-friends who go to DI and surprise you with a working VCR
-camping in the great wide wilderness of southern utah
-hiking in the great wide wilderness of southern utah
-neighbors with baby chickens and a newly-built chicken coop
-anticipating the fresh eggs that said chickens will be producing by the end of the summer
-starting a restaurant
-riding bikes
-gardening, gardening meetings, plant stewardships
-bollywood market opening just down the street
-little brother Aaron coming to Provo oh so soon
-hanging out with that brother and sharing thoughts, books, music, movies
-lovely Elisa coming to Provo tomorrow!!!
-road trip to Santa Fe with mom and Jade
-talking to dad on the phone
-new jobs
-new classes
-making movies
-all the trees in Provo bursting with flowers
-compost piles
-having time to read

L'Epine dans le Coeur

I am always so comforted by the small constants in life.

The sun rising. The seasons changing.
The Jehovah's Witness man in his long dark coat and fedora handing out Watchtower and Awake! magazines at the end of 200 East.

He is always there. Every Friday morning without fail. And I always accept his magazine with a smile and a word of thanks.
Partly because I find them fascinating and have a habit of collecting religious pamphlets and tracts of all kinds* And partly because what's the point of rudely averting your gaze? Or swerving around him? Or making a show of turning him down because you have a religion thankyouverymuch?

In other news, I really do love the seasons changing. It's spring! The weather is fickle. We had a white Easter. But now it is 60 degrees and there is popcorn popping on our apricot tree outside (we really do have an apricot tree in our backyard, and it really has broken out into the most beautiful pink-white blossoms this week)! and we are planting lettuce and spinach and peas and onions and carrots in the garden. and sprouting tomatoes and peppers and eggplants and melons under our grow lights indoors.
And it might snow again next week--but that's alright. That's just mother nature trying to make us appreciate the warm days more. And we do.

*Last time I went sacred harp singing at the local Episcopal church I raided their pamphlet section. I think I took one of every single kind. And I read them all too. I like the episcopal church.
Also, when I worked at Foodland I used to gather all the little evangelical tracts that people seemed to strategically leave in the shopping carts and take them home with me-- not to thwart the missionary efforts but because they were always so interesting and full of passion and zeal and they usually had great cartoons of people burning in hellfire!