The Wisdom of Improv . . . Showing up for your Life

NEW url for this blog!!!!

2010-04-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

This blog has officially MOVED to a new site:
http://improvwisom.blogspot.com
I am able to eliminate the word "my" in the title.
So reset your link and join me. I have a new series of posts on Everyday Life is the Way.
Join me!

Day 4: My Chair

2010-04-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I found myself struggling with back pain. Doing some research I found that IKEA made a sensible reading chair that supported the lower back while holding everything else in a comfortable way. We positioned the chair with the window light behind and the gas fireplace nearby for cold or rainy mornings. Sitting in this chair and having a cup of tea is one of life's deep pleasures. Currently I am preparing for a trip to Sedona, Arizona to study watercolor with Jeanne Carbonetti. Her style is wildly colorful. I look forward to learning how to play with color in an expansive way

Sitting in this chair returns me to my true self.

What are you grateful for?

2010-04-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

This sturdy yellow bowl is today's object of respect. It comes from the San Francisco CAFE GRATITUDE. Rimming the interior of the bowl are the words: "What are you grateful for?" I uncover this query whenever I get to the bottom of a hearty bowl of miso soup or a rice bowl drenched in peanut sauce. (My husband contends that cardboard would taste good covered in peanut sauce.)

But I don't need to be at the bottom of a one dish meal to ask and answer this question. If you attend to life carefully it is hard not to be virtually overwhelmed with appreciation for the people and things of this world that serve us and make our own daily life possible and often, easy.

I've written about this in my book, Improv Wisdom in the chapter titled: "Wake Up to the Gifts." When we fail to notice the gifts it is likely that we are in the grip of our natural self-centeredness. When it occurs to me that "it is not about me" I am able to see how densely Reality is supporting me all the time. Cultivating an eye that looks at the world gratefully may be the single most potent vitamin for the happy and satisfied life. Even the stuff that drives us crazy can be torqued to reveal a gift.

I am grateful for so much. I am grateful for this moment when my eyes can see, when my limbs allow me to type, when my mind seems to be functioning normally and I can parse sentences. I am grateful to Google for the technology of the Blogger that allows me to put these ideas together easily and post them "out there" for anyone to see. I am grateful for the rain today which is helping the plants to grow and is washing off the needles of the pine outside my window. I am grateful for problems to solve, for laundry to do, for the time I have to reflect upon my life.

And, by the way, the Cafe Gratitude has wonderful food if you are in the San Francisco area. Stop in for a meal or to buy a bowl with the words: "What are you grateful for?" in the bottom. Or simply etch these words in your heart and let them appear when you look at anything carefully.

Day 2 The Volunteer Mimosa

2010-04-11T12:06:00.001-07:00

The window directly next to my bed faces our neighbor's house. I usually sleep with the wooden blinds closed, opening them to let in the morning light. Recently I've been keeping both the blinds and the window open to celebrate my new friend, the Mimosa tree. The volunteer Mimosa tree.

The sliver of land between our house and the neighbor's house is only about twelve feet. We have a raised planter box along the wall next to our house. We garden in these boxes, although we aren't always attentive gardeners. The box below this window has been tended sporadically by Ron's sister, Joan. Two years ago we noticed a tiny Mimosa tree that had sprung up on its own. It was a happy little plant and both Joan and I remarked that we "should pull it out before it gets too big." Well, we never did and now, two years later, the tree is over twenty five feet tall. This is a second story window, by the way. And, as you can see from this photo it is a healthy, happy tree. Today we have high winds and rain, so our Mimosa friend sways and tosses itself. The trunk is extremely flexible and dances in the wind seemingly unstressed by the violent gusts of spring wind.

This tree made me think about the "volunteer" attributes/things of our lives that appear. I did not plant this tree. I contributed nothing to nourish it. Nature was at work "doing its thing" and this tree grew and grew. Now it stands outside my window to delight me and to provide a reminder of nature in the narrow corridor between properties.

How much of our lives are served by "volunteers"? I marvel at the tenacity of plants, weeds especially, as they break through a sidewalk to reach toward the sun. We try to control so much of life, forgetting that life may have its own ideas of what is needed, of what will grow well in a given spot.

Thank you, Mimosa tree, for your labor in growing tall outside my window.

Day 1 My Teacup

2010-04-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

“Everyday life is the way.”

A wonderful PBS program on “The Life of the Buddha” reminded me of this central tenet of Buddhist thought: The path to wisdom is found in our ordinary activities, in the way we make our meals and fold the laundry, sweep the steps and feed the cat. I know this, and I forget. I want to live this truth and also to reflect upon it. Starting today I vow to spend some time each day to consider this.

I plan to choose an everyday object to start the conversation.

On this “Day 1” of my project I picked my favorite teacup. This cup was made by the potter, Sandy Kreyer . It is beautifully made, exceedingly strong. The enamel finish is thick and shiny. It is not prone to chip or crack and feels good as I hold it. It is a sturdy cup and deep. The hand painted design is lovely. Each time I use it filled with Earl Grey tea with milk and sweetener I can't help but smile. Such beauty arouses my pleasure. Form, color and function join to bring me a happy moment not only while drinking the tea and holding the cup, but also when washing it or hanging it on a hook in the kitchen.

There are so many objects in my world that stand ready to serve me and to delight my senses. I've never noticed the teacup complaining when I leave it dirty on the side table. It "lives" (if you will) to serve me. So it is fitting that I treat it with respect and consideration. It even makes sense to me to thank it. "Thank you, teacup, you are always there for me." And, thank you, Sandy Kreyer, for sitting at your wheel to make this cup.

Begin to look around and notice the objects that are "there" for you.

Half Moon Bay Library Art Show

2010-02-01T15:35:00.001-08:00

Our Plein Air Painters of Half Moon Bay have just hung a show at the Half Moon Bay Library. I have four paintings on display.

Two of these are done in the "Judi Whitton" style leaving light and air around the paint and striving to allow the colors to mix on their own. The first painting is titled: "Orchids on the Porch". I took a bamboo basket of orchids and posed it on the porch wicker settee. The composition is interesting, I thought.

In the second bright painting "Purple Vase" (9" X 11") I was trying to see how dense I could make the color. One truth about watercolor is that the values are often pale and subtle. Inspired by an artist names Jeanne Carbonetti whose work is almost "day glow" in intensity I tried to paint and overpaint to achieve a vivid color balance. She recommends splattering as does Whitton.

Once a year there is a field near the high school that is flooded with yellow mustard. The hills behind are dark evergreens. The contrast is really striking. This was a Wednesday morning painting a few weeks ago

titled: "Mustard Field in Half Moon Bay."

Last summer my dear friend Victoria Labalme invited me to her family estate in the Adirondack. It was a magical week with a house party of the famous and talented. I was rubbing elbows with filmmakers, architects and writers. On one rainy day a glass vase of roses caught my attention. This small piece (7" X 9") titled "Eagle Nest: Roses on a Rainy Day" is the result. It was done with a Sharpie ultra fine pen and watercolor.

Check out foreign comments . . .

2009-12-28T11:48:00.001-08:00

2009 was a great year for my book, Improv Wisdom. Publishers in both Germany and Korea bought the book and had it translated. Here are the two covers. I'm eager to find someone who reads Korean to see how the title is translated. Recently there was a comment posted on this blog written in Kanji. I wasn't sure if it was Japanese or Chinese, but I was happy to have a foreign reader comment on the blog. So, before I translated it I "allowed the comment". Just now I took advantage of Google's translation service only to discover that the comments appeared to be a string of sexually explicit words and images. Looks like someone "pulled one over on me." I have deleted the post with its comments so I'll spare any of you. The Internet allows for such creativity, don't you think?

I'm wishing everyone a blessed, safe and healthy new year. All the best in 2010.

Plein Air Painters of Half Moon Bay

2009-06-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Alena Jean's Flower Shop in Half Moon Bay

2009-06-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

I belong to a Coastside Plein Air painting group that meets on Wednesday mornings to paint together. We assemble at locations along the Coastside to paint local landmarks and scenes of natural beauty. For the past two weeks we have been the guests of a charming shop in Half Moon Bay, CA: Alena Jean's Flower Shop at 340 Purissima St. The gardens attached to her small, but well stocked shop are magical. For all garden lovers I urge you to spend an hour absorbing the wonder of this place.In July this group will have an art show of our works at La Di Da, a local cafe. Stay tuned for news about this event.

Loaves and Fishes by David Whyte

2009-05-26T21:27:00.001-07:00

A charming purple house in Pescadero that I painted last week.

Loaves and Fishes

This is not
the age of information.

This is not
the age of information.

Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.

This is the time
of loaves
and fishes.

People are hungry
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.

-- David Whyte
from The House of Belonging
©1996 Many Rivers Press

Obamasize yourself . . .

2009-05-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Today's distraction from doing useful things is to Obamasize your own photo.

In praise of real work . . .

2009-05-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

The Sunday NYT Magazine has a thought provoking article this week on the value of physical work. In it a poem by Marge Piercy is referenced. I found the poem and love it. I can't help thinking of my wonderful husband, Ron. He is a champion of doing all things that are real and physical. There is nothing that I've found he cannot do. Here is the wonderful poem.

To be of use
by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

"To be of use" by Marge Piercy © 1973, 1982.
From CIRCLES ON THE WATER © 1982 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and Middlemarsh, Inc.
First published in Lunch magazine.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-11T12:24:00.001-07:00

This photo was taken to accompany a feature article in the Richmond News Leader in 1959. It shows my mother, Virginia Louise Pittman Ryan and me (standing in a party dress) having a "typical family meal". Mother always wore an evening dress to dinner, of course. I think the main thing this tells us is something about the year 1959. In the bottom of the photo is my brother Michael and sister, Kathleen.

My mother was a beauty beyond compare. She was a high fashion model for a decade, wearing the couture of Oleg Casini, among others. But, as we wrote on her stone in the memorial rose garden: "More than her beauty, which was like the rose, was her goodness."

On Mother's Day I give thanks for the world's greatest mom. We were truly blessed. She died on Christmas day, 1998. Love to you, Mama.

The Dragon's Gift - The Art of Bhutan

2009-05-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco is one of the nation's treasure houses of great art. This week an exceptional exhibition closes after a three month run here. Brought together by a team of Bhutan specialists, curators, monks and government officials this exhibit assembles 100 pieces that can only be described as breathtaking. The exhibit catalog, which also contains a DVD of the sacred dances of Bhutan (Cham)is stunning in its collection of photographs and articles about Bhutanese art and culture.

Ron and I went back one more time to bask in the energy of this collection on Friday. Tibetan monks roam the gallery chanting blessings twice a day.

Here is Ron in one of the masks used for sacred dance.

Judi Whitton's Watercolour Workshop in Cornwall

2009-04-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Cuisine of Cornwall

2009-04-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Perranporth Beach

2009-04-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is my painting of the famous rocks at Perranporth Beach on the western coast of England in Cornwall. We spent a day here doing plein air painting with the Judi Whitton course.

Coming soon is a montage of our gourmet dinners.

New ART Montage

2009-03-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

This painting is of our local Methodist Church in Half Moon Bay, CA.

With the help of "One True Media.com" I have had the fun of making another short montage of my artwork. This piece includes a painting by Dalla Brown and also one by my sister, Kathleen Ryan. Enjoy Montage II below.

Tomorrow I fly to London and then on to Cornwall to paint with Judi Whitton.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Cornwall . . . HO!

2009-03-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Packing now for two weeks in England with a week studying with my favorite teacher, Judi Whitton. Her work in this image shows a vibrant, spontaneous style that I admire. The workshop is being held at the lovely Crantock Bay Hotel in Cornwall. Then on to London to spend three days browsing museum. the food courts at Harrod's and seeing some great theater.

Parenting: the Ultimate Improvisation

2009-03-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

When we improvise we step up to the moment with eyes wide open and with a mind/heart ready to make sense out of whateever is going on, and do something constructive. I continue to be delighted and amazed at the applications people have been making for the maxims of improvisation. I have heard from ministers who have used the prinicples to write a sermon, Lesbians who are using the maxims as wisdom for dating, health care workers using it to train Alzheime's caregivers, entrepreuneurs who are applying it to business challenges and most recently I've read a wonderful blog which uses improv wisdom in Parenting a teen. Dr. Nancy L. Brown, a specialist in adolescent health has written a delightful blog on this topic.

Or, of course parenting and grandparenting are the ultimate improvisation. Nothing really prepares us for the surprises that children and teens bring to our lives.

I love this photo of my brother, Michael and his grandson Ryan. It won't be too long before Ryan will be teaching his grandpa things about the computer.

A Bigger Voice Interview with Carol Ross

2009-03-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

Wisdom Entrepreneurship is a wonderful idea. Carol Ross has been providing help and inspiration on her exciting blog, A Bigger Voice. She interviewed me a few weeks ago and recently posted part I of a talk with me about the origins of my book Improv Wisdom. Thanks, Carol. If you go to listen take some time to explore her blog as it is chocked full of great ideas.
Today, March 11, 2009 Carol Ross posted Part II of my interview. In this section I talk about how Improv Wisdom has been used by those coaching Alzheimer's caregivers and by a women who woke up from a coma. She discovered that all she could do was improvise! And now, Part III of my interview. Moving into action is the theme. I would like to thank Carol for her initiative in making this interview happen. Clearly SHE is one of the new "wisdom entrepreneurs." I salute you, Carol!

The Art of Patricia Ryan Madson 2009

2009-03-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

With the help of OneTrueMedia.com I have created a montage of recent art work. It is a pleasure to share this.

The Orange Cattleya

2009-02-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

This week I'm working indoors and I've painted a beautiful orange Cattleya. I'm still trying to get the hang of the Whitton style of loose watercolor. Note the messy blobs and splatters.

Listening to A BIGGER VOICE -Interview with Carol Ross

2009-02-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

I was recently interviewed by Carol Ross, a talented change maker. Her blog "A Bigger Voice" is in the business of promoting the idea of "Wisdom Entrepreuners" and assisting them to get their message to a larger community. Her edited version of the interview in three parts will soon be posted on her website. Stay tuned. Our lively conversation has helped kickstart me to return to this blog and get involved in spreading my thoughts to readers.

As a place holder I'll publish several of my recent watercolors. I've joined a local plein air painting group who meet on Wednesday mornings to paint and help each other.

This weekend I'm welcoming 14 Madson relatives to our home for the first ever Madson family reunion 2009.

A new way to paint . . .

2008-08-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Studying with Judi Whitton in Wales has given me a new lease on watercolor. The precision of my earlier botanical art study has helped me look at subjects more carefully and seems to have improved my drawing. Judi's technique of dropping in paint has encouraged me to be playful. Here is some of my recent work.

This is Sawrey House, a charming inn just a few miles from Hawkshead in the Lake District. This venerable and comfortable establishment was our home for a week. It is literally next door to Beatrix Potter's famous "Hill Top House" which has been lovingly persevered and is part of the National Trust in England. Potter bought over 4000 acres of land and gave it back to the English people in trust.

I sat outside one day and drew this lovely building covered in ivy.

From a Cottage in Wales

2008-06-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our cottage in Wales, The Granary.
Miles of rolling hills with a thousand colors of green. Paradise, indeed. Ron and I have come to Wales for a rural adventure. So much of our travel in the past has been rushing around. This time we both agreed: "Let's go somewhere and BE there for a time." So we are renting this "self-catering cottage" miles from a paved road. We wake to the hens clucking and the family horses clomping down the cobblestones. Last night a nearly full moon rose over the hillside across the way which is the site of an iron age fort. Ron climbed the hill during one of his walks.

I am here to do some watercolor, and there is no shortage of subjects.

Last night I filled the tiny cottage with the smell of roasting potatoes and Welsh spring lamb chops in raspberry sauce. We are able to enjoy the fresh eggs laid by their dozen feisty hens, who have been gobbling down the table scraps which we drop in the compost pile near the henhouse.

The cottage is near the village of Bala, a Welsh town near a very large lake. We're not that far from the town of LLangollen famous for the yearly Welsh music and culture festival. We visited Plas Newydd, the 18th century home of some famous ladies, early trend setters in fashion and the arts.

Last week I took part in a wonderful course in watercolor painting with the artist, Judi Whitton. Her book, Loosen Up Your Watercolours is a brilliant guide to freeing your style as an artist. Here she is demonstrating her technique.

Her style of painting is very much in keeping with the spirit of improvisation so I found a kindred spirit.

Ron is enjoying running in the Welsh hills, meeting sheep, cattle and the odd farmer who look at him with wonder. In addition to his jaunts around the countryside he is spending time in local registry offices hunting down facts and figures of our ancestry. His genealogical database now holds just short of thirteen thousand of our closest relatives. We've spent quite a bit of our time walking in truly lovely small churchyards, observing gravestones.

Before coming to this part of North Wales we spend a few days in Hay on Wye, the village of BOOKS. When we leave our precious cottage we head for Blackburn and then the Lake District. We are staying in an Inn in the town where Beatrix Potter lived.

Here we stopped at a small cheese factory along the way. It was a charming teahouse as well and we savored the fresh lemon cake made by the owner.

The last image, which captures Wales for me is this of the family of sheep. Cheerio from the UK!

The Seven Ages of Woman

2008-04-07T11:38:00.001-07:00

I stumbled across this artwork as I was trying to find the right wording for the famous, "All the world's a stage" quotation from Shakespeare. Wickipedia kindly provided it.

Seeing the progression of bodies and faces I was reminded of a wonderful montage that Patti Digh posted of herself on her blog.

I'm nothing, if not a copycat, so I decided I'd put together "the many faces of Patricia". Here goes:

So, there you have it: six months to 65! Life is amazing.

Trudy and Dalla

2008-04-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

This is Dalla with her husband Jeremy in the photo on the left. That was a wonderful day. We were visiting the Asian Art Museum in SF. This happy time a few years ago was when they were "snowbirding," visiting California in retreat from their frigid Canadian winter and enjoying our sunshine and mild climate. They live in Gananoque, ON. Dalla is possibly my oldest friend, or rather the friend of greatest longstanding. She's a brilliant artist of life.

The other photo is of my other "best friend," Trudy. Trudy is also a Canadian, living in Calgary. She and her partner Gottfried run the Canadian Constructive Living Center.
Here she smiles with her daughter Meghan and her newborn granddaughter, Sophie. You can tell by everyone's smile that these folks appreciate life. They are a beautiful family.

In the past month, however, both Trudy and Dalla have received a cancer diagnosis. Both have begun chemotherapy. Both are adjusting to the interruption that this news carries into their daily lives. Both are smart, kind, and realistic. Both are surrounded by loving friends and family . . . AND, a network of unseen friends stretching across the planet, tied together by the Internet.

Last week I was corresponding with the amazing Patti Digh, whose award winning blog, 37 Days is a must read. I told her about my friend Trudy and her news. The next day Patti's blog invited readers to join her in wishing Trudy well by making a "god-box" and putting Trudy's name in it. The following day readers made suggestions of other names to add, including Dalla and Sean. This idea is now making its way around the world, and on April 4 Kate Iredale in North Saanich, B.C. blogged that she had started a box, too. I borrow her wonderful photo below. You will enjoy reading her blog. What I have discovered is a world of amazing, uplifting writing by women around the world, helping each other. I am indebted to them for joining me in sending a message of hope and support to these dear friends who are facing health challenges. And, I'd like to call your attention to the announcement of Patti's upcoming book, LIFE IS A VERB. It is possible to preorder this book from Amazon. I've had the chance to take a look at an advance copy of this remarkable book. Keep it on your radar. And, you might want to join us making your own box.

Noticing the gifts. . .

2008-02-29T12:31:00.000-08:00

Recently I was invited by Google to give an author’s talk on Improv Wisdom. Walking into their Mt. View, California campus is like stepping into the future. The place is abuzz with things happening. Space is organized such that no employee is farther than a stone’s throw from a convenience station where free lattes, fresh squeezed juice and tasty snacks help these maven’s of creativity keep their blood sugar up. Doing purposive work and enjoying life appear to be hand in hand in their workplace. Here I am with Meng, the famous "Google guy."

Someone asked me if I had a favorite improv tip from the book, and what came to mind was the ninth maxim: “Wake Up to the Gifts.” As we improvise we discover that virtually everything around us is an offer, and upon examination the vast majority of these are truly “gifts.” The work of others is constantly supporting my efforts. I simply cannot function without the countless products and services provided by others. How easy it is to overlook this truth and take things for granted, or focus on what's wrong with the picture. I find that making lists of what I’ve received from others is an enlightening enterprise.

As introduction to my talk I chose to thank Google for the many “gifts” I had received using their products. So, I made of list of “what Google had done for me this week,” and shared it with the crowd. It was a pretty long list. I’m afraid that this took quite a long time, and I may have lost some of my audience before I got to the part about “how to improvise.” If you run into someone who says “thank you” a lot, you may well be around someone with Improv Wisdom. A skillful improviser doesn’t overlook the gifts.

Writing to Change the World

2007-07-09T23:30:00.001-07:00

Browsing my local bookstore, the "chock full of good ideas"--Moon News in Half Moon Bay, CA I stumbled upon yet another book on writing. Frankly, this is the last thing I need to read these days. My shelf is overflowing with encouraging advice to writers. I have ALL the right books about what it takes to write, how to keep going when your critic tells you, "This is lousy. What on earth every made you think you could write, my dear?" Grand advice from all the famous writers. Who needs another pep talk. I just need to write. Right? Wrong. I needed to read this book.

This isn't another "Snap to it, girl. Sit down at a regular time and just "keep your hand moving" book. No, Pipher, a therapist and to my mind, an astute socialogist has written about WHY we, who are writers, must write. Grandious, yes. Writing to Save the World is a reminder that what each of us does matters, and that writing can change things, can help one human heart to make a better choice, can make a difference. Her wise and inspiring advice has put me back on track. Thanks, Mary.

Deep Economy a FIVE STAR read

2007-05-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Bill McKibben’s penetrating book, Deep Economy, posits the idea that neighborliness may well be the long term answer to global warming. Don't roll your eyes. If you know who McKibben is, it is likely that you will sit up and take note. In this carefully researched and reasoned treatise he points out that the unexamined cultural dictum of “more=better” is putting all of us on the fast track to misery. Unbridled consumption is leading us deeper and deeper into alienation and to what he terms “hyper-individualism.” Wealth is driving us into our separate boxes, monster homes and private dens. MORE is not making any of us more fulfilled. More is making us depressed. And, the more we have, the more isolated we have become from one another, from our communities, from our neighbors. Our huge gains in economic growth and development have come at a staggering price to the planet and also to personal happiness. Read this book to understand how all this has come about, or better yet . . . what to do about it.

It is his solution that I find wonderful—and if we thought about it—the most obvious. We have lost touch with each other. And, it is only in community, being in touch with each other--with our local environments that can provide a return to health and sanity, and in effect 'the good old days'. If economics's blind eye to common sense can be opened, then perhaps liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican, atheist and religious can unite on a common theme: let us relearn how to be neighbors, to be neighborly. Think globally, eat and shop locally. His vision is an obvious and simple one in which there is a gradual shift to economies that are more local in scale, requiring fewer resources, and causing less ecological disturbance.

An example of how this might work can be found in a fascinating statistic. Sociologists studying shopping behavior reported “that consumers have ten times as many conversations at farmers’ markets as they do at supermarkets—an order of magnitude difference”(p. 105 ). The import of this is that a change in economic activity can produce an enormous change in social life. And aren't we really longing to be with others, but don't know how anymore? An awareness of interconnectivity and interdependence makes for a better life. McKibben shows us that this shift is doable!

The book reminds us of the old Chinese adage: "If we don't change the direction we're going, we will end up where we're headed."

This book fills me with hope and actually gives me some concrete ideas about how to be part of this revolution. Please read this book.

. . . which brings me to an overdue note of appreciation.

I have a debt of gratitude. I first learned about McKibben's life-changing book on the pages of Headbutler.com a remarkable resource. Jesse Kornbluth, former editorial editor at AOL and the genius behind this goldmine of wise advice, has become my person concierge of the good life. His reviews of books, movies, music and popular culture are lucid, funny and bulls-eye on target for what is worth knowing these days. You can trust his opinions. Do yourselves a favor and check out the web site, or better yet, sign up for his weekly post, which is an unobtrusive and entertaining "teaser" for his reviews of the week. His archives of the past three years are a smart person's reading list. I particularly love his "Lists" of books for special occasions. Right now he has Books of Summer 2007. A few weeks ago he posted Books for 2007 Graduation Gifts. Spend an hour browsing his site for the best shopping advice anywhere. With so many voices and advertisers telling us "what we MUST read" it is a relief to find a trustworthy and feisty friend who knows GOOD when he reads it, and shares his prodigious findings in wildly readable and short reviews. You will soon see why his title as Head Butler is perfect.

Patricia Ryan Madson May 25, 2007

Botanical Art

2007-04-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Early in March I signed up for an Introduction to Botanical Art class at the Filoli Gardens in San Mateo, not far from Woodside. My good friend and editor, Toinette Lippe, flew out from Manhattan to join me for this workshop and to catch up on our friendship.

You could call me a dabbler in art: I've taken various introductory classes and workshops over the years. Art relaxes me and gives me a private focus. For the most part my work has been impressionistic. A class in painting on silk over twenty five years ago gave me the tools to create washes on silk. I have gloried in watching silks dyes permeate the fabric. The "landscape" pictured here is an early piece. This one is small, the size of a 5 X 7 greeting card. I tear the silk pieces and glue them on cardstock.

For a year I have been trying to learn how to draw. I took a ten week class through Stanford's Continuing Studies program, but was longing for some solid technique in perspective and shape and line, etc. A classmate, who was already an artist suggested that I take a class with Catherine Watters at Filoli. I signed up for a March class that met for two days in the hope that I'd learn how to focus my attention on a subject and learn how to draw it. I was not disappointed.

We spent the entire first day on two drawings: one of a single cyclamen leaf and the other of a yellow pear. I'll attach my first drawings here. The cyclamen was done with graphite pencil alone, and the pear used colored pencils to achieve its brilliance.

I was pleased with the outcome. The class taught me more than the expected skill of careful observation. With botanical art the goal is to draw ones subject life-sized. A new tool is added: measurement. Using a caliper gizmo I was taught to take accurate measurements top to bottom and side to side. When I came home from the class I was so jazzed that I did a red pear that had been sitting in the fruit bowl. I've started a five week course in botanical perspective. The first day was learning how to draw a cylinder. This pencil drawing of an asparagus spear was the homework. Fun, eh?

More as my learning progresses. I am developing new eyes.

LOSAR Tibetan New Year February 18, 2007

2007-02-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

Today is Losar, the Tibetan New Year. We discovered that we are not far from Tashi Choling, a Center for Buddhist Studies. This colorful building will house an empowerment ceremony this morning. We attended the ceremony with the resident lama and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. There was snow on the pass.

Losar Tashi Delek!

Ashland, Oregon in the Winter

2007-02-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

February 17, 2007
It is our anniversary weekend. Ron and I were married on 2/18/1989 in St. Helena, CA at the Landor estate. We are celebrating our 18 married years by a road trip to Oregon and four nights in the Romeo Inn, a B&B with sumptuous breakfasts and overstuffed beds. We have tickets to the three preview nights of plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. As You Like It, The Cherry Orchard, and On the Razzle. Ashland is a town full of art galleries, book stores and upscale restaurants with names like "Dragonfly" and "Morning Glory". We like browsing the little shops. Yesterday we took a tour of Harry and David's manufacturing plant in Medford, Oregon. Seeing how a ton of "Moose Munch" is made was a treat. And, the raspberry truffles . . . oh, boy.

All three productions were first rate. Ashland will have a smashing 2007 season if these are the benchmark. Laird Williamson's On the Razzle was farce the way you dream of it--high energy and lots of doors slamming. This production will only get better with time since this kind of farce is all about timing and precision. The play is flawlessly directed and perfectly cast. It will undoubtedly be a sellout this year. If you are going to Ashland be sure to order seats for this play well in advance. Libby Appel's Cherry Orchard is Chekov perfectly done. He's the only playwright I know that writes scenes that make you laugh and cry in the same moment. Appel understands this and finds all the wonderful, rich comedy. The pathos is apparent, and never overplayed. The set design is masterful. I recommend all three plays, although I have to admit that As You Like It is not on my list of the Bard's favorites. It always feels overwritten. Still setting it in the Depression was a brilliant idea.

The Magic of Paying Attention to Others

2007-01-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2007

I've just finished reading a wonderful book: TOP PERFORMER: A Bold Approach to Sales and Service by Stephen Lundin and Carr Hagerman. It's an unusual business book in that it is a fable about a burned-out salesman who finds a new lease on life and work by interviewing a street performer in London and a in Dublin. It may sound outlandish, but it works. The book, which is a very quick and delightful read, leaves us with some powerful truths about relationships and how to work with the public. The philosophy that is espoused is akin to improvisation: you must work with what is there, pay attention to those around you, take an interest in their wellbeing and always use your enviroment. Take advantage of the mistakes or unexpected happenings and always stay awake! It is a lovely book, and I highly recommend it.

And, while I'm on the subject of books, I'd also like to recommend a site that helps us find the lowest cost sites for buying a particular book. Check out http://www.BooksPrice.com It is a free service that helps you locate the best deals.

One more book recommendation: Philip Simmons' Learning to Fall:The Blessings of an Imperfect Life , Bantam Books, 2000, is a book that I find myself giving away time and again. He was an English professor and writer who found himself with a diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease at age 35. The book is his poem to life.
Simmons stories puts things into a perspective that makes sense, even in the face of unspeakable loss. It is a book I go back to whenever I need to get my thinking straight.

A Turkish Holiday

2006-12-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2006
Christmas greetings to everyone! We are just days back from a thrilling trip to Turkey to attend the yearly celebration in honor of the great poet, Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi. The coming year marks the 800th year of the passing of this sage, and it was a special time in Konya, where each year on December 17th the sacred Sema is performed. This event is most well known as the ritual of the Whirling Dervishes. We had perfect seats to see this remarkable performance, where Dervishes dance to unite with God.

We were guests of INTEKNO CEO,Halil Kulluk and his warm family. We experienced hospitality that was rich in kindness and attention to detail. We spent time being welcomed into his family home and as his guest in Konya. On December 16th in Konya I took part in a wonderful symposium entitled: "Love, Science and Life" Conference. This symposium was organized as a joint venture with Selcuk University and the Intekno Group and took place at the luxurious Rixos Hotel in Konya.

Earlier that day we visited the shrine of Mevlana and paid respects at his tomb. I was moved by the depth of devotion exhibited by the crowds visiting the tomb. Several came over to me, took me by the hand and looked into my eyes with a warm welcome. One woman said to me: "I am from Iran; where are you from?" It was as if the love which the poet Rumi celebrates was everywhere, and was infusing the hearts of all of us. At the Symposium we were honored by remarks given by Esin Celebi Bayru, the 22nd generation descendant of Mevlana. The President of Selcuk University, Dr. Suleyman Okudan gave the welcoming remarks, and a paper on Rumi's relationship to other religions was given by Prof. Dr. Emine Yeniterzi, a renowned author and Rumi scholar. We were all entertained by a lively concert of dervish music by the Hosgoru Sazendeleri ensemble. Our host, Halil Kulluk gave an inspiring slide show entitled "Love, Innovation and Entrepreneurship under the Enlightenment of Rumi."

Joining our friends in Istanbul and journeying with them to Konya for this great event was a memorable experience. On the return to Istanbul we were feted by an evening of music in the concert hall of Bosphorus University. A standing ovation was well deserved. What thrilling music it was . . . a mix of ancient and modern themes, haunting and enlivening. Istanbul is a city of great energy and life and we were fortunate indeed to take part in this great celebration of Rumi.

Love can do anything

2006-09-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

September 25, 2006
I received an email from my brother forwarding a story from, oddly enough, Sports Illustrated. I'll copy it here.

From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly

"I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars -- all in the same day(doing the Ironman Triathlon). Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much -- except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester , Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs. "He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old, "Put him in an institution." But the Hoyts weren't buying it.

They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "there's nothing going on in his brain." "Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in His brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!"

And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that." Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. " then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks," that day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!" And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?" How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzz kill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083 rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 -- only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. "No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century." And Dick got something else out of all this too . Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago." So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life. Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. "The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

Please take four minutes to view this short, inspiring video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ
If you search "Dick Hoyt" inside of UTube there are several other short videos of this life affirming family.

This one is excellent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D52rJd9GX10&mode=related&search=

The boy Buddha

2006-09-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2006
What surprised me was how hard his little body felt to the touch. The white cardboard box that they put him in had sloping edges--a little like a coffin. It felt not heavy at all, but solid. When I opened the lid, his long hair, dark grey and dirty cream seemed just as it always had: soft, well groomed, a gentle color. And, then, when I touched his side, the body, instead of yielding as it normally does, felt dense, hard. I suppose this is what "rigor mortis" means, although I had not ever experienced it before. Buddha was lying on his side, curled as he had been so often, sleeping--something he had done often in recent years, as his 14 year old body adjusted to indoor life with a pampering family.

Nothing prepared me for the loss of my beloved companion, our Himalyan beauty, his royal highness, the boy Buddha. This was his official name, the one on his "papers." He had a mother who was a show cat. We neutered him early on, never going that route.

And, now he is gone.

On Sunday night as I was drying myself from a shower I noticed him darting around, making strange patterns as he moved. One leg seemed to buckle under as he tried to change location. After each lunge he would raise his shoulders and retch forward. Something was clearly wrong. Between moves he would meaow furtively. Had he broken a leg bone jumping down from the sink where he drank from the faucet? I called Ron, who swept him up into his arms, cradling him.

What do you do with an animal that has a broken leg in the middle of the night on a weekend? Are there "Pet Emergency Wards"? Yes, fortunately, there are. But the closet one was a half hours drive over the hill and north toward the city. After calling the facility and getting directions we bundled into the car. I drove since Ron was good at holding the frightened, trembling body of our "boy." He cried out almost continually. At that time we didn't realize that it was likely from pain rather than annoyance at being held against his will. Halfway there he started panting with his mouth ajar, eyes wild, making little clucking sounds. Something profound was happening. My heart began to feel numb as the possibility that this ride might be his last occurred to both of us.

At the Emergency Pet facilty an attendant took him immediately and we waited in the dim anteroom, holding hands and worrying. A young Asian women with a perky short legged black dog was waiting for test results. Her pooch was peeing blood, she confessed. I must say he looked frisky and cheerful, if indeed he was sick.

At last we were brought back to wait in an examining room. Buddha was still cloistered somewhere being examined. After a very long time, a large middle aged, overweight woman in a blue dress came in and told us that the exrays showed that Buddha had had a stroke, and that the prognosis was poor that he would recover. "He is very likely to stroke again at any time," she said. He would need to be hospitalized and given intravenous pain medications and watched continuously, she explained without emotion. Of course our alternative was . . . we filled in the blank, "to put him down." I think that was what Ron said. He then remarked that this was such an odd incorrect phrase. Euthanasia, is the proper term. "Putting him to sleep," the euphamism. Ron and I looked at each other. We had discussed this long ago and had agreed that letting him go would be kinder than keeping him alive under duress and indignity if the time ever came. And it had come.

And, putting him to sleep was what it was, actually. We sat with him for a short time, stroking him and weeping quietly, saying goodbye to our closest friend. The vet, who never introduced herself, returned with several syringes. Buddha sat quietly with his paws extended, resting, a catheter on his wrist. With the first injection he became even more quiet. He was very still, calm, present. As if he was going into meditation. Other injections followed. And, he became more still and quiet and motionless. In a remarkably short time it was over. The vet, using a stethascope checked for a pulse, and simply nodded that it was over. I stroked him gently, feeling his little body still warm and soft. He just seemed to be sleeping. We were glad to have been with him.

We brought the small carton home and placed it on our altar in front of a statue of the Buddha and a photo of the Dalai Lama, set alongside photos of all of our family members who have passed on. On the following day we buried Buddha's body in our garden. The grave was placed under the garden statue of a meditating Buddha, one with a gentle smile. We planted cycleman all around the statue and bulbs deep in the earth so that in the spring we will see crocus and iris and frisia burst forth to remind us of our sweet friend. Buddha was a being of intelligence, grace, beauty and kindness. Everyone thought him remarkable. We loved this cat very much. We shall miss him.

LibraryThing.com

2006-08-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

August 30, 2006
Back from travels in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee, Denmark and Norway. We have been on a genealogy hunt . . . with good results. Glad to be home. I've recently joined an interesting web site: Library Thing Check out the site. It's like walking into my house and browsing my bookshelf. Let me know what you think.

Health from a new perspective . . .

2006-06-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

June 20, 2006
Larry Dossey's book, The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things is a must read for anyone interested in health. He gives credence to topics that would seem surprising: optimism, plants, dirt, novelty, tears. Read this book for inspiration and some common sense ideas about things each of us can do to increase the odds of our wellness.

Podcast Interview- LIFEHACK.ORG

2006-06-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2006

It has been a great ride to enjoy the attention that my book, Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up (Bell Tower, 2005) has received. Bloggers and business types seem to be finding it useful, and just this week I did a podcast interview for LifeHack.org.

Last week was a Chautauqua lecture for a public radio staion in Missouri. You can find the link when you visit my book's web site: www.improvwisdom.com.

I have had lots of help getting the word out on this book. It is being viewed as a tool for creativity. I love the photograph of the book lying next to wrenches and sockets. That is exactly what I hoped the book would do: be a toolkit for life. This photo was taken by a Stanford Engineering student for a review in the Stanford Design Magazine Ambidextrous.

Shifting gears temporarily, last week was the California primary election. I've been saddened by the fact that all three local measures to support schools, libraries and primary education--all three failed. What is happening to our society that all we can say to government is no? No more taxes, no more. We all know that prices go up. It seems to me that it is only sensible to keep funding those things that make our society strong. We can't have a top notch educational system on volunteerism and good will. We need to pay the way for our children.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-06-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Run, or better yet, bike to see the new Al Gore documentary, An Inconvenient Truth

Roger Ebert has given An Inconvenient Truth a Four-star review writing in the Chicago Sun-Times: “The director, Davis Guggenheim, uses words, images and Gore’s concise litany of facts to build a film that is fascinating and relentless. In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.”