esprit de l'escalier

Musings on fall and some music

It is funny how quickly fall has come to my corner of the world. We hit the fall equinox and it was like a switch got thrown. Mother nature has suddenly let reds and oranges creep into her palette. The sky is blue in a way that says "autumn" and not "summer." There is a chill in the air most mornings and evenings. I love this shift. 

Through the ever fabulous Adam Sharp (twitter and blog) I found a new Tyler Lyle video Friday. It was filmed at something called Sofar Sounds out of LA. They bring people together for intimate concerts. So sayeth its website: "We have created a movement which brings music lovers together in secret living room locations to hear some of the world's most cutting edge artists." My friend Rachel hosts such things at her house. It is a wonderful way to experience music. Might be my favorite. Anyway, here's the Tyler Lyle song and a couple others from the Sofar youtube page. A wonderful musical rabbit hole to fall into, should you need one.

Oh Nantucket

Oh, I do hope you have not grown tired of my Nantucket photos, because there are more to share. Today has been gray and rainy and I'd like to be in that first photo.

Instant peeks into my life

Here are some photos taken with Impossible Project film of varying age and type (the newer film being the b&w, which is excellent). Submitted to you, without much comment. Peeks into my life of late.

Finding joy

I was reminded this weekend how important it is to find joy in our lives. Saturday night I huddled with a small gathering of people beneath a large tree as a wind storm swept around us. The branches creaked above us and we moved closer together to hear two people pledge their lives to each other. To be each other's port in the storm. Sunday I gathered with a church full of people to celebrate the life a wonderful man who loved knowledge, music, and his family. It was a ceremony filled with song and stories about his life. He found joy through music and shared that joy with others. This is the quote the family shared with all of us, from Carl Sagan: "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." Be curious about life and share the joy you find.

Longing for the beach

I have been full of anxiety lately. I can feel it right now, itchy under my skin. I want to go to sleep, but I know I'm going to toss. I had a rough day, because I was not feeling well. I'm hoping that my stomach pain and acid has more to do with me over doing it Saturday night than me getting a stomach bug that is apparently making the rounds.

I did have a great weekend, though. Friday night I hung out with a mix of new and old friends playing Cards Against Humanity, which is like a twisted version of Apples to Apples. When I left my face hurt from laughing. Saturday was a beautiful weather day. The weather was cool and it felt like fall was coming. I bopped around town, visiting with friends. That day ended with a party at Chung Hall to celebrate their renovated kitchen. I have really great people in my life, but I overdid it on the meat (delicious ribs by Andy and burgers by Tony) and whisky... Which I'm hoping is still torturing me and not some stomach bug. Sunday I beat back a hangover with a hike in the Hocking Hills. It was another glorious weather day. But I still wouldn't mind escaping to that beach up above. I hope my stomach improves and my anxiety dissipates.

Friday tunes

Heather Brown of Fuel/Friends posted this MAGNIFICENT cover of Joni Mitchell by Noah Gunderson. Truly truly magnificent. It's from a website called The Ballard Sessions. Looks like a great music rabbit hole to fall into sometime. I also found a good Dylan cover by Ben Fisher on it, so I thought post it too. Thanks Heather! You are always the pathway to great music.

ACK on medium format

Flickr friends are great because they have great cameras and are generous with them. Nickleen lent me her Hasselblad for an afternoon and I ran a roll through it. Not perfect, as evidenced by the blurry first shot, but it was so much fun. That camera has a shutter! What a clunk. So good. Here are a couple of my favorite photos.

Hi

I'm taking a little break from Nantucket photos. I hope you're not tired of them, because there are still a bunch I want to share. Such a beautiful place. Here's me two times over in my bathroom. They were the last two frames on a roll when I got home. Tonight I'm listening to Bill Clinton speak at the DNC. He makes me miss my Grandmother, who was such a fan of his. Did you see Michelle's speech last night? She is so spectacular. Her use of rhetoric will be studied.

Hope you're all well. I'm tired and feel pulled in many directions. Anyone want to come and help me clean my apartment? It's a disaster. I think living alone has encouraged my worst slovenly behavior. No one is around to call me out on it. Plus, I have reached the place as someone who lives alone where I take my pants off upon returning home. I'm pretty sure this will lead to nothing good. Ah well. Should be good for a story.

Buildings around Nantucket

Here are some random buildings that caught my eye (and my lens) while I was on Nantucket.

Old house

Our first day on Nantucket, on our way to see a lighthouse that had been moved to save it from erosion, Nickleen took us to see a favorite old house of hers. We would have inspected closer, but there were people about. I loved it for its fading glory. It reminded me of a Hopper painting, sitting there on an eroding cliff.